Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2010

Registration No. 333-168721

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Amendment No. 2

to

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Delaware   2834   20-2960116

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

CenterPointe IV

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807

(908) 707-2100

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Marc D. Beer

Chief Executive Officer

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CenterPointe IV

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807

(908) 707-2100

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Jocelyn M. Arel, Esq.

Michael H. Bison, Esq.

Goodwin Procter LLP

53 State Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

(617) 570-1000

 

Christine A. Pellizzari, Esq.

Executive Vice President, General Counsel

and Secretary

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CenterPointe IV

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807

(908) 707-2100

 

David E. Redlick, Esq.

Brian A. Johnson, Esq.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr

LLP

399 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10022

(212) 230-8800

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.     ¨

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     ¨             

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     ¨             

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     ¨             

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

 

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

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to be Registered

 

Amount

to be

Registered(1)

 

Proposed

Maximum

Offering Price
Per Share(2)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(2)

  Amount of
Registration
Fee(3)(4)

Common stock, par value $0.001 per share

  5,366,667   $16.00   $85,866,672   $6,123
 
 
(1) Includes 700,000 shares of common stock that may be purchased by the underwriters to cover over-allotments, if any.
(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(3) Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(a) based on an estimate of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price.
(4) A registration fee of $6,150 has been paid previously in connection with this Registration Statement based on an estimate of the aggregate offering price.

 

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is declared effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 7, 2010

PROSPECTUS

4,666,667 Shares

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is offering 4,666,667 shares of common stock. This is our initial public offering, and no public market currently exists for our common stock. We anticipate that the initial public offering price will be between $14.00 and $16.00 per share.

We have applied to have our common stock approved for listing on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “AEGR.”

Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “ Risk Factors ” beginning on page 10.

 

     Per Share    Total

Initial public offering price

   $                 $             

Underwriting discounts and commissions

   $      $  

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $      $  

We have granted the underwriters an option for 30 days from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 700,000 additional shares of our common stock at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, to cover over-allotments.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of common stock on or about                     , 2010.

 

 

 

Leerink Swann

   Lazard Capital Markets

 

 

 

Needham & Company, LLC    Canaccord Genuity   

Collins Stewart

The date of this prospectus is                     , 2010.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

   1

RISK FACTORS

   10

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

   41

USE OF PROCEEDS

   42

DIVIDEND POLICY

   44

CAPITALIZATION

   45

DILUTION

   48

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

   50

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

   51

BUSINESS

   70

MANAGEMENT

   97

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

   103

TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

   123

PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

   131

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

   135

SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

   140

UNDERWRITING

   142

LEGAL MATTERS

   147

EXPERTS

   147

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

   147

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

   F-1

EXHIBITS

  

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different. We are offering to sell shares of our common stock, and seeking offers to buy shares of our common stock, only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our common stock.

Until                     , 2010, 25 days after the date of this prospectus, all dealers that buy, sell or trade our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.

For investors outside the United States: Neither we nor any of the underwriters have taken any action to permit a public offering of the shares of our common stock or the possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus.


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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our common stock. Before you decide to invest in our common stock, you should read the entire prospectus carefully, including the “Risk Factors” section and the financial statements and related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus.

Our Company

We are an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders. Lipids are naturally occurring molecules, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, that are transported in the blood. Our lead compound, lomitapide, is a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor, or MTP-I, which limits secretion of cholesterol and triglycerides from the intestines and the liver, the main sources of lipids in the body. We are initially developing lomitapide as an oral, once-a-day treatment for patients with a rare genetic lipid disorder called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. These patients are at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events at an early age as a result of extremely elevated cholesterol levels in the blood. We believe that lomitapide, either on a stand-alone basis or in combination with other drugs, has the potential to help these patients achieve recommended target levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL-C.

We are currently evaluating lomitapide in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with HoFH. If this single-arm, open-label trial is successful, we plan to submit a New Drug Application, or NDA, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, before the end of 2011 and a Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, in 2012. In October 2007, the FDA granted lomitapide orphan drug designation for the treatment of HoFH. In the United States, orphan drug designation is given to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States. If lomitapide receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, it is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication, except in very limited circumstances, for seven years. In July 2010, we submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of HoFH. The EMA generally grants orphan drug designation to drugs that may offer therapeutic benefits for life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions affecting not more than five in 10,000 people in the European Union. In the European Union, orphan drug designation provides ten years of market exclusivity following drug approval, although the exclusivity period may be reduced to six years if the designation criteria are no longer met.

Before we can file an NDA, we must complete additional studies to assess various other aspects of lomitapide. Subject to obtaining marketing approval, we plan to recruit a highly targeted team, comprised of sales representatives and medical education specialists who are experienced in marketing drugs for the treatment of rare, often genetic, disorders, for the commercialization of lomitapide in the United States and the European Union.

In addition to HoFH, we are also in the process of developing a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with a severe genetic form of elevated triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridemia, called familial chylomicronemia, or FC. In July 2010, we submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of FC, and we plan to make a similar request with the FDA in the second half of 2010.

To date, we have not generated revenue from the sale of any product, and we do not expect to generate significant revenue unless and until we obtain marketing approval of, and commercialize, lomitapide. As of June 30, 2010, we had an accumulated deficit of $74.6 million.

 

 

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Lomitapide

We are currently evaluating lomitapide in an ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with HoFH. We completed enrollment for this single-arm, open-label trial in March 2010 with a total of 29 patients. Of these patients, as of September 30, 2010, three patients have withdrawn their consent to participate in the trial and three patients have discontinued treatment due to gastrointestinal adverse events. All of the remaining 23 patients in the trial have completed the 26 week period of therapy at the end of which the primary efficacy endpoint is measured, and 12 of these patients have completed an additional 52 week safety monitoring period. We expect to complete this trial in the second half of 2011.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, or UPenn, completed a Phase II clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH in 2004. In addition to the UPenn trial, lomitapide has been evaluated in seven Phase I and five Phase II clinical trials. A total of 703 patients were treated with lomitapide in these Phase I and Phase II trials, including the patients in the UPenn trial. Currently, there are no MTP-Is approved by the FDA for any indication.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, or BMS, developed lomitapide as a monotherapy treatment aimed at producing LDL-C lowering efficacy equal to or greater than that seen at maximum dosing with statins. Early clinical trials produced meaningful percent reductions in LDL-C levels, but patients in these trials discontinued use of lomitapide at a high rate due to gastrointestinal adverse events, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In addition, a small proportion of patients experienced elevations in liver enzymes and increased mean levels of fat in the liver, or hepatic fat, both of which have also been observed in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. We believe the high rate of discontinuations due to gastrointestinal adverse events in the early clinical trials of lomitapide resulted in large part from the failure to employ dose titration, which is the gradual increase in dosing over time to allow the body to adapt to the impact of a higher dose. Patients in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, where dose titration has been employed, have also experienced adverse gastrointestinal events, but to a lesser extent than those experienced in the earlier clinical trials. In 2003, BMS donated certain patent rights and other rights related to this product candidate to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, or The Trustees of UPenn. In May 2006, we entered into an exclusive, worldwide patent license with The Trustees of UPenn for the right to develop and commercialize lomitapide to treat specified patient populations.

Patient Populations of Interest

We are initially developing lomitapide for the treatment of the small number of patients with the rare genetic disorder HoFH. Patients with untreated HoFH have extremely high LDL-C levels, typically between 500 mg/dL and 1,000 mg/dL, and, as a result, are at severely high risk of experiencing premature cardiovascular events, such as a heart attack or stroke. In a report that we commissioned, L.E.K. Consulting LLC, or LEK, an international business consulting firm, estimates that the total number of addressable patients with symptoms consistent with HoFH in each of the United States and, collectively, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, which are referred to in this prospectus as the European Union Five, is approximately 3,000 patients, or a combined total of approximately 6,000 patients. LEK’s estimate of the addressable patient population is primarily based on, among other things, physician estimates of patients that have symptoms customarily present in patients definitively diagnosed with HoFH. LEK’s estimate of the addressable patient population uses an approach that is consistent with the characteristics of patients that participated in our pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide, which includes patients with the HoFH genotype and patients with symptoms customarily present in patients having been definitively diagnosed with HoFH. The total addressable market opportunity for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH will ultimately depend upon, among other things, product pricing, reimbursement, acceptance by the medical community and patient access, as well as the diagnosis criteria included in the final label for lomitapide, if approved for sale for this indication.

 

 

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We also believe that lomitapide has the potential to treat patients with the rare genetic disorder FC, who have extremely high levels of blood triglycerides, or TGs, generally greater than 2,000 mg/dL. These patients are at an increased risk of developing acute pancreatitis, a significant and sometimes life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas. In the report that we commissioned, LEK estimates that, subject to certain factors, there are a total of approximately 1,000 patients in the United States and the European Union Five with FC who could be eligible for treatment with lomitapide.

We believe that lomitapide may also be useful for the treatment of elevated lipid levels in broader patient populations, such as those suffering from heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, patients who are statin intolerant and patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia that is brought on by factors other than FC. If we elect to develop lomitapide for broader patient populations, we would plan to do so selectively either on our own or by establishing alliances with one or more pharmaceutical company collaborators, depending on, among other things, the applicable indications, the related development costs and our available resources.

Limitations of Currently Available Treatment Options

Currently available treatment options for patients with HoFH are extensive but, even when combined together, are often ineffective in significantly reducing LDL-C levels to recommended target levels. The clinical approach for patients with HoFH typically involves dietary modifications, a combination of available lipid lowering drug therapies and, in many cases, plasma apheresis, which is a mechanical filtration of the blood similar to kidney dialysis, in order to lower their lipid levels as aggressively as possible. Drug therapies include statins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors and bile acid sequestrants.

Similarly, currently available treatment options for patients with FC are often ineffective in lowering TG levels to recommended target levels. The clinical approach for patients with FC, whose TG levels are generally greater than 2,000 mg/dL, typically involves dietary modifications to lower the intake of dietary fat, the use of omega-3 fatty acids and fibrates. However, these treatments are often inadequate to lower TG levels below 500 mg/dL, the level at which patients are at an increased risk for developing acute pancreatitis. Because of the severely elevated TG levels in this patient population, reducing TG levels to this extent may require reductions in TG levels of 75% or more from baseline.

Our Strategy

Our objective is to develop and commercialize drugs to treat patients with rare lipid related disorders who are at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events at an early age. To achieve this objective, we plan to:

 

   

Complete our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and, if it is successful, file for marketing approval in the United States and the European Union.

 

   

Prepare to commercialize lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH.

 

   

Initiate a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC.

 

   

Selectively seek to expand our distribution capabilities and potentially address broader patient populations for lomitapide.

 

 

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Risks Associated with Our Business

Our business is subject to numerous risks, as more fully described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” immediately following this prospectus summary, including the following:

 

   

We currently depend entirely on the success of our lead compound, lomitapide, which we are developing initially for the treatment of patients with HoFH. We are also developing a protocol for a clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. We may not receive marketing approval for, or successfully commercialize, lomitapide for any indication.

 

   

The number of patients with HoFH and FC is small and has not been established with precision. If lomitapide is approved for the treatment of these patient populations and the actual number of patients with these conditions is smaller than we estimate, or if any approval we obtain is based on a narrower definition of these patient populations, our revenue and ability to achieve profitability will be adversely affected, possibly materially.

 

   

In earlier preclinical studies and clinical trials, lomitapide was associated with undesirable side effects, such as adverse gastrointestinal events, elevated liver enzymes and increases in mean hepatic fat levels. Patients in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH have also experienced such undesirable side effects. Lomitapide may continue to cause such side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent its marketing approval or result in adverse limitations in any approved labeling or on distribution and use of the product.

 

   

Failures or delays in the commencement or completion of preclinical or clinical testing could result in increased costs to us and delay, prevent or limit our ability to generate revenue.

 

   

If we receive marketing approval for lomitapide or any other product candidate, sales will be limited unless the product achieves broad market acceptance.

 

   

If we fail to obtain or maintain orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide, we will have to rely on our data and marketing exclusivity, if any, and on our intellectual property rights.

Corporate Information

We were founded in 2005 as a Delaware corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at CenterPointe IV, 1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807, and our telephone number is (908) 707-2100. Our web site address is www.aegerion.com. The information on, or that can be accessed through, our web site is not part of this prospectus. We have included our web site address as an inactive textual reference only.

Aegerion is a registered trademark of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the United States and a trademark in other countries. This prospectus also includes other trademarks of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and other persons.

Except where the context requires otherwise, in this prospectus “Company,” “Aegerion,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

 

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THE OFFERING

 

Common stock offered by us

4,666,667 shares

 

Common stock to be outstanding after this offering

15,383,937 shares

 

Over-allotment option

We have granted the underwriters an option for 30 days from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to 700,000 additional shares of common stock to cover over-allotments.

 

Use of proceeds

We plan to use the net proceeds of this offering for repayment of debt, to fund the continued clinical development of lomitapide, submit applications for marketing approval and commercially launch lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and for general corporate purposes. For a more complete description of our intended use of the net proceeds from this offering, see “Use of Proceeds.”

 

Proposed NASDAQ Global Market symbol

“AEGR”

 

Risk factors

You should read the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus for a discussion of factors to consider carefully before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock.

 

 

The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 1,708,129 actual shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2010 and also includes:

 

   

7,050,363 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and accumulated dividends thereon upon the closing of this offering, assuming that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010; and

 

   

1,958,778 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under all of our outstanding senior subordinated convertible promissory notes, or convertible notes, including an aggregate of $3.0 million of convertible notes sold to certain of our investors in August 2010 and October 2010, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010.

The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering excludes:

 

   

1,713,150 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at a weighted average exercise price of $1.71 per share;

 

   

40,953 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to be granted upon the closing of this offering at an exercise price equal to the initial public offering price;

 

   

107,779 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at an exercise price of $6.68 per share; and

 

   

2,621,127 additional shares of common stock available for future issuance under our equity incentive plans as of the closing of this offering.

 

 

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Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus assumes:

 

   

the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and accumulated dividends thereon upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 7,050,363 shares of common stock, assuming that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010;

 

   

the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under convertible notes upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock, at 80% of the initial public offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010;

 

   

an outstanding warrant held by Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., or Hercules, to purchase an aggregate of 387,238 shares of series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, which will become, in accordance with its terms, a warrant to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.68 per share upon the closing of this offering;

 

   

no exercise of the outstanding options or warrant described above;

 

   

the filing of an amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the adoption of our amended and restated by-laws upon the closing of this offering; and

 

   

no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to 700,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments.

In addition, unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus gives effect to:

 

   

a 1-for-2.4417 reverse split of our common stock to be effected prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

 

 

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SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA

You should read the following summary financial data together with the “Capitalization,” “Selected Financial Data,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of this prospectus and our financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. We have derived the statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 from our audited financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. We have derived the statement of operations data for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010 and the balance sheet data as of June 30, 2010 from our unaudited financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. The unaudited financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as our audited financial statements and include, in the opinion of management, all adjustments that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of the financial information set forth in those statements. Our historical results for any prior period are not necessarily indicative of results expected in any future period and our interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

The unaudited pro forma balance sheet data set forth below give effect to:

 

   

the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and accumulated dividends thereon upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 7,050,363 shares of common stock, assuming that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010;

 

   

the receipt in August 2010 and October 2010 of aggregate gross proceeds of $3.0 million from the sale of additional convertible notes and the automatic conversion of all $21,314,760 of principal outstanding and all accrued interest under all of our outstanding convertible notes upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010, including the effect of the beneficial conversion charge that will be recorded upon the conversion of our convertible notes; and

 

   

an outstanding warrant held by Hercules to purchase an aggregate of 387,238 shares of series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, which will become, in accordance with its terms, a warrant to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.68 per share upon the closing of this offering and the reclassification of the related warrant liability to additional paid-in capital.

The unaudited pro forma as adjusted balance sheet data set forth below give further effect to:

 

   

the filing of an amended and restated certificate of incorporation upon the closing of this offering;

 

   

the receipt by us of net proceeds of $63.1 million from the sale of 4,666,667 shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us; and

 

   

the use of $3.0 million of the net proceeds of this offering to repay our outstanding indebtedness to Hercules, as described under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

 

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    Year Ended     Six Months Ended June 30,     Period from
February 4,
2005
(Inception)
to June 30,
2010
 
    December 31,
2007
    December 31,
2008
    December 31,
2009
     
          2009     2010    
                      (Unaudited)     (Unaudited)  
    (In thousands, except share and per share data)  

Statements of Operations Data:

           

Costs and expenses:

           

Research and development

  $ 13,542      $ 17,712      $ 7,041      $ 3,795      $ 2,293      $ 44,532   

General and administrative

    6,079        5,185        3,075        1,538        1,670        20,293   
                                               

Total costs and expenses

    19,621        22,897        10,116        5,334        3,963        64,825   
                                               

Loss from operations

    (19,621     (22,897     (10,116     (5,334     (3,963     (64,825

Interest expense

    (1,048     (1,127     (2,083     (947     (1,183     (5,677

Interest income

    1,008        533        177        102        39        2,646   

Change in fair value of warrant liability

    237        91        (174     (87     349        503   

Other than temporary impairment on securities

    (770     (1,665                   (30     (2,466

Other income, net

           31                             31   
                                               

Loss before income taxes

    (20,194     (25,035     (12,196     (6,266     (4,788     (69,788

Benefit from income taxes

                                1,793        1,793   
                                               

Net loss

    (20,194     (25,035     (12,196     (6,266     (2,995     (67,995

Less: accretion of preferred stock dividends and other deemed dividends

    (3,658     (6,242     (3,287     (1,620     (1,734     (16,646
                                               

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

  $ (23,852   $ (31,277   $ (15,483   $ (7,886   $ (4,729   $ (84,641
                                               

Net loss attributable to common stockholders per share — basic and diluted

  $ (19.15   $ (20.92   $ (9.35   $ (4.83   $ (2.77  
                                         

Weighted-average shares outstanding — basic and diluted

    1,245,246        1,495,375        1,656,732        1,632,047        1,704,766     
                                         

Unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss attributable to common stockholders per share

      $ (1.45     $ (0.44  
                       

Unaudited pro forma weighted average shares outstanding — basic and diluted

        10,665,873          10,713,907     
                       

 

 

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     As of June 30, 2010  
     Actual     Pro
Forma
    Pro Forma
As Adjusted
 
    

(Unaudited)

(In thousands)

 

Balance Sheet Data:

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 2,082      $ 5,082      $ 64,317   

Total assets

     3,275        6,275        65,510   

Notes payable and convertible notes

     23,865        3,865          

Total liabilities

     25,954        5,736        1,871   

Redeemable convertible preferred stock

     51,692                 

Deficit accumulated during the development stage

     (74,576     (80,452     (80,452

Total stockholders’ (deficiency) equity

     (74,371     539        63,639   

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share would increase (decrease) each of cash and cash equivalents, total assets and total stockholders’ equity on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $4.3 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before you decide to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, including our financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. We believe the risks described below are the risks that are material to us as of the date of this prospectus. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In these circumstances, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital Requirements

We have incurred significant operating losses since our inception, and anticipate that we will incur continued losses for the foreseeable future.

We are a development stage company with a limited operating history. To date, we have primarily focused on developing our lead compound, lomitapide. We have funded our operations to date primarily through proceeds from the private placement of convertible preferred stock, convertible debt and venture debt. We have incurred losses in each year since our inception in February 2005. Our net losses were $20.2 million in 2007, $25.0 million in 2008, $12.2 million in 2009 and $3.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010. As of June 30, 2010, we had an accumulated deficit of $74.6 million. Substantially all of our operating losses resulted from costs incurred in connection with our development programs and from general and administrative costs associated with our operations.

The losses we have incurred to date, combined with expected future losses, have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity and working capital. We expect our research and development expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and our planned Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC and other potential studies or clinical trials of lomitapide. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for lomitapide, we will likely incur significant sales, marketing, in-licensing and outsourced manufacturing expenses, as well as continued research and development expenses. Furthermore, upon the closing of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. As a result, we expect to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing pharmaceutical products, we are unable to predict the extent of any future losses or when we will become profitable, if at all.

We have not generated any revenue from lomitapide or any other product candidate and may never be profitable.

Our ability to become profitable depends upon our ability to generate revenue. To date, we have not generated any revenue from our development stage product candidates, including our lead compound, lomitapide, and we do not know when, or if, we will generate any revenue. We do not expect to generate significant revenue unless or until we obtain marketing approval of, and commercialize, lomitapide. Our ability to generate revenue depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:

 

   

obtain favorable results from and progress the clinical development of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, including successful completion of our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial for this indication;

 

   

develop and obtain regulatory approval for a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC;

 

   

subject to successful completion of the pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, apply for and obtain marketing approval;

 

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contract for the manufacture of commercial quantities of lomitapide at acceptable cost levels if marketing approval is received; and

 

   

establish sales and marketing capabilities to effectively market and sell lomitapide in the United States and the European Union.

Even if lomitapide is approved for commercial sale in one or both of the initial indications that we are pursuing, it may not gain market acceptance or achieve commercial success. In addition, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product. We may not achieve profitability soon after generating product revenue, if ever. If we are unable to generate product revenue, we will not become profitable and may be unable to continue operations without continued funding.

We may need substantial additional capital in the future. If additional capital is not available, we will have to delay, reduce or cease operations.

We may need to raise additional capital to fund our operations and to develop and commercialize lomitapide. Our future capital requirements may be substantial and will depend on many factors including:

 

   

the results of our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH;

 

   

the cost, timing and outcomes of seeking marketing approval of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States and the European Union;

 

   

our ability to develop and obtain regulatory approval for a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC;

 

   

if regulatory approval for the Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC is obtained, the cost and timing associated with conducting such clinical trial;

 

   

the cost of filing, prosecuting and enforcing patent claims;

 

   

exploration and possible label expansion of lomitapide in broader patient populations;

 

   

the costs associated with commercializing lomitapide if we receive marketing approval, including the cost and timing of establishing sales and marketing capabilities to market and sell lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH; and

 

   

subject to receipt of marketing approval, revenue received from sales of approved products, if any, in the future.

Based on our current operating plan, we anticipate that the net proceeds of this offering, together with our existing resources, will be sufficient to enable us to maintain our currently planned operations, including our continued product development, at least through the next 24 months. We believe that these available funds will allow us to complete our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of, seek marketing approval for and commercially launch lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. In addition, we believe that these available funds will allow us to initiate and possibly complete a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. However, changing circumstances may cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate. We have no committed external sources of funds. Additional financing may not be available when we need it or may not be available on terms that are favorable to us. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, or at all, we may be required to:

 

   

terminate or delay clinical trials or other development activities for lomitapide or for one or more indications for which we are developing lomitapide; or

 

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delay our establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize lomitapide, if we obtain marketing approval.

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights.

We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through collaboration, strategic alliance and licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

Our limited operating history makes it difficult to evaluate our business and prospects.

We were incorporated in February 2005. Our operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing our company and conducting product development activities, primarily for lomitapide. Consequently, any predictions about our future performance may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history and experience in generating revenue. In addition, as a relatively young business, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors.

Our recurring operating losses have raised substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.

Our recurring operating losses raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As a result, our independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph in its report on our financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2009 with respect to this uncertainty. We have no current source of revenue to sustain our present activities, and we do not expect to generate revenue until, and unless, the FDA or other regulatory authorities approve lomitapide and we successfully commercialize lomitapide. Accordingly, our ability to continue as a going concern will require us to obtain additional financing to fund our operations. The perception of our ability to continue as a going concern may make it more difficult for us to obtain financing for the continuation of our operations and could result in the loss of confidence by investors, suppliers and employees.

Risks Associated with Product Development and Commercialization

We currently depend entirely on the success of our lead compound, lomitapide, which we are developing initially for the treatment of patients with HoFH. We are also developing a protocol for a clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. We may not receive marketing approval for, or successfully commercialize, lomitapide for any indication.

We are initially developing our lead compound, lomitapide, for the treatment of patients with HoFH, and are developing a protocol for a clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. Our business currently depends entirely on the successful development and commercialization of lomitapide. We have not yet demonstrated an ability to obtain marketing approval for any product candidate, we have no drug products for sale currently and we may never be able to develop marketable drug products. The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, sale, marketing and distribution of drug products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA

 

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and other regulatory authorities in the United States and other countries, which regulations differ from country to country. We are not permitted to market lomitapide or any other product candidate in the United States until we receive approval of an NDA from the FDA, or in any foreign countries until we receive the requisite approval from such countries. We have not submitted an NDA to the FDA or comparable applications to other regulatory authorities or received marketing approval for lomitapide or any other product candidate.

Obtaining approval of an NDA is an extensive, lengthy, expensive and uncertain process, and the FDA may delay, limit or deny approval of lomitapide for many reasons, including:

 

   

we may not be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA that lomitapide is safe and effective for any indication;

 

   

the results of clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical significance or clinical significance required by the FDA for approval;

 

   

the FDA may disagree with the number, design, size, conduct or implementation of our clinical trials;

 

   

the FDA may not find the data from preclinical studies and clinical trials sufficient to demonstrate that lomitapide’s clinical and other benefits outweighs its safety risks;

 

   

the FDA may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials;

 

   

the FDA may not accept data generated at our clinical trial sites;

 

   

the data collected from preclinical studies and clinical trials of any product candidate that we develop may not be sufficient to support the submission of an NDA;

 

   

the FDA may have difficulties scheduling an advisory committee meeting in a timely manner or the advisory committee may recommend against approval of our application or may recommend that the FDA require, as a condition of approval, additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, limitations on approved labeling or distribution and use restrictions;

 

   

the FDA may require development of a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS, as a condition of approval;

 

   

the FDA may identify deficiencies in the manufacturing processes or facilities of third party manufacturers with which we enter into agreements for clinical and commercial supplies; or

 

   

the FDA may change its approval policies or adopt new regulations.

Before we submit an NDA to the FDA for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, we must complete our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and a thorough QT study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the effect of lomitapide on the heart’s electrical cycle, known as the QT interval, and a study of lomitapide in patients who are renally impaired. We also intend to complete animal and clinical metabolite studies, an analysis of six biomarkers for hepatic inflammation and fibrosis using stored samples from a prior Phase II clinical trial and additional drug-drug interaction studies investigating the impact of lomitapide with drugs that might be commonly used in patients with HoFH. If, following submission, our NDA is not accepted for substantive review or approved, the FDA may require that we conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials before it will reconsider our application.

In particular, it is possible that the FDA may not consider the results of our ongoing single-arm, open-label pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, once completed, to be sufficient for approval of lomitapide for this indication. For example, because the FDA normally requires two

 

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pivotal clinical trials to approve an NDA, even if we achieve favorable results in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial, the FDA may require that we conduct a second Phase III clinical trial if the FDA does not find the results to be sufficiently persuasive. The FDA typically does not consider a single clinical trial to be adequate to serve as a pivotal trial unless it is, among other things, well-controlled and blinded. Although the FDA has informed us that it is not opposed to our submitting an NDA based on the results of our ongoing Phase III clinical trial, it is possible that, even if we achieve favorable results in our ongoing Phase III clinical trial, the FDA may require us to conduct a second Phase III clinical trial, possibly using a different design, including if the FDA does not find the results from the single trial to be sufficiently persuasive. In addition, it is possible that the FDA could require that we conduct a clinical outcomes study for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, demonstrating a reduction in cardiovascular events, either prior to or after the submission of our NDA. If the FDA requires additional studies or trials, we would incur increased costs and delays in the marketing approval process, which may require us to expend more resources than we have available. In addition, the FDA may not consider as sufficient our clinical trial strategy or any additional required studies or trials that we perform and complete. For example, the FDA may not accept a combined Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC, but may require separate Phase II and Phase III trials.

Any delay in obtaining, or an inability to obtain, marketing approvals would prevent us from commercializing lomitapide, generating revenue and achieving profitability.

The numbers of patients suffering from HoFH and FC are small and have not been established with precision. If the actual number of patients with either of these conditions is smaller than we estimate or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of these patient populations, our revenue and ability to achieve profitability will be adversely affected, possibly materially.

There is no patient registry or other method of establishing with precision the actual number of patients with HoFH or FC in any geography. In a report that we commissioned, L.E.K. Consulting LLC, or LEK, an international business consulting firm, estimates that the total number of addressable patients with symptoms consistent with HoFH in each of the United States and, collectively, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, which are referred to in this prospectus as the European Union Five, is approximately 3,000 patients, or a combined total of approximately 6,000 patients. In the report that we commissioned, LEK estimates that there are a total of approximately 1,000 patients in the United States and the European Union Five with FC who could be eligible for treatment with lomitapide. If the actual number of HoFH or FC patients is lower than we believe or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of these patient populations, then the potential markets for lomitapide for these indications will be smaller than we anticipate. For example, the medical literature has historically estimated a prevalence of HoFH, based solely on persons with the HoFH genotype, at approximately one person per million. In any such event, if lomitapide is approved for either of these indications, our product revenue may be limited and it may be more difficult for us to achieve or maintain profitability.

In addition, we currently plan to seek approval of lomitapide initially for the treatment of patients with HoFH who are 18 years of age or older. We would need to conduct additional clinical trials in order to seek approval for younger patients. As a result, if approved, the label for lomitapide would restrict its use to the adult patient population. This will limit our initial product revenue and may make it more difficult for us to achieve or maintain profitability. We expect that our approach to seeking approval of lomitapide for FC also will involve initially seeking marketing approval solely for the adult patient population.

 

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In earlier preclinical studies and clinical trials, lomitapide was associated with undesirable side effects, such as adverse gastrointestinal events, elevated liver enzymes and increases in mean hepatic fat levels. Patients in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH have also experienced such undesirable side effects. Lomitapide may continue to cause such side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent its marketing approval or result in adverse limitations in any approved labeling or on distribution and use of the product.

Undesirable side effects caused by lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop could cause us, regulatory authorities or institutional review boards to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in the delay or denial of marketing approval by the FDA or other regulatory authorities. In earlier studies conducted by us, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, or UPenn, and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, or BMS, lomitapide was associated with undesirable side effects. We have also observed some of these side effects to a lesser extent in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH.

For example, in early Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of lomitapide conducted by BMS and UPenn, doses between 25 mg and 100 mg were associated with a very high rate of gastrointestinal adverse events, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, as well as the accumulation of fat in the liver, or hepatic fat, in a significant percentage of patients and elevated liver enzymes in some patients. Although we believe that the high rate of discontinuations in these early Phase I and Phase II clinical trials due to gastrointestinal adverse events resulted in large part from the failure to employ dose titration, which is the gradual increase in dosing over time to allow the body to adapt to the impact of a higher dose, this may not be the case. Patients in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, where dose titration has been employed, have also experienced adverse gastrointestinal events, but to a lesser extent than those experienced in earlier clinical trials. Even if lomitapide gains marketing approval, if marketing experience or future clinical trials demonstrate an increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects, lomitapide may not gain market acceptance over other drugs approved for the treatment of the same indications that do not have such side effects and could be subject to adverse regulatory action by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities.

A subset of patients in earlier Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of lomitapide experienced increased levels of liver enzymes. Increases in liver enzymes observed in these earlier clinical trials were typically greater with higher doses of lomitapide, but occurred in some cases at lower doses. For example, in a Phase II clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, clinically significant elevations in the liver enzyme alanine transaminase, or ALT, were observed in three of six patients. In one patient, the dose of lomitapide was temporarily reduced per protocol, after which ALT returned to lower levels. The patient subsequently was able to resume the earlier, higher dose and continue to be titrated to the maximum dose. In the other two patients, transient elevations in ALT returned to lower levels with continued treatment. In our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, as of September 30, 2010, four of the 23 patients remaining in the trial had ALT elevations greater than five but less than 11 times the upper limit of normal. Of these four patients, three underwent a temporary dose reduction and have since been re-challenged at higher doses, and one patient discontinued treatment for a period of seven weeks, after which time treatment was reinstated. No patients have been removed from the trial due to liver function test elevations. Significantly elevated plasma liver enzymes are indicative of some degree of liver cell damage and in some instances can be indicative of liver toxicity.

A subset of patients in earlier Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of lomitapide also experienced increases in mean hepatic fat levels. Although increases in hepatic fat in earlier clinical trials were typically greater with higher doses of lomitapide, increases also occurred in some cases at lower doses. For example, in a completed 12 week Phase II clinical trial of lomitapide, mean hepatic fat levels increased from week zero to week four, but then plateaued. In our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, as of September 30, 2010, the 22 patients who had hepatic fat measurements taken experienced a modest increase in hepatic fat from a mean of 1.2% to 8.7% at 26 weeks of treatment. Of these, 16 patients had completed 56 weeks of treatment as of September 30, 2010 and 14 of these patients had hepatic fat measurements available; these 14 patients had a mean hepatic fat level of 5.1% at this measurement time. In addition, the median change in hepatic

 

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fat from baseline in these patients as of September 30, 2010, was 6.3% at 26 weeks of treatment and 3.3% at 56 weeks of treatment. Some studies suggest that patients who have hepatic steatosis, or accumulation of fat in the liver, which results from lifestyle factors, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, may be at an increased risk for more severe long-term liver consequences, such as hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. However, the consequences of hepatic steatosis, which results from other factors, is unclear.

We have agreed to perform an analysis of six biomarkers for hepatic inflammation and fibrosis using stored samples from a prior Phase II clinical trial. If the results of this analysis indicate a risk of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, or if patients in our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH or future clinical trials have clinically significant hepatic fat accumulation or significantly elevated liver enzymes or other liver related side effects, the FDA or other regulatory authorities could delay or deny marketing approval for lomitapide. Also, even if lomitapide is approved, if marketing experience or future clinical trials demonstrate hepatic fat accumulation, significantly elevated liver enzymes or other liver related side effects, lomitapide may not gain market acceptance over other drugs approved for the treatment of the same indications that do not have such side effects and could be subject to adverse regulatory action by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities.

In a recently completed 104 week mouse dietary carcinogenicity study of lomitapide, increased incidences of adenomas and carcinomas in the small intestine and liver were observed at high doses. The relationship of these findings in mice is uncertain with regard to human safety because they did not occur in a dose-related manner and liver tumors are common spontaneous findings in the strain of mice used in this study. We have conducted a 104 week oral carcinogenicity study in rats, the preliminary results of which indicate that there were no statistically significant incidences of adenomas and carcinomas in rats treated with lomitapide, and expect to submit the complete results to the FDA by the first half of 2011. Although the clinical significance of the findings in mice is unknown, marketing approval could be delayed, limited, or prevented as a result of these carcinogenicity data or carcinogenicity data from the rat study or ongoing clinical trials. Also, even if lomitapide is approved, if marketing experience or future preclinical studies or clinical trials demonstrate potential carcinogenicity, lomitapide may not gain market acceptance over other drugs approved for the treatment of the same indications that do not have such side effects and could be subject to adverse regulatory action by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities.

Even if lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop receives marketing approval, we or others may later identify undesirable side effects caused by the product, and in that event a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:

 

   

regulatory authorities may suspend or withdraw their approval of the product;

 

   

regulatory authorities may require the addition of labeling statements, such as warnings or contraindications or distribution and use restrictions;

 

   

regulatory authorities may require us to issue specific communications to healthcare professionals, such as “Dear Doctor” letters;

 

   

regulatory authorities may issue negative publicity regarding the affected product, including safety communications;

 

   

we may be required to change the way the product is administered, conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials or restrict the distribution or use of the product;

 

   

we could be sued and held liable for harm caused to patients; and

 

   

our reputation may suffer.

Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product candidate and could substantially increase commercialization costs.

 

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Failures or delays in the commencement or completion of preclinical or clinical testing could result in increased costs to us and delay, prevent or limit our ability to generate revenue.

Failures or delays in the commencement or completion of preclinical studies or clinical testing could significantly affect our product development costs and delay, prevent or limit our ability to generate revenue. We do not know whether planned preclinical studies or clinical trials will begin on time or be completed on schedule, if at all. The commencement and completion of preclinical studies or clinical trials can be delayed or prevented for a number of reasons, including:

 

   

findings in preclinical studies, such as the existence of pulmonary phospholipidosis, which is the accumulation in lung cells of phospholipids, or lipids with attached phosphate groups, or carcinogenicity;

 

   

difficulties obtaining regulatory approval to commence a clinical trial or complying with conditions imposed by a regulatory authority regarding the scope or term of a clinical trial;

 

   

delays in reaching or failing to reach agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organizations, or CROs, and trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;

 

   

insufficient or inadequate supply or quality of a product candidate or other materials necessary to conduct our clinical trials;

 

   

difficulties obtaining institutional review board, or IRB, approval to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective site;

 

   

challenges recruiting and enrolling patients to participate in clinical trials for a variety of reasons, including size and nature of patient population, proximity of patients to clinical sites, eligibility criteria for the trial, nature of trial protocol, the availability of approved effective treatments for the relevant disease and competition from other clinical trial programs for similar indications;

 

   

severe or unexpected drug-related side effects experienced by patients in a clinical trial; and

 

   

difficulties retaining patients who have enrolled in a clinical trial but may be prone to withdraw due to rigors of the trials, lack of efficacy, side effects or personal issues, or who are lost to further follow-up.

Clinical trials may also be delayed or terminated as a result of ambiguous or negative interim results. In addition, a clinical trial may be suspended or terminated by us, the FDA, the IRBs at the sites where the IRBs are overseeing a trial, or a data safety monitoring board, or DSMB, overseeing the clinical trial at issue, or other regulatory authorities due to a number of factors, including:

 

   

failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols;

 

   

inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial sites by the FDA or other regulatory authorities;

 

   

unforeseen safety issues or lack of effectiveness; and

 

   

lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.

For example, in June 2007, we discontinued a Phase II clinical trial of lomitapide because of suspected microbial contamination, which we believe resulted in patients experiencing gastrointestinal adverse events at a rate, severity and time of onset inconsistent with prior clinical data for lomitapide. After extensive testing and other investigation, we believe that the bacterium B. cereus , which is most often identified with food borne

 

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illness, was introduced into the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, of the clinical supplies of the drug used in this trial. The existence of microbial contamination by B. cereus is consistent with the nature and intensity of the adverse events experienced in this trial. In previous clinical trials, all of which were conducted using a different lot of API, adverse events were milder, less frequent and typically experienced only after a few days of treatment. We subsequently manufactured a new lot of API and a new lot of clinical supplies utilizing a previously tested lot of API and instituted new quality control and testing procedures, including tests for microbial contamination, as part of our manufacturing process. A subsequent clinical trial of lomitapide conducted using these newly manufactured clinical supplies did not result in a discontinuation rate consistent with that experienced in the halted trial. However, we may not have identified the actual cause of these adverse events, and it is possible that microbial contamination was not the only cause of these adverse events.

Positive results in preclinical studies and earlier clinical trials of lomitapide may not be replicated in later clinical trials of lomitapide, which could result in development delays or a failure to obtain marketing approval.

Positive results in preclinical studies of lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop may not be predictive of similar results in humans during clinical trials, and promising results from early clinical trials of lomitapide or any other product candidate may not be replicated in later clinical trials. Interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical trials even after achieving promising results in early-stage development. Accordingly, the results from the completed preclinical studies and clinical trials and ongoing clinical trials for lomitapide may not be predictive of the results we may obtain in later stage trials. Our preclinical studies or clinical trials may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain FDA approval for their products.

Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance or unanticipated events during our clinical trials may occur, which may result in necessary changes to clinical trial protocols, which could result in increased costs to us, delay our development timeline or reduce the likelihood of successful completion of the clinical trial.

Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance or unanticipated events during our clinical trials may occur, as a result of which we may need to amend clinical trial protocols. Amendments may require us to resubmit our clinical trial protocols to IRBs for review and approval, which may impact the cost, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial. If we experience delays in completion of, or if we terminate, any of our clinical trials, the commercial prospects for lomitapide may be harmed and our ability to generate product revenue will be delayed, possibly materially.

Recently enacted and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop and affect the prices we may obtain.

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

Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. We are not sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether the FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what

 

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the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals of lomitapide, if any, may be. In addition, increased scrutiny by the U.S. Congress of the FDA’s approval process may significantly delay or prevent marketing approval, as well as subject us to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing testing and other requirements.

In the United States, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or the MMA, changed the way Medicare covers and pays for pharmaceutical products. The legislation expanded Medicare coverage for drug purchases by the elderly and introduced a new reimbursement methodology based on average sales prices for drugs. In addition, this legislation authorized Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to use formularies where they can limit the number of drugs that will be covered in any therapeutic class. As a result of this legislation and the expansion of federal coverage of drug products, we expect that there will be additional pressure to contain and reduce costs. These cost reduction initiatives and other provisions of this legislation could decrease the coverage and price that we receive for any approved products and could seriously harm our business. While the MMA applies only to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates, and any reduction in reimbursement that results from the MMA may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors.

More recently, in March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Health Care Reform Law, a sweeping law intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Effective October 1, 2010, the Health Care Reform Law revises the definition of “average manufacturer price” for reporting purposes, which could increase the amount of Medicaid drug rebates to states once the provision is effective. Further, beginning in 2011, the new law imposes a significant annual fee on companies that manufacture or import branded prescription drug products. Substantial new provisions affecting compliance have also been enacted, which may require us to modify our business practices with healthcare practitioners. We will not know the full effects of the Health Care Reform Law until applicable federal and state agencies issue regulations or guidance under the new law. Although it is too early to determine the effect of the Health Care Reform Law, the new law appears likely to continue the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare program, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs.

Even if lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop receives marketing approval, we will continue to face extensive regulatory requirements and the product may still face future development and regulatory difficulties.

Even if marketing approval is obtained, a regulatory authority may still impose significant restrictions on a product’s indications, conditions for use, distribution or marketing or impose ongoing requirements for potentially costly post-market surveillance, post-approval studies or clinical trials. For example, any labeling ultimately approved by the FDA for lomitapide, if it is approved for marketing, may include restrictions on use, such as limitations on how HoFH is defined and diagnosed or limiting lomitapide to second-line or concomitant therapy. In addition, the labeling may include restrictions based upon evidence of hepatic fat accumulation, liver function test elevations, gastrointestinal distress, phospholipidosis or carcinogenicity. Lomitapide will also be subject to ongoing FDA requirements governing the labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, distribution, promotion, recordkeeping and submission of safety and other post-market information, including adverse events, and any changes to the approved product, product labeling, or manufacturing process. The FDA has significant post-market authority, including, for example, the authority to require labeling changes based on new safety information and to require post-market studies or clinical trials to evaluate serious safety risks related to the use of a drug. In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to continual review and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, and other regulations.

 

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If we, our drug products or the manufacturing facilities for our drug products fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, a regulatory agency may:

 

   

issue warning letters or untitled letters;

 

   

seek an injunction or impose civil or criminal penalties or monetary fines;

 

   

suspend or withdraw marketing approval;

 

   

suspend any ongoing clinical trials;

 

   

refuse to approve pending applications or supplements to applications submitted by us;

 

   

suspend or impose restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements;

 

   

seize or detain products, refuse to permit the import or export of products or request that we initiate a product recall; or

 

   

refuse to allow us to enter into supply contracts, including government contracts.

The FDA has the authority to require a REMS plan as part of an NDA or after approval, which may impose further requirements or restrictions on the distribution or use of an approved drug, such as limiting prescribing to certain physicians or medical centers that have undergone specialized training, limiting treatment to patients who meet certain safe-use criteria and requiring treated patients to enroll in a registry. Based on our discussions with the FDA, we believe lomitapide, if approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with HoFH, is likely to be subject to a REMS plan. In particular, we believe that any REMS plan for lomitapide, if it is approved for the treatment of patients with HoFH, will focus on the FDA’s concern that lomitapide not be used in broader patient populations with less severely elevated lipid levels because of the potentially different risk-benefit profile of the drug.

Even if lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop receives marketing approval in the United States, we may never receive approval or commercialize lomitapide or any other product candidate outside of the United States.

In order to market any product outside of the United States, we must establish and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials and commercial sales, pricing and distribution of the product. Approval procedures vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods. The time required to obtain approval in other countries might differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. The marketing approval process in other countries may include all of the risks detailed above regarding FDA approval in the United States as well as other risks. In particular, in many countries outside the United States, it is required that a product receive pricing and reimbursement approval before the product can be commercialized. This can result in substantial delays in such countries.

Marketing approval in one country does not ensure marketing approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining marketing approval in one country may have a negative effect on the regulatory process in others. Failure to obtain marketing approval in other countries or any delay or setback in obtaining such approval would impair our ability to develop foreign markets for lomitapide. This would reduce our target market and limit the full commercial potential of lomitapide. Many countries are undertaking cost-containment measures that could affect pricing or reimbursement of a product.

 

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If we receive marketing approval for lomitapide or any other product candidate, sales will be limited unless the product achieves broad market acceptance.

The commercial success of lomitapide and any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval from the FDA or other regulatory authorities will depend upon the acceptance of the product by the medical community, including physicians, patients and healthcare payors. The degree of market acceptance of any approved product will depend on a number of factors, including:

 

   

demonstration of clinical safety and efficacy compared to other products;

 

   

the relative convenience and ease of administration;

 

   

the prevalence and severity of any adverse side effects;

 

   

limitations or warnings contained in the product’s approved labeling;

 

   

distribution and use restrictions imposed by the FDA or agreed to by us as part of a mandatory REMS or voluntary risk management plan;

 

   

availability of alternative treatments, including, in the case of lomitapide, a number of competitive products already approved for the treatment of hyperlipidemia or expected to be commercially launched in the near future;

 

   

pricing and cost effectiveness;

 

   

the effectiveness of our or any future collaborators’ sales and marketing strategies;

 

   

our ability to obtain sufficient third-party coverage or reimbursement; and

 

   

the willingness of patients to pay out of pocket in the absence of third-party coverage.

We plan to seek marketing approval for lomitapide for the treatment of both HoFH and FC based on achieving surrogate endpoints in pivotal clinical testing, as opposed to demonstrating improved clinical outcomes. The absence of outcome data may limit market acceptance of lomitapide, if approved for one or both of these indications, by physicians and patients.

If lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop is approved but does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by physicians, healthcare payors and patients, we may not generate sufficient revenue from the product, and we may not become or remain profitable. In addition, our efforts to educate the medical community and third-party payors on the benefits of the product may require significant resources and may never be successful.

The FDA and other regulatory agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses. If we are found to have improperly promoted off-label uses, we may become subject to significant liability.

The FDA and other regulatory agencies strictly regulate the promotional claims that may be made about prescription products. In particular, a product may not be promoted for uses that are not approved by the FDA or such other regulatory agencies as reflected in the product’s approved labeling. In particular, any labeling approved by the FDA for lomitapide may include restrictions on use, such as limitations on how HoFH is defined and diagnosed or limiting lomitapide to second-line or concomitant therapy. The FDA may impose further requirements or restrictions on the distribution or use of lomitapide as part of a REMS plan, such as limiting

 

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prescribing to certain physicians or medical centers that have undergone specialized training, limiting treatment to patients who meet certain safe-use criteria and requiring treated patients to enroll in a registry. If we receive marketing approval for lomitapide, physicians may nevertheless prescribe lomitapide to their patients in a manner that is inconsistent with the approved label. If we are found to have promoted such off-label uses, we may become subject to significant liability. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion and has enjoined several companies from engaging in off-label promotion. The FDA has also requested that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed.

It will be difficult for us to profitably sell lomitapide or any other product for which we obtain marketing approval if reimbursement for the product is limited.

Market acceptance and sales of lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop will depend on reimbursement policies and may be affected by healthcare reform measures. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and these third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. We cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available for lomitapide or any other product that we develop and, if reimbursement is available, the level of reimbursement. Reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any product for which we obtain marketing approval. Obtaining reimbursement for lomitapide may be particularly difficult because of the higher prices often associated with drugs directed at orphan populations. In addition, third-party payors are likely to impose strict requirements for reimbursement in order to limit off label use of a higher priced drug. If reimbursement is not available or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop.

If we are unable to establish sales and marketing capabilities to market and sell lomitapide, we may be unable to generate product revenue.

We do not currently have an organization for the sale, marketing or distribution of pharmaceutical products. We have not yet demonstrated an ability to commercialize any product candidate. In order to market any products that may be approved by the FDA or any other regulatory authority, we must build our sales, marketing, managerial and other non-technical capabilities or make arrangements with third parties to perform these services. If lomitapide is approved by the FDA or the EMA, we plan to build a commercial infrastructure to launch lomitapide in the United States and the European Union, as the case may be, with a relatively small specialty sales force. The establishment and development of our commercial infrastructure will be expensive and time consuming, and we may not be able to successfully develop this capability. Although our current plan is to hire most of our sales force only if lomitapide is approved by the FDA or the EMA, we will incur expenses prior to product launch in recruiting this sales force and developing a marketing and sales infrastructure. If the commercial launch of lomitapide is delayed as a result of FDA or EMA requirements or other reasons, we would incur these expenses prior to being able to realize any revenue from product sales. Even if we are able to effectively hire a sales force and develop a marketing and sales infrastructure, our sales force may not be successful in commercializing lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop. If we are unable to establish adequate sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, whether independently or with third parties, we may not be able to generate product revenue and may not become profitable.

To the extent we rely on third parties to commercialize lomitapide, if marketing approval is obtained, we may receive less revenue than if we commercialized the product ourselves. In addition, we would have less control over the sales efforts of any third parties involved in our commercialization efforts. In the event we are unable to collaborate with a third-party marketing and sales organization to commercialize lomitapide, particularly for broader patient populations, our ability to generate product revenue may be limited either in the United States or internationally.

 

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If we pursue development of lomitapide for broader patient populations, we likely will be subject to stricter regulatory requirements, product development will be more costly and commercial pricing for any approved indication would likely be lower.

Although we are initially pursuing development of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and FC, we believe that lomitapide may be useful for the treatment of elevated lipid levels in broader patient populations. However, our potential development and commercialization of lomitapide in these broader patient populations would be more costly than for HoFH and FC and would be subject to development and commercialization risks that are not applicable to HoFH and FC.

Clinical development of lomitapide in broader patient populations would involve clinical trials with larger numbers of patients possibly taking the drug for longer periods of time. This would be costly and could take many years to complete. In addition, we believe that the FDA and, in some cases, the EMA would require a clinical outcomes study demonstrating a reduction in cardiovascular events either prior to or after the submission of an application for marketing approval for these broader indications. Clinical outcomes studies are particularly expensive and time consuming to conduct because of the larger number of patients required to establish that the drug being tested has the desired effect. It may also be more difficult for us to demonstrate the desired outcome in these studies than to achieve validated surrogate endpoints, such as the primary efficacy endpoint of our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH of percent change in LDL-C levels. In addition, in considering approval of lomitapide for broader patient populations with less severely elevated lipid levels, the FDA and other regulatory authorities may place greater emphasis on the side effect and risk profile of the drug in comparison to the drug’s efficacy and potential clinical benefit than in smaller, more severely afflicted patient populations. These factors may make it more difficult for us to achieve marketing approvals of lomitapide for these broader patient populations.

If we are able to successfully develop and obtain marketing approval of lomitapide in these broader patient populations, we likely will not be able to obtain the same pricing level that we secure for use of lomitapide for orphan indications. The pricing of some drugs intended for orphan populations is often related to the size of the patient population, with smaller patient populations often justifying higher prices. If the pricing for lomitapide is lower in broader patient populations, we may not be able to maintain higher pricing in the population of more severely afflicted patients. This would lead to a decrease in revenue from sales to more severely afflicted patients and could make it more difficult for us to achieve or maintain profitability.

In addition, if one of our product candidates receives marketing approval for a broader indication than its orphan designation, we may not be able to maintain any orphan drug exclusivity that we obtain or such orphan drug exclusivity may be circumvented by a third-party competitor.

If we fail to obtain or maintain orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide, we will have to rely on our data and marketing exclusivity, if any, and on our intellectual property rights.

As part of our business strategy, we have obtained in the United States orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of HoFH, and we have applied for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for this indication in the European Union. Similarly, we have applied in the European Union and intend to apply in the United States for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of FC. Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a product as an orphan drug if it is a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined, in part, as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 in the United States.

In the United States, the company that first obtains FDA approval for a designated orphan drug for the specified rare disease or condition receives orphan drug marketing exclusivity for that drug for a period of seven years. This orphan drug exclusivity prevents the FDA from approving another application, including a full NDA, to market the same drug for the same orphan indication, except in very limited circumstances. For purposes of small molecule drugs, the FDA defines “same drug” as a drug that contains the same active molecule and is

 

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intended for the same use as the drug in question. A designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. In addition, orphan drug exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the drug to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. The EMA grants orphan drug designation to promote the development of products that may offer therapeutic benefits for life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions affecting not more than five in 10,000 people in the European Union. Orphan drug designation from the EMA provides ten years of marketing exclusivity following drug approval, subject to reduction to six years if the designation criteria are no longer met.

Even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a product, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition because different drugs can be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care.

In June 2007, the FDA instituted a partial clinical hold with respect to clinical trials of longer than six months duration for our product candidates. Although the partial clinical hold was lifted with respect to lomitapide, it remains in effect with respect to implitapide. The FDA’s concerns that resulted in this clinical hold may lead to a significant delay in the commencement of clinical trials by us or the failure of our product candidates to obtain marketing approval.

In June 2007, we received notice from the FDA of a partial clinical hold with respect to clinical trials of longer than six months duration for our product candidates. The FDA issued such notices to all sponsors of MTP-Is. At that time, the FDA did not apply this partial clinical hold to our pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. In connection with the partial clinical hold, the FDA requested that we collect additional preclinical data to assess the risk for pulmonary phospholipidosis, with long-term use of these compounds. We understand that the FDA has undertaken a broader initiative to understand phospholipidosis in those drugs commonly evidencing this phenomenon, typically characterized as cationic (positively charged) and lipophilic (soluble in lipids). MTP-Is are both cationic and lipophilic.

In connection with the partial clinical hold, the FDA requested that we conduct a three month, repeat-dose rat toxicology study that included a recovery group and a sufficient number of active doses to establish the level of exposure at which there is no biologically or statistically significant increase in the frequency or severity of pulmonary phospholipidosis, which is commonly referred to as the no observable adverse effect level. The FDA also requested an electron microscopy lung tissue analysis. We submitted the requested preclinical data for lomitapide in December 2008, and the FDA removed the partial clinical hold with respect to this compound in February 2010. The partial clinical hold remains in effect with respect to implitapide.

If we decide to advance the clinical development of implitapide, the additional preclinical studies requested by the FDA may result in significant increases in estimated time and expense of obtaining FDA approval for this product candidate. In addition, if we are not able to successfully complete the preclinical studies required by the FDA, or otherwise satisfy the FDA’s concerns related to pulmonary phospholipidosis, we could be delayed in, or prevented from, obtaining marketing approval of implitapide. Furthermore, notwithstanding that the FDA has removed the partial clinical hold with respect to lomitapide, if the FDA has further or renewed concerns regarding pulmonary phospholipidosis, it could raise this issue as part of the NDA review process for lomitapide, which could delay or prevent marketing approval of lomitapide or result in adverse limitations in any approved labeling or on distribution and use of the product.

 

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Recent federal legislation and actions by state and local governments may permit re-importation of drugs from foreign countries into the United States, including foreign countries where the drugs are sold at lower prices than in the United States, which could materially adversely affect our operating results and our overall financial condition.

We may face competition in the United States for lomitapide or any other product candidate, if approved, from lower priced products from foreign countries that have placed price controls on pharmaceutical products. This risk may be particularly applicable to drugs such as lomitapide that are formulated for oral delivery and expected to command a premium price. The MMA contains provisions that may change U.S. importation laws and expand pharmacists’ and wholesalers’ ability to import lower priced versions of an approved drug and competing products from Canada, where there are government price controls. These changes to U.S. importation laws will not take effect unless and until the Secretary of Health and Human Services certifies that the changes will pose no additional risk to the public’s health and safety and will result in a significant reduction in the cost of products to consumers. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has not yet announced any plans to make this required certification.

A number of federal legislative proposals have been made to implement the changes to the U.S. importation laws without any certification, and to broaden permissible imports in other ways. Even if the changes do not take effect, and other changes are not enacted, imports from Canada and elsewhere may continue to increase due to market and political forces, and the limited enforcement resources of the FDA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies. For example, Pub. L. No. 111-83, which was signed into law in October 2009 and provides appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the 2010 fiscal year, expressly prohibits U.S. Customs and Border Protection from using funds to prevent individuals from importing from Canada less than a 90-day supply of a prescription drug for personal use, when the drug otherwise complies with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA. Further, several states and local governments have implemented importation schemes for their citizens, and, in the absence of federal action to curtail such activities, we expect other states and local governments to launch importation efforts.

The importation of foreign products that compete with lomitapide or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval could negatively impact our revenue and profitability, possibly materially.

Our market is subject to intense competition. If we are unable to compete effectively, lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop may be rendered noncompetitive or obsolete.

Our industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Our potential competitors include large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical and generic drug companies, academic institutions, government agencies and research institutions. All of these competitors currently engage in, have engaged in or may engage in the future in the development, manufacturing, marketing and commercialization of new pharmaceuticals, some of which may compete with lomitapide or other product candidates. Smaller or early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large, established companies. Key competitive factors affecting the commercial success of lomitapide and any other product candidates that we develop are likely to be efficacy, safety and tolerability profile, reliability, convenience of dosing, price and reimbursement.

The market for lipid lowering therapeutics is large and competitive. However, our products, if approved, will be focused, at least initially, on niche orphan markets where they will be positioned for use in combination with existing approved therapies, such as statins. We believe that lomitapide will face distinct competition for the treatment of both HoFH and FC. Although there are no MTP-I compounds currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, we are aware of other MTP-I compounds in early stage clinical trials and other pharmaceutical companies that are developing the following potentially competitive product candidates:

 

   

HoFH — Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Isis, is developing an antisense apoB-100 inhibitor, mipomersen, as a weekly subcutaneous injection for lowering high cholesterol and has completed four Phase III

 

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clinical trials for this product candidate. The FDA has granted mipomersen orphan drug designation for the treatment of patients with HoFH. Therefore, if mipomersen is approved by the FDA, Isis will be entitled to seven years of marketing exclusivity for such indication as to competitive products that are the same drug as mipomersen.

 

   

FC — In December 2009, Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics Holding N.V., or AMT, filed an application for marketing approval for Glybera, an injectible gene therapy, with the EMA for the treatment of patients with FC. AMT has stated that it is expecting approval of this MAA in 2011. This product candidate has been tested in a total of 27 patients in three different clinical trials. It would represent the first gene therapy approved in the European Union.

If we obtain marketing approval of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States and Isis obtains marketing approval of mipomersen for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States, lomitapide would compete in the same market with mipomersen. If Isis obtains marketing approval of mipomersen for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States prior to us, Isis could obtain a significant competitive advantage associated with being the first to market. In connection with obtaining marketing approval for mipomersen, Isis will also obtain orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen, but we do not believe that Isis’ obtaining orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen prior to our receiving orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide would have an adverse effect on our business as mipomersen and lomitapide are different drugs under FDA rules and any exclusivity applicable to either drug will not apply to the other drug. Thus, because mipomersen is a different drug than lomitapide, we could obtain both approval and orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide even if Isis has already obtained orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen and Isis could obtain both approval and orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen even if we have already obtained orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide.

Similarly, in the European Union, if we obtain from the EMA orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of HoFH or FC, and a competitor subsequently obtains approval and market exclusivity for its orphan designated drug for the treatment of HoFH or FC, our marketing application for HoFH or FC would not be accepted and we would be excluded from the market only if lomitapide was a “similar medicinal product” to our competitor’s product. In the European Union, a drug is a “similar medicinal product” if it contains a “similar active substance” or substances and is intended for the same therapeutic indication. A “similar active substance” is an identical active substance, or an active substance with the same principal molecular structural features and which acts via the same mechanism. We do not believe orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen in the European Union would have an adverse effect on our business because we do not believe that lomitapide would be considered a “similar medicinal product” to mipomersen.

Many of our potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do and significantly greater experience in the discovery and development of drug candidates, obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals of products and the commercialization of those products. Accordingly, our competitors may be more successful than we may be in obtaining FDA and other marketing approvals for drugs and achieving widespread market acceptance. Our competitors’ drugs may be more effective, or more effectively marketed and sold, than any drug we may commercialize and may render lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop obsolete or non-competitive before we can recover the expenses of developing and commercializing the product. We anticipate that we will face intense and increasing competition as new drugs enter the market and advanced technologies become available. Finally, the development of new treatment methods for the diseases we are targeting could render lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop non-competitive or obsolete.

We face potential product liability exposure, and, if claims are brought against us, we may incur substantial liability.

The use of lomitapide or any other product candidate in clinical trials and the sale of lomitapide or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval expose us to the risk of product liability claims.

 

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Product liability claims might be brought against us by consumers, healthcare providers or others selling or otherwise coming into contact with our products. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we could incur substantial liabilities. In addition, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in:

 

   

decreased demand for lomitapide or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval;

 

   

impairment of our business reputation and exposure to adverse publicity;

 

   

increased warnings on product labels;

 

   

withdrawal of clinical trial participants;

 

   

costs of related litigation;

 

   

distraction of management’s attention from our primary business;

 

   

substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants;

 

   

loss of revenue; and

 

   

the inability to successfully commercialize lomitapide or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval.

We have obtained product liability insurance coverage for our clinical trials with a $5.0 million annual aggregate coverage limit. However, our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to reimburse us for any expenses or losses we may suffer. Moreover, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive, and, in the future, 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 and when we obtain marketing approval for lomitapide or any other product candidate, we intend to expand our insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products; however, we may be unable to obtain this product liability insurance on commercially reasonable terms. On occasion, large judgments have been awarded in class action lawsuits based on drugs that had unanticipated side effects. The cost of any product liability litigation or other proceedings, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against us could cause our stock price to decline and, if judgments exceed our insurance coverage, could decrease our cash and adversely affect our business.

A variety of risks associated with our planned international business relationships could materially adversely affect our business.

We may enter into agreements with third parties for the development and commercialization of lomitapide or other product candidates in international markets. If we do so, we would be subject to additional risks related to entering into international business relationships, including:

 

   

differing regulatory requirements for drug approvals in foreign countries;

 

   

potentially reduced protection for intellectual property rights;

 

   

the potential for so-called parallel importing, which is what happens when a local seller, faced with high or higher local prices, opts to import goods from a foreign market, with low or lower prices, rather than buying them locally;

 

   

unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers and regulatory requirements;

 

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economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets;

 

   

compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees traveling abroad;

 

   

foreign taxes;

 

   

foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and other obligations incident to doing business in another country;

 

   

workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States;

 

   

production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and

 

   

business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism, or natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, floods, hurricanes and fires.

These and other risks of international business relationships may materially adversely affect our ability to attain or sustain profitable operations.

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

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

 

   

The federal healthcare anti-kickback statute prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

 

   

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

 

   

The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, imposes criminal and civil liability for executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program and also imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information.

 

   

The federal false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.

 

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The federal transparency requirements under the Health Care Reform Law requires manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics, and medical supplies to report to the Department of Health and Human Services information related to physician payments and other transfers of value and physician ownership and investment interests.

 

   

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

Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations could be costly. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations, including anticipated activities conducted by our sales team, are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other providers or entities with whom we expect to do business are found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.

We lack experience in commercializing products, which may have an adverse effect on our business.

We will need to transition from a company with a development focus to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition. We have not yet demonstrated an ability to obtain marketing approval for or commercialize a product candidate. As a result, we may not be as successful as companies that have previously obtained marketing approval for drug candidates and commercially launched drugs.

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

If our patent position does not adequately protect our product candidates, others could compete against us more directly, which would harm our business, possibly materially.

As of the date of this prospectus, our lomitapide patent portfolio consists of five issued U.S. patents and related issued patents in Europe, Canada, Israel and Japan, one pending U.S. non-provisional patent application and related pending applications in Europe, Australia, Japan, Canada, Israel, South Korea and New Zealand, all of which have been licensed to us in a specific field. The issued U.S. patents are scheduled to expire between 2013 and 2019. The U.S. patent covering the composition of matter of lomitapide is scheduled to expire in 2015. The non-U.S. patents directed to lomitapide are scheduled to expire in 2016. As of the date of this prospectus, our implitapide patent portfolio consists of four issued U.S. patents, two pending U.S. non-provisional applications, and related patents and pending applications in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America. The issued U.S. patents are scheduled to expire between 2015 and 2017. The U.S. patent and non-U.S. patents covering the composition of matter of implitapide are scheduled to expire in 2015. We also have filed four non-provisional U.S. patent applications and two international applications directed to pharmaceutical combinations of a MTP-I, such as lomitapide or implitapide, and other cholesterol lowering drugs, and to methods of using such combinations in certain dosing regimens to reduce serum cholesterol or TG concentrations.

 

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Our commercial success will depend significantly on our ability to obtain additional patents and protect our existing patent position as well as our ability to maintain adequate protection of other intellectual property for our technologies, product candidates and any future products in the United States and other countries. If we do not adequately protect our intellectual property, competitors may be able to use our technologies and erode or negate any competitive advantage we may have, which could harm our business and ability to achieve profitability. Our ability to use the patents and patent applications licensed to us and described above to protect our business will depend on our ability to comply with the terms of the applicable licenses and other agreements. The laws of some foreign countries do not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, and we may encounter significant problems in protecting our proprietary rights in these countries.

The patent positions of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including our patent position, involve complex legal and factual questions, and, therefore, validity and enforceability cannot be predicted with certainty. Patents may be challenged, deemed unenforceable, invalidated or circumvented. We will be able to protect our proprietary rights from unauthorized use by third parties only to the extent that our proprietary technologies, product candidates and any future products are covered by valid and enforceable patents or are effectively maintained as trade secrets.

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

 

   

we will be able to successfully commercialize our products before some or all of our relevant patents expire;

 

   

we or our licensors were the first to make the inventions covered by each of our pending patent applications;

 

   

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

 

   

others will not independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies;

 

   

any of our or our licensors’ pending patent applications will result in issued patents;

 

   

any of our or our licensors’ patents will be valid or enforceable;

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

the patents of others will not have an adverse effect on our business.

If we do not obtain protection under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and similar foreign legislation by extending the patent terms and obtaining data exclusivity for our product candidates, our business may be materially harmed.

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA marketing approval, if any, of lomitapide or implitapide, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. Our U.S. composition of matter patent for lomitapide is scheduled to expire in 2015, and we plan to seek patent term extension for this patent. In the future, we intend to apply for restorations of patent term for some of our other currently owned or licensed patents to add

 

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patent life beyond their current expiration dates, depending on the expected length of clinical trials and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA. However, we may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection afforded could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or restoration or the term of any such extension is less than we request, our competitors may obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration, and our revenue could be reduced, possibly materially.

In addition, we believe that lomitapide and implitapide are new chemical entities in the United States and may be eligible for data exclusivity under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. A drug can be classified as a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety. Under sections 505(c)(3)(E)(ii) and 505(j)(5)(F)(ii) of the FDCA, as amended, a new chemical entity that is granted marketing approval may, even in the absence of patent protections, be eligible for five years of data exclusivity in the United States following marketing approval, which period is reduced to four years if certain patents covering the new chemical entity or its method of use are challenged by a generic applicant. This data exclusivity, if granted, would preclude submission during the exclusivity period of 505(b)(2) applications or abbreviated new drug applications submitted by another company that references the new chemical entity application. In the European Union, new chemical entities qualify for eight years of data exclusivity upon marketing authorization and an additional two years of market exclusivity. This data exclusivity, if granted, prevents regulatory authorities in the European Union from assessing a generic application for eight years, after which generic marketing authorization can be submitted but not marketed for two years. However, our compounds may not be considered to be new chemical entities for these purposes or be entitled to the period of data exclusivity. If we are not able to gain or exploit the period of data exclusivity, we may face significant competitive threats to our commercialization of these compounds from other manufacturers, including the manufacturers of generic alternatives. Further, even if our compounds are considered to be new chemical entities and we are able to gain the prescribed period of data exclusivity, another company nevertheless could also market another version of the drug if such company can complete a full NDA with a complete human clinical trial process and obtain marketing approval of its product.

If we are not able to adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information, the value of our technology and products could be significantly diminished.

We rely on trade secrets to protect our proprietary technologies, especially where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. We rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information. These agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. For example, the FDA, as part of its Transparency Initiative, currently is considering whether to make additional information publicly available on a routine basis, including information that we may consider to be trade secrets or other proprietary information, and it is not clear at the present time how the FDA’s disclosure policies may change in the future, if at all. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

We may infringe the intellectual property rights of others, which may prevent or delay our product development efforts and stop us from commercializing or increase the costs of commercializing our products.

Our success will depend in part on our ability to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. There could be issued patents of which we are not aware that our products infringe. There also could be patents that we believe we do not infringe, but that we may ultimately be found to infringe. Moreover, patent

 

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applications are in some cases maintained in secrecy until patents are issued. The publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature frequently occurs substantially later than the date on which the underlying discoveries were made and patent applications were filed. Because patents can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending applications of which we are unaware that may later result in issued patents that our products infringe. For example, pending applications may exist that provide support or can be amended to provide support for a claim that results in an issued patent that our product infringes.

The pharmaceutical industry is characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. Other parties may obtain patents in the future and allege that our products or the use of our technologies infringes these patent claims or that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. Likewise, third parties may challenge or infringe upon our existing or future patents.

Proceedings involving our patents or patent applications or those of others could result in adverse decisions regarding:

 

   

the patentability of our inventions relating to our product candidates; and

 

   

the enforceability, validity or scope of protection offered by our patents relating to our product candidates.

Even if we are successful in these proceedings, we may incur substantial costs and divert management time and attention in pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on us. If we are unable to avoid infringing the patent rights of others, we may be required to seek a license, defend an infringement action or challenge the validity of the patents in court. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming. We may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. In addition, if we do not obtain a license, develop or obtain non-infringing technology, fail to defend an infringement action successfully or have infringed patents declared invalid, we may:

 

   

incur substantial monetary damages;

 

   

encounter significant delays in bringing our product candidates to market; and

 

   

be precluded from manufacturing or selling our product candidates.

In such event, our business could be adversely affected, possibly materially.

If we fail to comply with our obligations in our license agreements for our product candidates, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.

Our existing license agreements impose, and we expect any future license agreements that we enter into will impose, various diligence, milestone payment, royalty, insurance and other obligations on us. In addition, our license agreement with The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, or The Trustees of UPenn, limits the field of use for lomitapide as a monotherapy or in combination with other dyslipidemic therapies for treatment of patients with severe hypercholesterolemia unable to come within 15% of the National Cholesterol Education Program, or NCEP, LDL-C goal on maximal tolerated oral therapy, as determined by the patient’s prescribing physician, or with severe combined hyperlipidemia unable to come within 15% of the NCEP non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol goal on maximal tolerated oral therapy, as determined by the patient’s prescribing physician, or with severe hypertriglyceridemia unable to reduce TG levels to less than 1,000 mg/dL on maximal tolerated therapy. If we fail to comply with the obligations and restrictions under our license agreements, including the limited field of use under our license agreement with The Trustees of UPenn, the applicable licensor may have the right to terminate the license, in which case we might not be able to market any product that is covered by the licensed patents. Any breach or termination of our license agreement with The Trustees of UPenn would have a particularly significant adverse affect on our business because of our

 

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reliance on the commercial success of lomitapide. Although we intend to comply with the restrictions on field of use in our license agreement with The Trustees of UPenn by seeking product labels for lomitapide, if approved, that are consistent with the license field, we may still be subject to the risk of breach of the license agreement if we are deemed to be promoting or marketing lomitapide for an indication not covered by any product label that we are able to obtain. In addition, because this restriction on the field of use limits the indications for which we can develop lomitapide, the commercial potential of lomitapide may not be as great as without this restriction.

Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties

We rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet established deadlines for the completion of such clinical trials. We may become involved in commercial disputes with these parties.

We do not have the ability to independently conduct clinical trials, and we rely on third parties such as CROs, medical institutions, academic institutions, such as UPenn, and clinical investigators to perform this function. Our reliance on these third parties for clinical development activities reduces our control over these activities. However, if we sponsor clinical trials, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the trial, even if we use a CRO. Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as Good Clinical Practices, for conducting, recording, and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial participants are protected. Our reliance on third parties that we do not control does not relieve us of these responsibilities and requirements. Furthermore, these third parties may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the data they provide is compromised due to the failure to adhere to regulatory requirements or our clinical trial protocols, or for other reasons, our development programs may be extended, delayed or terminated, marketing approvals for lomitapide or any other product candidate may be delayed or denied, and we may be delayed or precluded in our efforts to successfully commercialize lomitapide for targeted indications or any other product candidate.

In addition, we may from time to time become involved in commercial disputes with these third parties, for example regarding the quality of the services provided by these third parties or our ultimate liability to pay for services they purported to do on our behalf, or the value of such services. For example, in September 2010, a dispute arose with one of our third-party service providers regarding preliminary work they performed on our behalf related to a planned clinical trial for lomitapide in patients with HeFH. Although we do not expect that the ultimate resolution of this matter will be material to our financial position, cash flow or results of operations, we have not yet resolved this matter or agreed on the amount that we may ultimately pay. Due to our reliance on third-party service providers, we may experience commercial disputes such as these in the future. In some cases, we may be required to pay for work that was not performed to our specifications or not utilized by us, and these obligations may be material.

We do not have drug research or discovery capabilities, and will need to acquire or license existing drug compounds from third parties to expand our product candidate pipeline.

Both of our current product candidates have been licensed to us from third parties: lomitapide has been licensed to us by UPenn and implitapide has been licensed to us by Bayer Healthcare AG. We currently have no drug research or discovery capabilities. Accordingly, if we are to expand our product candidate pipeline beyond our two current drug candidates, we will need to acquire or license existing compounds from third parties. In addition, although we have the right to use implitapide for any indication, our right to use lomitapide is limited to specified patient populations, such as patients with HoFH, severe hypercholesterolemia or severe hypertriglyceridemia. Accordingly, if we wished to expand the development of lomitapide to address other

 

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indications, we would need to expand our license agreement with The Trustees of UPenn. We will face significant competition in seeking to acquire or license promising drug compounds. Many of our competitors for such promising compounds may have significantly greater financial resources and more extensive experience in preclinical testing and clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical products, and thus, may be a more attractive option to a potential licensor than us. If we are unable to acquire or license additional promising drug compounds, we will not be able to expand our product candidate pipeline.

We currently depend on third-party manufacturers to produce our preclinical and clinical drug supplies and intend to rely upon third-party manufacturers to produce commercial supplies of lomitapide. This may increase the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of lomitapide or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could result in clinical development and commercialization of lomitapide being delayed, prevented or impaired.

We currently have no manufacturing facilities and limited personnel with manufacturing experience. We rely on a contract manufacturer to produce lomitapide required for our clinical trials. We plan to continue to rely upon contract manufacturers and, potentially, collaboration partners to manufacture commercial quantities of lomitapide if and when approved for marketing by the applicable regulatory authorities.

If we are unable to arrange for third-party manufacturing, or unable to do so on commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to successfully complete development of lomitapide or market it. Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks to which we would not be subject if we manufactured lomitapide ourselves, including:

 

   

reliance on the third party for regulatory compliance and quality assurance;

 

   

the possibility of breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party because of factors beyond our control; and

 

   

the possibility of termination or nonrenewal of the agreement by the third party, based on its own business priorities, at a time that is costly or damaging to us.

In addition, the FDA and other regulatory authorities require that product candidates be manufactured according to cGMP. Any failure by our third-party manufacturers to comply with cGMP or failure to scale up our manufacturing processes could lead to a delay in, or failure to obtain, marketing approval of lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop. In addition, such failure could be the basis for action by the FDA to withdraw approvals for product candidates previously granted to us and for other regulatory action, including seizure, injunction or other civil or criminal penalties.

We currently rely on a single manufacturer for the preclinical and clinical supplies of lomitapide. We purchase these supplies from this manufacturer on a purchase order basis and do not have a long-term supply agreement in place. We also do not have agreements in place for redundant supply or second source for lomitapide. Any performance failure on the part of our existing or future manufacturers could delay clinical development or marketing approval of lomitapide or commercialization of lomitapide. If for some reason our current contract manufacturer cannot perform as agreed, we may be required to replace that manufacturer. Although we believe there are a number of potential replacements that could manufacture the clinical supply of lomitapide, we may incur added costs and delays in identifying and qualifying any such replacements. Furthermore, although we generally do not begin a clinical trial unless we have a sufficient supply of a product candidate for the trial, any significant delay in the supply of a product candidate for an ongoing trial due to the need to replace a third-party manufacturer could delay completion of the trial.

For example, in June 2007, we voluntarily halted a Phase II clinical trial of lomitapide because of suspected microbial contamination, which we believe resulted in patients experiencing gastrointestinal adverse events at a

 

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rate, severity and rapidity of onset inconsistent with prior clinical data for lomitapide. See “Risk Factors — Risks Associated with Product Development and Commercialization — Failures or delays in the commencement or completion of preclinical or clinical testing could result in increased costs to us and delay, prevent or limit our ability to generate revenue” for more information.

If we receive marketing approval of lomitapide, we currently expect to continue to rely upon third-party manufacturers to produce commercial supplies of the product. Accordingly, we will need to identify commercial- scale manufacturers, or our manufacturers of clinical supplies will need to increase their scale of production to meet our projected needs for commercial manufacturing.

Lomitapide and any other product candidate that we develop may compete with other products and product candidates for access to manufacturing facilities. There are a limited number of manufacturers that operate under cGMP regulations and that are both capable of manufacturing for us and willing to do so. We may not be able to identify, or reach agreement with, commercial scale manufacturers on commercially reasonably terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we will need to develop our own commercial-scale manufacturing capabilities, which likely would delay commercialization of lomitapide, if approved, possibly materially, require a capital investment by us that could be quite costly and increase our operating expenses.

If our existing third-party manufacturers, or the third parties that we engage in the future to manufacture a product for commercial sale or for our clinical trials, should cease to continue to do so for any reason, we likely would experience delays in obtaining sufficient quantities for us to meet commercial demand or to advance our clinical trials while we identify and qualify replacement suppliers. If for any reason we are unable to obtain adequate supplies of lomitapide or any other product candidate that we develop or the drug substances used to manufacture it, it will be more difficult for us to develop lomitapide and compete effectively. In addition, if, following approval, if any, we are unable to assure a sufficient quantity of the drug for patients with rare diseases or conditions, we may lose any orphan drug exclusivity to which the product otherwise would be entitled.

If we do not establish successful collaborations, we may have to alter our development plans.

Our drug development programs and potential commercialization of lomitapide will require substantial additional cash to fund expenses. We may selectively seek to establish collaborations to reach patients with HoFH or FC in geographies that we do not believe we can cost effectively address with our own sales and marketing capabilities. If we elect to develop lomitapide for broader patient populations, we would plan to do so selectively either on our own or by establishing alliances with one or more pharmaceutical company collaborators, depending on, among other things, the applicable indications, the related development costs and our available resources. If we determine to enter into these collaborations, we may do so in order to:

 

   

fund our research and development activities;

 

   

access manufacturing capabilities of third parties;

 

   

help us conduct clinical trials; and

 

   

successfully commercialize lomitapide, if approved.

We face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators and these collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate, document and implement. We may not be able to negotiate collaborations on acceptable terms, or at all. If that were to occur, we may have to curtail the development of a particular product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of our sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our

 

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expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we will not be able to bring lomitapide to market and generate product revenue.

If a collaborative partner terminates or fails to perform its obligations under an agreement with us, the development and commercialization of lomitapide could be delayed or terminated.

We are not currently party to any collaborative arrangements. However, we plan to pursue such arrangements if we determine to develop lomitapide in broader patient populations. If we are successful in entering into collaborative arrangements and any of our collaborative partners does not devote sufficient time and resources to a collaboration arrangement with us, we may not realize the potential commercial benefits of the arrangement, and our results of operations may be adversely affected. In addition, if any future collaboration partner were to breach or terminate its arrangements with us, the development and commercialization of the affected product candidate could be delayed, curtailed or terminated because we may not have sufficient financial resources or capabilities to continue development and commercialization of the product candidate on our own.

Much of the potential revenue from future collaborations may consist of contingent payments, such as payments for achieving development milestones and royalties payable on sales of drugs developed. The milestone and royalty revenue that we may receive under these collaborations will depend upon our collaborator’s ability to successfully develop, introduce, market and sell new products. In addition, collaborators may decide to enter into arrangements with third parties to commercialize products developed under collaborations using our technologies, which could reduce the milestone and royalty revenue that we may receive, if any. Future collaboration partners may fail to develop or effectively commercialize products using our products or technologies because they:

 

   

decide not to devote the necessary resources due to internal constraints, such as limited personnel with the requisite scientific expertise, limited cash resources or specialized equipment limitations, or the belief that other drug development programs may have a higher likelihood of obtaining marketing approval or may potentially generate a greater return on investment;

 

   

decide to pursue other technologies or develop other product candidates, either on their own or in collaboration with others, including our competitors, to treat the same diseases targeted by our own collaborative programs;

 

   

do not have sufficient resources necessary to carry the product candidate through clinical development, marketing approval and commercialization; or

 

   

cannot obtain the necessary marketing approvals.

Competition may negatively impact a partner’s focus on and commitment to our product candidate and, as a result, could delay or otherwise negatively affect the commercialization of our product candidate. If future collaboration partners fail to develop or effectively commercialize lomitapide or any other product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval for any of these reasons, we may not be able to replace the collaboration partner with another partner to develop and commercialize the product candidate under the terms of the collaboration. We may also be unable to obtain, on terms acceptable to us, a license from such collaboration partner to any of its intellectual property that may be necessary or useful for us to continue to develop and commercialize a product candidate.

 

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Risks Related to Employee Matters and Managing Growth

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

We are highly dependent on Marc Beer, our Chief Executive Officer, and William H. Lewis, our President, and the other principal members of our executive and scientific teams. We have entered into employment agreements with certain members of our executive and scientific teams, but any employee may terminate his or her employment with us at any time. We do not maintain “key man” life insurance for any of our employees. The loss of the services of any of these persons might impede the achievement of our research, development and commercialization objectives. We have experienced significant turnover among our management team in recent years.

Dr. William Sasiela resigned from his position as our Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Clinical, effective September 30, 2010. We are actively searching for a permanent full-time Chief Medical Officer and, until we do so, we have engaged a CRO to assist us with our research and development programs on a part-time basis. Although we do not believe that Dr. Sasiela’s departure will have a significant impact on our operations, it is possible that prior to the hiring of a new Chief Medical Officer our research and development programs could be adversely impacted, for example, by slowing down the reporting for our clinical trials or delaying the submission of an NDA for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. In addition, we may not be successful in locating and hiring a suitable permanent Chief Medical Officer in the future. Failure to do so would likely have a material adverse effect on our future growth and operations, including with respect to the design and implementation of future clinical trials.

In addition, Peter Garrambone, who served as our interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2009 through October 2009, resigned from our board of directors in September 2010. Mr. Garrambone replaced our former Chief Executive Officer, who resigned as an officer and from our board of directors in August 2008.

Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific personnel and possibly sales and marketing personnel will also be critical to our success. We may not be able to attract and retain these personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for similar personnel. We also experience competition for the hiring of scientific personnel from universities and research institutions. Failure to succeed in clinical trials may make it more challenging to recruit and retain qualified scientific personnel.

In addition, as a result of becoming a public company, we will need to establish and maintain effective disclosure and financial controls and make changes in our corporate governance practices. We will need to hire additional accounting and financial personnel with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge, and it may be difficult to recruit and maintain such personnel.

In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our development and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us.

We will need to grow our organization, and we may encounter difficulties in managing this growth, which could disrupt our operations.

We currently have only nine employees, and we expect to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Also, our management may need to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from our day-to-day activities and devote a substantial amount of time to managing

 

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these growth activities. Due to our limited resources, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel, which may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, give rise to operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, loss of employees and reduced productivity among remaining employees. The physical expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of lomitapide. If our management is unable to effectively manage our expected growth, our expenses may increase more than expected, our ability to generate or increase our revenue could be reduced and we may not be able to implement our business strategy. Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize lomitapide and compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth.

Risks Related to the Securities Markets and Investment in Our Common Stock

Market volatility may affect our stock price and the value of your investment.

Following this offering, the market price for our common stock is likely to be volatile, in part because our common stock has not been previously traded publicly. In addition, the market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, most of which we cannot control, including:

 

   

plans for, progress in and results from clinical trials of our product candidates generally;

 

   

the results of our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH;

 

   

the initiation and results of our planned Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC;

 

   

the timing of regulatory filings related to these indications;

 

   

announcements of new products, services or technologies, commercial relationships, acquisitions or other events by us or our competitors;

 

   

failure of lomitapide, if approved, to achieve commercial success;

 

   

fluctuations in stock market prices and trading volumes of similar companies;

 

   

general market conditions and overall fluctuations in U.S. equity markets;

 

   

variations in our quarterly operating results;

 

   

changes in our financial guidance or securities analysts’ estimates of our financial performance;

 

   

changes in accounting principles;

 

   

sales of large blocks of our common stock, including sales by our executive officers, directors and significant stockholders;

 

   

additions or departures of key personnel;

 

   

success or failure of products within our therapeutic area of focus;

 

   

discussion of us or our stock price by the financial press and in online investor communities; and

 

   

other risks and uncertainties described in these risk factors.

 

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An active public market for our common stock may not develop or be sustained following the closing of this offering. We will negotiate and determine the initial public offering price with representatives of the underwriters, and this price may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the trading market. As a result, you may not be able to sell your shares of common stock at or above the offering price.

We may allocate the net proceeds from this offering in ways that you and other stockholders may not approve.

We currently intend to use the proceeds from this offering to repay indebtedness, to fund our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and related development work, submission of applications for marketing approval and commercial launch of lomitapide for this indication, to advance the clinical development of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC and to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the proceeds from this offering, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. As such, our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not necessarily improve our operating results or enhance the value of our common stock. For a further description of our intended use of the proceeds of the offering, see “Use of Proceeds.”

Our directors and management will exercise significant control over our company, which will limit your ability to influence corporate matters.

After this offering, our executive officers, directors, 5% stockholders and their affiliates will collectively control approximately 55.9% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, these stockholders, if they act together, will be able to influence our management and affairs and all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of our company that other stockholders may desire and might negatively affect the market price of our common stock.

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and by-laws may delay or prevent an acquisition of us or a change in our management. These provisions include a classified board of directors, a prohibition on actions by written consent of our stockholders and the ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which limits the ability of stockholders owning in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock to merge or combine with us. Although we believe these provisions collectively provide for an opportunity to obtain greater value for stockholders by requiring potential acquirors to negotiate with our board of directors, they would apply even if an offer rejected by our board were considered beneficial by some stockholders. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management.

We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividend on our common stock and do not currently intend to do so for the foreseeable future. We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the

 

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foreseeable future. Therefore, the success of an investment in shares of our common stock will depend upon any future appreciation in their value. There is no guarantee that shares of our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which our stockholders have purchased their shares.

Future sales of our common stock may cause our stock price to decline.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or the perception that these sales might occur, could significant reduce the market price of our common stock and impair our ability to raise adequate capital through the sale of additional equity securities.

Upon the closing of this offering, there will be 15,383,937 shares of our common stock outstanding. Of these, 4,666,667 shares are being sold in this offering and will be freely tradable immediately after this offering, except for shares purchased by affiliates, and the remaining shares may be sold upon expiration of lock-up agreements 180 days after the date of this offering, subject in some cases to volume limitations. In addition, as of September 30, 2010, we had outstanding options to purchase 1,713,150 shares of common stock that, if exercised, will result in these additional shares becoming available for sale upon expiration of the lock-up agreements. A large portion of these shares and options are held by a small number of persons and investment funds. Moreover, after this offering, the holders of shares of common stock will have rights, subject to some conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering the shares they currently hold, or to include these shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other stockholders.

We also intend to register all common stock that we may issue under our 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. Effective upon the closing of this offering, an aggregate of 2,662,080 shares of our common stock will be reserved for future issuance under this plan. Once we register these shares, which we plan to do shortly after the closing of this offering, they can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to the lock-up agreements referred to above. If a large number of these shares are sold in the public market, the sales could reduce the trading price of our common stock. See “Shares Eligible for Future Sale” for a more detailed description of sales that may occur in the future.

If you purchase our common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of your shares.

You will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase in this offering. The initial public offering price of our common stock is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding common stock immediately after this offering. Purchasers of common stock in this offering will experience immediate dilution of approximately $10.86 per share in net tangible book value of the common stock. In addition, investors purchasing common stock in this offering will contribute approximately 53% of the total amount invested by stockholders since inception, but will only own approximately 30% of the shares of common stock outstanding. In the past, we issued restricted stock and options to acquire common stock at prices significantly below the initial public offering price. To the extent these outstanding options are ultimately exercised, investors purchasing common stock in this offering will sustain further dilution. See “Dilution” for a more detailed description of the dilution to new investors in the offering.

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. We generally identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar words, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus include, among other things, statements about:

 

   

our expectations related to the use of proceeds from this offering;

 

   

the progress and timing of our development and commercialization activities;

 

   

the timing and conduct of our clinical trials for our lead compound, lomitapide;

 

   

our ability to obtain U.S. and foreign marketing approval for lomitapide and the ability of lomitapide to meet existing or future regulatory standards;

 

   

the potential benefits and effectiveness of lomitapide;

 

   

the accuracy of our estimates of the size and characteristics of the markets that may be addressed by lomitapide;

 

   

our ability to manufacture sufficient amounts of lomitapide for clinical trials and commercialization activities; and

 

   

our ability to recruit a sales and marketing team for the commercialization of lomitapide once marketing approval has been obtained.

We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current plans, intentions, expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations described in the forward-looking statements that we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus, particularly in the “Risk Factors” section, that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements that we make. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.

You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our common stock. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds of the sale of the common stock that we are offering will be approximately $ 63.1 million, or $ 72.9 million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, assuming an initial public offering price of $ 15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $4.3 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We estimate that we will use approximately $3.0 million of the net proceeds we receive in this offering to repay debt, including accrued interest, outstanding under our loan and security agreement with Hercules. As of June 30, 2010, we had outstanding $4.0 million in aggregate principal amount under this loan and security agreement, bearing interest at the greater of 11.0% or the prime lending rate, as published by the Wall Street Journal , plus 2.5% per annum, maturing in September 2011. We entered into this loan and security agreement in March 2007, amended the terms in September 2008, July 2009, January 2010, June 2010 and October 2010, and have used the proceeds of this indebtedness for working capital purposes.

We estimate that we will use the remaining proceeds of this offering as follows:

 

   

approximately $35.0 million to $40.0 million to fund our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and related development work, submission of applications for marketing approval and commercial launch of lomitapide for this indication;

 

   

approximately $10.0 million to $15.0 million to advance the clinical development of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC; and

 

   

the remainder to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes, which may include the potential acquisition of, or investment in, technologies, products or companies that complement our business.

We have no current understandings, commitments or agreements with respect to any material acquisition of or investment in any technologies, products or companies.

As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the proceeds from this offering, or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures will depend upon numerous factors, including the progress of our development and commercialization efforts, the status of and results from our clinical trials, whether or not we enter into strategic collaborations or partnerships, and our operating costs and expenditures. Accordingly, our management will have significant flexibility in applying the net proceeds of this offering.

The costs and timing of drug development and marketing approval, particularly conducting clinical trials, are highly uncertain, are subject to substantial risks and can often change. Accordingly, we may change the allocation of use of these proceeds as a result of contingencies such as the progress and results of our clinical trials and other development activities, the establishment of collaborations, our manufacturing requirements and regulatory or competitive developments.

Based on our current operating plans, we anticipate that the net proceeds of this offering, together with our existing resources, will be sufficient to enable us to maintain our currently planned operations, including our continued product candidate development, at least through the next 24 months. We believe that these available

 

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funds will allow us to complete our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of, seek marketing approval for and commercially launch lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. In addition, we believe that these available funds will allow us to initiate and possibly complete a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. However, we may require additional funds earlier than we currently expect in order to conduct additional clinical trials or seek marketing approval of lomitapide. We may seek these funds through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements. Additional financing may not be available when we need it or may not be available on terms that are favorable to us. Because of the risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of lomitapide, we are unable to estimate the amounts of additional funds we may require in connection with our future anticipated clinical trials or to achieve FDA approval and commercial introduction of lomitapide for additional indications. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources — Future Funding Requirements.”

Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing, investment grade securities.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid dividends on our common stock. Our board of directors will continue to have discretion in determining whether to declare or pay dividends, which will depend upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements and other factors our board of directors deems relevant. We currently anticipate that we will retain any future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and the repayment of indebtedness. In addition, under our loan and security agreement with Hercules, we are prohibited from declaring or paying any cash dividends. Accordingly, we do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of June 30, 2010:

 

   

on an actual basis;

 

   

on a pro forma basis to give effect to:

 

   

the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and accumulated dividends thereon upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 7,050,363 shares of common stock, assuming that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010;

 

   

the receipt in August 2010 and October 2010 of aggregate gross proceeds of $3.0 million from the sale of additional convertible notes and the automatic conversion of all $21,314,760 principal outstanding and all accrued interest under all of our outstanding convertible notes upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010, including the effect of the beneficial conversion charge that will be recorded upon the conversion of our convertible notes; and

 

   

an outstanding warrant held by Hercules to purchase an aggregate of 387,238 shares of series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, which will become, in accordance with its terms, a warrant to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.68 per share upon the closing of this offering and the reclassification of the related warrant liability to additional paid-in capital; and

 

   

on a pro forma as adjusted basis to give further effect to:

 

   

the filing of an amended and restated certificate of incorporation upon the closing of this offering;

 

   

the receipt by us of net proceeds of $63.1 million from the sale of 4,666,667 shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us; and

 

   

the use of $3.0 million of the net proceeds of this offering to repay our outstanding indebtedness to Hercules, as described under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

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The pro forma as adjusted information below is illustrative only and our capitalization following the closing of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering at pricing. You should read the following table together with the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of this prospectus and our financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus.

 

     As of June 30, 2010  
     Actual     Pro Forma     Pro Forma
As  Adjusted
 
     (Unaudited)  
     (In thousands, except share data)  

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 2,082      $ 5,082      $ 64,317   
                        

Notes payable

     3,865        3,865          

Warrant liability

     218                 

Convertible notes

     20,000                 

Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 13,000,000 shares authorized, 12,211,604 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued and outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted

     30,675                 

Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 6,650,000 shares authorized, 3,810,773 shares issued and outstanding, actual, no shares authorized, issued and outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted

     21,017                 

Stockholders’ equity:

      

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; no shares authorized, issued and outstanding, actual and pro forma; 5,000,000 shares authorized and no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

                     

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 30,000,000 shares authorized, 1,811,886 shares issued and 1,708,129 shares outstanding, actual; 125,000,000 shares authorized, 10,821,027 shares issued and 10,717,270 shares outstanding, pro forma; 125,000,000 shares authorized, 15,487,964 shares issued and 15,383,937 shares outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

     4        14        18   

Additional paid-in capital

            80,777        143,873   

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     201        201        201   

Deficit accumulated during the development stage

     (74,576     (80,452     (80,452
                        

Total stockholders’ equity (deficiency)

     (74,371     539        63,639   
                        

Total capitalization

   $ 1,404      $ 4,404      $ 63,639   
                        

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share would increase (decrease) each of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $4.3 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

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The table above does not include:

 

   

1,713,150 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at a weighted average exercise price of $1.71 per share;

 

   

40,953 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to be granted upon the closing of this offering at an exercise price equal to the initial public offering price;

 

   

107,779 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at an exercise price of $6.68 per share; and

 

   

2,621,127 additional shares of common stock available for future issuance under our equity incentive plans as of the closing of this offering.

 

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DILUTION

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

Our historical net tangible book value as of June 30, 2010 was $(74,371,109), or $ (43.54) per share, based on shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2010. Historical net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding.

Our pro forma net tangible book value as of June 30, 2010 was $538,883, or $0.05 per share of common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities divided by the pro forma number of shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2010 after giving effect to:

 

   

the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and accumulated dividends thereon upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 7,050,363 shares of common stock, assuming that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010;

 

   

the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010, including the effect of the beneficial conversion charge that will be recorded upon the conversion of our convertible notes; and

 

   

an outstanding warrant held by Hercules to purchase an aggregate of 387,238 shares of series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, will become, in accordance with its terms, a warrant to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.68 per share upon the closing of this offering and the reclassification of the related warrant liability to additional paid-in capital.

After giving effect to the sale by us of 4,666,667 shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2010 would have been approximately $63.6 million, or approximately $4.14 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of $4.09 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in pro forma net tangible book value of approximately $10.86 per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per share of common stock

     $ 15.00

Historical net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2010

   $ (43.54  

Increase per share due to assumed conversion of preferred stock and convertible notes

     43.59     
          

Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2010

   $ 0.05     

Increase per share attributable to new investors

     4.09     
          

Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering

       4.14
        

Dilution per share to new investors

     $ 10.86
        

 

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Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share would increase (decrease) our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2010 by approximately $4.3 million, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $0.28 and the dilution per share to new investors in this offering by $0.28, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering would be $4.56 per share, the increase per share attributable to new investors would be $4.51 per share and the dilution to new investors would be $10.44 per share.

The following table summarizes on a pro forma basis as described above, as of June 30, 2010, the differences between the number of shares purchased from us, the total consideration paid to us and the average price per share that existing stockholders and new investors paid. The calculation below is based on an assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the range listed on the cover page of this prospectus, and before deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

     Shares Purchased     Total Consideration     Average
Price  Per

Share
     Number    Percent     Amount    Percent    

Existing stockholders

   10,717,270    70   $ 61,595,014    47   $ 5.75

New investors

   4,666,667    30        70,000,000    53        15.00
                          

Total

   15,383,937    100   $ 131,595,014    100  
                          

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $15.00 per share would increase (decrease) total consideration paid by new investors participating in this offering by approximately $4.7 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, sales by us in this offering will reduce the percentage of shares held by existing stockholders to 67% and will increase the number of shares held by new investors to 5,366,667, or 33%.

The tables and calculations set forth above are based on the number of shares of common stock outstanding after the closing of this offering and assumes no exercise of any outstanding options or warrants. To the extent that options or warrants are exercised, there will be further dilution to new investors.

The information above excludes:

 

   

1,713,150 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at a weighted average exercise price of $1.71 per share;

 

   

40,953 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to be granted upon the closing of this offering at an exercise price equal to the initial public offering price;

 

   

107,779 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at an exercise price of $6.68 per share; and

 

   

2,621,127 additional shares of common stock available for future issuance under our equity incentive plans as of the closing of this offering.

 

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SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

You should read the following selected financial data together with the “Capitalization,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of this prospectus and our financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. We have derived the statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and balance sheet data as of December 31, 2008 and 2009 from our audited financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. We have derived the statement of operations data for the period from February 4, 2005 (inception) to December 31, 2005 and for the year ended December 31, 2006 and the balance sheet data as of December 2005, 2006 and 2007 from our audited financial statements not included in this prospectus. We have derived the statement of operations data for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010 and the balance sheet data as of June 30, 2010 from our unaudited financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. The unaudited financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as our audited financial statements and include, in the opinion of management, all adjustments that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of the financial information set forth in those statements. Our historical results for any prior period are not necessarily indicative of results expected in any future period and our interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

 

    February 4,
2005
(Inception) to
December 31,
2005
   

 

Year Ended

    Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
    December 31,
2006
    December 31,
2007
    December 31,
2008
    December 31,
2009
   
            2009     2010  
                                (Unaudited)  
    (In thousands, except share and per share data)  

Statements of Operations Data:

             

Costs and expenses:

             

Research and development

  $ 141      $ 3,801      $ 13,542      $ 17,712      $ 7,041      $ 3,795      $ 2,293   

General and administrative

    1,047        3,238        6,079        5,185        3,075        1,538        1,670   
                                                       

Total costs and expenses

    1,188        7,039        19,621        22,897        10,116        5,334        3,963   
                                                       

Loss from operations

    (1,188     (7,039     (19,621     (22,897     (10,116     (5,334     (3,963

Interest expense

    (236            (1,048     (1,127     (2,083     (947     (1,183

Interest income

    18        871        1,008        533        177        102        39   

Change in fair value of warrant liability

                  237        91        (174     (87     349   

Other than temporary impairment on securities

                  (770     (1,665                   (30

Other income, net

                         31                        
                                                       

Loss before income taxes

    (1,407     (6,168     (20,194     (25,035     (12,196     (6,266     (4,788

Benefit from income taxes

                                              1,793   
                                                       

Net loss

    (1,407     (6,168     (20,194     (25,035     (12,196     (6,266     (2,995

Less: accretion of preferred stock dividends and other deemed dividends

    (74     (1,652     (3,658     (6,242     (3,287     (1,620     (1,734
                                                       

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

  $ (1,481   $ (7,820   $ (23,852   $ (31,277   $ (15,483   $ (7,886   $ (4,729
                                                       

Net loss attributable to common stockholders per share — basic and diluted

  $ (2.17   $ (8.30   $ (19.15   $ (20.92   $ (9.35   $ (4.83   $ (2.77
                                                       

Weighted-average shares outstanding — basic and diluted

    679,993        941,283        1,245,246        1,495,375        1,656,732        1,632,047        1,704,766   
                                                       

Unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss attributable to common stockholders per share

          $ (1.45     $ (0.44
                         

Unaudited pro forma weighted average shares outstanding — basic and diluted

            10,665,873          10,713,907   
                         

 

    As of December 31,     As of
June 30,
2010
 
    2005     2006     2007     2008     2009    
                                  (Unaudited)  
    (In thousands)  

Balance Sheet Data:

           

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 22,115      $ 16,563      $ 24,393      $ 9,005      $ 1,429      $ 2,082   

Total assets

    22,118        16,771        28,479        10,252        2,650        3,275   

Notes payable and convertible notes

                  9,180        16,098        20,096        23,865   

Deficit accumulated during the development stage

    (1,407     (8,443     (30,466     (58,664     (70,860     (74,576

Total stockholders’ deficiency

  $ (1,115   $ (8,439   $ (28,717   $ (55,621   $ (70,127   $ (74,371

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. In addition to historical information, some of the information in this discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations and involves risk and uncertainties. For example, statements regarding our expectations as to our plans and strategy for our business, future financial performance, expense levels and liquidity sources are forward-looking statements. Our actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those discussed in our forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those set forth under the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this prospectus.

Overview

We are an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders. Lipids are naturally occurring molecules, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, that are transported in the blood. Elevated levels of cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, and elevated levels of triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridemia, can dramatically increase the risk of experiencing a potentially life threatening event, such as a heart attack or stroke in the case of hypercholesterolemia or pancreatitis in the case of hypertriglyceridemia. We are initially developing our lead compound, lomitapide, as an oral, once-a-day treatment for patients with a rare genetic lipid disorder called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. These patients are at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events as a result of extremely elevated lipid levels in the blood. We also plan to develop lomitapide for the treatment of patients with a rare genetic lipid disorder called familial chylomicronemia, or FC. Patients with FC have extremely high levels of triglycerides, or TGs, and, as a result, typically experience recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis and other serious conditions.

We are currently evaluating lomitapide in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with HoFH. If this single-arm, open-label trial is successful, we plan to submit an NDA to the FDA before the end of 2011 and an MAA to the EMA in 2012. We are also in the process of developing a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC.

We are a development stage company with a limited operating history. To date, we have primarily focused on developing our lead compound, lomitapide. We have funded our operations to date primarily from the private placement of convertible preferred stock, convertible debt and venture debt. From inception through June 30, 2010, we have received net proceeds of $40.0 million from the sale of convertible preferred stock and $19.0 million from the sale of convertible debt. We received additional aggregate proceeds of $3.0 million from the sale of convertible debt in August 2010 and October 2010. As of June 30, 2010, we had $4.0 million of venture debt outstanding under our loan and security agreement with Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., or Hercules.

We have incurred losses in each year since our inception in February 2005. Our net losses were $20.2 million in 2007, $25.0 million in 2008, $12.2 million in 2009 and $3.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010. As of June 30, 2010, we had an accumulated deficit of $74.6 million. Substantially all of our operating losses resulted from costs incurred in connection with our development programs and from general and administrative costs associated with our operations.

We expect our research and development expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, our planned Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC and other potential studies or clinical trials of lomitapide. If we obtain marketing approval for lomitapide, we will likely incur significant sales, marketing, in-licensing and outsourced manufacturing expenses, as well as continued research and development expenses. Furthermore, upon closing of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. As a result, we expect to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future.

 

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Financial Overview

Revenue

To date, we have not generated any revenue from the sale of any products, and we do not expect to generate significant revenue unless or until we obtain marketing approval of, and commercialize, lomitapide.

Research and Development Expenses

Since our inception, we have focused on our clinical development programs. We recognize research and development expenses as they are incurred. Our research and development expenses consist primarily of:

 

   

salaries and related expenses for personnel;

 

   

fees paid to consultants and CROs in conjunction with independently monitoring our clinical trials and acquiring and evaluating data in conjunction with our clinical trials, including all related fees, such as for investigator grants, patient screening, laboratory work and statistical compilation and analysis;

 

   

costs related to production of clinical materials, including fees paid to contract manufacturers;

 

   

costs related to upfront and milestone payments under in-licensing agreements;

 

   

costs related to compliance with regulatory requirements in the United States, the European Union and other foreign jurisdictions;

 

   

consulting fees paid to third parties; and

 

   

costs related to stock options or other stock-based compensation granted to personnel in development functions.

We expense both internal and external development costs as incurred. We have been developing lomitapide and our other product candidate, implitapide, in parallel, and we typically use our employee and infrastructure resources across several projects. Thus, some of our research and development expenses are not attributable to an individual project but rather are allocated across our clinical stage programs based on management estimates. These allocated expenses include salaries, stock-based compensation charges and related fringe benefit costs for our employees, consulting fees and the fees paid to clinical suppliers.

 

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The following table shows our research and development expenses for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010.

 

     For the Year
Ended December 31,
   For the Six Months
Ended June 30,
     2007    2008    2009    2009    2010
                    (Unaudited)
     (In thousands)

Lomitapide

              

Clinical development (including regulatory) expenses

   $ 8,770    $ 11,819    $ 3,016    $ 1,415    $ 931

Preclinical development expenses

     1,278      2,428      1,612      839      290

Administrative expenses

     2,181      1,840      1,896      1,061      794
                                  

Total

   $ 12,229    $ 16,087    $ 6,524    $ 3,315    $ 2,015

Implitapide

              

Clinical development (including regulatory) expenses

   $ 733    $ 698    $ 159    $ 129    $ —  

Preclinical development expenses

     —        24      —        —        —  

Administrative expenses

     580      903      357      352      278
                                  

Total

   $ 1,313    $ 1,625    $ 516    $ 481    $ 278
                                  

Total

   $ 13,542    $ 17,712    $ 7,041    $ 3,795    $ 2,293
                                  

We expect our research and development expenses will increase as we complete our pivotal Phase III trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and seek marketing approval for lomitapide in this indication, including our completion of studies and trials required prior to the filing of our NDA for lomitapide, and as we further develop and initiate our planned Phase II/III trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. We currently estimate that we will incur research and development costs of approximately $35.0 million to $40.0 million to complete the pivotal Phase III trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. Because we are still in the preliminary stages of developing a protocol for a planned Phase II/III trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC, we are unable to estimate the research and development costs we would incur in connection with this planned clinical trial. In addition, we intend to explore and pursue label expansion in patient populations broader than HoFH and FC. Due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with timing and costs to completion of clinical trials, we cannot determine these future expenses with certainty and the actual range may vary significantly from our forecasts.

Our research and development expenditures are subject to numerous uncertainties in timing and cost to completion. Completion of clinical trials may take several years or more, but the length of time generally varies according to the type, complexity, novelty and intended use of a product candidate. The cost of clinical trials may vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of differences arising during clinical development, including, among others:

 

   

the number of trials required for approval;

 

   

the number of sites included in the trials;

 

   

the length of time required to enroll suitable patients;

 

   

the number of patients that participate in the trials;

 

   

the number of doses that patients receive;

 

   

the drop-out or discontinuation rates of patients;

 

   

the duration of patient follow-up;

 

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the number of analyses and tests performed during the trial;

 

   

the phase of development the product candidate is in; and

 

   

the efficacy and safety profile of the product candidate.

Our expenses related to clinical trials are based on estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to contracts with multiple research institutions and CROs that conduct and manage clinical trials on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation and vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. Generally, these agreements set forth the scope of work to be performed at a fixed fee or unit price. Payments under the contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients or the completion of clinical trial milestones. We generally accrue expenses related to clinical trials based on contracted amounts applied to the level of patient enrollment and activity according to the protocol. If timelines or contracts are modified based upon changes in the clinical trial protocol or scope of work to be performed, we modify our estimates of accrued expenses accordingly on a prospective basis.

We have not received marketing approval for lomitapide from the FDA, the EMA, or any other foreign regulatory authority. Obtaining marketing approval is an extensive, lengthy, expensive and uncertain process, and the FDA, the EMA or any other foreign regulatory authority, may delay, limit or deny approval of lomitapide for many reasons.

As a result of the uncertainties discussed above, we are unable to determine with certainty the duration and completion costs of our development projects or when and to what extent we will receive revenue from the commercialization and sale of lomitapide.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation for employees in executive and operational functions, including executive, finance, clinical, regulatory, and legal. Other significant costs include facilities costs and professional fees for accounting and legal services, including legal services and expenses associated with obtaining and maintaining patents.

We expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase with the continued development and potential commercialization of our product candidates and as we begin to operate as a public company after the closing of this offering. These increases will likely include increased costs for insurance, costs related to the hiring of additional personnel and payment to outside consultants, lawyers and accountants.

Interest Income and Interest Expense

Interest income consists of interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents. Interest expense consists primarily of cash and non-cash interest costs related to our outstanding debt. In addition, in connection with our loan and security agreement with Hercules, we issued a preferred stock warrant, the fair value of which we record as deferred financing costs. We amortize these deferred financing costs over the life of the loan and security agreement as interest expense in our statement of operations. We expect our interest expense to decrease following this offering as a result of our repayment of indebtedness outstanding under our loan and security agreement with Hercules.

Net Operating Losses and Tax Carryforwards

As of December 31, 2009, we had approximately $57.3 million of federal net operating loss carryforwards. We also had federal and state research and development tax credit carryforwards of approximately $938,000 available to offset future taxable income. These federal and state net operating loss and federal and state tax credit carryforwards will begin to expire at various dates beginning in 2027, if not utilized. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 provides for a limitation on the annual use of net operating loss and research and development tax credit

 

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carryforwards following certain ownership changes that could limit our ability to utilize these carryforwards. We have not completed a study to assess whether an ownership change has occurred, or whether there have been multiple ownership changes since out inception, due to the significant costs and complexities associated with such study. Accordingly, our ability to utilize the aforementioned carryforwards may be limited. Additionally, U.S. tax laws limit the time during which these carryforwards may be utilized against future taxes. As a result, we may not be able to take full advantage of these carryforwards for federal and state tax purposes.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate these estimates and judgments, including those described below. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. These estimates and assumptions form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results and experiences may differ materially from these estimates.

While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 1 to our financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus, we believe that the following accounting policies are the most critical to aid you in fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results and affect the more significant judgments and estimates that we use in the preparation of our financial statements.

Accrued Expenses

As part of the process of preparing financial statements, we are required to estimate accrued expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our applicable personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of actual cost. The majority of our service providers invoice us monthly in arrears for services performed. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us. We periodically confirm the accuracy of our estimates with the service providers and make adjustments if necessary. Examples of estimated accrued expenses include:

 

   

fees paid to CROs in connection with clinical trials;

 

   

fees paid to investigative sites in connection with clinical trials;

 

   

fees paid to contract manufacturers in connection with the production of clinical trial materials; and

 

   

professional service fees.

We base our expenses related to clinical trials on our estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to contracts with multiple research institutions and CROs that conduct and manage clinical trials on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients and the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing service fees, we estimate the time period over which services will be performed and the level of effort to be expended in each period. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from our estimate, we will adjust the accrual accordingly. If we do not identify costs that we have begun to incur or if we underestimate or overestimate the level of services performed or the costs of these services, our actual expenses could differ from our estimates. We do not anticipate the future settlement of existing accruals to differ materially from our estimates.

 

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Valuation of Financial Instruments

Valuation of Investments

We have investments in auction rate securities, and in one instance, an auction rate security that was converted into non-cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock. Valuing these securities requires the use of estimates and assumptions that are subjective. Fair value estimates of these securities are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant market information. These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment and therefore cannot be determined with precision.

The estimated fair value of the auction rate securities is derived through the use of a discounted cash flow model. Our discounted cash flow model considers, among other things, the quality of the underlying collateral, the credit rating of the issuer, an estimate of when these securities are either expected to have a successful auction or otherwise return to par value, the expected interest income to be received over this period and the estimated required rate of return for investors that may be willing to purchase such a security. We also use third-party valuation reports to assist us in determining the fair value of our investments. In order to determine the reasonableness of these valuations, we perform a review of the inputs used and also test the mathematical accuracy of the related calculations. We also review, to the extent available, other public information related to the auction rate securities we hold to help corroborate the reasonableness of the value of our securities.

The estimated fair value of our auction rate security that was converted to preferred stock is estimated by analyzing similar securities in the marketplace. We also consider the fair value of the underlying collateral and credit rating of the issuer.

Although our investments have significant discounts as compared to the par value of the securities, changes in inputs or other data that are used to derive the valuation can have a significant change on the valuation of our investments.

Preferred Stock Warrant Liability

We account for our preferred stock warrant in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 480-10, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity – Overall, which requires that a financial instrument, other than an outstanding share, that, at inception, is indexed to an obligation to repurchase the issuer’s equity shares, regardless of the timing or likelihood of the redemption shall be classified as a liability. We measure the fair value of our warrant liability using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model with changes in fair value recognized in earnings. Any modifications to the warrant liability are recorded in earnings during the period of the modification.

The significant assumptions used in estimating the fair value of our warrant liability include the strike price, estimate for volatility, risk free interest rate, estimated fair value of the preferred stock, and the estimated life of the warrant. Changes to these assumptions will impact the value of the liability; however, this liability will be converted to additional paid in capital in connection with our initial public offering.

Stock-Based Compensation

We recognize as compensation expense the fair value, for accounting purposes, of stock options, restricted stock awards and other stock-based compensation issued to employees over the requisite service periods, which are typically the vesting periods. Equity instruments issued to non-employees are recorded at their fair value, for accounting purposes, and are periodically revalued as the equity instruments vest and are recognized as expense over the related service period.

 

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Stock-based compensation expense includes stock options granted to employees and non-employees and has been reported in our statements of operations as follows:

 

     Years Ended December 31,    Six Months Ended June 30,
     2007    2008    2009    2009    2010
         

(Unaudited)

     (In thousands)

Research and development

   $ 1,184    $ 655    $ 497    $ 289    $ 174

General and administrative

     588      592      436      223      208
                                  

Total

   $ 1,772    $ 1,247    $ 933    $ 512    $ 382
                                  

We calculate the fair value of stock-based compensation awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires the input of subjective assumptions, including stock price volatility and the expected life of stock options. As a private company, we do not have sufficient history to estimate the volatility of our common stock price or the expected life of our options. We calculate expected volatility based on reported data for selected reasonably similar publicly traded companies, or guideline peer group, for which the historical information is available. We will continue to use the guideline peer group volatility information until the historical volatility of our common stock is relevant to measure expected volatility for future option grants. The assumed dividend yield is based on our expectation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future. We determine the average expected life of stock options according to the “simplified method” as described in Staff Accounting Bulletin 110, which is the mid-point between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term. We determine the risk-free interest rate by reference to implied yields available from five-year and seven-year U.S. Treasury securities with a remaining term equal to the expected life assumed at the date of grant. We estimate forfeitures based on our historical analysis of actual stock option forfeitures. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010 are set forth in our financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus.

There is a high degree of subjectivity involved when using option-pricing models to estimate stock-based compensation. There is currently no market-based mechanism or other practical application to verify the reliability and accuracy of the estimates stemming from these valuation models, nor is there a means to compare and adjust the estimates to actual values. Although the fair value of employee stock-based awards is determined using an option-pricing model, that value may not be indicative of the fair value observed in a market transaction between a willing buyer and willing seller. If factors change and we employ different assumptions when valuing our options, the compensation expense that we record in the future may differ significantly from what we have historically reported.

Prior to 2007, our board of directors estimated the fair value for our common stock, with input from management. Given the absence of an active market for our common stock, our board of directors determined the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant based on several factors, including:

 

   

our stage of development and business strategy;

 

   

the price per share at which our redeemable convertible preferred stock was issued to investors and the rights, preferences and privileges of the preferred stock relative to the common stock;

 

   

our financial condition and book value;

 

   

economic and competitive elements affecting us, our industry and our target markets;

 

   

our projected operating results;

 

   

a comparative analysis of our financial condition and operating results with those of publicly-owned companies engaged in similar lines of business;

 

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the current and historical relationship between the reported stock prices and revenue and earning levels of selected publicly traded companies engaged in similar lines of business;

 

   

important developments relating to the results of our clinical trials; and

 

   

the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event for our outstanding shares of stock.

Beginning in 2007, in addition to the above factors, our board of directors obtained independent third-party valuations to assist it in estimating the fair value of our common stock.

In estimating our aggregate equity value, we used methodologies and assumptions consistent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Practice Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation , or the AICPA practice guide.

Equity Awards — Quarter Ended March 31, 2007

During the quarter ended March 31, 2007, we issued equity awards with an exercise price of $12.87 per share and for which we retrospectively applied a fair value of our common stock, for accounting purposes, of $25.37 per share, which our board of directors retrospectively determined to be equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. Equity awards made during this period were made after our organizational meeting with underwriters in connection with our 2007 proposed initial public offering, which was withdrawn in June 2007, but before we filed the registration statement for the proposed initial public offering, before we received a formal indication of the proposed offering price range for the proposed initial public offering from the underwriters and contemporaneously with our receipt of the final results of the Phase II clinical trial evaluating lomitapide as monotherapy and in combination with Zetia (ezetimibe). Also during this period: (1) in January 2007, we received a non-binding letter of intent for an equity financing at a valuation of $13.43 per share; (2) in March 2007, we entered into a venture loan arrangement pursuant to which we issued a warrant with an exercise price of $12.87 per share; and (3) we hired an executive director of manufacturing. As discussed below, these equity awards were re-priced in October 2008 to $5.08 per share and again in March 2009 to $2.37 per share.

Equity Awards — Quarter Ended June 30, 2007

During the quarter ended June 30, 2007, we issued equity awards with an exercise price of $25.37 per share, which our board of directors determined to be equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. Equity awards made during this period were made in the period leading up to our proposed initial public offering in June 2007 at an anticipated price range of between $29.30 and $34.18 per share. On June 15, 2007, we withdrew our registration statement for this proposed initial public offering due to market conditions. We also learned in June 2007 of the partial clinical hold of our MTP-I product candidates for clinical trials of longer than six months duration, and we discontinued a Phase II clinical trial that was evaluating the safety and efficacy of lomitapide with or without Lipitor (atorvastatin) due to patients experiencing an unexpected number of gastrointestinal adverse events inconsistent with our prior clinical experience with this drug. As discussed below, these equity awards were re-priced in October 2007 to $12.45 per share, again in October 2008 to $5.08 per share and again in March 2009 to $2.37 per share.

Equity Awards — Quarters Ended September 30, 2007 and December 31, 2007

During the quarter ended December 31, 2007, we issued equity awards with an exercise price of $12.45 per share, which our board of directors determined to be equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. At this time we also re-priced the equity awards made during the quarter ending June 30, 2007 to an exercise price of $12.45 per share. The significant decrease in enterprise valuation between June 30, 2007 and December 31, 2007 reflects the uncertainty surrounding our clinical development programs during this period. In determining an enterprise valuation, we were especially concerned with the partial clinical hold instituted by the

 

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FDA and the need to halt the Phase II clinical trial that was evaluating the safety and efficacy of lomitapide with or without Lipitor (atorvastatin) due to patients experiencing adverse gastrointestinal effects. These awards were made prior to our initiation of the preclinical studies that had been requested by the FDA in order to evaluate a potential link between lomitapide and pulmonary phospholipidosis as part of the partial clinical hold. In addition, during the late summer and early fall of 2007, we began to explore with existing and outside investors the possibility of a new round of redeemable convertible preferred stock financing at a range of possible enterprise valuations. We completed this equity financing on November 9, 2007 at a price of $4.62 per share of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock. Although this financing did not include a majority of new investors, we did receive a term sheet from a third party at a valuation of approximately $4.95 per share that would have constituted a majority investment, which term sheet also provided another indicator for the fair value determination. Later in 2007, we re-filed for a proposed initial public offering.

Equity Awards — Quarter Ended December 31, 2008

During the quarter ended December 31, 2008, we issued equity awards with an exercise price of $5.08 per share, which our board of directors determined to be equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. At this time, we also re-priced our outstanding equity awards with current employees and directors to an exercise price of $5.08 per share, other than options with an exercise price lower than this amount. The decrease in fair value from prior periods was a result of many factors. These factors include continued uncertainty regarding the regulatory pathway for our product candidates, in particular as a result of the ongoing partial clinical hold applicable to both of our product candidates, continued manufacturing risks associated with our product candidates, the withdrawal in the fourth quarter of 2008 of our registration statement for a proposed initial public offering, which prevented us from accessing the public markets for capital raising purposes and resulted in a lack of liquidity for our common stock and provided evidence of the market’s lack of receptivity for pre-commercial biotechnology companies such as ours, and the growing unfavorable market conditions with continued limited access to capital as a result of the general market liquidity crisis. During this period, due in large part to the factors described above, we were unsuccessful in raising additional capital from outside investors and completed the first of a series of convertible note financings with our existing investors.

Equity Awards — Quarter Ended March 31, 2009

During the quarter ended March 31, 2009, we issued equity awards with an exercise price of $2.37 per share, which our board of directors determined to be equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. At this time, we again re-priced our outstanding equity awards with current employees and directors to an exercise price of $2.37 per share, other than options with an exercise price lower than this amount. The decrease in fair value from prior periods was the result of many factors. These factors include continuing general market liquidity issues and associated limited access to capital, continued uncertainty regarding the regulatory pathway for our product candidates, including the ongoing partial clinical hold applicable to both of our product candidates, and an increase in our liquidation preference due to issuance of convertible notes to our existing investors. In addition, although the FDA did not apply the partial clinical hold to our ongoing Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for treatment of patients with HoFH, there was continued uncertainty as to whether we could submit an NDA for lomitapide for this indication without the need to conduct additional clinical trials.

Equity Awards — Quarter Ended March 31, 2010

During the quarter ended March 31, 2010, we issued equity awards with an exercise price of $2.37 per share, which our board of directors determined to be equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. During this period, there was continued uncertainty regarding the regulatory pathway for our product candidates, including whether we could submit an NDA for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH without the need to conduct additional clinical trials. Also during this period, our financial resources were increasingly strained. In April 2009, Hercules delivered notice to us declaring we were in default under our loan

 

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and security agreement on the basis of insolvency. Although we were able to negotiate a series of forbearance agreements with Hercules, we were required to increase the number of shares available upon exercise of a warrant agreement with Hercules and increase the interest rate under our loan and security agreement with Hercules in order to obtain such forbearance. Our default and substantial outstanding debt under the loan and security agreement, continued regulatory uncertainty and adverse macroeconomic factors continued to adversely affect our enterprise valuation as we continued to explore alternative sources of financing, and we received term sheets from potential strategic investors ascribing very low enterprise valuations to our company. As a result of all of the above factors, our board of directors concluded that there had been no material change in the fair market value of our common stock since the quarter ended March 31, 2009.

Equity Awards — Quarter Ended September 30, 2010

During the quarter ended September 30, 2010, we issued equity awards with an exercise price of $1.54 per share, which our board of directors determined to be equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. At the time these awards were granted, there remained substantial uncertainty regarding the regulatory pathway for our product candidates and the likelihood of a successful initial public offering. Specifically, at the time these awards were granted:

 

   

we had not received written minutes from our recent meeting with the FDA confirming that the FDA would not require a clinical outcomes study prior to the filing of an NDA for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH;

 

   

we had not completed our review of the preliminary findings from the 104 week carcinogenicity study of lomitapide in rats showing no statistical increase in any type of tumors, nor had we received the final report from this study;

 

   

the final four patients in our ongoing Phase III clinical trial had not yet completed the 26 week period of therapy at the end of which the primary efficacy endpoint is measured, nor had we yet received the results from these patients from this phase of the trial;

 

   

we had not confirmed whether the EMA would grant our application for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and FC;

 

   

we had not yet completed the sale of an additional $1.5 million in convertible notes to certain of our existing investors; and

 

   

we had not yet successfully negotiated a waiver of the notice of default under our loan and security agreement with Hercules.

In addition, at the time these awards were made, our underwriters had not yet communicated to us the definitive proposed price range for this initial public offering. Based on these and other factors, including concern over whether the public equity markets would be receptive to pre-commercial biotechnology companies such as ours, and in light of the challenges similarly situated companies have experienced in recent months in completing their own proposed initial public offerings, our board of directors determined that the fair market value of our common stock at the time these awards were granted was $1.54 per share.

After these awards were made, we achieved the following milestones:

 

   

we received written minutes from our recent meeting with the FDA confirming that the FDA would not require a clinical outcomes study prior to our filing an NDA for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH;

 

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we completed our review of the preliminary findings from the 104 week carcinogenicity study of lomitapide in rats showing no statistical increase in any type of tumors, although we still have not received the final report from this study;

 

   

the final four patients in our ongoing Phase III clinical trial completed the 26 week period of therapy at the end of which the primary efficacy endpoint is measured, with encouraging results;

 

   

we completed the sale of an additional $1.5 million in convertible notes to certain of our existing investors; and

 

   

we successfully negotiated a waiver of the notice of default under our loan and security agreement with Hercules.

As of the date of this prospectus, we have not confirmed whether the EMA will grant our application for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of HoFH and FC. However, in light of our successful achievement of the other factors identified above, and in light of the proposed price range for this offering as communicated to us by our underwriters and reflected in this prospectus, in connection with our preparation of this prospectus, we retrospectively reexamined the contemporaneous valuation of our common stock issued during this period. We believe that the preparation of the retrospective valuation was appropriate given the increased probability of our successful completion of this offering, which probability was accelerated in light of our successful achievement of several of the factors identified above. We believe that the most significant among these factors was our receipt of written minutes from our recent meeting with the FDA confirming that the FDA would not require a clinical outcomes study prior to our filing an NDA for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. Had we not received this written confirmation, we do not believe that we would be in position to market this proposed offering. Also a significant factor supporting our decision to conduct a retrospective valuation was our continued review of preliminary findings from the 104 week carcinogenicity study of lomitapide in rats showing no statistical increase in any type of tumors, and the completion by the final four patients in our ongoing Phase III clinical trial of the 26 week period of therapy at the end of which the primary efficacy endpoint is measured. All of the factors identified above provided greater clarity regarding the regulatory pathway for our product candidates and, we believe, significantly increased our ability to market this proposed offering.

We completed the retrospective valuation of the fair value of our common stock for financial reporting purposes, in accordance with the AICPA practice guide. As a result of this retrospective assessment for the equity awards made during the quarter ended September 30, 2010, we expect to apply, for financial reporting purposes, a fair value of $13.38 per share. We expect to incorporate the fair value calculated in this retrospective assessment into the Black-Scholes option pricing model when calculating the stock-based compensation expense. We expect that the total compensation expense for these awards will be approximately $17.0 million, which amount will be recorded over the vesting period for these awards.

 

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During the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the nine months ended September 30, 2010, we granted stock options with exercise prices as follows:

 

Grants Made During the

Three Months Ended

   Number of Shares    Initial Exercise
Price Per
Share
   Common
Stock Value
Per Share
    Grant Date
Fair Value (1)

September 30, 2010

   1,289,507    $ 1.54    $ 13.38 (2)     $ 16,959,186

June 30, 2010

                   

March 31, 2010

   125,484      2.37      2.37        278,824

December 31, 2009

                   

September 30, 2009

                   

June 30, 2009

                   

March 31, 2009

   146,202      2.37      2.37        278,460

December 31, 2008

   115,897      5.08      5.08        192,440

September 30, 2008

                   

June 30, 2008

                   

March 31, 2008

                   

December 31, 2007

   204,646      12.45      12.45        1,549,033

September 30, 2007

                   

June 30, 2007

   28,110      25.37      25.37        549,440

March 31, 2007

   121,347      12.87      25.37 (3)       2,377,300

 

(1) Represents the aggregate estimated grant date fair value of such awards, determined in accordance with the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. See Note 9 to our financial statements for more information.

 

(2) Grant date fair value per share was adjusted in connection with our retrospective valuation of fair value for financial reporting purposes. See “— Equity Awards — Quarter Ended September 30, 2010.”

 

(3) Grant date fair value per share was adjusted in connection with our retrospective valuation of fair value for financial reporting purposes. See “ Equity Awards — Quarter Ended March 31, 2007.”

We have repriced 286,133 of the options set forth in the table above to an exercise price of $2.37 per share.

The intrinsic value of all outstanding vested and unvested options of $22.8 million is based on a per share price of $15.00, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, 1,713,150 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2010 and a weighted average exercise price of $1.71 per share.

Results of Operations

Comparison of the Six Months Ended June 30, 2010 and the Six Months Ended June 30, 2009

Revenue

We did not recognize any revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2010 or the six months ended June 30, 2009.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses were $2.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010, compared with $3.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009. The $1.5 million decrease for the six months ended June 30, 2010 reflects a decrease of $1.3 million in development expenses related to our lomitapide development program, including a $0.5 million decrease in clinical development expenses, a $0.5 million decrease in preclinical development expenses and $0.3 million decrease in administrative expenses, and a decrease of $0.2 million in development expenses related to our implitapide development program, including a $0.1 million decrease in clinical development expenses and a

 

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$0.1 million decrease in administrative expenses. Development expenses related to our lomitapide development program were higher during 2009 primarily due to costs for preparing study reports and related expenses in 2009 following completion of our Phase II clinical program for lomitapide in broader patient populations in 2008.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $1.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010 and $1.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009. The $0.2 million increase in 2010 was due to an increase in professional fees related to legal costs and consulting fees related to commercial assessments of the market for lomitapide.

Interest Expense

Interest expense was $1.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010, compared with $0.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009. The $0.3 million increase for the six months ended June 30, 2010 was primarily attributable to additional interest payable with respect to the issuance of additional convertible notes in an aggregate principal amount of $3.0 million in January 2010 and $1.5 million in June 2010.

Interest Income

Interest income was $0.04 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010, compared with $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009. The $0.06 million decrease was due to lower cash and cash equivalent balances.

Income Tax Benefit

Our income tax benefit was $1.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010, compared with zero for the six months ended June 30, 2009. The $1.8 million represents proceeds received from the sale of New Jersey state net operating losses to a third party.

Change in Fair Value of Warrant Liability

We recorded $0.3 million of other income during the six months ended June 30, 2010, compared with $0.1 million of other expense during the six months ended June 30, 2009. The $0.4 million variance was attributable to the change in the estimate of the fair value of our warrant agreement with Hercules.

Change in Other than Temporary Impairment on Securities

We incurred $0.03 million of other expense during the six months ended June 30, 2010, attributable to a slight decline in the fair value of our securities. The decline in fair value reflected the continued failed auctions for our auction rate securities and general market conditions. We did not experience any significant change in the fair value of our investments in securities during the six months ended June 30, 2009.

Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2009 and the Year Ended December 31, 2008

Revenue

We did not recognize any revenue for the year ended December 31, 2009 or the year ended December 31, 2008.

 

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Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses were $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2009, compared with $17.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2008. The $10.7 million decrease for 2009 reflects a decrease of $9.6 million in development expenses related to our lomitapide development program, including a $8.8 million decrease in clinical development expenses and a $0.8 million decrease in preclinical development expenses, and a decrease of $1.1 million in development expenses related to our implitapide development program, including a $0.5 million decrease in clinical development expenses and a $0.6 million decrease in administrative expenses. Development expenses related to our lomitapide development program were higher in 2008 primarily because of our initiation and completion of three Phase II clinical trials for lomitapide in broader patient populations in 2008.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2009, compared with $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2008. The $2.1 million decrease was due to approximately $1.0 million of deferred financing fees expensed in 2008 associated with our initial public offering that was not completed, a $0.7 million decrease in salary and related expenses resulting from lower employee headcount associated with our reduction in workforce by five employees in September 2009 and a $0.4 million decrease in professional fees.

Interest Expense

Interest expense was $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2009, compared with $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2008. The $1.0 million increase for 2009 was primarily attributable to an increase in non-cash accrued interest expense associated with our convertible notes, including the issuance of additional convertible notes in an aggregate principal amount of $5.0 million in July 2009.

Interest Income

Interest income was $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2009, compared with $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2008. The $0.3 million decrease for 2009 was due to lower cash and cash equivalent balances.

Change in Fair Value of Warrant Liability

We recorded $0.2 million of other expense during the year ended December 31, 2009, compared with $0.1 million of other income during the year ended December 31, 2008. This variance primarily resulted from our amendment of the warrant agreement with Hercules to increase the number of shares of preferred stock issuable under the warrant agreement and decrease the exercise price of the warrant to purchase preferred stock from $5.27 to $1.86. This warrant will automatically become a warrant to purchase common stock at an exercise price of $6.68 upon the closing of this offering, at which time the existing liability will be reclassified to additional paid-in-capital.

Change in Other than Temporary Impairment on Securities

We incurred $1.7 million of other expense during the year ended December 31, 2008, attributable to the continued decline in the fair value of our securities. The decline in fair value reflected the continued failed auctions for our auction rate securities and general market conditions. During the year ended December 31, 2009, we experienced a slight increase in the fair value of the investments in securities, resulting in the recording of unrealized gain in other comprehensive income.

 

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Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2008 and the Year Ended December 31, 2007

Revenue

We did not recognize any revenue for the year ended December 31, 2008 or the year ended December 31, 2007.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses were $17.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, compared with $13.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2007. The $4.2 million increase for 2008 reflects a $3.9 million increase in our lomitapide development program, including a $3.0 million increase in clinical development expenses and a $1.2 million increase in preclinical expenses, partially offset by a $0.3 million decrease in administrative expenses and a $0.3 million increase in our implitapide development program for administrative expenses. Development expenses for our lomitapide development program were higher during 2008 primarily because of our initiation and completion of three Phase II clinical trials for lomitapide in broader patient populations in 2008.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, compared with $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2007. The $0.9 million decrease for 2008 was primarily due to a decrease in deferred financing costs associated with our attempted initial public offerings that were not completed.

Interest Expense

Interest expense was $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, compared with $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2007. The $0.1 million increase for 2008 was primarily attributable to additional interest payable with respect to the issuance of convertible notes in an aggregate principal amount of $3.8 million in September 2008.

Interest Income

Interest income was $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, compared with $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2007. The $0.5 million decrease for 2008 was due to lower cash and cash equivalent balances.

Change in Fair Value of Warrant Liability

We recorded $0.1 million of other income during the year ended December 31, 2008, compared with $0.2 million of other income during the year ended December 31, 2007. The $0.1 million decrease was attributable to the change in the estimate of the fair value of our warrant agreement with Hercules.

Change in Other than Temporary Impairment on Securities

We incurred $1.7 million of other expense during the year ended December 31, 2008, compared with $0.8 million of other expense incurred during the year ended December 31, 2007. The $0.9 million increase was attributable to the continued decline in the fair value of our securities. The decline in fair value reflected the continued failed auctions for our auction rate securities and general market conditions. We do not believe that the securities are liquid, and therefore determined that the decline in fair value is other than temporary.

 

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Since our inception in 2005, we have funded our operations primarily through proceeds from the private placement of convertible preferred stock, convertible debt and venture debt. To date, we have not generated any revenue from the sale of products, We have incurred losses and generated negative cash flows from operations since inception. As of June 30, 2010, our principal sources of liquidity were our cash and cash equivalents, which totaled $2.1 million.

