Pain Therapeutics, Inc.
7801 N Capital of Texas Highway, Suite 260, Austin, Texas, 78731
________________
PROXY STATEMENT
________________
INFORMATION CONCERNING SOLICITATION AND VOTING
General
The enclosed Proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors of Pain Therapeutics, Inc.
(the “Company”)
for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at the Company’s offices located at 7801 N Capital of Texas Highway, Suite 260, Austin, Texas, 78731,
on
Thursday, May 10, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., local time, and at any adjournment(s) thereof, for the purposes set forth herein and in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Company’s principal executive offices are located at the address listed at the top of th
is
page and
t
he
Company’s
telephone number is (
512) 501-2444
.
The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, containing financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, are being mailed together with these proxy solicitation materials to all stockholders entitled to vote. This Proxy Statement, the accompanying Proxy and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K will first be mailed on or about April 3, 2018 to all stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting.
THE COMPANY SHALL PROVIDE WITHOUT CHARGE TO ANY STOCKHOLDER SOLICITED BY THESE PROXY SOLICITATION MATERIALS A COPY OF THE COMPANY’S ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K, TOGETHER WITH THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REQUIRED TO BE FILED WITH THE ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K, UPON REQUEST OF A STOCKHOLDER MADE IN WRITING TO PAIN THERAPEUTICS, INC., 7801 N CAPITAL OF TEXAS HIGHWAY, SUITE 260, AUSTIN, TEXAS, 78731, ATTENTION: INVESTOR RELATIONS.
Record Date and Share Ownership
Stockholders of record at the close of business on March 21, 2018
(
the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of
the meeting
and to vote at the meeting and at any adjournment(s) thereof. The Company has one series of common shares issued and outstanding, designated as
c
ommon
s
tock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), and one series of undesignated
p
referred
s
tock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”). As of the Record Date, 120,000,000 shares of Common Stock were authorized and 6,595,509
shares of Common Stock were issued and outstanding and 10,000,000 shares of
P
referred
S
tock were authorized and none were issued or outstanding.
Each share of Common Stock entitles its holder to one vote. Cumulative voting of shares of Common Stock is not permitted.
Revocability of Proxies
Any proxy given pursuant to this solicitation may be revoked by the person giving it at any time before its use by delivering to the Company at its principal offices (Attention: Investor Relations) a written notice of revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date or attending the meeting and voting in person.
Voting
There are differing vote requirements for the approval of the various proposals, as follows:
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Proposal One: The directors will be elected by a plurality vote of the shares of Common Stock.
See Proposal One – Election of Three Class III Directors – Vote Required.
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Proposal Two:
The affirmative vote of a majority of outstanding
shares of
Common Stock is required to approve the 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted either for or against this proposal.
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Proposals Three and Four: The
ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP
as the independent registered public accounting firm to the Company and the non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation will be approved if the votes cast for the proposal exceed those cast against the proposal. Abstentions will not be counted either for or against this proposal.
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Solicitation of Proxies
The Company will bear the entire cost of solicitation of proxies, including preparation, assembly, printing and mailing of this proxy statement, the proxy and any additional information furnished to stockholders. Copies of solicitation materials will be furnished to banks, brokerage houses, fiduciaries and custodians holding
shares of Common Stock in street name
to forward to
the
beneficial owners
of such shares
. The Company may reimburse persons representing beneficial owners of Common Stock for their costs of forwarding solicitation materials to such beneficial owners. Proxies may also be solicited by certain of the Company’s directors, officers and regular employees, without additional compensation, personally or by telephone or facsimile.
Quorum; Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes
Votes cast by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting (“Votes Cast”) will be tabulated by the Inspector of Elections (the “Inspector”). The Inspector will also determine whether or not a quorum is present
at the meeting
. Except in certain specific circumstances, the affirmative vote of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present is required under Delaware law for approval of proposals presented to stockholders. In general, Delaware law provides that a quorum consists of a majority of shares entitled to vote
are
present or represented by proxy at the meeting.
The Inspector will treat shares that are voted WITHHELD or ABSTAIN as being present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum
,
but
shares voted WITHHELD or ABSTAIN
will not be treated as votes in favor of approving any matter submitted to the stockholders for a vote. When proxies are properly dated, executed and returned, the shares represented by such proxies will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the instructions of the stockholder. If no specific instructions are given, the shares will be voted:
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or the election of the nominees for director set forth herein;
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to
APPROVE
the 2018 omnibus Incentive Plan including for purposes of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the reservation of a total of 1,000,000 shares of our common stock for issuance;
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f
or
the ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP
as the independent registered public accounting firm to the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018
;
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to
APPROVE
, by a non-binding advisory vote, the 2017 executive compensation for the Company’s executive officers
; and
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upon such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof, but will not be voted in the election of directors other than as provided above.
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If a broker indicates on the enclosed proxy or its substitute that such broker does not have discretionary authority as to certain shares to vote on a particular matter (“broker non-votes”), those shares will be considered as present
at the meeting
with respect to establishing a quorum for the transaction of business. The Company believes that the tabulation procedures to be followed by the Inspector are consistent with the general statutory requirements in Delaware concerning voting of shares and determination of a quorum.
Broker non-votes with respect to proposals set forth in this Proxy Statement will not be considered “Votes Cast” and, accordingly, will not affect the determination as to whether the requisite majority of Votes Cast has been obtained with respect to a particular matter.
Deadline for Receipt of Stockholder Proposals
Stockholders are entitled to present proposals for action at a forthcoming meeting if they comply with the requirements of the Company’s bylaws and the rules established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Under these requirements, proposals of stockholders of the Company that are intended to be presented by such stockholders at the Company’s 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must be received by the Company no later than December 9, 2018. A copy of the relevant bylaw provisions related to stockholder proposals is available upon written request to
the Company at
:
7801 N Capital of Texas Highway, Suite 260, Austin, Texas, 78731
, Attention: Investor Relations.
How to Obtain Directions to Location of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Our Annual Meeting of Stockholders is being held at the time and place set forth above under the heading “General”. For directions to the Annual Meeting, contact the Company at
(
512) 501-2444.
Internet Availability of Proxy Materials
This Proxy Statement, the form of proxy card and the Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at:
http://investor.paintrials.com/annual-proxy.cfm.
PROPOSAL ONE
ELECTION OF THREE CLASS III DIRECTORS
Nominees
The Company’s Board of Directors consists of seven
directors
. The Company has a classified Board of Directors, which is divided into three classes of directors whose terms expire at different times. The three classes are currently comprised of the following directors:
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Class I consists of Nadav Friedmann, Ph.D., M.D. and Michael J. O’Donnell, who will serve until the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
and who stand for re-election as Class I directors at such meeting;
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Class II consists of Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D. and Saira Ramasastry, who will serve until the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and who stand for re-election as Class II directors at such meeting; and
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Class III consists of Remi Barbier, Sanford R. Robertson and Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D., who will serve until the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and who stand for re-election as Class III directors at such meeting.
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At each Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the successors to directors whose terms will then expire will be elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third annual meeting following election and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.
Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy holders will vote the proxies received by them for the Company’s nominees named below, who are currently directors of the Company. The nominees have consented to be named as such in the proxy statement and to continue to serve as directors if elected. If a nominee becomes unable or declines to serve as a director or if additional persons are nominated at the meeting, the proxy holders intend to vote all proxies received by them in such a manner as will assure the election of the nominees listed below if possible (or, if new nominees have been designated by the Company’s Board of Directors, in such a manner as to elect such nominees), and the specific nominees to be voted for will be determined by the proxy holders.
The nominees for Class III Director are
Remi Barbier, Sanford R. Robertson and Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D.
Biographical information for the nominees can be found below in the section entitled “Directors and Executive Officers.”
The Company is not aware of any reason that the nominees will be unable or will decline to serve as director. The term of office of an individual elected as director will continue until the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held in 2021 or until a successor has been elected and qualified. Other than the relationships noted in the section “Legal Services,” there are no arrangements or understandings between any director or executive officer and any other person pursuant to which he is or was to be selected as a director or officer of the Company.
Vote Required
Each
director will be elected by a plurality vote of the shares of Common Stock present or represented and entitled to vote on this matter at the meeting. Accordingly, the candidate receiving the highest number of affirmative votes of shares represented and voting on this proposal at the meeting will be elected as director of the Company. Votes withheld from a nominee and broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum but, because directors are elected by a plurality vote,
votes withheld and broker non-votes
will have no impact once a quorum is present. See “Quorum; Abstentions; Broker Non-Votes.”
