UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 8, 2021

 

 

APPLIED GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-36370   59-3553710

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification Number)

14193 NW 119th Terrace

Suite 10

Alachua, Florida, 32165

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(386) 462-2204

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading

Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange

on which registered

Common Stock, $0.001 par value   AGTC   Nasdaq Global Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ☐

 

 

 


Item 5.02.

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

On September 8, 2021, Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (the “Company”) announced the appointment of Jonathan I. Lieber, 52, as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer beginning on September 20, 2021. On September 3, 2021, the Company entered into an offer letter with Mr. Lieber (the “Offer Letter”). Pursuant to the Offer Letter, Mr. Lieber’s employment with the Company will be on an at-will basis, he will be paid an annual base salary of $416,000 and he will be eligible for an annual bonus targeted at 40% of his base salary. The Company will also award Mr. Lieber a signing bonus of $100,000, provided that, in the event of Mr. Lieber’s termination by the Company for Cause (as defined in the Offer Letter) or by Mr. Lieber voluntarily, Mr. Lieber will be required to return the full amount of the signing bonus if such termination occurs within one year of his start date and 50% of the signing bonus if such termination occurs more than one year but less than two years following his start date. In connection with his start date, Mr. Lieber will be awarded an option to purchase 202,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, subject to his continued employment with the Company, which will vest over four years, with 25% vesting after the first anniversary of the grant date. Mr. Lieber will be required to enter into the Company’s standard Nondisclosure, Inventions and Non-Competition Agreement. In connection with his appointment, the Company will also enter into an employment agreement with Mr. Lieber. Upon the execution of such employment agreement, a copy of the employment agreement will be filed as an exhibit in an amendment to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Provided that he has been employed for at least one month, Mr. Lieber will be eligible to receive certain severance benefits in connection with a termination of his employment by the Company without Cause or by Mr. Lieber for Good Reason (as defined in the Offer Letter), in each case, subject to execution of a mutually acceptable release and settlement agreement. If such termination occurs, Mr. Lieber shall be entitled to receive nine months of his then current base salary, including the amount of any earned bonus and the Company portion of COBRA premiums.

From December 2018 through September 2021, Jonathan Lieber was managing director of Danforth Advisors, a biotech financing and accounting advisory firm. In connection with his service at Danforth Advisors, Mr. Lieber served as interim chief financial officer for a number of companies, including Histogenics Corporation from December 2018 through September 2019, Entera Bio from November 2019 through April 2020, ENYO Pharma SA from May 2019 through September 2021, Checkmate Pharmaceuticals from May 2019 through December 2020, Turnstone Biologics from February 2021 through September 2021, Prime Medicine Inc. from December 2019 through September 2021, Organovo Holdings, Inc. from May 2021 through September 2021, and Cognito Therapeutics from May 2021 through September 2021. Mr. Lieber previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Histogenics Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of restorative cell therapies, from June 2015 through December 2018. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Metamark Genetics, Inc., a privately held, urology-focused, molecular diagnostics company, from January 2014 to June 2015. From September 2012 to September 2013, Mr. Lieber served as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Repligen Corporation, a manufacturer and supplier of high-value consumables to the life sciences industry. From June 2009 to May 2012, Mr. Lieber served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Xcellerex, Inc., a privately-held company engaged in the manufacture and sale of capital equipment and related consumables to the biopharmaceutical industry. Since June 2020, Mr. Lieber has served on the board of directors of Salarius Pharmaceuticals, a cancer-focused biotechnology company. Mr. Lieber received an M.B.A. in finance from the Stern School of Business of New York University and a B.S. in business administration and finance from Boston University.

The foregoing summary of the Offer Letter is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

A press release regarding the appointment of Mr. Lieber as Chief Financial Officer is filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

 

2


Exhibit No.   

Description

10.1    Offer Letter, dated as of September 3, 2021, by and between the Company and Jonathan I. Lieber.
99.1    Press release dated September  8, 2021, entitled “AGTC is Excited to Announce Seasoned Healthcare Financial and Operations Executive Jonathan I. Lieber as their new Chief Financial Officer.”

