NASDAQ false 0001205922 0001205922 2022-01-27 2022-01-27

 

 

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): January 27, 2022

 

 

Vaccinex, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-38624   16-1603202

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

1895 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, New York   14620
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (585) 271-2700

(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:

 

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, par value $0.0001 per share   VCNX   Nasdaq Capital 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 1.01

Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

As previously announced, on January 27, 2022, Vaccinex, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a stock purchase agreement (as amended, the “Stock Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the investors named therein an aggregate of 5,945,943 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”), at a purchase price of $1.11 per Share. On January 31, 2022, the Stock Purchase Agreement was amended, pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to additional investors, and the additional investors (together with the original investors, the “Investors”) agreed to purchase from the Company, on the same terms and conditions, an aggregate of 2,801,801 shares of Common Stock. The closing of the sale of shares under the Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Private Placement”) occurred on January 31, 2022, and the Company issued an aggregate of 8,747,744 shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”) with aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $9.7 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement to fund the ongoing development of its lead drug candidate, pepinemab, in cancer and neurodegenerative disease and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Stock Purchase Agreement contains customary representations and warranties of the parties. Pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Company also agreed to grant certain of the Investors rights to participate in future offerings of Common Stock for 18 months following the closing of the Private Placement.

Several of the Investors are affiliated with directors or officers of the Company: Vaccinex (Rochester), L.L.C., which is controlled by Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D., the Company’s president, chief executive officer and a member of its board of directors; Friedberg Global-Macro Hedge Fund Ltd., the investment manager of which is an entity controlled by Albert D. Friedberg, chairman of the Company’s board of directors; FCMI Parent Co., which is controlled by Mr. Friedberg; and Benbow Estates Ltd., which is controlled by Jacob Frieberg, one of the Company’s directors.

The sale of the Shares was not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the Shares were issued and sold in a private placement pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the 1933 Act. Each of the Investors represented that it is an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501 of Regulation D, and was acquiring the Shares for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understanding with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Shares. The Shares were offered and sold without any general solicitation by the Company or its representatives.

In connection with Closing, on January 31, 2022, the Company entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with certain of the Investors that affords such Investors certain registration rights with respect to the Shares. Under the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company agreed, among other things, to use its reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC a registration statement covering the resale of the Investors’ Shares within 75 calendar days from the closing of the Private Placement and commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective on or prior to 105 calendar days from the closing date. In addition, the Company agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the registration statement effective until the Shares have been sold thereunder or can be sold without restriction. If the Company fails to meet the specified deadlines for the effectiveness of the registration statement, the Company will be required to pay liquidated damages to the Investors. In addition, those Investors are entitled to certain “piggy-back” registration rights that may require the Company to effect certain registrations to register the Shares for resale in the event that no registration statement registering the Shares is effective and the Company is otherwise filing a registration statement under the 1933 Act. The Registration Rights Agreement also contains certain indemnification and contribution provisions under which the Company and the Investors have agreed to indemnify each other against certain liabilities.

 

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The foregoing summaries of the Stock Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement are subject to and qualified in their entirety by the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and Exhibit 10.2, respectively, and are incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 3.02

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The information contained in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference into this Item 3.02. Neither this Current Report on Form 8-K nor any of the exhibits attached hereto is an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company.

 

Item 8.01

Other Events.

On January 27, 2022, the Company issued a press release, before taking into account the effect of the amendment to increase the shares sold in the Private Placement, announcing the Private Placement and the prior sale of approximately $3.5 million of shares of Common Stock under the Company’s previously disclosed Open Market Sales AgreementTM with Jefferies LLC. The press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

The following exhibits are filed herewith:

 

Exhibit Number

  

Exhibit Description

10.1    Stock Purchase Agreement by and between the Company and the Investors (as defined therein), dated as of January 27, 2022, Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement by and between the Company and the Investors signatory thereto, dated as of January 31, 2022, and Joinders by and between the Company and the Additional Investors signatory thereto, dated as of January 31, 2022
10.2    Registration Rights Agreement by and between the Company and the Investors (as defined therein), dated as of January 31, 2022
99.1    Press Release dated January 27, 2022
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

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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 hereunto duly authorized.

 

    Vaccinex, Inc.
Date: January 31, 2022     By:  

/s/ Scott E. Royer

      Scott E. Royer
      Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 10.1

Execution Version

 

 

 

STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 

 


Table of Contents

 

         Page  

Section 1.

  Purchase and Sale of Common Stock      1  

1.1

  Sale and Issuance of the Shares      1  

1.2

  Closing; Delivery      1  

1.3

  Defined Terms Used in this Agreement      2  

1.4

  Construction      4  

Section 2.

  Representations and Warranties of the Company      4  

2.1

  Organization, Good Standing and Qualification      4  

2.2

  Authorization      4  

2.3

  Capitalization      5  

2.4

  Valid Issuance      5  

2.5

  Consents      5  

2.6

  Use of Proceeds      5  

2.7

  No Material Adverse Change      5  

2.8

  SEC Filings      6  

2.9

  No Conflict, Breach, Violation or Default      7  

2.10

  Tax Matters      7  

2.11

  Title to Properties      7  

2.12

  Certificates, Authorities and Permits      7  

2.13

  Labor Matters      8  

2.14

  Intellectual Property      8  

2.15

  Tests and Preclinical and Clinical Trials      8  

2.16

  Environmental Matters      8  

2.17

  Legal Proceedings      9  

2.18

  Financial Statements      9  

2.19

  Insurance      9  

2.20

  Nasdaq Listing      9  

2.21

  No Directed Selling Efforts or General Solicitation      9  

2.22

  No Integrated Offering      9  

2.23

  Private Placement      10  

2.24

  Foreign Corrupt Practices      10  

2.25

  Transactions with Affiliates      10  

2.26

  Internal Controls      10  

2.27

  Regulation M Compliance      10  

2.28

  No Bad Actors      11  

2.29

  Investment Company      11  

Section 3.

  Representations and Warranties of the Investors      11  

3.1

  Organization      11  

3.2

  Authorization      11  


3.3

  Purchase Entirely for Own Account      11  

3.4

  Investment Experience      11  

3.5

  Disclosure of Information      12  

3.6

  Restricted Securities      12  

3.7

  Legends      12  

3.8

  Accredited Investor      12  

3.9

  No General Solicitation      12  

3.10

  Short Sales and Confidentiality Prior to the Date Hereof      13  

3.11

  No Government Recommendation or Approval      13  

3.12

  No Conflicts      13  

3.13

  Residency      13  

3.14

  Financial Capability      14  

Section 4.

  Covenants      14  

4.1

  Legend Removal      14  

4.2

  Short Sales and Confidentiality After the Date Hereof      15  

4.3

  Participation Rights      15  

Section 5.

  Conditions to Closing      17  

5.1

  Conditions to the Investors’ Obligations      17  

5.2

  Conditions to Obligations of the Company      18  

5.3

  Termination of Obligations to Effect Closing; Effects      18  

Section 6.

  Miscellaneous      19  

6.1

  Successors and Assigns      19  

6.2

  Governing Law      19  

6.3

  Counterparts      19  

6.4

  Titles and Subtitles      19  

6.5

  Notices      19  

6.6

  Expenses      19  

6.7

  Waiver      20  

6.8

  Amendments      20  

6.9

  Severability      20  

6.10

  Entire Agreement      20  

6.11

  Specific Enforcement      20  

6.12

  Exclusive Jurisdiction; Venue      21  

6.13

  Publicity      21  

6.14

  Survival      21  

6.15

  Waiver of Jury Trial      21  

 

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STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

THIS STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), is made as of January 27, 2022, by and between Vaccinex, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Investors identified on Exhibit A (each an “Investor” and collectively the “Investors”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company and the Investors are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by the provisions of Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act (as defined below) and Rule 506 of Regulation D (“Regulation D”) as promulgated by the SEC (as defined below) under the 1933 Act;

WHEREAS, the Investors wish to, severally and not jointly, purchase from the Company, and the Company wishes to sell and issue to the Investors, upon the terms and subject to the conditions stated in this Agreement, an aggregate of 5,945,943 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”); and

WHEREAS, contemporaneously with the sale of the Shares, the parties hereto, other than the Specified Investors (as defined below), will execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company will agree to provide certain registration rights in respect of the Shares under the 1933 Act.

The parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Purchase and Sale of Common Stock.

1.1 Sale and Issuance of the Shares. On the Closing Date (as defined below), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company will sell and issue, and the Investors will purchase, severally and not jointly, for a price per Share of $1.11, the number of Shares set forth opposite the name of such Investor under the heading “Number of Shares to be Purchased” on Exhibit A attached hereto.

1.2 Closing; Delivery.

(a) Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 5, the completion of the purchase and sale of the Shares (the “Closing”) shall occur remotely via exchange of documents and signatures at a time (the “Closing Date”) determined by the Company and of which the Investors will be notified at least two days in advance by the Company but (i) in no event earlier than the second Business Day after the date hereof and (ii) in no event later than the fifth Business Day after the date hereof, or as otherwise agreed to by the Company and the Investors.


(b) On the Closing Date, each Investor shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, via wire transfer of immediately available funds pursuant to the wire instructions delivered to such Investor by the Company on or prior to the Closing Date, an amount equal to the purchase price to be paid by the Investor for the Shares to be acquired by it as set forth opposite the name of such Investor under the heading “Aggregate Purchase Price of Shares” on Exhibit A attached hereto.

(c) At the Closing or within one Trading Day thereof, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Investor a number of Shares, registered in the name of the Investor (or its nominee in accordance with its delivery instructions), equal to the number of Shares set forth opposite the name of such Investor under the heading “Number of Shares to be Purchased” on Exhibit A attached hereto. The Shares shall be delivered via a book-entry record through the Company’s transfer agent.

1.3 Defined Terms Used in this Agreement. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, the following terms used in this Agreement shall be construed to have the meanings set forth or referenced below.

