As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 16, 2017

Registration No. 333-    

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

ARGOS THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   56-2110007

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

 

4233 Technology Drive

Durham, North Carolina 27704

(919) 287-6300

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Jeffrey D. Abbey

Chief Executive Officer

Argos Therapeutics, Inc.

4233 Technology Drive

Durham, North Carolina 27704

(919) 287-6300

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copy to:

 

Stuart M. Falber, Esq.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

60 State Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

(617) 526-6000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

 

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.   ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.   x

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

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

If this form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.   ¨

If this form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.   ¨

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer

¨

Accelerated filer

x

Non-accelerated filer

¨

Smaller reporting company

¨

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Emerging growth company

x

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.    x

 

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

                 
 
Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered  

Amount

to be

Registered(1)(2)

 

Proposed

Maximum

Offering Price

Per Share(3)

 

Proposed

Maximum

Aggregate

Offering Price

  Amount of
Registration Fee
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share   18,895,355   $0.23   $4,345,932   $504
 
 

 

(1)   Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers any additional securities that may be offered or issued in connection with any stock split, stock dividend or pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of any of the securities.

(2)   Consists of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of a convertible secured promissory note.

(3)   Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act and based upon the average of the high and low prices on the NASDAQ Global Market on August 15, 2017.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

Subject to completion, dated August 16, 2017

PROSPECTUS

ARGOS THERAPEUTICS, INC.

18,895,355 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

 

 

This prospectus relates to the possible resale from time to time of up to 18,895,355 shares of common stock of Argos Therapeutics, Inc. by Pharmstandard International S.A. (“Pharmstandard” or the “selling stockholder”). Such shares are issuable upon the conversion of a convertible secured promissory note that we issued to the selling stockholder on June 21, 2017. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares offered by this prospectus.

We have agreed to bear all of the expenses incurred in connection with the registration of these shares. The selling stockholder will pay or assume brokerage commissions and similar charges incurred for the sale of shares of our common stock.

The selling stockholder identified in this prospectus, or its pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors-in-interest, may offer the shares from time to time through public or private transactions at prevailing market prices, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at privately negotiated prices. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 11.

Our common stock is currently traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ARGS.” On August 15, 2017, the closing sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market was $0.22 per share. You are urged to obtain current market quotations for our common stock.

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 2.

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

 

 

The date of this prospectus is             , 2017.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY     1  
RISK FACTORS     2  
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION     3  
USE OF PROCEEDS     4  
SELLING STOCKHOLDER     5  
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK     8  
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION     11  
LEGAL MATTERS     13  
EXPERTS     13  
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION     13  
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE     13  
SIGNATURES     18  
SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY     18  
EXHIBIT INDEX     19  

We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. The selling stockholder is 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 is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of common stock.

 

 

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This summary highlights important features of this offering and the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This summary may not contain all of the information that is important to you. You should read the entire prospectus carefully, including “Risk Factors,” before deciding to invest in our common stock.

 

Argos Therapeutics, Inc.

 

We are an immuno-oncology company focused on the development and commercialization of individualized immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases based on our proprietary precision immunotherapy technology platform called Arcelis.

 

Our most advanced product candidate is rocapuldencel-T, which we are developing for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, or mRCC, and other cancers. We are currently conducting a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of rocapuldencel-T plus sunitinib or another therapy for the treatment of newly diagnosed mRCC under a special protocol assessment, or SPA, with the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. We refer to this trial as the ADAPT trial. In addition to the ADAPT trial, we are also currently supporting an investigator-initiated Phase 2 trial of rocapuldencel-T in patients with early stage RCC. 

 

We are developing AGS-004, our second Arcelis-based product candidate, for the treatment of HIV. We have completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials funded by government grants and a Phase 2b trial that was funded in full by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID. We are currently supporting an ongoing investigator-initiated Phase 2 clinical trial of AGS-004 in adult HIV patients evaluating the use of AGS-004 in combination with vorinostat, a latency reversing drug for HIV eradication, and plan to support an investigator-initiated Phase 2 clinical trial of AGS-004 evaluating AGS-004 for long-term viral control in pediatric patients provided that results from our ongoing trial in adult HIV patients are favorable and government funding is available. 

 

Corporate Information

 

We were incorporated in the State of Delaware on May 8, 1997. Our principal executive offices are located at 4233 Technology Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27704, and our telephone number is (919) 287-6300. Our website address is www.argostherapeutics.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. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “Argos,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Argos Therapeutics, Inc.

 

The trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.

