UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Filed
by the Registrant ☒ Filed by a Party other than the Registrant
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Preliminary
Proxy Statement |
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Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive
Proxy Statement |
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Definitive
Additional Materials |
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Soliciting
Material under §240.14a-12 |
Provectus
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Name
of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Name
of person(s) filing proxy statement, if other than the
registrant)
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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No
fee required |
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Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11 |
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(1) |
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
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Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies: |
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Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which
the filing fee is calculated and state how it was
determined): |
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Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
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Total
fee paid: |
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Fee
paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting
fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by
registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date
of its filing. |
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(1) |
Amount
Previously Paid:
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Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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10025
Investment Drive, Suite 250
Knoxville,
Tennessee 37932
phone
866/594-5999
fax
866/998-0005
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Dear
Provectus Stockholder:
You
are cordially invited to attend the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders of Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Provectus”) on
Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at the Hilton Knoxville located at 501
West Church Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902, beginning at 4:00
p.m. Eastern Time (the “2022 Annual Meeting”). We intend to hold
our annual meeting in person. We are actively monitoring the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in regard to the meeting and are
sensitive to the public health and travel concerns that our
stockholders may have and the protocols that federal, state, and/or
local governments may impose. In the event that it is not possible
or advisable to hold our annual meeting in person, we will announce
alternative arrangements for it as promptly as practicable, which
may include holding the meeting solely by means of remote
communications. Please monitor our annual meeting website at
www.provectusbio.com for updated information. If you are planning
to attend our meeting, please check the website one week prior to
the meeting date. As always, we encourage you to vote your shares
prior to the annual meeting.
We
are pleased to present you with our 2022 Proxy Statement. At our
2022 Annual Meeting, stockholders will vote on the matters set
forth in the 2022 Proxy Statement and the accompanying notice of
this meeting. Your board of directors (the “Board”) has recommended
five highly qualified and experienced nominees for election to
Provectus’ Board at the 2022 Annual Meeting. Highlights of the
detailed information included in the Proxy Statement may be found
in the section entitled “Questions and Answers About the 2022
Annual Meeting of Stockholders,” starting on page 2. Detailed
information regarding director candidates may be found under
“Proposal 1 – Election of Directors,” starting on page
16.
We
are providing access to our proxy materials over the Internet under
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s “notice and access”
rules. We believe that providing our proxy materials electronically
increases the ability of our stockholders to connect with
information they need, while reducing the costs and environmental
impact associated with printing and mailing of proxy
materials.
Whether
or not you will attend the 2022 Annual Meeting, we hope that your
shares are represented and voted. In advance of the meeting on June
22, 2022, please vote and submit your proxy as soon as possible via
the Internet, by telephone, or, if you have requested to receive
printed proxy materials, by mailing the proxy or voting instruction
card enclosed with those materials. Instructions on how to vote are
found in the section entitled “Questions and Answers About the 2022
Annual Meeting of Stockholders – How do I vote before the Annual
Meeting?” starting on page 3.
For
more information and up-to-date postings, please go to
www.provectusbio.com/annual-meeting.
Thank
you for being a Provectus stockholder.
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Sincerely, |
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/s/
Bruce Horowitz |
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Bruce
Horowitz |
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Chief
Operating Officer |
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10025
Investment Drive, Suite 250
Knoxville,
Tennessee 37932
phone
866/594-5999
fax 866/998-0005
|
NOTICE
OF 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022
To
the Stockholders of Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.:
NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN that we will hold the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders of Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. on Wednesday,
June 22, 2022, at the Hilton Knoxville located at 501 West Church
Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Time. We intend to hold our annual meeting in person. We are
actively monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in regard
to the meeting and are sensitive to the public health and travel
concerns that our stockholders may have and the protocols that
federal, state, and/or local governments may impose. In the event
that it is not possible or advisable to hold our annual meeting in
person, we will announce alternative arrangements for it as
promptly as practicable, which may include holding the meeting
solely by means of remote communication. Please monitor our annual
meeting website at www.provectusbio.com for updated information. If
you are planning to attend our meeting, please check the website
one week prior to the meeting date. As always, we encourage you to
vote your shares prior to the meeting.
The
2022 Annual Meeting is being held for the following
purposes:
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1. |
To
elect five directors to serve on our Board of
Directors; |
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2. |
To
conduct an advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named
executive officers; |
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3. |
To
ratify the selection of Marcum LLP as our independent registered
public accounting firm for 2022; |
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4. |
To
authorize our Board of Directors to amend our Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended by the Certificate of Designation of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Certificate of Designation
of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Certificates of
Designation”), to effect a reverse stock split of our common stock,
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock at a ratio of between 1-for-10 and 1-for-50, where
the ratio would be determined by our Board of Directors at its
discretion, and to make corresponding amendments to the
Certificates of Designation to provide for the proportional
adjustment of certain terms upon a reverse stock split;
and, |
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To
authorize our Board of Directors, if and only if Proposal 4 is
approved, to amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by
the Certificates of Designation, to decrease the number of
authorized shares of our common stock and preferred stock by the
same reverse stock split ratio determined by our Board of
Directors. |
Stockholders
also would transact any other business that properly comes before
the 2022 Annual Meeting.
OUR
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” EACH
OF THE FIVE DIRECTOR NOMINEES WHO ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE PROXY
STATEMENT, AND “FOR” EACH OF PROPOSALS 2, 3, 4, AND
5.
Only
stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 25,
2022, will be entitled to notice of and to vote at the 2022 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders and any adjournment thereof.
We
are mailing a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials
(the “Notice”) to our stockholders instead of paper copies of our
proxy statement and annual report. The Notice contains instructions
for accessing those documents over the Internet. The Notice also
contains instructions on how stockholders can receive a paper copy
of our proxy materials, including the proxy statement, our 2022
Annual Report, and the proxy card.
We
hope that you will be able to attend the annual meeting. Whether or
not you plan to attend the meeting, we ask that you vote as soon as
possible. Prompt voting helps to ensure that the greatest number of
stockholders are present, whether in person or by proxy. You may
vote over the Internet, by telephone, or, if you requested to
receive printed proxy materials, by mailing the proxy or voting
instruction card enclosed with these meeting materials. Please
review the instructions for each of your voting options described
in the proxy statement, as well as in the Notice you received in
the mail.
If
you attend the annual meeting in person, you may revoke your proxy
at the meeting and vote your shares in person. You may revoke your
proxy at any time before the proxy is exercised. Should you desire
to revoke your proxy, you may do so as provided in the accompanying
proxy statement.
Important
Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the 2022
Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on Wednesday, June 22,
2022. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, this
Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2021 are available at:
www.proxyvote.com.
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By
order of our board of directors, |
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/s/
Bruce Horowitz |
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Bruce
Horowitz |
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Chief
Operating Officer |
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[●],
2022 |
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Knoxville,
Tennessee |
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TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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10025
Investment Drive, Suite 250
Knoxville,
Tennessee 37932
phone
866/594-5999
fax 866/998-0005
|
PROXY
STATEMENT FOR
2022
ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD ON JUNE 22, 2022
We
are delivering these proxy materials to solicit proxies on behalf
of the board of directors of Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.,
for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders that will be held on
Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at the Hilton Knoxville located at 501
West Church Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902, beginning at 4:00
p.m. Eastern Time. We intend to hold our annual meeting in person.
We are actively monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in
regard to the meeting and are sensitive to the public health and
travel concerns that our stockholders may have and the protocols
that federal, state, and/or local governments may impose. In the
event that it is not possible or advisable to hold our annual
meeting in person, we will announce alternative arrangements for it
as promptly as practicable, which may include holding the meeting
solely by means of remote communications. Please monitor our annual
meeting website at www.provectusbio.com for updated information. If
you are planning to attend our meeting, please check the website
one week prior to the meeting date. As always, we encourage you to
vote your shares prior to the meeting.
We
first mailed the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials
to our stockholders on or about [●], 2022.