THE CLASS I AND II DIRECTORS RECOMMEND THAT
STOCKHOLDERS VOTE
FOR
THE CLASS III NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE.
PROPOSAL TWO
APPROVAL OF 2018 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
(the “2018 Plan”)
The material terms of the 2018 Plan are summarized below. A copy of the full text of the 2018 Plan is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix B. This summary of 2018 Plan is not intended to be a complete description of 2018 Plan and is qualified in its entirety by the actual text of 2018 Plan to which reference is made.
The
2018 Plan was adopted by our Board of Directors on January 31, 2018. The 2018 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, to our employees and any parent and subsidiary employees, and for the grant of non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalent rights, cash-based awards (including annual cash incentives and long-term cash incentives), and any combination thereof to our employees, directors, and consultants and to employees, directors, and consultants of certain affiliated entities. As of March 21, 2018, we had approximately two officers who are directors, five non-employee directors, seven non-officer employees, and nine consultants that were eligible to participate in 2018 Plan. Such persons are eligible to participate in 2018 Plan on the basis that
their
participation provides an incentive to continue in service to the Company and related entities, and to help the Company compete effectively with other enterprises for the services of qualified persons. As of February 28, 2018, the closing price of a share of our Common Stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market was $6.50.
The 2018 Plan will allow us to continue to offer equity and other awards, which we believe is necessary for us to retain, motivate and attract experienced and highly qualified service providers.
Stockholder
approval of 2018 Plan not only will allow us to grant these awards, it will also permit us to structure incentive compensation intended to preserve certain tax deductions under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 162(m)”). We refer to these awards as qualified performance-based awards. Section 162(m) denies a corporation’s tax deduction for compensation it pays to certain executive officers in excess of $1 million per year for each such officer. Section 162(m) provides an exception to this limitation for qualified performance-based compensation, the material terms of which must be approved by a corporation’s s
tock
holders. To that end, in connection with approval of 2018 Plan, s
tock
holders are also being asked to approve the management objectives upon which awards intended to qualify as performance-based awards may be based, the annual maximum limits per individual, and eligible employees, as further described below. We may or may not grant awards under 2018 Plan that are intended to qualify as performance-based awards. However, to preserve our ability to grant awards intended to qualify as performance-based awards, Section 162(m) requires that s
tock
holders must approve the management objectives upon which awards intended to qualify as performance-based awards may be based, the annual maximum limits per individual, and eligible employees. Subject to the requirements of Section 162(m), if the material terms under 2018 Plan are not re-approved by s
tock
holders, we will not make any grants under 2018 Plan to our “covered employees” as defined in Section 162(m) that are intended to qualify as performance-based awards, or their successors, until such time, if any, as s
tock
holder approval of a subsequent similar proposal is obtained.
We have reserved 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance under the 2018 Plan.
The
Board of Directors or a committee
thereof (
the “
A
dministrator”
)
administers the 2018 Plan. In the case of awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m), the
A
dministrator consists of two or more “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m). The
A
dministrator has the power to determine and interpret the terms and conditions of the awards, including, as applicable, the employees, directors, and consultants who will receive awards, the exercise price, the number of shares subject to each award, the vesting schedule and exercisability of the awards, the restrictions on transferability of awards, and the form of consideration payable upon exercise.
The 2018 Plan allows for the grant of incentive stock options that qualify under Section 422 of the Code only to our employees and employees of any of our parents or subsidiaries. Non-qualified stock options may be granted to our employees and directors and those of certain of our affiliates. The per share exercise price of all options granted under the 2018 Plan must be equal to at least the per share fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant. The term of an incentive stock option may not exceed
10
years, except that with respect to any employee who owns more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of our outstanding stock or any parent or subsidiary corporation as of the grant date, the term must not exceed
five
years, and the exercise price must equal at least 110% of the fair market value on the grant date.
After the continuous service of an employee, director or consultant terminates, he or she may exercise his or her option, to the extent vested, for the period of time specified in the option agreement.
No
option may be exercised later than the expiration of its term.
The 2018 Plan allows for the grant of stock appreciation rights. Stock appreciation rights allow the recipient to receive the appreciation in the fair market value of Common Stock between the date of grant and the exercise date. The
A
dministrator will determine the terms of stock appreciation rights, including when such rights become exercisable and whether to pay the increased appreciation in cash or with shares of Common Stock, or a combination thereof, except that the base appreciation amount used to determine the cash or shares to be issued pursuant to the exercise of a stock appreciation right will be no less than 100% of the fair market value per share on the date of grant.
After the continuous service of an employee, director or consultant terminates, he or she may exercise his or her stock appreciation right, to the extent vested, only to the extent provided in the stock appreciation right agreement.
The 2018 Plan allows for the grant of restricted stock. Restricted stock awards are shares of Common Stock that vest in accordance with terms and conditions, if any, established by the
A
dministrator. The
A
dministrator will determine the number of shares of restricted stock granted to any employee, director or consultant. The
A
dministrator may impose whatever conditions, if any, on vesting it determines to be appropriate. For example, the
A
dministrator may set restrictions based on the achievement of specific performance goals. Shares of restricted stock that do not vest are subject to our right of repurchase or forfeiture.
The 2018 Plan allows for the grant of restricted stock units. Restricted stock units are awards that will result in payment to a recipient at the end of a specified period only if the vesting criteria established by the
A
dministrator, if any, are achieved or the award otherwise vests. The
A
dministrator may impose whatever conditions, if any, to vesting, or restrictions and conditions, if any, to payment that it determines to be appropriate. The
A
dministrator may set restrictions based on the achievement of specific performance goals or on the continuation of service or employment. Payments of earned restricted stock units may be made, in the
A
dministrator’s discretion, in cash, with shares of Common Stock or other securities, or a combination thereof.
The 2018 Plan also allows for the grant of awards denominated in cash that may be settled in cash or shares of Common Stock, which may be subject to restrictions, as established by the
A
dministrator.
The
A
dministrator will determine the provisions, terms, and conditions of each award including vesting schedules, forfeiture provisions, form of payment (cash, shares, or other consideration) upon settlement of the award, payment contingencies, and satisfaction of any performance criteria. The performance criteria established by the
A
dministrator for any awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Section 162(m) will be one of, or combination of, the following: net earnings or net income (before or after taxes); earnings per share; revenues or sales (including net sales or revenue growth); net operating profit; regulatory filings; product approvals; return measures (including return on assets, net assets, capital, invested capital, equity, sales, or revenue); cash flow (including operating cash flow, free cash flow, cash flow return on equity, and cash flow return on investment); earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation, or amortization; gross or operating margins; productivity ratios; share price (including growth measures and total stockholder return); expense targets; margins; operating efficiency; market share; working capital targets and change in working capital; economic value added or EVA® (net operating profit after tax minus the sum of capital multiplied by the cost of capital); or net operating income. The performance criteria may be applicable to our company, our affiliates or any individual business units of our company or any affiliate and may be measured over any specified period, on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to previous years’ results or to a designated comparison group, in each case as specified by the
A
dministrator.
The 2018 Plan allows for the transfer of awards under the 2018 Plan only (i) by will, (ii) by the laws of descent and distribution and (iii) for awards other than incentive stock options, to the extent authorized by the
A
dministrator to certain persons or entities. Only the recipient of an incentive stock option may exercise such award during his or her lifetime.
In the event of certain changes in our capitalization, to prevent enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits available under the 2018 Plan, the
A
dministrator will make adjustments to one or more of the number of shares that are covered by outstanding awards, the exercise or purchase price of outstanding awards, the numerical share limits contained in the 2018 Plan, and any other terms that the
A
dministrator determines require adjustment.
The 2018 Plan provides for full acceleration of vesting in the event a grantee’s service provider status with the Company is terminated by the Company (or any successor entity) or a related entity without “cause” or by the grantee for “good reason”, in either case at any time following certain corporate transactions. In addition, the 2018 Plan providers for full acceleration of vesting in the event of certain changes in control.
The 2018 Plan will automatically terminate
ten
years following the date it becomes effective, unless we terminate it sooner. In addition,
the
Board of Directors has the authority to amend, suspend or terminate the 2018 Plan provided such action does not impair the rights under any outstanding award.
Certain U.S. Federal Tax Consequences
The following summary of the federal income tax consequences of 2018 Plan transactions is based upon federal income tax laws in effect on the date of this proxy statement. This summary does not purport to be complete, and does not discuss non-U.S., state or local tax consequences. As such, please refer to the applicable provisions of the Code for additional information.
