UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 40-F
(Check One)
¨ REGISTRATION
STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
x
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(a) OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934
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For the fiscal year ended:
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December 31, 2020
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Commission File Number:
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001-39034
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BELLUS
HEALTH INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Canada
(Province or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
2834
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number (if applicable))
Not Applicable
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number (if applicable))
275 Armand-Frappier Blvd.
Laval, Quebec H7V 4A7, Canada
Telephone: (450) 680-4525
(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
C T Corporation System
1015 15th Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, District of Columbia 20005
Telephone: (202) 572-3111
(Name, address (including zip code) and telephone number (including area code)
of agent for service in the United States)
Securities registered or to be registered
pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title
of each class
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Trading Symbol(s)
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Name of each exchange
on which registered
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Common Shares
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BLU
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The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
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Securities registered or to be registered
pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
Securities for which there is a reporting
obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
For annual reports, indicate by check mark
the information filed with this Form:
x
Annual Information Form x
Audited Annual Financial Statements
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s
classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: 78,337,361
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
(1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for
such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant
has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405
of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging
growth company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Emerging
growth company x
If
an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant
has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided
pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
† The term “new or revised
financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting
Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
Indicate by check mark whether
the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal
control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting
firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ¨
EXPLANATORY NOTE
BELLUS Health Inc. (the “Registrant”)
is a Canadian corporation eligible to file its Annual Report pursuant to Section 13(a) of the United States Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on Form 40-F. The Registrant is a “foreign private issuer”
as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act. Equity securities of the Registrant are accordingly exempt from Sections 14(a),
14(b), 14(c), 14(f) and 16 of the Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 3a12-3 thereunder.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this Annual Report
on Form 40-F are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act and Section 27A of the United
States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Additionally, the safe harbor provided in
Section 21E of the Exchange Act and Section 27A of the Securities Act applies to any forward-looking information provided pursuant
to “Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements” and “Disclosure of Contractual Obligations” in this Annual Report on
Form 40-F. Please see “Forward-Looking Statements” beginning on page 1 of the Management Discussion and Analysis
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 of the Registrant, attached as Exhibit 99.3 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F, and
“Forward-Looking Statements” beginning on page 1 of the Annual Information Form for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2020 of the Registrant, attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report on Form 40-F.
NOTE TO UNITED STATES READERS –
DIFFERENCES IN UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN REPORTING PRACTICES
The Registrant is permitted, under a multijurisdictional
disclosure system adopted by the United States, to prepare this Annual Report on Form 40-F in accordance with Canadian disclosure
requirements, which are different from those of the United States.
The Registrant prepares its
consolidated financial statements, which are filed with this Annual Report on Form 40-F, in accordance with International Financial
Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”). IFRS differ
in some significant respects from United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”), and
thus the Registrant’s financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of United States companies.
These differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP might be material to the financial information presented in this Annual Report on
Form 40-F. In addition, differences may arise in subsequent periods related to changes in IFRS or U.S. GAAP or due to new transactions
that the Registrant enters into. The Registrant is not required to prepare a reconciliation of its consolidated financial statements
and related footnote disclosures between IFRS and U.S. GAAP and has not quantified such differences.
Unless otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts in this Annual
Report on Form 40-F are in United States dollars. The exchange rate of Canadian dollars into United States dollars, on December
31, 2020, based upon the Bank of Canada published daily exchange rate, was U.S.$1.00 = CDN$1.2736.
Purchasing, holding, or disposing of securities
of the Registrant may have tax consequences under the laws of the United States and Canada that are not described in this Annual
Report on Form 40-F.
PRINCIPAL DOCUMENTS
Annual Information Form
The Registrant’s Annual Information
Form for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 is filed as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on
Form 40-F.
Audited Annual Financial Statements
The audited consolidated financial statements
of the Registrant for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, including the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm with respect thereto, are filed as Exhibit 99.2 and incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 40-F.
Management Discussion and Analysis
The Registrant’s Management Discussion
and Analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 is filed as Exhibit 99.3 and incorporated by reference in this Annual
Report on Form 40-F.