From inception through June 30, 2010, we have received net proceeds of $40.0 million from the sale of convertible preferred stock and $19.0 million from the sale of convertible debt. We received additional aggregate proceeds of $3.0 million from the sale of convertible debt in August 2010 and October 2010. As of June 30, 2010, we had $4.0 million of debt outstanding under a loan and security agreement with Hercules.

In March 2007, we entered into a $15.0 million loan and security agreement with Hercules and borrowed $10.0 million under this agreement. The loan originally bore interest at the prime lending rate, as published by the  Wall Street Journal , plus 2.5% per annum, and had a maturity date of August 19, 2010. In connection with the loan and security agreement, we granted Hercules a first priority security interest on all of our assets, except for our intellectual property. We amended the loan and security agreement with Hercules in September 2008 and July 2009 to extend the maturity date, provide for a forbearance with respect to an insolvency covenant and increase the interest rate. The current interest rate is equal to the greater of 11.0% or the prime lending rate, as published by the Wall Street Journal , plus 2.5% per annum. In addition, we granted Hercules a first priority security interest in our intellectual property. In October 2010, Hercules waived the existing defaults under the loan and security agreement.

In connection with the loan and security agreement, we entered into a warrant agreement with Hercules, which was amended in July 2009, under which Hercules has the right to purchase 387,238 shares of series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, which will be converted into the right to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.68 per share upon the closing of this offering.

Our recurring operating losses raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As a result, our independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph in its report on our financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2009 with respect to this uncertainty. We have no current source of revenue to sustain our present activities, and we do not expect to generate revenue until, and unless, the FDA or other regulatory authorities approve lomitapide and we successfully commercialize lomitapide. Accordingly, our ability to continue as a going concern will require us to obtain additional financing to fund our operations.

Cash Flows

The following table sets forth the major sources and uses of cash for the periods set forth below:

 

     Year Ended December 31,     Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
     2007     2008     2009     2009     2010  
                       (Unaudited)  
     (In thousands)  

Net cash provided by (used in):

          

Operating activities

   $ (15,606   $ (21,990   $ (10,532   $ (6,219   $ (2,392

Investing activities

     (3,055                            

Financing activities

     26,492        6,602        2,956        (666     3,045   
                                        

Net increase\(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

   $ 7,830      $ (15,388   $ (7,576   $ (6,885   $ 653   
                                        

 

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Net cash used in operating activities amounted to $15.6 million for 2007, $22.0 million for 2008, $10.5 million for 2009, $6.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and $2.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010. The primary use of cash was to fund our net operating losses, primarily related to the development of our product candidates, for these periods, adjusted for non-cash expenses, such as depreciation and amortization, non-cash stock-based compensation, prepaid expenses, and mark-to-market of our warrant liability. The net cash used in operating activities increased in 2008 mainly due to increased development costs, and decreased in 2009 mainly due to reduced development costs. The net cash used in operating activities decreased in the six months ended June 30, 2010 mainly due to lower development and general and administrative costs.

Net cash used in investing activities amounted to $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2007 and consisted mainly of net purchases of auction rate securities. No cash was used in investing activities for the years ended December 31, 2008 or 2009, or for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010.

Net cash provided by financing activities amounted to $26.5 million for 2007, $6.6 million for 2008, $3.0 million for 2009 and $3.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2010. Net cash used by financing activities amounted to $0.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2009. The cash provided by financing activities in 2007 consisted of $17.5 million of net proceeds associated with the issuance of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and borrowings of $10.0 million under the loan and security agreement with Hercules. The cash provided by financing activities in 2008 consisted mainly of the issuance of $8.8 million aggregate principal amount of convertible notes. The cash provided by financing activities in 2009 consisted mainly of the issuance of $5.0 million aggregate principal amount of convertible notes, partially offset by $2.0 million of principal payments under the loan and security agreement with Hercules. The cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2010 consisted mainly of the issuance of $4.5 million aggregate principal amount of convertible notes, partially offset by $1.5 million of principal payments under the loan and security agreement with Hercules.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations and commitments as of June 30, 2010:

 

     Payments Due By Period
     Total    Less than
1 year
   1-3
years
   3-5
years
   More than
5 years

Operating Leases (1)

   $ 50,407    $ 50,407    $ —      $ —      $ —  

License Obligations (2)

     300,000      300,000      —        —        —  
                                  

Total (3)

   $ 350,407    $ 350,407    $ —      $ —      $ —  
                                  

 

(1) Operating lease obligations reflect our obligation to make payments in connection with a sublease that commenced in June 2006 and will end in October 2010 for 7,200 square feet of office space. Future minimum payments under the operating lease include total monthly payments of $12,602 until the end of the lease term.

 

(2) License obligations reflect our obligation to make annual payments under our license agreement with Bayer regarding the patent rights and know-how owned or controlled by Bayer applicable to implitapide. Under this agreement, we are obligated to pay Bayer, in addition to the amounts described below, annual payments from 2007 through 2011 which become non-refundable when paid totaling $1.0 million in the aggregate.

 

(3) This table does not include (a) any milestone payments which may become payable to third parties under license agreements as the timing and likelihood of such payments are not known, (b) any royalty payments to third parties as the amounts, timing and likelihood of such payments are not known and (c) contracts that are entered into in the ordinary course of business which are not material in the aggregate in any period presented above.

 

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Under our license agreements, we could be required to pay up to a total of approximately $15.0 million upon achieving certain milestones, as further described below.

Under our license agreement with The Trustees of UPenn, we will be required to make development milestone payments to The Trustees of UPenn of up to an aggregate of $150,000 when a licensed product’s indication is limited to HoFH or severe refractory hypercholesterolemia, and an aggregate of $2.6 million for all other indications within the licensed field. All such development milestone payments for these other indications are payable only once, no matter how many licensed products for these other indications are developed. In addition, we will be required to make specified royalty payments on net sales of products covered by the license (subject to a variety of customary reductions), and share with The Trustees of UPenn specified percentages of sublicensing royalties and other consideration that we receive under any sublicenses that we may grant.

Under our license agreement with Bayer, we will be required to make certain development milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $4.5 million upon the achievement of certain development milestones. Each development milestone payment is payable only once, no matter how many licensed products are developed. In addition, we are required to make annual payments from 2007 through 2011 of $1.0 million in the aggregate, of which approximately $0.7 million has been paid as of June 30, 2010, with each annual payment creditable in full against any development milestones that are or become payable, a one-time commercialization milestone payment of $5.0 million if we achieve aggregate annual net sales of licensed products of $250.0 million (payable only once, no matter how many licensed products are commercialized), and specified royalty payments on net sales of licensed products (subject to a variety of reductions). Our annual payments to Bayer described in footnote 2 to the contractual obligations table set forth above for 2011 through 2016 will be creditable in full against any development milestones that are or become payable to Bayer.

We have licensing agreements for additional compounds that we are not currently developing. If we decide to resume development of these compounds, we could be required to pay up to a total of approximately $2.9 million upon achieving certain milestones, such as the initiation of clinical trials.

Future Funding Requirements

We may need to raise additional capital to fund our operations and to develop and commercialize lomitapide. Our future capital requirements may be substantial and will depend on many factors, including:

 

   

the results of our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH;

 

   

the cost, timing and outcomes of seeking marketing approval of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States and the European Union;

 

   

our ability to develop and obtain regulatory approval for a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC;

 

   

if regulatory approval for the Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC is obtained, the cost and timing associated with conducting such clinical trial;

 

   

the cost of filing, prosecuting and enforcing patent claims;

 

   

exploration and possible label expansion of lomitapide in broader patient populations;

 

   

the costs associated with commercializing lomitapide if we receive marketing approval, including the cost and timing of establishing sales and marketing capabilities to market and sell lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH; and

 

   

subject to receipt of marketing approval, revenue received from sales of approved products, if any, in the future.

 

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To date, we have not generated any revenue from our development stage product candidates. We do not know when, or if, we will generate any revenue. We do not expect to generate significant revenue unless or until we obtain marketing approval of, and commercialize, lomitapide. We expect our continuing operating losses to result in increases in cash used in operations over the next several years.

Based on our current operating plans, we anticipate that the net proceeds of this offering, together with our existing resources, will be sufficient to enable us to maintain our currently planned operations, including our continued product candidate development, at least through the next 24 months. We believe that these available funds will allow us to complete our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of, seek marketing approval for and commercially launch lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. In addition, we believe that these available funds will allow us to initiate and possibly complete a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. However, changing circumstances may cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of our product candidates, we are unable to estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenditures associated with our current and anticipated clinical trials.

We have no committed external sources of funds. Additional financing may not be available when we need it or may not be available on terms that are favorable to us. We may seek to raise additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interest of existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of existing stockholders. Debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions such as incurring debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, or at all, we may be required to terminate or delay clinical trials or other development activities for lomitapide or for one or more indications for which we are developing lomitapide, or delay our establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize lomitapide, if we obtain marketing approval. We may elect to raise additional funds even before we need them if the conditions for raising capital are favorable.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not currently have, nor have we ever had, any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. In addition, we do not engage in trading activities involving non-exchange traded contracts. Therefore, we are not materially exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in these relationships.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk

Our primary exposure to market risk is interest income sensitivity, which is affected by changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates, particularly because the majority of our investments are in long-term investments. We do not have any foreign currency or other derivative financial instruments.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

There have been no recently issued accounting pronouncements that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial statements.

 

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BUSINESS

Overview

We are an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders. Lipids are naturally occurring molecules, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, that are transported in the blood. Elevated levels of cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, and elevated levels of triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridemia, can dramatically increase the risk of experiencing a potentially life threatening event, such as a heart attack or stroke in the case of hypercholesterolemia or pancreatitis in the case of hypertriglyceridemia. We are initially developing our lead compound, lomitapide, as an oral, once-a-day treatment for patients with a rare genetic lipid disorder called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. These patients are at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events at an early age as a result of extremely elevated cholesterol levels in the blood.

We are currently evaluating lomitapide in an ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with HoFH. We completed enrollment for this single-arm, open-label trial in March 2010 with a total of 29 patients. Of these patients, as of September 30, 2010, three patients have withdrawn their consent to participate in the trial and three patients have discontinued treatment due to gastrointestinal adverse events. All of the remaining 23 patients in the trial have completed the 26 week period of therapy at the end of which the primary efficacy endpoint is measured. Patients continue in the trial for an additional 52 week safety monitoring period. As of September 30, 2010, 12 patients had completed the full 78 weeks of the trial. We expect to complete this trial in the second half of 2011. If the trial is successful, we plan to submit a New Drug Application, or NDA, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, before the end of 2011 and a Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, in 2012 for marketing approval of lomitapide for the treatment of HoFH.

In October 2007, the FDA, granted lomitapide orphan drug designation for the treatment of HoFH. We made a request for a similar designation for lomitapide in the European Union with the EMA in July 2010. Patients with untreated HoFH have extremely high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or LDL-C, typically between 500 mg/dL and 1,000 mg/dL, and, as a result, are at a severely high risk of experiencing premature cardiovascular events. All of the patients enrolled in our current pivotal Phase III clinical trial are using a combination of other lipid-lowering therapies. Nonetheless, these patients have an average baseline LDL-C level, before treatment with lomitapide, of 364 mg/dL. In the United States, the National Cholesterol Education Program, or NCEP, guidelines currently recommend that patients such as these, who are at high risk of experiencing a heart attack, should seek to lower their LDL-C levels to below 100 mg/dL. Aggressive treatment, including dietary modifications plus a combination of currently approved lipid lowering drug therapies at maximum tolerated doses, nearly always fails to reduce LDL-C levels of patients with HoFH to recommended target levels.

Because drug therapy and dietary modifications are usually insufficient to lower LDL-C to recommended target levels, many of these patients regularly undergo an expensive, time consuming and invasive procedure called apheresis, a process similar to kidney dialysis whereby LDL-C particles are mechanically filtered from the blood. However, this provides only temporary reductions in LDL-C levels and is not readily available to all patients due to the limited number of treatment centers that perform this procedure. We believe lomitapide has the potential to provide significant reductions in LDL-C levels in this high-risk patient population, thereby reducing or potentially even eliminating the need for apheresis. In a report that we commissioned, L.E.K. Consulting LLC, or LEK, an international business consulting firm, estimates that the total number of patients with HoFH in each of the United States and, collectively, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, which are referred to in this prospectus as the European Union Five, is approximately 3,000 patients, or a combined total of approximately 6,000 patients.

We believe that lomitapide also has the potential to treat patients with other life threatening lipid disorders who are unable to achieve recommended lipid levels on currently available therapies, particularly patients with a

 

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severe genetic form of hypertriglyceridemia called familial chylomicronemia, or FC. Patients with untreated FC have extremely high levels of triglycerides, or TGs, generally greater than 2,000 mg/dL, and, as a result, typically experience recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis and other serious conditions. NCEP guidelines suggest that normal TG levels in adults should be less than 150 mg/dL, as higher levels are associated with various health conditions. In particular, patients with TG levels greater than 500 mg/dL are at increased risk of acute pancreatitis, with TG levels of greater than 1,000 mg/dL representing a more definitive risk. However, even with aggressive treatment, many patients with FC are unable to achieve TG levels that meaningfully reduce their risk for acute pancreatitis. In July 2010, we submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of FC in the European Union, and we plan to make a similar request with the FDA in the second half of 2010. We are in the process of developing a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. We expect to submit this protocol to both the FDA and the EMA by the end of 2010. In the report that we commissioned, LEK estimates that, subject to certain factors, there are a total of approximately 1,000 patients in the United States and the European Union Five with FC who could be eligible for treatment with lomitapide.

We believe that lomitapide also may be useful for the treatment of elevated lipids in broader patient populations, such as those suffering from heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HeFH, patients who are statin intolerant and patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, which we define in this prospectus as patients with TG levels above 2,000 mg/dL, that is brought on by factors other than FC. If we elect to develop lomitapide for broader patient populations, we would plan to do so selectively either on our own or by establishing alliances with one or more pharmaceutical company collaborators, depending on, among other things, the applicable indications, the related development costs and our available resources.

Hyperlipidemic Disorders

Lipids are naturally occurring molecules, such as cholesterol and TGs, that are transported in the blood. The liver and the intestines are the two main sources for lipids in the body. The liver synthesizes cholesterol and TGs and provides the body’s intrinsic supply of lipids. The intestines are the pathway through which dietary lipids enter the body for metabolism. The delivery of cholesterol and TGs provides peripheral cells in the body with necessary sources of cellular energy and cell structure. However, excess levels of lipids in the blood can be the source of significant diseases in humans. The general term for excess lipids is hyperlipidemia. Specific elevations of cholesterol in the blood are termed hypercholesterolemia, and specific elevations of TGs in the blood are termed hypertriglyceridemia.

The direct relationship between lower LDL-C levels and reduced risk for major cardiovascular events has been consistently demonstrated for more than a decade based on over 14 trials involving more than 90,000 patients, which showed about a 1% reduction in risk for every 2 mg/dL drop in LDL-C. As a result, physicians are highly focused on lowering levels of LDL-C in their patients. In the United States, for example, organizations such as the NCEP, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Cardiology have placed increased attention on aggressive LDL-C management. NCEP guidelines currently recommend that patients at high risk of experiencing a heart attack initiate drug therapy at an LDL-C level of 100 mg/dL or higher. Both the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Joint British Society have supported LDL-C treatment targets as low as 77 mg/dL for high-risk patients.

NCEP guidelines suggest that normal TG levels in adults should be less than 150 mg/dL. TG levels above 150 mg/dL are thought to be associated with obesity and insulin resistance and confer additional risk for cardiovascular disease. Patients with TG levels greater than 500 mg/dL are at increased risk of acute pancreatitis, with TG levels of greater than 1,000 mg/dL representing a more definitive risk. We estimate that up to approximately 20,000 adults in the United States have severe hypertriglyceridemia with TG levels above 2,000 mg/dL.

 

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Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HoFH)

HoFH is a rare genetic lipid disorder caused by defects in both copies of the low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, receptor genes, resulting in impaired or total loss of function in the LDL receptor. An LDL receptor is a protein on the surface of cells that is responsible for binding with and removing LDL from the blood. A loss of LDL receptor function results in accumulation of LDL-C in the blood. Patients with untreated HoFH have extremely high LDL-C levels, typically between 500 mg/dL and 1,000 mg/dL. These patients are at severely high risk of experiencing premature cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke, often experiencing their first cardiovascular event in their twenties. If untreated, patients with HoFH generally die before the age of thirty. There is no patient registry or other method of establishing with precision the actual number of patients with HoFH in any geography. We recently commissioned LEK to prepare a commercial report on lomitapide for us. In this report, which is dated September 2, 2010, LEK estimates that the total number of addressable patients with symptoms consistent with HoFH in each of the United States and the European Union Five is approximately 3,000 patients, or a combined total of approximately 6,000 patients, using an approach that is consistent with the characteristics of patients that participated in our pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide. LEK derived its estimates from interviews of 51 physicians, primarily lipid disorder experts, and 23 third-party payors in the United States and the European Union Five, confirmed by its own secondary research. The total addressable market opportunity for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH will ultimately depend upon, among other things, product pricing, reimbursement, acceptance by the medical community and patient access, as well as the diagnosis criteria included in the final label for lomitapide, if approved for sale for this indication.

In our pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH, we applied three diagnostic methods to identify patients with HoFH to be admitted into the trial. These methods are genotyping, fibroblast activity tests and clinical criteria. The genotyping method is based on a genetic test for mutations of the patient’s two LDL-receptor genes. However, in clinical practice it is often difficult to discern which patients have HoFH based solely upon a genetic test because there are more than 900 known mutations of these genes. Additionally, rare cases of HoFH have also been attributed to defects in genes other than those of the LDL receptor. For this reason, clinicians also identify patients as having HoFH through a test of LDL-receptor activity on skin fibroblast cells. LDL-receptor activity of less than 20% is typically considered to be indicative of HoFH. Alternatively, physicians can utilize a clinical assessment of the patient’s symptoms as compared to symptoms customarily present in patients having been definitively diagnosed with HoFH, including documented hypercholesterolemia in both parents. We refer to patients as having HoFH if they have been diagnosed with HoFH through any of genetic, fibroblast activity or clinical assessment testing.

Familial Chylomicronemia (FC)

FC is a rare genetic lipid disorder typically caused by defects in the gene that produces lipoprotein lipase, or LPL, resulting in extremely low or absent LPL activity. LPL is an enzyme that facilitates the removal of TGs from the blood. Low levels or lack of this enzyme result in the accumulation of TGs in the blood. Patients with FC have extremely high levels of TGs in the blood, generally greater than 2,000 mg/dL, that typically result in recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis, a significant and sometimes life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas. Acute pancreatitis results in significant abdominal pain and clinically meaningful potential complications, such as organ failure, respiratory complications, significant enlargement of the liver and spleen and eruptive xanthomas, or poolings of triglycerides around the tendons in the body to such a degree that the swelling is easily visible. In the report that we commissioned, LEK estimates that, subject to certain factors, there are a total of approximately 1,000 patients in the United States and the European Union Five with FC who could be eligible for treatment with lomitapide.

 

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Broader Patient Populations

We believe that there is a need for additional lipid-lowering agents to address broader hyperlipidemic patient populations, where patients are unable to achieve their recommended target lipid levels on maximum tolerated doses of currently approved oral therapies. These broader patient populations include:

 

   

Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).     In the report that we commissioned, LEK estimates that approximately 600,000 patients in the United States have a single defective copy of the gene that causes familial hypercholesterolemia, and are thus deemed to have the genetic condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HeFH. These patients also have very high LDL-C levels, typically between 250 mg/dL and 500 mg/dL.

 

   

Statin Intolerant .     Based on a 2009 review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine , a peer-reviewed medical journal, we estimate that up to approximately 10% of hyperlipidemic patients are unable to sustain statin usage due to muscular aches and pains. Physicians are often wary of patients who present with muscular aches and pains, as these can be an early warning sign of a rare but serious side effect seen with statin therapy called rhabdomyolisis, a condition in which a significant amount of muscle tissue rapidly breaks down, which can cause kidney failure and potentially even death. As a result, a significant population of patients in need of the LDL-C lowering ability of statins go without this therapy.

 

   

Severe hypertriglyceridemia.     Based on a 2001 article from the Online Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease , an online database of genetic research, we estimate that up to approximately 20,000 patients in the United States suffer from severe hypertriglyceridemia, which we define in this prospectus as TG levels above 2,000 mg/dL. A number of factors can contribute to TG levels exceeding 2,000 mg/dL, including FC, diabetes and alcohol abuse. Patients with this degree of TG elevation are at an increased risk of acute pancreatitis.

Limitations of Currently Available Treatment Options

High-Risk Hypercholesterolemia

Currently available treatment options for patients at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events as a result of elevated cholesterol levels are extensive but, even when combined together, are often ineffective in significantly reducing LDL-C levels. The clinical approach for these patients typically involves dietary modifications plus a combination of available lipid lowering drug therapies in order to lower their lipid levels as aggressively as possible. These drug therapies include statins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors and bile acid sequestrants. Less frequently, other drugs, such as niacin and fibrates, can be added to provide some incremental reductions in LDL-C levels. High-risk patients who are unable to reach their recommended target lipid levels on drug therapy often are supplemented with apheresis. Apheresis is expensive, costing up to approximately $150,000 per patient per year in the United States, time consuming and invasive. Because apheresis provides only temporary reductions in LDL-C levels, it must be repeated frequently, typically one or two times per month. In addition, apheresis is not readily available to all patients due to the limited number of treatment centers that perform this procedure and is associated with other complications, such as risk of infection.

High-risk hypercholesterolemia patients are particularly vulnerable for two main reasons. First, their initial LDL-C levels are so high that even with all of the available treatments they still remain very far from their recommended target LDL-C levels. Second, some treatments are not as effective at lowering LDL-C levels for these very severely affected patients due to the specific nature of their condition, which manifests itself in the form of resistance to the existing treatments. For example, because patients with HoFH have mutated forms of the LDL-C receptor genes that regulate hypercholesterolemia, these patients are often resistant, or refractory, to statin therapy. High dose statin therapies that typically produce 46% to 55% reductions in LDL-C levels in the broad hypercholesterolemic patient population on average only produce 18% to 24% reductions in patients with HoFH, and sometimes much less.

 

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Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

For patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, the goal of treatment is to provide significant reductions in blood TG levels. Currently available treatments consist of dietary modifications to lower the intake of dietary fat and the use of omega-3 fatty acids and fibrates. However, these treatments are often inadequate to lower TG levels below 500 mg/dL, the level at which patients are at an increased risk for developing acute pancreatitis. Because of the severely elevated TG levels in this patient population, reducing TG levels below 500 mg/dL may require reductions in TG levels of 75% or more. Few individual therapies can reduce TG levels to this degree. For example, Lovaza, which is comprised of omega-3 fatty acids, and marketed by GlaxosmithKline, has been shown to reduce TG levels by only approximately 45% to 52% in patients with baseline TG levels between 500 mg/dL and 2,000 mg/mL. Although fibrates have been shown to reduce TG levels by approximately 55% in patients with baseline TG levels between 500 mg/dL and 1,500 mg/dL, the effect of fibrates in patients with baseline TG levels greater than 2,000 mg/dL is not known with certainty. Given the need for significant drops in TG levels in these patients, single or even combination therapies are often insufficient for many of these patients.

Our Strategy

Our objective is to develop and commercialize drugs to treat patients with rare lipid related disorders who are at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events at an early age. To achieve this objective, we plan to:

 

   

Complete our ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and, if it is successful, file for marketing approval in the United States and the European Union .    This trial is fully enrolled, and all 23 patients remaining in the trial have completed the 26 week efficacy period. The purpose of the remaining 52 weeks of the 78 week trial is to collect long-term safety data. Our primary business focus currently is to complete this trial in the second half of 2011 and, if it is successful, to submit an NDA to the FDA before the end of 2011 and an MAA to the EMA in 2012.

 

   

Prepare to commercialize lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH.     Subject to obtaining marketing approval, we plan to commercialize lomitapide for HoFH in the United States and the European Union and plan to recruit a highly targeted team, comprised of sales representatives and medical education specialists who are experienced in marketing drugs for the treatment of rare, often genetic, disorders. We believe a specialized organization would be able to effectively assist physicians with patient identification, tracking and treatment while facilitating patient reimbursement of lomitapide.

 

   

Initiate a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC.     Subject to completing and obtaining regulatory approval for a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC, we plan to initiate such a trial in 2011. Because of the limited number of patients with FC and the fact that they typically are treated by the same specialty physicians who treat patients with HoFH, we expect to use the same targeted team that we use to market lomitapide for HoFH to access the FC market.

 

   

Selectively seek to expand our distribution capabilities and potentially address broader patient populations for lomitapide.     We may selectively seek to establish collaborations to reach the patients with HoFH or FC in geographies that we do not believe we can cost effectively address with our own sales and marketing capabilities. If we elect to develop lomitapide for broader patient populations, we would plan to do so selectively either on our own or by establishing alliances with one or more pharmaceutical company collaborators, depending on, among other things, the applicable indications, the related development costs and our available resources.

 

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Lomitapide

Overview

Our lead product compound, lomitapide, is a small molecule microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor, or MTP-I, that we are developing as an oral once-a-day treatment for patients with severe lipid disorders. We are conducting a single-arm, open-label pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. We currently plan to submit before the end of 2010 to each of the FDA and the EMA a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, or UPenn, completed a Phase II clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH in 2004. In addition to the UPenn trial, lomitapide has been evaluated in seven Phase I and five Phase II clinical trials. A total of 703 patients were treated with lomitapide in these Phase I and Phase II trials, including the patients in the UPenn trial.

Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein exists in both the liver and intestines where it plays a role in the formation and transfer of cholesterol and TGs. The liver and the intestines are the two main sources of lipids in the body. The liver synthesizes cholesterol and TGs and provides the body’s intrinsic supply of lipids. The intestines are the pathway through which dietary lipids enter the body for metabolism. Given the fact that microsomal triglyceride transfer protein is involved in the formation of cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins from both intestinal and liver-related, or hepatic, sources, we believe the inhibition of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein makes an attractive target for lipid lowering therapy. Currently, there are no MTP-Is approved by the FDA for any indication.

Although we believe lomitapide has clinical potential for treatment of broader hyperlipidemic patient populations and may seek to selectively address such broader patient populations in the future, we are currently developing lomitapide as an oral, once-a-day treatment for patients with HoFH and FC. In October 2007, the FDA granted lomitapide orphan drug designation for the treatment of HoFH. In July 2010, we submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the same indication. In July 2010, we submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of FC, and we plan to make a similar request with the FDA in the second half of 2010.

Ongoing Pivotal Phase III Clinical Trial (HoFH)

We are currently studying lomitapide in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial to evaluate its efficacy and long-term safety for the treatment of patients with HoFH at the maximum tolerated dose of up to 60 mg. The FDA is funding approximately $1.0 million of the cost of this trial under its orphan grant program. The trial is being conducted at 11 sites in four countries. We expect to complete this trial in the second half of 2011. If this trial is successful, we plan to submit an NDA to the FDA before the end of 2011 and an MAA to the EMA in 2012.

This is a pivotal, single-arm, open-label clinical trial. We completed enrollment for this trial in March 2010 with a total of 29 patients. The patients in the trial are adult males and females with a mean age of 31. After a six week run-in period on current lipid lowering therapy, including apheresis if applicable, patients are given ascending doses of lomitapide beginning at 5 mg/day and then titrated to as much as 60 mg/day over the first 26 weeks of the clinical trial. Patients are then maintained on the highest tolerated dose for an additional 52 week safety phase. The efficacy and safety phases combined will last 78 weeks. After this time, eligible patients will be given the option to enroll in a separate protocol for a long-term, open-label extension trial to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of lomitapide at the maximum tolerated dose beyond 78 weeks. For patients who do not enter the optional open-label extension trial, there will be a six week wash-out period during which lomitapide will be discontinued and patients will remain on concomitant lipid lowering therapy.

The primary efficacy endpoint of this trial is percent change in LDL-C at the maximum tolerated dose compared to baseline after 26 weeks of treatment in combination with other lipid lowering therapies. Background

 

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therapies are maintained during the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial, but may be modified during the safety phase of the trial at the investigator’s discretion. LDL-C levels are measured at weeks 0, 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66 and 78. The secondary endpoints of this trial include the evaluation of other lipid parameters, including percent change in TG levels from baseline, long-term safety, percent change in hepatic fat, as measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy, or MRS, and pharmacokinetics in combination with other lipid lowering agents. Pharmacokinetics refers to a drug’s absorption, distribution and metabolism in, and excretion from, the body and measures, among other things, bioavailability of a drug, or concentration in the plasma.

As of September 30, 2010, of the 29 patients originally enrolled in the trial, three patients have withdrawn their consent to participate in the trial and three patients have discontinued treatment due to gastrointestinal adverse events. All of the remaining 23 patients have completed the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial, and 12 of these patients have completed the full 78 weeks of the trial.

Under our protocol for this clinical trial, all primary analyses will be calculated using intention-to-treat principles, which means that each patient that begins treatment is considered part of the trial, whether or not they finish the trial. For purposes of presenting our clinical trial results in this prospectus, we also present these results on a completer analysis basis, which means that only those results from patients who actually complete the relevant period of treatment are presented. We are also presenting the data in this manner because we believe it can be important to understand the clinical results of those patients who actually completed the full treatment period, especially for a trial with a smaller number of patients. Although we believe that both presentations are a fair representation of the data we have received in this clinical trial through September 30, 2010, the intention-to-treat analysis method is generally the primary statistical method used by the FDA.

As shown in the graph below, using the intention-to-treat analysis method, at the end of the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial, the 29 patients who began treatment in the trial experienced a mean reduction in LDL-C levels of 45% in comparison with baseline, with the baseline measurements reflecting the effect of maximum tolerated background therapy. Mean baseline LDL-C levels of the 29 patients who began treatment in the trial were 337 mg/dL, and mean LDL-C levels of these patients at week 26 were 176 mg/dL.

As shown in the graph below, using the completer analysis method, at the end of the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial, the 23 patients who completed the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial experienced a mean reduction in LDL-C levels of 50% in comparison with baseline, with the baseline measurements reflecting the effect of maximum tolerated background therapy. Mean baseline LDL-C levels of the 23 patients who completed the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial were 354 mg/dL, and mean LDL-C levels of these patients at week 26 were 167 mg/dL.

Eight of the 23 patients who completed the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial achieved an LDL-C level below 100 mg/dL at week 26 and 15 of these patients achieved an LDL-C level below 175 mg/dL at week 26. The mean daily dose of lomitapide for the 23 patients who completed the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial was 43 mg at week 26 of the trial. The mean daily dose of lomitapide for the full 29 patients who began treatment in the trial was 37 mg at week 26 of the trial.

 

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LOGO

As shown in the graph below, using the intention-to-treat analysis method, at the end of the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial, the 29 patients who began treatment in the trial experienced median reduction in TG levels of 45% in comparison with baseline. Among the 29 patients who began treatment in the trial, median TG levels were 82 mg/dL at baseline, and 42 mg/dL at week 26.

As shown in the graph below, using the completer analysis method, at the end of the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial, the 23 patients who completed the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial experienced median reduction in TG levels of 54% in comparison with baseline. Among the 23 patients who completed the 26 week efficacy phase of the trial, median TG levels were 97 mg/dL at baseline, and 43 mg/dL at week 26.

LOGO

Mild to moderate gastrointestinal adverse events have been the most commonly reported side effect in this trial. The majority of these gastrointestinal adverse events occurred during the first days following the introduction of a higher dose. In the subset of patients treated to week 56, we have observed a reduction in gastrointestinal adverse effects after the 26 week efficacy phase in which patients are titrated to the maximum tolerated dose.

Because changes in liver function are an area of interest for this class of drugs, we are also examining the number of instances in which significant increases in ALT (alanine transaminase) or AST (aspartate transaminase), which are liver enzymes, are observed for any patient at any time during the course of this trial.

 

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ALT and AST are commonly measured clinically as a part of a diagnostic liver function test to determine liver health. Significantly elevated plasma liver enzymes are indicative of some degree of liver cell damage and in some instances can be indicative of liver toxicity. Although some drugs, such as the cholesterol-lowering class of drugs known as statins, cause elevations in liver enzymes that are not clinically significant, drug therapies that have high rates of clinically significant liver transaminase elevations may indicate a potential to cause more significant liver toxicity in some patients. The risk of liver damage is increased when clinically significant elevations in liver transaminases are seen with clinically significant elevations of bilirubin, which we have not observed in our trials. As of September 30, 2010 four patients in the trial had ALT elevations greater than five but less than 11 times the upper limit of normal. Of these four patients, three underwent a temporary dose reduction and have since been re-challenged at higher doses, and one patient discontinued treatment for a period of seven weeks, after which time treatment was reinstated. No patients have been removed from the trial due to liver function test elevations.

In accordance with the trial protocol, we are also measuring hepatic fat levels and pulmonary function at weeks zero, 26, 56 and 78, and after the six week wash-out period for those patients who do not enter the optional open-label extension trial. As of September 30, 2010, the 22 patients who had hepatic fat measurements taken experienced a modest increase in hepatic fat from a mean of 1.2% to 8.7% at 26 weeks of treatment. Of these, 16 patients had completed 56 weeks of treatment as of September 30, 2010, and 14 of these patients had hepatic fat measurements available; these 14 patients had a mean hepatic fat level of 5.1% at this measurement time. In addition, the median change in hepatic fat from baseline in these patients was 6.3% at 26 weeks of treatment and 3.3% at 56 weeks of treatment. Some studies suggest that patients who have hepatic steatosis, or accumulation of fat in the liver, which results from lifestyle factors, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, may be at an increased risk for more severe long-term liver consequences, such as hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. However, the consequences of hepatic steatosis, which results from other factors, is unclear. For example, in an observational study published in the J ournal of Lipid Research , a peer-reviewed medical journal, patients who suffer from a genetic deficiency of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein have been shown to have some degree of hepatic steatosis, with average hepatic fat levels of 14.8%, without long-term liver complications. In addition, there are FDA approved drugs for sale in the United States that are known to induce hepatic steatosis, including tamoxifen, which is used for the treatment of breast cancer, and amiodarone, which is used for the treatment of ventricular fibrillation.

We expect to complete the population pharmacokinetics analysis at the end of the trial.

Additional Pre-NDA Studies

Before we submit our NDA, we must complete a thorough QT study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the effect of lomitapide on the heart’s electrical cycle, known as the QT interval, and a study of lomitapide in patients who are renally impaired. We also intend to complete additional drug-drug interaction studies investigating the impact of lomitapide with drugs that might be commonly used in patients with HoFH. These include studies with warfarin and simvastatin, as well as a study that investigates the impact of lomitapide in combination with a drug that could inhibit lomitapide’s metabolism. Building upon the prior work of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, or BMS, we also plan to conduct a metabolite isolation and identification study in animals and a similar clinical study in healthy volunteers to better understand how lomitapide is metabolized. We have also agreed with the FDA to perform an analysis of six biomarkers for hepatic inflammation and fibrosis using stored samples from a prior Phase II clinical trial to determine if lomitapide is associated with more significant liver complications. We plan to complete each of these studies prior to the submission of our NDA for HoFH.

 

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Completed Phase II Clinical Trial (HoFH)

In February 2004, UPenn completed a Phase II clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. In this single-arm, open-label clinical trial, six patients were given ascending daily doses based upon body weight of 0.03 mg/kg, 0.1 mg/kg, 0.3 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg of lomitapide at four-week intervals for a total of 16 weeks. Given the weight-based dosing, the average dose at 1 mg/kg was 67 mg/day.

In January 2007, the results of this trial were published in  The New England Journal of Medicine  and are summarized below. Percentage change represents the average percentage change from baseline in the four lipid parameters for the six patient group. P-value is a measure of the likelihood that reduction in LDL-C levels versus baseline is due to random chance. A p-value of less than 0.05 means the probability that the difference is due to random chance is less than 5%, and is a commonly accepted threshold for denoting a statistically meaningful difference.

LOGO

We believe these results demonstrate a dose-dependent effect of lomitapide on lipid levels. In addition, patients treated with lomitapide experienced a mean reduction in body weight of 4.4% (2.8 kg) over the 16 weeks of therapy.

No patient withdrew from the trial and all patients were titrated to the maximum planned dose. Adverse events that were judged to be associated with drug therapy were primarily gastrointestinal, typically episodes of increased stool frequency of mild or moderate severity that were transient. Clinically significant elevations in the liver enzyme ALT were observed in three of the six patients. In one patient, the dose of lomitapide was temporarily reduced per protocol, after which ALT returned to lower levels. This patient subsequently was able to resume the earlier, higher dose and continue to be titrated to the maximum dose. In the other two patients, the transient elevations in ALT returned to lower levels with continued lomitapide treatment. Increases in hepatic fat levels were also seen in four patients; the other two patients had minimal changes in hepatic fat levels. All values for liver transaminases and hepatic fat returned to baseline levels upon cessation of therapy, other than for one patient, who consumed large quantities of alcohol (self-reported to be 6 – 7 oz. of ethanol per day) during the trial. Because this trial employed a forced-titration scheme of treating the patients at increasing doses at four week intervals, we believe it is possible to infer that in those patients experiencing increases in hepatic fat, greater increases in hepatic fat are seen with the higher doses of lomitapide.

An increase in the international normalized ratio, which measures the blood’s ability to form clots, was observed in the two patients receiving warfarin, an anti-coagulation therapy, which may be due to a drug-drug

 

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interaction. It is possible that patients who use lomitapide with warfarin may require monitoring of the international normalized ratio, as is commonly experienced by patients taking warfarin with other drugs. In addition, pulmonary function tests were conducted at baseline, at the end of each dose and four weeks after study treatment. Pulmonary function tests remained unchanged for the duration of treatment compared to baseline in all patients.

Historical Development of Lomitapide

Although we are currently focused on the development of lomitapide for the treatment of severe forms of elevated cholesterol and TGs, we, BMS and UPenn previously pursued extensive development of lomitapide for potentially broader use or the treatment of high cholesterol for patients at moderately high risk of a cardiovascular event or for patients who were unable to tolerate a statin and therefore required additional LDL-C lowering in pursuit of their recommended target LDL-C levels.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, BMS developed lomitapide as a monotherapy treatment aimed at producing LDL-C lowering efficacy equal to or greater than that seen at maximum dosing with statins. Early clinical trials produced meaningful percent reductions in LDL-C levels, but participants discontinued at a high rate due to gastrointestinal adverse effects. We believe this resulted in large part from the failure to employ dose titration, which is the gradual increase in dosing over time to allow the body to adapt to the impact of a higher dose. In 2003, BMS donated certain patent rights and other rights related to this product candidate to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, or The Trustees of UPenn. In May 2006, we entered into an exclusive, worldwide patent license with The Trustees of UPenn for the right to develop and commercialize lomitapide to treat specified patient populations.

The historical clinical program for lomitapide consisted of:

 

   

seven Phase I clinical trials involving 251 patients who received single or multiple doses of lomitapide of between 1 mg/day and 200 mg/day; and

 

   

six Phase II clinical trials, including the Phase II clinical trial in patients with HoFH sponsored by UPenn and a Phase II clinical trial in patients with hypercholesterolemia sponsored by BMS, involving 452 patients who received lomitapide. Patients in five of these Phase II trials received daily doses of lomitapide of between 2.5 mg/day and 67 mg/day over four and 12 weeks, while the patients in the HoFH Phase II trial sponsored by UPenn received weight-based dosing with mean doses of 2 mg/day to 67 mg/day during the 16 week trial.

 

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The following table summarizes the four Phase II trials of lomitapide that we completed for indications other than HoFH.

 

Trial Description

  

Dose Range and

Concomitant Drugs

  

Duration of Trial

  

Number of Patients Dosed with
Lomitapide

Combination use of lomitapide with ezetimibe

  

Lomitapide,

5 mg to 10 mg with or without ezetimibe,

10 mg

   12 weeks    56

Combination use of lomitapide with atorvastatin

  

Lomitapide,

5 mg to 10 mg

with or without atorvastatin,

20 mg

   8 weeks    104

Combination use of lomitapide and other lipid lowering therapies

  

Lomitapide,

2.5 to 10 mg;

Lomitapide,

5 mg with atorvastatin,

20 mg,

fenofibrate,

145 mg, or ezetimibe, 10 mg

   12 weeks    227

Impact of titration on efficacy, safety and tolerability of lomitapide in combination with atorvastatin

   Lomitapide, 2.5 mg and 5 mg, with or without atorvastatin, 20 mg    8 weeks    21

In the Phase II clinical trials summarized in the table above, lomitapide at doses ranging from 2.5 mg/day to 10 mg/day reduced LDL-C levels from baseline in a dose dependent manner by 9% to 37% when given as a monotherapy, by 35% to 46% when used with ezetimibe, a drug that inhibits intestinal absorption of cholesterol marketed by Merck as Zetia, and by 47% to 51% when used with atorvastatin, a statin marketed by Pfizer as Lipitor. In comparison, ezetimibe at a dose of 10 mg/day reduced LDL-C levels from baseline by 22% after 12 weeks of treatment when given as a monotherapy, and atorvastatin at a dose of 20 mg/day reduced LDL-C levels from baseline by 42% after 12 weeks of treatment when given as a monotherapy. Modest reductions in TG levels and body weight were also observed in patients treated with lomitapide in these trials. In these trials, most of the reductions in LDL-C levels from baseline were statistically significant at the levels described in the trial protocols. However, many of the changes in TG levels were not statistically significant due to the naturally high degree of variability in TG levels in the blood and the fact that the trials were designed to evaluate effect on LDL-C levels and not TG levels.

In all six Phase II clinical trials and the seven Phase I clinical trials, the most common adverse events reported were gastrointestinal, including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. These adverse events were generally mild to moderate in nature. In addition, liver enzyme elevations occurred in a small proportion of patients and led to discontinuations from study drug. In these Phase I clinical trials and the earlier Phase II clinical trials, persistent elevation in liver transaminase levels at three times the upper limit of normal was used as a cutoff for discontinuation of lomitapide treatment. In these trials, out of a total of 351 patients treated with lomitapide at doses of 5 mg/day to 200 mg/day, 14 patients, or 4%, discontinued treatment. In later Phase II clinical trials, based on discussions with the FDA, persistent elevation in liver transaminase levels at five times the upper limit of normal was used as a cutoff for discontinuation of lomitapide treatment. In these trials, out of a total of 352 patients treated with lomitapide at doses of 2.5 mg/day to 10 mg/day alone or in combination with other lipid

 

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lowering agents, five patients, or 1.4%, discontinued treatment. In the majority of patients who experienced liver enzyme elevations and remained on study drug, the levels returned to baseline while continuing dosing.

In the six Phase II and seven Phase I clinical trials, patients with baseline hepatic fat concentrations of less than 6.2% evidenced increased mean hepatic fat at four weeks after initiation of dosing, which then plateaued at eight weeks and at 12 weeks of dosing to levels of 6.2% to 9.7% for study doses of 2.5 mg/day to 10 mg/day. Higher levels of hepatic fat increases were occasionally observed at higher dose levels.

Familial Chylomicronemia (FC)

We also plan to clinically develop lomitapide as an oral, once-a-day treatment for patients with FC. In July 2010, we submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with this condition, and we plan to submit an application for orphan designation to the FDA in the second half of 2010. We are currently treating two patients with lomitapide for severe hypertriglyceridemia under the FDA’s compassionate use program. Under this program, a licensed physician may request from a manufacturer an investigational drug for the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of a serious disease or condition in an individual patient. The FDA will authorize the use if it determines that (1) the patient has no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy; (2) the potential benefit justifies the potential risks of the treatment; (3) the probable risk to the patient from the investigational drug is not greater than the probable risk from the disease or condition; (4) the patient cannot obtain the drug under another investigational new drug application, or IND, or protocol; and (5) providing the investigational drug will not interfere with the initiation, conduct or completion of clinical investigations to support marketing approval. The physician must obtain written informed consent from the patient and institutional review board, or IRB, approval prior to administering the investigational drug, and a summary of the results of such use, including adverse events, must be provided to the FDA.

Based on the TG reductions seen in these patients and the TG reductions seen in other clinical trials of lomitapide, we believe lomitapide has potential for treating patients suffering from extremely high levels of TGs leading to life threatening pancreatitis. We recently initiated discussions with the EMA regarding a Phase II/III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with FC and are currently developing a protocol for such trial.

We intend to submit before the end of 2010 to each of the FDA and the EMA a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with FC. Based on our current plans, the protocol would provide for patients with FC to enter the trial on their existing treatment regimen and then be randomized to a lomitapide or placebo treatment arm for 12 weeks. Patients receiving lomitapide would start at 5 mg and be titrated to 10 mg and 20 mg at four week intervals. The primary efficacy endpoint would be the percent reduction in TG levels at week 12. After week 12, patients would remain on lomitapide as part of a long-term safety phase of the trial. The FDA or the EMA may not accept our protocol and could instead require separate Phase II and Phase III clinical trials.

Potential Future Product Candidate

Implitapide

We believe that we have the opportunity to develop implitapide, our second MTP-I, for the treatment of the same indications as lomitapide. To date, we have focused our efforts with implitapide on optimizing its manufacturing process. Based on clinical data developed by Bayer Healthcare AG, or Bayer, we believe this compound may have a role in addressing LDL-C and TG lowering needs of severe and high-risk patients. Because a lower concentration of implitapide was needed to inhibit the activity of MTP to 50% of its baseline activity in the intestines than in the liver, we believe implitapide may be slightly more active in the intestines than the liver, perhaps positioning it as a preferable treatment of hypertriglyceridemia.

In June 2007, we received notice from the FDA of a partial clinical hold with respect to clinical trials of longer than six months duration for both our product candidates, lomitapide and implitapide. At that time, the

 

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FDA did not apply this partial clinical hold to our pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH. The FDA removed the partial clinical hold with respect to lomitapide in February 2010, but this partial clinical hold remains in effect with respect to implitapide.

Sales and Marketing

Given our stage of development, we have not yet established a commercial organization or distribution capabilities. In the United States and the European Union, due to the rare nature of orphan diseases and the limited options for treatment, patients suffering from orphan diseases, such as HoFH and FC, together with their physicians, often have a high degree of organization and are well informed, which may make it easier to identify target populations after a drug is approved.

Most patients with HoFH or FC are treated at a limited number of academic and apheresis centers or otherwise by physicians who specialize in the treatment of highly elevated lipid levels. If approved for the treatment of patients with HoFH or FC, we believe that it will be possible to commercialize lomitapide for these indications with a relatively small specialty sales force that calls on a limited and focused group of physicians. Our current plan is to commercialize lomitapide ourselves for these orphan indications in the United States and the European Union. We plan to recruit a sales force and medical education specialists and take other steps to establish the necessary commercial infrastructure at such time as we believe that lomitapide is approaching marketing approval.

Outside of the United States and the European Union, subject to obtaining necessary marketing approvals, we likely will seek to commercialize lomitapide through distribution or other collaboration arrangements for orphan indications. If we elect to develop lomitapide for broader patient populations, we would plan to do so selectively either on our own or by establishing alliances with one or more pharmaceutical company collaborators, depending on, among other things, the applicable indications, the related development costs and our available resources.

As a result of the ongoing release of our Phase III clinical data, we have been engaged in dialogue with many of these specialists who serve patients with HoFH and FC. We believe that these activities have provided us with a growing knowledge of the physicians we plan to target for commercial launch of lomitapide for these conditions, subject to marketing approval in the United States and the European Union.

Manufacturing and Supply

Both lomitapide and implitapide are small molecule drugs that are synthesized with readily available raw materials using conventional chemical processes. Hard gelatin capsules are prepared at 2.5 mg, 5 mg and 20 mg strength by filling the capsule shell with formulated drug product.

We currently have no manufacturing facilities and limited personnel with manufacturing experience. We rely on contract manufacturers to produce both drug substances and drug products required for our clinical trials. All lots of drug substance and drug products used in clinical trials are manufactured under current good manufacturing practices, with oversight by our internal managers. We plan to continue to rely upon contract manufacturers and, potentially, collaboration partners to manufacture commercial quantities of our drug substances and drug product candidates if and when approved for marketing by the applicable regulatory authorities.

We currently rely on a single manufacturer for the preclinical and clinical supplies of each of our product candidates. We purchase these supplies from this manufacturer on a purchase order basis and do not have a long-term supply arrangement in place. We also do not have agreements in place for redundant supply or a second

 

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source for any of our product candidates although we have identified a possible secondary supplier of drug substance. We believe that there are alternate sources of supply that can satisfy our clinical trial requirements without significant delay or material additional costs.

Competition

Our industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Our potential competitors include large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical and generic drug companies, academic institutions, government agencies and research institutions. Key competitive factors affecting the commercial success of our product candidates are likely to be efficacy, safety and tolerability profile, reliability, convenience of dosing, price and reimbursement.

The market for lipid lowering therapeutics is large and competitive. However, our products, if approved, will be focused, at least initially, on niche orphan markets where they will be positioned for use in combination with existing approved therapies, such as statins. We believe that lomitapide will face distinct competition for the treatment of both HoFH and FC. Although there are no MTP-I compounds currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, we are aware of other MTP-I compounds in early stage clinical trials and other pharmaceutical companies that are developing the following potentially competitive product candidates:

 

   

HoFH — Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. or Isis is developing an antisense apoB-100 inhibitor, mipomersen, as a weekly subcutaneous injection for lowering high cholesterol and has completed four Phase III clinical trials for this product candidate. The FDA has granted mipomersen orphan drug designation for the treatment of patients with HoFH. Therefore, if mipomersen is approved by the FDA, Isis will be entitled to seven years of marketing exclusivity for such indication as to competitive products that are the same drug as mipomersen.

 

   

FC — In December 2009, Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics Holding N.V., or AMT, filed an application for marketing approval for Glybera, an injectible gene therapy, with the EMA for the treatment of patients with FC. AMT has stated that it is expecting approval of this MAA in 2011. This product candidate has been tested in a total of 27 patients in three different clinical trials. It would represent the first gene therapy approved in the European Union.

If we obtain marketing approval of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States and Isis obtains marketing approval of mipomersen for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States, lomitapide would compete in the same market with mipomersen. If Isis obtains marketing approval of mipomersen for the treatment of patients with HoFH in the United States prior to us, Isis could obtain a significant competitive advantage associated with being the first to market. In connection with obtaining marketing approval for mipomersen, Isis will also obtain orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen, but we do not believe that Isis’ obtaining orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen prior to our receiving orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide would have an adverse effect on our business as mipomersen and lomitapide are different drugs under FDA rules and any exclusivity applicable to either drug will not apply to the other drug. Thus, because mipomersen is a different drug than lomitapide, we could obtain both approval and orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide even if Isis has already obtained orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen and Isis could obtain both approval and orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen even if we have already obtained orphan drug exclusivity for lomitapide.

Similarly, in the European Union, if we obtain from the EMA orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of HoFH or FC, and a competitor subsequently obtains approval and market exclusivity for its orphan designated drug for the treatment of HoFH or FC, our marketing application for HoFH or FC would not be accepted and we would be excluded from the market only if lomitapide was a “similar medicinal product” to our competitor’s product. In the European Union, a drug is a “similar medicinal product” if it contains a “similar active substance” or substances and is intended for the same therapeutic indication. A “similar active substance” is an identical active

 

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substance, or an active substance with the same principal molecular structural features and which acts via the same mechanism. We do not believe orphan drug exclusivity for mipomersen in the European Union would have an adverse effect on our business because we do not believe that lomitapide would be considered a “similar medicinal product” to mipomersen.

If lomitapide receives marketing approval for the treatment of patients with HoFH or FC, we believe that the reductions in LDL-C levels and TG levels that have been observed in clinical trials of this product candidate, its oral form of administration and mechanism of action as a small molecule will be important features that physicians and patients will consider in comparing lomitapide with injectibles and drugs employing complex mechanisms of action, such as gene therapy and antisense compounds.

If we decide to develop and commercialize our product candidates for broader patient populations, we likely will compete more directly with other lipid lowering drugs in these indications. There are a range of drugs in this category, some of which, such as statins, are inexpensive, safe and effective and widely accepted by patients and physicians.

Many of our potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do and significantly greater experience in the discovery and development of product candidates, obtaining FDA and other marketing approvals of products and the commercialization of those products. Accordingly, our competitors may be more successful than we may be in obtaining FDA and other marketing approvals for drugs and achieving widespread market acceptance. Our competitors’ drugs may be more effectively marketed and sold than any drug we may commercialize and may render our product candidates obsolete or non-competitive before we can recover the expenses of developing and commercializing any of our product candidates. We anticipate that we will face intense and increasing competition as new drugs enter the market and advanced technologies become available. Finally, the development of new treatment methods for the diseases we are targeting could render our drugs non-competitive or obsolete.

Intellectual Property

Our policy is to pursue patents, developed internally and licensed from third parties, and other means to protect our technology, inventions and improvements that are commercially important to our business. We also rely on trade secrets that may be important to our business.

Our success will depend significantly on our ability to:

 

   

obtain and maintain patent and other proprietary protection for the technology, inventions and improvements we consider important to our business;

 

   

defend our patents;

 

   

preserve the confidentiality of our trade secrets; and

 

   

operate without infringing the patents and proprietary rights of third parties.

As of the date of this prospectus, our lomitapide patent portfolio consists of five issued U.S. patents and related issued patents in Europe, Canada, Israel and Japan, one pending U.S. non-provisional patent application and related pending applications in Europe, Australia, Japan, Canada, Israel, South Korea and New Zealand. We hold an exclusive worldwide license from The Trustees of UPenn to these patents and patent applications. This license is described below. The issued U.S. patents described above contain claims directed to the compound, lomitapide, and various methods of use, including methods of treating atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia or

 

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hypercholesterolemia, and methods of reducing serum lipid levels, cholesterol or TGs, and are scheduled to expire between 2013 and 2019. The U.S. patent covering the composition of matter of lomitapide is scheduled to expire in 2015. The non-U.S. patents directed to lomitapide are scheduled to expire in 2016.

As of the date of this prospectus, our implitapide patent portfolio consists of four issued U.S. patents, two pending U.S. non-provisional applications, and related patents and pending applications in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and South America. We hold an exclusive worldwide license from Bayer to these patents and patent applications. This license is described below. The issued U.S. patents described above contain claims directed to the compound, implitapide, methods for treating obesity and atherosclerosis, and processes for making implitapide, and are scheduled to expire between 2015 and 2017. The U.S. patent and non-U.S. patents covering the composition of matter of implitapide are scheduled to expire in 2015.

In addition to the patents and patent applications described above, we have filed four non-provisional U.S. patent applications and related foreign applications in Australia, Canada, Europe and Japan and two international applications directed to pharmaceutical combinations of a MTP-I, such as lomitapide or implitapide, and other cholesterol lowering drugs, and to methods of using such combinations in certain dosing regimens to reduce serum cholesterol or TG concentrations.

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of the use of lomitapide or implitapide, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Act. See “— Regulatory Matters — Patent Term Restoration and Marketing Exclusivity.”

Licenses

University of Pennsylvania

In May 2006, we entered into a license agreement with The Trustees of UPenn, pursuant to which we obtained an exclusive, worldwide license from The Trustees of UPenn to certain know-how and a range of patent rights applicable to lomitapide. In particular, we obtained a license to certain patents and patent applications owned by The Trustees of UPenn relating to the dosing of MTP-Is, including lomitapide, and certain patents and patent applications and know-how covering the composition of matter of lomitapide that were assigned to The Trustees of UPenn by BMS for use in the field of monotherapy or in combination with other dyslipidemic therapies for treatment of patients with severe hypercholesterolemia unable to come within 15% of NCEP LDL-C goal on maximal tolerated oral therapy, as determined by the patient’s prescribing physician, or with severe combined hyperlipidemia unable to come within 15% of NCEP non-HDL-C goal on maximal tolerated oral therapy, as determined by the patient’s prescribing physician, or with severe hypertriglyceridemia unable to reduce TG <1,000 on maximal tolerated therapy. We also have the right to use lomitapide either as a monotherapy or with other dyslipidemic therapies to treat patients with HoFH. We refer to the patents and patent applications assigned by BMS to The Trustees of UPenn and licensed to us by The Trustees of UPenn as the BMS-UPenn assigned patents.

To the extent that rights under the BMS-UPenn assigned patents were not licensed to us under our license agreement with The Trustees of UPenn or were retained by The Trustees of UPenn for non-commercial education and research purposes, those rights, other than with respect to lomitapide, were licensed by The Trustees of UPenn back to BMS on an exclusive basis pursuant to a technology donation agreement between The Trustees of UPenn and BMS. In the technology donation agreement, BMS agreed not to develop or commercialize any compound, including lomitapide, covered by the composition of matter patents included in the BMS-UPenn assigned patents in the field licensed to us exclusively by The Trustees of UPenn. Through our license with The Trustees of UPenn, as provided in the technology donation agreement, we have the exclusive right with respect to the BMS-UPenn assigned patents regarding their enforcement and prosecution in the field licensed exclusively to us by The Trustees of UPenn.

 

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The license from The Trustees of UPenn covers, among other things, the development and commercialization of lomitapide alone or in combination with other active ingredients in the licensed field. The license is subject to customary non-commercial rights retained by The Trustees of UPenn for non-commercial educational and research purposes. We may grant sublicenses under the license, subject to certain limitations.

We are obligated under this license agreement to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop, commercialize, market and sell at least one product covered by the licensed patent rights, such as lomitapide. Pursuant to this license agreement, we paid The Trustees of UPenn a one-time license initiation fee of $56,250. We will be required to make development milestone payments to The Trustees of UPenn of up to an aggregate of $150,000 when a licensed product’s indication is limited to HoFH or severe refractory hypercholesterolemia, and an aggregate of $2.6 million for all other indications within the licensed field. All such development milestone payments for these other indications are payable only once, no matter how many licensed products for these other indications are developed. In addition, we will be required to make royalty payments in a range of levels not greater than 10% on net sales of products covered by the license (subject to a variety of customary reductions), and share with The Trustees of UPenn specified percentages of sublicensing royalties and other consideration that we receive under any sublicenses that we may grant.

This license agreement will remain in effect on a country-by-country basis until the expiration of the last-to-expire licensed patent right in the applicable country. We have the right to terminate this license agreement for convenience upon 60 days prior written notice to The Trustees of UPenn or for The Trustees of UPenn’s uncured material breach of the license agreement. The Trustees of UPenn may terminate this license agreement for our uncured material breach of the license agreement, our uncured failure to make payments to The Trustees of UPenn or if we are the subject of specified bankruptcy or liquidation events.

Bayer Healthcare AG

In May 2006, we entered into a license agreement with Bayer pursuant to which we obtained an exclusive, worldwide license from Bayer under the patent rights and know-how owned or controlled by Bayer applicable to implitapide. This license covers the development and commercialization of implitapide alone or in combination with other active ingredients. We may grant sublicenses under the license, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to this license agreement, we granted Bayer a first right of negotiation in the event Aegerion desires to commercialize any licensed products through or with a third party, which expires after 90 days if the parties are unable to come to an agreement. This first right of negotiation applies only to the specific products and in the specific countries potentially subject to third-party commercialization.

We are obligated under this license agreement to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize, at our cost, at least one licensed product, such as implitapide. Pursuant to this license agreement, we paid Bayer a one-time initial license fee of $750,000. We will be required to make certain development milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $4.5 million upon the achievement of certain development milestones. Each development milestone payment is payable only once, no matter how many licensed products are developed. In addition, we are required to make annual payments for 2007 through 2011 of $1.0 million in the aggregate, with each annual payment creditable in full against any development milestones that are or become payable, a one-time commercialization milestone payment of $5.0 million if we achieve aggregate annual net sales of licensed products of $250.0 million (payable only once, no matter how many licensed products are commercialized), and royalty payments in a range of levels not greater than 10% on net sales of licensed products (subject to a variety of reductions).

This license agreement will remain in effect, and royalties will be payable on sales of licensed products, on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis until the later of the expiration of the last-to-expire licensed patent right in the applicable country or ten years after the first commercial sale of a licensed product in that country. This license agreement may be terminated by either party for the other party’s uncured material breach of this license agreement, except that Bayer may only terminate the license agreement for our material breach on

 

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a country-by-country or product-by-product basis if our breach is reasonably specific to one or more countries or licensed products, or if the other party becomes the subject of a specified bankruptcy or liquidation event. We have the right to terminate the license agreement for convenience upon 60 days prior written notice to Bayer.

Regulatory Matters

Government Regulation and Product Approval

Government authorities in the United States, at the federal, state and local level, and other countries extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, approval, labeling, packaging, storage, record-keeping, promotion, advertising, distribution, marketing and export and import of products such as those we are developing. Our drugs must be approved by the FDA through the NDA process before they may be legally marketed in the United States and must be approved by foreign regulatory authorities via various procedures before they can be marketed in the applicable country.

U.S. Drug Development Process

In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, and implementing regulations. The process of obtaining marketing approvals and the subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state, local, and foreign statutes and regulations require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval, may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include, among other things, the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, imposition of a clinical hold, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, civil money penalties, fines, refusals of government contracts, debarment, restitution, disgorgement, or civil or criminal penalties. Any agency or judicial enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on us. The process required by the FDA before a drug may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:

 

   

completion of preclinical laboratory tests, animal studies and formulation studies according to Good Laboratory Practices or other applicable regulations;

 

   

submission to the FDA of an IND which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin;

 

   

performance of human clinical trials, including adequate and well-controlled trials, according to Good Clinical Practices to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for its intended use;

 

   

submission to the FDA of an NDA;

 

   

satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the drug is produced to assess compliance with current good manufacturing practice, or cGMP, to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity; and

 

   

FDA review and approval of the NDA.

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

Once a pharmaceutical candidate is identified for development it enters the preclinical testing stage. Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, toxicity and formulation, as well as animal studies. An IND sponsor must submit the results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information

 

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and analytical data, to the FDA as part of the IND. The sponsor will also include a protocol detailing, among other things, the objectives of the first phase of the clinical trial, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety, and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated, if the first phase lends itself to an efficacy evaluation. Some preclinical testing may continue even after the IND is submitted. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, places the clinical trial on a clinical hold. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before the clinical trial can begin. Clinical holds also may be imposed by the FDA at any time before or during studies due to safety concerns or non-compliance.

All clinical trials must be conducted under the supervision of one or more qualified investigators in accordance with good clinical practice regulations. These regulations include the requirement that all research subjects provide informed consent. Further, an IRB must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial before it commences at any institution. An IRB considers, among other things, whether the risks to individuals participating in the trials are minimized and are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits. The IRB also approves the information regarding the trial and the consent form that must be provided to each trial subject or his or her legal representative and must monitor the study until completed.

Each new clinical protocol must be submitted to the IND for FDA review, and to the IRBs for approval. Protocols detail, among other things, the objectives of the study, dosing procedures, subject selection and exclusion criteria, and the parameters to be used to monitor subject safety.

Human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:

 

   

Phase I.      The drug is initially introduced into healthy human subjects and tested for safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion. In the case of some products for severe or life-threatening diseases, especially when the product may be too inherently toxic to ethically administer to healthy volunteers, the initial human testing is often conducted in patients.

 

   

Phase II.      This phase involves trials in a limited patient population to identify possible adverse effects and safety risks, to preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the product for specific targeted diseases and to determine dosage tolerance and optimal dosage.

 

   

Phase III.      This phase involves trials undertaken to further evaluate dosage, clinical efficacy and safety in an expanded patient population, often at geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of the product and provide an adequate basis for product labeling.

Progress reports detailing developments associated with the clinical testing program must be submitted at least annually to the FDA, and safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious and unexpected adverse events or animal test results that suggest a significant risk to human subjects, such as carcinogenicity. Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III testing may not be completed successfully within any specified period, if at all. The FDA or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or if the drug has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients. Sponsors of all controlled clinical trials, except for Phase I trials, are required to submit certain clinical trial information for inclusion in the public clinical trial registry and results data bank maintained by the National Institutes of Health.

Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the drug and finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing

 

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process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among other things, the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final drug. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.

U.S. Review and Approval Processes

The results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the chemistry of the drug, proposed labeling, and other relevant information are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA requesting approval to market the product. The submission of an NDA generally is subject to the payment of a user fee, although NDAs for designated orphan drugs are exempt from this fee.

In addition, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003, or PREA, an NDA or supplement to an NDA must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the drug is safe and effective. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of data or full or partial waivers. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any drug for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted.

The FDA could also require a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS, plan to mitigate serious risks, which could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools.

The FDA reviews all NDAs submitted to ensure that they are sufficiently complete for substantive review before it accepts them for filing. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an NDA for filing. In this event, the NDA must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application also is subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review. FDA is required to refer an NDA for a new chemical entity to an advisory committee for review, evaluation and recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions, or explain why such review is not necessary. The FDA has informed us that discussion of the NDA for lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH at an advisory committee meeting is highly likely. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows such recommendations. The approval process is lengthy and difficult and the FDA may refuse to approve an NDA if the applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied or may require additional clinical or other data and information. Even if such data and information is submitted, the FDA may ultimately decide that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval. Data obtained from clinical trials are not always conclusive and the FDA may interpret data differently than we interpret the same data. The FDA may issue a complete response letter, which may require additional clinical or other data or impose other conditions that must be met in order to secure final approval of the NDA. The FDA reviews an NDA to determine, among other things, whether a product is safe and effective for its intended use and whether its manufacturing is cGMP-compliant to assure and preserve the product’s identity, strength, quality and purity. Before approving an NDA, the FDA will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. In addition, FDA often will conduct a bioresearch monitoring inspection of the clinical trial sites involved in conducting pivotal studies to ensure data integrity and compliance with applicable GCP requirements.

NDAs receive either standard or priority review. A drug representing a significant improvement in treatment, prevention or diagnosis of disease may receive priority review. In addition, products studied for their safety and effectiveness in treating serious or life-threatening illnesses and that provide meaningful therapeutic benefit over existing treatments may receive accelerated approval and may be approved on the basis of adequate and well-controlled clinical trials establishing that the drug product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is

 

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reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit or on the basis of an effect on a clinical endpoint other than survival or irreversible morbidity. As a condition of approval, a sponsor of a drug receiving accelerated approval must perform post-marketing studies to validate the surrogate endpoint or otherwise confirm the effect of the drug on a clinical endpoint, and the drug may be subject to accelerated withdrawal procedures. Priority review and accelerated approval do not change the standards for approval, but may expedite the approval process.

If a product receives marketing approval, the approval may be significantly limited to specific diseases and dosages or the indications for use may otherwise be limited, which could restrict the commercial value of the product. In addition, the FDA may require us to conduct Phase IV testing which involves clinical trials designed to further assess a drug’s safety and effectiveness after NDA approval, and may require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety of approved products which have been commercialized. In addition, FDA may impose distribution and use restrictions and other limitations on labeling and communication activities with respect to an approved drug product via a REMS plan.

Patent Term Restoration and Marketing Exclusivity

Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of the use of lomitapide or implitapide, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND, and the submission date of an NDA, plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application. Only one patent applicable to an approved drug is eligible for the extension and the extension must be applied for prior to expiration of the patent. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration. In the future, we intend to apply for restorations of patent term for some of our currently owned or licensed patents to add patent life beyond their current expiration date, depending on the expected length of clinical trials and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA.

Market and data exclusivity provisions under the FDCA also can delay the submission or the approval of certain applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent data exclusivity within the United States to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company that references the previously approved drug. However, an ANDA or 505(b)(2) NDA may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement. The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA or 505(b)(2) NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example, for new indications, dosages, strengths or dosage forms of an existing drug. This three-year exclusivity covers only the conditions of use associated with the new clinical investigations and, as a general matter, does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs or 505(b)(2) NDAs for generic versions of the original, unmodified drug product. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA; however, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the preclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.

In the European Union, new chemical entities qualify for eight years of data exclusivity upon marketing authorization and an additional two years of market exclusivity. This data exclusivity, if granted, prevents

 

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regulatory authorities in the European Union from assessing a generic application for eight years, after which generic marketing authorization can be submitted but not marketed for two years.

Pediatric exclusivity is another type of exclusivity available in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, provides an additional six months to an existing exclusivity period, including orphan drug exclusivity, or statutory delay in approval resulting from certain patent certifications. This six-month exclusivity, which runs from the end of other exclusivity protection or patent delay, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric trial or trials in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a trial or trials. The current pediatric exclusivity provision was reauthorized on September 27, 2007 and, unless reauthorized again, will sunset on October 1, 2012.

Orphan Drug Designation

Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or more than 200,000 individuals in the United States and for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the United States for that drug. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA.

If a product that has orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan product exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication, except in very limited circumstances, for seven years. Orphan drug exclusivity, however, also could block the approval of one of our products for seven years if a competitor obtains approval of the same drug as defined by the FDA or if our product candidate is determined to be contained within the competitor’s product for the same indication or disease. If a drug designated as an orphan drug receives marketing approval for an indication broader than what is designated, it may not be entitled to orphan drug exclusivity.

The FDA also administers a clinical research grants program, whereby researchers may compete for funding to conduct clinical trials to support the approval of drugs, biologics, medical devices, and medical foods for rare diseases and conditions. An application for an orphan grant should propose one discrete clinical study to facilitate FDA approval of the product for a rare disease or condition. The study may address an unapproved new product or an unapproved new use for a product already on the market.

Post-Approval Requirements

Once an approval is granted, the FDA may withdraw the approval, following notice and an opportunity for a hearing, if, among other things, compliance with certain regulatory standards is not maintained or if new information indicates that the drug is not safe or effective. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product may result in restrictions on the product or even complete withdrawal of the product from the market. If new safety issues are identified following approval, the FDA can require the NDA sponsor to revise the approved labeling to reflect the new safety information; conduct post-market studies or clinical trials to assess the new safety information; and implement a REMS program to mitigate newly-identified risks. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes and additional labeling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. Drug manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of approved drugs are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP and other laws. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the

 

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production of clinical and commercial quantities of our products. Future FDA and state inspections may identify compliance issues at the facilities of our contract manufacturers that may disrupt production or distribution, or require substantial resources to correct.

Any drug products manufactured or distributed by us pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, record-keeping requirements, reporting of adverse experiences with the drug, providing the FDA with updated safety and efficacy information, drug sampling and distribution requirements, complying with certain electronic records and signature requirements, and complying with FDA promotion and advertising requirements. FDA strictly regulates labeling, advertising, promotion and other types of information on products that are placed on the market. Drugs may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved labeling. FDA may impose significant civil and monetary penalties for the dissemination of false or misleading direct-to-consumer advertisements. Manufacturers of approved drug products also are subject to annual establishment and product user fees.

From time to time, legislation is drafted, introduced and passed in Congress that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the testing, approval, manufacturing and marketing of products regulated by the FDA. In addition to new legislation, FDA regulations and guidance are often revised or interpreted by the agency in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. It is impossible to predict whether further legislative changes will be enacted, or FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations changed or what the impact of such changes, if any, may be.

Foreign Regulation

In addition to regulations in the United States, we will be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials and commercial sales and distribution of our products. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain approval of a product by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. For example, in the European Union, a clinical trial application, or CTA, must be submitted to each member state’s national health authority and an independent ethics committee. The CTA must be approved by both the national health authority and the independent ethics committee prior to the commencement of a clinical trial in the member state. The approval process varies from country to country and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval. In addition, the requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from country to country. In all cases, clinical trials are conducted in accordance with GCP and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki.

To obtain marketing approval of a drug under European Union regulatory systems, we may submit marketing authorization applications either under a centralized or decentralized procedure. The centralized procedure provides for the grant of a single marketing authorization that is valid for all European Union member states. The centralized procedure is compulsory for medicines produced by certain biotechnological processes, products designated as orphan medicinal products, and products with a new active substance indicated for the treatment of certain diseases, and optional for those products that are highly innovative or for which a centralized process is in the interest of patients. If we receive orphan designation for our products in the European Union, they will qualify for this centralized procedure, under which each product’s marketing authorization application will be submitted to the EMA. Under the centralized procedure in the European Union, the maximum timeframe for the evaluation of a marketing authorization application is 210 days (excluding clock stops, when additional written or oral information is to be provided by the applicant in response to questions asked by the Scientific Advice Working Party of the Committee of Medicinal Products for Human Use, or the CHMP). Accelerated evaluation might be granted by the CHMP in exceptional cases, when a medicinal product is expected to be of a major public health interest, defined by three cumulative criteria: the seriousness of the disease, such as heavy disabling or life-threatening diseases, to be treated; the absence or insufficiency of an appropriate alternative therapeutic approach; and anticipation of high therapeutic benefit. In this circumstance, the EMA ensures that the opinion of the CHMP is given within 150 days.

 

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The decentralized procedure provides for approval by one or more other, or concerned, member states of an assessment of an application performed by one member state, known as the reference member state. Under this procedure, an applicant submits an application, or dossier, and related materials, including a draft summary of product characteristics, and draft labeling and package leaflet, to the reference member state and concerned member states. The reference member state prepares a draft assessment and drafts of the related materials within 120 days after receipt of a valid application. Within 90 days of receiving the reference member state’s assessment report, each concerned member state must decide whether to approve the assessment report and related materials. If a member state cannot approve the assessment report and related materials on the grounds of potential serious risk to public health, the disputed points may eventually be referred to the European Commission, whose decision is binding on all member states.

For the EMA, a Pediatric Investigation Plan, or a request for waiver or deferral, is required for submission prior to submitting a marketing authorization application for use for drugs in pediatric populations.

In the European Union, we have applied for orphan medicinal product designation for our product candidate lomitapide for the treatment of HoFH and for the treatment of FC. The EMA grants orphan drug designation to promote the development of products that may offer therapeutic benefits for life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions affecting not more than five in 10,000 people in the European Union. In addition, orphan drug designation can be granted if the drug is intended for a life threatening, seriously debilitating or serious and chronic condition and without incentives it is unlikely that sales of the drug in the European Union would be sufficient to justify developing the drug. Orphan drug designation is only available if there is no other satisfactory method approved in the European Union of diagnosing, preventing or treating the condition, or if such a method exists, the proposed orphan drug will be of significant benefit to patients. Orphan drug designation provides opportunities for free protocol assistance and fee reductions for access to the centralized regulatory procedures before and during the first year after marketing authorization. The fee reductions are not limited to the first year after authorization for small and medium enterprises. Orphan drug designation also provides ten years of market exclusivity following drug approval. The exclusivity period may be reduced to six years if the designation criteria are no longer met, including where it is shown that the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity.

Reimbursement

Sales of pharmaceutical products depend in significant part on the availability of third-party reimbursement. Third-party payors include government health administrative authorities, including at the federal and state level, managed care providers, private health insurers and other organizations. We anticipate third-party payors will provide reimbursement for our products. However, these third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price and examining the cost-effectiveness of medical products and services. In addition, significant uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved healthcare products. We may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of our products. Our product candidates may not be considered cost-effective. It is time consuming and expensive for us to seek reimbursement from third-party payors. Reimbursement may not be available or sufficient to allow us to sell our products on a competitive and profitable basis.

In addition, the U.S. Congress and state legislatures from time to time propose and adopt initiatives aimed at cost containment, which could impact our ability to sell our products profitably. For example, in March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the associated reconciliation bill, which we refer to collectively as the Health Care Reform Law, a sweeping law intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Effective October 1, 2010, the Health Care Reform Law revises the definition of “average manufacturer price” for reporting purposes, which could

 

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increase the amount of Medicaid drug rebates to states once the provision is effective. Further, beginning in 2011, the new law imposes a significant annual fee on companies that manufacture or import branded prescription drug products. Substantial new provisions affecting compliance have also been enacted, which may require us to modify our business practices with healthcare practitioners. We will not know the full effects of the Health Care Reform Law until applicable federal and state agencies issue regulations or guidance under the new law. Although it is too early to determine the effect of the Health Care Reform Law, the new law appears likely to continue the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare program, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs.

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or the MMA, imposed new requirements for the distribution and pricing of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries, and included a major expansion of the prescription drug benefit under a new Medicare Part D. Medicare Part D went into effect on January 1, 2006. Under Part D, Medicare beneficiaries may enroll in prescription drug plans offered by private entities which will provide coverage of outpatient prescription drugs. Part D plans include both stand-alone prescription drug benefit plans and prescription drug coverage as a supplement to Medicare Advantage plans. Unlike Medicare Part A and B, Part D coverage is not standardized. Part D prescription drug plan sponsors are not required to pay for all covered Part D drugs, and each drug plan can develop its own drug formulary that identifies which drugs it will cover and at what tier or level. However, Part D prescription drug formularies must include drugs within each therapeutic category and class of covered Part D drugs, though not necessarily all the drugs in each category or class. Any formulary used by a Part D prescription drug plan must be developed and reviewed by a pharmacy and therapeutic committee.

It is not clear what effect the MMA will have on the prices paid for currently approved drugs and the pricing options for new drugs approved after January 1, 2006. Government payment for some of the costs of prescription drugs may increase demand for products for which we receive marketing approval. However, any negotiated prices for our products covered by a Part D prescription drug plan will likely be lower than the prices we might otherwise obtain. Moreover, while the MMA applies only to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own payment rates. Any reduction in payment that results from the MMA may result in a similar reduction in payments from non-governmental payors.

The cost of pharmaceuticals continues to generate substantial governmental and third-party payor interest. We expect that the pharmaceutical industry will experience pricing pressures due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of managed care organizations, and additional legislative proposals. Indeed, we expect that there will continue to be a number of federal and state proposals to implement governmental pricing controls and limit the growth of healthcare costs, including the cost of prescription drugs. At the present time, Medicare is prohibited from negotiating directly with pharmaceutical companies for drugs. However, Congress is currently considering passing legislation that would lift the ban on federal negotiations. While we cannot predict whether such legislative or regulatory proposals will be adopted, the adoption of such proposals could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and profitability.

Some third-party payors also require pre-approval of coverage for new or innovative drug therapies before they will reimburse healthcare providers that use such therapies. While we cannot predict whether any proposed cost-containment measures will be adopted or otherwise implemented in the future, the announcement or adoption of these proposals could have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain adequate prices for our product candidates and operate profitably.

In addition, in some foreign countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For example, the European Union provides options for its member states to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. A member state may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a

 

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system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. In some countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take six to 12 months or longer after the receipt of marketing approval. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product candidate to other available therapies. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our products.

Employees

As of September 30, 2010, we had nine employees. All of our employees are engaged in administration, finance, clinical, regulatory and business development functions. We believe our relations with our employees are good.

Property and Facilities

We are currently subleasing approximately 7,200 square feet of office space in Bridgewater, New Jersey, which we occupy under a sublease that will expire on October 24, 2010. We believe our existing facility is adequate for our current needs and that additional or replacement space will be available on commercially reasonable terms as needed. Following the closing of this offering, we plan to open an additional office in Massachusetts, which will serve as our principal executive office.

Legal Proceedings

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings.

 

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MANAGEMENT

Executive Officers and Directors

The following table sets forth information regarding our directors and executive officers, including their ages, as of September 30, 2010.

 

Name

  Age  

Position

Marc D. Beer

  45   Chief Executive Officer and Director

William H. Lewis

  42   President

Christine A. Pellizzari

  42   Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

John T. Cavan

  52   Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer

David I. Scheer (1)(2)

  57   Chairman of the Board

Alison Kiley (1)(2)

  38   Director

Jason S. Fisherman, M.D. (3)

  54   Director

Antonio M. Gotto Jr., M.D., D.Phil. (1) (2)

  74   Director

Michèle Ollier, M.D. (3)

  52   Director

 

(1) Member of the nominating and corporate governance committee.

 

(2) Member of the audit committee.

 

(3) Member of the compensation committee.

Marc D. Beer has served as our Chief Executive Officer since August 2010. Prior to joining Aegerion, from April 2000 to November 2007, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of ViaCell, Inc., a cellular therapy company. Prior to that, he held marketing and business development roles at Genzyme Corporation, most recently serving as Vice President of Global Marketing. Prior to joining Genzyme, he served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Biostar, Inc. and held a variety of sales and marketing roles in the pharmaceutical and diagnostic devices divisions of Abbott Laboratories. Mr. Beer previously served on the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Emerging Companies Section Governing Body and is a former member of the Mass Life Science Board of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Beer currently serves on the board of directors of TxCell, where he is the Chairman, PCT Therapeutics, Inc., where he is the Vice-Chairman, Good Start Genetics Inc., where he is the Chairman, and Seaside Therapeutics, Inc. Mr. Beer holds a B.S. from Miami University (Ohio). Our board of directors believes that Mr. Beer’s qualifications to sit on the board of directors include his extensive experience in the life sciences industry.

William H. Lewis, a co-founder of Aegerion, has served as our President since August 2009. Prior to that, he served as our Chief Financial Officer from March 2005 to August 2009, as our Secretary, Treasurer and Vice President of Administration from July 2005 to August 2007, as our Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration from February 2007 to February 2009 and as our Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration from February 2009 to August 2009. From August 2004 to March 2005, Mr. Lewis served as Managing Director at a hedge fund, where he focused on investments in small market capitalization companies. Previously, he served as a Managing Director at Wells Fargo Securities as Head of Capital Markets Investment Banking, where he was responsible for sourcing, overseeing and executing private and public debt and equity transactions. Prior to that, Mr. Lewis served as a Principal at Robertson Stephens & Company, where he was responsible for overseeing private and public debt and equity transactions and as a Vice President at J.P. Morgan, where he focused on private and public equity offerings in the United States and Europe. Mr. Lewis holds a B.A. with Honors from Oberlin College and a M.B.A./J.D. with Honors from Case Western Reserve University.

Christine A. Pellizzari has served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since February 2010. Prior to that, she served as our Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from August 2007

 

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to February 2009 and as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from February 2009 to February 2010. Prior to joining Aegerion, Ms. Pellizzari was employed by Dendrite International, Inc., a provider of sales effectiveness, promotional and compliance solutions to the global pharmaceutical industry, as Associate Counsel and Assistant Secretary from 1998 to 2000, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from 2000 to 2004 and Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from 2004 until the sale of the company to Cegedim S.A. in May 2007, during which time she oversaw the company’s global legal operations and was a member of the company’s Executive Operations Management Committee. Ms. Pellizzari holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law at Boulder.

John T. Cavan has served as our Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President since February 2009. Prior to that, he served as our Corporate Controller from May 2006 to February 2009. Prior to joining Aegerion, Mr. Cavan served as Controller of AlgoRx Pharmaceuticals, an emerging biotechnology company. Mr. Cavan served in a variety of financial and operational positions through his prior work with large multinational public companies, including Sony, American Express, International Specialty Products and Nestle. Mr. Cavan holds a B.B.A in Accountancy from Iona College and an M.B.A. in Finance from Seton Hall University.

David I. Scheer , a co-founder of Aegerion, has served as our Chairman of the Board since February 2005. Since 1981, Mr. Scheer has served as President at Scheer & Company, Inc., a company that provides corporate strategic advisory services in the life sciences industry. Mr. Scheer serves as the Chairman of the Board of Tengion, Inc., Optherion, Inc., Axerion Therapeutics, Inc. and Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Scheer is also a member of the Advisory Committee to the Harvard Malaria Initiative and the Leadership Council for the Harvard School of Public Health. Mr. Scheer holds an A.B. cum laude from Harvard College and an M.S. from Yale University. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Scheer’s qualifications to sit on the board of directors include his years of experience working with life science companies.

Alison Kiley has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2005. Ms. Kiley is a director of Alta Partners, a venture capital firm whose investments are focused on life science companies. She joined Alta Partners in 2001 and her primary investment focus at Alta Partners is on medical technology and biopharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Alta Partners, Ms. Kiley served as a Senior Associate at Robertson Stephens & Company in the Life Sciences Investment Banking Group, where she was responsible for various corporate finance transactions. She also serves on the boards of directors of Esperion Therapeutics, Prolacta Bioscience and Sierra Surgical Technologies. Ms. Kiley holds a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. Our board of directors believes that Ms. Kiley’s qualifications to sit on the board of directors include her experience in evaluating and advising life science companies.

Jason S. Fisherman, M.D. has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2005. Since 2007, Dr. Fisherman has been a co-founder and managing director of Advent Healthcare Ventures, a life science and healthcare venture capital firm, and a managing member of White Cube Management, LLC. The firm focuses on investments in private companies in the biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries. From 1994 to 2007, Dr. Fisherman was a managing director at Advent International. Prior to joining Advent International in 1994, Dr. Fisherman had ten years of drug research and clinical development experience in industry, academia and the government. Dr. Fisherman serves on the board of directors of several private biopharmaceutical companies as well as the public company Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Fisherman holds a B.A. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University, an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Our board of directors believes that Dr. Fisherman’s qualifications to sit on the board of directors include his experience in evaluating and advising life science companies.

Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil. has served as a member of our board of directors since January 2006. Since January 1997, Dr. Gotto has served as the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. Previously, Dr. Gotto

 

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served as J.S. Abercrombie Chair of Atherosclerosis and Lipoprotein Research and Chairman and Professor of the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Methodist Hospital. Dr. Gotto currently serves as a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Gotto is also a past president of the International Atherosclerosis Society and a past president of the American Heart Association. Dr. Gotto holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University, a D.Phil. from Oxford University in England, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and an M.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He completed his residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Our board of directors believes that Dr. Gotto’s qualifications to sit on the board of directors include his extensive experience and expertise in the lipid area.

Michèle Ollier, M.D. has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2007. Dr. Ollier is a Life Science partner at Index Ventures, a venture capital firm whose investments are focused in information technology and life science companies, which she joined in February 2006. From January 2003 to January 2006, Dr. Ollier was Director of Investment in Life Sciences at Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners in Paris. Prior to that, Dr. Ollier held various positions relating to strategy, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products at several biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including International CNS Product Manager at Sanofi, Lipid Lowering Agents Group Director at Bristol Myers Squibb France, International Oncology Director at Rhone Poulenc Rorer/RPR Gencell and International Vice President Reproductive Health at Serono. Dr. Ollier holds a Medical Degree from Paris-Ouest University (France). Our board of directors believes that Dr. Ollier’s qualifications to sit on the board of directors include her experience in evaluating and advising life science companies.

Board of Directors

We currently have seven directors and the authorized size of our board of directors is seven. Upon the closing of this offering, the board of directors will be divided into three classes with members of each class of directors serving for staggered three-year terms:

 

   

Drs. Fisherman and Gotto will serve as Class I directors, and their initial terms will expire at our 2011 annual meeting of stockholders;

 

   

Ms. Kiley and Dr. Ollier will serve as Class II directors, and their initial terms will expire at our 2012 annual meeting of stockholders; and

 

   

Messrs. Beer and Scheer will serve as Class III directors, and their initial terms will expire at our 2013 annual meeting of stockholders.

Our classified board could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us.

Our by-laws provide that any vacancies in our board of directors and newly created directorships may be filled only by our board of directors and that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by our board of directors. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes, so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one-third of the total number of directors. These provisions of our by-laws and the classification of the board of directors may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in the control or management of Aegerion.

There are no family relationships among any of our directors or officers.

Under applicable NASDAQ Marketplace Rules, a director will only qualify as an “independent director,” if, in the opinion of our board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the

 

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exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has considered the relationships of all directors and, where applicable, the transactions involving them described below under “Transactions with Related Persons,” and determined that each of Drs. Gotto, Fisherman and Ollier, Mr. Scheer and Ms. Kiley does not have any relationship which would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibility as a director and that each director qualifies as an independent director under the applicable rules of The NASDAQ Global Market.

Board Leadership Structure and Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

Risk is inherent with every business, and how well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. We face a number of risks, including those described under “Risk Factors.” Our board of directors is actively involved in oversight of risks that could affect us. This oversight is conducted primarily through committees of the board of directors, as disclosed in the descriptions of each of the committees below, but the full board of directors has retained responsibility for general oversight of risks. Our board of directors satisfies this responsibility through full reports by each committee chair regarding the committee’s considerations and actions, as well as through regular reports directly from officers responsible for oversight of particular risks within our company. Our board of directors believes that full and open communication between management and the board of directors is essential for effective risk management and oversight.

We have separated the positions of chairman of the board and chief executive as we believe that this allows our chief executive officer to focus on our day-to-day business, while allowing the chairman of the board to lead the board of directors in its fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of management. We plan on continuing this practice after we become a public company. We believe that this structure will continue to ensure an enhanced role for the independent directors in the oversight of our company and active participation of the independent directors in setting agendas and establishing priorities and procedures for the work of our board of directors.

Board Committees

Our board of directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee and, as of the closing of this offering, a nominating and corporate governance committee. Upon the closing of this offering, each of these committees will operate pursuant to a separate written charter adopted by our board of directors.

The composition and functioning of all of our committees will comply with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, The NASDAQ Global Market and SEC rules and regulations, except that with respect to the independent audit committee requirements our audit committee will rely upon the phase in rules of The NASDAQ Global Market and the SEC, as further described below.

Audit Committee

Dr. Gotto, Mr. Scheer and Ms. Kiley serve on the audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Scheer qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

Under the applicable rules of The NASDAQ Global Market, a company listing in connection with its initial public offering is permitted to phase in its compliance with the independent audit committee requirements set forth in Marketplace Rule 5615(b)(1) on the same schedule as it is permitted to phase in its compliance with the independent audit committee requirement pursuant to Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(iv)(A) under the Exchange Act, that is, (1) one independent member at the time of listing; (2) a majority of independent members within 90 days of listing; and (3) all independent members within one year of listing.

 

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Our board of directors has determined that each of Dr. Gotto and Mr. Scheer is an independent director under the rules of The NASDAQ Global Market and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. Within one year of our listing on the NASDAQ Global Market, we expect that Ms. Kiley will resign from our audit committee and be replaced with a new director, who is independent under Rule 10A-3.

Upon the closing of this offering, the audit committee’s responsibilities will include, among other things:

 

   

appointing, approving the compensation of, and assessing the independence of our independent registered public accounting firm;

 

   

pre-approving auditing and permissible non-audit services, and the terms of such services, to be provided by our independent registered public accounting firm;

 

   

reviewing and discussing with management and the independent registered public accounting firm our annual and quarterly financial statements and related disclosures;

 

   

coordinating the oversight and reviewing the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting;

 

   

establishing policies and procedures for the receipt and retention of accounting related complaints and concerns; and

 

   

preparing the audit committee report required by SEC rules to be included in our annual proxy statement.

Compensation Committee

Dr. Fisherman and Dr. Ollier currently serve on the compensation committee. There currently is no chairman of the compensation committee. Upon the closing of this offering, the compensation committee’s responsibilities will include, among other things:

 

   

annually reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to compensation of our chief executive officer;

 

   

evaluating the performance of our chief executive officer in light of such corporate goals and objectives and determining the compensation of our chief executive officer;

 

   

reviewing and approving the compensation of all our other officers;

 

   

overseeing and administering our employment agreements, severance arrangements, compensation, welfare, benefit and pension plans and similar plans; and

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations to the board with respect to director compensation.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Upon the closing of this offering, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee, on which we expect Mr. Scheer, Ms. Kiley and Dr. Gotto will initially serve. Dr. Gotto will serve as the chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Upon the closing of this offering, the nominating and corporate governance committee’s responsibilities will include, among other things:

 

   

developing and recommending to the board criteria for selecting board and committee membership;

 

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establishing procedures for identifying and evaluating director candidates including nominees recommended by stockholders;

 

   

identifying individuals qualified to become board members;

 

   

recommending to the board the persons to be nominated for election as directors and to each of the board’s committees;

 

   

developing and recommending to the board a code of business conduct and ethics and a set of corporate governance guidelines;

 

   

conducting appropriate review of all related person transactions; and

 

   

overseeing the evaluation of the board, its committees and management.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee, or other committee serving an equivalent function, of any other entity that has one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of our board of directors or who will serve on our compensation committee. None of the members of our compensation committee will have ever been one of our employees.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

In this Compensation Discussion and Analysis, we address the compensation determinations and the rationale for those determinations relating to our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2009 and the compensation programs we have implemented for our current executive officers. Our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2009 were:

 

   

Peter L. Garrambone, Jr., former interim Chief Executive Officer;

 

   

William H. Lewis, President;

 

   

William J. Sasiela, Ph.D., former Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Clinical;

 

   

Christine A. Pellizzari, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; and

 

   

John T. Cavan, Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer.

Mr. Garrambone served as our interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2009 through October 2009 and served in such role as an independent consultant rather than an employee. He resigned from our board of directors effective September 24, 2010. Dr. Sasiela resigned from his position as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Clinical effective September 30, 2010.

Background and Overview of Our Executive Compensation Objectives, Policies and Procedures

Our primary objective with respect to executive compensation is to attract and retain individuals who possess knowledge, experience and skills that we believe are important to our business of developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders.

Specifically our compensation programs are designed to:

 

   

attract and retain individuals with superior ability and managerial experience;

 

   

align executive officers’ incentives with our corporate strategies, business objectives and the long-term interests of our stockholders; and

 

   

increase the incentive to achieve key strategic performance measures by linking incentive award opportunities to the achievement of performance objectives and by providing a portion of total compensation for executive officers in the form of ownership in our company.

To achieve these objectives, we seek to provide a competitive compensation package that ties a substantial portion of the executive’s overall compensation to both our company objectives and the executive’s individual

performance. Base salary increases and annual performance bonuses are tied to our company and individual

performance in relation to competitive market conditions. Equity awards are primarily used to promote long-term stockholder value and employee retention through the use of multi-year vesting schedules that provide an incentive to the executive to remain in our employ through the end of the vesting period in order to share in any increase in our company value over time.

Our compensation committee oversees our compensation and benefit plans and policies, administers our equity incentive plans and reviews and approves annually all compensation decisions relating to all executive officers. The compensation committee has not retained any third-party executive compensation specialists to help

 

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it in making compensation-related decisions and does not receive compensated-related recommendations from any executive officers. In reviewing compensation levels of our executive officers for 2009 and the period prior to this offering in 2010, our compensation committee considered our financial status, the contributions that the management team had made to our business, their collective knowledge of compensation trends in the industry in which we compete, and their experiences and business judgment.

Following the closing of this offering, as we gain experience as a public company, we expect that the specific direction, emphasis and components of our executive compensation program will evolve. Our compensation committee will continue to be primarily responsible for developing and implementing our compensation policies and establishing and approving the compensation for all of our executive officers. In the future, our compensation committee may review the compensation packages offered by other similar companies based on aggregate survey data and may choose to retain the services of third-party executive compensation specialists from time to time, as it sees fit, in connection with the establishment of cash and equity compensation and related policies. While market data and reports from third-party consultants provide useful starting points for compensation decisions, our compensation committee may also take into account factors such as level of responsibility, prior experience and individual performance in arriving at final compensation decisions.

Executive Compensation Components

Our executive compensation consists of base salary, cash incentives, equity incentive compensation, broad-based benefits programs and change in control and severance benefits. Each of the elements of our executive compensation is discussed in detail below, including a description of the particular element and how it fits into our overall executive compensation and a discussion of the amounts of compensation paid to our named executive officers in 2009 under each of these elements.

Although we have not adopted any formal guidelines for allocating total compensation between long-term and short-term cash compensation and non-cash compensation, or among different forms of non-cash compensation, we intend to implement and maintain compensation plans that tie a substantial portion of our executives’ overall compensation to the achievement of corporate goals and value-creating milestones, such as advancement of the clinical development of our product candidates.

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, places a limit of $1.0 million on the amount of compensation that public companies may deduct in any one year with respect to certain of its named executive officers. Certain performance-based compensation approved by stockholders is not subject to this deduction limit. Our compensation committee’s strategy in this regard is to be cost and tax efficient. Therefore, the compensation committee intends to preserve corporate tax deductions, while maintaining the flexibility in the future to approve arrangements that it deems to be in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, even if such arrangements do not always qualify for full tax deductibility.

Annual Cash Compensation

Base Salary

Base salaries for our named executive officers are intended to be competitive with those received by other individuals in similar positions at the companies with which we compete for talent. Base salaries are originally established at the time the executive is hired based on our understanding of what executives at other similar companies were being paid at such time. The base salaries of our named executive officers are reviewed annually and adjusted to reflect individual roles and contribution to our clinical, regulatory, commercial and operational performance. We may also increase the base salary of an executive officer at other times due to market conditions or if a change in the scope of the officer’s responsibilities justifies such consideration. We believe that a competitive base salary is a necessary element of any compensation program that is designed to attract and

 

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retain talented and experienced executives. We also believe that attractive base salaries can motivate and reward executives for their overall performance. Base salaries are established in part based on the individual experience, skills and expected contributions of our executives and our executives’ performance during the prior year.

In connection with setting the 2009 base salaries for the named executive officers, the compensation committee considered the prevailing market conditions and our financial position, including our need to raise additional funds, and decided to increase the base salary of each of the named executive officers, other than Mr. Cavan and Mr. Garrambone, by two percent over their 2008 base salaries. Mr. Cavan’s base salary was increased by seven percent over his 2008 base salary in connection with his promotion to Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Garrambone did not receive a base salary in connection with serving as our interim Chief Executive Officer for a portion of 2009. In early 2010, in connection with setting the 2010 base salaries for the named executive officers, the compensation committee considered the prevailing market conditions and our financial position, including our need to raise additional funds, and decided to increase the base salary of each of the named executive officers, who would be serving as such in 2010 by two percent over their 2009 base salaries. As Mr. Garrambone’s service as our interim chief executive officer ended in October 2009, he is not entitled to any compensation in 2010. In connection with entering into employment agreements with Messrs. Lewis and Cavan and Ms. Pellizzari in October 2010, the 2010 base salaries for each of these executive officers was increased as follows: Mr. Lewis, $300,000, Ms. Pellizzari, $260,000 and Mr. Cavan, $175,000.

The base salaries of our named executive officers for the year ending December 31, 2010 and the year ended December 31, 2009 are summarized in the table below.

 

     Base Salary 2009    Base Salary 2010 (1)

Peter L. Garrambone, Jr.

   $    $

William H. Lewis

     290,700      296,514

William J. Sasiela, Ph.D.

     290,700      296,514

Christine A. Pellizzari

     249,900      254,898

John T. Cavan

     162,023      165,264

 

(1) In connection with entering into employment agreements with Messrs. Lewis and Cavan and Ms. Pellizzari in October 2010, the 2010 base salaries for each of these executive officers was increased as follows: Mr. Lewis, $300,000, Ms. Pellizzari, $260,000 and Mr. Cavan, $175,000.

Cash Incentive Bonuses

Our compensation committee has the authority to award annual performance-based cash bonuses to our executive officers and certain non-executive employees. Each of the named executive officers, other than Mr. Garrambone, has a target cash bonus amount that is based on a percentage of his or her base salary. The target percentages for 2009 were unchanged from 2008 and were as follows: Mr. Lewis, Dr. Sasiela and Ms. Pellizzari, 25%, and Mr. Cavan, 20%. However, the compensation committee has the discretion to award cash bonuses that are greater than or less than a named executive officer’s target bonus amount. Cash bonus amounts are based upon our achievement of corporate objectives that are established at the beginning of the fiscal year by our board of directors.

The bonus payments for 2009 were based on the achievement of the following corporate objectives, which were equally weighted:

 

   

accelerated enrollment of our Phase III clinical trial in patients with HoFH;

 

   

initiation and advancement of our European regulatory strategy;

 

   

completion of the requirements necessary for the removal of the FDA’s partial clinical hold applicable to lomitapide;

 

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the preparation, submission and acceptance of posters and abstracts relating to lomitapide for publication;

 

   

obtaining approval from the State of New Jersey for the sale of our net operating losses; and

 

   

finalization and submission of an end of Phase II package to the FDA, including design of a protocol for a Phase III clinical trial in the severe HeFH patient population.

In determining cash bonuses for the year ended December 31, 2009, the compensation committee did not assess the degree to which each executive officer contributed to each of our corporate objectives. Instead, the compensation committee began with the assumption that so long as we met the majority of the corporate objectives set forth above, each executive officer was entitled to at least his or her target bonus, as achievement of the corporate objectives is dependent upon the work of the overall management team. Once this determination was made, the compensation committee assessed whether any executive officer deserved a greater bonus as a result of such executive officer’s professional effectiveness in helping us achieve specific corporate objectives or otherwise contributed to our overall success.

For the year ended December 31, 2009, the compensation committee determined that we achieved the following corporate objectives:

 

   

accelerated enrollment of our Phase III clinical trial in patients with HoFH;

 

   

initiated and advanced our European regulatory strategy;

 

   

completed the requirements necessary for removal of the FDA’s partial clinical hold applicable to lomitapide;

 

   

prepared, submitted and secured acceptance of posters and abstracts relating to lomitapide for publication in scientific journals; and

 

   

obtained approval from the State of New Jersey for the sale of our net operating losses.

The compensation committee noted that we did not finalize and submit an end of Phase II package to the FDA, including a protocol for a Phase III clinical trial in the severe HeFH patient population, although this was due to the fact that the board of directors had directed management to focus its efforts instead on the completion of our Phase III clinical trial in patients with HoFH with a view towards filing an NDA for this indication.

In light of the foregoing, the compensation committee concluded that each of our named executive officers, with the exception of Mr. Garrambone, was at least entitled to his or her target bonus. In addition, the compensation committee determined that Mr. Cavan was entitled to an additional $10,000 due to the important contributions that Mr. Cavan made to our obtaining approval from the State of New Jersey for the sale of our net operating losses. For the year ended December 31, 2009, the executive officers were paid the following cash bonus amounts: Mr. Lewis, $72,675, Ms. Pellizzari, $62,475, Dr. Sasiela, $72,675 and Mr. Cavan, $42,404. Mr. Garrambone was not eligible to receive a cash bonus in connection with serving as our interim Chief Executive Officer for a portion of 2009, in accordance with the terms of his consulting agreement with us for such service.

The target bonuses for Messrs. Beer, Lewis and Cavan and Ms. Pellizzari for 2010 are set forth in such executive officer’s employment agreement. In accordance with such agreements, each executive officer can earn a cash bonus equal to up to a percentage of his or her base salary upon the achievement of performance goals to be set by the board of directors or the compensation committee. The maximum percentage of base salary that these executive officers can earn in the form of cash bonuses for 2010 is as follows: Mr. Beer, 50%; Mr. Lewis, cash bonus of 40% and cash bonus of 10% upon the FDA’s acceptance of an NDA for lomitapide; Ms. Pellizzari, cash bonus of 30% and cash bonus of 10% upon the FDA’s acceptance of an NDA for lomitapide; and Mr. Cavan, cash bonus of 25% and cash bonus of 10% upon the FDA’s acceptance of an NDA for lomitapide.

 

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Equity Incentive Compensation

Each of our named executive officers has either received restricted stock grants or stock options to purchase shares of common stock in connection with their initial employment with us. We grant equity incentive compensation to our executive officers because we believe doing so will motivate the executive by aligning the executive’s interests more closely with our own. We chose to sell restricted stock to Mr. Lewis and Dr. Sasiela, our initial hires, instead of granting them options because we believed that it was appropriate for our initial key employees to have an immediate equity stake in the company and because we believed owning restricted stock would more closely align their interests with ours. Now that we are a more mature company, we believe it is generally more appropriate to grant options to employees since it is the practice at other companies with which we compete for talent. However, we may continue to grant restricted stock when we deem it appropriate and in our best interest. The restricted stock and stock options held by each executive are subject to vesting in order to encourage the executive to remain with us for several years, and subject to other provisions of their respective restricted stock and stock option agreements, which are described below.

Equity incentive grants to our executives and other employees are currently made at the discretion of our board of directors out of our 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan, or 2006 Option Plan, and such awards are not made at any specific time period during the fiscal year. Under the 2006 Option Plan, we may grant equity incentive awards in the form of stock options or restricted stock awards. Our board of directors’ grants of stock options have not been formula-based but have been based on the recommendation of the compensation committee, which generally takes into account the compensation committee’s subjective determination of a mixture of the following qualitative factors that are not weighted: the executive’s level of responsibility, the competitive market for the executive’s position and the executive’s potential contribution to the advancement of our clinical and business development programs. Equity awards are not based on specific performance objectives, however. Typically, larger awards have been made to the executive officers who have areas of responsibility and functions that are more likely to build long-term stockholder value as determined by how directly linked their areas of responsibility are to our growth.

In 2009, based on the recommendations of the compensation committee, our board of directors granted the named executive officers options to purchase shares of common stock, as follows: Mr. Lewis, 17,610 shares; Dr. Sasiela, 17,610 shares; Ms. Pellizzari, 15,358 shares; and Mr. Cavan, 12,491 shares, all at an exercise price of $2.37 per share. Mr. Garrambone was not granted any options in 2009. The compensation committee determined that Mr. Lewis and Dr. Sasiela should receive the largest awards since they were the most senior members of the management team and were deemed by the compensation committee to be most critical to the success of our clinical programs, specifically our ongoing Phase III clinical trial in patients with HoFH, and our business development programs, specifically our discussions with potential strategic collaborators. The compensation committee concluded that Ms. Pellizzari should receive the next largest award since she was the next most senior member of the management team, and it was expected that she would have significant responsibilities related to the advancement of our clinical and business development programs. The compensation committee concluded that Mr. Cavan should receive the smallest award, relative to the other members of the management team, since he was the next most senior member of the management team and was expected to contribute to a less significant degree to the success of our clinical and business development programs. In addition, the compensation committee subjectively determined, without reference to benchmarking or other market surveys, and without the assistance of third-party consultants, that these awards were appropriately reflective of the competitive market for executives with similar responsibilities at similarly situated companies. We expect that after we become a public company our compensation committee will in future periods grant equity awards, at least in part, with reference to market surveys and with the assistance of third-party consultants.

Upon the closing of this offering, our executive officers will have the ability to receive equity grants from our 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or 2010 Option Plan. For a further discussion of the 2006 Option Plan and 2010 Option Plan, see “— Stock and Benefit Plans.”

 

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Stock option awards provide our executive officers with the right to purchase shares of our common stock at a fixed exercise price, subject to continued employment with our company. Stock options are earned on the basis of continued service to us and generally vest over four years, beginning with one-fourth vesting one year after the date of grant, then pro-rata vesting quarterly thereafter. See also “— Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change-in-Control” for a discussion of the change-in-control provisions related to stock options.

Restricted stock awards provide our executive officers with the ability to purchase shares of our common stock at a fixed purchase price at the time of grant by entering into a restricted stock purchase agreement. Similar to stock options, shares of restricted stock are earned on the basis of continued service to us and generally vest over four years, beginning with one-fourth vesting one year after the date of grant and pro-rata vesting quarterly thereafter.

The exercise price of each stock option granted under our 2006 Option Plan is based on the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. Prior to 2007, the fair value of our common stock for purposes of determining the exercise price of stock options was determined by our board of directors based on its analysis of a number of factors it considered relevant. Beginning in 2007, our board of directors also obtained independent third-party valuations to assist it in estimating the fair value of our common stock.

Following this offering, we expect that all stock options will continue to be granted with an exercise price equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant, but fair value will be defined as the closing market price of a share of our common stock on the date of grant. We do not currently have any program, plan or practice of setting the exercise price based on a date or price other than the fair value of our common stock on the grant date.

We have an equity award grant policy that formalizes how we will grant equity-based awards to our officers and employees after this offering. Under our equity award grant policy all grants will need to be approved by our board of directors or compensation committee. All stock options will be awarded at fair value and calculated based on our closing market price on the grant date. In addition, equity awards will typically be made on a regularly scheduled basis, as follows:

 

   

grants made in conjunction with the hiring of a new employee or the promotion of an existing employee will be made on the first trading day of the month following the later of (1) the hire date or the promotion date or (2) the date on which such grant is approved; and

 

   

grants made to existing employees other than in connection with a promotion will be made, if at all, on an annual basis.

Other Compensation

We currently maintain broad-based benefits and perquisites that are provided to all employees, including health insurance, life and disability insurance, dental insurance and a 401(k) plan.

As discussed below in “Employment Agreements and Severance Agreements” and in “Potential Payments Upon Termination in Connection with Change-in-Control”, we have agreements with some of our named executive officers providing certain benefits to them upon termination of their employment and in relation to a change in control of Aegerion, including the acceleration of vesting of restricted stock and options. Our goal in providing severance and change in control benefits is to offer sufficient cash continuity protection such that an officer’s full time and attention will focus on the requirements of the business rather than the potential implications for his or her position. We prefer to have certainty regarding the potential severance amounts payable to the named executive officers under certain circumstances, rather than negotiating severance at the time that a named executive officer’s employment terminates. We have also determined that accelerated vesting provisions in connection with a termination following a change of control are appropriate because it will encourage our restricted stock and option holders, including our named executive officers, to stay focused in such circumstances, rather than the potential implications for them.

 

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Summary Compensation

The following table sets forth information with respect to compensation for the year ended December 31, 2009 earned by or awarded to our named executive officers.

Summary Compensation Table

 

Name and Principal Position

  Year   Salary
($)
  Bonus
($) (1) (2)
  Stock
Awards($)
  Option
Awards

($) (3)
  Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation

($) (1)(4)
  All Other
Compen-
sation($) (5)
    Total
($)

Peter L. Garrambone, Jr. (6)

  2009   $   $   $   $   $   $ 152,000 (7)     $ 152,000

Former Interim Chief Executive Officer

               

William H. Lewis

  2009     290,700             33,510     72,675            396,885

President

               

William J. Sasiela,  Ph.D. (8)

  2009     290,700             33,510     72,675            396,885

Former Chief Medical

Officer and Executive Vice President, Clinical

               

Christine A. Pellizzari

  2009     249,900             29,224     62,475            341,599

Executive Vice President,

General Counsel and

Secretary

               

John T. Cavan

  2009     162,023     10,000         23,769     32,404            228,196

Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer

               

 

(1) Bonus and non-equity incentive compensation amounts are for performance during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, as applicable, whether or not paid in the year the compensation was earned.

 

(2) Represents cash incentive payments in excess of such named executive officer’s target bonus, paid at the discretion of our board of directors in February 2010 for performance in 2009.

 

(3) Represents the grant date fair value of option awards granted in 2009 in accordance with ASC Topic 718, or ASC 718, formerly Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123R. Our named executive officers will only realize compensation to the extent the fair value of our common stock is greater than the exercise price of such stock options. For information regarding assumptions underlying the valuation of equity awards, see note 9 to our financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus.

 

(4) Represents cash incentive payments earned based upon the achievement of corporate objectives established by our board of directors and paid in 2010 for performance in 2009. See “— Cash Incentive Bonuses” above.

 

(5) Excludes medical, dental and certain other benefits received by the named executive officers that are available generally to all of our employees and certain perquisites and other personal benefits received by the named executive officers which do not exceed $10,000 in the aggregate.

 

(6) Mr. Garrambone served as our interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2009 through October 2009 and served in such role as an independent consultant rather than an employee. Mr. Garrambone also served as a member of our board of directors from October 2008 through his resignation on September 24, 2010.

 

(7) Represents consulting fees and reimbursable expenses incurred by Mr. Garrambone while serving as our interim Chief Executive Officer, comprised of the following: $20,000 retainer for serving on the board of directors, $12,000 in fees for meetings of the board of directors attended and $120,000 in consulting fees.

 

(8) Dr. Sasiela resigned from his position as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Clinical, effective as of September 30, 2010.

 

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Grants of Plan-Based Awards

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to awards under our non-equity incentive plan made by us to our named executive officers and stock options awarded to our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

Name

   Grant Date    Estimated Future
Payouts Under
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Awards
   All Other
Option
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options (#)
   Exercise
or Base
Price of
Option
Awards
($/Sh)
   Grant Date
Fair Value
of Option
Awards ($) (2)
      Target  ($) (1)         

William H. Lewis

   1/28/2009    $ 72,675       $    $
   3/13/2009         17,610      2.37      33,510

William J. Sasiela, Ph.D.

   1/28/2009      72,675             
   3/13/2009         17,610      2.37      33,510

Christine A. Pellizzari

   1/28/2009      62,475             
   3/13/2009         15,358      2.37      29,224

John T. Cavan

   1/28/2009      32,404             
   3/13/2009         12,491      2.37      23,769

 

(1) Represents the amount determined by our compensation committee as the target annual cash bonus payable to each named executive officer for 2009 as a percentage of 2009 base salary.

 

(2) Represents the grant date fair value calculated in accordance with ASC 718.

 

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to outstanding options held by our named executive officers at December 31, 2009.

 

     Option Awards

Name

   Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
    Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
   Option
Exercise
Price
($)
   Option
Expiration
Date

Peter L. Garrambone, Jr.

   2,047 (1)     4,095    $ 2.37    10/1/2018

William H. Lewis

   9,567 (2)     4,348      2.37    3/13/2017
   6,143 (3)     18,429      2.37    10/1/2018
   (4)     17,610      2.37    3/13/2019

William J. Sasiela, Ph.D.

   14,351 (5)     6,523      2.37    3/13/2017
   7,679 (6)     23,037      2.37    10/1/2018
   (7)     17,610      2.37    3/13/2019

Christine A. Pellizzari

   43,054 (8)     33,486      2.37    10/25/2017
   3,583 (9)     10,750      2.37    10/1/2018
   (10)     15,358      2.37    3/13/2019

John T. Cavan

   32,877 (11)     4,696      0.90    5/16/2016
   173 (12)     104      2.37    4/24/2017
   1,023 (13)     3,071      2.37    10/1/2018
   (14)     12,491      2.37    3/13/2019

 

(1) Represents option to purchase up to 6,143 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Garrambone on October 1, 2008. The shares underlying this option vest in three equal annual installments beginning one year after the grant date.

 

(2) Represents option to purchase up to 13,916 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Lewis on February 26, 2007. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on February 26, 2008, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(3) Represents option to purchase up to 24,573 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Lewis on October 1, 2008. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on October 1, 2009, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(4) Represents option to purchase up to 17,610 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Lewis on March 13, 2009. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on March 13, 2010, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(5) Represents option to purchase up to 20,874 shares of our common stock granted to Dr. Sasiela on February 26, 2007. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on February 26, 2008, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(6) Represents option to purchase up to 30,716 shares of our common stock granted to Dr. Sasiela on October 1, 2008. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on October 1, 2009, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(7) Represents option to purchase up to 17,610 shares of our common stock granted to Dr. Sasiela on March 13, 2009. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested March 13, 2010, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(8) Represents option to purchase up to 76,540 shares of our common stock granted to Ms. Pellizzari on October 25, 2007. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on August 1, 2008, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

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(9) Represents option to purchase up to 14,334 shares of our common stock granted to Ms. Pellizzari on October 1, 2008. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on October 1, 2009, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(10) Represents option to purchase up to 15,358 shares of our common stock granted to Ms. Pellizzari on March 13, 2009. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on March 13, 2010, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(11) Represents option to purchase up to 37,574 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Cavan on May 16, 2006. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on May 16, 2007, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(12) Represents option to purchase up to 278 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Cavan on April 24, 2007. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on April 24, 2008, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(13) Represents option to purchase up to 4,095 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Cavan on October 1, 2008. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on October 1, 2009, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

 

(14) Represents option to purchase up to 12,491 shares of our common stock granted to Mr. Cavan on March 13, 2009. The shares underlying this option vest as follows: 25% vested on March 13, 2010, with the remainder of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments for the following three years.

Option Exercises and Stock Vested

The following table sets forth shares of restricted stock vested during the year ended December 31, 2009 with respect to our named executive officers. We have intentionally omitted columns regarding options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2009, as none of our named executive officers exercised any options to purchase shares of our common stock.

Stock Vested

 

     Stock Awards

Name

   Number of Shares Acquired
on  Vesting
   Value Realized on Vesting(1)

William H. Lewis

   23,305    $ 55,198

William J. Sasiela, Ph.D.

   34,790    $ 82,401

 

(1) Value realized on vesting is computed by multiplying the aggregate number of shares by $2.37, or the fair value per share of our common stock as of December 31, 2009.

Pension Benefits and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation

We have intentionally omitted tables concerning pension benefits and non-qualified deferred compensation because no compensation in these categories was paid in 2009.

Stock and Benefit Plans

2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan

Our 2006 Option Plan was adopted by our board of directors in May 2006 and approved by our stockholders in June 2006. We have reserved 1,929,046 shares of our common stock for the issuance of awards under the 2006 Option Plan.

 

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Our 2006 Option Plan is administered by our board of directors. Our board of directors has the authority to delegate full power and authority to a committee of the board to select the individuals to whom awards will be granted, to make any combination of awards to participants, to accelerate the exercisability or vesting of any award, to provide substitute awards and to determine the specific terms and conditions of each award, subject to the provisions of the 2006 Option Plan.

The 2006 Option Plan permits us to make grants of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock awards and unrestricted stock awards to officers, employees, directors, consultants and other key persons. Stock options granted under the 2006 Option Plan have a maximum term of ten years from the date of grant and incentive stock options have an exercise price of no less than the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant.

Upon a sale event in which all awards are not assumed or substituted by the successor entity, the 2006 Option Plan and all stock options issued thereunder will terminate upon the effective time of such sale event following an exercise period. Restricted stock shall be treated as provided in the relevant award agreement. Under the 2006 Option Plan, a sale event is defined as the consummation of:

 

   

the dissolution or liquidation of Aegerion;

 

   

the sale of all or substantially all of our assets and our subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to an unrelated person or entity;

 

   

a merger, reorganization or consolidation in which the outstanding shares of our common stock are converted into or exchanged for securities of the successor entity and the holders of our outstanding voting power immediately prior to such transaction do not own at least a majority of the outstanding voting power of the successor entity immediately upon completion of such transaction, taking into account only ownership interests resulting from pre-transaction interests in Aegerion;

 

   

the sale, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, of all or a majority of our stock to an unrelated person or entity; or

 

   

any other transaction in which the holders of our outstanding voting power immediately prior to such transaction do not own at least a majority of the outstanding voting power of Aegerion or a successor entity immediately upon completion of the transaction, taking into account only ownership interests resulting from pre-transaction interests in Aegerion.

Following this offering, our board of directors will not grant any further awards under the 2006 Option Plan. We plan to adopt the 2010 Option Plan, under which we expect to make all future awards.

All stock option awards that are granted to our employees, including our named executive officers are covered by a stock option agreement. Under the stock option agreements, 25% of the shares vest on the first anniversary of the vesting start date and the remaining shares vest quarterly over the following three years. Our board of directors may accelerate the vesting schedule in its discretion.

2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan

Our 2010 Option Plan was adopted by our board of directors in September 2010, and we plan to seek our stockholders’ approval of the 2010 Option Plan in October 2010. The 2010 Option Plan permits us to make grants of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, unrestricted stock awards, cash-based awards, performance share awards and dividend equivalent rights. We have reserved 2,662,080 shares of our common stock for the issuance of awards under the 2010 Option Plan, which will be cumulatively increased by 4.0% of the number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31. This number is subject to adjustment in the

 

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event of a stock split, stock dividend or other change in our capitalization. Generally, shares that are forfeited or canceled from awards under the 2010 Option Plan also will be available for future awards. As of the date of this prospectus, no awards had been granted under the 2010 Option Plan.

The 2010 Option Plan may be administered by either the compensation committee or a similar committee of at least two non-employee directors who are independent or by our full board of directors, or the administrator. The administrator has full power and authority to select the participants to whom awards will be granted, to make any combination of awards to participants, to accelerate the exercisability or vesting of any award and to determine the specific terms and conditions of each award, subject to the provisions of the 2010 Option Plan.

All full-time and part-time officers, employees, non-employee directors and other key persons, including consultants and prospective employees, are eligible to participate in the 2010 Option Plan, subject to the sole discretion of the administrator. There are certain limits on the number of awards that may be granted under the 2010 Option Plan. For example, no more than 3,000,000 shares of common stock may be granted in the form of stock options or stock appreciation rights to any one individual during any one-calendar-year period.

The exercise price of stock options awarded under the 2010 Option Plan may not be less than the fair value of our common stock on the date of the option grant, and the term of each option may not exceed ten years from the date of grant. The administrator will determine at what time or times each option may be exercised and, subject to the provisions of the 2010 Option Plan, the period of time, if any, after retirement, death, disability or other termination of employment during which options may be exercised.

To qualify as incentive options, stock options must meet additional federal tax requirements, including a $100,000 limit on the value of shares subject to incentive options which first become exercisable in any calendar year, and a shorter term and higher minimum exercise price in the case of certain large stockholders.

Stock appreciation rights may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Stock appreciation rights allow the recipient to receive the appreciation in the fair value of our common stock between the exercise date and the date of grant. The administrator determines the terms of stock appreciation rights, including when such rights become exercisable and whether to pay the increased appreciation in cash or with shares of our common stock, or a combination thereof. The exercise price of stock appreciation rights awarded under the 2010 Option Plan may not be less than the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant, and the term of each stock appreciation right may not exceed ten years.

Restricted stock may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Restricted stock awards are shares of our common stock that vest in accordance with terms and conditions established by the administrator. The administrator will determine the number of shares of restricted stock granted to any employee. The administrator may impose whatever conditions to vesting it determines to be appropriate. For example, the administrator may set restrictions based on the achievement of specific performance goals. Shares of restricted stock that do not vest are subject to our right of repurchase or forfeiture.

Restricted stock units may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Such awards are awards of phantom stock units to a grantee, which may be settled in shares of our common stock at some point in the future based on conditions and restrictions imposed by the administrator.

Performance share awards may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Such awards will entitle the holder to acquire shares of our common stock upon the attainment of specified performance goals during a particular performance cycle. The administrator of our 2010 Option Plan will have the right to establish performance goals associated with performance share awards and other limitations and conditions.

Performance-based awards may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Performance-based awards are any restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance share awards or cash-based awards granted to employees that qualify as “covered employees” for purposes of 162(m) of the Code, that are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

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Unrestricted stock awards may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Our 2010 Option Plan gives the administrator discretion to grant stock awards free of any restrictions.

Dividend equivalent rights may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Dividend equivalent rights are awards entitling the grantee to current or deferred payments equal to dividends on a specified number of shares of stock. Dividend equivalent rights may be settled in cash or shares and are subject to other conditions as the administrator shall determine.

Cash-based awards may be granted under our 2010 Option Plan. Each cash-based award shall specify a cash-denominated payment amount, formula or payment ranges as determined by the administrator. Payment, if any, with respect to a cash-based award may be made in cash or in shares of stock, as the administrator determines.

Unless the administrator provides otherwise, our 2010 Option Plan does not allow for the transfer of awards and only the recipient of an award may exercise an award during his or her lifetime.

In the event of a merger, sale or dissolution, or a similar “sale event,” unless assumed or substituted, all stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under the 2010 Option Plan that are not exercisable immediately prior to the effective time of a sale event will automatically become fully exercisable, all other awards granted under the 2010 Option Plan will become fully vested and non-forfeitable and awards with conditions and restrictions relating to the attainment of performance goals may become vested and non-forfeitable in connection with a sale event in the administrator’s discretion. In addition, upon the effective time of any such sale event, the 2010 Option Plan and all awards will terminate unless the parties to the transaction, in their discretion, provide for appropriate substitutions or assumptions of outstanding awards. Under the 2010 Option Plan, a sale event is defined as:

 

   

the sale of all or substantially all of our assets on a consolidated basis to an unrelated person or entity;

 

   

a merger, reorganization or consolidation in which the holders of our outstanding voting power immediately prior to such transaction do not own a majority of the outstanding voting power of the resulting or successor entity, or its ultimate parent, if applicable, immediately upon completion of such transaction; or

 

   

the sale of all of our common stock to an unrelated person or entity.

No awards may be granted under the 2010 Option Plan after September 15, 2020. In addition, our board of directors may amend or discontinue the 2010 Option Plan at any time and the administrator may amend or cancel any outstanding award for the purpose of satisfying changes in law or for any other lawful purpose. No such amendment may adversely affect the rights under any outstanding award without the holder’s consent. Other than in the event of a necessary adjustment in connection with a change in our stock or a merger or similar transaction, the administrator may not “reprice” or otherwise reduce the exercise price of outstanding stock options or stock appreciation rights. Further, amendments to the 2010 Option Plan will be subject to approval by our stockholders if the amendment is required by the NASDAQ Global Market rules or by the Code to ensure that incentive options are tax-qualified.

401(k) Savings Plan

Our employee savings plan is intended to qualify under Section 401 of the Code. Our 401(k) plan permits employees to make contributions up to the statutory limit. We have the discretion to match up to 50% of the first 6% of gross wages that an employee contributes, resulting in a maximum match by us that totals up to 3% of an employee’s gross wages. We did not match employee contributions in 2009. We may make matching contributions or additional contributions to our 401(k) plan in amounts determined annually.

 

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Pension Benefits

None of our named executive officers participate in or have account balances in qualified or non-qualified defined benefit plans sponsored by us.

Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation

None of our named executive officers participate in or have account balances in non-qualified defined contribution plans or other deferred compensation plans maintained by us.

Employment Agreements and Severance Agreements

Marc D. Beer .    On August 19, 2010, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Beer for the position of Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Beer currently receives a base salary of $450,000 per year, which is reviewed annually and is subject to increase but not decrease. Mr. Beer is also eligible for a merit bonus of up to 50% of his base salary, payable at the discretion of the board of directors or the compensation committee. Mr. Beer’s employment agreement provides that he will receive a stock option award to purchase a fixed number of shares of our common stock that will as closely as possible represent approximately 6.5% of the total number of shares of our outstanding capital stock, on an as-converted basis, anticipated to be outstanding immediately prior to this offering. For purposes of determining the shares subject to this stock option award, certain estimates and assumptions will be mutually agreed upon by us and Mr. Beer. The board of directors or the compensation committee may also, at its discretion, make additional grants of stock incentives to Mr. Beer. Mr. Beer is eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans to the extent he is eligible for those plans, on the same terms as similarly-situated executive officers of Aegerion.

Mr. Beer’s employment agreement also provides that subject to nomination, election and removal procedures, he will serve on our board of directors for as long as he is our Chief Executive Officer.

If Mr. Beer terminates his employment for good reason or if we terminate his employment without cause, he is entitled to receive as severance compensation 12 months’ base salary, which will be reduced by any compensation that Mr. Beer receives from another employer within one year of his separation, continuation of health benefits for the earlier of 12 months or the date he becomes re-employed with substantially comparable benefits and 25% acceleration of any unvested equity incentive awards. These payments and benefits are conditioned upon his execution of a separation agreement that includes a general release within 35 days of his termination.

If within 18 months of a change in control, Mr. Beer is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, he will be entitled to a severance payment of (1) 1.5 times the sum of his base salary (which has not been pro-rated) plus his bonus payment for the prior year (which has not been pro-rated), (2) continuation of health benefits until the earlier of 18 months from the termination date or the date he becomes re-employed with substantially comparable benefits and (3) 100% acceleration of any unvested equity incentive awards. Change in control is defined in Mr. Beer’s employment agreement as any person acquiring beneficial ownership of 50% or more of the voting power of Aegerion, the date a majority of the members of our board of directors is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election was not endorsed by the majority of the incumbent members of the board of directors, the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or a consolidation or merger of Aegerion where following such event the stockholders who held more than 50% of the voting control of Aegerion prior to such event no longer have such voting control.

The definition of good reason in Mr. Beer’s employment agreement includes a material diminution in his responsibilities, authority or duties, removal or non-election to the board of directors, a material diminution in his base salary, the need for him to report to someone other than the board of directors, our material breach of a material provision of his employment agreement, a requirement that he relocate without his consent, or the

 

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failure by us to establish our corporate headquarters in Massachusetts within three months of a triggering event (as defined below), or thereafter, a relocation of our corporate headquarters outside of Massachusetts. A triggering event is defined in Mr. Beer’s employment agreement as the completion of this offering, our receipt of $20 million of private and strategic investments or the filing of our first NDA with the FDA.

The definition of cause as set forth in Mr. Beer’s employment agreement includes dishonesty, embezzlement, misappropriation of our assets or property, gross negligence, willful misconduct, neglect of duties, theft, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of federal or state security laws, conviction or plea of guilty or nolo contendere of a felony, material breach of his employment agreement or material breach of our written policies relating to conduct or ethics.

Peter Garrambone, Jr.     On April 21, 2009, we entered into an offer letter with Mr. Garrambone with respect to his serving as our interim Chief Executive Officer from May 1, 2009 through October 31, 2009. Pursuant to the terms of the letter agreement, Mr. Garrambone was entitled to receive a monthly consulting fee of $20,000 and reimbursement of expenses. In addition, he was entitled to receive an option to purchase 19,003 shares of our common stock, with such option vesting ratably over a six month period.

William H. Lewis.     On October 5, 2010, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Lewis for the position of President. Mr. Lewis’ employment may be terminated by him or by us at will. Mr. Lewis currently receives a base salary of $300,000, which is reviewed annually by the board of directors or the compensation committee. Mr. Lewis is also eligible for an annual cash bonus of up to 40% of his base salary, payable at the discretion of the board of directors or the compensation committee, and a cash bonus equal to 10% of his base salary upon the FDA’s acceptance of an NDA for lomitapide. Mr. Lewis is eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans, to the extent he is eligible for those plans, on the same terms as our other similarly-situated executive officers. If we terminate Mr. Lewis’ employment without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, he will be entitled to receive as severance compensation 12 months base salary and health benefits continuance, subject to his signing of a release. If Mr. Lewis’ employment is terminated as a result of death or disability, he or his heirs will be entitled to receive as severance compensation six months base salary and health benefits continuance, subject to his or his heirs signing of a release. In addition, if we terminate Mr. Lewis’ employment without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason within 12 months of the effective date of the agreement, 25% of his outstanding unvested equity awards will vest and become nonforfeitable as of such termination date. Finally, in the event Mr. Lewis’ employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason within 24 months following a sale event, as defined in the applicable equity agreement, he will be entitled to the bonus payment that he earned for the bonus period immediately following the date of termination.

Christine A. Pellizzari .    On October 5, 2010, we entered into an employment agreement with Ms. Pellizzari for the position of Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Ms. Pellizzari’s employment may be terminated by her or by us at will. Ms. Pellizzari currently receives a base salary of $260,000, which is reviewed annually by the board of directors or the compensation committee. Ms. Pellizzari is also eligible for an annual cash bonus of up to 30% of her base salary, payable at the discretion of the board of directors or the compensation committee, and a cash bonus equal to 10% of her base salary upon the FDA’s acceptance of an NDA for lomitapide. Ms. Pellizzari is eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans, to the extent she is eligible for those plans, on the same terms as our other similarly-situated executive officers. If we terminate Ms. Pellizzari’s employment without cause or she terminates her employment for good reason, she will be entitled to receive as severance compensation 12 months base salary and health benefits continuance, subject to her signing of a release. In addition, if we terminate Ms. Pellizzari’s employment without cause or she terminates her employment for good reason within 12 months of the effective date of the agreement, 25% of her outstanding unvested equity awards will vest and become nonforfeitable as of such termination date. Finally, in the event Ms. Pellizzari’s employment is terminated without cause or she terminates her employment for good reason within 24 months following a sale event, as defined in the applicable equity agreement, she will be entitled to the bonus payment that she earned for the bonus period immediately following the date of termination.

 

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John T. Cavan.     On October 5, 2010, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Cavan for the position of Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. Mr. Cavan’s employment may be terminated by him or by us at will. Mr. Cavan currently receives a base salary of $175,000, which is reviewed annually by the board of directors or the compensation committee. Mr. Cavan is also eligible for an annual cash bonus of up to 25% of his base salary, payable at the discretion of the board of directors or the compensation committee, and a cash bonus equal to 10% of his base salary upon the FDA’s acceptance of an NDA for lomitapide. Mr. Cavan is eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans, to the extent he is eligible for those plans, on the same terms as our other similarly-situated executive officers. If we terminate Mr. Cavan’s employment without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason, he will be entitled to receive as severance compensation six months base salary and health benefits continuance, subject to his signing of a release. In addition, if we terminate Mr. Cavan’s employment without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason within 12 months of the effective date of the agreement, 25% of his outstanding unvested equity awards will vest and become nonforfeitable as of such termination date. Finally, in the event Mr. Cavan’s employment is terminated without cause or he terminates his employment for good reason within 24 months following a sale event, as defined in the applicable equity agreement, he will be entitled to the bonus payment that he earned for the bonus period immediately following the date of termination.

The definition of cause as set forth in the employment agreements with Messrs. Lewis and Cavan and Ms. Pellizzari includes dishonesty, embezzlement or misappropriation of our assets; gross negligence, willful misconduct, theft, fraud or breach of a fiduciary duty owed to us; violation of federal or state securities laws; conviction of a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude, including a plea of nolo contendere; any material breach of the executive’s employment agreement; or material breach of any of our written policies relating to conduct or ethics. The definition of good reason as set forth in the employment agreements with Messrs. Lewis and Cavan and Ms. Pellizzari includes a material diminution in the executive’s responsibilities, duties or authority; a material diminution in the executive’s base salary; a material change without the executive’s consent of the location of the principal location of the executive’s office; or a material breach by us of the executive’s employment agreement.

Potential Payments Upon Termination in Connection with Change-in-Control

Pursuant to the incentive stock option agreements between us and each of Messrs. Cavan and Lewis, Dr. Sasiela and Ms. Pellizzari, in the event their employment is terminated without cause within 24 months of a sale event, as defined in the 2006 Option Plan, all of their then unvested options will immediately vest and become exercisable. See “— Stock and Benefit Plans” for more information.

 

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The table below reflects, as applicable, cash severance, option acceleration and continuation of health benefits payable to our named executive officers (1) in connection with the termination of his or her employment relationship without cause or resignation for good reason, (2) upon a sale event, as defined in the 2006 Option Plan and (3) in connection with termination without cause or resignation for good reason following a sale event, in each case, and assuming that the triggering event took place on December 31, 2009. See also “— Employment Agreements and Severance Agreements.”

 

Name

  Benefit   Termination
without
Cause
    Resignation
for Good
Reason
    Sale Event   Termination
without Cause in
Connection with
Sale Event
    Resignation for
Good Reason in
Connection with
Sale Event
 

Peter L. Garrambone

  Cash Severance   $      $      $   $      $   
  Option acceleration                                
  Health Benefits                                

William H. Lewis

  Cash Severance     218,025 (1)       218,025 (1)           218,025 (1)       218,025 (1)  
  Option acceleration                       490,743 (2)         
  Health Benefits     14,040 (3)       14,040 (3)           14,040 (3)       14,040 (3)  

William J. Sasiela

  Cash Severance                                
  Option acceleration                       571,574 (2)         
  Health Benefits                                

Christine A. Pellizzari

  Cash Severance     187,425 (4)       187,425 (4)           187,425 (4)       187,425 (4)  
  Option acceleration                       741,444 (2)         
  Health Benefits     14,040 (3)       14,040 (3)           14,040 (3)       14,040 (3)  

John T. Cavan

  Cash Severance     40,506 (5)       40,506 (5)           40,506 (5)       40,506 (5)  
  Option acceleration                       260,846 (2)         
  Health Benefits     4,680 (6)       4,680 (6)           4,680 (6)       4,680 (6)  

 

(1) Represents nine months continuation of base salary, which was $290,700 per year at December 31, 2009.

 

(2) Represents the in-the-money value of 100% of the unvested portion of such person’s equity awards as of December 31, 2009. The value is calculated by multiplying the amount (if any) by which $15.00, the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, exceeds the exercise price of the option, by the number of shares subject to the accelerated portion of the option.

 

(3) Represents nine months continuation of standard employee benefits, including health insurance and benefits.

 

(4) Represents nine months continuation of base salary, which was $249,900 per year at December 31, 2009.

 

(5) Represents three months continuation of base salary, which was $162,024 per year at December 31, 2009.

 

(6) Represents three months continuation of standard employee benefits, including health insurance and benefits.

 

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Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreements

Each of our named executive officers has also entered into a standard form agreement with respect to proprietary information and inventions. Among other things, this agreement obligates each named executive officer to refrain from disclosing any of our proprietary information received during the course of employment and, with some exceptions, to assign to us any inventions conceived or developed during the course of employment.

Director Compensation

Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy

We currently do not have a non-employee director compensation policy. Prior to this offering, non-employee directors were only compensated if they had an agreement in place with us. For the year ended December 31, 2009, Messrs. Garrambone and Scheer and Dr. Gotto were entitled to receive compensation in connection with attending meetings of the board of directors and for other services.

The compensation payable to Mr. Garrambone as a result of his service on our board is discussed above. See “– Summary Compensation Table.”