Non-Qualified Stock Options
. Except as provided under Section 409A of the Code discussed below (“Section 409A”), the grant of a non-qualified stock option under the 2018 Plan generally will not result in any U.S. Federal income tax consequences to the grantee or to the Company. Upon exercise of a non-qualified stock option, the grantee is generally subject to income taxes at the rate applicable to ordinary compensation income on the difference between the option exercise price and the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise. This income is generally subject to withholding for U.S. Federal income and employment tax purposes. The Company is entitled to an income tax deduction in the amount of the income recognized by the grantee, subject to possible limitations imposed by Section 162(m) and so long as the Company withholds the appropriate taxes with respect to such income, if required, and the grantee’s total compensation is deemed reasonable in amount. Any gain or loss on the grantee’s subsequent disposition of the shares of Common Stock will receive long or short-term capital gain or loss treatment, depending on whether the shares are held for more than one year following exercise. The Company does not receive a tax deduction for any such gain.
Absent special limitations on exercisability, in the event a nonqualified stock option is granted with an exercise price less than 100% of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant or amended in certain respects, such option may be considered deferred compensation and subject to Section 409A, which provide rules regarding the timing of payment of deferred compensation. An option subject to Section 409A which fails to comply with the rules of Section 409A can result in the acceleration of income recognition, an additional 20% tax obligation, plus potential penalties and interest, and similar treatment under state law.
Incentive Stock Options
. The grant of an incentive stock option under the 2018 Plan will not result in any U.S. Federal income tax consequences to the grantee or to the Company. A grantee recognizes no U.S. Federal taxable income upon exercising an incentive stock option (subject to the alternative minimum tax rules discussed below), and the Company receives no deduction at the time of exercise. In the event of a disposition of stock acquired upon exercise of an incentive stock option, the tax consequences depend upon how long the grantee has held the shares of Common Stock. If the grantee does not dispose of the shares within two years after the incentive stock option was granted, nor within one year after the incentive stock option was exercised, the grantee will recognize a long-term capital gain (or loss) equal to the difference between the sale price of the shares and the exercise price. The Company is not entitled to any deduction under these circumstances.
If the grantee fails to satisfy either of the foregoing holding periods, he or she must recognize ordinary income in the year of the disposition, which is referred to as a “disqualifying disposition.” The amount of such ordinary income generally is the lesser of (i) the difference between the amount realized on the disposition and the exercise price or (ii) the difference between the fair market value of the stock on the exercise date and the exercise price. Any gain in excess of the amount taxed as ordinary income will be treated as a long or short-term capital gain, depending on whether the stock was held for more than one year. The Company, in the year of the disqualifying disposition, is entitled to a deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the grantee, subject to possible limitations imposed by Section 162(m) and so long as the Company withholds the appropriate taxes with respect to such income, if required, and the grantee’s total compensation is deemed reasonable in amount.
The “spread” under an incentive stock optio
n
the difference between the fair market value of the shares at exercise and the exercise price—is classified as an item of adjustment in the year of exercise for purposes of the alternative minimum tax. If a grantee’s alternative minimum tax liability exceeds such grantee’s regular income tax liability, the grantee will owe the larger amount of taxes. In order to avoid the application of alternative minimum tax with respect to incentive stock options, the grantee must sell the shares within the same calendar year in which the incentive stock options are exercised. However, such a sale of shares within the same year of exercise will constitute a disqualifying disposition, as described above.
In the event that an incentive stock option is amended in certain respects, such option may be considered deferred compensation and subject to the rules of Section 409A, which provides rules regarding the timing of payment of deferred compensation. An option subject to Section 409A which fails to comply with the rules of Section 409A can result in the acceleration of income recognition, an additional 20% tax obligation, plus potential penalties and interest, and similar treatment under state law. In addition, the amendment of an incentive stock option may convert the option from an incentive stock option to a nonqualified stock option.
Restricted Stock and Performance Stock
. The grant of restricted stock and performance shares will generally subject the recipient to ordinary compensation income on the difference between the amount paid for such stock and the fair market value of the shares on the date that the restrictions lapse. This income is generally subject to withholding for U.S. Federal income and employment tax purposes. The Company is entitled to an income tax deduction in the amount of the ordinary income recognized by the recipient, subject to possible limitations imposed by Section 162(m) and so long as the Company withholds the appropriate taxes with respect to such income, if required, and the grantee’s total compensation is deemed reasonable in amount. Any gain or loss on the recipient’s subsequent disposition of the shares will receive long or short-term capital gain or loss treatment depending on how long the stock has been held since the restrictions lapsed. The Company does not receive a tax deduction for any such gain.
Recipients of restricted stock and performance shares may make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code, which is referred to as a “Section 83(b) Election,” to recognize as ordinary compensation income in the year that such restricted stock or performance shares are granted, the amount equal to the spread between the amount paid for such stock (if any) and the fair market value on the date of the issuance of the stock. If such an election is made, the recipient recognizes no further amounts of compensation income upon the lapse of any restrictions and any gain or loss on subsequent disposition will be long or short-term capital gain to the recipient. The Section 83(b) Election must be made within thirty days from the time the restricted stock or performance share is issued.
Stock Appreciation Rights
. Recipients of stock appreciation rights, which are referred to as “SARs,” generally should not recognize income until such rights are exercised, assuming there is no ceiling on the value of the right and Section 409A does not apply. Upon exercise, the grantee will normally recognize taxable ordinary income for U.S. Federal income tax purposes equal to the amount of cash and fair market value the shares, if any, received upon such exercise. Grantees who are employees will be subject to withholding for U.S. Federal income and employment tax purposes with respect to income recognized upon exercise of a SAR. Grantees will recognize gain upon the disposition of any shares received on exercise of a SAR equal to the excess of (i) the amount realized on such disposition over (ii) the ordinary income recognized with respect to such shares under the principles set forth above. That gain will be taxable as long or short-term capital gain depending on whether the shares were held for more than one year.
The Company will be entitled to a tax deduction to the extent and in the year that ordinary income is recognized by the grantee, subject to possible limitations imposed by Section 162(m) and so long as the Company withholds the appropriate taxes with respect to such income, if required, and the grantee’s total compensation is deemed reasonable in amount.
A SAR can be considered deferred compensation and subject to Section 409A. A SAR that does not meet the requirements of Section 409A, such as with respect to the timing of the delivery of cash or shares following vesting, can result in the acceleration of income recognition, an additional 20% tax obligation, plus potential penalties and interest, and similar treatment under state law.
Performance Units
. Recipients of performance units generally should not recognize income until such units are converted into cash or shares of stock unless Section 409A applies. Upon conversion, the grantee will normally recognize taxable ordinary income for federal income tax purposes equal to the amount of cash and fair market value the shares, if any, received upon such conversion. Grantees who are employees will be subject to withholding for federal income and employment tax purposes with respect to income recognized upon conversion of the performance units. Grantees will recognize gain upon the disposition of any shares received upon conversion of the performance units equal to the excess of (i) the amount realized on such disposition over (ii) the ordinary income recognized with respect to such shares under the principles set forth above. That gain will be taxable as long or short-term capital gain depending on whether the shares were held for more than one year. The Company will be entitled to a tax deduction to the extent and in the year that ordinary income is recognized by the grantee, subject to possible limitations imposed by Section 162(m) and so long as the Company withholds the appropriate taxes with respect to such income (if required) and the grantee’s total compensation is deemed reasonable in amount.
Performance units also can be considered non-qualified deferred compensation and subject to the rules of Section 409A, which provide rules regarding the timing of payment of deferred compensation. A grant of performance units that does not meet the requirements of Code Section 409A can result in the acceleration of income recognition, an additional 20% tax obligation, plus potential penalties and interest to such grantee, and similar treatment under state law.
Dividends and Dividend Equivalents
. Recipients of stock-based awards that earn dividends or dividend equivalents will recognize taxable ordinary income on any dividend payments received with respect to unvested shares subject to such awards, which income is generally subject to withholding for U.S. Federal income and employment tax purposes. The Company is entitled to an income tax deduction in the amount of the income recognized by a grantee, subject to possible limitations imposed by Section 162(m) and so long as the Company withholds the appropriate taxes with respect to such income, if required, and the individual’s total compensation is deemed reasonable in amount.