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Certifications
The required certifications are included in Exhibits 99.4, 99.5,
99.6 and 99.7 of this Annual Report on Form 40-F.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
At the end of the period covered by this
report, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Registrant’s “disclosure controls and
procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) was carried out by the Registrant’s
principal executive officer and principal financial officer. Based upon that evaluation, the Registrant’s principal executive
officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this report, the design and
operation of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that (i) information required to
be disclosed in reports that the Registrant files or submits to regulatory authorities is recorded, processed, summarized and reported
within the time periods specified by regulation, and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Registrant’s
principal executive officer (the “CEO”) and principal financial officer (the “CFO”), to allow
timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
It should be noted that while the Registrant’s
CEO and CFO believe that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures provide a reasonable level of assurance that
they are effective, they do not expect that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures will prevent all errors and
fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived or operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the
objectives of the control system are met.
Management Report on Internal Control
Over Financial Reporting
Management, with the participation of the Registrant’s
CEO and CFO, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over the Registrant’s financial reporting.
The Registrant's internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles,
including: that all transactions and dispositions are accurately and fairly recorded; that transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; and unauthorized acquisitions,
uses or dispositions of the Registrant's assets are prevented or timely detected.
Management has assessed the effectiveness
of The Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting as at December 31, 2020. In making its assessment, management
used the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework
(2013) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. Based on this assessment,
management has concluded that the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31,
2020.
Attestation Report of Independent
Auditor
In accordance with the United States Jumpstart
Our Business Startup Act (the “JOBS Act”) enacted on April 5, 2012, the Registrant qualifies as an “emerging
growth company” (an “EGC”), which entitles the Registrant to take advantage of certain exemptions from
various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not EGCs. Specifically, the JOBS Act defers
the requirement to have the Registrant’s independent auditor assess the Registrant’s internal controls over financial
reporting under Section 404(b) of the United States Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. As such, the Registrant is exempted from the requirement
to include an auditor attestation report in this Form 40-F for so long as the Registrant remains an EGC, which may be for as long
as five years following its initial registration in the United States.
Changes in Internal Control over
Financial Reporting
During the year ended December 31, 2020,
there were no changes in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are
reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
NOTICES PURSUANT TO REGULATION BTR
There were no notices required by Rule
104 of Regulation BTR that the Registrant sent during the year ended December 31, 2020 concerning any equity security subject to
a blackout period under Rule 101 of Regulation BTR.
AUDIT COMMITTEE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL
EXPERT
Audit Committee
The Board of Directors has a separately-designated
standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act for the purpose of overseeing the
accounting and financial reporting processes of the Registrant and audits of the Registrant’s annual financial statements.
As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 40-F, the members of the Audit Committee are Pierre Larochelle (as Chairperson), Franklin
M. Berger and Joseph Rus.
The Board of Directors of the Registrant
has determined that all members of the Audit Committee are “independent,” as such term is defined under the rules of
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”). Further, the Registrant has determined that all members of the Audit
Committee are financially literate, meaning that they must be able to read and understand fundamental financial statements.
Audit Committee Financial Expert
The Board of Directors of the Registrant
has determined that Franklin M. Berger is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in General Instruction
B(8)(b) of Form 40-F. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) has indicated that the
designation of Franklin M. Berger as an audit committee financial expert does not make him an “expert” for any purpose,
impose any duties, obligations or liability on him that are greater than those imposed on members of the audit committee and board
of directors who do not carry this designation or affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the audit
committee.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Registrant has adopted a written code
of ethics for its directors, officers and employees entitled “BELLUS Health Inc. Code of Ethics” (the “Code”)
that complies with Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5610. The Code includes, among other
things, written standards for the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting
officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, which are required by the Commission for a code of ethics applicable
to such officers. A copy of the Code is posted on the Registrant’s website at www.bellushealth.com under the Investors &
Media tab and under the Corporate Governance tab under the Documents & Charters tab (titled “Code of Ethics”).
