We have entered into a sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC, or Cowen, relating to the sales of shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share,
offered by this prospectus supplement. In accordance with the terms of the sales agreement, we may offer and sell from time to time shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $35,000,000.
Our common stock is listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PIRS”. On September 30, 2016, the last reported sale price for our
common stock was $1.68 per share.
Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus supplement may be made in sales deemed to be
“at-the-market” equity offerings as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, including sales made directly on or through The NASDAQ Capital Market, the existing trading
market for our common stock, sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange or otherwise, in negotiated transactions at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to such prevailing market prices, and/or any
other method permitted by law. Cowen is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but will act as a sales agent using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, on mutually
agreed terms between Cowen and us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
The compensation to
Cowen for sales of common stock sold pursuant to the sales agreement will be an amount up to 3% of the gross proceeds of any shares of common stock sold under the sales agreement. In connection with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, Cowen
will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of Cowen will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to
Cowen with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement which describes the terms of this offering of our common stock and
supplements information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, gives more general information, some of which may not apply
to this offering. In the event that the description of this offering varies between this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on the information contained in this prospectus supplement. Generally, when we refer to
the prospectus, we are referring to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus combined.
You should read this prospectus
supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents and information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this
offering when making your investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents we have referred you to under the headings “Where You Can Find Additional Information” and “Information Incorporated by
Reference.”
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and
the accompanying prospectus. We have not, and Cowen has not, authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different. We are offering to sell and seeking offers to buy shares of our common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and
sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents and information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and any free writing
prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering are accurate only as of their respective dates, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement or of any sale of our common stock.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document
that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to
such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and
covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
This prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein include trademarks, service marks and trade names owned by us or other companies. We have registered trademarks for Pieris
®
, Anticalin
®
and Pocket Binding
®
. All other trademarks, service marks and trade
names included or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, trade dress or products is not intended
to and does not imply a relationship with, or endorsements or sponsorship of, us by the trademark or trade dress owner.
As used in this
prospectus supplement, unless the context indicates or otherwise requires, “our Company”, “the Company”, “Pieris”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada
corporation, and its consolidated subsidiary, and the term “Pieris GmbH” refers to Pieris Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Germany that, through a share exchange transaction completed on December 17, 2014,
has become our wholly owned subsidiary.
i
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
The following is a summary of what we believe to be the most important aspects of our business and the offering of our securities under
this prospectus supplement. We urge you to read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the more detailed consolidated financial statements, notes to the consolidated financial statements and other
information incorporated by reference from our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Investing in our securities involves risks. Therefore, carefully consider the risk factors set forth in this prospectus supplement
and the accompanying prospectus and in our most recent annual and quarterly filings with the SEC, as well as other information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by
reference herein or therein, before purchasing our securities. Each of the risk factors could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities.
Overview
We are a clinical
stage biotechnology company that discovers and develops Anticalin
®
-based drugs to target validated disease pathways in a unique and transformative way. Our pipeline includes immuno-oncology
multi-specifics tailored for the tumor micro-environment, an inhaled Anticalin to treat uncontrolled asthma and a half-life-optimized Anticalin to treat anemia. Our proprietary Anticalins are a novel class of protein therapeutics validated in the
clinic and by partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies. Anticalin proteins are a class of low molecular-weight therapeutic proteins derived from lipocalins, which are naturally occurring low-molecular weight human proteins typically
found in blood plasma and other bodily fluids. Anticalin-branded proteins function similarly to monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, by binding tightly and specifically to a diverse range of targets.
Our core Anticalin technology and platform were developed in Germany, and we have collaboration arrangements with major multi-national
pharmaceutical companies headquartered in the U.S., Europe and Japan and with regional pharmaceutical companies headquartered in India. These include existing agreements with Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited, or Daiichi Sankyo, and Sanofi Group, or
Sanofi, pursuant to which our Anticalin platform has consistently achieved its development milestones. Furthermore, we established a collaboration with F.Hoffmann—La Roche Ltd. and Hoffmann—La Roche Inc., or Roche, in December 2015. We
have discovery and preclinical collaboration and service agreements with both academic institutions and private firms in Australia, which increasingly are being handled through Pieris Australia Pty Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pieris.
Additional Information
For more
information regarding our business, see the disclosure under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business” included in our most recent Annual Report on
Form 10-K. For a description of certain risks related to our business, see the disclosure under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-5 of this prospectus supplement and as set forth in our most recent annual and quarterly filings
with the SEC.
Corporate History
Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on May 24, 2013 with the name “Marika Inc.”
and we changed our name to “Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.” on December 16, 2014. On December 17, 2014, we closed a share exchange transaction in which the stockholders of Pieris GmbH
S-1
contributed all of their equity interests in Pieris GmbH to Pieris in exchange for shares of our common stock, resulting in Pieris GmbH becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
Immediately following the closing, the business of Pieris GmbH became our sole focus.
Our corporate headquarters are located at 255 State
Street, 9th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 and our telephone number is (857) 246-8998. We maintain a website at www.pieris.com, to which we regularly post copies of our press releases as well as additional information about us. The
information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus supplement. We have included our website address in this prospectus supplement solely as an inactive textual reference.
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports filed or
furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, are available free of charge through the investor relations page of our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we
electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
S-2
THE OFFERING
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Common stock offered by us:
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Shares of common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $35,000,000.
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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering(1):
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Up to 20,833,333 shares of common stock, assuming the sale of all of the shares offered hereby at a price of $1.68 per share, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market on September 30, 2016. The
actual number of shares will vary depending on the sales prices at which our common stock is sold under this offering.
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Manner of offering:
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“At-the-market offering” that may be made from time to time through our agent, Cowen. See the additional disclosure under the heading “Plan of Distribution” on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement.
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Use of Proceeds:
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We intend to use any net proceeds from the sale of securities under this prospectus supplement for our operations and our further development and pre-clinical and clinical work on product candidates in our PRS-080, PRS-060, PRS-343 and PRS-300
Series programs, as well as the development of other programs and product candidates, and other general corporate purposes. See the additional disclosure under the heading “Use of Proceeds” on page S-10 of this prospectus supplement.
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Risk Factors:
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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk and purchasers may lose their entire investment. See the additional disclosure under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-5 of this prospectus supplement.
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NASDAQ Trading Symbol:
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“PIRS”
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The above table is based on 43,058,827 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2016, and excludes:
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•
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an aggregate of 3,750,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under the Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2016 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2016 Pieris Plan;
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•
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3,815,063 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2016, having a weighted average exercise price of $1.91 per share and issued under the Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2014 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2014 Pieris Plan;
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•
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500,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options issued outside of the 2014 Pieris Plan and 2016 Pieris Plan to a newly-hired executive officer as an inducement option, material to the
executive officer entering into employment with us in 2015, and having an exercise price of $3.36 per share;
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S-3
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•
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5,445,639 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2016, having a weighted average exercise price of $2.30 per share; and
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•
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4,963 shares of Series A Preferred Convertible Preferred Stock, or Series A Preferred, which are convertible into 4,963,000 shares of our common stock.
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S-4
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves significant risk. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully
consider the specific factors discussed below and you should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” included in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as revised or
supplemented by our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or our current reports on Form 8-K on file with the SEC, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, and which may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other
reports we file with the SEC in the future. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our
operations. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.
Risks Related
to an Investment in our Common Stock and this Offering
If you purchase our common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate and
substantial dilution in the book value of your shares.
The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at
various prices. However, we expect that the offering price of our common stock will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding common stock. After giving effect to the sale of shares of our common stock in
the aggregate amount of $35,000,000 at an assumed offering price of $1.68 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on September 30, 2016 on The NASDAQ Capital Market, and after deducting commissions and estimated offering
expenses, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2016 would have been approximately $70.9 million or approximately $1.11 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of approximately $0.24 per share to
our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value of approximately $0.57 per share to purchasers of our common stock in this offering. In addition, the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants would
result in further dilution of your investment. See the section entitled “Dilution” below for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in this offering. Because the sales of the shares offered hereby
will be made directly into the market or in negotiated transactions, the prices at which we sell these shares will vary and these variations may be significant. Purchasers of the shares we sell, as well as our existing shareholders, will experience
significant dilution if we sell shares at prices significantly below the price at which they invested.
We will have broad discretion in the use of
the net proceeds to us from this offering; we may not use the offering proceeds that we receive effectively.
Our management will
have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds to us from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds,” and you will not have the opportunity as part of your investment
decision to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds to us from this offering, their ultimate use may vary from their currently
intended use. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds to us from this offering in investment-grade, interest-bearing securities. These investments
may not yield a favorable return to our stockholders.
S-5
DILUTION
Our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2016 was approximately $37.3 million, or $0.87 per share. Net tangible book value per share is
determined by dividing our total tangible assets, less total liabilities, by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2016. Dilution with respect to net tangible book value per share represents the difference between the
amount per share paid by purchasers of shares of common stock in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.