(a) “1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(b) “1934 Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(c) “Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person which directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries Controls, is controlled by, or is under common Control with such Person.

(d) “Business Day” means any day except Saturday, Sunday and any legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York generally are authorized or required by law or other governmental actions to close.

(e) “Company Covered Person” means, with respect to the Company as an “issuer” for purposes of Rule 506 promulgated under the 1933 Act, any Person listed in the first paragraph of Rule 506(d)(1).

(f) “Companys Knowledge” means the actual knowledge of the executive officers (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) of the Company.

(g) “Control” (including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” or “under common control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

(h) “Material Adverse Effect” means any fact, circumstance, change, event, occurrence or effect that, individually, or in the aggregate with any such other facts, circumstances, changes, events, occurrences or effects, would have, or would reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse effect on the financial condition, business, properties, assets, liabilities, or results of operations of the Company, taken as a whole.

 

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(i) “Material Contract” means any contract, instrument or other agreement to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound that has been filed or was required to have been filed as an exhibit to the SEC Filings (as defined below) pursuant to Item 601(b)(4) or Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K.

(j) “Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Capital Market.

(k) “Person” means any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, company or other entity, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

(l) “Principal Trading Market” means the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is primarily listed on and quoted for trading, which, as of the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date, shall be the Nasdaq Capital Market.

(m) “SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

(n) “Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the 1934 Act (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock).

(o) “Specified Investors” means Friedberg Global-Macro Hedge Fund Ltd., Vaccinex (Rochester), L.L.C., and Benbow Estates Ltd..

(p) “Trading Day” means (i) a day on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and traded on its Principal Trading Market (other than the OTC Bulletin Board, OTCQX or OTCQB), or (ii) if the Common Stock is not listed on a Trading Market (other than the OTC Bulletin Board, OTCQX or OTCQB), a day on which the Common Stock is traded in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the OTC Bulletin Board or OTC Markets Group Inc., as applicable, or (iii) if the Common Stock is not quoted on any Trading Market, a day on which the Common Stock is quoted in the over-the-counter market as reported in the “pink sheets” by OTC Markets Group Inc. (or any similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices); provided, that in the event that the Common Stock is not listed or quoted as set forth in (i), (ii) or (iii) hereof, then Trading Day shall mean a Business Day.

(q) “Trading Market” means whichever of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the OTC Bulletin Board, OTCQX or OTCQB on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question.

(r) “Transaction Documents” means this Agreement and, with respect to the Company and Investors other than the Specified Investors, the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

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1.4 Construction. Whenever required by the context, any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular forms of nouns, pronouns, and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa. Reference to any agreement, document, or instrument means such agreement, document, or instrument as amended or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof and, if applicable, hereof. A reference to any party hereto includes such party’s permitted assignees and/or the respective successors in title to substantially the whole of such party’s undertaking. All references to “Sections” and “Exhibits” contained in this Agreement are, unless specifically indicated otherwise, references to sections or exhibits of or to this Agreement. The recitals and exhibits to this Agreement form part of the operative provisions of this Agreement and references to this Agreement shall, unless the context otherwise requires, include references to the recitals and exhibits to this Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: (a) “day” means a calendar day; (b) “U.S.” or “United States” means the United States of America; (c) “dollar” or “$” means lawful currency of the United States; (d) “including” or “include” means “including without limitation”; and (e) references in this Agreement to specific laws includes the succeeding law, section, or provision corresponding thereto and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Section 2. Representations and Warranties of the Company . The Company hereby represents and warrants to the Investors that, except as described in the Company’s SEC Filings (as defined below), which qualify these representations and warranties in their entirety:

2.1 Organization, Good Standing and Qualification. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has all requisite corporate power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and to own or lease its properties. The Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property makes such qualification or leasing necessary unless the failure to so qualify has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

2.2 Authorization. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority and has taken all requisite corporate action necessary for, and no further action on the part of the Company, its officers, directors and stockholders is necessary for, (i) the authorization, execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents, (ii) the authorization of the performance of all obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder, and (iii) the authorization, issuance (or reservation for issuance) and delivery of the Shares. The Transaction Documents constitute, or when executed will constitute, the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability, relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general equitable principles.

 

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2.3 Capitalization. The Company is authorized under its Certificate of Incorporation to issue 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock. The Company’s disclosure of its issued and outstanding capital stock in its most recent SEC Filing containing such disclosure was accurate in all material respects as of the date indicated in such SEC Filing. All of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. No Person is entitled to preemptive or similar statutory or contractual rights with respect to the issuance by the Company of any securities of the Company, including, without limitation, the Shares. Except for stock options approved pursuant to Company stock-based compensation plans described in the SEC Filings and securities exercisable for, convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company disclosed in the SEC Filings, there are no outstanding warrants, options, convertible securities or other rights, agreements or arrangements of any character under which the Company is or may be obligated to issue any equity securities of any kind, except as contemplated by this Agreement. There are no voting agreements, buy-sell agreements, option or right of first purchase agreements or other agreements of any kind among the Company and any of the securityholders of the Company relating to the securities of the Company held by them. Except as disclosed in the SEC Filings, no Person has the right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company under the 1933 Act, whether on a demand basis or in connection with the registration of securities of the Company for its own account or for the account of any other Person. The issuance and sale of the Shares hereunder will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any other Person (other than the Investors) and will not result in the adjustment of the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of any outstanding security. The Company does not have outstanding stockholder purchase rights or “poison pill” or any similar arrangement in effect giving any Person the right to purchase any equity interest in the Company upon the occurrence of certain events.

2.4 Valid Issuance. The Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and paid for pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and shall be free and clear of all encumbrances and restrictions (other than those created by the Investors), except for restrictions on transfer set forth in the Transaction Documents or imposed by applicable securities laws.

2.5 Consents. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents and the offer, issuance and sale of the Shares require no consent of, action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Person, governmental body, agency, or official other than (a) filings that have been made pursuant to applicable state securities laws, (b) post-sale filings pursuant to applicable state and federal securities laws, (c) filings pursuant to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq and (d) filing of the registration statement required to be filed by the Registration Rights Agreement, each of which the Company has filed or undertakes to file within the applicable time.

2.6 Use of Proceeds. The net proceeds of the sale of the Shares hereunder shall be used by the Company to fund the ongoing development and clinical trials of pepinemab and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

2.7 No Material Adverse Change. Since December 31, 2020, except as identified and described in the SEC Filings filed at least one Trading Day prior to the date hereof, there has not been:

 

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(a) any change in the consolidated assets, liabilities, financial condition or operating results of the Company from that reflected in the financial statements included in the SEC Filings, except for changes in the ordinary course of business which have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, individually or in the aggregate;

(b) any declaration or payment by the Company of any dividend, or any authorization or payment by the Company of any distribution, on any of the capital stock of the Company, or any redemption or repurchase by the Company of any securities of the Company;

(c) any material damage, destruction or loss, whether or not covered by insurance, to any assets or properties of the Company;

(d) any waiver, not in the ordinary course of business, by the Company of a material right or of a material debt owed to it;

(e) any satisfaction or discharge of any lien, claim or encumbrance or payment of any obligation by the Company, except in the ordinary course of business and which is not material to the assets, properties, financial condition, operating results or business of the Company (as such business is presently conducted);

(f) any change or amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, or material change to any Material Contract or arrangement by which the Company is bound or to which any of its assets or properties is subject;

(g) any material labor difficulties or, to the Company’s Knowledge, labor union organizing activities with respect to employees of the Company;

(h) any material transaction entered into by the Company other than in the ordinary course of business;

(i) the loss of the services of any key employee, or material change in the composition or duties of the senior management of the Company; or

(j) any other event or condition of any character that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

2.8 SEC Filings. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the one year period preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (collectively, the “SEC Filings”). At the time of filing thereof, the SEC Filings complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder.

 

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2.9 No Conflict, Breach, Violation or Default. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the issuance and sale of the Shares in accordance with the provisions hereof will not, except (solely in the case of clauses (i)(b) and (ii)) for such violations, conflicts or defaults as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of (a) any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or the Company’s Bylaws, both as in effect on the date hereof (true and complete copies of which have been made available to the Investors through the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system (the “EDGAR system”)), or (b) assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties in Section 3, any applicable statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its assets or properties, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any Material Contract. This Section does not relate to matters with respect to tax status, which are the subject of Section 2.10, employee relations and labor matters, which are the subject of Section 2.13, or Environmental Laws (as defined below), which are the subject of Section 2.16.

2.10 Tax Matters. The Company has timely prepared and filed all material tax returns required to have been filed by it with all appropriate governmental agencies and timely paid all material taxes shown thereon or otherwise owed by it. There are no material unpaid assessments against the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any audits by any federal, state or local taxing authority. All material taxes that the Company is required to withhold or to collect for payment have been duly withheld and collected and paid to the proper governmental entity or third party when due. There are no tax liens pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its assets or property. With the exception of agreements or other arrangements that are not primarily related to taxes entered into in the ordinary course of business, there are no outstanding tax sharing agreements or other such arrangements between the Company and any other corporation or entity (other than a subsidiary of the Company).

2.11 Title to Properties. The Company has good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by it, in each case free from liens, encumbrances and defects, except such as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company holds any leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no exceptions, except such as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

2.12 Certificates, Authorities and Permits. The Company possesses adequate certificates, authorities or permits issued by appropriate governmental agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by it, except where failure to so possess would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authority or permit that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, individually or in the aggregate, on the Company.

 

 

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2.13 Labor Matters.

(a) The Company is not party to or bound by any collective bargaining agreements or other agreements with labor organizations. To the Company’s Knowledge, the Company has not violated in any material respect any laws, regulations, orders or contract terms affecting the collective bargaining rights of employees or labor organizations, or any laws, regulations or orders affecting employment discrimination, equal opportunity employment, or employees’ health, safety, welfare, wages and hours.