The foregoing is only a summary of the U.S. Federal income tax consequences of 2018 Plan transactions, and is based upon U.S. Federal income tax laws in effect on the date of this proxy statement. Reference should be made to the applicable provisions of the Code. This summary does not purport to be complete, and does not discuss the tax consequences of a grantee’s death or the tax laws of any municipality, state or foreign country to which the grantee may be subject.
New Plan Benefits.
Awards under the 2018 Plan are based on the discretion of the
A
dministrator and/or the Company’s achievement of performance targets established by the
A
dministrator, and it is not currently possible to determine the amounts that will be received by persons participating in the 2018 Plan in the future.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
STOCKHOLDERS VOTE
FOR
THE APPROVAL OF THE 2018 PLAN
AND THE NUMBER OF SHARES RESERVED FOR ISSUANCE THEREUNDER.
PROPOSAL THREE
RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP
AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
TO THE COMPANY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2018
The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee have selected Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, to audit the financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018 and recommend that the stockholders vote
to
ratif
y
such selection. Although action by stockholders is not required by law, the Board of Directors has determined that it is desirable to request approval of this selection by the stockholders. Notwithstanding the selection or ratification, the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, in their discretion, may direct the selection of a new independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year, if the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee determine that such a change would be in the best interest of the Company.
We expect a representative of Ernst & Young LLP to be present at the meeting and will be afforded the opportunity to make a statement if he or she desires to do so, and is also expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS
VOTE FOR THE PROPOSAL TO RATIFY THE SELECTION OF ERNST & YOUNG LLP
AS THE INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
TO THE COMPANY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2018.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Fees for professional services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm in each of the last two fiscal years, in each of the following categories were:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Years Ended December 31,
|
|
2017
|
|
2016
|
Audit fees
|
$
|
259,800
|
|
$
|
359,000
|
Audit-related fees
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
Tax fees
|
|
21,000
|
|
|
21,000
|
Other fees
|
|
—
|
|
|
—
|
|
$
|
280,800
|
|
$
|
380,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ernst & Young LLP served as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. Audit fees include fees associated with the Annual Reports on Form 10-K (including fees associated with attestation pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002); the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and all services that are normally provided by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with statutory and regulatory filings. Tax fees include tax compliance services. The Company did not incur audit-related or other fees in the years ended December 31, 2017 or
December 31,
2016.
All auditing services and non-audit services provided to the Company by our independent registered public accounting firm are required to be pre-approved by the Audit Committee. Any pre-approval of non-audit services by Ernst & Young LLP includes making a determination that the provision of the services is compatible with maintaining the independence of Ernst & Young LLP as an independent registered public accounting firm. In addition, the Audit Committee has delegated pre-approval authority to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee, provided that the Chairperson reports any decisions to pre-approve such audit and non-audit services to the Audit Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting. All services for audit and tax fees for the years ended December 31, 2017 and
December 31,
2016 as set forth in the table above were pre-approved by the Company’s Audit Committee.
PROPOSAL FOUR
ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Our compensation programs are designed to provide long-term and currently-paid compensation and cash and non-cash compensation for our executive officers in order to align the compensation of our executive officers with our performance on a short term and long term basis. This proposal provides stockholders with the opportunity to cast an advisory vote on the Company’s executive compensation practices and principles.
In 2017, our stockholders recommended that the advisory vote on executive compensation be held every year. Accordingly, we have included this proposal for consideration at our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Stockholders should consider the compensation programs and their implementation included in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables, and any narrative executive compensation disclosure below, and cast a non-binding vote either to endorse or not endorse our executive compensation programs through the following resolution:
"RESOLVED: That the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers in 2017, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables, and narrative discussion is hereby approved."
This vote is being provided pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act. While the vote does not bind our Board of Directors to any particular action, the Board of Directors expects to take into account the outcome of this vote in considering future compensation programs.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS
VOTE FOR THE PROPOSAL TO APPROVE, IN A NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE,
THE 2017 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION FOR THE COMPANY’S EXECUTIVE OFFICERS.
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The following table sets forth for each Class I Director, each Class II Director, each Class III Director and the executive officers of the Company, their ages and positions with the Company as of the Record Date.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
Age
|
Position
|
Remi Barbier
|
58
|
President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Class III Director
|
Nadav Friedmann, Ph.D., M.D.
|
75
|
Chief Medical and Operating Officer and Class I Director
|
Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D.
(1)(2)(3)
|
80
|
Class II Director
|
Michael J. O’Donnell, Esq.
(3)
|
60
|
Class I Director
|
Saira Ramasastry
(1)(3)
|
42
|
Class II Director
|
Sanford R. Robertson
(1)(2)(3)
|
86
|
Class III Director
|
Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D.
(3)
|
70
|
Class III Director
|
|
|
|
_________
|
(1)
|
|
Member of Audit Committee.
|
|
(2)
|
|
Member of Compensation Committee.
|
|
(3)
|
|
Meets the
definition
of independence under the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC listing standards.
|
There is no family
relationship
between any director or executive officer of the Company.
Remi Barbier
,
the
Company’s founder, has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors since the Company’s inception in 1998. Prior to that time, Mr. Barbier helped in the growth or founding of: Exelixis Inc., a functional genomics company, ArQule, Inc., a chemistry company, and EnzyMed, Inc. (now owned by Albany Molecular Research, Inc.), a chemistry company. Mr. Barbier served as Chief Operating Officer of Exelixis, Inc. from January 1996 to May 1998. Mr. Barbier was Vice President of Corporate Development and Clinical Project Manager of XOMA Corporation, or XOMA, a biotechnology company, from 1993 to 1995. Mr. Barbier is a trustee emeritus of the Carnegie Institute of Washington and the Santa Fe Institute and is on the Advisory Board of the University of California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences. Mr. Barbier received his B.A. from Oberlin College and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Nadav Friedmann, Ph.D., M.D
. has served as a director since 1998. Dr. Friedmann has served as Chief Operating Officer since October 2001 and Chief Medical and Operating Officer since 2004. Dr. Friedmann was President and Chief Executive Officer of Daiichi Pharmaceutical Corporation, a pharmaceutical company, from 1997 to 2000, and was a consultant to the Board of Directors of Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in Tokyo from 1995 to 1997. From 1992 to 1995, Dr. Friedmann served as Vice President, Clinical Research at XOMA. From 1980 to 1991, Dr. Friedmann held various leadership positions with Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”), including the position of Vice President and Head of Research of the J&J Biotechnology Center. Prior to that, Dr. Friedmann was Medical Director of Abbott Laboratories. Dr. Friedmann received his M.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego.
Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D
. has served as a director since March 2003. Dr. Gussin worked at J&J for 26 years, most recently as Chief Scientific Officer and
Corporate
Vice President, Science and Technology from 1986 through his retirement in 2000. Prior to assuming this role, Dr. Gussin worked at J&J’s McNeil division for 12 years, most recently as Vice President, Research and Development and Vice President, Scientific Affairs. From 1967 to 1974, Dr. Gussin held various research positions with Lederle Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company. Dr. Gussin serves on the Board of Directors of Duquesne University and the advisory boards of the Duquesne University Pharmacy School and the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Pharmacology. Dr. Gussin received his B.S. and M.S. degrees and D.Sc. with honors from Duquesne University and his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Michael J. O’Donnell, Esq
. has served as a director since 1998. Mr. O’Donnell has been a member of the law firm of Morrison & Foerster, LLP since January 2011. From 1993 to January 2011, Mr. O’Donnell was a member of the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation. Morrison & Foerster, LLP is the Company’s corporate counsel and provides legal services to the Company. Mr. O’Donnell serves as corporate counsel to numerous public and private biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies. Mr. O’Donnell received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard University and his B.A. from Bucknell University, summa cum laude.
Saira Ramasastry
has served as a
director
since February 2013. Prior to 2013, Ms. Ramasastry was an advisor to the Company. Since 2009 she has served as Managing Partner of Life Sciences Advisory, LLC, a life science company advisory business. From 1999 to 2009, Ms. Ramasastry was an investment banker with Merrill Lynch & Company, Inc., an investment banking firm. From 1997 to 1998, she was a financial analyst in the M&A group at Wasserstein Perella & Co., an investment banking firm. Ms. Ramasastry serves on the Board of Directors of Sangamo Biosciences, Inc. and Repros Therapeutics, Inc., each a publicly-held biopharmaceutical company, the Industry Advisory Board of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the Board of Directors of the American Liver Foundation. She received a B.A. in Economics with Honors and Distinction and an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University, Phi Beta Kappa, as well as an M. Phil. in Management Studies from the University of Cambridge.