We
will refer to Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and its
subsidiaries throughout this Proxy Statement as “we,” “us,” the
“Company,” or “Provectus.” We will refer to the board of directors
as the “Board” or “our Board.”
At
the 2022 Annual Meeting, our stockholders will vote on five
proposals:
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1. |
To
elect five directors to serve on our Board; |
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2. |
To
conduct an advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named
executive officers; |
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3. |
To
ratify the selection of Marcum LLP (“Marcum”) as our independent
registered public accounting firm for 2022;
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4. |
To
authorize our Board to amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as
amended by the Certificate of Designation of Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock and Certificate of Designation of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Certificates of Designation”), to
effect a reverse stock split of our common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock at a ratio of between 1-for-10 and 1-for-50, where the ratio
would be determined by our Board at its discretion, and to make
corresponding amendments to the Certificates of Designation to
provide for the proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a
reverse stock split; and, |
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5. |
To
authorize our Board, if and only if Proposal 4 is approved, to
amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by the
Certificates of Designation, to decrease the number of authorized
shares of our common stock and preferred stock by the same reverse
stock split ratio determined by our Board. |
The
proposals are set forth in the accompanying Notice of 2022 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders and are described in more detail in this
Proxy Statement. Stockholders also may transact any other business
not known or determined at the time of this proxy solicitation and
that properly comes before the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
(the “2022 Annual Meeting”); however, our Board knows of no such
other business.
OUR
BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THE FIVE
BOARD NOMINEES WHO ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT, AND “FOR”
EACH OF PROPOSALS 2, 3, 4, AND 5.
When
you submit your proxy, by executing and returning the enclosed
proxy card, you will authorize proxy holders Bruce Horowitz and
Heather Raines, CPA to vote all your shares of common stock and/or
preferred stock and otherwise to act on your behalf at the 2022
Annual Meeting and any adjournment thereof, in accordance with the
instructions set forth therein. These persons also will have
discretionary authority to vote your shares on any other business
that properly comes before the 2022 Annual Meeting. They also may
vote your shares to adjourn the 2022 Annual Meeting and will be
authorized to vote your shares at any meeting
adjournment.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE
2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
Why
did I receive a one-page notice in the mail regarding Internet
availability of proxy materials for the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders instead of a full set of proxy
materials?
Pursuant
to rules adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”), the Company uses the Internet as the primary means of
furnishing proxy materials to stockholders. Accordingly, the
Company is sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy
Materials (the “Notice”) to the Company’s stockholders. All
stockholders will have the ability to electronically access the
proxy materials referred to in the Notice. They may also request a
printed set of the complete proxy materials. Instructions on how to
access the proxy materials over the Internet or to request a
printed copy may be found in the Notice. In addition, stockholders
may request to receive proxy materials electronically by email or
in printed form by mail on an ongoing basis. The Company encourages
stockholders to take advantage of the availability of the proxy
materials on the Internet to help reduce the costs and
environmental impact of the Company’s annual meetings associated
with the physical printing and mailing of meeting
materials.
What
is the purpose of the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders?
At
the 2022 Annual Meeting, stockholders would act upon the following
matters:
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1. |
To
elect five directors to serve on our Board; |
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2. |
To
conduct an advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named
executive officers; |
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3. |
To
ratify the selection of Marcum as our independent registered public
accounting firm for 2022;
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4. |
To
authorize our Board to amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as
amended by the Certificates of Designation, to effect a reverse
stock split of our common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock at a ratio of
between 1-for-10 and 1-for-50, where the ratio would be determined
by our Board at its discretion, and to make corresponding
amendments to the Certificates of Designation to provide for the
proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a reverse stock
split; and, |
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5. |
To
authorize our Board, if and only if Proposal 4 is approved, to
amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by the
Certificates of Designation, to decrease the number of authorized
shares of our common stock and preferred stock by the same reverse
stock split ratio determined by our Board. |
Stockholders
also may transact other business not known or determined at the
time of this proxy solicitation that properly comes before the 2022
Annual Meeting; however, our Board knows of no such other
business.
Who
is entitled to vote?
Only
stockholders of record at the close of business on April 25, 2022,
the record date for the 2022 Annual Meeting, are entitled to
receive notice of the 2022 Annual Meeting and to vote the shares of
common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock or Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock that they held on that date at the
meeting. Each outstanding share of common stock entitles its holder
to cast one vote on each matter to be voted on at the 2022 Annual
Meeting. Each outstanding share of Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock carries the right to one vote per share. Each outstanding
share of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock carries the right
to 10 votes per share. Holders of shares of Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock will
vote together with the holders of common stock as a single class on
all matters submitted to stockholders and such other matters as may
properly come before the Annual Meeting and any
adjournments.
What
constitutes a quorum?
The
presence at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the holders of a majority of
the shares of common stock, the Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock outstanding on the
record date, April 25, 2022, in person or by proxy, will constitute
a quorum. Shares held by stockholders present in person or
represented by proxy at the 2022 Annual Meeting who elect to
abstain from voting will be included in the calculation of the
number of shares considered present at the meeting.
As of
April 25, 2022, there were [●] shares of common stock outstanding,
[●] shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock outstanding and
[●] shares of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
outstanding.
What
happens if a quorum is not present at the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders?
If a
quorum is not present at the scheduled time of the 2022 Annual
Meeting, the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock,
Series D Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Preferred Stock present in
person or represented by proxy at the meeting may adjourn the
meeting to another place, date, and/or time until a quorum is
present. The place, date, and time of the adjourned meeting will be
announced when the adjournment is taken, and no other notice will
be given unless the adjournment is for more than 30 days or if a
new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting after the
adjournment.
May
I vote my shares in person at the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders?
Yes.
You may vote your shares at the 2022 Annual Meeting if you attend
in person, even if you previously submitted a proxy card or voted
by Internet or telephone. Whether or not you plan to attend the
2022 Annual Meeting in person, in order to assist us in tabulating
votes at the meeting, we encourage you to vote by using the
Internet, by telephone, or, if applicable, by returning a proxy
card.
How
do I vote before the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders?
Before
the 2022 Annual Meeting, you may vote your shares in one of the
following three ways:
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1. |
By
the Internet, by following the instructions provided in the
Notice; |
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2. |
By
mail, if you requested printed copies of the proxy materials, by
filling out the form of proxy card and sending it back in the
envelope provided; or |
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3. |
By
telephone, if you requested printed copies of the proxy materials,
by calling the toll-free number found on the proxy card. If you
requested printed copies of the proxy materials, and properly sign
and return your proxy card and return it in the prepaid envelope,
your shares will be voted as you direct. |
Please
use only one of the above three ways to vote. If you hold shares in
the name of a broker, your ability to vote those shares by Internet
or by telephone depends on the voting procedures used by your
broker, as explained below.
How
do I vote if my broker holds my shares in “street
name?”
If
your shares are held in “street name,” your bank or broker will
send you the Notice. Many, but not all, banks and brokerage firms
participate in a program provided through our transfer agent
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. that offers Internet and
telephone voting options. If you do not give instructions to your
nominee, it will be entitled to vote your shares on “discretionary”
items but will not be permitted to do so on “non-discretionary”
items. Proposals 1 and 2 are non-discretionary items for which a
nominee will not have discretion to vote in the absence of voting
instructions from you. Proposals 3, 4, and 5 are discretionary
items for which your nominee will be entitled to vote your shares
in the absence of instructions from you.
Can
I change my mind and revoke my proxy?
Yes. To revoke a proxy pursuant to this solicitation, you
must:
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● |
Sign
another proxy with a later date, and return it to our Secretary,
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., 10025 Investment Drive, Suite
250, Knoxville, Tennessee 37932 at or before the 2022 Annual
Meeting; |
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Provide
our Secretary with a written notice of revocation dated later than
the date of the original proxy at or before the
meeting; |
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Re-vote
by using the telephone following the instructions on the proxy
card; |
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● |
Re-vote
by using the Internet by following the instructions in the Notice;
or |
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Attend
the 2022 Annual Meeting and vote in person. Note that attendance at
the meeting will not revoke a proxy if you do not actually vote at
the 2022 Annual Meeting. |
What
are the Board’s recommendations?