After giving effect to the sale of 20,833,333 shares of our common stock with an aggregate offering price of $35.0 million at an assumed
offering price of $1.68 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on September 30, 2016, and after deducting estimated offering commissions and offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net
tangible book value as of June 30, 2016 would have been approximately $70.9 million, or $1.11 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.24 per share to existing stockholders and immediate dilution of
$0.57 per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering at the public offering price. The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:
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Assumed public offering price per share
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$
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1.68
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Net tangible book value per share of as June 30, 2016
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$
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0.87
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Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering
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$
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0.24
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As adjusted net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2016, after giving effect to this
offering
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$
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1.11
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Dilution per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering
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$
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0.57
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The above discussion and table are based on 43,058,827 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2016, and
exclude:
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•
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an aggregate of 3,750,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2016 Pieris Plan;
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•
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3,815,063 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2016, having a weighted average exercise price of $1.91 per share and issued under the 2014 Pieris Plan and the
2016 Pieris Plan;
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•
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500,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options issued outside of the 2014 Pieris Plan and 2016 Pieris Plan to a newly-hired executive officer as an inducement option, material to the
executive officer entering into employment with us in 2015, and having an exercise price of $3.36 per share;
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•
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5,455,639 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2016, having a weighted average exercise price of $2.30 per share; and
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•
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4,963 shares of Series A Preferred which are convertible into 4,963,000 shares of our common stock.
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The table above assumes for illustrative purposes that an aggregate of 20,833,333 shares of our common stock are sold during the term of
the sales agreement with Cowen at a price of $1.68 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on September 30, 2016, for aggregate gross proceeds of $35.0 million. The shares subject to
the sales agreement with Cowen will be sold from time to time at various prices. An increase of $0.50 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $1.68 per share assuming all of our common stock in the
aggregate amount of $35.0 million during the term of the sales agreement with Cowen is sold at that price, would increase our adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to $1.20 per share and would increase the dilution in net
tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering to $0.98 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated
S-6
aggregate offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of $0.50 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $1.68 per share assuming all of our common
stock in the aggregate amount of $35.0 million during the term of the sales agreement with Cowen is sold at that price, would decrease our adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to $0.98 per share and would decrease the
dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering to $0.20 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. This information is supplied for illustrative purposes only.
To the extent that outstanding options or warrants outstanding as of June 30, 2016 have been or may be exercised or other shares issued,
investors purchasing our common stock in this offering may experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our
current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
S-7
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement include forward-looking statements within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding:
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the results of our research and development activities, including uncertainties relating to the discovery of potential drug candidates and the preclinical and ongoing or planned clinical testing of our drug candidates;
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the early stage of our drug candidates presently under development;
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our ability to obtain and, if obtained, maintain regulatory approval of our current drug candidates and any of our other future drug candidates;
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our need for substantial additional funds in order to continue our operations and the uncertainty of whether we will be able to obtain the funding we need;
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our future financial performance;
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our ability to retain or hire key scientific or management personnel;
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our ability to protect our intellectual property rights that are valuable to our business, including patent and other intellectual property rights;
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our dependence on third-party manufacturers, suppliers, research organizations, testing laboratories and other potential collaborators;
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our ability to successfully market and sell our drug candidates in the future as needed;
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the size and growth of the potential markets for any of our approved drug candidates, and the rate and degree of market acceptance of any of our approved drug candidates;
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competition in our industry; and
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regulatory developments in the U.S. and foreign countries.
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Such statements in connection with
any discussion of future operations or financial performance are identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,”
“project,” “target,” “potential,” “shall,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions. You also can identify them by the fact
that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. There are a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements.
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue
reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important cautionary statements in this
prospectus supplement or in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, particularly in the “Risk Factors” section, that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements that we make. For a summary of such factors, please refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as
revised or supplemented by our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or our current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments thereto, as filed with the SEC and which are incorporated herein by reference. The information contained in
this document is believed to be current as of the date of this document. We do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this document to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our
expectations, except as required by law.
In light of these assumptions, risks and uncertainties, the results and events discussed in the
forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement or in any document incorporated herein by reference might not occur. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak
S-8
only as of the date of this prospectus supplement or the date of the document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We are not under any
obligation, and we expressly disclaim any obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to us or to any
person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section.
S-9
USE OF PROCEEDS
We may issue and sell shares of our common stock under this prospectus supplement having aggregate gross proceeds of up to $35,000,000 from
time to time. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a part of this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. There can be no assurance that we will
sell any shares under or fully utilize the sales agreement with Cowen as a source of financing.
We intend to use the net proceeds from
the sale of securities under this prospectus supplement for our operations and our further development and pre-clinical and clinical work of product candidates in our PRS-080, PRS-060, PRS-343 and PRS-300 Series programs, as well as the development
of other programs and product candidates, and other general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, working capital, intellectual property protection and enforcement and capital expenditures. We have not determined the amounts we plan to
spend on any of the areas listed above or the timing of these expenditures. As a result, our management will have broad discretion to allocate any net proceeds we receive in connection with the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus
supplement for any purpose. Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we may initially invest the net proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities.
S-10
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We have entered into a sales agreement with Cowen, under which we may issue and sell from time to time up to $35,000,000 of our common stock
through Cowen as our sales agent. Sales of our common stock, if any, will be made at market prices by any method that is deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including sales made
directly on The Nasdaq Capital Market or any other trading market for our common stock, or sales to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. If authorized by us in writing, Cowen may also sell our shares of common stock by any other
method permitted by law, including negotiated transactions, and Cowen may also purchase shares of our common stock as principal.
Cowen
will offer our common stock subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement on a daily basis or as otherwise agreed upon by us and Cowen. We will designate the maximum amount of common stock to be sold through Cowen on a daily basis or
otherwise determine such maximum amount together with Cowen. Subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, Cowen will use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be
sold by us. We may instruct Cowen not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any such instruction. Cowen or we may suspend the offering of our common stock being made through Cowen under
the sales agreement upon proper notice to the other party. Cowen and we each have the right, by giving written notice as specified in the sales agreement, to terminate the sales agreement in each party’s sole discretion at any time.
The aggregate compensation payable to Cowen as sales agent equals 3.0% of the gross sales price of the shares sold through it pursuant to the
sales agreement. We have also agreed to reimburse Cowen up to $50,000 of Cowen’s actual outside legal expenses incurred by Cowen in connection with this offering. We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, excluding
commissions payable to Cowen under the sales agreement, will be approximately $320,000.
The remaining sales proceeds, after deducting any
expenses payable by us and any transaction fees imposed by any governmental, regulatory, or self-regulatory organization in connection with the sales, will equal our net proceeds for the sale of such common stock.
Cowen will provide written confirmation to us following the close of trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on each day in which common stock is
sold through it as sales agent under the sales agreement. Each confirmation will include the number of shares of common stock sold through it as sales agent on that day, the volume weighted average price of the shares sold, the percentage of
the daily trading volume and the net proceeds to us.
We will report at least quarterly the number of shares of common stock sold through
Cowen under the sales agreement, the net proceeds to us and the compensation paid by us to Cowen in connection with the sales of common stock.
Settlement for sales of common stock will occur, unless the parties agree otherwise, on the third business day that is also a trading day
following the date on which any sales were made in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
In connection with the sales of our common stock on our behalf, Cowen may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the
Securities Act, and the compensation paid to Cowen may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed in the sales agreement to provide indemnification and contribution to Cowen against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act. As sales agent, Cowen will not engage in any transactions that stabilizes our common stock.
S-11
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market and trades under the symbol
“PIRS.” The transfer agent of our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Cowen and/or its affiliates have provided,
and may in the future provide, various investment banking and other financial services for us for which services they have received and, may in the future receive, customary fees.
S-12
L
EGAL MATTERS
The validity of the issuance of the shares of our common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck,
LLP, Las Vegas, Nevada. Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Boston, Massachusetts is counsel for Pieris in connection with this offering. Goodwin Procter LLP, New York, New York is counsel for Cowen in connection with this
offering.
EXPERTS
Ernst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschat, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated
financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial
statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young GmbH’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and file annual, quarterly and current
reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information at the SEC’s public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You can
request copies of these documents by writing to the SEC and paying a fee for the copying cost. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information about the operation of the public reference facilities. SEC filings are also available at the
SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.
This prospectus supplement is only part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have
filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and therefore omits certain information contained in the registration statement. We have also filed exhibits and schedules with the registration statement that are excluded from this
prospectus supplement, and you should refer to the applicable exhibit or schedule for a complete description of any statement referring to any contract or other document. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement, including the exhibits
and schedules, without charge, at the public reference room or obtain a copy from the SEC upon payment of the fees prescribed by the SEC.
We also maintain a website at www.pieris.com, through which you can access our SEC filings. The information set forth on our website is not
part of this prospectus supplement.