 

3


SIGNATURES

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

 

APPLIED GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
By:   /s/ Stephen W. Potter
  Stephen W. Potter
  Chief Business Officer

Date: September 8, 2021

 

4

Exhibit 10.1

 

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July 27, 2021

 

Jon Lieber

 

Dear Jon,

 

Thank you for managing your way through the rather comprehensive interview process here at Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (the “Company” or “AGTC”). Throughout that process, you have demonstrated the professional competence and collaborative spirit that we look for in every employee. As a result, I am very pleased to offer you a position as our Chief Financial Officer. The terms of our offer are as follows:

 

Start Date and Responsibilities:

 

It is anticipated that your employment will commence at a time mutually agreed upon by you and the Company. As our Chief Financial Officer you will be responsible for (i) cultivating a collaborative and strategic partnership with all members of the Executive Leadership Team and participate in all key business decisions, (ii) work with the senior management team to develop and regularly update AGTC’s Strategic Plan and lead the long-range financial planning, capitalization strategies, budgeting and forecasting process, ensuring the financial plans and processes implemented are aligned with the company’s overall strategy and goals; including analyze of the financial feasibility of company programs to provide future value, (iii) provide strategic recommendations to enhance performance based on financial analysis and projections, cost identification and allocation, revenue/expense analysis and profit optimization. All your duties are to be performed and discharged, faithfully, diligently and to the best of your ability and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

 

Compensation:

 

We are pleased to offer you $100,000 as a sign-on bonus. Your bonus, 50% paid with your 1st payroll disbursement, and 50% paid at the end of your first year, will be less applicable deductions, taxes, and other amounts required by federal and state laws. If you voluntarily terminate your employment with the Company or the Company terminates your employment with Cause at any time prior to one (1) year after the commencement of your employment with the Company (your “Hire Date”) you will be obligated to repay to the Company, the entire amount of the bonus. If you voluntarily terminate your employment with the Company or the Company terminates your employment with Cause at any time prior to two (2) years after the commencement of your employment with the Company (your “Hire Date”) you will be obligated to repay to the Company, 50% of the amount of the bonus. In furtherance of this condition and as a condition to your employment with the Company, you will be required to execute a Promissory Note in favor of the Company in an amount equal to the signing bonus.

 

As a full-time, exempt employee, you will receive $17,334.00 per pay period ($416,000 annualized), to be paid in accordance with AGTC’s standard payroll practice. Currently, our payroll is paid on a semi-monthly basis.    


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In addition to your base salary, you will be eligible for an annual bonus targeted at forty percent (40%) of your base salary. Bonus eligibility and amounts are discretionary and determined based upon periodic assessments of operational and behavioral performance and the achievement of specific individual and corporate objectives. Furthermore, please note that (i) you must be an employee at the time of the scheduled bonus payment to receive the bonus, and (ii) the determination of whether a bonus is paid in any given year is subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Your net compensation will be less applicable deductions, taxes, and other amounts required by federal and state laws.

 

Stock Options:

 

Effective as of the first day of your employment, subject to compensation committee approval, the Company will grant you stock option to purchase 202,000 shares of AGTC common stock at a purchase price equal to the closing price of AGTC’s common stock on your start date. The option will be subject to the provisions of AGTC’s 2013 Equity and Incentive Plan and the Stock Option Award Agreement to be entered into by you and AGTC following the grant, which in relevant part will require that such option (i) vests over a period of four years, with an initial one-year cliff; (ii) expires 10 years from the grant date; and (iii) may be exercised (as to the vested portion) for ninety (90) days following the termination of your employment.

 

Benefits:

 

You will be eligible to participate in AGTC’s employee benefits in the same manner provided generally to AGTC’s full-time employees, which includes options for health, dental/vision, disability and life insurance as well as a 401(k) savings plan (with a Company match of up to 4% of per pay period base salary). The Company’s benefit program is managed by our leasing agent Insperity. For your medical, and/or dental/vision benefits there is no waiting period and they are effective on your hire date. A package describing these benefits will be provided to you on or before your start date.

 

Paid Time Off:

 

Initially, you will be entitled to twenty (20) days of Paid Time Off (“PTO”) and will accrue on a semi-monthly basis and may be used as soon as it is earned in your first full year of employment. You will receive one additional day per year for each full year of employment based on your anniversary date, up to a maximum of thirty (30) days. This time is for you to use as needed for vacation, family business, sick days or other necessary time away from work. Such leave may be accumulated over three years, with a maximum carryover of forty-five (45) days from fiscal year to fiscal year. If your employment terminates for any reason whatsoever, you shall be entitled to receive, in addition to any unpaid salary, any unused PTO accrued to the date of your termination of employment but not to exceed forty-five (45) days.

 

Proprietary Information and Inventions:

 

You will be required to sign a Proprietary Information, Inventions and Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement (“PIIA”) on or before your first day of work. The PIIA obligates you not to disclose confidential or proprietary information you may learn during your employment with AGTC, to assign to AGTC rights in inventions or other intellectual property developed in the course of your employment and not to solicit employees or business away from, or engage in competition against, AGTC for a period of one year following any termination of your employment.


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The Company has the right to modify, amend or terminate any such plans and programs described in this letter, as well as its Employee Handbook, at any time at its sole discretion.