(b) No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company, or with the employees of any principal supplier, manufacturer, customer or contractor of the Company, exists or, to the Company’s Knowledge, is threatened or imminent.

2.14 Intellectual Property. Except as expressly contemplated by the SEC Filings, to the Company’s Knowledge, the Company owns, possesses, licenses or has other rights to use, all patents, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, service names, trade secrets and other intellectual property described in the SEC Filings necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as currently conducted and that the failure to so have would have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”). There is no pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any Person that the Company’s business as now conducted infringes or violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other intellectual property rights of another. To the Company’s Knowledge, there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property owned or exclusively licensed by the Company that would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of the non-public portions of the Intellectual Property owned or exclusively licensed by the Company, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

2.15 Tests and Preclinical and Clinical Trials. The studies, tests and preclinical and clinical trials conducted by the Company or conducted on behalf of the Company that are described in the SEC Filings were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with the relevant experimental protocols, procedures and controls and all applicable laws; the descriptions of the results of such studies, tests and trials contained in the SEC Filings are accurate and complete and fairly present the data derived from such studies, tests and trials in all material respects as of the respective dates of such SEC Filings; the Company is not aware of any studies, tests or trials, the results of which the Company believes are materially inconsistent with the study, test or trial results described or referred to in the SEC Filings when viewed in the context in which such results are described and the clinical state of development; and the Company has not received any notices or written correspondence from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority requiring the termination, suspension or material modification of any studies, tests or preclinical or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company.

2.16 Environmental Matters. The Company is not in violation of any material statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), has not released any hazardous substances regulated by Environmental Law onto any real property that it owns or

 

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operates, and has not received any written notice or claim it is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws, which violation, release, notice, claim, or liability would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, and to the Company’s Knowledge, there is no pending or threatened investigation that would reasonably be expected to lead to such a claim.

2.17 Legal Proceedings. There are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company is or may reasonably be expected to become a party or to which any property of the Company is or may reasonably be expected to become the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

2.18 Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the SEC Filings comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing (or to the extent corrected by a subsequent restatement) and present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company as of the dates shown and its consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, subject in the case of unaudited financial statements to normal year-end audit adjustments, and such consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”) (except as may be disclosed therein or in the notes thereto, and except that the unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and, in the case of quarterly financial statements, except as permitted by Form 10-Q under the 1934 Act).

2.19 Insurance. The Company maintains in full force and effect insurance coverage that is customary for comparably situated companies for the business being conducted and properties owned or leased by the Company, and the Company reasonably believes such insurance coverage to be adequate against all liabilities, claims and risks against which it is customary for comparably situated companies to insure.

2.20 Nasdaq Listing. The Company is in compliance with applicable Nasdaq continued listing requirements. There are no proceedings pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened against the Company relating to the continued listing of the Common Stock on Nasdaq and the Company has not received any notice of, nor to the Company’s Knowledge is there any reasonable basis for, the delisting of the Common Stock from Nasdaq.

2.21 No Directed Selling Efforts or General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any Person acting on its behalf has conducted any general solicitation or general advertising (as those terms are used in Regulation D promulgated under the 1933 Act) in connection with the offer or sale of any of the Shares.

2.22 No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Investors set forth in Section 3, neither the Company nor any Person acting on its behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any Company security or solicited any offers to buy any Company security, under circumstances that would adversely affect reliance by the Company on Section 4(a)(2) and Regulation D for the exemption from registration for the transactions contemplated hereby or would require registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act or would cause the offering of the Shares to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable Nasdaq shareholder approval requirements.

 

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2.23 Private Placement. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Investors set forth in Section 3, the offer and sale of the Shares to the Investors as contemplated hereby is exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. The issuance and sale of the Shares does not contravene the rules and regulations of Nasdaq.

2.24 Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s Knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or other Person acting on behalf of the Company has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses 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 in any material respect any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee.

2.25 Transactions with Affiliates. Except as disclosed in the SEC Filings, none of the executive officers or directors of the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company (other than as holders of stock options and/or restricted stock, and for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner.

2.26 Internal Controls. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act), which are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there have been no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or would reasonably be expected to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company is not aware of any change in its internal controls over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or would reasonably be expected to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

2.27 Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to the Company’s Knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.

 

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2.28 No Bad Actors. No “bad actor” disqualifying event described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i)-(viii) of the 1933 Act (a “Disqualification Event”) is applicable to the Company or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any Company Covered Person, except for a Disqualification Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii–iv) or (d)(3) is applicable.

2.29 Investment Company. The Company is not required to be registered as, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately following the Closing will not be required to register as, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Section 3. Representations and Warranties of the Investors. Each of the Investors hereby severally, and not jointly, represents and warrants to the Company that:

3.1 Organization. Such Investor is either an individual or a duly incorporated or organized and validly existing corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other legal entity, has all requisite corporate, partnership or limited liability company power and authority, as applicable, to enter into and consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to invest in the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, and, if an entity, is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization.

3.2 Authorization. The execution, delivery and performance by such Investor of the Transaction Documents to which such Investor is a party have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of the Investor, and each has been duly executed and when delivered will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Investor, enforceable against such Investor in accordance with their respective terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability, relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, and general principles of equity.

3.3 Purchase Entirely for Own Account. Such Investor is acquiring the Shares as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understanding with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Shares. Such Investor is acquiring the Shares hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed a representation or warranty by such Investor to hold the Shares for any period of time. Such Investor is not a broker-dealer registered with the SEC under the 1934 Act or an entity engaged in a business that would require it to be so registered.

3.4 Investment Experience. Such Investor acknowledges that it can bear the economic risk and complete loss of its investment in the Shares and has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial or business matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the investment contemplated hereby, and has so evaluated the merits and risks.

 

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3.5 Disclosure of Information. Such Investor has had an opportunity to receive, review and understand all information related to the Company requested by it and to ask questions of and receive answers from the Company regarding the Company, its business and the terms and conditions of the offering of the Shares, and has conducted and completed its own independent due diligence. Such Investor acknowledges that copies of the SEC Filings are available on the EDGAR system. Based on the information such Investor has deemed appropriate, it has independently made its own analysis and decision to enter into the Transaction Documents. Such Investor is relying exclusively on its own investment analysis and due diligence (including professional advice it deems appropriate) with respect to the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents, the Shares and the business, condition (financial and otherwise), management, operations, properties and prospects of the Company, including but not limited to all business, legal, regulatory, accounting, credit and tax matters. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by such Investor shall modify, limit or otherwise affect such Investor’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement.

3.6 Restricted Securities. Such Investor understands that the Shares are characterized as “restricted securities” under the U.S. federal securities laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from the Company in a transaction not involving a public offering and that under such laws and applicable regulations such securities may be resold without registration under the 1933 Act only in certain limited circumstances.

3.7 Legends. It is understood that, except as provided below, certificates evidencing the Shares (or uncertificated interests in the Shares) may bear the following or any similar legend:

(a) “THE SHARES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AND HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND NOT WITH A VIEW TO, OR IN CONNECTION WITH, THE SALE OR DISTRIBUTION THEREOF. NO SUCH TRANSFER MAY BE EFFECTED WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATED THERETO OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL IN A FORM SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933.”

(b) If required by the authorities of any state in connection with the issuance of sale of the Shares, the legend required by such state authority.

3.8 Accredited Investor. Such Investor is an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501(a) of Regulation D. Such Investor has executed and delivered to the Company a questionnaire in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Investor Questionnaire”), which such Investor represents and warrants is true, correct and complete.

3.9 No General Solicitation. Such Investor did not learn of the investment in the Shares as a result of any general or public solicitation or general advertising, or publicly disseminated advertisements or sales literature, including (a) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, website, or similar media, or broadcast over television or radio, or (b) any seminar or meeting to which such Investor was invited by any of the foregoing means of communications.

 

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3.10 Short Sales and Confidentiality Prior to the Date Hereof. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Investor has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Investor, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Investor was first contacted by the Company or any other Person regarding the transactions contemplated hereby and ending immediately prior to the date hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Investor that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Investor’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Investor’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Shares covered by this Agreement. Such Investor, its Affiliates and authorized representatives and advisors who are aware of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to such Investor in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (including the existence and terms of such transactions). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.

3.11 No Government Recommendation or Approval. Such Investor understands that no United States federal or state agency, or similar agency of any other country, has reviewed, approved, passed upon, or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Company or the purchase of the Shares.

3.12 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Investor of the Transaction Documents and the consummation by such Investor of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such Investor or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which such Investor is a party, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws) applicable to such Investor, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for such conflicts, defaults, rights or violations which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of such Investor to perform its obligations hereunder.

3.13 Residency. Such Investor’s office in which its investment decision with respect to the Shares was made is located at the address immediately below such Investor’s name on its signature page hereto.

 

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3.14 Financial Capability. Such Investor has immediately available funds necessary to consummate the Closing on the terms and conditions contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 4. Covenants.

4.1 Legend Removal.

(a) In connection with any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of the Shares by an Investor pursuant to Rule 144 or pursuant to any other exemption under the 1933 Act such that the purchaser acquires freely tradable shares and upon compliance by the Investor with the requirements of this Agreement, if requested by the Investor, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the transfer agent for the Common Stock (the “Transfer Agent”) to remove any restrictive legends related to the book entry account holding such Shares and make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry Shares sold or disposed of without restrictive legends within two Trading Days of any such request therefor from such Investor, provided that the Company has timely received from the Investor customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company in connection therewith.