S-13
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus supplement information that we have filed with the SEC. This
means we can disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents that contain that information. The information incorporated by reference is considered part of this prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference the
documents listed below:
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Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 that we filed with the SEC on March 23, 2016.
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(2)
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Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 that we filed with the SEC on April 29, 2016.
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(3)
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Amendment No. 2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 that we filed with the SEC on July 20, 2016.
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(4)
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Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016 that we filed with the SEC on May 12, 2016.
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(5)
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Amendment No. 1 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016 that we filed with the SEC on July 20, 2016.
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Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2016 that we filed with the SEC on August 11, 2016.
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(7)
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Our Current Reports on Form 8-K, each of which were filed with the SEC (except for the information furnished under Items 2.02 and 7.01 and the exhibits thereto on the following dates:
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June 6, 2016 (with respect to two reports filed on such date);
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The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on June 24, 2015, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
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All reports and other documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part
and prior to the effectiveness of such registration statement or after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination or completion of the offering of securities under this prospectus supplement shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such reports and other documents.
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The SEC file number for each of the documents listed above is 001-37471.
Any statement contained in this prospectus supplement or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this
prospectus supplement or in the accompanying prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or
any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statements so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or
superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.
S-14
You may request a copy of these documents, orally or in writing, which will be provided to you at
no cost, by contacting:
Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
255 State Street, 9th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Attention: Investor Relations
Telephone: +1 (857) 246-8998
You
may also access these documents on our website, http://www.pieris.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus supplement. We have included our website address in this prospectus
supplement solely as an inactive textual reference.
You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into,
this prospectus supplement and the accompany prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not
qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
S-15
PROSPECTUS
PIERIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$100,000,000
COMMON
STOCK
PREFERRED STOCK
DEBT SECURITIES
WARRANTS
RIGHTS
PURCHASE
CONTRACTS
UNITS
This prospectus
will allow us to issue, from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined at or prior to the time of the offering, up to $100,000,000 of any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, either individually or in units. We may
also offer common stock or preferred stock upon conversion of or exchange for debt securities; common stock upon conversion of or exchange for the preferred stock; common stock, preferred stock or debt securities upon the exercise of warrants,
rights or performance of purchase contracts; or any combination of these securities upon the performance of purchase contracts.
We may
offer and sell these securities on a delayed or continuous basis to or through one or more underwriters, dealers or agents, or directly to investors, in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions and other factors at the
time of the offering. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus supplement. If any underwriters or agents are
involved in the sale of our securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered, the names of such underwriters or agents and any applicable fees, commissions or discounts and over-allotment options will be set forth in a prospectus
supplement. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds that we expect to receive from such sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as well as any
documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, carefully before you invest.
This prospectus
describes only the general terms of these securities and the general manner in which we will offer the securities. The specific terms of any securities we offer will, if not included in this prospectus or information incorporated by reference
herein, be included in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement may describe the specific manner in which we will offer the securities and may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PIRS”. On July 22, 2016, the last reported sale price
for our common stock was $1.69 per share. We will provide information in the related prospectus supplement for the trading market, if any, for any other securities that may be offered. Prospective purchasers of our securities are urged to obtain
current information as to the market prices of our securities, where applicable.
Investing
in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making any investment in any of our securities, you should read and carefully consider the risks described in this prospectus under “
Risk Factors
”
beginning on page 4 of this prospectus.
This prospectus may not be used to sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined
if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This
prospectus is dated August 3, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
About This Prospectus
You should rely only on the information that we have provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus
supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or
to represent anything not contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. You must not rely on any unauthorized information or representation.
This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. You should assume that the information in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or
any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the
time of delivery of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or any sale of a security registered under the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For a more complete understanding of the
offering of the securities, you should refer to the registration statement, including its exhibits. This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual
documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
However, no prospectus supplement will offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplements and the documents incorporated by
reference into this prospectus, includes all material information relating to the offering of securities under this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, the information and documents
incorporated herein by reference and the additional information under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” before making an investment decision.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document
that is incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be
deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be
relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of our
securities, unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement. To the extent there are inconsistencies between any prospectus supplement, this prospectus and any documents incorporated by reference, the document with the most recent date will
control.
As used in this prospectus, unless the context indicates or otherwise requires, “our Company”, “the
Company”, “Pieris”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its consolidated subsidiary, and the term “Pieris GmbH” refers to Pieris
Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Germany that, through a share exchange transaction completed on December 17, 2014, has become our wholly owned subsidiary.
We have registered trademarks for Pieris
®
, Anticalin
®
and Pocket Binding
®
. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks included in this prospectus are the property of their respective
owners. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, trade dress or products is not intended to and does not imply a relationship with, or endorsements or sponsorship of, us by the trademark or trade dress owner.
ii
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
The following is a summary of what we believe to be the most important aspects of our business and the offering of our securities under
this prospectus. We urge you to read this entire prospectus, including the more detailed consolidated financial statements, notes to the consolidated financial statements and other information incorporated by reference from our other filings
with the SEC or included in any applicable prospectus supplement. Investing in our securities involves risks. Therefore, carefully consider the risk factors set forth in any prospectus supplements and in our most recent annual and quarterly
filings with the SEC, as well as other information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplements and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, before purchasing our securities. Each of the risk factors could adversely
affect our business, operating results and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities.
Overview
We are a clinical stage
biotechnology company that discovers and develops Anticalin-based drugs to target validated disease pathways in a unique and transformative way. Our pipeline includes immuno-oncology multi-specifics tailored for the tumor micro-environment, an
inhaled Anticalin to treat uncontrolled asthma and a half-life-optimized Anticalin to treat anemia. Our proprietary Anticalins are a novel class of protein therapeutics validated in the clinic and by partnerships with leading pharmaceutical
companies. Anticalin
®
proteins are a class of low molecular-weight therapeutic proteins derived from lipocalins, which are naturally occurring low-molecular weight human proteins
typically found in blood plasma and other bodily fluids. Anticalin
®
-branded proteins function similarly to monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, by binding tightly and specifically to a diverse
range of targets.
Our core Anticalin
®
technology and platform were
developed in Germany, and we have collaboration arrangements with major multi-national pharmaceutical companies headquartered in the U.S., Europe and Japan and with regional pharmaceutical companies headquartered in India. These include existing
agreements with Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited, or Daiichi Sankyo, and Sanofi Group, or Sanofi, pursuant to which our Anticalin platform has consistently achieved its development milestones. Furthermore, we established a collaboration with
F.Hoffmann—La Roche Ltd. and Hoffmann—La Roche Inc., or Roche in December 2015. We have discovery and preclinical collaboration and service agreements with both academic institutions and private firms in Australia, which increasingly are
being handled through Pieris Australia Pty Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pieris.
Additional Information
For more information regarding our business, see the disclosure under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business” included elsewhere in this prospectus. For a description of certain risks related to our business, see the disclosure under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on
page 4 of this prospectus.
Corporate History
Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on May 24, 2013 with the name “Marika Inc.”
and we changed our name to “Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.” on December 16, 2014. On December 17, 2014, we closed a share exchange transaction in which the stockholders of Pieris GmbH contributed all of their equity interests in Pieris
GmbH to Pieris in exchange for shares of our common stock, resulted in Pieris GmbH becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Immediately following the closing, the business of Pieris GmbH became our sole focus.
1
Our corporate headquarters are located at 255 State Street, 9
th
Floor, Massachusetts 02109 and our telephone number is (857) 246-8998. We maintain a website at www.pieris.com, to which we regularly post copies of our press releases as well as additional
information about us. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an inactive textual reference.
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports filed or
furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, are available free of charge through the investor relations page of our internet website as soon as reasonably practicable after we
electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
All brand names or trademarks appearing in this prospectus as the
property of their respective holders. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, trade dress, or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and does not, imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of, us by the
trademark or trade dress owners.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.0 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as
defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, enacted in April 2012. An emerging growth company may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. These provisions include, but
are not limited to:
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being required to provide only two years of audited financial statements in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced disclosure in the “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of our periodic reports and registration statements;
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not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Sarbanes-Oxley Act;
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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements; and
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exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
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We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the end of the fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock
that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second fiscal quarter, (ii) the end of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more during such fiscal year, (iii) the date on which we
issue more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt in a three-year period or (iv) December 31, 2019, the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of our common stock pursuant to an effective registration
statement filed under the Securities Act.
We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these reduced burdens. We have taken
advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations, which include providing only two years of audited financial statements and correspondingly reduced financial disclosures and reduced executive compensation disclosure in our periodic
reports, proxy statements and registration statements, and may elect to take advantage of other reduced burdens in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other
public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests.
2
Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting
standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. However, we have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be
subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
Offerings Under This
Prospectus
Under this prospectus, we may offer shares of our common stock and preferred stock, various series of debt securities
and/or warrants, rights or purchase contracts to purchase any of such securities, either individually or in units, with a total value of up to $100,000,000, from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time
of the offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will describe the
specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:
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designation or classification;
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aggregate principal amount or aggregate offering price;
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maturity, if applicable;
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rates and times of payment of interest or dividends, if any;
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redemption, conversion or sinking fund terms, if any;
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voting or other rights, if any; and
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conversion or exercise prices, if any.