Sanford R.
Robertson
has served as a director since 1998. Mr. Robertson has been a partner of Francisco Partners, a technology buyout fund, since 1999. Prior to founding Francisco Partners, Mr. Robertson was the founder and chairman of Robertson, Stephens & Company, a technology investment bank formed in 1978 and sold to BankBoston in 1998. Since the sale, Mr. Robertson has been a technology investor and advisor to several technology companies. Mr. Robertson was also the founder of Robertson, Colman, Siebel & Weisel, later renamed Montgomery Securities, another technology investment bank. Mr. Robertson is a director of Salesforce.com, a publicly-held provider of enterprise cloud computing applications and RPX, Inc., a publicly-held provider of patent risk solutions. Mr. Robertson received his B.A. and M.B.A. degrees with distinction from the University of Michigan.
Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D.
has served as a director since 2007. Dr. Scannon is one of the founders of XOMA. Dr. Scannon retired from XOMA and resigned from XOMA’s board of directors on December 21, 2016. From 2006 to 2016, Dr. Scannon was Executive Vice President, Chief Biotechnology Officer of XOMA. From 1993 to 2006, Dr. Scannon served as Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of XOMA. Dr. Scannon received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and his M.D. from the Medical College of Georgia.
Board Structure
The Board of Directors maintains a structure with the Chief Executive Officer of the Company holding the position as Chairman of the
Board
of Directors, and with an Audit Committee and Compensation Committee for oversight of specific areas of responsibility, discussed further below. The Company does not have a lead independent director. The Company believes that this structure is appropriate and allows for efficient and effective oversight, given the Company’s relatively small size (both in terms of number of employees and in scope of operational activities directly conducted by the Company), its corporate strategy (including the use of outsourcing for certain activities) and its focus on drug research and development. The Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, the Committees of the Board and, as needed, other executive officers and employees of the Company provide the Board of Directors with information regarding the Company’s risks. The Board of Directors, or the Committee with special responsibility for oversight of the area implicated by the highlighted risks, then uses this information to perform its oversight role and inform its decision making with respect to such areas of risk.
Board Qualifications and Nominations
The Board of Directors requires
that its members and its candidates
for appointment or nomination
maintain
high personal and professional integrity and
the
ability
to
contribute to the Board of Directors’ effectiveness in serving the interests of the Company’s stockholders. In addition, the Board of Directors and director nominees are expected to have appropriate management or scientific experience that
are
relevant to our current and expected future direction, a track record of accomplishment and a commitment to ethical business practices. The particular experience, qualification or skills of each member of the Board of Directors that led the Board of Directors to conclude that the individual should serve as a director are
set forth below
:
|
|
|
|
Director
|
Key Qualifications
|
Remi Barbier
|
Experience as President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board of Directors since the inception of the Company. Helped in the growth and founding of several biotechnology companies.
|
Nadav Friedmann, Ph.D., M.D.
|
Experience as Chief Medical and Operating Officer of the Company. Additional experience as President and CEO and other executive roles at other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies as an executive officer.
|
Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D.
|
Experience in executive roles at J&J and as a director or as advisor to a number of academic institutions.
|
Michael J. O’Donnell, Esq.
|
Experience as a member of law firms and as counsel and advisor to numerous public and private biopharmaceutical and life sciences companies.
|
Saira Ramasastry
|
Experience as founder and managing director of a biotechnology advisory firm, in global healthcare investment banking and strategic advisory consulting, as a director of a public company and a director or advisor to a number of academic or biotechnology institutions.
|
Sanford R. Robertson
|
Experience as founder and director of investment banks and funds and as a director to public companies.
|
Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D.
|
Experience as a founder and executive of a biopharmaceutical company.
|
|
|
The Board of Directors evaluates all proposed director nominees and incumbent directors before nomination, including
those
proposed by the Board of Directors for election and
those
to be elected or appointed by the Board of Directors to fill interim director vacancies on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors utilizes its own resources to identify qualified candidates and may, in the future, use an executive recruiting firm to assist in the identification and evaluation of such qualified candidates. For these services, an executive recruiting firm would be paid a fee. The Board of Directors determined that a Nominating Committee was not necessary, and that it was in the best interest of the Company to continue to directly oversee the activities and responsibilities that might be delegated to a Nominating Committee. All of the Company’s
d
irectors may participate in the consideration of director candidates. The approval of at least a majority of the independent directors on the Board of Directors is required to nominate a director candidate for a position on the Company’s Board of Directors. Such independent directors are identified below in the section entitled: “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions – Independence of Directors.”
The Board of Directors has not established a procedure for considering nominees for director nominated by the Company’s stockholders. The Board of Directors believes that it can identify appropriate candidates to our Board of Directors. Stockholders may nominate candidates for director in accordance with the advance notice and other procedures contained in our bylaws.
Board Meetings
The Board of
Directors held
a total of four meetings during the fiscal year 2017. No director serving throughout fiscal year 2017 attended fewer than 89% of the aggregate of all meetings of the Board of Directors and the committees of the Board upon which such director served. Mr. Barbier, Dr. Friedmann, Mr. O’Donnell, Mr. Robertson, Ms. Ramasastry and Dr. Scannon attended all meetings of the Board of Directors.
The Company does
not have formal policies regarding attendance by members of the Board of Directors at
its
annual meetings of stockholders, but directors are encouraged to attend. Two directors attended the 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Stockholder Communications with the Board of Directors
The Company does
not have a written policy regarding stockholder communication with the Board of Directors. However, stockholders may communicate with the Board of Directors by sending an e-mail to the Company at IR@paintrials.com or by writing to
the Company
at Pain Therapeutics, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 7801 N Capital of Texas Highway, Suite 260, Austin, Texas, 78731. Stockholders who would like their submissions directed to an individual member of the Board of Directors may so specify, and the communication will be forwarded, as appropriate.
Board Committees
The Board of Directors has a standing Audit Committee that oversees the
Company’s
accounting and financial reporting processes and audits of the
Company’s
financial statements
. The Company also has
a standing Compensation Committee. The Board of Directors does not have a lead director or a standing Nominating Committee.
Mr. Barbier is the Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
The Audit Committee consists of directors Dr. Gussin, Mr. Robertson and Ms. Ramasastry. The Board of Directors of the Company has determined that these individuals are independent as defined under the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC listing standards as well as the SEC rules. The Board of Directors has also determined that Mr. Robertson is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in the SEC rules. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The Company maintains a copy of the Audit Committee charter on its website:
www.paintrials.com
. The Audit Committee reviews the Company’s internal accounting procedures, consults with and reviews the services provided by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the selection of the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee held four meetings during fiscal
year
2017.
The Compensation Committee consists of directors Dr. Gussin and Mr. Robertson. The Board of Directors of the Company has determined that these individuals are independent as defined under the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC listing standards. The Compensation Committee reviews and recommends to the Board of Directors the salaries, incentive compensation and benefits of the Company’s officers and administers the Company’s stock plans and employee benefit plans. Refer to the Compensation Discussion and Analysis for more information about the Company’s Compensation Committee and its processes and procedures. The Compensation Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The Company maintains a copy of the Compensation Committee charter on its website: www.paintrials.com. The Compensation Committee held one meeting during fiscal
year
2017.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
No member of the Compensation Committee or
any
executive officer of the Company has served as a member of the Board of Directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors or Compensation Committee. No Compensation Committee member has been an officer or employee of the Company while a member of the Compensation Committee.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of Common Stock
as
of
February 15, 2018
by:
|
·
|
|
any person (including any group as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), known by the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Company’s voting securities (a “5% Holder”);
|
|
·
|
|
each director and each nominee for director to the Company;
|
|
·
|
|
each executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table appearing herein; and
|
|
·
|
|
all executive officers, directors and nominees for director of the Company as a group.
|
The number of shares and percentage of
C
ommon
S
tock outstanding are based on the aggregate of 6,595,509 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of February 15, 2018, adjusted
for the
7-for-1 reverse stock split that took effect on May 10, 2017.
The Company does not know of any arrangements, including any pledge by any person of securities of the Company, the operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a change of control of the Company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name and Address of Beneficial Owners
(1)
|
Number of Shares
|
|
Percentage of Common Stock Outstanding
|
5% Holders
|
|
|
|
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC
(2)
|
980,241
|
|
14.9%
|
1345 Avenue of the Americas
|
|
|
|
New York, NY 10105
|
|
|
|
Thomas A. Satterfield, Jr.