(b) Subject to receipt from the Investor by the Company and the Transfer Agent of customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith, upon the earliest of such time as the Shares (i) have been sold or transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement, (ii) have been sold pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) are eligible for resale under Rule 144(b)(1) or any successor provision (such earliest date, the “Effective Date”), the Company shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4.1(b) and within three Trading Days of any request therefor from an Investor accompanied by such customary and reasonably acceptable documentation referred to above, (A) deliver to the Transfer Agent irrevocable instructions that the Transfer Agent shall make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry Shares, and (B) cause its counsel to deliver to the Transfer Agent one or more opinions to the effect that the removal of such legends in such circumstances may be effected under the 1933 Act if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. The Company agrees that following the Effective Date or at such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section 4.1, it will use commercially reasonable efforts to deliver or cause to be delivered to such Investor a certificate representing such Shares (or uncertificated interest therein) that is free from all restrictive and other legends within three Trading Days of the delivery by an Investor to the Company or the Transfer Agent of a certificate representing shares issued with a restrictive legend and receipt from the Investor by the Company and the Transfer Agent of the customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith that is referred to above. Shares subject to legend removal hereunder may be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Investor by crediting the account of the Investor’s prime broker with the DTC system as directed by such Investor. The Company shall be responsible for the fees of its Transfer Agent and all DTC fees associated with such issuance.

 

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(c) Each Investor, severally and not jointly with the other Investors, agrees with the Company (i) that such Investor will sell any Shares pursuant to either the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements, or an exemption therefrom, (ii) that if Shares are sold pursuant to a registration statement, they will be sold in compliance with the plan of distribution set forth therein and (iii) that if, after the effective date of the registration statement covering the resale of the Shares, such registration statement is not then effective and the Company has provided notice to such Investor to that effect, such Investor will sell Shares only in compliance with an exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act.

4.2 Short Sales and Confidentiality After the Date Hereof. Each Investor covenants that neither it nor any Affiliates acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any Short Sales during the period from the date hereof until the earlier of such time as (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced or (ii) this Agreement is terminated in full. Each Investor covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company, such Investor will maintain (and will cause its Affiliates, authorized representatives and advisors who are aware of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents) to maintain the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (including the existence and terms of such transactions). Each Investor understands and acknowledges that the SEC currently takes the position that coverage of Short Sales of shares of the Common Stock “against the box” prior to effectiveness of a resale registration statement with securities included in such registration statement would be a violation of Section 5 of the 1933 Act, as set forth in Item 239.10 of the Securities Act Rules Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations compiled by the Office of Chief Counsel, Division of Corporation Finance, and covenants that neither it nor any Affiliates acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any such Short Sales.

4.3 Participation Rights. For eighteen (18) months after the Closing Date, for any Investor that separately, or together with any other Investor under common control or that shares an institutional account manager with such Investor, purchased at least 450,450 Shares at the Closing, if the Company proposes to offer or sell any Common Stock (a “Subsequent Financing”), the Company shall offer such Common Stock to such Investor as follows:

(a) The Company shall give notice (the “Offer Notice”) to such Investor (x) in the case of a private placement of Common Stock, no later than five Business Days prior to the date of a definitive agreement related thereto, (y) in the case of a marketed public offering of Common Stock, on the date of the preliminary prospectus or preliminary prospectus supplement related thereto, and (z) in the case of a “registered direct,” “overnight” or similar offering of Common Stock, no later than 5:30 p.m. New York time on the business day prior to signing purchase agreements for such offering, in each case, stating (i) its bona fide intention to offer such Common Stock, (ii) the number of such Common Stock to be offered, and (iii) the price and terms, if any, upon which it proposes to offer such Common Stock; provided, however, that in the event of an offering other than a marketed public offering, the Offer Notice shall include such information regarding the number of Common Stock to be offered and the price and terms of such offering that is known to the Company at such time of delivery of the Offer Notice, with such additional information to be provided promptly after such additional information becomes available to the Company. By executing this Agreement, each Investor that receives an Offer Notice acknowledges that the Offer Notice may constitute material non-public information of the Company and agrees not to trade in the securities of the Company until the Company has either confirmed in writing to the Investor that the transaction with respect to the Subsequent Financing has been abandoned or has publicly disclosed its intention to issue the Common Stock in the Subsequent Financing.

 

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(b) By notification to and received by the Company within five (5) Business Days after the date the Offer Notice is given for a private placement or by 8 a.m. on the morning following the Offer Notice for any marketed public offering, “registered direct” or “overnight” or similar offering (the “Notice Termination Time”), Investor may elect to participate in the offering, up to such number of Common Stock that equals the proportion that the Shares purchased by Investor at the Closing bears to the total Common Stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to the Subsequent Financing, assuming the sale of Common Stock in the Subsequent Financing and full conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of all Derivative Securities then outstanding. If the Company receives no such notice from Investor as of such Notice Termination Time, Investor shall be deemed to have notified the Company that it does not elect to participate in such Private Placement.

(c) The rights in this Section 4.3 shall not be applicable to:

(i) shares of Common Stock issued in connection with any merger, acquisition, or business combination;

(ii) shares of Common Stock issued in connection with any commercial transaction approved by the Board of Directors of the Company;

(iii) shares of Common Stock issued as a dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, split-up or other distribution on shares of Common Stock;

(iv) shares of Common Stock issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors or contractors to, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Company’s Board of Directors or the compensation committee of the Board of Directors, including inducement awards issued pursuant to applicable Nasdaq rules;

(v) shares of Common Stock actually issued upon the exercise, conversion, exchange or settlement of derivative securities;

(vi) shares of Common Stock issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions, or to real property lessors, pursuant to a debt financing, equipment leasing or real property leasing transaction approved by the Board of Directors of the Company; and

(vii) shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any at-the-market, equity line of credit or similar programs.

 

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Section 5. Conditions to Closing.

5.1 Conditions to the Investors Obligations. The obligation of each Investor to purchase Shares at the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to such Investor’s satisfaction, on or prior to the Closing Date, of the following conditions, any of which may be waived by such Investor (as to itself only):

(a) The representations and warranties made by the Company in Section 2 hereof shall be true and correct as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date.

(b) The Company shall have performed in all material respects all obligations and covenants herein required to be performed by it on or prior to the Closing Date.

(c) The Company shall have obtained any and all consents, permits, approvals, registrations and waivers necessary for the consummation of the purchase and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, all of which shall be in full force and effect.

(d) The Company shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement.

(e) No judgment, writ, order, injunction, award or decree of or by any court, or judge, justice or magistrate, including any bankruptcy court or judge, or any order of or by any governmental authority, shall have been issued, and no action or proceeding shall have been instituted by any governmental authority, enjoining or preventing the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

(f) The Company shall have delivered a certificate, executed on behalf of the Company by an officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, certifying to the fulfillment of the conditions specified in subsections (a), (b), (c), (e), (h) and (i) of this Section 5.1.

(g) The Company shall have delivered a certificate, executed on behalf of the Company by an officer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, certifying the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company approving the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and the issuance of the Shares, certifying the current versions of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company and certifying as to the signatures and authority of persons signing the Transaction Documents and related documents on behalf of the Company.

(h) There shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof.

 

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(i) No stop order or suspension of trading shall have been imposed by Nasdaq, the SEC or any other governmental or regulatory body with respect to public trading in the Common Stock.

5.2 Conditions to Obligations of the Company. The Company’s obligation to sell and issue Shares at the Closing is subject to the fulfillment to the satisfaction of the Company on or prior to the Closing Date of the following conditions, any of which may be waived by the Company:

(a) The representations and warranties made by the Investors in Section 3 hereof shall be true and correct as of the date hereof, and shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as if they had been made on and as of such date. The Investors shall have performed in all material respects all obligations and covenants herein required to be performed by them on or prior to the Closing Date.

(b) The Investors shall have executed and delivered each Investor Questionnaire and the Investors other than the Specified Investors shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement.

(c) Any Investor purchasing Shares at the Closing shall have paid in full its purchase price to the Company.

5.3 Termination of Obligations to Effect Closing; Effects.

(a) The obligations of the Company, on the one hand, and the Investors, on the other hand, to effect the Closing shall terminate as follows:

(i) Upon the mutual written consent of the Company and Investors that agreed to purchase a majority of the Shares to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement;

(ii) By the Company if any of the conditions set forth in Section 5.2 shall have become incapable of fulfillment, and shall not have been waived by the Company;

(iii) By an Investor (with respect to itself only) if any of the conditions set forth in Section 5.1 shall have become incapable of fulfillment, and shall not have been waived by the Investor; or

(iv) By either the Company or any Investor (with respect to itself only) if the Closing has not occurred on or prior to February 4, 2022;

provided, however, that, except in the case of clause (i) above, the party seeking to terminate its obligation to effect the Closing shall not then be in breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in the Transaction Documents if such breach has resulted in the circumstances giving rise to such party’s seeking to terminate its obligation to effect the Closing.

(b) In the event of termination by the Company or any Investor of its obligations to effect the Closing pursuant to this Section 5.3, written notice thereof shall be given to the other Investors by the Company and the other Investors shall have the right to terminate their obligations to effect the Closing upon written notice to the Company and the other Investors. Nothing in this Section 5.3 shall be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the terms and provisions of the Transaction Documents or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other party of its obligations under the Transaction Documents.

 

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Section 6. Miscellaneous.

6.1 Successors and Assigns. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties, provided, however, that an Investor may not assign this Agreement without the written consent of the Company. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.

6.2 Governing Law. This Agreement and all claims or causes of action (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Agreement (including any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of or related to any representation or warranty made in or in connection with this Agreement) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.

6.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

6.4 Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.

6.5 Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon the earlier of actual receipt, or (a) personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next Business Day, (c) five days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next Business Day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the respective parties at their address or e-mail address as set forth on the signature page, or to such address, e-mail address or facsimile number as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 6.5.