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The prospectus supplement also may add, update or
change information contained in this prospectus or in documents we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. However, no prospectus supplement will fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a
security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness.
We may sell the securities directly to
investors or to or through agents, underwriters or dealers. We, and our agents or underwriters, reserve the right to accept or reject all or part of any proposed purchase of securities. If we offer securities through agents or
underwriters, we will include in the applicable prospectus supplement:
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the names of those agents or underwriters;
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applicable fees, discounts and commissions to be paid to them;
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details regarding over-allotment options, if any; and
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the net proceeds to us.
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This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of any securities unless it
is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
3
R
ISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves significant risk. The prospectus supplement applicable to each offering of our securities may contain a
discussion of the risks applicable to an investment in Pieris. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully consider the specific factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in the applicable
prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information contained or incorporated by reference in the prospectus supplement or appearing or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and
assumptions discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” included in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as revised or supplemented by our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or our current reports on Form 8-K on file with the
SEC, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, and which may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones
we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our operations. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered
securities.
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
Any time debt securities are offered pursuant to this prospectus, we will provide a table setting forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges
on a historical basis in the applicable prospectus supplement, if required.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus include forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amending, including statements regarding:
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the results of our research and development activities, including uncertainties relating to the discovery of potential drug candidates and the preclinical and ongoing or planned clinical testing of our drug candidates;
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the early stage of our drug candidates presently under development;
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our ability to obtain and, if obtained, maintain regulatory approval of our current drug candidates and any of our other future drug candidates;
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our need for substantial additional funds in order to continue our operations and the uncertainty of whether we will be able to obtain the funding we need;
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our future financial performance;
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our ability to retain or hire key scientific or management personnel;
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our ability to protect our intellectual property rights that are valuable to our business, including patent and other intellectual property rights;
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our dependence on third-party manufacturers, suppliers, research organizations, testing laboratories and other potential collaborators;
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our ability to successfully market and sell our drug candidates in the future as needed;
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the size and growth of the potential markets for any of our approved drug candidates, and the rate and degree of market acceptance of any of our approved drug candidates;
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competition in our industry; and
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regulatory developments in the U.S. and foreign countries.
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4
Such statements in connection with any discussion of future operations or financial performance
are identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “target,” “potential,”
“shall,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions. You also can identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current
facts. There are a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements.
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue
reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important cautionary statements in this
prospectus or in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, particularly in the “Risk Factors” section, that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we
make. For a summary of such factors, please refer to the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, as updated and supplemented by the discussion of risks and uncertainties under “Risk Factors” contained in any
supplements to this prospectus and in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as revised or supplemented by our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or our current reports on Form 8-K, as well as any amendments thereto, as filed with
the SEC and which are incorporated herein by reference. The information contained in this document is believed to be current as of the date of this document. We do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this
document to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as required by law.
In light of these
assumptions, risks and uncertainties, the results and events discussed in the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus or in any document incorporated herein by reference might not occur. Investors are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this prospectus or the date of the document incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We are not under any obligation, and we expressly disclaim any
obligation, to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to us or to any person acting on our behalf are expressly
qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section.
USE OF
PROCEEDS
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use any net proceeds from the sale of
securities under this prospectus for our operations and our further development and pre-clinical and clinical work of product candidates in our PRS-080, PRS-060 and PRS-343 programs, as well as the development of other programs and product
candidates, and other general corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, working capital, intellectual property protection and enforcement, capital expenditures, repayment of any existing indebtedness, investments, acquisitions and
collaborations. We have not determined the amounts we plan to spend on any of the areas listed above or the timing of these expenditures. As a result, our management will have broad discretion to allocate the net proceeds, if any, we receive in
connection with securities offered pursuant to this prospectus for any purpose. Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we may initially invest the net proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities or
apply them to the reduction of short-term indebtedness.
5
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The securities covered by this prospectus may be sold from time to time, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to
market prices, at a fixed price or prices subject to change or at negotiated prices, by a variety of methods including the following:
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in the over-the-counter market;
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in privately negotiated transactions;
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through broker-dealers, who may act as agents or principals;
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through one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or best-efforts basis;
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in a block trade in which a broker-dealer will attempt to sell a block of securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
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directly to one or more purchasers;
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in “at the market offerings” to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, or a securities exchange or otherwise; or
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in any combination of the above.
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In effecting sales, brokers or dealers engaged by the
selling stockholders may arrange for other brokers or dealers to participate. Broker-dealer transactions may include:
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purchases of the securities by a broker-dealer as principal and resales of the securities by the broker-dealer for its account pursuant to this prospectus;
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ordinary brokerage transactions; or
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transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers on a best efforts basis.
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We may
change the price of the securities offered from time to time.
Offers to purchase securities may be solicited directly by us and the sale
thereof may be made by us directly to institutional investors or others. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved. We may use electronic media, including the Internet, to sell offered securities directly.
We, or agents designated by us, may directly solicit, from time to time, offers to purchase the securities. Any such agent may be deemed to be
an underwriter as that term is defined in the Securities Act. We will name any agents involved in the offer or sale of the securities and describe any commissions payable by us to these agents in the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated
in the prospectus supplement, these agents will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of their appointment. The agents may be entitled under agreements which may be entered into with us to indemnification by us against specific civil
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The agents may also be our customers or may engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
If we utilize any underwriters in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an
underwriting agreement with those underwriters at the time of sale to them. We will set forth the names of these underwriters and the terms of the transaction in the prospectus supplement, which will be used by the underwriters to make resales of
the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered to the public. We may indemnify the underwriters under the relevant underwriting agreement against specific liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The underwriters
or their affiliates may be customers of, may engage in transactions with and may perform services for us or our affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
6
If we utilize a dealer in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is
delivered, we will sell those securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell those securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. We may indemnify the dealers against specific
liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The dealers or their affiliates may also be our customers or may engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
We may offer the common stock covered by this prospectus into an existing trading market on the terms described in the prospectus supplement
relating thereto. Underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in any at-the-market offerings will be described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto.
A prospectus and accompanying prospectus supplement in electronic form may be made available on the web sites maintained by the underwriters.
The underwriters may agree to allocate a number of securities for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Such allocations of securities for internet distributions will be made on the same basis as other allocations. In addition, securities
may be sold by the underwriters to securities dealers who resell securities to online brokerage account holders.
The aggregate maximum
compensation the underwriters will receive in connection with the sale of any securities under this prospectus and the registration statement of which it forms a part will not exceed 8% of the gross proceeds from the sale.
To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution. The
place and time of delivery for the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered will be set forth in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
Certain underwriters may use this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement for offers and sales related to market-making
transactions in the securities. These underwriters may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and the sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of sale. Any underwriters involved in the sale of the
securities may qualify as “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. In addition, the underwriters’ commissions, discounts or concessions may qualify as underwriters’ compensation under the
Securities Act and the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA.
Shares of our common stock sold pursuant to
the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part will be authorized for listing and trading on The NASDAQ Capital Market. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to any other listing, if any,
on The NASDAQ Capital Market or any securities market or other securities exchange of the securities covered by the prospectus supplement. Underwriters may make a market in our common stock, but will not obligated to do so and may discontinue market
making at any time without notice. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of or the existence, development or maintenance of trading markets for any of the securities.
In connection with offerings of securities under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and in compliance with
applicable law, underwriters, brokers or dealers may engage in transactions that stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at levels above those that might otherwise prevail in the open market. Specifically, underwriters, brokers or
dealers may over-allot in connection with offerings, creating a short position in the securities for their own accounts. For the purpose of covering a syndicate short position or stabilizing the price of the securities, the underwriters, brokers or
dealers may place bids for the securities or effect purchases of the securities in the open market. Finally, the underwriters may impose a penalty whereby selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other brokers or dealers for distribution
of the securities in offerings may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. These activities may stabilize,
maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market, and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK
We are authorized to issue 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. On July 22, 2016, we had 43,058,827 shares of
common stock outstanding and approximately 152 common stockholders of record.
The following summary of certain provisions of our common
stock does not purport to be complete. This description is summarized from, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, to which you should refer and
both of which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The summary below is also qualified by provisions of applicable law, including Chapters 78 and 92A of the Nevada Revised Statutes, or NRS,
as applicable to corporations.
General
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on matters on which our stockholders vote. There are no cumulative voting
rights. An election of directors by our stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election. Subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding shares of preferred stock,
holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if declared by our Board of Directors, out of funds that we may legally use to pay dividends. All of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock are duly authorized, validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
If we liquidate or dissolve, holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in our
assets once our debts and any liquidation preference owed to any then-outstanding preferred stockholders are paid. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation do not provide our common stock with any redemption, conversion or preemptive
rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.
