Amarin Corporation plc (NASDAQ: AMRN) (“Amarin” or the “Company”)
today announced that it has mailed a letter to shareholders in
connection with the General Meeting of Shareholders urging
shareholders to vote “AGAINST” all proposals on the WHITE proxy
card. The General Meeting of Shareholders is scheduled to be held
on February 28, 2023, and shareholders of record as of January 23,
2023, will be entitled to vote at the meeting.
The Company also released additional videos featuring its Board
of Directors, which can be viewed at www.voteamarin.com. The full
text of the letter being mailed to shareholders follows:
Dear Shareholder,
At the upcoming General Meeting on
February 28, 2023, Sarissa Capital Management is attempting to
remove our newly appointed Board Chair, Per Wold-Olsen, and nearly
double the size of the Amarin Board with an underqualified slate of
seven nominees. This change would dramatically impede momentum that
is underway and significantly risk the short- and long-term value
of your investment.
Your Board and management
team are actively executing a thoughtful and practical strategic
plan designed to create value now. This is a NEW
Amarin with a NEW Board, a NEW leadership team and a NEW
strategy.
We urge you to vote
“AGAINST” Sarissa’s harmful proposals on the
WHITE proxy card.
Please follow the instructions on the
enclosed WHITE proxy card and vote by telephone,
internet or mail. For ADS holders, the deadline to submit your vote
is 3 PM GMT (10 AM ET) February 22, 2023, and for holders of
ordinary shares, the deadline is 3 PM GMT (10 AM ET) February 24,
2023.
Scan this QR code to hear directly
from our Board of Directors about the opportunity we see for Amarin
and why you should vote AGAINST Sarissa’s proposals. We also
encourage you to submit your questions and we will answer the most
frequently asked questions in the coming weeks.
The Change
Agents Amarin Needs Are Already Here
When we embarked on our Board
refreshment process in October 2021, we did so with one goal:
recruit individuals with a specific set of skills to shape Amarin’s
new strategy and support its execution – and we have done it. The
Amarin Board now consists of nine directors – six of whom were
appointed in the last year. We have also completely refreshed our
Board leadership structure – appointing Mr. Wold-Olsen as Chairman
of the Board and Chair of Amarin’s Renumeration Committee, Erin
Enright as Chair of Amarin’s Audit Committee and Adam Berger as
Chair of Amarin’s Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee.
We will continue to take proactive,
decisive actions to transform Amarin and better position the
Company to succeed and drive value. The refreshed Board, alongside
the new management team, has contributed to substantial progress in
a short period of time across all facets of the business –
strategic, operational and financial. These efforts are reflected
in Amarin’s performance in 2022 and early 2023, including:
- Secured six international regulatory approvals in 2022 and
regulatory approval in New Zealand in January 2023
- Obtained attractive reimbursement and pricing in five European
countries and advanced five additional European markets to pricing
negotiation
- Delivered four consecutive quarters of U.S. revenue
stabilization
- Implemented $100 million annual cost savings plan in mid-2022,
which has delivered actual savings of $50 million in the second
half of 2022 and on track to achieve $100 million by mid-2023
- Initiated and progressed initial fixed-dose combination program
for icosapent ethyl, which will improve the future value,
penetration and durability of our VASCEPA®/VAZKEPA® franchise in
Europe
Per Wold-Olsen’s Experience and
Leadership are Critical to Amarin’s Transformation
Since Mr. Wold-Olsen’s appointment to
the Board in January 2022 and subsequently his appointment as
Chairman in May 2022, he has demonstrated steadfast leadership and
his contributions to Amarin have been far-reaching:
- Providing critical oversight and assistance in navigating
European pricing negotiations, which has led to five favorable
pricing outcomes
- Recognizing the need for cost containment, which led to a
comprehensive cost savings plan that is well on-track
- Emphasizing the importance of a new and purpose-built Board for
Amarin’s transformation, which has resulted in a nearly 70%
refreshed Board in the past year
- Working closely with President and CEO Karim Mikhail and the
rest of the Board to advance and refine our new strategy
Mr. Wold-Olsen is one of the most
well-respected international healthcare executives in the world
with a demonstrated ability to transform companies, and his track
record of successful product launches is undisputed. During Mr.