6.6 Expenses. Each party shall pay its own expenses (including fees and expenses of financial advisors, attorneys and other advisors) incurred in connection with the preparation, negotiation, due diligence, execution, delivery, and performance of the Transaction Agreements and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

 

19


6.7 Waiver. Waiver by the Company or any Investor of a breach hereunder by any Investor or the Company, respectively, shall not be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision. No delay or omission by a party in exercising or availing itself of any right, power or privilege hereunder shall preclude the later exercise of any such right, power or privilege by such party. No waiver shall be effective unless made in writing with specific reference to the relevant provision(s) of this Agreement and signed by a duly authorized representative of the party granting the waiver. All remedies, either under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded to any party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.

6.8 Amendments. Any term of this Agreement may be amended or terminated only with the written consent of the Company and the Investors representing a majority of the Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may not be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor unless such amendment or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion.

6.9 Severability. If one or more of the terms or provisions of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void, invalid, or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction, and the term or provision shall be considered severed from this Agreement solely for such situation and solely in such jurisdiction, unless the void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision is of such essential importance to this Agreement that it is to be reasonably assumed that the parties hereto would not have entered into this Agreement without the void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision. If the final judgment of such court declares that any term or provision hereof is void, invalid, or unenforceable, the parties hereto agree to: (a) reduce the scope, duration, area, or applicability of the term or provision or to delete specific words or phrases to the minimum extent necessary to cause such term or provision as so reduced or amended to be enforceable; and (b) make a good-faith effort to replace any void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision such that the objectives contemplated by the parties hereto when entering this Agreement may be realized.

6.10 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents constitute the full and entire understanding and agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof or thereof existing among the parties are expressly canceled.

6.11 Specific Enforcement. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific intent or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent or cure breaches of the provisions of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, in addition to any other remedy to which they may be entitled by law or equity.

 

20


6.12 Exclusive Jurisdiction; Venue. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably agrees that any legal action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect of this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder brought by another party hereto or its successors or assigns, shall be brought and determined exclusively in the Delaware Court of Chancery, or, if the Delaware Court of Chancery declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any federal court within the State of Delaware, or, if both the Delaware Court of Chancery and the federal courts within the State of Delaware decline to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any other state court within the State of Delaware, and, in each case, any appellate court therefrom. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably submits with regard to any such action or proceeding for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, to the personal jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts and agrees that it will not bring any action relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any court other than the aforesaid courts. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert as a defense, counterclaim or otherwise, in any action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement, (a) any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of the above named courts for any reason other than the failure to serve in accordance with this Section 6.12, (b) any claim that it or its property is exempt or immune from the jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process commenced in such courts (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution of judgment, execution of judgment or otherwise) and (c) to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable Law, any claim that (i) the suit, action or proceeding in such court is brought in an inconvenient forum, (ii) the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper or (iii) this Agreement, or the subject matter hereof, may not be enforced in or by such courts. Each of the parties hereto agrees that service of process upon such party in any such action or proceeding shall be effective if such process is given as a notice in accordance with Section 6.5.

6.13 Publicity. Except as set forth below, no public release or announcement concerning the transactions contemplated hereby shall be issued by any Investor without the prior consent of the Company, except as such release or announcement may be required by law or the applicable rules or regulations of any securities exchange or securities market, in which case the Investors shall allow the Company reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of such issuance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Investor may identify the Company and the value of such Investor’s security holdings in the Company in accordance with applicable investment reporting and disclosure regulations or internal policies without prior notice to or consent from the Company (including, for the avoidance of doubt, filings pursuant to Sections 13 and 16 of the 1934 Act).

6.14 Survival. The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement shall survive the Closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement for a period of one year following the Closing Date.

6.15 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY DIRECT OR INDIRECT ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED

 

21


HEREBY. EACH PARTY (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER, (B) MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY, AND (C) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT EACH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION 6.15.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

22


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

 

COMPANY:

VACCINEX, INC.

By:

 

/s/ Scott E. Royer

Name: Scott E. Royer, CFA, MBA

Title:    CFO

 

Address:

  1895 Mount Hope Avenue
  Rochester, New York 14620

With a copy to:

  Hogan Lovells US LLP
  100 International Drive
  Suite 2000
  Baltimore, Maryland 21202
  Attn: William Intner

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


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

 

INVESTOR:

FRIEDBERG GLOBAL-MACRO HEDGE FUND LTD.

By:

 

/s/ Albert Friedberg

Name:

 

Albert Friedberg

Title:

 

Director

Address:

  190 Elgin Avenue
  George Town, Grand Cayman
  KY1-9005 Cayman Islands

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


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

 

INVESTOR:

VACCINEX (ROCHESTER), L.L.C.

By:

 

/s/ Maurice Zauderer

Name:

 

Maurice Zauderer

Title:

 

President

 

Address:  
  44 Woodland Rd.
  Pittsford, NY 14534

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


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

 

INVESTOR:

AIGH Investment Partners LP

By:

 

/s/ Orin Hirschman

Name: Orin Hirschman                                                              

Title:   Managing Member, AIGH Capital Management

Address:

6006 Berkeley Avenue

Baltimore MD 21209

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


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

 

INVESTOR:

WVP Emerging Manager Onshore Fund LLC – AIGH Series

By:

 

/s/ Orin Hirschman

Name: Orin Hirschman                                                              

Title:   Managing Member, AIGH Capital Management

Address:

6006 Berkeley Avenue

Baltimore MD 21209

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


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

 

INVESTOR:

WVP Emerging Manager Onshore Fund LLC – Optimized Equity Series

By:

 

/s/ Orin Hirschman

Name: Orin Hirschman                                                              

Title: Managing Member, AIGH Capital Management

Address:

6006 Berkeley Avenue

Baltimore MD 21209

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


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

 

INVESTOR:

3i, LP

By:

  /s/ Maier J Tarlow

Name: Maier J Tarlow

Title: Manager on Behalf of the GP

Address:

 

140 Broadway, Floor 38

               New York, NY 10005

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


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

 

INVESTOR:

BENBOW ESTATES LTD.

By:

 

/s/ Jacob Frieberg

Name: Jacob Frieberg

Title: President

Address:

 

119 Spadina Ave.

  Suite 401
  Toronto, ON M5V2L1, Canada
Email Address: jfrieberg@wtfgroup.com

[Signature Page to Stock Purchase Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

Schedule of Investors

 

Investor Name    Number of Shares to be Purchased    Aggregate Purchase Price of Shares

Friedberg Global-Macro Hedge Fund Ltd.

   1,801,801    $1,999,999.11

Vaccinex (Rochester), L.L.C.

   1,801,801    $1,999,999.11

AIGH Investment Partners LP

   1,360,862    $1,510,556.82

WVP Emerging Manager Onshore Fund LLC – AIGH Series

   331,959    $368,474.49

WVP Emerging Manager Onshore Fund LLC – Optimized Equity Series

   108,980    $120,967.80

3i, LP

   450,450    $499,999.50

Benbow Estates Ltd.

   90,090    $99,999.90

Total

   5,945,943    $6,599,996.73


EXHIBIT B

Registration Rights Agreement


EXHIBIT C

Investor Questionnaire


VACCINEX, INC.

AMENDMENT TO STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This AMENDMENT TO STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is made and entered into effective as of January 31, 2022, by and between Vaccinex, Inc. (the “Company”) and the undersigned Investors and amends that certain Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2022, by and between the Company and the Investors named in Exhibit A thereto (the “Agreement”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

Recitals

WHEREAS, the Company has entered into the Agreement in connection with the sale and issuance of shares of Common Stock;

WHEREAS, additional Investors (the “Additional Investors”) wish to purchase from the Company, and the Company wishes to sell to the Additional Investors, upon the same terms and subject to the same conditions stated in the Agreement, 2,801,801 shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”);

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 6.8 of the Agreement, and subject to certain limitations, any term of the Agreement may be amended only with the written consent of the Company and the Investors representing a majority of the Shares; and

WHEREAS, the undersigned investors represent a majority of the Shares, and the Company and the undersigned Investors desire to amend the Agreement in order for the Additional Investors to purchase the Additional Shares;

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1.         Amendments. Effective as of the date hereof:

 

  (a)

The second Recital of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to state as follows:

WHEREAS, the Investors wish to, severally and not jointly, purchase from the Company, and the Company wishes to sell and issue to the Investors, upon the terms and subject to the conditions stated in this Agreement, in aggregate, the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), set forth next to the word “Total” on Exhibit A (the “Shares”); and”

 

  (b)

Section 1.1 of the Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following at the end of such section:

 


“At any time prior to the Closing (as defined below), the Company may agree to sell up to an aggregate of 2,801,801 additional Shares (the “Additional Shares”) to one or more additional investors (the “Additional Investors”) on the same terms and conditions as those contained in this Agreement, provided that such sale is consummated at the Closing, that each Additional Investor becomes a party to this Agreement by executing and a joinder in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Joinder”), and that Exhibit A shall be updated to reflect the Additional Investor’s purchase. Each Additional Investor shall be deemed to be a party to the Agreement and shall have all of the rights and obligations of an Investor as fully as if it had executed this Agreement as of the time such Additional Investor executes the Joinder.”

 

  (c)

Section 1.3(o) is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to state as follows:

Specified Investors” means FCMI Parent Co., Friedberg Global-Macro Hedge Fund Ltd., Vaccinex (Rochester), L.L.C., and Benbow Estates Ltd.”

 

  (d)

Exhibit A is hereby added to the Agreement in the form attached hereto as Appendix A.

2.         Reference to and Effect on the Agreement. Except as set forth herein, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. On or after the date hereof, each reference in the Agreement to “this Agreement,” “hereunder,” “herein” or words of like import shall mean and be a reference to the Agreement as amended by this Amendment. No reference to this Amendment need be made in any instrument or document at any time referring to the Agreement, and a reference to the Agreement in any of such to be deemed a reference to the Agreement as amended hereby.

3.         Counterparts. 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 and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

4.         Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Amendment are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Amendment.