Registration Rights
Private Placement
Registration Rights and Preemptive Rights
On December 17, 2014, we entered into a purchase agreement with multiple investors relating
to the issuance and sale of shares of our common stock in a private placement (the “Private Placement”). The private placement held closings on December 17, December 18, and December 23, 2014, through which we sold an aggregate of
6,779,510 shares of our common stock at $2.00 per share for aggregate proceeds of approximately $13.56 million. We also issued warrants to acquire up to 542,360 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $2.00 per share to placement agents
or their designees (the “Placement Agent Warrants”).
In connection with the Private Placement, we entered into a registration
rights agreement and agreed to file a registration statement covering the resale of the shares sold in the Private Placement, the shares underlying the Placement Agent Warrants, and the 20,000,000 shares of our common stock issued to former
stockholders of Pieris GmbH in connection with the share exchange transaction on December 17, 2014. We filed a registration statement on Form S-1 which was declared effective by the SEC on May 11, 2015. We have agreed to keep such registration
statement effective until the later of December 17, 2016 and such time as all of the securities to be registered thereunder have been sold under the registration statement or may be sold without restriction pursuant to Rule 144. If there is not
an effective registration statement covering the resale of the securities to be registered by such registration statement at any time prior to December 17, 2015, then the selling stockholders will have “piggyback” registration rights
with respect to any such securities that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144 without volume or manner of sale restrictions in connection with any other registration statement we determine to file that would permit the inclusion of those
shares.
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Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Its address is P.O. Box 30170, College Station,
TX 77842-3170. Their telephone number is (877) 373-6374 from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and (781) 575-3100 from all other locations.
Stock Exchange Listing
Our common stock
is listed for quotation on The NASDAQ Capital Market, under the symbol “PIRS.”
DESCRIPTION OF
PREFERRED STOCK
We are authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of July 22,
2016, no shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding. The following summary of certain provisions of our preferred stock does not purport to be complete. This description is summarized from, and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to, our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, to which you should refer and both of which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The summary below
is also qualified by provisions of applicable law, including Chapters 78 and 92A of the NRS as applicable to corporations.
General
Our Board of Directors has the authority, without further stockholder authorization, to issue from time to time up to 10,000,000 shares of
preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the voting powers, designations, preferences, limitations, restrictions, and relative rights of each series. If we issue preferred stock in the future, such preferred stock may have priority over
common stock with respect to dividends and other distributions, including the distribution of assets upon liquidation. Although we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock, the issuance of shares of preferred stock, or the
issuance of rights to purchase such shares, could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock, could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the common stock, and
could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change of control of us or an unsolicited acquisition proposal.
If we offer
a specific series of preferred stock under this prospectus, we will describe the terms of the preferred stock in the prospectus supplement for such offering and will file a copy of the certificate of designation establishing the terms of the
preferred stock with the Nevada Secretary of State and the SEC. To the extent required, this description will include:
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the designation and stated value, if any;
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the number of shares offered, the liquidation preference, if any, per share and the purchase price per share;
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the dividend rate(s), period(s) and/or payment date(s), or method(s) of calculation for such dividends;
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whether dividends will be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date from which dividends will accumulate;
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the procedures for any auction and remarketing, if any;
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the provisions for a sinking fund, if any;
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the provisions for redemption, if applicable;
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any listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange or market;
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whether the preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, and, if applicable, the conversion price (or how it will be calculated) and conversion period;
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whether the preferred stock will be exchangeable into debt securities, and, if applicable, the exchange price (or how it will be calculated) and exchange period;
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voting rights, if any, of the preferred stock;
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a discussion of any material and/or special U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock;
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the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company; and
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any material limitations on issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking pari passu with or senior to the series of preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
up of the Company.
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Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our preferred stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the
material terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future debt securities we may offer pursuant to this prospectus, we will describe the
particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we so indicate in a prospectus supplement, the terms of any debt securities offered under such prospectus supplement may differ from
the terms we describe below, and to the extent the terms set forth in a prospectus supplement differ from the terms described below, the terms set forth in the prospectus supplement shall control.
The “Debt Securities” will be either senior debt securities, or Senior Debt Securities, or subordinated debt securities, or
Subordinated Debt Securities. The Senior Debt Securities and the Subordinated Debt Securities will be issued under separate indentures among us, the subsidiary guarantors of such Debt Securities, if any, each a Subsidiary Guarantor, if applicable,
and a trustee to be determined, the Trustee. Senior Debt Securities will be issued under a “Senior Indenture” and Subordinated Debt Securities will be issued under a “Subordinated Indenture.” Together, the Senior Indenture and
the Subordinated Indenture are called “Indentures.” The form of each Indenture has been filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you should read the Indentures for provisions
that may be important to you.
The Indentures will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as in effect on the date of the
indenture. We use the term “debenture trustee” to refer to either the trustee under the senior indenture or the trustee under the subordinated indenture, as applicable. The following summaries of material provisions of the Debt Securities
are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities.
General
The Debt Securities may be
issued from time to time in one or more series and may be denominated and payable in foreign currencies or units based on or relating to foreign currencies. Neither Indenture limits the amount of Debt Securities that may be issued thereunder, and
each Indenture provides that the specific terms of the Debt Securities shall be set forth in, or determined pursuant to, an authorizing resolution and/or a supplemental indenture, if any, relating to such series.
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the title of the Debt Securities;
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the aggregate principal amount and any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the Debt Securities;
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the currency or units based on or relating to currencies in which Debt Securities are denominated and the currency or units in which principal or interest or both will or may be payable;
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whether we will issue the series of Debt Securities in global form, the terms of any global securities and who the depositary will be;
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whether or not the Debt Securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;
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our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period;
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whether the Indenture will restrict our ability to pay dividends, or will require us to maintain any asset ratios or reserves;
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whether we will be restricted from incurring any additional indebtedness;
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a discussion on any material or special U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to Debt Securities;
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the denominations in which we will issue Debt Securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
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whether the Debt Securities are Senior Debt Securities or Subordinated Debt Securities and, if Subordinated Debt Securities, the related subordination terms;
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whether any Subsidiary Guarantor will provide a Subsidiary Guarantee of the Debt Securities;
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each date on which the principal of the Debt Securities will be payable;
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the interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and date interest will begin to accrue, that the Debt Securities will bear and the interest payment dates for the Debt
Securities;
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each place where payments on the Debt Securities will be payable;
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any terms upon which the Debt Securities may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at our option;
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any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to redeem or otherwise repurchase the Debt Securities;
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the portion of the principal amount, if less than all, of the Debt Securities that will be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity of the Debt Securities;
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whether the Debt Securities are defeasible;
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any addition to or change in the events of default;
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whether the Debt Securities are convertible into our common stock and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which conversion will be effected, including the initial conversion price or conversion rate and any
adjustments thereto and the conversion period;
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any addition to or change in the covenants in the Indenture applicable to the Debt Securities;
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any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the Debt Securities; and
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any other terms of the Debt Securities not inconsistent with the provisions of the Indenture.
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Debt Securities, including any Debt Securities that provide for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a
declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or Original Issue Discount Securities, may be sold at a substantial discount below their principal amount. Special United States federal income tax considerations applicable to Original Issue
Discount Securities may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. In addition, special United States federal income tax or other considerations applicable to any Debt Securities that are denominated in a currency or currency unit other
than United States dollars may be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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Conversion or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the prospectus supplement the terms, if any, on which Debt Securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our
common stock or our other securities. We will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock or
our other securities that the holders of the series of Debt Securities receive would be subject to adjustment.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale; No
Protection in Event of a Change of Control or Highly Leveraged Transaction
The Indentures do not contain any covenant that restricts
our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets must assume all of our obligations under the Indentures or the Debt
Securities, as appropriate, satisfactory in form to the debenture trustee.
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus
supplement, the Debt Securities will not contain any provisions that may afford holders of the Debt Securities protection in the event we have a change of control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction
results in a change of control), which could adversely affect holders of Debt Securities.
Events of Default Under the Indenture
The following are events of default under the Indentures with respect to any series of Debt Securities that we may issue:
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if we fail to pay interest when due and our failure continues for 90 days and the time for payment has not been extended or deferred;
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if we fail to pay the principal, or premium, if any, when due and the time for payment has not been extended or delayed;
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if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant set forth in the Debt Securities of such series or the applicable Indentures, other than a covenant specifically relating to and for the benefit of holders of another
series of Debt Securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive written notice from the debenture trustee or holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of the applicable
series; and
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if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur as to us.
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No event of
default with respect to a particular series of Debt Securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an event of default with respect to any other series of Debt Securities. The occurrence
of an event of default may constitute an event of default under any bank credit agreements we may have in existence from time to time. In addition, the occurrence of certain events of default or acceleration under any applicable Indenture may
constitute an event of default under certain of our other indebtedness outstanding from time to time.