(3)
|
550,472
|
|
8.3%
|
2609 Caldwell Mill Lane
|
|
|
|
Birmingham, Alabama 35243
|
|
|
|
Nantahala Capital Management, LLC
(4)
|
347,053
|
|
5.3%
|
19 Old Kings Highway S, Suite 200
|
|
|
|
Darien, CT 06820
|
|
|
|
Directors and Executive Officers
|
|
|
|
Remi Barbier
(5)
|
1,689,969
|
|
20.4%
|
Nadav Friedmann, Ph.D., M.D.
(6)
|
449,507
|
|
6.4%
|
Sanford R. Robertson
(7)
|
139,991
|
|
2.1%
|
Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D.
(8)
|
81,273
|
|
1.2%
|
Michael J. O’Donnell, Esq.
(9)
|
57,782
|
|
*
|
Saira Ramasastry
(10)
|
36,375
|
|
*
|
Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D.
(11)
|
69,824
|
|
1.0%
|
All directors, executive officers and nominees for director as a group (7 persons)
(12)
|
2,524,721
|
|
31.4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1)
|
|
This table is based upon information supplied by officers, directors and principal stockholders and Schedules 13G filed
with the SEC. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes to this table, and subject to community property laws where applicable, each of the stockholders named in this table has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares indicated as beneficially owned. The address for directors and executive officers is the Company’s address.
|
|
(2)
|
|
Based on a Schedule 13G/A as filed with the SEC and dated February 8, 2018.
|
|
(3)
|
|
Based on a Schedule 13G/A as filed with the SEC and dated January 12, 2018.
|
|
(4)
|
|
Based on a Schedule 13G/A as filed with the SEC and dated February 14, 2018.
|
|
(5)
|
|
Includes (i) 668,677 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018, (ii) 65,036 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018 by Mr. Barbier’s spouse, who is an employee of the Company and (iii) 311,252 shares held by members of Mr. Barbier’s immediate family. Mr. Barbier is also a 5% Holder.
|
|
(6)
|
|
Includes 385,094 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018 and 143 shares held in trust by Dr. Friedmann for a member of Dr. Friedmann’s family.
|
|
(7)
|
|
Includes 77,368 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018.
|
|
(8)
|
|
Includes 77,364 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018.
|
|
(9)
|
|
Includes 53,194 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018.
|
|
(10)
|
|
Includes 36,375 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018.
|
|
(11)
|
|
Includes 69,824 shares issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018.
|
|
(12)
|
|
Includes 1,432,932 shares
issuable pursuant to options exercisable within 60 days of February 15, 2018.
|
* Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent (1%) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, adjusted as required by the rules promulgated by the SEC.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND OTHER MATTERS
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
Our compensation programs are designed to provide long-term and currently-paid compensation and cash and non-cash compensation for our executive officers in order to align the compensation of our executive officers with our performance on a short-term and long-term basis. Our compensation programs reflect the following objectives:
|
·
|
|
to attract and retain high-performing executive talent;
|
|
·
|
|
to encourage corporate behavior that is consistent with our values and goals;
|
|
·
|
|
to create financial incentives for superior performance;
|
|
·
|
|
to balance the achievement of corporate and individual goals, whereby individual executives are rewarded for the performance of the business functions for which they are responsible in addition to our overall performance;
|
|
·
|
|
to ensure that our executive compensation programs are competitive with those of regional companies in our industry, so that we can continue to attract, retain and motivate executive talent; and
|
|
·
|
|
to encourage the development of a diverse executive talent pool and continuity of leadership.
|
These objectives include qualitative factors that strengthen our ability to meet long-term growth, such as demonstrated leadership ability, management development, ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and our policies, and anticipating and responding to changing conditions.
We do not have a set policy for allocating long-term and currently-paid compensation. Each year, our Compensation Committee determines the amount and allocation of long-term and currently-paid compensation and cash and non-cash compensation for executive officers. We believe there is no single source of data that provides the information sought by the Compensation Committee to arrive at these determinations. We have relied on data from a number of sources, including a review of internally generated industry surveys; the experience and knowledge of members of the Compensation Committee, Board of Directors and senior management; and additional factors such as recent market trends and general business conditions. Survey data from prior years that we use include compensation information regarding publicly-held companies in our industry that are similar in size, breadth, stage of development or complexity to us.
While none of these sources of data
is
prescriptive per se, each source helps the Compensation Committee evaluate the appropriateness of total compensation for each executive at a particular point in the Company’s life cycle. For example, a certain position may be highly strategic for a period of time and we believe it may therefore be desirable to pay that position closer to the level of a chief executive officer during that period of time.
To assist the Compensation Committee with its responsibilities, we provide briefing materials prepared or summarized by management. Our Chief Executive Officer participates in the collection and dissemination of briefing materials and interacts with the Compensation Committee in reviewing some of the elements of yearly performance and compensation of the executive management team. The Compensation Committee believes that an appropriate level of input from our Chief Executive Officer provides a necessary and valuable perspective in helping the Compensation Committee formulate its own independent views on compensation. The Compensation Committee makes all final determinations as to compensation levels for executive officers.
Elements of Executive Compensation
We focus our executive compensation program on three related but distinct elements: base salary, cash bonuses and stock related compensation. We did not purchase or generate updated internal survey data in connection with the review of compensation in 2017.
Base Salary.
We offer a base salary to attract and retain qualified executive officers. Base salaries are based on broad salary ranges that take into consideration a number of factors, including:
|
·
|
|
an executive’s job responsibilities,
|
|
·
|
|
individual performance,
|
|
·
|
|
our corporate performance,
|
|
·
|
|
competitive market data and
|
|
·
|
|
our total compensation expense.
|
Changes to base salary vary according to individual contributions to our success and comparisons to similar positions here and at other comparable companies.
In 2017, after reviewing each executive’s job responsibilities, individual performance, our corporate performance, competitive market data and our total compensation expense, the annualized salary for Mr. Barbier and Dr. Friedmann were not changed.
Bonuses
.
Each executive officer is eligible for an annual cash bonus. We provide such bonuses to motivate executive officers to perform on behalf of general corporate goals and to perform in their areas of responsibility. We do not have a policy of prospectively establishing annual target bonuses or bonus criteria.
Each individual executive officer’s bonus for the prior year is determined through an evaluation of overall corporate performance with a particular focus on our progress since the prior year’s bonus determination in the areas of research and development, finance and other operations.
In 2017, the Compensation Committee determined that no bonuses were to be paid for 2017.
Stock Related Compensation.
Stock related compensation includes both stock option grants and other types of equity awards within the terms of our 2008 Equity Incentive Plan, or “the Equity Plan”.
Each executive officer is eligible for stock option grants as well as share-based awards that vest upon achievement of certain performance criteria, or “Performance Awards”. Such grants are intended to link executive rewards with stockholder value over time. Only our Board of Directors, acting in its sole discretion, or the Compensation Committee grants options or Performance Awards to our executive officers.
We view stock options as one of the more important components of our long-term, performance-based compensation philosophy. We provide options through initial grants at or near the date of hire and through subsequent periodic grants. Options for executive officers are granted, vest and become exercisable at such time as determined by our Board of Directors. Generally, stock option grants are exercisable over a four-year period and have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our stock at the time of grant. Initial grants are based on ranges that take into consideration an executive’s job responsibilities and competitive market data. For subsequent periodic grants, the Compensation Committee evaluates performance based on each individual’s contribution to the long-term success and growth of the Company, the Company’s performance based on the factors discussed above and the motivational value of additional incremental stock option grants. No stock options are granted in the absence of satisfactory performance. Stock option grants generally terminate shortly after an executive officer ceases providing services to the Company.
We grant periodic additional stock options:
|
·
|
|
to reflect the individuals’ ongoing contributions;
|
|
·
|
|
to create an incentive to remain with us; and
|
|
·
|
|
to provide a long-term incentive to achieve or exceed our financial goals.
|
In granting stock options in the current year, we may consider the cumulative benefit of stock options granted in prior years.
In granting stock options in the current year, we may consider the cumulative benefit of stock options granted in prior years. We do not have a program, plan or practice to time stock option grants to our executives in coordination with the release of material nonpublic information. We have not re-priced any of our options and do not intend to re-
price or otherwise adjust options in the event that fair market value of our common stock declines below an option grant price. In August 2017, after review of each individual’s contributions to the Company and consideration of option grants provided in prior years, Mr. Barbier, received options to purchase 300,000 shares of our common stock and Dr. Friedmann received options to purchase 250,000 shares of common stock.