Our
Board unanimously recommends that you vote:
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1. |
“FOR”
the proposal to elect five directors to serve on our
Board; |
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2. |
“FOR”
the proposal to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of
our named executive officers; |
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3. |
“FOR”
the proposal to ratify the selection of Marcum as our independent
registered public accounting firm for 2022;
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4. |
“FOR”
the proposal to authorize our Board to amend our Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended by the Certificates of Designation, to
effect a reverse stock split of our common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock at a ratio of between 1-for-10 and 1-for-50, where the ratio
would be determined by our Board at its discretion, and to make
corresponding amendments to the Certificates of Designation to
provide for the proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a
reverse stock split; and, |
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5. |
“FOR”
the proposal to authorize our Board, if and only if Proposal 4 is
approved, to amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by
the Certificates of Designation, to decrease the number of
authorized shares of our common stock and preferred stock by the
same reverse stock split ratio determined by our Board. |
What
happens if I do not specify how my shares are to be
voted?
If
you sign and return your proxy card or complete the telephone or
Internet voting procedures but do not indicate any voting
instructions, your shares will be voted “FOR” each of the
director nominees who are identified in Proposal 1 and “FOR”
Proposals 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Will
any other business be conducted at the 2022 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders?
As of
the date hereof, our Board knows of no business that would be
presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting other than the proposals
described in this Proxy Statement. If any other business is
properly brought before the meeting, the proxy holders will vote
your shares in accordance with their best judgment.
What
vote is required to approve each item?
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1. |
The
director nominees would be elected to serve on our Board if they
receive a plurality of the votes cast on the shares of common
stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (voting on an as
converted basis with the common stock) and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock (voting on an as converted basis with the common
stock) present in person or represented by proxy at the 2022 Annual
Meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter. This means that
the director nominees would be elected if they receive more votes
than any other person at the meeting. If you vote to “Withhold
Authority” with respect to the election of one or more director
nominees, your shares of common stock and/or preferred stock will
not be voted with respect to the person or persons indicated;
however, they will be counted for the purpose of determining
whether there is a meeting quorum. |
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2. |
The
advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive
officers would be approved if a majority of the shares of common
stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (voting on an as
converted basis with the common stock) and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock (voting on an as converted basis with the common
stock) present in person or represented by proxy at the 2022 Annual
Meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter are voted in
favor of the proposal. |
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3.
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The
selection of Marcum as our independent registered public accounting
firm for 2022 would be ratified if a majority of the shares of
common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock (voting on an as
converted basis with the common stock) and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock (voting on an as converted basis with the common
stock) present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and
entitled to vote on the subject matter are voted in favor of the
proposal. |
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4. |
The
proposal to authorize our Board to amend our Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended by the Certificates of Designation, to
effect a reverse stock split of our common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock at a ratio of between 1-for-10 and 1-for-50, where the ratio
would be determined by our Board at its discretion, and to make
corresponding amendments to the Certificates of Designation to
provide for the proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a
reverse stock split, will be approved if a majority of the
outstanding shares of common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock (voting on an as converted basis with the common stock) and
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock (voting on an as converted
basis with the common stock) are voted in favor of the
proposal. |
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5. |
The
proposal to authorize our Board, if and only if Proposal 4 is
approved, to amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by
the Certificates of Designation, to decrease the number of shares
of common stock and preferred stock that we are authorized to issue
by the same reverse stock split ratio, will be approved if a
majority of the outstanding shares of common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock (voting on an as converted basis with
the common stock) and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
(voting on an as converted basis with the common stock) are voted
in favor of the proposal. |
How
will abstentions and broker non-votes be treated?
You
do not have the option of abstaining from voting on Proposal 1. You
may abstain from voting on Proposals 2, 3, 4, and 5. With respect
to Proposal 1, because the directors are elected by a plurality
vote, an abstention will have no effect on the outcome of the vote
and, therefore, is not offered as a voting option on the proposal.
In the case of an abstention on Proposals 2, 3, 4, and 5, your
shares of common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock or
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock will be included in the
number of shares of common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock or Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock considered present
at the meeting for the purpose of determining whether there is a
quorum. Because your shares of common stock, Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock or Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock would be
voted but not in favor of Proposals 2, 3, 4, and 5, your abstention
would have the same effect as a negative vote in determining the
outcome of the vote on these proposals.
Broker
non-votes occur when a bank, brokerage firm, or other nominee does
not vote shares that it holds in “street name” on behalf of the
beneficial owner because the beneficial owner has not provided
voting instructions to the nominee with respect to a
non-discretionary item. Proposals 1 and 2 are non-discretionary
items for which a nominee will not have discretion to vote in the
absence of voting instructions from you. Proposals 3, 4, and 5,
however are discretionary items on which your nominee will be
entitled to vote your shares of common stock, Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock or Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock even in
the absence of instructions from you. In the case of a broker
non-vote, your shares of common stock, Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock or Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock would be
included in the number of shares of common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock or Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock considered present at the meeting for the purpose of
determining whether there is a quorum. A broker non-vote, being
shares of common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock or
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock not entitled to vote, would
not have any effect on the outcome of the vote on Proposals 1, 2
and 3. A broker non-vote would have the same effect as a vote
against Proposals 4 and 5.
STOCK OWNERSHIP
Directors,
Executive Officers, and Other Stockholders
The
following table provides information about the beneficial ownership
of common stock as of April 18, 2022, unless otherwise indicated,
for each of our directors, each of our executive officers named in
the “Summary Compensation Table” of this Proxy Statement and all of
our directors and executive officers as a group. We do not believe
any person beneficially owns more than 5% of our outstanding common
stock. Each outstanding share of common stock entitles its holder
to cast one vote on each matter to be voted on at the 2022 Annual
Meeting. Each outstanding share of Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock entitles its holder to cast one vote on each matter to be
voted on at the 2022 Annual Meeting. Each outstanding share of
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock entitles its holder to cast
ten votes on each matter to be voted on at the 2022 Annual Meeting.
Holders of shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock will vote together with the
holders of common stock as a single class on all matters submitted
to stockholders and such other matters as may properly come before
the Annual Meeting and any adjournments.
Name
and Address(1) |
|
Amount
and
Nature of
Beneficial
Ownership(2) |
|
|
Percentage
of
Class(2) (3) |
|
Directors and Named
Executive Officers: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bruce
Horowitz |
|
|
5,486,983 |
(6) |
|
|
1.3 |
% |
Dominic
Rodrigues |
|
|
1,077,389 |
(5) |
|
|
* |
|
Ed Pershing,
CPA |
|
|
8,322,290 |
(4) |
|
|
2.0 |
% |
Eric Wachter,
Ph.D. |
|
|
20,582,068 |
(9) |
|
|
4.7 |
% |
Heather Raines,
CPA |
|
|
2,114,873 |
(8) |
|
|
* |
|
John Lacey, III,
M.D. |
|
|
300,000 |
(7) |
|
|
* |
|
Webster
Bailey |
|
|
558,768 |
(10) |
|
|
* |
|
All Directors and
Executive Officers as a Group (7 Persons) |
|
|
38,442,371 |
(11) |
|
|
8.7 |
% |
* |
Less
than 1% of the outstanding shares of common stock. |
|
|
(1) |
Drs.
Lacey and Wachter, Messrs. Bailey, Horowitz, Pershing, and
Rodrigues, and Mrs. Raines are officers and/or directors of
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., whose business address is 10025
Investment Drive, Suite 250, Knoxville, Tennessee
37932. |
|
|
(2) |
Shares
of common stock that a person has the right to acquire within 60
days of April 18, 2022 are deemed outstanding for computing the
percentage ownership of the person having the right to acquire such
shares but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage
ownership of any other person. Except as indicated by a note, each
stockholder listed in the table has sole voting and investment
power as to the shares owned by that person. |
|
|
(3) |
As of
April 18, 2022, there were 419,447,119 shares of common stock
issued and outstanding. |
|
|
(4) |
Mr.