If an event of default with respect
to Debt Securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us
(and to the debenture trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal (or, if the Debt Securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms
of that series) of and premium and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all Debt Securities of that series. Before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained with respect to Debt Securities of any series, the holders of a
majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that series (or, at a meeting of holders of such
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series at which a quorum is present, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Debt Securities) default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal, premium, if any, and
interest, if any, with respect to Debt Securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the applicable Indenture (including payments or deposits in respect of principal, premium or interest that had become due other than as a
result of such acceleration). We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of Debt Securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such
discount securities upon the occurrence of an event of default.
Subject to the terms of the Indentures, if an event of default under an
Indenture shall occur and be continuing, the debenture trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such Indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities,
unless such holders have offered the debenture trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any
proceeding for any remedy available to the debenture trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the debenture trustee, with respect to the Debt Securities of that series, provided that:
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the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable Indenture; and
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subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the debenture trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the
proceeding.
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A holder of the Debt Securities of any series will only have the right to institute a proceeding under the
Indentures or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies if:
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the holder previously has given written notice to the debenture trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series;
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the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that series have made written request, and such holders have offered reasonable indemnity to the debenture trustee
to institute the proceeding as trustee; and
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the debenture trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of that series (or at a meeting of holders of
such series at which a quorum is present, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Debt Securities of such series represented at such meeting) other conflicting directions within 60 days after the notice, request and offer.
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These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of Debt Securities if we default in the payment of the
principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the Debt Securities. We will periodically file statements with the applicable debenture trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the applicable Indenture.
Modification of Indenture; Waiver
The
debenture trustee and we may change the applicable Indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters, including:
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to fix any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the Indenture; and
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to change anything that does not materially adversely affect the interests of any holder of Debt Securities of any series issued pursuant to such Indenture.
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In addition, under the Indentures, the rights of holders of a series of Debt Securities may be changed by us and the debenture trustee with
the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of each series (or, at a meeting of holders of such series at which a
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quorum is present, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Debt Securities of such series represented at such meeting) that is affected. However, the debenture trustee and we may
make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding Debt Securities affected:
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extending the fixed maturity of the series of debt securities;
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reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or any premium payable upon the redemption of any debt securities;
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reducing the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity;
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making the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security; or
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reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment or waiver.
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Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of any
series (or, at a meeting of holders of such series at which a quorum is present, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the Debt Securities of such series represented at such meeting) may on behalf of the holders of all Debt Securities of
that series waive our compliance with provisions of the Indenture. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the Debt Securities of such series waive any past
default under the Indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series or in respect of a covenant or provision, which cannot be
modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security of the series affected; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities of any series may rescind an
acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.
Discharge
Each Indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except
for obligations to:
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register the transfer or exchange of Debt Securities of the series;
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replace stolen, lost or mutilated Debt Securities of the series;
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maintain paying agencies;
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hold monies for payment in trust;
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compensate and indemnify the trustee; and
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appoint any successor trustee.
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In order to exercise our rights to be discharged with respect
to a series, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, the premium, if any, and interest on, the Debt Securities of the series on the dates payments are due.
Form, Exchange, and Transfer
We will
issue the Debt Securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The Indentures provide
that we may issue Debt Securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company or another depositary named by us and identified in a
prospectus supplement with respect to that series.
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At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the Indentures and the limitations
applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the Debt Securities of any series can exchange the Debt Securities for other Debt Securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of
like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the Indentures and the limitations applicable to global securities set
forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the Debt Securities may present the Debt Securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by
us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the Debt Securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange or in
the applicable Indenture, we will make no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar,
that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we
will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the Debt Securities of each series.
If we elect to redeem the
Debt Securities of any series, we will not be required to:
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issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any Debt Securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any Debt Securities
that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or
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register the transfer of or exchange any Debt Securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Debt Securities we are redeeming in part.
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Information Concerning the Debenture Trustee
The debenture trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under the applicable Indenture, undertakes to
perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable Indenture. Upon an event of default under an Indenture, the debenture trustee under such Indenture must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use
in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the debenture trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the Indentures at the request of any holder of Debt Securities unless it is offered
reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any Debt Securities on any
interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the Debt Securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents
designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, will we make interest payments by check which we will mail to the holder. Unless we otherwise indicate in a prospectus supplement, we will designate
the corporate trust office of the debenture trustee in the City of New York as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to Debt Securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that
we initially designate for the Debt Securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the Debt Securities of a particular series.
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All money we pay to a paying agent or the debenture trustee for the payment of the principal of
or any premium or interest on any Debt Securities which remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the security thereafter may look only to
us for payment thereof.
Governing Law
The Indentures and the Debt Securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, except to the
extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
Subordination of Subordinated Debt Securities
Our obligations pursuant to any subordinated Debt Securities will be unsecured and will be subordinate and junior in priority of payment to
certain of our other indebtedness to the extent described in a prospectus supplement. The Indentures do not limit the amount of indebtedness we may incur. The Indentures also do not limit us from issuing any other secured or unsecured debt.
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
General
We may issue warrants to
purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series together with other securities or separately, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Below is a description of certain general
terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer. Particular terms of the warrants will be described in the warrant agreements and the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants.
The applicable prospectus supplement will contain, where applicable, the following terms of and other information relating to the warrants:
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the specific designation and aggregate number of, and the price at which we will issue, the warrants;
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the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;
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the designation, amount and terms of the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants;
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if applicable, the exercise price for shares of our common stock and the number of shares of common stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants;
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if applicable, the exercise price for shares of our preferred stock, the number of shares of preferred stock to be received upon exercise, and a description of that series of our preferred stock;
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if applicable, the exercise price for our debt securities, the amount of debt securities to be received upon exercise, and a description of that series of debt securities;
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the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which that right will expire or, if you may not continuously exercise the warrants throughout that period, the specific date or dates on
which you may exercise the warrants;
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whether the warrants will be issued in fully registered form or bearer form, in definitive or global form or in any combination of these forms, although, in any case, the form of a warrant included in a unit will
correspond to the form of the unit and of any security included in that unit;
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any applicable material U.S. federal income tax consequences;
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the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents;
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the proposed listing, if any, of the warrants or any securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants on any securities exchange;
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if applicable, the date from and after which the warrants and the common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities will be separately transferable;
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if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time;
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information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
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the anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any;
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any redemption or call provisions;
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whether the warrants may be sold separately or with other securities as parts of units; and
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any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.
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Outstanding Warrants
As of July 22,
2016, we had outstanding warrants to purchase 5,455,639 shares of our common stock at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.30 per share.
Transfer
Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for any warrants will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS
General
We may issue rights to our
stockholders to purchase shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock or any of the other securities described in this prospectus. We may offer rights separately or together with one or more additional rights, debt securities,
preferred stock, common stock, warrants or purchase contracts, or any combination of those securities in the form of units, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights
agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the certificates relating to the rights of the series of certificates and will not assume any
obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the rights to which any prospectus
supplement may relate. The particular terms of the rights to which any prospectus supplement may relate and the extent, if any, to which the general provisions may apply to the rights so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus
supplement. To the extent that any particular terms of the rights, rights agreement or rights certificates described in a prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described below, then the terms described below will be deemed to have
been superseded by that prospectus supplement. We encourage you to read the applicable rights agreement and rights certificate for additional information before you decide whether to purchase any of our rights.
We will provide in a prospectus supplement the following terms of the rights being issued:
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the date of determining the stockholders entitled to the rights distribution;
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the aggregate number of shares of common stock, preferred stock or other securities purchasable upon exercise of the rights;
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the aggregate number of rights issued;
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whether the rights are transferrable and the date, if any, on and after which the rights may be separately transferred;
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the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence, and the date on which the right to exercise the rights will expire;
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the method by which holders of rights will be entitled to exercise;
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the conditions to the completion of the offering, if any;
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the withdrawal, termination and cancellation rights, if any;
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whether there are any backstop or standby purchaser or purchasers and the terms of their commitment, if any;
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whether stockholders are entitled to oversubscription rights, if any;
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any applicable material U.S. federal income tax considerations; and
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any other terms of the rights, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the distribution, exchange and exercise of the rights, as applicable.
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Each right will entitle the holder of rights to purchase for cash the principal amount of shares of common stock, preferred stock or other
securities at the exercise price provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Holders may exercise rights as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon receipt of payment and the rights certificate
properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the rights agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, forward the shares of common stock, preferred stock or other
securities, as applicable, purchasable upon exercise of the rights. If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through
agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Rights Agent
The rights agent for any
rights we offer will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS
We may issue purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and for us to sell to holders, a
specific or variable number of our debt securities, shares of common stock, shares of our preferred stock, warrants or rights, or securities of an entity unaffiliated with us, or any combination of the above, at a future date or dates.