Prior to this offering, Mr. Scheer was entitled to compensation for his services as a consultant and as a member of our board of directors in accordance with an amended and restated consulting agreement with Scheer & Company, Inc., which we entered into in August 2006. Pursuant to this agreement, Mr. Scheer was entitled to receive $1,000 for each board meeting he attended in person and $500 for each board meeting he attended telephonically. In addition, Mr. Scheer was entitled to $1,250 per month for providing certain operational and strategic services to us from time to time. Our agreement with Dr. Scheer will terminate upon the closing of this offering, after which he will be entitled to receive compensation solely pursuant to our non-employee director compensation policy described below.

Prior to this offering, Dr. Gotto was entitled to compensation for his services as a consultant and as a member of our board of directors in accordance with a consulting agreement with Dr. Gotto that we entered into in April 2006. Pursuant to this agreement, Dr. Gotto was entitled to receive $20,000 annually, $1,000 for each board meeting he attended in person and $500 for each board meeting he attended telephonically. In addition, he was entitled to receive $3,000 for each scientific advisory board meeting he attended in person and $1,000 for each scientific advisory board meeting he attended telephonically. Our agreement with Dr. Gotto will terminate upon the closing of this offering, after which he will be entitled to receive compensation solely pursuant to our non-employee director compensation policy described below.

Our board of directors has adopted a non-employee director compensation policy that will become effective upon the closing of this offering. This policy is designed to provide a total compensation package that enables us to attract and retain, on a long-term basis, high caliber non-employee directors and to align the directors’ interests with the long-term interests of our stockholders. Employee directors will not receive additional compensation for their services as directors.

 

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Under the policy, all non-employee directors will be paid cash compensation as set forth below.

 

       Annual Retainer    In-Person
Attendance
Per Meeting
   Telephonic
Attendance
Per Meeting

Board

        

Chairman of the Board

   $ 40,000    $ 2,000    $ 1,000

Other Non-Employee Directors

     25,000      2,000      1,000

Audit Committee

        

Committee Chairman

     35,000      1,000      1,000

Committee Members

          1,000      1,000

Compensation Committee

        

Committee Chairman

     35,000      1,000      1,000

Committee Members

          1,000      1,000

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

        

Committee Chairman

     30,000      1,000      1,000

Committee Members

          1,000      1,000

The annual retainers will be paid quarterly, in arrears, or upon the earlier resignation or removal of the non-employee director. The annual retainers will be pro-rated based on the number of calendar days served by such director.

Under the policy, each person who is initially appointed or elected to the board of directors will be eligible for an option grant to purchase shares of common stock, representing 0.1% of Aegerion on a fully-diluted basis, under our stock option plan on the date he or she first becomes a non-employee director. In addition, each director will be entitled to an annual option grant to purchase shares of common stock representing 0.05% of the company on a fully-diluted basis. So long as the director remains on the board of directors, the director option grants will vest one-third on each one-year anniversary of the date of grant. Director option grants become immediately exercisable upon the death, disability or retirement of a director or upon a change in control of Aegerion. In addition, directors will have up to one year following cessation of service as a director to exercise the options (to the extent vested at the date of such cessation), provided that the director has not been removed for cause. All of the foregoing options will be granted at fair market value on the date of grant.

Director Compensation Table — 2009

The following table sets forth a summary of the compensation earned by our directors, with the exception of Mr. Garrambone, whose compensation is included in the “Summary Compensation Table” above, under certain agreements, in each case, in 2009. We have intentionally omitted columns from this table pertaining to types of compensation not paid to our directors in 2009.

 

Name

   Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash 
   All Other
Compensation 
    Total

David I. Scheer

   $ 5,000    $ 28,245 (1)     $ 33,245

Antonio M. Gotto Jr., M.D., D.Phil

     3,000      20,000 (2)       23,000

Jason Fisherman, M.D.

                

Alison Kiley

                

Michèle Ollier, M.D.

                

 

(1) Represents consulting fees paid to Mr. Scheer under a consulting agreement dated as of August 1, 2006, as amended for the period ended December 31, 2009. This consulting agreement will terminate upon the closing of this offering.

 

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(2) Represents consulting fees paid to Dr. Gotto under a consulting agreement dated as of April 4, 2006, as amended, for the period ended December 31, 2009. This consulting agreement will terminate upon the closing of this offering.

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Agreements

As permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, provisions in our certificate of incorporation and by-laws to be in effect at the closing of this offering limit or eliminate the personal liability of our directors. Consequently, a director will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages or breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:

 

   

any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

 

   

any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

   

any unlawful payments related to dividends or unlawful stock purchases, redemptions or other distributions; or

 

   

any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

These limitations of liability do not alter director liability under the federal securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as an injunction or rescission.

In addition, our by-laws provide that:

 

   

we will indemnify our directors, officers and, in the discretion of our board of directors, certain employees to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law; and

 

   

we will advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to our directors and, in the discretion of our board of directors, to our officers and certain employees, in connection with legal proceedings, subject to limited exceptions.

We plan to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and our executive officers. These agreements will provide that we will indemnify each of our directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by law and advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to each indemnified director or executive officer in connection with any proceeding in which indemnification is available.

We also maintain general liability insurance which covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, or persons controlling us, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

These provisions may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions may also have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. Furthermore, a stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers under these indemnification provisions. We believe that these provisions, the indemnification agreements and the insurance are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced directors and officers.

At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors or officers where indemnification will be required or permitted. We are not aware of any threatened litigation or proceeding that might result in a claim for such indemnification.

 

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TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS

Since January 1, 2007, we have engaged in the following transactions with our directors, executive officers and holders of more than 5% of our voting securities, affiliates or any member of the immediate family of the foregoing persons.

Series B Financing

In November 2007, we sold in a private placement an aggregate of 3,810,773 shares of our Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock at a per share price of $4.62.

The following table sets forth the participation in the Series B financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Shares of Series B
Redeemable
Convertible
Preferred Stock
   Aggregate
Purchase Price
Paid

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   723,241    $ 3,341,373

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

   679,018      3,137,063

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

   782,801      3,616,541

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

   238,252      1,100,724

Serventia SA, Lugano

   216,450      999,999

William H. Lewis

   43,290      199,999

 

(1) Consists of 289,844 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, 425,403 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership and 7,994 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds, including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of 621,923 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., 41,768 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and 15,327 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3) Consists of 12,525 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. ( Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, 510,087 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., 251,103 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and 9,086 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of 235,869 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and 2,383 shares of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

 

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Convertible Note Financings

September 2008

In September 2008, we received gross proceeds of $3,814,760 from the sale of convertible notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year, compounding daily, and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering. No payments of principal or interest have been made under these notes.

The following table sets forth the participation in this financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Principal Amount of
Note

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   $ 1,005,847

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

     944,342

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

     1,088,678

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

     324,601

William H. Lewis

     42,758

 

(1) Consists of $403,143 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, $591,640 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership and $11,064 convertible note purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds, including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of $864,938 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., $58,088 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and $21,316 convertible note purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3) Consists of $7,335 convertible note purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, $716,081 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., $352,507 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and $12,755 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of $321,287 convertible note purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and $3,314 convertible note purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

December 2008

In December 2008, we received gross proceeds of $5,000,001 from the sale of convertible notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year, compounding daily, and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering. No payments of principal or interest have been made under these convertible notes.

 

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The following table sets forth the participation in this financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Principal Amount of
Note

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   $ 1,313,822

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

     1,233,485

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

     1,422,013

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

     432,802

William H. Lewis

     57,003

 

(1) Consists of $526,579 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, $772,791 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership and $14,452 convertible note purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds, including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of $1,129,769 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., $75,874 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and $27,842 convertible note purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3) Consists of $9,579 convertible note purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, $935,333 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., $460,440 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and $16,661 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of $428,473 convertible note purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and $4,329 convertible note purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

July 2009

In July 2009, we received gross proceeds of $5,000,000 from the sale of convertible notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year, compounding daily, and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering. No payments of principal or interest have been made under these convertible notes.

The following table sets forth the participation in this financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Principal Amount of
Note

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   $ 1,315,787

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

     1,235,330

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

     1,424,140

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

     429,622

William H. Lewis

     56,587

 

(1)

Consists of $527,367 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, $773,947 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited

 

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Partnership and $14,473 convertible note purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of $1,131,459 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., $75,987 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and $27,884 convertible note purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3) Consists of $9,593 convertible note purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, $936,732 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., $461,129 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and $16,686 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of $425,287 convertible note purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and $4,335 convertible note purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

January 2010

In January 2010, we received gross proceeds of $3,000,000 from the sale of convertible notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year, compounding daily, and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering. No payments of principal or interest have been made under these convertible notes.

The following table sets forth the participation in this financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Principal Amount of
Note

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   $ 789,472

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

     741,198

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

     854,484

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

     257,773

William H. Lewis

     33,952

 

(1) Consists of $316,420 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, $464,368 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership and $8,684 convertible note purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds, including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of $678,875 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., $45,592 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and $16,730 convertible note purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

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(3) Consists of $5,756 convertible note purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, $562,039 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., $276,677 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and $10,012 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of $255,172 convertible note purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and $2,601 convertible note purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

June 2010

In June 2010, we received gross proceeds of $1,500,000 from the sale of convertible notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year, compounding daily, and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering. No payments of principal or interest have been made under these convertible notes.

The following table sets forth the participation in this financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Principal Amount of
Note

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   $ 394,736

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

     370,599

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

     427,242

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

     128,887

William H. Lewis

     16,976

 

(1) Consists of $158,210 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, $232,184 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership and $4,342 convertible note purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds, including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of $339,438 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., $22,796 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and $8,365 convertible note purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a Director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3) Consists of $ 3,418 convertible note purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, $280,662 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., $138,162 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and $5,000 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of $127,586 convertible note purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and $1,301 convertible note purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

 

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August 2010

In August 2010, we received gross proceeds of $1,500,000 from the sale of convertible notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year, compounding daily, and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering. No payments of principal or interest have been made under these convertible notes.

The following table sets forth the participation in this financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Principal Amount of
Note

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   $ 394,736

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

     370,599

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

     427,242

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

     128,887

William H. Lewis

     16,976

 

(1) Consists of $158,210 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, $232,184 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership and $4,342 convertible note purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds, including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of $339,438 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., $22,796 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and $8,365 convertible note purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a Director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3) Consists of $3,418 convertible note purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, $280,662 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., $138,162 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and $5,000 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of $127,586 convertible note purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and $1,301 convertible note purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

October 2010

In October 2010, we received gross proceeds of $1,500,000 from the sale of convertible notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year, compounding daily, and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering. No payments of principal or interest have been made under these convertible notes.

 

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The following table sets forth the participation in this financing by our executive officers, entities affiliated with our directors and our 5% stockholders and their affiliates.

 

Name

   Principal Amount of
Note

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   $ 394,736

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

     370,599

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

     427,242

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

     128,887

William H. Lewis

     16,976

 

(1) Consists of $158,210 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership, $232,184 convertible note purchased by Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership and $4,342 convertible note purchased by Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds, including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) Consists of $339,438 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P., $22,796 convertible note purchased by Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG and $8,365 convertible note purchased by Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a Director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3) Consists of $3,418 convertible note purchased by Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of the Index Co-Investment Scheme, $280,662 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P., $138,162 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. and $5,000 convertible note purchased by Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) Consists of $127,586 convertible note purchased by MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and $1,301 convertible note purchased by MVM Executive Limited.

In October 2010, we amended the terms of all previously issued convertible notes such that the conversion price of the convertible notes was changed from 85% to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

Employment and Consulting Agreements

We have also entered into employment agreements with Messrs. Beer, Cavan and Lewis and Ms. Pellizzari that provide for certain salary, bonus and severance compensation. We also entered into a consulting agreement with Mr. Garrambone with respect to his serving as our interim Chief Executive Officer for a portion of 2009. For more information regarding these agreements, see “Executive Compensation — Employment Agreements and Severance Agreements.”

We have entered into consulting agreements with Mr. Scheer and Dr. Gotto, two of our non-employee directors. For more information regarding these agreements, see “Executive Compensation — Director Compensation — Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy.”

Stock Option Awards

For more information regarding stock options awarded to our named executive officers, see “Executive Compensation — Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End.”

 

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Indemnification Agreements

We have agreed to indemnify our directors and officers in certain circumstances. See “Executive Compensation — Limitation of Liability and Indemnification Agreements.”

Registration Rights

Certain of our directors, executive officers and holders of more than 5% of our common stock are party to agreements providing for rights to register under the Securities Act certain shares of our capital stock. For more information regarding these agreements, see “Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights.”

Policies for Approval of Related Person Transactions

Our board of directors reviews and approves transactions with directors, officers, and holders of five percent or more of our voting securities and their affiliates, each, a related person. Prior to this offering, prior to our board of directors’ consideration of a transaction with a related person, the material facts as to the related person’s relationship or interest in the transaction are disclosed to our board of directors, and the transaction is not considered approved by our board of directors unless a majority of the directors who are not interested in the transaction approve the transaction. Our current policy with respect to approval of related person transactions is not in writing.

We have adopted a related person transaction approval policy that will govern the review of related person transactions following the closing of this offering. Pursuant to this policy, if we want to enter into a transaction with a related person or an affiliate of a related person, our general counsel will review the proposed transaction to determine, based on applicable NASDAQ and SEC rules, if such transaction requires pre-approval by the audit committee and/or board of director. If pre-approval is required, such matters will be reviewed at the next regular or special audit committee and/or board of directors meeting. We may not enter into a related person transaction unless our general counsel has either specifically confirmed in writing that no further reviews are necessary or that all requisite corporate reviews have been obtained.

 

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock, as of September 30, 2010, with respect to

 

   

each beneficial owner of 5% or more of our outstanding common stock;

 

   

each of our named executive officers and directors; and

 

   

all of our executive officers and directors as a group.

The number of shares and percentage of shares beneficially owned before the offering shown in the table below is based on a total of 15,383,937 shares of common stock, which includes:

 

   

1,708,129 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2010;

 

   

7,050,363 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock, including accrued accumulated dividends, upon the closing of this offering, assuming that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010; and

 

   

the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010.

The number of shares and percentage of shares beneficially owned after the offering also gives effect to the issuance by us of 4,666,667 shares of common stock in this offering.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC. These rules generally attribute beneficial ownership of securities to persons who possess sole or shared voting power or investment power with respect to those securities and include shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options that are immediately exercisable or exercisable within 60 days after September 30, 2010, although these shares are not deemed outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Except as otherwise indicated, all of the shares reflected in the table are shares of common stock and all persons listed below have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares beneficially owned by them, subject to applicable community property laws. The information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose.

 

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Except as otherwise indicated in the table below, addresses of named beneficial owners are in care of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., CenterPointe IV, 1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807.

 

Name of Beneficial Owner

   Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
   Percentage of  Shares
Beneficially Owned
      Before
Offering
   After
Offering

5% or Greater Stockholders:

        

Funds managed by Advent International Corporation (1)

   2,224,036    20.8    14.5

Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities (2)

   2,084,126    19.4    13.5

Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and affiliated entities (3)

   2,406,836    22.5    15.6

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and affiliated entities (4)

   729,761    6.8    4.7

Scheer Investment Holdings VII LLC (5)

   640,154    6.0    4.2

Named Executive Officers and Directors:

        

Marc D. Beer (6)

   55,353    *    *

William H. Lewis (7)

   329,233    3.1    2.1

William J. Sasiela, Ph.D. (8)

   177,471    1.7    1.2

Christine Pellizzari (9)

   77,600    *    *

John T. Cavan (10)

   45,401    *    *

David I. Scheer (5)

   640,154    6.0    4.2

Alison Kiley (2)

   2,084,126    19.4    13.5

Jason S. Fisherman, M.D. (1)

   2,224,036    20.8    14.5

Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil (11)

   13,916    *    *

Michèle Ollier, M.D. (3)

   2,406,836    22.5    15.6

All executive officers and directors as a group (9 persons)

   7,876,655    73.5    51.2

 

 * Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1% of the shares of common stock.

 

(1)

The address for funds managed by Advent International Corporation is 75 State Street, Boston, MA 02109. Includes with respect to Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership (a) 1,669 shares of common stock, (b) 506,191 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (c) 176,853 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (d) 206,606 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership (a) 2,454 shares of common stock, (b) 742,934 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (c) 259,566 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (d) 303,211 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership (a) 49 shares of common stock, (b) 13,960 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (c) 4,877 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (d) 5,666 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Advent International has engaged White Cube Management LLC to advise it with respect to the operation of certain private equity funds,

 

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including the above listed funds. Dr. Fisherman, a director of Aegerion, is a managing director of White Cube. Dr. Fisherman disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(2) The address for Alta Partners III, Inc. and its affiliated entities is One Embarcadero Center, Suite 3700, San Francisco, CA 94111. Includes with respect to Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P. (a) 1,086,140 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (b) 379,476 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred and (c) 443,276 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $ 15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG (a) 72,943 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (b) 25,485 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (c) 29,766 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC (a) 26,767 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (b) 9,352 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (c) 10,921 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Alison Kiley, a director of Aegerion, is a Director of Alta BioPharma Partners. Ms. Kiley disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(3)

The address for Index Ventures III (Jersey), L.P. and its affiliated entities is P.O. Box 641, No. 1 Seaton Place, St. Helier, Jersey JE4 8YJ, Channel Islands. Includes with respect to Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch) as Administrator of The Index Co-Investment Scheme (a) 14 shares of common stock, (b) 4,784 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (c) 7,642 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (d) 3,755 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P. (a) 2,754 shares of common stock, (b) 902,144 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (c) 311,238 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (d) 366,986 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P. (a) 1,356 shares of common stock, (b) 444,100 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (c) 153,214 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (d) 180,654 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) (a) 48 shares of common

 

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stock, (b) 16,070 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (c) 5,543 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (d) 6,534 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Michèle Ollier, a director of Aegerion, is a partner of Index Ventures. Dr. Ollier disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of her proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(4) The address for MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. and its affiliated entities is 6 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8PU. Includes with respect to MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P. (a) 411,926 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, (b) 143,919 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (c) 166,606 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Includes with respect to MVM Executive Limited (a) 4,161 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock (b) 1,454 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and (c) 1,695 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010.

 

(5)

The address for Scheer Investment Holdings VII LLC is 555 Long Wharf Drive, 11 th Floor, New Haven, CT 06511. Mr. Scheer, our Chairman, is the managing member of Scheer Investment Holdings VII LLC. Consists of 640,154 shares of common stock. Mr. Scheer disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his proportionate pecuniary interest therein.

 

(6) Includes 55,353 shares of common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days of September 30, 2010. Excludes 830,300 shares of common stock which remain subject to vesting pursuant to stock options.

 

(7) Includes (a) 194,829 shares of common stock, (b) 47,534 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series A redeemable preferred stock, (c) 26,414 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock, (d) 38,291 shares of common stock subject to stock options exercisable within 60 days of September 30, 2010 and (e) 22,165 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, upon the closing of this offering, at 80% of the initial offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010. Excludes 272,028 shares of common stock which remain subject to vesting pursuant to stock options.

 

(8) Includes 139,164 shares of common stock and 38,307 shares of common stock subject to options exercisable within 60 days of September 30, 2010.

 

(9) Includes 77,600 shares of common stock subject to stock options exercisable within 60 days of September 30, 2010. Excludes 128,095 shares of common stock which remain subject to vesting pursuant to stock options.

 

(10) Includes 45,401 shares of common stock subject to stock options exercisable within 60 days of September 30, 2010. Excludes 29,512 shares of common stock which remain subject to vesting pursuant to stock options.

 

(11) Includes 13,916 shares of common stock.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only and is qualified in its entirety by reference to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws to be in effect at the closing of this offering, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, and to the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law. We refer in this section to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation as our certificate of incorporation, and we refer to our amended and restated by-laws as our by-laws. The description of our capital stock reflects changes to our capital structure that will occur upon the closing of this offering.

Upon closing of this offering, our authorized capital stock will consist of 125,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, all of which shares of preferred stock will be undesignated.

As of September 30, 2010, we had issued and outstanding:

 

   

1,708,129 shares of our common stock outstanding held by 22 stockholders of record; and

 

   

7,050,363 shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our redeemable convertible preferred stock, including accrued accumulated dividends, upon the closing of this offering, assuming that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010.

The number of shares issued and outstanding excludes:

 

   

1,713,150 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at a weighted average exercise price of $1.71 per share;

 

   

40,953 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options to be granted upon the closing of this offering at an exercise price equal to the initial public offering price;

 

   

107,779 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant outstanding as of September 30, 2010 at an exercise price of $6.68 per share; and

 

   

$21,314,760 of principal outstanding and all accrued interest under all of our outstanding convertible notes which is automatically convertible upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock, at 80% of the initial public offering price, assuming an initial public offering price of $ 15.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and that the closing occurs on October 26, 2010.

Common Stock

The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters properly submitted to a vote of the stockholders. The holders of our common stock do not have any cumulative voting rights. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive proportionally any dividends declared by our board of directors, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding preferred stock.

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of all debts and other liabilities, subject to the prior rights of any outstanding preferred stock. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The

 

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rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designated in the future. The shares to be issued by us in this offering will be, when issued and paid for, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

Preferred Stock

Following the closing of this offering, our board of directors will be authorized, without action by the stockholders, to designate and issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Our board of directors can fix the rights, preferences and privileges of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible future financings and acquisitions and other corporate purposes could, under certain circumstances, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control and could harm the market price of our common stock.

Our board of directors will make any determination to issue such shares based on its judgment as to our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders. We have no current plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Warrants

In March 2007, we entered into a $15 million loan and security agreement with Hercules, and borrowed $10 million under this agreement. In connection with this agreement, we entered into a warrant agreement with Hercules, which was amended in July 2009, under which Hercules has the right to purchase 387,238 shares of series A redeemable preferred stock, which will become, in accordance with its terms, a warrant to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock, at an exercise price of $6.68 per share, upon the closing of this offering.

Our warrant agreement with Hercules is exercisable for a period ending on the earlier of (i) a merger or sale of Aegerion in which the consideration consists entirely of cash and/or freely tradeable securities or (ii) the later to occur of (a) September 29, 2018 or (b) five (5) years after an initial public offering. The warrant agreement includes a customary net issuance feature, which allows Hercules to in lieu of payment of the exercise price in cash, to surrender the warrant and receive a net amount of shares based on the fair value of the shares at the time of exercise of the warrant after deduction of the aggregate exercise price.

Registration Rights

Upon the closing of the offering, holders of 8,043,216 shares of our common stock as of September 30, 2010, after giving effect to the conversion of the outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock and accumulated dividends thereon and conversion of the aggregate principal and accrued interest outstanding under all of our outstanding convertible notes into common stock upon the closing of this offering, have rights, under the terms of an investor rights agreement or a restricted stock agreement between us and these holders, to require us to use our best efforts file registration statements under the Securities Act or request that their shares be covered by a registration statement that we are otherwise filing. We refer to these shares as registrable securities. The investor rights agreement and the restricted stock agreements do not provide for any liquidated damages, penalties or other rights in the event we do not file a registration statement.

Demand Registration Rights.     Subject to certain exceptions, the holders of a majority of the then outstanding registrable securities described above have the right to demand that we file a registration statement covering the offering and sale of their registrable securities. We are not obligated to file a registration statement on more than one occasion upon the request of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding registrable securities.

 

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Form S-3 Registration Rights.     If we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, the holders of the registrable securities described above have the right, on one or more occasions, to request registration on Form S-3 of the sale of the registrable securities held by such holder provided such securities are anticipated to have an aggregate sale price, net of underwriting discounts and commissions, if any, in excess of $2.5 million. We have the ability to delay the filing of such registration statement under specified conditions, if our board of directors reasonably determines, upon the advice of counsel, that the registration would interfere with any material, non-public transaction involving us. The postponement can not exceed 90 days, and we may exercise this right only once in any 12 month period. We are not obligated to effect more than one registration of registrable securities on Form S-3 in any 12 month period.

Piggyback Registration Rights.     The holders of the registrable securities described above have piggyback registration rights. Under these provisions, if we register any securities for public sale, including pursuant to any stockholder initiated demand registration, these holders will have the right to include their shares in the registration statement, subject to customary exceptions. The underwriters of any underwritten offering will have the right to limit the number of registrable securities to be included in the registration statement, and piggyback registration rights are also subject to the priority rights of stockholders having demand registration rights in any demand registration.

Expenses of Registration.     We will pay all registration expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions and selling expenses, related to any demand, Form S-3 or piggyback registration, including reasonable attorney’s fees and disbursements of one counsel for the holders of registrable securities in an amount not to exceed an aggregate of $35,000.

Indemnification.     The investor rights agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions, under which we are obligated to indemnify the selling stockholders in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and they are obligated to indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions attributable to them.

Expiration of Registration Rights .    The registration rights granted under the investor rights agreement terminate on the earlier of the fifth anniversary of the closing of this offering and, with respect to any holder of not more than 100,000 registrable securities, when the holder can sell all of their registrable securities under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act without regard to time or volume limitations.

Additional Registration Rights .    In addition, holders of 1,100,632 shares of our common stock, including Dr. Gotto, one of our directors, and Mr. Lewis, our President, and Hercules, a holder of a warrant that will become exercisable for shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering, are also entitled to piggyback registration rights any time we propose to register any of our securities for public sale, subject to customary exceptions. The piggyback rights are for registration of securities on the same terms as other holders of securities of the same class included in the offering, subject to certain limitations by the underwriters. We plan to obtain waivers of these rights from each of these stockholders in connection with this offering.

Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws

Upon the closing of this offering, our certificate of incorporation and by-laws will include a number of provisions that may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing another party from acquiring control of us and encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals to negotiate with our board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include the items described below.

Board Composition and Filling Vacancies.     In accordance with our certificate of incorporation, our board will be divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, with one class being elected each year. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that directors may be removed only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% or more of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors.

 

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Furthermore, any vacancy on our board of directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of our board, may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office even if less than a quorum.

No Written Consent of Stockholders.     Our certificate of incorporation provides that all stockholder actions are required to be taken by a vote of the stockholders at an annual or special meeting, and that stockholders may not take any action by written consent in lieu of a meeting. This limit may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions and would prevent the amendment of our by-laws or removal of directors by our stockholders without holding a meeting of stockholders.

Meetings of Stockholders.     Our certificate of incorporation and by-laws provide that only a majority of the members of our board of directors then in office may call special meetings of stockholders and only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders. Our by-laws limit the business that may be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders to those matters properly brought before the meeting.

Advance Notice Requirements.     Our by-laws establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. The notice must contain certain information specified in the by-laws.

Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws.     As required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, any amendment of our certificate of incorporation must first be approved by a majority of our board of directors, and if required by law or our certificate of incorporation, must thereafter be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment and a majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to stockholder action, board composition, limitation of liability and the amendment of our certificate of incorporation must be approved by not less than 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than 75% of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Our by-laws may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, subject to any limitations set forth in the by-laws; and may also be amended by the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, or, if our board of directors recommends that the stockholders approve the amendment, by the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, in each case voting together as a single class.

Undesignated Preferred Stock.     Our certificate of incorporation provides for 5,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock may enable our board of directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of our stockholders, our board of directors could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder or stockholder group. In this regard, our certificate of incorporation grants our board of directors broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.

 

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Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporate Law

Upon the closing of this offering, we will be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock. Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions:

 

   

before the stockholder became interested, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

   

upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and employee stock plans, in some instances, but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder; or

 

   

at or after the time the stockholder became interested, the business combination was approved by our board of directors of the corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, but not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Section 203 defines a business combination to include:

 

   

any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;

 

   

any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition involving the interested stockholder of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation;

 

   

subject to exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance of transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder;

 

   

subject to exceptions, any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interest stockholder; and

 

   

the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits provided by or through the corporation.

NASDAQ Global Market Listing

We have applied to have our common stock listed on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “AEGR.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock will be Registrar and Transfer Company.

 

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock, and a liquid trading market for our common stock may not develop or be sustained after this offering. Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, including shares issued upon exercise of outstanding options and warrants or in the public market after this offering, or the anticipation of these sales, could adversely affect market prices prevailing from time to time and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of equity securities in the future.

Upon the closing of this offering, we will have outstanding an aggregate of 15,383,937 shares of common stock, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option and no options or warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2010 are exercised.

Of the shares to be outstanding immediately after the closing of this offering, we expect that 4,666,667 shares will be freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act unless purchased by our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The remaining shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering will be “restricted securities” under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, and substantially all of these shares will be subject to a 180-day lock-up period under the lock-up agreements as described below. “Restricted securities” as defined under Rule 144 were issued and sold by us in reliance on exemptions from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. These shares may be sold in the public market only if registered or pursuant to an exemption from registration, such as Rule 144 or Rule 701 under the Securities Act. Resale of the restricted shares that will become available for sale in the public market starting 180 days after the date of this prospectus will be limited by volume and other resale restrictions under Rule 144 because certain holders are our affiliates.

Lock-Up Agreements

We, our officers and directors and holders of substantially all of our outstanding stock, options and warrants have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to sell or transfer any common stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, common stock, during a period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus, subject to extension, without first obtaining the written consent of Leerink Swann LLC and Lazard Capital Markets LLC. Specifically, we and these other individuals and entities have agreed not to:

 

   

offer, pledge, sell or contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock; or

 

   

enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock.

The lock-up restrictions and specified exceptions are described in more detail under “Underwriting — Lock-Up Agreements.”

Rule 144

In general, under Rule 144, beginning 90 days after the date of this prospectus, any person who is not our affiliate and has held their shares for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, may sell shares without restriction. In addition, under Rule 144, any person who is not an affiliate of ours and has held their shares for at least one year, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, would be entitled to sell an unlimited number of shares immediately upon the closing of this offering without regard to whether current public information about us is available.

 

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Beginning 90 days after the date of this prospectus, a person who is our affiliate or who was our affiliate at any time during the preceding three months and who has beneficially owned restricted securities for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, is entitled to sell a number of shares within any three-month period that does not exceed the greater of:

 

   

1% of the number of shares of our common stock then outstanding, which will equal approximately shares immediately after this offering; and

 

   

the average weekly trading volume of our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a Notice of Proposed Sale of Securities Pursuant to Rule 144 with respect to the sale.

Sales under Rule 144 by our affiliates are also subject to manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.

Upon expiration of the 180-day lock-up period described above, approximately shares of our common stock will be eligible for sale under Rule 144, including shares eligible for resale immediately upon the closing of this offering as described above. We cannot estimate the number of shares of our common stock that our existing stockholders will elect to sell under Rule 144.

Rule 701

In general, under Rule 701 of the Securities Act, any of our employees, consultants or advisors, other than our affiliates, who purchased shares from us in connection with a qualified compensatory stock plan or other written agreement is eligible to resell these shares 90 days after the date of this prospectus in reliance on Rule 144, but without compliance with the holding period requirements of Rule 144 and without regard to the volume of such sales or the availability of public information about us. Subject to the 180-day lock-up period described above, approximately shares of our common stock will be eligible for sale in accordance with Rule 701.

Registration Rights

Subject to the lock-up agreements described above, upon closing of this offering, the holders of              shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase up to 9,143,848 shares of our common stock will be entitled to require us to register these shares under the Securities Act under specified circumstances. After registration pursuant to these rights, these shares will become freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act. These registration rights are described in more detail under “Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights.”

Equity Incentive Plans

We intend to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register all shares of common stock subject to outstanding stock options and common stock issuable under our 2006 Option Plan and 2010 Option Plan. We expect to file the registration statement covering shares offered pursuant to our stock plans shortly after the date of this prospectus, permitting the resale of such shares by non-affiliates in the public market without restriction under the Securities Act and the sale by affiliates in the public market, subject to compliance with the resale provisions of Rule 144. Our equity incentive plans are described in more detail under “Executive Compensation — Stock and Benefit Plans.”

 

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UNDERWRITING

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in an underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus among us and the underwriters named below, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each underwriter has severally agreed to purchase from us, the number of shares of common stock listed next to its name in the following table. Leerink Swann LLC and Lazard Capital Markets LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering and as representatives of the underwriters.

 

Underwriters

   Number of
Shares

Leerink Swann LLC

  

Lazard Capital Markets LLC

  

Needham & Company, LLC

  

Canaccord Genuity Inc.

  

Collins Stewart LLC

  
    

Total

  
    

The underwriters are committed to purchase all the shares of common stock offered by us if they purchase any shares. The underwriting agreement also provides that if an underwriter defaults, the purchase commitments of nondefaulting underwriters may be increased or the offering may be terminated. The underwriters are not obligated to purchase the shares of common stock covered by the underwriters’ over-allotment option described below. The underwriters are offering the shares, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to approval of legal matters by their counsel, and other conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, such as the receipt by the underwriters of officer’s certificates and legal opinions. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.

Discounts and Commissions

The underwriters propose initially to offer the shares to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to dealers at that price less a concession not in excess of $              per share. After the initial offering of the shares, the public offering price and other selling terms may be changed by the representatives.

The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discounts and commissions and proceeds before expenses to us. The information assumes either no exercise or full exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option.

 

       Per Share    Without Option    With Option

Public offering price

        

Underwriting discounts and commissions

        

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

        

The total estimated expenses of the offering, including registration, filing and listing fees, printing fees and legal and accounting expenses, but excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, are approximately $2.0 million and are payable by us.

Lazard Frères & Co. LLC referred this transaction to Lazard Capital Markets LLC and will receive a referral fee from Lazard Capital Markets LLC in connection therewith.

 

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Over-Allotment Option

We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to 700,000 additional shares of common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters may exercise this option for 30 days from the date of this prospectus solely to cover sales of shares of common stock by the underwriters in excess of the total number of shares set forth in the table above. If any shares are purchased pursuant to this over-allotment option, the underwriters will purchase the additional shares in approximately the same proportion as shown in the table above. If any of these additional shares are purchased, the underwriters will offer the additional shares on the same terms as those on which the shares are being offered. We will pay the expenses associated with the exercise of the over-allotment option.

Initial Public Offering Pricing

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. The initial public offering price will be negotiated between us and the representatives. Among the factors considered in these negotiations are:

 

   

the prospects for our company and the industry in which we operate;

 

   

our past and present financial and operating performance;

 

   

financial and operating information and market valuations of publicly traded companies engaged in activities similar to ours;

 

   

the prevailing conditions of U.S. securities markets at the time of this offering; and

 

   

other factors deemed relevant.

The estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover of this preliminary prospectus is subject to change as a result of market conditions and other factors.

Lock-Up Agreements

We, our officers and directors and holders of substantially all of our outstanding stock, options and warrants have entered into lock-up agreements with the underwriters. Under these agreements, we and these other individuals have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to sell or transfer any common stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, common stock, during a period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus, without first obtaining the written consent of Leerink Swann LLC and Lazard Capital Markets LLC. Specifically, we and these other individuals have agreed not to:

 

   

offer, pledge, sell or contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock; or

 

   

enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock, whether any such transaction described above is to be settled by delivery of common stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise.

The restrictions described above do not apply to:

 

   

the sale of shares of common stock to the underwriters pursuant to the underwriting agreement;

 

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the issuance by us of shares of common stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date of this prospectus of which the underwriters have been advised in writing or that is described in this prospectus;

 

   

the grant by us of stock options or other stock-based awards, or the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise thereof, to eligible participants pursuant to employee benefit or equity incentive plans described in this prospectus, provided that, prior to the grant of any such stock options or other stock-based awards that vest within the restricted period, each recipient of such grant shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement agreeing to be subject to the restrictions on transfer described above;

 

   

transactions by security holders relating to any shares of common stock acquired from the underwriters in connection with this offering;

 

   

transactions by security holders relating to any shares of common stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the closing of this offering;

 

   

transfers of shares of common stock by security holders in connection with a merger, reorganization or consolidation of us with or into another entity, including through the purchase of our outstanding capital stock, pursuant to which our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction will own less than 50% of the surviving entity’s voting power after such transaction;

 

   

the establishment of a 10b-5 trading plan under the Exchange Act by a security holder for the sale of shares of common stock, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of common stock during the restricted period;

 

   

transfers by security holders of shares of common stock or other securities as a bona fide gift or by will or intestacy;

 

   

transfers by distribution by security holders of shares of common stock or other securities to partners, members, or shareholders of the security holder; or

 

   

transfers by security holders of shares of common stock or other securities to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the security holder or the immediate family of the security holder;

provided that in the case of each of the preceding three types of transactions, the transfer does not involve a disposition for value and each transferee or distributee signs and delivers a lock-up agreement agreeing to be subject to the restrictions on transfer described above.

The 180-day restricted period is subject to extension if (1) during the last 17 days of the restricted period we issue an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to us occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the restricted period, we announce that we will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the restricted period, in which case the restrictions imposed in the lock-up agreements will continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

Indemnification

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make for these liabilities.

 

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NASDAQ Global Market Listing

We have applied to have our common stock listed on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “AEGR.”

Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

In order to facilitate the offering of our common stock, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of our common stock. In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell our common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, purchases on the open market to cover positions created by short sales and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares of common stock than they are required to purchase in the offering. “Covered” short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of common stock in the offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option or purchasing shares of common stock in the open market. In determining the source of shares of common stock to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option. “Naked” short sales are sales in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares of common stock in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of our common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of shares of common stock made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering.

Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market.

The underwriters have advised us that, pursuant to Regulation M of the Securities Act, they may also engage in other activities that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of our common stock, including the imposition of penalty bids. This means that if the representatives of the underwriters purchase common stock in the open market in stabilizing transactions or to cover short sales, the representatives can require the underwriters that sold those shares as part of this offering to repay the underwriting discount received by them.

The underwriters make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. In addition, neither we nor the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Shares

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by one or more underwriters or selling group members, if any, participating in the offering. The underwriters may agree to allocate a number of shares of common stock to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the representatives to underwriters and selling group members that may make Internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ websites and any information contained in any other website maintained by the underwriters is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

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Notice to Non-U.S. Investors

In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area that has implemented the Prospectus Directive, each of which we refer to as a relevant member state, with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that relevant member state, or the relevant implementation date, an offer of securities described in this prospectus may not be made to the public in that relevant member state other than:

 

   

to legal entities that are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities;

 

   

to any legal entity that has two or more of (1) an average of at least 250 employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000 and (3) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in its last annual or consolidated accounts;

 

   

to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior consent of representatives for any such offer; or

 

   

in any other circumstances that do not require the publication of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive;

provided that no such offer of securities shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of shares to the public” in relation to any shares of common stock in any relevant member state means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the shares, as the same may be varied in that member state by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that member state and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant implementing measure in each relevant member state.

Other Relationships

From time to time, certain of the underwriters and their affiliates have provided, and may provide in the future, various advisory, investment and commercial banking and other services to us in the ordinary course of business, for which they have received and may continue to receive customary fees and commissions.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock offered in this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel for the underwriters in connection with this offering.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our financial statements at December 31, 2009 and 2008, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2009, as set forth in their report (which contains an explanatory paragraph describing conditions that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements). We have included our financial statements in the prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-168721) under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information pertaining to us and our common stock, you should refer to the registration statement and to its exhibits. For further information with respect to us and the common stock offered by this prospectus, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits to the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract, agreement or any other document are not necessarily complete, and in each instance, we refer you to the copy of the contract, agreement or any other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. Each of these statements is qualified in all respects by this reference.

You may read and copy the registration statement for this offering at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, which is located at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. You may also obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet website, which is located at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. You may access a copy of the registration statement for this offering at the SEC’s Internet site.

Upon the closing of the offering, we will be subject to the informational and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and we will file reports, proxy and information statements and other information with the SEC. These reports, proxy and information statements and other information will be available for inspection and copying at the Public Reference Room and website of the SEC, as described above.

 

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Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Index to Financial Statements

Contents

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   F-2

Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2008 and 2009

   F-3

Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December  31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and the Period From February 4, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2009

   F-4

Statements of Stockholders’ Deficiency for the Period From February  4, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2009

   F-5

Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December  31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and the Period From February 4, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2009

   F-7

Notes to Financial Statements

   F-8

Unaudited Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010

   F-31

Unaudited Statements of Operations for the Six Months Ended June  30, 2009 and 2010, and the Period From February 4, 2005 (Inception) to June 30, 2010

   F-32

Unaudited Statements of Cash Flows for the Six Months Ended June  30, 2009 and 2010, and the Period from February 4, 2005 (Inception) to June 30, 2010

   F-33

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements

   F-34

 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a development stage company) as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the related statements of operations, stockholders’ deficiency and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2009 and the period from February 4, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2009. 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. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Company’s 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, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2009 and the period from February 4, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2009, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will continue as a going concern. As more fully described in Note 1, the Company is in the development stage, and has no established source of revenue and is dependent on its ability to raise capital from shareholders and other sources to sustain operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Ernst & Young LLP

MetroPark, New Jersey

August 9, 2010,

except for the paragraph under the caption “Common Stock Split” within Note 1, as to which the date is

October     , 2010

The foregoing report is in the form that will be signed upon the completion of the reverse stock split of the common stock of the Company as described under the caption “Common Stock Split” within Note 1 to the financial statements.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

MetroPark, New Jersey

October 7, 2010

 

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Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Balance Sheets

 

     December 31,  
     2008     2009  
Assets     

Current assets:

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 9,004,978      $ 1,429,126   

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     614,006        535,921   
                

Total current assets

     9,618,984        1,965,047   
                

Property and equipment, net

     43,120        14,731   

Investments in securities

     564,241        645,000   

Other assets

     25,200        25,200   
                

Total assets

   $ 10,251,545      $ 2,649,978   
                
Liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency     

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable

   $ 828,607      $ 403,605   

Accrued compensation

     731,241        343,443   

Other accrued liabilities

     1,205,751        1,426,696   

Notes payable

     7,160,061        5,252,423   

Convertible notes

     8,937,626        14,843,300   

Warrant liability

     392,649        567,074   
                

Total current liabilities

     19,255,935        22,836,541   
                

Commitments and contingencies

    

Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 13,000,000 shares authorized, 12,211,604 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2008 and 2009 (aggregate liquidation preference of $27,726,871 and $29,868,336 as of December 31, 2008 and 2009, respectively)

     27,663,287        29,633,656   

Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 6,650,000 shares authorized, 3,810,773 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2008 and 2009 (aggregate liquidation preference of $19,029,654 and $20,361,729 as of December 31, 2008 and 2009, respectively)

     18,953,384        20,306,416   

Stockholders’ deficiency:

    

Common stock, $0.001 par value, 30,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2008 and 2009; 1,811,897 shares issued at December 31, 2008 and 2009; 1,708,140 shares outstanding at December 31, 2008 and 2009

     4,424        4,424   

Treasury Stock, at cost; 103,757 shares at December 31, 2008 and 2009

     (373     (373

Additional paid-in capital

     3,038,845        648,514   

Deficit accumulated during the development stage

     (58,663,957     (70,859,959

Accumulated other comprehensive income

            80,759   
                

Total stockholders’ deficiency

     (55,621,061     (70,126,635
                

Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency

   $ 10,251,545      $ 2,649,978   
                

See accompanying notes.

 

F-3


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Operations

 

    Year Ended December 31,     Period From
February 4, 2005
(Inception) to
December 31,

2009
 
    2007     2008     2009    

Costs and expenses:

       

Research and development

  $ 13,542,330      $ 17,712,353      $ 7,040,682      $ 42,238,539   

General and administrative

    6,078,808        5,184,970        3,074,848        18,623,396   
                               

Total costs and expenses

    19,621,138        22,897,323        10,115,530        60,861,935   
                               

Loss from operations

    (19,621,138     (22,897,323     (10,115,530     (60,861,935

Interest expense

    (1,047,797     (1,126,974     (2,083,208     (4,493,957

Interest income

    1,007,924        533,089        177,161        2,607,380   

Change in fair value of warrant liability

    237,221        90,730        (174,425     153,526   

Other than temporary impairment on securities

    (770,452     (1,665,307            (2,435,759

Other income, net

           30,750               30,750   
                               

Net loss

    (20,194,242     (25,035,035     (12,196,002     (64,999,995

Less: accretion of preferred stock dividends and other deemed dividends

    (3,657,752     (6,241,923     (3,286,654     (14,912,516
                               

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

  $ (23,851,994   $ (31,276,958   $ (15,482,656   $ (79,912,511
                               

Net loss attributable to common stockholders per common share — basic and diluted

  $ (19.15   $ (20.92   $ (9.35  
                         

Weighted-average shares outstanding — basic and diluted

    1,245,246        1,495,375        1,656,732     
                         
       

Unaudited basic and diluted pro forma net loss attributable to common stockholders per share

      $ (1.45  
             

Unaudited basic and diluted pro forma weighted-average shares outstanding

        10,665,873     
             

See accompanying notes.

 

F-4


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Stockholders’ Deficiency

Period From February 4, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2009

 

     Common Stock    Subscription
Receivable
    Additional
Paid-in

Capital
    Treasury Stock    Deficit
Accumulated
During the
Development
Stage
    Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
   Total
Stockholders’
Deficiency
 
     Shares    Capital        Shares    Income        

Balance at February 4, 2005 (inception)

      $    $      $         $    $      $    $   

Issuance of common stock to founders

   3,601,843      3,602             1,698                            5,300   

Issuance of common stock for services

   152,908      153             139,543                            139,696   

Subscription receivable

             (200                                (200

Stock-based compensation resulting from restricted stock granted to employees

   339,797      340             6,617                            6,957   

Shares issued with convertible debt

   30,540      30             27,828                            27,858   

Accretion of preferred stock dividend

                    (74,162                         (74,162

Accretion of preferred issuance cost

                    (1,097                         (1,097

Beneficial conversion — Series A

                    187,250                            187,250   

Net loss

                                   (1,406,620          (1,406,620
                                                               

Balance at December 31, 2005

   4,125,088      4,125      (200     287,677                (1,406,620          (1,115,018

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock options granted to employees and board of director

   33,979      34             265,138                            265,172   

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock granted to nonemployees

   265,041      265             257,352                            257,617   

Accretion of preferred stock dividend

                    (783,842             (868,183          (1,652,025

Accretion of preferred issuance costs

                    (26,325                         (26,325

Net loss

                              (6,168,096          (6,168,096
                                                               

Balance at December 31, 2006

   4,424,108      4,424      (200                    (8,442,899          (8,438,675

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock options granted to employees and board of director

                    1,117,561                            1,117,561   

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock granted to nonemployees

                    654,515                            654,515   

Accretion of preferred stock dividend

                    (1,828,581                         (1,828,581

Accretion of preferred issuance costs

                    (28,062                         (28,062

Beneficial conversion — Series B

                    1,829,171                (1,829,171            

Subscription receivable

             200                                   200   

Net loss

                                   (20,194,242          (20,194,242
                                                               

Balance at December 31, 2007

   4,424,108      4,424             1,744,604                (30,466,312          (28,717,284

 

F-5


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Stockholders’ Deficiency — (Continued)

Period From February 4, 2005 (Inception) to December 31, 2009

 

     Common Stock    Subscription
Receivable
   Additional
Paid-in

Capital
    Treasury Stock     Deficit
Accumulated

During the
Development
Stage
    Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
   Total
Stockholders’
Deficiency
 
     Shares    Capital         Shares    Capital         

Balance at December 31, 2007

   4,424,108    $ 4,424    $    $ 1,744,604         $      $ (30,466,312   $    $ (28,717,284

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock options granted to employees and board of director

                  1,055,068                              1,055,068   

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock granted to nonemployees

                  192,624                              192,624   

Accretion of preferred stock dividend

                  (3,079,313                           (3,079,313

Accretion of preferred issuance costs

                  (36,748                           (36,748

Beneficial conversion — Series B

                  3,162,610                  (3,162,610            

Repurchase of common stock

                       253,344      (373            (373

Net loss

                                   (25,035,035          (25,035,035
                                                               

Balance at December 31, 2008

   4,424,108      4,424           3,038,845      253,344      (373     (58,663,957          (55,621,061

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock options granted to employees and board of director

                  876,540                              876,540   

Stock-based compensation resulting from stock granted to nonemployees

                  56,529                              56,529   

Accretion of preferred stock dividend

                  (3,286,654                           (3,286,654

Accretion of preferred issuance costs

                  (36,746                           (36,746

Net loss

                                   (12,196,002          (12,196,002

Change in unrealized gain on available for sale securities

                                          80,759      80,759   
                             

Comprehensive loss

                                               (12,115,243
                                                               

Balance at December 31, 2009

   4,424,108    $ 4,424    $    $ 648,514      253,344    $ (373   $ (70,859,959   $ 80,759    $ (70,126,635
                                                               

See accompanying notes.

 

F-6


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Cash Flows

 

    Year Ended December 31,     Period From
February 4,
2005
(Inception) to
December 31,

2009
 
    2007     2008     2009    

Operating activities

       

Net loss

  $ (20,194,242   $ (25,035,035   $ (12,196,002   $ (64,999,995

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

       

Depreciation and amortization

    17,460        24,185        28,389        77,451   

Noncash stock-based compensation

    1,772,076        1,247,692        933,069        4,623,239   

Noncash interest expense

    165,584        315,476        1,041,628        1,758,666   

Mark to market of warrant liability

    (237,221     (90,730     174,425        (153,526

Impairment loss on investments in securities

    770,452        1,665,307               2,435,759   

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

       

Prepaid expenses and other assets

    (865,054     1,149,848        78,085        184,356   

Accounts payable

    1,450,545        (744,293     (425,001     403,606   

Accrued compensation

    140,767        221,202        (387,798     343,443   

Other accrued liabilities

    1,373,483        (744,008     220,946        1,426,697   
                               

Net cash used in operating activities

    (15,606,150     (21,990,356     (10,532,259     (53,900,304

Investing activities

       

Purchases of property and equipment

    (55,439                   (92,182

Purchases of marketable securities

    (24,713,000                   (24,713,000

Sales of marketable securities

    21,713,000                      21,713,000   
                               

Net cash used in investing activities

    (3,055,439                   (3,092,182

Financing activities

       

Deferred financing fees

    (745,477                   (745,477

Proceeds from issuances of convertible notes

           8,814,761        4,999,946        14,563,707   

Proceeds from issuances of notes payable

    10,000,000        7,525,000               17,525,000   

Payment of notes payable

    (265,173     (9,737,362     (2,043,539     (12,046,074

Payment of subscription receivable

    200                      200   

Proceeds from issuances of common stock

                         4,140   

Proceeds from issuances of preferred stock, net

    17,502,106                      39,120,489   

Repurchase of common stock

           (373            (373
                               

Net cash provided by financing activities

    26,491,656        6,602,026        2,956,407        58,421,612   
                               

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

    7,830,067        (15,388,330     (7,575,852     1,429,126   

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

    16,563,241        24,393,308        9,004,978          
                               

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

  $ 24,393,308      $ 9,004,978      $ 1,429,126      $ 1,429,126   
                               

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information

       

Accretion of preferred stock dividends and issuance costs

  $ 1,856,643      $ 3,116,061      $ 3,323,400      $ 10,049,713   
                               

Warrant issued with notes payable

  $ 720,600      $      $      $ 720,600   
                               

Series B redeemable preferred stock beneficial conversion

  $ 1,829,171      $ 3,162,610      $      $ 4,991,781   
                               

Cash paid interest expense

  $ 882,212      $ 811,498      $ 1,041,580      $ 2,735,290   
                               

See accompanying notes.

 

F-7


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements

December 31, 2009

 

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Organization and Basis of Presentation

Organization

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company” or “Aegerion”) is an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders. The Company’s activities since inception have consisted principally of acquiring product and technology rights, raising capital, establishing facilities and performing research and development. Accordingly, the Company is considered to be in the development stage as defined by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 915-10, Development Stage Entities — Overall . The Company operates in one business segment.

Lipids are naturally occurring molecules, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, that are transported in the blood. The Company’s lead compound, lomitapide, is a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor, or MTP-I, which limits secretion of cholesterol and triglycerides from the intestines and the liver, the main sources of lipids in the body. The Company is initially developing lomitapide, as an oral, once-a-day treatment for patients with a rare genetic lipid disorder called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. These patients are at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events as a result of extremely elevated cholesterol levels in the blood.

The Company is currently evaluating lomitapide in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with HoFH. If this single-arm, open-label trial is successful, the Company plans to submit a New Drug Application, or NDA, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, before the end of 2011 and a Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, in 2012. In October 2007, the FDA granted lomitapide orphan drug designation for the treatment of HoFH. In July 2010, the Company submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for the same indication. Subject to obtaining marketing approval, the Company plans to recruit a highly targeted team, comprised of sales representatives and medical education specialists who are experienced in marketing drugs for the treatment of rare, often genetic, disorders, for the commercialization of lomitapide in the United States and the European Union.

In addition to HoFH, the Company also in the process of developing a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with a severe genetic form of elevated triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridemia, called familial chylomicronemia, or FC. In July 2010, the Company submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of FC, and the Company plans to make a similar request with the FDA in the second half of 2010.

Liquidity

The Company has incurred significant losses from operations since its inception and expects losses to continue for the foreseeable future during its development phase. The Company’s success depends primarily on the successful development and regulatory approval of its product candidates. From February 4, 2005 (inception) through December 31, 2009, the Company had a deficit accumulated during the development stage of $70.9 million. Also, at December 31, 2009, the Company’s current assets totaled approximately $2.0 million compared to current liabilities of $22.8 million resulting in a working capital deficiency of approximately $20.8 million.

 

F-8


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

The Company expects its research and development expenses to increase in connection with its ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and its planned Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC and other potential studies of lomitapide. In addition, if the Company obtains marketing approval for lomitapide, it may incur significant sales, marketing, in-licensing and outsourced manufacturing expenses, as well as continued research and development expenses. Furthermore, upon the closing of the initial public offering, the Company expects to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. As a result, the Company expects to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future.

The Company may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements. If adequate funds are not available to the Company on a timely basis, or at all, the Company may be required to terminate or delay clinical trials or other development activities for lomitapide or for one or more indications for which it is developing lomitapide, or delay its establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize lomitapide, if the Company obtains marketing approval.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on its ability to raise additional capital, to fund its research and development and commercial programs and meet its obligations on a timely basis. If the Company is unable to successfully raise sufficient additional capital, through future debt and equity financings and/or strategic and collaborative ventures with potential partners, the Company will likely not have sufficient cash flows and liquidity to fund its business operations, which could significantly limit its ability to continue as a going concern. In that event, the Company may be forced to further limit many, if not all, of its programs and consider other means of creating value for its stockholders, such as licensing the development and commercialization of products that it considers valuable and would otherwise likely develop itself. If the Company is unable to raise the necessary capital, it may be forced to curtail all of its activities and, ultimately, potentially cease operations. Even if the Company is able to raise additional capital, such financings may only be available on unattractive terms, or could result in significant dilution of stockholders’ interests. The balance sheets do not include any adjustments relating to recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue in existence.

Unaudited Pro Forma Information

Unaudited net loss per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding and gives effect to (i) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of the Company’s shares of Series A and B redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 7,050,363 shares of common stock, (ii) the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, including the August and October 2010 issuances, at 80% of the initial offering price, into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock excluding the effect of the beneficial conversion charge that will be recorded upon the conversion of the convertible notes, (iii) as if they had occurred at the beginning of fiscal year 2009 and (iv) assuming the closing of the public offering occurs on October 26, 2010.

Common Stock Split

On October     , 2010, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1 for 2.4417 reverse stock split of the Company’s outstanding common stock. The reverse split became effective on October     , 2010. The accompanying financial statements and notes to the financial statements give retroactive effect to the reverse stock split for all periods presented.

 

F-9


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, securities, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, notes payable, convertible notes and warrant liability. Fair value estimates of these instruments are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant market information. These estimates may be subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment and therefore cannot be determined with precision. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, notes payable and convertible notes are generally considered to be representative of their respective fair values because of the short-term nature of those instruments. The fair value of the Company’s investments in securities are based upon observable and unobservable inputs, as described further below.

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value are reported using a three-level fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. This hierarchy maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

 

   

Level 1  — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.

 

   

Level 2  — Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

 

   

Level 3  — Inputs that are unobservable for the asset or liability.

As of December 31, 2009, the Company held par value $3.0 million of investments in auction rate securities as discussed further in Note 3. During prior periods, the Company deemed these investments to have an other than temporary impairment and the impairment was charged entirely to earnings. The Company’s investments in securities are classified within Level 2 and 3 of the fair value hierarchy using inputs that are observable or unobservable for the asset or liability. The fair value measurements of the Company’s investments in securities and warrant liability at December 31, 2008 and 2009 are summarized in the tables below:

 

     Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
   Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
   Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
   Balance at
December 31,
2008

Assets:

           

Auction rate securities

   $    $    $ 414,241    $ 414,241

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

          150,000         $ 150,000
                           

Total assets at fair value

   $    $ 150,000    $ 414,241    $ 564,241
                           

Liabilities:

           

Warrant

   $    $    $ 392,649    $ 392,649
                           

Total liabilities at fair value

   $    $    $ 392,649    $ 392,649
                           

 

F-10


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

     Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
   Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
   Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
   Balance at
December 31,
2009

Assets:

           

Auction rate securities

   $    $    $ 495,000    $ 495,000

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

          150,000           150,000
                           

Total assets at fair value

   $    $ 150,000    $ 495,000    $ 645,000
                           

Liabilities:

           

Warrant

   $    $    $ 567,074    $ 567,074
                           

Total liabilities at fair value

   $    $    $ 567,074    $ 567,074
                           

The changes in fair value of the Company’s Level 3 financial instruments during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     Level 3  
     Auction rate
securities
    Warrant
liability
 

Balance at January 1, 2007

   $      $ 720,600   

Purchase of auction rate securities

     1,500,000          

Other-than-temporary impairment included in net loss

     (66,000       

Fair value adjustment included in net loss

            (237,221
                

Balance at December 31, 2007

     1,434,000        483,379   

Other-than-temporary impairment included in net loss

     (1,019,759       

Fair value adjustment included in net loss

            (90,730
                

Balance at December 31, 2008

     414,241        392,649   

Unrealized gain recorded in other comprehensive loss

     80,759          

Fair value adjustment included in net loss

            174,425   
                

Balance at December 31, 2009

   $ 495,000      $ 567,074   
                

The estimated fair value of the auction rate securities is derived through discounted cash flows, a Level 3 input. The Company’s discounted cash flow analysis considered, among other things, the quality of the underlying collateral, the credit rating of the issuer, an estimate of when these securities are either expected to have a successful auction or otherwise return to par value, the expected interest income to be received over this period, and the estimated required rate of return for investors that may be willing to purchase such a security. The Company also considered third-party valuations, to the extent available, and similar securities priced in the marketplace when arriving at the estimated fair value. At December 31, 2009, the Company’s auction rate securities were reflected at 33% of par value.

The estimated fair value of the Company’s auction rate security that was converted to preferred stock is estimated by analyzing similar securities in the marketplace, a Level 2 input. The Company also considers the fair value of the underlying collateral and credit rating of the issuer. Based on observed settlements of similar securities, the preferred stock was recorded at 10% of par value at December 31, 2009.

The estimated fair value of the Company’s warrant liability is determined using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, a Level 3 input. The significant assumptions used in estimating the fair value of the Company’s

 

F-11


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

warrant liability as of December 31, 2009 include the strike price ($1.86), estimate for volatility (150%), risk free interest rate (3.42%), estimated fair value of the preferred shares ($1.51) and the estimated life of the warrant (8.7 years).

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less.

Investments in Securities

The Company’s investments primarily consist of auction rate securities which are variable-rate debt securities and an investment in preferred stock (see Note 3). These investments are classified as available-for-sale since it is the Company’s intent to sell the securities when a market opportunity is available and are reported at fair value on the Company’s balance sheet. Unrealized gains and losses on these investments are reported within accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) as a separate component of stockholders’ deficiency. If a decline in the fair value of a marketable security below the Company’s cost basis is determined to be other than temporary, such marketable security is written down to its estimated fair value as a new cost basis and the amount of the write-down is included in earnings as an impairment charge.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which range from three to seven years, using the straight-line method.

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs include costs directly attributable to the Company’s offering of its equity securities and its debt financing. These costs are deferred and are capitalized as part of other assets. Costs attributable to equity offerings are charged against the proceeds of the offering once completed. Costs attributable to debt financing are deferred and amortized over the term of the financing. During 2008, the Company expensed approximately $745,000 of deferred financing fees associated with the Company’s initial public offering that was not completed. The Company had approximately $178,000 of deferred financing fees in current assets associated with short-term debt as of December 31, 2009.

Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets to be held and used are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Determination of recoverability is based on an estimate of undiscounted future cash flows resulting from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. In the event that such cash flows are not expected to be sufficient to recover the carrying amount of the assets, the assets are written down to their estimated fair values. Long-lived assets to be disposed are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are comprised primarily of costs for personnel, including salaries and benefits; clinical studies performed by third parties; materials and supplies to support the Company’s clinical

 

F-12


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

programs; contracted research; manufacturing; related consulting arrangements; costs related to upfront and milestone payments under license agreements; and other expenses incurred to sustain the Company’s overall research and development programs. Internal research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Third-party research and development costs are expensed at the earlier of when the contracted work has been performed or as upfront and milestone payments are made. Clinical trial expenses require certain estimates. The Company estimates these costs based upon a cost per patient that varies depending on the site of the clinical trial.

Warrant

The Company has a warrant outstanding as of December 31, 2009 held by Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., or Hercules, to purchase an aggregate of 387,238 shares of series A redeemable convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $1.86 per share, which will become, in accordance with its terms, a warrant to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.68 per share upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering. The warrant is exercisable over a period of 10 years from the date of issuance and had a remaining life of 8.7 years at December 31, 2009. The Company accounts for its warrant in accordance with ASC 480-10, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity — Overall, which requires that a financial instrument, other than an outstanding share, that, at inception, is indexed to an obligation to repurchase the issuer’s equity shares, regardless of the timing or likelihood of the redemption shall be classified as a liability. The Company measures the fair value of its warrant liability using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model with changes in fair value recognized in earnings. Any modification to the warrant liability is recorded in earnings during the period of the modification.

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company’s financial instruments that are exposed to credit risks consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and available for sale investment securities. The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents in bank accounts, which, at times, exceed federally insured limits.

Cumulative Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

The carrying value of the redeemable preferred stock is increased by periodic accretions so that the carrying amount will equal the redemption amount at the earliest redemption date. These increases have been charged to additional paid-in-capital until that balance is reduced to zero, and any remaining accretion will subsequently be charged to deficit accumulated during the development stage.

Income Taxes

The Company uses the asset and liability method to account for income taxes, including the recognition of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities for the anticipated future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statements amounts and their respective tax bases. The Company reviews its deferred tax assets for recovery. A valuation allowance is established when the Company believes that it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will not be realized. Changes in valuation allowances from period to period are included in the Company’s tax provision in the period of change.

On January 1, 2009, the Company adopted the authoritative guidance related to accounting for uncertain income tax positions. This authoritative interpretation clarified and standardized the manner by which companies are required to account for uncertain income tax positions. Under this guidance, the Company may recognize the

 

F-13


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination based on the technical merits of the position. The amount of the accrual for which an exposure exists is measured as the largest amount of benefit determined on a cumulative probability basis that the Company believes is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement of the position. This interpretation also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosures and transition. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In the event the Company recognizes any interest or penalties, related to uncertain tax positions, the accounting policy of the Company is to record the interest or penalty in the financial statements as interest expense. The Company did not incur any interest or penalties related to income tax during the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008. Tax returns for all years 2005 and thereafter are subject to future examination by tax authorities.

Net Loss Attributable to Common Stockholders Per Share

The Company has determined that its series A and B redeemable convertible preferred stock represent participating securities since both securities participate equally with common stock in dividends and unallocated income.

Basic net loss per common share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, less weighted-average unvested common shares subject to repurchase. Diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of unrestricted common shares and dilutive common share equivalents outstanding for the period, determined using the treasury-stock method and the as if-converted method.

Net loss attributable to common stockholders for each period must be allocated to common stock and participating securities to the extent that the securities are required to share in the losses. The Company’s series A and B redeemable convertible preferred stock do not have a contractual obligation to share in losses of the Company. As a result, basic net loss per common share is calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding during the period.

The following table presents the computation of basic and diluted net loss per common share:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2007     2008     2009  

Numerator:

      

Net loss

   $ (20,194,242   $ (25,035,035   $ (12,196,002

Accretion of preferred stock and other deemed dividends

     (3,657,752     (6,241,923     (3,286,654
                        

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

   $ (23,851,994   $ (31,276,958   $ (15,482,656
                        

Denominator:

      

Weighted average common shares outstanding — basic and diluted

     1,245,246        1,495,375        1,656,732   
                        

Basic and diluted net loss per common share

   $ (19.15   $ (20.92   $ (9.35
                        

 

F-14


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

The following table shows historical dilutive common share equivalents outstanding, which are not included in the above historical calculation, as the effect of their inclusion is anti-dilutive during each period.

 

     Year Ended December 31,
     2007    2008    2009

Convertible preferred stock

   5,825,838    6,233,647    6,670,002

Unvested restricted stock

   414,590    93,322    6,784

Options

   490,488    451,641    355,690

Warrants

   33,042    33,042    107,779
              

Total

   6,763,958    6,811,652    7,140,255
              

The above table does not include the potential dilutive impact resulting from the conversion of the convertible notes because the number of common shares is not determinable.

Beneficial Conversion Charges

When the Company issues debt or equity securities that are convertible into capital stock at a discount from the fair value of the capital stock at the date the debt or equity financing is committed, a beneficial conversion charge is measured as the difference between the fair value and the conversion price at the commitment date. The beneficial conversion charge is presented as a discount or reduction to the related debt security or as an immediate charge to earnings, with an offsetting credit to increase additional paid-in capital.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718-10, Compensation-Stock Compensation-Overall . Compensation cost is recognized for all share-based payments granted and is based on the grant-date fair value estimated using the weighted-average assumption of the Black-Scholes option pricing models. The equity instrument is not considered to be issued until the instrument vests. As a result, compensation cost is recognized over the requisite service period with an offsetting credit to additional paid-in capital. See Note 9 for further information about the Company’s stock option plans.

Stock-based compensation expense includes stock options granted to employees and non-employees and has been reported in the Company’s statements of operations as follows:

 

     Years Ended December 31,
     2007    2008    2009
     (In thousands)

Research and development

   $ 1,184    $ 655    $ 497

General and administrative

     588      592      436
                    

Total

   $ 1,772    $ 1,247    $ 933
                    

The Company has from time to time modified the price of its stock options to employees and directors. The Company accounts for the incremental value of the modified option based on the excess of the fair value of the modified award based on current circumstances over the fair value of the original option measured immediately before its terms are modified based on current circumstances. That is, the value of the original (pre-modification) option is estimated based on current assumptions, without regard to the assumptions made on the grant date. The

 

F-15


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

incremental value calculated for vested options is charged to expense immediately, while the incremental value associated with unvested options is added to unrecognized compensation costs and recorded in earnings over the remaining vesting period of the award.

The modifications made to the Company’s equity awards did not result in significant incremental compensation costs, either individually or in the aggregate.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss for the Company includes net loss and the change in net unrealized gains and losses on available for sale securities.

 

2. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment consist of the following:

 

     December 31,  
     2008     2009  

Computer and office equipment

   $ 73,099      $ 62,789   

Office furniture and equipment

     19,083        19,083   
                
     92,182        81,872   

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization

     (49,062     (67,141
                

Property and equipment, net

   $ 43,120      $ 14,731   
                

Depreciation expense was, $17,460, $24,185 and $28,389 for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

 

3. Investments in Securities

The following is a summary of investments held by the Company as of December 31, 2008 and 2009:

 

     Adjusted
Cost
   Gross
Unrealized
Gains
   Gross
Unrealized
Losses
   Fair Value at
December 31, 2008

Auction rate securities

   $ 414,241    $    $    $ 414,241

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

     150,000                150,000
                           

Total

   $ 564,241    $    $    $ 564,241
                           

 

     Adjusted
Cost
   Gross
Unrealized
Gains
   Gross
Unrealized
Losses
   Fair Value at
December 31, 2009

Auction rate securities

   $ 414,241    $ 80,759    $    $ 495,000

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

     150,000                150,000
                           

Total

   $ 564,241    $ 80,759    $    $ 645,000
                           

 

F-16


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

Beginning in 2007, the Company invested a portion of its cash in investments consisting primarily of investment-grade, asset-backed, variable-rate debt obligations and auction rate securities (“ARS”) as outlined in the Company’s investment policy, which were classified as available-for-sale securities. In accordance with the accounting for such instruments, these investments were reported in the balance sheet at fair value. ARS are variable-rate debt securities that do not mature in the near term, with the interest rate being reset through Dutch auctions that are typically held every 7, 28 or 35 days. The securities trade at par and are callable at par on any interest payment date at the option of the issuer. Interest is paid at the end of each auction period. During the fourth quarter of 2007, the Company liquidated approximately $8 million of ARS at par value and held the remaining $3 million of ARS. Shortly thereafter the Company’s ARS experienced a failed auction, meaning that there were no buyers willing to purchase the securities at par. Pursuant to the terms of the ARS agreement, in the event of a failed auction in which the holders cannot sell the securities, the interest or dividend rate on the security resets to a “penalty” rate. As a result of the failed auctions, the Company does not believe the ARS are currently liquid. The securities for which the auctions have failed will continue to accrue interest at the contractual penalty rate and will continue to be auctioned every 28 days until the auction succeeds, the issuer calls the securities or the securities mature.

In December 2008, one of the Company’s ARS was subject to a put option, which converted the security into non-cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock. The Company’s investment in the underlying debt obligation matures in 2021. In March 2010, the Company was notified that the issuer of the non-cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock will not pay the upcoming scheduled quarterly dividend in March 2010, a result of having reported an earned surplus deficit.

Subsequent declines in fair value will also be evaluated as to whether they are other than temporary. Given the continued lack of liquidity associated with these investments, the investments are not reasonably available for current operations, as such, the Company classifies these investments as long-term investments in the financial statements.

 

4. Other Accrued Liabilities

Other accrued liabilities consist of the following:

 

     December 31,
     2008    2009

Accrued research and development costs

   $ 539,966    $ 732,838

Accrued legal

     38,726      17,669

Other accrued liabilities

     326,059      151,189

Accrued financing fees

     301,000      525,000
             

Total

   $ 1,205,751    $ 1,426,696
             

 

F-17


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

5. Commitments

Leases

The Company leased certain office facilities and office equipment under operating leases during the year ended December 31, 2009. The future minimum payments for all noncancelable operating leases as of December 31, 2009 are as follows:

 

Year Ending December 31:

  

2010

   $ 126,018

2011

    

2012

    

2013

    

Thereafter

    
      

Total

   $ 126,018
      

Rent expense under operating leases was approximately $144,000 for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Other Commitments

Under the Company’s license agreements, the Company could be required to pay up to a total of approximately $15.0 million upon achieving certain milestones, such as the initiation of clinical trials or the granting of patents. From inception through December 31, 2009, the Company has paid $2,096,250 in milestone payments resulting from the execution of certain agreements, patent approvals and the initiation of U.S. clinical trials. Milestone payments will also be due upon the first administration to a subject using licensed technology in a Phase III clinical trial and FDA approvals in addition to sales milestones and royalties payable on commercial sales if any occur.

University of Pennsylvania (“UPenn”) Licensing Agreements

In May 2006, the Company entered into a license agreement with The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (“UPenn”) pursuant to which it obtained an exclusive, worldwide license from UPenn to certain know-how and a range of patent rights applicable to the Company’s lead compound, lomitapide. In particular, the Company obtained a license to certain patent and patent applications owned by UPenn relating to the dosing of micrososmal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitors, including lomitapide and certain patents and patent applications and know-how covering the composition of matter of lomitapide that were assigned to UPenn by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (“BMS”) in the field of monotherapy or in combination with other dyslipidemic therapies, which are therapies for the treatment of patients, with abnormally high or low levels of plasma cholesterol or triglycerides.

To the extent that rights under the BMS-UPenn assigned patents were not licensed to the Company under its license agreement with UPenn or were retained by UPenn for non-commercial educational and research purposes, those rights, other than with respect to lomitapide, were licensed by UPenn back to BMS on an exclusive basis pursuant to a technology donation agreement between UPenn and BMS. In the technology donation agreement, BMS agreed not to develop or commercialize any compound, including lomitapide, covered by the composition of matter patents included in the BMS-UPenn assigned patents in the field licensed to the

 

F-18


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

Company exclusively by UPenn. Through the Company’s license with UPenn, as provided in the technology donation agreement, it has the exclusive right with respect to the BMS-UPenn assigned patents regarding their enforcement and prosecution in the field licensed exclusively to the Company by UPenn.

The license from UPenn covers, among other things, the development and commercialization of lomitapide alone or in combination with other active ingredients in the licensed field. The license is subject to customary noncommercial rights retained by UPenn for non-commercial educational and research purposes. The Company may grant sublicenses under the license, subject to certain limitations.

The Company is obligated under this license agreement to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop, commercialize, market and sell at least one product covered by the licensed patent rights, such as lomitapide. Pursuant to this license agreement, the Company paid UPenn a one-time license initiation fee of $56,250, which is included in research and development expense in 2005. The Company will be required to make development milestone payments to UPenn of up to an aggregate of $150,000 when a licensed product’s indication is limited to homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or severe refractory hypercholesterolemia, and an aggregate of $2,550,000 for all other indications within the licensed field. All such development milestone payments for these other indications are payable only once, no matter how many licensed products for these other indications are developed. In addition, the Company will be required to make specified royalty payments on net sales of products covered by the license (subject to a variety of customary reductions) and share with UPenn specified percentages of sublicensing royalties and other consideration that the Company receives under any sublicenses that it may grant.

This license agreement will remain in effect on a country-by-country basis until the expiration of the last-to-expire licensed patent right in the applicable country. The Company has the right to terminate this license agreement for UPenn’s uncured material breach of the license agreement or for convenience upon 60 days’ prior written notice to UPenn, subject to certain specific conditions and consequences. UPenn may terminate this license agreement for the Company’s uncured material breach of the license agreement, its uncured failure to make payments to UPenn or if the Company is the subject of specified bankruptcy or liquidation events.

Bayer Licensing Agreements

In May 2006, the Company entered into a license agreement with Bayer Healthcare AG (“Bayer”), pursuant to which it obtained an exclusive, worldwide license from Bayer under the patent rights and know-how owned or controlled by Bayer applicable to implitapide. This license covers the development and commercialization of implitapide alone or in combination with other active ingredients. The Company may grant sublicenses under the license, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to this license agreement, the Company granted Bayer a first right of negotiation in the event the Company desires to commercialize any licensed products through or with a third party, which expires after 90 days if the parties are unable to come to an agreement. This first right of negotiation applies only to the specific products and in the specific countries potentially subject to third-party commercialization.

The Company is obligated under this license agreement to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize, at its cost, at least one licensed product, such as implitapide. Pursuant to this license agreement, the Company paid Bayer a one-time initial license fee of $750,000, which is included in research and development expense in 2006. The Company will be required to make certain development milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $4,375,000 upon the achievement of certain development milestones. Each development milestone payment is payable only once, no matter how many licensed products are developed. In addition, the Company is required to make annual payments for 2007 through 2011, which become nonrefundable when paid,

 

F-19


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

totaling $1,000,000 in the aggregate, with each annual payment creditable in full against any development milestones that are or become payable, a one-time commercialization milestone payment of $5,000,000 if the Company achieves aggregate net sales of licensed products of $250,000,000 (payable only once, no matter how many licensed products are commercialized), and specified royalty payments on net sales of licensed products (subject to a variety of deductions).

This license agreement will remain in effect, and royalties will be payable on sales of licensed products, on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis until the later of the expiration of the last-to-expire licensed patent right in the applicable country or ten years after the first commercial sale of a licensed product in that country. This license agreement may be terminated by either party for the other party’s uncured material breach of this license agreement, except that Bayer may only terminate the license agreement for the Company’s material breach on a country-by-country or product-by-product basis if the Company’s breach is reasonably specific to one or more countries or licensed products, or if the other party becomes the subject of a specified bankruptcy or liquidation event. The Company has the right to terminate the license agreement for convenience upon 60 days’ prior written notice to Bayer.

The Company has no material commitments for capital expenditures.

 

6. Notes Payable

In March 2007, the Company entered into a $15.0 million loan and security agreement with Hercules and borrowed $10.0 million under this agreement. The loan originally bore interest at the prime lending rate, as published by the  Wall Street Journal , plus 2.5% per annum, and had a maturity date of August 19, 2010. In connection with the loan and security agreement, the Company granted Hercules a first priority security interest on all of its assets, except for its intellectual property. The Company amended the loan and security agreement with Hercules in September 2008 and July 2009 to extend the maturity date, provide for a forbearance with respect to an insolvency covenant and increase the interest rate. The current interest rate is equal to the greater of 11.0% or the prime lending rate, as published by the Wall Street Journal , plus 2.5% per annum. In addition, the Company granted Hercules a first priority security interest in its intellectual property. The forbearance with respect to the insolvency covenant currently remains in effect.

The Company classifies the debt with Hercules as a current liability since the Company was in default of its insolvency covenant during 2009 and therefore the debt is callable by the lender as of December 31, 2009. The debt agreement has an insolvency covenant that, among other things, requires the Company to have more assets than liabilities. In addition, there is also a “material adverse effect” clause that if violated would be considered an event of default. This is considered a subjective acceleration clause that may allow the lender to accelerate the scheduled maturities of the debt based on conditions that are not always objectively determinable. In light of the nature of the Company’s business and expectation that the Company will continue to incur substantial losses continuing in the future, the Company will continue to classify the Hercules debt as current on the balance sheet.

The Company is required to make scheduled principal payments monthly on the outstanding debt. The future debt payments as of December 31, 2009 are as follows:

 

Year Ending December 31:

  

2010

   $ 2,992,298   

2011

     2,489,162   

Less: discount on notes payable

     (229,037
        

Total outstanding debt

   $ 5,252,423   
        

 

F-20


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

If a covenant violation occurs, the Company has ten days to cure the covenant violation or obtain a waiver from Hercules. The occurrence of a breach of any covenant constitutes a default under the loan and security agreement wherein Hercules may at its option, accelerate and demand payment of all or any part of the loan and all advances and foreclose on all of the Company’s assets if payment is not made. If the violation is not cured or a waiver cannot be obtained, the Company may be unable to successfully raise sufficient additional capital and will likely not have sufficient cash flows and liquidity to fund its business operations, which could significantly limit the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

 

7. Convertible Notes

In September 2008 and July 2009, the Company entered into several loan agreements with various financial institutions and individuals (“Purchasers”), whereby the Purchasers agreed to purchase, an aggregate principal amount of $13.8 million of senior subordinated convertible notes (“Notes”), subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules as specified in the subordination agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules.

The Notes may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Purchasers. The interest on these Notes is 8.0% per annum and the maturity date is December 31, 2010. The Notes contain a “pay to play provision” whereby in the event that any holder of the Company’s Preferred stock, who is also a holder of the Notes issued pursuant to the Note Purchase agreement, does not purchase 100% of such Notes in a future issuance then such Notes shall automatically, and without any further action on part of such holder, be converted into common stock. There were no such events through December 31, 2009.

The Notes also contain a beneficial conversion option such that immediately upon the closing of shares of capital stock of the Company, in one transaction or series of related transactions, which sale or sales, including without limitation any initial public offering, result in gross proceeds of at least $10 million, the Notes shall automatically convert into such shares of newly issued capital stock. The notes holders shall be entitled to receive a number of shares determined by dividing the Note balance as of the conversion date by an amount equal to 80% of the price per share of the newly issued capital stock. As the notes were contingently convertible upon issuance, and due to the fact that neither the price per share nor the quantity of shares were known, no accounting was required at issuance. Upon a triggering event that forces conversion where both the price and quantity of the shares are known, a beneficial conversion charge will be determined representing the difference between the conversion price and the fair value of the new shares multiplied by the number of shares and a beneficial conversion charge will be recorded to earnings with a corresponding credit to additional paid-in capital.

 

8. Capital Structure

Common Stock

At December 31, 2009, the Company is authorized to issue 30,000,000 shares of common stock.

Dividends on common stock will be paid when, and if, declared by the Board of Directors. In accordance with the loan and security agreement with Hercules, as long as any loan amount is outstanding, the Company will not declare or pay any cash dividends or make a cash distribution on any class of stock. When and if any loan amount is satisfied and no longer outstanding, no dividend may be paid on any shares of common stock unless all accrued and unpaid dividends for the Series A and B preferred stock have first been paid. Each holder of common stock is entitled to vote on all matters and is entitled to one vote for each share held. The Company will,

 

F-21


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

at all times, reserve and keep available, out of its authorized but unissued shares of common stock, sufficient shares to affect the conversion of the shares of the convertible preferred stock and stock options. As of December 31, 2009 and 2008 the Company has reserved 19,950,000 shares of common stock for future issuance related to the conversion of the Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock and warrant to purchase Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock and exercise of the Company’s outstanding stock options. Common shares issued to the founders of the Company vest over a four-year period. Unvested shares are subject to repurchase by the Company at the original issuance price. As of December 31, 2009 and 2008, there were 6,784 and 93,322 shares, respectively, subject to repurchase at an aggregate price of $24 and $335, respectively.

Cumulative Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 19,650,000 shares of preferred stock, of which 13,000,000 shares are designated Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock (“Series A”) and 6,650,000 shares are designated Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock (“Series B” and together with the Series A, the “Designated Preferred”). The Designated Preferred are subject to the following rights and privileges:

Voting

Designated Preferred stockholders are entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of common stock into which each share of Designated Preferred is convertible.

Dividends

The holders of Designated Preferred are entitled to receive annual dividends at a rate of 7% of the original purchase price in advance of any distributions to common shareholders. Dividends are payable when, if and as, declared by the Board of Directors and are cumulative. No dividends have been declared through December 31, 2009. The Company has recorded, in accordance with its redemption value, accrued dividends of $1,828,581, $3,079,313 and $3,286,654 during 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively.

Conversion

Designated Preferred stockholders are entitled, at any time, to convert their shares plus all dividends accrued or declared but unpaid, up to and including the date of conversion into fully paid and nonassessable shares of common stock. Each share of the Series A is convertible into a number of shares of the Company’s common stock determined by dividing (1) the Series A per-share purchase price of $2.74 plus an accumulated dividend of 7% per year (which is calculated on a daily basis and compounded annually) by (2) a conversion price equal to $2.74 per share. Each share of Series B is convertible into a number of shares of its common stock determined by dividing (1) the Series B per-share purchase price of $4.62 plus an accumulated dividend of 7% per year (which is calculated on a daily basis and compounded annually) by (2) a conversion price equal to $4.62 per share. Additionally, the Designated Preferred stock will convert automatically (i) upon the affirmative election of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of preferred stock, or (ii) immediately upon the closing of a public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 covering the offer and sale of common stock, which results in aggregate net proceeds to the Company of at least $30,000,000 and a per-share price of at least $6.93 (appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split or recapitalization) (a “Qualified Public Offering”). On June 30, 2008, because the Company had not completed an

 

F-22


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

initial public offering or consummated a financing subject to certain conditions, the Applicable Conversion Price of the Series B automatically changed from $4.72 per share to $3.79 per share and a beneficial conversion charge was recorded during 2008 of $3.2 million.

In addition, during 2007 the Company recorded a $1.8 million beneficial conversion charge related to the issuance of 3,810,773 shares of the Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock at a per-share price of $4.62. The estimated fair value of the common stock was approximately $12.45 per share at the commitment date and the beneficial conversion charge was recognized upon issuance of the Series B. The beneficial conversion charge for equity instruments is recorded in the Company’s accumulated deficit with an offsetting credit to additional paid-in capital, as the securities are convertible at any time at the option of the holder. Accordingly, there is no effect on total shareholders’ deficiency.

Redemption

Upon the written request of the holders of at least a majority of the shares of Designated Preferred, including at least two of the three following holders: Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities, Index Ventures Management S.A. and affiliated entities or Alta BioPharma HLS III Limited Partnership and affiliated entities, voting as a separate class, at any time after November 9, 2012, but prior to a Qualified Public Offering, the Company shall redeem on the date that is sixty (60) days following the date of such written request and on each of the first and second anniversaries of such date thirty-three and one-third percent (33  1 / 3 %) of the then outstanding shares of Designated Preferred held by such requesting holders and any other holders of Designated Preferred who wish to be redeemed concurrently with such requesting holders. The redemption price is equal to the original purchase price, plus an amount equal to any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends.

The Company has evaluated each of its series of convertible preferred stock and determined that each should be considered an “equity host” and not a “debt host.” This evaluation is necessary to determine if any embedded features require bifurcation and therefore, would be required to be accounted for separately as a derivative liability. The Company’s analysis followed the “whole instrument approach” which compares an individual feature against the entire preferred stock instrument which includes that feature. The Company’s analysis was based on a consideration of the economic characteristics and risks of the preferred stock and more specifically evaluated all the stated and implied substantive terms and features of such stock, including: (1) whether the preferred stock included redemption features; (2) how and when any redemption features could be exercised; (3) whether the preferred stockholders were entitled to dividends; (4) the voting rights of the

preferred stock; and (5) the existence and nature of any conversion rights. As a result of the Company’s determination that each series of its convertible preferred stock is an “equity host,” the Company determined that the embedded conversion option does not require bifurcation as a derivative liability.

Liquidation

In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, including a change of control, either voluntary or involuntary, the holders of Designated Preferred are entitled to receive, in preference to common stock, an amount equal to the purchase price per share, plus all accrued or declared but unpaid dividends (appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split or recapitalization). After payment of these preferential amounts, the remaining assets of the Company shall be distributed equally among the holders of common and preferred stock (assuming conversion of preferred stock).

 

F-23


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

The following table summarizes preferred stock activity for the Company:

 

     Series A     Series B  
     Shares    Amount     Shares    Amount  

Balance at February 4, 2005 (inception)

      $         $   

Issuance of Series A redeemable convertible preferred

   12,211,604      22,519,880             

Less financing fees

        (131,627          

Accrued preferred dividends

        74,162             

Accretion of financing fees

        1,097             
                  

Balance at December 31, 2005

   12,211,604      22,463,512             

Accrued preferred dividends

        1,652,025             

Accretion of financing fees

        26,325             
                  

Balance at December 31, 2006

   12,211,604      24,141,862             

Issuance of Series B redeemable convertible preferred

             3,810,773      17,605,773   

Less financing fees

                  (103,668

Accrued preferred dividends

        1,649,629           178,952   

Accretion of financing fees

        24,606           3,456   
                          

Balance at December 31, 2007

   12,211,604      25,816,097      3,810,773      17,684,513   

Accrued preferred dividends

        1,831,175           1,248,138   

Accretion of financing fees

        16,015           20,733   
                          

Balance at December 31, 2008

   12,211,604      27,663,287      3,810,773      18,953,384   

Accrued preferred dividends

        1,954,354           1,332,300   

Accretion of financing fees

        16,015           20,732   
                          

Balance at December 31, 2009

   12,211,604    $ 29,633,656      3,810,773    $ 20,306,416   
                          

Registration Rights

Upon the completion of an initial public offering by the Company, certain holders of shares of the Company’s common stock, after giving effect to the conversion of the outstanding Designated Preferred and accumulated dividends thereon, have rights, under the terms of an investor rights agreement or restricted stock agreement between the Company and these holders, to require the Company to use its best efforts to file registration statements under the Securities Act or request that the holders’ shares be covered by a registration statement that is otherwise being filed. The investor rights agreement and the restricted stock agreements do not provide for any liquidated damages, penalties or other rights in the event the Company does not file a registration statement.

 

9. Stock Option Plans

The Company’s 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the “2006 Plan”) was adopted by the Board of Directors in May 2006 and approved by the stockholders in June 2006. The 2006 Plan provides for the granting of options to purchase common stock in the Company to employees and consultants at a price not less than the estimated fair value at the date of grant, or 110% of the estimated fair value at the date of grant if the optionee is a 10% owner of the Company. Under the provisions of the 2006 Plan, no option will have a term in excess of ten years.

 

F-24


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

The 2006 Plan is intended to encourage ownership of stock by employees and consultants of the Company and to provide additional incentives for them to promote the success of the Company’s business. The Board of Directors is responsible for determining the individuals to receive option grants, the number of options each individual will receive, the option price per share and the exercise period of each option. Options granted pursuant to the 2006 Plan generally vest over four years and have been granted at the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock, as determined by the Board of Directors, as of each grant date. The 2006 Plan allows the option holders to exercise their options early, which are then subject to repurchase by the Company at the original exercise price of such options. No early exercise of options occurred through December 31, 2009.

In connection with the Company’s 2007 initial public offering attempt, the Company retrospectively reassessed the estimated fair value of the Company’s stock for all periods prior to 2006 and subsequently performed contemporaneous valuations of its common stock. The company followed the guidance outlined in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”), “Practice Aid for Valuation of Privately-Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation” (the “Practice Aid”). In conducting the reassessment, the Company took into consideration the market and income approaches to valuation as set forth in the Practice Aid. In determining the reassessed fair value of its common stock, the Company established as the fair market value, for accounting purposes, of its common stock at $12.87 per share for all equity awards made during the second half of fiscal year ended 2006.

For all equity compensation arrangements awarded during the six months ended June 30, 2007, the Company established $25.37 per share as the fair market value, for accounting purposes, of the Company’s common stock. Equity awards made during this period were made in the period leading up to the Company’s proposed initial public offering in June 2007 at an anticipated price range of between $29.30 and $34.18 per share. On June 15, 2007, the Company withdrew the registration statement for this proposed initial public offering due to market conditions.

During October and November 2007, the Company issued equity awards with an exercise price of $12.45 per share, which the Company determined to be the fair value of its common stock on the date of grant. At that time, the Company also re-priced the equity awards made during the quarter ended June 30, 2007 to an exercise price of $12.45 per share. The significant decrease in enterprise valuation between June 2007 and November 2007 is reflective of the uncertainty surrounding the Company’s clinical development programs during this period.

In the first quarter of 2008, the Company received guidance from the underwriting syndicate that there was a lack of investor demand to complete the proposed initial public offering. As a result, management decided not to continue efforts to complete the proposed initial public offering and withdrew the registration filing in the fourth quarter of 2008. In addition, there was continued uncertainty regarding the regulatory approval to move the Company’s lead compound into phase III trials, including the need to initiate additional clinical trials. These events were coupled with growing unfavorable market conditions with continued limited access to capital as a result of the general market liquidity crisis. These issues contributed to a significant decrease in the enterprise valuation of the Company in the second half of 2008. In October 2008, the Company issued equity awards with an exercise price of $5.08, which the Company determined to be the fair value of its common stock on the date of grant.

As of December 31, 2008, the Company’s enterprise valuation continued to decrease due to the continuing general market liquidity issues and the uncertainty regarding the regulatory approval of the Company’s lead compound. As such, the Company valued its common stock at $2.37 per share as of December 31, 2008 and for the first quarter of 2009.

 

F-25


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

During the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of approximately $1.8 million, $1.2 million and $0.9 million, respectively. No related tax benefits of the share-based compensation costs have been recognized since the Company’s inception.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model when measuring the estimated fair value for stock-based awards. The fair value of stock option awards is amortized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards, which is generally the vesting period. Expected volatility was calculated based on reported data for selected reasonably similar publicly traded companies, or guideline peer group, for which historical information was available. The Company will continue to use the guideline peer group volatility information until the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock is relevant to measure expected volatility for future option grants. The assumed dividend yield was based on the Company’s expectation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future. The average expected life was determined according to the “simplified method” as described in Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 110, which is the mid-point between the vesting date and the end of the contractual term. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to implied yields available from the 5-year and 7-year U.S. Treasury securities with a remaining term equal to the expected life assumed at the date of grant. Forfeitures are estimated based on the Company’s historical analysis of actual stock option forfeitures. The weighted-average grant-date fair values of stock options granted during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were $19.58, $5.08 and $2.37 per share, respectively. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model are as follows:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2007     2008     2009  

Risk-free interest rate

   4.48   2.29   2.18

Dividend yield

               

Weighted-average expected life of options (years)

   6.25      6.25      6.25   

Volatility

   60.00   100.00   150.00

The Company had 329,364 and 210,408 shares of unvested stock options granted to employees at a weighted exercise price of $6.67 and $2.34 per share at December 31, 2008 and 2009, respectively. The Company had 59,401 and 6,784 shares of unvested restricted common stock granted to employees at December 31, 2008 and 2009, respectively. Total unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to nonvested stock options and restricted common stock granted to employees as of December 31, 2009 was $1.0 million. This unrecognized cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 2.1 years. At December 31, 2009, the Company had approximately 250,000 shares available for grant under this plan.

 

F-26


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

The following table summarizes stock option activity for the Company:

 

     Number of
Outstanding
Stock Options
    Exercise
Price Per Share
   Options
Outstanding
Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price

Balance at December 31, 2006

   136,375      $ 0.90 – $2.69    $ 1.07

Options granted

   354,103      $ 12.45 – $12.87   

Exercised

            

Forfeited/cancelled

            
           

Balance at December 31, 2007

   490,478      $ 0.90 – $12.87    $ 9.40
           

Options granted

   115,902      $ 5.08   

Exercised

            

Forfeited/cancelled

   (154,749   $ 5.08   
           

Balance at December 31, 2008

   451,631      $ 0.90 – $12.45    $ 6.49
           

Options granted

   146,209      $ 2.37   

Exercised

            

Forfeited/cancelled

   (242,150   $ 2.37 – $12.45   
           

Balance at December 31, 2009

   355,690      $ 0.90 – $2.37    $ 2.20
           

The total amount of options vested during 2008 and 2009 was approximately 80,000 in each year with a total fair value of approximately $0.3 million and approximately $0.2 million, respectively. The total intrinsic value for options granted during 2008 and 2009 outstanding at December 31, 2009 was $0 representing the difference between the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock and the exercise price at date of grant.

The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding at December 31, 2009:

 

     Outstanding    Exercisable

Exercise Price

   Number
of
Options
   Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
   Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (years)
   Number of
Options
   Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price

$0.90

   38,965    $ 0.90    6.4    34,695    $ 0.90

$2.37

   316,725      2.37    8.3    111,197      2.37
                  
   355,690      2.20    8.1    145,293      2.03
                  

The Company periodically remeasures fair value of stock-based awards issued to non-employees and records income or expense based on the vestings. The Company recorded compensation expense related to non-employees of approximately $655,000, $193,000 and $57,000 for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively.

 

10. Employee Benefit Plan

The Company maintains a defined contribution 401(k) plan (the “Plan”) available to employees. Employee contributions are voluntary and are determined on an individual basis, limited by the maximum amounts allowable under federal tax regulations. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had elected to match up to 3%

 

F-27


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

of the employees’ contributions to the Plan. The Company recorded employer contribution expense of approximately $38,818, $38,799 and $81,891 during the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively.

 

11. Income Taxes

As of December 31, 2008 and 2009, the Company had gross deferred tax assets of $21.3 million and $25.8 million, respectively. Realization of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon the Company generating future taxable income, if any, the amount and timing of which are uncertain.

Accordingly, the deferred tax assets have been fully offset by a valuation allowance at December 31, 2008 and 2009. The net valuation allowance increased by approximately $10.9 million and $4.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2009.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company’s deferred tax assets relate primarily to net operating loss carryforwards. Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets are as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2008     2009  

Deferred tax assets:

    

Net operating loss carryforwards

   $ 18,673,000      $ 22,929,000   

Research credits

     739,000        938,000   

Other temporary differences

     717,000        708,000   

Impairment loss on available for sale securities

     974,000        974,000   

Fair value adjustment on warrant liability

     157,000        227,000   
                

Total gross deferred tax assets

     21,260,000        25,776,000   

Valuation allowance

     (21,260,000     (25,776,000
                

Net deferred tax assets

   $      $   
                

A reconciliation of the statutory tax rates and the effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009 is as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2007     2008     2009  

Statutory rate

   (34 )%    (34 )%    (34 )% 

State and local income taxes (net of federal tax benefit)

   (6   (6   (6

Other

   1      (3   3   

Valuation allowance

   39      43      37   
                  

Effective tax rates

      
                  

As of December 31, 2009, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards of $57.3 million. The Company also had federal and state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $938,000. The federal net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards will expire at various dates beginning in 2027, if not utilized. The difference between the statutory tax rate and the effective tax rate is primarily attributable to the valuation allowance offsetting deferred tax assets.

 

F-28


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

Utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards and credits may be subject to a substantial annual limitation due to the ownership change limitations provided by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and similar state provisions. The Company has not performed a detailed analysis to determine whether an ownership change under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code has occurred. The effect of an ownership change would be the imposition of an annual limitation on the use of net operating loss carryforwards attributable to periods before the change.

 

12. Related Party Transactions

In July 2005, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Scheer & Company, Inc., a company affiliated with David Scheer, chairman of the Board of Directors and a stockholder of the Company, to provide general corporate advice and consulting. The Company expensed related consulting fees of approximately $44,000, $41,000, and $42,000 for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively.

In April 2006, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., a member of the Board of Directors, for nonspecific consulting activities on behalf of the Company. The Company expensed related consulting fees of approximately $26,500, $28,000, and $31,000 for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2008 and 2009, respectively.

 

13. Subsequent Events

The Company evaluated events that occurred subsequent to December 31, 2009 through the date the financial statements were available to be issued.

In January 2010, the Company entered into several loan agreements with various financial institutions and individuals (“Purchasers”), whereby the Purchasers agreed to purchase an aggregate principal amount of $3.0 million of senior subordinated convertible notes (“Notes”), subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules as specified in the subordination agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules. The Notes may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Purchasers. The interest on these Notes is 8.0% per annum, accruing daily and is payable upon maturity if the Notes are held and not converted on such date.

In January 2010, the Company recognized a tax benefit of approximately $1.8 million in connection with the sale of state net operating losses to a third party.

In June 2010, the Company entered into several loan agreements with the Purchasers, whereby the Purchasers agreed to purchase an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 million of Notes, subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules as specified in the subordination agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules. The maturity date of the Notes was extended to December 31, 2011. The Notes may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Purchasers. The interest on these Notes is 8.0% per annum, accruing daily and is payable on December 31, 2011 if the Notes are held and not converted on such date.

 

F-29


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

14. Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

 

     Quarters Ended  
     March 31     June 30     September 30     December 31  

2008

        

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

   $ (4,956,578   $ (8,618,119   $ (8,218,786   $ (9,483,475

Basic and diluted net loss per common share

   $ (3.54   $ (5.89   $ (5.38   $ (5.97

2009

        

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

   $ (3,890,690   $ (3,995,771   $ (3,281,252   $ (4,314,941

Basic and diluted net loss per common share

   $ (2.40   $ (2.43   $ (1.96   $ (2.56

 

F-30


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

 

    December 31     June 30  
    2009     2010     Pro Forma  

Assets

     

Current assets:

     

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 1,429,126      $ 2,081,983      $ 5,081,983   

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

    535,921        423,721        423,721   
                       

Total current assets

    1,965,047        2,505,704        5,505,704   
                       

Property and equipment, net

    14,731        8,774        8,774   

Investments in securities

    645,000        735,000        735,000   

Other assets

    25,200        25,200        25,200   
                       

Total assets

  $ 2,649,978      $ 3,274,678      $ 6,274,678   
                       

Liabilities and stockholders’ deficiency

     

Current liabilities:

     

Accounts payable

  $ 403,605      $ 768,734      $ 768,734   

Accrued compensation

    343,443        254,963        254,963   

Other accrued liabilities

    1,426,696        847,012        847,012   

Notes payable

    5,252,423        3,865,086        3,865,086   

Convertible notes

    14,843,300        20,000,303          

Warrant liability

    567,074        217,689          
                       

Total current liabilities

    22,836,541        25,953,787        5,735,795   
                       

Commitments and contingencies

     

Series A redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 13,000,000 shares authorized, 12,211,604 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010 (aggregate liquidation preference of $29,868,336 and $30,901,767 as of December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010, respectively) and no shares issued and outstanding pro forma

    29,633,656        30,675,280          

Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 6,650,000 shares authorized, 3,810,773 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010 (aggregate liquidation preference of $20,361,729 and $21,061,421 as of December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010, respectively) and no shares issued and outstanding pro forma

    20,306,416        21,016,720          

Stockholders’ deficiency:

     

Common stock, $0.001 par value, 30,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010; 1,811,886 shares issued at December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010; 1,708,129 shares outstanding at December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010 and 10,821,027 shares issued and 10,717,270 shares outstanding, pro forma

    4,424        4,424        13,433   

Treasury Stock, at cost; 103,757 shares at December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010

    (373     (373     (373

Additional paid-in capital

    648,514               80,777,317   

Deficit accumulated during the development stage

    (70,859,959     (74,575,919     (80,452,253

Accumulated other comprehensive income

    80,759        200,759       
200,759
  
                       

Total stockholders’ (deficiency) equity

    (70,126,635     (74,371,109     538,883   
                       

Total liabilities and stockholders’ (deficiency) equity

  $ 2,649,978      $ 3,274,678      $ 6,274,678   
                       

See accompanying unaudited notes.

 

F-31


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,     Period From
February 4,
2005
(Inception) to
June 30,
 
     2009     2010     2010  

Costs and expenses:

      

Research and development

   $ 3,795,317      $ 2,293,052      $ 44,531,591   

General and administrative

     1,538,430        1,669,980        20,293,376   
                        

Total costs and expenses

     5,333,747        3,963,032        64,824,967   
                        

Loss from operations

     (5,333,747     (3,963,032     (64,824,967

Interest expense

     (947,227     (1,182,765     (5,676,722

Interest income

     101,872        38,655        2,646,035   

Change in fair value of warrant liability

     (87,212     349,385        502,911   

Other than temporary impairment on securities

            (30,000     (2,465,759

Other income, net

                   30,750   
                        

Loss before income taxes

     (6,266,314     (4,787,757     (69,787,752

Benefit from income taxes

            1,793,129        1,793,129   
                        

Net loss

     (6,266,314     (2,994,628     (67,994,623

Less: accretion of preferred stock dividends and other deemed dividends

     (1,620,147     (1,733,557     (16,646,073
                        

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

   $ (7,886,461   $ (4,728,185   $ (84,640,696
                        

Net loss attributable to common stockholders per common share – basic and diluted

   $ (4.83   $ (2.77  
                  

Weighted-average shares outstanding – basic and diluted

     1,632,047        1,704,766     
                  

Unaudited basic and diluted pro forma net loss attributable to common stockholders per share

     $ (0.44  
            

Unaudited basic and diluted pro forma weighted-average shares outstanding

       10,713,907     
            

See accompanying unaudited notes.

 

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Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,     Period From
February 4,
2005
(Inception) to
June 30,
 
     2009     2010     2010  

Operating activities

      

Net loss

   $ (6,266,314   $ (2,994,628   $ (67,994,623

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

      

Depreciation and amortization

     10,590        5,957        83,408   

Noncash stock-based compensation

     511,613        382,082        5,005,321   

Noncash interest expense

     417,642        724,953        2,483,619   

Mark to market of warrant liability

     87,212        (349,385     (502,911

Impairment loss on securities

     —          30,000        2,465,759   

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

      

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     (125,108     112,200        (423,721

Other assets

     —          —          (25,200

Accounts payable

     (280,948     365,129        768,735   

Accrued compensation

     (334,674     (88,480     254,963   

Other accrued liabilities

     (238,965     (579,619     847,078   
                        

Net cash used in operating activities

     (6,218,952     (2,391,791     (57,037,572

Investing activities

      

Purchases of property and equipment

     —          —          (92,182

Purchases of marketable securities

     —          —          (24,713,000

Sales of marketable securities

     —          —          21,713,000   
                        

Net cash used in investing activities

     —          —          (3,092,182
                        

Financing activities

      

Proceeds from issuances of convertible notes

     —          4,499,935        19,063,642   

Proceeds from issuances of notes payable

     —          —          17,525,000   

Payment of notes payable

     (665,742     (1,455,287     (13,501,361

Payment of subscription receivable

     —          —          200   

Proceeds from issuances of common stock

     —          —          4,140   

Proceeds from issuances of preferred stock, net

     —          —          39,120,489   

Repurchase of common stock

     —          —          (373
                        

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

     (665,742     3,044,648        62,211,737   
                        

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

     (6,884,694     652,857        2,081,983   

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

     9,004,978        1,429,126        —     
                        

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

   $ 2,120,284      $ 2,081,983      $ 2,081,983   
                        

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information

      

Accretion of preferred stock dividends and issuance costs

   $ 1,638,517      $ 1,751,927      $ 11,801,640   
                        

Warrant issued with notes payable

   $ —        $ —        $ 720,600   
                        

Series B redeemable preferred stock beneficial conversion

   $        $ —        $ 4,991,781   
                        

Cash paid interest expense

   $ 529,585      $ 457,812      $ 3,193,102   
                        

See accompanying unaudited notes.

 

F-33


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements

June 30, 2010

 

1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Organization and Basis of Presentation

Organization

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company” or “Aegerion”) is an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat severe lipid disorders. The Company’s activities since inception have consisted principally of acquiring product and technology rights, raising capital, establishing facilities and performing research and development. Accordingly, the Company is considered to be in the development stage as defined by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 915-10, Development Stage Entities — Overall . The Company operates in one business segment.

Lipids are naturally occurring molecules, such as cholesterol and triglycerides, that are transported in the blood. The Company’s lead compound, lomitapide, is a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor, or MTP-I, which limits secretion of cholesterol and triglycerides from the intestines and the liver, the main sources of lipids in the body. The Company is initially developing lomitapide, as an oral, once-a-day treatment for patients with a rare genetic lipid disorder called homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. These patients are at very high risk of experiencing life threatening events as a result of extremely elevated cholesterol levels in the blood.

The Company is currently evaluating lomitapide in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for the treatment of patients with HoFH. If this single-arm, open-label trial is successful, the Company plans to submit a New Drug Application, or NDA, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, before the end of 2011 and a Marketing Authorization Application, or MAA, to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, in 2012. In October 2007, the FDA granted lomitapide orphan drug designation for the treatment of HoFH. In July 2010, the Company submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for the same indication. Subject to obtaining marketing approval, the Company plans to recruit a highly targeted team, comprised of sales representatives and medical education specialists who are experienced in marketing drugs for the treatment of rare, often genetic, disorders, for the commercialization of lomitapide in the United States and the European Union.

In addition to HoFH, the Company also in the process of developing a protocol for a Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with a severe genetic form of elevated triglycerides, or hypertriglyceridemia, called familial chylomicronemia, or FC. In July 2010, the Company submitted an application to the EMA for orphan drug designation for lomitapide for the treatment of FC, and the Company plans to make a similar request with the FDA in the second half of 2010.

Liquidity

The Company has incurred significant losses from operations since its inception and expects losses to continue for the foreseeable future during its development phase. The Company’s success depends primarily on the successful development and regulatory approval of its product candidates. From February 4, 2005 (inception) through June 30, 2010, the Company had a deficit accumulated during the development stage of $74.6 million. Also, at June 30, 2010, the Company’s current assets totaled approximately $2.5 million compared to current liabilities of $26.0 million resulting in a working capital deficiency of approximately $23.5 million.

 

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Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

The Company expects its research and development expenses to increase in connection with its ongoing pivotal Phase III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with HoFH and its planned Phase II/III clinical trial of lomitapide for the treatment of patients with FC and other potential studies of lomitapide. In addition, if the Company obtains marketing approval for lomitapide, it may incur significant sales, marketing, in-licensing and outsourced manufacturing expenses, as well as continued research and development expenses. Furthermore, upon the closing of the initial public offering, the Company expects to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. As a result, the Company expects to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future.

The Company may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings and collaborations and strategic and licensing arrangements. If adequate funds are not available to the Company on a timely basis, or at all, the Company may be required to terminate or delay clinical trials or other development activities for lomitapide or for one or more indications for which it is developing lomitapide, or delay its establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize lomitapide, if the Company obtains marketing approval.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on its ability to raise additional capital, to fund its research and development and commercial programs and meet its obligations on a timely basis. If the Company is unable to successfully raise sufficient additional capital, through future debt and equity financings and/or strategic and collaborative ventures with potential partners, the Company will likely not have sufficient cash flows and liquidity to fund its business operations, which could significantly limit its ability to continue as a going concern. In that event, the Company may be forced to further limit many, if not all, of its programs and consider other means of creating value for its stockholders, such as licensing the development and commercialization of products that it considers valuable and would otherwise likely develop itself. If the Company is unable to raise the necessary capital, it may be forced to curtail all of its activities and, ultimately, potentially cease operations. Even if the Company is able to raise additional capital, such financings may only be available on unattractive terms, or could result in significant dilution of stockholders’ interests. The balance sheets do not include any adjustments relating to recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue in existence.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial information as of June 30, 2010 and for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010 has been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The December 31, 2009 balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. However, the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the 2009 annual financial statements and the notes thereto, included elsewhere in this prospectus.

In the opinion of management, the unaudited financial information as of June 30, 2010 and for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010 reflects all adjustments, which are normal recurring adjustments,

 

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Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

necessary to present a fair statement of financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full fiscal year or any future periods.

Common Stock Split

On October     , 2010, the Company’s board of directors approved a 1 for 2.4417 reverse stock split of the Company’s outstanding common stock. The reverse split became effective on October     , 2010. The accompanying unaudited financial statements and notes to the unaudited financial statements give retroactive effect to the reverse stock split for all periods presented.

Pro Forma Information

Unaudited net loss per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding and gives effect to (i) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of the Company’s shares of Series A and B redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 7,050,363 shares of common stock and (ii) the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes at 80% of the initial offering price, into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock excluding the effect of the beneficial conversion charge that will be recorded upon the conversion of the convertible notes, (iii) as if they had occurred at the beginning of the six month period ended June 30, 2010 and (iv) assuming the closing of the public offering occurs on October 26, 2010.

The unaudited pro forma balance sheet data as of June 30, 2010 gives effect to (i) the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of the Company’s shares of Series A and B redeemable convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 7,050,363 shares of common stock, (ii) the automatic conversion of all principal and accrued interest outstanding under the convertible notes, including the August and October 2010 issuances, at 80% of the initial offering price, into an aggregate of 1,958,778 shares of common stock and (iii) the automatic conversion of the warrant to purchase 387,238 shares of preferred stock into 107,779 shares of common stock resulting in the warrant liability being reclassified to additional paid in capital upon completion of the Company’s initial public offering, assuming the closing of the public offering occurs on October 26, 2010.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Investments in Securities

The Company’s investments primarily consist of auction rate securities which are variable-rate debt securities with a maturity of greater than three months. These investments are classified as available-for-sale and are reported at fair value on the Company’s balance sheet. Unrealized gains and losses on these investments are reported within accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) as a separate component of stockholders’ deficiency. If a decline in the fair value of a marketable security below the Company’s cost basis is determined to be other than temporary, such marketable security is written down to its estimated fair value as a new cost basis and the amount of the write-down is included in earnings as an impairment charge.

 

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Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, securities, accounts payable, accrued liabilities notes payable, convertible notes and warrant liability. Fair value estimates of these instruments are made at a specific point in time, based on relevant market information. These estimates may be subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment and therefore cannot be determined with precision. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, notes payable and convertible notes are generally considered to be representative of their respective fair values because of the short-term nature of those instruments. The fair value of the Company’s investments in securities and warrant liability is based upon observable and unobservable inputs, as described further below.

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value are reported using a three-level fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. This hierarchy maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs. The three levels of inputs used to measure fair value are as follows:

 

   

Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.

 

   

Level 2  — Inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

 

   

Level 3  — Inputs that are unobservable for the asset or liability.

The Company’s investments in securities are classified within Level 2 and 3 of the fair value hierarchy using inputs that are observable or unobservable for the asset or liability. The fair value measurements of the Company’s investments in securities and warrant liability at December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010 are summarized in the tables below.

 

     Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
   Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
   Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
   Balance at
December 31,
2009

Assets:

           

Auction rate securities

   $    $    $ 495,000    $ 495,000

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

          150,000           150,000
                           

Total assets at fair value

   $    $ 150,000    $ 495,000    $ 645,000
                           

Liabilities:

           

Warrant

   $    $    $ 567,074    $ 567,074
                           

Total liabilities at fair value

   $    $    $ 567,074    $ 567,074
                           

 

F-37


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

     Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
   Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
   Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
   Balance at
June 30,
2010

Assets:

           

Auction rate securities

   $    $    $ 615,000    $ 615,000

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

          120,000           120,000
                           

Total assets at fair value

   $    $ 120,000    $ 615,000    $ 735,000
                           

Liabilities:

           

Warrant

   $    $    $ 217,689    $ 217,689
                           

Total liabilities at fair value

   $    $    $ 217,689    $ 217,689
                           

The changes in fair value measurements of the Company’s Level 3 financial instruments for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010 are summarized in the tables below:

 

     Level 3  
     Auction rate
securities
   Warrant
liability
 

Balance at January 1, 2009

   $ 414,241    $ 392,649   

Unrealized gain recorded in other comprehensive loss

            

Fair value adjustment included in net loss

          87,213   
               

Balance at June 30, 2009

   $ 414,241    $ 479,862   
               

Balance at January 1, 2010

   $ 495,000    $ 567,074   

Unrealized gain recorded in other comprehensive loss

     120,000        

Fair value adjustment included in net loss

          (349,385
               

Balance at June 30, 2010

   $ 615,000    $ 217,689   
               

The estimated fair value of the auction rate securities is derived through discounted cash flows, a Level 3 input. The Company’s discounted cash flow analysis considered, among other things, the quality of the underlying collateral, the credit rating of the issuer, an estimate of when these securities are either expected to have a successful auction or otherwise return to par value, the expected interest income to be received over this period, and the estimated required rate of return for investors that may be willing to purchase such a security. The Company also considered third party valuations and similar securities priced in the marketplace when arriving at the estimated fair value. At June 30, 2010, the Company’s auction rate securities were reflected at 41% of par value, and the increase as compared to December 31, 2009 is due to improved market conditions in the auction rate security marketplace.

The estimated fair value of the Company’s auction rate securities that were converted to preferred stock is estimated by analyzing similar securities in the marketplace, a Level 2 input. The Company also considers the fair value of the underlying collateral and credit rating of the issuer. Based on observed settlements of similar securities and recent information from the issuer’s financial status, the fair value of the preferred stock was reduced and is recorded at 8% of par value at June 30, 2010.

The estimated fair value of the Company’s warrant liability is determined using an option pricing model, a Level 3 input. The significant assumptions used in estimating the fair value of the Company’s warrant liability include the strike price, estimate for volatility, risk free interest rate, estimated fair value of the preferred shares, and the estimated life of the warrant.

 

F-38


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

Other Assets

Included in other assets at June 30, 2010 are capitalized offering costs of approximately $15,000, which are incremental costs directly attributable to the Company’s proposed initial public offering. Upon consummation of the Company’s initial public offering, such costs will be applied to the offering proceeds; however, in the event the offering is not consummated, such costs will be expensed.

Stock-based Compensation

The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718-10, Compensation-Stock Compensation-Overall . Compensation cost is recognized for all share-based payments granted and is based on the grant-date fair value estimated using the weighted-average assumption of the Black-Scholes option pricing models. The equity instrument is not considered to be issued until the instrument vests. As a result, compensation cost is recognized over the requisite service period with an offsetting credit to additional paid-in capital.

Stock-based compensation expense includes stock options granted to employees and non-employees and has been reported in the Company’s statements of operations as follows:

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,
     2009    2010

Research and development

      $ 289       $ 174

General and administrative

        223         208
                   

Total

      $ 512       $ 382
                   

Income Taxes

The Company uses the asset and liability method to account for income taxes, including the recognition of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities for the anticipated future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statements amounts and their respective tax bases. The Company reviews its deferred tax assets for recovery. A valuation allowance is established when the Company believes that it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will not be realized. Changes in valuation allowances from period to period are included in the Company’s tax provision in the period of change.

In January 2010, the Company recognized a tax benefit of approximately $1.8 million in connection with the sale of state net operating losses to a third party.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss for the Company includes net loss and the change in net unrealized gains and losses on available for sale securities. Comprehensive loss for the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010 is detailed below.

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,  
     2009     2010  

Net loss

   $ (6,266,314   $ (2,994,628

Change in unrealized gain on available for sale securities

            120,000   
                

Comprehensive loss

   $ (6,266,314   $ (2,874,628
                

 

F-39


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

2. Stock-Based Compensation

During the six months ended June 30, 2009 and 2010, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of approximately $0.5 and $0.4 million, respectively. The compensation expense had no impact on the Company’s cash flows from operations and financing activities. As of June 30, 2010, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted was $0.9 million and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.5 years.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2010, the Company issued equity awards with an exercise price of $2.37 per share, which the Company’s board of directors determined to be equal to the fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. During this period there was continued uncertainty regarding the regulatory pathway for the Company’s product candidates, including whether the Company could submit an NDA for lomitapide for HoFH without the need to conduct additional clinical trials. Also during this period, the Company’s financial resources were increasingly strained. In April 2009, Hercules delivered notice to the Company declaring the Company was in default under its loan and security agreement on the basis of insolvency. Although the Company was able to negotiate a series of forbearance agreements with Hercules, continued regulatory uncertainty, substantial outstanding debt under the Company’s loan and security agreement and adverse macroeconomic factors continued to adversely affect the Company’s enterprise valuation as the Company continued to explore alternative sources of financing.

The fair value of the options granted is estimated on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,  
         2009             2010      

Expected stock price volatility

     100     150

Risk free interest rate

     2.18     2.84

Expected life of options (years)

     6.25        6.25   

Expected annual dividend per share

   $ 0.00      $ 0.00   

A summary of option activities related to the Company’s stock options for the six months ended June 30, 2010 is as follows:

 

          Options Outstanding
     Number
of Shares
   Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
   Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
                

Balance at December 31, 2009

   355,690    $ 2.20    8.1

Options granted

   125,484      2.37    9.6

Options exercised

        

Options forfeited/cancelled

        
          

Balance at June 30, 2010

   481,174    $ 2.25    8.1
          

Exercisable at June 30, 2010

   169,776      

 

F-40


Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

3. Basic and Diluted Net Loss Attributable to Common Stockholders per Common Share

The Company has determined that its series A and B redeemable convertible preferred stock represent participating securities since both securities participate equally with common stock in dividends and unallocated income.

Basic net loss per common share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, less weighted-average unvested common shares subject to repurchase. Diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing the net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of unrestricted common shares and dilutive common share equivalents outstanding for the period, determined using the treasury-stock method and the as if-converted method.

Net loss attributable to common stockholders for each period must be allocated to common stock and participating securities to the extent that the securities are required to share in the losses. The Company’s series A and B redeemable convertible preferred stock do not have a contractual obligation to share in losses of the Company. As a result, basic net loss per common share is calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding during the period.

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,  
     2009     2010  

Net loss attributable to common stockholders

   $ (7,886,461   $ (4,728,185

Weighted average common shares outstanding — basic and diluted

     1,632,047        1,704,766   
                

Net loss attributable to common stockholders per common share — basic and diluted

   $ (4.83   $ (2.77
                

The following table shows historical dilutive common share equivalents outstanding, which are not included in the above historical calculation, as the effect of their inclusion is anti-dilutive during each period.

 

     Six Months Ended June 30,
     2009    2010

Convertible preferred stock

   6,448,842    6,900,262

Unvested restricted stock

   37,748   

Options

   468,326    481,186

Warrant

   33,042    107,779
         

Total

   6,987,958    7,489,227
         

The above table does not include the potential dilutive impact resulting from the conversion of the convertible notes because the number of common shares is not determinable.

 

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Table of Contents

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

4. Investments in Securities

The following is a summary of investments held by the Company as of December 31, 2009 and June 30, 2010:

 

     Adjusted
Cost
   Gross
Unrealized
Gains
   Gross
Unrealized
Losses
   Fair Value
at December 31,
2009

Auction rate securities

   $ 414,241    $ 80,759    $    $ 495,000

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

     150,000                150,000
                           

Total

   $ 564,241    $ 80,759    $    $ 645,000
                           
     Adjusted
Cost
   Gross
Unrealized
Gains
   Gross
Unrealized
Losses
   Fair Value at
June 30, 2010

Auction rate securities

   $ 414,241    $ 200,759    $    $ 615,000

Auction rate securities converted to preferred stock

     120,000                120,000
                           

Total

   $ 534,241    $ 200,759    $    $ 735,000
                           

At June 30, 2010, the Company’s investments consist of auction rate securities (“ARS”) which are carried at estimated fair value and classified as available-for-sale securities on the balance sheet. ARS are variable-rate debt securities that do not mature in the near term, with the interest rate being reset through Dutch auctions that are typically held every 7, 28 or 35 days. The securities trade at par and are callable at par on any interest payment date at the option of the issuer. Interest is paid at the end of each auction period. Since 2008 and through the current period, the ARS have experienced failed auctions, meaning that there were no buyers willing to purchase the securities at par. Pursuant to the terms of the ARS agreement, in the event of a failed auction in which the holders cannot sell the securities, the interest or dividend rate on the security resets to a “penalty” rate. As a result of the failed auctions, the Company does not believe the ARS are currently liquid.

The ARS for which the auctions have failed will continue to accrue interest at the contractual penalty rate and will continue to be auctioned every 28 days until the auction succeeds, the issuer calls the securities, or the securities mature.

In December 2008, one of the Company’s ARS was subject to a put option, which converted the security into non-cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock. The Company’s investment in the underlying debt obligation matures in 2021. In March 2010, the Company was notified that the issuer of the non-cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock will not pay the upcoming scheduled quarterly dividend in March 2010, a result of having reported an earned surplus deficit. The Company determined the decline in fair value of its non-cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock for the six months ended June 30, 2010 to be other than temporary and recorded an impairment charge of $30,000 which is included in net loss. Subsequent declines in fair value will also be evaluated as to whether they are other than temporary.

Given the continued lack of liquidity associated with these investments, they are not reasonably available for current operations. As such, the Company classifies these investments as long-term investments on the balance sheet.

 

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Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

5. Convertible Notes

In January 2010, the Company entered into several loan agreements with various financial institutions and individuals (“Purchasers”), whereby the Purchasers agreed to purchase an aggregate principal amount of $3.0 million of senior subordinated convertible notes (“Notes”), subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (Hercules) as specified in the certain subordination agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules. The Notes may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Purchasers. The interest on these Notes is 8.0% per annum, accruing daily and is payable upon maturity if the Notes are held and not converted on such date.

In June 2010, the Company entered into several loan agreements with the Purchasers, whereby the Purchasers agreed to purchase an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 million of Notes, subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules as specified in the certain subordination agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules. The maturity date of the Notes was extended to December 31, 2011. The Notes may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Purchasers. The interest on these Notes is 8.0% per annum, accruing daily and is payable on December 31, 2011 if the Notes are held and not converted on such date.

 

6. Capital Structure

Common Stock

At June 30, 2010, the Company is authorized to issue 30,000,000 shares of common stock. At June 30, 2010, the Company had 1,708,129 outstanding shares of common stock.

Cumulative Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock

At June 30, 2010, the Company is authorized to issue 13,000,000 of series A redeemable convertible preferred stock (“Series A”) and 6,650,000 shares of series B redeemable convertible preferred stock (“Series B”). At June 30, 2010, the Company had outstanding 12,211,604 shares and 3,810,773 shares of Series A and B, respectively.

As of June 30, 2010, Series A and Series B are recorded at their stated values (estimated value per share of $1.86 and $3.79, respectively, plus accrued dividends less issuance costs and accretion adjustments).

 

     Series A    Series B
     Shares    Amount    Shares    Amount

Balance at December 31, 2009

   12,211,604    $ 29,633,656    3,810,773    $ 20,306,416

Accrual of preferred dividend

        1,033,615         699,942

Accretion to redemption value

        8,007         10,362
                       

Balance at June 30, 2010

   12,211,604    $ 30,675,278    3,810,773    $ 21,016,720
                       

 

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Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(A Development Stage Company)

Notes to Unaudited Financial Statements — (Continued)

 

7. Subsequent Events

The Company evaluated events that occurred subsequent to June 30, 2010 through the date the financial statements were available to be issued.

In August 2010, the Company entered into several loan agreements with the Purchasers, whereby the Purchasers agreed to purchase an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 million of Notes, subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules as specified in the subordination agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules. The maturity date of the Notes is December 31, 2011. The Notes may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Purchasers. The interest on these Notes is 8.0% per annum, accruing daily and is payable on December 31, 2011 if the Notes are held and not converted on such date.

On September 15, 2010, the Company granted options for an aggregate of 1,289,507 shares of common stock to the new Chief Executive Officer of the Company as well as to other employees of the Company at an exercise price of $1.54 per share. In connection with the Company’s planned initial public offering, the Company reexamined the contemporaneous valuation of its common stock issued during the third quarter of 2010. In connection with that reexamination, the Company completed a retrospective valuation of the fair value of its common stock for financial reporting purposes. The Company believed that the preparation of the retrospective valuation was necessary due to the fact that the probability for a potential initial public offering had accelerated significantly after certain key milestones were achieved. The Company expects to incorporate the fair values calculated in the retrospective valuations into the Black-Scholes option pricing model when calculating the stock-based compensation expense to be recognized for the stock options granted during the third quarter of 2010. The retrospective valuation of $13.38 results in total compensation expense of $17.0 million that the Company expects to record over the vesting period.

During September 2010, a dispute arose with a third-party service provider regarding the Company’s obligation to pay for services purported to have been performed on behalf of the Company in connection with a planned clinical trial for lomitapide in patients with HeFH. The Company is working with the service provider to negotiate a resolution to the matter and the Company does not expect that the ultimate resolution will be material to the Company’s financial position, cash flow or results of operations for the full fiscal year.

In October 2010, the Company entered into several loan agreements with the Purchasers, whereby the Purchasers agreed to purchase an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 million of Notes, subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules as specified in the subordination agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules. The maturity date of the Notes is December 31, 2011. The Notes may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Purchasers. The interest on these Notes is 8.0% per annum, accruing daily and is payable on December 31, 2011 if the Notes are held and not converted on such date.

In October 2010, the Company amended the terms of all previously issued Notes such that the conversion price of the Notes was changed from 85% to 80% of the price in the initial public offering. The Company is currently evaluating the accounting for this modification.

 

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4,666,667 Shares

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

 

Leerink Swann

Lazard Capital Markets

Needham & Company, LLC

Canaccord Genuity

Collins Stewart

                     , 2010


Table of Contents

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth all expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by the registrant in connection with the sale of the common stock being registered. All the amounts shown are estimates except the Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, filing fee and The NASDAQ Global Market listing fee.

 

     Total

Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee

   $ 6,150

FINRA filing fee

     9,125

NASDAQ Global Market listing fee

     125,000

Blue sky qualification fees and expenses

     15,000

Printing and engraving expenses

     250,000

Legal fees and expenses

     975,000

Accounting fees and expenses

     500,000

Transfer agent and registrar fees

     1,000

Miscellaneous expenses

     118,725
      

Total expenses

   $ 2,000,000
      

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation, in its certificate of incorporation, may limit the personal liability of a director of the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability for any:

 

   

Transaction from which the director derived improper personal benefit;

 

   

Act or omission not in good faith or that involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

   

Unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares; or

 

   

Breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders.

Section 145(a) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), because he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

Section 145(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or

 

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completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which he or she shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, he or she is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court shall deem proper.

Section 145(g) of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, in general, that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the person against such liability under Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

Article VII of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be effective upon the closing of this offering, or the Charter, provides that no director of our company shall be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) in respect of unlawful dividend payments or stock redemptions or repurchases, or (4) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. In addition, our Charter provides that if the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of our company shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended.

Article VII of the Charter further provides that any amendment, repeal or modification of such article by our stockholders or an amendment to the Delaware General Corporation Law will not adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring before such amendment, repeal or modification of a director serving at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

Article V of our Amended and Restated By-Laws, to be effective upon the closing of this offering, or the By-Laws, provides that we will indemnify each of our directors and officers and, in the discretion of our board of directors, certain employees, to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law as the same may be amended (except that in the case of an amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits us to provide broader indemnification rights than the Delaware General Corporation Law permitted us to provide prior to such amendment) against any and all expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts reasonably paid in settlement that are incurred by the director, officer or such employee or on the director’s, officer’s or employee’s behalf in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, to which he or she is or is threatened to be made a party because he or she is or was serving as a director, officer or employee of our company, or at our request as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, foundation, association, organization or other legal entity, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of our company and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Article V of the By-Laws further provides for the advancement of expenses to each of our directors and, in the discretion of our board of directors, to certain officers and employees.

 

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In addition, Article V of the By-Laws provides that the right of each of our directors and officers to indemnification and advancement of expenses will be a contract right and will not be exclusive of any other right now possessed or hereafter acquired under any statute, provision of the Charter or By-Laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. Furthermore, Article V of the By-Laws authorizes us to provide insurance for our directors, officers and employees against any liability, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the Delaware General Corporation Law or the provisions of Article V of the By-Laws.

In addition to the indemnification provisions in our Charter and By-Laws, we plan to enter into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These agreements will provide that we will indemnify each of our directors and executive officers, and such entities to the fullest extent permitted by law.

We also maintain a general liability insurance policy which covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our company arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

In the underwriting agreement we will enter into in connection with the sale of common stock being registered hereby, the underwriters will agree to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, our directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act, against certain liabilities.

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

The following list sets forth information regarding all securities sold by us in the three years preceding the filing of this registration statement:

Preferred Stock Financings

(a) In November 2007, we entered into a Series B Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement pursuant to which we issued and sold an aggregate of 3,810,773 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock in one closing in November 2007, at a purchase price of $4.62 per share, for aggregate consideration of $17,605,771 in cash.

Convertible Note Financings and Warrant Issuances

(b) In September 2008, we received gross proceeds of $3,814,760 from the sale of convertible promissory notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible promissory notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year , and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible promissory notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

(c) In December 2008, we received gross proceeds of $5,000,001 from the sale of convertible promissory notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible promissory notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible promissory notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

(d) In July 2009, we received gross proceeds of $5,000,000 from the sale of convertible promissory notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible promissory notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible promissory notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

 

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(e) In January 2010, we received gross proceeds of $3,000,000 from the sale of convertible promissory notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible promissory notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible promissory notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

(f) In June 2010, we received gross proceeds of $1,500,000 from the sale of convertible promissory notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible promissory notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible promissory notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

(g) In March 2007, we entered into a $15 million loan and security agreement with Hercules, and borrowed $10 million under this agreement. In connection with this agreement, we entered into a warrant agreement with Hercules, which was amended in July 2009, under which Hercules has the right to purchase 387,238 shares of our series A redeemable preferred stock, which will become, in accordance with its terms, a warrant to purchase 107,779 shares of common stock, at an exercise price of $6.68 per share upon the closing of this offering.

(h) In August 2010, we received gross proceeds of $1,500,000 from the sale of convertible promissory notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible promissory notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible promissory notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

(i) In October 2010, we received gross proceeds of $1,500,000 from the sale of convertible promissory notes in a private placement to certain of our existing investors. The convertible promissory notes accrue interest at a rate equal to 8% per year and have a maturity date of December 31, 2011, unless converted prior thereto. The convertible promissory notes are automatically convertible into common stock upon the closing of this offering at a conversion price equal to 80% of the price to the public in this offering.

Stock Option Grants

(j) From May 31, 2006 through September 30, 2010, we granted stock options under our 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan to purchase an aggregate of 1,713,150 shares of common stock, net of forfeitures, with a weighted average exercise price of $1.71 per share, to certain of our employees, consultants and directors. In addition, upon the closing of this offering, we intend to grant options exercisable for up to 40,953 shares of common stock at an exercise price equal to the initial public offering price.

Securities Act Exemptions

We deemed the offers, sales and issuances of the securities described in paragraphs (a) through (i) and to the extent applicable a portion of the stock options described in paragraph (j) granted to executive officers to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, including Regulation D and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, relative to transactions by an issuer not involving a public offering. All purchasers of securities in transactions exempt from registration pursuant to Regulation D represented to us that they were accredited investors and were acquiring the shares for investment purposes only and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, any distribution thereof and that they could bear the risks of the investment and could hold the securities for an indefinite period of time. The purchasers received written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale must be made pursuant to a registration statement or an available exemption from such registration.

We deemed the grants of stock options described in paragraph (j), except to the extent described above as exempt pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Rule 701 of the Securities Act as offers and sales of securities under compensatory benefit plans and

 

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contracts relating to compensation in compliance with Rule 701. Each of the recipients of securities in any transaction exempt from registration either received or had adequate access, through employment, business or other relationships, to information about us.

All certificates representing the securities issued in the transactions described in this Item 15 included appropriate legends setting forth that the securities had not been offered or sold pursuant to a registration statement and describing the applicable restrictions on transfer of the securities. There were no underwriters employed in connection with any of the transactions set forth in this Item 15.

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a) Exhibits.

The exhibits to the registration statement are listed in the Exhibit Index to this registration statement and are incorporated herein by reference.

Item 17. Undertakings

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(c) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 2 to the registration statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Township of Bridgewater, New Jersey, on October 7, 2010.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

/ S /    W ILLIAM H. L EWIS        

 

William H. Lewis

President (Principal Financial Officer)

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Amendment No. 2 to the registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated below on the 7th day of October 2010.

 

Signature

  

Title

/ S /    M ARC D. B EER        

Marc D. Beer

   Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Director

/ S /    W ILLIAM H. L EWIS        

William H. Lewis

   President (Principal Financial Officer)

/ S /    J OHN T. C AVAN        

John T. Cavan

   Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)

*

David I. Scheer

   Chairman of the Board

*

Alison Kiley

   Director

*

Jason S. Fisherman

   Director

*

Antonio M. Gotto Jr.

   Director

*

Michèle Ollier

   Director

 

*By:

 

/ S /    W ILLIAM H. L EWIS        

  William H. Lewis
  Attorney-in-fact

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description of Document

1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement
3.1    Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (to be effective upon the pricing of this offering)
3.2    Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
3.3    By-laws
3.4    Form of Amended and Restated By-laws (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
4.1    Specimen certificate evidencing shares of common stock
5.1    Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP
†10.1    2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan, as amended, and form of agreements thereunder
†10.2    2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and form of agreements thereunder
10.3**    Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, dated November 9, 2007, as amended
†10.4    Employment Agreement with Christine Pellizzari, dated October 5, 2010
†10.5    Employment Agreement with John Cavan, dated October 5, 2010
#10.6**    Patent License Agreement with University of Pennsylvania, dated May 19, 2006, as amended September 27, 2006
#10.7    License Agreement with Bayer Healthcare AG, dated May 31, 2006, as amended February 15, 2007
10.8**    Sublease Agreement with Tibbett & Britten Group North America, Inc., dated June 6, 2006
10.9    Loan and Security Agreement with Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. dated March 20, 2007, as amended September 29, 2008, as amended July 2, 2009, as amended January 28, 2010, as amended June 11, 2010 and as amended October 1, 2010
10.10**    Secured Promissory Note in favor of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. dated March 20, 2007
10.11**   

Amended and Restated Warrant Agreement with Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. dated September 29, 2008 as amended July 2, 2009

10.12**    Form of Indemnification Agreement
†10.13**    Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy
10.14    Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement, dated October 1, 2010
10.15    Form of Note issued under the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement
†10.16**    Employment Agreement with Marc D. Beer, dated August 19, 2010
†10.17**    Consulting Agreement with Peter L. Garrambone, dated April 21, 2009
†10.18    Employment Agreement with William H. Lewis, dated October 5, 2010
21.1    Subsidiaries of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
23.1    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
23.2    Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.3    Consent of L.E.K. Consulting, LLC, dated October 6, 2010
24.1**    Power of Attorney

 

* To be filed by amendment.

 

** Previously filed.

 

# Confidential treatment has been requested for certain provisions of the Exhibit. Confidential materials have been omitted and filed separately with the SEC.

 

Indicates management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.