 

The Offering

 

Common stock offered by selling stockholder    18,895,355 shares
       
Use of proceeds   We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares in this offering.
       
NASDAQ Global Market symbol   ARGS
           

 

 

 

RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the section captioned “Risk Factors” contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings we make with the SEC from time to time, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer materially. In such event, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment.

 

 

  2  

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated in this prospectus regarding our strategy, future operations, clinical trials, collaborations, intellectual property, cash resources, financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans, and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. The words “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “potential,” “likely,” “projects,” “continue,” “will,” and “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We cannot guarantee that we actually will achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements. See “Risk Factors” in this prospectus for more information. These factors and the other cautionary statements made in this prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference should be read as being applicable to all related forward-looking statements whenever they appear in this prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of the date that this prospectus is filed with the SEC and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

 

  3  

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares offered pursuant to this prospectus. The selling stockholder will receive all of the proceeds from the sale of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus. For information about the selling stockholder, see “Selling Stockholder.”

The selling stockholder will pay any underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses incurred by the selling stockholder for brokerage services or any other expenses incurred by the selling stockholder in disposing of the shares. We will bear all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of the shares covered by this prospectus, including all registration and filing fees and fees and expenses of our counsel and accountants and legal expenses of the selling stockholder.

 

 

 

  4  

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDER

The table below sets forth, to our knowledge, information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholder as of August 2, 2017.

The information in the table below with respect to the selling stockholder has been obtained from the selling stockholder. When we refer to the “selling stockholder” or “Pharmstandard” in this prospectus, we mean Pharmstandard International S.A., as well as its respective pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors-in-interest.

We do not know if, when or in what amounts the selling stockholder may elect to convert the convertible secured promissory note that we issued to it on June 21, 2017 into shares of our common stock or to offer the shares issuable upon such conversion for sale. Under the terms of the note, the selling stockholder may not convert the convertible secured promissory note to the extent that such conversion would cause the aggregate number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholder and its affiliates to exceed 39.9% of the total number of outstanding shares of our common stock or the combined voting power of the securities beneficially owned by the selling stockholder and its affiliates to exceed 39.9% of the combined voting power of all our outstanding securities.

The selling stockholder may sell some, all or none of the shares offered by this prospectus. Because the number of shares the selling stockholder may offer and sell is not presently known, and because there are currently no agreements, arrangements or understandings with respect to the sale of any of the shares, we cannot estimate the number of shares that will be held by the selling stockholder after completion of this offering. This table, however, presents the maximum number of shares of common stock that the selling stockholder may offer pursuant to this prospectus and the number of shares of common stock that would be beneficially owned after the sale of the maximum number of shares of common stock by the selling stockholder.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and includes voting or investment power with respect to shares. Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, each selling stockholder named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of common stock beneficially owned by it. The inclusion of any shares in this table does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership for the selling stockholder named below.

  Shares of Common Stock   Number of Shares of   Shares of Common Stock to
    Beneficially Owned Prior to   Common Stock   be Beneficially Owned After
Name of Selling Stockholder   Offering   Being   Offering
    Number   Percentage (1)   Offered   Number   Percentage (2)
 Pharmstandard International S.A. (3)   27,705,883 (4)     39.9 (4)  %     18,895,355       18,362,883       23.25 %

 

 

 

(1) Based on 54,974,739 shares of our common stock outstanding on August 2, 2017.

 

(2) Based on 73,870,094 shares of our common stock consisting of (i) 54,974,739 shares of common stock outstanding as of August 2, 2017 and (ii) 18,895,355 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of the convertible secured promissory note.

 

(3) Pharmstandard International S.A. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Joint Stock Company “Pharmstandard.” As the parent entity, Joint Stock Company “Pharmstandard” has voting and investment control over the shares of the Company held by Pharmstandard International S.A.

 

(4) Consists of (i) 13,242,279 shares of common stock, (ii) warrants to purchase 5,120,604 shares of common stock and (iii) 9,343,000 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of a portion of the convertible secured promissory note. As a result of the application of the Conversion Cap as described below in this footnote, the table does not include the remaining 9,552,355 shares of common stock that may be issuable upon conversion of the convertible secured promissory note. The information in this footnote is based in part on Schedule 13D filed by the selling stockholder with the SEC on June 26, 2017. Pursuant to the terms of the convertible secured promissory note, the selling stockholder may not convert the convertible secured promissory note to the extent that such conversion would cause the aggregate number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by the selling stockholder and its affiliates to exceed 39.9% of the total number of outstanding shares of our common stock or the combined voting power of the securities beneficially owned by the selling stockholder and its affiliates to exceed 39.9% of the combined voting power of all our outstanding securities, which limitation we refer to as the Conversion Cap.