Pershing’s beneficial ownership includes 60,600 shares of common
stock owned by his spouse, 16,500 shares of common stock owned by
his spouse through a retirement plan, 3,750 shares of common stock
held as custodian for a grandchild, 81,500 shares of common stock
owned by Mr. P’s Foundation, a nonprofit corporation of which Mr.
Pershing is an affiliate, 550,000 shares of common stock owned by
Perkins Place, a general partnership of which Mr. Pershing is an
affiliate, 2,824,380 shares of common stock owned by Mr. Pershing
through a retirement plan, and 478,931 shares of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock that are convertible within 60 days
into 4,789,310 shares of common stock. |
(5) |
Mr.
Rodrigues’ beneficial ownership includes 500 shares of common stock
held solely by Mr. Rodrigues, 509,089 shares of common stock held
jointly with his spouse, 112,700 shares of common stock owned by
his spouse, 23,700 shares of common stock held as custodian for his
children, and 431,400 shares of common stock owned through a
retirement plan. |
|
|
(6) |
Mr.
Horowitz’s beneficial ownership includes 2,302,243 shares of common
stock held solely by Mr. Horowitz, 50,000 shares of common stock
owned by his spouse, 325,000 shares of common stock owned through a
retirement plan, 2,425,000 shares of common stock subject to
options that are exercisable within 60 days, and 38,474 shares of
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock that are convertible within
60 days into 384,740 shares of common stock. |
|
|
(7) |
Dr.
Lacey’s beneficial ownership includes 100,000 shares of common
stock held solely by Dr. Lacey, 20,000 shares of common stock held
through IMA, 80,000 shares of common stock held through a
retirement account, and 100,000 shares of common stock subject to
options that are exercisable within 60 days. |
|
|
(8) |
Mrs.
Raines’s beneficial ownership includes 100,000 shares of common
stock held solely by Mrs. Raines, 1,113,153 shares of common stock
held jointly with her spouse, 20,290 shares of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock that are convertible within 60 days
into 202,900 shares of common stock, and $200,000 aggregate
principal amount of convertible promissory notes that are
convertible within 60 days into 69,882 shares of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock, which are convertible within 60 days
into 698,820 shares of common stock. |
|
|
(9) |
Dr.
Wachter’s beneficial ownership includes 5,714,183 shares held
solely by Dr. Wachter, 4,867 shares of common stock held by the
Eric A. Wachter 1998 Charitable Remainder Unitrust, 930,248 shares
of common stock owned by Dr. Wachter through a retirement plan, and
1,393,277 shares of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock that are
convertible within 60 days into 13,932,770 shares of common
stock. |
|
|
(10) |
Mr.
Bailey’s beneficial ownership includes 145,528 shares of common
stock held as custodian for his children and 41,324 shares of
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock that are convertible within
60 days into 413,240 shares of common stock. |
|
|
(11) |
Includes
2,525,000 shares of common stock subject to options that are
exercisable within 60 days, 1,972,297 shares of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock that are convertible within 60 days
into 19,722,970 shares of common stock, and $200,000 aggregate
principal amount of convertible promissory notes that are
convertible within 60 days into 69,882 shares of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock, which are convertible within 60 days
into 698,820 shares of common stock. |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board
Leadership Structure
Our
Board consists of five members: Webster Bailey, Bruce Horowitz,
John Lacey, III, M.D., Ed Pershing, CPA, and Dominic Rodrigues. Mr.
Pershing serves as non-executive chairman and Mr. Rodrigues serves
as non-executive vice chairman of our Board.
Four
members of our Board, Dr. Lacey and Messrs. Bailey, Pershing, and
Rodrigues, are considered independent under the listing standards
of the NYSE American LLC.
The
Company does not currently have a Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”).
Our Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), Mr. Horowitz, serves as our
principal executive officer. Our entire Board is responsible for
our risk oversight function.
Board
and Committees
Our
Board met one time and acted by unanimous written consent four
times in 2021. Each incumbent director attended all meetings of our
Board and its committees on which he served during 2021. We do not
have a formal policy regarding attendance by Board members at
annual stockholder meetings; however, members of our Board are
encouraged to attend these meetings. All directors attended the
2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders either in person or via
teleconference.
We
have three standing Board committees: the audit committee, the
compensation committee, and the corporate governance and nominating
committee (the “nominating committee”).
Audit
Committee
The
audit committee consists of Dr. Lacey and Messrs. Bailey, Horowitz,
Pershing, and Rodrigues. Dr. Lacey and Messrs. Bailey, Pershing,
and Rodrigues are independent directors under the listing standards
of the NYSE American LLC. Mr. Pershing is the chairman of our
Board’s audit committee. Our Board has determined that Messrs.
Pershing and Rodrigues qualify as “audit committee financial
experts,” as defined under the rules of the SEC. The audit
committee met four times in 2021.
The
audit committee’s responsibilities include:
|
1. |
Hiring
independent registered public accountants to audit our books,
records, and financial statements and to review our systems of
accounting; |
|
|
|
|
2. |
Discussing
with the independent registered public accounting firm the results
of the annual audit and quarterly reviews; |
|
|
|
|
3. |
Conducting
periodic independent reviews of the systems of
accounting; |
|
|
|
|
4. |
Making
reports periodically to our Board with respect to its findings;
and |
|
|
|
|
5. |
Undertaking
other activities described more fully in the section called “Audit
Committee Report.” |
Our
audit committee charter is posted on our website under the
“Investors” subpage at
http://provectusbio.com/media/docs/AuditCommitteeCharter.pdf and is
also available in print to any stockholder or other interested
party who makes such a request of the Company’s Secretary. The
information on our website, however, is not a part of this Proxy
Statement.
Compensation
Committee
The
compensation committee consists of Dr. Lacey and Messrs. Bailey,
Horowitz, Pershing, and Rodrigues. Dr. Lacey and Messrs. Bailey,
Pershing, and Rodrigues are independent directors under the listing
standards of the NYSE American LLC. Mr. Bailey is the chairman of
our Board’s compensation committee. The compensation committee met
one time in 2021.
The
compensation committee’s responsibilities include:
|
1. |
Reviewing
and approving the annual corporate goals and objectives relevant to
each executive officer; at least annually, evaluating each
executive officer’s performance in light of these goals and
objectives; and setting each executive officer’s compensation,
including salary, bonus, and incentive compensation, based on this
evaluation; |
|
2. |
Reviewing
our compensation and benefits plans; |
|
|
|
|
3. |
Reviewing
and recommending to the entire Board the compensation for Board
members; and |
|
|
|
|
4. |
Other
matters that our Board specifically delegates to the compensation
committee from time to time. |
Our
compensation committee charter is posted on our website under the
“Investors” subpage at
http://provectusbio.com/media/docs/CompensationCommitteeCharter.pdf
and is also available in print to any stockholder or other
interested party who makes such a request of the Company’s
Secretary. The information on our website, however, is not a part
of this Proxy Statement.
Nominating
Committee and Director Nominations
Our
nominating committee met one time and acted by unanimous written
consent one time in 2021. The nominating committee consists of Dr.
Lacey and Messrs. Bailey, Horowitz, Pershing, and Rodrigues. Dr.
Lacey and Messrs. Bailey, Pershing, and Rodrigues are independent
directors under the listing standards of the NYSE American LLC. Dr.
Lacey is the chairman of our Board’s nominating committee. Prior to
filing this Proxy Statement, the nominating committee reviewed and
approved the nomination of the persons listed below under
Proposal 1, Election of Directors to serve as members of our
Board for a one-year term expiring at the annual meeting of
stockholders occurring in 2023. The nominating committee also
recommended to our Board that it present all of these Board
nominees for approval at the 2022 Annual Meeting.