Any personal tax obligations resulting from equity awards are the responsibility of the award recipient. If we issue certain shares for equity awards net of applicable individual taxes, the number of shares issued would be reduced, without reducing the amount of taxable compensation to the award recipient.
Performance Awards
No Performance Awards were granted in 2017.
Other Compensation
We do not offer any of our employees a pension plan, retirement plan or other forms of compensation or perquisites paid out upon retirement. Executive officers are eligible for other benefits in each case on generally the same basis as other employees, subject to applicable law.
Employee Medical and Welfare Benefit Plans
: Our employee medical and welfare benefit plans include medical, dental, life, disability and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
We add to taxable income of each Named Executive an amount representing the premium for term life insurance.
2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan:
Our Named Executives are eligible to participate in our 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or ESPP, but did not participate in the ESPP in 2017. We may terminate the ESPP at any time.
401(k) Plan:
We maintain a 401(k) Plan that is a defined contribution plan intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the IRS Code. We have not matched any pre-tax contributions to the 401(k) Plan.
Paid Time Off:
Our executive officers do not accrue vacation benefits available to our other employees, but do receive other paid time off benefits on the same basis as other employees.
Post-Employment Obligations
We have an employment agreement with Mr. Barbier that provide for payments related to termination without cause. The primary basis for selecting termination without cause for triggering payment was that such terms are deemed necessary in attracting and retaining high-performing executive talent. For additional information on the specific terms and conditions of this employment arrangements, see the discussion in the section entitled “Employment and Severance Arrangements” of this proxy statement.
Accounting and Tax Considerations
Generally, the expense related to an option grant or award is established at the time of awards for purposes of financial reporting and
recognized as appropriate over the period of time covered by the option grant or award. Our financial statements include more information regarding accounting for stock options.
The tax deductions related to equity awards are generally determined in the future, usually at the time of exercise or sale of the underlying stock from stock options or at the time of vesting of other equity awards. These tax deductions may be more or less than the amount of the underlying expense recorded for financial reporting purposes. We cannot predict the amount of tax deductions we earn in the future, if any, because the deductions are based on the fair market value of Common Stock on the date when the tax deduction is earned.
Under current U.S.
federal
tax law, publicly-held companies may be precluded from deducting certain compensation paid to an executive officer in excess of $1.0 million in a year. The regulations exclude from this limit performance-based compensation and stock options provided certain requirements, such as stockholder approval, are satisfied. We plan to take actions, as necessary and appropriate, to ensure that our stock option plans and executive annual cash bonus plans qualify for exclusion. In addition, distributions under severance arrangements with an
executive officer can only be made after six months after separation from service. We have endeavored and will continue to endeavor to structure our compensation arrangements to comply with current U.S. tax laws.
Stock Ownership Guidelines
We do not have any stock ownership guidelines, ownership goals or holding requirements. We have an insider trading policy that establishes certain restrictions on trading windows
.
As we succeed in achieving approval for and commercializing our drug candidates, we expect that we will adapt the elements of our compensation program as appropriate and may include or substitute other elements in our compensation program. Changes in the elements of our compensation program may also reflect changes in the importance of tax or accounting treatments of a particular element of our compensation program.
Results of 2017 Say on Pay Advisory Vote
In 2017, our stockholders did not approve, in an advisory vote, the 2016 compensation paid to the Company’s named executive
officers
. We considered the stockholders
’
vote in our review of our compensation programs and did not pay compensation for our executive officers in 2017.
Summary Compensation Table
The
following
table sets forth information regarding compensation for each of our executive officers.
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Name and Principal Position
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Year
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Salary
($)
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Bonus
($)
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Stock
Awards
($)
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Option Awards
($)
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Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compen-
sation
($)
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All Other Compen-
sation
($)
|
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Total
($)
|
Remi Barbier
|
2017
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875,000
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—
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—
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1,016,223
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—
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4,386
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1,895,609
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President, Chief Executive Officer
|
2016
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855,000
|
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—
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61,714
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1,147,646
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300,000
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4,386
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2,368,746
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and Chairman of the Board
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2015
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818,958
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—
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—
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1,229,886
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—
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4,386
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2,053,230
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Nadav Friedmann, Ph.D., M.D.
|
2017
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320,000
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—
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—
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537,647
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—
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—
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857,647
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Chief Medical and Operating Officer
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2016
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312,500
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—
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30,857
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586,586
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150,000
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—
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1,079,943
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and Director
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2015
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298,125
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—
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—
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619,712
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—
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—
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917,837
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Assumptions used in calculating the value of Stock Awards and Option Awards are described in Note 6 to the Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, incorporated herein by reference. For information about these awards, see section herein entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” All Other Compensation includes life insurance premiums paid by us on behalf of our executive officers.
Grants of Plan-Based Awards
There were no grants of plan-based awards during 2017 to our executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
The following table sets forth information regarding the outstanding equity awards at December 31, 2017 held by each of the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table.
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Option Awards
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Stock Awards
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Name
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Option/ Award Grant Date
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Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Exercisable
(#)
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Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Unexercisable
(#)
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Option Exercise Price
($)
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Option Expiration Date
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Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested
(#)
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Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market or Payout Value of Unearned Shares, Units or Other Rights That Have Not Vested
($)
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Remi Barbier
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6/13/08
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79,668
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—
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30.73
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6/13/18
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7/31/09
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73,539
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—
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18.06
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7/31/19
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9/1/10
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73,539
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—
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23.87
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9/1/20
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6/1/11
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56,030
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—
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53.55
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6/1/21
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6/8/12
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65,368
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—
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23.38
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6/8/22
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6/8/12
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57,142
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951,986
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6/5/13
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71,428
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—
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16.87
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6/5/23
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6/6/14
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74,999
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10,715
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35.00
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6/6/24
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11/14/14
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66,071
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19,643
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12.04
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11/14/24
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12/11/15
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42,856
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42,858
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13.02
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12/11/25
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8/23/17
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25,000
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275,000
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3.24
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8/23/27
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-
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Nadav Friedmann, Ph.D., M.D.
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6/13/08
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73,538
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—
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30.73
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6/13/18
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7/31/09
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36,769
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—
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18.06
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7/31/19
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9/1/10
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36,768
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—
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23.87
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9/1/20
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6/1/11
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28,015
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—
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53.55
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6/1/21
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6/8/12
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28,014
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—
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23.38
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6/8/22
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6/8/12
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37,353
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622,301
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6/5/13
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42,856
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—
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16.87
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6/5/23
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6/6/14
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37,499
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5,358
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35.00
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6/6/24
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11/14/14
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33,035
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9,822
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12.04
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11/14/24
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12/11/15
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21,428
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21,429
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13.02
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12/11/25
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8/23/17
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20,833
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229,167
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3.24
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8/23/27
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Option Awards were granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value on the date of grant. One forty-eighth of the shares subject to each such option vest and become exercisable one month after the vesting commencement date, and an additional one forty-eighth of the shares subject to such option vest each month thereafter. Stock Awards reflect Performance Awards. Stock Awards granted on June 8, 2012 vest upon achievement of regulatory approval of REMOXY.
Option Exercises
No options were exercised in 2017 by the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table.
Employment and Severance Arrangement
We have an employment agreement with Mr. Barbier which include payments related to termination of employment without cause. The employment agreement with Mr. Barbier automatically renews for consecutive one-year terms each July unless the Company or Mr. Barbier terminates the agreement 90 days prior to the end of the then-current term or otherwise at any time on sixty days’ notice. The agreement entitles Mr. Barbier to serve on the Board of Directors for as long as he is our President and Chief Executive Officer. Thereafter, he will remain a member of the Board of Directors only if we terminate his employment without cause. The agreement also provides that if we terminate Mr. Barbier for reasons other than cause we must pay him his base salary for 12 months, provide him continued participation in our medical and disability plans for 12 months and continuation of insurance policies covering Mr. Barbier as of the date of termination.