 

  5  

 

Relationships with the Selling Stockholder

 

2017 Note Financing

 

On June 15, 2017, we entered into a note purchase agreement with Pharmstandard pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell to Pharmstandard a convertible secured promissory note in the original principal amount of $6,000,000 in a private placement.

 

On June 21, 2017, we issued the convertible secured promissory note to Pharmstandard. Under the note, the maturity date for the payment of principal and interest is the fifth anniversary of the issue date. The note bears interest at a rate of 9.5% per annum, which interest will compound annually. The note is secured by a lien on and security interest in all of our intellectual property. We may prepay the note in whole or in part at any time without penalty or premium. Upon the occurrence of certain events of default, Pharmstandard has the option to require us to repay the unpaid principal amount of the note and any unpaid accrued interest. In addition, at Pharmstandard’s election, Pharmstandard may convert the principal and interest on the note into shares of our common stock at a price per share equal to $0.50. If the note was held until maturity and principal and accrued interest were converted into common stock at that time, the note would be converted into 18,895,355 shares of common stock.However, Pharmstandard is not permitted to convert the note to the extent such conversion would result in Pharmstandard and its affiliates holding shares that exceed 39.9% of the total number of outstanding shares of our common stock or 39.9% of the combined voting power of all our outstanding securities.

 

On June 21, 2017, we entered into a security agreement with Pharmstandard, pursuant to which we granted to Pharmstandard a first-priority lien on, and security interest in, substantially all of our intellectual property collateral and we agreed, with certain exceptions, not to incur certain future indebtedness and liens or to sell, transfer, license or otherwise dispose of any material portion of the intellectual property collateral. Upon the occurrence of events of default under the note, Pharmstandard will have certain rights to the intellectual property collateral as set forth in the security agreement.

 

On June 15, 2017, in connection with the note financing, we entered into a registration rights agreement with Pharmstandard relating to the registration for resale of the shares of our common stock issued or issuable upon the conversion of the convertible secured promissory note. The registration rights agreement contains customary covenants and agreements by us, and customary indemnification obligations of us and Pharmstandard, including for liabilities under the Securities Act.

The registration statement of which this prospectus is a part has been filed in accordance with the registration rights agreement.

The foregoing summary descriptions of the note purchase agreement and the registration rights agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the note purchase agreement and the registration rights agreement, which were filed as exhibits to our Current Report on Form 8-K, dated June 16, 2017, and are incorporated by reference herein. The foregoing descriptions of the note and the security agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the note and the security agreement, forms of which are included as exhibits to the note purchase agreement, which was filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form 8-K, dated June 16, 2017, and incorporated by reference herein.

 

  6  

 

Follow-On Public Offering

 

On August 2, 2016, we issued and sold 9,090,909 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 6,818,181 shares of common stock to various purchasers in an underwritten public offering at a price to the public of $5.50 per share and accompanying warrant. Pharmstandard purchased 2,363,636 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase a total of 1,772,727 shares of common stock in such offering for a total purchase price of $12,999,998. The shares of common stock and warrants were sold in combination, with one warrant to purchase up to 0.75 of a share of common stock accompanying each share of common stock sold. The warrants have an exercise price of $5.50 per share, became immediately exercisable upon issuance and will expire on August 2, 2021.

 

2016 Private Placement

 

On March 4, 2016, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain investors, including Pharmstandard, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell an aggregate of up to $60 million of our common stock and warrants to purchase shares of common stock in a private placement financing. The financing was to take place in up to three tranches. At the closing of the initial tranche in March 2016, we sold and the investors purchased, for a total purchase price of $19,882,915, a total of 3,652,430 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase a total of 2,739,323 shares of common stock (0.75 shares of common stock for each share of common stock purchased), based on a purchase price per share of common stock and accompanying warrant equal to $5.44375.  Pharmstandard purchased a total of 1,785,534 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase a total of 1,339,151 shares of common stock, for a purchase price of $9,720,000 in the initial tranche. At the closing of the second tranche in June 2016, we sold and the investors purchased, for a total purchase price of $29,824,520, a total of 5,478,672 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase a total of 4,109,005 shares of common stock at the same price and on the same terms as the first tranche. Pharmstandard purchased a total of 2,678,301 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase a total of 2,008,726 shares of common stock, for a purchase price of $14,580,001.07, in the second tranche. The warrants issued in each closing have an exercise price of $5.35 per share and expire five years from the date of issuance. Pharmstandard also agreed, pursuant to the securities purchase agreement, that, at our option following the satisfaction of certain conditions, Pharmstandard could be required to purchase at a third closing up to approximately $10,292,563 million of shares of common stock (without warrants). The dollar amount committed to be purchased by Pharmstandard at the third closing was subject to reduction on a dollar-for-dollar basis for certain cash amounts raised by us after the initial closing through equity or debt financings or collaborations. The net proceeds received from the follow-on public offering that closed on August 2, 2016 reduced in full the dollar amount committed to be purchased in the third tranche (see Item 1. Note 8 to the Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed on March 16, 2017), and as a result we have no further ability to effect the closing of, and Pharmstandard has no further obligation to purchase shares in, a third tranche of the private placement financing.