Wold-Olsen’s 30-year tenure at Merck, he:
- Oversaw multiple global launches of multi-billion-dollar
products, including ZOCOR, FOSAMAX, VASOTEC, COZAAR AND VIOXX
- Initiated critical regulatory filing strategies for new
products in Europe that resulted in accelerated launches and
significant strategic benefits
- Doubled the European business’ revenue
- Maintained profitability during a time of extensive patent
cliffs
- Restructured the EMEA Eastern Europe business and grew sales
six-times
- Built several landmark studies that served as key drivers of
the company’s strategy to demonstrate clinical endpoint in
large-scale outcomes trials
He has extensive governance
experience from a number of prestigious pharmaceutical
companies:
- Chairman of H. Lundbeck – transformed the Company’s go-forward
strategy, implemented Board and CEO transitions and restructured
executive compensation program
- Director of Gilead Sciences – oversaw asset acquisitions and
global launch strategies of numerous Hepatitis C products resulting
in an industry all-time revenue generation record and helped
oversee the continued evolution of the Company’s HIV combination
and commercial success of a multi-billion franchise
- Chairman of Oncopeptides – built and downsized the Company’s
U.S. organization over 12 months, following the loss of continued
commercialization opportunity
- Chairman of the Great Nordic Company – led the transformation
of the Company from near bankruptcy in 2008 to being a global
innovation leader today
- Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Novo Holdings, one of the
world’s largest healthcare investors
Our Board Has the Expertise Amarin Needs;
Sarissa’s Slate Does Not Offer the Skills Amarin Needs
Amarin is at a critical inflection
point. Now, more than ever, we must remain focused on driving
positive pricing and reimbursement decisions in Europe, continuing
to stabilize the U.S. business, advancing our international
strategy and progressing on our FDC program.
As we continue our work, our Board
refreshment process remains active. We are open to all qualified
candidates and have offered to interview two of Sarissa’s new
nominees with backgrounds in specific areas we are evaluating as
part of our ongoing Board refreshment process. The newly refreshed
Amarin Board has put the Company on a solid path on which
management is executing. Amarin's new strategy is taking root and
deserves another year to prove the value it is creating. Sarissa
and its candidates have not put forth any plan to deliver
value.
The Board continues to look to
augment its skillset with strong experience in cardiology and
commercial execution. As we evaluate candidates who have those
skills, we offered to interview two of Sarissa’s nominees, Paul
Cohen, MD and cardiologist, and Diane Sullivan, who has some
experience with commercial launches. Sarissa has indicated that any
engagement is predicated on shareholder representation. We
are here to build the best Board possible to generate value for all
shareholders – shouldn’t that be Sarissa’s goal too?
Sarissa’s other candidates do not provide incremental industry or
public company expertise beyond the Board’s current makeup to help
oversee Amarin’s execution. This is why we recommend that Amarin
shareholders vote against adding Sarissa’s slate to the Board.
Your Vote is Important – Help Ensure
Amarin’s Continued Momentum
Our refreshed Board is best equipped
to guide the NEW Amarin. Our highly relevant experience in
international, and in particular European, cardiovascular and
related product launches has been vital to Amarin’s early success.
Do not let Sarissa derail Amarin’s positive trajectory by replacing
your Chairman and appointing its hand-picked, underqualified
nominees. We do not believe the changes to the Board
proposed by Sarissa are warranted or in the best interests of all
shareholders at this time.
Protect the value of your investment
and vote the WHITE proxy card today
“AGAINST” all of Sarissa’s resolutions.
Thank you for your support,The Amarin
Board of Directors
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT! |
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If you have any questions, or need assistance in voting your ADS or
shares on the WHITE proxy card, please call our
proxy solicitor: |
|
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Morrow Sodali LLC |
Okapi Partners LLC |
509 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor |
1212 Avenue of the Americas, 17th Floor |
New York, NY 10022 |
New York, NY 10036 |
|
|
Toll-free: 1 (800) 662-5200 |
Toll-free: 1 (844) 343-2625 |
Collect: 1 (203) 658-9400 |
International: 1 (212) 297-0720 |
Email: AMRN@info.morrowsodali.com |
Email: info@okapipartners.com |
|
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Advisors
J.P. Morgan is acting as financial advisor. Ropes & Gray LLP
and Goodwin Procter LLP are acting as legal advisors to the
Company.
About Amarin
Amarin is an innovative pharmaceutical company leading a new
paradigm in cardiovascular disease management. From our foundation
in scientific research to our focus on clinical trials, and now our
commercial expansion, we are evolving and growing rapidly. Amarin
has offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey in the United States, Dublin
in Ireland, Zug in Switzerland, and other countries in Europe as
well as commercial partners and suppliers around the world. We are
committed to increasing the scientific understanding of the
cardiovascular risk that persists beyond traditional therapies and
advancing the treatment of that risk.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are
made pursuant to U.S. federal securities law. These forward-looking
statements are not promises or guarantees and involve substantial
risks and uncertainties. A further list and description of these
risks, uncertainties and other risks associated with an investment
in Amarin can be found in Amarin’s filings with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission, including Amarin’s annual report on
Form 10-K for the full year ended 2021, and Amarin’s
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022, and September 30,
2022, and its other filings. Existing and prospective investors are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Amarin
undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information
contained in its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of
new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.
Amarin’s forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential
impact of significant transactions the company may enter into, such
as mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures or any
material agreements that Amarin may enter into, amend or
terminate.
Amarin Contact Information
Investor Inquiries:Lisa DeFrancescoInvestor Relations Amarin
Corporation plcinvestor.relations@amarincorp.com (investor
inquiries)
Media Inquiries:Mark MarmurCorporate Communications, Amarin
Corporation plcPR@amarincorp.com (media inquiries)
Or
Steve Frankel / Andi Rose / Tali EpsteinJoele Frank, Wilkinson
Brimmer Katcher212-355-4449
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