5.         Governing Law. This Amendment and all claims or causes of action (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Amendment or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Amendment (including any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of or related to any representation or warranty made in or in connection with this Amendment) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

 

2


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

 

COMPANY:
VACCINEX, INC.
By:  

/s/ Scott Royer

Name:   Scott Royer
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
INVESTORS:
VACCINEX (ROCHESTER), L.L.C.
By:  

/s/ Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D.

Name:   Maurice Zauderer, Ph.D.
Title:   President
FRIEDBERG GLOBAL-MACRO HEDGE FUND LTD.
By:  

/s/ Albert Friedberg

Name:   Albert Friedberg
Title:   Director


Appendix A

(Attached)


STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT JOINDER

January 31, 2022

By execution of this Stock Purchase Agreement Joinder (this “Joinder”), the undersigned agrees to become a party to that certain Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2022, by and among Vaccinex, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Investors named in Exhibit A thereto (as amended from time to time, the “Agreement”), pursuant to which the undersigned agrees to purchase 1,801,801 shares of Common Stock for a purchase price of $1.11 per share. This Joinder is effective as of the date first set forth above. The undersigned hereby acknowledges, agrees and confirms that, by its execution of this Joinder, the undersigned, as an Additional Investor (as such term is defined in the Agreement), will be deemed to be a party to the Agreement in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and shall have all of the rights and obligations of an Investor (as such term is defined in the Agreement) as fully as if it had executed the Agreement. This Joinder may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes. This Joinder and all claims or causes of action (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Joinder or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Joinder (including any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of or related to any representation or warranty made in or in connection with this Joinder) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.


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

 

COMPANY:
VACCINEX, INC.
By:  

/s/ Scott Royer

Name:   Scott Royer
Title:   Chief Financial Officer
ADDITIONAL INVESTOR:
FCMI PARENT CO.
By:  

/s/ Dan Scheiner

Name:   Dan Scheiner
Title:   Director

 

Address:   181 Bay Street, Suite 250
  Toronto, ON M5J2T3, Canada


STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT JOINDER

January 31, 2022

By execution of this Stock Purchase Agreement Joinder (this “Joinder”), the undersigned agrees to become a party to that certain Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2022, by and among Vaccinex, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Investors named in Exhibit A thereto (as amended from time to time, the “Agreement”), pursuant to which the undersigned agrees to purchase 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock for a purchase price of $1.11 per share. This Joinder is effective as of the date first set forth above. The undersigned hereby acknowledges, agrees and confirms that, by its execution of this Joinder, the undersigned, as an Additional Investor (as such term is defined in the Agreement), will be deemed to be a party to the Agreement in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and shall have all of the rights and obligations of an Investor (as such term is defined in the Agreement) as fully as if it had executed the Agreement. This Joinder may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes. This Joinder and all claims or causes of action (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Joinder or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Joinder (including any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of or related to any representation or warranty made in or in connection with this Joinder) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.


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

 

COMPANY:

 

VACCINEX, INC.

By:   /s/ Scott Royer
Name: Scott Royer
Title: Chief Financial Officer

ADDITIONAL INVESTOR:

 

EARL GREY HOLDINGS INC.

By:   /s/ Saul Koschitzky
Name: Saul Koschitzky
Title: President
Address:   602-1 Yorkdale Rd

Toronto, ON

Canada M6A 3A1

Exhibit 10.2

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of January 31, 2022, by and between Vaccinex, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the Investors identified on Exhibit A (each an “Investor” and collectively the “Investors”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 27, 2022, by and between the Company and the Investors (the “Purchase Agreement”), the Investors shall acquire an aggregate of 3,252,251 shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with the Investors’ investment pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company desires to enter into this Agreement with the Investors in order to grant the Investors the registration rights described herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual agreements set forth below, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Defined Terms Used in this Agreement. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, the following terms used in this Agreement shall be construed to have the meanings set forth or referenced below.

1.1 “Effectiveness Date” means, with respect to the Registration Statement required to be filed hereunder, the 105th calendar day following the Closing Date (or, in the event of a substantive review by the SEC, the 135th calendar day following the Closing Date); provided, however, that in the event the Company is notified by the SEC that the Registration Statement will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to the Registration Statement shall be as promptly as commercially reasonable following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates otherwise required above, and provided, further, that if such Effectiveness Date falls on a day that is not a Trading Day, then the Effectiveness Date shall be the next succeeding Trading Day.

1.2 “Filing Date” means, with respect to the Registration Statement required hereunder, the 75th calendar day after the Closing Date.

1.3 “Holder” or “Holders” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.

1.4 “Losses” means losses, damages, taxes, liabilities, obligations, deficiencies, claims, interest, awards, judgments, penalties, costs and expenses (including reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees, experts’ fees and disbursements, and other out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in investigating, preparing or defending the foregoing).


1.5 “Prospectus” means the prospectus included in the Registration Statement (including a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the 1933 Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.

1.6 “Registrable Securities” means, as of any date of determination, (a) all of the Shares, and (b) any securities issued or then issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing; provided, however, that any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) after such time as (x) the Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such Registrable Securities is declared effective by the SEC under the 1933 Act and such Registrable Securities have been disposed of by the Holder in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (y) such Registrable Securities have been previously sold in accordance with Rule 144 and new shares not bearing legends restricting transfer shall have been delivered to the purchasers thereof (or, in the case of book-entry shares, appropriate notifications shall have been made on the books of the Transfer Agent), or (z) such Registrable Securities become eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information pursuant to Rule 144 as set forth in a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed, delivered and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders.

1.7 “Registration Statement” means the registration statement required to be filed hereunder pursuant to Section 2.1, including the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to any such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

1.8 “Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the 1933 Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

1.9 “Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the 1933 Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.

1.10 “Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Principal Trading Market; provided, that “Trading Day” shall not include any day on which the Common Stock is scheduled to trade on such Principal Trading Market for less than 4.5 hours or any day that the Common Stock is suspended from trading during the final hours of trading on such Principal Trading Market (or, if such Principal Trading Market does not designate in advance the closing time of trading on such Principal Trading Market, then during the hour ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time).

 

2


Section 2. Shelf Registration.

2.1 On or prior to the Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and use reasonable best efforts to file with the SEC the Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities that are not then registered on an effective Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. Subject to SEC comments, such Registration Statement shall contain substantially the “Plan of Distribution” attached hereto as Exhibit B; provided, however, that no Holder shall be required to be named as an “underwriter” within the meaning of the 1933 Act without such Holder’s express prior written consent, except that a Holder may be named as a “statutory underwriter” if such Holder is, or is affiliated with, a broker-dealer and states such fact in its Selling Stockholder Questionnaire or if the staff of the SEC requires such Holder to be so named. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement filed under this Agreement to be declared effective under the 1933 Act as promptly as reasonably practicable after the filing thereof, but in any event no later than the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the 1933 Act between the Effectiveness Date and the date that all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement (i) have been sold thereunder or pursuant to Rule 144 or (ii) may be sold without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144, as determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company shall notify the Holders via e-mail of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement within two calendar days of the Company’s telephonic confirmation of effectiveness with the SEC.

2.2 If the Registration Statement is not declared effective by the SEC by the applicable Effectiveness Date, (any such failure referred to as an “Event”) then, in addition to any other rights the Holders may have hereunder or under applicable law, on the Effectiveness Date and on each monthly anniversary of the Effectiveness Date (if the applicable Event shall not have been cured by such date) until the Event is cured, the Company shall pay to each Holder an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, equal to the product of 1.0% multiplied by the aggregate purchase price paid for the Shares multiplied by the proportion of (A) the Shares held by such Holder for which the Registration Statement had not been declared effective to (B) the total number of Shares purchased pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. The parties agree that the maximum aggregate liquidated damages payable to the Holders under this Agreement shall be 8.0% of the aggregate purchase price paid for the Shares. If the Company fails to pay any partial liquidated damages pursuant to this Section 2.2 in full within seven days after the date payable, the Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of 1% per month (or such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to the Holder, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full. The partial liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a daily pro rata basis for any portion of a month prior to the cure of an Event.

 

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2.3 If at any time the SEC takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in the Registration Statement is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the 1933 Act or requires any Investor to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to persuade the SEC that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Investors is an “underwriter.” In the event that, despite the Company’s commercially reasonable efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2.3, the SEC refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (i) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the “Cut Back Shares”) and/or (ii) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the SEC may require to assure the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 415 (collectively, the “SEC Restrictions”); provided, however, that the Company shall not agree to name any Investor as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Investor; providedfurther, that if any such Investor refuses to be named as an underwriter as required by the SEC Restrictions, such Investor’s Registrable Securities shall be removed from the Initial Registration Statement and such Registrable Securities shall be deemed to constitute Cut Back Shares and the provisions of this Section 2.3 shall apply to such Cut Back Shares. Any cut-back imposed on the Investors pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall be allocated among the Investors on a pro rata basis and shall be applied first to any of the Registrable Securities of such Investor as such Investor shall designate, unless the SEC Restrictions otherwise require or provide or the Investors otherwise agree. In furtherance of the foregoing, if requested by the Company, each Investor shall provide the Company with notice of its sale of substantially all of the Registrable Securities under such Registration Statement such that the Company will be able to file one or more additional Registration Statements covering the Cut Back Shares. No liquidated damages shall accrue as to any Cut Back Shares until such date as the Company is able to effect the registration of such Cut Back Shares in accordance with any SEC Restrictions applicable to such Cut Back Shares (such date, the “Restriction Termination Date”). From and after the Restriction Termination Date applicable to any Cut Back Shares, all of the provisions of this Section 2 (including the Company’s obligations with respect to the filing of a Registration Statement and its obligations to use commercially reasonable efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective within the time periods set forth herein and the liquidated damages provisions relating thereto) shall again be applicable to such Cut Back Shares; provided, however, that (i) the Filing Date for such Registration Statement including such Cut Back Shares shall be 20 Trading Days after such Restriction Termination Date, and (ii) the date by which the Effectiveness Date with respect to such Cut Back Shares shall be the 90th calendar day following the Restriction Termination Date (or in the event of a substantive review by the SEC, the 135th calendar day following the Restriction Termination Date).