Initial Public Offering

In February 2014, Pharmstandard purchased 1,275,000 shares in our initial public offering at the initial public offering price of $8.00 per share, for a total purchase price of $10,200,000.

Directors

Irackly Mtibelishvily and Igor Krol, who are members of our board of directors, are closely associated with Pharmstandard.

License Agreements/Collaborations

We are a party to a license agreement with Pharmstandard. This agreement is described under the section captioned “Business—Development and Commercialization Agreements” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein, and is filed as an exhibit thereto by incorporation by reference.

  7  

 

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only and therefore is not complete. This description is based upon, and is qualified by reference to, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, each as amended from time to time, and by applicable provisions of Delaware corporate law. You should read our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, for the provisions that are important to you.

Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. As of August 2, 2017, 54,974,739 shares of common stock were outstanding and no shares of preferred stock were outstanding.

 

Common Stock

 

Annual Meeting. Annual meetings of our stockholders are held on the date designated in accordance with our by-laws. Written notice must be mailed to each stockholder entitled to vote not less than ten nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of our issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such meeting constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of the stockholders. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called for any purpose by the chief executive officer, the chairman of the board or by the board of directors. Except as may be otherwise provided by applicable law, our restated certificate of incorporation or our by-laws, all elections shall be decided by a plurality, and all other questions shall be decided by a majority, of the votes cast by stockholders entitled to vote thereon at a duly held meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present.

 

Voting Rights . Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted upon by stockholders.

 

Dividends . The holders of common stock, after any preferences of holders of any preferred stock, are entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by the board of directors out of legally available funds.

 

Liquidation and Dissolution . If we are liquidated or dissolved, the holders of the common stock will be entitled to share in our assets available for distribution to stockholders in proportion to the amount of common stock they own. The amount available for common stockholders is calculated after payment of liabilities. Holders of any preferred stock will receive a preferential share of our assets before the holders of the common stock receive any assets.

Other Rights. Holders of the common stock have no right to:

● convert the stock into any other security;

 

● have the stock redeemed;

 

● purchase additional stock; or

 

● maintain their proportionate ownership interest.

The common stock does not have cumulative voting rights. Holders of shares of the common stock are not required to make additional capital contributions.

Transfer Agent and Registrar .  Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is transfer agent and registrar for the common stock.

The NASDAQ Global Market . Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ARGS.”

  8  

 

Preferred Stock

Under the terms of our certificate of incorporation, we are authorized to issue “blank check” preferred stock, which may be issued in one or more series upon authorization of our board of directors. Our board of directors is authorized to fix the designation of the series, the number of authorized shares of the series, dividend rights and terms, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences and any other rights, powers, preferences and limitations applicable to each series of preferred stock. The authorized shares of our preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. If the approval of our stockholders is not required for the issuance of shares of our preferred stock, our board may determine not to seek stockholder approval.

A series of our preferred stock could, depending on the terms of such series, impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt. Our board of directors will make any determination to issue such preferred shares based upon its judgment as to the best interests of our stockholders. Our directors, in so acting, could issue preferred stock having terms that could discourage an acquisition attempt through which an acquirer may be able to change the composition of our board of directors, including a tender offer or other transaction that some, or a majority, of our stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then-current market price of the stock.

 

Effects of Authorized but Unissued Stock

We have shares of common stock and preferred stock available for future issuance without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the listing standards of the NASDAQ Global Market. We may utilize these additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including for future public offerings to raise additional capital, or facilitate corporate acquisitions or for payment as a dividend on our capital stock. The existence of unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock may enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management or to issue preferred stock with terms that could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, a controlling interest in our company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. In addition, if we issue preferred stock, the issuance could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock, and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation.