Our
Board adopted a written charter for our nominating committee, which
is available to our stockholders and other interested parties on
our website under the “Investors” subpage, at
http://provectusbio.com/media/docs/NominatingCommitteeCharter.pdf,
and is also available in print to any stockholder or other
interested party who makes such a request of the Company’s
Secretary. The information on our website, however, is not a part
of this Proxy Statement.
The
nominating committee’s responsibilities include:
|
1. |
Assisting
our Board to identify and approve the nomination of individuals
qualified to serve as Board members; |
|
|
|
|
2. |
Reviewing
the qualifications and performance of incumbent directors to
determine whether to recommend them as nominees for
re-election; |
|
|
|
|
3. |
Developing
and recommending corporate governance policies for the Company to
our Board; |
|
|
|
|
4. |
Periodically
reviewing the management succession plan of the Company, and
formally recommending to our Board, as needed, successors to
departing executive officers if a vacancy occurs; and |
|
|
|
|
5. |
Evaluating
the performance of our Board. |
Our
nominating committee has no set procedures or policy on the
selection of nominees or evaluation of stockholder recommendations
and will consider these issues on a case-by-case basis. Our
nominating committee will consider stockholder recommendations for
director nominees that are properly received in accordance with our
bylaws and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. Our
nominating committee screens all potential candidates in the same
manner. Our nominating committee’s review typically would be based
on all information provided with respect to the potential
candidate. Our nominating committee has not established specific
minimum qualifications that must be met by a nominee for a position
on our Board or specific qualities and skills for a director. Our
nominating committee may consider the diversity of qualities and
skills of a nominee, but our nominating committee has no formal
policy in this regard. For more information, please see the section
below entitled “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.”
Stockholders
who wish to contact Board members may do so by sending an e-mail
addressed to them at info@provectusbio.com.
COMPENSATION Of Directors and Executive
Officers
Because
we are a smaller reporting company, we are not required to include
a Compensation Discussion and Analysis section in this Proxy
Statement and have elected to comply with the scaled-down executive
compensation disclosure requirements applicable to smaller
reporting companies.
Executive
Employment/Contractor Agreements
On
March 25, 2019, our Board promoted Mrs. Raines to be the Company’s
Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”). She previously served as
Provectus’ Controller since August 1, 2017. In connection with the
promotion, Mrs. Raines received an initial incentive compensation
of 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the
employment agreement (the “Raines Agreement”), the term of her
employment extends automatically for one year unless terminated by
either the Company or Mrs. Raines upon 30 days prior written
notice. Mrs. Raines’s initial base salary is $125,000 per year. In
the event Mrs. Raines’ employment with the Company is terminated by
Mrs. Raines prior to, but not coincident with, a Change in Control
(as defined in the Raines Agreement) or by reason of her death,
disability, or retirement prior to a Change in Control, she will be
entitled to receive (i) her unpaid base salary through the last day
of the month in which the date of termination occurs; (ii) the pro
rata portion of any unpaid incentive or bonus payment which has
been earned prior to the date of termination; (iii) any benefits to
which she may be entitled as a result of such termination (or
death), under the terms and conditions of the pertinent plans or
arrangements in effect at the time of the notice of termination;
and (iv) any expense reimbursements due to Mrs. Raines as of the
date of termination. In the event that coincident with or following
a Change in Control (as defined in the Raines Agreement), Mrs.
Raines’ employment with the Company is terminated or the Raines
Agreement is not extended (A) by action of Mrs. Raines coincident
with or following a Change in Control including her death,
disability or retirement, or (B) by action of the Company not For
Cause (as defined in the Raines Agreement) coincident with or
following a Change in Control, the Company shall pay Mrs. Raines
the compensation and benefits described in the sentence above, as
well as a severance payment equal to 50% of her base salary in the
preceding calendar year, payable over six months.
On
May 8, 2019, our Board promoted Mr. Horowitz to the Company’s COO.
During 2017, the Company entered into an independent contractor
agreement with Mr. Horowitz, as amended, pursuant to which he
served as Chief Operations Consultant of the Company from April 19,
2017 (the “Horowitz Agreement”). The Horowitz Agreement was amended
on May 8, 2019 to provide that Mr. Horowitz continue to be paid
$125 per hour with a maximum 160 hours per month and receive a
health insurance allowance of $1,200 per calendar month.
On
May 17, 2019, our Board retained Eric A. Wachter, Ph.D. as the
Company’s Chief Technology Officer under a new employment agreement
effective as of May 20, 2019 (the “Wachter Agreement”). The Wachter
Agreement provides that Dr. Wachter will be employed for an initial
term of one year, subject to automatic renewal for successive
one-year periods, unless the Company or Dr. Wachter provides notice
of intent not to renew. Dr. Wachter’s initial base salary is
$240,000 per year. Dr. Wachter has the right to continue to
participate in employee benefit plans. In the event Dr. Wachter’s
employment with the Company is terminated by Dr. Wachter prior to,
but not coincident with, a Change in Control (as defined in the
Wachter Agreement) or by reason of his death, disability, or
retirement prior to a Change in Control, he will be entitled to
receive (i) his unpaid base salary through the last day of the
month in which the date of termination occurs; (ii) the pro rata
portion of any unpaid incentive or bonus payment which has been
earned prior to the date of termination; (iii) any benefits to
which he may be entitled as a result of such termination (or
death), under the terms and conditions of the pertinent plans or
arrangements in effect at the time of the notice of termination;
and (iv) any expense reimbursements due to Dr. Wachter as of the
date of termination. In the event that coincident with or following
a Change in Control (as defined in the Wachter Agreement), Dr.
Wachter’s employment with the Company is terminated or the Wachter
Agreement is not extended (A) by action of Dr. Wachter coincident
with or following a Change in Control including his death,
disability or retirement, or (B) by action of the Company not For
Cause (as defined in the Wachter Agreement) coincident with or
following a Change in Control, the Company shall pay Dr. Wachter
the compensation and benefits described in the sentence above, as
well as a severance payment equal to 50% of his base salary in the
preceding calendar year, payable over six months.
Bonus
Awards
No
cash bonuses were earned by or awarded to our named executive
officers in 2021.
Other
Benefits
We
maintain broad-based benefits that are provided to all employees,
including health insurance, life and disability insurance, dental
insurance, and a vacation policy.
Long-Term
Incentives
At
the 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved
the Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. 2014 Equity Compensation
Plan (the “2014 Equity Compensation Plan”), which authorizes our
Board to grant options that qualify as “incentive stock options”
within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (the “Code”), and options that do not qualify as incentive
stock options under the Code (“non-qualified stock options,” and
collectively with incentive stock options, “options”). We are
authorized to grant options under the 2014 Equity Compensation Plan
for up to 20,000,000 shares of our common stock. If any options
granted under the 2014 Equity Compensation Plan are forfeited or
terminated for any reason, the shares of common stock that were
subject to the options will again be available for future
distribution under the 2014 Equity Compensation Plan. In June 2016,
the compensation committee approved an amendment to our 2014 Equity
Compensation Plan to allow for restricted stock awards to
non-employee directors. Our stockholders approved this amendment at
our 2017 annual stockholder meeting.