Mr. Barbier’s employment agreement defines “cause” as a termination for any of the following, unless cured within five business days of Mr. Barbier receiving notice of such event:
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any intentional action or failure to act that was performed in bad faith and to the detriment of the Company;
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·
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any intentional action or failure to act in accordance with any lawful and proper direction or order of the Board of Directors;
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·
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any willful and habitual neglect of the duties of employment assigned by the Board of Directors; and
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Under Mr. Barbier’s employment agreement, a termination for reasons “other than cause” also includes a resignation by Mr. Barbier for any of the following:
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·
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the assignment to or reduction of Mr. Barbier’s duties that results in a significant diminution in Mr. Barbier’s position or responsibilities;
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·
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the substantial reduction, without good business reasons, of the facilities or perquisites (including office space and location) available to Mr. Barbier;
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·
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a reduction of Mr. Barbier’s base compensation, other than a bonus reduction resulting from application of a bonus plan or formula consistent with prior practice;
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·
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a material reduction in the kind or level of employee benefits available to Mr. Barbier that would result in his overall benefits package being significantly reduced;
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·
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the relocation of Mr. Barbier to a facility more than 25 miles from the then current location;
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·
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any termination of Mr. Barbier which is not effected for “cause,” for valid grounds or due to Mr. Barbier’s death or disability; or
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·
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any purported termination of Mr. Barbier’s employment without meeting the term-end 90-day prior notice requirements described above.
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In the event of a change of control in which this employment agreement is not assumed by the successor entity either operation of law or by assignment, Mr. Barbier’s employment with the Company shall be deemed to be termination for “other than cause.” The cost of our post-employment obligations to Mr. Barbier cannot be determined until a termination has occurred. However, assuming Mr. Barbier’s employment was terminated for reasons other than cause on December 31, 2017, we would have had to pay Mr. Barbier approximately $875,000, $15,000 and $5,000 for base salary, medical and disability plan-related expenses and insurance policy expenses, respectively, pursuant to
his
employment agreement
with the Company.
Director Compensation
The following table sets forth all director compensation for 2017 for all directors who are not named executive officers.
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Option
Awards
($)
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Total
($)
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Robert C. Gussin, Ph.D.
|
134,059
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134,059
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Michael J. O'Donnell, Esq.
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107,477
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107,477
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Saira Ramasastry
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135,137
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135,137
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Sanford R. Robertson
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134,059
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134,059
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Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D.
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107,477
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107,477
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Assumptions made in the valuation of Option Awards are described in Note 6 to the Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, incorporated herein by reference.
We maintain director and officer indemnification insurance coverage. This insurance covers directors and officers individually. These policies currently run from July 13, 2017 through July 12, 2018 at a total annual cost of approximately $368,000. The primary carrier is U.S. Specialty Insurance Company. We reimburse our officers and directors for expenses incurred in attending any Board of Directors or committee meeting.
Each non-employee director who serves as a director on the date of each Annual Stockholders Meeting automatically receives an option to purchase 7,142 shares of Common Stock. A director who first becomes a non-employee director (except those directors who become non-employee directors by ceasing to be employee directors) automatically receives an option to purchase 7,142 shares of Common Stock on the date he or she is appointed to the Board of Directors. All options automatically granted to non-employee directors will:
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·
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vest a
s to 25% of the shares subject to the option on each anniversary of the date of grant, subject to his or her continuing to serve as a member of the Board of Directors on such date;
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·
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be exercisable only while he or she remains a member of the Board of Directors;
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·
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have a term of 10 years; and
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·
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have an ex
ercise price equal to 100% of the fair market value per share of Common Stock on the date of grant.
|
In June 2017, the Board of Directors granted an option to purchase 2,500 shares of Common Stock at $5.46 per share to each non-employee director then serving on a committee of the Board of Directors. In December 2017, the Board of Directors were each granted the following option to purchase 25,000 to Dr. Gussin and Mr. Robertson, 22,500 to Ms. Ramasastry and 20,000 to Dr. Scannon and Mr. O’Donnell shares of Common stock at $4.09 per share. These options were granted at 100% of the fair market value per share of Common Stock on the date of grant and vest as to 1/48th of the shares subject to such options each month from the date of grant, subject to each individual continuing to serve as a member of the Board of Directors on such date. These option grants have a term of 10 years.
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The purpose of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors is, in part, to review and approve the compensation and benefits to be provided to the officers and directors of the Company and to administer the Company’s various stock plans and the issuance of stock options and other stock-related awards not pursuant to a plan. The Compensation Committee shall also make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding adoption or modification of all stock plans.
One of the Compensation Committee’s goals is to ensure that the Company’s executive compensation programs are competitive with those of regional companies in our industry. In addition, the Compensation Committee strives to enable the Company to attract and retain key people and motivate them to achieve or exceed certain key objectives of the Company by making individual compensation directly dependent on the achievement of certain corporate and individual goals, and by providing rewards for meeting or exceeding those goals.
The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis with management. Based on the review and discussion, the Compensation Committee has recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s proxy statement.
Respectfully Submitted By:
MEMBERS OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D.
Sanford R. Robertson
Dated: March 16, 2018
REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The purpose of the Audit Committee includes the following:
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Oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Company and audits of the financial statements of the Company;
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|
·
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Assist the Board of Directors of the Company in oversight and monitoring:
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·
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the integrity of the Company’s financial statements;
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·
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the Company’s financial reporting process;
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·
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the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements under applicable securities law;
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·
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the independent registered public accounting firms’ qualifications, independence and performance; and
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·
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the Company’s systems of internal accounting and financial controls;
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·
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Prepare a report in the Company’s annual proxy statement in accordance with the rules of the SEC;
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·
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Provide the Board of Directors with the results of its monitoring and recommendations derived therefrom; and
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·
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Provide to the Board of Directors such additional information and materials as it may deem necessary to make the Board aware of significant financial matters that come to its attention and that require the attention of the Board of Directors.
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Management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements and the reporting process including the system of internal controls.
In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Audit Committee has:
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·
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Reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements, including balance sheets, related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows, with management;
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·
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Discussed with Ernst & Young LLP, the
matters required to be discussed by the statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1. AU section 380), as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T;
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·
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Received from Ernst & Young LLP the written disclosures and the letter required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence; and
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Discussed with Ernst & Young LLP the independent accountant’s independence.
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The Audit Committee discusses with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, the overall scope and plans for their audits. The Audit Committee meets with the independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examinations, their evaluations of the Company’s internal controls and the overall quality of the Company’s financial reporting.
Based on the foregoing, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 201
7
for filing with the SEC. The Audit Committee and the Board of Directors have also recommended, subject to stockholder ratification, the selection of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.
Respectfully Submitted by:
MEMBERS OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
Sanford R. Robertson, Audit Committee Chair
Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D.
Saira Ramasastry
Dated: March 16, 2018
The information contained above under the captions “Report of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors” and “Report of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors” shall not be deemed to be soliciting material or to be filed with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) or the Exchange Act, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference into such filing.
Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our officers and directors, and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of our equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. Such officers, directors and ten-percent stockholders are also required by SEC rules to furnish us with copies of all forms that they file pursuant to Section 16(a). Based solely on its review of the copies of such forms received by it, or written representations from certain reporting persons, we believe that our executive officers and directors complied with all such applicable filing requirements during fiscal
year
2017.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Related Party Transactions
There has not been nor is there currently proposed any transaction or series of similar transactions to which we were or are a party in which the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and in which any director, executive officer, holder of more than 5% of our Common Stock or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than fees and expenses incurred for legal services, described below, and compensation agreements and other arrangements which are described in “Employment and Severance Arrangements” and the indemnification agreements described below. In accordance with the charter of the Company’s Audit Committee, the Company's policy is to require that any related party transactions be reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee.
Legal Services
During 2017, Morrison & Foerster, LLP provided legal services to the Company. Mr. O’Donnell, a director of the Company, is a member of Morrison & Foerster, LLP. We incur expenses for legal services from Morrison Foerster, LLP that vary depending upon our legal needs. We believe the legal fees paid in 2017 to Morrison Foerster, LLP were less than 5% of the firm’s total gross revenues for its last completed fiscal year.
Independence of Directors
The Board of Directors has determined that directors Robert Z. Gussin, Ph.D., Michael J. O’Donnell, Esq., Saira Ramasastry, Sanford R. Robinson and Patrick J. Scannon, M.D., Ph.D. are each independent as defined under the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC listing standards. In determining the independence of Mr. O’Donnell, our Board of Directors reviews our relationship with Morrison & Foerster, LLP in conjunction with the applicable independence guidelines under the applicable listing standards of the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC. The Board of Directors has also determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent as defined under the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC listing standards, and that each member of the Audit Committee is independent as defined under NASDAQ Stock Market LLC listing standards, as well as applicable SEC rules.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers, which require us to indemnify
our
directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
OTHER MATTERS
We know of no other matters to be submitted to the meeting. If any other matters properly come before the meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed Proxy form to vote the shares they represent as the Board of Directors may recommend.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dated: March 16, 2018