 

Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws and Delaware Law That May Have Anti-Takeover Effects

 

Staggered Board; Removal of Directors.

 

Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws divide our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% of our shares of capital stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote. Under our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office. Furthermore, our certificate of incorporation provides that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by the resolution of our board of directors. The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the ability of our stockholders to remove directors, change the authorized number of directors and fill vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of our company.

 

Super-Majority Voting

 

The Delaware General Corporation Law, which we refer to as the DGCL, provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any annual election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any election of directors is required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above.

 

  9  

 

Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders; Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations

 

Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders may only be taken if it is properly brought before such meeting and may not be taken by written action in lieu of a meeting. Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders can only be called by the chairman of our board of directors, our chief executive officer or our board of directors. In addition, our bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities. These provisions also could discourage a third party from making a tender offer for our common stock, because even if the third party acquired a majority of our outstanding voting stock, it would be able to take action as a stockholder, such as electing new directors or approving a merger, only at a duly called stockholders meeting and not by written consent.

 

Delaware Business Combination Statute .   We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL. Section 203 of the DGCL restricts some types of transactions and business combinations between a corporation and a 15% stockholder. A 15% stockholder is generally considered by Section 203 to be a person owning 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. Section 203 refers to a 15% stockholder as an “interested stockholder.” Section 203 restricts these transactions for a period of three years from the date the stockholder acquires 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. With some exceptions, unless the transaction is approved by the board of directors and the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation, Section 203 prohibits significant business transactions such as:

 

● a merger with, disposition of significant assets to or receipt of disproportionate financial benefits by the interested stockholder, and

 

● any other transaction that would increase the interested stockholder’s proportionate ownership of any class or series of our capital stock.

 

The shares held by the interested stockholder are not counted as outstanding when calculating the two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock needed for approval.

 

The prohibition against these transactions does not apply if:

 

● prior to the time that any stockholder became an interested stockholder, the board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction in which such stockholder acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, or

 

● the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of our outstanding voting stock as a result of a transaction in which such stockholder acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. Shares held by persons who are both directors and officers or by some types of employee stock plans are not counted as outstanding when making this calculation.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The selling stockholder, which as used herein includes its donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest selling shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock received after the date of this prospectus from a selling stockholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer, may, from time to time, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of its shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices.

 

The selling stockholder may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of shares or interests therein:

 

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

 

  • block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

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

 

  • an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

 

  • privately negotiated transactions;

 

  • short sales effected after the date the registration statement of which this Prospectus is a part is declared effective by the SEC;

 

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

 

  • broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholder to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;

 

  • a combination of any such methods of sale; and

 

  • any other method permitted by applicable law.

 

The selling stockholder may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by it and, if it defaults in the performance of its secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under an amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act amending the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as the selling stockholder under this prospectus. The selling stockholder also may transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

 

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

 

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The aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholder from the sale of the common stock offered by it will be the purchase price of the common stock less discounts or commissions, if any. The selling stockholder reserves the right to accept and, together with its agents from time to time, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of common stock to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering.

 

The selling stockholder also may resell all or a portion of the shares in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, provided that they meet the criteria and conform to the requirements of that rule.

 

The selling stockholder and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the sale of the common stock or interests therein may be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. Any discounts, commissions, concessions or profit they earn on any resale of the shares may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Selling stockholders who are “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.

 

To the extent required, the shares of our common stock to be sold, the name of the selling stockholder, the purchase price and public offering price, the names of any agents, dealer or underwriter, any applicable commissions or discounts with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.

 

In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the common stock may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the common stock may not be sold unless it has been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.

 

We have advised the selling stockholder that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of shares in the market and to the activities of the selling stockholder and its affiliates. In addition, to the extent applicable we will make copies of this prospectus (as it may be supplemented or amended from time to time) available to the selling stockholder for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. The selling stockholder may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving the sale of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

 

We have agreed to indemnify the selling stockholder against liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and state securities laws, relating to the registration of the shares offered by this prospectus.

 

We have agreed with the selling stockholder to keep the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part effective until the earlier of (1) such time as all of the shares covered by this prospectus have been disposed of pursuant to and in accordance with such registration statement or (2) the date on which all of the shares may be sold without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act.