Under
the terms of our 2014 Equity Compensation Plan, prior to the
occurrence of a change in control (as defined in the 2014 Equity
Compensation Plan), and unless otherwise determined by our Board,
any stock options outstanding on the date such change in control is
determined to have occurred that are not yet exercisable and vested
on such date will become fully exercisable and vested. As of
December 31, 2021, named executive officers had no outstanding
unvested stock options.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION
TABLE
The
table below shows the compensation for services in all capacities
we paid during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 to the
individuals who served as our principal executive officer and our
two other executive officers during 2021 (whom we refer to
collectively as our “named executive officers”):
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year |
|
Salary |
|
|
Stock
Awards |
|
|
Options
Awards |
|
|
All Other
Compensation |
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eric Wachter, Ph.D., |
|
2021 |
|
$ |
160,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
10,804 |
(1) |
|
$ |
170,804 |
|
Chief Technology Officer |
|
2020 |
|
$ |
220,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
10,861 |
(1) |
|
$ |
230,861 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heather Raines, CPA, |
|
2021 |
|
$ |
83,333 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
83,333 |
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
2020 |
|
$ |
115,497 |
|
|
$ |
3,250 |
(2) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
$ |
118,747 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bruce Horowitz, |
|
2021 |
|
$ |
169,600 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
75,000 |
(4) |
|
$ |
244,600 |
|
Chief Operating Officer |
|
2020 |
|
$ |
254,400 |
|
|
$ |
52,000 |
(2) |
|
|
62,800
|
(3) |
|
$ |
75,000 |
(4) |
|
$ |
444,200 |
|
(1) |
Comprised
of health/vision, life, short term disability, and long-term
disability insurance premiums. |
|
|
(2) |
Comprised
of restricted common stock awards. |
|
|
(3) |
Comprised
of options awards.
|
(4) |
Comprised
of accrued but not paid directors fees. |
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT 2021
FISCAL YEAR-END
The
following table shows the number of equity awards outstanding as of
December 31, 2021 for our named executive officers. All the options
were exercisable as of December 31, 2021.
|
|
Option Awards |
|
Name |
|
Number of Shares
of Common Stock Underlying Unexercised Options Exercisable (#) |
|
|
Option
Exercise Price
($)
|
|
|
Option Expiration
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bruce Horowitz |
|
|
2,425,000 |
|
|
$ |
0.12 |
|
|
11/10/2025 |
Chief Operations Officer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN
INFORMATION
The
following table summarizes share and exercise price information
about our equity compensation plans as of December 31,
2021:
Plan category |
|
Number of securities to be
issued upon exercise of outstanding
options, warrants and rights |
|
|
Weighted-average
exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights |
|
|
Number
of securities
remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation
plans (1) |
|
Equity compensation plans
approved by security holders |
|
|
3,625,000 |
|
|
$ |
0.32 |
|
|
|
16,487,500 |
|
Equity compensation plans not approved
by security holders |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
|
3,625,000 |
|
|
$ |
0.32 |
|
|
|
16,487,500 |
|
(1) |
This
amount represents shares of common stock available for issuance
under the 2014 Equity Compensation Plan as of December 31, 2021.
Awards available for grant under the 2014 Equity Compensation Plan
include stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock,
long-term performance awards and other forms of equity
awards. |
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
Each
non-employee director receives an annual retainer of $40,000 as
compensation for service as a member of the Board. Non-employee
directors serving as members of our audit committee receive $15,000
per year; the audit committee chairperson receives $15,000 per
year. Non-employee directors serving as members of our corporate
governance and nominating committee receive $10,000 per year; the
corporate governance and nominating committee chairperson receives
$15,000 per year. Non-employee directors serving as members of our
compensation committee will receive $10,000 per year; the
compensation committee chairperson receives $15,000 per
year.
Director
Compensation Table for 2021
Name |
|
Fees Earned or Paid in Cash |
|
|
Stock Awards |
|
|
Option Awards Compensation |
|
|
All Other Compensation |
|
|
Total |
|
Webster Bailey |
|
$ |
80,000 |
(1) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
80,000 |
|
John Lacey, III, MD |
|
$ |
80,000 |
(1) |
|
|
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
80,000 |
|
Ed Pershing, CPA |
|
$ |
75,000 |
(1) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
75,000 |
|
Dominic Rodrigues |
|
$ |
75,000 |
(1) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
75,000 |
|
(1) |
Dr.
Lacey and Messrs. Bailey, Pershing, and Rodrigues accrued their
director fees in 2021. |
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED
TRANSACTIONS
Policies
and Procedures for Related Person Transactions
We
have adopted a written related person transactions policy, pursuant
to which our executive officers, directors, and principal
stockholders, including their immediate family members, are not
permitted to enter into a related person transaction with the
Company without the consent of our audit committee. Any request for
us to enter into a transaction with an executive officer, director,
principal stockholder, or any of such persons’ immediate family
members, other than transactions available to all employees
generally or involving less than $10,000 when aggregated with
similar transactions, must be presented to our audit committee for
review, consideration, and approval, unless the transaction
involves an employment or other compensatory arrangement approved
by the compensation committee. All of our directors, executive
officers, and employees are required to report to our audit
committee any such related person transaction. In approving or
rejecting the proposed agreement, our audit committee will
consider, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether the
proposed related person transaction is on terms no less favorable
than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under
the same or similar circumstances, the extent of the person’s
interest in the transaction, and, if applicable, the impact on a
director’s independence. After consideration of these and other
factors, the audit committee may approve or reject the transaction.
Consistent with the policy, if we should discover related person
transactions that have not been approved, the audit committee will
be notified and will determine the appropriate action, including
ratification, rescission, or amendment of such
transaction.
Related
Party Transactions
2017
Financing
On
March 23, 2017, the Company entered into an exclusive Definitive
Financing Commitment Term Sheet with a group of the Company’s
stockholders (the “PRH Group”), which was amended and restated
effective as of March 19, 2017 (the “2017 Term Sheet”), that set
forth the terms on which the PRH Group would use their best efforts
to arrange for a financing of a minimum of $10,000,000 and maximum
of $20,000,000 (the “2017 Financing”). The 2017 Financing was in
the form of a secured convertible loan (the “1st Loan”)
from the PRH Group and other investors in the 2017 Financing (the
“1st Loan Investors”). The Loan was evidenced by secured
convertible promissory notes (individually a “2017 Note” and
collectively, the “2017 Notes”) from the Company to the PRH Group
and 1st Loan Investors. The 2017 Notes bear interest at
the rate of 8% per annum. The 2017 Financing was completed on
December 20, 2019.
2020
Financing
On
December 31, 2019, the Board approved a Definitive Financing Term
Sheet (the “2020 Term Sheet”), which set forth the terms under
which the Company would use its best efforts to arrange for
financing of a maximum of $20,000,000 (the “2020 Financing”). The
2020 Financing was in the form of a secured convertible loan (the
“2nd Loan”) from the Investors (the “2nd Loan
Investors”) that was evidenced by convertible promissory notes
(individually, a “2020 Note” and collectively, the “2020 Notes”)
subordinate to the 2017 Notes in right of payment and security
interests granted to holders of the 2017 Notes. The 2020 Notes bore
interest at the rate of 8% per annum.
The
Series D and D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
On
June 20, 2021, the related party Amended 2017 Notes plus accrued
interest and outstanding 2020 Notes plus accrued interest converted
into 1,972,297 shares of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock at
the New Conversion Price of $2.862.
The
table below summarizes the 2017 and 2020 Notes issued to related
parties and conversion to Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock:
Holder |
|
Principal &
Interest |
|
|
Conversion
Date
|
|
Series D-1
Preferred
Stock
|
|
Eric Wachter |
|
$ |
673,222 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
235,228 |
|
|
|
$ |
670,111 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
234,141 |
|
|
|
$ |
2,008,000 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
701,608 |
|
|
|
$ |
636,222 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
222,300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heather Raines |
|
$ |
29,872 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
10,438 |
|
|
|
$ |
28,194 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
9,852 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ed Pershing |
|
$ |
251,111 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
87,740 |
|
|
|
$ |
246,578 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
86,156 |
|
|
|
$ |
245,422 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
85,752 |
|
|
|
$ |
121,333 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
42,395 |
|
|
|
$ |
90,867 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
31,750 |
|
|
|
$ |
90,800 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
31,727 |
|
|
|
$ |
60,278 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
21,062 |
|
|
|
$ |
60,178 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
21,027 |
|
|
|
$ |
60,067 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
20,988 |
|
|
|
$ |
144,053 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
50,334 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Webster Bailey |
|
$ |
118,267 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
41,324 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bruce Horowitz |
|
$ |
110,111 |
|
|
06-20-2021 |
|
|
38,474 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Related
Parties |
|
$ |
5,644,686 |
|
|
|
|
|
1,972,297 |
|
2021
Financing
On
August 13, 2021, the Board approved a Financing Term Sheet (the
“2021 Term Sheet”), which sets forth the terms under which the
Company will use its best efforts to arrange for financing of a
maximum of $5,000,000 (the “2021 Financing”). The 2021 Financing
will be in the form of unsecured convertible loans from investors
and evidenced by convertible promissory notes (individually, a
“2021 Note” and collectively, the “2021 Notes”). The 2021 Notes
bear interest at the rate of 8% per annum.