 

Travel Expenses

 

The Company will reimburse you for all reasonable and necessary traveling expenses and other disbursements actually incurred by you for or on behalf of the Company in the performance of your duties during your employment. This includes qualified transportation reimbursement for a transit pass and/or qualified parking up to $400/month, minus applicable taxes for amounts above the allowable IRS monthly limit. As with other employees, you shall be required to submit to the Company every two weeks reports of claims of such expenses and disbursements for approval and reimbursement by the Company.

 

Education Reimbursement

 

Additionally, on a case by case basis we will review Company reimbursement for educational expenses. In cases where your educational courses are mutually beneficial to the Company, the Company will reimburse you for up to one class that you successfully complete per semester.

 

Conditions of Employment

 

As you are aware, your employment by the Company is intended to be full-time employment and you will be required to devote all your working time to the business of the Company and not to engage in any other business or private services to any other business either as an employee, officer, director, agent, contractor or consultant, except with the express written consent of the Company. It is currently understood that you are a board member of Salarius Pharmaceuticals. You will hold in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of the Company, all information with respect to the Company’s finances, sales, profits, and other proprietary and confidential information acquired by you during your employment. In furtherance of this condition of your employment, the Company requires that you sign the Nondisclosure, Inventions and Non-Competition Agreement enclosed with this letter.

 

This letter agreement is not intended to and it does not create any employment contract for any specified term or duration between you and the Company. Your employment with the Company is terminable at any time, by yourself upon two weeks written notice, or by the Company upon two weeks written notice or payment of salary in lieu thereof. Your employment may also be terminated for cause by the Company at any time without advance written notice. “Cause” is defined for purposes of your employment as including (but it is not limited to) any of the following:

 

•  Your failure to effectively carry out your duties and responsibilities, as evaluated and determined by the Company in its absolute discretion;

 

•  Violation of requirements of this letter, the Employee Manual, or any provision of an applicable code of conduct or ethics;


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•  Conduct which, in the Company’s determination, causes embarrassment or loss of credibility to the Company, its employees, products or services, or the position that you hold, or which causes the Board to lose confidence in you.

 

•  Conduct which, in the Company’s determination, violates the Nondisclosure, Inventions and Non-Competition Agreement, or which involves dishonesty, moral turpitude, or misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this letter agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean:

 

•  Either before or after a Change in Control, a requirement that you either (i) perform the majority of your services to the Company in any location beyond a fifty (50) mile radius of Cambridge, Massachusetts; and/or (ii) relocate your residence beyond a fifty (50) mile radius of Newton, Massachusetts;

 

•  Upon the sale of all or substantially all of the stock or assets of the Company, whether by merger, acquisition or otherwise, the successor company does not offer you a position with substantially equivalent responsibilities; and/or

 

•  Upon the sale of all or substantially all of the stock or assets of the Company, whether by merger, acquisition or otherwise, the successor company does not offer you a position with total compensation and benefits at least equivalent to those you received from the Company immediately prior to such sale.

 

Assuming that you have effectively worked in your new position for a period of at least one month, then if your employment is terminated because either (A) the Company terminates your employment without Cause or (B) you terminate your employment for Good Reason (and provided that you execute and do not revoke a Release and Settlement Agreement in the form reasonably acceptable to the Company and you), you will be entitled to receive an amount equal to nine months’ of your then-base salary; to include base salary and bonus earned (less all applicable deductions), plus the Company’s payment of the Company portion of the premium for benefits that you continue pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Benefits Reconciliation Act of 1984, as amended, payable in a lump sum or as otherwise agreed to by you and the Company.

 

Upon termination of your employment with the Company and prior to your departure from the Company, you agree to submit to an exit interview for the purposes of reviewing this letter agreement, the Nondisclosure, Inventions and Non-Competition Agreement and the trade secrets of the Company, and surrendering to the Company all proprietary or confidential information and articles belonging to the Company.

 

By your signature below, you represent and warrant to the Company that you are not subject to any employment, non-competition or other similar agreement that would prevent or interfere with the Company’s employment of you on the terms set forth herein.    


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This letter agreement, the Nondisclosure, Inventions and Non-Competition Agreement and all ancillary agreements (collectively, the “Agreements”) shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. The Agreements constitute the entire agreement between the Company and you and supersede any and all previous oral or written representation, communication, understanding or agreement between us. Any and all changes or amendments to the Agreements shall be made in writing and signed by the parties.

 

Upon acceptance of this offer you and the Company will negotiate and enter into an Executive Compensation Agreement that will further define your terms of employment.