Exhibit 1.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 

(a Delaware corporation)

 

[•] Shares of Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated: _____ __, 2010


Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(a Delaware corporation)

[•] Shares of Common Stock

($0.001 Par Value Per Share)

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

_____ __, 2010

Leerink Swann LLC

Lazard Capital Markets LLC

As Representatives of

the Several Underwriters

c/o Leerink Swann LLC

One Federal Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02110

c/o Lazard Capital Markets LLC

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, NY 10020

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), confirms its agreement with Leerink Swann LLC (“ Leerink Swann ”) and Lazard Capital Markets LLC (“ LCM ”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “ Underwriters ,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Leerink Swann and LCM are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “ Representatives ”), with respect to (i) the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company (“ Common Stock ”) set forth in Schedule A , and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of [•] additional shares of Common Stock to cover overallotments, if any. The aforesaid [•] shares of Common Stock (the “ Initial Securities ”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the [•] shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “ Option Securities ”) are hereinafter called, collectively, the “ Securities .”

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-168721), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ 1933 Act ”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A (“ Rule 430A ”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “ 1933 Act Regulations ”) and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“ Rule 424(b) ”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to paragraph (b) of

 

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Rule 430A is referred to as “ Rule 430A Information .” Each prospectus used before such registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “ preliminary prospectus .” Such registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits and any schedules thereto, at the time it became effective, and including the Rule 430A Information, is herein called the “ Registration Statement .” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the “ Rule 462(b) Registration Statement ,” and after such filing, if applicable, the term “ Registration Statement ” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The final prospectus in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities is herein called the “ Prospectus .” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“ EDGAR ”).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties .

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company . The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time referred to in Section 1(a)(i) hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(i) Compliance with Registration Requirements . Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), included or, as amended or supplemented, as applicable, will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or, as amended or supplemented, as applicable, will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

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As of the Applicable Time (as defined below), neither (x) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule B hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “ General Disclosure Package ”), nor (y) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

Applicable Time ” means [•] [a.m/p.m.] (Eastern time) on [•], 2010 or such other time as agreed upon in writing by the Company and the Representatives.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 433 ”), relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show for an offering that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form required to be retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “ bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule D hereto.

Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

Statutory Prospectus ” as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof.

The Company has made available a “ bona fide electronic road show” in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Securities.

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in Section 3(e), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and

 

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agreed that such information consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information (as defined in Section 6(b) hereof).

Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations.

(ii) Independent Accountants . The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and Rule 3600T of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(iii) Financial Statements . The historical financial statements (including the related notes and supporting schedules) included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the 1933 Act and present fairly the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company at the dates and for the periods indicated and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“ GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as otherwise stated therein. The selected financial data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein.

(iv) Good Standing of the Company . The Company has been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization and is duly qualified to do business and in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing as a foreign corporation could not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, business or prospects of the Company (a “ Material Adverse Effect ”); the Company has all corporate power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the business in which it is engaged.

(v) Subsidiaries . The Company has no subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations) and does not otherwise own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity.

(vi) No Material Adverse Change in Business . Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as set forth in or contemplated thereby (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), (A) the Company has not sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, and since such date, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-

 

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term debt of the Company or any adverse change, or any development involving a prospective adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company, in each case except as could not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (B) the Company has not (i) incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (ii) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business or (iii) declared or paid any dividend on its capital stock.

(vii) Capitalization . The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit or equity incentive plans described in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise or conversion of outstanding securities, warrants or options referred to in the Prospectus). All of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and not in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right. All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws.

(viii) Authorization of Agreement . The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(ix) Authorization and Description of Securities . The Securities to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly authorized and, upon payment and delivery in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will conform to the description thereof contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and will be free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights.

(x) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts . The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, impose any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, license, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or (C) result in any violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or assets.

(xi) Compliance with Applicable Laws . The Company (A) is not in violation of its charter or by-laws, (B) is not in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term,

 

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covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject and (C) is not in violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over it or its property or assets and has not failed to obtain any license, permit, certificate, franchise or other governmental authorization or permit necessary to the ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business, except in the case of clauses (B) and (C), to the extent any such default, event, violation or failure to obtain could not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xii) Absence of Labor Dispute . Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no labor disturbance by the employees of the Company exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xiii) ERISA . Each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”)) would have any liability (each a “ Plan ”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. With respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (B) no “accumulated funding deficiency” (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code), whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (C) the fair market value of the assets under each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan) and (D) neither the Company or any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA), except in each such case as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xiv) Absence of Proceedings . There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company is the subject that could, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or could, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or others.

(xv) Disclosure of Proceedings, Agreements and Other Legal and Regulatory Matters . There are no legal or governmental proceedings or contracts or other documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package or, in the case of documents, to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required. The Company has no knowledge that any other party to any such contract has

 

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any intention not to render full performance as contemplated by the terms thereof. The statements made in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Business—Licenses,” “Business—Regulatory Matters,” “Description of Capital Stock,” “Underwriting” (only with respect to the description of the Agreement) and in Item 14 and 15 of Part II insofar as such statements contain descriptions of laws, rules or regulations, and insofar as they describe the terms of agreements or the Company’s charter or by-laws, are correct in all material respects.

(xvi) Possession of Intellectual Property . Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) the Company owns, possesses or has adequate rights to use the Company Intellectual Property (as defined below), (B) the Company has not received any notice of any infringement of, or conflict with, any Intellectual Property (as defined below) of any third party, and the Company is not aware of any basis for any such claim, (C) the Company is not obligated to pay a material royalty, grant a material license, or provide other material consideration to any third party in connection with the Company Intellectual Property, (D) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, the operation of the business now conducted or as planned to be conducted by the Company as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus should not be found to infringe any claim of a third-party patent, (E) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, the operation of the business now conducted or as planned to be conducted by the Company as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus should not be found to infringe any non-patented Intellectual Property right of any third party and (F) the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would render any Company Intellectual Property invalid or unenforceable. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Intellectual Property ” means patents, patent rights, patent applications, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names, and “ Company Intellectual Property ” means Intellectual Property that is necessary to carry on the business now operated and as planned to be operated by the Company as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(xvii) Patent Applications . The Company has duly and properly filed or caused to be filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “ PTO ”) and applicable foreign and international patent authorities all patent applications owned by the Company (the “ Company Patent Applications ”). To the knowledge of the Company, the Company is in compliance with the PTO’s duty of candor and disclosure for the Company Patent Applications and has made no material misrepresentation in the Company Patent Applications. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company is in compliance with the duty of candor and disclosure for the Company Patent Applications pending in countries outside the United States. The Company has not intentionally withheld from the PTO any information material to a determination of patentability of claims pending in the Company Patent Applications. The Company has no knowledge of any information which would preclude the Company from having clear title to the Company Patent Applications.

(xviii) Absence of Further Requirements . No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or assets is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for (A) the registration of the Securities under the 1933 Act, (B) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as have been obtained and (C) and such consents,

 

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approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ 1934 Act ”), applicable state or foreign securities laws in connection with the purchase and sale of the Securities by the Underwriters and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“ FINRA ”) or the Nasdaq Stock Market.

(xix) Absence of Manipulation . The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(xx) Possession of Licenses and Permits . The Company has such permits, licenses, franchises and other approvals or authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (“ Permits ”), including without limitation all such Permits required by the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “ FDA ”) as are necessary under applicable law to conduct its business in the manner described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for any of the foregoing that could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company has satisfied all of the requirements of the Permits, except where such failure, singly or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no Permit is subject to revocation or termination, except where any revocation or termination could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxi) Investigational New Drug Applications . Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or as otherwise could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) the Company has not failed to submit to the FDA an Investigational New Drug Application for a clinical trial it has conducted or sponsored or is conducting or sponsoring and (B) all such submissions were in material compliance with applicable laws and rules and regulations when submitted and no material deficiencies have been asserted by the FDA with respect to any such submissions.

(xxii) Preclinical Studies and Tests and Clinical Trials . The tests, nonclinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company that are described in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to, where applicable, accepted professional and scientific standards for products or product candidates comparable to those being developed by the Company; the descriptions of the results of such tests, studies and trials contained in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus do not contain any misstatement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make such statements not misleading. To the Company’s knowledge, there have been no tests, studies or trials conducted with respect to the Company’s product candidates not described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus the results of which reasonably call into question the results of the tests, studies and trials described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not received any notices or correspondence from the FDA or any foreign, state or local governmental body exercising comparable authority or any Institutional Review Board or comparable authority requiring the termination, suspension, clinical hold or material modification of any tests, studies or trials, conducted by or on behalf of the Company which termination, suspension, clinical hold or material modification would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xxiii) Title to Property . The Company has good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all material personal property owned by it, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except for a security interest in favor of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. or such as are disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company; and all assets held under lease by the Company are held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such assets by the Company.

(xxiv) Investment Company Act . The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offer and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be, (A) an “investment company” within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ 1940 Act ”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder or (B) a “business development company” (as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of the 1940 Act).

(xxv) Environmental Laws . Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there are no proceedings that are pending, or known to be contemplated, against the Company under any laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, orders, judgments, decrees, permits or other legal requirements of any governmental authority, including without limitation any international, national, state, provincial, regional, or local authority, relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, or natural resources, or to hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“ Environmental Laws ”) in which a governmental authority is also a party, (B) the Company is not aware of any issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and (C) the Company does not anticipate material capital expenditures relating to Environmental Laws.

(xxvi) Registration Rights . Except for such rights as have been previously waived in writing, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to include any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the 1933 Act.

(xxvii) Accounting Controls . The Company (A) makes and keeps accurate books and records and (B) maintains and has maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for its assets, (iii) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded

 

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accountability for the Company’s assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(xxviii) Internal Control over Financial Reporting . Since the date of the most recent balance sheet of the Company reviewed or audited by Ernst & Young LLP and the audit committee of the board of directors of the Company, (A) the Company has not been advised of (i) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that could adversely affect the ability of the Company to record, process, summarize and report financial data, or any material weaknesses in internal controls and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal controls of the Company, and (B) since that date, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

(xxix) Disclosure Controls and Procedures . The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it will file or submit under the 1934 Act is accumulated and communicated to management of the Company, including its principal executive officers and principal financial officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure to be made; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.

(xxx) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith.

(xxxi) Listing Approval . The Securities have been approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution on the NASDAQ Global Market.

(xxxii) FINRA Matters . Except as disclosed in writing to the Representatives, neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s officers, directors or affiliates (within the meaning of FINRA Conduct Rule 2720(f)), directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, or is an associated person (within the meaning of Article I, paragraph (ff) of the By-laws of FINRA) of any member firm of FINRA.

(xxxiii) Payment of Taxes . The Company has filed all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, subject to permitted extensions, and has paid all taxes due thereon, and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company, nor does the Company have any knowledge of any tax deficiencies that could, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxxiv) Transfer Taxes . There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance by the Company or sale by the Company of the Securities.

(xxxv) Insurance . The Company carries, or is covered by, insurance from insurers of recognized financial responsibility in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company

 

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believes is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its property and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries. All policies of insurance of the Company are in full force and effect; the Company is in compliance with the terms of such policies in all material respects; the Company has not received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance; there are no claims by the Company under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business and at a cost that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxxvi) Statistical and Market-Related Data . The statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects, and, to the extent required by such sources, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

(xxxvii) Director and Officer Questionnaires. The Company has provided the Underwriters with director and officer questionnaires (each, a “ D&O Questionnaire ”) for each member of the Company’s Board of Directors and senior management listed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. To the knowledge of the Company, each D&O Questionnaire is complete and accurate in all material respects and does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading as of the date hereof and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery). The Company agrees to promptly inform the Representatives at any time when it (or any officer or director thereof) should learn of any fact that would cause any such D&O Questionnaire to not be complete and accurate in all material respects or to contain an untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading as of the date hereof and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery).

(xxxviii) Margin Securities . The Company does not own any “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “ Federal Reserve Board ”), and none of the proceeds of the sale of the Securities will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Securities to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

(xxxix) Commission Agreements . Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”).

 

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(xl) Anti-Corruption Laws . None of the Company or any director or officer, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any affiliate or any employee, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its affiliates, has taken any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the Company has conducted its businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and has instituted policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws.

(xli) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . The Company has not, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, has any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “ FCPA ”); or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

(xlii) Anti-Money Laundering Laws . The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “ Anti-Money Laundering Laws ”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xliii) OFAC . The Company is not, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“ OFAC ”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

(xliv) Integration . The Company has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

(xlv) Related Party Transactions . Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company, on the other hand, that is required to be described in General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which is not so described.

 

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(xlvi) Discrimination Laws . The Company is not in violation of nor has it received notice of any violation with respect to any federal or state law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, nor any applicable federal or state wage and hour laws, nor any state law precluding the denial of credit due to the neighborhood in which a property is situated, the violation of any of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Affect.

(b) Officer’s Certificates . Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .

(a) Initial Securities . On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule B , the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.

(b) Option Securities . In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional [•] shares of Common Stock, at the price per share set forth in Schedule B , less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for the purpose of covering overallotments which may be made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “ Date of Delivery ”) shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not be earlier than two full business days, unless the Date of Delivery is at the Closing Time, or later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined, unless in each case the Representatives and the Company otherwise agree in writing. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject in each case to such adjustments, which shall not reduce the total number of Option Securities being purchased, as the Representatives in their discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

(c) Payment . The Initial Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) for the account of such Underwriter against payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the fourth (third, if the pricing occurs before 4:30 P.M. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “ Closing Time ”).

 

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In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made in the same manner as set forth above, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company.

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of Federal (same day) funds or other immediately available funds in the City of New York to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Subject to Section 10, Leerink Swann or LCM, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

The documents to be delivered at the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 5 hereof shall be delivered at the offices of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, 399 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022 or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company.

(d) Denominations; Registration . Certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the Representatives at the office of DTC or its designated custodian not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company . The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests . The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A, and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect the filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every

 

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reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(b) Filing of Amendments and Exchange Act Documents . The Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)) or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any preliminary prospectus (including any prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall object. The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (the “ 1934 Act Regulations ”) within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statements . The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses . The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws . The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies

 

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of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications . The Company will from time to time take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year from the later of the effective date of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

(g) Rule 158 . The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(h) Use of Proceeds . The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(i) Listing . The Company will use its best efforts to effect and reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ Global Market.

(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities . For the period specified below (the “ Lock-Up Period ”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, without the written consent of Leerink Swann and LCM: (i) offer, pledge, sell, issue, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iii) file with the Commission a registration statement under the 1933 Act relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (b) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing or that is described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (c) the grant by the Company of stock options or other stock-based awards (or the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise thereof) to eligible participants pursuant to employee benefit or equity incentive plans of the Company described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided that, prior to the grant of any such stock options or other stock-based awards that vest within the Lock-Up Period, each recipient of such grant shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto or (d) the filing of

 

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a registration statement on Form S-8 or any successor form thereto with respect to the registration of securities to be offered under any employee benefit or equity incentive plans of the Company described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to the Company’s “employees” (as that term is used in Form S-8). The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue for 180 days after the date of the Prospectus or such earlier date that Leerink Swann and LCM consent to in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (A) during the last 17 days of the initial 180-day Lock-Up Period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (B) prior to the expiration of the initial 180-day Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the Lock-Up Period shall continue until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. The Company shall promptly notify Leerink Swann and LCM of any earnings release, news or event that may give rise to an extension of the initial 180-day Lock-Up Period.

(k) Reporting Requirements . The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(l) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses . The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives or by the Company and the Representatives, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “ Permitted Free Writing Prospectus .” The prior written consent of the Company and the Representatives shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the free writing prospectuses, if any, specified in Schedule D hereto, each of which shall therefore be considered a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses .

(a) Expenses . The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors,

 

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(vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants (but specifically excluding the travel and lodging expenses of the representatives of the Underwriters), and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, (x) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq Stock Market, and (xii) the costs and expenses (including without limitation any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriter caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third paragraph of Section 1(a)(i). It is understood that, subject to this Section and Section 4(b) hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including without limitation the costs and expenses of their own counsel, any transfer taxes on the Securities which they may sell and the expenses of advertising any offering of the Securities made by the Underwriters.

(b) Termination of Agreement . If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a)(i) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations . The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement . The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.

(b) Opinion of Counsel for the Company . At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the written opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of (i) Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-1 hereto, together with a negative assurance letter, dated as of the Closing Time, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-2 hereto, and (ii) Goodwin Procter LLP, as special intellectual property counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibit B-3 hereto, together with signed or reproduced copies of such opinion letter for each of the other Underwriters.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters . At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the written opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP,

 

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counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such opinion letter for each of the other Underwriters with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(d) No Changes. Since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, except as set forth in or contemplated thereby, (i) the Company shall not have sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree; (ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company; and (iii) there shall not have been any change in the capitalization of the Company the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) hereof, is, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package or to enforce contracts for sale of the Securities.

(e) No Material Misstatement or Omission. No Underwriter shall have discovered and disclosed to the Company that the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, is material or omits to state a fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(f) No Restrictions . No action shall have been taken and no law, statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or that could have a Material Adverse Effect, and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or that could have a Material Adverse Effect.

(g) Officers’ Certificate . The Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or President and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no Material Adverse Effect since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated by the Commission.

(h) Accountant’s Comfort Letter . At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(i) Bring-down Comfort Letter . At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements

 

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made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (h) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time.

(j) Approval of Listing . At Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for inclusion on the NASDAQ Global Market, subject only to official notice of issuance.

(k) Lock-up Agreements . At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule C hereto.

(l) No Objection . FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(m) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities . In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the conditions set forth in Sections 5(a), (d), (e) and (f) shall be satisfied as of the Date of Delivery and the Representatives shall have received:

(i) Officers’ Certificate . A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer or President and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(g) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

(ii) Opinion of Counsel for Company . The written opinions of (x) Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Company, together with a negative assurance letter, and (y) Goodwin Procter LLP, as special intellectual property counsel for the Company, in each case, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinions required by Section 5(b).

(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters . The written opinion of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof.

(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter . A letter from Ernst & Young LLP in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(i) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than five days prior to such Date of Delivery.

(n) Additional Documents . At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

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(o) Termination of Agreement . If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification .

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters . The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “ Affiliate ”), its selling agents and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, action, investigation or proceeding, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing, defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of any litigation, action, investigation or proceeding, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) of this Section 6(a); and

(iv) against any failure of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder or pursuant to any law, any act or failure to act, or any alleged act or failure to act, by any Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the offering of the Securities, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, liability, claim, damage, expense, action, investigation or proceeding arising out of or based upon matters covered by clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above of this Section 6(a); provided that the Company shall not be liable in the case of any matter covered by this clause (iv) to the extent that it is determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense resulted directly from any such act or failure to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through its gross negligence or willful misconduct;

 

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provided , however , that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that such information consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information.

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers . Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a) above, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that any Underwriter has furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements in the Prospectus set forth (i) on the cover page of the Prospectus as it relates to the expected delivery of shares of Common Stock by the Underwriters, (ii) in the table following the first paragraph under the caption “Underwriting,” (iii) in the first and last paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting—Discounts and Commissions,” (iv) under the caption “Underwriting—Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids” and (v) under the caption “Underwriting—Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Shares” (collectively, the “ Underwriters’ Information ”).

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification . Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action and, to the extent it shall elect, jointly with any other indemnifying party, assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified parties; provided , however , that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances; provided further , however , that after notice from the indemnifying party to an indemnified party that the indemnifying party has elected to assume the defense of any action, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal fees or expenses of any other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying

 

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party, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party), or (iii) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action or the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, in which case, if such indemnified party notifies the indemnifying party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of (or, in the case of a failure to diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, to continue to defend) such action on behalf of such indemnified party, and in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, action, investigation or proceeding, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (x) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, action, investigation, proceeding or claim and (y) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse . If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel to which it is entitled hereunder, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party for such fees and expenses to which it is entitled hereunder prior to the date of such settlement.

SECTION 7. Contribution . If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

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The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission, it being understood and agreed that the information supplied by the Underwriters consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, representatives and agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive . All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement .

(a) Termination; General . The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus or General Disclosure Package, any Material Adverse Effect, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities

 

24


or escalation thereof or any act of terrorism or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NASDAQ Global Market, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in the NASDAQ Global Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(b) Liabilities . If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters . If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “ Defaulted Securities ”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 36 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 36-hour period, then:

(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i) Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “ Underwriter ” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. Tax Disclosure . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, immediately upon commencement of discussions with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby,

 

25


the Company (and each employee, representative or other agent of the Company) may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to the Company relating to such tax treatment and tax structure. For purposes of the foregoing, the term “ tax treatment ” is the purported or claimed federal income tax treatment of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the term “ tax structure ” includes any fact that may be relevant to understanding the purported or claimed federal income tax treatment of the transactions contemplated hereby.

SECTION 12. Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives, c/o Leerink Swann LLC, One Federal Street, 37th Floor, Boston, MA 02110 and c/o Lazard Capital Markets LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10020, with copies (which shall not serve as notice) to (i) Timothy A.G. Gerhold, Leerink Swann LLC, One Federal Street, 37th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, (ii) Equity Syndicate Desk, Lazard Capital Markets LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10020, and (iii) Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, Attention: David E. Redlick, Esq.; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., CenterPointe IV, 1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy (which shall not serve as notice) to Goodwin Procter LLP, 53 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, Attention: Jocelyn M. Arel, Esq. and Michael H. Bison, Esq.

SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship . The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or its respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter or its affiliates or Lazard Frères & Co. LLC has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates and Lazard Frères & Co. LLC may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

SECTION 14. Parties . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

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SECTION 15. Governing Law and Jurisdiction . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law. No legal proceeding may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company and the Underwriters each hereby consent to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any legal proceeding in such courts, and hereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such legal proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company and the Underwriters each hereby waive all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

SECTION 16. TIME . TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 17. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

SECTION 18. Effect of Headings . The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

SECTION 19. Partial Unenforceability . The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph, clause or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

SECTION 20. General . This Agreement may be amended or modified, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived, only by a writing signed by the Company and the Representatives.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:    

Name:

Title:

 

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

 

LEERINK SWANN LLC

By:    
  Authorized Signatory

 

 

LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
By:    
  Authorized Signatory

For themselves and as Representatives of the

other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.


SCHEDULE A

 

Name of Underwriter

   Number of
Initial  Securities

Leerink Swann LLC

  

Lazard Capital Markets LLC

  

Needham & Company, LLC

  

Canaccord Genuity Inc

  

Collins Stewart LLC

  
    

Total

  
    


SCHEDULE B

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(a Delaware corporation)

[•] Shares of Common Stock

($0.001 Par Value Per Share)

 

1. The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $[•].

 

2. The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $[•], being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $[•] per share.


SCHEDULE C

List of Persons and Entities Subject to Lock-up

All officers and directors and holders of substantially all the Company’s securities.


SCHEDULE D

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus

[•]


EXHIBIT A

Form of Lock-up Agreement

_____ __, 2010

Leerink Swann LLC

Lazard Capital Markets LLC

As Representatives of

the Several Underwriters

c/o Leerink Swann LLC

One Federal Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02110

c/o Lazard Capital Markets LLC

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10020

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that Leerink Swann LLC (“Leerink”) and Lazard Capital Markets LLC (“Lazard”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Offering”) by the several Underwriters (the “Underwriters”), including Leerink and Lazard, of shares of the common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”).

To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Leerink and Lazard, on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) any shares of Common Stock acquired from the Underwriters in connection with the Offering or transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Offering; (b) transfers of shares of Common Stock in connection with a merger, reorganization or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity (including through the purchase of the outstanding capital stock of the Company) pursuant to which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction own less than 50% of the surviving entity’s voting power after such transaction; or (c) transfers of shares of Common Stock or other Company securities if the transfer is (i) by bona fide gift, will or intestacy, (ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, or (iii) by distribution to partners, members or shareholders of the undersigned; provided, however, that in the case of a transfer pursuant to clause (c) above, it shall be a condition to the transfer that (1) such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and (2) the transferee executes an agreement stating that the transferee


is receiving and holding the securities subject to the provisions of this agreement. For purposes of this agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions set forth in this agreement shall not apply to the establishment of a trading plan with respect to the sale of Common Stock that complies with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that such trading plan shall not provide for any sales of Common Stock, and the restrictions set forth in this agreement shall otherwise apply in full force, during the 180-day restricted period or any extension thereof pursuant to this agreement.

In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of Leerink and Lazard, on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

If:

(1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or

(2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period,

the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

The undersigned shall not engage in any transaction that may be restricted by this agreement during the 34-day period beginning on the last day of the initial 180-day restricted period unless the undersigned requests and receives prior written confirmation from the Company or Leerink and Lazard that the restrictions imposed by this agreement have expired.

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Offering. The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

Whether or not the Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters, and there is no assurance that the Company and the Underwriters will enter into an Underwriting Agreement with respect to the Offering or that the Offering will be consummated.

If (1) the Company notifies you in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, (2) the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to the Offering is withdrawn, (3) after execution thereof, the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to the closing of the Offering, or (4) the Underwriting Agreement is not executed on or prior to December 31, 2010, this agreement shall automatically terminate and the undersigned shall be released from any obligations hereunder.

 

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Very truly yours,
   

Name:

Address:

 

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EXHIBIT B-1

Form of Opinion for Company Counsel


EXHIBIT B-2

Form of Negative Assurance Letter for Company Counsel


EXHIBIT B-3

Form of Opinion for Company Intellectual Property Counsel

Exhibit 3.1

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), hereby certifies as follows:

 

1. The name of the Corporation is Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The date of the filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware was February 4, 2005 (the “ Original Certificate ”). The name under which the Corporation filed the Original Certificate was Metexion, Inc. The Original Certificate was amended on June 8, 2005 and amended and restated on December 15, 2005 (the “ First Amended and Restated Certificate ”). The First Amended and Restated Certificate was amended on May 25, 2007 and was amended and restated on November 9, 2007 (the “ Second Amended and Restated Certificate ”). The Second Amended and Restated Certificate was amended on September 2, 2008, July 2, 2009, January 28, 2010, June 11, 2010 and October 1, 2010.

 

2. This Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “ Certificate ”) amends, restates and integrates the provisions of the Second Amended and Restated Certificate, as amended, and was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “ DGCL ”).

 

3. The text of the Second Amended and Restated Certificate, as amended, is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to provide as herein set forth in full.

ARTICLE I

The name of the Corporation is Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

ARTICLE II

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle. The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

ARTICLE III

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.

ARTICLE IV

CAPITAL STOCK

Effective upon the filing of this Certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “ Effective Date ”), each one (1) share of the Corporation’s Common Stock, par value $.001 per share (the “ Old Common Stock ”), then issued and outstanding or held in the treasury of the


Corporation at the close of business on the Effective Date, shall automatically be combined into 0.4096 shares of the Corporation’s Common Stock, par value $.001 per share (the “ New Common Stock ”), without any further action by the holders of such shares of Old Common Stock (and any fractional shares resulting from such exchange will not be issued but will be paid out in cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the initial public offering price of the Corporation’s Common Stock, or in the event the Corporation does not consummate such initial public offering prior to December 31, 2010, the fair market value thereof as determined by the Board) (the “ 2010 Reverse Split ”). Each stock certificate representing shares of Old Common Stock prior to the 2010 Reverse Split shall thereafter represent that number of shares of New Common Stock into which the shares of Old Common Stock represented by such certificate shall have been combined; provided, however, that each person holding of record a stock certificate or certificates that represented shares of Old Common Stock shall receive, upon surrender of such certificate or certificates, a new certificate or certificates evidencing and representing the number of shares of New Common Stock to which such person is entitled. The Company shall not be obligated to issue certificates evidencing the shares of New Common Stock issuable as set forth above unless certificates evidencing such shares of Old Common Stock are either delivered to the Company, or the holder notifies the Company that such certificates have been lost, stolen or destroyed and executes an agreement satisfactory to the Company to indemnify the Company from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith. The New Common Stock issued in this exchange shall have the same rights, preferences and privileges as the Common Stock (as defined above).

Immediately after giving effect to the 2010 Reverse Split, the aggregate number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is one hundred forty-nine million six hundred fifty thousand (149,650,000) shares, of which (i) one hundred twenty five million (125,000,000) shares shall be a class designated as common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”) and (ii) twenty-four million six hundred fifty thousand (24,650,000) shares shall be a class designated as Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Preferred Stock ”), of which (a) thirteen million (13,000,000) shares shall be designated as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “ Series A Preferred ”), (b) six million six hundred fifty thousand (6,650,000) shares shall be designated as Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“ Series B Preferred ” and together with the Series A Preferred, the “ Designated Preferred ”) and (c) five million (5,000,000) shares shall be designated as undesignated preferred stock (the “ Undesignated Preferred Stock ” and, together with the Designated Preferred, the “ Preferred Stock ”).

For clarity, the above referenced number of shares and all dollar amounts set forth herein have been adjusted to account for a 1 for 0.679674238 combination of the Corporation’s Common Stock on May 25, 2007 (the “ First Reverse Split ”) and the 2010 Reverse Split (collectively, the “ Reverse Splits ”).

The number of authorized shares of the class of Common Stock and Undesignated Preferred Stock may from time to time be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote, without a vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock (subject to the terms of the Designated Preferred and except as otherwise provided in any certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock).

 

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The powers, preferences and rights of, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions upon, each class or series of stock shall be determined in accordance with, or as set forth below in, this Article IV.

 

A. COMMON STOCK

Subject to all the rights, powers and preferences of the Preferred Stock and except as provided by law or in this Article IV (or in any certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock):

(a) the holders of the Common Stock shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors of the Corporation (the “ Directors ”) and on all other matters requiring stockholder action, each outstanding share entitling the holder thereof to one vote on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation for their vote; provided , however , that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate (or on any amendment to a certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock) that alters or changes the powers, preferences, rights or other terms of one or more outstanding series of Undesignated Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series of Undesignated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, on such amendment pursuant to this Certificate (or pursuant to a certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL;

(b) dividends may be declared and paid or set apart for payment upon the Common Stock out of any assets or funds of the Corporation legally available for the payment of dividends, but only when and as declared by the Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof; and

(c) upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the net assets of the Corporation shall be distributed pro rata to the holders of the Common Stock.

 

B. PREFERRED STOCK

The designations and the powers, preferences and rights of, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the Designated Preferred are as follows:

 

1. Liquidation Rights.

 

  (a) Treatment at Liquidation Dissolution or Winding Up.

(i) Except as otherwise provided in Section 1(b) below, in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, shut down, cessation of business or other winding up of the affairs of the Corporation (a “ Liquidity Event ”), the holders of Designated Preferred shall be entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Corporation legally available for distribution to holders of the Corporation’s capital stock of all classes, on a pari passu basis, before a payment or distribution of any of such assets to the holders of any other class or series of the Corporation’s capital

 

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stock designated to be junior to the Designated Preferred, (A) (x) in the case of the Series A Preferred, $1.8599 per share (which amount shall be subject to equitable adjustment whenever there shall occur a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event with respect to the Series A Preferred) and (y) in the case of the Series B Preferred, $4.62 per share (which amount shall be subject to equitable adjustment whenever there shall occur a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event with respect to the Series B Preferred) (in either case, as applicable, the “ Applicable Base Liquidation Price ”), plus (B) payment of all dividends accrued or declared but unpaid thereon, as applicable, to and including the date of distribution with respect to such Liquidity Event.

(ii) Following payment in full to the holders of Designated Preferred of all amounts distributable to them under Section 1(a)(i) hereof, the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to holders of the Corporation’s capital stock shall be distributed on a pro rata basis among (A) the holders of Designated Preferred, on a Common Stock equivalent basis, and (B) the holders of Common Stock.

(iii) If the assets of the Corporation shall be insufficient to permit the payment in full to the holders of Designated Preferred of all amounts distributable to them under Section 1(a)(i) hereof, then the entire assets of the Corporation available for such distribution shall be distributed ratably among the holders of Designated Preferred in proportion to the respective amounts they would be entitled to receive if the assets of the Corporation were sufficient to permit the payment in full of all amounts distributable to them under Section 1(a)(i) hereof.

(b) Treatment of Sales, Mergers and Reorganizations . Any (i) sale, lease, exchange, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation (an “ Asset Transfer ”), (ii) consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into any other corporation or other entity or person, or any other corporate reorganization, in which the stockholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or reorganization, own less than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of the surviving entity immediately after such consolidation, merger or reorganization (a “ Merger ”) or (iii) any transaction or series of related transactions to which the Corporation is a party in which in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the Corporation’s voting power is transferred (an “ Acquisition ” and, together with any Asset Transfer or a Merger, a “ Sale Event ”) shall be deemed to be a Liquidity Event for purposes of this Section 1 , unless otherwise determined by the affirmative election by vote or with consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the Designated Preferred, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis (“ Required Series A/B Super Majority ”); provided that a Sale Event shall not include any transaction involving only a change in the state of incorporation of the Corporation.

(c) Distributions other than Cash . Whenever the distribution provided for in this Section 1 , shall be payable in property other than cash, the value of such property shall be the fair market value of such property as determined in good faith by the Board, except that property consisting of securities that are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, that are freely-tradable upon issuance and are not subject to investment letter, lock-up letter or any similar restriction on free marketability and transferability, shall be valued as follows:

(i) if traded on a securities exchange, the value shall be deemed to be the average of the security’s closing prices on such exchange over the thirty (30) day period ending three (3) days prior to the distribution;

 

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(ii) if actively traded over-the-counter, the value shall be deemed to be the average of the closing bid or sale prices (whichever is applicable) over the thirty (30) day period ending three (3) days prior to the distribution;

(iii) if there is no active public market, the value shall be the fair market value thereof as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors; and

(iv) if such securities are subject to investment letter or other restrictions on free marketability (other than restrictions arising solely by virtue of a stockholder’s status as an affiliate or former affiliate), the method of valuation of such securities shall be to make an appropriate discount from the market value determined in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above, as applicable, to reflect the approximate fair market value thereof, as determined by the Board of Directors.

(d) The Corporation shall give each holder of record of Designated Preferred written notice of an impending transaction described in Section 2(b) above not later than ten (10) business days prior to the stockholders’ meeting called to approve such transaction, or ten (10) business days prior to the closing of such transaction, whichever is earlier. Such notice shall describe the material terms and conditions of the impending transaction and the provisions of this Section l . The transaction shall in no event take place sooner than ten business (10) days after this Corporation has given such notice; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 1(d) may be waived prospectively or retroactively upon the written consent of the holders of Designated Preferred that are entitled to such notice rights or similar notice rights and that represent at least a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of such Designated Preferred.

2. Conversion . The holders of Designated Preferred shall have conversion rights as follows:

(a) Right to Convert; Conversion Price . Each share of Designated Preferred shall be convertible, without the payment of any additional consideration by the holder thereof and at the option of the holder thereof, at any time after the date of issuance of such share, at the office of the Corporation, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing (1) the Applicable Base Liquidation Price plus all dividends accrued or declared but unpaid, up to and including the date of conversion (the “ Adjusted Liquidation Price ”), by (2) the Applicable Conversion Price, determined as hereinafter provided, in effect at the time of conversion. The “Applicable Conversion Price” for purposes of calculating the number of shares of Common Stock deliverable upon conversion of Series A Preferred shall initially be equal to $6.6824 (such number already having given effect to the Reverse Splits) and the “Applicable Conversion Price” for purposes of calculating the number of shares of Common Stock deliverable upon conversion of Series B Preferred shall initially be equal to $9.2540 (such

 

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number already having given effect to the 2010 Reverse Split and the Special Adjustment for Special Default, which occurred prior to the 2010 Reverse Split). The Applicable Conversion Price shall be subject to adjustment, in order to adjust the number of shares of Common Stock into which the Designated Preferred is convertible, as hereinafter provided.

(b) Mechanics of Conversion . Before any holder of Designated Preferred shall be entitled to convert the same into full shares of Common Stock, such holder shall surrender the certificate or certificates therefor, duly endorsed, at the office of the Corporation and shall give written notice to the Corporation at such office that such holder elects to convert the same and shall state therein the name of such holder or the name or names of the nominees of such holder in which such holder wishes the certificate or certificates for shares of Common Stock to be issued. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of any shares of Designated Preferred. In lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the then effective Applicable Conversion Price. The Corporation shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, issue and deliver to such holder of Designated Preferred, or to such holder’s nominee or nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock to which such holder shall be entitled as aforesaid, together with cash in lieu of any fraction of a share. Such conversion shall be deemed to have been made immediately prior to the close of business on the date of such surrender of the shares of Designated Preferred to be converted, and the person or persons entitled to receive the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion shall be treated for all purposes as the record holder or holders of such shares of Common Stock on such date.

(c) Automatic Conversion .

(i) Each share of Designated Preferred shall automatically be converted into such number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock as determined by dividing (1) the Adjusted Liquidation Price by (2) the Applicable Conversion Price in effect at the time of conversion upon the earlier to occur of the following:

(A) Immediately prior to the closing of a firm commitment underwritten public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, covering the offer and sale of Common Stock (a “ Qualified Public Offering ”); or

(B) The affirmative vote thereof or consent of the Required Series A/B Super Majority.

(ii) Upon the occurrence of an event specified in Section 2(c)(i) hereof, all shares of Designated Preferred shall be converted automatically without any further action by any holder of such shares and whether or not the certificate or certificates representing such shares are surrendered to the Corporation; provided , however , that the Corporation shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of Common Stock into which such shares of Designated Preferred were convertible unless the certificate or certificates representing such shares of Designated Preferred being converted are either

 

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delivered to the Corporation, or the holder notifies the Corporation that such certificate or certificates have been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Corporation so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity.

(iii) Upon the occurrence of an event specified in Section 2(c)(i) hereof, each holder of Designated Preferred shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such holder’s shares of Designated Preferred at the office of the Corporation. Thereupon, there shall be issued and delivered to such holder, promptly at such office and in such holder’s name as shown on such surrendered certificate or certificates, a certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Designated Preferred surrendered were convertible on the date on which such automatic conversion occurred. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the automatic conversion of Designated Preferred. In lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the then effective Applicable Conversion Price.

(d) Adjustments to Conversion Price for Diluting Issues and Special Adjustment for Certain Default.

(i) Special Definitions . For purposes of this Section 2(d) , the following definitions shall apply:

(A) “ Additional Shares of Common Stock ” shall mean all shares of Common Stock issued (or, pursuant to Section 2(d)(ii) hereof, deemed to be issued) by the Corporation after the Original Issue Date, other than Excluded Securities.

(B) “ Convertible Securities ” shall mean any evidences of indebtedness, shares (other than Common Stock or Preferred Stock) or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock.

(C) “ Excluded Securities ” shall mean

(1) up to (a) 1,929,046 Options (subject to adjustments for subsequent stock splits, dividends, recapitalizations and other similar events) but having already been adjusted to reflect the Reverse Splits) issued under the Corporation’s 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan or such higher number of Options issued under the Corporation’s 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan or under any new stock plan, in each case as approved by the Board, including the affirmative vote of all Series A/B Directors (as defined below), and (b) shares of Common Stock issued in connection with the exercise of any Option issued in accordance with the foregoing clause (a);

 

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(2) shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities issued or issuable (a) in connection with a bona fide business acquisition by the Corporation, whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets, sale or exchange of stock or otherwise, in each case as approved by the Board, including the affirmative vote of all Series A/B Directors and (b) in connection with the conversion of any such Convertible Securities issued in accordance with the foregoing clause (a);

(3) shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities issued or issuable (a) to vendors, commercial lenders, equipment lessors, landlords, executive recruiters or similar entities in connection with bona fide equipment, or real estate lease financings, debt financings, employee search engagements or similar transactions, the terms of which are approved by the Board, including the affirmative vote of all Series A/B Directors, and (b) in connection with the conversion of any such Convertible Securities issued in accordance with the foregoing clause (a);

(4) shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities issued or issuable (a) to a joint venture or licensing partner in connection with any strategic alliance, joint venture or licensing arrangement, the terms of which are approved by the Board, including the affirmative vote of all Series A/B Directors, and (b) in connection with the conversion of any such Convertible Securities issued in accordance with the foregoing clause (a);

(5) shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon conversion of shares of Preferred Stock;

(6) shares of Common Stock issued, or issuable as a dividend on the shares of Preferred Stock; and

(7) shares of Common Stock issued by reason of a dividend, stock split or other distribution on shares of Common Stock to the extent an adjustment is made with respect to such dividend, stock split or other distribution on shares of Common Stock under Section 2(d)(v) hereof.

The Excluded Securities shall include any additional shares of Common Stock as may be issued or deemed issued by virtue of antidilution provisions, if any, contained in the terms of such Options or Convertible Securities, as the case may be.

(D) “ Option ” shall mean rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

 

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(E) “ Original Issue Date ” shall mean, in the case of the Series A Preferred, December 15, 2005 (the “ Series A Original Issue Date ”), and in the case of the Series B Preferred, November 9, 2007 (the “ Series B Original Issue Date ”).

(ii) Issue of Securities Deemed Issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock.

(A) Options and Convertible Securities . In the event the Corporation at any time after the Series B Original Issue Date shall issue any Options or Convertible Securities, then the maximum number of shares (as set forth in the instrument relating thereto without regard to any provisions contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of such Options or, in the case of Convertible Securities and Options therefor, the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, shall be deemed to be Additional Shares of Common Stock issued as of the time of such issue; provided that Additional Shares of Common Stock shall not be deemed to have been issued unless the consideration per share (determined pursuant to Section 2(d)(iv) hereof) of such Additional Shares of Common Stock would be less than the Applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue; and provided further that in any such case in which Additional Shares of Common Stock are deemed to be outstanding:

(1) Except as provided in clause (II) below, no further adjustment in the Applicable Conversion Price shall be made upon the subsequent issue of Convertible Securities or shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of such Options or conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities;

(2) If such Options or Convertible Securities by their terms provide, with the passage of time or otherwise, for any increase in the consideration payable to the Corporation, or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange thereof, the Applicable Conversion Price computed upon the original issue thereof, and any subsequent adjustments based thereon, shall, upon any such increase or decrease becoming effective, be recomputed to reflect such increase or decrease insofar as it affects such Options or the rights of conversion or exchange under such Convertible Securities;

 

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(3) Upon the expiration of any such Options or any rights of conversion or exchange under such Convertible Securities which shall not have been exercised, the Applicable Conversion Price computed upon the original issue thereof and any subsequent adjustments based thereon, shall, upon such expiration, be recomputed as if:

 

  (I) In the case of Convertible Securities or Options for Common Stock (x) the only Additional Shares of Common Stock issued were the shares of Common Stock, if any, actually issued upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities and (y) the consideration received therefor was the consideration actually received by the Corporation for the issue of all such Options which were actually exercised, or for the issue of all such Convertible Securities which were actually converted or exchanged, plus the consideration actually received by the Corporation upon the exercise of such Options or upon the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities; and

 

  (II) In the case of Options for Convertible Securities, only the Convertible Securities, if any, actually issued upon the exercise thereof were issued at the time of issue of such Options, and the consideration received by the Corporation for the Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to have been then issued was the consideration actually received by the Corporation for the issue of all such Options, whether or not exercised, plus the consideration deemed to have been received by the Corporation (determined pursuant to Section 2(d)(iv) ) upon the issue of the Convertible Securities with respect to which such Options were actually exercised,

(4) No readjustment pursuant to clause (II) or (III) above shall have the effect of increasing the Applicable Conversion Price to an amount which exceeds the lower of (a) the Applicable Conversion Price on the original adjustment date, or (b) the Applicable Conversion Price that would have resulted from any issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock between the original adjustment date and such readjustment date; and

(5) In the case of any Options which expire by their terms not more than sixty (60) days after the date of issue thereof, no adjustment of the Applicable Conversion Price shall be made until the expiration or exercise of all such Options, whereupon such adjustment shall be made in the same manner provided in clause (III) above.

(B) Stock Dividends, Stock Distributions and Subdivisions . In the event the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series B

 

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Original Issue Date shall pay any dividend or make any other distribution on the Common Stock payable in Common Stock or effect a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in Common Stock), then and in any such event Additional Shares of Common Stock shall be deemed to have been issued:

(1) In the case of any such dividend or distribution, immediately after the close of business on the record date for the determination of holders of any class of securities entitled to receive such dividend or distribution; or

(2) In the case of any such subdivision, at the close of business on the date immediately prior to the date upon which corporate action becomes effective.

(iii) Adjustment of Applicable Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock.

(A) In the event the Corporation shall issue Additional Shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued pursuant to Section 2(d)(ii)(A) but excluding Additional Shares of Common Stock issued or deemed to be issued pursuant to Section 2(d)(ii)(B) , which event is dealt with in Section 2(d)(v) hereof), without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the Applicable Conversion Price in effect for the Designated Preferred, as applicable, immediately prior to such issue, then and in such event, such Applicable Conversion Price shall be reduced, as applicable, concurrently with such issue, to a price (calculated to the nearest cent) determined by multiplying the Applicable Conversion Price by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be (x) the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such issue plus (y) the number of shares of Common Stock which the aggregate consideration received or deemed to have been received by the Corporation for the total number of Additional Shares of Common Stock so issued would purchase if issued at the Applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock, and the denominator of which shall be (w) the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such issue plus (z) the number of Additional Shares of Common Stock actually issued or deemed to be issued.

(B) For the purposes of Section 2(d)(iii)(A) hereof, (i) all shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of shares of Designated Preferred and upon exercise of Options or conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities outstanding immediately prior to any issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock, shall be deemed to be outstanding and (ii) immediately after

 

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any Additional Shares of Common Stock are deemed issued pursuant to Section 2(d)(ii) , such Additional Shares of Common Stock shall be deemed to be outstanding.

(C) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Applicable Conversion Price in effect at the time Additional Shares of Common Stock are issued or deemed to be issued shall not be reduced pursuant to Section 2(d)(iii)(A) hereof at such time if the amount of such reduction would be an amount less than $0.01, but any such amount shall be carried forward and reduction with respect thereto made at the time of and together with any subsequent reduction which, together with such amount and any other amount or amounts so carried forward, shall aggregate $0.01 or more.

(iv) Determination of Consideration . For purposes of this Section 2(d) , the consideration received by the Corporation for the issue of any Additional Shares of Common Stock shall be computed as follows:

(A) Cash and Property . Such consideration shall:

(1) Insofar as it consists of cash, be computed, at the aggregate amounts of cash received by the Corporation excluding amounts paid or payable for accrued interest or accrued dividends and less any discounts, commissions or other expenses incurred by the Corporation for any underwriting or otherwise in connection with the issuance or sale of such Additional Shares of Common Stock;

(2) Insofar as it consists of property other than cash, be computed at the fair market value thereof at the time of such issue, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors;

(3) In the event that Additional Shares of Common Stock are issued together with other shares or securities or other assets of the Corporation for consideration which covers both, be the proportion of such consideration so received, computed as provided in clauses (I) and (II) above, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors.

(B) Options and Convertible Securities . The consideration per share received by the Corporation for Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to have been issued pursuant to Section 2(d)(ii)(A) , relating to Options and Convertible Securities, shall be determined by dividing (I) the total amount, if any, received or receivable by the Corporation as consideration for the issue of such Options or Convertible Securities, plus the minimum aggregate amount of additional consideration (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such consideration) payable to the

 

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Corporation upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, by (II) the maximum number of shares of Common Stock (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

(v) Adjustment for Dividends, Distributions, Subdivisions, Combinations or Consolidations of Common Stock.

(A) Stock Dividends, Distributions or Subdivisions . In the event the Corporation shall issue Additional Shares of Common Stock pursuant to Section 2(d)(ii)(B) in a stock dividend, stock distribution or subdivision, the Applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such stock dividend, stock distribution or subdivision shall concurrently with the effectiveness of such stock dividend, stock distribution or subdivision, be proportionately decreased.

(B) Combinations or Consolidations . In the event the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be combined or consolidated, by reclassification or otherwise, into a lesser number of shares of Common Stock, the Applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such combination or consolidation shall, concurrently with the effectiveness of such combination or consolidation, be proportionately increased, it being understood that no further adjustment shall be made hereunder as a result of the Reverse Splits.

(vi) Special Adjustment for Certain Default . In the event that, on or prior to June 30, 2008, either (A) the Series B Preferred has not been converted to Common Stock pursuant Section 2(c) hereof or (B) the Company has not consummated a Qualified Financing (as defined below), the Applicable Conversion Price of the Series B Preferred will automatically be reduced to $3.79, (which amount shall be subject to equitable adjustment whenever there shall have occurred a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event with respect to the Series B Preferred) (the “ Adjusted Series B Conversion Price ”). As used herein, (x) “ Qualified Financing ” shall mean the issuance and sale of shares of Qualified Stock (as defined below) in one transaction or a series of related transactions to one or more institutional or venture capital investors, who are not then stockholders of the Corporation, primarily for capital raising purposes, in which the aggregate gross proceeds to the Corporation equal or exceed $12,000,000 (exclusive of the proceeds raised by the Corporation in connection with the sale of the Series B Preferred on November 9, 2007) and (y) “ Qualified Stock ” shall mean shares of the Corporation’s capital stock (other than Excluded Securities) that are either (1) additional shares of Series B Preferred or (2) additional shares

 

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of the Corporation’s capital stock (other than Series B Preferred) (hereinafter referred to as the “Alternative Preferred”) at an original issue price that is equal to or greater than $4.62 per share (which amount shall be subject to equitable adjustment whenever there shall occur a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event with respect to the Series B Preferred) and with terms that are no more favorable to the holders of the shares of Alternative Preferred with respect to the following: (A) a liquidation preference no greater than $4.62 per share (which amount shall be subject to equitable adjustment whenever there shall occur a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event with respect to the Series B Preferred) plus all accrued or declared but unpaid dividends, such liquidation preference to be payable only upon liquidation, conversion and redemption pari passu with the Designated Preferred with any such remaining amounts to be payable to the holders of the Corporation’s capital stock on a pro rata basis among the holders of the Alternative Preferred and the Designated Preferred, on a Common Stock equivalent basis, and the holders of Common Stock, (B) cumulative dividends payable on such shares of Alternative Preferred to accrue on a daily basis and compound annually at a rate no greater than seven (7%) per annum of the liquidation price of the Alternative Preferred, which dividends may be payable upon liquidation, conversion and redemption and (C) such shares of Alternative Preferred to be redeemable on terms no more favorable to the holders of the Alternative Preferred than the redemption terms set forth in Section 6 hereof (but may be redeemable- pari passu with the Designated Preferred). The terms of this Section 2(d)(vi) may be amended, modified or waived upon the vote or written consent of the holders of the Required Series A/B Super Majority.

(e) Certificate as to Adjustments . Upon the occurrence of each adjustment or readjustment of the Applicable Conversion Price or Applicable Base Liquidation Price pursuant to this Section 2 , the Corporation shall promptly compute such adjustment or readjustment in accordance with the terms hereof and furnish to each affected holder of Designated Preferred, a certificate setting forth such adjustment or readjustment and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment or readjustment is based. The Corporation shall, upon the written request at any time of any affected holder of Designated Preferred, furnish to such holder a certificate setting forth (i) such adjustments or readjustments and facts, (ii) the Applicable Conversion Price or Applicable Base Liquidation Price at the time in effect, and (iii) the number of shares of Common Stock and the amount, if any, of other property which at the time would be received upon conversion of each share of Designated Preferred.

3. Voting Rights.

(a) Generally . Except as otherwise required by law or this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and in addition to the rights provided by the Corporation’s By-Laws, the holders of Designated Preferred and the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to notice of any stockholders’ meeting and to vote as a single class upon any matter submitted to the stockholders for a vote, on the following basis:

(i) Holders of Common Stock shall have one vote per share of Common Stock held by them; and

 

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(ii) Each holder of shares of Designated Preferred shall be entitled to the number of votes equal to the number of shares of Common Stock into which such holder’s shares of Designated Preferred could be converted on the date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, rounded to the nearest one-tenth of a share.

(b) Board Size . The Corporation shall not, unless approved by the Board, including the Series A/B Directors, increase the maximum number of directors constituting the Corporation’s Board of Directors to a number in excess of seven (7).

(c) Series A/B Directors . In addition to voting as a single class with the holders of Common Stock for the election of directors, the holders of a majority in voting power of the Designated Preferred, voting together as a single class, shall at all times be entitled to elect three (3) members of the Board (the “ Series A/B Directors ”).

(d) Written Consents . Matters that are required by this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be approved by a vote of holders of any series or class of capital stock may be approved at a meeting or by written consent in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

4. Dividend Rights.

(a) From and after the date of issuance of each share of Series A Preferred, dividends shall accrue on a daily basis and compound annually on such share of Series A Preferred at the rate per annum equal to seven percent (7%) (the “ Series A Preferred Dividends ”) of the Applicable Base Liquidation Price. From and after the date of issuance of each share of Series B Preferred, dividends shall accrue on a daily basis and compound annually on such share of Series B Preferred at the rate per annum equal to seven percent (7%) (the “ Series B Preferred Dividends ”) of the Applicable Base Liquidation Price. The Preferred Dividends shall be cumulative from the date of issuance and shall be paid when, as and if declared by the Board or as otherwise set forth in this Amended and Restated Certificate.

(b) No dividend shall be paid on any shares of Common Stock unless all accrued and unpaid dividends for the Designated Preferred have first been paid. If the Board of Directors shall declare a dividend payable upon the then outstanding shares of the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable entirely in shares of the Common Stock of the Corporation), then the Board shall declare at the same time a dividend upon the then outstanding shares of Designated Preferred payable at the same time as the dividend paid on the Common Stock, in an amount equal to the amount of dividends per share of Designated Preferred as would have been payable on the shares of Common Stock which each share of Designated Preferred held by each holder thereof would have received if such Designated Preferred had been converted to Common Stock pursuant to the provision of Section 2 hereof as of the record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive such dividends.

 

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5. Protective Provisions . The Corporation shall not, without first having obtained the affirmative vote or written consent of the holders of the Required Series A/B Super Majority:

(a) Amend, alter or repeal any provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any filing of a Certificate of Designation), whether by amendment, consolidation, merger or otherwise, or amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Corporation’s By-laws;

(b) Authorize or designate (whether by reclassification or otherwise) or issue any new class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or any obligations or securities convertible into equity securities of the Corporation having relative rights or preferences superior to or on a parity with the Designated Preferred (including, without limitation, Excluded Securities), or effect an increase in the authorized or designated number of any such new class or series;

(c) Increase the number of shares of Common Stock reserved under the Corporation’s 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan (except when such increase is a result of an equitable adjustment related to a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event) or adopt a new stock option plan unless approved by the Board, including the Series A/B Directors;

(d) Authorize or effect any Liquidity Event or Sale Event or take any other action which results in a Liquidity Event or Sale Event or consummate any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation or entity;

(e) Increase or decrease the authorized number of directors comprising the Board unless approved by the Board, including the Series A/B Directors;

(f) Alter the mechanisms or procedures for designating or electing members of the Board;

(g) Redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire, or set aside any sums for the redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of; any capital stock or options to purchase capital stock of the Corporation, or any obligations or securities convertible into shares of capital stock (other than the redemption of the Designated Preferred described herein and the repurchase of shares of stock from employees, consultants and advisors pursuant to agreements which permit the Corporation to repurchase such shares at cost or fair market value, as such agreement may provide therein, upon termination of services to the Corporation or in exercise of the Corporation’s right of first refusal upon a proposed transfer);

(h) Declare or pay a dividend or other distribution on the Common Stock or on any other class or series of capital stock (other than the Designated Preferred), or any other action that results in a dividend or other distribution on the Common Stock or on any other class or series of capital stock (other than the Designated Preferred); or

(i) Purchase, lease, license or otherwise acquire for value, or agree or commit to purchase, lease, license or otherwise acquire for value, (i) any material ownership interest, or right to acquire a material ownership interest, in another corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity or (ii) all or substantially of the assets of any (A) such other corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity or (B) any line of business, division or material portion of any such other corporation, partnership, limited liability company.

 

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6. Redemption.

(a) Redemption After Five Years . At the request of the holder or holders of the Required Series A/B Super Majority, voting together as a single class (individually, a “ Requesting Holder ” and, collectively, the “ Requesting Holders ”), received by the Corporation at any time after the fifth anniversary of the Original Issue Date of the Series B Preferred but prior to a Qualified Public Offering, such request to be made in writing and delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of Section 6(c) hereof (the “ Redemption Notice ”), the Corporation shall redeem on the date that is sixty (60) days following the date of the Redemption Notice (the “ Initial Redemption Date ”) and on each of the first and second anniversaries of the Initial Redemption Date (together with the Initial Redemption Date, each a “ Redemption Date ”), unless otherwise prevented by law, thirty-three and one-third percent (33-1/3%) of the then outstanding shares of Designated Preferred held by such Requesting Holders and any other holders of Designated Preferred who wish to be redeemed concurrently with such Requesting Holders, at a redemption price equal to (1) in the case of the Series A Preferred, the original purchase price of the Series A Preferred per share of such Series A Preferred (which amount shall be subject to equitable adjustment whenever there shall have occurred a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event with respect to the Series A Preferred), plus an amount equal to any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends thereon and (2) in the case of the Series B Preferred, the original purchase price of the Series B Preferred per share of such Series B Preferred (which amount shall be subject to equitable adjustment whenever there shall have occurred a stock split, stock combination, stock dividend or other similar event with respect to the Series B Preferred), plus an amount equal to any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends thereon (in either case, as applicable, the “ Redemption Price ”).

(b) If the Redemption Notice shall have been duly given, and if on the applicable Redemption Date the Redemption Price payable upon redemption of the shares of Designated Preferred to be redeemed on such Redemption Date is paid or tendered for payment or deposited with an independent payment agent so as to be available therefor, then notwithstanding that the certificates evidencing any of the shares of Designated Preferred so called for redemption shall not have been surrendered, dividends with respect to such shares of Designated Preferred shall cease to accrue after such Redemption Date and all rights with respect to such shares shall forthwith after the Redemption Date terminate, except only the right of the holders to receive the Redemption Price without interest upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor.

(c) Any Redemption Notice shall be sent pursuant to this Section 6 by first-class, certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, to the Corporation at its principal place of business or to any transfer agent of the Corporation and shall be deemed received on the 5 th business day (or if sent overseas, on the 10 th business day) following the day such mailing is made. Within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of a Redemption Notice, the Corporation shall notify in writing all other holders of Designated Preferred of the request by a Requesting Holder for the redemption of Designated Preferred (the “ Corporation Notice ”) and the date of Initial Redemption Date. On each Redemption Date, the Corporation shall pay each holder of Series A Preferred the applicable Redemption Price pursuant to the terms of Section 6(a) , provided

 

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that the Corporation has received the certificates representing the shares of Designated Preferred to be redeemed. If, on any Redemption Date, less than all the shares of Designated Preferred to be redeemed on such Redemption Date may be legally redeemed by the Corporation, the number of shares of Designated Preferred legally permitted to be redeemed shall be allocated pro rata among the holders of Designated Preferred, and any shares of Designated Preferred intended to but not redeemed on such Redemption Date shall be redeemed, at the holder’s election, on any date following such Redemption Date on which the Corporation may lawfully redeem such shares in which case the shares of Designated Preferred not redeemed on such Redemption Date shall continue to be outstanding and entitled such holder to all rights, powers and privileges of a holder of such shares. The Corporation shall redeem (unless otherwise prevented by law) the shares of Designated Preferred being redeemed on the applicable Redemption Date and the Corporation shall promptly advise each holder of Designated Preferred of such Redemption Date or of the relevant facts applicable thereto preventing such redemption. Upon redemption of only a portion of the number of shares covered by a Designated Preferred certificate, the Corporation shall issue and deliver to or upon the written order of the holder of such Designated Preferred certificate, at the expense of the Corporation, a new certificate covering the number of shares of the Designated Preferred representing the unredeemed portion of the Designated Preferred certificate, as applicable, which new certificate shall entitle the holder thereof to all the rights, powers and privileges of a holder of such shares.

(d) In the event that the Corporation fails to pay the applicable Redemption Price on the applicable Redemption Date pursuant to the terms of Section 6(a) , interest at the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum shall accrue on the unpaid balance, payable quarterly in arrears.

7. No Reissuance of Preferred Stock . No share or shares of Designated Preferred acquired by the Corporation by reason of redemption, purchase, conversion or otherwise shall be reissued, and all such shares shall be canceled, retired and eliminated from the shares which the corporation shall be authorized to issue.

8. Residual Rights . All rights accruing to the outstanding shares of the Corporation not expressly provided for in the terms of the Designated Preferred shall be vested in the Common Stock.

9. Stock to be Reserved . The Corporation will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized Common Stock, solely for the purpose of issuance upon the conversion of Designated Preferred as herein provided, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall then be issuable upon the conversion of all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock which shall be so issued shall be duly and validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issue thereof, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Corporation covenants that it will from time to time take all such action as may be required to assure that the par value per share of the Common Stock is at all times equal to or less than the Applicable Conversion Price in effect at the time. The Corporation will take all such action as may be necessary to assure that all such shares of Common Stock may be so issued without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirement of any national securities exchange upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Corporation will not take any action which results in any adjustment of the Applicable Conversion Price if the total number of shares of Common Stock

 

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issued and issuable after such action upon conversion of the Designated Preferred would exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock then authorized by the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation.

 

C. UNDESIGNATED PREFERRED STOCK

The Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof is expressly authorized, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to provide by resolution or resolutions for, out of the unissued shares of Undesignated Preferred Stock, the issuance of the shares of Undesignated Preferred Stock in one or more series of such stock, and by filing a certificate of designations pursuant to applicable law of the State of Delaware, to establish or change from time to time the number of shares of each such series, and to fix the designations, powers, including voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of the shares of each series and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof.

ARTICLE V

STOCKHOLDER ACTION

Effective from and after the mandatory conversion of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred and Series B Preferred pursuant to Section 2(c) of Part B of Article IV of this Certificate of Incorporation (the time at which such mandatory conversion occurs being referred to herein as the “Mandatory Conversion Time”):

(a) Action without Meeting . Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be taken or effected by a written consent of stockholders in lieu thereof.

(b) Special Meetings . Except as otherwise required by statute and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a resolution approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors then in office, and special meetings of stockholders may not be called by any other person or persons. Only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VI

DIRECTORS

 

A. Before and after the Mandatory Conversion Time:

1. General . The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors except as otherwise provided herein or required by law.

 

B. Effective from and after the Mandatory Conversion Time:

1. Election of Directors . Election of Directors need not be by written ballot unless the By-laws of the Corporation (the “By-laws”) shall so provide.

 

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2. Number of Directors; Term of Office . The number of Directors of the Corporation shall be fixed solely and exclusively by resolution duly adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors. The Directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, shall be classified, with respect to the term for which they severally hold office, into three classes, as nearly equal in number as reasonably possible. The initial Class I Directors of the Corporation shall be Jason S. Fisherman and Antonio M. Gotto Jr.; the initial Class II Directors of the Corporation shall be Alison Kiley and Michele Ollier; and the initial Class III Directors of the Corporation shall be Marc Beer and David I. Scheer. The initial Class I Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2011, the initial Class II Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2012, and the initial Class III Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2013. At each annual meeting of stockholders, Directors elected to succeed those Directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Directors elected to each class shall hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation, death or removal.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever, pursuant to the provisions of Article IV of this Certificate, the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock shall have the right, voting separately as a series or together with holders of other such series, to elect Directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Certificate and any certificate of designations applicable to such series.

3. Vacancies . Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect Directors and to fill vacancies in the Board of Directors relating thereto, any and all vacancies in the Board of Directors, however occurring, including, without limitation, by reason of an increase in the size of the Board of Directors, or the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of a Director, shall be filled solely and exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, and not by the stockholders. Any Director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of Directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until such Director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation, death or removal. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect Directors, when the number of Directors is increased or decreased, the Board of Directors shall, subject to Article VI.3 hereof, determine the class or classes to which the increased or decreased number of Directors shall be apportioned; provided , however , that no decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the remaining Directors, except as otherwise provided by law, shall exercise the powers of the full Board of Directors until the vacancy is filled.

4. Removal . Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of Preferred Stock to elect Directors and to remove any Director whom the holders of any such series have the right to elect, any

 

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Director (including persons elected by Directors to fill vacancies in the Board of Directors) may be removed from office (i) only with cause and (ii) only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% or more of the outstanding shares of capital stock then entitled to vote at an election of Directors. At least forty-five (45) days prior to any annual or special meeting of stockholders at which it is proposed that any Director be removed from office, written notice of such proposed removal and the alleged grounds thereof shall be sent to the Director whose removal will be considered at the meeting.

ARTICLE VII

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

A Director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a Director, except for liability (a) for any breach of the Director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (d) for any transaction from which the Director derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is amended after the effective date of this Certificate to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of Directors, then the liability of a Director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VII by either of (i) the stockholders of the Corporation or (ii) an amendment to the DGCL, shall not adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring before such amendment, repeal or modification of a person serving as a Director at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

1. Amendment by Directors . Except as otherwise provided by law, the By-laws of the Corporation may be amended or repealed by the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors then in office.

2. Amendment by Stockholders . The By-laws of the Corporation may be amended or repealed at any annual meeting of stockholders, or special meeting of stockholders called for such purpose, by the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class; provided , however , that if the Board of Directors recommends that stockholders approve such amendment or repeal at such meeting of stockholders, such amendment or repeal shall only require the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class.

 

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ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENT OF CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

The Corporation reserves the right to amend or repeal this Certificate in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute and this Certificate, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. Whenever any vote of the holders of capital stock of the Corporation is required to amend or repeal any provision of this Certificate, and in addition to any other vote of holders of capital stock that is required by this Certificate or by law, such amendment or repeal shall require the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, and the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, at a duly constituted meeting of stockholders called expressly for such purpose; provided , however , that from and after the Mandatory Effective Time the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, and the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, shall be required to amend or repeal any provision of Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII or Article IX of this Certificate.

[End of Text]

 

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THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION is executed as of this      day of                      2010.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:  

 

Name: Marc Beer
Title: Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 3.2

FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), hereby certifies as follows:

 

1. The name of the Corporation is Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The date of the filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware was February 4, 2005 (the “ Original Certificate ”). The name under which the Corporation filed the Original Certificate was Metexion, Inc. The Original Certificate was amended on June 8, 2005 and amended and restated on December 15, 2005 (the “ First Amended and Restated Certificate ”). The First Amended and Restated Certificate was amended on May 25, 2007 and amended and restated on November 9, 2007 (the “ Second Amended and Restated Certificate ”). The Second Amended and Restated Certificate was amended on September 2, 2008, July 2, 2009, January 28, 2010, June 11, 2010 and October 1, 2010 and amended and restated on               , 2010 (the “ Third Amended and Restated Certificate ”).

 

2. This Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “ Certificate ”) amends, restates and integrates the provisions of the Third Amended and Restated Certificate, and was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “ DGCL ”).

 

3. The text of the Third Amended and Restated Certificate is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to provide as herein set forth in full.

ARTICLE I

The name of the Corporation is Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

ARTICLE II

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle. The name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

ARTICLE III

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.


ARTICLE IV

CAPITAL STOCK

The aggregate number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is one hundred thirty million (130,000,000) shares, of which (i) one hundred twenty-five million (125,000,000) shares shall be a class designated as common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”), and (ii) five million (5,000,000) shares shall be a class designated as undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Undesignated Preferred Stock”).

Except as otherwise provided in any certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, the number of authorized shares of the class of Common Stock or Undesignated Preferred Stock may from time to time be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares of such class outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

The powers, preferences and rights of, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions upon, each class or series of stock shall be determined in accordance with, or as set forth below in, this Article IV.

 

A. COMMON STOCK

Subject to all the rights, powers and preferences of the Undesignated Preferred Stock and except as provided by law or in this Certificate (or in any certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock):

(a) the holders of the Common Stock shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors of the Corporation (the “ Directors ”) and on all other matters requiring stockholder action, each outstanding share entitling the holder thereof to one vote on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation for their vote; provided , however , that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate (or on any amendment to a certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock) that alters or changes the powers, preferences, rights or other terms of one or more outstanding series of Undesignated Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series of Undesignated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, on such amendment pursuant to this Certificate (or pursuant to a certificate of designations of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the DGCL;

(b) dividends may be declared and paid or set apart for payment upon the Common Stock out of any assets or funds of the Corporation legally available for the payment of dividends, but only when and as declared by the Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof; and

(c) upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the net assets of the Corporation shall be distributed pro rata to the holders of the Common Stock.

 

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B. UNDESIGNATED PREFERRED STOCK

The Board of Directors or any authorized committee thereof is expressly authorized, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to provide by resolution or resolutions for, out of the unissued shares of Undesignated Preferred Stock, the issuance of the shares of Undesignated Preferred Stock in one or more series of such stock, and by filing a certificate of designations pursuant to applicable law of the State of Delaware, to establish or change from time to time the number of shares of each such series, and to fix the designations, powers, including voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of the shares of each series and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof.

ARTICLE V

STOCKHOLDER ACTION

1. Action without Meeting . Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be taken or effected by a written consent of stockholders in lieu thereof.

2. Special Meetings . Except as otherwise required by statute and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a resolution approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors then in office, and special meetings of stockholders may not be called by any other person or persons. Only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VI

DIRECTORS

1. General . The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors except as otherwise provided herein or required by law.

2. Election of Directors . Election of Directors need not be by written ballot unless the By-laws of the Corporation (the “By-laws”) shall so provide.

3. Number of Directors; Term of Office . The number of Directors of the Corporation shall be fixed solely and exclusively by resolution duly adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors. The Directors, other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, shall be classified, with respect to the term for which they severally hold office, into three classes, as nearly equal in number as reasonably possible. The initial Class I Directors of the Corporation shall be Jason S. Fisherman and Antonio M. Gotto Jr.; the initial Class II Directors of the Corporation shall be Alison Kiley and

 

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Michele Ollier; and the initial Class III Directors of the Corporation shall be Marc Beer and David I. Scheer. The initial Class I Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2011, the initial Class II Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2012, and the initial Class III Directors shall serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2013. At each annual meeting of stockholders, Directors elected to succeed those Directors whose terms expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Directors elected to each class shall hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever, pursuant to the provisions of Article IV of this Certificate, the holders of any one or more series of Undesignated Preferred Stock shall have the right, voting separately as a series or together with holders of other such series, to elect Directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Certificate and any certificate of designations applicable to such series.

4. Vacancies . Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock to elect Directors and to fill vacancies in the Board of Directors relating thereto, any and all vacancies in the Board of Directors, however occurring, including, without limitation, by reason of an increase in the size of the Board of Directors, or the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of a Director, shall be filled solely and exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, and not by the stockholders. Any Director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of Directors in which the new directorship was created or the vacancy occurred and until such Director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation, death or removal. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock to elect Directors, when the number of Directors is increased or decreased, the Board of Directors shall, subject to Article VI.3 hereof, determine the class or classes to which the increased or decreased number of Directors shall be apportioned; provided , however , that no decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the remaining Directors, except as otherwise provided by law, shall exercise the powers of the full Board of Directors until the vacancy is filled.

5. Removal . Subject to the rights, if any, of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock to elect Directors and to remove any Director whom the holders of any such series have the right to elect, any Director (including persons elected by Directors to fill vacancies in the Board of Directors) may be removed from office (i) only with cause and (ii) only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% or more of the outstanding shares of capital stock then entitled to vote at an election of Directors. At least forty-five (45) days prior to any annual or special meeting of stockholders at which it is proposed that any Director be removed from office, written notice of such proposed removal and the alleged grounds thereof shall be sent to the Director whose removal will be considered at the meeting.

 

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ARTICLE VII

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

A Director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a Director, except for liability (a) for any breach of the Director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (c) under Section 174 of the DGCL or (d) for any transaction from which the Director derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is amended after the effective date of this Certificate to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of Directors, then the liability of a Director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VII by either of (i) the stockholders of the Corporation or (ii) an amendment to the DGCL, shall not adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring before such amendment, repeal or modification of a person serving as a Director at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

1. Amendment by Directors . Except as otherwise provided by law, the By-laws of the Corporation may be amended or repealed by the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors then in office.

2. Amendment by Stockholders . The By-laws of the Corporation may be amended or repealed at any annual meeting of stockholders, or special meeting of stockholders called for such purpose, by the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class; provided , however , that if the Board of Directors recommends that stockholders approve such amendment or repeal at such meeting of stockholders, such amendment or repeal shall only require the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENT OF CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

The Corporation reserves the right to amend or repeal this Certificate in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute and this Certificate, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation. Whenever any vote of the holders of capital stock of the Corporation is required to amend or repeal any provision of this Certificate, and in addition to any other vote of holders of capital stock that is required by this Certificate or by law, such amendment or repeal shall require the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, and the affirmative vote of

 

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the majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, at a duly constituted meeting of stockholders called expressly for such purpose; provided , however , that the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, and the affirmative vote of not less than 75% of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, shall be required to amend or repeal any provision of Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII or Article IX of this Certificate.

[End of Text]

 

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THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION is executed as of this          day of              2010.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

 

Name:

 

Marc Beer

Title:

   

Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 3.3

BY-LAWS

OF

METEXION, INC.

ARTICLE I

CORPORATE OFFICES

1. Registered Office . The registered office of Metexion, Inc. shall be fixed in the corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time.

2. Other Offices . The corporation’s Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) may at any time establish other offices at any place or places where me corporation is qualified to do business.

ARTICLE II

STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS

1. Places of Meetings . All meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place or places in or outside of the State of Delaware as the Board may from time to time determine or as may be designated in the notice of meeting or waiver of notice thereof, subject to any provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “ DGCL ”). The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the DGCL. In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the corporation’s principal executive office.

2. Annual Meetings . Unless otherwise determined from time to time by the Board, the annual meeting of stockholders shall be held each year for the election of directors and the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting on the last Tuesday in the fourth month following the close of the fiscal year of the corporation commencing at some time between 10 A.M. and 3 P.M., if not a legal holiday, and if such day is a legal holiday, then the annual meeting shall be held on the day following at the same time. If the annual meeting is not held on the date designated, it may be held as soon thereafter as convenient and shall be called the annual meeting. Written notice of the time and place of the annual meeting shall be given by mail to each stockholder entitled to vote at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation not less than the minimum nor more than the maximum number of days permitted under the DGCL prior to the scheduled date thereof, unless such notice is waived as provided by Section 2 of Article VIII of these By-Laws.


3. Special Meetings . A special meeting of stockholders may be called at any time at the request of any member of the Board or the chief executive officer, and shall be called by the chief executive officer or the secretary or an assistant secretary at the written request of the holders of at least 25% of the total number of shares of stock then outstanding and entitled to vote, stating the specific purpose or purposes thereof. Written notice of the time, place and specific purposes of such meetings shall be given by mail, e-mail, or facsimile to each stockholder entitled to vote thereat at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days prior to the scheduled date thereof, unless such notice is waived as provided in Section 2 of Article VIII of these By-Laws. Nothing contained in this Section 3 shall be construed as limiting, fixing, or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the Board or the chief executive officer may be held.

4. Meetings Without Notice . Meetings of the stockholders may be held at any time without notice when all the stockholders entitled to vote thereat are present in person or by proxy.

5. Voting . At all meetings of stockholders, each stockholder entitled to vote on the record date as determined under Section 7 of this Article, or if not so determined as prescribed under the DGGL, shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock standing on record in his name, subject to any restrictions or qualifications set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation or any amendment thereto (the Certificate of Incorporation as amended from time to time is hereinafter referred to as the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”):

6. Quorum . At any stockholders’ meeting, a majority of the number of shares of stock outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller interest by act of either (x) the chairperson of the meeting or (y) the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, may adjourn any meeting from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice, subject to such limitation as may be imposed under the DGCL. When a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of the number of shares of stock entitled to vote present thereat shall decide any question brought before such meeting unless the question is one upon which a different vote is required by express provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, or these By-Laws, in which case such express provision shall govern.

7. List of Stockholders . At least 10 days before every meeting, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order and showing the address of, and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder, shall be prepared by the secretary or the transfer agent in charge of the stock ledger of the corporation. Such list shall be open for examination by any stockholder as required by the DGCL. The stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine such list or the books of the corporation, or to vote in person or by proxy at such meeting.

8. Consents in Lieu of Meeting . Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or by the DGCL, any action required by the DGCL to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders, or any action which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of such stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if: (i) a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders

 

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of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, and (ii) prompt notice of the taking of such action by less than unanimous written consent is given to the other stockholders to the extent and in the manner required by the DGCL.

ARTICLE III

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. Number and Qualification . A board of directors shall be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders, each director so elected to serve until the election and qualification of his successor or until his earlier death, resignation or removal as provided in these By-Laws. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation and any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the number of directors shall be such as may be determined from time to time by the Board. As of the date of the initial adoption of these By-Laws, the Board shall consist of one (1) director. In case of any increase in the number of directors between elections by the stockholders, the additional directorships shall be considered vacancies and, except as otherwise required by the Certificate of Incorporation or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, shall be filled in the manner prescribed in Article III, Section 11 of these By-Laws. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before his or her term of office expires. Directors need not be stockholders.

2. Powers . The business and affairs of the corporation shall be carried on by or under the direction of the Board, which shall have all the powers authorized by the DGCL, subject to such limitations as may be provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws or by any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party.

3. Compensation . The Board may from rime to time by resolution authorize the payment of fees or other compensation to the directors for services to the corporation, including, but not limited to, fees for attendance at all meetings of the Board or of the executive or other committees, and determine the amount of such fees and compensation. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefore in amounts authorized or otherwise approved from time to time by me Board or the executive committee.

4. Meetings and Quorum . Meetings of the Board may be held, either in or outside of the State of Delaware. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, a quorum shall be a majority of the directors then in office, but not less than two directors unless a Board of one director is authorized under the DGCL in which event one director shall constitute a quorum. A director, will be considered present at a meeting, even though not physically present, to the extent and in the manner authorized by the DGCL. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.

 

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The Board elected at any annual stockholders’ meeting shall, at the close of that meeting and without further notice if a quorum of directors be then present, or as soon thereafter as may be convenient, hold a meeting for the election of officers and the transaction of any other business. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, at such meeting the Board shall elect a chief executive officer, a president, a secretary and a treasurer, and such other officers as it may deem proper, none of whom except the chairman of the Board, if elected, need be members of the Board.

The Board may from time to time provide for the holding of regular meetings with or without notice and may fix the times and places at which such meetings are to be held. Meetings other than regular meetings may be called at any time by the chief executive officer or by the secretary or an assistant secretary upon the written request of any director.

Notice of each meeting, other than a regular meeting (unless required by the Board), shall be given to each director by mailing the same to each director at his residence or business address at least two days before the meeting or by delivering the same to him personally or by telephone or telegraph at least one day before the meeting unless, in case of exigency, the chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer or the secretary shall prescribe a shorter notice to be given personally or by telephone, telegraph, cable or wireless to all or any one or more of the directors at their respective residences or places of business.

Notice of any meeting shall state the time and place of such meeting, but need not state the purposes thereof unless otherwise required by the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, or the Board.

5. Record Dates .

(a) In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, or to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix in advance a record date which, in the case of a meeting, shall not be less than the minimum nor more than the maximum number of days prior to the scheduled date of such meeting permitted under the DGCL and which, in the case of any other action, shall be not more than the maximum number of days permitted under the DGCL.

(b) If no such record date is fixed by the Board, the record date shall be that prescribed by the DGCL.

(c) A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

6. Executive Committee . Subject to the terms of any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board may by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board provide for an executive committee of two or more directors and shall elect the members thereof to serve at the pleasure of the Board and may designate one of such members to act as

 

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chairman. Subject to the terms of any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board may at any time change the membership of the committee, fill vacancies in it, designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified members at any meeting of the executive committee, or dissolve it.

During the intervals between the meetings of the Board, the executive committee shall possess and may exercise any or all of the powers of the Board in the management or direction of the business and affairs of the corporation and under these By-Laws to the extent authorized by resolution adopted by a majority of the whole Board and to such limitations as may be imposed by the DGCL and the Certificate of Incorporation.

The executive committee may determine its rules of procedure and the notice to be given of its meetings, and it may appoint such committees and assistants as it shall from time to time deem necessary. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

7. Other Committees . Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board may by resolution provide for such other committees as it deems desirable and may discontinue the same at its pleasure. Each such committee shall have the powers and perform such duties, not inconsistent with law, as may be assigned to it by the Board. No such committee, however, shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any By-Law of the corporation.

8. Conference Telephone Meetings . Any one or more members of the Board or any committee thereof may participate in meetings by means of a conference telephone or similar communication equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person of the meeting.

9. Action Without Meetings . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board or any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting to the extent and in the manner authorized by the DGCL,

10. Removal of Directors . Unless otherwise restricted by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, any director or the entire Board may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors.

11. Vacancies . Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, a vacancy in any directorship occurring by reason of death, resignation, removal, inability to act, disqualification, or any other cause, may at any time be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by a majority vote of the Board

 

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ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

1. Titles and Election . The officers of the corporation shall be comprised of a chief executive officer, a president, a secretary and a treasurer, who shall initially be elected as soon as convenient by the Board and thereafter, in the absence of earlier resignations or removals, shall be elected at the first meeting of the Board following each annual stockholders’ meeting, each of whom shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board except as may otherwise be approved by the Board or the executive committee, or until their earlier death, resignation, removal under these By-Laws or other termination of their employment. Any person may hold more than one office if the duties can be consistently performed by the same person, and to the extent permitted by the DGCL. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board, in its discretion, may also at any time elect or appoint a chairman of the Board, who shall be a director, and one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers and such other officers as it may deem advisable, each of whom shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board, except as may otherwise be approved by the Board or the executive committee, or until their earlier death, resignation, removal or other termination of employment as shall be prescribed or determined by the chief executive officer. The Board may require any officer or other employee or agent to give bond for the faithful performance of his duties in such form and with such sureties as the Board may require.

2. Duties . Subject to such extension, limitations, and other provisions as the Board, these By-Laws or the Certificate of Incorporation may from time to time prescribe or determine, the following officers shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) Chairman of the Board . The chairman of the Board, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as the Board may prescribe from time to time.

(b) Chief Executive Officer . Subject to the authority of the Board, the chief executive officer shall have general supervision and control of the corporation’s business and shall exercise the powers and authority and perform the duties commonly incident to his office and shall, in the absence of the chairman of the Board, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board if he is a director, and shall perform such duties as the Board shall specify from time to time. The chief executive officer, unless some other person is thereunto specifically authorized, by the Board, shall have, authority to sign all bonds, debentures, promissory notes, deeds and contracts of the corporation.

(c) President . The president shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board or the chief executive officer. In the absence or disability of the chief executive officer, the president may, unless otherwise determined by the Board, exercise the powers and perform the duties pertaining to the office of chief executive officer.

 

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(d) Vice President(s) . The vice president or vice presidents shall perform such duties as may be assigned to them from time to time by the Board, the chief executive officer or the president.

(e) Treasurer . The treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the corporation, shall keep or cause to be kept regular books of account for the corporation and shall perform such other duties and possess such other powers as are incident to the office of treasurer, or as shall be assigned to him by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board.

(f) Assistant Treasurer(s) . During the absence or disability of the treasurer, the assistant treasurer, if one is elected, or if there are more than one, the one so designated by the treasurer, the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board shall have all the powers and functions of the treasurer.

(g) Secretary . The secretary shall cause notices of all meetings to be served as prescribed in these By-Laws or by statute, shall keep or cause to be kept the minutes of all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board, shall have charge of the corporate records and seal of the corporation and shall keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to him by such stockholder. He shall perform such other duties and possess such other powers as are incident to the office of secretary or as are assigned by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board.

(h) Assistant Secretaries . During the absence or disability of the secretary, the assistant secretary, if one is elected, or if there are more than one, the one so designated by the secretary, the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board shall have all the powers and functions of the secretary.

3. Delegation of Duties . In case of the absence of any officer of the corporation, or for any other reason that may seem sufficient to the Board, the Board may delegate the powers and duties of such officer, for the time being, to any other officer, or to any director.

ARTICLE V

STOCK CERTIFICATES

1. Certificates Representing Stock . Certificates representing stock in the corporation shall be signed by, or in the name of the corporation by the chairman of the Board or by the president or any vice president, and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation. Any or all of the signatures on any such certificate may be a facsimile if authorized under the DGCL.

In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before the certificate has been issued, such certificate may nevertheless be issued and delivered by the corporation with the same effect as if he were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

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2. Transfer of Stock . Subject to the terms of any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, shares of the capital stock of the corporation shall be transferable only upon the books of the corporation upon the surrender of the certificate or certificates properly assigned and endorsed for transfer. If the corporation has a transfer agent or agents or transfer clerk and registrar of transfers acting on its behalf, the signature of any officer or representative thereof may be in facsimile.

The Board or chief executive officer may appoint a transfer agent and one or more co-transfer agents and a registrar and one or more co-registrars of transfer and may make or authorize the transfer agents to make all such rules and regulations deemed expedient concerning the issue, transfer and registration of shares of stock in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

3. Lost Certificates . Subject to the terms of any agreement to which the corporation is a party, in case of loss or mutilation or destruction of a stock certificate, a duplicate certificate may be issued upon such terms as may be determined or authorized by the Board or the executive committee or by the chief executive officer if the Board or the executive committee does not do so.

ARTICLE VI

FISCAL YEAR BANK DEPOSITS, CHECKS, ETC.

1. Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the corporation shall commence or end at such time as the Board may designate.

2. Bank Deposits, Checks, etc. The funds of the corporation shall be deposited in the name of the corporation or of any division thereof in such banks or trust companies in the United States or elsewhere as may be designated from time to time by the Board or the executive committee, or by such officer or officers as the Board or the executive committee may authorize to make such designations.

All checks, drafts or other orders for the withdrawal of funds from any bank account shall be signed by such person or persons as maybe designated from time to time by the Board or the executive committee. The signatures oh checks, drafts or other orders for the withdrawal of funds may be in facsimile if authorized in the designation.

ARTICLE VII

BOOKS AND RECORDS

1. Location of Books . Unless otherwise expressly required by the DGCL, the books and records of the corporation may be kept outside of the State of Delaware.

2. Examination of Books . Except as may otherwise be provided by the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, or any agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board shall have power to determine from time to time whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions any of the accounts, records and books of the corporation are to be open to the inspection of any stockholder. No stockholder shall have any

 

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right to inspect any account or book or document of the corporation except as prescribed by statute or authorized by express resolution of the stockholders or of the Board, or as set forth in any agreement to which the corporation is a party.

ARTICLE VIII

NOTICES

1. Requirements of Notice . Whenever notice is required to be given by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, it shall not mean personal notice unless so specified, but such notice may be given in writing by depositing the same in a post office, letter box, or mail chute postpaid and addressed to the person to whom such notice is directed at the address of such person on the records of the corporation, and such notice shall be deemed given at the time when the same shall be thus mailed.

2. Waivers . Any stockholder, director or officer may, in writing or by telegram, cable or by electronic transmission at any time waive any notice or other formality required by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws. Such waiver of notice, whether given before or after any meeting or action, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Presence of a stockholder either in person or by proxy at any stockholders’ meeting and presence of any director at any meeting of the Board shall constitute a waiver of such notice as may be required by any statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

ARTICLE IX

NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

1. Notice by Electronic Transmission . Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may5 be given: effectively to stockholders pursuant to;, the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws; any notice to stockholders given by the corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the corporation. Any such consent shall be deemed revoked if:

(i) the corporation is unable to deliver by electronic transmission two consecutive notices given by the corporation in accordance with such consent; and

(ii) such inability becomes known to the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice.

(iii) However, the inadvertent failure to treat such inability as a revocation shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.

(iv) Any notice given pursuant to the previous preceding paragraph shall be deemed given;

 

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(v) if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

(vi) if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

(vii) if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and

(viii) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder.

An affidavit of the secretary or an assistant secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the corporation that the notice has been given by a form of electronic transmission shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

2. Definition of Electronic Transmission . An “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

3. Inapplicability . Notice by a form of electronic transmission shall not apply to Sections 164, 296, 311, 312 or 324 of the DGCL.

ARTICLE X

POWERS OF ATTORNEY

The Board or the executive committee may authorize one or more of the officers of the corporation to execute powers of attorney delegating to named representatives or agents power to represent or act on behalf of the corporation, with or without power of substitution.

In the absence of any action by the Board or the executive committee, the chief executive officer or the secretary of the corporation may execute for and on behalf of the corporation waivers of notice of stockholders’ meetings and proxies for such meetings in any company in which the corporation may hold voting securities.

ARTICLE XI

INDEMNIFICATION

1. Indemnification of Directors and Officers . The corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by DGCL as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any director or officer of the corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “ Proceeding ”) by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of

 

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the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such action, suit, or proceeding. The corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if the proceeding was authorized by the Board.

2. Indemnification of Others . The corporation shall have the power to indemnify and hold harmless, to the extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any employee or agent of the corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she, of a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such action, suit, or proceeding.

3. Prepayment of Expenses . The corporation shall pay the expenses incurred by any officer or director of the corporation, and may pay the expenses incurred by any employee or agent of the corporation, in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that the payment of expenses incurred by a person in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article XI or otherwise.

4. Determination Claim . If a claim for indemnification of payment of expenses under this Article XI is not paid in full within sixty days after a written claim therefor has been received by the corporation, the claimant may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the corporation shall have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.

5. Non-Exclusivity of Rights . The rights conferred on any person by this Article XI shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

6. Insurance . The corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL.

 

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7. Other Indemnification . The corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.

8. Amendment or Repeal . Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article XI shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENTS

Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, and the provisions of the DGCL, the power to amend, alter, or repeal these By-Laws and to adopt new By-Laws may be exercised by the Board or by the stockholders.

ARTICLE XIII

CONFLICTS

In the event of any conflict between these By-Laws and the Certificate of Incorporation, the Certificate of Incorporation shall govern.

 

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Exhibit 3.4

AMENDED AND RESTATED

BY-LAWS

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(the “Corporation”)

ARTICLE I

Stockholders

SECTION 1. Annual Meeting . The annual meeting of stockholders (any such meeting being referred to in these by-laws as an “Annual Meeting”) shall be held at the hour, date and place within or without the United States which is fixed by the Board of Directors, which time, date and place may subsequently be changed at any time by vote of the Board of Directors. If no Annual Meeting has been held for a period of thirteen (13) months after the Corporation’s last Annual Meeting, a special meeting in lieu thereof may be held, and such special meeting shall have, for the purposes of these By-laws or otherwise, all the force and effect of an Annual Meeting. Any and all references hereafter in these by-laws to an Annual Meeting or Annual Meetings also shall be deemed to refer to any special meeting(s) in lieu thereof.

SECTION 2. Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations .

(a) Annual Meetings of Stockholders .

(1) Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be brought before an Annual Meeting (i) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this By-law, who is entitled to vote at the meeting, who is present (in person or by proxy) at the meeting and who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this By-law as to such nomination or business. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to bring nominations or business properly before an Annual Meeting (other than matters properly brought under Rule 14a-8 (or any successor rule) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), and such stockholder must comply with the notice and other procedures set forth in Article I, Section 2(a)(2) and (3) of this By-law to bring such nominations or business properly before an Annual Meeting. In addition to the other requirements set forth in this By-law, for any proposal of business to be considered at an Annual Meeting, it must be a proper subject for action by stockholders of the Corporation under Delaware law.


(2) For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an Annual Meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (ii) of Article I, Section 2(a)(1) of this By-law, the stockholder must (i) have given Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation, (ii) have provided any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this By-law and (iii) together with the beneficial owner(s), if any, on whose behalf the nomination or business proposal is made, have acted in accordance with the representations set forth in the Solicitation Statement (as defined below) required by this By-law. To be timely, a stockholder’s written notice shall be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s Annual Meeting; provided, however, that in the event the Annual Meeting is first convened more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, or if no Annual Meeting were held in the preceding year, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the scheduled date of such Annual Meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made (such notice within such time periods shall be referred to as “Timely Notice”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary provided herein, for the first Annual Meeting following the initial public offering of common stock of the Corporation, a stockholder’s notice shall be timely if received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the scheduled date of such Annual Meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such Annual Meeting is first made or sent by the Corporation. Such stockholder’s Timely Notice shall set forth:

(A) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected);

(B) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting, and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person (as defined below);

(C) (i) the name and address of the stockholder giving the notice, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and the names and addresses of the other Proposing Persons (if any) and (ii) as to each Proposing Person, the following information: (a) the class or series and number of all shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially or of record by such Proposing Person or any of its affiliates or associates (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act), including any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person or any of its affiliates or associates has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future, (b) all Synthetic Equity Interests

 

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(as defined below) in which such Proposing Person or any of its affiliates or associates, directly or indirectly, holds an interest including a description of the material terms of each such Synthetic Equity Interest, including without limitation, identification of the counterparty to each such Synthetic Equity Interest and disclosure, for each such Synthetic Equity Interest, as to (x) whether or not such Synthetic Equity Interest conveys any voting rights, directly or indirectly, in such shares to such Proposing Person, (y) whether or not such Synthetic Equity Interest is required to be, or is capable of being, settled through delivery of such shares and (z) whether or not such Proposing Person and/or, to the extent known, the counterparty to such Synthetic Equity Interest has entered into other transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such Synthetic Equity Interest, (c) any proxy (other than a revocable proxy given in response to a public proxy solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the Exchange Act), agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which such Proposing Person has or shares a right to, directly or indirectly, vote any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, (d) any rights to dividends or other distributions on the shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, and (e) any performance-related fees (other than an asset based fee) that such Proposing Person, directly or indirectly, is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or any Synthetic Equity Interests (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (a) through (e) are referred to, collectively, as “Material Ownership Interests”) and (iii) a description of the material terms of all agreements, arrangements or understandings (whether or not in writing) entered into by any Proposing Person or any of its affiliates or associates with any other person for the purpose of acquiring, holding, disposing or voting of any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation;

(D) (i) a description of all agreements, arrangements or understandings by and among any of the Proposing Persons, or by and among any Proposing Persons and any other person (including with any proposed nominee(s)), pertaining to the nomination(s) or other business proposed to be brought before the meeting of stockholders (which description shall identify the name of each other person who is party to such an agreement, arrangement or understanding), and (ii) identification of the names and addresses of other stockholders (including beneficial owners) known by any of the Proposing Persons to support such nominations or other business proposal(s), and to the extent known the class and number of all shares of the Corporation’s capital stock owned beneficially or of record by such other stockholder(s) or other beneficial owner(s); and

(E) a statement whether or not the stockholder giving the notice and/or the other Proposing Person(s), if any, will deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of a business proposal, at least the percentage of voting power of all of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation required under applicable law to approve the proposal or, in the case of a nomination or

 

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nominations, at least the percentage of voting power of all of the shares of capital stock of the Corporation reasonably believed by such Proposing Person to be sufficient to elect the nominee or nominees proposed to be nominated by such stockholder (such statement, the “Solicitation Statement”).

For purposes of this Article I of these by-laws, the term “Proposing Person” shall mean the following persons: (i) the stockholder of record providing the notice of nominations or business proposed to be brought before a stockholders’ meeting, and (ii) the beneficial owner(s), if different, on whose behalf the nominations or business proposed to be brought before a stockholders’ meeting is made. For purposes of this Section 2 of Article I of these by-laws, the term “Synthetic Equity Interest” shall mean any transaction, agreement or arrangement (or series of transactions, agreements or arrangements), including, without limitation, any derivative, swap, hedge, repurchase or so-called “stock borrowing” agreement or arrangement, the purpose or effect of which is to, directly or indirectly: (a) give a person or entity economic benefit and/or risk similar to ownership of shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, in whole or in part, including due to the fact that such transaction, agreement or arrangement provides, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit or avoid a loss from any increase or decrease in the value of any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, (b) mitigate loss to, reduce the economic risk of or manage the risk of share price changes for, any person or entity with respect to any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, (c) otherwise provide in any manner the opportunity to profit or avoid a loss from any decrease in the value of any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, or (d) increase or decrease the voting power of any person or entity with respect to any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation.

(3) A stockholder providing Timely Notice of nominations or business proposed to be brought before an Annual Meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information (including, without limitation, the Material Ownership Interests information) provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this By-law shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to such Annual Meeting, and such update and supplement shall be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the fifth (5th) business day after the record date for the Annual Meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than the close of business on the eighth (8th) business day prior to the date of the Annual Meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting).

(4) Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of Article I, Section 2(a)(2) of this By-law to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Corporation is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the Corporation at least ten (10) days before the last day a stockholder may deliver a notice of nomination in accordance with the second

 

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sentence of Article I, Section 2(a)(2), a stockholder’s notice required by this By-law shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

(b) General .

(1) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the provisions of this By-law shall be eligible for election and to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at an Annual Meeting as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this By-law. The Board of Directors or a designated committee thereof shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with the provisions of this By-law. If neither the Board of Directors nor such designated committee makes a determination as to whether any stockholder proposal or nomination was made in accordance with the provisions of this By-law, the presiding officer of the Annual Meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether the stockholder proposal or nomination was made in accordance with the provisions of this By-law. If the Board of Directors or a designated committee thereof or the presiding officer, as applicable, determines that any stockholder proposal or nomination was not made in accordance with the provisions of this By-law, such proposal or nomination shall be disregarded and shall not be presented for action at the Annual Meeting.

(2) Except as otherwise required by law, nothing in this Article I, Section 2 shall obligate the Corporation or the Board of Directors to include in any proxy statement or other stockholder communication distributed on behalf of the Corporation or the Board of Directors information with respect to any nominee for director or any other matter of business submitted by a stockholder.

(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article I, Section 2, if the proposing stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the Annual Meeting to present a nomination or any business, such nomination or business shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Article I, Section 2, to be considered a qualified representative of the proposing stockholder, a person must be authorized by a written instrument executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such written instrument or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the written instrument or electronic transmission, to the presiding officer at the meeting of stockholders.

(4) For purposes of this By-law, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

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(5) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this By-law, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this By-law. Nothing in this By-law shall be deemed to affect any rights of (i) stockholders to have proposals included in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act and, to the extent required by such rule, have such proposals considered and voted on at an Annual Meeting or (ii) the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock to elect directors under specified circumstances.

SECTION 3. Special Meetings . Except as otherwise required by statute and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Undesignated Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Board of Directors acting pursuant to a resolution approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Directors then in office. The Board of Directors may postpone or reschedule any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders. Only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation and stockholder proposals of other business shall not be brought before a special meeting of stockholders to be considered by the stockholders unless such special meeting is held in lieu of an annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with Article I, Section 1 of these by-laws, in which case such special meeting in lieu thereof shall be deemed an Annual Meeting for purposes of these by-laws and the provisions of Article I, Section 2 of these by-laws shall govern such special meeting.

SECTION 4. Notice of Meetings; Adjournments .

(a) A notice of each Annual Meeting stating the hour, date and place, if any, of such Annual Meeting and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, shall be given not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the Annual Meeting, to each stockholder entitled to vote thereat by delivering such notice to such stockholder or by mailing it, postage prepaid, addressed to such stockholder at the address of such stockholder as it appears on the Corporation’s stock transfer books. Without limiting the manner by which notice may otherwise be given to stockholders, any notice to stockholders may be given by electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”).

(b) Notice of all special meetings of stockholders shall be given in the same manner as provided for Annual Meetings, except that the notice of all special meetings shall state the purpose or purposes for which the meeting has been called.

(c) Notice of an Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders need not be given to a stockholder if a waiver of notice is executed, or waiver of notice by electronic transmission is provided, before or after such meeting by such stockholder or if such stockholder attends such meeting, unless such attendance is for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting was not lawfully called or convened.

 

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(d) The Board of Directors may postpone and reschedule any previously scheduled Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders and any record date with respect thereto, regardless of whether any notice or public disclosure with respect to any such meeting has been sent or made pursuant to Section 2 of this Article I of these by-laws or otherwise. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment, postponement or rescheduling of any previously scheduled meeting of stockholders commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice under this Article I of these by-laws.

(e) When any meeting is convened, the presiding officer may adjourn the meeting if (i) no quorum is present for the transaction of business, (ii) the Board of Directors determines that adjournment is necessary or appropriate to enable the stockholders to consider fully information which the Board of Directors determines has not been made sufficiently or timely available to stockholders, or (iii) the Board of Directors determines that adjournment is otherwise in the best interests of the Corporation. When any Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders is adjourned to another hour, date or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting other than an announcement at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken of the hour, date and place, if any, to which the meeting is adjourned and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting; provided, however, that if the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days from the meeting date, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, notice of the adjourned meeting and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote thereat and each stockholder who, by law or under the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (as the same may hereafter be amended and/or restated, the “Certificate”) or these by-laws, is entitled to such notice.

SECTION 5. Quorum . A majority of the shares entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of stockholders. If less than a quorum is present at a meeting, the holders of voting stock representing a majority of the voting power present at the meeting or the presiding officer may adjourn the meeting from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice, except as provided in Section 4 of this Article I. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed. The stockholders present at a duly constituted meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

SECTION 6. Voting and Proxies . Stockholders shall have one vote for each share of stock entitled to vote owned by them of record according to the stock ledger of the Corporation as of the record date, unless otherwise provided by law or by the Certificate. Stockholders may vote either (i) in person, (ii) by written proxy or (iii) by a transmission permitted by Section 212(c) of the DGCL. Any copy, facsimile telecommunication or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission permitted by Section 212(c) of the DGCL may be substituted for or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile telecommunication or

 

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other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing or transmission. Proxies shall be filed in accordance with the procedures established for the meeting of stockholders. Except as otherwise limited therein or as otherwise provided by law, proxies authorizing a person to vote at a specific meeting shall entitle the persons authorized thereby to vote at any adjournment of such meeting, but they shall not be valid after final adjournment of such meeting. A proxy with respect to stock held in the name of two or more persons shall be valid if executed by or on behalf of any one of them unless at or prior to the exercise of the proxy the Corporation receives a specific written notice to the contrary from any one of them.

SECTION 7. Action at Meeting . When a quorum is present at any meeting of stockholders, any matter before any such meeting (other than an election of a director or directors) shall be decided by a majority of the votes properly cast for and against such matter, except where a larger vote is required by law, by the Certificate or by these by-laws. Any election of directors by stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the votes properly cast on the election of directors.

SECTION 8. Stockholder Lists . The Secretary or an Assistant Secretary (or the Corporation’s transfer agent or other person authorized by these by-laws or by law) shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting in the manner provided by law. The list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting as provided by law.

SECTION 9. Presiding Officer . The Board of Directors shall designate a representative to preside over all Annual Meetings or special meetings of stockholders, provide that if the Board of Directors does not so designate such a presiding officer, then the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, shall preside over such meetings. If the Board of Directors does not so designate such a presiding officer and there is no Chairman of the Board or the Chairman of the Board is unable to so preside or is absent, then the Chief Executive Officer, if one is elected, shall preside over such meetings, provided further that if there is no Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Executive Officer is unable to so preside or is absent, then the President shall preside over such meetings. The presiding officer at any Annual Meeting or special meeting of stockholders shall have the power, among other things, to adjourn such meeting at any time and from time to time, subject to Sections 4 and 5 of this Article I. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of the stockholders shall be determined by the presiding officer.

SECTION 10. Inspectors of Elections . The Corporation shall, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the presiding officer shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting.

 

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Any inspector may, but need not, be an officer, employee or agent of the Corporation. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspectors shall perform such duties as are required by the DGCL, including the counting of all votes and ballots. The inspectors may appoint or retain other persons or entities to assist the inspectors in the performance of the duties of the inspectors. The presiding officer may review all determinations made by the inspectors, and in so doing the presiding officer shall be entitled to exercise his or her sole judgment and discretion and he or she shall not be bound by any determinations made by the inspectors. All determinations by the inspectors and, if applicable, the presiding officer, shall be subject to further review by any court of competent jurisdiction.

ARTICLE II

Directors

SECTION 1. Powers . The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors except as otherwise provided by the Certificate or required by law.

SECTION 2. Number and Terms . The number of directors of the Corporation shall be fixed solely and exclusively by resolution duly adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors. The directors shall hold office in the manner provided in the Certificate.

SECTION 3. Qualification . No director need be a stockholder of the Corporation.

SECTION 4. Vacancies . Vacancies in the Board of Directors shall be filled in the manner provided in the Certificate.

SECTION 5. Removal . Directors may be removed from office only in the manner provided in the Certificate.

SECTION 6. Resignation . A director may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, the President or the Secretary. A resignation shall be effective upon receipt, unless the resignation otherwise provides.

SECTION 7. Regular Meetings . The regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held, without notice other than this Section 7, on the same date and at the same place as the Annual Meeting following the close of such meeting of stockholders. Other regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such hour, date and place as the Board of Directors may by resolution from time to time determine and publicize by means of reasonable notice given to any director who is not present at the meeting at which such resolution is adopted.

 

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SECTION 8. Special Meetings . Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called, orally or in writing, by or at the request of a majority of the directors, the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, or the President. The person calling any such special meeting of the Board of Directors may fix the hour, date and place thereof.

SECTION 9. Notice of Meetings . Notice of the hour, date and place of all special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be given to each director by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, or in case of the death, absence, incapacity or refusal of such persons, by the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, or the President or such other officer designated by the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, or the President. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be given to each director in person, by telephone, or by facsimile, electronic mail or other form of electronic communication, sent to his or her business or home address, at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting, or by written notice mailed to his or her business or home address, at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the meeting. Such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when hand-delivered to such address, read to such director by telephone, deposited in the mail so addressed, with postage thereon prepaid if mailed, dispatched or transmitted if sent by facsimile transmission or by electronic mail or other form of electronic communications. A written waiver of notice signed before or after a meeting by a director and filed with the records of the meeting shall be deemed to be equivalent to notice of the meeting. The attendance of a director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because such meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Except as otherwise required by law, by the Certificate or by these by-laws, neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any meeting of the Board of Directors need be specified in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting.

SECTION 10. Quorum . At any meeting of the Board of Directors, a majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but if less than a quorum is present at a meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice. Any business which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed may be transacted at such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present. For purposes of this section, the total number of directors includes any unfilled vacancies on the Board of Directors.

SECTION 11. Action at Meeting . At any meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present, the vote of a majority of the directors present shall constitute action by the Board of Directors, unless otherwise required by law, by the Certificate or by these by-laws.

SECTION 12. Action by Consent . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the records of the meetings of the Board of Directors. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form. Such consent shall be treated as a resolution of the Board of Directors for all purposes.

 

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SECTION 13. Manner of Participation . Directors may participate in meetings of the Board of Directors by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all directors participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting in accordance herewith shall constitute presence in person at such meeting for purposes of these by-laws.

SECTION 14. Presiding Director . The Board of Directors shall designate a representative to preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors, provided that if the Board of Directors does not so designate such a presiding director or such designated presiding director is unable to so preside or is absent, then the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, shall preside over all meetings of the Board of Directors. If both the designated presiding director, if one is so designated, and the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, are unable to preside or are absent, the Board of Directors shall designate an alternate representative to preside over a meeting of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 15. Committees . The Board of Directors, by vote of a majority of the directors then in office, may elect one or more committees, including, without limitation, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and an Audit Committee, and may delegate thereto some or all of its powers except those which by law, by the Certificate or by these by-laws may not be delegated. Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, any such committee may make rules for the conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors or in such rules, its business shall be conducted so far as possible in the same manner as is provided by these by-laws for the Board of Directors. All members of such committees shall hold such offices at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may abolish any such committee at any time. Any committee to which the Board of Directors delegates any of its powers or duties shall keep records of its meetings and shall report its action to the Board of Directors.

SECTION 16. Compensation of Directors . Directors shall receive such compensation for their services as shall be determined by a majority of the Board of Directors, or a designated committee thereof, provided that directors who are serving the Corporation as employees and who receive compensation for their services as such, shall not receive any salary or other compensation for their services as directors of the Corporation.

ARTICLE III

Officers

SECTION 1. Enumeration . The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary and such other officers, including, without limitation, a Chairman of the Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer and one or more Vice Presidents (including Executive Vice Presidents or Senior Vice Presidents), Assistant Vice Presidents, Assistant Treasurers and Assistant Secretaries, as the Board of Directors may determine.

 

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SECTION 2. Election . At the regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors following the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors shall elect the President, the Treasurer and the Secretary. Other officers may be elected by the Board of Directors at such regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors or at any other regular or special meeting.

SECTION 3. Qualification . No officer need be a stockholder or a director. Any person may occupy more than one office of the Corporation at any time.

SECTION 4. Tenure . Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate or by these by-laws, each of the officers of the Corporation shall hold office until the regular annual meeting of the Board of Directors following the next Annual Meeting and until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.

SECTION 5. Resignation . Any officer may resign by delivering his or her written resignation to the Corporation addressed to the President or the Secretary, and such resignation shall be effective upon receipt, unless the resignation otherwise provides.

SECTION 6. Removal . Except as otherwise provided by law, the Board of Directors may remove any officer with or without cause by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office.

SECTION 7. Absence or Disability . In the event of the absence or disability of any officer, the Board of Directors may designate another officer to act temporarily in place of such absent or disabled officer.

SECTION 8. Vacancies . Any vacancy in any office may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 9. President . The President shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

SECTION 10. Chairman of the Board . The Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

SECTION 11. Chief Executive Officer . The Chief Executive Officer, if one is elected, shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

SECTION 12. Vice Presidents and Assistant Vice Presidents . Any Vice President (including any Executive Vice President or Senior Vice President) and any Assistant Vice President shall have such powers and shall perform such duties as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time designate.

 

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SECTION 13. Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers . The Treasurer shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors and except as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may otherwise provide, have general charge of the financial affairs of the Corporation and shall cause to be kept accurate books of account. The Treasurer shall have custody of all funds, securities, and valuable documents of the Corporation. He or she shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. Any Assistant Treasurer shall have such powers and perform such duties as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time designate.

SECTION 14. Secretary and Assistant Secretaries . The Secretary shall record all the proceedings of the meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors (including committees of the Board of Directors) in books kept for that purpose. In his or her absence from any such meeting, a temporary secretary chosen at the meeting shall record the proceedings thereof. The Secretary shall have charge of the stock ledger (which may, however, be kept by any transfer or other agent of the Corporation). The Secretary shall have custody of the seal of the Corporation, and the Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary shall have authority to affix it to any instrument requiring it, and, when so affixed, the seal may be attested by his or her signature or that of an Assistant Secretary. The Secretary shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. In the absence of the Secretary, any Assistant Secretary may perform his or her duties and responsibilities. Any Assistant Secretary shall have such powers and perform such duties as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time designate.

SECTION 15. Other Powers and Duties . Subject to these by-laws and to such limitations as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe, the officers of the Corporation shall each have such powers and duties as generally pertain to their respective offices, as well as such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer.

ARTICLE IV

Capital Stock

SECTION 1. Certificates of Stock . Each stockholder shall be entitled to a certificate of the capital stock of the Corporation in such form as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors. Such certificate shall be signed by the Chairman of the Board, the President or a Vice President and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary. The Corporation seal and the signatures by the Corporation’s officers, the transfer agent or the registrar may be facsimiles. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on such certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or

 

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registrar at the time of its issue. Every certificate for shares of stock which are subject to any restriction on transfer and every certificate issued when the Corporation is authorized to issue more than one class or series of stock shall contain such legend with respect thereto as is required by law. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary provided in these by-laws, the Board of Directors of the Corporation may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares (except that the foregoing shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation), and by the approval and adoption of these by-laws the Board of Directors has determined that all classes or series of the Corporation’s stock may be uncertificated, whether upon original issuance, re-issuance, or subsequent transfer.

SECTION 2. Transfers . Subject to any restrictions on transfer and unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, shares of stock that are represented by a certificate may be transferred on the books of the Corporation by the surrender to the Corporation or its transfer agent of the certificate theretofore properly endorsed or accompanied by a written assignment or power of attorney properly executed, with transfer stamps (if necessary) affixed, and with such proof of the authenticity of signature as the Corporation or its transfer agent may reasonably require. Shares of stock that are not represented by a certificate may be transferred on the books of the Corporation by submitting to the Corporation or its transfer agent such evidence of transfer and following such other procedures as the Corporation or its transfer agent may require.

SECTION 3. Record Holders . Except as may otherwise be required by law, by the Certificate or by these by-laws, the Corporation shall be entitled to treat the record holder of stock as shown on its books as the owner of such stock for all purposes, including the payment of dividends and the right to vote with respect thereto, regardless of any transfer, pledge or other disposition of such stock, until the shares have been transferred on the books of the Corporation in accordance with the requirements of these by-laws.

SECTION 4. Record Date . In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date: (a) in the case of determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders, shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting and (b) in the case of any other action, shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such other action. If no record date is fixed: (i) the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held; and (ii) the record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

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SECTION 5. Replacement of Certificates . In case of the alleged loss, destruction or mutilation of a certificate of stock of the Corporation, a duplicate certificate may be issued in place thereof, upon such terms as the Board of Directors may prescribe.

ARTICLE V

Indemnification

SECTION 1. Definitions . For purposes of this Article:

(a) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is serving or has served (i) as a Director of the Corporation, (ii) as an Officer of the Corporation, (iii) as a Non-Officer Employee of the Corporation, or (iv) as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, foundation, association, organization or other legal entity which such person is or was serving at the request of the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 1(a), a Director, Officer or Non-Officer Employee of the Corporation who is serving or has served as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of a Subsidiary shall be deemed to be serving at the request of the Corporation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Corporate Status” shall not include the status of a person who is serving or has served as a director, officer, employee or agent of a constituent corporation absorbed in a merger or consolidation transaction with the Corporation with respect to such person’s activities prior to said transaction, unless specifically authorized by the Board of Directors or the stockholders of the Corporation;

(b) “Director” means any person who serves or has served the Corporation as a director on the Board of Directors of the Corporation;

(c) “Disinterested Director” means, with respect to each Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought hereunder, a Director of the Corporation who is not and was not a party to such Proceeding;

(d) “Expenses” means all attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of expert witnesses, private investigators and professional advisors (including, without limitation, accountants and investment bankers), travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, costs of preparation of demonstrative evidence and other courtroom presentation aids and devices, costs incurred in connection with document review, organization, imaging and computerization, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements, costs or expenses of the type customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, settling or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding;

(e) “Liabilities” means judgments, damages, liabilities, losses, penalties, excise taxes, fines and amounts paid in settlement;

(f) “Non-Officer Employee” means any person who serves or has served as an employee or agent of the Corporation, but who is not or was not a Director or Officer;

 

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(g) “Officer” means any person who serves or has served the Corporation as an officer of the Corporation appointed by the Board of Directors of the Corporation;

(h) “Proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, inquiry, investigation, administrative hearing or other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, arbitrative or investigative; and

(i) “Subsidiary” shall mean any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other entity of which the Corporation owns (either directly or through or together with another Subsidiary of the Corporation) either (i) a general partner, managing member or other similar interest or (ii) (A) fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting power of the voting capital equity interests of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other entity, or (B) fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding voting capital stock or other voting equity interests of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other entity.

SECTION 2. Indemnification of Directors and Officers .

(a) Subject to the operation of Section 4 of this Article V of these by-laws, each Director and Officer shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), and to the extent authorized in this Section 2.

(1) Actions, Suits and Proceedings Other than By or In the Right of the Corporation . Each Director and Officer shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation against any and all Expenses and Liabilities that are incurred or paid by such Director or Officer or on such Director’s or Officer’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation), which such Director or Officer is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in by reason of such Director’s or Officer’s Corporate Status, if such Director or Officer acted in good faith and in a manner such Director or Officer reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

(2) Actions, Suits and Proceedings By or In the Right of the Corporation . Each Director and Officer shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation against any and all Expenses that are incurred by such Director or Officer or on such Director’s or Officer’s behalf in connection with any Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein by or in the right of the Corporation, which such Director or Officer is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in by reason of such Director’s or Officer’s Corporate Status, if such Director or Officer acted in good faith and in a manner such Director or Officer reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation; provided, however, that no indemnification shall be made under this Section 2(a)(2) in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such Director or

 

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Officer shall have been finally adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be liable to the Corporation, unless, and only to the extent that, the Court of Chancery or another court in which such Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such Director or Officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such Expenses that such court deems proper.

(3) Survival of Rights . The rights of indemnification provided by this Section 2 shall continue as to a Director or Officer after he or she has ceased to be a Director or Officer and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives.

(4) Actions by Directors or Officers . Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall indemnify any Director or Officer seeking indemnification in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such Director or Officer only if such Proceeding (including any parts of such Proceeding not initiated by such Director or Officer) was authorized in advance by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, unless such Proceeding was brought to enforce such Officer’s or Director’s rights to indemnification or, in the case of Directors, advancement of Expenses under these by-laws in accordance with the provisions set forth herein.

SECTION 3. Indemnification of Non-Officer Employees . Subject to the operation of Section 4 of this Article V of these by-laws, each Non-Officer Employee may, in the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, be indemnified by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, against any or all Expenses and Liabilities that are incurred by such Non-Officer Employee or on such Non-Officer Employee’s behalf in connection with any threatened, pending or completed Proceeding, or any claim, issue or matter therein, which such Non-Officer Employee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in by reason of such Non-Officer Employee’s Corporate Status, if such Non-Officer Employee acted in good faith and in a manner such Non-Officer Employee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and, with respect to any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The rights of indemnification provided by this Section 3 shall exist as to a Non-Officer Employee after he or she has ceased to be a Non-Officer Employee and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, personal representatives, executors and administrators. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation may indemnify any Non-Officer Employee seeking indemnification in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such Non-Officer Employee only if such Proceeding was authorized in advance by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

SECTION 4. Determination . Unless ordered by a court, no indemnification shall be provided pursuant to this Article V to a Director, to an Officer or to a Non-Officer Employee unless a determination shall have been made that such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, such person had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Such determination shall be made by (a) a majority vote of the

 

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Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, (b) a committee comprised of Disinterested Directors, such committee having been designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors (even though less than a quorum), (c) if there are no such Disinterested Directors, or if a majority of Disinterested Directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (d) by the stockholders of the Corporation.

SECTION 5. Advancement of Expenses to Directors Prior to Final Disposition .

(a) The Corporation shall advance all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of any Director in connection with any Proceeding in which such Director is involved by reason of such Director’s Corporate Status within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Corporation of a written statement from such Director requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by such Director and shall be preceded or accompanied by an undertaking by or on behalf of such Director to repay any Expenses so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such Director is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall advance all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of any Director seeking advancement of expenses hereunder in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such Director only if such Proceeding (including any parts of such Proceeding not initiated by such Director) was (i) authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, or (ii) brought to enforce such Director’s rights to indemnification or advancement of Expenses under these by-laws.

(b) If a claim for advancement of Expenses hereunder by a Director is not paid in full by the Corporation within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Corporation of documentation of Expenses and the required undertaking, such Director may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim and if successful in whole or in part, such Director shall also be entitled to be paid the expenses of prosecuting such claim. The failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors or any committee thereof, independent legal counsel, or stockholders) to make a determination concerning the permissibility of such advancement of Expenses under this Article V shall not be a defense to an action brought by a Director for recovery of the unpaid amount of an advancement claim and shall not create a presumption that such advancement is not permissible. The burden of proving that a Director is not entitled to an advancement of expenses shall be on the Corporation.

(c) In any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that the Director has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL.

SECTION 6. Advancement of Expenses to Officers and Non-Officer Employees Prior to Final Disposition .

(a) The Corporation may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, advance any or all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of any Officer or any Non-Officer Employee in connection with any Proceeding in which such person is involved by reason

 

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of his or her Corporate Status as an Officer or Non-Officer Employee upon the receipt by the Corporation of a statement or statements from such Officer or Non-Officer Employee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by such Officer or Non-Officer Employee and shall be preceded or accompanied by an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay any Expenses so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such Officer or Non-Officer Employee is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses.

(b) In any suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final adjudication that the Officer or Non-Officer Employee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL.

SECTION 7. Contractual Nature of Rights .

(a) The provisions of this Article V shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each Director and Officer entitled to the benefits hereof at any time while this Article V is in effect, in consideration of such person’s past or current and any future performance of services for the Corporation. Neither amendment, repeal or modification of any provision of this Article V nor the adoption of any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article V shall eliminate or reduce any right conferred by this Article V in respect of any act or omission occurring, or any cause of action or claim that accrues or arises or any state of facts existing, at the time of or before such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption of an inconsistent provision (even in the case of a proceeding based on such a state of facts that is commenced after such time), and all rights to indemnification and advancement of Expenses granted herein or arising out of any act or omission shall vest at the time of the act or omission in question, regardless of when or if any proceeding with respect to such act or omission is commenced. The rights to indemnification and to advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article V shall continue notwithstanding that the person has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors, administrators, legatees and distributes of such person.

(b) If a claim for indemnification hereunder by a Director or Officer is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Corporation of a written claim for indemnification, such Director or Officer may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim, and if successful in whole or in part, such Director or Officer shall also be entitled to be paid the expenses of prosecuting such claim. The failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors or any committee thereof, independent legal counsel, or stockholders) to make a determination concerning the permissibility of such indemnification under this Article V shall not be a defense to an action brought by a Director or Officer for recovery of the unpaid amount of an indemnification claim and shall not create a presumption that such indemnification is not permissible. The burden of proving that a Director or Officer is not entitled to indemnification shall be on the Corporation.

 

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(c) In any suit brought by a Director or Officer to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder, it shall be a defense that such Director or Officer has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL.

SECTION 8. Non-Exclusivity of Rights . The rights to indemnification and to advancement of Expenses set forth in this Article V shall not be exclusive of any other right which any Director, Officer, or Non-Officer Employee may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate or these by-laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors or otherwise.

SECTION 9. Insurance . The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any Director, Officer or Non-Officer Employee against any liability of any character asserted against or incurred by the Corporation or any such Director, Officer or Non-Officer Employee, or arising out of any such person’s Corporate Status, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the DGCL or the provisions of this Article V.

SECTION 10. Other Indemnification . The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or provide advancement of Expenses to any person under this Article V as a result of such person serving, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification or advancement of Expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or enterprise (the “Primary Indemnitor”). Any indemnification or advancement of Expenses under this Article V owed by the Corporation as a result of a person serving, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, partner, trustee, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall only be in excess of, and shall be secondary to, the indemnification or advancement of Expenses available from the applicable Primary Indemnitor(s) and any applicable insurance policies.

ARTICLE VI

Miscellaneous Provisions

SECTION 1. Fiscal Year . The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2. Seal . The Board of Directors shall have power to adopt and alter the seal of the Corporation.

SECTION 3. Execution of Instruments . All deeds, leases, transfers, contracts, bonds, notes and other obligations to be entered into by the Corporation in the ordinary course of its business without director action may be executed on behalf of the Corporation by the Chairman

 

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of the Board, if one is elected, the President or the Treasurer or any other officer, employee or agent of the Corporation as the Board of Directors or the executive committee of the Board may authorize.

SECTION 4. Voting of Securities . Unless the Board of Directors otherwise provides, the Chairman of the Board, if one is elected, the President or the Treasurer may waive notice of and act on behalf of the Corporation, or appoint another person or persons to act as proxy or attorney in fact for the Corporation with or without discretionary power and/or power of substitution, at any meeting of stockholders or shareholders of any other corporation or organization, any of whose securities are held by the Corporation.

SECTION 5. Resident Agent . The Board of Directors may appoint a resident agent upon whom legal process may be served in any action or proceeding against the Corporation.

SECTION 6. Corporate Records . The original or attested copies of the Certificate, by-laws and records of all meetings of the incorporators, stockholders and the Board of Directors and the stock transfer books, which shall contain the names of all stockholders, their record addresses and the amount of stock held by each, may be kept outside the State of Delaware and shall be kept at the principal office of the Corporation, at an office of its counsel, at an office of its transfer agent or at such other place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 7. Certificate . All references in these by-laws to the Certificate shall be deemed to refer to the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended and/or restated and in effect from time to time.

SECTION 8. Amendment of By-laws .

(a) Amendment by Directors . Except as provided otherwise by law, these by-laws may be amended or repealed by the Board of Directors by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office.

(b) Amendment by Stockholders . These by-laws may be amended or repealed at any Annual Meeting, or special meeting of stockholders called for such purpose in accordance with these By-Laws, by the affirmative vote of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class; provided, however, that if the Board of Directors recommends that stockholders approve such amendment or repeal at such meeting of stockholders, such amendment or repeal shall only require the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on such amendment or repeal, voting together as a single class. Notwithstanding the foregoing, stockholder approval shall not be required unless mandated by the Certificate, these by-laws, or other applicable law.

SECTION 9. Notices . If mailed, notice to stockholders shall be deemed given when deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given to stockholders, any notice to stockholders may be given by electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the DGCL.

 

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SECTION 10. Waivers . A written waiver of any notice, signed by a stockholder or director, or waiver by electronic transmission by such person, whether given before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to the notice required to be given to such person. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any meeting need be specified in such a waiver.

ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: September 15, 2010

 

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Exhibit 4.1

 

NUMBER        SHARES
AEGR     
  AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.   
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE      SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS CUSIP 00767E 10 2

THIS CERTIFIES THAT

IS THE OWNER OF

FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF THE PAR VALUE OF $0.001 EACH, OF THE COMMON STOCK

OF AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

transferable on the books of the Corporation by the holder hereof in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed.

This certificate is not valid unless countersigned and registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar.

WITNESS the seal of the Corporation and the signatures of its duly authorized officers.

Dated:

 

 

       

 

William H. Lewis    [AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. SEAL]    Marc D. Beer
President, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer       Chief Executive Officer

Countersigned and Registered:

        REGISTER AND TRANSFER COMPANY

                    Transfer Agent and Registrar

By:

                             Authorized Signature

 


The Company will furnish to any shareholder upon request and without charge a full statement of the designation, relative rights, preferences and limitations of the shares of each class authorized to be issued and the designation, relative rights, preferences and limitations of each series of preferred shares which the Company is authorized to issue so far as the same have been fixed, and the authority of the Board of Directors of the Company to designate and fix the relative rights, preferences and limitations of other series.

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

 

TEN COM -   as tenants in common    UNIF GIFT MIN ACT -                             Custodian                             
TEN ENT -   as tenants by entireties       (Cust)                                 (Minor)
JT TEN -   as joint tenants with right of under Uniform Gifts to Minors survivorship and not as tenants Act                          in common (State)      

under Uniform Gifts to Minors

Act                                              

                (State)

Additional Abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

For value received,                          hereby sell, assign and transfer unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER

IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

[                                                                               ]

 

 

(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                              shares

of the capital stock represented by the within Certificate, and do

hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint

                                                                                                                                                                                                              Attorney

to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named

Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated                                                                                       

 

 

NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.

Signature(s) Guaranteed:

 

 

THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS,

STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED

SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.

Exhibit 5.1

 

October 7, 2010

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CenterPointe IV

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

 

  Re: Securities Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-1

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-168721) (as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration of the offering by Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), of up to 5,366,667 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, including Shares purchasable by the underwriters upon their exercise of an over-allotment option granted to the underwriters by the Company. The Shares are being sold to the several underwriters named in, and pursuant to, an underwriting agreement among the Company and such underwriters (the “Underwriting Agreement”).

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions expressed below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinions set forth below, on certificates and other inquiries of officers of the Company.

The opinion expressed below is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law (which includes reported judicial decisions interpreting the Delaware General Corporation Law).

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Goodwin Procter LLP

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP

Exhibit 10.1

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

2006 STOCK OPTION AND GRANT PLAN

 

SECTION 1. GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE PLAN; DEFINITIONS

The name of the plan is the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the “Plan”). The purpose of the Plan is to encourage and enable the officers, employees, directors and other key persons (including consultants and prospective employees) of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a Delaware corporation (including any successor entity, the “Company”), and its Subsidiaries upon whose judgment, initiative and efforts the Company largely depends for the successful conduct of its business to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company. It is anticipated that providing such persons with a direct stake in the Company’s welfare will assure a closer identification of their interests with those of the Company, thereby stimulating their efforts on the Company’s behalf and strengthening their desire to remain with the Company.

The following terms shall be defined as set forth below:

Affiliate ” of any Person means a Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the first mentioned Person. A Person shall be deemed to control another Person if such first Person possesses directly or indirectly the power to direct, or cause the direction of, the management and policies of the second Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

Award ” or “ Awards, ” except where referring to a particular category of grant under the Plan, shall include Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards, Unrestricted Stock Awards or any combination of the foregoing.

Bankruptcy ” shall mean (i) the filing of a voluntary petition under any bankruptcy or insolvency law, or a petition for the appointment of a receiver or the making of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, with respect to the Holder, or (ii) the Holder being subjected involuntarily to such a petition or assignment or to an attachment or other legal or equitable interest with respect to the Holder’s assets, which involuntary petition or assignment or attachment is not discharged within sixty (60) days after its date, and (iii) the Holder being subject to a transfer of its Issued Shares by operation of law (including by divorce, even if not insolvent), except by reason of death.

Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor Code, and related rules, regulations and interpretations.


A EGERION 2006 S TOCK O PTION AND G RANT P LAN

 

Committee ” means the Committee of the Board referred to in Section 2.

Effective Date ” means the date on which the Plan is approved by stockholders as set forth at the end of this Plan.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Fair Market Value ” of the Stock on any given date means the fair market value of the Stock determined in good faith by the Committee.

Holder ” means, with respect to an Award or any Issued Shares, the Person holding such Award or Issued Shares, including the initial recipient of the Award or any Permitted Transferee.

Incentive Stock Option ” means any Stock Option designated and qualified as an “incentive stock option” as defined in Section 422 of the Code.

Issued Shares ” means, collectively, all outstanding Shares issued pursuant to Restricted Stock Awards, all outstanding Shares issued pursuant to Unrestricted Stock Awards, and all Option Shares.

Non-Qualified Stock Option ” means any Stock Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

Option Shares ” means outstanding shares of Stock that were issued to a Holder upon the exercise of a Stock Option.

Permitted Transferees ” shall mean any of the following to whom a Holder may transfer Issued Shares hereunder (as set forth in Section 9(a)(ii)(A)): the Holder’s spouse, children (natural or adopted), stepchildren, grandchildren or a trust for their sole benefit of which the Holder is the settlor ; provided, however, that any such trust does not require or permit distribution of any Issued Shares during the term of this Agreement unless subject to its terms. Upon the death of the Holder, the term Permitted Transferees shall also include such deceased Holder’s estate, executions, administrations, personal representations, heirs, legatees and distributees, as the case may be.

Person ” shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership (limited or general), limited liability company, limited liability partnership, association, trust, joint venture, unincorporated organization or any similar entity.

Option ” or “ Stock Option ” means any option to purchase shares of Stock granted pursuant to Section 6.

Repurchase Event ” means the termination of the Award recipient’s employment or service relationship with the Company and its Subsidiaries for Cause (as defined in the Award agreement).

 

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Restricted Stock Award ” means Awards granted pursuant to Section 7 and “ Restricted Stock ” means Shares granted pursuant to such Awards.

Sale Event ” means the consummation of (i) the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, (ii) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis to an unrelated person or entity, (iii) a merger, reorganization or consolidation in which the outstanding shares of Stock are converted into or exchanged for securities of the successor entity and the holders of the Company’s outstanding voting power immediately prior to such transaction do not own at least a majority of the outstanding voting power of the successor entity immediately upon completion of such transaction (taking into account only ownership interests resulting from pre-transaction interests in the Company), (iv) the sale, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, of all or a majority of the Stock of the Company to an unrelated person or entity, or (v) any other transaction in which the holders of the Company’s outstanding voting power immediately prior to such transaction do not own at least a majority of the outstanding voting power of the Company or a successor entity immediately upon completion of the transaction (taking into account only ownership interests resulting from pre-transaction interests in the Company).

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Shares ” means shares of Stock.

Stock ” means the Common Stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company, subject to adjustments pursuant to Section 3.

Subsidiary ” means any corporation or other entity (other than the Company) in which the Company has a controlling interest, either directly or indirectly.

Unrestricted Stock Award ” means any Award granted pursuant to Section 8 and “ Unrestricted Stock ” means Shares granted pursuant to such Awards.

 

SECTION 2. ADMINISTRATION OF PLAN; COMMITTEE AUTHORITY TO SELECT GRANTEES AND DETERMINE AWARDS

(a) Administration of Plan . The Plan shall be administered by the Board, or at the discretion of the Board, by a committee of the Board, comprised of not less than two Directors. All references herein to the Committee shall be deemed to refer to the group then responsible for administration of the Plan at the relevant time ( i.e. , either the Board of Directors or a committee or committees of the Board, as applicable).

(b) Powers of Committee . The Committee shall have the power and authority to grant Awards consistent with the terms of the Plan, including the power and authority:

(i) to select the Persons to whom Awards may from time to time be granted;

 

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(ii) to determine the time or times of grant, and the extent, if any, of Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards, Unrestricted Stock Awards or any combination of the foregoing, granted to any one or more grantees;

(iii) to determine the number of shares of Stock to be covered by any Award;

(iv) to determine and modify from time to time the terms and conditions, including restrictions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any Award, which terms and conditions may differ among individual Awards and grantees, and to approve the form of written instruments evidencing the Awards;

(v) to accelerate at any time the exercisability or vesting of all or any portion of any Award;

(vi) to impose any limitations on Awards granted under the Plan, including limitations on transfers, repurchase provisions and the like and to exercise repurchase rights or obligations;

(vii) subject to any restrictions applicable to Incentive Stock Options, to extend at any time the period in which Stock Options may be exercised; and

(viii) at any time to adopt, alter and repeal such rules, guidelines and practices for administration of the Plan and for its own acts and proceedings as it shall deem advisable; to interpret the terms and provisions of the Plan and any Award (including related written instruments); to make all determinations it deems advisable for the administration of the Plan; to decide all disputes arising in connection with the Plan; and to otherwise supervise the administration of the Plan.

All decisions and interpretations of the Committee shall be binding on all persons, including the Company and Plan grantees.

(c) Indemnification . Neither the Board nor the Committee, nor any member of either or any delegatee thereof, shall be liable for any act, omission, interpretation, construction or determination made in good faith in connection with the Plan, and the members of the Board and the Committee (and any delegatee thereof) shall be entitled in all cases to indemnification and reimbursement by the Company in respect of any claim, loss, damage or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising or resulting therefrom to the fullest extent permitted by law and/or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage which may be in effect from time to time.

 

SECTION 3. STOCK ISSUABLE UNDER THE PLAN; CHANGES IN STOCK; SUBSTITUTION

(a) Stock Issuable . The maximum number of Shares reserved and available for issuance under the Plan shall be 1,555,060 Shares, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3(b). For purposes of this limitation, the Shares underlying any Awards which are forfeited, canceled, reacquired by the Company, satisfied without the issuance of Stock or otherwise terminated (other than by exercise) shall be added back to the Shares available for

 

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A EGERION 2006 S TOCK O PTION AND G RANT P LAN

 

issuance under the Plan. Subject to such overall limitation, Shares may be issued up to such maximum number pursuant to any type or types of Award. The Shares available for issuance under the Plan may be authorized but unissued Shares or Shares reacquired by the Company and held in its treasury.

(b) Changes in Stock . Subject to Section 4, if, as a result of any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar change in the Company’s capital stock, the outstanding shares of Stock are increased or decreased or are exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of the Company, or additional shares or new or different shares or other securities of the Company or other non-cash assets are distributed with respect to such shares of Stock or other securities, or, if, as a result of any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, the outstanding shares of Stock are converted into or exchanged for a different number or kind of securities of the Company or any successor entity (or a parent or subsidiary thereof), the Committee shall make an appropriate or proportionate adjustment in (i) the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, (ii) the number and kind of shares or other securities subject to any then outstanding Awards under the Plan, (iii) the repurchase price per share subject to each outstanding Award, if any, and (iv) the exercise price and/or exchange price for each share subject to any then outstanding Stock Options under the Plan, without changing the aggregate exercise price (i.e., the exercise price multiplied by the number of Stock Options) as to which such Stock Options remain exercisable. The adjustment by the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive. No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued under the Plan resulting from any such adjustment, but the Committee in its discretion may make a cash payment in lieu of fractional shares.

The Committee may also adjust the number of shares subject to outstanding Awards and the exercise price and the terms of outstanding Awards to take into consideration material changes in accounting practices or principles, extraordinary dividends, acquisitions or dispositions of stock or property or any other event if it is determined by the Committee that such adjustment is appropriate to avoid distortion in the operation of the Plan, provided that no such adjustment shall be made in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, without the consent of the grantee, if it would constitute a modification, extension or renewal of the Option within the meaning of Section 424(h) of the Code.