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares offered by this prospectus has been passed upon by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

EXPERTS

 

The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at http://www.argostherapeutics.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information about us and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below (File No. 001-35443) and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed) between the date of the initial registration statement and the effectiveness of the registration statement and following the effectiveness of the registration statement until the offering of the securities under the registration statement is terminated or completed:

 

(1) Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 filed on March 16, 2017, as amended by a Form 10-K/A filed on May 1, 2017;

 

(2) Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017;

 

(3) Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 23, 2017 (solely with respect to items 1.01 and 5.02 therein), February 22, 2017, March 6, 2017, March 9, 2017, March 23, 2017, April 4, 2017, April 14, 2017, April 18, 2017, May 4, 2017, June 16, 2017 and August 2, 2017;

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(4) The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on January 31, 2014, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description; and

 

(5) All of our filings pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of filing the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement.

 

You may request a copy of these documents, which will be provided to you at no cost, by writing or telephoning us using the following contact information below. We will provide copies of the exhibits to these filings only if they are specifically incorporated by reference in these filings.

 

Argos Therapeutics, Inc.

4233 Technology Drive
Durham, North Carolina 27704
Attn: Investor Relations
(919) 287-6300

 

 

 

 

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth the various expenses to be incurred in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, all of which will be borne by Argos Therapeutics, Inc. (except any underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses incurred by the selling stockholder for brokerage services or any other expenses incurred by the selling stockholder in disposing of the shares). All amounts shown are estimates except the SEC registration fee.

 

SEC registration fee   $ 504  
Legal fees and expenses     30,000  
Accounting fees and expenses     30,000  
Miscellaneous expenses     10,000  
   
 
 
 
Total expenses   $ 70,504  
   
 
 
 

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of its directors or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his or her duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our certificate of incorporation provides that no director shall be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the Delaware General Corporation Law prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the corporation in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlements actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

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Our certificate of incorporation provides that we will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, our director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that we will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, our director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by us against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection therewith. If we do not assume the defense, expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. In general, these agreements provide that we will indemnify the director or executive officer to the fullest extent permitted by law for claims arising in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company or in connection with their service at our request for another corporation or entity. The indemnification agreements also provide for procedures that will apply in the event that a director or executive officer makes a claim for indemnification and establish certain presumptions that are favorable to the director or executive officer.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy which covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

In any underwriting agreement we enter into in connection with the sale of common stock being registered hereby, the underwriters will agree to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, our directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, against certain liabilities.

Insofar as the forgoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, executive officers, or person controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Item 16. Exhibits

The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits are filed as part of this registration statement on Form S-3.

Item 17. Undertakings.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

  (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”);

 

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  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;

 

provided, however , that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.

 

  (2) That, for the purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
     

  (i) Each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
     
  (ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however , that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.    

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the indemnification provisions described herein, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Durham, State of North Carolina, on August 16, 2017.

 

   
  ARGOS THERAPEUTICS, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Jeffrey D. Abbey
    Jeffrey D. Abbey
    President and Chief Executive Officer

 

SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned officers and directors of Argos Therapeutics, Inc., hereby severally constitute and appoint Jeffrey D. Abbey, Richard D. Katz and Lori R. Harrelson and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to any of them, and to each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below the Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed herewith and any and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to said registration statement and generally to do all such things in our name and behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable Argos Therapeutics, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said registration statement and any and all amendments thereto.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Jeffrey D. Abbey   President and Chief Executive Officer, and Director (Principal Executive Officer)    August 16, 2017
Jeffrey D. Abbey        
         
/s/ Richard D. Katz   Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)    August 16, 2017
Richard D. Katz, M.D.        
         
/s/ Lori R. Harrelson   Vice President of Finance (Principal Accounting Officer)   August 16, 2017
Lori R. Harrelson        
         
/s/ Hubert Birner   Director    August 16, 2017
Hubert Birner, Ph.D.        
         
/s/ Robert F. Carey   Director    August 16, 2017
Robert F. Carey        
         
/s/ Igor Krol   Director    August 16, 2017
Igor Krol        
         
/s/ Irackly Mtibelishvily   Director    August 16, 2017
Irackly Mtibelishvily        
         
/s/ Sander van Deventer   Director    August 16, 2017
Sander van Deventer, M.D., Ph.D.        

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

     

EXHIBIT

NUMBER

 

DESCRIPTION

   
4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 18, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)
   
4.2   Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 18, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)
     
4.3   Registration Rights Agreement, dated June 15, 2017, by and among the Registrant and Pharmstandard International S.A. (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 16, 2017 and incorporated herein by reference)
     
5.1*   Opinion of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
   
23.1*   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
   
23.2*   Consent of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1 filed herewith)
   
24.1*   Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this registration statement)
   
     
* Filed herewith

 

 

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