The
table below summarizes the 2021 Notes issued to related
parties:
Holder |
|
Face
Amount
|
|
|
Note
Date |
Heather Raines |
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
08-16-2021 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Related
Parties |
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
|
For
further details on the terms and conversions of the 2017 and 2020
Financings and the terms of the 2021 Financing, please refer to our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as
filed with the SEC on March 29, 2022.
Consulting
Fees
The
Company paid Bruce Horowitz (Capital Strategists), one of our
directors and our COO, under an independent contractor agreement,
fees of $169,600 and $254,400 for services rendered during the
years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Other
than as set forth above, we had no transactions since January 1,
2020 that would be required to be disclosed under Item 404(a) of
Regulation S-K, and no such transactions are currently proposed for
2022.
PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
Director
Nominees
The
persons listed below have been nominated by our Board to serve as
directors for a one-year term expiring at the annual meeting of
stockholders occurring in 2023. Each nominee has consented to serve
on our Board. If any nominee were to become unavailable to serve as
a director, our Board may designate a substitute nominee. In that
case, the persons named as proxies on the accompanying proxy card
will vote for the substitute nominee designated by our Board.
Holders of shares of outstanding common stock, Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock will
vote together as a single class to elect the board of
directors.
Webster
Bailey, 45, currently
serves as the Executive Director of Cornerstone of Recovery
(“Cornerstone”), an East Tennessee substance abuse rehabilitation
center. From 2007-2021, he directed all of Cornerstone’s marketing,
business development, and outreach efforts as Executive Director of
Marketing and Business Development. In October 2021, after
Cornerstone was acquired by Bradford Health Services, he was asked
to serve as the Executive Director. Mr. Bailey also serves on
Cornerstone’s Continuous Quality Improvement and Executive
Committees. He is involved in several East Tennessee substance
abuse prevention and recovery-related initiatives, including having
served multiple terms as President of the boards of directors of
the Metro Drug Coalition and the Blount County Recovery Court
Foundation. For these and other community leadership efforts, Mr.
Bailey received the Community Service Award from the Tennessee
Licensed Professional Counselors Association (2013), the Recovery
Services Award from the Metropolitan Drug Commission (2014), and
the Prevention Champion Award from the Blount County Community
Health Initiative (2015) and was named Professional of the Year by
the East Tennessee Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Counselors (2016). He received a Bachelor’s Degree in
Communications and Public Relations from the University of
Tennessee. Mr. Bailey also serves on the board of directors for
Clover Fork Coal Company.
Bruce
Horowitz, 65, has served as a member of our Board since 2017
and Provectus’ COO since 2019; he previously served as the
Company’s Chief Operations Consultant from 2017 to 2019. Mr.
Horowitz has served as the Managing Director of Capital
Strategists, LLC, which provides corporate, strategic, and
financial consulting services, since 2006. He also serves as a
trusted advisor to family trusts and private individuals, with a
focus on financial asset management, real estate management and
special situation investments. He has also served as the Managing
Member of Plata LLC since 2017. Earlier in his career Mr. Horowitz
was a charter member of the New York Futures Exchange, was a Senior
Vice President managing principal equity investment accounts,
private equity investments and public offerings at Drake Capital
Securities, and managed the trading department at the Los Angeles
office of Laidlaw Equities. He was also a partner at Stanley
Capital, a private equity buyout firm. Mr. Horowitz was the
chairman and a member of two general obligation bond fund
committees, raising more than $500 million in general revenue bonds
for the Beverly Hills Unified School District. Subsequently, he was
named the first chairman of both the state of California-mandated
Citizens’ Oversight Committee and Facilities Advisory Committee,
overseeing expenditure of all BHUSD general obligation bond funds.
Mr. Horowitz is a founding member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the
Positive Coaching Alliance. He founded and is currently the
president of the Beverly Hills Basketball League, a youth
basketball program that serves more than 35,000 families. Mr.
Horowitz has also served as a member of the board of directors of
the American Youth Soccer Organization and Beverly Hills Little
League. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo
School of Law in New York City and Bachelor of Arts degree from
Washington University in St. Louis.
John
Lacey, III, M.D., 74, has served as a member of our Board since
2018. Dr. Lacey is the former Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice
President of University Health System d/b/a University of Tennessee
Medical Center (“UTMC”), a 600+ bed academic medical center based
in Knoxville since 1999. Dr. Lacey served continuously in this
capacity from 1999 until retirement from UTMC in 2016. He also
operated an internal medicine practice for 39 years. Dr. Lacey
graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s degree
in Nuclear Engineering and the University of Tennessee Medical
School (Memphis) with a Doctor of Medicine degree. Dr. Lacey helped
create Knoxville Area Project Access, a partnership with the
Knoxville Academy of Medicine and providers to give primary and
specialty health services to the uninsured and medically
underserved and was the inaugural chairman of the Governor’s Health
and Wellness Task Force, which focused on improving Tennessee’s
national health ranking. Dr. Lacey has been recognized by several
entities for contributions to population health.
Ed
Pershing, CPA, 69, has served as non-executive Chairman of our
Board since 2018. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Pershing
Yoakley & Associates (“PYA”), until November 2019 when he
retired. PYA is a top 20 healthcare consulting and top 100
accounting firm in the U.S. PYA, which he co-founded more than 30
years ago, expanded from a three-employee office to more than 270
employees and five affiliate companies serving more than 3,500
clients in 50 states. Mr. Pershing’s healthcare experience and
expertise include turnaround/performance improvement initiatives,
long-range planning studies, development of numerous hospital and
medical office projects, restructuring of healthcare organizations,
liaison between boards of directors and management teams to craft
corporate visions and strategies, mergers, acquisitions,
divestitures, and leasing arrangements. He has served as an expert
witness on healthcare industry matters and in several Certificate
of Need appeals. Mr. Pershing also has represented healthcare
organizations before regulatory agencies such as the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services, Internal Revenue Service, and
Departments of Mental Health, Insurance, and Medicaid. He graduated
from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in
Accounting and was one of 18 professionals from the U.S. and Great
Britain to participate in the first Ernst & Ernst Accelerated
Healthcare Program, a one-year full-time education and work-study
program in healthcare industry matters. Mr. Pershing is a Certified
Public Accountant (“CPA”).
Dominic
Rodrigues, 53, has served as a member of our Board since 2017
and its non-executive Vice Chairman since 2018; he served as
non-executive Chairman of our Board from 2017 to 2018. Mr.
Rodrigues previously served as President of Rhisk Capital,
providing management consulting, corporate development, and
portfolio management services. Project industries and technologies
included aerospace & defense (a technology-focused, private
equity-styled investment pool; corporate development and
operational roles at a related data communications company),
financial services (a capital markets-focused, technology start-up
company; a start-up private wealth office), healthcare, life
sciences, and nanotechnology (a venture capital-styled investment).
Mr. Rodrigues also previously served as an Adjunct Professor of
Finance at the Lee Business School of the University of Nevada, Las
Vegas. His business development, corporate development, finance,
and leadership experiences at various companies include SAIC
Venture Capital Corporation (“SAIC VCC”), the multi-billion-dollar
subsidiary of research and engineering company SAIC, where he was
an observer or member of the board of directors of a number of SAIC
VCC portfolio companies. Mr. Rodrigues holds business, economics,
and engineering degrees from The Wharton School, the London School
of Economics, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the
University of Toronto.
Experience,
Qualifications, Attributes and Skills of Our Director
Nominees
Set
forth below are the specific experience, qualifications,
attributes, and skills of our directors that led to the conclusion
that each director should serve as a member of our
Board.