(c) Substitute Awards . The Committee may grant Awards under the Plan in substitution for stock and stock based awards held by employees, directors or other key persons of another corporation in connection with a merger or consolidation of the employing corporation with the Company or a Subsidiary or the acquisition by the Company or a Subsidiary of property or stock of the employing corporation. The Committee may direct that the substitute awards be granted on such terms and conditions as the Committee considers appropriate in the circumstances. Any substitute Awards granted under the Plan shall not count against the share limitation set forth in Section 3(a).

 

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SECTION 4. TREATMENT UPON SALE EVENT OR OTHER EXTRAORDINARY TRANSACTION

(a) Options .

(i) In the case of and subject to the consummation of a Sale Event, the Plan and all Options issued hereunder shall terminate upon the effective time of any such Sale Event unless provision is made in connection with the Sale Event in the sole discretion of the parties thereto for the assumption or continuation by the successor entity of Options theretofore granted, or the substitution of such Options with new Options of the successor entity or parent thereof, with appropriate adjustment as to the number and kind of shares and, if appropriate, the per share exercise prices, as such parties shall agree.

(ii) In the event of the termination of the Plan and all Options issued hereunder, each Holder of Options shall be permitted, within a specified period of time prior to the consummation of the Sale Event as determined by the Committee, to exercise all such Options which are then exercisable or will become exercisable as of the effective time of the Sale Event; provided, however , that the exercise of Options not exercisable prior to the Sale Event shall be subject to the consummation of the Sale Event.

(iii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(a)(i), in the event of a Sale Event pursuant to which holders of the Stock of the Company will receive upon consummation thereof a cash payment for each share surrendered in the Sale Event, the Company shall have the right, but not the obligation, to make or provide for a cash payment to the grantees holding vested Options in exchange for the cancellation thereof, in an amount equal to the difference between (A) the value as determined by the Committee of the consideration payable per share of Stock pursuant to the Sale Event (the “Sale Price”) times the number of shares of Stock subject to outstanding vested Options (to the extent then exercisable at prices not in excess of the Sale Price) and (B) the aggregate exercise price of all such outstanding vested Options.

(b) Option Shares and Restricted Stock Awards . Unless otherwise provided in an Award agreement, in the case of and subject to the consummation of a Sale Event, Option Shares and shares of Restricted Stock shall be subject to the repurchase right set forth in Section 9(c)(i) and 9(c)(ii), respectively.

(c) Unrestricted Stock Awards . Unless otherwise provided in an Award agreement, any shares of Unrestricted Stock shall be treated in a Sale Event the same as all other Shares then outstanding.

 

SECTION 5. ELIGIBILITY

Grantees under the Plan will be such full or part-time officers and other employees, directors and key persons (including consultants and prospective employees) of the Company and its Subsidiaries as are selected from time to time by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

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SECTION 6. STOCK OPTIONS

(a) Nature of Stock Options . A Stock Option is an Award entitling the recipient to acquire, at such exercise price as determined by the Committee, shares of Stock subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee may determine at the time of grant. Conditions may be based on continuing employment (or other service relationship) and/or achievement of pre-established performance goals and objectives. The grant of a Stock Option is contingent on the grantee executing the Stock Option agreement. The terms and conditions of each such agreement shall be determined by the Committee, and such terms and conditions may differ among individual Awards and grantees.

Stock Options granted under the Plan may be either Incentive Stock Options or Non-Qualified Stock Options. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Company or any Subsidiary that is a “subsidiary corporation” within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code. To the extent that any Option does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, it shall be deemed a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

No Incentive Stock Option shall be granted under the Plan after the date which is ten (10) years from the date the Plan is approved by Board of Directors.

(b) Grants of Stock Options . The Committee in its discretion may grant Stock Options to eligible directors, officers, employees and key persons of the Company or any Subsidiary. Stock Options granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and shall contain such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Committee shall deem desirable. If the Committee so determines, Stock Options may be granted in lieu of cash compensation at the optionee’s election, subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may establish.

(i) Exercise Price . The exercise price per share for the Stock covered by a Stock Option granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant but shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant. If an employee owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than ten percent (10%) of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation and an Incentive Stock Option is granted to such employee, the option price of an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value on the grant date.

(ii) Option Term . The term of each Stock Option shall be fixed by the Committee, but no Stock Option shall be exercisable more than ten (10) years after the date the Stock Option is granted. If an employee owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than ten percent (10%) of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation and an Incentive Stock Option is granted to such employee, the term of such Stock Option shall be no more than five (5) years from the date of grant.

(iii) Exercisability; Rights of a Stockholder . Stock Options shall become exercisable at such time or times, whether or not in installments, as shall be determined by the

 

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Committee at or after the grant date. The Committee may at any time accelerate the exercisability of all or any portion of any Stock Option. An optionee shall have the rights of a stockholder only as to shares acquired upon the exercise of a Stock Option and not as to unexercised Stock Options. An optionee shall not be deemed to have acquired any such shares unless and until a Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall have issued and delivered the shares to the optionee, and the optionee’s name shall have been entered on the books of the Company as a stockholder.

(iv) Method of Exercise . Stock Options may be exercised in whole or in part, by giving written notice of exercise to the Company, specifying the number of shares to be purchased. Payment of the purchase price may be made by one or more of the following methods or as otherwise provided by the Committee:

(A) In cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Committee in U.S. funds payable to the order of the Company in an amount equal to the purchase price of such Option Shares;

(B) By the optionee delivering to the Company a promissory note if the Board has expressly authorized the loan of funds to the optionee for the purpose of enabling or assisting the optionee to effect the exercise of his or her Stock Option; provided that at least so much of the exercise price as represents the par value of the Stock shall be paid other than with a promissory note if otherwise required by state law; or

(C) If permitted by the Committee, through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been beneficially owned by the optionee for at least six (6) months and are not then subject to restrictions under any Company plan. Such surrendered shares shall be valued at Fair Market Value on the exercise date.

Payment instruments will be received subject to collection. No certificates for shares of Stock so purchased will be issued to optionee until the Company has completed all steps required by law to be taken in connection with the issuance and sale of the shares, including (i) receipt of a representation from the optionee at the time of exercise of the Option that the optionee is purchasing the shares for the optionee’s own account and not with a view to any sale or distribution thereof, (ii) the legending of any certificate representing the shares to evidence the foregoing representations and restrictions, and (iii) obtaining from optionee payment or provision for all withholding taxes due as a result of the exercise of the Option. The delivery of certificates representing the shares of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of a Stock Option will be contingent upon receipt from the optionee (or a purchaser acting in his stead in accordance with the provisions of the Stock Option) by the Company of the full purchase price for such shares and the fulfillment of any other requirements contained in the Option Award agreement or applicable provisions of laws. In the event an optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the number of shares attested to.

 

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(c) Annual Limit on Incentive Stock Options . To the extent required for “incentive stock option” treatment under Section 422 of the Code, the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time of grant) of the shares of Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options granted under this Plan and any other plan of the Company or its parent and subsidiary corporations become exercisable for the first time by an optionee during any calendar year shall not exceed $100,000. To the extent that any Stock Option exceeds this limit, it shall constitute a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

SECTION 7. RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS

(a) Nature of Restricted Stock Awards . A Restricted Stock Award is an Award pursuant to which the Company may, in its sole discretion, grant or sell, at such purchase price as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, shares of Stock subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee may determine at the time of grant, which purchase price shall be payable in cash or other form of consideration acceptable to the Committee. Conditions may be based on continuing employment (or other service relationship) and/or achievement of pre-established performance goals and objectives. The grant of a Restricted Stock Award is contingent on the grantee executing the Restricted Stock Award agreement. The terms and conditions of each such agreement shall be determined by the Committee, and such terms and conditions may differ among individual Awards and grantees.

(b) Rights as a Stockholder . Upon execution of a written instrument setting forth the Restricted Stock Award and payment of any applicable purchase price, a grantee shall have the rights of a stockholder with respect to the voting of the Restricted Stock, subject to such conditions contained in the written instrument evidencing the Restricted Stock Award.

(c) Vesting of Restricted Stock . The Committee at the time of grant shall specify the date or dates and/or the attainment of pre-established performance goals, objectives and other conditions on which Restricted Stock shall become vested, subject to such further rights of the Company or its assigns as may be specified in the instrument evidencing the Restricted Stock Award.

(d) Record Owner; Dividends . The Holder of Restricted Stock shall be considered the record owners of and shall be entitled to vote the Shares of Restricted Stock if and to the extent such Shares are entitled to voting rights. The Holder shall be entitled to receive all dividends and any other distributions declared on the Shares; provided, however , that the Company is under no duty to declare any such dividends or to make any such distribution. The Restricted Stock Award agreement may require or permit the immediate payment, waiver, deferral or investment of dividends paid on the Restricted Stock.

 

SECTION 8. UNRESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS

(a) Grant or Sale of Unrestricted Stock . The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant (or sell at par value or such higher purchase price determined by the Committee) an Unrestricted Stock Award to any grantee, pursuant to which such grantee may receive shares of Stock free of any vesting restrictions under the Plan. Unrestricted Stock Awards may be granted

 

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or sold as described in the preceding sentence in respect of past services or other valid consideration, or in lieu of any cash compensation due to such individual.

(b) Elections to Receive Unrestricted Stock In Lieu of Compensation . Upon the request of a grantee and with the consent of the Committee, each such grantee may, pursuant to an advance written election delivered to the Company no later than the date specified by the Committee, receive a portion of the cash compensation otherwise due to such grantee in the form of shares of Unrestricted Stock either currently or on a deferred basis.

 

SECTION 9. TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS; COMPANY RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL; COMPANY REPURCHASE RIGHTS

(a) Restrictions on Transfer .

(i) Options . No Stock Option shall be transferable by the optionee otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and all Stock Options shall be exercisable, during the optionee’s lifetime, only by the optionee, or by the optionee’s legal representative or guardian in the event of the optionee’s incapacity. The Optionee may elect to designate a beneficiary by providing written notice of the name of such beneficiary to the Company, and may revoke or change such designation at any time by filing written notice of revocation or change with the Company, and any such beneficiary may exercise the Optionee’s Stock Option in the event of the Optionee’s death to the extent provided herein. If the Optionee does not designate a beneficiary, or if the designated beneficiary predeceases the Optionee, the legal representative of the Optionee may exercise this Stock Option in the event of the Optionee’s death to the extent provided herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may provide in the Award agreement regarding a given Option that the optionee may transfer, without consideration for the transfer, his or her Non-Qualified Stock Options to members of his or her immediate family, to trusts for the benefit of such family members, or to partnerships in which such family members are the only partners, provided that the transferee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of this Plan and the applicable Option.

(ii) Issued Shares . No Issued Shares shall be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, given away or in any other manner disposed of or encumbered, whether voluntarily or by operation of law, unless (i) such transfer is in compliance with the terms of the applicable Award, all applicable securities laws (including the Securities Act), and with the terms and conditions of this Section 9, (ii) such transfer does not cause the Company to become subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and (iii) the transferee consents in writing to be bound by the provisions of the Plan, including this Section 9. In connection with any proposed transfer, the Committee may require the transferor to provide at the transferor’s own expense an opinion of counsel to the transferor, satisfactory to the Committee, that such transfer is in compliance with all foreign, federal and state securities laws (including the Securities Act). Any attempted disposition of Issued Shares not in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Section 9 shall be null and void, and the Company shall not reflect on its records any change in record ownership of any Issued Shares as a result of any such disposition, shall otherwise refuse to recognize any such disposition and shall not in any way give effect to any such disposition of Issued Shares. Subject to the foregoing general provisions, and unless

 

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otherwise provided in the agreement with respect to a particular Award, Issued Shares may be transferred pursuant to the following specific terms and conditions (provided that with respect to any transfer of Restricted Stock, all vesting and forfeiture provisions shall continue to apply only with respect to the original recipient):

(A) Transfers to Permitted Transferees . The Holder may sell, assign, transfer or give away any or all of the Issued Shares to Permitted Transferees; provided, however , that following such sale, assignment, or other transfer, such Issued Shares shall continue to be subject to the terms of this Plan (including this Section 9) and such Permitted Transferee(s) shall, as a condition to any such transfer, deliver a written acknowledgment to that effect to the Company.

(B) Transfers Upon Death . Upon the death of the Holder, any Issued Shares then held by the Holder at the time of such death and any Issued Shares acquired thereafter by the Holder’s legal representative shall be subject to the provisions of this Plan, and the Holder’s estate, executors, administrators, personal representatives, heirs, legatees and distributees shall be obligated to convey such Issued Shares to the Company or its assigns under the terms contemplated hereby.

(b) Right of First Refusal . In the event that a Holder desires at any time to sell or otherwise transfer all or any part of such Holder’s Issued Shares, the Holder first shall give written notice to the Company of the Holder’s intention to make such transfer. Such notice shall state the number of Issued Shares which the Holder proposes to sell (the “Offered Shares”), the price and the terms at which the proposed sale is to be made and the name and address of the proposed transferee. At any time within forty-five (45) days after the receipt of such notice by the Company, the Company or its assigns may elect to purchase all or any portion of the Offered Shares at the price and on the terms offered by the proposed transferee and specified in the notice. The Company or its assigns shall exercise this right by mailing or delivering written notice to the Holder within the foregoing 45-day period (the “Company Exercise Notice”). If the Company or its assigns elect to exercise its purchase rights under this Section 9(b), the closing for such purchase shall, in any event, take place on or prior to the thirtieth (30 th ) day following the date of the Company Exercise Notice. In the event that the Company or its assigns do not elect to exercise such purchase right, or in the event that the Company or its assigns do not pay the full purchase price within such 30-day period, the Holder may, within ninety (90) days thereafter, sell the Offered Shares to the proposed transferee and at the same price and on the same terms as specified in the Holder’s notice. Any Shares purchased by such proposed transferee shall no longer be subject to the terms of the Plan, subject to the provisions of Section 13(c) hereof. Any Shares not sold to the proposed transferee shall remain subject to the Plan.

(c) Company’s Right of Repurchase .

(i) Right of Repurchase for Option Shares . The Company or its assigns shall have the right and option upon a Repurchase Event to repurchase from a Holder of Option Shares some or all (as determined by the Company) of the Option Shares held or subsequently acquired upon exercise of a Stock Option by such Holder at the price per share specified below. Such repurchase right may be exercised by the Company within the later of (A) six (6) months following the date of such Repurchase Event or (B) seven (7) months after the acquisition of

 

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such Option Shares upon exercise of a Stock Option (the “Option Shares Repurchase Period”). The “Option Shares Repurchase Price” shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Option Shares, determined as of the date the Committee elects to exercise its repurchase rights in connection with a Repurchase Event.

(ii) Right of Repurchase With Respect to Restricted Stock and Unrestricted Stock . Unless otherwise set forth in the agreement entered into by the recipient and the Company in connection with a Restricted Stock Award or Unrestricted Stock Award, the Company or its assigns shall have the right and option upon a Repurchase Event to repurchase from a Holder of Issued Shares received pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award or Unrestricted Stock Award some or all (as determined by the Company) of such Issued Shares at the price per share specified below. Such repurchase right may be exercised by the Company within six (6) months following the date of such Repurchase Event (the “Non-Option Shares Repurchase Period”). The “Non-Option Shares Repurchase Price” shall be (i) in the case of Issued Shares which are vested as of the date of the Repurchase Event, the Fair Market Value of such Issued Shares as of the date the Committee elects to exercise its repurchase rights in connection with a Repurchase Event and (ii) in the case of Issued Shares which have not vested as of the date of the Repurchase Event, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3(b), the original per share purchase price paid by the recipient.

(iii) Procedure . Any repurchase right of the Company shall be exercised by the Company or its assigns by giving the Holder written notice on or before the last day of the Option Shares Repurchase Period or Non-Option Shares Repurchase Period, as applicable, of its intention to exercise such repurchase right. Upon such notification, the Holder shall promptly surrender to the Company, free and clear of any liens or encumbrances, any certificates representing the Shares being purchased, together with a duly executed stock power for the transfer of such Shares to the Company or the Company’s assignee or assignees. Upon the Company’s or its assignee’s receipt of the certificates from the Holder, the Company or its assignee or assignees shall deliver to him, her or them a check for the Option Shares Repurchase Price or the Non-Option Shares Repurchase Price, as applicable; provided, however , that the Company may pay the Option Shares Repurchase Price or Non-Option Shares Repurchase Price, as applicable, by offsetting and canceling any indebtedness then owed by the Holder to the Company.

(d) Escrow Arrangement .

(i) Escrow . In order to carry out the provisions of Sections 9(b) and 9(c), of this Agreement more effectively, the Company shall hold any Issued Shares in escrow together with separate stock powers executed by the Holder in blank for transfer, and any Permitted Transferee shall, as an additional condition to any transfer of Issued Shares, execute a like stock power as to such Issued Shares. The Company shall not dispose of the Issued Shares except as otherwise provided in this Agreement. In the event of any repurchase by the Company (or any of its assigns), the Company is hereby authorized by the Holder and any Permitted Transferee, as the Holder’s and each such Permitted Transferee’s attorney-in-fact, to date and complete the stock powers necessary for the transfer of the Issued Shares being purchased and to transfer such Issued Shares in accordance with the terms hereof. At such time as any Issued Shares are no longer subject to the Company’s repurchase, first refusal and drag along rights, the Company

 

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A EGERION 2006 S TOCK O PTION AND G RANT P LAN

 

shall, at the written request of the Holder, deliver to the Holder (or the relevant Permitted Transferee) a certificate representing such Issued Shares with the balance of the Issued Shares to be held in escrow pursuant to this Section 9(d).

(ii) Remedy . Without limitation of any other provision of this Agreement or other rights, in the event that a Holder, any Permitted Transferees or any other Person is required to sell a Holder’s Issued Shares pursuant to the provisions of Sections 9(b) or 9(c) hereof and in the further event that he or she refuses or for any reason fails to deliver to the Company or its designated purchaser of such Issued Shares the certificate or certificates evidencing such Issued Shares together with a related stock power, the Company or such designated purchaser may deposit the applicable purchase price for such Issued Shares with a bank designated by the Company, or with the Company’s independent public accounting firm, as agent or trustee, or in escrow, for such Holder, any Permitted Transferees or other Person, to be held by such bank or accounting firm for the benefit of and for delivery to him, her, them or it, and/or, in its discretion, pay such purchase price by offsetting any indebtedness then owed by such Holder as provided above. Upon any such deposit and/or offset by the Company or its designated purchaser of such amount and upon notice to the Person who was required to sell the Issued Shares to be sold pursuant to the provisions of Sections 9(b) or 9(c), such Issued Shares shall at such time be deemed to have been sold, assigned, transferred and conveyed to such purchaser, such Holder shall have no further rights thereto (other than the right to withdraw the payment thereof held in escrow, if applicable), and the Company shall record such transfer in its stock transfer book or in any appropriate manner.

(e) Lockup Provision . A Holder agrees, if requested by the Company and any underwriter engaged by the Company, not to sell or otherwise transfer or dispose of any Issued Shares (including pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act) held by him or her for such period following the effective date of any registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act as the Company or such underwriter shall specify reasonably and in good faith, not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days in the case of the Company’s initial public offering (or, if required by such underwriter, such longer period of time as is necessary to enable such underwriter to issue a research report or make a public appearance that relates to an earnings release or announcement by the Company within sixteen (16) days prior to or after the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of the registration statement relating to such offering, but in any event not to exceed two hundred ten (210) days following the effective date of the registration statement relating to such offering) or ninety (90) days in the case of any other public offering.

(f) Adjustments for Changes in Capital Structure . If, as a result of any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar change in the Common Stock, the outstanding shares of Common Stock are increased or decreased or are exchanged for a different number or kind of shares of the Company’s stock, the restrictions contained in this Section 9 shall apply with equal force to additional and/or substitute securities, if any, received by Holder in exchange for, or by virtue of his or her ownership of, Issued Shares.

(g) Termination . The terms and provisions of Sections 9(b) and 9(c) shall terminate upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering or upon consummation of any Sale

 

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A EGERION 2006 S TOCK O PTION AND G RANT P LAN

 

Event, in either case as a result of which shares of the Company (or a successor entity) of the same class as the Issued Shares are registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act and publicly traded on NASDAQ/NMS or any national security exchange.

 

SECTION 10. TAX WITHHOLDING

(a) Payment by Grantee . Each grantee shall, no later than the date as of which the value of an Award or of any Stock or other amounts received thereunder first becomes includable in the gross income of the grantee for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee regarding payment of, any Federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to such income. The Company and its Subsidiaries shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the grantee. The Company’s obligation to deliver stock certificates to any grantee is subject to and conditioned on any such tax obligations being satisfied by the grantee.

(b) Payment in Stock . Subject to approval by the Committee, a grantee may elect to have the minimum required tax withholding obligation satisfied, in whole or in part, by (i) authorizing the Company to withhold from shares of Stock to be issued pursuant to any Award a number of shares with an aggregate Fair Market Value (as of the date the withholding is effected) that would satisfy the withholding amount due, or (ii) transferring to the Company shares of Stock owned by the grantee with an aggregate Fair Market Value (as of the date the withholding is effected) that would satisfy the minimum withholding amount due.

 

SECTION 11. AMENDMENTS AND TERMINATION

The Board may, at any time, amend or discontinue the Plan and the Committee may, at any time, amend or cancel any outstanding Award (or provide substitute Awards at the same or a reduced exercise or purchase price or with no exercise or purchase price) in a manner not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, provided that such price, if any, must satisfy the requirements which would apply to the substitute or amended Award if it were then initially granted under this Plan for the purpose of satisfying changes in law or for any other lawful purpose, but no such action shall adversely affect rights under any outstanding Award without the holder’s consent. In addition, to the extent determined by the Committee to be required by the Code to ensure that Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan are qualified under Section 422 of the Code, Plan amendments shall be subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders who are entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders. Nothing in this Section 11 shall limit the Committee’s authority to take any action permitted pursuant to Section 3(c).

 

SECTION 12. STATUS OF PLAN

With respect to the portion of any Award that has not been exercised and any payments in cash, Stock or other consideration not received by a grantee, a grantee shall have no rights greater than those of a general creditor of the Company unless the Committee shall otherwise expressly determine in connection with any Award or Awards. In its sole discretion, the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts or other arrangements to meet the Company’s

 

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A EGERION 2006 S TOCK O PTION AND G RANT P LAN

 

obligations to deliver Stock or make payments with respect to Awards hereunder, provided that the existence of such trusts or other arrangements is consistent with the foregoing sentence.

 

SECTION 13. GENERAL PROVISIONS

(a) No Distribution; Compliance with Legal Requirements . The Committee may require each person acquiring Stock pursuant to an Award to represent to and agree with the Company in writing that such person is acquiring the shares without a view to distribution thereof. No shares of Stock shall be issued pursuant to an Award until all applicable securities law and other legal requirements have been satisfied. The Committee may require the placing of restrictive legends on certificates for Stock and Awards as it deems appropriate.

(b) Delivery of Stock Certificates . Stock certificates to grantees under this Plan shall be deemed delivered for all purposes when the Company or a stock transfer agent of the Company shall have mailed such certificates in the United States mail, addressed to the grantee, at the grantee’s last known address on file with the Company.

(c) Stockholders’ Agreement . At any time that a Holder, as a result of an issuance of an Award hereunder or as a result of a transfer of Issued Shares pursuant to Section 9 hereof, would own one percent (1%) or more of the Common Stock then outstanding (calculated on an as-converted basis, and assuming the exercise of all rights, options and warrants and conversion of all convertible securities), as a condition to such issuance or transfer, such Holder shall execute an instrument of adherence to that certain Stockholders’ Agreement by and among the Company and the Stockholders party thereto dated as of December 15, 2005 and as amended, restated or replaced from time to time (the “Stockholders’ Agreement”), such Holder to become bound by the provisions of the Stockholders’ Agreement as a “Principal Stockholder”. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, concerning the Company’s right of first refusal as to the Holder’s Issued Shares pursuant to Section 9 hereof, any right of first refusal continues in the Stockholders’ Agreement, to the extent applicable, to take precedent and govern the transactions contemplated by Section 9 hereof. A copy of the Stockholders’ Agreement may be obtained by any Holder at no cost by written request to the Company.

(d) Other Compensation Arrangements; No Employment Rights . Nothing contained in this Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements, including trusts, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases. The adoption of this Plan and the grant of Awards do not confer upon any employee any right to continued employment with the Company or any Subsidiary.

(e) Loans to Award Recipients . The Company shall have the authority to make loans to recipients of Awards hereunder (including to facilitate the purchase of shares) and shall further have the authority to issue shares for promissory notes hereunder.

(f) Designation of Beneficiary . Each grantee to whom an Award has been made under the Plan may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise any Award or receive any payment under any Award payable on or after the grantee’s death. Any such designation shall be on a form provided for that purpose by the Committee and shall not be effective until received by

 

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A EGERION 2006 S TOCK O PTION AND G RANT P LAN

 

the Committee. If no beneficiary has been designated by a deceased grantee, or if the designated beneficiaries have predeceased the grantee, the beneficiary shall be the grantee’s estate.

(g) Headings and Certain Defined Terms . Headings and captions are for convenience only and are not be used in the interpretation of this Plan. The words “include”, “includes” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”. The words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, will be construed to refer to this Plan in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof. All references herein to Sections, unless otherwise specifically provided, will be construed to refer to Sections this Plan.

(h) Legend . Any certificate(s) representing the Issued Shares shall carry substantially the following legend:

The transferability of this certificate and the shares of stock represented hereby are subject to the restrictions, terms and conditions (including repurchase and restrictions against transfers) contained in the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan and any agreement entered into thereunder by and between the company and the holder of this certificate (a copy of which is available at the offices of the company for examination).

 

SECTION 14. EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN

This Plan shall become effective upon approval by the stockholders in accordance with applicable law. Subject to such approval by the stockholders and to the requirement that no Stock may be issued hereunder prior to such approval, Stock Options and other Awards may be granted hereunder on and after adoption of this Plan by the Board.

 

SECTION 15. GOVERNING LAW

This Plan and all Awards and actions taken thereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, applied without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

SECTION 16. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

(a) Except as provided below, any dispute arising out of or relating to this Plan or any Award made hereunder, or any agreement executed in connection herewith, or the breach, termination or validity of this Plan, any such Award or any such agreement, shall be finally settled by binding arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the J.A.M.S./Endispute Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures (the “J.A.M.S. Rules”). The arbitration shall be governed by the United States Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. Sections 1-16, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered by any court having jurisdiction thereof. The place of arbitration shall be New York, New York.

 

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A EGERION 2006 S TOCK O PTION AND G RANT P LAN

 

(b) The arbitration shall commence within sixty (60) days of the date on which a written demand for arbitration is filed by any party hereto. In connection with the arbitration proceeding, the arbitrator shall have the power to order the production of documents by each party and any third-party witnesses. In addition, each party may take up to three (3) depositions as of right, and the arbitrator may in his or her discretion allow additional depositions upon good cause shown by the moving party. However, the arbitrator shall not have the power to order the answering of interrogatories or the response to requests for admission. In connection with any arbitration, each party to the arbitration shall provide to the other, no later than seven (7) business days before the date of the arbitration, the identity of all persons that may testify at the arbitration and a copy of all documents that may be introduced at the arbitration or considered or used by a party’s witness or expert. The arbitrator’s decision and award shall be made and delivered within six (6) months of the selection of the arbitrator. The arbitrator’s decision shall set forth a reasoned basis for any award of damages or finding of liability. The arbitrator shall not have power to award damages in excess of actual compensatory damages and shall not multiply actual damages or award punitive damages, and each party hereby irrevocably waives any claim to such damages.

(c) The Company, each recipient of an Award hereunder, each party to an agreement governed hereby and any other holder of Stock issued under this Plan (each, a “Party”) covenants and agrees that such party will participate in the arbitration in good faith. This Section 14 applies equally to requests for temporary, preliminary or permanent injunctive relief, except that in the case of temporary or preliminary injunctive relief any party may proceed in court without prior arbitration for the limited purpose of avoiding immediate and irreparable harm.

(d) Each Party (i) hereby irrevocably submits to the jurisdiction of any United States District Court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of enforcing the award or decision in any such proceeding, (ii) hereby waives, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution (except as protected by applicable law), that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper or that this Plan or any Award or agreement therefor or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court, and (iii) hereby waives and agrees not to seek any review by any court of any other jurisdiction which may be called upon to grant an enforcement of the judgment of any such court. Each Party hereby consents to service of process by registered mail at the address to which notices are to be given. Each Party agrees that its, his or her submission to jurisdiction and its, his or her consent to service of process by mail is made for the express benefit of each other Party. Final judgment against any Party in any such action, suit or proceeding may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit, action or proceeding on the judgment, or in any other manner provided by or pursuant to the laws of such other jurisdiction.

DATE APPROVED BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS: May 31, 2006

DATE APPROVED BY STOCKHOLDERS: May 31, 2006

 

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Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Amendment No. 1

To

2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan

Pursuant to resolutions duly adopted by the board of directors on November 9, 2007 and duly approved by the stockholders on November 9, 2007 and in accordance with Section 11 of the 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the “Plan”) of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Plan be and hereby is amended by deleting the clause “1,555,060 Shares, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3(b)” in Section 3(a) of the Plan and replacing it with “1,206,809 Shares, such number having already been adjusted to account for a 1 for 0.679674238 reverse split of the Company’s Common Stock effected on May 25, 2007 (the “Reverse Split”) and being subject to further adjustment for subsequent events as provided in Section 3(b).”

This Amendment No. 1 shall be effective as of the date it was adopted by the board of directors. Except as amended hereby, the Plan shall remain in full force and effect. This Amendment No. 1 shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to any applicable conflicts of law.

Adopted by the Board of Directors on

November 9, 2007

Adopted by the stockholders on

November 9, 2007


Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Amendment No. 2

to

2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan

Pursuant to resolutions duly adopted by the board of directors on August 28, 2008 and duly approved by the stockholders on August 28, 2008 and in accordance with Section 11 of the 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan, as amended (the “Plan”), of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Plan be and hereby is amended by deleting the term “1,206,809 Shares” in Section 3(a) of the Plan and replacing it with “1,460,153 Shares.”

This Amendment No. 2 shall be effective as of the date it was adopted by the board of directors. Except as amended hereby, the Plan shall remain in full force and effect. This Amendment No. 2 shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to any applicable conflicts of law.

Adopted by the Board of Directors on

August 28, 2008

Adopted by the stockholders on

August 28, 2008


Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Amendment No. 3

to

2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan

Pursuant to resolutions duly adopted by the board of directors on September 15, 2010 and duly approved by the stockholders on                           , 2010, and in accordance with Section 11 of the 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the “Plan”) of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Plan be and hereby is amended by deleting the term “1,460,153 Shares” in Section 3(a) of the Plan and replacing it with “4,710,153 Shares.”

This Amendment No. 3 shall be effective as of the date it was adopted by the board of directors. Except as amended hereby, the Plan shall remain in full force and effect. This Amendment No. 3 shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to any applicable conflicts of law.

 

Adopted by the Board of Directors on
September 15, 2010
Approved by the stockholders on
                          , 2010


FORM OF 2006 STOCK OPTION AND GRANT PLAN INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. 2006 STOCK OPTION AND GRANT PLAN

Incentive Stock Option Agreement

under the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan

 

Name of Optionee:        (the “Optionee”)
No. of Underlying Shares:        Shares of Common Stock
Grant Date:        (the “Grant Date”)
Expiration Date:        (the “Expiration Date”)
Option Exercise Price/Share:        (the “Option Exercise Price”)

Pursuant to the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the “Plan”), Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with all successors thereto, the “Company”), hereby grants to the Optionee, who is an employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, an Option to purchase, on or prior to the Expiration Date (or such earlier date as provided in Section 3 below), all or any part of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company indicated above (the “Underlying Shares,” with such shares once issued being referred to herein and in the Plan as “Option Shares”) at the Option Exercise Price per share indicated above.

Notwithstanding anything in this Incentive Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”) to the contrary, this Stock Option and any Option Shares shall be subject to, and governed by, all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including, without limitation, Section 9 thereof concerning certain restrictions on transfer of Option Shares and related matters. To the extent there is any inconsistency between the terms of the Plan and of this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall control.

All capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings given such terms in the Plan.

1. Vesting and Exercisability .

(a) No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised until such portion shall have vested and become exercisable. Except as set forth in Section 1(b) below, and subject to the determination of the Committee in its sole discretion to accelerate the vesting schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be vested and exercisable with respect to the Underlying Shares in accordance with the following schedule: ______________________________________________

(b) In the case of a Sale Event, this Stock Option shall be treated as provided in Section 4(a) of the Plan.

2. Exercise of Stock Option . Prior to the Expiration Date (or such earlier date provided in Section 3 below), the Optionee may exercise this Stock Option by delivering a Stock Option exercise notice (an “Exercise Notice”) in the form of Appendix A hereto indicating his or her election to purchase some or all of the Underlying Shares with respect to which this Stock Option is exercisable at the time of such notice.

 

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3. Termination of Employment . Except as the Committee may otherwise expressly provide, or as may otherwise be expressly provided in any employment agreement between the Company and the Optionee, if the Optionee’s employment with the Company or a Subsidiary terminates, the period within which the Optionee may exercise this Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below:

(a) Termination of Employment Due to Death or Disability . If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of such Optionee’s death or disability (as defined in Section 422(c) of the Code), this Stock Option may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of such termination, by the Optionee or by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of such termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

(b) Termination for Cause . If the Optionee’s employment is terminated by the Company for Cause, all Options (unvested and vested) shall terminate immediately. “Cause” means any of the following: (i) dishonesty, embezzlement, misappropriation of assets or property of the Company; (ii) gross negligence, misconduct, neglect of duties, theft, fraud, or breach of fiduciary duty to the Company; (iii) violation of federal or state securities laws; (iv) breach of an employment, consulting or other agreement with the Company; or (v) the conviction of a felony, or any crime involving moral turpitude, including a plea of guilty or nolo contendre .

(c) Other Termination . If the Optionee’s employment terminates for any reason other than death or disability or Cause, this Stock Option may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of such termination, by the Optionee for a period of three (3) months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

(d) Treatment of Unvested Options on Termination of Employment . Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of termination of the Optionee’s employment with the Company, for any reason, shall terminate immediately and be null and void and of no further force and effect.

4. Incorporation of Plan . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall govern.

5. Transferability . This Agreement is personal to the Optionee and is not transferable by the Optionee in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. All transfers of Options are governed by the terms of the Plan.

6. Status of Stock Option . The Optionee understands that, while this Stock Option is intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” as defined in Section 422 of the Code to the extent permitted under applicable law, the Company makes no representation or warranty that this Stock Option will, in fact, so qualify. In order to obtain the benefits of an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code, the Optionee understands that this Stock Option must be exercised within three (3) months after termination of employment or within twelve (12) months after termination of employment if such termination is due to death or disability; provided, that in no event may this Stock Option be exercised after the Expiration Date. The Optionee further understands that, to obtain such benefits, no sale or other disposition may be made of Option Shares for which incentive stock option treatment is desired within the one-year period beginning on the day after the day of the transfer of such Option Shares to him or her,

 

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nor within the two-year period beginning on the day after the Grant Date of this Stock Option. If the Optionee disposes (whether by sale, gift, transfer or otherwise) of any such Option Shares within either of these periods (a “disqualifying disposition”), he or she will notify the Company within thirty (30) days after such disposition. The Optionee also agrees to provide the Company with any information concerning any such dispositions required by the Company for tax purposes. Further, to the extent Underlying Shares and any other incentive stock options of the Optionee having an aggregate Fair Market Value in excess of $100,000 (determined as of the Grant Date) vest in any year, such options will not qualify as incentive stock options. To the extent that any portion of the Stock Option does not qualify as an incentive stock option, whether due to a disqualifying disposition or otherwise, it shall be deemed a non-qualified stock option.

7. Drag-Along Rights . As a condition to the receipt of this Stock Option and the Option Shares, the Optionee hereby covenants and agrees to be bound by the provisions of any agreement entered into by and among the Company and at least a majority in voting interest of the stockholders of the Company that provides for certain drag-along rights in a bona fide sale of the Company to an unaffiliated third party, whether directly or pursuant to a merger, consolidation or otherwise, a purchase of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, or a purchase of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company’s outstanding shares of capital stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has entered into a certain Stockholders’ Agreement by and among the Company and the Stockholders party thereto dated as of December 15, 2005 and as further amended, restated or replaced from time to time (the “Stockholders’ Agreement”) that provides for the following drag-along rights (with capitalized terms as defined in such agreement):

Drag-Along Rights . In the event that the Required Series A Majority votes to approve or consents to a bona fide sale of the Company to an unaffiliated third party, whether directly or pursuant to a merger, consolidation or otherwise, a purchase of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or a purchase of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company’s outstanding shares of capital stock (a “ Company Sale ”), in each case, in a single transaction or series of related transactions (collectively, a “ Proposed Transaction ”), then the Stockholders shall, if requested by such Required Series A Majority, (i) if the Company Sale is structured as a sale of stock, sell all of his, her or its shares of capital stock (including all rights to purchase or exercisable for shares of capital stock) in such transaction, (ii) if the Company Sale is structured as a sale of assets, merger, consolidation or other transaction requiring the consent or approval of the Company’s stockholders, vote such shares in favor thereof, and otherwise consent to and raise no objection to such transaction, and waive any dissenters’ rights, appraisal rights or similar rights that such Stockholders may have in connection therewith, or (iii) if the Proposed Transaction includes the sale, contribution, exchange, redemption, cancellation or other disposition of securities convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock of the Company, or options, warrants or other rights to purchase such capital stock or securities, sell, contribute, exchange, redeem, cancel or otherwise dispose of such securities or options, warrants or other rights; in each such case on the same terms and for the same consideration as are applicable to the Required Series A Majority; provided , however , that pursuant to the terms of such proposed transactions, (i) the Stockholders shall not be required to give any representations and warranties regarding the operations and conditions (financial and otherwise) of the Company and its business, assets and liabilities (unless such Stockholders are officers of the Company and are giving such representations and warranties solely in such capacity and such officers shall not be required to give any such representations or warranties as Stockholders), and (ii) the indemnification obligations of each Stockholder shall be limited to that Stockholder’s pro rata portion of the losses relating to such indemnity based on such Stockholder’s

 

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percentage ownership of the Company on a fully-diluted basis. The Required Series A Majority shall give the Stockholders who are not the Required Series A Majority written notice of any Proposed Transaction as soon as practicable but in any event at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date on which such transaction is proposed to be consummated, including the terms and conditions thereof, and the Stockholders shall have the obligation to sell their respective shares of capital stock or vote or otherwise consent as provided above on such same terms and conditions in accordance with the instructions set forth in such notice. The Company and each Stockholder will take all reasonably necessary and desirable actions to consummate such Proposed Transaction, including, without limitation, the execution of all agreements and other instruments and such other actions reasonably necessary to effectuate the allocation and distribution of the aggregate consideration upon the Proposed Transaction as set forth in this Section 3.1 . In such event, each Stockholder shall deliver the certificates representing his, her or its shares of capital stock (accompanied by duly executed stock powers or other instrument of transfer duly endorsed in blank) to the Company or to an agent designated by the Company, for the purpose of effectuating the transfer of such shares, if the Company Sale is structured as a sale of stock, or deliver such other documents that are reasonably required by the Required Series A Majority, if the Company Sale is structured as a sale of assets, merger, consolidation or other transaction requiring the consent or approval of the Company’s stockholders, to the purchaser and the disbursement of the proceeds of such transactions to each of the Stockholders and other stockholders, as applicable. The Company may, at its option, deposit the consideration payable for such shares with a depository designated by it and thereafter each certificate shall represent only the right to receive the consideration payable in the transaction.”

A copy of any such agreement described in this Section 7 may be obtained by any Optionee at no cost by written request to the Company.

8. Miscellaneous Provisions .

(a) Change and Modifications . This Agreement may not be orally changed, modified or terminated, nor shall any oral waiver of any of its terms be effective. This Agreement may be changed, modified or terminated only by an agreement in writing signed by the Company and the Optionee.

(b) Governing Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware without regard to conflict of law principles.

(c) Equitable Relief . The parties hereto agree and declare that legal remedies may be inadequate to enforce the provisions of this Agreement and that equitable relief, including specific performance and injunctive relief, may be used to enforce the provisions of this Agreement.

(d) Headings . The headings are intended only for convenience in finding the subject matter and do not constitute part of the text of this Agreement and shall not be considered in the interpretation of this Agreement.

(e) Saving Clause . If any provision(s) of this Agreement shall be determined to be illegal or unenforceable, such determination shall in no manner affect the legality or enforceability of any other provision hereof.

 

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(f) Notices . All notices, requests, consents and other communications shall be in writing and be deemed given when delivered personally, by telex or facsimile transmission or when received if mailed by first class registered or certified mail, postage prepaid. Notices to the Company or the Optionee shall be addressed as set forth underneath their signatures below, or to such other address or addresses as may have been furnished by such party in writing to the other.

(g) Benefit and Binding Effect . This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, their respective successors, permitted assigns, and legal representatives. The Company has the right to assign this Agreement, and such assignee shall become entitled to all the rights of the Company hereunder to the extent of such assignment.

(h) Counterparts . For the convenience of the parties and to facilitate execution, this Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same document.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned as of the date first above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
Address:   [                    ]

The undersigned hereby acknowledges receiving and reviewing a copy of the Plan, including, without limitation, Section 9 thereof, and understands that the Stock Option granted hereby is subject to the terms of the Plan and of this Agreement. This Agreement is hereby accepted, and the terms and conditions thereof and of the Plan hereby agreed to, by the undersigned as of the date first above written.

 

OPTIONEE:
     
Name:  
Address:  

 

DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY:    ____________________________________________
Beneficiary’s Address:   

 

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SPOUSE’S CONSENT 1

The undersigned hereby acknowledges receiving and reviewing a copy of the Plan, including, without limitation, Section 9 thereof, and understands that the Stock Option granted hereby is subject to the terms of the Plan and of this Agreement. This Agreement is hereby accepted, and the terms and conditions hereof and of the Plan are hereby agreed to, by the undersigned as of the date first above written.

 

SPOUSE:
     
Name:  
Address:  

 

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Required only if Optionee’s state of residence is a community property state such as Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Washington or Wisconsin.

 

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Appendix A

STOCK OPTION EXERCISE NOTICE

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Attention: Chief Financial Officer

___________________________

___________________________

Pursuant to the terms of the stock option agreement between myself and Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) dated              (the “Agreement”), under the Company’s 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan, I, [Insert Name]                                          , hereby [Circle One] partially/fully exercise such Stock Option by including herein payment in the amount of $              representing the purchase price for [Fill in number of Underlying Shares]              Option Shares. I have chosen the following form(s) of payment:

 

[ ]    1.      Cash
[ ]    2.      Certified or bank check payable to Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
[ ]    3.      Other (as described in the Plan (please describe))
        __________________________________________________________________.

In connection with my exercise of the Stock Option as set forth above, I hereby represent and warrant to the Company as follows:

(i) I am purchasing the Option Shares for my own account for investment only, and not for resale or with a view to the distribution thereof.

(ii) I have had such an opportunity as I have deemed adequate to obtain from the Company such information as is necessary to permit me to evaluate the merits and risks of my investment in the Company and have consulted with my own advisers with respect to my investment in the Company.

(iii) I have sufficient experience in business, financial and investment matters to be able to evaluate the risks involved in the purchase of the Option Shares and to make an informed investment decision with respect to such purchase.

(iv) I can afford a complete loss of the value of the Option Shares and am able to bear the economic risk of holding such Option Shares for an indefinite period of time.

(v) I understand that the Option Shares may not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (it being understood that the Option Shares are being issued and sold in reliance on the exemption provided in Rule 701 thereunder) or any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws and may not be sold or otherwise transferred or disposed of in the absence of an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 and under any applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws (or exemptions from the registration requirements thereof). I further acknowledge that certificates representing Option Shares will bear restrictive legends reflecting the foregoing.

 

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(vi) I understand and agree that the Option Shares when issued will continue to be subject to the Plan, including Section 9 thereof.

 

Sincerely yours,
   
Name:
Address:
 
 
 

 

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Form of Amendment No. 1 to Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement

This Amendment No. 1 to Incentive Stock Option Agreement (the “ Amendment ”) is made as of this __ day of June 2007, by and between Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and _________ (the “ Optionee ”), parties to that certain Incentive Stock Option Agreement dated as of _________ (the “ Agreement ”). Capitalized terms used herein, unless otherwise defined herein, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement.

WHEREAS , the Company and the Optionee desire to amend the Agreement; and

WHEREAS , pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Agreement, a change or modification to the terms and provisions of the Agreement may not be effected without the prior written consent of the Company and the Optionee.

NOW, THEREFORE in consideration of the foregoing and intending to be legally bound, the Company and the Optionee agree as follows.

1. Section 7 of the Agreement shall terminate upon an Initial Public Offering. For purposes of the Agreement, “Initial Public Offering” shall mean the Company’s initial distribution of shares of its common stock in a firm commitment underwritten public offering to the general public pursuant to a registration statement filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

2. This Amendment shall be deemed to be a contract made under, and shall be construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to conflict of interest laws principles thereof.

3. This Amendment may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

4. Except to the extent amended hereby, the terms and provisions of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment No. 1 to Incentive Stock Option Agreement as of the date and year first written above.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:    
 

Name: Gerald Wisler

Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 
[Optionee]

Exhibit 10.2

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

2010 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

SECTION 1. GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE PLAN; DEFINITIONS

The name of the plan is the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”). The purpose of the Plan is to encourage and enable the officers, employees, Non-Employee Directors and other key persons (including Consultants and prospective employees) of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “ Company ”) and its Subsidiaries upon whose judgment, initiative and efforts the Company largely depends for the successful conduct of its business to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company. It is anticipated that providing such persons with a direct stake in the Company’s welfare will assure a closer identification of their interests with those of the Company and its stockholders, thereby stimulating their efforts on the Company’s behalf and strengthening their desire to remain with the Company.

The following terms shall be defined as set forth below:

“Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

“Administrator” means either the Board or the compensation committee of the Board or a similar committee performing the functions of the compensation committee and which is comprised of not less than two Non-Employee Directors who are independent.

“Award” or “Awards,” except where referring to a particular category of grant under the Plan, shall include Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Units, Restricted Stock Awards, Unrestricted Stock Awards, Cash-Based Awards, Performance Share Awards and Dividend Equivalent Rights.

“Award Certificate” means a written or electronic document setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to an Award granted under the Plan. Each Award Certificate is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

“Cash-Based Award” means an Award entitling the recipient to receive a cash-denominated payment.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor Code, and related rules, regulations and interpretations.

“Consultant” means any natural person that provides bona fide services to the Company, and such services are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities.


“Covered Employee” means an employee who is a “Covered Employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

“Dividend Equivalent Right” means an Award entitling the grantee to receive credits based on cash dividends that would have been paid on the shares of Stock specified in the Dividend Equivalent Right (or other award to which it relates) if such shares had been issued to and held by the grantee.

“Effective Date” means the date on which the Plan is approved by stockholders as set forth in Section 21.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

“Fair Market Value” of the Stock on any given date means the fair market value of the Stock determined in good faith by the Administrator; provided, however, that if the Stock is admitted to quotation on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (“ NASDAQ ”), NASDAQ Global Market or another national securities exchange, the determination shall be made by reference to market quotations. If there are no market quotations for such date, the determination shall be made by reference to the last date preceding such date for which there are market quotations; provided further, however, that if the date for which Fair Market Value is determined is the first day when trading prices for the Stock are reported on a national securities exchange, the Fair Market Value shall be the “Price to the Public” (or equivalent) set forth on the cover page for the final prospectus relating to the Company’s Initial Public Offering.

“Incentive Stock Option” means any Stock Option designated and qualified as an “incentive stock option” as defined in Section 422 of the Code.

“Initial Public Offering” means the consummation of the first fully underwritten, firm commitment public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Act covering the offer and sale by the Company of its equity securities, or such other event as a result of or following which the Stock shall be publicly held.

“Non-Employee Director” means a member of the Board who is not also an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary.

“Non-Qualified Stock Option” means any Stock Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

“Option” or “Stock Option” means any option to purchase shares of Stock granted pursuant to Section 5.

“Performance-Based Award” means any Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Share Award or Cash-Based Award granted to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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“Performance Criteria” means the criteria that the Administrator selects for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal or Performance Goals for an individual for a Performance Cycle. The Performance Criteria (which shall be applicable to the organizational level specified by the Administrator, including, but not limited to, the Company or a unit, division, group, or Subsidiary of the Company) that will be used to establish Performance Goals are limited to the following: earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, net income (loss) (either before or after interest, taxes, depreciation and/or amortization), changes in the market price of the Stock, economic value-added, funds from operations or similar measure, sales or revenue, acquisitions or strategic transactions, operating income (loss), cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow), return on capital, assets, equity, or investment, stockholder returns, return on sales, gross or net profit levels, productivity, expense, margins, operating efficiency, customer satisfaction, working capital, earnings (loss) per share of Stock, sales or market shares and number of customers, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or as compared to results of a peer group.

“Performance Cycle” means one or more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping durations, as the Administrator may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Criteria will be measured for the purpose of determining a grantee’s right to and the payment of a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Share Award or Cash-Based Award. Each such period shall not be less than 12 months.

“Performance Goals” means, for a Performance Cycle, the specific goals established in writing by the Administrator for a Performance Cycle based upon the Performance Criteria.

“Performance Share Award” means an Award entitling the recipient to acquire shares of Stock upon the attainment of specified Performance Goals.

“Restricted Stock Award” means an Award entitling the recipient to acquire, at such purchase price (which may be zero) as determined by the Administrator, shares of Stock subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Administrator may determine at the time of grant.

“Restricted Stock Units” means an Award of phantom stock units to a grantee.

“Sale Event” shall mean (i) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company on a consolidated basis to an unrelated person or entity, (ii) a merger, reorganization or consolidation pursuant to which the holders of the Company’s outstanding voting power immediately prior to such transaction do not own a majority of the outstanding voting power of the resulting or successor entity (or its ultimate parent, if applicable) immediately upon completion of such transaction, or (iii) the sale of all of the Stock of the Company to an unrelated person or entity.

Sale Price ” means the value as determined by the Administrator of the consideration payable, or otherwise to be received by stockholders, per share of Stock pursuant to a Sale Event.

 

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“Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance promulgated thereunder.

“Stock” means the Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company, subject to adjustments pursuant to Section 3.

“Stock Appreciation Right” means an Award entitling the recipient to receive shares of Stock having a value equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the date of exercise over the exercise price of the Stock Appreciation Right multiplied by the number of shares of Stock with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right shall have been exercised.

“Subsidiary” means any corporation or other entity (other than the Company) in which the Company has at least a 50 percent interest, either directly or indirectly.

“Ten Percent Owner” means an employee who owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10 percent of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation.

“Unrestricted Stock Award” means an Award of shares of Stock free of any restrictions.

SECTION 2. ADMINISTRATION OF PLAN; ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY TO SELECT GRANTEES AND DETERMINE AWARDS

(a) Administration of Plan . The Plan shall be administered by the Administrator.

(b) Powers of Administrator . The Administrator shall have the power and authority to grant Awards consistent with the terms of the Plan, including the power and authority:

(i) to select the individuals to whom Awards may from time to time be granted;

(ii) to determine the time or times of grant, and the extent, if any, of Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units, Unrestricted Stock Awards, Cash-Based Awards, Performance Share Awards and Dividend Equivalent Rights, or any combination of the foregoing, granted to any one or more grantees;

(iii) to determine the number of shares of Stock to be covered by any Award;

(iv) to determine and modify from time to time the terms and conditions, including restrictions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any Award, which terms and conditions may differ among individual Awards and grantees, and to approve the forms of Award Certificates;

(v) to accelerate at any time the exercisability or vesting of all or any portion of any Award provided that the Administrator generally shall not exercise discretion to accelerate Awards subject to Sections 7 and 8 except in the event of the grantee’s death, disability or retirement, or a change in control (including a Sale Event);

 

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(vi) subject to the provisions of Section 5(b), to extend at any time the period in which Stock Options may be exercised; and

(vii) at any time to adopt, alter and repeal such rules, guidelines and practices for administration of the Plan and for its own acts and proceedings as it shall deem advisable; to interpret the terms and provisions of the Plan and any Award (including related written instruments); to make all determinations it deems advisable for the administration of the Plan; to decide all disputes arising in connection with the Plan; and to otherwise supervise the administration of the Plan.

All decisions and interpretations of the Administrator shall be binding on all persons, including the Company and Plan grantees.

(c) Delegation of Authority to Grant Options . Subject to applicable law, the Administrator, in its discretion, may delegate to the [Chief Executive Officer] of the Company all or part of the Administrator’s authority and duties with respect to the granting of Options to individuals who are (i) not subject to the reporting and other provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and (ii) not Covered Employees. Any such delegation by the Administrator shall include a limitation as to the amount of Options that may be granted during the period of the delegation and shall contain guidelines as to the determination of the exercise price and the vesting criteria. The Administrator may revoke or amend the terms of a delegation at any time but such action shall not invalidate any prior actions of the Administrator’s delegate or delegates that were consistent with the terms of the Plan.

(d) Award Certificate . Awards under the Plan shall be evidenced by Award Certificates that set forth the terms, conditions and limitations for each Award which may include, without limitation, the term of an Award and the provisions applicable in the event employment or service terminates.

(e) Indemnification . Neither the Board nor the Administrator, nor any member of either or any delegate thereof, shall be liable for any act, omission, interpretation, construction or determination made in good faith in connection with the Plan, and the members of the Board and the Administrator (and any delegate thereof) shall be entitled in all cases to indemnification and reimbursement by the Company in respect of any claim, loss, damage or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising or resulting therefrom to the fullest extent permitted by law and/or under the Company’s articles or bylaws or any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage which may be in effect from time to time and/or any indemnification agreement between such individual and the Company.

(f) Foreign Award Recipients . Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in other countries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate or have employees or other individuals eligible for Awards, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (i) determine which Subsidiaries shall be covered by the Plan; (ii) determine which individuals outside the United

 

5


States are eligible to participate in the Plan; (iii) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to individuals outside the United States to comply with applicable foreign laws; (iv) establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent the Administrator determines such actions to be necessary or advisable (and such subplans and/or modifications shall be attached to this Plan as appendices); provided, however, that no such subplans and/or modifications shall increase the share limitations contained in Section 3(a) hereof; and (v) take any action, before or after an Award is made, that the Administrator determines to be necessary or advisable to obtain approval or comply with any local governmental regulatory exemptions or approvals. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate the Exchange Act or any other applicable United States securities law, the Code, or any other applicable United States governing statute or law.

SECTION 3. STOCK ISSUABLE UNDER THE PLAN; MERGERS; SUBSTITUTION

(a) Stock Issuable . 1 The maximum number of shares of Stock reserved and available for issuance under the Plan shall be 2,662,079 shares (the “Initial Limit”), subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3(c), plus on January 1, 2011 and each January 1 thereafter, the number of shares of Stock reserved and available for issuance under the Plan shall be cumulatively increased by four percent (4%) of the number of shares of Stock issued and outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31 (the “Annual Increase”). Subject to such overall limitation, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock that may be issued in the form of Incentive Stock Options shall not exceed the Initial Limit cumulatively increased on January 1, 2011 and on each January 1 thereafter by the lesser of the Annual Increase for such year or 600,000 shares of Stock, subject in all cases to adjustment as provided in Section 3(c). For purposes of this limitation, the shares of Stock underlying any Awards that are forfeited, canceled, held back upon exercise of an Option or settlement of an Award to cover the exercise price or tax withholding, reacquired by the Company prior to vesting, satisfied without the issuance of Stock or otherwise terminated (other than by exercise) shall be added back to the shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan. In the event the Company repurchases shares of Stock on the open market, such shares shall not be added to the shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan. Subject to such overall limitations, shares of Stock may be issued up to such maximum number pursuant to any type or types of Award; provided, however, that Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights with respect to no more than 1,500,000 shares of Stock may be granted to any one individual grantee during any one calendar year period. The shares available for issuance under the Plan may be authorized but unissued shares of Stock or shares of Stock reacquired by the Company.

 

 

1

Number of shares of Stock are adjusted for the reverse stock split to be effective prior to the date of the Company’s Initial Public Offering.

 

6


(b) Reserved.

(c) Changes in Stock . Subject to Section 3(d) hereof, if, as a result of any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar change in the Company’s capital stock, the outstanding shares of Stock are increased or decreased or are exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of the Company, or additional shares or new or different shares or other securities of the Company or other non-cash assets are distributed with respect to such shares of Stock or other securities, or, if, as a result of any merger or consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, the outstanding shares of Stock are converted into or exchanged for securities of the Company or any successor entity (or a parent or subsidiary thereof), the Administrator shall make an appropriate or proportionate adjustment in (i) the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan, including the maximum number of shares that may be issued in the form of Incentive Stock Options, (ii) the number of Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights that can be granted to any one individual grantee and the maximum number of shares that may be granted under a Performance-Based Award, (iii) the number and kind of shares or other securities subject to any then outstanding Awards under the Plan, (iv) the repurchase price, if any, per share subject to each outstanding Restricted Stock Award, and (v) the exercise price for each share subject to any then outstanding Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights under the Plan, without changing the aggregate exercise price (i.e., the exercise price multiplied by the number of Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights) as to which such Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights remain exercisable. The Administrator shall also make equitable or proportionate adjustments in the number of shares subject to outstanding Awards and the exercise price and the terms of outstanding Awards to take into consideration cash dividends paid other than in the ordinary course or any other extraordinary corporate event. The adjustment by the Administrator shall be final, binding and conclusive. No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued under the Plan resulting from any such adjustment, but the Administrator in its discretion may make a cash payment in lieu of fractional shares.

(d) Mergers and Other Transactions . Except as the Administrator may otherwise specify with respect to particular Awards in the relevant Award Certificate, in the case of and subject to the consummation of a Sale Event, all Options and Stock Appreciation Rights that are not exercisable immediately prior to the effective time of the Sale Event shall become fully exercisable as of the effective time of the Sale Event, all other Awards with time-based vesting, conditions or restrictions shall become fully vested and nonforfeitable as of the effective time of the Sale Event and all Awards with conditions and restrictions relating to the attainment of performance goals may become vested and nonforfeitable in connection with a Sale Event in the

 

7


Administrator’s discretion, unless, in any case, the parties to the Sale Event agree that Awards will be assumed or continued by the successor entity. Upon the effective time of the Sale Event, the Plan and all outstanding Awards granted hereunder shall terminate, unless provision is made in connection with the Sale Event in the sole discretion of the parties thereto for the assumption or continuation of Awards theretofore granted by the successor entity, or the substitution of such Awards with new Awards of the successor entity or parent thereof, with appropriate adjustment as to the number and kind of shares and, if appropriate, the per share exercise prices, as such parties shall agree (after taking into account any acceleration hereunder). In the event of such termination, (i) the Company shall have the option (in its sole discretion) to make or provide for a cash payment to the grantees holding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, in exchange for the cancellation thereof, in an amount equal to the difference between (A) the Sale Price multiplied by the number of shares of Stock subject to outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights (to the extent then exercisable (after taking into account any acceleration hereunder) at prices not in excess of the Sale Price) and (B) the aggregate exercise price of all such outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights; or (ii) each grantee shall be permitted, within a specified period of time prior to the consummation of the Sale Event as determined by the Administrator, to exercise all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights held by such grantee, including those that will become exercisable upon the consummation of the Sale Event; provided, however, that the exercise of the Options and Stock Appreciation Rights not exercisable prior to the Sale Event shall be subject to the consummation of the Sale Event.

(e) Substitute Awards . The Administrator may grant Awards under the Plan in substitution for stock and stock based awards held by employees, directors or other key persons of another corporation in connection with the merger or consolidation of the employing corporation with the Company or a Subsidiary or the acquisition by the Company or a Subsidiary of property or stock of the employing corporation. The Administrator may direct that the substitute awards be granted on such terms and conditions as the Administrator considers appropriate in the circumstances. Any substitute Awards granted under the Plan shall not count against the share limitation set forth in Section 3(a).

SECTION 4. ELIGIBILITY

Grantees under the Plan will be such full or part-time officers and other employees, Non-Employee Directors and key persons (including Consultants and prospective employees) of the Company and its Subsidiaries as are selected from time to time by the Administrator in its sole discretion.

SECTION 5. STOCK OPTIONS

Any Stock Option granted under the Plan shall be in such form as the Administrator may from time to time approve.

 

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Stock Options granted under the Plan may be either Incentive Stock Options or Non-Qualified Stock Options. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Company or any Subsidiary that is a “subsidiary corporation” within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code. To the extent that any Option does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, it shall be deemed a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

Stock Options granted pursuant to this Section 5 shall be subject to the following terms and conditions and shall contain such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Administrator shall deem desirable. If the Administrator so determines, Stock Options may be granted in lieu of cash compensation at the optionee’s election, subject to such terms and conditions as the Administrator may establish.

(a) Exercise Price . The exercise price per share for the Stock covered by a Stock Option granted pursuant to this Section 5 shall be determined by the Administrator at the time of grant but shall not be less than 100 percent of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option that is granted to a Ten Percent Owner, the option price of such Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 110 percent of the Fair Market Value on the grant date.

(b) Option Term . The term of each Stock Option shall be fixed by the Administrator, but no Stock Option shall be exercisable more than ten years after the date the Stock Option is granted. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option that is granted to a Ten Percent Owner, the term of such Stock Option shall be no more than five years from the date of grant.

(c) Exercisability; Rights of a Stockholder . Stock Options shall become exercisable at such time or times, whether or not in installments, as shall be determined by the Administrator at or after the grant date. The Administrator may at any time accelerate the exercisability of all or any portion of any Stock Option. An optionee shall have the rights of a stockholder only as to shares acquired upon the exercise of a Stock Option and not as to unexercised Stock Options.

(d) Method of Exercise . Stock Options may be exercised in whole or in part, by giving written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company, specifying the number of shares to be purchased. Payment of the purchase price may be made by one or more of the following methods to the extent provided in the Option Award Certificate:

(i) In cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator;

(ii) Through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the optionee on the open market or that have been beneficially owned by the optionee for at least six months and that are not then subject to restrictions under any Company plan. Such surrendered shares shall be valued at Fair Market Value on the exercise date;

(iii) By the optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company for the purchase price; provided that in the event the optionee chooses to pay the purchase price as so provided, the optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment procedure; or

 

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(iv) With respect to Stock Options that are not Incentive Stock Options, by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price.

Payment instruments will be received subject to collection. The transfer to the optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the shares of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of a Stock Option will be contingent upon receipt from the optionee (or a purchaser acting in his stead in accordance with the provisions of the Stock Option) by the Company of the full purchase price for such shares and the fulfillment of any other requirements contained in the Option Award Certificate or applicable provisions of laws (including the satisfaction of any withholding taxes that the Company is obligated to withhold with respect to the optionee). In the event an optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the number of attested shares. In the event that the Company establishes, for itself or using the services of a third party, an automated system for the exercise of Stock Options, such as a system using an internet website or interactive voice response, then the paperless exercise of Stock Options may be permitted through the use of such an automated system.

(e) Annual Limit on Incentive Stock Options . To the extent required for “incentive stock option” treatment under Section 422 of the Code, the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time of grant) of the shares of Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options granted under this Plan and any other plan of the Company or its parent and subsidiary corporations become exercisable for the first time by an optionee during any calendar year shall not exceed $100,000. To the extent that any Stock Option exceeds this limit, it shall constitute a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

SECTION 6. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

(a) Exercise Price of Stock Appreciation Rights . The exercise price of a Stock Appreciation Right shall not be less than 100 percent of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the date of grant.

(b) Grant and Exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights . Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted by the Administrator independently of any Stock Option granted pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan.

(c) Terms and Conditions of Stock Appreciation Rights . Stock Appreciation Rights shall be subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined from time to time by the Administrator. The term of a Stock Appreciation Right may not exceed ten years.

 

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SECTION 7. RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS

(a) Nature of Restricted Stock Awards . The Administrator shall determine the restrictions and conditions applicable to each Restricted Stock Award at the time of grant. Conditions may be based on continuing employment (or other service relationship) and/or achievement of pre-established performance goals and objectives. The terms and conditions of each such Award Certificate shall be determined by the Administrator, and such terms and conditions may differ among individual Awards and grantees.

(b) Rights as a Stockholder . Upon the grant of the Restricted Stock Award and payment of any applicable purchase price, a grantee shall have the rights of a stockholder with respect to the voting of the Restricted Stock, subject to such conditions contained in the Restricted Stock Award Certificate. Unless the Administrator shall otherwise determine, (i) uncertificated Restricted Stock shall be accompanied by a notation on the records of the Company or the transfer agent to the effect that they are subject to forfeiture until such Restricted Stock are vested as provided in Section 7(d) below, and (ii) certificated Restricted Stock shall remain in the possession of the Company until such Restricted Stock is vested as provided in Section 7(d) below, and the grantee shall be required, as a condition of the grant, to deliver to the Company such instruments of transfer as the Administrator may prescribe.

(c) Restrictions . Restricted Stock may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered or disposed of except as specifically provided herein or in the Restricted Stock Award Certificate. Except as may otherwise be provided by the Administrator either in the Award Certificate or, subject to Section 18 below, in writing after the Award is issued, if a grantee’s employment (or other service relationship) with the Company and its Subsidiaries terminates for any reason, any Restricted Stock that has not vested at the time of termination shall automatically and without any requirement of notice to such grantee from or other action by or on behalf of, the Company be deemed to have been reacquired by the Company at its original purchase price (if any) from such grantee or such grantee’s legal representative simultaneously with such termination of employment (or other service relationship), and thereafter shall cease to represent any ownership of the Company by the grantee or rights of the grantee as a stockholder. Following such deemed reacquisition of unvested Restricted Stock that are represented by physical certificates, a grantee shall surrender such certificates to the Company upon request without consideration.

(d) Vesting of Restricted Stock . The Administrator at the time of grant shall specify the date or dates and/or the attainment of pre-established performance goals, objectives and other conditions on which the non-transferability of the Restricted Stock and the Company’s right of repurchase or forfeiture shall lapse. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any such Restricted Stock granted to employees shall have a performance-based goal, the restriction period with respect to such shares shall not be less than one year, and in the event any such Restricted Stock granted to employees shall have a time-based restriction, the total restriction period with respect to such shares shall not be less than three years; provided, however, that Restricted Stock with a time-based restriction may become vested incrementally over such three-year period. Subsequent to such date or dates and/or the attainment of such pre-established

 

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performance goals, objectives and other conditions, the shares on which all restrictions have lapsed shall no longer be Restricted Stock and shall be deemed “vested.” Except as may otherwise be provided by the Administrator either in the Award Certificate or, subject to Section 18 below, in writing after the Award is issued, a grantee’s rights in any shares of Restricted Stock that have not vested shall automatically terminate upon the grantee’s termination of employment (or other service relationship) with the Company and its Subsidiaries and such shares shall be subject to the provisions of Section 7(c) above.

SECTION 8. RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS

(a) Nature of Restricted Stock Units . The Administrator shall determine the restrictions and conditions applicable to each Restricted Stock Unit at the time of grant. Conditions may be based on continuing employment (or other service relationship) and/or achievement of pre-established performance goals and objectives. The terms and conditions of each such Award Certificate shall be determined by the Administrator, and such terms and conditions may differ among individual Awards and grantees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any such Restricted Stock Units granted to employees shall have a performance-based goal, the restriction period with respect to such Award shall not be less than one year, and in the event any such Restricted Stock Units granted to employees shall have a time-based restriction, the total restriction period with respect to such Award shall not be less than three years; provided, however, that any Restricted Stock Units with a time-based restriction may become vested incrementally over such three-year period. At the end of the deferral period, the Restricted Stock Units, to the extent vested, shall be settled in the form of shares of Stock. To the extent that an award of Restricted Stock Units is subject to Section 409A, it may contain such additional terms and conditions as the Administrator shall determine in its sole discretion in order for such Award to comply with the requirements of Section 409A.

(b) Election to Receive Restricted Stock Units in Lieu of Compensation . The Administrator may, in its sole discretion, permit a grantee to elect to receive a portion of future cash compensation otherwise due to such grantee in the form of an award of Restricted Stock Units. Any such election shall be made in writing and shall be delivered to the Company no later than the date specified by the Administrator and in accordance with Section 409A and such other rules and procedures established by the Administrator. Any such future cash compensation that the grantee elects to defer shall be converted to a fixed number of Restricted Stock Units based on the Fair Market Value of Stock on the date the compensation would otherwise have been paid to the grantee if such payment had not been deferred as provided herein. The Administrator shall have the sole right to determine whether and under what circumstances to permit such elections and to impose such limitations and other terms and conditions thereon as the Administrator deems appropriate. Any Restricted Stock Units that are elected to be received in lieu of cash compensation shall be fully vested, unless otherwise provided in the Award Certificate.

(c) Rights as a Stockholder . A grantee shall have the rights as a stockholder only as to shares of Stock acquired by the grantee upon settlement of Restricted Stock Units; provided, however, that the grantee may be credited with Dividend Equivalent Rights with respect to the phantom stock units underlying his Restricted Stock Units, subject to such terms and conditions as the Administrator may determine.

 

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(d) Termination . Except as may otherwise be provided by the Administrator either in the Award Certificate or, subject to Section 18 below, in writing after the Award is issued, a grantee’s right in all Restricted Stock Units that have not vested shall automatically terminate upon the grantee’s termination of employment (or cessation of service relationship) with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any reason.

SECTION 9. UNRESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS

Grant or Sale of Unrestricted Stock . The Administrator may, in its sole discretion, grant (or sell at par value or such higher purchase price determined by the Administrator) an Unrestricted Stock Award under the Plan. Unrestricted Stock Awards may be granted in respect of past services or other valid consideration, or in lieu of cash compensation due to such grantee.

SECTION 10. CASH-BASED AWARDS

Grant of Cash-Based Awards . The Administrator may, in its sole discretion, grant Cash-Based Awards to any grantee in such number or amount and upon such terms, and subject to such conditions, as the Administrator shall determine at the time of grant. The Administrator shall determine the maximum duration of the Cash-Based Award, the amount of cash to which the Cash-Based Award pertains, the conditions upon which the Cash-Based Award shall become vested or payable, and such other provisions as the Administrator shall determine. Each Cash-Based Award shall specify a cash-denominated payment amount, formula or payment ranges as determined by the Administrator. Payment, if any, with respect to a Cash-Based Award shall be made in accordance with the terms of the Award and may be made in cash or in shares of Stock, as the Administrator determines.

SECTION 11. PERFORMANCE SHARE AWARDS

(a) Nature of Performance Share Awards . The Administrator may, in its sole discretion, grant Performance Share Awards independent of, or in connection with, the granting of any other Award under the Plan. The Administrator shall determine whether and to whom Performance Share Awards shall be granted, the Performance Goals, the periods during which performance is to be measured, which may not be less than one year, and such other limitations and conditions as the Administrator shall determine.

(b) Rights as a Stockholder . A grantee receiving a Performance Share Award shall have the rights of a stockholder only as to shares actually received by the grantee under the Plan and not with respect to shares subject to the Award but not actually received by the grantee. A grantee shall be entitled to receive shares of Stock under a Performance Share Award only upon satisfaction of all conditions specified in the Performance Share Award Certificate (or in a performance plan adopted by the Administrator).

(c) Termination . Except as may otherwise be provided by the Administrator either in the Award agreement or, subject to Section 18 below, in writing after the Award is issued, a grantee’s rights in all Performance Share Awards shall automatically terminate upon the grantee’s termination of employment (or cessation of service relationship) with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any reason.

 

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SECTION 12. PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARDS TO COVERED EMPLOYEES

(a) Performance-Based Awards . Any employee or other key person providing services to the Company and who is selected by the Administrator may be granted one or more Performance-Based Awards in the form of a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Share Awards or Cash-Based Award payable upon the attainment of Performance Goals that are established by the Administrator and relate to one or more of the Performance Criteria, in each case on a specified date or dates or over any period or periods determined by the Administrator. The Administrator shall define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for any Performance Cycle. Depending on the Performance Criteria used to establish such Performance Goals, the Performance Goals may be expressed in terms of overall Company performance or the performance of a division, business unit, or an individual. The Administrator, in its discretion, may adjust or modify the calculation of Performance Goals for such Performance Cycle in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the rights of an individual (i) in the event of, or in anticipation of, any unusual or extraordinary corporate item, transaction, event or development, (ii) in recognition of, or in anticipation of, any other unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company, or the financial statements of the Company, or (iii) in response to, or in anticipation of, changes in applicable laws, regulations, accounting principles, or business conditions provided however, that the Administrator may not exercise such discretion in a manner that would increase the Performance-Based Award granted to a Covered Employee. Each Performance-Based Award shall comply with the provisions set forth below.

(b) Grant of Performance-Based Awards . With respect to each Performance-Based Award granted to a Covered Employee, the Administrator shall select, within the first 90 days of a Performance Cycle (or, if shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code) the Performance Criteria for such grant, and the Performance Goals with respect to each Performance Criterion (including a threshold level of performance below which no amount will become payable with respect to such Award). Each Performance-Based Award will specify the amount payable, or the formula for determining the amount payable, upon achievement of the various applicable performance targets. The Performance Criteria established by the Administrator may be (but need not be) different for each Performance Cycle and different Performance Goals may be applicable to Performance-Based Awards to different Covered Employees.

 

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(c) Payment of Performance-Based Awards . Following the completion of a Performance Cycle, the Administrator shall meet to review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Cycle have been achieved and, if so, to also calculate and certify in writing the amount of the Performance-Based Awards earned for the Performance Cycle. The Administrator shall then determine the actual size of each Covered Employee’s Performance-Based Award, and, in doing so, may reduce or eliminate the amount of the Performance-Based Award for a Covered Employee if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is appropriate.

(d) Maximum Award Payable . The maximum Performance-Based Award payable to any one Covered Employee under the Plan for a Performance Cycle is 1,500,000 shares of Stock (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3(c) hereof) or $2 million in the case of a Performance-Based Award that is a Cash-Based Award.

SECTION 13. DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS

(a) Dividend Equivalent Rights . A Dividend Equivalent Right may be granted hereunder to any grantee as a component of an award of Restricted Stock Units, Restricted Stock Award or Performance Share Award or as a freestanding award. The terms and conditions of Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be specified in the Award Certificate. Dividend equivalents credited to the holder of a Dividend Equivalent Right may be paid currently or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of Stock, which may thereafter accrue additional equivalents. Any such reinvestment shall be at Fair Market Value on the date of reinvestment or such other price as may then apply under a dividend reinvestment plan sponsored by the Company, if any. Dividend Equivalent Rights may be settled in cash or shares of Stock or a combination thereof, in a single installment or installments. A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of an award of Restricted Stock Units, Restricted Stock Award or Performance Share Award may provide that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall be settled upon settlement or payment of, or lapse of restrictions on, such other Award, and that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall expire or be forfeited or annulled under the same conditions as such other Award. A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of a Restricted Stock Units, Restricted Stock Award or Performance Share Award may also contain terms and conditions different from such other Award.

(b) Interest Equivalents . Any Award under this Plan that is settled in whole or in part in cash on a deferred basis may provide in the grant for interest equivalents to be credited with respect to such cash payment. Interest equivalents may be compounded and shall be paid upon such terms and conditions as may be specified by the grant.

(c) Termination . Except as may otherwise be provided by the Administrator either in the Award Certificate or, subject to Section 18 below, in writing after the Award is issued, a grantee’s rights in all Dividend Equivalent Rights or interest equivalents granted as a component of an award of Restricted Stock Units, Restricted Stock Award or Performance Share Award that has not vested shall automatically terminate upon the grantee’s termination of employment (or cessation of service relationship) with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any reason.

 

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SECTION 14. TRANSFERABILITY OF AWARDS

(a) Transferability . Except as provided in Section 14(b) below, during a grantee’s lifetime, his or her Awards shall be exercisable only by the grantee, or by the grantee’s legal representative or guardian in the event of the grantee’s incapacity. No Awards shall be sold, assigned, transferred or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by a grantee other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a domestic relations order. No Awards shall be subject, in whole or in part, to attachment, execution, or levy of any kind, and any purported transfer in violation hereof shall be null and void.

(b) Administrator Action . Notwithstanding Section 14(a), the Administrator, in its discretion, may provide either in the Award Certificate regarding a given Award or by subsequent written approval that the grantee (who is an employee or director) may transfer his or her Awards (other than any Incentive Stock Options or Restricted Stock Units) to his or her immediate family members, to trusts for the benefit of such family members, or to partnerships in which such family members are the only partners, provided that the transferee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of this Plan and the applicable Award. In no event may an Award be transferred by a grantee for value.

(c) Family Member . For purposes of Section 14(b), “family member” shall mean a grantee’s child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, any person sharing the grantee’s household (other than a tenant of the grantee), a trust in which these persons (or the grantee) have more than 50 percent of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the grantee) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the grantee) own more than 50 percent of the voting interests.

(d) Designation of Beneficiary . Each grantee to whom an Award has been made under the Plan may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise any Award or receive any payment under any Award payable on or after the grantee’s death. Any such designation shall be on a form provided for that purpose by the Administrator and shall not be effective until received by the Administrator. If no beneficiary has been designated by a deceased grantee, or if the designated beneficiaries have predeceased the grantee, the beneficiary shall be the grantee’s estate.

SECTION 15. TAX WITHHOLDING

(a) Payment by Grantee . Each grantee shall, no later than the date as of which the value of an Award or of any Stock or other amounts received thereunder first becomes includable in the gross income of the grantee for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator regarding payment of, any Federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld by the Company with respect to such income. The Company and its Subsidiaries shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the grantee. The Company’s obligation to deliver evidence of book entry (or stock certificates) to any grantee is subject to and conditioned on tax withholding obligations being satisfied by the grantee.

 

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(b) Payment in Stock . Subject to approval by the Administrator, a grantee may elect to have the Company’s minimum required tax withholding obligation satisfied, in whole or in part, by authorizing the Company to withhold from shares of Stock to be issued pursuant to any Award a number of shares with an aggregate Fair Market Value (as of the date the withholding is effected) that would satisfy the withholding amount due.

SECTION 16. SECTION 409A AWARDS

To the extent that any Award is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A (a “409A Award”), the Award shall be subject to such additional rules and requirements as specified by the Administrator from time to time in order to comply with Section 409A. In this regard, if any amount under a 409A Award is payable upon a “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A) to a grantee who is then considered a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then no such payment shall be made prior to the date that is the earlier of (i) six months and one day after the grantee’s separation from service, or (ii) the grantee’s death, but only to the extent such delay is necessary to prevent such payment from being subject to interest, penalties and/or additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A. Further, the settlement of any such Award may not be accelerated except to the extent permitted by Section 409A.

SECTION 17. TRANSFER, LEAVE OF ABSENCE, ETC.

For purposes of the Plan, the following events shall not be deemed a termination of employment:

(a) a transfer to the employment of the Company from a Subsidiary or from the Company to a Subsidiary, or from one Subsidiary to another; or

(b) an approved leave of absence for military service or sickness, or for any other purpose approved by the Company, if the employee’s right to re-employment is guaranteed either by a statute or by contract or under the policy pursuant to which the leave of absence was granted or if the Administrator otherwise so provides in writing.

SECTION 18. AMENDMENTS AND TERMINATION

The Board may, at any time, amend or discontinue the Plan and the Administrator may, at any time, amend or cancel any outstanding Award for the purpose of satisfying changes in law or for any other lawful purpose, but no such action shall adversely affect rights under any outstanding Award without the holder’s consent. Except as provided in Section 3(c) or 3(d), without prior stockholder approval, in no event may the Administrator exercise its discretion to reduce the exercise price of outstanding Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or effect repricing through cancellation and re-grants or cancellation of Stock Options or Stock

 

17


Appreciation Rights in exchange for cash. To the extent required under the rules of any securities exchange or market system on which the Stock is listed, to the extent determined by the Administrator to be required by the Code to ensure that Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan are qualified under Section 422 of the Code, or to ensure that compensation earned under Awards qualifies as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, Plan amendments shall be subject to approval by the Company stockholders entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders. Nothing in this Section 18 shall limit the Administrator’s authority to take any action permitted pursuant to Section 3(c) or 3(d).

SECTION 19. STATUS OF PLAN

With respect to the portion of any Award that has not been exercised and any payments in cash, Stock or other consideration not received by a grantee, a grantee shall have no rights greater than those of a general creditor of the Company unless the Administrator shall otherwise expressly determine in connection with any Award or Awards. In its sole discretion, the Administrator may authorize the creation of trusts or other arrangements to meet the Company’s obligations to deliver Stock or make payments with respect to Awards hereunder, provided that the existence of such trusts or other arrangements is consistent with the foregoing sentence.

SECTION 20. GENERAL PROVISIONS

(a) No Distribution . The Administrator may require each person acquiring Stock pursuant to an Award to represent to and agree with the Company in writing that such person is acquiring the shares without a view to distribution thereof.

(b) Delivery of Stock Certificates . Stock certificates to grantees under this Plan shall be deemed delivered for all purposes when the Company or a stock transfer agent of the Company shall have mailed such certificates in the United States mail, addressed to the grantee, at the grantee’s last known address on file with the Company. Uncertificated Stock shall be deemed delivered for all purposes when the Company or a Stock transfer agent of the Company shall have given to the grantee by electronic mail (with proof of receipt) or by United States mail, addressed to the grantee, at the grantee’s last known address on file with the Company, notice of issuance and recorded the issuance in its records (which may include electronic “book entry” records). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates evidencing shares of Stock pursuant to the exercise of any Award, unless and until the Administrator has determined, with advice of counsel (to the extent the Administrator deems such advice necessary or advisable), that the issuance and delivery of such certificates is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations of

 

18


governmental authorities and, if applicable, the requirements of any exchange on which the shares of Stock are listed, quoted or traded. All Stock certificates delivered pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable to comply with federal, state or foreign jurisdiction, securities or other laws, rules and quotation system on which the Stock is listed, quoted or traded. The Administrator may place legends on any Stock certificate to reference restrictions applicable to the Stock. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Administrator may require that an individual make such reasonable covenants, agreements, and representations as the Administrator, in its discretion, deems necessary or advisable in order to comply with any such laws, regulations, or requirements. The Administrator shall have the right to require any individual to comply with any timing or other restrictions with respect to the settlement or exercise of any Award, including a window-period limitation, as may be imposed in the discretion of the Administrator.

(c) Stockholder Rights . Until Stock is deemed delivered in accordance with Section 20(b), no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights of a stockholder will exist with respect to shares of Stock to be issued in connection with an Award, notwithstanding the exercise of a Stock Option or any other action by the grantee with respect to an Award.

(d) Other Compensation Arrangements; No Employment Rights . Nothing contained in this Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements, including trusts, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases. The adoption of this Plan and the grant of Awards do not confer upon any employee any right to continued employment with the Company or any Subsidiary.

(e) Trading Policy Restrictions . Option exercises and other Awards under the Plan shall be subject to the Company’s insider trading policies and procedures, as in effect from time to time.

(f) Forfeiture of Awards under Sarbanes-Oxley Act . If the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement due to the material noncompliance of the Company, as a result of misconduct, with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, then any grantee who is one of the individuals subject to automatic forfeiture under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 shall reimburse the Company for the amount of any Award received by such individual under the Plan during the 12-month period following the first public issuance or filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, of the financial document embodying such financial reporting requirement.

SECTION 21. EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN

This Plan shall become effective upon stockholder approval in accordance with applicable state law, the Company’s bylaws and articles of incorporation, and applicable stock exchange rules or pursuant to written consent. No grants of Stock Options and other Awards may be made hereunder after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date and no grants of Incentive Stock Options may be made hereunder after the tenth anniversary of the date the Plan is approved by the Board.

 

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SECTION 22. GOVERNING LAW

This Plan and all Awards and actions taken thereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, applied without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

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DATE APPROVED BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS: September 15, 2010

DATE APPROVED BY STOCKHOLDERS: October      , 2010

 

21


LOGO

INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

UNDER THE AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

2010 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

Name of Optionee:

  

 

     

No. of Option Shares:

  

 

        

Option Exercise Price per Share:

  

$

        
   [FMV on Grant Date (110% of FMV if a 10% owner)]      

Grant Date:

  

 

        

Expiration Date:

  

 

        
   [up to 10 years (5 if a 10% owner)]      

Pursuant to the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan as amended through the date hereof (the “ Plan ”), Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “ Company ”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above an option (the “ Stock Option ”) to purchase on or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Stock ”), of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan.

1. Exercisability Schedule . No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised until such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator (as defined in Section 2 of the Plan) to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated:

 

Incremental Number of

Option Shares Exercisable*

  

Exercisability Date

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               

 

* Max. of $100,000 per yr.


Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan.

2. Manner of Exercise.

(a) The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares purchasable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be purchased.

Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment procedure; or (iv) a combination of (i), (ii) and (iii) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection.

The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon (i) the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of the full purchase price for the Option Shares, as set forth above, (ii) the fulfillment of any other requirements contained herein or in the Plan or in any other agreement or provision of laws, and (iii) the receipt by the Company of any agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under the Plan and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the shares attested to.

(b) The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such issuance and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer

 

2


agent shall have transferred the shares to the Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.

(c) The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100 shares, unless the number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.

3. Termination of Employment . If the Optionee’s employment by the Company or a Subsidiary (as defined in the Plan) is terminated, the period within which to exercise the Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below.

(a) Termination Due to Death . If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall become fully exercisable and may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee for a period of 12 months from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

(b) Termination Due to Disability . If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s disability (as determined by the Administrator), any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall become fully exercisable and may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee for a period of 12 months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

(c) Termination for Cause . If the Optionee’s employment terminates for Cause, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect. For purposes hereof, “Cause” shall mean, unless otherwise provided in an employment agreement between the Company and the Optionee, a determination by the Administrator that the Optionee shall be dismissed as a result of (i) any material breach by the Optionee of any agreement between the Optionee and the Company; (ii) the conviction of, indictment for or plea of nolo contendere by the Optionee to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or (iii) any material misconduct or willful and deliberate non-performance (other than by reason of disability) by the Optionee of the Optionee’s duties to the Company.

(d) Other Termination . If the Optionee’s employment terminates for any reason other than the Optionee’s death, the Optionee’s disability, or Cause, and unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, for a period of three months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of termination shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.

 

3


The Administrator’s determination of the reason for termination of the Optionee’s employment shall be conclusive and binding on the Optionee and his or her representatives or legatees.

4. Incorporation of Plan . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein.

5. Transferability . This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee.

6. Status of the Stock Option . This Stock Option is intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), but the Company does not represent or warrant that this Stock Option qualifies as such. The Optionee should consult with his or her own tax advisors regarding the tax effects of this Stock Option and the requirements necessary to obtain favorable income tax treatment under Section 422 of the Code, including, but not limited to, holding period requirements. To the extent any portion of this Stock Option does not so qualify as an “incentive stock option,” such portion shall be deemed to be a non-qualified stock option. If the Optionee intends to dispose or does dispose (whether by sale, gift, transfer or otherwise) of any Option Shares within the one-year period beginning on the date after the transfer of such shares to him or her, or within the two-year period beginning on the day after the grant of this Stock Option, he or she will so notify the Company within 30 days after such disposition.

7. Tax Withholding . The Optionee shall, not later than the date as of which the exercise of this Stock Option becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event. The Company shall have the authority to cause the minimum required tax withholding obligation to be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from shares of Stock to be issued to the Optionee a number of shares of Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value that would satisfy the withholding amount due.

8. No Obligation to Continue Employment . Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of the Plan or this Agreement to continue the Optionee in employment and neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Optionee at any time.

9. Notices . Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

 

4


AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:    
  Title:  

President, Principal Financial Officer

and Treasurer

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned.

 

Dated:   

 

           

 

                   Optionee’s Signature
           Optionee’s name and address:
          

 

          

 

          

 

 

5


LOGO

NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

FOR COMPANY EMPLOYEES

UNDER THE AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

2010 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

 

Name of Optionee:

  

 

     

No. of Option Shares:

  

 

        

Option Exercise Price per Share:

  

$

        
   [FMV on Grant Date]         

Grant Date:

  

 

        

Expiration Date:

  

 

        

Pursuant to the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan as amended through the date hereof (the “ Plan ”), Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “ Company ”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above an option (the “ Stock Option ”) to purchase on or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Stock ”) of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. This Stock Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

1. Exercisability Schedule . No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised until such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator (as defined in Section 2 of the Plan) to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated:

 

Incremental Number of

Option Shares Exercisable

  

Exercisability Date

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               

                          (          %)

  

                               


Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan.

2. Manner of Exercise .

(a) The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares purchasable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be purchased.

Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment procedure; (iv) by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; or (v) a combination of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection.

The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon (i) the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of the full purchase price for the Option Shares, as set forth above, (ii) the fulfillment of any other requirements contained herein or in the Plan or in any other agreement or provision of laws, and (iii) the receipt by the Company of any agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under the Plan and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the Shares attested to.

(b) The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such issuance and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a

 

2


holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer agent shall have transferred the shares to the Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.

(c) The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100 shares, unless the number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.

3. Termination of Employment . If the Optionee’s employment by the Company or a Subsidiary (as defined in the Plan) is terminated, the period within which to exercise the Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below.

(a) Termination Due to Death . If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall become fully exercisable and may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee for a period of 12 months from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

(b) Termination Due to Disability . If the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s disability (as determined by the Administrator), any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall become fully exercisable and may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee for a period of 12 months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

(c) Termination for Cause . If the Optionee’s employment terminates for Cause, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect. For purposes hereof, “Cause” shall mean, unless otherwise provided in an employment agreement between the Company and the Optionee, a determination by the Administrator that the Optionee shall be dismissed as a result of (i) any material breach by the Optionee of any agreement between the Optionee and the Company; (ii) the conviction of, indictment for or plea of nolo contendere by the Optionee to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or (iii) any material misconduct or willful and deliberate non-performance (other than by reason of disability) by the Optionee of the Optionee’s duties to the Company.

(d) Other Termination . If the Optionee’s employment terminates for any reason other than the Optionee’s death, the Optionee’s disability or Cause, and unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, for a period of three months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of termination shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.

 

3


The Administrator’s determination of the reason for termination of the Optionee’s employment shall be conclusive and binding on the Optionee and his or her representatives or legatees.

4. Incorporation of Plan . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein.

5. Transferability . This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee.

6. Tax Withholding . The Optionee shall, not later than the date as of which the exercise of this Stock Option becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event. The Company shall have the authority to cause the minimum required tax withholding obligation to be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from shares of Stock to be issued to the Optionee a number of shares of Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value that would satisfy the withholding amount due.

7. No Obligation to Continue Employment . Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of the Plan or this Agreement to continue the Optionee in employment and neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Optionee at any time.

8. Notices . Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

 

4


AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

 

 

Title:

  President, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned.

 

Dated:

 

 

     
        Optionee’s Signature
        Optionee’s name and address:
       

 

       

 

 

5


LOGO

NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

FOR NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS

UNDER THE AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

2010 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

 

Name of Optionee:

  

 

  

No. of Option Shares:

  

 

     

Option Exercise Price per Share:

  

$

     
   [FMV on Grant Date]      

Grant Date:

  

 

     

Expiration Date:

  

 

     
   [No more than 10 years]      

Pursuant to the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan as amended through the date hereof (the “ Plan ”), Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “ Company ”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above, who is a Director of the Company but is not an employee of the Company, an option (the “ Stock Option ”) to purchase on or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Stock ”), of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. This Stock Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.


1. Exercisability Schedule . No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised until such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator (as defined in Section 2 of the Plan) to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated:

 

Incremental Number of

Option Shares Exercisable

  

Exercisability Date

                          (      %)

  

                       

                          (      %)

  

                       

                          (      %)

  

                       

                          (      %)

  

                       

                          (      %)

  

                       

In the event of the termination of the Optionee’s service as a director of the Company because of death, this Stock Option shall become immediately exercisable in full, whether or not exercisable at such time. Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan.

2. Manner of Exercise.

(a) The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares purchasable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be purchased.

Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment procedure; (iv) by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; or (v) a combination of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection.

 

2


The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon (i) the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of the full purchase price for the Option Shares, as set forth above, (ii) the fulfillment of any other requirements contained herein or in the Plan or in any other agreement or provision of laws, and (iii) the receipt by the Company of any agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under the Plan and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the Shares attested to.

(b) The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such transfer and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer agent shall have transferred the shares to the Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.

(c) The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100 shares, unless the number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.

3. Termination as Director . If the Optionee ceases to be a Director of the Company, the period within which to exercise the Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below.

(a) Termination by Reason of Death . If the Optionee ceases to be a Director by reason of the Optionee’s death, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised by his or her legal representative or legatee for a period of 12 months from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

(b) Other Termination . If the Optionee ceases to be a Director for any reason other than the Optionee’s death, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date, to the extent exercisable, may be exercised for a period of six months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

 

3


4. Incorporation of Plan . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein.

5. Transferability . This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee.

6. No Obligation to Continue as a Director . Neither the Plan nor this Stock Option confers upon the Optionee any rights with respect to continuance as a Director.

7. Notices . Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

8. Amendment . Pursuant to Section 18 of the Plan, the Administrator may at any time amend or cancel any outstanding portion of this Stock Option, but no such action may be taken that adversely affects the Optionee’s rights under this Agreement without the Optionee’s consent.

 

4


AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:  

 

 

Title:

  President, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned.

 

Dated:

 

 

       

 

          Optionee’s Signature
          Optionee’s name and address:
         

 

         

 

 

5


LOGO

NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

FOR NON-EMPLOYEE CONSULTANTS

UNDER THE AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

2010 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

 

Name of Optionee:   

 

  
No. of Option Shares:   

 

     
Option Exercise Price per Share:   

$

     
   [FMV on Grant Date]      
Grant Date:   

 

     
Expiration Date:   

 

     
   [No more than 10 years]      

Pursuant to the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, as amended through the date hereof (the “ Plan ”), Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “ Company ”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above, who is a consultant or other service provider to the Company but is not an employee of the Company, an option (the “ Stock Option ”) to purchase on or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Stock ”), of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. This Stock Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

1. Exercisability Schedule . No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised until such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator (as defined in Section 1 of the Plan) to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated:

 

Incremental Number of
Option Shares Exercisable

  

Exercisability Date

                 (      %)

  

                       

                 (      %)

  

                       

                 (      %)

  

                       

                 (      %)

  

                       

                 (      %)

  

                       


Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan.

2. Manner of Exercise .

(a) The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares purchasable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be purchased.

Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such payment procedure; or (iv) a combination of (i), (ii) and (iii) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection.

The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of full payment for the Option Shares, as set forth above and any agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under the Plan and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the Shares attested to.

 

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(b) The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such transfer and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer agent shall have transferred the shares to the Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.

(c) The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100 shares, unless the number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.

3. Termination as Consultant or Service Provider . If the Optionee ceases to be a consultant or other service provider to the Company for any reason including death or disability, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised (to the extent exercisable on such date) for a period of three (3) months from the date of the cessation of the Optionee’s consulting or service relationship with Company or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.

4. Incorporation of Plan . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein.

5. Transferability . This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee.

6. No Obligation to Continue as a Consultant or Service Provider . Neither the Plan nor this Stock Option confers upon the Optionee any rights with respect to continuance as a consultant or other service provider to the Company.

7. Notices . Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

 

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8. Amendment . Pursuant to Section 18 of the Plan, the Administrator may at any time amend or cancel any outstanding portion of this Stock Option, but no such action may be taken that adversely affects the Optionee’s rights under this Agreement without the Optionee’s consent.

 

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AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

 

 

Name:

  William H. Lewis
    Title: President, Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned.

 

Dated:

 

 

        

 

           Optionee’s Signature
           Optionee’s name and address:

 

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LOGO

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

UNDER THE AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

2010 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

 

Name of Grantee:  

 

 

 

No. of Shares:

 

 

   

 

Grant Date:

 

 

   

Pursuant to the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2010 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”) as amended through the date hereof, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “ Company ”) hereby grants a Restricted Stock Award (an “ Award ”) to the Grantee named above. Upon acceptance of this Award, the Grantee shall receive the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Stock ”) of the Company specified above, subject to the restrictions and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. The Company acknowledges the receipt from the Grantee of consideration with respect to the par value of the Stock in the form of cash, past or future services rendered to the Company by the Grantee or such other form of consideration as is acceptable to the Administrator.

1. Acceptance of Award . The Grantee shall have no rights with respect to this Award unless he or she shall have accepted this Award by (i) signing and delivering to the Company a copy of this Award Agreement, and (ii) delivering to the Company a stock power endorsed in blank. Upon acceptance of this Award by the Grantee, the shares of Restricted Stock so accepted shall be issued and held by the Company’s transfer agent in book entry form, and the Grantee’s name shall be entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Grantee shall have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to such shares, including voting and dividend rights, subject, however, to the restrictions and conditions specified in Paragraph 2 below.

2. Restrictions and Conditions.

(a) Any book entries for the shares of Restricted Stock granted herein shall bear an appropriate legend, as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion, to the effect that such shares are subject to restrictions as set forth herein and in the Plan.

(b) Shares of Restricted Stock granted herein may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by the Grantee prior to vesting.


(c) If the Grantee’s employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries is voluntarily or involuntarily terminated for any reason (including death) prior to vesting of shares of Restricted Stock granted herein, all shares of Restricted Stock shall immediately and automatically be forfeited and returned to the Company.

3. Vesting of Restricted Stock . The restrictions and conditions in Paragraph 2 of this Agreement shall lapse on the Vesting Date or Dates specified in the following schedule so long as the Grantee remains an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary on such Dates. If a series of Vesting Dates is specified, then the restrictions and conditions in Paragraph 2 shall lapse only with respect to the number of shares of Restricted Stock specified as vested on such date.

 

Number of

Shares Vested

  

Vesting Date

                     (          %)

  

                       

                     (          %)

  

                       

                     (          %)

  

                       

                     (          %)

  

                       

                     (          %)

  

                       

Subsequent to such Vesting Date or Dates, the shares of Stock on which all restrictions and conditions have lapsed shall no longer be deemed Restricted Stock. The Administrator may at any time accelerate the vesting schedule specified in this Paragraph 3.

4. Dividends . Dividends on Shares of Restricted Stock shall be paid currently to the Grantee.

5. Incorporation of Plan . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein.

6. Transferability . This Agreement is personal to the Grantee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

7. Tax Withholding . The Grantee shall, not later than the date as of which the receipt of this Award becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event. Except in the case where an election is made pursuant to Paragraph 8 below, the Company shall have the authority to cause the required minimum tax withholding obligation to be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from shares of Stock to be issued or released by the transfer agent a number of shares of Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value that would satisfy the withholding amount due.

 

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8. Election Under Section 83(b) . The Grantee and the Company hereby agree that the Grantee may, within 30 days following the acceptance of this Award as provided in Paragraph 1 hereof, file with the Internal Revenue Service and the Company an election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. In the event the Grantee makes such an election, he or she agrees to provide a copy of the election to the Company. The Grantee acknowledges that he or she is responsible for obtaining the advice of his or her tax advisors with regard to the Section 83(b) election and that he or she is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents with regard to such election.

9. No Obligation to Continue Employment . Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of the Plan or this Agreement to continue the Grantee in employment and neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Grantee at any time.

10. Notices . Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Grantee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.

 

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AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

 

  Title:  

President, Principal Financial Officer

and Treasurer

The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned.

 

Dated:

 

 

            

 

               Grantee’s Signature
               Grantee’s name and address:
              

 

              

 

 

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Exhibit 10.4

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of the 5th day of October, 2010 (the “Effective Date”), between Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Christine A. Pellizzari, an individual who currently resides at PO Box 505, Brookside, NJ 07926, (the “Executive”) (together the “Parties”).

WHEREAS, the Company desires to employ the Executive and the Executive desires to be employed by the Company on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1. Position and Duties . The Executive shall serve as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company. In such capacity, Executive shall have such powers and duties and responsibilities as may from time to time be prescribed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and/or the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”). The Executive shall devote her full working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may manage her personal investments, engage in religious, charitable or other community activities, as long as such activities do not pose an actual or apparent conflict of interest and do not interfere with the Executive’s performance of her duties to the Company. Executive represents that she has provided the Company with a comprehensive list of all outside professional activities with which she is currently involved or reasonably expects to become involved. In the event that, during her employment by the Company, the Executive desires to engage in other outside professional activities, not included on such list, Executive will first seek written approval from the Board and such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

2. Compensation and Related Matters .

(a) Base Salary . The Executive’s initial base salary shall be paid at the rate of $260,000 per year. The Executive’s base salary shall be reviewed annually by the Board or the Compensation Committee of the Board ( the “Compensation Committee”). The base salary in effect at any given time is referred to herein as “Base Salary.” The Base Salary shall be payable in a manner that is consistent with the Company’s usual payroll practices for senior executives.

(b) Annual Bonus . The Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee (the “Bonus”). The Bonus shall be based on an annual target and the achievement of performance goals. The Executive’s target shall be 30 percent of her Base Salary. The Executive’s performance goals shall be established by the Board or the Compensation Committee and the achievement of those goals


shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee. Except as otherwise provided herein, to earn any part of the Bonus, the Executive must be employed by the Company on December 31 of the applicable bonus year and such Bonus shall be paid to Executive on or before March 15 of the immediately following calendar year.

(c) Special Bonus . The Executive shall be eligible to receive a cash bonus equal to 10% of his Base Salary upon acceptance (the “Acceptance Date”) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) of a New Drug Application for lomitapide (the “Lomitapide NDA”). Any such bonus will not be earned unless the Executive is employed by the Company on the Acceptance Date and shall be paid as soon as reasonably practicable following such Acceptance Date but, in any event, no later than March 15 of the immediately following calendar year.

(d) Equity Grant . The Company shall award the Executive an option (the “Option Award”) to purchase 242,865 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The Executive shall remain eligible to receive subsequent equity awards from time to time in accordance with the Company’s compensation policies and procedures then in effect, in any such case, as determined by the Board (or Compensation Committee thereof) acting in its sole discretion. The Option Award shall have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant (as determined by the Board or Compensation Committee thereof). Sixty percent of the Option Award shall vest in equal monthly installments over the four year period commencing as of the date of grant, 20 percent of the Option Award shall vest in equal monthly installments over the four year period commencing on the Acceptance Date and the remaining 20 percent of the Option Award shall vest in full upon approval by the FDA of the Lomitapide NDA, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan, as amended, and associated equity award agreements (collectively the “Equity Award Documents”). The term of the Option Award shall be ten (10) years after the date the Option Award is granted. In connection with a termination of employment within 24 months following a Sale Event (as defined in the Equity Award Documents), 100 percent of Executive’s then outstanding unvested equity shall vest and become fully exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the date of such termination.

(e) Expenses . The Executive shall be entitled to receive prompt reimbursement for all reasonable expenses incurred by him in performing services hereunder, in accordance with the policies and procedures then in effect and established by the Company for its senior executive officers.

(f) Other Benefits . The Executive shall be entitled to continue to participate in or receive benefits under the Company’s employee benefit plans as may be adopted and amended from time to time, subject to the terms and conditions of those employee benefit plans.

(g) Vacations . The Executive shall be entitled to accrue up to 25 days of paid vacation days in each year, which shall be accrued ratably, and subject to the Company’s vacation policy in effect, and as may be amended from time to time.

 

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3. Termination . The Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Death . The Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon her death.

(b) Disability . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment if the Executive incurs a disability and is unable to perform the essential functions of the Executive’s position with or without reasonable accommodation for a period of 180 days (which need not be consecutive) in any 12-month period. If any question shall arise as to whether during any period the Executive is disabled so as to be unable to perform the essential functions of the Executive’s then existing position or positions with or without reasonable accommodation, the Executive may, and at the request of the Company shall, submit to the Company a certification in reasonable detail by a physician selected by the Company to whom the Executive or the Executive’s guardian has no reasonable objection as to whether the Executive is so disabled or how long such disability is expected to continue, and such certification shall for the purposes of this Agreement be conclusive of the issue. The Executive shall cooperate with any reasonable request of the physician in connection with such certification. If such question shall arise and the Executive shall fail to submit such certification, the Company’s determination of such issue shall be binding on the Executive. Nothing in this Section 3(b) shall be construed to waive the Executive’s rights, if any, under existing law including, without limitation, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. §2601 et seq . and the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §12101 et seq.

(c) Termination by Company for Cause . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment at any time for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall mean any of the following by Executive: (i) dishonesty, embezzlement, misappropriation of assets or property of the Company; (ii) gross negligence, willful misconduct, theft, fraud, or breach of fiduciary duty to the Company; (iii) violation of federal or state securities laws; or (iv) the conviction of a felony, or any crime involving moral turpitude, including a plea of guilty or nolo contendere; (v) a material breach of any material provision of this Agreement; or (vi) a material breach of any of the Company’s written policies relating to conduct or ethics. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive’s employment shall not be terminated by the Company for Cause unless the Executive is first provided with written notice of termination and, if the act or omission that is the basis of the Cause determination (the “Cause Event”) is curable and has not resulted in injury or potential injury to the Company, the Executive is first provided with a fifteen day opportunity to cure the Cause Event.

(d) Termination by the Company Without Cause . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment at any time without Cause. Any termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement which does not constitute a termination for Cause under Section 3(c) and does not result from the death or disability of the Executive under Section 3(a) or 3(b) shall be deemed a termination without Cause.

(e) Termination by the Executive . The Executive may terminate her employment hereunder at any time for any reason, including but not limited to Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean that the Executive has complied

 

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with the “Good Reason Process” (hereinafter defined) following the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) a material diminution in the Executive’s responsibilities, authority or duties; (ii) a material diminution in the Executive’s Base Salary; (iii) a material change without the Executive’s consent of the principal location of the Executive’s offices provided that such consent may not be unreasonably withheld, or (iv) the material breach of a material provision of this Agreement by the Company. “Good Reason Process” shall mean that (i) the Executive reasonably determines in good faith that a “Good Reason” condition has occurred; (ii) the Executive notifies the Company in writing of the first occurrence of the Good Reason condition within 30 days of the first occurrence of such condition; (iii) the Executive cooperates in good faith with the Company’s efforts, for a period not less than 30 days following such notice (the “Cure Period”), to remedy the condition; (iv) notwithstanding such efforts, the Good Reason condition continues to exist; and (v) the Executive terminates her employment within 30 days after the end of the Cure Period. If the Company cures the Good Reason condition during the Cure Period, Good Reason shall be deemed not to have occurred.

(f) Notice of Termination . Except for termination as specified in Section 3(a), any termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company or any such termination by the Executive shall be communicated by written Notice of Termination to the other party hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” shall mean a notice which shall indicate the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon.

(g) Date of Termination . “Date of Termination” shall mean: (i) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by her death, the date of her death; (ii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated on account of disability under Section 3(b) or by the Company with Cause under Section 3(c) or without Cause under Section 3(d) on the date the Notice of Termination is given; (iii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive under Section 3(e) without Good Reason, 30 days after the date on which a Notice of Termination is given, and (iv) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive under Section 3(e) with Good Reason, the date on which a Notice of Termination is given after the end of the Cure Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Executive gives a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may unilaterally accelerate the Date of Termination and such acceleration shall not result in a termination by the Company for purposes of this Agreement.

4. Compensation Upon Termination .

(a) Termination Generally . If the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, the Company shall pay or provide to the Executive (or to her authorized representative or estate) any earned but unpaid salary and bonus, if any, unpaid expense reimbursements, accrued but unused vacation and any vested benefits the Executive may have under any employee benefit plan of the Company (the “Accrued Benefit”) on or before the time required by law but in no event more than 30 days after the Executive’s Date of Termination.

(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason . If the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause as provided in Section 3(d), or the Executive terminates her employment for Good Reason as

 

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provided in Section 3(d), then the Company shall, through the Date of Termination, pay the Executive her Accrued Benefit. In addition, subject to the Executive providing the Company with a fully effective separation agreement that includes a general release of claims in a form and manner reasonably satisfactory to the Company (the “Release”) within the 35-day period following the Date of Termination, Executive shall be entitled to the following payments and benefits (collectively the “Severance Benefits”):

(i) the Company shall pay the Executive severance pay in the form of continuation of Executive’s Base Salary for twelve (12) months in accordance with the Company’s payroll practice, beginning on the Company’s first regular payroll date that occurs 35 days after the Date of Termination. Solely for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), each salary continuation payment is considered a separate payment;

(ii) subject to the Executive’s timely election of COBRA and copayment of premium amounts at the active employees’ rate, the Executive may continue to participate in the Company’s group health and dental program until the earlier of (i) twelve (12) months from the Date of Termination, and (ii) the date the Executive becomes re-employed with benefits substantially comparable to the benefits provided under the corresponding Company plan;

(iii) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Equity Award Documents, in the event that the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason and the Date of Termination occurs within twelve (12) months of the Effective Date (a) 25% of the Executive’s then outstanding unvested equity awards shall vest and become fully exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the Date of Termination, and (b) Executive shall have ninety (90) days from the Date of Termination to exercise vested equity awards; and

(iv) in the event that the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason and the Date of Termination occurs within twenty four (24) months following Sale Event (as defined in the Equity Award Documents), the Bonus payment the Executive earned pursuant to Section 2(b) of this Agreement for the bonus period that immediately preceded the Date of Termination.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Severance Benefit set forth in Section 4(b)(i) shall be reduced dollar for dollar by any compensation Executive receives from another employer during the period between the Date of Termination and the last day of the severance period (the “Severance Benefits Period”) if the Executive becomes re-employed during the Severance Benefits Period. The Executive agrees to give prompt notice of any employment during the Severance Benefits Period and shall respond promptly to any reasonable inquiries concerning her professional activities. If the Company makes any overpayments of Severance Benefits, Executive shall promptly return any such overpayments to the Company and/or hereby authorizes deductions from future Severance Benefit amounts. The foregoing shall not create any obligation on the part of the Executive to seek re-employment after the Date of Termination.

 

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5. Section 409A .

(a) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, the Company determines that the Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, then to the extent any payment or benefit that the Executive becomes entitled to under this Agreement on account of the Executive’s separation from service would be considered deferred compensation subject to the 20 percent additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A(a) of the Code as a result of the application of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such payment shall not be payable and such benefit shall not be provided until the date that is the earlier of (A) six months and one day after the Executive’s separation from service, or (B) the Executive’s death. If any such delayed cash payment is otherwise payable on an installment basis, the first payment shall include a catch-up payment covering amounts that would otherwise have been paid during the six-month period but for the application of this provision, and the balance of the installments shall be payable in accordance with their original schedule.

(b) All in-kind benefits provided and expenses eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall be provided by the Company or incurred by the Executive during the time periods set forth in this Agreement. All reimbursements shall be paid as soon as administratively practicable, but in no event shall any reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred. The amount of in-kind benefits provided or reimbursable expenses incurred in one taxable year shall not affect the in-kind benefits to be provided or the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year. Such right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(c) To the extent that any payment or benefit described in this Agreement constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code, and to the extent that such payment or benefit is payable upon the Executive’s termination of employment, then such payments or benefits shall be payable only upon the Executive’s “separation from service.” The determination of whether and when a separation from service has occurred shall be made in accordance with the presumptions set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h).

(d) The parties intend that this Agreement will be administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that any provision of this Agreement is ambiguous as to its compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the provision shall be read in such a manner so that all payments hereunder comply with Section 409A of the Code. The parties agree that this Agreement may be amended, as reasonably requested by either party, and as may be necessary to fully comply with Section 409A of the Code and all related rules and regulations in order to preserve the payments and benefits provided hereunder without additional cost to either party.

(e) The Company makes no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to the Executive or any other person if any provisions of this Agreement are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code but do not satisfy an exemption from, or the conditions of, such Section.

 

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6. Confidential Information, Noncompetition and Cooperation; Nondisparagement .

(a) Restrictive Covenant . As a condition of Executive’s employment and as a material term of this Agreement, the Executive agrees to comply with the Employee Confidentiality, Assignment and Noncompetition Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 1, the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference into Section 6 of this Agreement.

(b) Litigation and Regulatory Cooperation . During and after the Executive’s employment, the Executive shall cooperate fully with the Company in the defense or prosecution of any claims or actions now in existence or which may be brought in the future against or on behalf of the Company which relate to events or occurrences that transpired while the Executive was employed by the Company, provided, that the Executive will not have an obligation under this paragraph with respect to any Claim in which the Executive has filed directly against the Company or related persons or entities. The Executive’s full cooperation in connection with such claims or actions shall include, but not be limited to, being available to meet with counsel to prepare for discovery or trial and to act as a witness on behalf of the Company at mutually convenient times. During and after the Executive’s employment, the Executive also shall cooperate fully with the Company in connection with any investigation or review of any federal, state or local regulatory authority as any such investigation or review relates to events or occurrences that transpired while the Executive was employed by the Company, provided the Executive will not have any obligation under this paragraph with respect to any claim in which the Executive has filed directly against the Company or related persons or entities. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Executive’s performance of obligations pursuant to this Section 6(b).

(c) Injunction; Termination of Post-employment Payments . The Executive agrees that it would be difficult to measure any damages caused to the Company which might result from any breach by the Executive of the promises set forth in this Section 6, including without limitation, any provision of Exhibit 1, and that in any event money damages would be an inadequate remedy for any such breach. Accordingly, the Executive agrees that if the Executive breaches, or proposes to breach, any portion of this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled, in addition to all other remedies that it may have, to an injunction or other appropriate equitable relief to restrain any such breach without showing or proving any actual damage to the Company. In addition to the foregoing, if the Executive breaches any of the provisions contained in Section 6 of this Agreement, the Company shall, in addition to all other rights and remedies, have the right to cease paying any payments or benefits pursuant to Section 4(b)) of this Agreement. Any such termination of payment or benefits shall have no effect on the Release or any of Executive’s post-employment obligations to the Company.

7. Indemnification . The Company and the Executive shall enter into an indemnification agreement in a form approved by the Board for the Company’s senior executives.

 

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8. Consent to Jurisdiction . To the extent that any court action is initiated to enforce this Agreement, the parties hereby consent to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accordingly, with respect to any such court action, the Executive (a) submits to the personal jurisdiction of such courts; (b) consents to service of process; and (c) waives any other requirement (whether imposed by statute, rule of court, or otherwise) with respect to personal jurisdiction or service of process.

9. Integration . This Agreement, along with Exhibit 1, the Equity Award Documents and any other option agreements between the Company and the Executive, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements between the parties concerning such subject matter herein, including that certain offer letter between the Company and the Executive dated as of July 31, 2007, and that certain Agreement to Pay Severance between the Company and the Executive dated as of July 31, 2007.

10. Withholding . All payments made by the Company to the Executive under this Agreement shall be net of any tax or other amounts required to be withheld by the Company under applicable law. Nothing herein shall be construed to obligate the Company to design or implement any compensation arrangement in a way that minimizes tax consequences for Executive.

11. Successor to the Executive . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Executive’s personal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. In the event of the Executive’s death after her termination of employment but prior to the completion by the Company of all payments due him under this Agreement, the Company shall continue such payments to the Executive’s beneficiary designated in writing to the Company prior to her death (or to her estate, if the Executive fails to make such designation).

12. Enforceability . If any portion or provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, any portion or provision of any section of this Agreement) shall to any extent be declared illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such portion or provision in circumstances other than those as to which it is so declared illegal or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby, and each portion and provision of this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

13. Survival . The provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement and/or the termination of the Executive’s employment to the extent necessary to effectuate the terms contained herein.

14. Waiver . No waiver of any provision hereof shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by the waiving party. The failure of any party to require the performance of any term or obligation of this Agreement, or the waiver by any party of any breach of this Agreement, shall not prevent any subsequent enforcement of such term or obligation or be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach.

 

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15. Notices . Any notices, requests, demands and other communications provided for by this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and delivered in person or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the Executive at the last address the Executive has filed in writing with the Company or, in the case of the Company, at its main offices, attention of the Board.

16. Amendment . This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument signed by the Executive and by a duly authorized representative of the Company.

17. Governing Law . This is a Massachusetts contract and shall be construed under and be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles of such state. With respect to any disputes concerning federal law, such disputes shall be determined in accordance with the law as it would be interpreted and applied by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

18. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be taken to be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same document.

19. Successor to Company . The Company shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain an assumption of this Agreement at or prior to the effectiveness of any succession shall be a material breach of this Agreement.

20. Gender Neutral . Wherever used herein, a pronoun in the masculine gender shall be considered as including the feminine gender unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement effective on the date and year first above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

/s/ Marc D. Beer

Its:

 

Chief Executive Officer

EXECUTIVE

/s/ Christine A. Pellizzari
Christine A. Pellizzari
October 5, 2010
Date

 

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Exhibit 1

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Employee Confidentiality, Assignment and Noncompetition Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), I agree as follows:

1. Proprietary Information . I agree that all information, whether or not in writing, concerning the Company’s business, technology, business relationships or financial affairs which the Company has not released to the general public (collectively, “Proprietary Information”) is and will be the exclusive property of the Company. By way of illustration, Proprietary Information may include information or material which has not been made generally available to the public, such as: (a)  corporate information , including plans, strategies, methods, policies, resolutions, negotiations or litigation; (b)  marketing information , including strategies, methods, customer identities or other information about customers, prospect identities or other information about prospects, or market analyses or projections; (c)  financial information , including cost and performance data, debt arrangements, equity structure, investors and holdings, purchasing and sales data and price lists; and (d)  operational and technological information , including plans, specifications, manuals, forms, templates, software, designs, methods, procedures, formulas, discoveries, inventions, improvements, concepts and ideas; and (e)  personnel information , including personnel lists, reporting or organizational structure, resumes, personnel data, compensation structure, performance evaluations and termination arrangements or documents. Proprietary Information also includes information received in confidence by the Company from its customers or suppliers or other third parties.

2. Recognition of Company’s Rights . I will not, at any time, without the Company’s prior written permission, either during or after my employment, disclose any Proprietary Information to anyone outside of the Company, or use or permit to be used any Proprietary Information for any purpose other than the performance of my duties as an employee of the Company. I will cooperate with the Company and use my best efforts to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of all Proprietary Information. I will deliver to the Company all copies of Proprietary Information in my possession or control upon the earlier of a request by the Company or termination of my employment.

3. Rights of Others . I understand that the Company is now and may hereafter be subject to non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements with third persons which require the Company to protect or refrain from use of proprietary information. I agree to be bound by the terms of such agreements in the event I have access to such proprietary information.

4. Commitment to Company; Avoidance of Conflict of Interest . While an employee of the Company, I will devote my full-time efforts to the Company’s business and I will not engage in any other business activity that conflicts with my duties to the Company. I will advise the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at such time as any activity of either the Company or another business presents me with a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest as an employee of the Company. I will take whatever action is requested of me by the Company to resolve any conflict or appearance of conflict which it finds to exist.

5. Developments . I will make full and prompt disclosure to the Company of all inventions, discoveries, designs, developments, methods, modifications, improvements, processes, algorithms, databases, computer programs, formulae, techniques, trade secrets, graphics or images, and audio or visual works and other works of authorship, whether or not patentable or copyrightable, that are created, made, conceived or reduced to practice by me (alone or jointly with others) or under my direction during the period of my employment (collectively, the “Developments”). I acknowledge that all work performed by me is on a “work for hire” basis, and I hereby do assign and transfer and, to the extent any such assignment cannot be made at present, will assign and transfer, to the Company and its successors and assigns all my right, title and interest in all Developments that (a) relate to the business of the Company or any customer of the Company or any of the products or services being researched, developed, manufactured or sold by the Company or which may be used with such products or services; or (b) result from tasks assigned to me by the Company; or (c) result from the use of premises or personal property (whether tangible or intangible) owned, leased or contracted for by the Company (“Company-Related Developments”), and all related patents, patent applications, trademarks and trademark applications, copyrights and copyright applications, and other intellectual property rights in all countries and territories worldwide and under any international conventions (“Intellectual Property Rights”).

To preclude any possible uncertainty, I have set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto a complete list of Developments that I have, alone or jointly with others, conceived, developed or reduced to practice prior to the commencement of my employment with the Company that I consider to be my property or the property of third parties and that I wish to have excluded from the scope of this Agreement (“Prior Inventions”). If disclosure of any such Prior Invention would cause me to violate any prior confidentiality agreement, I understand that I am not to list such Prior Inventions in Exhibit A but am only to disclose a cursory name for each such invention, a listing of the party(ies) to whom it belongs and the fact that full disclosure as to such inventions has not been made for that reason. I have also listed on Exhibit A all patents and patent applications in which I am named as an inventor, other than those which have been assigned to the Company (“Other Patent Rights”). If no such disclosure is


attached, I represent that there are no Prior Inventions or Other Patent Rights. If, in the course of my employment with the Company, I incorporate a Prior Invention into a Company product, process or machine or other work done for the Company, I hereby grant to the Company a nonexclusive, royalty-free, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license (with the full right to sublicense) to make, have made, modify, use, sell, offer for sale and import such Prior Invention. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I will not incorporate, or permit to be incorporated, Prior Inventions in any Company-Related Development without the Company’s prior written consent.

This Agreement does not obligate me to assign to the Company any Development which, in the sole judgment of the Company, reasonably exercised, is developed entirely on my own time and does not relate to the business efforts or research and development efforts in which, during the period of my employment, the Company actually is engaged or reasonably would be engaged, and does not result from the use of premises or equipment owned or leased by the Company. However, I will also promptly disclose to the Company any such Developments for the purpose of determining whether they qualify for such exclusion. I understand that to the extent this Agreement is required to be construed in accordance with the laws of any state which precludes a requirement in an employee agreement to assign certain classes of inventions made by an employee, this paragraph 5 will be interpreted not to apply to any invention which a court rules and/or the Company agrees falls within such classes. I also hereby waive all claims to any moral rights or other special rights which I may have or accrue in any Company-Related Developments.

6. Documents and Other Materials . I will keep and maintain adequate and current records of all Proprietary Information and Company-Related Developments developed by me during my employment, which records will be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.

All files, letters, notes, memoranda, reports, records, data, sketches, drawings, notebooks, layouts, charts, quotations and proposals, specification sheets, or other written, photographic or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, whether created by me or others, which come into my custody or possession, are the exclusive property of the Company to be used by me only in the performance of my duties for the Company. Any property situated on the Company’s premises and owned by the Company, including without limitation computers, disks and other storage media, filing cabinets or other work areas, is subject to inspection by the Company at any time with or without notice. In the event of the termination of my employment for any reason, I will deliver to the Company all files, letters, notes, memoranda, reports, records, data, sketches, drawings, notebooks, layouts, charts, quotations and proposals, specification sheets, or other written, photographic or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, and other materials of any nature pertaining to the Proprietary Information of the Company and to my work, and will not take or keep in my possession any of the foregoing or any copies.

7. Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights . I will cooperate fully with the Company, both during and after my employment with the Company, with respect to the procurement, maintenance and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Company-Related Developments. I will sign, both during and after the term of this Agreement, all papers, including without limitation copyright applications, patent applications, declarations, oaths, assignments of priority rights, and powers of attorney, which the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Company-Related Development. If the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure my signature on any such papers, I hereby irrevocably designate and appoint each officer of the Company as my agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any such papers on my behalf, and to take any and all actions as the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Company-Related Development.

8. Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation . In order to protect the Company’s Proprietary Information and good will, during my employment and for a period of twelve (12) months following the termination of my employment for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), I will not directly or indirectly, whether as owner, partner, shareholder, director, manager, consultant, agent, employee, co-venturer or otherwise, engage, participate or invest in any business activity anywhere in the world that develops, manufactures or markets any products, or performs any services, that are competitive with the products or services of the Company, or products or services that the Company or its affiliates, has under development or that are the subject of active planning at any time during my employment; provided that this shall not prohibit any possible investment in publicly traded stock of a company representing less than one percent of the stock of such company. In addition, during the Restricted Period, I will not, directly or indirectly, in any manner, other than for the benefit of the Company, (a) call upon, solicit, divert, take away, accept or conduct any business from or with any of the customers or prospective customers of the Company or any of its suppliers, and/or (b) solicit, entice, attempt to persuade any other employee or consultant of the Company to leave the Company for any reason. I acknowledge and agree that if I violate any of the provisions of this paragraph 8, the running of the Restricted Period will be extended by the time during which I engage in such violation(s).

9. Government Contracts . I acknowledge that the Company may have from time to time agreements with other persons or with the United States Government or its agencies which impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential nature of such work. I agree to comply with any such obligations or restrictions upon the direction of the Company. In addition to the rights assigned under paragraph 5, I also assign to the Company (or any of its nominees) all rights which I have or acquired in any Developments, full title to which is required to be in the United States under any contract between the Company and the United States or any of its agencies.

 

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10. Prior Agreements . I hereby represent that, except as I have fully disclosed previously in writing to the Company, I am not bound by the terms of any agreement with any previous employer or other party to refrain from using or disclosing any trade secret or confidential or proprietary information in the course of my employment with the Company or to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of such previous employer or any other party. I further represent that my performance of all the terms of this Agreement as an employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement to keep in confidence proprietary information, knowledge or data acquired by me in confidence or in trust prior to my employment with the Company. I will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information or material belonging to any previous employer or others.

11. Remedies Upon Breach . I understand that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are necessary for the protection of the business and goodwill of the Company and I consider them to be reasonable for such purpose. Any breach of this Agreement is likely to cause the Company substantial and irrevocable damage and therefore, in the event of such breach, the Company, in addition to such other remedies which may be available, will be entitled to seek specific performance and other injunctive relief, without the posting of a bond. If I violate this Agreement, in addition to all other remedies available to the Company at law, in equity, and under contract, I agree that I am obligated to pay all the Company’s costs of enforcement of this Agreement, including attorneys’ fees and expenses.

12. Use of Voice, Image and Likeness . During the period of my employment, I give the Company permission to use any and all of my voice, image and likeness, with or without using my name, in connection with the products and/or services of the Company, for the purposes of advertising and promoting such products and/or services and/or the Company, and/or for other purposes deemed appropriate by the Company in its reasonable discretion, except to the extent expressly prohibited by law.

13. Publications and Public Statements . I will obtain the Company’s written approval before publishing or submitting for publication any material that relates to my work at the Company and/or incorporates any Proprietary Information.

14. No Employment Obligation . I understand that this Agreement does not create an obligation on the Company or any other person to continue my employment. I acknowledge that, unless otherwise agreed in a formal written employment agreement signed on behalf of the Company by an authorized officer, my employment with the Company is at will and therefore may be terminated by the Company or me at any time and for any reason, with or without cause.

15. Survival and Assignment by the Company . I understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue in accordance with its express terms regardless of any changes in my title, position, duties, salary, compensation or benefits or other terms and conditions of employment. I further understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue following the termination of my employment regardless of the manner of such termination and will be binding upon my heirs, executors and administrators. The Company will have the right to assign this Agreement to its affiliates, successors and assigns. I expressly consent to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement for the benefit of the Company or any parent, subsidiary or affiliate to whose employ I may be transferred without the necessity that this Agreement be resigned at the time of such transfer.

16. Updating Information to the Company; Disclosure to Future Employers . For twelve (12) months following termination of my employment, I will (i) notify the Company of any change in my address and of each subsequent employment or business activity, including the name and address of my employer or other post-Company employment plans and the nature of my activities, and (ii) provide a copy of this Agreement to any prospective employer, partner or coventurer prior to entering into an employment, partnership or other business relationship with such person or entity.

17. Severability . In case any provisions (or portions thereof) contained in this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein. If, moreover, any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, it shall be construed by limiting and reducing it, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with the applicable law as it shall then appear.

18. Interpretation . This Agreement will be deemed to be made and entered into in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and will in all respects be interpreted, enforced and governed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I hereby agree to consent to personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts situated within Suffolk County, Massachusetts for purposes of enforcing this Agreement, and waive any objection that I might have to personal jurisdiction or venue in those courts.

 

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I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS AGREEMENT AFFECTS IMPORTANT RIGHTS. BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ IT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:  /s/ Christine A. Pellizzari  
                    (Employee’s full name)  
Type or print name: Christine A. Pellizzari  
Date:  10/4/10  


EXHIBIT A

 

To:   Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ,
From:  

 

Date:  

 

SUBJECT:                   Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

No inventions or improvements
See below:

 

 

 

Additional sheets attached

The following is a list of all patents and patent applications in which I have been named as an inventor:

 

None
See below:

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.5

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of the 5th day of October, 2010 (the “Effective Date”), between Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and John T. Cavan, an individual who currently resides at 12 E. Elbrook Drive, Allendale, NJ 07401, (the “Executive”) (together the “Parties”).

WHEREAS, the Company desires to employ the Executive and the Executive desires to be employed by the Company on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1. Position and Duties . The Executive shall serve as the Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of the Company. In such capacity, Executive shall have such powers and duties and responsibilities as may from time to time be prescribed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and/or the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”). The Executive shall devote his full working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may manage his personal investments, engage in religious, charitable or other community activities, as long as such activities do not pose an actual or apparent conflict of interest and do not interfere with the Executive’s performance of his duties to the Company. Executive represents that he has provided the Company with a comprehensive list of all outside professional activities with which he is currently involved or reasonably expects to become involved. In the event that, during his employment by the Company, the Executive desires to engage in other outside professional activities, not included on such list, Executive will first seek written approval from the Board and such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

2. Compensation and Related Matters .

(a) Base Salary . The Executive’s initial base salary shall be paid at the rate of $175,000 per year. The Executive’s base salary shall be reviewed annually by the Board or the Compensation Committee of the Board ( the “Compensation Committee”). The base salary in effect at any given time is referred to herein as “Base Salary.” The Base Salary shall be payable in a manner that is consistent with the Company’s usual payroll practices for senior executives.

(b) Annual Bonus . The Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee (the “Bonus”). The Bonus shall be based on an annual target and the achievement of performance goals. The Executive’s target shall be 25 percent of his Base Salary. The Executive’s performance goals shall be established by the Board or the Compensation Committee and the achievement of those goals shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee. Except as otherwise provided herein, to earn any part of the Bonus, the Executive must be employed by the Company on December 31 of the applicable bonus year and such Bonus shall be paid to Executive on or before March 15 of the immediately following calendar year.


(c) Special Bonus . The Executive shall be eligible to receive a cash bonus equal to 10% of his Base Salary upon acceptance (the “Acceptance Date”) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) of a New Drug Application for lomitapide (the “Lomitapide NDA”). Any such bonus will not be earned unless the Executive is employed by the Company on the Acceptance Date and shall be paid as soon as reasonably practicable following such Acceptance Date but, in any event, no later than March 15 of the immediately following calendar year.

(d) Equity Grant . The Company shall award the Executive an option (the “Option Award”) to purchase 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The Executive shall remain eligible to receive subsequent equity awards from time to time in accordance with the Company’s compensation policies and procedures then in effect, in any such case, as determined by the Board (or Compensation Committee thereof) acting in its sole discretion. The Option Award shall have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant (as determined by the Board or Compensation Committee thereof). The Option Award shall vest in equal monthly installments over the four year period commencing as of the date of grant, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan, as amended, and associated equity award agreements (collectively the “Equity Award Documents”). The term of the Option Award shall be ten (10) years after the date the Option Award is granted. In connection with a termination of employment within 24 months following a Sale Event (as defined in the Equity Award Documents), 100 percent of Executive’s then outstanding unvested equity shall vest and become fully exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the date of such termination.

(e) Expenses . The Executive shall be entitled to receive prompt reimbursement for all reasonable expenses incurred by him in performing services hereunder, in accordance with the policies and procedures then in effect and established by the Company for its senior executive officers.

(f) Other Benefits . The Executive shall be entitled to continue to participate in or receive benefits under the Company’s employee benefit plans as may be adopted and amended from time to time, subject to the terms and conditions of those employee benefit plans.

(g) Vacations . The Executive shall be entitled to accrue up to 25 days of paid vacation days in each year, which shall be accrued ratably, and subject to the Company’s vacation policy in effect, and as may be amended from time to time.

3. Termination . The Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Death . The Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon his death.

 

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(b) Disability . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment if the Executive incurs a disability and is unable to perform the essential functions of the Executive’s position with or without reasonable accommodation for a period of 180 days (which need not be consecutive) in any 12-month period. If any question shall arise as to whether during any period the Executive is disabled so as to be unable to perform the essential functions of the Executive’s then existing position or positions with or without reasonable accommodation, the Executive may, and at the request of the Company shall, submit to the Company a certification in reasonable detail by a physician selected by the Company to whom the Executive or the Executive’s guardian has no reasonable objection as to whether the Executive is so disabled or how long such disability is expected to continue, and such certification shall for the purposes of this Agreement be conclusive of the issue. The Executive shall cooperate with any reasonable request of the physician in connection with such certification. If such question shall arise and the Executive shall fail to submit such certification, the Company’s determination of such issue shall be binding on the Executive. Nothing in this Section 3(b) shall be construed to waive the Executive’s rights, if any, under existing law including, without limitation, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. §2601 et seq . and the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §12101 et seq.

(c) Termination by Company for Cause . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment at any time for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall mean any of the following by Executive: (i) dishonesty, embezzlement, misappropriation of assets or property of the Company; (ii) gross negligence, willful misconduct, theft, fraud, or breach of fiduciary duty to the Company; (iii) violation of federal or state securities laws; or (iv) the conviction of a felony, or any crime involving moral turpitude, including a plea of guilty or nolo contendere; (v) a material breach of any material provision of this Agreement; or (vi) a material breach of any of the Company’s written policies relating to conduct or ethics.

(d) Termination by the Company Without Cause . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment at any time without Cause. Any termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement which does not constitute a termination for Cause under Section 3(c) and does not result from the death or disability of the Executive under Section 3(a) or 3(b) shall be deemed a termination without Cause.

(e) Termination by the Executive . The Executive may terminate his employment hereunder at any time for any reason, including but not limited to Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean that the Executive has complied with the “Good Reason Process” (hereinafter defined) following the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) a material diminution in the Executive’s responsibilities, authority or duties; (ii) a material diminution in the Executive’s Base Salary; (iii) a material change without the Executive’s consent of the principal location of the Executive’s offices provided that such consent may not be unreasonably withheld, or (iv) the material breach of a material provision of this Agreement by the Company. “Good Reason Process” shall mean that (i) the Executive reasonably determines in good faith that a “Good Reason” condition has occurred; (ii) the Executive notifies the Company in writing of the first occurrence of the Good Reason condition within 30 days of the first occurrence of such condition; (iii) the Executive cooperates in good faith with the Company’s efforts, for a period not less than 30 days following such notice (the “Cure Period”), to remedy the condition; (iv) notwithstanding such efforts, the Good Reason

 

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condition continues to exist; and (v) the Executive terminates his employment within 30 days after the end of the Cure Period. If the Company cures the Good Reason condition during the Cure Period, Good Reason shall be deemed not to have occurred.

(f) Notice of Termination . Except for termination as specified in Section 3(a), any termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company or any such termination by the Executive shall be communicated by written Notice of Termination to the other party hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” shall mean a notice which shall indicate the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon.

(g) Date of Termination . “Date of Termination” shall mean: (i) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by his death, the date of his death; (ii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated on account of disability under Section 3(b) or by the Company with Cause under Section 3(c) or without Cause under Section 3(d) on the date the Notice of Termination is given; (iii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive under Section 3(e) without Good Reason, 30 days after the date on which a Notice of Termination is given, and (iv) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive under Section 3(e) with Good Reason, the date on which a Notice of Termination is given after the end of the Cure Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Executive gives a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may unilaterally accelerate the Date of Termination and such acceleration shall not result in a termination by the Company for purposes of this Agreement.

4. Compensation Upon Termination .

(a) Termination Generally . If the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, the Company shall pay or provide to the Executive (or to his authorized representative or estate) any earned but unpaid salary and bonus, if any, unpaid expense reimbursements, accrued but unused vacation and any vested benefits the Executive may have under any employee benefit plan of the Company (the “Accrued Benefit”) on or before the time required by law but in no event more than 30 days after the Executive’s Date of Termination.

