Securities Registration: Employee Benefit Plan (s-8)

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2019.

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

ATHERSYS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware	20-4864095
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

3201 Carnegie Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2634

(Address of Principal Executive Offices Including Zip Code)

Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Dr. Gil Van Bokkelen

Chief Executive Officer

Athersys, Inc.

3201 Carnegie Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 4115-2634

(216) 431-9900

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a 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	x
		Emerging growth company	¨

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

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE



Title of Securities to be Registered	Amount to be Registered	Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share	Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Amount of Registration Fee
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share	18,463,737 ⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	$1.62 ⁽³⁾	$29,911,253.94 ⁽³⁾	$3,625.25


(1)	Represents shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“ Common Stock ”), of Athersys, Inc. (the “Registrant”) issuable pursuant to the Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”) being registered hereon.


(2)	Pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “ Securities Act ”), this Registration Statement also covers such additional shares of Common Stock as may become issuable pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Plan.


(3)	Estimated solely for calculating the amount of the registration fee, pursuant to Rule 457(c) and Rule (h) under the Securities Act, on the basis of the average of the high and low sale prices of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market on June 6, 2019, a date that is within five business days prior to filing.

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

The information specified in Items 1 and 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this filing in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I will be delivered to the participants in the Plan covered by this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (“ Registration Statement ”) as required by Rule 428(b)(1).

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The Registrant is subject to the informational and reporting requirements of Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “ Exchange Act ”), and, in accordance therewith, files reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”). The following documents filed with the Commission by the Registrant are hereby incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

(a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 (Commission File No. 001-33876);

(b) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2019 (Commission File No. 001-33876);

(c) The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K (Commission File No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on January 11, 2019 , March 14, 2019 (only with respect to Item 5.03) , and May 30, 2019 ; and

(d) The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s registration statement on Form 8-A (Commission File No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on December 6, 2007 under the Exchange Act, and all amendments thereto or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K, unless expressly stated therein) subsequent to the effective date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, will be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Any statement contained in any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The Registrant is incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware. Delaware law provides that directors of a company will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except for liabilities:


•	for any breach of their duty of loyalty to the company or its stockholders;


•	for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;


•	for unlawful payment of dividend or unlawful stock repurchase or redemption, as provided under Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the DGCL; or


•	for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

The provisions of Delaware law that relate to indemnification expressly state that the rights provided by the statute are not exclusive and are in addition to any rights provided in bylaws, by agreement, or otherwise. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that if Delaware law is amended to further eliminate or limit the liability of directors, then the liability of our directors shall be eliminated or limited, without further stockholder action, to the fullest extent permissible under Delaware law as so amended.

Our certificate of incorporation requires us to indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, any and all persons we have the power to indemnify under the DGCL from and against any and all expenses, liabilities or other matters covered by the DGCL. Additionally, our certificate of incorporation requires us to indemnify each of our directors and officers in each and every situation where the DGCL permits or empowers us (but does not obligate us) to provide such indemnification, subject to the provisions of our bylaws. Our bylaws requires us to indemnify our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, and permits us, to the extent authorized by the board of directors, to indemnify our officers and any other person we have the power to indemnify against liability, reasonable expense or other matters.

Under our certificate of incorporation, indemnification may be provided to directors and officers acting in their official capacity, as well as in other capacities. Indemnification will continue for persons who have ceased to be directors, officers, employees or agents, and will inure to the benefit of their heirs, executors and administrators. Additionally, under our certificate of incorporation, except under certain circumstances, our directors are not personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors, officers, or employees in which indemnification is sought, nor are we aware of any threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification.

Our bylaws also permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee, or agent for any liability arising out of actions in his or her capacity as an officer, director, employee, or agent. We have obtained an insurance policy that insures our directors and officers against losses, above a deductible amount, from specified types of claims. Finally, we have entered into indemnification agreements with most of our directors and executive officers, which agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify them and advance expenses to them relating to indemnification suits to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.



Exhibit No.	Description
4.1	Certificate of Incorporation of Athersys, Inc., as amended as of June 20, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 13, 2013
4.2	Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of Athersys, Inc., as amended as of June 7, 2017 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on August 9, 2017
4.3	Bylaws of Athersys, Inc., as amended and restated as of March 13, 2019 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-33876) filed with the Commission on March 14, 2019
4.4	Athersys, Inc. 2019 Equity and Incentive Plan
5.1	Opinion of Jones Day
23.1	Consent of Ernst & Young LLP
23.2	Consent of Jones Day (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1	Power of Attorney

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) 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;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the 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 the 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;

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

provided , however , that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the Registration Statement is on Form S-8, and 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 Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such 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 that 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.

(b) 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 Section 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 the 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.

(c) 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 foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Cleveland, state of Ohio, on this 12 ^th day of June, 2019.



		ATHERSYS, INC.

	By:	/s/ Gil Van Bokkelen
		Gil Van Bokkelen
		Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.



Signatures	Title	Date

/s/ Gil Van Bokkelen	Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (Principal Executive Officer)	June 12, 2019
Gil Van Bokkelen		June 12, 2019

/s/ Laura K. Campbell	Senior Vice President of Finance (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)	June 12, 2019
Laura K. Campbell		June 12, 2019

*	Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Director	June 12, 2019
John J. Harrington		June 12, 2019


Hardy TS Kagimoto	Director	June 12, 2019
		June 12, 2019
*
Lorin J. Randall	Director	June 12, 2019
		June 12, 2019
*
Jack L. Wyszomierski	Director	June 12, 2019
		June 12, 2019
*
Lee E. Babiss	Director	June 12, 2019
		June 12, 2019
*
Ismail Kola	Director	June 12, 2019
		June 12, 2019

* This registration statement has been signed on behalf of the above officers and directors by Gil Van Bokkelen, as attorney-in-fact pursuant to a power of attorney filed as Exhibit 24.1 to this registration statement.