Alternatively, the purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specific or variable number of our debt securities, shares of common stock, preferred stock, warrants, rights or other property, or
any combination of the above. The price of the securities or other property subject to the purchase contracts may be fixed at the time the purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula described in the
purchase contracts. We may issue purchase contracts separately or as a part of units each consisting of a purchase contract and one or more of our other securities described in this prospectus or securities of third parties, including U.S. Treasury
securities, securing the holder’s obligations under the purchase contract. The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to holders or vice versa and the payments may be unsecured or pre-funded on some basis. The purchase
contracts may require holders to secure the holder’s obligations in a manner specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any purchase contracts in respect
of which this prospectus is being delivered, including, to the extent applicable, the following:
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whether the purchase contracts obligate the holder or us to purchase or sell, or both purchase and sell, the securities subject to purchase under the purchase contract, and the nature and amount of each of those
securities, or the method of determining those amounts;
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whether the purchase contracts are to be prepaid;
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whether the purchase contracts are to be settled by delivery, or by reference or linkage to the value, performance or level of the securities subject to purchase under the purchase contract;
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any acceleration, cancellation, termination or other provisions relating to the settlement of the purchase contracts;
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any applicable material U.S. federal income tax considerations; and
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whether the purchase contracts will be issued in fully registered or global form.
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The
preceding description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the purchase contracts to which any prospectus supplement may relate. The particular terms of the purchase contracts to which any prospectus supplement may relate and the
extent, if any, to which the general provisions may apply to the purchase contracts so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. To the extent that any particular terms of the purchase contracts described in a
prospectus supplement differ from any of the terms described above, then the terms described above will be deemed to have been superseded by that prospectus supplement. We encourage you to read the applicable purchase contract for additional
information before you decide whether to purchase any of our purchase contracts.
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS
The following description, together with the additional information that we include in any applicable prospectus supplements
summarizes the material terms and provisions of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any units that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the
particular terms of any series of units in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any units offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below.
We will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of unit agreement that describes the terms of the series of
units we are offering, and any supplemental agreements, before the issuance of the related series of units. The following summaries of material terms and provisions of the units are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to,
all the provisions of the unit agreement and any supplemental agreements applicable to a particular series of units. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements related to the particular series of units that we may offer under
this prospectus, as well as any related free writing prospectuses and the complete unit agreement and any supplemental agreements that contain the terms of the units.
General
We may issue units consisting of
shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock, one or more debt securities, warrants, rights or purchase contacts for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series, in any
combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each security included in the
unit. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.
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We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of units being
offered, including:
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the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;
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any provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described below; and
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any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units.
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The provisions described in this section, as well as those set forth in any prospectus supplement or as described under “Description of
Common Stock,” “Description of Preferred Stock,” “Description of Debt Securities,” “Description of Warrants,” “Description of Rights” and “Description of Purchase Contracts” will apply to each
unit, as applicable, and to any common stock, preferred stock, debt security, warrant, right or purchase contract included in each unit, as applicable.
Unit Agent
The name and address of the
unit agent for any units we offer will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Issuance in Series
We may issue units in such amounts and in such numerous distinct series as we determine.
Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Units
Each unit agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable unit agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency
or trust with any holder of any unit. A single bank or trust company may act as unit agent for more than one series of units. A unit agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable unit agreement
or unit, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a unit may, without the consent of the related unit agent or the holder of any other unit, enforce by
appropriate legal action its rights as holder under any security included in the unit.
CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF
NEVADA LAW AND OF THE COMPANY’S ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS
Anti-Takeover Effects of Our amended and restated articles of
incorporation and Amended and restated bylaws and Certain Provisions of Nevada Law
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation,
amended and restated bylaws and the NRS contain provisions that may have the effect of maintaining continuity and stability in the composition of our Board of Directors. These provisions may help us avoid costly takeover battles, reduce our
vulnerability to a hostile change of control and enhance the ability of our Board of Directors to effectively evaluate and negotiate in connection with any unsolicited offer to acquire us. However, these provisions may have an anti-takeover effect
and may delay, deter or prevent a merger or acquisition of our company by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or other takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in its best interest, including attempts that might result in a
premium over the prevailing market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.
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Business Combinations and Acquisition of Control Shares
Nevada’s “combinations with interested stockholders” statutes (NRS 78.411 through 78.444, inclusive) prohibit specified types of
business “combinations” between certain Nevada corporations and any person deemed to be an “interested stockholder” for two years after such person first becomes an “interested stockholder” unless the corporation’s
board of directors approves the combination (or the transaction by which such person becomes an “interested stockholder”) in advance, or unless the combination is approved by the board of directors and sixty percent of the
corporation’s voting power not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder, its affiliates and associates. Furthermore, in the absence of prior approval certain restrictions may apply even after such two-year period. An amendment to the
NRS, effective October 1, 2015, however, provides that these statutes do not apply to any combination of a corporation and an interested stockholder after the expiration of four years after the person first became an interested stockholder. NRS
78.439 has also been amended, effective October 1, 2015, to eliminate the prohibition on stockholder approval by written consent with respect to combinations undertaken after the two-year period prescribed under the statutes. For purposes of these
statutes, an “interested stockholder” is any person who is (1) the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation, or (2) an affiliate or
associate of the corporation and at any time within the two previous years was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the then-outstanding shares of the corporation. The definition of the term
“combination” is sufficiently broad to cover most significant transactions between a corporation and an “interested stockholder.” These laws generally apply to Nevada corporations with 200 or more stockholders of record, but a
Nevada corporation may elect in its articles of incorporation not to be governed by these particular laws. We have not made such an election in our amended and restated articles of incorporation.
Nevada’s “acquisition of controlling interest” statutes (NRS 78.378 through 78.3793, inclusive) contain provisions governing
the acquisition of a controlling interest in certain Nevada corporations. These “control share” laws provide generally that any person that acquires a “controlling interest” in certain Nevada corporations may be denied voting
rights, unless a majority of the disinterested stockholders of the corporation elects to restore such voting rights. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation include our election to provide that these statutory provisions shall not apply
to us or to any acquisition of our common stock. If our amended and restated articles of incorporation are amended to remove such elective provision, and absent a similar provision included in an amendment to our amended and restated bylaws, these
laws would then apply to us if we were to have 200 or more stockholders of record (at least 100 of whom have addresses in Nevada appearing on our stock ledger) and do business in the State of Nevada directly or through an affiliated corporation,
unless our articles of incorporation or bylaws in effect on the tenth day after the acquisition of a controlling interest provide otherwise. These laws provide that a person acquires a “controlling interest” whenever a person acquires
shares of a subject corporation that, but for the application of these provisions of the NRS, would enable that person to exercise (i) one-fifth or more, but less than one-third, (ii) one-third or more, but less than a majority or
(iii) a majority or more, of all of the voting power of the corporation in the election of directors. Once an acquirer crosses one of these thresholds, shares which it acquired in the transaction taking it over the threshold and within the 90
days immediately preceding the date when the acquiring person acquired or offered to acquire a controlling interest become “control shares” to which the voting restrictions described above apply.
In addition, NRS 78.139 also provides that directors may resist a change or potential change in control if the directors, by majority vote of
a quorum, determine that the change is opposed to, or not in, the best interest of the corporation.
Classified Board of Directors; Removal of
Directors Only for Cause
Pursuant to our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, our Board of
Directors is divided into three classes, with the term of office of the first class to expire at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of directors and until their successors are duly
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elected and qualified, the term of office of the second class to expire at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of directors and until their successors
are duly elected and qualified, and the term of office of the third class to expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the initial classification of directors and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. At each
annual meeting of stockholders, directors elected to succeed those directors whose terms expire, other than directors elected by the holders of any series of preferred stock under specified circumstances, will be elected for a three-year term of
office. All directors elected to our classified Board of Directors will serve until the election and qualification of their respective successors or their earlier resignation or removal. Members of the Board of Directors may only be removed for
cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least 80% of our outstanding voting stock. These provisions are likely to increase the time required for stockholders to change the composition of the Board of Directors. For example, at least two annual
meetings will be necessary for stockholders to effect a change in a majority of the members of the Board of Directors.
Dividends and Other
Distributions
Under NRS 78.288, the directors of a Nevada corporation may authorize, and the corporation may make, distributions
(including cash dividends) to stockholders, but no such distribution may be made if, after giving it effect:
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the corporation would not be able to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course of business; or
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except as otherwise specifically allowed by such corporation’s articles of incorporation, the corporation’s total assets would be less than the sum of (x) its total liabilities plus (y) the amount
that would be needed, if the corporation were to be dissolved at the time of distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of stockholders whose preferential rights are superior to those receiving the distribution.
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The NRS prescribes the timing of the determinations above depending on the nature and timing of payment of the
distribution. For cash dividends paid within 120 days after the date of authorization, the determinations above must be made as of the date the dividend is authorized. When making their determination that a distribution is not prohibited by NRS
78.288, directors may consider:
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financial statements prepared on the basis of accounting practices that are reasonable in the circumstances;
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a fair valuation, including, but not limited to, unrealized appreciation and depreciation; and/or
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any other method that is reasonable in the circumstances.