(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason . If the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause as provided in Section 3(d), or the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason as provided in Section 3(d), then the Company shall, through the Date of Termination, pay the Executive his Accrued Benefit. In addition, subject to the Executive providing the Company with a fully effective separation agreement that includes a general release of claims in a form and manner reasonably satisfactory to the Company (the “Release”) within the 35-day period following the Date of Termination, Executive shall be entitled to the following payments and benefits (collectively the “Severance Benefits”):

(i) the Company shall pay the Executive severance pay in the form of continuation of Executive’s Base Salary for six (6) months in accordance with the Company’s payroll practice, beginning on the Company’s first regular payroll date that occurs 35 days after the Date of Termination. Solely for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), each salary continuation payment is considered a separate payment;

 

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(ii) subject to the Executive’s timely election of COBRA and copayment of premium amounts at the active employees’ rate, the Executive may continue to participate in the Company’s group health and dental program until the earlier of (i) six (6) months from the Date of Termination, and (ii) the date the Executive becomes re-employed with benefits substantially comparable to the benefits provided under the corresponding Company plan;

(iii) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Equity Award Documents, in the event that the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason and the Date of Termination occurs within twelve (12) months of the Effective Date (a) 25% of the Executive’s then outstanding unvested equity awards shall vest and become fully exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the Date of Termination, and (b) Executive shall have ninety (90) days from the Date of Termination to exercise vested equity awards; and

(iv) in the event that the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason and the Date of Termination occurs within twenty four (24) months following Sale Event (as defined in the Equity Award Documents), the Bonus payment the Executive earned pursuant to Section 2(b) of this Agreement for the bonus period that immediately preceded the Date of Termination.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Severance Benefit set forth in Section 4(b)(i) shall be reduced dollar for dollar by any compensation Executive receives from another employer during the period between the Date of Termination and the last day of the severance period (the “Severance Benefits Period”) if the Executive becomes re-employed during the Severance Benefits Period. The Executive agrees to give prompt notice of any employment during the Severance Benefits Period and shall respond promptly to any reasonable inquiries concerning his professional activities. If the Company makes any overpayments of Severance Benefits, Executive shall promptly return any such overpayments to the Company and/or hereby authorizes deductions from future Severance Benefit amounts. The foregoing shall not create any obligation on the part of the Executive to seek re-employment after the Date of Termination.

5. Section 409A .

(a) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, the Company determines that the Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, then to the extent any payment or benefit that the Executive becomes entitled to under this Agreement on account of the Executive’s separation from service would be considered deferred compensation subject to the 20 percent additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A(a) of the Code as a result of the application of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such payment shall not be payable and such benefit shall not be provided until the date that is the earlier of (A) six months and one day after the

 

5


Executive’s separation from service, or (B) the Executive’s death. If any such delayed cash payment is otherwise payable on an installment basis, the first payment shall include a catch-up payment covering amounts that would otherwise have been paid during the six-month period but for the application of this provision, and the balance of the installments shall be payable in accordance with their original schedule.

(b) All in-kind benefits provided and expenses eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall be provided by the Company or incurred by the Executive during the time periods set forth in this Agreement. All reimbursements shall be paid as soon as administratively practicable, but in no event shall any reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred. The amount of in-kind benefits provided or reimbursable expenses incurred in one taxable year shall not affect the in-kind benefits to be provided or the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year. Such right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(c) To the extent that any payment or benefit described in this Agreement constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code, and to the extent that such payment or benefit is payable upon the Executive’s termination of employment, then such payments or benefits shall be payable only upon the Executive’s “separation from service.” The determination of whether and when a separation from service has occurred shall be made in accordance with the presumptions set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h).

(d) The parties intend that this Agreement will be administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that any provision of this Agreement is ambiguous as to its compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the provision shall be read in such a manner so that all payments hereunder comply with Section 409A of the Code. The parties agree that this Agreement may be amended, as reasonably requested by either party, and as may be necessary to fully comply with Section 409A of the Code and all related rules and regulations in order to preserve the payments and benefits provided hereunder without additional cost to either party.

(e) The Company makes no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to the Executive or any other person if any provisions of this Agreement are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code but do not satisfy an exemption from, or the conditions of, such Section.

6. Confidential Information, Noncompetition and Cooperation; Nondisparagement .

(a) Restrictive Covenant . As a condition of Executive’s employment and as a material term of this Agreement, the Executive agrees to comply with the Employee Confidentiality, Assignment and Noncompetition Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 1, the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference into Section 6 of this Agreement.

(b) Litigation and Regulatory Cooperation . During and after the Executive’s employment, the Executive shall cooperate fully with the Company in the defense or prosecution

 

6


of any claims or actions now in existence or which may be brought in the future against or on behalf of the Company which relate to events or occurrences that transpired while the Executive was employed by the Company, provided, that the Executive will not have an obligation under this paragraph with respect to any Claim in which the Executive has filed directly against the Company or related persons or entities. The Executive’s full cooperation in connection with such claims or actions shall include, but not be limited to, being available to meet with counsel to prepare for discovery or trial and to act as a witness on behalf of the Company at mutually convenient times. During and after the Executive’s employment, the Executive also shall cooperate fully with the Company in connection with any investigation or review of any federal, state or local regulatory authority as any such investigation or review relates to events or occurrences that transpired while the Executive was employed by the Company, provided the Executive will not have any obligation under this paragraph with respect to any claim in which the Executive has filed directly against the Company or related persons or entities. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Executive’s performance of obligations pursuant to this Section 6(b).

(c) Injunction; Termination of Post-employment Payments . The Executive agrees that it would be difficult to measure any damages caused to the Company which might result from any breach by the Executive of the promises set forth in this Section 6, including without limitation, any provision of Exhibit 1, and that in any event money damages would be an inadequate remedy for any such breach. Accordingly, the Executive agrees that if the Executive breaches, or proposes to breach, any portion of this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled, in addition to all other remedies that it may have, to an injunction or other appropriate equitable relief to restrain any such breach without showing or proving any actual damage to the Company. In addition to the foregoing, if the Executive breaches any of the provisions contained in Section 6 of this Agreement, the Company shall, in addition to all other rights and remedies, have the right to cease paying any payments or benefits pursuant to Section 4(b)) of this Agreement. Any such termination of payment or benefits shall have no effect on the Release or any of Executive’s post-employment obligations to the Company.

7. Indemnification . The Company and the Executive shall enter into an indemnification agreement in a form approved by the Board for the Company’s senior executives.

8. Consent to Jurisdiction . To the extent that any court action is initiated to enforce this Agreement, the parties hereby consent to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accordingly, with respect to any such court action, the Executive (a) submits to the personal jurisdiction of such courts; (b) consents to service of process; and (c) waives any other requirement (whether imposed by statute, rule of court, or otherwise) with respect to personal jurisdiction or service of process.

9. Integration . This Agreement, along with Exhibit 1, the Equity Award Documents and any other option agreements between the Company and the Executive, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements between the parties concerning such subject matter herein, including that offer letter between the Company and the Executive dated April 20, 2006.

 

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10. Withholding . All payments made by the Company to the Executive under this Agreement shall be net of any tax or other amounts required to be withheld by the Company under applicable law. Nothing herein shall be construed to obligate the Company to design or implement any compensation arrangement in a way that minimizes tax consequences for Executive.

11. Successor to the Executive . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Executive’s personal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. In the event of the Executive’s death after his termination of employment but prior to the completion by the Company of all payments due him under this Agreement, the Company shall continue such payments to the Executive’s beneficiary designated in writing to the Company prior to his death (or to his estate, if the Executive fails to make such designation).

12. Enforceability . If any portion or provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, any portion or provision of any section of this Agreement) shall to any extent be declared illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such portion or provision in circumstances other than those as to which it is so declared illegal or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby, and each portion and provision of this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

13. Survival . The provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement and/or the termination of the Executive’s employment to the extent necessary to effectuate the terms contained herein.

14. Waiver . No waiver of any provision hereof shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by the waiving party. The failure of any party to require the performance of any term or obligation of this Agreement, or the waiver by any party of any breach of this Agreement, shall not prevent any subsequent enforcement of such term or obligation or be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach.

15. Notices . Any notices, requests, demands and other communications provided for by this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and delivered in person or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the Executive at the last address the Executive has filed in writing with the Company or, in the case of the Company, at its main offices, attention of the Board.

16. Amendment . This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument signed by the Executive and by a duly authorized representative of the Company.

17. Governing Law . This is a Massachusetts contract and shall be construed under and be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles of such state. With respect to any disputes concerning federal law, such disputes shall be determined in accordance with the law as it would be interpreted and applied by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

 

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18. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be taken to be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same document.

19. Successor to Company . The Company shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain an assumption of this Agreement at or prior to the effectiveness of any succession shall be a material breach of this Agreement.

20. Gender Neutral . Wherever used herein, a pronoun in the masculine gender shall be considered as including the feminine gender unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement effective on the date and year first above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Marc D. Beer

Its:  

Chief Executive Officer

EXECUTIVE

/s/ John T. Cavan

John T. Cavan

October 5, 2010

Date

 

9


Exhibit 1

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Employee Confidentiality, Assignment and Noncompetition Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), I agree as follows:

1. Proprietary Information . I agree that all information, whether or not in writing, concerning the Company’s business, technology, business relationships or financial affairs which the Company has not released to the general public (collectively, “Proprietary Information”) is and will be the exclusive property of the Company. By way of illustration, Proprietary Information may include information or material which has not been made generally available to the public, such as: (a)  corporate information , including plans, strategies, methods, policies, resolutions, negotiations or litigation; (b)  marketing information , including strategies, methods, customer identities or other information about customers, prospect identities or other information about prospects, or market analyses or projections; (c)  financial information , including cost and performance data, debt arrangements, equity structure, investors and holdings, purchasing and sales data and price lists; and (d)  operational and technological information , including plans, specifications, manuals, forms, templates, software, designs, methods, procedures, formulas, discoveries, inventions, improvements, concepts and ideas; and (e)  personnel information , including personnel lists, reporting or organizational structure, resumes, personnel data, compensation structure, performance evaluations and termination arrangements or documents. Proprietary Information also includes information received in confidence by the Company from its customers or suppliers or other third parties.

2. Recognition of Company’s Rights . I will not, at any time, without the Company’s prior written permission, either during or after my employment, disclose any Proprietary Information to anyone outside of the Company, or use or permit to be used any Proprietary Information for any purpose other than the performance of my duties as an employee of the Company. I will cooperate with the Company and use my best efforts to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of all Proprietary Information. I will deliver to the Company all copies of Proprietary Information in my possession or control upon the earlier of a request by the Company or termination of my employment.

3. Rights of Others . I understand that the Company is now and may hereafter be subject to non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements with third persons which require the Company to protect or refrain from use of proprietary information. I agree to be bound by the terms of such agreements in the event I have access to such proprietary information.

4. Commitment to Company; Avoidance of Conflict of Interest . While an employee of the Company, I will devote my full-time efforts to the Company’s business and I will not engage in any other business activity that conflicts with my duties to the Company. I will advise the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at such time as any activity of either the Company or another business presents me with a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest as an employee of the Company. I will take whatever action is requested of me by the Company to resolve any conflict or appearance of conflict which it finds to exist.

5. Developments . I will make full and prompt disclosure to the Company of all inventions, discoveries, designs, developments, methods, modifications, improvements, processes, algorithms, databases, computer programs, formulae, techniques, trade secrets, graphics or images, and audio or visual works and other works of authorship, whether or not patentable or copyrightable, that are created, made, conceived or reduced to practice by me (alone or jointly with others) or under my direction during the period of my employment (collectively, the “Developments”). I acknowledge that all work performed by me is on a “work for hire” basis, and I hereby do assign and transfer and, to the extent any such assignment cannot be made at present, will assign and transfer, to the Company and its successors and assigns all my right, title and interest in all Developments that (a) relate to the business of the Company or any customer of the Company or any of the products or services being researched, developed, manufactured or sold by the Company or which may be used with such products or services; or (b) result from tasks assigned to me by the Company; or (c) result from the use of premises or personal property (whether tangible or intangible) owned, leased or contracted for by the Company (“Company-Related Developments”), and all related patents, patent applications, trademarks and trademark applications, copyrights and copyright applications, and other intellectual property rights in all countries and territories worldwide and under any international conventions (“Intellectual Property Rights”).

To preclude any possible uncertainty, I have set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto a complete list of Developments that I have, alone or jointly with others, conceived, developed or reduced to practice prior to the commencement of my employment with the Company that I consider to be my property or the property of third parties and that I wish to have excluded from the scope of this Agreement (“Prior Inventions”). If disclosure of any such Prior Invention would cause me to violate any prior confidentiality agreement, I understand that I am not to list such Prior Inventions in Exhibit A but am only to disclose a cursory name for each such invention, a listing of the party(ies) to whom it belongs and the fact that full disclosure as to such inventions has not been made for that reason. I have also listed on Exhibit A all patents and patent applications in which I am named as an inventor, other than those which have been assigned to the Company (“Other Patent Rights”). If no such disclosure is


attached, I represent that there are no Prior Inventions or Other Patent Rights. If, in the course of my employment with the Company, I incorporate a Prior Invention into a Company product, process or machine or other work done for the Company, I hereby grant to the Company a nonexclusive, royalty-free, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license (with the full right to sublicense) to make, have made, modify, use, sell, offer for sale and import such Prior Invention. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I will not incorporate, or permit to be incorporated, Prior Inventions in any Company-Related Development without the Company’s prior written consent.

This Agreement does not obligate me to assign to the Company any Development which, in the sole judgment of the Company, reasonably exercised, is developed entirely on my own time and does not relate to the business efforts or research and development efforts in which, during the period of my employment, the Company actually is engaged or reasonably would be engaged, and does not result from the use of premises or equipment owned or leased by the Company. However, I will also promptly disclose to the Company any such Developments for the purpose of determining whether they qualify for such exclusion. I understand that to the extent this Agreement is required to be construed in accordance with the laws of any state which precludes a requirement in an employee agreement to assign certain classes of inventions made by an employee, this paragraph 5 will be interpreted not to apply to any invention which a court rules and/or the Company agrees falls within such classes. I also hereby waive all claims to any moral rights or other special rights which I may have or accrue in any Company-Related Developments.

6. Documents and Other Materials . I will keep and maintain adequate and current records of all Proprietary Information and Company-Related Developments developed by me during my employment, which records will be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.

All files, letters, notes, memoranda, reports, records, data, sketches, drawings, notebooks, layouts, charts, quotations and proposals, specification sheets, or other written, photographic or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, whether created by me or others, which come into my custody or possession, are the exclusive property of the Company to be used by me only in the performance of my duties for the Company. Any property situated on the Company’s premises and owned by the Company, including without limitation computers, disks and other storage media, filing cabinets or other work areas, is subject to inspection by the Company at any time with or without notice. In the event of the termination of my employment for any reason, I will deliver to the Company all files, letters, notes, memoranda, reports, records, data, sketches, drawings, notebooks, layouts, charts, quotations and proposals, specification sheets, or other written, photographic or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, and other materials of any nature pertaining to the Proprietary Information of the Company and to my work, and will not take or keep in my possession any of the foregoing or any copies.

7. Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights . I will cooperate fully with the Company, both during and after my employment with the Company, with respect to the procurement, maintenance and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Company-Related Developments. I will sign, both during and after the term of this Agreement, all papers, including without limitation copyright applications, patent applications, declarations, oaths, assignments of priority rights, and powers of attorney, which the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Company-Related Development. If the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure my signature on any such papers, I hereby irrevocably designate and appoint each officer of the Company as my agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any such papers on my behalf, and to take any and all actions as the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Company-Related Development.

8. Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation . In order to protect the Company’s Proprietary Information and good will, during my employment and for a period of six (6) months following the termination of my employment for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), I will not directly or indirectly, whether as owner, partner, shareholder, director, manager, consultant, agent, employee, co-venturer or otherwise, engage, participate or invest in any business activity anywhere in the world that develops, manufactures or markets any products, or performs any services, that are competitive with the products or services of the Company, or products or services that the Company or its affiliates, has under development or that are the subject of active planning at any time during my employment; provided that this shall not prohibit any possible investment in publicly traded stock of a company representing less than one percent of the stock of such company. In addition, during the Restricted Period, I will not, directly or indirectly, in any manner, other than for the benefit of the Company, (a) call upon, solicit, divert, take away, accept or conduct any business from or with any of the customers or prospective customers of the Company or any of its suppliers, and/or (b) solicit, entice, attempt to persuade any other employee or consultant of the Company to leave the Company for any reason. I acknowledge and agree that if I violate any of the provisions of this paragraph 8, the running of the Restricted Period will be extended by the time during which I engage in such violation(s).

9. Government Contracts . I acknowledge that the Company may have from time to time agreements with other persons or with the United States Government or its agencies which impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential nature of such work. I agree to comply with any such obligations or restrictions upon the direction of the Company. In addition to the rights assigned under paragraph 5, I also assign to the Company (or any of its nominees) all rights which I have or acquired in any Developments, full title to which is required to be in the United States under any contract between the Company and the United States or any of its agencies.

 

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10. Prior Agreements . I hereby represent that, except as I have fully disclosed previously in writing to the Company, I am not bound by the terms of any agreement with any previous employer or other party to refrain from using or disclosing any trade secret or confidential or proprietary information in the course of my employment with the Company or to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of such previous employer or any other party. I further represent that my performance of all the terms of this Agreement as an employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement to keep in confidence proprietary information, knowledge or data acquired by me in confidence or in trust prior to my employment with the Company. I will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information or material belonging to any previous employer or others.

11. Remedies Upon Breach . I understand that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are necessary for the protection of the business and goodwill of the Company and I consider them to be reasonable for such purpose. Any breach of this Agreement is likely to cause the Company substantial and irrevocable damage and therefore, in the event of such breach, the Company, in addition to such other remedies which may be available, will be entitled to seek specific performance and other injunctive relief, without the posting of a bond. If I violate this Agreement, in addition to all other remedies available to the Company at law, in equity, and under contract, I agree that I am obligated to pay all the Company’s costs of enforcement of this Agreement, including attorneys’ fees and expenses.

12. Use of Voice, Image and Likeness . During the period of my employment, I give the Company permission to use any and all of my voice, image and likeness, with or without using my name, in connection with the products and/or services of the Company, for the purposes of advertising and promoting such products and/or services and/or the Company, and/or for other purposes deemed appropriate by the Company in its reasonable discretion, except to the extent expressly prohibited by law.

13. Publications and Public Statements . I will obtain the Company’s written approval before publishing or submitting for publication any material that relates to my work at the Company and/or incorporates any Proprietary Information.

14. No Employment Obligation . I understand that this Agreement does not create an obligation on the Company or any other person to continue my employment. I acknowledge that, unless otherwise agreed in a formal written employment agreement signed on behalf of the Company by an authorized officer, my employment with the Company is at will and therefore may be terminated by the Company or me at any time and for any reason, with or without cause.

15. Survival and Assignment by the Company . I understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue in accordance with its express terms regardless of any changes in my title, position, duties, salary, compensation or benefits or other terms and conditions of employment. I further understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue following the termination of my employment regardless of the manner of such termination and will be binding upon my heirs, executors and administrators. The Company will have the right to assign this Agreement to its affiliates, successors and assigns. I expressly consent to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement for the benefit of the Company or any parent, subsidiary or affiliate to whose employ I may be transferred without the necessity that this Agreement be resigned at the time of such transfer.

16. Updating Information to the Company; Disclosure to Future Employers . For six (6) months following termination of my employment, I will (i) notify the Company of any change in my address and of each subsequent employment or business activity, including the name and address of my employer or other post-Company employment plans and the nature of my activities, and (ii) provide a copy of this Agreement to any prospective employer, partner or coventurer prior to entering into an employment, partnership or other business relationship with such person or entity.

17. Severability . In case any provisions (or portions thereof) contained in this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein. If, moreover, any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, it shall be construed by limiting and reducing it, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with the applicable law as it shall then appear.

18. Interpretation . This Agreement will be deemed to be made and entered into in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and will in all respects be interpreted, enforced and governed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I hereby agree to consent to personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts situated within Suffolk County, Massachusetts for purposes of enforcing this Agreement, and waive any objection that I might have to personal jurisdiction or venue in those courts.

 

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I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS AGREEMENT AFFECTS IMPORTANT RIGHTS. BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ IT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:  

/s/ John T. Cavan

   

(Employee’s full name)

Type or print name: John T. Cavan
Date:  

10/5/10

   


EXHIBIT A

 

To:    Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ,
From:   

 

Date:   

 

SUBJECT:                Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

No inventions or improvements
See below:

 

 

 

Additional sheets attached

The following is a list of all patents and patent applications in which I have been named as an inventor:

 

None
See below:

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.7

EXECUTION COPY

[CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ INDICATES MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN OMITTED AND FOR WHICH CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT HAS BEEN REQUESTED. ALL SUCH OMITTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO RULE 406 PROMULGATED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED.

LICENSE AGREEMENT

This License Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of May 31, 2006 (the “Effective Date”), is made by and between Bayer HealthCare AG, a German corporation (“Bayer”), and Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Aegerion”). Bayer and Aegerion are sometimes hereinafter referred to each as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”

WHEREAS, Bayer has been engaged in the development of implitapide as an inhibitor of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (“MTP”), and owns and otherwise controls certain patent rights and know-how with respect thereto;

WHEREAS, Aegerion desires to acquire exclusive rights under the Bayer Patent Rights and Bayer Know-How (as defined below) in order to continue the development thereof and products based thereupon; and

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to enter into an agreement pursuant to which Bayer will grant an exclusive license to Aegerion under the Bayer Patent Rights and Bayer Know-How for Aegerion to develop and commercialize Licensed Compounds and Licensed Products (as defined below).

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Definitions .

For the purpose of this Agreement, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings set forth below:

1.1 “Affiliate” of an entity means any other entity which (directly or indirectly) is controlled by, controls or is under common control with such entity. For the purposes of this definition, the term “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) as used with respect to an entity means (i) in the case of a corporate entity, direct or indirect ownership of voting securities entitled to cast at least fifty percent (50%) of the votes in the election of directors or (ii) in the case of a non-corporate entity, 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 entity, provided that if local law restricts foreign ownership, control shall be established by direct or indirect ownership of the maximum ownership percentage that may, under such local law, be owned by foreign interests.

1.2 “Bayer Know-How” means all Technology, now existing or hereafter arising during the time the license grant set forth in Section 2.1 is in effect, owned or otherwise Controlled by Bayer or any of its Affiliates, that is related to the Bayer Patent Rights or that is reasonably necessary or useful for the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, importation, research, development or commercialization or other exploitation of any Licensed Compounds or Licensed Products or Improvements. Exhibit A attached hereto lists specific Bayer Know-How.


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

1.3 “Bayer Patent Rights” means:

(a) the patents and patent applications listed in Exhibit B-1 attached hereto, plus (a) all divisionals, continuations, continuations-in-part thereof or any other patent application claiming priority directly or indirectly to (i) any of the patents or patent applications identified on Exhibit B-1 or (ii) any patent or patent application from which the patents or patent applications identified on Exhibit B-1 claim direct or indirect priority, and (b) all patents issuing on any of the foregoing; and

(b) all other patents and patent applications owned or otherwise Controlled by Bayer or any of its Affiliates during the time the license grant set forth in Section 2.1 is in effect that (i) claim any Improvements or their manufacture or use, or (ii) that are reasonably necessary for the manufacture, use sale, offer for sale, importation, research, development or commercialization or other exploitation of any Licensed Compounds or Licensed Products (the patents and patent applications of this clause (b), collectively “Bayer Improvement Patents”), which Bayer Improvement Patents the Parties shall list on Exhibit B-2 attached hereto during the term of this Agreement as provided for in Section 6.1, together with all registrations, reissues, re examinations, renewals, supplemental protection certificates and extensions of any of the foregoing, and all foreign counterparts thereof.

1.4 “Combination Product” means a Licensed Product that includes at least one additional active ingredient other than Licensed Compound. Drug delivery vehicles, adjuvants, and excipients shall not be deemed to be “active ingredients”, except in the case where such delivery vehicle, adjuvant, or excipient is recognized as an active ingredient in accordance with 21 C.F.R. 210.3(b)(7).

1.5 “Commercially Reasonable Efforts” means, with respect to Licensed Products, the carrying out of development and commercialization activities in a sustained manner using good faith commercially reasonable and diligent efforts, using the efforts that a company within the pharmaceutical industry and similarly situated to Aegerion would reasonably devote to a product of similar market potential or profit potential resulting from its own research efforts, based on conditions then prevailing and taking into account, without limitation, issues of safety and efficacy, product profile, the proprietary position, the then current competitive environment for such product and the likely timing of such product’s entry into the market, the regulatory environment and status of such product, and other relevant scientific, technical and commercial factors.

1.6 “Confidential Information” means all Technology, chemical or biological materials, marketing plans, strategies and customer lists, and other information that are disclosed or provided by such Party or its Affiliates to the other Party or its Affiliates, regardless of whether any of the foregoing are marked “confidential” or “proprietary” or communicated to the other by the disclosing Party or its Affiliates in oral, written, graphic, or electronic form.

1.7 “Confidentiality Agreement” means that certain Mutual Nondisclosure Agreement, dated October 5, 2005, by and between the Parties.

1.8 “Controlled” or “Controls”, when used in reference to patent or other intellectual property rights or Technology, means the legal authority or right of a person or entity to grant a license or sublicense of intellectual property rights to another person or entity, or to otherwise disclose or provide Technology to such other person or entity, without breaching the terms of any agreement with a different person or entity.

1.9 “FDA” means the United States Food and Drug Administration or any successor agency thereto.

1.10 “First Commercial Sale” means, with respect to any Licensed Product on a country-by-country basis, the first sale for use by the general public of such Licensed Product in such country after marketing approval of such Licensed Product has been granted, or marketing and sale of such Licensed Product is otherwise permitted, by the applicable regulatory authority of such country.

 

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1.11 “Improvements” means all Technology that amount to improvements to any of the inventions claimed by the Bayer Patent Rights or to the Bayer Know-How made, developed, conceived, owner or otherwise Controlled by Bayer or any of its Affiliates after the date hereof, whether or not patentable or patented.

1.12 “Licensed Compound” means (a) the compound known as Bay 13-9952 and identified as “implitapide,” and (b) any metabolic precursors, prodrugs, isomers (chiral and otherwise), metabolites, hydrates, anhydrides, solvates, salt forms, free acids or bases, esters, amides, ethers, complexes, conjugates or polymorphs of any compounds covered by the foregoing clause (a) or this clause (b).

1.13 “Licensed Product” means any pharmaceutical product containing a Licensed Compound (alone or with other active ingredients), in all forms, presentations, formulations and dosage forms. For clarification, Licensed Product shall include any Combination Product.

1.14 “NDA” means a New Drug Application filed with the FDA required for marketing approval for the applicable Licensed Product in the United States.

1.15 “Net Sales” means, with respect to any Licensed Product, the amount received by Aegerion and its Affiliates and Sublicensees for bona fide sales of such Licensed Product to a Third Party (other than Sublicensees and Aegerion’s Afffiliates but including distributors for resale), less:

(a) discounts (including cash, quantity and patient program discounts), retroactive price reductions, charge-back payments and rebates granted to managed health care organizations or to federal, state and local governments, their agencies, and purchasers and reimbursers or to trade customers;

(b) credits or allowances actually granted upon claims, damaged goods, rejections or returns of such Licensed Product, including such Licensed Product returned in connection with recalls or withdrawals;

(c) freight out, postage, shipping and insurance charges for delivery of such Licensed Product; and

(d) taxes or duties levied on, absorbed or otherwise imposed on the sale of such Licensed Product, including value-added taxes, or other governmental charges otherwise imposed upon the billed amount, as adjusted for rebates and refunds, to the extent not paid by the Third Party.

Net Sales shall not include any payments among Aegerion, its Affiliates and Sublicensees. Net Sales shall be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied. Net Sales for any Combination Product shall be calculated on a country-by-country basis by multiplying actual Net Sales of such Combination Product by the fraction A/B, where A is the weighted average price paid for the Licensed Product contained in such Combination Product if such License Product is sold separately in finished form in such country, and B is the weighted average invoice price paid for such Combination Product in such country. If such Licensed Product is not sold separately in finished form in such country, the parties shall determine Net Sales for such Licensed Product by mutual agreement based on the relative contribution of such Licensed Product and each such other active ingredients in such Combination Product in accordance with the above formula, and shall take into account in good faith any applicable allocations and calculations that may have been made for the same period in other countries.

 

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1.16 “Phase III Trial” means a human clinical trial of a Licensed Product on a sufficient number of subjects that is designed to establish that a pharmaceutical product is safe and efficacious for its intended use, and to determine warnings, precautions and adverse reactions that are associated with such pharmaceutical product in the dosage range to be prescribed, which trial is intended to support regulatory approval of a Licensed Product, all as described in 21 C.F.R. 312.21(c). For purposes of this Agreement, “Initiation of Phase III Trial” for a Licensed Product means the first dosing of such Licensed Product in a human patient in a Phase III Trial.

1.17 “Technology” means know-how, trade secrets, chemical and biological materials, formulations, information, documents, studies, results, data and regulatory approvals, data, filings and correspondence (including DMFs), including biological, chemical, pharmacological, toxicological, pre-clinical, clinical and assay data, manufacturing processes and data, specifications, sourcing information, assays, and quality control and testing procedures, whether or not patented or patentable.

1.18 “Third Party” means any person or entity other than Aegerion or Bayer or any of their Affiliates.

1.19 “Valid Claim” means a claim of an issued and unexpired patent contained within the Bayer Patent Rights, which claim has not been revoked or held invalid or unenforceable by a court or other government agency of competent jurisdiction from which no appeal can be or has been taken and has not been held or admitted to be invalid or unenforceable through re-examination, disclaimer, reissue, opposition procedure, nullity suit or otherwise, and which claim covers a Licensed Product or its use.

Section 2. License Grant by Bayer .

2.1 Exclusive License . Bayer, for itself and on behalf of its Affiliates, hereby grants to Aegerion and its Affiliates a non-transferable (except in accordance with Section 10.1), exclusive (even as to Bayer and its Affiliates), worldwide license, with the right to sublicense in accordance with Section 2.2 only, under the Bayer Patent Rights and Bayer Know-How, to make, have made, use, sell, offer to sell, import, research, develop, commercialize and otherwise exploit Licensed Compounds and Licensed Products and Improvements (but with respect to Improvements, only to the extent that any such Improvement is used in connection with the foregoing licensed activities involving Licensed Compounds and Licensed Products). The foregoing license grant includes the right to make reference to all regulatory approvals, data, filings and correspondence (including DMFs) contained within the Bayer Know-How.

 

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2.2 Sublicenses .

(a) Subject to Section 2.3, the exclusive license contained in Section 2.1 includes the right to grant sublicenses (through multiple tiers) to Third Parties (each such Third Party sublicensee, a “Sublicensee”), provided that Aegerion shall remain responsible for the performance of its Sublicensees hereunder. Aegerion shall provide Bayer with a copy of the sublicense agreement for its Sublicensees within ninety (90) days of execution, which copy may be redacted to exclude financial and other sensitive terms and shall be treated as Confidential Information of Aegerion hereunder.

(b) Each sublicense granted by Aegerion to any rights licensed to it hereunder shall terminate immediately upon the termination of the license from Bayer to Aegerion with respect to such rights, provided that such sublicensed rights shall not terminate if, as of the effective date of such termination by Bayer pursuant to Section 9.2, a Sublicensee is not in material default of its obligations to Aegerion under its sublicense agreement, and within thirty (30) days of such termination the Sublicensee agrees in writing to be bound directly to Bayer under a license agreement substantially similar to this Agreement with respect to the rights sublicensed hereunder, substituting such Sublicensee for Aegerion.

2.3 Bayer First Right of Negotiation . In the event Aegerion desires at any time to have a Third Party sell one or more Licensed Products after their respective First Commercial Sale in a particular country or countries (a “Commercialization Agreement”), Aegerion shall notify Bayer of its desire and provide Bayer with written notice specifying the applicable Licensed Product(s) and country(ies). If Bayer notifies Aegerion in writing of its election to pursue a Commercialization Agreement for such Licensed Product(s) in such country(ies) within thirty (30) days of Bayer’s receipt of such notice, Aegerion and Bayer shall enter into good faith negotiations with respect to such Commercialization Agreement for a period of ninety (90) days following Aegerion’s receipt of such election from Bayer (the “Negotiation Period”). During the Negotiation Period, Aegerion shall provide Bayer with such information Controlled by Aegerion regarding such Licensed Product(s) as Bayer may reasonably request. If Aegerion and Bayer fail to enter into such Commercialization Agreement (notwithstanding those good faith negotiations), or if Bayer fails to notify Aegerion in writing of Bayer’s election to initiate the Negotiation Period within such 30-day period, Aegerion shall thereafter be free to negotiate and enter into a Commercialization Agreement with one or more Third Parties for some or all of such Licensed Product(s) and country(ies), without any further obligation or liability to Bayer. Bayer’s rights under this Section 2.3 shall not apply to any assignment by Aegerion permitted by Section 10.1, and this Section 2.3 shall terminate in full upon any such permitted assignment by Aegerion to a non-Affiliated Third Party.

2.4 Restrictions on Bayer .

(a) Bayer and its Affiliates shall not grant or provide to any Third Party any Technology, patent or other intellectual property rights or Confidential Information inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement. For as long as the license grant set forth in Section 2.1 is in effect, (i) Bayer Know-How shall be treated as Confidential Information of both Aegerion and Bayer, and Bayer and its Affiliates shall not disclose Bayer Know-How except as permitted by Sections 7.1(b) or 7.1(c), and (ii) Bayer and its Affiliates shall not provide to any person or entity (other than Aegerion) any Licensed Compounds whose use or sale infringes a Valid Claim.

(b) The Parties acknowledge that Bayer and its Affiliates do not currently have any MTP inhibitor program under development and currently do not anticipate initiating any such program. Furthermore, Bayer and its Affiliates do not currently, nor do they intend to, assist any Third Party in developing any MTP inhibitors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise prohibited by the terms of this Agreement, Bayer reserves the right to do research and development in the area of MTP inhibitors after the Effective Date.

 

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2.5 License Limitations . No licenses or other rights are granted by Bayer hereunder to use any trademark, trade name, trade dress or service mark owned or otherwise Controlled by Bayer or any of its Affiliates. All licenses and other rights are or shall be granted only as expressly provided in this Agreement, and no other licenses or other rights is or shall be created or granted hereunder by implication, estoppel or otherwise.

Section 3. Transfer of Bayer Know-How .

3.1 Documentation . During the thirty (30) day period following the Effective Date, Bayer shall provide to Aegerion one (1) electronic copy of all documents, data or other information listed on Exhibit A .

3.2 Purchase of Licensed Compound . During the eighteen (18) month period following the Effective Date, Aegerion shall have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase and have transferred from Bayer, in accordance with Aegerion’s directions, any portion of Bayer’s inventory of Licensed Compound from any batch that Aegerion may specify at a rate of one thousand five hundred Euros (€1,500) per kilogram of Licensed Compound. The foregoing right shall apply with respect to any batch of Bayer’s inventory of Licensed Compound set forth in Exhibit C . During such eighteen (18) month period, Bayer shall transfer to Aegerion, at Aegerion’s reasonable request, representative samples of Bayer’s inventory of License Compound from any such batch that Aegerion may specify for the purpose of testing such samples for viability (at Aegerion’s cost). With respect to any remaining inventory of Licensed Compound in Bayer’s or any of its Affiliates’ possession, (i) Bayer shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates not to, use or transfer to Third Parties any of such remaining inventory for any purpose and (ii) during such eighteen-month period, [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/. Bayer represents and warrants that (1) all of Bayer’s inventory of Licensed Compound has been manufactured in accordance with GMP, (2)  Exhibit C contains a complete and accurate list of all batches of such inventory as of the Effective Date, including accurate information related thereto, and (3) each batch of all such inventory has a remaining shelf life as of the Effective Date equal to the period of time between the Effective Date and the “Retest date” set forth in Exhibit C for such batch.

3.3 Technical Assistance . During the six (6) month period following the Effective Date, Bayer shall reasonably cooperate with Aegerion to (i) provide (a) up to seventy (70) hours of technical assistance without charge to Aegerion and (b) any additional hours of technical assistance as Aegerion may reasonably request, for which Aegerion shall pay Bayer a rate of [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ U.S. dollars (US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/) per hour of such technical assistance, and (ii) transfer to Aegerion any additional Bayer Know-How licensed under Section 2.1, in each case to facilitate the transfer of development efforts related to Licensed Compounds and Licensed Products. Such cooperation shall include providing Aegerion with reasonable access by teleconference or in-person at Bayer’s facilities to Bayer personnel involved in the research and development of Licensed Compounds and Licensed Products to provide Aegerion with a reasonable level of technical assistance and consultation in connection with the transfer of Bayer Know-How.

 

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Section 4. Development and Commercialization .

4.1 Commercially Reasonable Efforts . Aegerion, or one of its Affiliates or Sublicensees, as applicable, shall use Commercially Reasonable Efforts to develop and commercialize at least one Licensed Product.

4.2 Responsibilities and Costs . Aegerion shall have sole responsibility for, and shall bear all its costs of conducting, all development and commercialization of Licensed Compounds and Licensed Products (including manufacturing all required materials, filing for and obtaining all required regulatory approvals and submitting any adverse event reports to the applicable regulatory authority). Aegerion shall own the results of all such activities, and as between the Parties, all such regulatory approvals shall be obtained by and in the name of Aegerion (or its Affiliates or Sublicensees).

4.3 Development Plan . Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a summary of Aegerion’s initial “Development Plan,” which summarizes Aegerion’s plans for the development of Licensed Products. At least semi-annually until a marketing approval in a country for the first Licensed Product, Aegerion shall provide to Bayer (i) any significant updates or revisions to the Development Plan for Bayer’s review (to the extent not prohibited by any agreement between Aegerion and a Sublicensee), and (ii) a report presenting a meaningful summary of the development activities accomplished by Aegerion through the end of the preceding semi-annual period. Further, in the event Aegerion’s Board of Directors passes a final resolution to provide notice of the discontinuation of the development of Licensed Compounds and Licensed Products hereunder, Aegerion shall notify Bayer in writing thereof within five (5) days of such final resolution, provided that such final resolution or discontinuation of development shall not affect Aegerion’s rights hereunder.

Section 5. Aegerion Payments .

5.1 Initial License Fee . Aegerion shall pay to Bayer seven hundred and fifty thousand U.S. dollars (US$750,000) within thirty (30) days after the Effective Date.

5.2 Milestone Payments . As set forth in the following table, Aegerion shall make Milestone Payments to Bayer upon achievement of each of the Milestones Events. Each Milestone Payment shall be payable by Aegerion to Bayer within thirty (30) days after the achievement of the corresponding Milestone Event with respect to the first Licensed Product. Only one set of Milestone Payments are payable hereunder no matter how many times any of the Milestone Events are achieved.

 

“Milestone Event”

  

“Milestone Payment”

1. [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/    US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/
2. [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/    US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/
3. [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/    US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/

5.3 Annual Payments . Aegerion shall pay to Bayer, within [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/) days after the start of the

 

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corresponding calendar year, the following amounts, which amounts when paid shall be non-refundable: (i) for calendar year 2007, [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ United States dollars (US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/), (ii) for calendar year 2008, [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ United States dollars (US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/), (iii) for calendar year 2009, [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ United States dollars (US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/), (iv) for calendar year 2010, [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ dollars (US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/) and (v) for calendar year 2011, [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ United States dollars (US$ [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/) (each, an “Annual Payment”); provided, however, that each Annual Payment shall be creditable against the Milestone Payments as such Milestone Payments become payable. [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/

5.4 Commercialization Milestone Payment . A one-time milestone payment of five million U.S. dollars (US$5,000,000) shall be payable by Aegerion to Bayer within thirty (30) days after the end of the calendar year in which Aegerion and its Affiliates and Sublicensees first achieves aggregate Net Sales of all Licensed Products on which royalties are paid hereunder of two hundred fifty million U.S. dollars (US$250,000,000).

 

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5.5 Royalties .

(a) Royalties . Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including the remainder of this Section 5), Aegerion shall pay to Bayer royalties, on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis for the period of time specified in Section 5.5(b), at the graduated royalty rates specified in the following table with respect to the aggregate annual worldwide Net Sales of all Licensed Products in a calendar year:

 

Aggregate Annual Worldwide Net Sales
of All Licensed Products in a Calendar Year

  

Royalty Rate

On such Net Sales up to one hundred million U.S. dollars (US$100,000,000)   

[CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent

([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%)

On such Net Sales above one hundred million U.S. dollars (US$100,000,000) and up to two hundred fifty million U.S. dollars (US$250,000,000)    [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%)
On such Net Sales above two hundred fifty million U.S. dollars (US$250,000,000) and up to five hundred million U.S. dollars (US$500,000,000)    [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%)
On such Net Sales above five hundred million U.S. dollars (US$500,000,000)    [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%)

The applicable royalty rate shall be determined by reference to all Net Sales on which royalties are paid in a given calendar year. [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/

(b) Royalty Term . The royalties due under Section 5.5(a) shall be payable on Net Sales from the First Commercial Sale of a particular Licensed Product until the later of, on a country-by-country basis, (i) the expiration of the last to expire patent in such country within the Bayer Patent Rights containing a Valid Claim covering such Licensed Product or its use for which regulatory approval has been obtained in such country, or (ii) ten (10) years from such First Commercial Sale, provided that such 10-year period shall apply only if there was in such country a Valid Claim within the Bayer Patent Rights covering such Licensed Product or its use for which regulatory approval had been obtained in such country, and further provided that if royalties are owed on account of this clause (ii) but not the preceding clause (i), the royalty rates specified in Section 5.5(a) shall be reduced by [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%). For clarity, only one 10-year period under the foregoing clause (ii) above shall apply for all Licensed Products containing the same Licensed Compound ( i.e. , for a given chemical entity, not including all of the variations thereof identified in clause (b) of the “Licensed Compound” definition).

 

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(c) Generic Competition . The royalty rates specified in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.5(b) shall be reduced by [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/) on a country-by-country basis at any such time where the sale of one or more Generic Product(s) in such country exceeds [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of the unit sales volume for the applicable Licensed Product in that country, as measured by IMS Health or its successor. Such reduction shall be first applied with respect to such country starting with sales in the calendar quarter following the first calendar quarter where the sales of the Generic Product(s) in such country exceed [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of the unit sales volume of the applicable Licensed Product.

(d) Only One Royalty . Only one royalty shall be due with respect to the sale of the same unit of Licensed Product. Only one royalty shall be due hereunder on the sale of a Licensed Product even if the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or importation of such Licensed Product infringes more than one claim of the Bayer Patent Rights.

5.6 Credits and Reductions . The following shall apply to amounts payable to Bayer hereunder:

(a) Dominated IP . [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of third party royalties and milestones of actual costs paid or payable by Aegerion and its Affiliates for licenses and acquisitions by Aegerion, its Affiliates or Sublicensees of patent or other intellectual property rights dominating or dominated by Bayer Patent Rights and therefore necessary to practice some or all of the Bayer Patent Rights in a particular country shall be creditable against payments owed Bayer under Sections 5.2 to 5.5.

(b) Other IP . Third party royalties and milestones (other than as credited under Section 5.6(a)) for the actual costs paid or payable by Aegerion and its Affiliates for licenses and acquisitions by Aegerion, its Affiliates or Sublicensees of patent or other intellectual property rights reasonably necessary for the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or importation of any Licensed Product in a particular country shall be creditable against payments owed Bayer under Sections 5.2 to 5.5, provided that, in the case of royalties, only where the aggregate royalty burden for such Licensed Product in a particular country exceeds [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of the Blended Rate (as defined below) and in such a royalty case, Aegerion will be entitled to a credit in the amount of [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of such excess. For purposes of this Agreement, “Blended Rate” means (1) the total amount of royalties that would be payable in the applicable calendar quarter and prior three (3) calendar quarters with respect to the applicable Licensed Product under Section 5.5 (without any reduction under this Section 5.6), divided by (2) the total Net Sales on which royalties are paid for such Licensed Product for that same period, expressed as a percentage.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 5.6 or Sections 6.3(c) or 6.4, in no event shall Bayer receive less than [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of the aggregate original payments due hereunder under Sections 5.2 to 5.5 for any given calendar quarter (with any unused credits to accumulate and be applied against future payments due to Bayer).

5.7 Payment Terms .

(a) Manner of Payment . All payments to be made by Aegerion hereunder shall be made in U.S. dollars by wire transfer to such bank account as Bayer may designate.

(b) Reports and Royalty Payments . For as long as royalties are due under Section 5.5(a), Aegerion shall furnish to Bayer a written report, within forty-five (45) days after the end of each calendar quarter, showing the amount of Net Sales of Licensed Products and royalty due for such calendar quarter.

 

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Royalty payments for each calendar quarter shall be due at the same time as such written report for the calendar quarter. The report shall include, at a minimum, the following information for the applicable calendar quarter, each listed by product and by country of sale: (i) the number of units of Licensed Products sold by Aegerion and its Affiliates and Sublicensees on which royalties are owed Bayer hereunder; (ii) the gross amount received for such sales; (iii) deductions taken from Net Sales as specified in the definition thereof; (iv) Net Sales; (v) the amounts of any credits or reductions permitted by Section 5.6 or elsewhere hereunder; (vi) the royalties and Milestone Payments owed to Bayer, listed by category; and (vii) the computations for any applicable currency conversions pursuant to Section 5.7(d). Aegerion shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain permission from each Sublicensee to share with Bayer the information listed in the foregoing clauses (other than clause (iv)) as it relates to Net Sales made by such Sublicensee, and to the extent successful, will include such Sublicensee information in such report. All such reports shall be treated as Confidential Information of Aegerion.

(c) Records and Audits . Aegerion shall keep, and shall cause each of its Affiliates and Sublicensees, as applicable, to keep adequate books and records of accounting for the purpose of calculating all royalties payable to Bayer hereunder. For the two (2) years next following the end of the calendar year to which each shall pertain, such books and records of accounting (including those of Aegerion’s Affiliates and Sublicensees, as applicable) shall be kept at each of their principal place of business and shall be open for inspection at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice by an independent certified accountant selected by Bayer, and which is reasonably acceptable to Aegerion, for the sole purpose of inspecting the royalties due to Bayer under this Agreement. In no event shall such inspections be conducted hereunder more frequently than once every twelve (12) months. Such accountant must have executed and delivered to Aegerion and its Affiliates and Sublicensees, as applicable, a confidentiality agreement as reasonably requested by Aegerion, which shall include provisions limiting such accountant’s disclosure to Bayer to only the results and basis for such results of such inspection. The results of such inspection, if any, shall be binding on both Parties. Any underpayments shall be paid by Aegerion within thirty (30) days of notification of the results of such inspection. Any overpayments shall be fully creditable against amounts payable in subsequent payment periods. Bayer shall pay for such inspections, except that in the event there is any upward adjustment in aggregate royalties payable for any calendar year shown by such inspection of more than [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of the amount paid, Aegerion shall reimburse Bayer for any reasonable out-of-pocket costs of such accountant. Any underpayments or overpayments under this Section 5.7(c) shall be subject to the currency exchange provisions set forth in Section 5.7(d) as applied to the calendar quarter during which the royalty obligations giving rise to such underpayment or overpayment were incurred by Aegerion.

(d) Currency Exchange . With respect to Net Sales invoiced in U.S. dollars, the Net Sales and the amounts due to Bayer hereunder shall be expressed in U.S. dollars. With respect to Net Sales invoiced in a currency other than U.S. dollars, the Net Sales shall be expressed in the domestic currency of the entity making the sale, together with the U.S. dollar equivalent, calculated using the official rate of exchange of such domestic currency as quoted by the Wall Street Journal, New York edition, for the last business day of the calendar quarter for which the payment is made.

(e) Tax Withholding; Value-Added Tax . Aegerion shall have the right to withhold from payments due hereunder any tax which Bayer is liable to under the appropriate tax laws and for the payments of which Aegerion is responsible. Bayer shall be sent tax receipts by Aegerion certifying the payments of the tax, so that Bayer may use it for claiming a credit on the tax payable by Bayer in Germany on such payments. No deduction shall be made or a reduced amount shall be deducted if Bayer furnishes a document from all required tax authorities to Aegerion sufficiently before the due date of the payments, certifying that the payments are exempt from tax or subject to a reduced tax rate according to the applicable convention for the avoidance of double taxation. Except for such withholding taxes and except for the personal corporate income tax of Bayer, any other taxes, assessments, fees and charges

 

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imposed against payments due to Bayer hereunder shall be borne by Aegerion. Besides the above said, both Parties will undertake commercially reasonable efforts to minimize the allover tax burden for each of the Parties. Value-added tax shall apply as legally required.

(f) Interest Due . Aegerion shall pay Bayer interest on any payments that are not paid on or before the date such payments are due under this Agreement at a rate of [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) per month or the maximum applicable legal rate, if less, calculated on the total number of days payment is delinquent.

Section 6. Patent Prosecution, Infringement and Extensions .

6.1 Appointment and Cooperation . With respect to all of the rights and activities of Aegerion set forth in this Section 6, Bayer hereby appoints Aegerion as its agent for such purposes with the authority to act on Bayer’s behalf with respect to the Bayer Patent Rights. Bayer shall cooperate with Aegerion in the exercise of Aegerion’s authority granted herein, and shall execute such documents and take such additional action as Aegerion may request in connection therewith. The Parties shall update Exhibits B-1 and  B-2 upon either Party’s reasonable request.

6.2 Prosecution and Maintenance .

(a) By Aegerion . On the Effective Date, Bayer shall provide Aegerion with copies of the complete prosecution files for all patents and patent applications listed on Exhibit B . Aegerion shall be solely responsible for the preparation, prosecution (including any interferences, oppositions, reissue proceedings and reexaminations) and maintenance of the Bayer Patent Rights, and all filing, prosecution, and maintenance decisions with respect to the Bayer Patent Rights shall be made by Aegerion, provided Bayer shall retain the right to give comments to Aegerion on material aspects of those activities. Aegerion shall be responsible for all its costs incurred for such preparation, prosecution and maintenance. Each Party shall provide to the other Party copies of any papers relating to the filing, prosecution or maintenance of Bayer Patent Rights promptly upon receipt. Bayer shall not take any action with respect to the prosecution or maintenance of any Bayer Patent Rights without the prior written consent of Aegerion, except as contemplated by Section 6.2(b).

(b) By Bayer . Aegerion shall not knowingly permit any of the Bayer Patent Rights to be abandoned in any country without Bayer first being given an opportunity to assume full responsibility for the continued prosecution and maintenance of same. In the event that Aegerion decides not to continue the prosecution or maintenance of a patent application or patent within Bayer Patent Rights in any country, Aegerion shall provide Bayer with notice of this decision at least thirty (30) days prior to any pending lapse or abandonment thereof. In the event that Bayer elects to assume responsibility for such prosecution and maintenance within thirty (30) days of Aegerion’s notice, Section 6.2(a) shall thereafter apply to such patent application(s) and patent(s) except that the role of Aegerion and Bayer shall be reversed thereunder (including that Bayer shall be solely responsible for all costs arising from those activities). Such patent application(s) and patent(s) shall otherwise continue to be subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Agreement in the same way as the other Bayer Patent Rights.

(c) Bayer Improvement Patents . For any Bayer Improvement Patents, the roles of the Parties under this Sections 6.2 shall be reversed.

6.3 Enforcement and Defense .

(a) By Aegerion . In the event that Bayer or Aegerion becomes aware of a suspected infringement of any Bayer Patent Right, or any such Bayer Patent Right is challenged in any action or proceeding (other than any interferences, oppositions, reissue proceedings or reexaminations, which are addressed above), such Party shall notify the other Party promptly, and following such notification, the Parties shall confer. Aegerion shall have the right, but shall not be obligated, to defend any such action or

 

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proceeding or bring an infringement action with respect to such infringement at its own expense, in its own name and entirely under its own direction and control, or settle any such action or proceeding by sublicense. Bayer shall reasonably assist Aegerion in any action or proceeding being defended or prosecuted if so requested, and shall join such action or proceeding if reasonably requested by Aegerion or required by applicable law. Bayer shall have the right to participate in any such action or proceeding with its own counsel at its own expense and without reimbursement.

(b) By Bayer . If Aegerion elects not to settle, defend or bring any action for infringement described in Section 6.3(a) and so notifies Bayer, then, if and only if such infringement would give rise to royalties payable to Bayer hereunder had Aegerion conducted the alleged infringing activities, Bayer may defend or bring such action at its own expense, in its own name and entirely under its own direction and control, subject to the following: Aegerion shall reasonably assist Bayer in any action or proceeding being defended or prosecuted if so requested, and shall join such action or proceeding if requested by Bayer or required by applicable law. Aegerion shall have the right to participate in any such action or proceeding with its own counsel at its own expense and without reimbursement. No settlement of any such action or proceeding which restricts the scope, or adversely affects the enforceability, of a Bayer Patent Right may be entered into by Bayer without the prior written consent of Aegerion.

(c) Escrow in Certain Circumstances . On a country-by-country and product-by-product basis, in any action or proceeding in which a Third Party challenges the validity or enforceability of all (and not less than all) of the Valid Claims under the Bayer Patent Rights in such country that cover such Licensed Product or its use (including by way of interference, opposition, reissue proceeding or reexamination, or in response to enforcement pursuant to Section 6.3), then upon filing of such action or proceeding by a Third Party, fifty percent (50%) of all the royalties which would otherwise be paid to Bayer, with respect to such Licensed Product for such country affected by such action or proceeding, shall be deposited in an interest bearing escrow account, until such time as all such Valid Claims expire. All monies in such escrow account, together with all accrued interest, shall be retained by Aegerion if all such Valid Claims are found invalid or unenforceable by a court of proper jurisdiction in a decision unappealable or unappealed within the time allowed for appeal, and, if at least one such Valid Claim is found not invalid and not unenforceable by a court of proper jurisdiction in such a decision, all monies in such escrow account, together with all accrued interest, shall be released to Bayer immediately.

(d) Withdrawal . If either Party brings an action or proceeding under this Section 6.3 and subsequently ceases to pursue or withdraws from such action or proceeding, it shall promptly notify the other Party and the other Party may substitute itself for the withdrawing Party under the terms of this Section 6.3.

(e) Damages . In the event that either Party exercises the rights conferred in this Section 6.3 and recovers any damages or other sums in such action or proceeding or in settlement thereof, such damages or other sums recovered shall first be applied to all out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by the Parties in connection therewith (including attorneys fees), unless not reimbursable hereunder. If such recovery is insufficient to cover all such costs and expenses of both Parties, the controlling Party’s costs shall be paid in full first before any of the other Party’s costs. If after such reimbursement any funds shall remain from such damages or other sums recovered, [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/.

 

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6.4 Third Party IP Claims . In the event of (i) a holding in any action or proceeding enjoining Aegerion or any of its Affiliates or Sublicensees from manufacturing, using, selling, offering for sale, importing, developing or commercializing any Licensed Compounds or Licensed Products, or holding Aegerion or any such other entities liable for damages for any such activities, in each case such holding unappealable or unappealed within the time allowed for appeal, or (ii) a settlement of any action or proceeding requiring payment of damages by Aegerion or any such party, Bayer shall refund to Aegerion royalties paid with respect to all Licensed Products affected by such action or proceeding, from the time such action or proceeding is first brought, sufficient to reimburse Aegerion and all such entities for [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of all damages and costs and expenses paid or incurred by any of them with respect to such action or proceeding attributable to infringement or misappropriation of any Third Party’s patent or other intellectual property rights, provided that in no event shall Bayer be required to refund more than [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of any such royalties paid by Aegerion, and provided further, in the event that such refund is not sufficient to compensate for such [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of all such damages and expenses, Aegerion shall be entitled to reduce royalties payable to Bayer by up to [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) hereunder in each subsequent calendar quarter until such time as Aegerion recovers in full such [CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/ percent ([CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/%) of all such damages and expenses.

6.5 Patent Extensions; Orange Book Listings; Patent Certifications .

(a) Patent Term Extension . If elections with respect to obtaining patent term extension or supplemental protection certificates or their equivalents in any country with respect to Bayer Patent Rights or other patent rights covering Licensed Products or their manufacture or use are available, Aegerion shall have the sole right to make any such elections.

(b) Data Exclusivity and Orange Book Listings . With respect to data exclusivity periods (such as those periods listed in the FDA’s Orange Book (including any available pediatric extensions) or periods under national implementations of Article 10.1(a)(iii) of Directive 2001/EC/83, and all equivalents in any country), Aegerion shall have the sole right to seek and maintain all such data exclusivity periods available for the Licensed Products.

(c) Notification of Patent Certification . Bayer shall notify and provide Aegerion with copies of any allegations of alleged patent invalidity, unenforceability or non-infringement of a Bayer Patent Right pursuant to a Paragraph IV Patent Certification by a Third Party filing an Abbreviated New Drug Application, an application under §505(b)(2) of the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended, or any other similar patent certification by a Third Party, and any foreign equivalent thereof. Such notification and copies shall be provided to Aegerion within two (2) days after Bayer receives such certification, and shall be sent to the address set forth in Section 10.5.

Section 7. Confidential Information and Publicity .

7.1 Confidentiality .

(a) Confidential Information . Except as expressly provided herein, each of the Parties agrees that, for itself and its Affiliates, and for as long as this Agreement is in effect and for a period of

 

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ten (10) years thereafter, a Party and its Affiliates (the “Receiving Party”) receiving Confidential Information of the other Party or its Affiliates (the “Disclosing Party”) shall (i) not disclose such Confidential Information to any Third Party without the prior written consent of the Disclosing Party, except for disclosures expressly permitted below, and (ii) not use such Confidential Information for any purpose except those licensed or otherwise authorized or permitted by this Agreement. For clarity, all Confidential Information of Aegerion received by or disclosed to Bayer hereunder shall be used by Bayer only for ensuring that Aegerion complies with its obligations hereunder and for no other purposes.

(b) Exceptions . The obligations in Section 7.1(a) shall not apply with respect to any portion of the Confidential Information that the Receiving Party can show by competent proof:

(i) is publicly disclosed by the Disclosing Party, either before or after it is disclosed to the Receiving Party hereunder;

(ii) was known to the Receiving Party or any of its Affiliates, without any obligation to keep it confidential or any restriction on its use, prior to disclosure by the Disclosing Party;

(iii) is subsequently disclosed to the Receiving Party or any of its Affiliates by a Third Party lawfully in possession thereof and without any obligation to keep it confidential or any restriction on its use;

(iv) is published by a Third Party or otherwise becomes publicly available or enters the public domain, either before or after it is disclosed to the Receiving Party; or

(v) has been independently developed by employees or contractors of the Receiving Party or any of its Affiliates without the aid, application or use of Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party.

(c) Authorized Disclosures . The Receiving Party may disclose Confidential Information belonging to the Disclosing Party to the extent (and only to the extent) such disclosure is reasonably necessary in the following instances:

(i) subject to Section 7.2, by either Party in order to comply with applicable non-patent law (including any securities law or regulation or the rules of a securities exchange) and with judicial process, if in the reasonable opinion of the Receiving Party’s counsel, such disclosure is necessary for such compliance;

(ii) by either Party, in connection with prosecuting or defending litigation, making regulatory filings, and filing, prosecuting and enforcing patent applications and patents (including Bayer Patent Rights in accordance with Section 6);

(iii) by Aegerion, to its Affiliates, potential and future collaborators (including Sublicensees), permitted acquirers or assignees under Section 10.1, research collaborators, subcontractors, investment bankers, investors, lenders, and their and each of Aegerion and its Affiliates’ respective directors, employees, contractors and agents; and

(iv) by Bayer to its Affiliates, permitted acquirers or assignees under Section 10.1, investment bankers, investors, lenders, and their and Bayer and its Affiliates’ respective directors, employees, contractors and agents,

provided that (1) with respect to Section 7.1(c)(i) or 7.1(c)(ii), where reasonably possible, the Receiving Party shall notify the Disclosing Party of the Receiving Party’s intent to make any disclosure pursuant thereto sufficiently prior to making such disclosure so as to allow the Disclosing Party adequate time to take whatever action it may deem appropriate to protect the confidentiality of the information to be disclosed, and (2) with respect to Sections 7.1(c)(iii) and 7.1(c)(iv), each of those named people and entities must be bound prior to disclosure by confidentiality and non-use restrictions at least as restrictive

 

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as those contained in this Section 7 (other than investment bankers, investors and lenders, who must be bound prior to disclosure by commercially reasonable obligations of confidentiality). In addition to the foregoing, Aegerion and its Affiliates and Sublicensees may make such disclosures of Bayer Know-How specifically concerning the Licensed Compound and its use as any of them may deem reasonably necessary for their business.

7.2 Terms of this Agreement; Publicity .

(a) The Parties agree that the terms of this Agreement shall be treated as Confidential Information of both Parties, and thus may be disclosed only as permitted by Section 7.1(c). Each Party agrees not to issue any press release or public statement disclosing information relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or the terms hereof without the prior written consent of the other Party (or as such consent may be obtained in accordance with Section 7.2(b)), which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, or as permitted by Section 7.1(c).

(b) In the event either Party (the “Issuing Party”) desires to issue a press release or other public statement disclosing information relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or the terms hereof, the Issuing Party shall provide the other Party (the “Reviewing Party”) with a copy of the proposed press release or public statement (the “Release”). The Reviewing Party shall have three (3) business days to provide any comments on such Release, and if the Receiving Party fails to provide any comments during such three-day period, the Reviewing Party shall be deemed to have consented to the issuance of such Release. If the Receiving Party provides any comments, the Parties shall consult on the such Release and work in good faith to prepare a mutually acceptable Release. Either Party may subsequently publicly disclose any information previously contained in any Release so consented to.

7.3 Relationship to the Confidentiality Agreement . This Agreement supersedes the Confidentiality Agreement, provided that all “Confidential Information” disclosed or received by the Parties thereunder shall be deemed “Confidential Information” hereunder and shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Section 8. Warranties; Limitations of Liability; Indemnification

8.1 Bayer Representations and Warranties . Bayer covenants, represents and warrants to Aegerion that as of the Effective Date:

(a) Bayer is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of state or jurisdiction in which it is incorporated, and it has full right and authority to enter into this Agreement and to grant the licenses and other rights to Aegerion as herein described.

(b) This Agreement has been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action, and when executed and delivered will become a valid and binding contract of Bayer enforceable against Bayer in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other law affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time if effect, and to general principles of equity.

(c) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement does not conflict with any other agreement, contract, instrument or understanding, oral or written, to which Bayer is a party, or by which it is bound, nor will it violate any law applicable to Bayer.

(d) All necessary consents, approvals and authorizations of all regulatory and governmental authorities and other persons or entities required to be obtained by Bayer in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the performance of its obligations hereunder have been obtained.

(e) Exhibit A contains a list of all Bayer Know-How in Bayer’s possession as of the Effective Date that Bayer has reasonably concluded Aegerion will find reasonably necessary or useful for

 

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the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, importation, research, development or commercialization or other exploitation of any Licensed Compounds or Licensed Products or Improvements. Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a complete and accurate list of all patents and patent applications owned (in whole or in part) or otherwise Controlled by Bayer or any of its Affiliates that the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or importation of any Licensed Compounds (alone or as part of any Combination Product) would infringe. To the knowledge of Bayer, the issued claims included in the Bayer Patent Rights are valid and enforceable, and no written claim has been made (except by a patent examiner during prosecution of the patent application(s) that resulted in any such issued patent claims), and no action or proceeding has been commenced or threatened, alleging to the contrary. Bayer is the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to the Bayer Patent Rights. None of the Bayer Patent Rights or Bayer Know-How is subject to any lien, security interest or other encumbrance. To Bayer’s knowledge, the conception and reduction to practice of the Bayer Patent Rights have not constituted or involved the misappropriation of trade secrets or other rights or property of any Third Party. There are no claims, judgments or settlements against or amounts with respect thereto owed by Bayer or any of its Affiliates relating to the Bayer Patent Rights. To Bayer’s knowledge, there has been no infringement by any Third Party of any Bayer Patent Rights. The use or practice of the license grant contained in Section 2.1 shall not trigger any payment obligation by Bayer or any of its Affiliates or Former Licensees (as defined below) to any Third Party.

(f) There is no pending action or proceeding alleging, or, to Bayer’s knowledge, any written communication alleging, that the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or importation of any Licensed Compounds (alone or as part of any Combination Product), the activities of Bayer or any of its Affiliates or any of their licensees with respect to any such Licensed Compounds, or the practice or use of the Bayer Patent Rights or Bayer Know-How, has or will infringe or misappropriate any patent or other intellectual property rights of any Third Party. Bayer has notified Aegerion of all such rights of any Third Party of which Bayer is aware that are related to the foregoing activities, including those patents set forth on Exhibit E-1 .

(g) Except as set forth in Exhibit E-2 :

(i) Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc. (together with its affiliates, including Medical Research Laboratories International, LLC, collectively “PPD”) and Evan Stein, MD, PhD (“Dr. Stein”) constitute all Former Licensees known to Bayer, wherein “Former Licensees” means Bayer’s former licensees under any Bayer Patent Rights or Bayer Know-How with respect to any Licensed Compounds and their sublicensees, subcontractors, clinical partners and other collaborators.

(ii) Since Bayer has not done an in-depth analysis of IP since 2002 when implitapide was originally out-licensed, Bayer can only represent that to its knowledge in light of the gap identified, it has sufficient rights (by ownership or license) in and to all Former Licensees IP (as defined below) for all Former Licensee IP to be treated as Bayer Patent Rights and Bayer Know-How hereunder (including being subject to the exclusive license grant contained in Section 2.1), wherein “Former Licensee IP” means all Technology and patent and other intellectual property rights created or owned or otherwise Controlled by any Former Licensee or any of its Affiliates, in each case related to the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, importation, development or commercialization of any Licensed Compounds. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and to Bayer’s knowledge, PPD does not retain any right, title or interest in or to any Former Licensee IP, and no Former Licensee has filed or obtained any patent rights concerning any of those activities.

(iii) To the knowledge of Bayer, no Former Licensee has any supply of Licensed Compounds.

(h) To the extent that Bayer has the benefit of any contractual rights from any Former Licensees concerning the development or commercialization of any Licensed Compounds, Bayer shall

 

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use commercially reasonable efforts to exercise the same on behalf of Aegerion or any of its Affiliates or Sublicensees upon request (or if not so commercially reasonable, shall transfer the right to exercise the same to Aegerion or any of its Affiliates or Sublicensees as Aegerion may designate and as may be permitted by the applicable terms).

(i) As of the Effective Date, except as set forth in Exhibit E-3 , Bayer does not have any knowledge of any scientific or clinical facts or circumstances that would materially and adversely affect the safety, efficacy or market performance of any Licensed Compounds (alone or as part of any Combination Product) that have not been communicated to Aegerion.

8.2 Aegerion Representations and Warranties . Aegerion covenants, represents and warrants to Bayer that as of the Effective Date:

(a) Aegerion is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of state in which it is incorporated, and it has full right and authority to enter into this Agreement and to accept the rights and licenses granted as herein described.

(b) This Agreement has been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action, and when executed and delivered will become a valid and binding contract of Aegerion enforceable against Aegerion in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time if effect, and to general principles of equity.

(c) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement does not conflict with any other agreement, contract, instrument or understanding, oral or written, to which Aegerion is a party, or by which it is bound, nor will it violate any law applicable to Aegerion.

(d) All necessary consents, approvals and authorizations of all regulatory and governmental authorities and other persons or entities required to be obtained by Aegerion in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the performance of its obligations hereunder have been obtained.

8.3 Disclaimer . EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN, NEITHER BAYER NOR AEGERION MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

8.4 Limitation of Liability . NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR OTHERWISE, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER OR ANY THIRD PARTY WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THIS SECTION 8.4 SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE PARTIES’ INDEMNIFICATION RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UNDER SECTIONS 8.6(a) AND 8.6(b).

8.5 Performance by Affiliates . The Parties recognize that each Party may perform some or all of its obligations under this Agreement through Affiliates and Third Party contractors provided, however, that each Party shall remain responsible and liable for the performance by its Affiliates and Third Party contractors and shall cause its Affiliates and Third Party contractors to comply with the provisions of this Agreement in connection therewith.

8.6 Indemnification .

(a) Aegerion Indemnity . Aegerion hereby agrees to indemnify and hold Bayer and its Affiliates, and their respective employees, directors, agents and contractors, and their respective successors, heirs and assigns and representatives (“Bayer Indemnitees”) harmless from and against all claims, liability, threatened claims, damages, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), suits, proceedings, losses or judgments, whether for money or equitable relief, of any kind, including death,

 

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personal injury, illness, product liability or property damage or the failure to comply with applicable law (but not infringement or misappropriation of patents or other intellectual property rights) (collectively, “Losses”), arising from any Third Party claim due to the use, manufacture, sale, development or commercialization of any Licensed Compounds or Licensed Products by or for Aegerion or any of its Affiliates, Sublicensees, agents and contractors, except to the extent that such Losses arise from (a) the negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct of any Bayer Indemnitees or (b) any breach of this Agreement by Bayer.

(b) Bayer Indemnity . Bayer hereby agrees to indemnify and hold Aegerion, its Affiliates and Sublicensees, and their respective employees, directors, agents and contractors, and their respective successors, heirs and assigns and representatives (“Aegerion Indemnitees”) harmless from and against all Losses arising from any Third Party claim due to the use, manufacture, sale, development or commercialization of any Licensed Compounds or Licensed Products by or for Bayer or any of its Affiliates, licensees (other than Aegerion and its Affiliates and Sublicensees), agents and contractors, except to the extent that such Losses arise from (a) the negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct of any Aegerion Indemnitees or (b) any breach of this Agreement by Aegerion.

(c) Indemnification Procedure . A claim to which indemnification applies under Section 8.6(a) or Section 8.6(b) shall be referred to herein as a “Claim”. If any person or entity (each, an “Indemnitee”) intends to claim indemnification under this Section 8.6, the Indemnitee shall notify the other Party (the “Indemnitor”) in writing promptly upon becoming aware of any claim that may be a Claim (it being understood and agreed, however, that the failure by an Indemnitee to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnitor of its indemnification obligation under this Agreement except and only to the extent that the Indemnitor is actually prejudiced as a result of such failure to give notice). The Indemnitor shall have the right to assume and control the defense of such Claim at its own expense with counsel selected by the Indemnitor and reasonably acceptable to the Indemnitee; provided, however, that an Indemnitee shall have the right to retain its own counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the Indemnitee, if representation of such Indemnitee by the counsel retained by the Indemnitor would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such Indemnitee and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceedings. If the Indemnitor does not assume the defense of such Claim as aforesaid, the Indemnitee may defend such Claim but shall have no obligation to do so. The Indemnitee shall not settle or compromise any Claim without the prior written consent of the Indemnitor, and the Indemnitor shall not settle or compromise any Claim in any manner which would have an adverse effect on the Indemnitee’s interests, without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee, which consent, in each case, shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with the Indemnitor at the Indemnitor’s expense and shall make available to the Indemnitor all pertinent information under the control of the Indemnitee, which information shall be subject to Section 7.1.

8.7 Insurance . Aegerion shall procure and maintain insurance policies for the following coverages with respect to personal injury, bodily injury and property damage arising out of Aegerion’s performance under this Agreement: (a) during the term of this Agreement, comprehensive general liability, including broad form and contractual liability, in a minimum amount of $3,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence and in the aggregate; (b) prior to the commencement of clinical trials involving any Licensed Products, clinical trials coverage in a minimum amount of $5,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence and in the aggregate; and (c) prior to the First Commercial Sale of the first Licensed Product, product liability coverage, in a minimum amount of $2,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence and in the aggregate, with the coverage provided for in clauses (b) and (c) to remain in force during the term of this Agreement and for at least five (5) years thereafter. The policies of insurance required by this Section 8.7 shall be issued by an insurance carrier with an A.M. Best rating of “A” or better. Aegerion shall provide Bayer with insurance certificates evidencing the required coverage within thirty (30) days after the Effective Date and the commencement of each policy period and any renewal periods.

 

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Section 9. Term, Termination and Survival .

9.1 Term . This Agreement shall commence as of the Effective Date and, unless sooner terminated in accordance with the terms hereof or by mutual written consent, shall continue on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis until the end of the period during which royalties are due hereunder on Net Sales of such Licensed Product in such country. Upon the end of such period for such Licensed Product in such country, the license grant contained in Section 2.1 shall become perpetual, irrevocable and fully paid up with respect to such Licensed Product in such country.

9.2 Termination for Material Default . Either Party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement upon delivery of written notice to the other Party in the event of any default in the performance by such other Party of any of such other Party’s material obligations under this Agreement, provided that such default has not been cured within ninety (90) days, or, in the event such default results in a failure to make payment when due hereunder, thirty (30) days, after written notice thereof is given by the non-defaulting Party to the defaulting Party specifying the nature of the alleged default, provided the Parties shall take all reasonable steps to resolve the matter pursuant to the process set forth in Section 10.6(a) during the applicable cure period and before any such termination becomes effective. Termination of this Agreement by Bayer under this Section 9.2 shall be on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis (and not for the Agreement as a whole) if the default giving rise to termination is reasonably specific to one or more countries or one or more products ( e.g. , a royalty dispute for one product in one or more countries).

9.3 Termination for Convenience by Aegerion . Aegerion may terminate this Agreement in full for any reason effective upon sixty (60) days prior written notice to Bayer.

9.4 Termination for Insolvency . To the extent permitted by law, upon the filing or institution of bankruptcy, reorganization, liquidation or receivership proceedings, or upon an assignment of a substantial portion of the assets for the benefit of creditors (a “Bankruptcy Event”) by either Party, Bayer, in the case of a Bankruptcy Event by Aegerion, or Aegerion, in the case of a Bankruptcy Event by Bayer, may terminate this Agreement; provided, however, that, in the case of any involuntary bankruptcy proceeding, such right to terminate shall only become effective if the subject Party consents to the involuntary bankruptcy or such proceeding is not dismissed within ninety (90) days after the filing thereof. Each Party shall retain and may fully exercise all of its rights and elections under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and foreign equivalents, including that upon commencement of a bankruptcy proceeding by or against such Party undergoing a bankruptcy proceeding (the “Affected Party”) under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or foreign equivalents, the non-Affected Party shall be entitled to complete duplicates of or complete access to, as such non-Affected Party deems appropriate, any Technology and patent and other intellectual property rights and all embodiments hereof licensed or to be transferred to such non-Affected Party hereunder by the Affected Party. Such Technology, rights and embodiments shall be promptly delivered to the non-Affected Party (i) upon any such commencement of a bankruptcy proceeding and upon written request thereof by the non-Affected Party, unless the Affected Party elects to continue to perform all of its obligations under this Agreement, or (ii) if not delivered under the foregoing clause (i), upon the rejection of this Agreement by or on behalf of the Affected Party upon written request therefore by the non-Affected Party. This Section 9.4 is without prejudice to any rights the non-Affected Party may have arising under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, foreign equivalents or other law.

 

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9.5 Effect of Certain Terminations . Upon termination of this Agreement by Bayer pursuant to Section 9.2 or 9.4 or by Aegerion pursuant to Section 9.3, or with respect to each applicable product and country as to which termination occurs pursuant to Section 9.2 (the rights and obligations of the Parties as to the remaining products and countries in which termination under Section 9.2 has not occurred, being unaffected by such termination), all rights and licenses granted to Aegerion in Section 2 shall terminate with respect to each such terminated product and country, with all rights of Aegerion under Bayer Patent Rights for each such terminated product and country reverting to Bayer, and Section 2.2(b) shall apply to all Sublicensees in each such terminated country for each such terminated product. Further, upon any such termination and at Bayer’s reasonable request, on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis, Aegerion shall grant to Bayer a license to use, and shall provide to Bayer a copy of, all regulatory approvals, data, filings and correspondence (including DMFs) then in Aegerion’s Control relating to such product and applicable to such country, but only for the continued development and commercialization of such product in such country, and provided that (i) all such information shall be treated as Confidential Information of Aegerion hereunder, (ii) such license and use shall be subject to any rights of any Sublicensees that survive any such termination as contemplated by Section 2.2(b) and this Section 9 (including, if such Sublicensee is an exclusive sublicensee for such product in such country, then there shall not be any such license nor any provision of such information by Aegerion but such Sublicensee shall agree to be bound to Bayer in place of Aegerion for purposes of this sentence), and (iii) if such termination occurs after Aegerion or any of its Affiliates or Sublicensees has filed for an NDA or its foreign equivalent or has obtained regulatory approval or has made a First Commercial Sale for such product in such country, then Bayer shall pay to Aegerion commercially reasonable royalties in an amount to be agreed to by the Parties on sales of such product in such country to reflect the investment in and value contributed by Aegerion and its Affiliates and Sublicensees to the development and commercialization of such product.

9.6 Right to Sell-Off Inventory . Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, should Aegerion or any of its Affiliates or Sublicensees have any inventory of any Licensed Product, each of them shall have six (6) months thereafter in which to dispose of such inventory (subject to the payment to Bayer of any royalties due hereunder thereon).

9.7 Survival . In addition to the termination consequences set forth in Section  9.5, the following provisions shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement for any reason, as well as any other provision which by its terms or by the context thereof, is intended to survive such termination: Sections  2.2(b), 2.5, 5.5(d), 5.7, 6.3 (but only with respect to any action or proceeding initiated before such expiration or termination), 6.4, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 and 8.6, and Section 1, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10. Expiration or termination of this Agreement for any reason shall not relieve the Parties of any liability or obligation which accrued hereunder prior to the effective date of such termination or expiration, nor preclude either Party from pursuing all rights and remedies it may have hereunder or at law or in equity, subject to Section 10.6, with respect to any breach of this Agreement nor prejudice either Party’s right to obtain performance of any obligation.

Section 10. General Provisions .

10.1 Assignment . Except as expressly provided by Section 2.1, 2.2 or 8.5, neither Party may assign this Agreement, delegate its obligations or otherwise transfer licenses or other rights created by this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided that each Party may assign this Agreement as a whole without such consent to an Affiliate or in connection with the acquisition (whether by merger, consolidation, sale or otherwise) of such Party or of that part of such Party’s business to which this Agreement relates, provided that such Party provides written notice to the other Party of such assignment and the assignee thereof agrees in writing to be bound as such Party hereunder. Any assignment or transfer in violation of this Section 10.1 shall be void. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the legal representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the Parties.

 

21


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

10.2 Force Majeure . Neither Party shall be held liable or responsible to the other Party nor be deemed to have defaulted under or breached this Agreement for failure or delay in fulfilling or performing any term of this Agreement if, but only to the extent that, such failure or delay results from causes beyond the reasonable control of the affected Party, potentially including fire, floods, embargoes, terrorism, war, acts of war (whether war be declared or not), insurrections, riots, civil commotions, strikes, lockouts or other labor disturbances, acts of God or acts, omissions or delays in acting by any governmental authority or any other Party; provided that the Party affected shall promptly notify the other of the force majeure condition and shall exert reasonable efforts to eliminate, cure or overcome any such causes and to resume performance of its obligations as soon as possible.

10.3 Severability . If any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, unless the absence of the invalidated provision(s) adversely affects the substantive rights of the Parties. The Parties shall in such an instance use their reasonable best efforts to replace the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision(s) with valid, legal and enforceable provision(s) which, insofar as practical, implement the purposes of this Agreement.

10.4 Amendment; Waiver . This Agreement may not be modified, amended or rescinded, in whole or part, except by a written instrument signed by the Parties; provided that any unilateral undertaking or waiver made by one Party in favor of the other shall be enforceable if undertaken in a writing signed by the Party to be charged with the undertaking or waiver. No delay or omission by either Party hereto in exercising any right or power occurring upon any noncompliance or default by the other Party with respect to any of the terms of this Agreement shall impair any such right or power or be construed to be a waiver thereof. A waiver by either of the Parties of any of the covenants, conditions or agreements to be performed by the other shall not be construed to be a waiver of any succeeding breach thereof or of any other covenant, condition or agreement herein contained.

 

22


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

10.5 Notices . Except as otherwise provided herein, all notices under this Agreement shall be sent by certified mail or by overnight courier service, postage prepaid, to the following addresses of the respective Parties:

 

If to Aegerion, to:   Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  c/o Scheer & Company, Inc.
  250 West Main Street
  Branford, Connecticut 06405
  Attention:    President
With a required copy to:   Goodwin Procter LLP
  53 State Street
  Boston, MA 02109
  Attention:    Kingsley L. Taft, Esq.
If to Bayer, to:   Bayer HealthCare AG
  Aprather, WEG18A
  42096 Wuppertal, Germany
  Attention:    Dr. Gunnar Riemann, Member of the Board of Management and President of the Pharmaceuticals Division
With a required copy to:   Bayer HealthCare
  400 Morgan Lane
  West haven, CT 06516
  Attention:    Paul Berry, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

or to such address as each Party may hereafter designate by notice to the other Party. A notice shall be deemed to have been given on the date it is received by all required recipients for the noticed Party.

10.6 Dispute Resolution . Disputes arising under or in connection with this Agreement shall be resolved pursuant to this Section 10.6; provided, however, that in the event a dispute cannot be resolved without an adjudication of the rights or obligations of a Third Party (other than a Bayer Indemnitee or Aegerion Indemnitee identified in Sections  8.6(a) or 8.6(b), as applicable), the dispute procedures set forth in this Section 10.6 shall be inapplicable as to such dispute.

(a) In the event of a dispute between the Parties, the Parties shall first attempt in good faith to resolve such dispute by negotiation and consultation between themselves. In the event that such dispute is not resolved on an informal basis within forty-five (45) days, any Party may, by written notice to the other, have such dispute referred to each of the Parties’ respective CEOs or his or her designee (who shall be a senior executive), who shall attempt in good faith to resolve such dispute by negotiation and consultation for a thirty (30) day period following receipt of such written notice.

(b) In the event the Parties’ CEOs (or designees) are not able to resolve such dispute, either Party may at any time after such 30-day period submit such dispute to be finally settled by arbitration administered in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in effect at the time of submission. The arbitration shall be heard and determined by three (3) arbitrators. Aegerion and Bayer shall each appoint one arbitrator and the third arbitrator shall be selected by the two Party-appointed arbitrators, or, failing agreement within sixty e(60) days following the date of receipt by the respondent of the claim, by the AAA. Such arbitration shall take place in New York, NY. The arbitration award so given shall be a final and binding determination of the dispute, shall be fully enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction, and shall not include any damages expressly prohibited by Section 8.4.

 

23


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

(c) Costs of arbitration are to be divided by the Parties in the following manner: Aegerion shall pay for the arbitrator it chooses, Bayer shall pay for the arbitrator it chooses, and the costs of the third arbitrator shall be divided equally between the Parties. Except in a proceeding to enforce the results of the arbitration or as otherwise required by law, neither Party nor any arbitrator may disclose the existence, content or results of any arbitration hereunder without the prior written consent of both Parties.

10.7 Applicable Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of New Jersey, without regard to its conflicts of law provisions.

10.8 Further Assurances . Each Party agrees to do and perform all such further acts and things and shall execute and deliver such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents necessary or that the other Party may deem advisable in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and to evidence, perfect or otherwise confirm its rights hereunder.

10.9 Relationship of the Parties . Each Party is an independent contractor under this Agreement. Nothing contained herein is intended or is to be construed so as to constitute Bayer and Aegerion as partners, agents or joint venturers. Neither Party shall have any express or implied right or authority to assume or create any obligations on behalf of or in the name of the other Party or to bind the other Party to any contract, agreement or undertaking with any Third Party. There are no express or implied third party beneficiaries hereunder (except for Aegerion Indemnitees other than Aegerion and Bayer Indemnitees other than Bayer for purposes of Section 8.6).

10.10 Entire Agreement . This Agreement (along with the Exhibits) contains the entire understanding of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes and replaces any and all previous arrangements and understandings, including the Confidentiality Agreement, whether oral or written, between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

10.11 Headings . The captions to the several Sections hereof are not a part of this Agreement, but are merely guides or labels to assist in locating and reading the several Sections hereof.

10.12 Waiver of Rule of Construction . Each Party has had the opportunity to consult with counsel in connection with the review, drafting and negotiation of this Agreement. Accordingly, the rule of construction that any ambiguity in this Agreement shall be construed against the drafting party shall not apply.

10.13 Interpretation . Whenever any provision of this Agreement uses the term “including” (or “includes”), such term shall be deemed to mean “including without limitation” (or “includes without limitations”). “Herein,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” “hereof” and other equivalent words refer to this Agreement as an entirety and not solely to the particular portion of this Agreement in which any such word is used. All definitions set forth herein shall be deemed applicable whether the words defined are used herein in the singular or the plural. Unless otherwise provided, all references to Sections and Exhibits in this Agreement are to Sections and Exhibits of this Agreement. References to any Sections include Sections and subsections that are part of the related Section ( e.g ., a section numbered “Section 2.2” would be part of “Section 2”, and references to “Section  2.2” would also refer to material contained in the subsection described as “Section  2.2(a)”)

10.14 Counterparts; Facsimiles . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Facsimile execution and delivery of this Agreement by either Party shall constitute a legal, valid and binding execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Party.

[ Remainder of this Page Intentionally Left Blank ]

 

24


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this License Agreement to be executed by their respective duly authorized officers as of the Effective Date.

 

BAYER HEALTHCARE AG
By:   /s/ Gunnar Riemann
  (Signature)
Name:   Dr. Gunnar Riemann
Title:   Member of the Board of Management and President of the Pharmaceuticals Division
Date:   June 5, 2006

 

BAYER HEALTHCARE AG
By:   /s/ Alexander Bey
  (Signature)
Name:   Alexander Bey
Title:   CAO, Head of Law and Patents
Date:   May 31, 2006

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:   /s/ Gerald Wisler
  (Signature)
Name:   Gerald Wisler
Title:   President & CEO
Date:   May 24, 2006


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT A

BAYER KNOW-HOW TO BE TRANSFERRED TO AEGERION

 

   

Most recent version of the investigators brochure for implitapide (BAY 13-9952)

 

   

Complete contents of the implitapide (BAY 13-9952) Investigational New Drug Application filed with the FDA including:

 

   

In vitro, preclinical and clinical study and trial protocols

 

   

In vivo, preclinical and clinical study and trial data sets and study reports

 

   

Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control information

 

   

Correspondence with FDA

 

   

Other research and development items not included within those Investigational New Drug Application files including:

 

   

Publications (meeting abstracts and journal articles)

 

   

Methods relating to manufacture of implitapide (BAY 13-9952) and drug product formulation

 

   

Protocols, data sets and study reports relating to preclinical and clinical studies

 

   

Correspondence and submissions with any other regulatory authorities

Bayer shall not be required to transfer to Aegerion any Bayer Know-How for which Bayer does not have the right to transfer to Aegerion (including data owned by PPD).


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

EXHIBIT B-1

BAYER PATENT RIGHTS

BAYER PATENT RIGHTS UNDER SECTION  1.3(a)

 

Le A 30 699

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

AR

   333677    28.09.1995          28.09.2015      

AR 01

   104863    15.09.2000          28.09.2015      

AU

   32920-95    27.09.1995    700609    20.11.1998    27.09.2015      

BY

   950624    03.10.1995    5422    24.04.2003    03.10.2015      

CA

   2159546    29.09.1995          29.09.2015      

CL

   1513-95    02.10.1995    40031    19.07.1999    19.07.2014      

CN

   95117117    04.10.1995    52189    10.12.1999    04.10.2015      

CN 01

   98126085    30.12.1998          04.10.2015      

CZ

   2567-95    03.10.1995    291348    11.12.2002    03.10.2015      

DO

      27.09.1995    5232    11.04.1996    27.09.2010      

DZ

   116-95    02.10.1995          02.10.2015      

EE

   9500071    03.10.1995    3527    15.10.2001    03.10.2015      

FI

   954681    02.10.1995    113048    27.02.2004    02.10.2015      

FI 01

   20002693    08.12.2000    108791    28.03.2002    02.10.2015      

HK

   98104346    19.05.1998          20.09.2015      

HN

   9160-95    29.09.1995    3769-181-VII    15.06.2000    29.09.2015      

HU

   9502891    03.10.1995          03.10.2015      

ID

   952018    04.10.1995    9015    21.10.2002    04.10.2015      

IL

   115493    02.10.1995    115493    30.01.2000    02.10.2015      

IL 01

   129641    28.04.1999    129641    03.12.2000    02.10.2015      

JP

   279664-95    04.10.1995          04.10.2015      

KR

   33651-95    02.10.1995    355986    26.09.2002    02.10.2015      

M1

   1323    02.10.1995          02.10.2015      

MA

   24026    02.10.1995    23682       02.10.2015      

MX

   954196    03.10.1995    193845    27.10.1999    03.10.2015      

MX 01

   997137    02.08.1999          03.10.2015      

MY

   95002964    04.10.1995          04.10.2015      

NO

   953930    03.10.1995    305365    18.05.1999    03.10.2015      

NZ

   280130    29.09.1995    280130       29.09.2015      

PH

   51415    03.10.1995    31400    29.10.1998    29.10.2015      

PH 01

   1-1998-02241    28.08.1998          28.08.2018      


Le A 30 699

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

PL

   310756    03.10.1995    183154    09.10.2001    03.10.2015      

RU

   95117070    03.10.1995    2157803    20.10.2000    03.10.2015      

SG

   9501478    03.10.1995    63528    30.03.1999    03.10.2015      

SK

   1239-95    03.10.1995          03.10.2015      

TH

   28216    02.10.1995    13768    01.11.2002    02.10.2015      

TN

   95098    02.10.1995          02.10.2015      

TW

   84-110247    02.10.1995    140388    04.01.2002    01.10.2015      

UA

   95104372    03.10.1995    44700    15.03.2002    03.10.2015      

US

   535698    28.09.1995    5684014    04.11.1997    28.09.2015      

US 01

   887781    03.07.1997    6245775    12.06.2001    28.09.2015      

US 02

   313035    17.05.1999    6265431    24.07.2001    28.09.2015      

US 03

   734955    11.12.2000          11.12.2020      

US 04

   814263    21.03.2001    6479503    12.11.2002    28.09.2015      

US 05

   198315    18.07.2002               

ZA

   95-8297    03.10.1995    95-8297       03.10.2015      

Le A 30 699

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

E BE

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EBE 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E DE

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    59510839.3    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E DK

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EDK 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E EP

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    95114877.4    03.12.2003    21.09.2015    705831    10.04.1996

E ES

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EES 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E FR

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EFR 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E GB

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EGB 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E GR

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EGR 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E IE

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EIE 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E IT

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EIT 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E LT

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    ELT 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E LU

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    ELU 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E LV

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    ELV 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E NL

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    ENL 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E PT

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EPT 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E SE

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    95114877.4    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      


Le A 34 644

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

CA

   2413277    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

JP

   503264-2002    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

US

   311761    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E AT

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E BE

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E CH

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E CY

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E DE

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E DK

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E EP

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021    1296681    02.04.2003

E ES

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E FI

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E FR

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E GB

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E GR

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E IE

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E IT

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E LU

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E MC

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E NL

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E PT

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E SE

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

E TR

   01951571.7    08.06.2001          08.06.2021      

P WO

   PCT/01/06526    08.06.2001          08.06.2021    01/97787    27.12.2001


Le A 31 659

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

CA

   2201435    01.04.1997          01.04.2017      

JP

   96351-97    01.04.1997          01.04.2017      

US

   829566    31.03.1997    5952498    14.09.1999    31.03.2017      

US 01

   307980    10.05.1999               

E DE

   97104941.6    24.03.1997    59710487.5    30.07.2003    24.03.2017      

E EP

   97104941.6    24.03.1997    97104941.6    30.07.2003    24.03.2017    799829    08.10.1997

E ES

   97104941.6    24.03.1997    EES 0799829    30.07.2003    24.03.2017      

E FR

   97104941.6    24.03.1997    EFR 0799829    30.07.2003    24.03.2017      

E GB

   97104941.6    24.03.1997    EGB 0799829    30.07.2003    24.03.2017      

E IT

   97104941.6    24.03.1997    EIT 0799829    30.07.2003    24.03.2017      

E SE

   97104941.6    24.03.1997    97104941.6    30.07.2003    24.03.2017      

Le A 33 739

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

CA

   2378379    12.07.2000          12.07.2020      

JP

   511902-2001    12.07.2000               

US

   31129    12.07.2000    6569455    27.05.2003    12.07.2020      

E DE

   00949311.5    12.07.2000          12.07.2020      

E EP

   00949311.5    12.07.2000          12.07.2020    1202715    08.05.2002

E ES

   00949311.5    12.07.2000          12.07.2020      

E FR

   00949311.5    12.07.2000          12.07.2020      

E GB

   00949311.5    12.07.2000          12.07.2020      

E IT

   00949311.5    12.07.2000          12.07.2020      

P WO

   PCT/00/06584    12.07.2000          12.07.2020    01/07015    01.02.2001


The following patent applications shall also be treated as “Bayer Patent Rights” under this Agreement, provided that any of the following patent applications may have lapsed, may have been cancelled, or are otherwise no longer still pending as of the Effective Date:

 

Le A 30 699

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

CU

   88-95    04.10.1995    22885    13.03.2003    04.10.2010      

HR

   950505    27.09.1995    950505    03.04.2002    27.09.2015      

MX 01

   997137    02.08.1999          03.10.2015      

SA

   96160624    28.02.1996          28.02.2016      

SV

   62-95    04.10.1995    154-1-309    11.09.2000    04.10.2010      

Le A 30 699

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

E AT

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EAT 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E CH

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    ECH 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E MC

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    EMC 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

E SI

   95114877.4    21.09.1995    ESI 0705831    03.12.2003    21.09.2015      

Le A 33 846

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

AR

   103129    22.06.2000          22.06.2020      

BS

   1242    08.06.2000    1242    29.01.2002    08.06.2016      

CA

   2376881    13.06.2000          13.06.2020      

CL

   1671-2000    23.06.2000          23.06.2020      

CO

   48079    27.06.2000          27.06.2020      

DO

   04/19/06/00    19.06.2000          19.06.2020      

EC

   2000-3541    23.06.2000          23.06.2020      

GT

   2000-0099    21.06.2000          21.06.2020      

HN

   2000-100    15.06.2000    4029-431-VII    18.10.2001    15.06.2020      

JM

   18.01.4021    16.06.2000          16.06.2014      

JP

   505893-2001    13.06.2000               

MY

   20002807    22.06.2000          22.06.2020      

PE

   625-2000    23.06.2000          23.06.2020      

PH

   1-2000-01652    23.06.2000          23.06.2020      

PK P

   593-2000    24.06.2000          24.06.2020      

SV

   109-2000    23.06.2000          23.06.2020      


Le A 30 699

Land

   Anmeldenr.    Anmeldedat.    Erteilungsnr.    Erteilungsdat.    Ablaufdat.    Veröff.-nr.    Offenl.-dat.

TH

   58386    16.06.2000          16.06.2020      

TW

   89-112042    20.06.2000          20.06.2020      

US

   19007    13.06.2000               

UY

   26218    23.06.2000          23.06.2020      

VE

   2000-001372    22.06.2000          22.06.2020      

E DE

   00942056.3    13.06.2000          13.06.2020      

E EP

   00942056.3    13.06.2000          13.06.2020    1196194    17.04.2002

E ES

   00942056.3    13.06.2000          13.06.2020      

E FR

   00942056.3    13.06.2000          13.06.2020      

E GB

   00942056.3    13.06.2000          13.06.2020      

E IT

   00942056.3    13.06.2000          13.06.2020      

P WO

   PCT0/00/05410    13.06.2000          13.06.2020    01/00183    04.01.2001


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT B-2

BAYER PATENT RIGHTS

BAYER IMPROVEMENT PATENTS UNDER SECTION 1.3(b)

To be updated by the parties as contemplated by Section 6.1


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT C

SUMMARY OF BATCHES IN BAYER’S INVENTORY OF LICENSED COMPOUND

[CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT REQUESTED] /*/


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT D

PROPOSED IMPLITAPIDE CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Phase II Trials*

 

   

Dose-ranging trials to determine the efficacy, safety and tolerability of implitapide monotherapy in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia

 

   

Dose-ranging trials to determine the efficacy, safety and tolerability of implitapide used in combination with other commonly used lipid-lowering therapies in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia

 

* Note that the number and design of trials conducted in this phase of research will be determined by the scope, completeness and availability of the data related to the phase II trials conducted by Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc.

Phase III Trials**

Larger-scale phase 3 trials will be conducted to pursue some combination of the following indications:

 

   

Implitapide monotherapy for the reduction of plasma lipids in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia.

 

   

The combination of implitapide and other lipid-lowering agents for the reduction of plasma lipids in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia.

 

   

Implitapide as monotherapy or as part of combination therapy with other lipid-lowering agents for the reduction of plasma lipids in patients with severe and/or hereditary forms of dyslipidemia (e.g. heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or Frederickson Type IV hypertriglyceridemia).

 

** Note that the exact number and design of the phase 3 clinical program will be determined based upon the findings within the phase II program and consultation with regulatory authorities.

The contents of this Exhibit C by themselves shall not add to Aegerion’s obligations under this Agreement.


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT E-1

PATENTS UNDER SECTION 8.1(f)

United States Patent No. 6,492,365

European Patent No. EP-B-584446


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT E-2

BAYER’S EXCEPTIONS UNDER SECTION 8.1(g)

For avoidance of doubt, it is expressly noted that any results and know how, including the final report and inventions obtained by Former Licensees Dr. Stein and PPD, are not covered by the Bayer Know-How because such results and know how are confidential and the sole and exclusive property of Medical Research Laboratories International, LLC.

Dr. Stein still has in his possession clinical supply tablets of implitapide.


L ICENSE A GREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT E-3

BAYER’S EXCEPTIONS UNDER SECTION 8.1(i)

Bayer has communicated to Aegerion that Bayer’s development of the Licensed Compounds was discontinued by Bayer on the basis of a negative risk-benefit assessment of the Licensed Compounds conducted by Bayer under their clinical development program. Aegerion acknowledges Bayer made the judgment not to continue development of the Compounds due to what it perceived under its clinical development program as unacceptable adverse events for daily dosages of 80 mg and 160 mg per day form compared with the observed cholesterol lowering efficacy.


Amendment

to the License Agreement concluded between Bayer HealthCare AG (“Bayer”) and Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Aegerion”) on May 31, 2006 (the “Agreement”)

 

  1. The following patent rights are herewith added to Exhibit B-1 of the Agreement and shall be regarded as Bayer Patent Rights under Section 1.3(a);

BHC 061035

EP 06010232.4, filed on 2006-05-18

 

  2. All other terms and conditions of the Agreement remain unchanged.

Date: February 15, 2007

 

Bayer HealthCare AG

    

/s/ Dr. Dieter Linkenheil

    

/s/ Dr. Markus Albers

Dr. Dieter Linkenheil      Dr. Markus Albers
Date: February 15, 2007     

/s/ William H. Lewis

    

William H. Lewis

    

Exhibit 10.9

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

THIS LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT is made and dated as of March 20, 2007 and is entered into by and between AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Borrower”), with its chief executive office and principal place of business located at 1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 and HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation (“Lender”), with its principal place of business located at 400 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Borrower has requested Lender to make available to Borrower a loan in an aggregate principal amount of up to $15,000,000 (the “Loan”); and

WHEREAS, Lender is willing to make the Loan on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, Borrower and Lender agree as follows:

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS AND RULES OF CONSTRUCTION

1.1. Unless otherwise defined herein, the following capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:

“Account Control Agreement(s)” means any agreement entered into by and among the Lender, Borrower and a third party Bank or other institution (including a Securities Intermediary) in which Borrower maintains a Deposit Account or Investment Property and which is intended to perfect Lender’s security interest in any of the Collateral.

“Advance” means any funds advanced under this Agreement.

“Advance Date” means the funding date of any Advance.

“Advance Request” means a request for an Advance submitted by Borrower to Lender in substantially the form of Exhibit A .

“Agreement” means this Loan and Security Agreement, as the same may from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof.

“Borrower Products” means all products, software, service offerings, technical data or technology currently being designed, manufactured or sold by Borrower or which Borrower intends to sell, license, or distribute in the future including any products or service offerings under development, collectively, together with all products, software, service offerings, technical data or technology that have been sold, licensed or distributed by Borrower since its incorporation.

“Cash” means all cash and liquid funds.

“Closing Date” means the date of this Agreement.

“Collateral” means the property described in Section 3.

“Contingent Obligation” means, as applied to any Person, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise, of that Person with respect to (i) any indebtedness, lease, dividend, letter of credit or other obligation of another, including any such obligation directly or indirectly guaranteed, endorsed, co-made or discounted or sold with recourse by that Person, or in respect of which that Person is otherwise

 

1.


directly or indirectly liable; (ii) any obligations with respect to undrawn letters of credit, corporate credit cards or merchant services issued for the account of that Person; and (iii) all obligations arising under any interest rate, currency or commodity swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, or other agreement or arrangement designated to protect a Person against fluctuation in interest rates, currency exchange rates or commodity prices, in each case payable on or prior to the Maturity Date; provided, however, that the term “Contingent Obligation” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determined amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Contingent Obligation is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by such Person in good faith; provided, however, that such amount shall not in any event exceed the maximum amount of the obligations under the guarantee or other support arrangement.

“Copyrights” means all copyrights, whether registered or unregistered, held pursuant to the laws of the United States, any State thereof, or of any other country.

“Copyright License” means any written agreement granting any right to use any Copyright or Copyright registration, now owned or hereafter acquired by Borrower or in which Borrower now holds or hereafter acquires any interest.

“Event of Default” has the meaning given to it in Section 9.

“Facility Fee” means $127,500, which fee is due to Lender on the Closing Date.

“Financial Statements” has the meaning given to it in Section 7.1.

“Fully Diluted Capitalization” means, at any given time, the number of shares of Borrower’s (i) common stock issued and outstanding, and (ii) common stock ultimately issuable upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any outstanding rights to purchase Borrower’s capital stock, including preferred stock, options, warrants, employee stock plans and convertible debt.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, as in effect from time to time.

“Indebtedness” means indebtedness of any kind, including (a) all indebtedness for borrowed money or the deferred purchase price of property or services, including reimbursement and other obligations with respect to surety bonds and letters of credit, (b) all obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, (c) all capital lease obligations, and (d) all Contingent Obligations.

“Initial Public Offering” has the meaning given to it in Section 2.2.

“Intellectual Property” means all Copyrights; Trademarks; Patents; Licenses; trade secrets and inventions; Borrower’s applications therefor and reissues, extensions, or renewals thereof; and Borrower’s goodwill associated with any of the foregoing, together with Borrower’s rights to sue for past, present and future infringement of Intellectual Property and the goodwill associated therewith.

“Interest Rate” means for any day, the prime rate as reported in The Wall Street Journal plus two and one-half percentage points (2.50%).

“Investment” means any beneficial ownership of or in any Person (including stock , partnership or limited liability company interests), or any loan, advance or capital contribution to any Person.

“Joinder Agreements” means for each Subsidiary, a completed and executed Joinder Agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit G .

“Lender” has the meaning given to it in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

2.


“License” means any Copyright License, Patent License, Trademark License or other license of rights or interests.

“Lien” means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment for security, security interest, encumbrance, levy, lien or charge of any kind, whether voluntarily incurred or arising by operation of law or otherwise, against any property, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature of a security interest, and the filing of any financing statement (other than a precautionary financing statement with respect to a lease that is not in the nature of a security interest) under the UCC or comparable law of any jurisdiction.

“Loan” has the meaning given to it in the recitals to this Agreement.

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the Notes, Account Control Agreements, Joinder Agreements, all UCC Financing Statements, the Warrant, and any other documents executed in connection with the Secured Obligations or the transactions contemplated hereby, as the same may from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or restated.

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect upon: (i) the business, results of operations, or financial condition of Borrower and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole other than an effect reasonably attributable to (a) the failure of any nonclinical or clinical trial to demonstrate the desired safety or efficacy of any biologic or drug or (b) the denial, delay or limitation of approval of, or taking of any other regulatory action by, the United States Food and Drug Administration or any other governmental entity with respect to any biologic or drug where, in the case of (a) or (b), Borrower’s investors provide such confirmation to Lender as Lender reasonably requests that they continue to support Borrower, or (c) the inability of Borrower to consummate the Initial Public Offering; or (ii) the ability of Borrower to perform the Secured Obligations in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents, or the ability of Lender to enforce its rights or remedies with respect to the Secured Obligations; or (iii) the Collateral or Lender’s Liens on the Collateral or the priority of such Liens.

“Maturity Date” means either (i) August 19, 2010 or (ii) after the closing of the Initial Public Offering, November 30, 2010.

“Maximum Loan Amount” means $15,000,000.

“Maximum Rate” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.5.

“Merger” means any (i) reorganization, recapitalization, consolidation or merger (or similar transaction or series of related transactions) of Borrower or any Subsidiary, (ii) sale or exchange of outstanding shares (or similar transaction or series of related transactions) of Borrower or any Subsidiary in which the holders or affiliates thereof of Borrower or Subsidiary’s outstanding shares immediately before consummation of such transaction or series of related transactions do not, immediately after consummation of such transaction or series of related transactions, retain shares representing at least more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of the surviving entity of such transaction or series of related transactions (or the parent of such surviving entity if such surviving entity is wholly owned by such parent), in each case without regard to whether Borrower or Subsidiary is the surviving entity, (iii) sale or exchange of outstanding shares (or similar transaction or series of related transactions) of Borrower or any Subsidiary in which the shares issued after the Closing Date to persons who are not holders of Borrower’s outstanding shares (or securities convertible into or exercisable for such shares) as of the Closing Date or affiliates thereof would entitle the holders thereof to 50% or more of the proceeds that would be distributed to holders of Preferred Stock assuming that proceeds available for distribution are sufficient only to provide a distribution to holders of Preferred Stock; (iv) if, in connection with the sale or exchange of outstanding shares (or a similar transaction or series of related transactions) of Borrower, the valuation (determined by multiplying the per share price of securities sold or issued in such transaction by the Fully Diluted Capitalization) of Borrower after such transaction is less than forty percent (40%) than such valuation as of the date hereof; (v) sale, lease, license or transfer of any substantial part of the assets of Borrower or any

 

3.


Subsidiary outside the ordinary course of business; or (vi) acquisition by Borrower or any Subsidiary of all or substantially all of the capital stock or assets of another Person, provided however, that in all cases a Subsidiary may be merged with or into Borrower or into another Subsidiary or may sell or exchange its outstanding shares to Borrower, without constituting a “Merger.”

“Next Event” means the closing of Borrower’s next round of institutional private equity financing of at least $15,000,000 which first becomes effective after the Closing Date.

“Notes” means the Promissory Notes in substantially the form of Exhibit B .

“Patent License” means any written agreement granting any right with respect to any invention on which a Patent is in existence or a Patent application is pending, in which agreement Borrower now holds or hereafter acquires any interest.

“Patents” means all letters patent of, or rights corresponding thereto, in the United States or in any other country, all registrations and recordings thereof, and all applications for letters patent of, or rights corresponding thereto, in the United States or any other country.

“Permitted Indebtedness” means: (a) Indebtedness of Borrower in favor of Lender arising under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; (b) Indebtedness existing on the Closing Date and disclosed in Schedule 1A ; (c) Indebtedness not to exceed $1,500,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year of Borrower secured by a lien described in clause (vi) of the defined term “Permitted Liens,” provided such Indebtedness does not exceed the lesser of the cost or fair market value of the equipment financed with such Indebtedness; (d) Indebtedness to trade creditors or contractual counterparties incurred in the ordinary course of business, including Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business with corporate credit cards; (e) Indebtedness that also constitutes a Permitted Investment; and (f) extensions, refinancings and renewals of any items of Permitted Indebtedness, provided that the principal amount is not increased or the terms modified to impose materially more burdensome terms upon Borrower or its Subsidiary, as the case may be.

“Permitted Investment” means: (a) Investments existing on the Closing Date disclosed in Schedule 1B or made in accordance with the Investment Policy approved by Borrower’s Board of Directors, a copy of which has been delivered to Lender; (b) (i) marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America or any agency or any State thereof maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof, (ii) commercial paper maturing no more than one year from the date of creation thereof and currently having rating of at least A-2 or P-2 from either Standard & Poor’s Corporation or Moody’s Investors Service, (iii) certificates of deposit issued by any bank with assets of at least $500,000,000 maturing no more than one year from the date of investment therein, and (iv) money market accounts; (c) repurchases of stock from former employees, directors, or consultants of Borrower under the terms of applicable repurchase agreements at the original issuance price of such securities (i) in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100,000 in any fiscal year, provided that no Event of Default has occurred, is continuing or would exist after giving effect to the repurchases, or (ii) in any amount where the consideration for the repurchase is the cancellation of indebtedness owed by such former employees, directors, or consultants, to Borrower regardless of whether an Event of Default exists; (d) Investments accepted in connection with Permitted Transfers; (e) Investments (including debt obligations) received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of customers or suppliers and in settlement of delinquent obligations of, and other disputes with, customers or suppliers arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business; (f) Investments consisting of notes receivable of, or prepaid royalties and other credit extensions, to customers and suppliers who are not affiliates, in the ordinary course of business, provided that this subparagraph (f) shall not apply to Investments of Borrower in any Subsidiary; (g) additional Investments that do not exceed $100,000 in the aggregate; and (h) Joint ventures or strategic alliances in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business consisting of the nonexclusive licensing of technology, the development of technology or the providing of technical support, provided that any cash Investments by Borrower do not exceed $100,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year.

 

4.


“Permitted Liens” means any and all of the following: (i) Liens existing on the Closing Date disclosed in Schedule 1C ; (ii) Liens for taxes, fees, assessments or other governmental charges or levies, either not delinquent or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; provided , that Borrower maintains adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP; (iii) Liens securing claims or demands of materialmen, artisans, mechanics, carriers, warehousemen, landlords and other like Persons arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business and imposed without action of such parties; provided , that the payment thereof is not yet required; (iv) Liens arising from judgments, decrees or attachments in circumstances which do not constitute an Event of Default hereunder; (v) the following deposits, to the extent made in the ordinary course of business: deposits under worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, social security and other similar laws, or to secure the performance of bids, tenders or contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money) or to secure indemnity, performance or other similar bonds for the performance of bids, tenders or contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money) or to secure statutory obligations (other than liens arising under ERISA or environmental liens) or surety or appeal bonds, or to secure indemnity, performance or other similar bonds; (vi) purchase money liens and liens in connection with capital leases on Equipment securing Indebtedness permitted in clause (c) of “Permitted Indebtedness”; and (vii) Liens incurred in connection with the extension, renewal or refinancing of the indebtedness secured by Liens of the type described in clauses (i) through (vii) above; provided , that any extension, renewal or replacement Lien shall be limited to the property encumbered by the existing Lien and the principal amount of the indebtedness being extended, renewed or refinanced (as may have been reduced by any payment thereon) does not increase.

“Permitted Transfers” means (i) sales of Inventory in the normal course of business, (ii) licenses and similar arrangements for the use of property in the ordinary course of business, or (iii) dispositions of worn-out, obsolete or surplus Equipment.

“Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association, corporation, limited liability company, institution, other entity or government.

“Preferred Stock” means at any given time any equity security issued by Borrower that has any rights, preferences or privileges senior to Borrower’s common stock.

“Prepayment Fee” means for each Advance, an amount equal to (i) for a prepayment made on or before the first anniversary of the Closing Date, 2.0% of the remaining principal amount of the Advance prepaid, (ii) for a prepayment made after the first anniversary, but on or before the second anniversary of the Closing Date, 1.0% of the remaining principal amount of the Advance prepaid, and (iii) for a prepayment made after the second anniversary of the Closing Date, but before the Maturity Date, 0.5% of the remaining principal amount of the Advance prepaid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Borrower completes an Initial Public Offering by September 30, 2007, the Prepayment Fee shall be $0 for any Advance prepaid by September 30, 2007.

“Receivables” means (i) all of Borrower’s Accounts, Instruments, Documents, Chattel Paper, Supporting Obligations, letters of credit, proceeds of any letter of credit, and Letter of Credit Rights, and (ii) all customer lists, software, and business records related thereto.

“Secured Obligations” means Borrower’s obligation to repay to Lender the Loan and all Advances (whether or not evidenced by any Note), together with all principal, interest, fees, costs, professional fees and expenses, or other liabilities or obligations for monetary amounts owed by Borrower to Lender however arising, including the indemnity and insurance obligations in Section 6 and including such amounts as may accrue or be incurred before or after default or workout or the commencement of any liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, receivership or reorganization by or against Borrower, whether due or to become due, matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, contingent or non-contingent, and all covenants and duties of any kind or nature, present or future, in each case, arising under this Agreement, the Notes, or any of the other Loan Documents, as the same may from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or restated, whether or not such obligations are partially or fully secured by the value of Collateral.

 

5.


“Subsidiary” means an entity, whether corporate, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or otherwise, in which Borrower owns or controls 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities, including each entity listed on Schedule 1 hereto.

“Trademark License” means any written agreement granting any right to use any Trademark or Trademark registration, now owned or hereafter acquired by Borrower or in which Borrower now holds or hereafter acquires any interest.

“Trademarks” means all trademarks (registered, common law or otherwise) and any applications in connection therewith, including registrations, recordings and applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or in any similar office or agency of the United States, any State thereof or any other country or any political subdivision thereof.

“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as the same is, from time to time, in effect in the State of California; provided , that in the event that, by reason of mandatory provisions of law, any or all of the attachment, perfection or priority of, or remedies with respect to, Lender’s Lien on any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as the same is, from time to time, in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of California, then the term “UCC” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect, from time to time, in such other jurisdiction solely for purposes of the provisions thereof relating to such attachment, perfection, priority or remedies and for purposes of definitions related to such provisions. Unless otherwise defined herein or in the other Loan Documents, terms that are defined in the UCC and used herein or in the other Loan Documents shall, unless the context indicates otherwise, have the meanings given to them in the UCC.

“Warrant” means the warrant entered into in connection with the Loan.

1.2. Unless otherwise specified, all references in this Agreement or any Annex or Schedule hereto to a “Section,” “subsection,” “Exhibit,” “Annex,” or “Schedule” shall refer to the corresponding Section, subsection, Exhibit, Annex, or Schedule in or to this Agreement. Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, any accounting term used in this Agreement or the other Loan Documents shall have the meaning customarily given such term in accordance with GAAP, and all financial computations hereunder shall be computed in accordance with GAAP, consistently applied.

SECTION 2. THE LOAN

2.1. Advances . Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Lender will make one (1) Advance to Borrower on or about the Closing Date in an amount equal to (i) $10,000,000 or (ii) such greater amount as Borrower may request, up to the Maximum Loan Amount. If the initial Advance is less than the Maximum Loan Amount, thereafter, at any time through November 19, 2007, Borrower may request additional Advances in the minimum amount of $5,000,000, up to the difference between the Maximum Loan Amount and the amount of the initial Advance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering, Borrower may request such additional Advances at any time through February 28, 2008.

2.2. Repayment . The principal balance of each Advance shall bear interest thereon from the Advance Date, precomputed at the Interest Rate based on a year consisting of 360 days, with interest computed daily based on the actual number of days in each month, through November 30, 2007. The aggregate principal balance outstanding on November 30, 2007, shall be amortized and shall be payable in 33 equal monthly installments of principal and interest beginning December 1, 2007 and continuing on the first day of each month thereafter. As the Interest Rate is variable, the interest component of each monthly payment may change over the term of the Advance. The entire principal balance and all accrued but unpaid interest hereunder, shall be due and payable on August 19, 2010. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the

 

6.


closing of the sale of Borrower’s common stock in an underwritten offering pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, generating gross proceeds of at least $40,000,000 (the “Initial Public Offering”), Borrower may make interest-only payments through February 28, 2008, and the aggregate principal balance then outstanding shall be amortized and be payable in 33 equal monthly installments of principal and interest beginning March 1, 2008, and continuing on the first day of each month thereafter. In such event, the entire principal balance and all accrued but unpaid interest hereunder, shall be due and payable on November 30, 2010. Borrower shall make all payments under this Agreement without setoff, recoupment or deduction and regardless of any counterclaim or defense.

2.3. Advance Request . To obtain an Advance, Borrower shall complete, sign and deliver an Advance Request and Note to Lender. Lender shall fund the Advance in the manner requested by the Advance Request provided that each of the conditions precedent to such Advance is satisfied as of the requested Advance Date.

2.4. Prepayment . At its option, at any time after August 30, 2007, Borrower may prepay all, but not less than all, of the outstanding Advances by paying (i) the entire principal balance plus all accrued interest, (ii) the Prepayment Fee, and (iii) all other sums, if any, that shall have become due and payable hereunder or under the Notes.

2.5. Maximum Interest . Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Notes, or any other Loan Document, it is the parties’ intent not to contract for, charge or receive interest at a rate that is greater than the maximum rate permissible by law that a court of competent jurisdiction shall deem applicable hereto (which under the laws of the State of California shall be deemed to be the laws relating to permissible rates of interest on commercial loans) (the “Maximum Rate”). If a court of competent jurisdiction shall finally determine that Borrower has actually paid to Lender an amount of interest in excess of the amount that would have been payable if all of the Secured Obligations had at all times borne interest at the Maximum Rate, then such excess interest actually paid by Borrower shall be applied as follows: first , to the payment of principal outstanding on the Notes; second , after all principal is repaid, to the payment of Lender’s accrued interest, costs, expenses, professional fees and any other Secured Obligations; and third , after all Secured Obligations are repaid, the excess (if any) shall be refunded to Borrower.

2.6. Default Interest . In the event any payment is not paid within five (5) business days of the scheduled Payment Date, an amount equal to two percent (2%) of the past due amount shall be payable on demand. In addition, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default hereunder, all Secured Obligations, including principal, interest, compounded interest, and professional fees, shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the rate set forth in Section 2.2 plus five percent (5%) per annum. In the event any interest is not paid when due hereunder, delinquent interest shall be added to principal and shall bear interest on interest, to the extent permitted by law, compounded at the rate set forth in Section 2.2 or Section 2.6, as applicable.

2.7. Mandatory Prepayment . The outstanding amount of all principal and accrued interest and unpaid interest will become immediately due and payable at Lender’s option (1) upon a Merger, or (2) the sale of substantially all assets of the Borrower outside the ordinary course of business unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Lender.

SECTION 3. SECURITY INTEREST

3.1. As security for the prompt, complete and indefeasible payment when due (whether on the Payment Dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Borrower grants to Lender a security interest in all of Borrower’s personal property now owned or hereafter acquired, including the following: (collectively, the “Collateral”): (a) Receivables; (b) Equipment; (c) Fixtures; (d) General Intangibles (other than Intellectual Property); (e) Accounts; (f) Inventory; (g) Investment Property; (h) Deposit Accounts; (i) Cash; (j) Goods and other tangible and intangible personal property of Borrower whether now or hereafter owned or existing, leased, consigned by or to, or acquired by, Borrower and wherever located; and (k) to the extent

 

7.


not otherwise included, all Proceeds of each of the foregoing and all accessions to, substitutions and replacements for, and rents, profits and products of each of the foregoing, provided that Collateral does not include Intellectual Property, but does include any proceeds arising out of the disposition of Intellectual Property.

SECTION 4. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO LOAN

The obligations of Lender to make the Loan hereunder are subject to the satisfaction by Borrower of the following conditions:

4.1. Initial Advance . On or prior to the Closing Date, Borrower shall have delivered to Lender the following:

(a) executed originals of this Agreement, the Loan Documents, the Warrant, Account Control Agreement(s), a legal opinion of Borrower’s counsel, Joinder Agreements, Guaranties, and all other documents and instruments reasonably required by Lender to effectuate the transactions contemplated hereby or to create and perfect the Liens of Lender with respect to all Collateral, in all cases in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Lender;

(b) certified copy of resolutions of Borrower’s board of directors evidencing approval of (i) the Loans and other transactions evidenced by the Loan Documents; and (ii) the Warrant and transactions evidenced thereby;

(c) certified copies of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws, as amended through the Closing Date, of Borrower;

(d) a certificate of good standing for Borrower from its state of incorporation and similar certificates from all other jurisdictions in which it does business and where the failure to be qualified would have a Material Adverse Effect;

(e) payment of the Facility Fee and reimbursement of Lender’s current expenses reimbursable pursuant to Section 11.11, which amounts may at Borrower’s election be deducted from the initial Advance; and

(f) such other documents as Lender may reasonably request.

4.2. All Advances . On each Advance Date:

(a) Lender shall have received (i) an Advance Request for the relevant Advance as required by Section 2.3, duly executed by Borrower’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer, (ii) a duly executed Note evidencing such Advance, and (iii) any other documents Lender may reasonably request.

(b) The representations and warranties set forth in this Section 4 and in Section 5 and in the Warrant shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Advance Date with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date.

(c) Borrower shall be in compliance in all material respects with the terms and provisions set forth herein and in each other Loan Document on its part to be observed or performed, and at the time of and immediately after such Advance no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

(d) Each Advance Request shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by Borrower on the relevant Advance Date as to the matters specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section and as to the matters set forth in the Advance Request.

4.3. No Default . As of the Closing Date and each Advance Date, (i) since the delivery of the most recent financial statements of Borrower delivered in accordance with Sections 7.1(a)-(c), no fact or condition exists that would constitute an Event of Default and (ii) no event that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, has occurred and is continuing.

 

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SECTION 5. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BORROWER

Borrower represents and warrants that:

5.1. Corporate Status . Borrower is a corporation duly organized, legally existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the nature of its business or location of its properties require such qualifications and where the failure to be qualified could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Borrower’s present name, former names (if any), locations, place of formation, tax identification number, organizational identification number and other information are correctly set forth in Exhibit C .

5.2. Collateral . Borrower owns all right, title and interest in and to the Collateral, free of all Liens whatsoever, except for Permitted Liens. Borrower has the full power and authority to grant and convey to Lender a Lien in the Collateral as security for the Secured Obligations, free of all other Liens other than Permitted Liens.

5.3. Consents . Borrower’s execution, delivery and performance of the Notes, this Agreement and all other Loan Documents, and Borrower’s execution of the Warrant, (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of Borrower, (ii) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon the Collateral, other than Permitted Liens and the Liens created by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (iii) do not violate any provisions of Borrower’s Certificate of Incorporation, bylaws, or any, law, regulation, order, injunction, judgment, decree or writ to which Borrower is subject and (iv) except as described on Schedule 5.3 , do not violate any contract or agreement or require the consent or approval of any other Person. The individual or individuals executing the Loan Documents and the Warrant are duly authorized to do so.

5.4. Actions Before Governmental Authorities . Except as described on Schedule 5.4 , there are no actions, suits or proceedings at law or in equity or by or before any governmental authority now pending or, to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened against or affecting Borrower or any business, property or rights of Borrower (i) which seek to prevent, enjoin, hinder or delay the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or (ii) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and which, if adversely determined, would reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

5.5. Laws . Borrower is not in violation of any law, rule or regulation, or in default with respect to any judgment, writ, injunction or decree of any governmental authority, where such violation or default is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Borrower is not in default in any manner under any provision of any indenture or other agreement, contract or instrument evidencing indebtedness, or any other material agreement, contract or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties or assets are or may be bound and for which such default would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

5.6. Information Correct . No information, report, Advance Request, financial statement, exhibit or schedule furnished, by or on behalf of Borrower to Lender in connection with any Loan Document or included therein or delivered pursuant thereto, contained, contains or will contain any material misstatement of fact or, when taken together with all other such information or documents, omitted, omits or will omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were, are or will be made, not misleading.

5.7. Tax Matters . Except as described on Schedule 5.7 , (a) Borrower has filed all federal, state and local tax returns that it is required to file, (b) Borrower has duly paid or fully reserved for all taxes or installments thereof (including any interest or penalties) as and when due, which have or may become due

 

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pursuant to such returns, and (c) Borrower has paid or fully reserved for any tax assessment received by Borrower for the three (3) years preceding the Closing Date, if any (including any taxes being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings).

5.8. Intellectual Property Claims . Borrower is the sole owner of, or otherwise has the right to use, the Intellectual Property. Except as described on Schedule 5.8 , to the best of Borrower’s knowledge, each of the material Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents is valid and enforceable, and no part of the Intellectual Property that is owned by Borrower has been judged invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and no claim has been made to Borrower in writing that any part of the Intellectual Property violates the rights of any third party except to the extent such claim would not reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect. Exhibit D is a true, correct and complete list of each of Borrower’s Patents, registered Trademarks, registered Copyrights, and material agreements under which Borrower licenses Intellectual Property from third parties (other than shrink-wrap software licenses and other licenses which if terminated could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect), together with application or registration numbers, as applicable, owned by Borrower or any Subsidiary. Borrower is not in material breach of, nor has Borrower failed to perform any material obligations under, any of the foregoing contracts, licenses or agreements and, to Borrower’s knowledge, no third party to any such contract, license or agreement is in material breach thereof or has failed to perform any material obligations thereunder.

5.9. Intellectual Property . Except as described on Schedule 5.9 , Borrower’s Intellectual Property constitutes all rights used in or necessary in the operation or conduct of Borrower’s business as currently conducted and currently proposed to be conducted by Borrower.

5.10. Borrower Products . Except as described on Schedule 5.10 , no Intellectual Property owned by Borrower or Borrower Product is subject to any pending or, to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened in writing litigation, proceeding (including any proceeding in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any corresponding foreign office or agency) or outstanding decree, order, judgment, settlement agreement or stipulation that restricts in any material respect Borrower’s use, transfer or licensing thereof or that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the validity, use or enforceability thereof. There is no outstanding decree, order, judgment, agreement, stipulation, arbitral award or other provision entered into in connection with any litigation or proceeding that obligates Borrower to grant licenses or ownership interest in any future Intellectual Property related to the operation or conduct of the business of Borrower or Borrower Products. There is no outstanding or, to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened in writing, dispute or disagreement of which Borrower is aware with respect to any contract, license or agreement between Borrower and any third party related to any material component or portion of the Intellectual Property.

5.11. Financial Accounts . Schedule 5.11 is a true, correct and complete list of (a) all banks and other financial institutions at which Borrower or any Subsidiary maintains Deposit Accounts and (b) all institutions at which Borrower or any Subsidiary maintains an account holding Investment Property, and such exhibit correctly identifies the name, address and telephone number of each bank or other institution, the name in which the account is held, a description of the purpose of the account, and the complete account number therefor.

5.12. Employee Loans . Borrower has no outstanding loans to any employee, officer or director of the Borrower nor has Borrower guaranteed the payment of any loan made to an employee, officer or director of the Borrower by a third party.

5.13. Material Adverse Effect . Since the delivery of the most recent financial statements of Borrower delivered in accordance with Sections 7.1(a)-(c), no event that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect has occurred and is continuing, and Borrower is not aware of any event likely to occur that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

5.14. Capitalization . Borrower’s capitalization is set forth on Schedule 5.14 annexed hereto. Borrower does not own any stock, partnership interest or other equity securities of any Person, except for Permitted Investments. Attached as Schedule 1 hereto is a true, correct and complete list of each Subsidiary, and all information set forth on Schedule 1 and Schedule 5.14 is true, correct and complete.

 

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SECTION 6. INSURANCE; INDEMNIFICATION

6.1. Coverage . So long as there are any Secured Obligations outstanding, Borrower shall cause to be carried and maintained commercial general liability insurance, on an occurrence form, against risks customarily insured against in Borrower’s line of business. Such risks shall include the risks of bodily injury, including death, property damage, personal injury, advertising injury, and contractual liability per the terms of the indemnification agreement found in Section 6.3. Borrower must maintain a minimum of Two Million Dollars ($2,000,000.00) of commercial general liability insurance as primary and/or excess insurance for each occurrence. So long as there are any Secured Obligations outstanding, Borrower shall also cause to be carried and maintained insurance upon the Collateral, insuring against all risks of physical loss or damage howsoever caused, in an amount not less than the full replacement cost of the Collateral. Borrower shall also carry and maintain a fidelity insurance policy in an amount not less than $150,000, together with directors’ and officers’ insurance on terms customary for companies in Borrower’s line of business and stage of development.

6.2. Certificates . Borrower shall deliver to Lender certificates of insurance that evidence Borrower’s compliance with its insurance obligations in Section 6.1 and the obligations contained in this Section 6.2. Borrower’s insurance certificate shall state Lender is an additional insured for commercial general liability, an additional insured and a loss payee for all risk property damage insurance, subject to the insurer’s approval, a loss payee for fidelity insurance, and a loss payee for property insurance and additional insured for liability insurance for any future insurance that Borrower may acquire from such insurer. Attached to the certificates of insurance will be additional insured endorsements for liability and lender’s loss payable endorsements for all risk property damage insurance. Unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, all insurance proceeds shall be paid or turned over to Borrower. All certificates of insurance will provide for a minimum of thirty (30) days advance written notice to Lender of cancellation. Any failure of Lender to scrutinize such insurance certificates for compliance is not a waiver of any of Lender’s rights, all of which are reserved.

6.3. Indemnity . Borrower shall and does hereby indemnify and hold Lender, its officers, directors, employees, agents, in-house attorneys, representatives and shareholders harmless from and against any and all claims, costs, expenses, damages and liabilities (including such claims, costs, expenses, damages and liabilities based on liability in tort, including strict liability in tort), including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements and other costs of investigation or defense (including those incurred upon any appeal), that may be instituted or asserted against or incurred by Lender or any such Person as the result of credit having been extended, suspended or terminated under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or the administration of such credit, or in connection with or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereunder and thereunder, or any actions or failures to act in connection therewith, or arising out of the disposition or utilization of the Collateral, excluding in all cases claims to the extent resulting from Lender’s gross negligence willful misconduct or breach of its obligations under the Loan Documents. Borrower agrees to pay, and to save Lender harmless from, any and all liabilities with respect to, or resulting from any delay in paying, any and all excise, sales or other similar taxes (excluding taxes imposed on or measured by the net income of Lender) that may be payable or determined to be payable with respect to any of the Collateral or this Agreement.

SECTION 7. COVENANTS OF BORROWER

Borrower agrees as follows:

7.1. Financial Reports . Borrower shall furnish to Lender the Compliance Certificate in the form of Exhibit F monthly within 30 days after the end of each month and the financial statements listed hereinafter, each prepared in accordance with GAAP, consistently applied (the “Financial Statements”):

 

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(a) as soon as practicable (and in any event within thirty (30) days) after the end of each month, unaudited interim financial statements as of the end of such month (prepared on a consolidated and consolidating basis, if applicable), including balance sheet and related statements of income and cash flows accompanied by a report detailing any material contingencies (including the commencement of any material litigation by or against Borrower) or any other occurrence that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all certified by Borrower’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;

(b) as soon as practicable (and in any event within forty five (45) days) after the end of each calendar quarter, unaudited interim financial statements as of the end of such calendar quarter (prepared on a consolidated and consolidating basis, if applicable), including balance sheet and related statements of income and cash flows accompanied by a report detailing any material contingencies (including the commencement of any material litigation by or against Borrower) or any other occurrence that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all certified by Borrower’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;

(c) as soon as practicable (and in any event within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year), unqualified audited financial statements as of the end of such year (prepared on a consolidated and consolidating basis, if applicable), including balance sheet and related statements of income and cash flows, and setting forth in comparative form the corresponding figures for the preceding fiscal year, certified by Ernst & Young LLP or another firm of independent certified public accountants selected by Borrower and reasonably acceptable to Lender, accompanied by any management report from such accountants;

(d) promptly after the sending or filing thereof, as the case may be, copies of any proxy statements, financial statements, materials or reports that Borrower has made available to holders of its Preferred Stock and copies of any regular, periodic and special reports or registration statements that Borrower files with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any governmental authority that may be substituted therefor, or any national securities exchange (including on Forms 10Q and 10K) and;

(e) budgets, operating plans and other financial information reasonably requested by Lender.

The executed Compliance Certificate may be sent via facsimile to Lender at (650) 473-9194 or via e-mail to financialstatements@herculestech.com and bjadot@herculestech.com . All Financial Statements required to be delivered pursuant to clauses (a), (b) and (c) shall be sent via e-mail to financial statements@herculestech.com and bjadot@herculestech.com provided , that if e-mail is not available or sending such Financial Statements via e-mail is not possible, they shall be sent via facsimile to Lender at: (650) 473-9194, attention Chief Credit Officer, reference AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

7.2. Management Rights . Borrower shall permit any representative that Lender authorizes, including its attorneys and accountants, to inspect the Collateral, examine and make copies and abstracts of the books of account and records of Borrower at reasonable times and upon reasonable prior notice during normal business hours. In addition, any such representative shall have the right to meet with management and officers of Borrower to discuss such books of account and records. In addition, Lender shall be entitled at reasonable times and intervals to consult with and advise the management and officers of Borrower concerning significant business issues affecting Borrower. Such inspections or consultations shall not unreasonably interfere with Borrower’s business operations. The parties intend that the rights granted Lender shall constitute “management rights” within the meaning of 29 C.F.R Section 2510.3-101(d)(3)(ii), but that any advice, recommendations or participation by Lender with respect to any business issues shall not be deemed to give Lender, nor be deemed an exercise by Lender of, control over Borrower’s management or policies.

 

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7.3. Further Assurances . Borrower shall from time to time execute, deliver and file, alone or with Lender, any financing statements, security agreements, collateral assignments, notices, control agreements, or other documents reasonably requested by Lender to perfect or give the highest priority to Lender’s Lien on the Collateral. Borrower shall from time to time provide any instruments or documents as may be reasonably requested by Lender, and take all further action that may be necessary or desirable, or that Lender may reasonably request, to perfect and protect the Liens granted hereby and thereby. In addition, and for such purposes only, Borrower hereby authorizes Lender to execute and deliver on behalf of Borrower and to file such financing statements, collateral assignments, notices, control agreements, security agreements and other documents without the signature of Borrower either in Lender’s name or in the name of Lender as agent and attorney-in-fact for Borrower. Borrower shall protect and defend Borrower’s title to the Collateral and Lender’s Lien thereon against all Persons claiming any interest adverse to Borrower or Lender.

7.4. Compromise of Agreements . Borrower shall not (a) grant any material extension of the time of payment of any of the Receivables or General Intangibles, (b) to any material extent, compromise, compound or settle the same for less than the full amount thereof, (c) release, wholly or partly, any Person liable for the payment thereof in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate, or (d) allow any credit or discount whatsoever thereon other than trade discounts granted by Borrower in the ordinary course of business of Borrower.

7.5. Indebtedness . Borrower shall not create, incur, assume, guarantee or be or remain liable with respect to any Indebtedness, or permit any Subsidiary so to do, other than Permitted Indebtedness.

7.6. Collateral . Borrower shall at all times keep the Collateral and all other property and assets used in Borrower’s business or in which Borrower now or hereafter holds any interest free and clear from any legal process or Liens whatsoever (except for Permitted Liens), and shall give Lender prompt written notice of any legal process affecting the Collateral, such other property and assets, or any Liens thereon. Borrower shall cause its Subsidiaries to protect and defend such Subsidiary’s title to its assets from and against all Persons claiming any interest adverse to such Subsidiary, and Borrower shall cause its Subsidiaries at all times to keep such Subsidiary’s property and assets free and clear from any legal process or Liens whatsoever (except for Permitted Liens), and shall give Lender prompt written notice of any legal process affecting such Subsidiary’s assets.

7.7. Investments . Borrower shall not directly or indirectly acquire or own, or make any Investment in or to any Person, or permit any of its Subsidiaries so to do, other than Permitted Investments.

7.8. Distributions . Borrower shall not, and shall not allow any Subsidiary to, (a) repurchase or redeem any class of stock or other equity interest other than pursuant to employee, director or consultant repurchase plans stock option plans or agreements, restricted stock agreements or other similar agreements, provided, however, in each case the repurchase or redemption price does not exceed the original consideration paid for such stock or equity interest, or (b) declare or pay any cash dividend or make a cash distribution on any class of stock, or (c) lend money to any employee, officer or director or guarantee the payment of any such loan granted by a third party in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate or (d) waive, release or forgive any indebtedness owed by any employee, officer or director in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate.