 

Additional Company Policies:

 

Upon joining AGTC as an employee, you will become subject to all of the Company’s policies and procedures, which will be presented to you during your onboarding process. These policies include AGTC’s Code of Ethics and its Insider Trading Policy. Any failure by you to abide by the Company’s internal policies shall be considered material misconduct. AGTC is a drug free workplace and therefore, you will also be required to submit to a drug screening prior to your start date as part of the background check process. Authorization for this screening will be sent to you separately.

 

Acknowledgement:

 

This offer is contingent upon satisfactory completion of reference and background checks. In accepting this offer, you give us your assurance that you have not relied on any agreements, promises or representations, express or implied, with respect to your employment that are not set forth expressly in this letter. You also acknowledge that the Company reserves the right to modify, amend or terminate the Company policies, plans and programs described in this letter at any time at its sole discretion. This letter sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between you and AGTC with respect to the subject matter hereof, will supersede all prior oral or written agreements relating to such matters. If this letter correctly sets forth our agreement on the subject matter hereof, kindly sign and return to AGTC the enclosed copy of this letter.

 

This offer is valid through September 10, 2021

 

Again, it is with great pleasure that I offer you this position at AGTC. The Company is delighted with the prospect of your joining our team and hopes that you accept this offer. We have exciting and challenging work ahead of us . . . and I believe that you will be an excellent addition to our team!

 

Sincerely,

 

/s/ Sue Washer

 

Sue Washer

President & CEO

 

Consented to and Agreed:

 

    

/s/ Jon Lieber                                                                                                      September, 3 2021

 

Jon Lieber                                                                                                            Date

Exhibit 99.1

AGTC is Excited to Announce Seasoned Healthcare Financial and Operations Executive Jonathan I. Lieber as their new Chief Financial Officer

September 8, 2021

GAINESVILLE, Fla. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 8, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: AGTC), a biotechnology company conducting human clinical trials of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies for the treatment of rare retinal diseases, today announced Jonathan I. Lieber as their new Chief Financial Officer.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Lieber to the AGTC team” said Sue Washer, President and CEO of AGTC. “He’s a seasoned financial and operations executive with valuable experience in the healthcare sector, making him a great addition to the AGTC team. We are excited to see his strategic perspective and apply it to our operational planning.”

Mr. Lieber brings 30 years of experience as a both CFO for emerging growth public and private life sciences companies and an investment banker. In his role as a CFO, Mr. Lieber has led numerous capital raises and had responsibility for financial reporting and regulatory compliance. He has developed relationships with investors, and provided strategic counsel to C-suite executives and Boards of Directors to support strategic planning, business development, and investor relations activities.

“I’m excited to become a part of the exciting work that AGTC is doing in the gene therapy world,” said Mr. Lieber. “AGTC’s work is leading the way to meet an unmet medical need in the ophthalmology community, and I’m thrilled that I have the opportunity to help AGTC execute on its future plans.”

About AGTC

AGTC is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing genetic therapies for people with rare and debilitating ophthalmic, otologic and central nervous system (CNS) diseases. AGTC is a leader in designing and constructing all critical gene therapy elements and bringing them together to develop customized therapies that address real patient needs. AGTC’s most advanced clinical programs leverage its best-in-class technology platform to potentially improve vision for patients with an inherited retinal disease. AGTC has active clinical trials in X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) and achromatopsia (ACHM CNGB3 and ACHM CNGA3). Its preclinical programs build on the Company’s industry leading AAV manufacturing technology and scientific expertise. AGTC is advancing multiple important pipeline candidates to address substantial unmet clinical need in optogenetics, otology and CNS disorders. In recent years AGTC has entered into strategic partnerships with companies including Otonomy, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics for neurotology, and Bionic Sight, LLC, an innovator in the emerging field of optogenetics and retinal coding.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect AGTC’s plans, estimates, assumptions and beliefs, including statements about the potential of the Company’s late-stage development programs in X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP) and Achromatopsia (ACHM). Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations, financial guidance, business strategies and operations, preclinical and clinical


product development and regulatory progress, potential growth opportunities, potential market opportunities, the effects of competition and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact on its ability to obtain the raw materials necessary to conduct its clinical trials. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “should,” “will,” “would” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, due to a number of important factors. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include, among others: gene therapy is still novel with only a few approved treatments so far; AGTC cannot predict when or if it will obtain regulatory approval to commercialize a product candidate or receive reasonable reimbursement; uncertainty inherent in clinical trials and the regulatory review process; risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization; the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations, and financial condition; factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports we have filed with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent management’s plans, estimates, assumptions and beliefs only as of the date of this release. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Corporate Contact:

Stephen Potter

Chief Business Officer

Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation

T: (617) 413-2754

spotter@agtc.com