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Declaration and payment of any
dividend will be subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors. The payment of any future dividends will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors; however, the time and amount of such dividends, if any, will be dependent upon our
financial condition, operations, compliance with applicable law, cash requirements and availability, debt repayment obligations, capital expenditure needs and restrictions in our debt instruments, contractual restrictions, business prospects,
industry trends, the provisions of Nevada law affecting the payment of distributions and any other factors our Board of Directors may consider relevant. Our ability to pay dividends on our common stock may depend in part on our receipt of cash
dividends from our operating subsidiaries, which may be restricted from paying us dividends as a result of the laws of their jurisdiction of organization, agreements of our subsidiaries or covenants under any existing and future outstanding
indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur.
Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Proposals and Stockholder Nominations of Directors
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, for nominations to the Board of Directors or for other business to be properly brought by a
stockholder before a meeting of stockholders, the stockholder must first have given timely notice of the proposal in writing to our Secretary. For an annual meeting, a stockholder’s
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notice generally must be delivered not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting date. For a special meeting, the notice
must generally be delivered not earlier than the 90
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day prior to the meeting and not later than the later of (i) the 60
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day prior to
the meeting or (ii) the 10
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day following the day on which public announcement of the meeting is first made. Detailed requirements as to the form of the notice and information required in
the notice are specified in the amended and restated bylaws. If it is determined that business was not properly brought before a meeting in accordance with our bylaw provisions, such business will not be conducted at the meeting.
Special Meetings of Stockholders
Special
meetings of the stockholders may be called only by our Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors.
Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers
The Nevada Revised Statutes empower us to indemnify our directors and officers against expenses relating to certain actions, suits or
proceedings as provided for therein. In order for such indemnification under the statutes to be available, the applicable director or officer must not have acted in a manner that constituted a breach of his or her fiduciary duties and involved
intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law and was material to the action, or must have acted in good faith and reasonably believed that his or her conduct was in, or not opposed to, our best interests. In the event of a criminal
action, the applicable director or officer must not have had reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. However, the indemnification pursuant to the NRS and advancement of expenses authorized in or ordered by a court pursuant to
the statutes does not exclude any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under our amended and restated articles of incorporation or any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or
disinterested directors or otherwise, for either an action in the person’s official capacity or an action in another capacity while holding office, except that indemnification, unless ordered by a court pursuant to Section 78.7502 of the NRS or
for the advancement of expenses made pursuant to Section 78.751(2) of the NRS, may not be made to or on behalf of any director or officer if a final adjudication establishes that the director’s or officer’s acts or omissions involved
intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of the law and was material to the cause of action.
Under applicable provisions of
the Nevada Revised Statutes, our amended and restated articles of incorporation, Amended and restated bylaws or any separate agreement may provide for our payment of expenses incurred by any such director or officer in advance of the final
disposition of the applicable action, suit or proceeding, upon delivery by such director or officer of an undertaking to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by
us.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation provide for indemnification of our directors and officers substantially identical
in scope to that permitted under applicable Nevada law. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation also provide that the expenses of our directors and officers incurred in defending any applicable action, suit or proceeding must be paid by
us as they are incurred and in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding, provided that the required undertaking by the director or officer is delivered to us.
We have also entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and executive officers consistent with Nevada
law and in the form approved by our Board of Directors and our stockholders, and we contemplate entering into such indemnification agreements with directors and certain executive officers that may be elected or appointed in the future. Those
indemnification agreements require that under the circumstances and to the extent provided for therein, we indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law against certain expenses incurred by any such person as a result of
such person being made a party to certain actions, suits and proceedings by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director,
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officer, employee or agent of our company, any entity that was a predecessor corporation of our company or any of our affiliates. The rights of each person who is a party to such an
indemnification agreement are in addition to any other rights such person may have under applicable Nevada law, our amended and restated articles of incorporation, our Amended and restated bylaws, any other agreement, a vote of our stockholders, a
resolution adopted by our Board of Directors or otherwise. The foregoing is only a brief description of the form of indemnification agreement, does not purport to be a complete description of the rights and obligations of the parties thereunder and
is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of indemnification agreement filed as an exhibit to this prospectus and incorporated herein by reference.
We also maintain a customary insurance policy that indemnifies our directors and officers against various liabilities, including liabilities
arising under the Securities Act that may be incurred by any director or officer in his or her capacity as such.
At present, there is no
pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors or officers for which indemnification is sought, nor are we aware of any threatened litigation that is likely to result in claims for indemnification.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted for our directors, officers and controlling
persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than payment by us for expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of ours in successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding)
is asserted by a director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction, the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
No Stockholder Action by Written Consent
Any action to be effected by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of the stockholders and not by
written consent.
Super Majority Stockholder Vote Required for Certain Actions
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and Amended and restated bylaws provide that the Board of Directors is expressly authorized
to make, alter, amend, change, add to, rescind or repeal, in whole or in part, our bylaws without a stockholder vote in any manner not inconsistent with Nevada law and our amended and restated articles of incorporation. Our amended and restated
articles of incorporation require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 80% of our outstanding voting stock to amend or repeal any of the provisions discussed in this section under the heading “Anti-Takeover Effects of Our amended and
restated articles of incorporation and Amended and restated bylaws and Certain Provisions of Nevada Law,” as well as certain other provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation. This 80% stockholder vote would be in addition
to any separate class vote that might in the future be required pursuant to the terms of any preferred stock that might then be outstanding. An 80% vote is also required for any amendment to, or repeal of, our Amended and restated bylaws by the
stockholders and for the removal of any member of or our entire Board of Directors. Our Amended and restated bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Deemed Notice and Consent
Our amended
and restated articles of incorporation provide that any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to
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have notice of and consented to all of the provisions of our amended and restated articles of incorporation, our Amended and restated bylaws and any amendment to our articles of incorporation or
bylaws enacted in accordance therewith and applicable law.
LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the issuance of the shares of our common stock or preferred stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Brownstein
Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, Las Vegas, Nevada. Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Boston, Massachusetts, will pass upon the binding nature of any other securities being offered hereby. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for
us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. appearing in Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Annual Report (Form
10-K), as amended, at December 31, 2015 and 2014, and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2015, have been audited by Ernst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, independent registered public accounting firm,
as set forth in their report thereon, incorporated by reference therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such
firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and file annual, quarterly and current
reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information at the SEC’s public reference facilities at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You can
request copies of these documents by writing to the SEC and paying a fee for the copying cost. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information about the operation of the public reference facilities. SEC filings are also available at the
SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.
This prospectus is only part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with
the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and therefore omits certain information contained in the registration statement. We have also filed exhibits and schedules with the registration statement that are excluded from this prospectus,
and you should refer to the applicable exhibit or schedule for a complete description of any statement referring to any contract or other document. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules, without
charge, at the public reference room or obtain a copy from the SEC upon payment of the fees prescribed by the SEC.
We also maintain a
website at www.pieris.com, through which you can access our SEC filings. The information set forth on our website is not part of this prospectus.
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INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus information that we have filed with the SEC. This means we can disclose
important information to you by referring you to other documents that contain that information. The information incorporated by reference is considered part of this prospectus. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below:
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(1)
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Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 that we filed with the SEC on March 23, 2016.
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(2)
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Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 that we filed with the SEC on April 29, 2016.
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(3)
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Amendment No. 2 to our Annual Report on
Form 10-K/A
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 that we filed with the SEC on July 20, 2016.
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(4)
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Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016 that we filed with the SEC on May 12, 2016.
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(5)
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Amendment No. 1 to our Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q/A
for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016 that we filed with the SEC on July 20, 2016.
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(6)
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Our Current Reports on Form 8-K, each of which were filed with the SEC (except for the information furnished under Items 2.02 and 7.01 and the exhibits thereto on the following dates:
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•
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April 18, 2016 (with respect to two reports filed on such date);
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•
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June 6, 2016 (with respect to two reports filed on such date);
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(7)
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The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on June 24, 2015, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
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(8)
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All reports and other documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the registration statement to which this prospectus forms a part of and
prior to the effectiveness of such registration statement or after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination or completion of the offering of securities under this prospectus shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
prospectus and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such reports and other documents.
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The SEC file number for each of the documents
listed above is 001-37471.
Any statement contained in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by
reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by
reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statements so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
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You may request a copy of these documents, orally or in writing, which will be provided to you at
no cost, by contacting:
Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
255 State Street, 9
th
Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Attention: Investor Relations
Telephone: +1 (857) 246-8998
You
may also access these documents on our website, http://www.pieris.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus solely as an
inactive textual reference.
You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any
prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any
jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.
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PIERIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
$35,000,000
COMMON
STOCK
Prospectus Supplement
Cowen and
Company
October 5, 2016
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