7.9. Transfers . Except for Permitted Transfers, Borrower shall not voluntarily or involuntarily transfer, sell, lease, license, lend or in any other manner convey any equitable, beneficial or legal interest in any material portion of its assets.

7.10. Taxes . Borrower and its Subsidiaries shall pay when due all taxes, fees or other charges of any nature whatsoever (together with any related interest or penalties) now or hereafter imposed or assessed against Borrower, Lender or the Collateral or upon Borrower’s ownership, possession, use, operation or disposition thereof or upon Borrower’s rents, receipts or earnings arising therefrom. Borrower shall file on

 

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or before the due date therefor all personal property tax returns in respect of the Collateral. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Borrower may contest, in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, taxes for which Borrower maintains adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP.

7.11. Corporate Changes . Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall change its corporate name, legal form or jurisdiction of formation without twenty (20) days’ prior written notice to Lender. Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall relocate its chief executive office or its principal place of business unless: (i) it has provided prior written notice to Lender; and (ii) such relocation shall be within the continental United States. Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall relocate any item of Collateral (other than (x) sales of Inventory in the ordinary course of business, (y) relocations of mobile equipment, or other equipment having an aggregate value of up to $100,000 in any fiscal year, and (z) relocations of Collateral from a location described on Exhibit C to another location described on Exhibit C) unless (i) it has provided prompt written notice to Lender and (ii) such relocation is within the continental United States.

7.12. Payments . Lender will initiate debit entries to Borrower’s account as authorized in the ACH Debit Authorization in substantially the form attached as Exhibit H.

7.13. Deposit Accounts . Neither Borrower nor any domestic U.S. Subsidiary shall maintain any Deposit Accounts (other than payroll, trust or escrow accounts), or accounts holding Investment Property, except with respect to which Lender has a perfected security interest in each such account.

SECTION 8. RIGHT TO PURCHASE STOCK

8.1. Lender or its assignee or nominee shall have the right, in its discretion, to purchase shares of Borrower’s securities having an aggregate purchase price of up to $1,500,000 in connection with the Next Event. Such right shall be upon the same terms and conditions afforded to other investors in the Next Event.

SECTION 9. EVENTS OF DEFAULT

The occurrence of any one or more of the following events (herein called “Events of Default”) shall constitute a breach and default under this Loan Agreement, the Notes, and the other Loan Documents:

9.1. Payments . Borrower fails to pay any amount due under this Agreement, the Notes or any of the other Loan Documents on the due date thereof (the “Payment Date”); or

9.2. Covenants . Borrower breaches or defaults in the performance of any covenant or Secured Obligation under this Agreement, the Notes, or any of the other Loan Documents, and (a) with respect to a default under any covenant under this Agreement (other than under Sections 6.1, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8 or 7.9) such default continues for more than ten (10) days after the earlier of the date on which (i) Lender has given notice of such default to Borrower and (ii) Borrower has actual knowledge of such default or (b) with respect to a default under any of Sections 6.1, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8 or 7.9, the occurrence of such default; or

9.3. Material Adverse Effect . A circumstance has occurred since the delivery of the most recent financial statements of Borrower delivered in accordance with Sections 7.1(a)-(c) that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

9.4. Other Loan Documents . The occurrence of any default under the Warrant, any Loan Document, or any agreement between Borrower and Lender and such default continues for more than ten (10) business days after the earlier of (a) Lender has given notice of such default to Borrower, or (b) Borrower has actual knowledge of such default; or

9.5. Representations . Any representation or warranty made by Borrower in any Loan Document or in the Warrant shall have been false or misleading in any material respect when made or deemed made; or

9.6. Insolvency . Borrower (a) shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (b) shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts as they become due, or its inability to pay or perform under the

 

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Loan Documents; or (c) shall file a voluntary petition in bankruptcy; or (d) shall file any petition, answer, or document seeking for itself any reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any present or future statute, law or regulation pertinent to such circumstances; or (e) shall seek or consent to or acquiesce in the appointment of any trustee, receiver, or liquidator of Borrower or of all or any substantial part (i.e., 33-1/3% or more) of the assets or property of Borrower; or (f) shall cease operations of its business as its business has normally been conducted, or terminate substantially all of its employees, or becomes insolvent; or (g) Borrower or its directors or majority shareholders shall take any action initiating any of the foregoing actions described in clauses (a) through (f); or either (a) sixty (60) days shall have expired after the commencement of an involuntary action against Borrower seeking reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any present or future statute, law or regulation, without such action being dismissed or all orders or proceedings thereunder affecting the operations or the business of Borrower being stayed; or (b) a stay of any such order or proceedings shall thereafter be set aside and the action setting it aside shall not be timely appealed; or (c) Borrower shall file any answer admitting or not contesting the material allegations of a petition filed against Borrower in any such proceedings; or (d) the court in which such proceedings are pending shall enter a decree or order granting the relief sought in any such proceedings; or thirty (30) days shall have expired after the appointment, without the consent or acquiescence of Borrower, of any trustee, receiver or liquidator of Borrower or of all or any substantial part of the properties of Borrower without such appointment being vacated; or

9.7. Attachments; Judgments. Any portion of Borrower’s assets is attached or seized, or a levy is filed against any such assets, or a judgment or judgments is/are entered for the payment of money, individually or in the aggregate, of at least $250,000, or Borrower is enjoined or in any way prevented by court order from conducting any part of its business; or

9.8. Other Indebtedness . The occurrence of any default under any agreement or obligation of Borrower involving any Indebtedness in excess of $250,000 or that, when aggregated with any other such defaults would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 10. REMEDIES

10.1. Upon and during the continuance of any one or more Events of Default, in accordance with applicable law (i) Lender may, at its option, accelerate and demand payment of all or any part of the Secured Obligations and declare them to be immediately due and payable ( provided , that upon the occurrence of an Event of Default of the type described in Section 9.6, the Notes and all of the Secured Obligations shall automatically be accelerated and made due and payable, in each case without any further notice or act), and (ii) Lender may notify any of Borrower’s account debtors to make payment directly to Lender, compromise the amount of any such account on Borrower’s behalf and endorse Lender’s name without recourse on any such payment for deposit directly to Lender’s account. Upon and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the unpaid principal of and accrued interest on the Notes and Advances and all outstanding Secured Obligations, including all professional fees and expenses, shall thereafter bear interest at the Default Rate. Upon and during the continuance of an Event of Default, Lender may exercise in accordance with applicable law all rights and remedies with respect to the Collateral under the Loan Documents or otherwise available to it under the UCC and other applicable law, including the right to release, hold, sell, lease, liquidate, collect, realize upon, or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Collateral and the right to occupy, utilize, process and commingle the Collateral. All Lender’s rights and remedies shall be cumulative and not exclusive.

10.2. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, Lender may, at any time or from time to time, and in accordance with applicable law, apply, collect, liquidate, sell in one or more sales, lease or otherwise dispose of, any or all of the Collateral, in its then condition or following any commercially reasonable preparation or processing, in such order as Lender may elect. Any such sale may be made either at public or private sale at its place of business or elsewhere. Borrower agrees that any such

 

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public or private sale may occur upon ten (10) calendar days’ prior written notice to Borrower. Lender may require Borrower to assemble the Collateral and make it available to Lender at a place designated by Lender that is reasonably convenient to Lender and Borrower. The proceeds of any sale, disposition or other realization upon all or any part of the Collateral shall be applied by Lender in the following order of priorities:

First , to Lender in an amount sufficient to pay in full Lender’s costs and professionals’ and advisors’ fees and expenses as described in Section 11.12;

Second , to Lender in an amount equal to the then unpaid amount of the Secured Obligations (including principal, interest, and the Default Rate interest), in such order and priority as Lender may choose in its sole discretion; and

Finally , after the full, final, and indefeasible payment in Cash of all of the Secured Obligations, to any creditor holding a junior Lien on the Collateral, or to Borrower or its representatives or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.

Lender shall be deemed to have acted reasonably in the custody, preservation and disposition of any of the Collateral if it complies with the obligations of a secured party under the UCC.

10.3. Lender shall be under no obligation to marshal any of the Collateral for the benefit of Borrower or any other Person, and Borrower expressly waives all rights, if any, to require Lender to marshal any Collateral.

10.4. The rights, powers and remedies of Lender hereunder shall be in addition to all rights, powers and remedies given by statute or rule of law and are cumulative. The exercise of any one or more of the rights, powers and remedies provided herein shall not be construed as a waiver of or election of remedies with respect to any other rights, powers and remedies of Lender.

SECTION 11. MISCELLANEOUS

11.1. Severability . Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement shall be prohibited by or invalid under such law, such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent and duration of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this Agreement.

11.2. Notice . Except as otherwise provided herein, any notice, demand, request, consent, approval, declaration, service of process or other communication (including the delivery of Financial Statements) that is required, contemplated, or permitted under the Loan Documents or with respect to the subject matter hereof shall be in writing, and shall be deemed to have been validly served, given, delivered, and received upon the earlier of: (i) the first business day after transmission by facsimile or hand delivery or deposit with an overnight express service or overnight mail delivery service; or (ii) the third calendar day after deposit in the United States mails, with proper first class postage prepaid, in each case addressed to the party to be notified as follows:

(a) If to Lender:

HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.

Legal Department

Attention: Chief Legal Officer, Bryan Jadot and Parag Shah

400 Hamilton Ave.

Palo Alto, CA 94025

Facsimile: 650-473-9194

Telephone: 617-261-6552

 

16.


(b) If to Borrower:

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Attention: Will Lewis, Chief Financial Officer

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Facsimile: 908-541-1155

Telephone: 908-704-1300

With a copy to:

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP

Attention: Mark D. Smith

53 State Street

Boston, MA 02109

Facsimile: 617-523-1231

or to such other address as each party may designate for itself by like notice.

11.3. Entire Agreement; Amendments . This Agreement, the Notes, and the other Loan Documents constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersede and replace in their entirety any prior proposals, term sheets, letters, negotiations or other documents or agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof or thereof (including Lender’s proposal letter dated February 12, 2007). None of the terms of this Agreement, the Notes or any of the other Loan Documents may be amended except by an instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.

11.4. No Strict Construction . The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Agreement.

11.5. No Waiver . The powers conferred upon Lender by this Agreement are solely to protect its rights hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and its interest in the Collateral and shall not impose any duty upon Lender to exercise any such powers. No omission or delay by Lender at any time to enforce any right or remedy reserved to it, or to require performance of any of the terms, covenants or provisions hereof by Borrower at any time designated, shall be a waiver of any such right or remedy to which Lender is entitled, nor shall it in any way affect the right of Lender to enforce such provisions thereafter.

11.6. Survival . All agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, the Notes and the other Loan Documents or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto shall be for the benefit of Lender and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

11.7. Successors and Assigns . The provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall inure to the benefit of and be binding on Borrower and its permitted assigns (if any). Borrower shall not assign its obligations under this Agreement, the Notes or any of the other Loan Documents without Lender’s express prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, and any such attempted assignment shall be void and of no effect. Lender may assign, transfer, or endorse its rights hereunder and under the other Loan Documents without prior notice to Borrower, and all of such rights shall inure to the benefit of Lender’s successors and assigns.

11.8. Governing Law . This Agreement, the Notes and the other Loan Documents have been negotiated and delivered to Lender in the State of California, and shall have been accepted by Lender in the State of California. Payment to Lender by Borrower of the Secured Obligations is due in the State of

 

17.


California. This Agreement, the Notes and the other Loan Documents shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, excluding conflict of laws principles that would cause the application of laws of any other jurisdiction.

11.9. Consent to Jurisdiction and Venue . All judicial proceedings (to the extent that the reference requirement of Section 11.10 is not applicable) arising in or under or related to this Agreement, the Notes or any of the other Loan Documents may be brought in any state or federal court of competent jurisdiction located in the State of California. By execution and delivery of this Agreement, each party hereto generally and unconditionally: (a) consents to nonexclusive personal jurisdiction in Santa Clara County, State of California; (b) waives any objection as to jurisdiction or venue in Santa Clara County, State of California; (c) agrees not to assert any defense based on lack of jurisdiction or venue in the aforesaid courts; and (d) irrevocably agrees to be bound by any judgment rendered thereby in connection with this Agreement, the Notes or the other Loan Documents. Service of process on any party hereto in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be effective if given in accordance with the requirements for notice set forth in Section 11.3, and shall be deemed effective and received as set forth in Section 11.3. Nothing herein shall affect the right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of either party to bring proceedings in the courts of any other jurisdiction.

11.10. Mutual Waiver of Jury Trial / Judicial Reference .

(a) Because disputes arising in connection with complex financial transactions are most quickly and economically resolved by an experienced and expert person and the parties wish applicable state and federal laws to apply (rather than arbitration rules), the parties desire that their disputes be resolved by a judge applying such applicable laws. EACH OF BORROWER AND LENDER SPECIFICALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CAUSE OF ACTION, CLAIM, CROSS-CLAIM, COUNTERCLAIM, THIRD PARTY CLAIM OR ANY OTHER CLAIM (COLLECTIVELY, “CLAIMS”) ASSERTED BY BORROWER AGAINST LENDER OR ITS ASSIGNEE OR BY LENDER OR ITS ASSIGNEE AGAINST BORROWER. This waiver extends to all such Claims, including Claims that involve Persons other than Borrower and Lender; Claims that arise out of or are in any way connected to the relationship between Borrower and Lender; and any Claims for damages, breach of contract, tort, specific performance, or any equitable or legal relief of any kind, arising out of this Agreement, any other Loan Document.

(b) If the waiver of jury trial set forth in Section 11.11(a) is ineffective or unenforceable, the parties agree that all Claims shall be resolved by reference to a private judge sitting without a jury, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Section 638, before a mutually acceptable referee or, if the parties cannot agree, a referee selected by the Presiding Judge of the Santa Clara County, California. Such proceeding shall be conducted in Santa Clara County, California, with California rules of evidence and discovery applicable to such proceeding.

(c) In the event Claims are to be resolved by judicial reference, either party may seek from a court of competent jurisdiction identified in Section 11.11, any prejudgment order, writ or other relief and have such prejudgment order, writ or other relief enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law notwithstanding that all Claims are otherwise subject to resolution by judicial reference.

 

18.


11.11. Professional Fees . Borrower promises to pay Lender’s reasonable, documented out-of-pocket fees and expenses necessary to finalize the loan documentation, including but not limited to reasonable, documented attorneys fees, UCC searches, filing costs, and other miscellaneous expenses. In addition, Borrower promises to pay any and all reasonable invoiced attorneys’ and other professionals’ fees and expenses incurred by Lender after the Closing Date in connection with or related to: (a) the collection or enforcement of the Loan; (c) the amendment or modification of the Loan Documents; (d) any waiver, consent, release, or termination under the Loan Documents; (e) the protection, preservation, sale, lease, liquidation, or disposition of Collateral or the exercise of remedies with respect to the Collateral; (f) any legal, litigation, administrative, arbitration, or out of court proceeding in connection with or related to Borrower or the Collateral, and any appeal or review thereof; and (g) any bankruptcy, restructuring, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors, workout, foreclosure, or other action related to Borrower, the Collateral, the Loan Documents, including representing Lender in any adversary proceeding or contested matter commenced or continued by or on behalf of Borrower’s estate, and any appeal or review thereof.

11.12. Confidentiality . Lender acknowledges that financial statements provided to Lender by Borrower and certain items of Collateral and other information provided to Lender by Borrower (if and to the extent such other information is marked as confidential by Borrower at the time of disclosure) are confidential and proprietary information of Borrower (the “Confidential Information”). Accordingly, Lender agrees that any Confidential Information it may obtain in the course of acquiring, administering, or perfecting Lender’s security interest in the Collateral shall not be disclosed to any other person or entity or used in any manner whatsoever, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Borrower, except that Lender may disclose any such information: (a) to its own directors, officers, employees, accountants, counsel and other professional advisors and to its affiliates if Lender in its sole discretion determines that any such party should have access to such information in connection with such party’s responsibilities in connection with the Loan or this Agreement and, provided that such recipient of such Confidential Information either (i) agrees to be bound by the confidentiality provisions of this paragraph or (ii) is otherwise subject to confidentiality restrictions that reasonably protect against the disclosure of Confidential Information; (b) if such information is generally available to the public; (c) if required or appropriate in any report, statement or testimony submitted to any governmental authority having or claiming to have jurisdiction over Lender; (d) if required or appropriate in response to any summons or subpoena or in connection with any litigation, to the extent permitted or deemed advisable by Lender’s counsel; (e) to comply with any legal requirement or law applicable to Lender; (f) to the extent reasonably necessary in connection with the exercise of any right or remedy under any Loan Document, including Lender’s sale, lease, or other disposition of Collateral after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default; (g) to any participant or assignee of Lender or any prospective participant or assignee; provided , that such participant or assignee or prospective participant or assignee agrees in writing to be bound by this Section prior to disclosure; or (h) otherwise with the prior consent of Borrower; provided , that any disclosure made in violation of this Agreement shall not affect the obligations of Borrower or any of its affiliates or any guarantor under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents.

11.13. Assignment of Rights . Borrower acknowledges and understands that Lender may sell and assign all or part of its interest hereunder and under the Note(s) and Loan Documents to any person or entity (an “Assignee”). After such assignment the term “Lender” as used in the Loan Documents shall mean and include such Assignee, and such Assignee shall be vested with all rights, powers and remedies of Lender hereunder with respect to the interest so assigned; but with respect to any such interest not so transferred, Lender shall retain all rights, powers and remedies hereby given. No such assignment by Lender shall relieve Borrower of any of its obligations hereunder. Lender agrees that in the event of any transfer by it of the Note(s), it will endorse thereon a notation as to the portion of the principal of the Note(s), which shall have been paid at the time of such transfer and as to the date to which interest shall have been last paid thereon.

 

19.


11.14. Revival of Secured Obligations . This Agreement and the Loan Documents shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective if any petition is filed by or against Borrower for liquidation or reorganization, if Borrower becomes insolvent or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, if a receiver or trustee is appointed for all or any significant part of Borrower’s assets, or if any payment or transfer of Collateral is recovered from Lender. The Loan Documents and the Secured Obligations and Collateral security shall continue to be effective, or shall be revived or reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment and performance of the Secured Obligations or any transfer of Collateral to Lender, or any part thereof is rescinded, avoided or avoidable, reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by, or is recovered from, Lender or by any obligee of the Secured Obligations, whether as a “voidable preference,” “fraudulent conveyance,” or otherwise, all as though such payment, performance, or transfer of Collateral had not been made. In the event that any payment, or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, avoided, avoidable, restored, returned, or recovered, the Loan Documents and the Secured Obligations shall be deemed, without any further action or documentation, to have been revived and reinstated except to the extent of the full, final, and indefeasible payment to Lender in Cash.

11.15. Counterparts . This Agreement and any amendments, waivers, consents or supplements hereto may be executed in any number of counterparts, and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so delivered shall be deemed an original, but all of which counterparts shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

11.16. No Third Party Beneficiaries . No provisions of the Loan Documents are intended, nor will be interpreted, to provide or create any third-party beneficiary rights or any other rights of any kind in any person other than Lender and Borrower unless specifically provided otherwise herein, and, except as otherwise so provided, all provisions of the Loan Documents will be personal and solely between the Lender and the Borrower.

11.17. Specific Performance . The parties hereto hereby declare that it is impossible to measure in money the damages which will accrue to Lender by reason of Borrower’s failure to perform any of the obligations under this Agreement and agree that the terms of this Agreement shall be specifically enforceable by Lender. If Lender institutes any action or proceeding to specifically enforce the provisions hereof, any Person against whom such action or proceeding is brought hereby waives the claim or defense therein that Lender has an adequate remedy at law, and such Person shall not offer in any such action or proceeding the claim or defense that such remedy at law exists.

11.18. Publicity . Lender may use Borrower’s name and logo, and include a brief description of the relationship between Borrower and Lender, in Lender’s marketing materials with prior notice thereof to Borrower.

 

20.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Borrower and Lender have duly executed and delivered this Loan and Security Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

  BORROWER:   AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
    Signature:  

/s/ Gerald Wisler

    Print Name:   Gerald Wisler
    Title:   President and CEO
Accepted in Palo Alto, California :    
  LENDER:   HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.
    Signature:  

/s/ Scott Harvey

    Print Name:   Scott Harvey
    Title:   Chief Legal Officer

 

21.


Table of Exhibits and Schedules

 

Exhibit A:    Advance Request
   Attachment to Advance Request
Exhibit B:    Promissory Note
Exhibit C:    Name, Locations, and Other Information for Borrower
Exhibit D:    Borrower’s Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights and Licenses
Exhibit E:    Borrower’s Deposit Accounts and Investment Accounts
Exhibit F:    Compliance Certificate
Exhibit G:    Joinder Agreement
Exhibit H:    ACH Authorization
Schedule 1    Subsidiaries
Schedule 1A    Existing Permitted Indebtedness
Schedule 1B    Existing Permitted Investments
Schedule 1C    Existing Permitted Liens
Schedule 5.3    Consents, Etc.
Schedule 5.5    Actions Before Governmental Authorities
Schedule 5.7    Tax Matters
Schedule 5.8    Intellectual Property Claims
Schedule 5.9    Intellectual Property
Schedule 5.10    Borrower Products
Schedule 5.11    Financial Accounts
Schedule 5.13    Capitalization

 

1.


EXHIBIT A

ADVANCE REQUEST

 

To:

   Lender:    Date:                       ,  2007
   Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.   
   400 Hamilton Avenue   
   Palo Alto, CA 94301   
   Facsimile: 650-473-9194   
   Attn:   

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (“Borrower”) hereby requests from Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (“Lender”) an Advance in the amount of                      Dollars ($              .00) on                      ,          (the “Advance Date”) pursuant to the Loan and Security Agreement between Borrower and Lender (the “Agreement”). Capitalized words and other terms used but not otherwise defined herein are used with the same meanings as defined in the Agreement.

Please:

 

(a)    Issue a check payable to Borrower    ______________
   or   
(b)    Wire Funds to Borrower’s account    ______________
   Bank:    _____________________
   Address:    ____________________________________
      ____________________________________
   ABA Number:    ____________________________________
   Account Number:    ____________________________________
   Account Name:    ____________________________________

Borrower represents that the conditions precedent to the Advance set forth in the Agreement are satisfied and shall be satisfied upon the making of such Advance, including but not limited to: (i) that since the delivery of the most recent financial statements of Borrower delivered in accordance with Sections 7.1(a)-(c), no Material Adverse Effect has occurred and is continuing; (ii) that the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement and in the Warrant are and shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Advance Date with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date; (iii) that Borrower is in compliance in all material respects with the terms and provisions set forth in each Loan Document on its part to be observed or performed; and (iv) that as of the Advance Date, no fact or condition exists that would constitute an Event of Default under the Agreement. Borrower understands and acknowledges that Lender has the right to review the financial information supporting this representation and, based upon such review in its reasonable discretion, Lender may decline to fund the requested Advance if such representation is not true and correct.

Borrower hereby represents that Borrower’s corporate status and locations have not changed since the date of this Agreement of, if the Attachment to this Advance Request is completed, are as set forth in the Attachment to this Advance Request.

 

2.


Borrower agrees to notify Lender promptly before the funding of the Loan if any of the matters which have been represented above shall not be true and correct in all material respects on the Advance Date and if Lender has received no such notice before the Advance Date then the statements set forth above shall be deemed to have been made and shall be deemed to be true and correct as of the Advance Date.

Executed as of                      , 200      .

 

BORROWER: AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
SIGNATURE:  

 

TITLE:   Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer
PRINT NAME:  

 

 

3.


ATTACHMENT TO ADVANCE REQUEST

Dated:                     

Borrower hereby represents and warrants to Lender that Borrower’s current name and organizational status is as follows:

 

Name:    Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Type of organization:    Corporation
State of organization:    Delaware
Organization file number:    __________________________

Borrower hereby represents and warrants to Lender that the street addresses, cities, states and postal codes of its current locations are as follows:

 

Chief Executive Office   
and Principal Place of Business:   

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Locations of Collateral:    Same as above

 

4.


EXHIBIT B

SECURED PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$15,000,000   Advance Date: March 20, 2007
  Maturity Date: August      , 2010

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation, for itself and each of its Subsidiaries (the “Borrower”) hereby promises to pay to the order of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., a Maryland corporation or the holder of this Note (the “Lender”) at 400 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 or such other place of payment as the holder of this Secured Promissory Note (this “Promissory Note”) may specify from time to time in writing, in lawful money of the United States of America, the principal amount of Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000) together with interest at a floating rate equal to the prime rate as reported in the Wall Street Journal, and if not reported, then the prime rate next reported in the Wall Street Journal, plus two and one-half percentage points (2.50%) per annum based upon a year consisting of 360 days, with interest computed daily based on the actual number of days in each month.

This Promissory Note is the Note referred to in, and is executed and delivered in connection with, that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated March 20, 2007, by and between Borrower and Lender (as the same may from time to time be amended, modified or supplemented in accordance with its terms, the “Loan Agreement”), and is entitled to the benefit and security of the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents (as defined in the Loan Agreement), to which reference is made for a statement of all of the terms and conditions thereof. All payments shall be made in accordance with the Loan Agreement. All terms defined in the Loan Agreement shall have the same definitions when used herein, unless otherwise defined herein. An Event of Default under the Loan Agreement shall constitute a default under this Promissory Note. Reference to the Loan Agreement shall not affect or impair the absolute and unconditional obligation of the Borrowers to pay all principal and interest and premium, if any, under this Promissory Note upon demand or as otherwise provided herein

Borrower waives presentment and demand for payment, notice of dishonor, protest and notice of protest under the UCC or any applicable law. Borrower agrees to make all payments under this Promissory Note without setoff, recoupment or deduction and regardless of any counterclaim or defense. This Promissory Note has been negotiated and delivered to Lender and is payable in the State of California. This Promissory Note shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, excluding any conflicts of law rules or principles that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

BORROWER FOR ITSELF AND    
ON BEHALF OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES:   AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
  By:  

 

  Title:  

 

 

5.


EXHIBIT C

NAME, LOCATIONS, AND OTHER INFORMATION FOR BORROWER

1. Borrower represents and warrants to Lender that Borrower’s current name and organizational status as of the Closing Date is as follows:

 

Name:    Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Type of organization:    Corporation
State of organization:    Delaware
Organization file number:    ______________________

2. Borrower represents and warrants to Lender that for five (5) years prior to the Closing Date, Borrower did not do business under any other name or organization or form except the following:

Name:

Used during dates of:

Type of Organization:

State of organization:

Organization file Number:

Borrower’s fiscal year ends on December 31

Borrower’s federal employer tax identification number is:                             

3. Borrower represents and warrants to Lender that the street addresses, cities, states and postal codes of its current locations as of the Closing Date are:

 

Chief Executive Office:    1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304
   Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Principal Place of Business:    Same as above.
Locations of Collateral:    Same as above

 

6.


EXHIBIT D

[To be attached]

 

7.


EXHIBIT E

RESERVED


EXHIBIT F

COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE

Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.

400 Hamilton Avenue

Palo Alto, CA 94301

Re: Reference is made to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated March 20, 2007 and all ancillary documents entered into in connection with such Loan and Security Agreement all as may be amended from time to time, (hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Loan Agreement”) between Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (“Hercules”) as Lender and Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) as Borrower. All capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the same meaning as defined in the Loan Agreement.

Gentlemen:

The undersigned is an Officer of the Company, knowledgeable of all Company financial matters, and is authorized to provided certification of information regarding the Company; hereby certifies that in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement, the Company is in compliance in all material respects for the period ending                      of all covenants, conditions and terms and hereby reaffirms that all representations and warrants contained therein are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of this Compliance Certificate with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, after giving effect in all cases to any standard(s) of materiality contained in the Loan Agreement as to such representations and warranties. Attached are the required documents supporting the above certification. The undersigned further certifies that these are prepared in accordance with GAAP (except for the absence of footnotes with respect to unaudited financial statement and subject to normal year end adjustments) and are consistent from one period to the next except as explained below.

 

REPORTING REQUIREMENT

  

REQUIRED

  

CHECK IF ATTACHED

Interim Financial Statements

  

Monthly within 30 days

  

Interim Financial Statements

  

Quarterly within 45 days

  

Audited Financial Statements

  

FYE within 120 days

  

 

Very Truly Yours,

By:

 

 

Name:

 

 

Its:

 

 

 

20.


EXHIBIT G

FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT

JOINDER AGREEMENT

This Joinder Agreement (the “Joinder Agreement”) is made and dated as of March 20, 2007, and is entered into by and between                      (“Subsidiary”), and HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation, as a Lender.

RECITALS

A. Subsidiary’s Affiliate, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Company”) desires to enter into that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated March 20, 2007, with Lender, as such agreement may be amended (the “Loan Agreement”), together with the other agreements executed and delivered in connection therewith;

B. Subsidiary acknowledges and agrees that it will benefit both directly and indirectly from Company’s execution of the Loan Agreement and the other agreements executed and delivered in connection therewith;

AGREEMENT

NOW THEREFORE, Subsidiary and Lender agree as follows:

 

1. The recitals set forth above are incorporated into and made part of this Joinder Agreement. Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning provided in the Loan Agreement.

 

2. By signing this Joinder Agreement, Subsidiary shall be bound by the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement the same as if it were the Borrower (as defined in the Loan Agreement) under the Loan Agreement, mutatis mutandis , provided however, that Lender shall have no duties, responsibilities or obligations to Subsidiary arising under or related to the Loan Agreement or the other agreements executed and delivered in connection therewith. Rather, to the extent that Lender has any duties, responsibilities or obligations arising under or related to the Loan Agreement or the other agreements executed and delivered in connection therewith, those duties, responsibilities or obligations shall flow only to Company and not to Subsidiary or any other person or entity. By way of example (and not an exclusive list): (a) Agent or a Lender’s providing notice to Company in accordance with the Loan Agreement or as otherwise agreed between Company and Lender shall be deemed provided to Subsidiary; (b) a Lender’s providing an Advance to Company shall be deemed an Advance to Subsidiary; and (c) Subsidiary shall have no right to request an Advance or make any other demand on Agent or a Lender.

 

   SUBSIDIARY:   

 

  
      By:   

 

  
      Name:   

 

  
      Title:   

 

  
      Address:   

 

  
      Telephone:   

 

  
      Facsimile:   

 

  

 

21.


   HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.   
      By:   

 

  
      Name:   

 

  
      Title:   

 

  
      Address:      
     

400 Hamilton Avenue

  
     

Palo Alto, CA 94301

  
     

Facsimile: 650-473-9194

  
     

Telephone: 650-289-3060

  

 

22.


EXHIBIT H

FORM OF

ACH DEBIT AUTHORIZATION AGREEMENT

Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.

400 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 310

Palo Alto, CA 94301

Re: Loan and Security Agreement dated March __, 2007 between AEGERION

PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (“Borrower”) and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.

(“Company”) (the “Agreement”)

In connection with the above referenced Agreement, the Borrower hereby authorizes the Company to initiate debit entries for the periodic payments due under the Agreement to the Borrower’s account indicated below. The Borrower authorizes the depository institution named below to debit to such account.

 

DEPOSITORY NAME   BRANCH
CITY   STATE AND ZIP CODE
TRANSIT/ABA NUMBER   ACCOUNT NUMBER

This authority will remain in full force and effect so long as any amounts are due under the Agreement.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:  

 

Date:  

 


FIRST AMENDMENT

TO

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

T HIS F IRST A MENDMENT TO L OAN AND S ECURITY A GREEMENT (this “ Amendment ”) is entered into as of September 29, 2008, by and between H ERCULES T ECHNOLOGY G ROWTH C APITAL , I NC . (“ Lender ”) and AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. , a Delaware corporation, and each of its subsidiaries that becomes a party to the Agreement, (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”) .

R ECITALS

Borrower and Lender are parties to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated as of March 20, 2007 (the “ Agreement ”). Borrower has asked Lender to refinance the outstanding principal balance under the Agreement. This Amendment makes those changes, and others set forth below. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Amendment shall have the meanings assigned in the Agreement.

N OW , T HEREFORE , the parties agree as follows:

1. The following definitions in Section 1.1 of the Agreement are added or amended to read as follows:

“Amendment Date” means the date of this Amendment.

“Interest Rate” means for any day, the greater of (i) 9.55% per annum or (ii) 2.50% plus the Prime Rate reported in The Wall Street Journal .

“Maturity Date” means September 1, 2011, provided that if the repayment period is extended pursuant to Section 2.2, Maturity Date will be December 1, 2011.

“Prepayment Fee” means an amount equal to (i) for a prepayment made on or before the first anniversary of the Amendment Date, 2.0% of the remaining principal amount prepaid, (ii) for a prepayment made after the first anniversary, but on or before the second anniversary of the Amendment Date, 1.0% of the principal amount prepaid, and (iii) for a prepayment made after the second anniversary of the Amendment Date, but before the Maturity Date, 0.5% of the remaining principal amount prepaid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Borrower completes an Initial Public Offering by March 31, 2009, the Prepayment Fee shall be $0 for any Advance prepaid by March 31, 2009.

2. Sections 2.1 and 2.2 are amended to read as follows:

2.1 Advance . Lender will make one (1) Advance to Borrower on or about the Amendment Date in an amount equal to $7,525,000. Borrower shall use the first proceeds of the Advance to repay all amounts owing to Lender under the Agreement as of the Amendment Date.

2.2 Repayment . Beginning on the date of the Advance, and continuing for so long as the Advance is outstanding, Borrower shall pay interest on the Advance on the first day of each month at a rate equal to the Interest Rate based on a year consisting of 360 days, with interest computed daily based on the actual number of days in each month. The aggregate principal balance outstanding on March 31, 2009, shall be amortized and shall be payable in 30 equal monthly installments of principal and interest, the first payment being due on April 1, 2009, and continuing on the first day of each month thereafter; provided that if before April 1, 2009, Borrower receives at least $20,000,000 of proceeds from the sale of its equity securities or as an up-front payment on a corporate collaboration agreement, then the aggregate principal balance shall be amortized and payable in 30 equal monthly installments of principal and interest, the first payment being due on July 1, 2009, and continuing on the first day of each month thereafter. As the Interest Rate is variable, the interest component of each monthly payment may change over the term of the Advance. Borrower shall make all payments under this Agreement without setoff, recoupment or deduction and regardless of any counterclaim or defense. As partial evidence of the Advance, Borrower shall deliver to Lender a promissory note in substantially the form attached hereto. Lender is authorized to

 

34.


record in its books and records the date and amount of the Advance made by Lender, and the date and amount of each payment of principal thereof, and any such recordation shall constitute prima facie evidence of the accuracy of the information so recorded; provided that failure by Lender to effect such recordation shall not affect Borrower’s obligations hereunder.

3. Section 2.8 is added to the Agreement, to read as follows:

2.8 End of Term Charge . On the earliest to occur of (i) the Maturity Date, (ii) the date that Borrower prepays the outstanding Obligations, or (iii) the date the Obligations become due and payable, Borrower shall pay Lender a fee of $301,000.

4. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in that certain Warrant Agreement to purchase shares of Series A Preferred Stock dated as of March 20, 2007 (the “Warrant Agreement”), the amount advanced to the Borrower under this Amendment shall not be deemed to be an “Advance” under the Warrant Agreement, it being agreed that for purposes of the Warrant Agreement “Advance” shall mean only that amount advanced under the Agreement to date, or $10,000,000. Borrower and Lender hereby agree to amend and restate the Warrant Agreement as mutually agreed in order to give effect to the foregoing.

5. Unless otherwise defined, all initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall be as defined in the Agreement. The Agreement, as amended hereby, shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. Except as expressly set forth herein, the execution, delivery, and performance of this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of, or as an amendment of, any right, power, or remedy of Lender under the Loan Documents, as in effect prior to the date hereof. This Amendment does not constitute a novation.

6. Except as set forth on the attached Schedule I, (i) the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on the date hereof with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and (ii) an Event of Default is not continuing

7. This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

8. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Amendment, Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, the following:

(a) this Amendment, duly executed by Borrower;

(b) Corporate Resolutions to Borrow;

(c) payment of an amount equal to the Lender Expenses incurred in connection with this Amendment.

I N W ITNESS W HEREOF , the undersigned have executed this Amendment as of the first date above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:  

/s/ William H. Lewis

Title:   Chief Financial Officer

HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.

By:  

/s/ K. Nicholas Martitsch

Title:   Associate General Counsel

 

35.


TERM NOTE

 

$7,525,000

  September 29, 2008

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation, for itself and each of its Subsidiaries (the “Borrower”) hereby promises to pay to the order of Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., a Maryland corporation or the holder of this Note (the “Lender”) at 400 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 310, Palo Alto, CA 94301 or such other place of payment as the holder of this Secured Promissory Note (this “Promissory Note”) may specify from time to time in writing, in lawful money of the United States of America, the principal amount of $7,525,000 or such other principal amount as Lender has advanced to Borrower, together with interest as set forth in the Loan Agreement.

This Promissory Note is the Note referred to in, and is executed and delivered in connection with, that certain First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 29, 2008, by and between Borrower and Lender (as the same may from time to time be amended, modified or supplemented in accordance with its terms, the “Loan Agreement”), and is entitled to the benefit and security of the Loan Agreement and the other Loan Documents (as defined in the Loan Agreement), to which reference is made for a statement of all of the terms and conditions thereof. All payments shall be made in accordance with the Loan Agreement. All terms defined in the Loan Agreement shall have the same definitions when used herein, unless otherwise defined herein. An Event of Default under the Loan Agreement shall constitute a default under this Promissory Note. Reference to the Loan Agreement shall not affect or impair the absolute and unconditional obligation of the Borrowers to pay all principal and interest and premium, if any, under this Promissory Note upon demand or as otherwise provided herein

Borrower waives presentment and demand for payment, notice of dishonor, protest and notice of protest under the UCC or any applicable law. Borrower agrees to make all payments under this Promissory Note without setoff, recoupment or deduction and regardless of any counterclaim or defense. This Promissory Note has been negotiated and delivered to Lender and is payable in the State of California. This Promissory Note shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, excluding any conflicts of law rules or principles that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

BORROWER FOR ITSELF AND      

ON BEHALF OF ITS SUBSIDIARIES:

   

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

    By:  

 

    Name:  

 

    Title:  

 

 


CORPORATE RESOLUTIONS TO BORROW

 

 

Borrower: AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 

 

I, the undersigned Secretary or Assistant Secretary of AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (the “Corporation”), H EREBY C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that the Corporation is organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware.

I F URTHER C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that at a meeting of the Directors of the Corporation duly called and held, at which a quorum was present and voting, (or by other duly authorized corporate action in lieu of a meeting), the following resolutions were adopted.

B E I T R ESOLVED , that any one (1) of the following named officers, employees, or agents of this Corporation, whose actual signatures are shown below:

 

NAMES

 

POSITION

 

ACTUAL SIGNATURES

William H. Lewis

 

Chief Financial Officer

 

/s/ William H. Lewis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

acting for and on behalf of this Corporation and as its act and deed be, and they hereby are, authorized and empowered:

E XECUTE A MENDMENT . To execute and deliver to Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (“Lender”) that certain First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement (the “Amendment”) substantially in the form attached hereto and any related documents, and also to execute and deliver to Lender one or more renewals, extensions, modifications, consolidations, or substitutions therefor.

B ORROW M ONEY . To borrow from time to time from Lender, on such terms as may be agreed upon between the officers, employees, or agents of the Corporation and Lender, such sum or sums of money as in their judgment should be borrowed, without limitation.

F URTHER A CTS . To do and perform such other acts and things, to pay any and all fees and costs, and to execute and deliver such other documents and agreements as they may in their discretion deem reasonably necessary or proper in order to carry into effect the provisions of these Resolutions.

B E I T F URTHER R ESOLVED , that any and all acts authorized pursuant to these resolutions and performed prior to the passage of these resolutions are hereby ratified and approved, that these Resolutions shall remain in full force and effect and Lender may rely on these Resolutions until written notice of their revocation shall have been delivered to and received by Lender. Any such notice shall not affect any of the Corporation’s agreements or commitments in effect at the time notice is given.

I F URTHER C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that the officers, employees, and agents named above are duly elected, appointed, or employed by or for the Corporation, as the case may be, and occupy the positions set forth opposite their respective names; that the foregoing Resolutions now stand of record on the books of the Corporation; and that the Resolutions are in full force and effect and have not been modified or revoked in any manner whatsoever.


I F URTHER C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that attached hereto are true and correct copies of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Corporation.

I N W ITNESS W HEREOF , I have hereunto set my hand on September 29, 2008 and attest that the signatures set opposite the names listed above are their genuine signatures.

 

CERTIFIED TO AND ATTESTED BY:

X  

/s/ Christine Pellizzari

 


FIRST AMENDMENT TO

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

 

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Aegerion” or “Borrower”) has prepared the schedules in this Schedule I pursuant to the First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated September 29, 2008 (the “Amendment”), between Borrower and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (“Lender”). Descriptive headings in the Schedules are inserted only for reference purposes and for convenience of the reader. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Schedule I shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Loan and Security Agreement, dated March 20, 2007 (the “Agreement”), between Borrower and Lender.

The schedules contained in this Schedule I update the schedules prepared by Aegerion and delivered to Lender on the Closing Date. If the disclosure provided by the Borrower in the schedules is in greater detail than is required by the particular representation and warranty of Borrower in Section 5 of the Agreement, such disclosure is not an admission by Borrower that it believes the disclosed information is material or not in the ordinary course of business. Furthermore, a threshold of materiality being provided by Borrower on a particular section of the schedules, if any, is not intended to be an indication of the threshold of materiality for any other section of the schedules or for any purpose under the Agreement. Nothing in the schedules constitutes an admission of any liability or obligation of Borrower to any third party or an admission against the interest of Borrower.

This Schedule I is accurate and complete as of the date of the Agreement. Disclosure in one section of Schedule I shall constitute disclosure for all sections hereof, to the extent that the applicability of such disclosure is manifestly apparent.


Schedule 1

Subsidiaries

None.

 


Schedule 1A

Existing Permitted Indebtedness

The Company has issued Senior Subordinated Promissory Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $3,814,759.51 pursuant to a Note Purchase Agreement dated September 2, 2008 (the “Note Purchase Agreement”). Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company may issue up to an additional $4,935,240.49 of Senior Subordinated Promissory Notes.

 


Schedule 1B

Existing Permitted Investments

Aegerion makes investments pursuant to the Investment Policy & Guidelines approved by its Board of Directors, a copy of which has been provided to the Lender.

 


Schedule 1C

Existing Permitted Liens

None.

 


Schedule 5.3

Consents

The holders of Aegerion’s Preferred Stock have certain rights upon the issuance by Aegerion of new securities. Aegerion obtained a waiver of these rights prior to the original Closing Date. No further consent was required in connection with Aegerion’s execution, delivery and performance of the First Amendment.

 


Schedule 5.5

Actions Before Governmental Authorities

None.

 


Schedule 5.7

Tax Matters

None.


Schedule 5.8

Intellectual Property Claims

On September 27, 2006, Aegerion entered into a Settlement and Cross-License Agreement with The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and Pfizer Inc. of New York (“Pfizer”) to settle an interference declared by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office between a U.S. patent application owned by Pfizer and an issued U.S. patent licensed to Aegerion by UPenn. There are no payments due to or from Aegerion under the Settlement and Cross-License Agreement. The cross-licenses granted by the parties under the Settlement and Cross-License Agreement are perpetual and irrevocable.


Schedule 5.9

Intellectual Property

None.


Schedule 5.10

Borrower Products

None.


Schedule 5.11

Financial Accounts

 

1. Bank : Commerce Bank, NA

Account : 2759500016 – INVESTMENT ACCOUNT (USD)

 

2. Bank : Commerce Bank, NA

Account : 7861047020 – PAYROLL ACCOUNT (USD)

 

3. Bank : Commerce Bank, NA

Account : 7861047038 – OPERATING ACCOUNT (USD)

 

4. Bank : Lehman Brothers

Account : 831-03415-1-9-654 – BROKERS’ ACCOUNT

 

5. The Company has granted a limited power of attorney to Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. pursuant to the ACH Debt Authorization Agreement dated March 20, 2007.

 

6. Bank : Commerce Bank, NA

Account : 7867050507 – AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.


Schedule 5.14

Capitalization

Aegerion is authorized to issue 30,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 19,650,000 shares of Preferred Stock, of which 13,000,000 shares are designated Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and 6,650,000 shares are designated Series B Convertible Preferred Stock.

 

     Common Stock    Series A
Preferred Stock
   Series B
Preferred Stock

Outstanding

   4,424,108    12,211,604    3,810,773

Outstanding Warrants

      118,715   

Outstanding Options

   841,008      

Options Available for Grant

 

   619,145

 

     
              

TOTAL Outstanding with Options

   5,884,261    12,330,319    3,810,773
              


SECOND AMENDMENT

TO

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

T HIS S ECOND A MENDMENT TO L OAN AND S ECURITY A GREEMENT (this “ Amendment ”) is entered into as of July 2, 2009, by and between H ERCULES T ECHNOLOGY G ROWTH C APITAL , I NC . (“ Lender ”) and AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation, and each of its subsidiaries that becomes a party to the Agreement, (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”) .

R ECITALS

Borrower and Lender are parties to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated as of March 20, 2007, as amended by a First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 29, 2008 (the “ Agreement ”). One or more Events of Default (the “Existing Defaults”) occurred under the Agreement, pursuant to which Lender delivered Notices of Default to Borrower dated May 5, 2009 and May 20, 2009. The Existing Defaults are specified in those Notices. Lender has agreed to forbear from exercising remedies arising out of the Existing Defaults, and to make certain changes to the Agreement and the Warrant, on the terms set forth below. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Amendment shall have the meanings assigned in the Agreement.

N OW , T HEREFORE , the parties agree as follows:

9. The following definition in Section 1.1 of the Agreement is amended to read as follows: “Interest Rate” means for any day, the greater of (i) 11.00% per annum or (ii) 2.50% plus the Prime Rate reported in The Wall Street Journal .

10. Lender shall forbear from exercising any remedies that it may have as a result of the occurrence of the Existing Defaults from the date hereof through November 30, 2009 (the “Forbearance Period”). The Forbearance Period shall be extended through December 31, 2009 upon Lender’s receipt of a term sheet on terms acceptable to Lender, accepted by Borrower, providing for the issuance of Borrower’s equity securities in a financing that will generate proceeds to Borrower of at least $20,000,000 (the “Equity Event”). This forbearance does not constitute a waiver of any Event of Default, a continuing waiver, a course of conduct of forbearing from exercising remedies, or a consent to Borrower’s failure to perform any obligation under the Agreement.

11. Section 2.8 is amended, to read as follows:

2.8 End of Term Charge . On the earliest to occur of (i) the Maturity Date, (ii) the date that Borrower prepays the outstanding Obligations, or (iii) the date the Obligations become due and payable, Borrower shall pay Lender a fee of $525,000.

12. Section 3.1 is amended to read as follows:

3.1 As security for the prompt, complete and indefeasible payment when due (whether on the Payment Dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Borrower grants to Lender a security interest in all of Borrower’s personal property now owned or hereafter acquired, including the following: (collectively, the “Collateral”): (a) Receivables; (b) Equipment; (c) Fixtures; (d) General Intangibles (including Intellectual Property); (e) Accounts; (f) Inventory; (g) Investment Property; (h) Deposit Accounts; (i) Cash; (j) Goods and other tangible and intangible personal property of Borrower whether now or hereafter owned or existing, leased, consigned by or to, or acquired by, Borrower and wherever located; and (k) to the extent not otherwise included, all Proceeds of each of the foregoing and all accessions to, substitutions and replacements for, and rents, profits and products of each of the foregoing. Upon Borrower’s receipt of at least $20,000,000 of proceeds from the Equity Event, Lender shall release the Intellectual Property from the Collateral, and shall file, at Borrower’s expense, such releases, reconveyances or terminations as Borrower reasonably requests to evidence that release, provided that Collateral shall continue to include any proceeds arising out of the disposition of Intellectual Property.


13. Unless otherwise defined, all initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall be as defined in the Agreement. The Agreement, as amended hereby, shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. Except as expressly set forth herein, the execution, delivery, and performance of this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of, or as an amendment of, any right, power, or remedy of Lender under the Loan Documents, as in effect prior to the date hereof. This Amendment does not constitute a novation.

14. Except as set forth on the attached Schedule, (i) the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on the date hereof with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and (ii) except for the Existing Default, an Event of Default is not continuing

15. This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

16. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Amendment, Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, the following:

(a) this Amendment, duly executed by Borrower;

(b) an Amendment to Warrant Agreement;

(c) an Intellectual Property Security Agreement;

(d) evidence satisfactory to Lender that Borrower has received at least $4,600,000 of proceeds on or about the date of this Amendment from the issuance of Subordinated Debt on terms reasonably acceptable to Lender;

(e) Corporate Resolutions to Borrow;

(f) payment of a fee of $15,000 plus an amount equal to the Lender Expenses incurred in connection with this Amendment.

I N W ITNESS W HEREOF , the undersigned have executed this Amendment as of the first date above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

/s/ William H. Lewis

Title:

 

 

HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.

By:

 

/s/ K. Nicholas Martitsch

Title:

  Associate General Counsel


CORPORATE RESOLUTIONS TO BORROW

 

 

Borrower: AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 

 

I, the undersigned Secretary or Assistant Secretary of AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (the “Corporation”), H EREBY C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that the Corporation is organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Delaware.

I F URTHER C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that at a meeting of the Directors of the Corporation duly called and held, at which a quorum was present and voting, (or by other duly authorized corporate action in lieu of a meeting), the following resolutions were adopted.

B E I T R ESOLVED , that any one (1) of the following named officers, employees, or agents of this Corporation, whose actual signatures are shown below:

 

NAMES

  

POSITION

  

ACTUAL SIGNATURES

William Lewis

  

Chief Financial Officer

  

/s/ William Lewis

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

  

 

  

 

acting for and on behalf of this Corporation and as its act and deed be, and they hereby are, authorized and empowered:

E XECUTE A MENDMENT . To execute and deliver to Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (“Lender”) that certain Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement (the “Amendment”) substantially in the form attached hereto and any related documents, and also to execute and deliver to Lender one or more renewals, extensions, modifications, consolidations, or substitutions therefor.

B ORROW M ONEY . To borrow from time to time from Lender, on such terms as may be agreed upon between the officers, employees, or agents of the Corporation and Lender, such sum or sums of money as in their judgment should be borrowed, without limitation.

F URTHER A CTS . To do and perform such other acts and things, to pay any and all fees and costs, and to execute and deliver such other documents and agreements as they may in their discretion deem reasonably necessary or proper in order to carry into effect the provisions of these Resolutions.

B E I T F URTHER R ESOLVED , that any and all acts authorized pursuant to these resolutions and performed prior to the passage of these resolutions are hereby ratified and approved, that these Resolutions shall remain in full force and effect and Lender may rely on these Resolutions until written notice of their revocation shall have been delivered to and received by Lender. Any such notice shall not affect any of the Corporation’s agreements or commitments in effect at the time notice is given.

I F URTHER C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that the officers, employees, and agents named above are duly elected, appointed, or employed by or for the Corporation, as the case may be, and occupy the positions set forth opposite their respective names; that the foregoing Resolutions now stand of record on the books of the Corporation; and that the Resolutions are in full force and effect and have not been modified or revoked in any manner whatsoever.


I F URTHER C ERTIFY in the name and on behalf of the Corporation that attached hereto are true and correct copies of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Corporation.

I N W ITNESS W HEREOF , I have hereunto set my hand on July 2, 2009 and attest that the signatures set opposite the names listed above are their genuine signatures.

 

CERTIFIED TO AND ATTESTED BY:

X  

/s/ Christine Pellizzari

 


SCHEDULE

SECOND AMENDMENT TO

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

 

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Aegerion” or “Borrower”) has prepared the schedules in this Schedule I pursuant to the Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated July 2, 2009 (the “Amendment”), between Borrower and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. (“Lender”). Descriptive headings in the Schedules are inserted only for reference purposes and for convenience of the reader. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Schedule I shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Loan and Security Agreement, dated March 20, 2007 (the “Agreement”), as amended, between Borrower and Lender.

The schedules contained in this Schedule I update the schedules prepared by Aegerion and delivered to Lender on the Closing Date. If the disclosure provided by the Borrower in the schedules is in greater detail than is required by the particular representation and warranty of Borrower in Section 5 of the Agreement, such disclosure is not an admission by Borrower that it believes the disclosed information is material or not in the ordinary course of business. Furthermore, a threshold of materiality being provided by Borrower on a particular section of the schedules, if any, is not intended to be an indication of the threshold of materiality for any other section of the schedules or for any purpose under the Agreement. Nothing in the schedules constitutes an admission of any liability or obligation of Borrower to any third party or an admission against the interest of Borrower.

This Schedule I is accurate and complete as of the date of the Amendment. Disclosure in one section of Schedule I shall constitute disclosure for all sections hereof, to the extent that the applicability of such disclosure is manifestly apparent.


Schedule 1

Subsidiaries

None.


Schedule 1A

Existing Permitted Indebtedness

The Company has issued Senior Subordinated Promissory Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $13,562,101.35 pursuant to an Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated July 2, 2009 (the “Note Purchase Agreement”). Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company may issue up to an additional $2,252,659.16 of Senior Subordinated Promissory Notes.


Schedule 1B

Existing Permitted Investments

Aegerion makes investments pursuant to the Investment Policy & Guidelines approved by its Board of Directors, a copy of which has been provided to the Lender.

Beginning in 2007, the Borrower invested a portion of its cash in investments consisting primarily of investment-grade, asset-backed, variable-rate debt obligations and auction rate securities (“ARS”), in compliance with the Borrower’s Investment Policy & Guidelines. During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Borrower’s ARS securities experienced a failed auction, meaning that there were no buyers willing to purchase the securities at par. Pursuant to the terms of the ARS agreement, in the event of a failed auction in which the holders cannot sell the securities, the interest or dividend rate on the security resets to a “penalty” rate. As a result of the failed auctions occurring prior to and subsequent to year-end, the Borrower does not believe the ARS are currently liquid, the duration of the failed auctions are not known, and, in the event the Borrower needs to access these funds, it will not be able to do so without a potential loss of principal, unless a future auction on these investments is successful. The securities for which the auctions have failed will continue to accrue interest at the contractual penalty rate and will continue to be auctioned every 28 days until the auction succeeds, the issuer calls the securities, or the securities mature. In December 2008, one of the Borrower’s debt securities was subject to a put option, which converted the debt security into non-cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock. The Borrower’s investment in the underlying debt obligation matures in 2021. See Footnote 4 to the Borrower’s 2008 audited financial statements.


Schedule 1C

Existing Permitted Liens

None.


Schedule 5.3

Consents

The holders of Aegerion’s Preferred Stock have certain rights upon the issuance by Aegerion of new securities. Aegerion obtained a waiver of these rights prior to the original Closing Date and the date hereof.


Schedule 5.5

Actions Before Governmental Authorities

None.


Schedule 5.7

Tax Matters

None.


Schedule 5.8

Intellectual Property Claims

On September 27, 2006, Aegerion entered into a Settlement and Cross-License Agreement with The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and Pfizer Inc. of New York (“Pfizer”) to settle an interference declared by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office between a U.S. patent application owned by Pfizer and an issued U.S. patent licensed to Aegerion by UPenn. There are no payments due to or from Aegerion under the Settlement and Cross-License Agreement. The cross-licenses granted by the parties under the Settlement and Cross-License Agreement are perpetual and irrevocable.


Schedule 5.9

Intellectual Property

None.


Schedule 5.10

Borrower Products

None.


Schedule 5.11

Financial Accounts

 

1. Bank : TD Bank, NA

Account : 2759500016 – INVESTMENT ACCOUNT (USD)

 

2. Bank : TD Bank, NA

Account : 7861047020 – PAYROLL ACCOUNT (USD)

 

3. Bank : TD Bank, NA

Account : 7861047038 – OPERATING ACCOUNT (USD)

 

4. Bank : Barclays Wealth, a division of Barclays Bank PLC

Account : 831-03415-1-9-654 – BROKERS’ ACCOUNT

 

5. The Company has granted a limited power of attorney to Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. pursuant to the ACH Debt Authorization Agreement dated March 20, 2007.

 

6. Bank : TD Bank, NA

Account : 7867050507 – AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 


Schedule 5.14

Capitalization

Aegerion is authorized to issue 30,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 19,650,000 shares of Preferred Stock, of which 13,000,000 shares are designated Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and 6,650,000 shares are designated Series B Convertible Preferred Stock.

 

     Common Stock    Series A
Preferred Stock
   Series B
Preferred Stock

Outstanding

   4,170,764    12,211,604    3,810,773

Outstanding Warrants

      387,239   

Outstanding Options

   1,459,771      

Options Available for Grant

   382      

TOTAL Outstanding with Options

   5,630,917    12,598,843    3,810,773


THIRD AMENDMENT

TO

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

THIS THIRD AMENDMENT TO LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (this “ Amendment ”) is entered into as of January 28, 2010, by and between HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC . (“ Lender ”) and AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC ., a Delaware corporation, and each of its subsidiaries that becomes a party to the Agreement, (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “ Borrower ”).

RECITALS

Borrower and Lender are parties to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated as of March 20, 2007, as amended by a First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 29, 2008 and a Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of July 2, 2009 (the “ Agreement ”). One or more Events of Default (the “Existing Defaults”) occurred under the Agreement, pursuant to which Lender delivered Notices of Default to Borrower dated May 5, 2009 and May 20, 2009. The Existing Defaults are specified in those Notices. Lender has agreed to forbear from exercising remedies arising out of the Existing Defaults, on the terms set forth below. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Amendment shall have the meanings assigned in the Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE , the parties agree as follows:

1. Lender shall forbear from exercising any remedies that it may have as a result of the occurrence of the Existing Defaults from the date hereof through June 30, 2010 (the “Forbearance Period”). The Forbearance Period shall be extended through July 30, 2010 upon Lender’s receipt of a term sheet on terms acceptable to Lender, accepted by Borrower, providing for the issuance of Borrower’s equity securities in a financing that will generate proceeds to Borrower of at least $20,000,000 (the “Equity Event”). Upon Borrower’s receipt of at least $20,000,000 of the proceeds of the Equity Event, the Existing Defaults shall be waived without further action by Borrower or Lender. This forbearance does not constitute a waiver of any Event of Default, a continuing waiver, a course of conduct of forbearing from exercising remedies, or a consent to Borrower’s failure to perform any obligation under the Agreement.

2. Unless otherwise defined, all initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall be as defined in the Agreement. The Agreement, as amended hereby, shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. Except as expressly set forth herein, the execution, delivery, and performance of this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of, or as an amendment of, any right, power, or remedy of Lender under the Loan Documents, as in effect prior to the date hereof. This Amendment does not constitute a novation.

3. Except as set forth on the attached Schedule, (i) the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on the date hereof with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and (ii) except for the Existing Defaults, an Event of Default is not continuing.

4. This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

5. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Amendment, Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, the following:

(a) this Amendment, duly executed by Borrower;


(b) evidence satisfactory to Lender that Borrower has received at least $3,000,000 of proceeds on or about the date of this Amendment from the issuance of Subordinated Debt on terms reasonably acceptable to Lender;

(c) payment of an amount equal to the Lender Expenses incurred in connection with this Amendment.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the undersigned have executed this Amendment as of the first date above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:  

/s/ William H. Lewis

Title:   President
HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.
By:  

/s/ K. Nicholas Martitsch

  K. Nicholas Martitsch
Title:   Associate General Counsel


FOURTH AMENDMENT

TO

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

T HIS F OURTH A MENDMENT TO L OAN AND S ECURITY A GREEMENT (this “ Amendment ”) is entered into as of June 11, 2010, by and between H ERCULES T ECHNOLOGY G ROWTH C APITAL , I NC . (“ Lender ”) and AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation, and each of its subsidiaries that becomes a party to the Agreement, (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”) .

R ECITALS

Borrower and Lender are parties to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated as of March 20, 2007, as amended by a First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 29, 2008, a Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of July 2, 2009 and a Third Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of January 28, 2010 (the “ Agreement ”). One or more Events of Default (the “Existing Defaults”) occurred under the Agreement, pursuant to which Lender delivered Notices of Default to Borrower dated May 5, 2009 and May 20, 2009. The Existing Defaults are specified in those Notices. Lender has agreed to forbear from exercising remedies arising out of the Existing Defaults, on the terms set forth below. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Amendment shall have the meanings assigned in the Agreement.

N OW , T HEREFORE , the parties agree as follows:

17. Lender shall forbear from exercising any remedies that it may have as a result of the occurrence of the Existing Defaults from the date hereof through August 16, 2010 (the “Forbearance Period”). The Forbearance Period shall be extended through September 30, 2010 upon Borrower’s receipt of at least $1,500,000 of proceeds pursuant to that certain Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated as of even date herewith, between Borrower and the Purchasers a party thereto, as such shall be amended and/or restated from time to time (the “Purchase Agreement”). The Forbearance Period shall be further extended through November 30, 2010 upon Lender’s receipt of a term sheet on terms acceptable to Lender, accepted by Borrower, providing for the issuance of Borrower’s equity securities in a financing that will generate proceeds to Borrower of at least $20,000,000 (the “Equity Event”). Upon Borrower’s receipt of at least $20,000,000 of the proceeds of the Equity Event, the Existing Defaults shall be waived without further action by Borrower or Lender. This forbearance does not constitute a waiver of any Event of Default, a continuing waiver, a course of conduct of forbearing from exercising remedies, or a consent to Borrower’s failure to perform any obligation under the Agreement.

18. Section 7.1(c) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by restating the first parenthetical contained therein in its entirety to read as follows: “(and in any event within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year; or, solely with respect to the 2009 fiscal year, no later than June 30, 2010)”.

19. Unless otherwise defined, all initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall be as defined in the Agreement. The Agreement, as amended hereby, shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. Except as expressly set forth herein, the execution, delivery, and performance of this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of, or as an amendment of, any right, power, or remedy of Lender under the Loan Documents, as in effect prior to the date hereof. This Amendment does not constitute a novation.

20. Except as set forth on the attached Schedule, (i) the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on the date hereof with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and (ii) except for the Existing Defaults, an Event of Default is not continuing

21. This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

22. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Amendment, Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, the following:

(a) this Amendment, duly executed by Borrower;


(b) evidence satisfactory to Lender that Borrower has received at least $1,500,000 of proceeds on or about the date of this Amendment from the issuance of Subordinated Debt pursuant to the Purchase Agreement on terms reasonably acceptable to Lender;

(c) payment of an amount equal to an amendment fee of $50,000 and the Lender Expenses incurred in connection with this Amendment.

I N W ITNESS W HEREOF , the undersigned have executed this Amendment as of the first date above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

/s/ William H. Lewis

Title:

  President

HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.

By:

 

/s/ K. Nicholas Martitsch

Title:

  Associate General Counsel


FIFTH AMENDMENT

TO

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

T HIS F IFTH A MENDMENT TO L OAN AND S ECURITY A GREEMENT (this “ Amendment ”) is entered into as of October 1, 2010, by and between H ERCULES T ECHNOLOGY G ROWTH C APITAL , I NC . (“ Lender ”) and AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. , a Delaware corporation, and each of its subsidiaries that becomes a party to the Agreement, (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”) .

R ECITALS

Borrower and Lender are parties to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated as of March 20, 2007, as amended by a First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of September 29, 2008, a Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of July 2, 2009, a Third Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of January 28, 2010, and a Fourth Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of June 11, 2010 (the “ Agreement ”). One or more Events of Default (the “Existing Defaults”) occurred under the Agreement, pursuant to which Lender delivered Notices of Default to Borrower dated May 5, 2009 and May 20, 2009. The Existing Defaults are specified in those Notices. Lender has agreed to waive the Existing Defaults, on the terms set forth below. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms in this Amendment shall have the meanings assigned in the Agreement.

N OW , T HEREFORE , the parties agree as follows:

1. Lender waives the Existing Defaults.

2. Unless otherwise defined, all initially capitalized terms in this Amendment shall be as defined in the Agreement. The Agreement, as amended hereby, shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. Except as expressly set forth herein, the execution, delivery, and performance of this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver of, or as an amendment of, any right, power, or remedy of Lender under the Loan Documents, as in effect prior to the date hereof. This Amendment does not constitute a novation.

3. Except as set forth on the attached Schedule, (i) the representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on the date hereof with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and (ii) except for the Existing Defaults, an Event of Default is not continuing

4. This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

5. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Amendment, Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, the following:

(a) this Amendment, duly executed by Borrower;

(b) evidence that Borrower has entered into documents providing for the receipt of at least $1,500,000 and up to $3,000,000 of proceeds of Subordinated Debt, of which $1,500,000 is to be received on or about the date hereof; and

(c) payment of an amount equal to an amendment fee of $25,000 and the Lender Expenses incurred in connection with this Amendment.


I N W ITNESS W HEREOF , the undersigned have executed this Amendment as of the first date above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Marc D. Beer

 

Marc D. Beer

Chief Executive Officer

HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.
By:  

/s/ K. Nicholas Martitsch

Title:   Associate General Counsel

Exhibit 10.14

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 

 

FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 

October 1, 2010


AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

T HIS FOURTH A MENDED AND R ESTATED N OTE P URCHASE A GREEMENT (the “Agreement” ) is made as of October 1, 2010 (the “Effective Date” ) by and among Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , a Delaware corporation (the “Company” ), and the persons and entities named on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto as Schedule I (individually, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers” ).

RECITAL

WHEREAS , the Company and the Purchasers previously entered into a Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated June 14, 2010 (the “ Prior Agreement ”);

WHEREAS , the Company requested and that the Purchasers made loans to the Company as follows: (i) an initial tranche of $3,814.759.51, (ii) a subsequent tranche of $5,000,001.00, (iii) a second subsequent tranche of $5,000,000.00, (iv) a third subsequent tranche of $3,000,000.00, (v) a fourth subsequent tranche of $1,500,000, and (vi) a fifth subsequent tranche of $1,500,000 for an aggregate principal amount of up to $19,814,760.51;

WHEREAS , the Purchasers and the Company now desire to amend and restate the Prior Agreement in order to provide for (i) a sixth subsequent tranche of $1,500,000, and (ii) a seventh subsequent tranche of $1,500,000;

WHEREAS , the Required Purchasers (as defined in the Prior Agreement) and the Company contemplate amending the conversion terms of all Notes (as defined below) pursuant to a Note Amendment Agreement to be entered into concurrently with this Agreement;

WHEREAS , the Purchasers are willing to make such loans to the Company pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement;

WHEREAS , such loans are intended to be senior subordinated loans, subordinate only to certain loans made to the Company by Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. as specified in that certain Fourth Amended and Restated Subordination Agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. dated as of the date hereof (the “Subordination Agreement” );

WHEREAS , (i) Section 10(c) of the Prior Agreement provides that any term, covenant, agreement or condition of the Prior Agreement may, with the consent of the Company, be amended or compliance therewith may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), by one or more substantially concurrent written instruments signed by the Required Purchasers (as defined in the Prior Agreement) and (ii) the undersigned holders represent the Required Purchasers; and

WHEREAS , certain capitalized terms have the meaning ascribed to such terms in Section 9 below.


AGREEMENT

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, and the representations, warranties, covenants and conditions set forth below, the Company and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1. A MOUNT AND T ERMS OF THE L OANS . Subject to the terms of this Agreement, each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, agrees to lend to the Company up to that amount (the “Total Loan Amount” ) set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Total Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto against the issuance and delivery by the Company of a senior subordinated convertible promissory note or notes in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (each, a “Note” and collectively, the “Notes” ).

2. T HE C LOSING ( S )

(a) Initial Closing.

(i) The initial closing of the sale and purchase of the Notes (the “Initial Closing” ) shall be held at such date and time (the “Initial Closing Date” ) as the Company and Required Purchasers (as defined below) shall agree. At the Initial Closing the Purchasers will purchase an aggregate of at least $2,500,000.00 of Notes as follows: (A) each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds such Purchaser’s Initial Loan Amount set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Initial Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto (such Purchaser’s “Initial Loan Amount” ) and (B) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Initial Loan Amount.

(ii) After the Initial Closing, subsequent sale(s) and purchase(s) of Notes may occur from time to time (each such closing an “ Additional Initial Closing ” and together with the Initial Closing, the “ Initial Closings ”) to one or more purchasers (the “ Additional Purchasers ”) on the same terms and conditions as those contained in this Agreement, provided that (A) in no event shall the aggregate principal amount of all Notes sold at the Initial Closings exceed $3,814,759.51, (B) any Additional Initial Closing(s) shall be consummated no later than twenty-one (21) days after the Initial Closing Date (the date of any Additional Initial Closing shall be referred to herein as an “ Additional Initial Closing Date ”), (C) each Additional Purchaser shall become a party to the Transaction Agreements, and (D) each of the Purchasers is given prompt notice of the consummation of any such Additional Initial Closing. The Schedule of Purchasers to this Agreement shall be updated to reflect the aggregate principal amount of any Notes purchased at each such Additional Initial Closing and the parties purchasing such Notes. The Schedule of Purchasers shall also be updated to reflect the Additional Purchaser(s)’ pro rata share of the $5,000,000.00 in aggregate principal amount of Notes to be purchased at any Subsequent Closing, as set forth below. At any Additional Initial Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions delivered to the Purchasers in the Initial Closing (the “Schedule of Exceptions” )) shall be deemed to speak as of the date of the Additional Initial Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the Additional Initial Closing.

 

1


(b) Subsequent Closing(s). Subject to the pay-to-play and automatic conversion provisions of Section 2(j), a subsequent sale and purchase of the Notes (the “Subsequent Closing” ) shall occur in one subsequent closing, if at all, at such time as the Required Purchasers unanimously determine, such determination currently expected to be made upon the later of (i) the completion of a reasonable review by the Purchasers with the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board of clinical data from the following studies: “A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of the Combination of AEGR-733 (formerly BMS 201038) and Atorvastatin 20 Mg vs. Monotherapy in Subjects with Moderate Hypercholesterolemia,” “A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study to Evaluate Low Doses of the MTP-Inhibitor AEGR-733 on Hepatic Fat Accumulation as Measured by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy,” and “A Randomized, Double-Blind, Comparator-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of the Combination of AEGR-733 and Atorvastatin 20 Mg vs. Atorvastatin Monotherapy in Subjects with Moderate Hypercholesterolemia,” such review currently expected to take place at or around the same dates as the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions in November 2008, but in any event not to exceed three (3) weeks following the release of such data to the Required Purchasers; and (ii) such time as the Company’s operating capital falls below $4,000,000.00. The Subsequent Closing shall be held at such date and time, at least 10 days after written notice to the Purchasers (the “Subsequent Closing Date” ), as the Company and the Required Purchasers shall agree. At the Subsequent Closing, the Purchasers shall purchase an aggregate of up to $5,000,000.00 of Notes as follows: (i) each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings) of the aggregate principal amount of all Notes to be purchased at the Subsequent Closing and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Subsequent Loan Amount. The Subsequent Closing shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. At the Subsequent Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions) shall be deemed to speak as of the date of the Subsequent Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the Subsequent Closing. In the event any Purchaser fails to purchase the entire Subsequent Loan Amount, any remaining Subsequent Loan Amount shall be reallocated in such manner agreed to by the Company and the Required Purchasers.

(c) Additional Subsequent Closings. Subject to the pay-to-play and automatic conversion provisions of Section 2(j), additional subsequent sales and purchases of Notes (the “Additional Subsequent Closings” ) shall occur in any number of additional subsequent closings commencing at such time as the Required Purchasers unanimously determine and culminating no later than July 24, 2009. The Additional Subsequent Closings shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The target aggregate principal amount of Notes to be

 

2


issued and sold by the Company at the Additional Subsequent Closings is $5,000,000 (the “ Target Amount ”); provided that the Company may issue and sell an additional $2,000,000 of Notes (up to $7,000,000.00 in the aggregate) prior to July 24, 2009 with the consent of the Required Purchasers.

(i) The first additional subsequent closing (the “First Additional Subsequent Closing” ) shall be held at such date and time as the Required Purchasers unanimously determine (the “First Additional Subsequent Closing Date” ). At the First Additional Subsequent Closing, the participating Purchasers shall purchase Notes as follows: (i) each participating Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings and the Subsequent Closing) of the Target Amount and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “First Additional Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “First Additional Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s First Additional Subsequent Loan Amount. At the First Additional Subsequent Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions) shall be deemed to speak as of the date of the First Additional Subsequent Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the First Additional Subsequent Closing.

(ii) Additional subsequent closings (each, a “Follow-on Additional Subsequent Closing” ) shall be held at such dates and times (each, a “Follow-on Additional Subsequent Closing Date” and together with the First Additional Subsequent Closing Date, the “Additional Subsequent Closing Dates” ) as the Company and participating Purchasers shall agree; provided that no Follow-on Additional Subsequent Closing shall be consummated later than July 24, 2009. At any Follow-on Additional Subsequent Closing, the participating Purchasers shall purchase Notes as follows: (i) each participating Purchaser that participated in prior Closings shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings and the Subsequent Closing) of the Target Amount and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Follow-on Additional Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “Follow-on Additional Subsequent Loan Amount” and together with the First Additional Subsequent Loan Amount, the “Additional Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Follow-on Additional Subsequent Loan Amount. In addition, the Company may issue and sell an additional $2,000,000.00 of Notes (up to $7,000,000.00 in the aggregate) prior to July 24, 2009 with the consent of the Required Purchasers. In addition, in the event any Purchaser fails to purchase the entire Follow-on Additional Subsequent Loan Amount allocated to such Purchaser, any remaining Follow-on Additional Subsequent Loan Amount shall be reallocated in such manner agreed to by the Company and the Required Purchasers. In any such event, the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto shall be amended accordingly.

 

3


(d) Third Subsequent Closing. Subject to the pay-to-play and automatic conversion provisions of Section 2(j), a third subsequent sale and purchase of Notes (the “Third Subsequent Closing” ) shall occur in one subsequent closing commencing at such time as the Required Purchasers unanimously determine and culminating no later than February 1, 2010. At the Third Subsequent Closing, the Purchasers shall purchase an aggregate of up to $3,000,000.00 of Notes as follows: (i) each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing and the Additional Subsequent Closings) of the aggregate principal amount of all Notes to be purchased at the Third Subsequent Closing and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Third Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “Third Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Third Subsequent Loan Amount. The Third Subsequent Closing shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. At the Third Subsequent Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions) shall be deemed to speak as of the date of the Third Subsequent Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the Third Subsequent Closing. In the event any Purchaser fails to purchase the entire Third Subsequent Loan Amount, any remaining Third Subsequent Loan Amount shall be reallocated in such manner agreed to by the Company and the Required Purchasers. In any such event, the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto shall be amended accordingly.

(e) Fourth Subsequent Closing. Subject to the pay-to-play and automatic conversion provisions of Section 2(j) below, a fourth subsequent sale and purchase of Notes (the “Fourth Subsequent Closing” ) shall occur in a single closing commencing at such time as the Required Purchasers unanimously determine and culminating no later than June 14, 2010 (the “ Fourth Subsequent Closing Date ”). At the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the Purchasers shall purchase an aggregate of up to $1,500,000.00 of Notes as follows: (i) each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings and the Third Subsequent Closing) of the aggregate principal amount of all Notes to be purchased at the Fourth Subsequent Closing and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount. The Fourth Subsequent Closing shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and shall take place remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures. At the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions) shall be

 

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deemed to speak as of the date of the Fourth Subsequent Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the Fourth Subsequent Closing. In the event any Purchaser fails to purchase the entire Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount, any remaining Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount shall be reallocated in such manner agreed to by the Company and the Required Purchasers. In any such event, the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto shall be amended accordingly.

(f) Fifth Subsequent Closing. Subject to the pay-to-play and automatic conversion provisions of Section 2(j) below, a fifth subsequent sale and purchase of Notes (the “Fifth Subsequent Closing” ) shall occur in one subsequent closing, if at all, at such date and time as a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors shall determine, provided that such closing shall occur no earlier than 60 days from the Fourth Subsequent Closing (the “ Fifth Subsequent Closing Date ”). In any such event, the Company shall provide at least ten (10) days’ prior written notice to the Purchasers of the Fifth Subsequent Closing, specifying the Fifth Subsequent Closing Date. At the Fifth Subsequent Closing, the Purchasers shall purchase an aggregate of up to $1,500,000.00 of Notes as follows: (i) each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings, the Third Subsequent Closing and the Fourth Subsequent Closing) of the aggregate principal amount of all Notes to be purchased at the Fifth Subsequent Closing and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount. The Fifth Subsequent Closing shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and shall take place remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures. At the Fifth Subsequent Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions) shall be deemed to speak as of the date of the Fourth Subsequent Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the Fifth Subsequent Closing. In the event any Purchaser fails to purchase the entire Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount, any remaining Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount shall be reallocated in such manner agreed to by the Company and the Required Purchasers. In any such event, the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto shall be amended accordingly.

(g) Sixth Subsequent Closing. Subject to the pay-to-play and automatic conversion provisions of Section 2(j) below, a sixth subsequent sale and purchase of Notes (the “Sixth Subsequent Closing” ) shall occur in a single closing commencing at such time as the Required Purchasers unanimously determine and culminating no later than October 1, 2010 (the “ Sixth Subsequent Closing Date ”). At the Sixth Subsequent Closing, the Purchasers shall purchase an aggregate of up to $1,500,000.00 of Notes as follows: (i) each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings, the Third Subsequent Closing, the Fourth Subsequent Closing and the Fifth Subsequent Closing)

 

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of the aggregate principal amount of all Notes to be purchased at the Sixth Subsequent Closing and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount. The Sixth Subsequent Closing shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and shall take place remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures. At the Sixth Subsequent Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions) shall be deemed to speak as of the date of the Sixth Subsequent Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the Sixth Subsequent Closing. In the event any Purchaser fails to purchase the entire Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount, any remaining Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount shall be reallocated in such manner agreed to by the Company and the Required Purchasers. In any such event, the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto shall be amended accordingly.

(h) Seventh Subsequent Closing. Subject to the pay-to-play and automatic conversion provisions of Section 2(j) below, a seventh subsequent sale and purchase of Notes (the “Seventh Subsequent Closing” ) shall occur in one subsequent closing, if at all, at such date and time as a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors shall determine, provided that such closing shall occur no earlier than thirty (30) days following the Sixth Subsequent Closing (the “ Seventh Subsequent Closing Date ”), and there shall be no obligation to participate in such closing should a Qualified Equity Sale (as defined in Section 5(a) of the Notes) occur first. In any such event, the Company shall provide at least ten (10) days’ prior written notice to the Purchasers of the Seventh Subsequent Closing, specifying the Seventh Subsequent Closing Date. At the Seventh Subsequent Closing, the Purchasers shall purchase an aggregate of up to $1,500,000.00 of Notes as follows: (i) each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds an amount equal to such Purchaser’s pro rata share (determined in proportion to such Purchaser’s share of all Notes purchased at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings, the Third Subsequent Closing, the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the Fifth Subsequent Closing and the Sixth Subsequent Closing) of the aggregate principal amount of all Notes to be purchased at the Seventh Subsequent Closing and set forth opposite each such Purchaser’s name under the heading “Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount” on the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto, as amended from time to time in accordance with this Agreement (such Purchaser’s “Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount” ), and (ii) the Company shall issue and deliver to each Purchaser a Note in favor of such Purchaser in the corresponding principal amount equal to such Purchaser’s Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount. The Seventh Subsequent Closing shall be made on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and shall take place remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures. At the Seventh Subsequent Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3 hereof (and the Schedule of Exceptions) shall be deemed to speak as of the date of the Seventh Subsequent Closing and the Company shall, if necessary, update the Schedule of Exceptions as of the Seventh Subsequent Closing. In the event any Purchaser fails to purchase the entire Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount, any remaining Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount shall be reallocated in such manner agreed to by the Company and the Required Purchasers. In any such event, the Schedule of Purchasers attached hereto shall be amended accordingly.

 

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The Initial Closing(s), the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings, the Third Subsequent Closing, the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the Fifth Subsequent Closing, the Sixth Subsequent Closing and the Seventh Subsequent Closing are sometimes referred to as the “Closing” and the Initial Closing Date, any Additional Initial Closing Date, the Subsequent Closing Date, the Additional Subsequent Closing Dates, the Third Subsequent Closing Date, the Fourth Subsequent Closing Date, the Fifth Subsequent Closing Date, the Sixth Subsequent Closing Date and the Seventh Subsequent Closing Date are sometimes referred to as the “Closing Date .

(i) Additional Purchaser(s). This Agreement, including without limitation the Schedule of Purchasers , may be amended by the Company with the written consent of the Required Purchasers to include any Additional Purchasers upon the execution by such Additional Purchaser of a counterpart signature page hereto. Any Notes issued pursuant to any of Sections 2(b) through 2(h) shall be deemed to be “Notes” for all purposes under this Agreement and any Additional Purchasers thereof shall be deemed to be “Purchasers” for all purposes under this Agreement.

(j) Pay to Play and Automatic Conversion.

(i) Each Purchaser who invests at least 100% of such Purchaser’s Subsequent Loan Amount, Additional Subsequent Loan Amount, Third Subsequent Loan Amount, Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount, Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount, Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount and Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount is hereinafter referred to as a “ Participating Purchaser .” Any Purchaser who fails to invest at least 100% of such Purchaser’s Subsequent Loan Amount, Additional Subsequent Loan Amount, Third Subsequent Loan Amount, Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount, Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount, Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount or Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount is hereinafter referred to as a “ Defaulting Purchaser .” Each Defaulting Purchaser hereby consents to an amendment to the Investor Rights Agreement (defined below) and/or the Stockholders’ Agreement, dated November 9, 2007, by and among the Company, the Investors listed on Schedule I attached thereto and the Principal Stockholders listed on Schedule II attached thereto (as amended and in effect from time to time) (the “Stockholders’ Agreement” ), eliminating any rights such Defaulting Purchaser has under the Investor Rights Agreement and/or the Stockholders Agreement, including, but not limited to rights of notice, consent or participation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Purchaser shall be entitled to apportion the Subsequent Loan Amount, the Additional Subsequent Loan Amount, the Third Subsequent Loan Amount, the Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount, the Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount, the Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount or the Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount amongst itself and its Affiliates (as defined below) in such proportions as it deems appropriate. So long as the Purchaser, together with its Affiliates, invests 100% of such Purchaser’s Subsequent Loan Amount, Additional Subsequent Loan Amount, Third Subsequent Loan Amount, Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount, Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount, Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount and Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount, such Purchaser shall be deemed a Participating Purchaser and not a Defaulting Purchaser.

 

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(ii) Immediately prior to (1) the consummation of the Subsequent Closing, (2) in the case of the Additional Subsequent Closings, the close of business on July 24, 2009, (3) in the case of the Third Subsequent Closing, the close of business on February 1, 2010, (4) in the case of the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the first businesses day after the Fourth Subsequent Closing Date, (5) in the case of the Fifth Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the first business day after the Fifth Subsequent Closing Date, (6) in the case of the Sixth Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the first business day after the Sixth Subsequent Closing Date, or (7) in the case of the Seventh Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the first business day after the Seventh Subsequent Closing Date, as applicable, (A) the outstanding principal amount and accrued unpaid interest under any Notes issued at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings, the Third Subsequent Closing, the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the Fifth Subsequent Closing and the Sixth Subsequent Closing and held by any Defaulting Purchaser shall automatically, and without any further action on the part of such Purchaser or the Company, be converted into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (as defined below) at a conversion price equal to the Applicable Conversion Price (as defined in the Charter) of the Series B Preferred (as defined below) in effect at such time, and (B) each share of Preferred Stock held by any Defaulting Purchaser shall automatically, without any further action on the part of such Purchaser or the Company and pursuant to the provisions of Section B.2 of Article Fifth of the Charter (as defined below), be converted into such number of shares of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by Section B.2 of Article Fifth of the Charter (as defined below).

3. R EPRESENTATIONS , W ARRANTIES AND C OVENANTS OF THE C OMPANY

The Company hereby represents and warrants to each Purchaser that, except as set forth on the Schedule of Exceptions which exceptions shall be deemed to be part of the representations and warranties made hereunder, the following representations are true and complete as of the date of the applicable Closing Date, except as otherwise indicated. The Schedule of Exceptions shall be arranged in sections corresponding to the numbered and lettered sections and subsections contained in this Section 3, and the disclosures in any section or subsection of the Disclosure Schedule shall qualify other sections and subsections in this Section 3 only to the extent it is reasonably apparent from a reading of the disclosure that such disclosure is applicable to such other sections and subsections.

3.1 Incorporation; Good Standing and Qualifications. The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and is duly licensed or qualified to transact business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business transacted by it requires such licensing or qualification, except where the failure to be so licensed or qualified would not have a material adverse effect on the business, operations or financial condition of the Company (the “Material Adverse Effect” ).

 

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3.2 Authorization; Validity .

(a) The Company has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver the Loan Agreements (as defined below) and to carry out and perform its obligations under the terms of the Loan Agreements.

(b) All corporate action on the part of the Company, its directors, officers and stockholders necessary for the authorization, execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Agreements by the Company and the performance of the Company’s obligations hereunder and thereunder, including the issuance and delivery of the Notes, any shares of Preferred Stock (or any other capital stock of the Company, as applicable) issued upon conversion of the Notes, any shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of such Preferred Stock (as defined below), or any shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Notes pursuant to the terms of Section 2(j) hereof (collectively, the “Securities” ) has been taken or will be taken prior to the issuance of the Securities. The Loan Agreements, when executed and delivered by the Company, shall constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, the relief of debtors and, with respect to rights to indemnity, subject to federal and state securities laws.

3.3 Non-Contravention . The execution and delivery by the Company of the Loan Agreements, the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and thereunder, the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities will not (a) violate any provision of law, any order of any court or other agency of government applicable to the Company, the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Charter” ), attached as Exhibit B hereto, the By-Laws of the Company (the “By-Laws” ) attached as Exhibit C hereto, or any provision of any indenture, agreement or other instrument to which the Company or any of its properties or assets is bound where such violations would result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (b) conflict with, result in a breach of or constitute (with due notice or lapse of time or both) a default under any such indenture, agreement or other instrument where such conflict, breach or default would result in a Material Adverse Effect or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, restriction, claim or encumbrance of any nature whatsoever upon any of the properties or assets of the Company.

3.4 Governmental Approvals. Subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers set forth in Section 4 hereof, no registration or filing with, or consent or approval of or other action by, any Federal, state or other governmental agency or instrumentality under laws and regulations thereof as now in effect is or will be necessary for the valid execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Loan Agreements or the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities other than (a) filings pursuant to Federal and state securities laws in connection with the sale of the Securities, and (b) with respect to the Investor Rights Agreement dated as of November 9, 2007, by and among the Company and the investors named therein (as amended and in effect from time to time) (the “Investor Rights Agreement” ), the registration of the shares covered thereby with the Commission and filings pursuant to state securities laws, and any other registration or filing, or consent or approval or other action as a result of or associated with any purchase or sale of securities in accordance therewith.

 

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3.5 Capitalization.

(a) Immediately prior to the Initial Closing, the Company will have a total authorized capitalization consisting of 49,650,000 shares, of which (a) 30,000,000 shares will be designated as Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock” ), and (b) 19,650,000 will be designated as Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock” ), of which 13,000,000 will be designated as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred ”) and 6,650,000 will be designated as Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred ”). Immediately prior to the Initial Closing, 4,424,108 shares of Common Stock, 12,211,604 shares of Series A Preferred and 3,810,773 shares of Series B Preferred will be outstanding, and 1,206,809 shares of Common Stock will be reserved under the Company’s stock option plan.

(b) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.5(b) or as contemplated by the Loan Agreements, there are no subscriptions, options, warrants or other rights (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or otherwise acquire shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company authorized, issued or outstanding, nor is the Company obligated in any other manner to issue shares of its capital stock, subscriptions, warrants, options, convertible securities, or other such rights. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.5(b) or contemplated by the Loan Agreements, (i) there are no restrictions on the transfer of shares of capital stock of the Company other than those imposed by relevant state and Federal securities laws, and (ii) there are no agreements concerning the voting, pledge or purchase and sale of the capital stock of the Company. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.5(b) or in the Loan Agreements, no holder of any security of the Company is entitled to preemptive, first refusal or similar statutory or contractual rights, arising pursuant to any agreement to which the Company is a party. Except as provided for in the Charter or as set forth on the attached Schedule 3.5(b) , the Company has no obligation to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its equity securities or any interest therein or to pay any dividend or make any other distribution in respect thereof.

(c) All of the outstanding securities of the Company were issued in compliance with all applicable Federal and state securities laws.

3.6 Subsidiaries . The Company has no direct or indirect subsidiaries. The Company does not, directly or indirectly, own or control or have any capital or other equity interest or participation in (or any interest convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital or other equity interest or participation in), nor is the Company, directly or indirectly, subject to any obligation or requirement to provide funds to or invest in, any entity.

3.7 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities. The Company has no liabilities of any nature, whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise (including without limitation liabilities as guarantor or otherwise with respect to obligations of others, or liabilities for taxes due or then accrued or to become due), except: (a) liabilities stated or adequately reserved against on the balance sheet dated June 30, 2008, provided to the Purchasers ( “Balance Sheet” ), (b) liabilities not in excess of $150,000 in the aggregate, incurred since the date of the Balance Sheet in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices (none of which is a claim for breach of contract, breach of duty, breach of warranty, tort, or infringement of an intellectual property right), and (c) liabilities disclosed on Schedule 3.7 hereto.

 

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3.8 Conduct of Business; Absence of Certain Changes. Except as disclosed on Schedule 3.8 , since June 30, 2008, the Company has conducted its business only in the ordinary course of business, consistent with prior practices and, whether or not in the ordinary course of business, there has not been any change in the financial condition, including working capital, earnings, reserves, properties, assets, liabilities, business or operations, of the Company which change, by itself or in conjunction with all other such changes, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, has been materially adverse with respect to the Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as disclosed on Schedule 3.8 hereto, since June 30, 2008, there has not been:

(a) any amendment to the Charter (or equivalent document) or By-Laws of the Company;

(b) any contingent liability incurred by the Company as guarantor or otherwise with respect to the obligations of others;

(c) any obligation or liability incurred by the Company other than obligations and liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice (none of which is a claim for breach of contract, breach of duty, breach of warranty, tort or infringement of an intellectual property right);

(d) any sale or other disposition, or any agreement or other arrangement for the sale or other disposition, of any of the properties or assets of the Company other than in the ordinary course of business;

(e) any capital expenditure or commitment in excess of $75,000 with respect to any individual item or in excess of $250,000 with respect to all such items, or any lease or agreement to lease any assets with an annual rental in excess of $75,000 with respect to any individual item or in excess of $250,000 with respect to all such items, which capital expenditure, commitment, lease or agreement was not approved by the Board of Directors of the Company;

(f) any damage, destruction or loss, whether or not covered by insurance, of any of the assets or business of the Company;

(g) any declaration, setting aside or payment of any accrual, dividend on, or the making of any other distribution in respect of, the capital stock of the Company; any direct or indirect redemption, purchase or other acquisition by the Company of its capital stock or any issuance of any securities of the Company;

(h) any claim of unfair labor practices involving the Company;

(i) any change in the compensation or other amounts payable or to become payable by the Company to any of its officers, employees or agents; or any change in any bonus, pension or profit sharing payment, entitlement or arrangement made to or with any of such officers, employees or agents; or any grant of any loans or severance or termination pay (other than as set forth on Schedule 3.8 or consistent with the Company’s established severance pay practices) to any of such officers, employees or agents; or any entrance into or variation of the terms of any employment agreement or adoption of or increase in, the benefits under any benefit plan;

 

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(j) any change with respect to the management or supervisory personnel of the Company;

(k) any payment or discharge of a material lien, claim, obligation or liability of the Company which was not incurred in the ordinary course of business thereafter;

(l) any obligation or liability incurred by the Company to any of its respective officers, directors or shareholders or any loans or advances made by the Company to any of its officers, directors or shareholders, except normal compensation and expense allowances payable to officers;

(m) any disposal, sale, assignment, license or lapse of any rights to the use of any Intellectual Property (as hereafter defined) or disclosure to any person other than the Purchasers of any Intellectual Property or other confidential information not theretofore a matter of public knowledge other than pursuant to confidentiality agreements;

(n) any change in any method of accounting or accounting practice, whether or not such change was permitted by GAAP (as defined below); or

(o) any agreement, whether in writing or otherwise, to take any action described in this Section 3.8 .

3.9 Compliance with Laws; Permits. The Company has complied in all material respects with all laws, rules, regulations, judgments, decrees, awards and orders applicable to it and its business, operations, properties, assets, products and services. The Company has all necessary permits, licenses and other authorizations required to conduct its business as conducted and as currently proposed to be conducted except where the failure to have such permit, license or other authorization would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.10 Title to Properties . The Company owns no interests in real properties. The Company has good, clear, valid and legal title to its personal properties and assets, and all such properties are free and clear of pledges, security interests, liens, charges, claims, restrictions and other encumbrances, other than Permitted Liens. For purposes of this Section 3.10 , “Permitted Liens” shall mean (a) any minor liens which have arisen in the ordinary course of business, and (b) liens for taxes not yet due and payable or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which there are adequate reserves on the books.

3.11 Intellectual Property. Set forth on Schedule 3.11 is a complete and accurate list of all domestic and foreign patents, patent rights, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, service mark applications, trade names and copyrights, and all applications for such which are in the process of being prepared, owned by or registered in the name of the Company, or of which the Company is a licensor or licensee or in which the Company has any right. To the best knowledge of the Company, the Company owns or possesses adequate licenses or other rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, service mark applications, trade names, copyrights, manufacturing processes, formulae, trade secrets, customer lists and know how (collectively, “Intellectual Property” ) that are necessary to the conduct of its business as conducted and, to the Company’s knowledge, no claim is pending or threatened to the effect that the operations of the

 

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Company infringe upon or conflict with the asserted rights of any other person under any Intellectual Property. No claim is pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to the effect that any such Intellectual Property owned or licensed by the Company, or which the Company otherwise has the right to use, is invalid or unenforceable by the Company. To the best knowledge of the Company, all technical information developed by and belonging to the Company which has not been patented has been kept confidential. Copies of all forms of non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements executed by the Company to protect trade secrets have been made available to the Purchasers for inspection.

3.12 Proprietary Information of Third Parties. To the Company’s knowledge, no third party has claimed or has reason to claim that any person employed by, consulting for or affiliated with the Company (either past or present) has (a) violated or may be violating any of the terms or conditions of his employment, non-competition, or non-disclosure or consulting agreement with such third party, (b) disclosed or may be disclosing or utilized or may be utilizing any Intellectual Property or other proprietary information or documentation of such third party or (c) interfered or may be interfering with the employment relationship between such third party and any of its present or former employees.

3.13 Material Agreements. Schedule 3.13 sets forth all the agreements, instruments, commitments or restrictions to which the Company is a party or otherwise bound, the breach or termination of which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect the business, condition (financial or otherwise) prospects, operations, property or affairs of the Company (collectively, the “Material Agreements” ). All of the Material Agreements are valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with their respective terms. The Company and, to the Company’s knowledge each other party thereto, has performed in all material aspects all the obligations required to be performed by them to date (or each non-performing party has received a valid, enforceable and irrevocable written waiver with respect to its non-performance), and has received no notice of default and is not in default (with due notice or lapse of time or both) under any Material Agreement where such default is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.14 Litigation. There is no action, suit, claim, proceeding, litigation, arbitration or investigation ( “Action” ) pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Company, or, to the knowledge of the Company, against any officer, director or employee of the Company in connection with such officer’s, director’s or employee’s relationship with, or actions taken on behalf of the Company, at law or in equity, or before or by any Federal, state, municipal or other governmental department, commission, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, domestic or foreign. To the knowledge of the Company, there is no factual or legal basis for any such Action that could reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in any Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not a party to or, to the knowledge of the Company, subject to the provisions of, any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree of any court or government agency or instrumentality and there is no Action by the Company currently pending or which the Company intends to initiate.

 

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3.15 Environmental Matters.

(a) As used in this Section 3.15 , the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:

“Court Orders” means any court order, judgment, administrative or judicial order, writ, decree, stipulation, arbitration award or injunction.

“Environmental Laws” means those laws related to the protection of public health, worker safety, the environment or the management of pollution or Hazardous Materials and include the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ( “CERCLA” ), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ( “RCRA” ), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the corresponding state and local laws.

“Environmental Site” means any of the properties or facilities owned or leased by the Company or, to the best knowledge of the Company, any predecessors-in-interest of the Company.

“Government Authority” means any consent, approval or authorization of or declaration, filing or registration with any governmental authority, whether foreign, federal, state, or local, or other political subdivision or agency of any of the foregoing.

“Government Authorizations” means any license, permit, order, franchise agreement, concession, grant, authorization, consent or approval.

“Hazardous Materials” means any and all oil, petroleum products, chemicals, waste oil, hazardous waste, hazardous substances, toxic substances or hazardous materials.

(b) Hazardous Materials used or generated by the Company have always been and are being generated, used, stored, treated and disposed on and at any Environmental Site in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws, Court Orders, or Government Authorizations.

(c) The Company has not received any claim, notice, complaint, Court Order or request for information from any Government Authority or private party (i) alleging violation of, or asserting any noncompliance with any Environmental Law, by it, (ii) asserting potential liability, (iii) requesting information, or (iv) requesting investigation or clean up of any property or facility owned or leased by the Company, any former parent corporation of the Company, or to the best knowledge of the Company, any predecessors-in-interest of the Company under any Environmental Law.

(d) No Hazardous Materials have ever been shipped by the Company, to other sites or facilities for treatment, storage or disposal. The Company has not received any notice that any sites or facilities to which any such wastes have been shipped or sent to, are subject to or threatened to become subject to any government response action or clean up order. The Company is not subject to or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to, become subject to any governmental response action or clean up order.

 

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(e) The Company is in compliance with all applicable worker safety laws, including, but not limited to requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, except where the failure to be in compliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.16 Insurance.

(a) The Company maintains insurance against liabilities, claims and risks of a nature and in such amounts as are normal and customary in its industry.

(b) Schedule 3.16(b) contains a complete and correct list of all policies of insurance maintained by or on behalf of the Company (including insurance providing benefits for employees) in effect on the date hereof, together with complete and correct information with respect to the premiums, coverages, insurers, expiration dates, and deductibles in respect of such policies. The policies listed on Schedule 3.16(b) are sufficient to enable the Company to comply with all requirements of any applicable statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulation and all agreements to which any of them is subject, and will not be adversely affected by, or terminate or lapse by reason of, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Schedule 3.16(b) also sets forth all other insurance policies in effect at any time during the one year period ended on the date of the Balance Sheet, under which the Company may currently be entitled to give notice or otherwise assert a claim.

(c) Except for the amounts deductible under the policies of insurance described on Schedule 3.16(b) or as set forth on Schedule 3.16(c) , the Company is not and has not at any time been, subject to any liability as a self insurer of the business or assets of the Company.

(d) There are no claims pending under any of the policies listed on Schedule 3.16 , or disputes with insurers. All such policies are in full force and effect in accordance with their respective terms. To the Company’s knowledge there is no basis upon which the insurance company would have the right to terminate any such policy during the policy term. No notice of cancellation or termination has been received with respect to any such policy and no notice relating to non renewal reduction of coverage or increase in premium has been received by the Company with respect to any such policy. The Company has not been refused any insurance with respect to its respective assets or operations, nor has its coverage been limited by any insurance carrier with which it has applied for any such insurance or to which it has carried insurance. The Company has no knowledge of any insurance carrier’s insolvency or inability to perform its obligations or pay any claims pursuant to any of the insurance policies maintained by the Company.

(e) To the knowledge of the Company, the Company has no current or prior insurance policy that remains subject to a retrospective adjustment of the premiums payable thereunder.

3.17 Employees and Consultants . Except as set forth on Schedule 3.17 , there are no currently effective consulting or employment agreements with individual consultants or employees to which the Company is a party or which the Company is a beneficiary (including non-competition covenants). Also set forth on Schedule 3.17 is a list of the names of the employees, consultants and other individuals who received compensation from the Company in

 

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excess of $100,000 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 or are anticipated to receive compensation in excess of $100,000 for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010, together with the title or job classification of each such person and the total annual compensation anticipated to be paid to each such person by the Company and its subsidiaries commencing on the date hereof. Each former and current employee and consultant has executed and delivered an agreement relating to confidentiality and invention assignment substantially in the form attached as Exhibit D hereto.

3.18 Related-Party Transactions. No employee, stockholder, officer, director or consultant of the Company or member of his or her immediate family is directly or indirectly indebted to the Company and the Company is not indebted (or committed to make loans or extend or guarantee credit) to any of them, whether directly or indirectly. To the Company’s knowledge, no employee, stockholder, officer, director or consultant of the Company or member of his or her immediate family has any direct or indirect ownership interest in any entity with which the Company is affiliated or with which the Company has a business relationship, or any entity that competes with the Company except stock ownership by employees, stockholders, officers, or directors of the Company and members of their immediate families in publicly traded companies. No officer, stockholder or director or any member of their immediate families, directly or indirectly, has a financial interest in any material contract with the Company.

3.19 Financial Statements. Schedule 3.19 contains a complete and correct copy of the unaudited Profit & Loss Statement of the Company, dated as of June 30, 2008, and the Balance Sheet (collectively, the “Financial Statements” ). The Financial Statements comport with the books and records of the Company, present fairly and accurately the financial condition and results of operations of the Company, at the dates and for the periods indicated, and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, except that the unaudited Financial Statements may not be in accordance with GAAP because of the absence of footnotes normally contained therein and are subject to normal year-end audit adjustments which in the aggregate will not be material.

3.20 Taxes. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.20 , the Company has filed or will file within the time prescribed by law (including extensions of time approved by any appropriate taxing authority) all tax returns and reports required to be filed by it (Federal and state), and the Company has paid all income taxes, interest, penalties, assessments or deficiencies shown thereon. The Company has never had any tax deficiency proposed or assessed against it, and the Company has executed no waiver of any statute of limitations on the assessment or collection of any tax or governmental charge. None of the Company’s federal income tax returns or any state income, sales or franchise tax returns has ever been audited by governmental authorities. No tax audit, action, suit, proceeding, investigation or claim is now pending nor has the Company received any written notice of any such threatened audit, action, suit, proceeding, investigation or claim. No issue or question has been raised (and is currently pending) in any written notice to the Company from any taxing authority in connection with any of the Company’s tax returns or reports.

3.21 Disclosure. Nothing in this Agreement, including any Schedule or Exhibit to this Agreement, contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained herein or therein not misleading. None of the other

 

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Loan Agreements, documents, certificates or other written items prepared or supplied by the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading. There is no fact which the Company has not disclosed to the Purchasers in writing and of which the Company is aware which materially and adversely affects, or could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect, the business, financial condition, operations, property or affairs of the Company. The financial projections and other estimates provided to the Purchasers by the Company were prepared by the Company based on the Company’s experience in the industry and on assumptions of fact and opinion as to future events which the Company, at the date of the issuance of such financial prospects or estimates, believed to be reasonable. As of the date hereof no facts have come to the attention of the Company which would, in its opinion, require the Company to revise or amplify the assumptions underlying such projections and other estimates or the conclusions derived therefrom.

3.22 Financial Service Relations and Powers of Attorney. All of the arrangements which the Company has with any bank depository institution or other financial services entity, whether or not in the Company’s name, are listed on Schedule 3.22 hereto, indicating with respect to each of such arrangements the type of arrangement maintained (such as checking account, borrowing arrangements, safe deposit box, etc.). The Company has no outstanding power of attorney.

3.23 Minute Books. The minute books and stock records of the Company accurately record all action taken by the shareholders, board of directors and committees thereof of the Company and all issuances and transfers of capital stock of the Company. Complete and accurate copies of all minute books and stock records of the Company have been delivered to or made available for inspection by the Purchasers.

3.24 Absence of Certain Payments. The Company has not, nor to the knowledge of the Company have any of the Company’s directors, officers, agents, stockholders or employees acting on behalf of the Company:

(a) made or agreed to make any solicitations, contributions, payments or gifts of funds or property to any governmental official, employee or agent where either the payment or the purpose of such solicitation, contribution, payment or gift was or is illegal under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or any other jurisdiction (foreign or domestic);

(b) established or maintained any unrecorded fund or asset for any purpose, or has made any false or artificial entries on any of its books or records for any reason; or

(c) made or agreed to make any contribution or expenditure, or reimbursed any political gift or contribution or expenditure made by any other person to candidates for public office, whether federal, state or local (foreign or domestic) where such contributions were or would be a violation of applicable law.

3.25 Offerees. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has in the past sold, offered for sale or solicited offers to buy any capital stock of the Company from any person or organization other than the Purchasers so as to bring the offer, issuance or sale of the

 

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Securities, as contemplated by this Agreement, within the provisions of Section 5 of the Securities Act. Based in part upon, and subject to the truth and accuracy of, the Purchasers’ representations in Section 4 , the offer, sale and issuance of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement will constitute a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws by virtue of Section 4(2) promulgated thereunder. The Company has complied and will comply with all applicable state securities laws in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities or any other securities.

3.26 Registration Rights. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.26 , other than such registration rights as are granted pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, no holder of any security issued by the Company, nor any holder of rights to acquire any security from the Company, has any right to require the Company to file, or to join the Company in the filing of, a registration statement or notification under the Securities Act.

3.26 Consent Required for Certain Corporate Actions. In addition to any other approvals or consents required under the Charter, this Agreement or any other agreement, the Company shall not (i) effect a Qualified Equity Sale or Alternative Equity Sale (each as defined in the Notes), (ii) extend an offer of full time employment to a Chief Executive Officer, (iii) incur indebtedness for borrowed money or (iv) amend the terms of Section 6.1(a) or Section 6.3 (regarding the designation and removal of director nominees) under that certain Amended and Restated Stockholders’ Agreement dated November 9, 2007 by and among the Company and the other parties named therein (the “ Voting Agreement ”), in each case, without the prior written consent of the Required Purchasers.

4. R EPRESENTATIONS AND W ARRANTIES OF THE P URCHASERS

Each Purchaser severally, but not jointly, represents and warrants to the Company, as of the date on which such Purchaser acquires Notes as follows:

4.1 Organization and Standing. Such Purchaser that is a corporation, partnership or a limited liability company, is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization.

4.2 Power, Authorization and Enforceability. Such Purchaser that is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company has the requisite power and authority to execute and deliver the Loan Agreements, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to engage in the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Agreements by such Purchaser that is a corporation, partnership or a limited liability company have been duly and validly authorized by all requisite corporate, partnership or limited liability company proceedings on the part of such Purchaser. The Loan Agreements are, and upon the execution and delivery thereof, will be, legal, valid and binding obligations of such Purchaser, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to laws of general application from time to time in effect that have an affect on creditors’ rights and the exercise of judicial discretion in accordance with general equitable principles.

 

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4.3 Investment Representations. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities solely for his, her or its own account, the Securities are being acquired by him, her or it for the purpose of investment and not with a view to distribution or resale thereof and he, she or it has no present intention or plan to effect any distribution of the Securities. The acquisition by such Purchaser of the Securities acquired by him, her or it shall constitute a confirmation of this representation by such Purchaser. Such Purchaser further represents that he, she or it understands and agrees that, except as otherwise provided in the Loan Agreements, all certificates evidencing any of the Securities, whether upon initial issuance or upon any transfer thereof, shall bear a legend, prominently stamped or printed thereon, reading substantially as follows:

“NEITHER THIS NOTE NOR THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS NOTE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM UNDER SAID ACT AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR SOME OTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH ACT AND APPLICABLE LAWS OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.”

4.4 Access to Information; Experience. Such Purchaser acknowledges that he, she or it is able to bear the financial risks associated with the investment in the Securities and such Purchaser acknowledges that such Purchaser, during the course of this transaction and prior to the purchase of any Securities, has had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities, and to obtain additional information, documents, records and books relative to the Company, its business and an investment in the Company. Such Purchaser is experienced in evaluating and investing in developing companies such as the Company and can afford the complete loss of his, her or its investments in the Company.

4.5 Accredited Investor Status. Such Purchaser is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”).

4.6 Transfer Restrictions Imposed By Securities Laws. Such Purchaser understands that none of the Securities have been registered under the Securities Act or any other applicable securities laws, and, therefore, cannot be resold unless they are subsequently registered under the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws or unless an exemption from such registration is available. Such Purchaser agrees not to resell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Securities purchased by him, her or it except as permitted by law, including, without limitation, any regulations under the Securities Act and any similar or successor Federal statute, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission” ) thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect from time to time and other applicable securities laws. Such Purchaser understands that the Company does not have any present intention and is under no obligation to register the Securities under the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws, except as provided in the Investor Rights Agreements.

 

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4.7 Residency. The residency of such Purchaser (or in the case of a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, such entity’s principal place of business) is correctly set forth on Schedule I .

5. C ONDITIONS TO P URCHASERS ’ O BLIGATIONS AT THE C LOSING

Each Purchaser’s obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser at each Closing is subject to the complete satisfaction by the Company (or waiver by such Purchaser), on or before the applicable Closing Date , of the following conditions:

(a) Representations, Warranties and Agreements. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Schedule of Exceptions, at each Closing, the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 3 hereof shall be true and correct and the Company shall have performed and complied with all conditions and agreements required to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the applicable Closing Date.

(b) Proceedings and Documents. All corporate and other proceedings and all documents incident to the transactions contemplated by the Loan Agreements shall be satisfactory in form and substance to each Purchaser and its counsel, and each Purchaser and its counsel shall have received copies of all documents and records relating thereto.

(c) Amendment to the Charter. The amendment to the Charter in substantially the form set forth on Exhibit B shall have been filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

(d) Opinion of Company’s Counsel. Each of the Purchasers shall have received from Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Company, an opinion, dated the date of the Initial Closing, in the form set forth in Exhibit E hereto with respect to the Initial Closing, which shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to each Purchaser.

(e) Secretary’s Certificate. The Purchasers shall have received a certificate of the Company dated the date of the Closing and signed by the Secretary of the Company certifying that attached thereto are copies of (i) the Charter, (ii) the By-Laws and (iii) resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors and/or the stockholders of the Company authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the Loan Agreements and any other document or instrument executed in connection therewith, and the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities.

(f) Officer’s Certificate. The Purchasers shall have received a certificate of the Company dated as of the date of the Closing and signed by an officer of the Company, certifying that (i) except as otherwise disclosed in the Schedule of Exceptions, the representations and warranties of the Company are true, correct and complete in all materials respects as of the date of the Closing and (ii) all agreements and conditions to be performed or satisfied by the Company have been duly performed or satisfied in all material respects as of the date of the Closing.

 

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(g) Issuance of Notes. Each Purchaser shall have received from the Company duly executed Notes as required by this Agreement.

(h) Minimum Aggregate Principal Amount. Notes having a minimum aggregate principal amount of $2,500,000.00 shall be issued at the Initial Closing.

(i) Extension Agreement. At the Fourth Subsequent Closing the Company and the Required Purchasers shall have entered into an Extension Agreement, pursuant to Section 10(c)(ii) of this Agreement, extending the Maturity Date (as defined in the Notes) of the Notes purchased at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings, and the Third Subsequent Closing, to December 31, 2011.

(j) Additional Amendment to the Charter. At the First Additional Subsequent Closing an additional amendment to the Charter in substantially the form set forth on Exhibit F shall have been filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware; at the Third Subsequent Closing an additional amendment to the Charter in substantially the form set forth on Exhibit G shall have been filed with the Secretary of the State of Delaware; at the Fourth Subsequent Closing an additional amendment to the Charter in substantially the form set forth on Exhibit H shall have been filed with the Secretary of the State of Delaware; and, at the Sixth Subsequent Closing an additional amendment to the Charter in substantially the form set forth on Exhibit I shall have been filed with the Secretary of the State of Delaware.

(k) Forbearance Agreement. At the Sixth Subsequent Closing the Company and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. shall have entered into a Forbearance Agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Required Purchasers.

(l) Subordination Agreement. At the Sixth Subsequent Closing Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. and the Purchasers shall have entered into the Subordination Agreement.

(m) Amendment to Warrant Agreement. At the First Additional Subsequent Closing the Company and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. shall have entered into an amendment to that certain Warrant Agreement dated as of March 20, 2007.

(n) Note Amendment Agreement. At the Sixth Subsequent Closing the Company and the Required Purchasers shall have entered into a Note Amendment Agreement pursuant to Section 10(c)(ii) of this Agreement, amending the conversion terms of the Notes purchased at the Initial Closings, the Subsequent Closing, the Additional Subsequent Closings, the Third Subsequent Closing, the Fourth Subsequent Closing and the Fifth Subsequent Closing.

6. C ONDITIONS TO C OMPANY S O BLIGATIONS

The Company’s obligation to sell and issue the Notes pursuant to this Agreement at the Closing is subject to the satisfaction by each Purchaser purchasing Notes at such Closing (or waiver by the Company), on or before the Closing Date, of the following conditions:

(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of such Purchaser contained in Section 3 hereof shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date.

 

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(b) Payment of Purchase Price. Such Purchaser shall have delivered to the Company, and the Company shall have received, payment in full of the purchase price relating to the Notes being purchased by such Purchaser at the Closing.

(c) Securities Exemption. The offer and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement shall be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the registration requirements and/or qualification requirements of all other applicable state securities laws.

7. A FFIRMATIVE C OVENANTS

Until such time as all Obligations (as defined below) have been paid in full, or with respect to each Defaulting Purchaser such time that the Notes held by such Defaulting Purchaser convert to Common Stock in the manner set forth under Section 2(j)(ii) of this Agreement, the Company shall, unless otherwise agreed to by the Required Purchasers, do all of the following:

(a) Government Compliance . The Company shall maintain its legal existence and good standing in its jurisdiction of formation and maintain qualification in each jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would reasonably be expected to constitute a Material Adverse Effect. The Company shall comply in all material respects with all laws, ordinances and regulations to which it is subject.

(b) Financial Information; Reports and Inspection . The Company shall:

(i) deliver to the Purchasers such financial information as may be reasonably requested by the Purchasers from time to time, which may include, but not be limited to, quarterly and monthly financial statements;

(ii) deliver promptly (and in no event later than 5 business days after the occurrence thereof) notice of any Default or Event of Default; and

(iii) permit the Purchasers and their respective representatives to inspect the assets, properties, books and records of the Company for purposes reasonably related to the Loan Agreements at any time during business hours following reasonable advance notice.

(c) Taxes . The Company shall make timely payment of all federal, state, and local taxes or assessments (other than taxes and assessments which the Company is contesting in good faith, with adequate reserves maintained in accordance with GAAP) and will deliver to the Purchasers, on demand, appropriate certificates attesting to such payments.

(d) Insurance . The Company will maintain insurance consistent with past practice.

(e) Line of Business . The Company will not make any material change to its business as conducted as of the date of this Agreement or reasonably related thereto.

 

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(f) Use of Proceeds . The Company will use all proceeds of loans made by the Purchasers for general corporate purposes and working capital.

8. N EGATIVE C OVENANTS

Until such time as all Obligations shall have been paid in full, or with respect to each Defaulting Purchaser such time that the Notes held by such Defaulting Purchaser convert to Common Stock in the manner set forth under Section 2(j)(ii) of this Agreement, the Company shall not do any of the following, without the prior written consent of the Required Purchasers:

(a) Indebtedness . The Company will not create, incur, assume or suffer to exist (nor allow any of its Subsidiaries to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist) any Indebtedness (including any extensions, refinancing and renewals thereof), except for Permitted Indebtedness (defined below).

(b) Liens . The Company will not create, incur, assume or suffer to exist (nor allow any of its Subsidiaries to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist) any Liens upon or with respect to any of its property or assets, now owned or hereafter acquired, other than Permitted Liens (defined below).

(c) Dividends; Distributions; Redemptions . The Company will not make any cash distributions to its stockholders (excluding any cash paid to stockholders in lieu of fractional interests in shares of Common Stock pursuant to Section B.2 of Article Fifth of the Charter), pay any cash dividends or cash distributions or redeem, purchase, or otherwise acquire directly or indirectly any of its equity interests; provided, the foregoing not apply to (i) distributions, dividends or like transactions, paid in equity of the Company, or (ii) repurchases, redemptions, or similar acquisitions of shares of Common Stock issued to or held by employees, officers, directors or other service providers pursuant to agreements (including, but not limited to employee, director or consultant repurchase plans, stock option plans or agreements, restricted stock agreements or other similar agreements) providing for such repurchase or redemption at the original purchase price, at a purchase price not exceeding the fair market value of such Common Stock, or in connection with the exercise of a contractual right of first refusal entitling the Company to purchase the shares upon the terms offered by a third party.

(d) Loans and Advances . The Company will not make any loans or advances to any Person in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate, including, without limitation, the Company’s directors, officers and employees, except advances to directors, officers or employees with respect to expenses incurred by them in the ordinary course of their duties consistent with past practice.

(e) Investments . The Company will not invest in, hold or purchase any stock or securities of any Person except for Permitted Investments (defined below).

(f) Subsidiaries; Acquisitions . The Company will not form any Subsidiary, acquire any Subsidiary or make any other acquisition of the stock or interests of any Person or of all or substantially all of the assets of any other Person.

 

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(g) Merger; Sale . The Company will not consummate a Sale.

(h) Affiliate Transactions . The Company will not enter into any transaction, including, without limitation, the purchase, sale or exchange of any property or the rendering of any service, with any Affiliate of the Company, except in the ordinary course and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Company’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company than would be obtained in a comparable arms’-length transaction with any Person not an Affiliate.

(i) No Margin Stock . No proceeds of any loan to the Company shall be used directly or indirectly to purchase or carry any margin security or margin stock, as such terms are used in Regulations U and X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 12 CFR parts 221 and 224.

9. C ERTAIN D EFINITIONS

In addition to the terms defined above, the following terms used in this Agreement shall be construed to have the meanings set forth or referenced below.

“Affiliate” means any person, entity or firm which, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person, including, without limitation, any entity of which the Person is a partner or member, any partner, officer, director, member or employee of such Person and any venture capital fund now or hereafter existing of which the Person is a partner or member which is controlled by or under common control with one or more general partners of such Person or shares the same management company with such Person.

“Control” means possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of any Person, whether through ownership of voting equity, by contract or otherwise.

“Contingent Obligation” means, as applied to the Company, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise, of that the Company with respect to (i) any indebtedness, lease, dividend, letter of credit or other obligation of another, including, without limitation, any such obligation directly or indirectly guaranteed, endorsed, co-made or discounted or sold with recourse by that the Company, or in respect of which that the Company is otherwise directly or indirectly liable; (ii) any obligations with respect to undrawn letters of credit, corporate credit cards, or merchant services issued or provided for the account of that the Company; and (iii) all obligations arising under any interest rate, currency or commodity swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, or other agreement or arrangement designed to protect the Company against fluctuation in interest rates, currency exchange rates or commodity prices; provided, however, that the term “Contingent Obligation” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business.

“Default” means any event or circumstance which, with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both, would become an Event of Default.

 

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“Event of Default” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Notes.

“GAAP” shall mean U.S. generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time.

“Indebtedness” means (a) indebtedness for borrowed money or the deferred price of property or services (other than trade and other payables incurred in the ordinary course of business), such as reimbursement and other obligations for surety bonds and letters of credit, (b) obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, (c) capital lease obligations and (d) Contingent Obligations.

“Lien” means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, lien, security interest, or other charge or encumbrance (including the lien or retained security title of a conditional vendor) of any nature upon or with respect to any of the property, assets or rights of the Company, now owned or hereafter acquired, except:

(i) Liens for taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies on property of the Company if the same shall not at the time be delinquent or thereafter can be paid without interest or penalty or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings which serve as a matter of law to stay the enforcement thereof and as to which adequate reserves have been made and are maintained;

(ii) Liens imposed by law, such as carriers’, warehousemen’s and mechanics’ liens and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business for sums not yet due or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings which serve as a matter of law to stay the enforcement thereof and as to which adequate reserves have been made and are maintained;

(iii) pledges or deposits under workmen’s compensation laws, unemployment insurance, social security, retirement benefits or similar legislation; and

(iv) Liens created pursuant to the Loan Agreements.

Loan Agreements shall mean this Agreement and all other agreements and documents contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, the Notes and the Subordination Agreement.

Obligations means and includes all principal, interest, costs and expenses and other amounts the Company owes any Purchaser now or later under the Loan Agreements, and including without limitation, interest accruing on the Notes after any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar proceeding or action begins.

“Permitted Indebtedness” means (i) Indebtedness owed to the Purchasers, including, without limitation, the Indebtedness represented by the Notes issued under this Agreement; (ii) Indebtedness existing on the date hereof; (iii) Indebtedness not to exceed $1,500,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year of the Company secured by a Permitted Lien (defined below),

 

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provided such Indebtedness does not exceed the lesser of the cost or fair market value of the equipment financed with such Indebtedness; (iv) Indebtedness of the Company for taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies not yet due and payable; (v) Indebtedness to trade creditors or contractual counterparties incurred in the ordinary course of business, including Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business with corporate credit cards; (vi) Indebtedness that also constitutes a Permitted Investment (defined below); and (vii) Indebtedness agreed upon in the Subordination Agreement among the Purchasers, the Company and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. dated as of the date hereof.

“Permitted Investment” means: (i) Investments existing on the date hereof or made in accordance with the Investment Policy approved by the Company’s Board of Directors; (ii) marketable direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the United States of America or any agency or any State thereof; (iii) other investment grade debt securities; (iv) mutual funds, the assets of which are primarily invested in items of the kind described in the foregoing clauses (ii) and (iii) above; (v) commercial paper maturing no more than one year from the date of creation thereof and currently having rating of at least A-2 or P-2 from either Standard & Poor’s Corporation or Moody’s Investors Service, (vi) certificates of deposit issued by any bank with assets of at least $500,000,000 maturing no more than one year from the date of investment therein, (vii) money market accounts; (viii) repurchases of stock from former employees, directors, or consultants of the Company under the terms of applicable repurchase agreements at the original issuance price of such securities (a) in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100,000 in any fiscal year, provided that no Event of Default has occurred, is continuing or would exist after giving effect to the repurchases, or (b) in any amount where the consideration for the repurchase is the cancellation of indebtedness owed by such former employees, directors, or consultants, to the Company regardless of whether an Event of Default exists; (ix) Investments accepted in connection with Permitted Transfers (defined below); (x) Investments (including debt obligations) received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of customers or suppliers and in settlement of delinquent obligations of, and other disputes with, customers or suppliers arising in the ordinary course of the Company’s business; (xi) Investments consisting of notes receivable of, or prepaid royalties and other credit extensions, to customers and suppliers who are not affiliates, in the ordinary course of business, provided that this subparagraph (xi) shall not apply to Investments of Company in any Subsidiary; (xii) additional Investments that do not exceed $100,000 in the aggregate; and (xiii) Joint ventures or strategic alliances in the ordinary course of the Company’s business consisting of the nonexclusive licensing of technology, the development of technology or the providing of technical support, provided that any cash Investments by the Company does not exceed $100,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year.

“Permitted Liens” means any and all of the following: (i) Liens existing on the date hereof; (ii) Liens for taxes, fees, assessments or other governmental charges or levies, either not delinquent or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; provided, that the Company maintains adequate reserves therefor in accordance with GAAP; (iii) Liens securing claims or demands of materialmen, artisans, mechanics, carriers, warehousemen, landlords and other like Persons arising in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and imposed without action of such parties; provided, that the payment thereof is not yet required; (iv) Liens arising from judgments, decrees or attachments in circumstances which do not constitute an Event of

 

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Default hereunder; (v) the following deposits, to the extent made in the ordinary course of business: deposits under worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, social security and other similar laws, or to secure the performance of bids, tenders or contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money) or to secure indemnity, performance or other similar bonds for the performance of bids, tenders or contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money) or to secure statutory obligations (other than liens arising under ERISA or environmental liens) or surety or appeal bonds, or to secure indemnity, performance or other similar bonds; (vi) purchase money liens and liens in connection with capital leases on equipment securing Permitted Indebtedness; and (vii) Liens incurred in connection with the extension, renewal or refinancing of the indebtedness secured by Liens of the type described in clauses (i) through (vi) above; provided, that any extension, renewal or replacement Lien shall be limited to the property encumbered by the existing Lien and the principal amount of the indebtedness being extended, renewed or refinanced (as may have been reduced by any payment thereon) does not increase.

“Permitted Transfers” means (i) sales of Inventory in the normal course of business, (ii) licenses and similar arrangements for the use of property in the ordinary course of business, or (iii) dispositions of worn-out, obsolete or surplus equipment.

“Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, company, trust, unincorporated organization, association, corporation, institution, public benefit corporation, firm, joint stock company, estate, entity or government agency.

“Required Purchasers” means, collectively, Advent Healthcare Ventures, Alta Partners and Index Ventures, including any Affiliates thereof who are Purchasers.

“Sale” means (i) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or all or fifty percent (50%) or more of the capital stock of the Company, or (ii) a merger, consolidation, sale, transfer or other transaction or series of related transactions (excluding a financing transaction) in which the holders of the capital stock of the Company will hold, upon consummation of such transaction, less than fifty percent (50%) in interest of the voting securities of the surviving entity.

Accounting terms not defined in this Agreement shall be construed in accordance with GAAP.

10. M ISCELLANEOUS

(a) Notices . All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth below or to such other address as a party may designate by notice hereunder, and shall be delivered (a) by hand, (b) by telecopy or facsimile transmission, (c) by a nationally recognized (or substantially equivalent international) overnight courier, or (d) by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid.

 

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If to a Purchaser:

   To its address set forth in the Schedule I attached hereto;

With a copy to:

   Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
   One Financial Center
   Boston, MA 02111
   Attn: Lewis Geffen, Esq.
   (617) 348-1834 (Telephone)
   (617) 542-2241 (Fax)

If to the Company:

   Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
   CenterPointe IV
   1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304
   Bridgewater, NJ 08807
   Attn: William H. Lewis,
   President
   Telephone: (908) 704-1300
   Telecopier: (908) 541-1155

With copies to:

   Goodwin Procter LLP
   53 State Street
   Boston, MA 02109
   Attn: Michael H. Bison, Esq.
   Telephone: (617) 570-1933
   Telecopier: (617) 523-1231

All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be deemed to have been given (a) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party at the address of such party set forth above, (b) if made by telecopy or facsimile transmission, at the time that receipt thereof has been acknowledged by electronic confirmation or otherwise, (c) if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day (or if sent overseas, on the second business day) following the day such notice is delivered to the courier service, or (d) if sent by registered or certified mail, on the 5th business day (or if sent overseas, on the 10th business day) following the day such mailing is made.

(b) Entire Agreement . This Agreement, together with the Exhibits and Schedules hereto, and the other agreements executed and delivered herewith embody the entire agreement and understanding between the Purchasers and the Company with respect to the purchase of the Notes hereunder, and supersede all prior oral or written agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof, including without limitation the Summary of Terms dated August 8, 2008, between the Company and the Purchasers.

(c) Modifications and Amendments .

(i) Any term, covenant, agreement or condition of this Agreement may, with the consent of the Company, be amended or compliance therewith may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), by one or more substantially concurrent written instruments signed by the Required Purchasers.

 

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(ii) In accordance with Section 11 of the Notes, any term, covenant, agreement or condition of all of the Notes may, with the written consent of the Company and Required Purchasers, be amended or compliance therewith may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), by one or more substantially concurrent written instruments, provided that (a) without the consent of the holders of all of the Notes at the time outstanding no such amendment or waiver shall (i) decrease the principal amount due under or the rate of interest on any Note, (ii) change the pro rata payment terms of the Notes or (iii) lower the percentage of holders of Notes required to approve any such amendment or effect any such waiver and (b) no such amendment or waiver shall extend to or affect any obligation not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereto.

(iii) Each holder of a Note who is also a stockholder of the Company hereby covenants and agrees to take all actions reasonably necessary, including without limitation executing any stockholder consents, to amend and/or amend and restate the Charter to increase the authorized capitalization of the Company if necessary.

(d) Binding Effect, Assignment . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company and the Purchasers and their respective successors and permitted assigns. No party may assign either this Agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other parties; provided , however , that each Purchaser may assign any of its rights under any of the Loan Agreements to (i) any Affiliate of the Purchaser, (ii) any person who shall acquire substantially all of the assets of the Purchaser or a majority in voting power of the capital stock of the Purchaser (whether pursuant to a merger, consolidation, stock sale or otherwise), or (iii) any Person to whom the Purchaser shall transfer any of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Loan Agreements.

(e) Governing Law . This Agreement and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as to matters within the scope thereof, and as to all other matters shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the internal laws of the State of New Jersey, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof.

(f) Jurisdiction and Service of Process . Any legal action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement may be brought in the federal courts of the United States of America for the Southern District of New York. By execution and delivery of this Agreement, each of the parties hereto accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably consents to the service of process of any of the aforementioned courts in any such action or proceeding by the mailing of copies thereof by certified mail, postage prepaid, to the party at its address set forth in Section 10(a) hereof.

(g) Jury Waiver . Each of the parties hereto irrevocably waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim arising out of or relating to this agreement or any other document.

 

29


(h) Severability . In the event that it is determined that any provision, or any portion

thereof, contained in this Agreement shall be unenforceable in any respect, then such provision shall be deemed limited to the extent that it shall be deemed enforceable, and as so limited shall remain in full force and effect. In the event that any such provision, or portion thereof, is deemed wholly unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.

(i) Headings and Captions . The headings and captions of the various subdivisions of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall in no way modify or affect the meaning or construction of any of the terms or provisions hereof.

(j) No Waiver of Rights, Powers and Remedies . No failure or delay by a party hereto in exercising any right, power or remedy under this Agreement, and no course of dealing between the parties hereto, shall operate as a waiver of any such right, power or remedy of the party. No single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy under this Agreement by a party hereto, nor any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce any such right, power or remedy, shall preclude such party from any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy hereunder. The election of any remedy by a party hereto shall not constitute a waiver of the right of such party to pursue other available remedies. No notice to or demand on a party not expressly required under this Agreement shall entitle the party receiving such notice or demand to any other or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute a waiver of the rights of the party giving such notice or demand to any other or further action in any circumstances without such notice or demand.

(k) Reliance . The parties hereto agree that, notwithstanding any access to information by any party or any right of a party to this Agreement to investigate the affairs of any other party to this Agreement, the party having such access and right to investigate shall have the right to rely fully upon the representations and warranties of the other party expressly contained in this Agreement and on the accuracy of any Schedule, Exhibit or other document attached hereto or referred to herein or delivered by such other party or pursuant to this Agreement. Each of the Purchasers acknowledges that, based on information provided by the Company, it has made its own analysis and decisions regarding the transactions contemplated hereby and that it is not relying on any of the other Purchasers in executing this Agreement or consummating the transactions contemplated hereby.

(l) Survival . All representations and warranties made by the parties hereto in this Agreement or in any other Loan Agreement, certificate or instrument provided for or contemplated hereby shall survive until the earliest of: (a) the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, (b) a Liquidity Event (as defined in the Charter), (c) a Sale Event (as defined in the Charter), or (d) a Qualified Public Offering (as defined in the Charter).

(m) Confidentiality . Each Purchaser agrees that it will keep confidential and will not disclose or divulge any confidential, proprietary or secret information that such Purchaser may obtain from financial statements, reports and other materials submitted by the Company to such Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Purchaser may disclose such information (i) as has become generally available to the public or is disclosed to Purchaser by a third party that is not subject to any binder of secrecy with respect to such information; (ii) as may be required in any report, statement or testimony submitted to any municipal, state or

 

30


Federal regulatory body having or claiming to have jurisdiction over such Purchaser; (iii) as may be required in response to any summons or subpoena or in connection with any litigation; (iv) in order to comply with any law, order, regulation or ruling applicable to such Purchaser; (v) on a confidential basis to its attorneys, accountants, consultants and other professionals to the extent necessary to obtain their services in connection with its investment in the Company; (vi) with the consent of the Company, to any prospective purchaser of any of the Securities from such Purchaser as long as such prospective purchaser agrees in writing to be bound by the provisions of this Section 10(m) ; (vii) to its shareholders or partnership investors as is required pursuant to such Purchaser’s contractual commitments or on a confidential basis to such of its Affiliates; provided that each such shareholder, partnership investor or Affiliate is made aware of the confidential nature of such information and is bound by reasonable confidentiality restrictions; and (viii) is independently developed by employees of such Purchaser who have no knowledge of or access to such information; provided , that prior to any disclosure to be made in accordance with clause (ii), (iii) or (iv), the Purchaser proposing to make such disclosure gives the Company written notice thereof and a reasonable opportunity to obtain a protective order or similar order of confidential treatment. Each Purchaser acknowledges that its breach of this Section 11(m) could cause the Company irreparable damages and consents to the entering of a restraining order or other equitable relief for specific performance of its obligations hereunder.

(n) Further Assurances . From and after the date of this Agreement, upon the request of any Purchaser or the Company, the Company and the Purchasers shall execute and deliver such instruments, documents and other writings as may be reasonably necessary or desirable to confirm and carry out and to effectuate fully the intent and purposes of this Agreement.

(o) Costs and Expenses . As a condition precedent to the Closing, the Company agrees to pay at the Closing in connection with the preparation, execution and delivery of this Agreement, the reasonable actual fees and expenses (based on invoices describing in detail the amounts thereof) of one counsel representing the Purchasers.

(p) Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, and by different parties hereto on separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile signatures.

(q) Use of Definitions; Gender . Any definitions used herein defined in the plural shall be deemed to include the singular as the context may require and any definitions used herein defined in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural as the context may require. Wherever reference is made herein to the male, female or neuter genders, such reference shall be deemed to include any of the other genders as the context may require.

(r) Publicity . Except as required by law, the Company shall not issue any press releases or otherwise make any public statement that sets forth the names of the Purchasers with respect to the closing of the financing contemplated by this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Required Purchasers, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned; provided, however, that the Purchasers hereby consent in advance to the use by the Company of the language set forth on Schedule 11(r) attached hereto in any press releases or

 

31


other public statements made by the Company after the date hereof. Except as required by law, no Purchaser shall issue any press releases or otherwise make any public statement with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Company which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.

(s) Brokers or Finders. The Company represents and warrants to each of the Purchasers, and each of the Purchasers, as to itself, represents and warrants to the Company, that no person or entity has or will have, as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, any right, interest or valid claim against or upon the Company or the Purchasers for any commission, fee or other compensation as a finder or broker because of any act or omission by the Company or the Purchasers or by any agent of the Company of the Purchasers. The Company agrees to indemnify each Purchaser for any such commission, fee or other compensation claimed by any such person or entity against or upon such Purchaser arising on account of any act or omission by the Company or any of the Company’s agents. Each Purchaser agrees to indemnify the Company and each other Purchaser for any commission, fee or other compensation claimed by any such person or entity against or upon the Company or such other Purchaser arising on account of any act or omission by such Purchaser or such Purchaser’s agent.

(t) Filing of Form D . The Company will file a Form D with the Commission relating to the purchase of the Notes.

(u) Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation . The Company and the Purchasers each hereby covenant and agree that, each will take all actions reasonably necessary, including without limitation executing any stockholder consents, to amend the Charter to (i) increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock or (ii) authorize that number of shares of other equity securities, in either case, to permit the conversion in full of all Notes purchased under this Agreement and the conversion of any such equity securities issued upon conversion of such Notes. All of the Purchasers in their capacity as stockholders of the Company hereby consent and agree to such amendment and all actions to be taken by the Company in connection therewith.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

32


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

C OMPANY :
  AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
  By:   /s/ Marc D. Beer
  Name:   Marc D. Beer
  Title:   Chief Executive Officer


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

ADVENT HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES III LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
ADVENT HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES III-A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
By:   AHLS III GP Limited Partnership,
its General Partner
By:   Advent International, LLC, its General Partner
Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership
  By:   AHLS III GP Limited Partnership,
General Partner
  By:   Advent International LLC,
General Partner
  By:   Advent International Corporation, Manager
  By:   /s/ Jason S. Fisherman
    Attorney-in-Fact
Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership
  By:   Advent International Corporation,
its General Partner
  By:   /s/ Jason S. Fisherman
    Attorney-in-Fact
Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership
  By:   AHLS III GP Limited Partnership,
General Partner
  By:   Advent International LLC, General Partner
  By:   Advent International Corporation, Manager
  By:   /s/ Jason S. Fisherman
    Attorney-in-Fact


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

INDEX VENTURES III (JERSEY) L.P.