No substantive amendments to the Code were
adopted during the year ended December 31, 2020. No “waiver” or “implicit waiver,” as such terms are defined
in Note 6 to General Instruction B(9) of Form 40-F, was granted relating to any provision of the Code during the year ended December
31, 2020.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
KPMG LLP has served as the Registrant’s
auditing firm since 1995. Aggregate fees billed to the Registrant for professional services rendered by KPMG LLP and its affiliates
during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 are detailed below (stated in Canadian dollars):
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Fiscal 2020
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Fiscal 2019
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Audit Fees
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$
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324,754
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$
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264,500
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Audit-Related Fees
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$
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29,211
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$
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20,150
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Tax Fees
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$
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20,490
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$
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8,500
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All Other Fees
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$
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Nil
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$
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Nil
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Total Fees
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$
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374,446
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$
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293,150
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The nature of each category of fees is
as follows:
Audit Fees
Audit fees were paid for professional services
rendered by the auditors for the annual audit of the Registrant’s consolidated financial statements, quarterly reviews of
the Registrant’s interim financial statements, services provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings, and
work in connection with registration statements filed in the United States and prospectuses filed in Canada.
Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees consist of the aggregate
fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Registrant’s
financial statements and are not reported under the Audit Fees item above. This category is comprised of fees billed for the provision
of French translation services.
Tax Fees
Tax fees include fees billed for tax compliance.
All Other Fees
All Other Fees include the aggregate fees
billed for products and services provided by the auditors, other than the services reported above.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
All audit and non-audit services performed
by the Registrant’s auditor must be pre-approved by the Audit Committee of the Registrant. For the fiscal year ended December
31, 2020, all audit and non-audit services performed by the Registrant’s auditor were pre-approved by the Audit Committee
of the Registrant, pursuant to Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i) of Regulation S-X.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
As of December 31, 2020, the Registrant
does not have any “off-balance sheet arrangements” (as that term is defined in paragraph 11(ii) of General Instruction
B to Form 40-F) that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on its financial condition, changes in financial
condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to
investors.
DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
The following table lists, as of December
31, 2020, information with respect to the Registrant’s known contractual obligations:
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Payments Due by Period (All amounts in thousands of dollars)
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Contractual Obligations
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Less than 1
year
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1-3 years
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3-5 years
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More than
5 years
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Total
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Long-Term Debt Obligations
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Nil
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Nil
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Nil
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Nil
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Nil
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Lease Liabilities
|
|
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184
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368
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Nil
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Nil
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552
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Purchase Obligations
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|
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34,621
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|
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2,038
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Nil
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Nil
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36,659
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Other Long-Term Liabilities Reflected on the Company’s Balance Sheet
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Nil
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Nil
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Nil
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Nil
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Nil
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Total
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34,805
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|
|
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2,406
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|
|
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Nil
|
|
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Nil
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37,211
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INTERACTIVE DATA FILE
The Registrant is submitting as Exhibit 101 to this Annual Report
on Form 40-F its Interactive Data File.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Not applicable.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Registrant is a “foreign private
issuer” as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act and its common shares are listed on NASDAQ. NASDAQ Marketplace Rule
5615(a)(3) permits a foreign private issuer to follow its home country practices in lieu of certain requirements in the NASDAQ
Listing Rules. A foreign private issuer that follows home country practices in lieu of certain corporate governance provisions
of the NASDAQ Listing Rules must disclose each NASDAQ corporate governance requirement that it does not follow and include a brief
statement of the home country practice the issuer follows in lieu of the NASDAQ corporate governance requirement(s), either on
its website or in its annual filings with the Commission. A description of the significant ways in which the Registrant’s
corporate governance practices differ from those followed by domestic companies pursuant to the applicable NASDAQ Listing Rules
is disclosed on the Registrant’s website at www.bellushealth.com under the Investors & Media tab and under the Corporate
Governance tab under the Documents & Charters tab (titled “Nasdaq Statements of Governance Differences”).
UNDERTAKING
The Registrant undertakes to make available,
in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when
requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities registered pursuant to Form 40-F; the securities
in relation to which the obligation to file an Annual Report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said securities.
CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
The Registrant filed an Appointment of
Agent for Service of Process and Undertaking on Form F-X with the Commission with respect to the class of securities in relation
to which the obligation to file this Annual Report on Form 40-F arises.
Any change to the name or address of the
Registrant’s agent for service of process shall be communicated promptly to the Commission by an amendment to the Form F-X
referencing the file number of the Registrant.
EXHIBIT INDEX
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant
certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this Annual Report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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BELLUS Health Inc.
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By:
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/s/ Roberto Bellini
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Name: Roberto Bellini
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Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
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Date: February 25, 2021
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