Section 3. Registration Procedures. In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:

3.1 Not less than five Trading Days prior to the filing of the Registration Statement and not less than three Trading Day prior to the filing of any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, but not including (A) any 1934 Act filing or (B) any supplement or post-effective amendment to a registration statement that is not related to such

 

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Holder’s Registrable Securities), (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders, and (ii) cause its representatives to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to each Holder, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the 1933 Act. The Company shall not file the Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto to which the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that the Company is notified of such objection in writing no later than four Trading Days after the Holders have been so furnished copies of the Registration Statement or two Trading Days after the Holders have been so furnished copies of any related Prospectus or amendments or supplements thereto. In connection with any Registration Statement, each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a completed questionnaire in the form provided by the Company (a “Selling Stockholder Questionnaire”) on the date that is the later of (x) two Trading Days prior to the Filing Date and (y) the fourth Trading Day following the date on which such Holder receives draft materials in accordance with this Section 3.1.

3.2 (i) Prepare and file with the SEC such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith (subject to any requirement that a post-effective amendment be declared effective by the SEC) as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness Period, (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424, (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably practicable to any comments received from the SEC with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and provide as promptly as reasonably practicable to the Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the SEC relating to the Registration Statement (provided, that the Company shall excise any information contained therein which would constitute material nonpublic information regarding the Company or any of its subsidiaries), and (iv) comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.

3.3 Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (c) through (f) hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably practicable (and, in the case of (a)(1) below, not less than one Trading Day prior to such filing) and, if requested by any such Person, confirm such notice in writing no later than one Trading Day following the day:

(a) (1) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is proposed to be filed (other than (I) any 1934 Act filing or (II) any supplement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement that is not related to such Holder’s Registrable Securities), (2) when the SEC notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the SEC comments in writing on such Registration Statement, and (3) with respect to the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective,

 

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(b) of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information,

(c) of the issuance by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any actions, claims, suits or proceedings (“Actions”) for that purpose,

(d) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Action for such purpose,

(e) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included in the Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and

(f) of the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the Company that the Company believes may be material and that, in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of the Company to allow continued availability of the Registration Statement or Prospectus, provided, however, in no event shall any such notice contain any information which would constitute material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

3.4 Use its commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.

3.5 If requested by a Holder, furnish to such Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the SEC; provided, that any such item which is available on the EDGAR system (or successor thereto) need not be furnished in physical form.

 

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3.6 Subject to the terms of this Agreement, consent to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after the giving of any notice pursuant to Section 3.3.

3.7 Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by the Holder under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions within the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject, or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.

3.8 If requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holder to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to the Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may request.

3.9 Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3.3, as promptly as reasonably practicable under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, neither the Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (iii) through (vi) of Section 3.3 above to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company shall be entitled to exercise its right under this Section 3.9 to suspend the availability of the Registration Statement and Prospectus for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days (which need not be consecutive days) in any 12-month period.

 

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3.10 Otherwise use reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, including, without limitation, Rule 172 under the 1933 Act, file any final Prospectus, including any supplement or amendment thereof, with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, promptly inform the Holders in writing if, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Holders are required to deliver a Prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities and take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities hereunder.

3.11 Use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain eligibility for use of Form S-3 (or any successor form thereto) for the registration of the resale of Registrable Securities.

Section 4. Registration Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with the Company’s obligations under this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company, whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to the Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include (i) all registration and filing fees (including fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent registered public accountants) (A) with respect to filings made with the SEC, (B) with respect to filings required to be made with the Principal Trading Market, and (C) in compliance with applicable state securities or blue sky laws reasonably agreed to by the Company in writing (including fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with blue sky qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities), (ii) printing expenses (including expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) 1933 Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar commissions of any Holder or, except to the extent provided for in the Purchase Agreement, any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.

Section 5. Indemnification.

5.1 Indemnification by the Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the Holder’s representatives, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act) and the officers, directors, members, stockholders, partners, agents and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent title or any other title) of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all Losses, as incurred, arising out of or relating to (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case

 

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of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that (A) such untrue statement was made in such the Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of Holders or controlling person expressly for use in the preparation thereof or (B) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3.3(c) through (f), the use by such Holder of an outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable for use by such Holder and prior to the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6.3. No investigation by any Holder or knowledge by any Holder of any facts or circumstances shall affect the Company’s indemnification obligations under this Section 5.1. The Company shall notify the Holders promptly upon becoming aware of the institution, threat or assertion of any Action arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such indemnified person and shall survive the transfer of any Registrable Securities by any of the Holders in accordance with Section 6.7.

5.2 Indemnification by Holders. Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its representatives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based solely upon: any untrue statement or alleged misstatement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus in any case covering the Shares or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, if such untrue statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of Holders expressly for use in preparation of the Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus. In no event shall the liability of a selling Holder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of all expenses paid by such Holder in connection with any claim relating to this Section 5 and the amount of any damages such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission) received by such Holder upon the sale of the Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

5.3 Conduct of Indemnification Actions.

(a) If any Action shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and the payment of all reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection with defense thereof; provided, that the

 

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failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such failure shall have materially and adversely prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.

(b) An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties unless: (i) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses, (ii) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Action and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Action, or (iii) the named parties to any such Action (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and counsel to the Indemnified Party shall reasonably believe that a material conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (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 thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Action effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Action in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Action.

(c) Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable fees, disbursements, costs and expenses of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees, disbursements, costs and expenses to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Action in a manner not inconsistent with this Section 5) shall be paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within 30 calendar days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party; provided, that the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees, disbursements, costs and expenses applicable to such Actions for which such Indemnified Party is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) not to be entitled to indemnification hereunder.

5.4 Contribution.

(a) If the indemnification under Section 5.1 or 5.2 is unavailable to an Indemnified Party or insufficient to hold an Indemnified Party harmless for any Losses, then each Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a

 

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material fact or omission or alleged omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action, statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable attorneys’ or other reasonable fees or expenses incurred by such party in connection with any Action to the extent such party would have been indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 was available to such party in accordance with its terms.

(b) The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 5.4 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph. In no event shall the contribution obligation of a Holder of Registrable Securities be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of all expenses paid by such Holder in connection with any claim relating to this Section 5 and the amount of any damages such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission) received by it upon the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation.

(c) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 5.4 are in addition to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified Parties.

Section 6. Miscellaneous.

6.1 Remedies. In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder of any of their respective obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, shall be entitled to seek specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. Each of the Company and each Holder agrees that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any Action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall not assert or shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

6.2 Compliance. Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the 1933 Act, if and to the extent applicable to it in connection with the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement, unless an exemption therefrom is available to such Holder.

6.3 Discontinued Disposition. By its acquisition of Registrable Securities, each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3.3(c) through (f), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been supplemented or amended) may be resumed. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company agrees and acknowledges that any periods during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of the Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 3.9.

 

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6.4 Piggy-Back Registrations. If, at any time during the Effectiveness Period, there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement relating to an offering for its own account or the account of others under the 1933 Act of any of its equity securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the 1933 Act) or their then-equivalents relating to equity securities to be issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or equity securities issuable in connection with the Company’s employee benefit plans, then the Company shall deliver to each Holder a written notice of such determination and, if within 15 days after the date of the delivery of such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, the Company shall include in such registration statement all or any part of such Registrable Securities such Holder requests to be registered; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to provide notice or otherwise register any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 6.4 that are eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 (without volume restrictions or current public information requirements) or that are the subject of a then-effective Registration Statement that is available for resales or other dispositions by such Holder; and provided, further, that if the Company intends to file a registration statement in connection with an underwritten public offering (an “Underwritten Offering”), and the managing underwriter has advised the Company in good faith that the inclusion of all of the Registrable Securities requested to be included by the Holders participating in such Underwritten Offering (including pursuant to this Section 6.4) shall be limited due to market conditions, the order of priority of the securities to be included in such offering shall be: (i) first, the primary securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering; (ii) second, any securities that the Holders request to include in such Registration Statement, on a pro rata basis, based on the number of requested securities; and (iii) any other securities that are requested to be included in such Registration Statement on a pro rata basis, based on the number of requested securities; and provided, further, that, by written notice delivered to the Company, any Holder (an “Opting-Out Holder”) may elect to waive its right to participate in registration statements pursuant to this Section 6.4 (“Registration Opt-Out”), until such time as such written notice is rescinded in writing. During such time as a Registration Opt-Out is in effect: (x) the Opting-Out Holder shall not receive notices of any proposed registration statements pursuant to this Section 6.4 and (y) shall not be entitled to participate in any registration statements pursuant to this Section 6.4.

6.5 Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and the Holders of 51% or more of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities; provided, that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Holder (or group of Holders), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Holder (or group of Holders) shall be required. If the Registration Statement does not register all of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a waiver or amendment done in compliance with the previous sentence, then the number of Registrable Securities to be

 

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registered for each Holder shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders and each Holder shall have the right to designate which of its Registrable Securities shall be omitted from such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of a Holder or some Holders and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given only by such Holder or Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates; provided, however, that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the first sentence of this Section 6.5. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration also is offered to all of the similarly-situated parties to this Agreement.

6.6 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

6.7 Successors and Assigns. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. The Company may not assign (except to any third party that acquires all or substantially all of the Company’s business, whether by merger, sale of assets or otherwise) its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all of the Holders of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities.

6.8 No Inconsistent Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof.

6.9 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

6.10 Governing Law; Enforcement. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement, including Sections 7.2 and 7.13 thereof.