INDEX VENTURES III (DELAWARE) L.P.

INDEX VENTURES III PARALLEL

ENTREPRENEUR FUND (JERSEY) L.P.

By:   Index Venture Associates III Limited,
its General Partner
By:   /s/ Nigel Greenwood
Name:   Nigel Greenwood
Title:   Director
YUCCA PARTNERS LP JERSEY BRANCH
By:   Ogier Employee Benefit Services Limited as Authorized Signatory of Yucca Partners LP Jersey Branch in its Capacity of Administrator of The Index Co-Investment Scheme
By:   /s/ Peter George Le Breton
Name:   Peter George Le Breton
Title:   Authorized Signatory


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

MVM INTERNATIONAL LIFE SCIENCES FUND NO. 1 L.P.

MVM EXECUTIVE LIMITED

By:   MVM Life Science Partners LLP,
its General Partner
By:   /s/ Neil Akhurst
Name:   Neil Akhurst
Title:   Member


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P.

By: Alta BioPharma Management III, LLC

By:   /s/ Hilary Strain
Name:   Hilary Strain
Title:   Chief Financial Officer

Alta BioPharma Partners II GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG

By: Alta BioPharma Management III, LLC

By:   /s/ Hilary Strain
Name:   Hilary Strain
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC
By:   /s/ Hilary Strain
Name:   Hilary Strain
Title:   Chief Financial Officer


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

MC LIFE SCIENCE VENTURES, INC.
By:   /s/ Yasuaki Matsuo
Name:   Yasuaki Matsuo
Title:   Executive Vice President


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

RED ABBEY VENTURE PARTNERS (QP), LP

RED ABBEY VENTURE PARTNERS, LP

RED ABBEY CEO FUND, LP

By:   Red Abbey Venture Partners, LLC,
its General Partner
By:   /s/ Matt Zuga
Name:   Matt Zuga
Title:   Managing Member


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

DAVID ARKOWTIZ
/s/ David Arkowtiz
EILEEN MORE
/s/ Eileen More
WILLIAM LEWIS
/s/ William Lewis


Counterpart Signature Page For Purchasers

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC.
By:   /s/ K. Nicholas Martitsch
Name:   K. Nicholas Martitsch
Title:   Associate General Counsel


SCHEDULES AND EXHIBITS

 

Schedule I:    Schedule of Purchasers
Exhibit A:    Senior Subordinated Convertible Promissory Notes
Exhibit B:    Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (Initial Closing)
Exhibit C:    By-Laws
Exhibit D:    Form of Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement
Exhibit E:    Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP
Exhibit F:    Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (First Additional Subsequent Closing)
Exhibit G:    Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (Third Subsequent Closing)
Exhibit H:    Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (Fourth Subsequent Closing)
Exhibit I:    Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (Sixth Subsequent Closing)


Exhibit A

Senior Subordinated Convertible Promissory Notes


NEITHER THIS NOTE NOR THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS NOTE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM UNDER SAID ACT AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR SOME OTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH ACT AND APPLICABLE LAWS OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

THIS NOTE IS SUBJECT TO A FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT DATED OCTOBER 1, 2010 BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC., A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST FROM THE COMPANY.

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

SENIOR SUBORDINATED CONVERTIBLE PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$[              ]    October 1, 2010

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” ), hereby promises to pay to the order of [              ] (or its successors or assigns, the “Holder” ), the principal amount of [                      ] ($[              ]), plus interest in arrears from and including the date hereof on the principal balance from time to time outstanding, accruing daily, at a rate per annum equal to eight percent (8%) for the time period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the Maturity Date. This Senior Subordinated Convertible Promissory Note (this “Note” ) may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Required Purchasers. For avoidance of doubt, no interest payments shall be due prior to the earlier of: (i) Maturity as set forth in Section 2 of this Note, (ii) acceleration due to an Event of Default (defined below), or (iii) conversion of the Note as set forth in Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Note, as the case may be. Interest shall be calculated on the basis of actual number of days elapsed over a year of 365 days. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Note, the Holder hereof does not intend to charge and the Company shall not be required to pay any interest or other fees or charges in excess of the maximum interest permitted by applicable law, and any payments in excess of such maximum shall be refunded to the Company or credited to reduce principal hereunder. All payments received by the Holder hereunder will be applied first to costs of collection, if any, then to interest and the balance to principal.

This Note is one of a series of Senior Subordinated Convertible Promissory Notes of like tenor (collectively, the “ Notes ”) to be issued by the Company pursuant to the terms of that certain Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated as of October 1, 2010 (as may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement” ) among the


Company and the purchasers set forth on the Schedule I thereto (the Schedule of Purchasers” ). Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Purchase Agreement. By acceptance of this Note, the Holder and the Company each hereby agree that each of the Notes shall rank equally and ratably without priority over one another, and the Company covenants and agrees that none of the Notes shall be paid, in whole or in part, unless a reasonably equivalent, pro rata payment is made with respect to all other Notes so as to maintain as near as possible the amount of the debt owing under the Notes pro rata according to the respective balances owed as of the date immediately prior to such payment. This Note will be registered on the books of the Company or its agent as to principal and interest. Any transfer of this Note may be effected only by surrender of this Note to the Company and reissuance of a new Note to the transferee. Payments of principal and interest will be made by wire transfer in immediately available United States funds transferred to the account of the Holder, which account information shall have been furnished to the Company by the Holder for that purpose.

1. Subordination . This Note is subordinate and junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all obligations of the Company under that certain Loan and Security Agreement between the Company and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. ( “Hercules” ) dated March 20, 2007, all promissory notes issued by the Company to Hercules pursuant thereto and any other such obligations agreed to in the Fourth Amended and Restated Subordination Agreement among the purchasers set forth on Schedule I to the Purchase Agreement, the Company and Hercules dated as of October 1, 2010.

2. Maturity . The entire outstanding principal balance hereof, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, shall be due and payable (i) automatically upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined below) specified in Section 6.1(c), 6.1(d), 6.1(e) or 6.1(f), or (ii) if occurring earlier than any Event of Default described in (i) above, upon demand made in writing by the Required Purchasers at any time upon the earlier of (a) December 31, 2011, unless such date is extended to a later date by an agreement in writing between the Company and the Required Purchasers (such original date or such later date, the “Maturity Date” ), (b) a Sale of the Company (as defined below) or (c) the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(a) or 6.1(b). In order to extend the Maturity Date, the Required Purchasers and the Company shall agree in writing to extend the Maturity Date (an Extension Agreement ), and the Extension Agreement shall specify the date they elect to extend the Maturity Date. Following such Extension Agreement, every reference in the Note Purchase Agreement and the Notes to the Maturity Date shall be deemed to refer to the Maturity Date set forth in the Extension Agreement. The Required Purchasers and Company may elect to extend the Maturity Date on successive occasions.

3. Payment Upon Sale of the Company.

(a) General . Upon the closing of a Sale of the Company occurring prior to the Maturity Date, the Holder shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the greater of:

(i) an amount equal to three times (3.0x) the principal amount of this Note; or


(ii) the amount that the Holder would have received if the principal amount of this Note plus any accrued unpaid interest thereon (the “ Note Balance ”), as of the closing date of the Sale of the Company, had been converted into shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Participating Stock (as defined in the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation) immediately prior to the closing date of the Sale of the Company at a conversion price equal to the Applicable Conversion Price (as defined in the Charter) of the Series B Preferred Participating Stock in effect at such time.

Immediately upon receipt by the Holder of payment pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) or (ii), this Note shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights with respect to this Note shall immediately cease and terminate.

(b) Sale of the Company . A “Sale of the Company” shall mean and include (i) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or all or fifty percent (50%) or more of the capital stock of the Company, or (ii) a merger, consolidation, sale, transfer or other transaction or series of related transactions (excluding a financing transaction) in which the holders of the capital stock of the Company will hold, upon consummation of such transaction, less than fifty percent (50%) in interest of the voting securities of the surviving entity.

4. Reserved

5. Conversion upon Equity Sale.

(a) Qualified Equity Sale . Immediately upon the closing of a Qualified Equity Sale (as defined below), the Note Balance shall automatically be converted into fully paid and non-assessable shares of New Stock (as defined below). The type and class of capital stock of the Company to be issued to the Holder of this Note upon conversion pursuant to this Section 5(a) (and the rights and privileges of the Holder thereof) shall be identical to the type and class of the capital stock issued by the Company in connection with the Qualified Equity Sale (the “ New Stock ”). Upon conversion of this Note pursuant to this Section 5(a), subject to the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof, the holder of this Note shall be entitled to receive a number of shares of New Stock determined by dividing (A) the Note Balance as of the Investor Conversion Date (as defined below) by: (B) (i) in the case of a Qualified Equity Sale that is not the initial public offering of the Company’s capital stock, an amount equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the price per share of New Stock paid by the investors in connection with the Qualified Equity Sale (the “ New Stock Price ”), or (ii) in the case of a Qualified Equity Sale that is the initial public offering of the Company’s capital stock, an amount equal to eighty percent (80%) of the price to the public for the shares of the Company’s Common Stock (as defined herein) offered in the initial public offering (the “ IPO New Stock Price ”). A “ Qualified Equity Sale ” shall mean and include the sale of shares of capital stock of the Company (other than a sale of shares of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), or other securities to officers, directors or employees of, or consultants to, the Company in connection with their provision of services to the Company) in one transaction or series of related transactions, which sale or sales, including without limitation any initial public offering, result in gross proceeds to the Company, not including any Note Balance converted to New Stock, of at least Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000).


(b) Conversion upon Alternative Equity Sale . In the event that the Company intends to consummate an Alternative Equity Sale (as defined below), the Company shall send written notice at least ten (10) business days prior to the closing of such Alternative Equity Sale to the Holder hereof (the Company Notice ), which Company Notice shall describe the Alternative Equity Sale in reasonable detail. Upon written notice to the Company delivered prior to the closing of such Alternative Equity Sale, the Required Purchasers may elect to convert the Note Balance of all, but not less than all, of the Notes issued to all Purchasers under the Purchase Agreement then outstanding into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Alternative Stock (as defined below); provided that if the Required Purchasers do not so elect, then the Holder hereof may, by written notice to the Company not more than five (5) business days following receipt by the Holder of the Company Notice, elect to convert all or part of the Note Balance into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Alternative Stock. The type and class of capital stock of the Company to be issued to the holder of this Note upon conversion pursuant to this Section 5(b) (and the rights and privileges of the holders thereof) shall be identical to the type and class of the capital stock issued by the Company in connection with the Alternative Equity Sale (the Alternative Stock ). Upon conversion of this Note pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5(b), subject to the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof, the Holder of this Note shall be entitled to receive a number of shares of Alternative Stock determined by dividing (A) the Note Balance to be converted by (B) an amount equal to eighty five percent (85%) of the price per share of Alternative Stock paid by the purchasers of such equity securities in connection with the Alternative Equity Sale (the Alternative Stock Price ). “ Alternative Equity Sale ” shall mean and include any sale of shares of capital stock of the Company (other than a sale of shares of Common Stock or other securities to officers, directors or employees of, or consultants to, the Company in connection with their provision of services to the Company) in one transaction or series of related transactions, which sale or sales result in gross proceeds to the Company of less than Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000).

(c) Fractional Shares . No fractional shares of capital stock of the Company shall be issued upon conversion of this Note. In lieu of any fractional shares to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Company shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the New Stock Price, IPO New Stock Price or the Alternative Stock Price, as applicable.

(d) Mechanics of Conversion; Investor Sale .

(i) Upon the closing (the Investor Conversion Date ) of a Qualified Equity Sale or an Alternative Equity Sale if either (y) the Required Purchasers have elected to convert the Note Balance of all Notes then outstanding or (z) the Holder hereof has elected to convert the Note Balance of this Note (each being referred to herein as an Investor Sale ), this Note, or any portion hereof, as applicable, shall be converted automatically without any further action by the holder and whether or not this Note is surrendered to the Company or the transfer agent for this Note, provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of New Stock or Alternative Stock (each being referred to herein as Investor Stock ) into which this Note is convertible unless this Note is delivered to the Company, or the holder notifies the Company that the Note has been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Company to indemnify the Company from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Company so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity.


(ii) The Company shall cause notice of the Investor Sale to be mailed to the registered holder of this Note, at such holder’s address appearing in the records of the Company, as promptly as practicable after the Investor Conversion Date. Thereafter, the holder shall surrender this Note at the place designated in such notice, together with a written notice by the holder of this Note stating such holder’s name or the names of his, her or its nominees in which such holder wishes the certificate or certificates for shares of Investor Stock to be issued. If required by the Company, the Note surrendered shall be endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of surrender, in form satisfactory to the Company, duly executed by the registered holder or his or its attorney duly authorized in writing.

(iii) Upon authorization of the sale of shares of its capital stock in an Investor Sale, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of this Note as provided in Section 5(a) or 5(b) hereof, the Company shall have (A) authorized a sufficient number of shares of Investor Stock to effect the conversion of the Note Balance, or any portion thereof, as applicable, (B) reserved such stock as to which the Holder would be entitled upon conversion of such Investor Stock and (C) taken all other actions reasonably requested by the Holder to effect the foregoing. The Company shall take all such reasonable actions as may be necessary to assure that all Investor Stock which may be issuable upon the conversion of this Note and all shares of stock issuable upon conversion or exercise thereof may be issued without violation of any applicable law or governmental regulation.

(iv) Immediately upon the Investor Conversion Date, this Note shall be cancelled and no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights with respect to this Note shall immediately cease and terminate on the Investor Conversion Date, except only the right of the holder to receive the shares of Investor Stock to which it is entitled as a result of the conversion on the Investor Conversion Date, together with any cash in lieu of fractional shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the Investor Conversion Date, the Company shall be released from all obligations arising under this Note.

(v) The Company shall pay any and all issue and other taxes that may be payable in respect of any issuance or delivery of shares of Investor Stock upon conversion of this Note pursuant to Section 5(a) or 5(b) hereof. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of shares of Investor Stock in a name other than that of the registered holder of this Note, and no such issuance or delivery shall be made unless and until the person or entity requesting such issuance has paid to the Company the amount of any such tax or has established, to the satisfaction of the Company, that such tax has been paid.


6. Default

6.1 Events of Default . Notwithstanding any provision of this Note to the contrary, each of the following shall constitute an event of default (each an “Event of Default” ):

(a) the Company fails to pay any amount of principal or interest due hereunder when due;

(b) the Company’s breach or violation of any other covenant, agreement or condition under this Note or under the Purchase Agreement, which breach or violation is not cured within ten (10) days after written notice of such default from the Required Purchasers;

(c) any of the Company’s indebtedness for borrowed money is accelerated as a result of a default or breach of or under any agreement or instrument evidencing or relating to money borrowed from Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. or its affiliates;

(d) the Company admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they become due, or makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors;

(e) the Company commences any case or other proceeding seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, liquidation, dissolution or composition of its company structure or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for all or any part of its property, or shall take any action to authorize any of the foregoing; or

(f) any case or proceeding is commenced against the Company to have an order for relief entered against it as debtor or seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, liquidation, dissolution or composition of its structure or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking other similar official relief for it or any part of its property, and such case or proceeding (x) results in the entry of an order for relief against it which is not fully stayed within five (5) business days after the entry thereof or (y) is not dismissed within one hundred twenty (120) days of commencement.

6.2 Remedies Upon Event of Default . Upon any Event of Default, the Required Purchasers may, by written notice to the Company, declare this Note to be due and payable, whereupon the outstanding principal and accrued interest under this Note shall be immediately due and payable; provided that, in the case of an Event of Default pursuant to any of Sections 6.1(c), 6.1(d), 6.1(e) or 6.1(f), the outstanding principal and accrued interest under this Note shall become due and payable without notice or demand.

7. New Note . Upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Note, the Company will issue a new promissory note, of like tenor and amount and dated the original date of this Note, in lieu of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note, and in such event the Holder thereof agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company in respect of any such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note.

8. Expenses of Collection . The Company agrees to pay all of the Holder’s reasonable costs in collecting and enforcing this Note, including all attorney’s fees and disbursements, subject to any limitation imposed by law.


9. Notices . All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth below or to such other address as a party may designate by notice hereunder, and shall be delivered (a) by hand, (b) by telecopy or facsimile transmission, (c) by a nationally recognized (or substantially equivalent international) overnight courier, or (d) by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid.

 

If to Holder:    To its address set forth on the Schedule of Purchasers;
With a copy to:   

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

One Financial Center

Boston, MA 02111

Attn: Lewis Geffen, Esq.

(617) 348-1834 (Telephone)

(617) 542-2241 (Fax)

  
If to the Company:   

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CenterPointe IV

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Attn: William H. Lewis,

President

Telephone: (908) 704-1300

Telecopier: (908) 541-1155

  
  
With copies to:   

Goodwin Procter LLP

53 State Street

Boston, MA 02109

Attn: Michael H. Bison, Esq.

Telephone: (617) 570-1933

Telecopier: (617) 523-1231

  

All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be deemed to have been given (a) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party at the address of such party set forth above, (b) if made by telecopy or facsimile transmission, at the time that receipt thereof has been acknowledged by electronic confirmation or otherwise, (c) if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day (or if sent overseas, on the second business day) following the day such notice is delivered to the courier service, or (d) if sent by registered or certified mail, on the 5th business day (or if sent overseas, on the 10th business day) following the day such mailing is made.

10. Waiver by Company . The Company hereby expressly waives presentment, demand, and protest, notice of demand, dishonor and nonpayment of this Note, and all other notices or demands of any kind in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default or enforcement hereof, and hereby consents to any delays, extensions of time, renewals, waivers or modifications that may be granted or consented to by the Holder hereof with respect to the time of payment or any other provision hereof.


11. Amendment and Waiver . Any term, covenant, agreement or condition of the Notes may, with the written consent of the Company and Required Purchasers, be amended or compliance therewith may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), by one or more substantially concurrent written instruments, provided that (a) without the consent of the holders of all of the Notes at the time outstanding no such amendment or waiver shall (i) decrease the principal amount due under or the rate of interest on any Note, (ii) change the pro rata payment terms of the Notes or (iii) lower the percentage of holders of Notes required to approve any such amendment or effect any such waiver and (b) no such amendment or waiver shall extend to or affect any obligation not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereto. Originals or true and correct copies of any amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to this Section 11 shall be delivered by the Company to each holder of Note promptly (but in any event not later than five days) following the effective date thereof.

12. Delays or Omissions . It is agreed that no delay or omission to exercise any right, power or remedy accruing to the Holder, upon any breach or default of the Company under this Note shall impair any such right, power or remedy, nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of any such breach or default, or any acquiescence therein, or of or in any similar breach or default thereafter occurring; nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring.

13. Severability . In the event any one or more of the provisions of this Note shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part or in any respect, or in the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Note operate or would prospectively operate to invalidate this Note, then and in any such event, such provision(s) only shall be deemed null and void and shall not affect any other provision of this Note and the remaining provisions of this Note shall remain operative and in full force and effect and in no way shall be affected, prejudiced, or disturbed thereby.

14. Descriptive Headings . Section headings appearing in this Note have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall be given no substantive meaning or significance whatsoever in construing the terms and provisions of this Note.

15. Governing Law . This Note shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as to matters within the scope thereof, and as to all other matters shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the internal laws of the State of New Jersey, without giving effect to the conflict of law principals thereof.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has signed this Note as an instrument under seal as of the date written above.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:    
Name:   Marc D. Beer
Title:   Chief Executive Officer


Exhibit B

Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (Initial Closing)


CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), does hereby certify as follows:

FIRST: That the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board ”) duly adopted resolutions in accordance with Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (i) proposing an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”), (ii) declaring such amendment to be advisable and in the best interests of the Corporation, and (iii) directing that such amendment be submitted to and be considered by the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon for approval by the affirmative vote of such stockholders. Such resolution proposed to amend the Certificate of Incorporation in the following manner:

1. To increase the number of shares of Common Stock the Corporation shall have authority to issue to from 25,000,000 to 30,000,000 by amending the first paragraph of Article FOURTH to read as follows:

FOURTH: The aggregate number of shares which the Corporation shall have the authority to issue shall be 49,650,000 shares, consisting of 30,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “ Common Stock ”) and 19,650,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value 0.001 per share (the “ Preferred Stock ”), of which 13,000,000 shares are designated Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “ Series A Preferred ”) and 6,650,000 shares are designated Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (“ Series B Preferred ” and together with the Series A Preferred, the “ Designated Preferred ”).

2. To amend Section B.2(d)(i)(C)(I) of Article Fifth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation to increase by 253,344 the number of Options included in the definition of “Excluded Securities” by deleting “1,206,809” in part (a) and replacing it with “1,460,153”.

3. To insert the following paragraph as the last paragraph of Section B.2 of Article Fifth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation:

 


(f) Special Mandatory Conversion .

(i) Trigger Event . In the event that any holder of shares of Designated Preferred who is also a holder of 2008 Convertible Notes (as defined below) issued pursuant to the 2008 Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below) (each, a “ Note Holder ”) does not purchase (together with its Affiliates, as defined in the 2008 Note Purchase Agreement) 100% of such Note Holder’s Subsequent Loan Amount (as defined in the 2008 Note Purchase Agreement) at a Subsequent Closing (as defined in the 2008 Note Purchase Agreement), if any, then each share of Designated Preferred held by such Note Holder shall automatically, and without any further action on the part of such holder, be converted into shares of Common Stock at the conversion ratio determined pursuant to Section B.2(a) of this Article Fifth immediately prior to the consummation of such Subsequent Closing, effective upon, subject to, and concurrently with, the consummation of such Subsequent Closing. For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the number of shares of Designated Preferred held by a Note Holder shall include all shares of Designated Preferred held by Affiliates (as defined in the 2008 Note Purchase Agreement) of such holder. The conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) is referred to as a “ Special Mandatory Conversion ”.

(ii) Procedural Requirements . Upon a Special Mandatory Conversion, all shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall be converted automatically without any further action by any holder of such shares and whether or not the certificate or certificates representing such shares are surrendered to the Corporation. All rights with respect to the Designated Preferred converted pursuant to Subsection (i) , including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate, except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement), to receive cash in lieu of fractional shares, as provided for in the last sentence of this Subsection (ii) . Each holder of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such holder’s shares of Designated Preferred at the office of the Corporation. Thereupon, there shall be issued and delivered to such holder, promptly at such office and in such holder’s name as shown on such surrendered certificate or certificates, a certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Designated Preferred surrendered were convertible on the date on which such automatic conversion occurred; provided , however , that the Corporation shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of Common Stock into which such shares of Designated Preferred were convertible unless the certificate or certificates representing such shares of Designated Preferred being converted are either delivered to the Corporation, or the holder notifies the Corporation that such certificate or certificates have been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Corporation so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) . In lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the then effective Applicable Conversion Price.

(iii) Effect of Special Mandatory Conversion . All shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall, from and after the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, no longer be deemed to be outstanding and, notwithstanding the

 


failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates for such shares on or prior to such time, all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately cease and terminate at the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor and to receive payment of any dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Such converted Designated Preferred shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Designated Preferred accordingly.

(iv) Definitions . For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the following definitions shall apply:

(A) “ 2008 Convertible Notes ” shall mean those certain promissory notes issued pursuant to the 2008 Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below) at the Initial Closing (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement), as such promissory notes may be amended from time to time.

(B) “ 2008 Note Purchase Agreement ” shall mean that certain Note Purchase Agreement among the Corporation and the Purchasers named therein, dated on or about September 2, 2008, as such agreement may be amended from time to time.

SECOND: That thereafter, the aforesaid amendment was approved and duly adopted by written consent of the holders of outstanding shares of capital stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize the aforesaid amendment at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation on this 2nd day of September 2008.

 

By:

   /s/ William H.
Lewis

Name:

   William H.
Lewis

Title:

   Chief
Financial
Officer and
Senior Vice

President,
Finance and
Administration

 


Exhibit C

By-Laws

 


BY-LAWS

OF

METEXION, INC.

Corporate Offices

Registered Office

. The registered office of Metexion, Inc. shall be fixed in the corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time.

Other Offices

. The corporation’s Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) may at any time establish other offices at any place or places where me corporation is qualified to do business.

Stockholders’ Meetings

Places of Meetings

. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place or places in or outside of the State of Delaware as the Board may from time to time determine or as may be designated in the notice of meeting or waiver of notice thereof, subject to any provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “ DGCL ”). The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the DGCL. In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the corporation’s principal executive office.

Annual Meetings

. Unless otherwise determined from time to time by the Board, the annual meeting of stockholders shall be held each year for the election of directors and the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting on the last Tuesday in the fourth month following the close of the fiscal year of the corporation commencing at some time between 10 A.M. and 3 P.M., if not a legal holiday, and if such day is a legal holiday, then the annual meeting shall be held on the day following at the same time. If the annual meeting is not held on the date designated, it may be held as soon thereafter as convenient and shall be called the annual meeting. Written notice of the time and place of the annual meeting shall be given by mail to each stockholder entitled to vote at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation not less than the minimum nor more than the maximum number of days permitted under the DGCL prior to the scheduled date thereof, unless such notice is waived as provided by Section 2 of Article VIII of these By-Laws.

Special Meetings

. A special meeting of stockholders may be called at any time at the request of any member of the Board or the chief executive officer, and shall be called by the chief executive officer or the secretary or an assistant secretary at the written request of the

 


holders of at least 25% of the total number of shares of stock then outstanding and entitled to vote, stating the specific purpose or purposes thereof. Written notice of the time, place and specific purposes of such meetings shall be given by mail, e-mail, or facsimile to each stockholder entitled to vote thereat at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days prior to the scheduled date thereof, unless such notice is waived as provided in Section 2 of Article VIII of these By-Laws. Nothing contained in this Section 3 shall be construed as limiting, fixing, or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the Board or the chief executive officer may be held.

Meetings Without Notice

. Meetings of the stockholders may be held at any time without notice when all the stockholders entitled to vote thereat are present in person or by proxy.

Voting

. At all meetings of stockholders, each stockholder entitled to vote on the record date as determined under Section 7 of this Article, or if not so determined as prescribed under the DGGL, shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock standing on record in his name, subject to any restrictions or qualifications set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation or any amendment thereto (the Certificate of Incorporation as amended from time to time is hereinafter referred to as the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”):

Quorum

. At any stockholders’ meeting, a majority of the number of shares of stock outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller interest by act of either (x) the chairperson of the meeting or (y) the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, may adjourn any meeting from time to time, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice, subject to such limitation as may be imposed under the DGCL. When a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of the number of shares of stock entitled to vote present thereat shall decide any question brought before such meeting unless the question is one upon which a different vote is required by express provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, or these By-Laws, in which case such express provision shall govern.

List of Stockholders

. At least 10 days before every meeting, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order and showing the address of, and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder, shall be prepared by the secretary or the transfer agent in charge of the stock ledger of the corporation. Such list shall be open for examination by any stockholder as required by the DGCL. The stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine such list or the books of the corporation, or to vote in person or by proxy at such meeting.

Consents in Lieu of Meeting

. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or by the DGCL, any action required by the DGCL to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders, or any action which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of such stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if: (i) a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, and (ii) prompt notice of the taking of such action by less than unanimous written consent is given to the other stockholders to the extent and in the manner required by the DGCL.

 


Board of Directors

Number and Qualification

. A board of directors shall be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders, each director so elected to serve until the election and qualification of his successor or until his earlier death, resignation or removal as provided in these By-Laws. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation and any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the number of directors shall be such as may be determined from time to time by the Board. As of the date of the initial adoption of these By-Laws, the Board shall consist of one (1) director. In case of any increase in the number of directors between elections by the stockholders, the additional directorships shall be considered vacancies and, except as otherwise required by the Certificate of Incorporation or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, shall be filled in the manner prescribed in Article III, Section 11 of these By-Laws. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before his or her term of office expires. Directors need not be stockholders.

Powers

. The business and affairs of the corporation shall be carried on by or under the direction of the Board, which shall have all the powers authorized by the DGCL, subject to such limitations as may be provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws or by any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party.

Compensation

. The Board may from rime to time by resolution authorize the payment of fees or other compensation to the directors for services to the corporation, including, but not limited to, fees for attendance at all meetings of the Board or of the executive or other committees, and determine the amount of such fees and compensation. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefore in amounts authorized or otherwise approved from time to time by me Board or the executive committee.

Meetings and Quorum

. Meetings of the Board may be held, either in or outside of the State of Delaware. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, a quorum shall be a majority of the directors then in office, but not less than two directors unless a Board of one director is authorized under the DGCL in which event one director shall constitute a quorum. A director, will be considered present at a meeting, even though not physically present, to the extent and in the manner authorized by the DGCL. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.

The Board elected at any annual stockholders’ meeting shall, at the close of that meeting and without further notice if a quorum of directors be then present, or as soon thereafter as may be convenient, hold a meeting for the election of officers and the transaction of any other business. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, at such meeting the Board shall elect a

 


chief executive officer, a president, a secretary and a treasurer, and such other officers as it may deem proper, none of whom except the chairman of the Board, if elected, need be members of the Board.

The Board may from time to time provide for the holding of regular meetings with or without notice and may fix the times and places at which such meetings are to be held. Meetings other than regular meetings may be called at any time by the chief executive officer or by the secretary or an assistant secretary upon the written request of any director.

Notice of each meeting, other than a regular meeting (unless required by the Board), shall be given to each director by mailing the same to each director at his residence or business address at least two days before the meeting or by delivering the same to him personally or by telephone or telegraph at least one day before the meeting unless, in case of exigency, the chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer or the secretary shall prescribe a shorter notice to be given personally or by telephone, telegraph, cable or wireless to all or any one or more of the directors at their respective residences or places of business.

Notice of any meeting shall state the time and place of such meeting, but need not state the purposes thereof unless otherwise required by the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, or the Board.

Record Dates

.

In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, or to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix in advance a record date which, in the case of a meeting, shall not be less than the minimum nor more than the maximum number of days prior to the scheduled date of such meeting permitted under the DGCL and which, in the case of any other action, shall be not more than the maximum number of days permitted under the DGCL.

If no such record date is fixed by the Board, the record date shall be that prescribed by the DGCL.

A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

Executive Committee

. Subject to the terms of any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board may by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board provide for an executive committee of two or more directors and shall elect the members thereof to serve at the pleasure of the Board and may designate one of such members to act as chairman. Subject to the terms of any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board may at any time change the membership of the committee, fill vacancies in it, designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified members at any meeting of the executive committee, or dissolve it.

 


During the intervals between the meetings of the Board, the executive committee shall possess and may exercise any or all of the powers of the Board in the management or direction of the business and affairs of the corporation and under these By-Laws to the extent authorized by resolution adopted by a majority of the whole Board and to such limitations as may be imposed by the DGCL and the Certificate of Incorporation.

The executive committee may determine its rules of procedure and the notice to be given of its meetings, and it may appoint such committees and assistants as it shall from time to time deem necessary. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

Other Committees

. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board may by resolution provide for such other committees as it deems desirable and may discontinue the same at its pleasure. Each such committee shall have the powers and perform such duties, not inconsistent with law, as may be assigned to it by the Board. No such committee, however, shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any By-Law of the corporation.

Conference Telephone Meetings

. Any one or more members of the Board or any committee thereof may participate in meetings by means of a conference telephone or similar communication equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person of the meeting.

Action Without Meetings

. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board or any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting to the extent and in the manner authorized by the DGCL,

Removal of Directors

. Unless otherwise restricted by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, any director or the entire Board may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors.

Vacancies

. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, a vacancy in any directorship occurring by reason of death, resignation, removal, inability to act, disqualification, or any other cause, may at any time be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by a majority vote of the Board

Officers

Titles and Election

. The officers of the corporation shall be comprised of a chief executive officer, a president, a secretary and a treasurer, who shall initially be elected as soon as convenient by the Board and thereafter, in the absence of earlier resignations or removals, shall be elected at the first meeting of the Board following each annual stockholders’ meeting, each of whom shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board except as may otherwise be approved by the

 


Board or the executive committee, or until their earlier death, resignation, removal under these By-Laws or other termination of their employment. Any person may hold more than one office if the duties can be consistently performed by the same person, and to the extent permitted by the DGCL. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation or any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board, in its discretion, may also at any time elect or appoint a chairman of the Board, who shall be a director, and one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers and such other officers as it may deem advisable, each of whom shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board, except as may otherwise be approved by the Board or the executive committee, or until their earlier death, resignation, removal or other termination of employment as shall be prescribed or determined by the chief executive officer. The Board may require any officer or other employee or agent to give bond for the faithful performance of his duties in such form and with such sureties as the Board may require.

Duties

. Subject to such extension, limitations, and other provisions as the Board, these By-Laws or the Certificate of Incorporation may from time to time prescribe or determine, the following officers shall have the following powers and duties:

Chairman of the Board . The chairman of the Board, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as the Board may prescribe from time to time.

Chief Executive Officer . Subject to the authority of the Board, the chief executive officer shall have general supervision and control of the corporation’s business and shall exercise the powers and authority and perform the duties commonly incident to his office and shall, in the absence of the chairman of the Board, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board if he is a director, and shall perform such duties as the Board shall specify from time to time. The chief executive officer, unless some other person is thereunto specifically authorized, by the Board, shall have, authority to sign all bonds, debentures, promissory notes, deeds and contracts of the corporation.

President . The president shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board or the chief executive officer. In the absence or disability of the chief executive officer, the president may, unless otherwise determined by the Board, exercise the powers and perform the duties pertaining to the office of chief executive officer.

Vice President(s) . The vice president or vice presidents shall perform such duties as may be assigned to them from time to time by the Board, the chief executive officer or the president.

Treasurer . The treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the corporation, shall keep or cause to be kept regular books of account for the corporation and shall perform such other duties and possess such other powers as are incident to the office of treasurer, or as shall be assigned to him by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board.

 


Assistant Treasurer(s) . During the absence or disability of the treasurer, the assistant treasurer, if one is elected, or if there are more than one, the one so designated by the treasurer, the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board shall have all the powers and functions of the treasurer.

Secretary . The secretary shall cause notices of all meetings to be served as prescribed in these By-Laws or by statute, shall keep or cause to be kept the minutes of all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board, shall have charge of the corporate records and seal of the corporation and shall keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to him by such stockholder. He shall perform such other duties and possess such other powers as are incident to the office of secretary or as are assigned by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board.

Assistant Secretaries . During the absence or disability of the secretary, the assistant secretary, if one is elected, or if there are more than one, the one so designated by the secretary, the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board shall have all the powers and functions of the secretary.

Delegation of Duties

. In case of the absence of any officer of the corporation, or for any other reason that may seem sufficient to the Board, the Board may delegate the powers and duties of such officer, for the time being, to any other officer, or to any director.

Stock Certificates

Certificates Representing Stock

. Certificates representing stock in the corporation shall be signed by, or in the name of the corporation by the chairman of the Board or by the president or any vice president, and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation. Any or all of the signatures on any such certificate may be a facsimile if authorized under the DGCL.

In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before the certificate has been issued, such certificate may nevertheless be issued and delivered by the corporation with the same effect as if he were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

Transfer of Stock

. Subject to the terms of any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, shares of the capital stock of the corporation shall be transferable only upon the books of the corporation upon the surrender of the certificate or certificates properly assigned and endorsed for transfer. If the corporation has a transfer agent or agents or transfer clerk and registrar of transfers acting on its behalf, the signature of any officer or representative thereof may be in facsimile.

The Board or chief executive officer may appoint a transfer agent and one or more co-transfer agents and a registrar and one or more co-registrars of transfer and may make or authorize the transfer agents to make all such rules and regulations deemed expedient concerning the issue, transfer and registration of shares of stock in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

 


Lost Certificates

. Subject to the terms of any agreement to which the corporation is a party, in case of loss or mutilation or destruction of a stock certificate, a duplicate certificate may be issued upon such terms as may be determined or authorized by the Board or the executive committee or by the chief executive officer if the Board or the executive committee does not do so.

Fiscal Year Bank Deposits, Checks, etc.

Fiscal Year

. The fiscal year of the corporation shall commence or end at such time as the Board may designate.

Bank Deposits, Checks, etc.

The funds of the corporation shall be deposited in the name of the corporation or of any division thereof in such banks or trust companies in the United States or elsewhere as may be designated from time to time by the Board or the executive committee, or by such officer or officers as the Board or the executive committee may authorize to make such designations.

All checks, drafts or other orders for the withdrawal of funds from any bank account shall be signed by such person or persons as maybe designated from time to time by the Board or the executive committee. The signatures oh checks, drafts or other orders for the withdrawal of funds may be in facsimile if authorized in the designation.

Books and Records

Location of Books

. Unless otherwise expressly required by the DGCL, the books and records of the corporation may be kept outside of the State of Delaware.

Examination of Books

. Except as may otherwise be provided by the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, or any agreement to which the corporation is a party, the Board shall have power to determine from time to time whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions any of the accounts, records and books of the corporation are to be open to the inspection of any stockholder. No stockholder shall have any right to inspect any account or book or document of the corporation except as prescribed by statute or authorized by express resolution of the stockholders or of the Board, or as set forth in any agreement to which the corporation is a party.

 


Notices

Requirements of Notice

. Whenever notice is required to be given by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, it shall not mean personal notice unless so specified, but such notice may be given in writing by depositing the same in a post office, letter box, or mail chute postpaid and addressed to the person to whom such notice is directed at the address of such person on the records of the corporation, and such notice shall be deemed given at the time when the same shall be thus mailed.

Waivers

. Any stockholder, director or officer may, in writing or by telegram, cable or by electronic transmission at any time waive any notice or other formality required by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws. Such waiver of notice, whether given before or after any meeting or action, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Presence of a stockholder either in person or by proxy at any stockholders’ meeting and presence of any director at any meeting of the Board shall constitute a waiver of such notice as may be required by any statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

Notice by Electronic Transmission

Notice by Electronic Transmission

. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may5 be given: effectively to stockholders pursuant to;, the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws; any notice to stockholders given by the corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the corporation. Any such consent shall be deemed revoked if:

the corporation is unable to deliver by electronic transmission two consecutive notices given by the corporation in accordance with such consent; and

such inability becomes known to the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice.

However, the inadvertent failure to treat such inability as a revocation shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.

Any notice given pursuant to the previous preceding paragraph shall be deemed given;

if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and

 


if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder.

An affidavit of the secretary or an assistant secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the corporation that the notice has been given by a form of electronic transmission shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

Definition of Electronic Transmission

. An “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

Inapplicability

. Notice by a form of electronic transmission shall not apply to Sections 164, 296, 311, 312 or 324 of the DGCL.

Powers of Attorney

The Board or the executive committee may authorize one or more of the officers of the corporation to execute powers of attorney delegating to named representatives or agents power to represent or act on behalf of the corporation, with or without power of substitution.

In the absence of any action by the Board or the executive committee, the chief executive officer or the secretary of the corporation may execute for and on behalf of the corporation waivers of notice of stockholders’ meetings and proxies for such meetings in any company in which the corporation may hold voting securities.

Indemnification

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

. The corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by DGCL as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any director or officer of the corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “ Proceeding ”) by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such action, suit, or proceeding. The corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if the proceeding was authorized by the Board.

Indemnification of Others

. The corporation shall have the power to indemnify and hold harmless, to the extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any employee or agent of the corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be

 


made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she, of a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such action, suit, or proceeding.

Prepayment of Expenses

. The corporation shall pay the expenses incurred by any officer or director of the corporation, and may pay the expenses incurred by any employee or agent of the corporation, in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that the payment of expenses incurred by a person in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article XI or otherwise.

Determination Claim

. If a claim for indemnification of payment of expenses under this Article XI is not paid in full within sixty days after a written claim therefor has been received by the corporation, the claimant may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the corporation shall have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.

Non-Exclusivity of Rights

. The rights conferred on any person by this Article XI shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

Insurance

. The corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL.

Other Indemnification

. The corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.

Amendment or Repeal

. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article XI shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

 


Amendments

Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, any stockholders agreement to which the corporation is a party, and the provisions of the DGCL, the power to amend, alter, or repeal these By-Laws and to adopt new By-Laws may be exercised by the Board or by the stockholders.

Conflicts

In the event of any conflict between these By-Laws and the Certificate of Incorporation, the Certificate of Incorporation shall govern.

 


Exhibit D

Form of Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement

 


BUSINESS PROTECTION AGREEMENT

This Agreement is entered by and between Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (hereinafter the “Company”), and NAME (hereinafter the “Employee”).

WHEREAS, Employee acknowledges that he/she will be provided with the Company’s trade secrets and/or valuable confidential business information, and, in addition, will develop, substantial relationships with, and be introduced to, prospective and existing customers and clients of the Company, and, as a result, shall benefit from the Company’s good will;

WHEREAS, Employee acknowledges that he/she will receive training from the Company;

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a material part of the consideration of Employee’s employment with the Company, and the Company would not have hired Employee but for Employee’s agreement to the terms and conditions of this Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Company is willing to employ Employee, and Employee is willing to accept his/her employment with the Company, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth herein;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained in this Agreement, Employee’s employment, and the compensation paid to Employee by the Company, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. Employment At Will :

(a) Employee understands that neither this Agreement nor any other document or representation regarding employment with the Company constitutes an implied or written employment contract for continued employment with the Company. Rather, Employee’s employment with the Company is on an “at-will” basis. Accordingly, Employee understands and agrees that either Employee or the Company may terminate Employee’s employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause and with or without notice.

(b) Employee will perform and carry out such duties and/or responsibilities as may from time to time be assigned to Employee by the Company in its sole discretion. The Company may also modify or change Employee’s position, duties, compensation and responsibilities as it deems appropriate in its sole discretion. Any such changes shall not change Employee’s obligations as set forth herein. During his/her employment with the Company, Employee shall devote his/her full business time and attention to the affairs of the Company.

(c) Employee understands, acknowledges and agrees that he/she is without any authority to enter into any contract or agreement on behalf of the Company or to assume any obligation of any kin, express or implied, on behalf of the Company unless expressly authorized to do so by the Company in writing.

 


2. Employee’s Representations :

(a) Employee represents and warrants that he/she is qualified and uniquely skilled to perform the services required by the Company in accordance with the standards of good professional practice and that Employee possesses all skills, qualifications and experience described in any application and/or resume submitted by Employee. Employee further understands and acknowledges that the Company relied upon these representations in hiring Employee and that the Company would not have hired Employee but for these representations.

(b) Employee represents that Employee’s employment with the Company and Employee’s performance of all of the terms of this Agreement do not, and will not, breach any agreement with any third party. Employee has not entered into, and Employee shall not enter into, any agreement either written or oral in conflict herewith.

(c) Employee acknowledges that he/she owes to Company a fiduciary duty of loyalty during the term of Employee’s employment and as may be otherwise provided by applicable law.

(d) Employee agrees that at all times during and after his/her employment with the Company, Employee shall not disparage the Company, its products, services, agents and/or employees.

(e) If Employee is terminated for any reason, Employee will be able to earn a livelihood due to his/her sufficient capabilities without violating this Agreement. Employee understands that his/her ability to earn a livelihood without violating this Agreement is a material condition of his/her employment with the Company.

 

3. Non-Solicitation of Employees/Contractors :

Employee agrees that during the course of his/her employment with the Company, and for the period of twelve (12) months following the termination of Employee’s employment (the “Restricted Period”), regardless of the reason for the termination, Employee will not solicit, recruit or induce, in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, any “Person” to leave his or her employment or engagement with the Company. “Person” means any person who (a) is employed (whether as an agent, representative, contractor or consultant by the Company) at the time this Agreement is terminated, (b) was employed by the Company during the year preceding termination of this Agreement, or (c) is employed by the Company during the Restricted Period.

 

  4. Non-Solicitation of/Non-Interference with Customers :

Employee agrees that during the Restricted Period, regardless of the reason for the termination, Employee will not, in any manner, on his own behalf or on behalf of another:

(a) solicit or do business with any customer or prospective customer of the Company with whom Employee had professional “Contact” during Employee’s employment with the Company, for the purpose of providing or seeking to provide any products or services that relate, directly or indirectly, to the Company’s “Business” (as Defined in Section 5) (the “Services”).

 


“Contact” means any interaction, whether direct or indirect, between Employee and a Company customer or prospective customer that takes place in an effort to establish, maintain, service, provide Services and/or further a business relationship on behalf of the Company;

(b) solicit or do business with any customer or prospective customer of the Company about whom Employee obtained information, or became familiar with through Confidential Information (as defined in Section 6), during Employee’s employment with the Company, for the purpose of providing or seeking to provide Services;

(c) solicit or do business with any person or entity who has been a customer of the Company within the twenty-four (24) months preceding the date of Employee’s termination for the purpose of providing or seeking to provide Services; and

 

(d) interfere in any way with the Company’s relationship with any customer or prospective customer.

 

  5. Noncompetition :

(a) Employee acknowledges that during his/her employment with the Company he/she shall be engaged in the Company’s “Business”, which includes, but is not limited to, Cardiovascular and Metabolic drug development and commercialization (the “Business”). Employee also acknowledges and recognizes the highly competitive nature of the industry in which the Company is involved, and agrees that he/she shall have access to the Company’s Confidential Information (as defined in Section 6), shall benefit from the Company’s goodwill and shall obtain a competitive advantage as to the Company, its customers and prospective customers and its employees.

(b) Accordingly, ancillary to the agreement to hire Employee and provide Employee with Confidential Information set forth in Section 6, Employee agrees that, during the Restricted Period, regardless of the reason for the termination, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, anywhere in the world, alone or as a partner, joint venturer, consultant, officer, director, employee, agent, or stockholder of any company or business organization or otherwise, engage in any business activity that (i) relates to the Business, (ii) is in competition with the Business, including, but not limited to, any Company product or service developed or being developed, planned or being planned, drafted or being drafted, marketed or being marketed, distributed or being distributed, sold or being sold, or otherwise provided by the Company; provided however , that the record or beneficial ownership by Employee of 1% or less of the outstanding publicly traded capital stock of any such competing company shall not be deemed in and of itself to violate this Section, so long as Employee exercises no operational or strategic control over such company.

 

6. Confidentiality :

(a) During Employee’s employment with the Company and at any time thereafter, Employee shall not disclose or use or otherwise exploit, for his/her own benefit, or for the benefit of any other person or entity, any Confidential Information (as defined in Section 6(b)). Employee acknowledges that all Confidential Information, together with all notes and records

 


relating thereto and all copies, electronic versions and facsimiles thereof, are the exclusive property of the Company. Employee shall return all such Confidential Information to the Company promptly upon request by the Company and, in any event, promptly upon any termination or expiration of this Agreement.

(b) “Confidential Information” shall mean any of the trade secrets or confidential information concerning the organization, business or finances of the Company and/or of any third party, including, but not limited to, clients and vendors, which the Company is under an obligation to keep confidential. Such Confidential Information shall include, but is not limited to, trade secrets or confidential information respecting existing and future products and services, designs, methods, formulas, drafts of publications, research, clinical trial data, know-how, techniques, systems, databases, processes, software programs or code, developments or experimental work, works of authorship, customer information, including, but not limited to any compilations of past, existing or prospective customers, customer proposals or agreements between customers and the Company, status of customer accounts or credit, control sheets, sales techniques, or related information about actual or prospective customers, business plans, marketing plans, sales techniques, projects, the Company’s salary and/or pay rates, other Company personnel information, and all other plans and/or proposals. “Confidential Information” shall not include information that (i) is or becomes a matter of public knowledge through no fault or without violation of any duty of confidentiality of the Employee; or (ii) is rightfully received by the Employee from a third party without a duty of confidentiality.

(c) Employee agrees that during Employee’s employment Employee shall not make, use or permit to be used any Company Documentation (as defined in Section 6 (d) otherwise than for the benefit of the Company. Employee further agrees that Employee shall not, after the termination of Employee’s employment for any reason, use or permit others to use any such Company Documentation, it being agreed that all Company documentation shall be and remain the sole and exclusive property of the Company. Immediately upon the termination of Employee’s employment for any reason Employee shall deliver all Company Documentation, and all copies thereof, to the Company, at its main office.

(d) The term “Company Documentation” shall mean notes, drafts, research, memoranda, manuscript, reports, proposals, business plans, marketing plans, lists, correspondence, records, drawings, sketches, blueprints, specifications, software programs, data, documentation or other materials of any nature and in any form, whether written, printed, or in digital format or otherwise, relating to any matter within the scope of the business of the Company or concerning any of its dealings or affairs.

(e) Employee recognizes that the Company has received and in the future will receive from third parties, including, but not limited to, clients and vendors, their confidential or proprietary information subject to a duty on the Company’s part to maintain the confidentiality of such information and to use it only for certain limited purposes. Employee agrees that Employee owes the Company and such third parties, during the term of Employee’s employment and thereafter, regardless of the reason for Employee’s termination of employment, a duty to hold all such confidential or proprietary information in the strictest of confidence and not to disclose it to any person, entity or corporation (except as necessary in carrying out Employee’s work for the Company consistent with the Company’s agreement with such third party) or to use

 


it for the benefit of anyone other than for the Company or such third party (consistent with the Company’s agreement with such third party) without the express written authorization of the Company.

(f) The confidentiality, property, and proprietary rights protections set forth in this Agreement are in addition to, and not exclusive of, any and all other rights to which the Company is entitled under federal and state law, including, but not limited to, rights provided under copyright laws, trade secret and confidential information laws, and laws concerning fiduciary duties.

(g) Employee agrees that Employee will not, during Employee’s employment with the Company, use or disclose any proprietary information or trade secrets of Employee’s former employers or of any other third parties, and that Employee will not bring onto the premises of the Company any unpublished document or any property belonging to Employee’s former employers or of any other third party, unless consented to in writing by said employers or third parties. By executing this Agreement, Employee indicates his/her understanding that any proprietary information or trade secrets of any prior employer is not necessary to his/her employment by the Company. Moreover, Employee acknowledges that the Company is directing him/her not to rely on such proprietary information or trade secrets in the course of his/her employment, not to disclose such information to the Company, and not to otherwise use such information.

(h) Employee specifically agrees and acknowledges that the obligations of confidentiality described in this Section are retroactive to the beginning of his/her performance of any services for the Company and shall apply to Confidential Information received by him/her at any time.

(i) Employee agrees and acknowledges that during his/her employment with the Company and for the Restricted Period, Employee shall inform each prospective new employer Employee may have, prior to accepting employment, of the existence of this Agreement, and shall provide each prospective employer with a copy of this Agreement. Employee agrees and acknowledges that the Company has the right to independently contact any potential or actual future employer of mine to notify the future employer of my obligations under this Agreement and provide such future employer with a copy of this Agreement. The Company shall be entitled to notify such actual or potential future employer of the Company’s understanding of the requirements of this Agreement and what steps, if any, the Company intends to take to insure compliance with or enforcement of this Agreement. In addition, Employee shall execute the certification attached hereto as Exhibit I upon termination.

(j) Employee further understands and agrees that in order for Company to protect its Confidential Information, the Company may at any time in its discretion, either with or without notice, audit and/or review files, materials and documents, computer hardware or software, email or voice message systems which are provided to, utilized by and/or created by the Employee in the course of the performance of the Employee’s duties under this Agreement.

 


7. Ownership of Information and Documents :

(a) For purposes of this Agreement, “Work Product” shall mean all information, including but not limited to, data, materials, text, drawings, specifications, reports, notes, documentation, computer programs, inventions (whether or not patentable), records, business information, trade secrets and all works of authorship (including, without limitation, all copyrights and trademarks existing therein), conceived and/or reduced to practice, created or developed by Employee, alone or jointly with others, related to the business of Company or any client or conceived during work hours, at any time during Employee’s employment by the Company. Employee shall promptly and fully disclose to the Company any and all of such Work Product. All Work Product, whether preliminary or final, tangible or intangible, shall be and remain the sole property of Company (unless assigned or licensed by the Company), and shall not be photocopied, reproduced or removed from the premises of Company or any client except as required to perform duties under this Agreement or with the written permission of the client. All Work Product shall be delivered either to Company, or to the client upon request and, in any event, upon any termination or expiration of this Agreement. Employee hereby releases any right, title and interest Employee may have to any Work Product during the term of this Agreement. To the extent the Work Product is not, by operation of law, considered work for hire for the Company, or ownership of all right, title and interest of the intellectual property rights in the Work Product has not otherwise vested exclusively in Company, Employee hereby irrevocably assigns to Company, without further consideration, Employee’s entire right, title, and interest in and to such Work Product.

(b) In this regard, Employee has attached hereto, as Exhibit II, a list describing with particularity all intellectual property, including, but not limited to, property inventions, copyrights, copyright applications or registrations, original works of authorship, developments, improvements, patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, trade names or trade secrets which were created or owned by Employee prior to the commencement of his employment and which belong solely to Employee or belongs to Employee jointly with another, which relate in any way to any of the Company’s Businesses, products or research and development (collectively referred to as “Prior Inventions”), and which are not assigned to the Company hereunder; or, if no such list is attached, Employee represents that there are no such Prior Inventions. If, in the course of employment, Employee agrees to incorporate into a Company product, process or machine a Prior Invention owned by him or in which he has an interest, absent a prior written agreement or license between himself and the Company for such incorporation of the Prior Invention into a Company product, process or machine, then the Company is hereby granted and shall have a non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to make, have made, copy, modify, make derivative works of, use, sell and otherwise distribute such Prior Invention as part of or in connection with such product, process or machine.

(c) Employee agrees to execute documents reasonable or necessary to vest all right, title, and interest in and to any Work Product, including, but not limited to, patents, patent applications and trademark, and copyright filings. Employee shall maintain backup procedures during his/her employment with the Company to ensure that no data, documentation, program, text, specifications, notes, texts, drawings or other information prepared by Employee on behalf of Company or any client are lost or destroyed. If the Company is unable, after reasonable

 


effort, to secure Employee’s signature on any application for patent, copyright, trademark or other analogous protection or other documents regarding any legal protection relating to Work Product, for any reason whatsoever, Employee hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Company and its duly authorized officers and agents as his/her agent and attorney-in-fact, to act for and in his/her behalf and stead to execute and file any such application or applications or other documents and to do all other lawfully permitted acts to further the prosecution and issuance of patent, copyright or trademark registrations or any other legal protection thereon with the same legal force and effect as if executed by Employee.

(d) This provision shall not apply to an invention that Employee developed entirely on his or her own time without using the Company’s equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secret information except for those inventions that either: (i) relate at the time of conception or reduction to practice of the invention to the Company’s business, or actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development of the Company; (ii) result from any work performed by Employee for the Company or any client; or (iii) result from Employee’s use of Company resources or Property.

 

  8. Remedies :

(a) Employee acknowledges that compliance with Sections 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 hereof is necessary to protect the business and goodwill of the Company and that any breach of such Sections will irreparably and continually damage the Company in such a manner that money damages will not be an adequate remedy. Consequently, Employee agrees that, in the event of any breach or threatened breach any of the covenants contained in Sections 3 through 7 hereof, the Company shall be entitled to a preliminary and/or permanent injunction in order to prevent the continuation of such damage without having to prove actual damages. The Company may apply for such injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall limit the Company’s right to any other remedies at law or in equity.

(b) Employee agrees that if he/she violates any restrictive covenant in this Agreement (including Sections 3, 4 and 5) after his/her employment with the Company has terminated, the term of any such covenant shall be tolled during the period of any such violation.

9. Waiver of Rights : If, in one or more instances, either party shall fail to insist that the other party perform any of the terms of this Agreement, such failure shall not be construed as a waiver by such party of any past, present or future right granted under this Agreement but the obligations of both parties under this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be modified except by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto.

10. Applicability and Assignability : The Company shall have the right to assign this Agreement, or any rights and obligations hereunder to its successors and assigns, and all covenants and agreements hereunder shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by said successors or assigns. Employee may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of Company.

 


11. Indemnification : Employee, and Employee’s successors, assigns, executors, administrators and personal representatives, shall defend, indemnify and hold the Company harmless from and against any and all liabilities, losses, damages, claims or demands whatsoever (including expenses, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees) asserted against or incurred by the Company as a result of or by reason of (a) the damage, destruction or theft of property, (b) the death or injury of Employee or third persons, (c) Company having to defend any claim arising from Employee’s use of proprietary or trade secret information of a prior employer, and from any damages resulting from a final judgment or reasonable settlement of such claims , or (d) any negligence or intentional or willful act or omission of Employee, including errors and omissions arising out of, through or during the performance of Employee’s duties under this Agreement. This indemnification shall include, but not be limited to, claims for infringement of patents, trademarks or copyrights, misappropriation of trade secrets or Confidential Information, and/or breach of any restrictive covenants set forth herein, and is without prejudice to any of Company’s other rights or remedies at law.

12. Reimbursement : Employee hereby authorizes the Company at any time during or after the term of his/her employment to withhold from any amounts otherwise owed to Employee (including, but not limited to, salary, bonus, commissions and expense reimbursements) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law: any and all amounts due to the Company from Employee, including, but not limited to, cash advances, draws, travel advances, overpayments made by the Company to Employee, amounts received by Employee due to the Company’s error, unpaid personal credit card or phone charges or any other debt Employee owes to the Company for any reason, including amounts with respect to misuse or misappropriation of Company assets or breach of this Agreement.

 

13. Survival : Sections 3-12, 14, 15 and 17 hereof shall survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement.

14. Severability : If any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not invalidate or render unenforceable the remainder of this Agreement, but rather the remainder of this Agreement shall be construed as if not containing the particular invalid or unenforceable provision or provisions, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be enforced accordingly. Moreover, if one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to scope, activity, subject or otherwise so as to be unenforceable at law, such provision or provisions shall be construed by the appropriate judicial body by limiting, revising or reducing it or them, so as to be enforceable to the maximum extent compatible with the applicable law as it shall then appear. Employee hereby further agrees that the language of all parts of this Agreement shall in all cases be construed as a whole according to its fair meaning and not strictly for or against any of the parties.

15. Choice of Law : The construction, interpretation and performance of this Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of New Jersey, without giving effect to New Jersey’s principles of conflicts of laws. Any claims or legal actions by one party against the other shall be commenced and maintained in any state or federal court located in New Jersey, and Employee hereby submits to the jurisdiction and venue of any such court.

 


16. Headings : The various headings in the Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall have no effect on the interpretation of this Agreement or any part hereof.

17. Entire Agreement : This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior understandings and agreements between the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof. Employee acknowledges that Employee is not entering into this Agreement in reliance upon any statement or representation except as otherwise expressly set forth herein.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the parties as of date first above written.

 

EMPLOYEE

   AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS,
INC.
   By:
____________________________

Name

   name
   Title:
   Date:_______________________

Date:____________________________

  

 


Exhibit I

TERMINATION CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that I do not have in my possession, nor have I failed to return, any devices, records, data, notes, reports, proposals, lists, correspondence, specifications, drawings, blueprints, sketches, materials, equipment or reproductions of any of the aforementioned items, any Company Documentation and any Confidential Information (as defined in the Business Protection Agreement signed by me (the “ Agreement ”) belonging to the Company.

I further certify that I have complied with all the terms of the Agreement, including the reporting of any inventions and original works of authorship, developments, concepts, improvements or trade secrets, whether or not patentable or registrable, under copyright or similar laws, conceived or made by me (solely or jointly with others) covered by the Agreement.

I further agree that, in compliance with the Agreement, I will preserve as confidential all Confidential Information, including, but not limited to, trade secrets, confidential knowledge, data or other proprietary information relating to products, processes, know-how, designs, formulas, developmental or experimental work, computer programs, data bases, other original works of authorship, customer lists, business plans, financial information or other subject matter pertaining to any business of the Company or any of its employees, clients, consultants or licensees.

I further agree to comply with the restrictive covenant provisions set forth in Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Agreement, which survive the termination of my employment.

Signature of Employee:             

Print Name of Employee:            

Date:             , 2010

 


Exhibit II

LIST OF PRIOR INVENTIONS

AND ORIGINAL WORKS OF AUTHORSHIP

EXCLUDED FROM SECTION 7 OF THE AGREEMENT

 

Title

 

Date

 

Identifying Number or Brief Description

            No inventions or improvements

            Additional Sheets Attached

Signature of Employee:             

Print Name of Employee:            

Date:             , 2010

 


Exhibit E

Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP

 


[Goodwin Procter LLP Letterhead]

September 2, 2008

To: The Purchasers Listed on the Schedule of Purchasers to the Purchase Agreement referred to below at the Initial Closing

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), in connection with the sale to you today of a series of Senior Subordinated Convertible Promissory Notes of like tenor pursuant to that certain Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 2, 2008, by and among the Company and the Purchasers named therein (the “ Purchase Agreement ”). We are furnishing this opinion letter to you pursuant to Section 5(d) of the Purchase Agreement. Capitalized terms that are defined in the Purchase Agreement and not otherwise defined in this opinion letter are used in this opinion letter as so defined.

The Purchase Agreement and the Notes being delivered by the Company under the Purchase Agreement are referred to collectively in this opinion letter as the “ Transaction Documents .”

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions expressed below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinions set forth below, on representations in the Purchase Agreement and certificates of officers of the Company.

Our opinions regarding valid existence and good standing in numbered paragraph 1 are based solely on certificates of the Delaware Secretary of State and, in the case of valid existence, a review of the Company’s certificate of incorporation and an officer’s certificate confirming that the Company has taken no action looking to its dissolution. Our opinions in numbered paragraph 1 below regarding the due qualification and good standing of the Company as a foreign corporation are based solely on certificates of the Secretaries of State or other appropriate officials of the respective jurisdictions identified on Schedule A to this opinion letter in which the Company is qualified as a foreign corporation.

Our opinions set forth below are limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law and the federal law of the United States. Our opinions set forth below do not address securities laws. We note that the Transaction Documents provide that they are to be governed by New Jersey law. The opinions in numbered paragraph 3 regarding the validity, binding effect and enforceability of the Transaction Documents are given as though each of the Transaction Documents were governed by the internal law of Massachusetts.

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the additional qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:

 


The Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under Delaware law and is qualified as a foreign corporation and in good standing in the jurisdictions set forth on Schedule A hereto.

The Company has the corporate power to execute and deliver each of the Transaction Documents and perform its obligations thereunder.

Each of the Transaction Documents has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes its valid and binding obligation enforceable against it in accordance with its terms.

The execution and delivery by the Company of the Transaction Documents and the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Transaction Documents, including (i) its sale and issuance of the Notes; and (ii) its issuance of Common Stock issuable to a Defaulting Purchaser pursuant to the terms of Section 2(d) of the Purchase Agreement (the “ Pay-to-Play Conversion Shares ”), do not and will not (a) violate the Delaware General Corporation Law or any federal statute, rule or regulation, (b) result in a breach of, or constitute a default under, any of the agreements or instruments listed in Schedule B to this opinion letter, or (iv) violate the Company’s certificate of incorporation or by-laws.

No consent, approval, license or exemption by, order or authorization of, or filing, recording or registration with any Delaware governmental authority pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law or any federal governmental authority is required to be obtained or made by the Company in connection with its execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party or the performance by it of its obligations thereunder, including (i) its sale and issuance of the Notes; and (ii) its issuance of Pay-to-Play Conversion Shares pursuant to the terms of Section 2(d) of the Purchase Agreement , other than those that have been obtained or made.

We are not representing the Company in any pending litigation in which it is a named defendant that challenges the validity or enforceability of, or seeks to enjoin the performance of, the Transaction Documents.

Our opinions above are subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and to general principles of equity.

We note that some of the Purchasers and affiliates of some of the Purchasers are directors or officers of the Company; we express no opinion as to compliance with fiduciary duties or legal requirements applicable to transactions in which directors or officers have an interest or legal doctrines applicable to fairness of directors’ conduct to each other. We also express no opinion as to the validity, binding effect and enforceability of (a) provisions in the Transaction Documents relating to the choice of forum for resolving disputes or (b) the indemnification obligations of the Company in the Purchase Agreement.

 


This opinion letter and the opinions it contains shall be interpreted in accordance with the Legal Opinion Principles issued by the Committee on Legal Opinions of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section as published in 53 Business Lawyer 831 (May 1998).

This opinion letter is being furnished only to you for your use solely in connection with the Purchase Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, and neither it nor the opinions it contains may be relied on for any other purpose or by anyone else.

 

Very truly yours,

/s/ Goodwin Procter

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP

 


Schedule A

New Jersey

 


Schedule B

 

1.    Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 29, 2005, between the Company and William H. Lewis.
2.    Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 29, 2005, between the Company and Ira Rosenberg.
3.    Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of December 1, 2005, between the Company and William Sasiela.
4.    Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 4, 2006, between the Company and Antonio M. Gotto, Jr.
5.    Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 25, 2006, between the Company and Daniel Rader.
6.    Employment Agreement with William H. Lewis, dated July 1, 2005, as amended February 7, 2007.
7.    Employment Agreement with William J. Sasiela, dated December 1, 2005, as amended February 7, 2007.
8.    Employment Agreement between the Company and Christine Pellizzari, dated July 31, 2007.
9.    Severance Agreement and General Release between the Company and Tom Burger, dated May 29, 2008.
10.    Separation and General Release Agreement with Gerald Wisler dated August 21, 2008.
11.    Patent License Agreement with University of Pennsylvania, dated May 19, 2006, as amended September 27, 2006.
12.    License Agreement with Bayer Healthcare AG, dated May 31, 2006, as amended February 15, 2007.
13.    Settlement and Cross-License Agreement among the Company, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and Pfizer Inc., dated September 27, 2006.
14.    Exclusive Patent License Agreement between the Company and the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System on behalf of the Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, dated November 8, 2007.
15.    License Agreement with Duke University, dated November 19, 2007.
16.    Loan and Security Agreement between the Company and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. dated March 20, 2007.
17.    Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement between the Company and the Investors listed on Schedule I thereto dated November 9, 2007.
18.    Amended and Restated Stockholders’ Agreement between the Company and the Investors listed on the Schedule I thereof and the Principal Stockholders listed on Schedule II thereof dated November 9, 2007.


Exhibit F

Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

(Additional Subsequent Closing)


CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), does hereby certify as follows:

FIRST: That the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board ”) duly adopted resolutions in accordance with Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (i) proposing an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”), (ii) declaring such amendment to be advisable and in the best interests of the Corporation, and (iii) directing that such amendment be submitted to and be considered by the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon for approval by the affirmative vote of such stockholders. Such resolution proposed to amend the Certificate of Incorporation in the following manner:

1. To amend and restate Section B.2(f) of Article Fifth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation to read as follows:

 

(f) Special Mandatory Conversion .

(i) Trigger Event . In the event that any holder of shares of Designated Preferred who is also a holder of 2008 Convertible Notes (as defined below) issued pursuant to the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below) (each, a “ Note Holder ”) does not purchase (together with its Affiliates, as defined in the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) 100% of such Note Holder’s Subsequent Loan Amount or Additional Subsequent Loan Amount (each as defined in the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) at a Subsequent Closing or Additional Subsequent Closing (each, as defined in the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement), as applicable, then each share of Designated Preferred held by such Note Holder shall automatically, and without any further action on the part of such holder, be converted into shares of Common Stock at the conversion ratio determined pursuant to Section B.2(a) of this Article Fifth immediately prior to (1) in the case of the Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Subsequent Closing, or (2) in the case of the Additional Subsequent Closing, the close of business on July 24, 2009, as applicable, effective upon (1) in the case of the Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Subsequent Closing, or (2) in the case of the Additional Subsequent Closing, the close of business on July 24, 2009, as applicable. For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the number of shares of Designated Preferred held by a Note Holder shall include all shares of Designated Preferred held by Affiliates (as


defined in the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) of such holder. The conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) is referred to as a “ Special Mandatory Conversion ”.

(ii) Procedural Requirements . Upon a Special Mandatory Conversion, all shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall be converted automatically without any further action by any holder of such shares and whether or not the certificate or certificates representing such shares are surrendered to the Corporation. All rights with respect to the Designated Preferred converted pursuant to Subsection (i) , including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate, except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement), to receive cash in lieu of fractional shares, as provided for in the last sentence of this Subsection (ii) . Each holder of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such holder’s shares of Designated Preferred at the office of the Corporation. Thereupon, there shall be issued and delivered to such holder, promptly at such office and in such holder’s name as shown on such surrendered certificate or certificates, a certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Designated Preferred surrendered were convertible on the date on which such automatic conversion occurred; provided , however , that the Corporation shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of Common Stock into which such shares of Designated Preferred were convertible unless the certificate or certificates representing such shares of Designated Preferred being converted are either delivered to the Corporation, or the holder notifies the Corporation that such certificate or certificates have been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Corporation so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) . In lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the then effective Applicable Conversion Price.

(iii) Effect of Special Mandatory Conversion . All shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall, from and after the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, no longer be deemed to be outstanding and, notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates for such shares on or prior to such time, all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately cease and terminate at the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor and to receive payment of any dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Such converted Designated Preferred shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Designated Preferred accordingly.

(iv) Definitions . For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the following definitions shall apply:

(A) “ 2008 Convertible Notes ” shall mean those certain promissory notes issued pursuant to the Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below), as such promissory notes may be amended from time to time.


(B) “ Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement ” shall mean that certain Note Purchase Agreement among the Corporation and the Purchasers named therein, dated on or about September 2, 2008, as amended and restated on or about June 30, 2009, as such agreement may be further amended from time to time.

SECOND: That thereafter, the aforesaid amendment was approved and duly adopted by written consent of the holders of outstanding shares of capital stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize the aforesaid amendment at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation on this 2nd day of July 2009.

 

By:   / S / W ILLIAM H. L EWIS
Name:   William H. Lewis
Title:   Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration


Exhibit G

Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

(Third Subsequent Closing)


CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), does hereby certify as follows:

FIRST: That the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board ”) duly adopted resolutions in accordance with Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (i) proposing an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”), (ii) declaring such amendment to be advisable and in the best interests of the Corporation, and (iii) directing that such amendment be submitted to and be considered by the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon for approval by the affirmative vote of such stockholders. Such resolution proposed to amend the Certificate of Incorporation in the following manner:

1. To amend and restate Section B.2(f) of Article Fifth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation to read as follows:

 

(f) Special Mandatory Conversion .

(i) Trigger Event . In the event that any holder of shares of Designated Preferred who is also a holder of 2008 Convertible Notes (as defined below) issued pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below) (each, a “ Note Holder ”) does not purchase (together with its Affiliates, as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) 100% of such Note Holder’s Subsequent Loan Amount, Additional Subsequent Loan Amount or Third Subsequent Loan Amount (each as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) at a Subsequent Closing, Additional Subsequent Closing or Third Subsequent Closing (each, as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement), as applicable, then each share of Designated Preferred held by such Note Holder shall automatically, and without any further action on the part of such holder, be converted into shares of Common Stock at the conversion ratio determined pursuant to Section B.2(a) of this Article Fifth immediately prior to (1) in the case of the Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Subsequent Closing, (2) in the case of the Additional Subsequent Closing, the close of business on July 24, 2009 or (3) in the case of the Third Subsequent Closing, the close of business on January 22, 2010, as applicable, effective upon (1)


in the case of the Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Subsequent Closing, (2) in the case of the Additional Subsequent Closing, the close of business on July 24, 2009 or (3) in the case of the Third Subsequent Closing, the close of business on February 1, 2010, as applicable. For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the number of shares of Designated Preferred held by a Note Holder shall include all shares of Designated Preferred held by Affiliates (as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) of such holder. The conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) is referred to as a “ Special Mandatory Conversion ”.

(ii) Procedural Requirements . Upon a Special Mandatory Conversion, all shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall be converted automatically without any further action by any holder of such shares and whether or not the certificate or certificates representing such shares are surrendered to the Corporation. All rights with respect to the Designated Preferred converted pursuant to Subsection (i) , including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate, except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement), to receive cash in lieu of fractional shares, as provided for in the last sentence of this Subsection (ii) . Each holder of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such holder’s shares of Designated Preferred at the office of the Corporation. Thereupon, there shall be issued and delivered to such holder, promptly at such office and in such holder’s name as shown on such surrendered certificate or certificates, a certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Designated Preferred surrendered were convertible on the date on which such automatic conversion occurred; provided , however , that the Corporation shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of Common Stock into which such shares of Designated Preferred were convertible unless the certificate or certificates representing such shares of Designated Preferred being converted are either delivered to the Corporation, or the holder notifies the Corporation that such certificate or certificates have been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Corporation so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) . In lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the then effective Applicable Conversion Price.

(iii) Effect of Special Mandatory Conversion . All shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall, from and after the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, no longer be deemed to be outstanding and, notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates for such shares on or prior to such time, all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately cease and terminate at the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor and to receive payment of any dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Such converted Designated Preferred shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Designated Preferred accordingly.


(iv) Definitions . For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the following definitions shall apply:

(A) “ 2008 Convertible Notes ” shall mean those certain promissory notes issued pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below), as such promissory notes may be amended from time to time.

(B) “ Second Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement ” shall mean that certain Note Purchase Agreement among the Corporation and the Purchasers named therein, dated on or about September 2, 2008, as amended and restated on or about June 30, 2009, and as further amended and restated on or about January 28, 2010, as such agreement may be further amended from time to time.

SECOND: That thereafter, the aforesaid amendment was approved and duly adopted by written consent of the holders of outstanding shares of capital stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize the aforesaid amendment at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation on this 28 th day of January 2010.

 

By:   / S / W ILLIAM H. L EWIS
Name:   William H. Lewis
Title:   President


Exhibit H

Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

(Fourth Subsequent Closing)


CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), does hereby certify as follows:

FIRST: That the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board ”) duly adopted resolutions in accordance with Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (i) proposing an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”), (ii) declaring such amendment to be advisable and in the best interests of the Corporation, and (iii) directing that such amendment be submitted to and be considered by the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon for approval by the affirmative vote of such stockholders. Such resolution proposed to amend the Certificate of Incorporation in the following manner:

1. To amend and restate Section B.2(f) of Article Fifth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation to read as follows:

 

(f) Special Mandatory Conversion .

(i) Trigger Event . In the event that any holder of shares of Designated Preferred who is also a holder of Outstanding Convertible Notes (as defined below) issued pursuant to the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement at any closing thereunder (as defined below) (each, a “ Note Holder ”) does not purchase (together with its Affiliates, as defined in the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) 100% of such Note Holder’s Fourth Subsequent Loan Amount or Fifth Subsequent Loan Amount (as defined in the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) at a Fourth Subsequent Closing or Fifth Subsequent Closing (as defined in the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement), then each share of Designated Preferred held by such Note Holder shall automatically, and without any further action on the part of such holder, be converted into shares of Common Stock at the conversion ratio determined pursuant to Section B.2(a) of this Article Fifth immediately prior to (1) in the case of the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Fourth Subsequent Closing or (2) in the case of the Fifth Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Fifth Subsequent Closing, as applicable, effective upon (1) in the case of the Fourth Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the first


businesses day after the Fourth Subsequent Closing Date (as defined in the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) or (2) in the case of the Fifth Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the first business day after the Fifth Subsequent Closing Date (as defined in the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement), as applicable. For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the number of shares of Designated Preferred held by a Note Holder shall include all shares of Designated Preferred held by Affiliates (as defined in the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) of such holder. The conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) is referred to as a “ Special Mandatory Conversion ”.

(ii) Procedural Requirements . Upon a Special Mandatory Conversion, all shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall be converted automatically without any further action by any holder of such shares and whether or not the certificate or certificates representing such shares are surrendered to the Corporation. All rights with respect to the Designated Preferred converted pursuant to Subsection (i) , including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate, except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement), to receive cash in lieu of fractional shares, as provided for in the last sentence of this Subsection (ii) . Each holder of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such holder’s shares of Designated Preferred at the office of the Corporation. Thereupon, there shall be issued and delivered to such holder, promptly at such office and in such holder’s name as shown on such surrendered certificate or certificates, a certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Designated Preferred surrendered were convertible on the date on which such automatic conversion occurred; provided , however , that the Corporation shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of Common Stock into which such shares of Designated Preferred were convertible unless the certificate or certificates representing such shares of Designated Preferred being converted are either delivered to the Corporation, or the holder notifies the Corporation that such certificate or certificates have been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Corporation so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) . In lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the then effective Applicable Conversion Price.

(iii) Effect of Special Mandatory Conversion . All shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall, from and after the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, no longer be deemed to be outstanding and, notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates for such shares on or prior to such time, all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately cease and terminate at the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor and to receive payment of any dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Such converted Designated Preferred shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Designated Preferred accordingly.

(iv) Definitions . For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the following definitions shall apply:


(A) “ Outstanding Convertible Notes ” shall mean those certain promissory notes issued pursuant to the Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below), as such promissory notes may be amended from time to time.

(B) “ Third Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement ” shall mean that certain Note Purchase Agreement among the Corporation and the Purchasers named therein, dated on or about September 2, 2008, as amended and restated on July 2, 2009, as further amended and restated on January 28, 2010, and as further amended and restated on June 11, 2010, as such agreement may be further amended from time to time.

SECOND: That thereafter, the aforesaid amendment was approved and duly adopted by written consent of the holders of outstanding shares of capital stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize the aforesaid amendment at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation on this 11 th day of June 2010.

 

By:   / S / W ILLIAM H. L EWIS
Name:   William H. Lewis
Title:   President


Exhibit I

Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

(Sixth Subsequent Closing)


CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “ Corporation ”), does hereby certify as follows:

FIRST: That the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “ Board ”) duly adopted resolutions in accordance with Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (i) proposing an amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “ Certificate of Incorporation ”), (ii) declaring such amendment to be advisable and in the best interests of the Corporation, and (iii) directing that such amendment be submitted to and be considered by the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon for approval by the affirmative vote of such stockholders. Such resolution proposed to amend the Certificate of Incorporation in the following manner:

1. To amend and restate Section B.2(f) of Article Fifth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation to read as follows:

(f) Special Mandatory Conversion .

(i) Trigger Event . In the event that any holder of shares of Designated Preferred who is also a holder of Outstanding Convertible Notes (as defined below) issued pursuant to the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below) at any closing thereunder (each, a “ Note Holder ”) does not purchase (together with its Affiliates, as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) 100% of such Note Holder’s Sixth Subsequent Loan Amount or Seventh Subsequent Loan Amount (each as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) at a Sixth Subsequent Closing or Seventh Subsequent Closing (each as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement), then each share of Designated Preferred held by such Note Holder shall automatically, and without any further action on the part of such holder, be converted into shares of Common Stock at the conversion ratio determined pursuant to Section B.2(a) of this Article Fifth immediately prior to (1) in the case of the Sixth Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Sixth Subsequent Closing or (2) in the case of the Seventh Subsequent Closing, the consummation of the Seventh Subsequent Closing, as applicable, effective upon (1) in the case of the Sixth Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the first businesses day after the Sixth Subsequent Closing Date (as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) or (2) in the case of the Seventh Subsequent Closing, the close of business on the


first business day after the Seventh Subsequent Closing Date (as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement), as applicable. For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the number of shares of Designated Preferred held by a Note Holder shall include all shares of Designated Preferred held by Affiliates (as defined in the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement) of such holder. The conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) is referred to as a “ Special Mandatory Conversion .”

(ii) Procedural Requirements . Upon a Special Mandatory Conversion, all shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall be converted automatically without any further action by any holder of such shares and whether or not the certificate or certificates representing such shares are surrendered to the Corporation. All rights with respect to the Designated Preferred converted pursuant to Subsection (i) , including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate, except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement), to receive cash in lieu of fractional shares, as provided for in the last sentence of this Subsection (ii) . Each holder of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such holder’s shares of Designated Preferred at the office of the Corporation. Thereupon, there shall be issued and delivered to such holder, promptly at such office and in such holder’s name as shown on such surrendered certificate or certificates, a certificate or certificates for the number of shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Designated Preferred surrendered were convertible on the date on which such automatic conversion occurred; provided , however , that the Corporation shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of Common Stock into which such shares of Designated Preferred were convertible unless the certificate or certificates representing such shares of Designated Preferred being converted are either delivered to the Corporation, or the holder notifies the Corporation that such certificate or certificates have been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Corporation so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion of Designated Preferred pursuant to this Section B.2(f) . In lieu of any fractional shares of Common Stock to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the then effective Applicable Conversion Price.

(iii) Effect of Special Mandatory Conversion . All shares of Designated Preferred subject to the Special Mandatory Conversion shall, from and after the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, no longer be deemed to be outstanding and, notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates for such shares on or prior to such time, all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately cease and terminate at the time of the Special Mandatory Conversion, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor and to receive payment of any dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Such converted Designated Preferred shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Designated Preferred accordingly.


(iv) Definitions . For purposes of this Section B.2(f) , the following definitions shall apply:

(A) “ Outstanding Convertible Notes ” shall mean those certain promissory notes issued pursuant to the Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement (as defined below), as such promissory notes may be amended from time to time.

(B) “ Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement ” shall mean that certain Note Purchase Agreement among the Corporation and the Purchasers named therein, dated on or about September 2, 2008, as amended and restated on July 2, 2009, as further amended and restated on January 28, 2010, as further amended and restated on June 14, 2010, as further amended and restated on or about October 1, 2010, and as such agreement may be further amended from time to time.

SECOND: That thereafter, the aforesaid amendment was approved and duly adopted by written consent of the holders of outstanding shares of capital stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize the aforesaid amendment at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation on this 1 st day of October 2010.

 

By:   /s/ Marc D. Beer
Name:   Marc D. Beer
Title:   Chief Executive Officer


Schedule I

SCHEDULE OF PURCHASERS

 

Name and
Address

   Initial Loan
Amount
   Additional
Initial
Closing
Amount
   Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   First
Additional
Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   Follow-on
Additional
Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   Third
Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   Fourth
Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   Fifth
Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   Sixth
Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   Seventh
Subsequent
Loan
Amount
   Total Loan
Amount

Advent Healthcare Ventures (aggregate)

   $ 1,005,847.00       $ 1,313,822.00    $ 1,315,786.74       $ 789,472.04    $ 394,736.03    $ 394,736.03    $ 394,736.03    $ 394,736.03    $ 6,003,871.87

Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III Limited Partnership

   $ 403,143.00       $ 526,579.00    $ 527,366.57       $ 316,419.94    $ 158,209.97    $ 158,209.97    $ 158,209.97    $ 158,209.97    $ 2,406,348.39

Advent Healthcare and Life Sciences III-A Limited Partnership

   $ 591,640.00       $ 772,791.00    $ 773,946.72       $ 464,368.03    $ 232,184.02    $ 232,184.02    $ 232,184.02    $ 232,184.02    $ 3,531,481.81

Advent Partners HLS III Limited Partnership

   $ 11,064.00       $ 14,452.00    $ 14,473.45       $ 8,684.07    $ 4,342.04    $ 4,342.04    $ 4,342.04    $ 4,342.04    $ 66,041.66

Alta Partners (aggregate)

   $ 944,342.00       $ 1,233,485.00    $ 1,235,329.65       $ 741,197.79    $ 370,598.90    $ 370,598.90    $ 370,598.90    $ 370,598.90    $ 5,636,750.02

Alta BioPharma Partners III, L.P.

   $ 864,938.00       $ 1,129,769.00    $ 1,131,458.42       $ 678,875.05    $ 339,437.53    $ 339,437.53    $ 339,437.53    $ 339,437.53    $ 5,162,790.57

Alta BioPharma Partners III GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs KG

   $ 58,088.00       $ 75,874.00    $ 75,987.32       $ 45,592.39    $ 22,796.20    $ 22,796.20    $ 22,796.20    $ 22,796.20    $ 346,726.49

Alta Embarcadero BioPharma Partners III, LLC

   $ 21,316.00       $ 27,842.00    $ 27,883.91       $ 16,730.35    $ 8,365.17    $ 8,365.17    $ 8,365.17    $ 8,365.17    $ 127,232.95

MVM Life Science Investors (aggregate)

   $ 324,601.00       $ 432,802.00    $ 429,621.99       $ 257,773.19    $ 128,886.60    $ 128,886.60    $ 128,886.60    $ 128,886.60    $ 1,960,344.57

MVM International Life Sciences Fund No. 1 L.P.

   $ 321,287.00       $ 428,473.00    $ 425,286.65       $ 255,171.99    $ 127,586.00    $ 127,586.00    $ 127,586.00    $ 127,586.00    $ 1,940,562.62

MVM Executive Limited

   $ 3,314.00       $ 4,329.00    $ 4,335.34       $ 2,601.20    $ 1,300.60    $ 1,300.60    $ 1,300.60    $ 1,300.60    $ 19,781.95


William H. Lewis

   $ 42,758.00       $ 57,003.00    $ 56,587.47       $ 33,952.48    $ 16,976.24    $ 16,976.24    $ 16,976.24    $ 16,976.24    $ 258,205.91

Red Abbey Venture Partners (aggregate)

   $ 116,918.00       $ 152,716.00    $ 152,944.60       $ 91,766.76    $ 45,883.38    $ 45,883.38    $ 45,883.38    $ 45,883.38    $ 697,878.88

Red Abbey Venture Partners (QP), LP

   $ 87,748.00       $ 114,614.00    $ 114,785.88       $ 68,871.53    $ 34,435.76    $ 34,435.76    $ 34,435.76    $ 34,435.76    $ 523,762.46

Red Abbey Venture Partners, LP

   $ 24,412.00       $ 31,887.00    $ 31,934.50       $ 19,160.70    $ 9,580.35    $ 9,580.35    $ 9,580.35    $ 9,580.35    $ 145,715.60

Red Abbey CEO Fund, LP

   $ 4,758.00       $ 6,215.00    $ 6,224.22       $ 3,734.53    $ 1,867.27    $ 1,867.27    $ 1,867.27    $ 1,867.27    $ 28,400.81

Index Ventures (aggregate)

   $ 1,088,677.51       $ 1,422,013.00    $ 1,424,139.95       $ 854,483.97    $ 427,241.99    $ 427,241.99    $ 427,241.99    $ 427,241.99    $ 6,498,282.37

Index Ventures III (Jersey) L.P.

   $ 352,507.45       $ 460,440.00    $ 461,128.50       $ 276,677.10    $ 138,162.50    $ 138,162.50    $ 138,162.50    $ 138,162.50    $ 2,103,403.05

Index Ventures III (Delaware) L.P.

   $ 716,081.06       $ 935,333.00    $ 936,732.23       $ 562,039.34    $ 280,661.99    $ 280,661.99    $ 280,661.99    $ 280,661.99    $ 4,272,833.59

Index Ventures III Parallel Entrepreneur Fund (Jersey) L.P.

   $ 12,755.47       $ 16,661.00    $ 16,685.92       $ 10,011.55    $ 4,999.50    $ 4,999.50    $ 4,999.50    $ 4,999.50    $ 76,111.92

Yucca Partners L.P. (Jersey Branch)

   $ 7,333.53       $ 9,579.00    $ 9,593.30       $ 5,755.98    $ 3,418.00    $ 3,418.00    $ 3,418.00    $ 3,418.00    $ 45,933.81

Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.

   $ 76,358.00       $ 101,811.00    $ 101,062.87       $ 60,637.72    $ 30,318.86    $ 30,318.86    $ 30,318.86    $ 30,318.86    $ 461,145.03

Eileen More

   $ 16,567.00       $ 21,639.00    $ 21,671.60       $ 13,002.96    $ 6,501.48    $ 6,501.48    $ 6,501.48    $ 6,501.48    $ 98,886.48

David Arkowitz

     7,794.00       $ 10,181.00    $ 10,195.97       $ 6,117.58    $ 3,058.79    $ 3,058.79    $ 3,058.79    $ 3,058.79    $ 46,523.71

MC Life Science Ventures

   $ 140,180.00    $ 50,717.00    $ 254,529.00       $ 252,659.16    $ 151,595.50    $ 75,797.75    $ 75,797.75    $ 75,797.75    $ 75,797.75    $ 1,152,871.65
                                                                            

TOTAL

   $ 3,764,042.51    $ 50,717.00    $ 5,000,001.00    $ 4,747,340.84    $ 252,659.16    $ 3,000,000.00    $ 1,500,000.00    $ 1,500,000.00    $ 1,500,000.00    $ 1,500,000.00    $ 22,814,760.50
                                                                            

Exhibit 10.15

NEITHER THIS NOTE NOR THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS NOTE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM UNDER SAID ACT AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR SOME OTHER EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF SUCH ACT AND APPLICABLE LAWS OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

THIS NOTE IS SUBJECT TO A FOURTH AMENDED AND RESTATED SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT DATED OCTOBER 1, 2010 BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH CAPITAL, INC., A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST FROM THE COMPANY.

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

SENIOR SUBORDINATED CONVERTIBLE PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$[              ]    October 1, 2010

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” ), hereby promises to pay to the order of [              ] (or its successors or assigns, the “Holder” ), the principal amount of [                      ] ($[              ]), plus interest in arrears from and including the date hereof on the principal balance from time to time outstanding, accruing daily, at a rate per annum equal to eight percent (8%) for the time period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the Maturity Date. This Senior Subordinated Convertible Promissory Note (this “Note” ) may not be prepaid in whole or in part without the written consent of the Required Purchasers. For avoidance of doubt, no interest payments shall be due prior to the earlier of: (i) Maturity as set forth in Section 2 of this Note, (ii) acceleration due to an Event of Default (defined below), or (iii) conversion of the Note as set forth in Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Note, as the case may be. Interest shall be calculated on the basis of actual number of days elapsed over a year of 365 days. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Note, the Holder hereof does not intend to charge and the Company shall not be required to pay any interest or other fees or charges in excess of the maximum interest permitted by applicable law, and any payments in excess of such maximum shall be refunded to the Company or credited to reduce principal hereunder. All payments received by the Holder hereunder will be applied first to costs of collection, if any, then to interest and the balance to principal.

This Note is one of a series of Senior Subordinated Convertible Promissory Notes of like tenor (collectively, the “ Notes ”) to be issued by the Company pursuant to the terms of that certain Fourth Amended and Restated Note Purchase Agreement dated as of October 1, 2010 (as may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement” ) among the


Company and the purchasers set forth on the Schedule I thereto (the Schedule of Purchasers” ). Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Purchase Agreement. By acceptance of this Note, the Holder and the Company each hereby agree that each of the Notes shall rank equally and ratably without priority over one another, and the Company covenants and agrees that none of the Notes shall be paid, in whole or in part, unless a reasonably equivalent, pro rata payment is made with respect to all other Notes so as to maintain as near as possible the amount of the debt owing under the Notes pro rata according to the respective balances owed as of the date immediately prior to such payment. This Note will be registered on the books of the Company or its agent as to principal and interest. Any transfer of this Note may be effected only by surrender of this Note to the Company and reissuance of a new Note to the transferee. Payments of principal and interest will be made by wire transfer in immediately available United States funds transferred to the account of the Holder, which account information shall have been furnished to the Company by the Holder for that purpose.

1. Subordination . This Note is subordinate and junior in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all obligations of the Company under that certain Loan and Security Agreement between the Company and Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. ( “Hercules” ) dated March 20, 2007, all promissory notes issued by the Company to Hercules pursuant thereto and any other such obligations agreed to in the Fourth Amended and Restated Subordination Agreement among the purchasers set forth on Schedule I to the Purchase Agreement, the Company and Hercules dated as of October 1, 2010.

2. Maturity . The entire outstanding principal balance hereof, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, shall be due and payable (i) automatically upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined below) specified in Section 6.1(c), 6.1(d), 6.1(e) or 6.1(f), or (ii) if occurring earlier than any Event of Default described in (i) above, upon demand made in writing by the Required Purchasers at any time upon the earlier of (a) December 31, 2011, unless such date is extended to a later date by an agreement in writing between the Company and the Required Purchasers (such original date or such later date, the “Maturity Date” ), (b) a Sale of the Company (as defined below) or (c) the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 6.1(a) or 6.1(b). In order to extend the Maturity Date, the Required Purchasers and the Company shall agree in writing to extend the Maturity Date (an Extension Agreement ), and the Extension Agreement shall specify the date they elect to extend the Maturity Date. Following such Extension Agreement, every reference in the Note Purchase Agreement and the Notes to the Maturity Date shall be deemed to refer to the Maturity Date set forth in the Extension Agreement. The Required Purchasers and Company may elect to extend the Maturity Date on successive occasions.

3. Payment Upon Sale of the Company.

(a) General . Upon the closing of a Sale of the Company occurring prior to the Maturity Date, the Holder shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the greater of:

(i) an amount equal to three times (3.0x) the principal amount of this Note; or

 

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(ii) the amount that the Holder would have received if the principal amount of this Note plus any accrued unpaid interest thereon (the “ Note Balance ”), as of the closing date of the Sale of the Company, had been converted into shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Participating Stock (as defined in the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation) immediately prior to the closing date of the Sale of the Company at a conversion price equal to the Applicable Conversion Price (as defined in the Charter) of the Series B Preferred Participating Stock in effect at such time.

Immediately upon receipt by the Holder of payment pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) or (ii), this Note shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights with respect to this Note shall immediately cease and terminate.

(b) Sale of the Company . A “Sale of the Company” shall mean and include (i) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or all or fifty percent (50%) or more of the capital stock of the Company, or (ii) a merger, consolidation, sale, transfer or other transaction or series of related transactions (excluding a financing transaction) in which the holders of the capital stock of the Company will hold, upon consummation of such transaction, less than fifty percent (50%) in interest of the voting securities of the surviving entity.

4. Reserved

5. Conversion upon Equity Sale.

(a) Qualified Equity Sale . Immediately upon the closing of a Qualified Equity Sale (as defined below), the Note Balance shall automatically be converted into fully paid and non-assessable shares of New Stock (as defined below). The type and class of capital stock of the Company to be issued to the Holder of this Note upon conversion pursuant to this Section 5(a) (and the rights and privileges of the Holder thereof) shall be identical to the type and class of the capital stock issued by the Company in connection with the Qualified Equity Sale (the “ New Stock ”). Upon conversion of this Note pursuant to this Section 5(a), subject to the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof, the holder of this Note shall be entitled to receive a number of shares of New Stock determined by dividing (A) the Note Balance as of the Investor Conversion Date (as defined below) by: (B) (i) in the case of a Qualified Equity Sale that is not the initial public offering of the Company’s capital stock, an amount equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the price per share of New Stock paid by the investors in connection with the Qualified Equity Sale (the “ New Stock Price ”), or (ii) in the case of a Qualified Equity Sale that is the initial public offering of the Company’s capital stock, an amount equal to eighty percent (80%) of the price to the public for the shares of the Company’s Common Stock (as defined herein) offered in the initial public offering (the “ IPO New Stock Price ”). A “ Qualified Equity Sale ” shall mean and include the sale of shares of capital stock of the Company (other than a sale of shares of the Company’s Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), or other securities to officers, directors or employees of, or consultants to, the Company in connection with their provision of services to the Company) in one transaction or series of related transactions, which sale or sales, including without limitation any initial public offering, result in gross proceeds to the Company, not including any Note Balance converted to New Stock, of at least Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000).

 

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(b) Conversion upon Alternative Equity Sale . In the event that the Company intends to consummate an Alternative Equity Sale (as defined below), the Company shall send written notice at least ten (10) business days prior to the closing of such Alternative Equity Sale to the Holder hereof (the Company Notice ), which Company Notice shall describe the Alternative Equity Sale in reasonable detail. Upon written notice to the Company delivered prior to the closing of such Alternative Equity Sale, the Required Purchasers may elect to convert the Note Balance of all, but not less than all, of the Notes issued to all Purchasers under the Purchase Agreement then outstanding into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Alternative Stock (as defined below); provided that if the Required Purchasers do not so elect, then the Holder hereof may, by written notice to the Company not more than five (5) business days following receipt by the Holder of the Company Notice, elect to convert all or part of the Note Balance into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Alternative Stock. The type and class of capital stock of the Company to be issued to the holder of this Note upon conversion pursuant to this Section 5(b) (and the rights and privileges of the holders thereof) shall be identical to the type and class of the capital stock issued by the Company in connection with the Alternative Equity Sale (the Alternative Stock ). Upon conversion of this Note pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5(b), subject to the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof, the Holder of this Note shall be entitled to receive a number of shares of Alternative Stock determined by dividing (A) the Note Balance to be converted by (B) an amount equal to eighty five percent (85%) of the price per share of Alternative Stock paid by the purchasers of such equity securities in connection with the Alternative Equity Sale (the Alternative Stock Price ). “ Alternative Equity Sale ” shall mean and include any sale of shares of capital stock of the Company (other than a sale of shares of Common Stock or other securities to officers, directors or employees of, or consultants to, the Company in connection with their provision of services to the Company) in one transaction or series of related transactions, which sale or sales result in gross proceeds to the Company of less than Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000).

(c) Fractional Shares . No fractional shares of capital stock of the Company shall be issued upon conversion of this Note. In lieu of any fractional shares to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Company shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the New Stock Price, IPO New Stock Price or the Alternative Stock Price, as applicable.

(d) Mechanics of Conversion; Investor Sale .

(i) Upon the closing (the Investor Conversion Date ) of a Qualified Equity Sale or an Alternative Equity Sale if either (y) the Required Purchasers have elected to convert the Note Balance of all Notes then outstanding or (z) the Holder hereof has elected to convert the Note Balance of this Note (each being referred to herein as an Investor Sale ), this Note, or any portion hereof, as applicable, shall be converted automatically without any further action by the holder and whether or not this Note is surrendered to the Company or the transfer agent for this Note, provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to issue a certificate or certificates evidencing the shares of New Stock or Alternative Stock (each being referred to herein as Investor Stock ) into which this Note is convertible unless this Note is delivered to the Company, or the holder notifies the Company that the Note has been lost, stolen, or destroyed and executes and delivers an agreement satisfactory to the Company to indemnify the Company from any loss incurred by it in connection therewith and, if the Company so elects, provides an appropriate indemnity.

 

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(ii) The Company shall cause notice of the Investor Sale to be mailed to the registered holder of this Note, at such holder’s address appearing in the records of the Company, as promptly as practicable after the Investor Conversion Date. Thereafter, the holder shall surrender this Note at the place designated in such notice, together with a written notice by the holder of this Note stating such holder’s name or the names of his, her or its nominees in which such holder wishes the certificate or certificates for shares of Investor Stock to be issued. If required by the Company, the Note surrendered shall be endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of surrender, in form satisfactory to the Company, duly executed by the registered holder or his or its attorney duly authorized in writing.

(iii) Upon authorization of the sale of shares of its capital stock in an Investor Sale, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of this Note as provided in Section 5(a) or 5(b) hereof, the Company shall have (A) authorized a sufficient number of shares of Investor Stock to effect the conversion of the Note Balance, or any portion thereof, as applicable, (B) reserved such stock as to which the Holder would be entitled upon conversion of such Investor Stock and (C) taken all other actions reasonably requested by the Holder to effect the foregoing. The Company shall take all such reasonable actions as may be necessary to assure that all Investor Stock which may be issuable upon the conversion of this Note and all shares of stock issuable upon conversion or exercise thereof may be issued without violation of any applicable law or governmental regulation.

(iv) Immediately upon the Investor Conversion Date, this Note shall be cancelled and no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights with respect to this Note shall immediately cease and terminate on the Investor Conversion Date, except only the right of the holder to receive the shares of Investor Stock to which it is entitled as a result of the conversion on the Investor Conversion Date, together with any cash in lieu of fractional shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the Investor Conversion Date, the Company shall be released from all obligations arising under this Note.

(v) The Company shall pay any and all issue and other taxes that may be payable in respect of any issuance or delivery of shares of Investor Stock upon conversion of this Note pursuant to Section 5(a) or 5(b) hereof. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of shares of Investor Stock in a name other than that of the registered holder of this Note, and no such issuance or delivery shall be made unless and until the person or entity requesting such issuance has paid to the Company the amount of any such tax or has established, to the satisfaction of the Company, that such tax has been paid.

 

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6. Default

6.1 Events of Default . Notwithstanding any provision of this Note to the contrary, each of the following shall constitute an event of default (each an “Event of Default” ):

(a) the Company fails to pay any amount of principal or interest due hereunder when due;

(b) the Company’s breach or violation of any other covenant, agreement or condition under this Note or under the Purchase Agreement, which breach or violation is not cured within ten (10) days after written notice of such default from the Required Purchasers;

(c) any of the Company’s indebtedness for borrowed money is accelerated as a result of a default or breach of or under any agreement or instrument evidencing or relating to money borrowed from Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc. or its affiliates;

(d) the Company admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they become due, or makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors;

(e) the Company commences any case or other proceeding seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, liquidation, dissolution or composition of its company structure or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian or other similar official for it or for all or any part of its property, or shall take any action to authorize any of the foregoing; or

(f) any case or proceeding is commenced against the Company to have an order for relief entered against it as debtor or seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, liquidation, dissolution or composition of its structure or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or relief of debtors, or seeking other similar official relief for it or any part of its property, and such case or proceeding (x) results in the entry of an order for relief against it which is not fully stayed within five (5) business days after the entry thereof or (y) is not dismissed within one hundred twenty (120) days of commencement.

6.2 Remedies Upon Event of Default . Upon any Event of Default, the Required Purchasers may, by written notice to the Company, declare this Note to be due and payable, whereupon the outstanding principal and accrued interest under this Note shall be immediately due and payable; provided that, in the case of an Event of Default pursuant to any of Sections 6.1(c), 6.1(d), 6.1(e) or 6.1(f), the outstanding principal and accrued interest under this Note shall become due and payable without notice or demand.

7. New Note . Upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Note, the Company will issue a new promissory note, of like tenor and amount and dated the original date of this Note, in lieu of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note, and in such event the Holder thereof agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company in respect of any such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note.

8. Expenses of Collection . The Company agrees to pay all of the Holder’s reasonable costs in collecting and enforcing this Note, including all attorney’s fees and disbursements, subject to any limitation imposed by law.

 

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9. Notices . All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be addressed to the receiving party’s address set forth below or to such other address as a party may designate by notice hereunder, and shall be delivered (a) by hand, (b) by telecopy or facsimile transmission, (c) by a nationally recognized (or substantially equivalent international) overnight courier, or (d) by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid.

 

If to Holder:    To its address set forth on the Schedule of Purchasers;
With a copy to:   

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

One Financial Center

Boston, MA 02111

Attn: Lewis Geffen, Esq.

(617) 348-1834 (Telephone)

(617) 542-2241 (Fax)

  
If to the Company:   

Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

CenterPointe IV

1140 Route 22 East, Suite 304

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Attn: William H. Lewis,

President

Telephone: (908) 704-1300

Telecopier: (908) 541-1155

  
  
With copies to:   

Goodwin Procter LLP

53 State Street

Boston, MA 02109

Attn: Michael H. Bison, Esq.

Telephone: (617) 570-1933

Telecopier: (617) 523-1231

  

All notices, requests, consents and other communications hereunder shall be deemed to have been given (a) if by hand, at the time of the delivery thereof to the receiving party at the address of such party set forth above, (b) if made by telecopy or facsimile transmission, at the time that receipt thereof has been acknowledged by electronic confirmation or otherwise, (c) if sent by overnight courier, on the next business day (or if sent overseas, on the second business day) following the day such notice is delivered to the courier service, or (d) if sent by registered or certified mail, on the 5th business day (or if sent overseas, on the 10th business day) following the day such mailing is made.

10. Waiver by Company . The Company hereby expressly waives presentment, demand, and protest, notice of demand, dishonor and nonpayment of this Note, and all other notices or demands of any kind in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance, default or enforcement hereof, and hereby consents to any delays, extensions of time, renewals, waivers or modifications that may be granted or consented to by the Holder hereof with respect to the time of payment or any other provision hereof.

 

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11. Amendment and Waiver . Any term, covenant, agreement or condition of the Notes may, with the written consent of the Company and Required Purchasers, be amended or compliance therewith may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), by one or more substantially concurrent written instruments, provided that (a) without the consent of the holders of all of the Notes at the time outstanding no such amendment or waiver shall (i) decrease the principal amount due under or the rate of interest on any Note, (ii) change the pro rata payment terms of the Notes or (iii) lower the percentage of holders of Notes required to approve any such amendment or effect any such waiver and (b) no such amendment or waiver shall extend to or affect any obligation not expressly amended or waived or impair any right consequent thereto. Originals or true and correct copies of any amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to this Section 11 shall be delivered by the Company to each holder of Note promptly (but in any event not later than five days) following the effective date thereof.

12. Delays or Omissions . It is agreed that no delay or omission to exercise any right, power or remedy accruing to the Holder, upon any breach or default of the Company under this Note shall impair any such right, power or remedy, nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of any such breach or default, or any acquiescence therein, or of or in any similar breach or default thereafter occurring; nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring.

13. Severability . In the event any one or more of the provisions of this Note shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part or in any respect, or in the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Note operate or would prospectively operate to invalidate this Note, then and in any such event, such provision(s) only shall be deemed null and void and shall not affect any other provision of this Note and the remaining provisions of this Note shall remain operative and in full force and effect and in no way shall be affected, prejudiced, or disturbed thereby.

14. Descriptive Headings . Section headings appearing in this Note have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall be given no substantive meaning or significance whatsoever in construing the terms and provisions of this Note.

15. Governing Law . This Note shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as to matters within the scope thereof, and as to all other matters shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the internal laws of the State of New Jersey, without giving effect to the conflict of law principals thereof.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has signed this Note as an instrument under seal as of the date written above.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
By:    
Name:   Marc D. Beer
Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

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Exhibit 10.18

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of the 5th day of October, 2010 (the “Effective Date”), between Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and William H. Lewis, an individual who currently resides at 22 Canterbury Lane, Summit, NJ 07901, (the “Executive”) (together the “Parties”).

WHEREAS, the Company desires to employ the Executive and the Executive desires to be employed by the Company on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1. Position and Duties . The Executive shall serve as the President of the Company. In such capacity, Executive shall have such powers and duties and responsibilities as may from time to time be prescribed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and/or the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”). The Executive shall devote his full working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive may manage his personal investments, engage in religious, charitable or other community activities, as long as such activities do not pose an actual or apparent conflict of interest and do not interfere with the Executive’s performance of his duties to the Company. Executive represents that he has provided the Company with a comprehensive list of all outside professional activities with which he is currently involved or reasonably expects to become involved. In the event that, during his employment by the Company, the Executive desires to engage in other outside professional activities, not included on such list, Executive will first seek written approval from the Board and such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

2. Compensation and Related Matters .

(a) Base Salary . The Executive’s initial base salary shall be paid at the rate of $300,000 per year. The Executive’s base salary shall be reviewed annually by the Board or the Compensation Committee of the Board ( the “Compensation Committee”). The base salary in effect at any given time is referred to herein as “Base Salary.” The Base Salary shall be payable in a manner that is consistent with the Company’s usual payroll practices for senior executives.

(b) Annual Bonus . The Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee (the “Bonus”). The Bonus shall be based on an annual target and the achievement of performance goals. The Executive’s target shall be 40 percent of his Base Salary. The Executive’s performance goals shall be established by the Board or the Compensation Committee and the achievement of those goals shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee. Except as otherwise provided herein, to earn any part of the Bonus, the Executive must be employed by the Company on December 31 of the applicable bonus year and such Bonus shall be paid to Executive on or before March 15 of the immediately following calendar year.


(c) Special Bonus . The Executive shall be eligible to receive a cash bonus equal to 10% of his Base Salary upon acceptance (the “Acceptance Date”) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) of a New Drug Application for lomitapide (the “Lomitapide NDA”). Any such bonus will not be earned unless the Executive is employed by the Company on the Acceptance Date and shall be paid as soon as reasonably practicable following such Acceptance Date but, in any event, no later than March 15 of the immediately following calendar year.

(d) Equity Grant . The Company shall award the Executive an option (the “Option Award”) to purchase 620,735 shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The Executive shall remain eligible to receive subsequent equity awards from time to time in accordance with the Company’s compensation policies and procedures then in effect, in any such case, as determined by the Board (or Compensation Committee thereof) acting in its sole discretion. The Option Award shall have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant (as determined by the Board or Compensation Committee thereof). Sixty percent of the Option Award shall vest in equal monthly installments over the four year period commencing as of the date of grant, 20 percent of the Option Award shall vest in equal monthly installments over the four year period commencing on the Acceptance Date and the remaining 20 percent of the Option Award shall vest in full upon approval by the FDA of the Lomitapide NDA, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2006 Stock Option and Grant Plan, as amended, and associated equity award agreements (collectively the “Equity Award Documents”). The term of the Option Award shall be ten (10) years after the date the Option Award is granted. In connection with a termination of employment within 24 months following a Sale Event (as defined in the Equity Award Documents), 100 percent of Executive’s then outstanding unvested equity shall vest and become fully exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the date of such termination.

(e) Expenses . The Executive shall be entitled to receive prompt reimbursement for all reasonable expenses incurred by him in performing services hereunder, in accordance with the policies and procedures then in effect and established by the Company for its senior executive officers.

(f) Other Benefits . The Executive shall be entitled to continue to participate in or receive benefits under the Company’s employee benefit plans as may be adopted and amended from time to time, subject to the terms and conditions of those employee benefit plans.

(g) Vacations . The Executive shall be entitled to accrue up to 25 days of paid vacation days in each year, which shall be accrued ratably, and subject to the Company’s vacation policy in effect, and as may be amended from time to time.

3. Termination . The Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Death . The Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon his death.

 

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(b) Disability . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment if the Executive incurs a disability and is unable to perform the essential functions of the Executive’s position with or without reasonable accommodation for a period of 180 days (which need not be consecutive) in any 12-month period. If any question shall arise as to whether during any period the Executive is disabled so as to be unable to perform the essential functions of the Executive’s then existing position or positions with or without reasonable accommodation, the Executive may, and at the request of the Company shall, submit to the Company a certification in reasonable detail by a physician selected by the Company to whom the Executive or the Executive’s guardian has no reasonable objection as to whether the Executive is so disabled or how long such disability is expected to continue, and such certification shall for the purposes of this Agreement be conclusive of the issue. The Executive shall cooperate with any reasonable request of the physician in connection with such certification. If such question shall arise and the Executive shall fail to submit such certification, the Company’s determination of such issue shall be binding on the Executive. Nothing in this Section 3(b) shall be construed to waive the Executive’s rights, if any, under existing law including, without limitation, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. §2601 et seq . and the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §12101 et seq.

(c) Termination by Company for Cause . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment at any time for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall mean any of the following by Executive: (i) dishonesty, embezzlement, misappropriation of assets or property of the Company; (ii) gross negligence, willful misconduct, theft, fraud, or breach of fiduciary duty to the Company; (iii) violation of federal or state securities laws; or (iv) the conviction of a felony, or any crime involving moral turpitude, including a plea of guilty or nolo contendere; (v) a material breach of any material provision of this Agreement; or (vi) a material breach of any of the Company’s written policies relating to conduct or ethics. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Executive’s employment shall not be terminated by the Company for Cause unless the Executive is first provided with written notice of termination and, if the act or omission that is the basis of the Cause determination (the “Cause Event”) is curable and has not resulted in injury or potential injury to the Company, the Executive is first provided with a fifteen day opportunity to cure the Cause Event.

(d) Termination by the Company Without Cause . The Company may terminate the Executive’s employment at any time without Cause. Any termination by the Company of the Executive’s employment under this Agreement which does not constitute a termination for Cause under Section 3(c) and does not result from the death or disability of the Executive under Section 3(a) or 3(b) shall be deemed a termination without Cause.

(e) Termination by the Executive . The Executive may terminate his employment hereunder at any time for any reason, including but not limited to Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean that the Executive has complied with the “Good Reason Process” (hereinafter defined) following the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) a material diminution in the Executive’s responsibilities, authority or duties; (ii) a material diminution in the Executive’s Base Salary; (iii) a material change without the Executive’s consent of the principal location of the Executive’s offices provided that such consent may not be unreasonably withheld, or (iv) the material breach of a material provision of this Agreement by the Company. “Good Reason Process” shall mean that (i) the Executive

 

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reasonably determines in good faith that a “Good Reason” condition has occurred; (ii) the Executive notifies the Company in writing of the first occurrence of the Good Reason condition within 30 days of the first occurrence of such condition; (iii) the Executive cooperates in good faith with the Company’s efforts, for a period not less than 30 days following such notice (the “Cure Period”), to remedy the condition; (iv) notwithstanding such efforts, the Good Reason condition continues to exist; and (v) the Executive terminates his employment within 30 days after the end of the Cure Period. If the Company cures the Good Reason condition during the Cure Period, Good Reason shall be deemed not to have occurred.

(f) Notice of Termination . Except for termination as specified in Section 3(a), any termination of the Executive’s employment by the Company or any such termination by the Executive shall be communicated by written Notice of Termination to the other party hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” shall mean a notice which shall indicate the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon.

(g) Date of Termination . “Date of Termination” shall mean: (i) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by his death, the date of his death; (ii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated on account of disability under Section 3(b) or by the Company with Cause under Section 3(c) or without Cause under Section 3(d) on the date the Notice of Termination is given; (iii) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive under Section 3(e) without Good Reason, 30 days after the date on which a Notice of Termination is given, and (iv) if the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Executive under Section 3(e) with Good Reason, the date on which a Notice of Termination is given after the end of the Cure Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Executive gives a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may unilaterally accelerate the Date of Termination and such acceleration shall not result in a termination by the Company for purposes of this Agreement.

4. Compensation Upon Termination .

(a) Termination Generally . If the Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, the Company shall pay or provide to the Executive (or to his authorized representative or estate) any earned but unpaid salary and bonus, if any, unpaid expense reimbursements, accrued but unused vacation and any vested benefits the Executive may have under any employee benefit plan of the Company (the “Accrued Benefit”) on or before the time required by law but in no event more than 30 days after the Executive’s Date of Termination.

(b) Termination by the Company Without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason or Termination Upon Death or Disability . If the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause as provided in Section 3(d), the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason as provided in Section 3(d), or the Executive’s employment is terminated on account of death or disability as provided in Sections 3(a) and 3(b), then the Company shall, through the Date of Termination, pay the Executive (or to his authorized representative or estate) his Accrued Benefit. In addition, subject to the Executive providing the Company with a fully effective separation agreement that includes a general release of claims in a form and manner reasonably satisfactory to the Company (the “Release”) within the 35-day

 

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period following the Date of Termination (it being understood that such separation agreement and Release will not be required in the case of Executive’s death), Executive (or his authorized representative or estate) shall be entitled to the following payments and benefits (collectively the “Severance Benefits”):

(i) the Company shall pay the Executive severance pay in the form of continuation of Executive’s Base Salary for twelve (12) months in accordance with the Company’s payroll practice, beginning on the Company’s first regular payroll date that occurs 35 days after the Date of Termination. Solely for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), each salary continuation payment is considered a separate payment;

(ii) subject to the Executive’s timely election of COBRA and copayment of premium amounts at the active employees’ rate, the Executive may continue to participate in the Company’s group health and dental program until the earlier of (i) twelve (12) months from the Date of Termination, and (ii) the date the Executive becomes re-employed with benefits substantially comparable to the benefits provided under the corresponding Company plan;

(iii) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Equity Award Documents, in the event that the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason and the Date of Termination occurs within twelve (12) months of the Effective Date (a) 25% of the Executive’s then outstanding unvested equity awards shall vest and become fully exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the Date of Termination, and (b) Executive shall have ninety (90) days from the Date of Termination to exercise vested equity awards; and

(iv) in the event that the Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Executive with Good Reason and the Date of Termination occurs within twenty four (24) months following Sale Event (as defined in the Equity Award Documents), the Bonus payment the Executive earned pursuant to Section 2(b) of this Agreement for the bonus period that immediately preceded the Date of Termination.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the case of a termination due to death or disability, the Executive shall only be entitled to the Severance Benefits set forth in Sections 4(b)(i) and 4(b)(ii), and such Severance Benefits will continue for a period of six (6) months instead of twelve (12) months. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Severance Benefit set forth in Section 4(b)(i) shall be reduced dollar for dollar by any compensation Executive receives from another employer during the period between the Date of Termination and the last day of the severance period (the “Severance Benefits Period”) if the Executive becomes re-employed during the Severance Benefits Period. The Executive agrees to give prompt notice of any employment during the Severance Benefits Period and shall respond promptly to any reasonable inquiries concerning his professional activities. If the Company makes any overpayments of Severance Benefits, Executive shall promptly return any such overpayments to the Company and/or hereby authorizes deductions from future Severance Benefit amounts. The foregoing shall not create any obligation on the part of the Executive to seek re-employment after the Date of Termination.

 

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5. Section 409A .

(a) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if at the time of the Executive’s separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, the Company determines that the Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, then to the extent any payment or benefit that the Executive becomes entitled to under this Agreement on account of the Executive’s separation from service would be considered deferred compensation subject to the 20 percent additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A(a) of the Code as a result of the application of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such payment shall not be payable and such benefit shall not be provided until the date that is the earlier of (A) six months and one day after the Executive’s separation from service, or (B) the Executive’s death. If any such delayed cash payment is otherwise payable on an installment basis, the first payment shall include a catch-up payment covering amounts that would otherwise have been paid during the six-month period but for the application of this provision, and the balance of the installments shall be payable in accordance with their original schedule.

(b) All in-kind benefits provided and expenses eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall be provided by the Company or incurred by the Executive during the time periods set forth in this Agreement. All reimbursements shall be paid as soon as administratively practicable, but in no event shall any reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred. The amount of in-kind benefits provided or reimbursable expenses incurred in one taxable year shall not affect the in-kind benefits to be provided or the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year. Such right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(c) To the extent that any payment or benefit described in this Agreement constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code, and to the extent that such payment or benefit is payable upon the Executive’s termination of employment, then such payments or benefits shall be payable only upon the Executive’s “separation from service.” The determination of whether and when a separation from service has occurred shall be made in accordance with the presumptions set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h).

(d) The parties intend that this Agreement will be administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that any provision of this Agreement is ambiguous as to its compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the provision shall be read in such a manner so that all payments hereunder comply with Section 409A of the Code. The parties agree that this Agreement may be amended, as reasonably requested by either party, and as may be necessary to fully comply with Section 409A of the Code and all related rules and regulations in order to preserve the payments and benefits provided hereunder without additional cost to either party.

 

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(e) The Company makes no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to the Executive or any other person if any provisions of this Agreement are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code but do not satisfy an exemption from, or the conditions of, such Section.

6. Confidential Information, Noncompetition and Cooperation; Nondisparagement .

(a) Restrictive Covenant . As a condition of Executive’s employment and as a material term of this Agreement, the Executive agrees to comply with the Employee Confidentiality, Assignment and Noncompetition Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 1, the terms of which are hereby incorporated by reference into Section 6 of this Agreement.

(b) Litigation and Regulatory Cooperation . During and after the Executive’s employment, the Executive shall cooperate fully with the Company in the defense or prosecution of any claims or actions now in existence or which may be brought in the future against or on behalf of the Company which relate to events or occurrences that transpired while the Executive was employed by the Company, provided, that the Executive will not have an obligation under this paragraph with respect to any Claim in which the Executive has filed directly against the Company or related persons or entities. The Executive’s full cooperation in connection with such claims or actions shall include, but not be limited to, being available to meet with counsel to prepare for discovery or trial and to act as a witness on behalf of the Company at mutually convenient times. During and after the Executive’s employment, the Executive also shall cooperate fully with the Company in connection with any investigation or review of any federal, state or local regulatory authority as any such investigation or review relates to events or occurrences that transpired while the Executive was employed by the Company, provided the Executive will not have any obligation under this paragraph with respect to any claim in which the Executive has filed directly against the Company or related persons or entities. The Company shall reimburse the Executive for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Executive’s performance of obligations pursuant to this Section 6(b).

(c) Injunction; Termination of Post-employment Payments . The Executive agrees that it would be difficult to measure any damages caused to the Company which might result from any breach by the Executive of the promises set forth in this Section 6, including without limitation, any provision of Exhibit 1, and that in any event money damages would be an inadequate remedy for any such breach. Accordingly, the Executive agrees that if the Executive breaches, or proposes to breach, any portion of this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled, in addition to all other remedies that it may have, to an injunction or other appropriate equitable relief to restrain any such breach without showing or proving any actual damage to the Company. In addition to the foregoing, if the Executive breaches any of the provisions contained in Section 6 of this Agreement, the Company shall, in addition to all other rights and remedies, have the right to cease paying any payments or benefits pursuant to Section 4(b)) of this Agreement. Any such termination of payment or benefits shall have no effect on the Release or any of Executive’s post-employment obligations to the Company.

7. Indemnification . The Company and the Executive shall enter into an indemnification agreement in a form approved by the Board for the Company’s senior executives.

 

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8. Consent to Jurisdiction . To the extent that any court action is initiated to enforce this Agreement, the parties hereby consent to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accordingly, with respect to any such court action, the Executive (a) submits to the personal jurisdiction of such courts; (b) consents to service of process; and (c) waives any other requirement (whether imposed by statute, rule of court, or otherwise) with respect to personal jurisdiction or service of process.

9. Integration . This Agreement, along with Exhibit 1, the Equity Award Documents and any other option agreements between the Company and the Executive, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements between the parties concerning such subject matter herein.

10. Withholding . All payments made by the Company to the Executive under this Agreement shall be net of any tax or other amounts required to be withheld by the Company under applicable law. Nothing herein shall be construed to obligate the Company to design or implement any compensation arrangement in a way that minimizes tax consequences for Executive.

11. Successor to the Executive . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Executive’s personal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. In the event of the Executive’s death after his termination of employment but prior to the completion by the Company of all payments due him under this Agreement, the Company shall continue such payments to the Executive’s beneficiary designated in writing to the Company prior to his death (or to his estate, if the Executive fails to make such designation).

12. Enforceability . If any portion or provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, any portion or provision of any section of this Agreement) shall to any extent be declared illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such portion or provision in circumstances other than those as to which it is so declared illegal or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby, and each portion and provision of this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

13. Survival . The provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement and/or the termination of the Executive’s employment to the extent necessary to effectuate the terms contained herein.

14. Waiver . No waiver of any provision hereof shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by the waiving party. The failure of any party to require the performance of any term or obligation of this Agreement, or the waiver by any party of any breach of this Agreement, shall not prevent any subsequent enforcement of such term or obligation or be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach.

15. Notices . Any notices, requests, demands and other communications provided for by this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and delivered in person or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the Executive at the last address the Executive has filed in writing with the Company or, in the case of the Company, at its main offices, attention of the Board.

 

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16. Amendment . This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument signed by the Executive and by a duly authorized representative of the Company.

17. Governing Law . This is a Massachusetts contract and shall be construed under and be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles of such state. With respect to any disputes concerning federal law, such disputes shall be determined in accordance with the law as it would be interpreted and applied by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

18. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be taken to be an original; but such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same document.

19. Successor to Company . The Company shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain an assumption of this Agreement at or prior to the effectiveness of any succession shall be a material breach of this Agreement.

20. Gender Neutral . Wherever used herein, a pronoun in the masculine gender shall be considered as including the feminine gender unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement effective on the date and year first above written.

 

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

By:

 

/s/ Marc D. Beer

Its:

 

Chief Executive Officer

EXECUTIVE

/s/ William H. Lewis

William H. Lewis

October 5, 2010

Date

 

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Exhibit 1

AEGERION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Employee Confidentiality, Assignment and Noncompetition Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), I agree as follows:

1. Proprietary Information . I agree that all information, whether or not in writing, concerning the Company’s business, technology, business relationships or financial affairs which the Company has not released to the general public (collectively, “Proprietary Information”) is and will be the exclusive property of the Company. By way of illustration, Proprietary Information may include information or material which has not been made generally available to the public, such as: (a)  corporate information , including plans, strategies, methods, policies, resolutions, negotiations or litigation; (b)  marketing information , including strategies, methods, customer identities or other information about customers, prospect identities or other information about prospects, or market analyses or projections; (c)  financial information , including cost and performance data, debt arrangements, equity structure, investors and holdings, purchasing and sales data and price lists; and (d)  operational and technological information , including plans, specifications, manuals, forms, templates, software, designs, methods, procedures, formulas, discoveries, inventions, improvements, concepts and ideas; and (e)  personnel information , including personnel lists, reporting or organizational structure, resumes, personnel data, compensation structure, performance evaluations and termination arrangements or documents. Proprietary Information also includes information received in confidence by the Company from its customers or suppliers or other third parties.

2. Recognition of Company’s Rights . I will not, at any time, without the Company’s prior written permission, either during or after my employment, disclose any Proprietary Information to anyone outside of the Company, or use or permit to be used any Proprietary Information for any purpose other than the performance of my duties as an employee of the Company. I will cooperate with the Company and use my best efforts to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of all Proprietary Information. I will deliver to the Company all copies of Proprietary Information in my possession or control upon the earlier of a request by the Company or termination of my employment.

3. Rights of Others . I understand that the Company is now and may hereafter be subject to non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements with third persons which require the Company to protect or refrain from use of proprietary information. I agree to be bound by the terms of such agreements in the event I have access to such proprietary information.

4. Commitment to Company; Avoidance of Conflict of Interest . While an employee of the Company, I will devote my full-time efforts to the Company’s business and I will not engage in any other business activity that conflicts with my duties to the Company. I will advise the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at such time as any activity of either the Company or another business presents me with a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest as an employee of the Company. I will take whatever action is requested of me by the Company to resolve any conflict or appearance of conflict which it finds to exist.

5. Developments . I will make full and prompt disclosure to the Company of all inventions, discoveries, designs, developments, methods, modifications, improvements, processes, algorithms, databases, computer programs, formulae, techniques, trade secrets, graphics or images, and audio or visual works and other works of authorship, whether or not patentable or copyrightable, that are created, made, conceived or reduced to practice by me (alone or jointly with others) or under my direction during the period of my employment (collectively, the “Developments”). I acknowledge that all work performed by me is on a “work for hire” basis, and I hereby do assign and transfer and, to the extent any such assignment cannot be made at present, will assign and transfer, to the Company and its successors and assigns all my right, title and interest in all Developments that (a) relate to the business of the Company or any customer of the Company or any of the products or services being researched, developed, manufactured or sold by the Company or which may be used with such products or services; or (b) result from tasks assigned to me by the Company; or (c) result from the use of premises or personal property (whether tangible or intangible) owned, leased or contracted for by the Company (“Company-Related Developments”), and all related patents, patent applications, trademarks and trademark applications, copyrights and copyright applications, and other intellectual property rights in all countries and territories worldwide and under any international conventions (“Intellectual Property Rights”).

To preclude any possible uncertainty, I have set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto a complete list of Developments that I have, alone or jointly with others, conceived, developed or reduced to practice prior to the commencement of my employment with the Company that I consider to be my property or the property of third parties and that I wish to have excluded from the scope of this Agreement (“Prior Inventions”). If disclosure of any such Prior Invention would cause me to violate any prior confidentiality agreement, I understand that I am not to list such Prior Inventions in Exhibit A but am only to disclose a cursory name for each such invention, a listing of the party(ies) to whom it belongs and the fact that full disclosure as to such inventions has not been made for that reason. I have also listed on Exhibit A all patents and patent applications in which I am named as an inventor, other than those which have been assigned to the Company (“Other Patent Rights”). If no such disclosure is


attached, I represent that there are no Prior Inventions or Other Patent Rights. If, in the course of my employment with the Company, I incorporate a Prior Invention into a Company product, process or machine or other work done for the Company, I hereby grant to the Company a nonexclusive, royalty-free, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license (with the full right to sublicense) to make, have made, modify, use, sell, offer for sale and import such Prior Invention. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I will not incorporate, or permit to be incorporated, Prior Inventions in any Company-Related Development without the Company’s prior written consent.

This Agreement does not obligate me to assign to the Company any Development which, in the sole judgment of the Company, reasonably exercised, is developed entirely on my own time and does not relate to the business efforts or research and development efforts in which, during the period of my employment, the Company actually is engaged or reasonably would be engaged, and does not result from the use of premises or equipment owned or leased by the Company. However, I will also promptly disclose to the Company any such Developments for the purpose of determining whether they qualify for such exclusion. I understand that to the extent this Agreement is required to be construed in accordance with the laws of any state which precludes a requirement in an employee agreement to assign certain classes of inventions made by an employee, this paragraph 5 will be interpreted not to apply to any invention which a court rules and/or the Company agrees falls within such classes. I also hereby waive all claims to any moral rights or other special rights which I may have or accrue in any Company-Related Developments.

6. Documents and Other Materials . I will keep and maintain adequate and current records of all Proprietary Information and Company-Related Developments developed by me during my employment, which records will be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.

All files, letters, notes, memoranda, reports, records, data, sketches, drawings, notebooks, layouts, charts, quotations and proposals, specification sheets, or other written, photographic or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, whether created by me or others, which come into my custody or possession, are the exclusive property of the Company to be used by me only in the performance of my duties for the Company. Any property situated on the Company’s premises and owned by the Company, including without limitation computers, disks and other storage media, filing cabinets or other work areas, is subject to inspection by the Company at any time with or without notice. In the event of the termination of my employment for any reason, I will deliver to the Company all files, letters, notes, memoranda, reports, records, data, sketches, drawings, notebooks, layouts, charts, quotations and proposals, specification sheets, or other written, photographic or other tangible material containing Proprietary Information, and other materials of any nature pertaining to the Proprietary Information of the Company and to my work, and will not take or keep in my possession any of the foregoing or any copies.

7. Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights . I will cooperate fully with the Company, both during and after my employment with the Company, with respect to the procurement, maintenance and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Company-Related Developments. I will sign, both during and after the term of this Agreement, all papers, including without limitation copyright applications, patent applications, declarations, oaths, assignments of priority rights, and powers of attorney, which the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Company-Related Development. If the Company is unable, after reasonable effort, to secure my signature on any such papers, I hereby irrevocably designate and appoint each officer of the Company as my agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any such papers on my behalf, and to take any and all actions as the Company may deem necessary or desirable in order to protect its rights and interests in any Company-Related Development.

8. Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation . In order to protect the Company’s Proprietary Information and good will, during my employment and for a period of twelve (12) months following the termination of my employment for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), I will not directly or indirectly, whether as owner, partner, shareholder, director, manager, consultant, agent, employee, co-venturer or otherwise, engage, participate or invest in any business activity anywhere in the world that develops, manufactures or markets any products, or performs any services, that are competitive with the products or services of the Company, or products or services that the Company or its affiliates, has under development or that are the subject of active planning at any time during my employment; provided that this shall not prohibit any possible investment in publicly traded stock of a company representing less than one percent of the stock of such company. In addition, during the Restricted Period, I will not, directly or indirectly, in any manner, other than for the benefit of the Company, (a) call upon, solicit, divert, take away, accept or conduct any business from or with any of the customers or prospective customers of the Company or any of its suppliers, and/or (b) solicit, entice, attempt to persuade any other employee or consultant of the Company to leave the Company for any reason. I acknowledge and agree that if I violate any of the provisions of this paragraph 8, the running of the Restricted Period will be extended by the time during which I engage in such violation(s).

9. Government Contracts . I acknowledge that the Company may have from time to time agreements with other persons or with the United States Government or its agencies which impose obligations or restrictions on the Company regarding inventions made during the course of work under such agreements or regarding the confidential nature of such work. I agree to comply with any such obligations or restrictions upon the direction of the Company. In addition to the rights assigned under paragraph 5, I also assign to the Company (or any of its nominees) all rights which I have or acquired in any Developments, full title to which is required to be in the United States under any contract between the Company and the United States or any of its agencies.

 

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10. Prior Agreements . I hereby represent that, except as I have fully disclosed previously in writing to the Company, I am not bound by the terms of any agreement with any previous employer or other party to refrain from using or disclosing any trade secret or confidential or proprietary information in the course of my employment with the Company or to refrain from competing, directly or indirectly, with the business of such previous employer or any other party. I further represent that my performance of all the terms of this Agreement as an employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement to keep in confidence proprietary information, knowledge or data acquired by me in confidence or in trust prior to my employment with the Company. I will not disclose to the Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary information or material belonging to any previous employer or others.

11. Remedies Upon Breach . I understand that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are necessary for the protection of the business and goodwill of the Company and I consider them to be reasonable for such purpose. Any breach of this Agreement is likely to cause the Company substantial and irrevocable damage and therefore, in the event of such breach, the Company, in addition to such other remedies which may be available, will be entitled to seek specific performance and other injunctive relief, without the posting of a bond. If I violate this Agreement, in addition to all other remedies available to the Company at law, in equity, and under contract, I agree that I am obligated to pay all the Company’s costs of enforcement of this Agreement, including attorneys’ fees and expenses.

12. Use of Voice, Image and Likeness . During the period of my employment, I give the Company permission to use any and all of my voice, image and likeness, with or without using my name, in connection with the products and/or services of the Company, for the purposes of advertising and promoting such products and/or services and/or the Company, and/or for other purposes deemed appropriate by the Company in its reasonable discretion, except to the extent expressly prohibited by law.

13. Publications and Public Statements . I will obtain the Company’s written approval before publishing or submitting for publication any material that relates to my work at the Company and/or incorporates any Proprietary Information.

14. No Employment Obligation . I understand that this Agreement does not create an obligation on the Company or any other person to continue my employment. I acknowledge that, unless otherwise agreed in a formal written employment agreement signed on behalf of the Company by an authorized officer, my employment with the Company is at will and therefore may be terminated by the Company or me at any time and for any reason, with or without cause.

15. Survival and Assignment by the Company . I understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue in accordance with its express terms regardless of any changes in my title, position, duties, salary, compensation or benefits or other terms and conditions of employment. I further understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue following the termination of my employment regardless of the manner of such termination and will be binding upon my heirs, executors and administrators. The Company will have the right to assign this Agreement to its affiliates, successors and assigns. I expressly consent to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement for the benefit of the Company or any parent, subsidiary or affiliate to whose employ I may be transferred without the necessity that this Agreement be resigned at the time of such transfer.

16. Updating Information to the Company; Disclosure to Future Employers . For twelve (12) months following termination of my employment, I will (i) notify the Company of any change in my address and of each subsequent employment or business activity, including the name and address of my employer or other post-Company employment plans and the nature of my activities, and (ii) provide a copy of this Agreement to any prospective employer, partner or coventurer prior to entering into an employment, partnership or other business relationship with such person or entity.

17. Severability . In case any provisions (or portions thereof) contained in this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein. If, moreover, any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, it shall be construed by limiting and reducing it, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with the applicable law as it shall then appear.

18. Interpretation . This Agreement will be deemed to be made and entered into in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and will in all respects be interpreted, enforced and governed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I hereby agree to consent to personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts situated within Suffolk County, Massachusetts for purposes of enforcing this Agreement, and waive any objection that I might have to personal jurisdiction or venue in those courts.

 

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I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS AGREEMENT AFFECTS IMPORTANT RIGHTS. BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ IT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:

 

/s/ William H. Lewis

      (Employee’s full name)  

Type or print name: William H. Lewis

 

Date:

 

10/5/10

 


EXHIBIT A

 

To:

  Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ,

From:

 

 

Date:

 

 

SUBJECT:             Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

  No inventions or improvements  
  See below:  
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
  Additional sheets attached  

The following is a list of all patents and patent applications in which I have been named as an inventor:

  None  
  See below:  
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

Exhibit 21.1

List of Subsidiaries

None

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” and to the use of our report dated August 9, 2010 (except for the paragraph under the caption “Common Stock Split” within Note 1, as to which the date is October     , 2010), in Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement (Form S-1 No. 333-168721) and related Prospectus of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for registration of shares of its common stock.

Ernst & Young LLP

MetroPark, New Jersey

October     , 2010

 

The foregoing consent is in the form that will be signed upon the completion of the reverse stock split of the common stock of the Company as described under the caption “Common Stock Split” within Note 1 to the financial statements.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

MetroPark, New Jersey

October 7, 2010

Exhibit 23.3

Consent of L.E.K. Consulting LLC

L.E.K. Consulting LLC (“L.E.K.”) hereby consents to the use of L.E.K.’s name, and the statements attributed to L.E.K., in the Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement of Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 7, 2010 (the “Amendment No. 2”), and all amendments thereto, provided that any modifications to the use of L.E.K.’s name or the statements attributed to L.E.K. shall be subject to the prior consent of L.E.K.

 

L.E.K. Consulting LLC

By:

 

/s/ Shuba Satyaprasad

Name:

  Shuba Satyaprasad

Title:

  Internal Counsel

October 6, 2010

Boston, MA