6.11 Severability. If one or more of the terms or provisions of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be void, invalid, or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction, and the term or provision shall be considered severed from this Agreement solely for such situation and solely in such jurisdiction, unless the void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision is of such

 

13


essential importance to this Agreement that it is to be reasonably assumed that the parties hereto would not have entered into this Agreement without the void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision. If the final judgment of such court declares that any term or provision hereof is void, invalid, or unenforceable, the parties hereto parties hereto agree to: (a) reduce the scope, duration, area, or applicability of the term or provision or to delete specific words or phrases to the minimum extent necessary to cause such term or provision as so reduced or amended to be enforceable; and (b) make a good-faith effort to replace any void, invalid, or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision such that the objectives contemplated by the parties hereto when entering this Agreement may be realized.

6.12 Independent Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Holders are not acting in concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or transactions. Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any Action for such purpose. The use of a single agreement with respect to the obligations of the Company contained was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Holder, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Holder. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Holder, solely, and not between the Company and the Holders collectively and not between and among Holders.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

14


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

VACCINEX, INC.
By:   /s/ Scott E. Royer
  Name: Scott E. Royer, CFA, MBA
  Title:   CFO

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

3i, LP
By:   /s/ Maier J Tarlow
  Name: Maier J Tarlow
  Title:   Manager on Behalf of the GP

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

AIGH INVESTMENT PARTNERS LP
By:   /s/ Orin Hirschman
  Name: Orin Hirschman
  Title:   Managing Member, AIGH Capital Management LLC

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

WVP EMERGING MANAGER ONSHORE FUND LLC – AIGH SERIES
By:   /s/ Orin Hirschman
  Name: Orin Hirschman
  Title:   Managing Member, AIGH Capital Management LLC

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

WVP EMERGING MANAGER ONSHORE FUND LLC – OPTIMIZED EQUITY SERIES
By:   /s/ Orin Hirschman
  Name: Orin Hirschman
  Title:   Managing Member, AIGH Capital Management LLC

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

EARL GREY HOLDINGS INC.
By:   /s/ Saul Koschitzky
  Name: Saul Koschitzky
  Title: President

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


Exhibit A

Schedule of Investors

 

3i, LP
AIGH Investment Partners LP

WVP Emerging Manager

Onshore Fund LLC – AIGH

Series

WVP Emerging Manager

Onshore Fund LLC – Optimized

Equity Series

Earl Grey Holdings Inc.


Exhibit B

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Selling Stockholders

We are registering the shares of common stock on behalf of the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders and any of its pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, on a continuous or delayed basis, sell any or all of their common stock covered hereby directly to one or more purchasers or through brokers, dealers, or underwriters who may act solely as agents at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market prices, at negotiated prices, or at fixed prices, which may be changed, on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. The sale of the selling stockholder’s common stock offered by this prospectus may be effected in one or more of the following methods:

 

   

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

   

transactions involving cross or block trades;

 

   

purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

   

exchange distributions in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

   

privately negotiated transactions;

 

   

short sales after the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part becomes effective;

 

   

transactions through broker-dealers that agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;

 

   

through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

 

   

“at the market” into an existing market for the common stock;

 

   

through the writing of options on the shares;

 

   

a combination of any such methods of sale; and

 

   

any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.


In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if applicable, the shares of the selling stockholders may be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in certain states, such shares may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and complied with.

The selling stockholders may also sell or transfer shares of common stock pursuant to any available exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, including under Rule 144 promulgated under the 1933 Act (“Rule 144”), if available, rather than under this prospectus. In addition, the selling stockholders may transfer the shares of common stock by other means not described in this prospectus.

The selling stockholders may also sell the shares directly to market makers acting as principals and/or broker-dealers acting as agents for themselves or their customers. Such broker-dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders and/or the purchasers of shares for whom such broker-dealers may act as agents or to whom they sell as principal or both, which compensation as to a particular broker-dealer might be in excess of customary commissions. Market makers and block purchasers purchasing the shares will do so for their own account and at their own risk. It is possible that the selling stockholders will attempt to sell shares of common stock in block transactions to market makers or other purchasers at a price per share that may be below the then market price. The selling stockholders cannot assure that all or any of the shares offered in this prospectus will be issued to, or sold by, such selling stockholders.

Brokers, dealers, underwriters, or agents participating in the distribution of the shares held by the selling stockholders as agents may receive compensation in the form of commissions, discounts, or concessions from the selling stockholders and/or purchasers of the common stock for whom the broker-dealers may act as agent. The selling stockholders may agree to indemnify any agent, dealer or broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving sales of the shares if liabilities are imposed on that person under the 1933 Act.

The selling stockholders have advised us that they have not entered into any agreements, understandings or arrangements with any underwriters or broker-dealers regarding the sale of their shares of common stock, nor is there an underwriter or coordinating broker acting in connection with a proposed sale of shares of common stock by the selling stockholders. If we are notified by the selling stockholders that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of shares of common stock, if required, we will file a supplement to this prospectus.

In connection with the sale of the securities or interests therein, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell securities short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the securities to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or create one or more derivative securities that require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of securities offered by this prospectus, which securities such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).

 

B-2


With regard only to the shares it sells for its own behalf, each selling stockholder may be deemed an “underwriter” within the meaning of the 1933 Act. This offering as it relates to each selling stockholder will terminate on the date that all shares issued to and issuable to the selling stockholder that are offered by this prospectus have been sold by the selling stockholders.

We may suspend the sale of shares by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus for certain periods of time for certain reasons, including if the prospectus is required to be supplemented or amended to include additional material information.

If the selling stockholders use this prospectus for any sale of the shares of common stock, the selling stockholders will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the 1933 Act.

We are required to pay the expenses in connection with the registration of the shares being registered hereunder. We have agreed to indemnify the selling stockholders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the 1933 Act.

We agreed to keep this prospectus effective until the date that (i) the securities may be resold by the selling stockholders without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information under Rule 144 or any other rule of similar effect or (ii) all of the securities have been sold pursuant to this prospectus or Rule 144 or any other rule of similar effect.

Regulation M

The anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of our common stock and activities of the selling stockholders.

We have advised the selling stockholders that while they are engaged in a distribution of the shares included in this prospectus they are required to comply with Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act. With certain exceptions, Regulation M precludes the selling stockholders, any affiliated purchasers, and any broker-dealer or other person who participates in the distribution from bidding for or purchasing, or attempting to induce any person to bid for or purchase any security that is the subject of the distribution until the entire distribution is complete. Regulation M also prohibits any bids or purchases made in order to stabilize the price of a security in connection with the distribution of that security. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the shares offered hereby this prospectus.

 

B-3

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

Vaccinex Announces $6.6 Million Private Placement

Participants include a syndicate of existing and new shareholders

Contributes to total of $10.1 million in new equity financing for January, 2022

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vaccinex, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCNX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering novel investigational antibody therapies in cancer and neurodegenerative disease, today announced that the company entered into a stock purchase agreement before the market close on January 27, 2022 with a syndicate of new and existing investors for a private placement of 5,945,943 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $1.11 per share for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $6.6 million. The private placement is expected to close on January 31, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. No warrants, derivatives, or financial covenants are associated with the purchase agreement.

Participants in the private placement include entities controlled by Dr. Maurice Zauderer, President and CEO of Vaccinex , and Albert D. Friedberg, Chairman of Vaccinex’s board of directors, each of which purchased $2 million worth of shares, as well as an entity controlled by Jacob Frieberg, another member of Vaccinex’s board of directors, and additional new and existing shareholders that are unaffiliated with Vaccinex, that together purchased the remaining $2.6 million worth of shares.

Vaccinex intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement to fund the ongoing development of its lead drug candidate, pepinemab, in cancer and neurodegenerative disease and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Vaccinex also announced that during the month of January, prior to entering into the stock purchase agreement, Vaccinex sold approximately $3.5 million of shares of its common stock in January 2022 for a weighted average sales price of $1.16 per share under its existing open market sales agreement with Jefferies, LLC. This brings the total of new equity financing to date in 2022 to $10.1 million.

In connection with the private placement, Vaccinex will also enter into a registration rights agreement with certain of the private placement investors. Pursuant to the registration rights agreement, Vaccinex will agree to, among other things, use its reasonable best efforts to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) a registration statement covering the resale of the shares.


A description of the stock purchase agreement and registration rights agreement will be included in a Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in this offering, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale are unlawful. Any offering of the securities under the resale registration statement will only be by means of a prospectus.

About Vaccinex, Inc.

Vaccinex, Inc. is pioneering a differentiated approach to treating cancer and slowly progressive neurodegenerative diseases through the inhibition of semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D). Vaccinex’s lead drug candidate, pepinemab, blocks SEMA4D, a potent biological effector that prevents immune infiltration and induces myeloid suppressors in tumors and triggers reactive gliosis in the brain.

Forward Looking Statements

To the extent that statements contained in this presentation are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Vaccinex, Inc. (“Vaccinex,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), they are forward-looking statements reflecting management’s current beliefs and expectations. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, expectations and objectives with respect to the results and timing of our clinical trials of pepinemab in various indications, the use and potential benefits of pepinemab in Head and Neck Cancer, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease and other indications, Vaccinex’s ability to finance its current development plans with pre-existing cash balance and funds from the 2022 private placement and open market sales agreement, and other statements identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “appears,” “expect,” “planned,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “hypothesis,” “potential,” “suggest”, “advance,” and similar expressions or their negatives (as well as other words and expressions referencing future events, conditions, or circumstances). Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause the outcome of our research and pre-clinical development programs, clinical development programs, future results, performance, or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, uncertainties inherent in the execution, cost and completion of preclinical and clinical trials, that interim and preliminary data may not be predictive of final results and does not ensure success in later clinical trials, uncertainties related to regulatory approval, risks related to our dependence on our lead product candidate pepinemab, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other matters that could affect our development plans or the commercial potential of our product candidates. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking


statements. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement, see the section titled “Risk Factors” in our periodic reports filed with the SEC and the other risks and uncertainties described in Vaccinex’s annual yearend Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC.

Investor Contact

John Mullaly

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

617-429-3548

jmullaly@lifesciadvisors.com