Webster
Bailey brings extensive and diverse board of directors,
business development, strategic planning, and leadership experience
to our Board and company management from his prior and ongoing
work, non-profit volunteerism, and educational
background.
Bruce
Horowitz brings extensive and diverse board of directors,
business development, corporate development, strategic planning,
capital formation, and leadership experience to our Board and
company management from his prior and ongoing work, non-profit
volunteerism, and educational background.
John
Lacey, III, M.D. brings extensive and diverse board of
directors, medical, strategic planning, and leadership experience
to our Board and company management from his prior work, non-profit
volunteerism, and educational background.
Ed
Pershing, CPA brings extensive and diverse board of directors,
business development, corporate development, strategic planning,
accounting, healthcare industry, and leadership experience to our
Board and company management from his prior and ongoing work,
non-profit volunteerism, and educational background.
Dominic
Rodrigues brings extensive and diverse board of directors and
board committee, business development, corporate development,
finance, and leadership experience to our Board and company
management from his prior and ongoing work and
non-profit/professional volunteerism, and educational
background.
OUR
BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” EACH OF
THE NOMINEES FOR ELECTION TO OUR BOARD NAMED ABOVE. Each proxy
solicited on behalf of our Board will be voted FOR each of
the nominees for election to our Board unless the stockholder
instructs otherwise in the proxy.
PROPOSAL 2
ADVISORY
VOTE TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS
As
required pursuant to Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act, we
are submitting for stockholder advisory vote a resolution to
approve the compensation paid to our named executive officers, as
disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the
SEC.
Accordingly,
the following resolution will be submitted for stockholder approval
at the Annual Meeting:
“RESOLVED,
that the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive
officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to the
compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, is hereby APPROVED.”
The
advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers
is non-binding. The approval or disapproval of the resolution
approving our executive compensation by our stockholders will not
require our Board to take any action regarding our executive
compensation practices. The final decision on the compensation and
benefits of our named executive officers and whether, and if so,
how, to address stockholder disapproval remains with our
Board.
Our
Board believes that it is in the best position to consider the
extensive information and factors necessary to make independent,
objective, and competitive compensation recommendations and
decisions that are in our best interest and the best interest of
our stockholders.
Our
Board values the opinions of our stockholders as expressed through
their votes and other communications. Although the resolution is
non-binding, our Board will carefully consider the outcome of the
advisory vote to approve the compensation of our named executive
officers and those opinions when making future compensation
decisions.
The
next advisory vote on the compensation of our executive officers
will occur at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
OUR
BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL
OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS. Each proxy
solicited on behalf of our Board will be voted FOR the
approval of the compensation of our named executive officers unless
the stockholder instructs otherwise in the proxy.
PROPOSAL 3
RATIFICATION
OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
General
Each
of our audit committee and Board has unanimously selected Marcum
LLP (“Marcum”) as the independent registered public accounting firm
to perform the audit of our consolidated financial statements for
2022. Marcum is an independent registered public accounting
firm.
Our
Board is asking our stockholders to ratify the selection of Marcum
as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2022.
Although not required by law or our bylaws, our Board is submitting
the selection of Marcum to our stockholders for ratification as a
matter of good corporate practice. Even if the selection is
ratified, our Board, in its discretion, may select a different
registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if it
determines that such a change would be in the best interests of us
and our stockholders.
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm
The
Company has engaged Marcum as its independent registered public
accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. The
decision to engage Marcum as the Company’s independent registered
public accounting firm was unanimously approved by the Company’s
audit committee and Board.
Representatives
of Marcum are expected to be present at the 2022 Annual Meeting
telephonically. They will have an opportunity to make a statement
if they desire and will be available to respond to appropriate
questions from our stockholders.
OUR
BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE
RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF MARCUM AS OUR INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR 2022. Each proxy
solicited on behalf of our Board will be voted FOR the
ratification of the selection of Marcum as our independent
registered public accounting firm for 2022 unless the stockholder
instructs otherwise in the proxy. If our stockholders do not ratify
the selection, the matter will be reconsidered by our
Board.
Audit
and Non-Audit Services
Our
audit committee is directly responsible for the appointment,
compensation, and oversight of our independent registered public
accounting firm. It is the policy of our audit committee to
pre-approve all audit and non-audit services provided by our
independent registered public accountants. Our audit committee has
considered whether the provision by Marcum of services of the
varieties described below was compatible with maintaining the
independence of Marcum. Our audit committee believes the provision
of such services to us did not jeopardize the independence of
Marcum as the Company’s independent registered public accounting
firm.
The
table below sets forth the aggregate fees we paid to Marcum for
audit and non-audit services provided to us in 2021 and
2020:
Fees |
|
2021 |
|
|
2020 |
|
Audit Fees |
|
$ |
156,045 |
|
|
$ |
141,065 |
|
Audit-Related Fees |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Tax Fees |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
All Other Fees |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
$ |
156,045 |
|
|
$ |
141,065 |
|
In
the above table, in accordance with the SEC’s definitions and
rules, “audit fees” are fees for professional services for the
audit of a company’s financial statements included in the annual
report on Form 10-K, for the review of a company’s financial
statements included in the quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and for
services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection
with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements;
“audit-related fees” are fees for assurance and related services
that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or
review of a company’s financial statements; “tax fees” are fees for
tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning; and “all other fees”
are fees for any services not included in the first three
categories.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
REPORT
Our
audit committee has the responsibilities and powers set forth in
its charter, which include the responsibility to assist our Board
in its oversight of our accounting and financial reporting
principles and policies and internal audit controls and procedures,
the integrity of our financial statements, our compliance with
legal and regulatory requirements, the independent registered
public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, and the
performance of the independent registered public accounting firm
and our internal audit function. The audit committee is also
required to prepare this report to be included in our annual Proxy
Statement pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC.
Management
is responsible for the preparation, presentation, and integrity of
our financial statements and for maintaining appropriate accounting
and financial reporting principles and policies and internal
controls and procedures to provide for compliance with accounting
standards and applicable laws and regulations. The internal auditor
is responsible for testing such internal controls and procedures.
Our independent registered public accounting firm is responsible
for planning and carrying out a proper audit of our annual
financial statements, reviews of our quarterly financial statements
prior to the filing of each quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and
other procedures.
The
audit committee reviews our financial reporting process. In this
context, the audit committee:
|
● |
Reviewed
and discussed with management the audited financial statements for
the year ended December 31, 2021; |
|
|
|
|
● |
Discussed
with Marcum, our independent registered public accountants, the
matters required to be discussed under the rules adopted by the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”);
and |
|
|
|
|
● |
Received
the written disclosures and the letter from Marcum required by the
PCAOB and has discussed with Marcum the independent accountant’s
independence. |
Based
on this review and the discussions referred to above, the audit
committee recommended that our Board include the audited financial
statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2021, for filing with the SEC.
This
report is submitted on behalf of the members of the audit
committee, who are named below, and shall not be deemed “soliciting
material” or to be “filed” with the SEC, nor shall it be
incorporated by any general statement incorporating by reference
this Proxy Statement into any filing under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate this
information by reference and shall not otherwise be deemed filed
under these Acts.
Webster
Bailey
Bruce
Horowitz
John
Lacey, III, M.D.
Ed
Pershing, CPA
Dominic
Rodrigues
PROPOSAL 4
To authorize our Board to
amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by the
Certificates of Designation, to effect a reverse stock split of our
common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock at a ratio of between 1-for-10 and
1-for-50, where the ratio would be determined by our Board at its
discretion, and to make corresponding amendments to the
Certificates of Designation to provide for the proportional
adjustment of certain terms upon a reverse stock
split
Background
We are seeking stockholder approval for a proposal to adopt an
amendment to our certificate of incorporation to permit us to
effect a reverse stock split of all of our issued and outstanding
capital stock, which consists of our issued and outstanding common
stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock, by a ratio within a range of 1-for-10
and 1-for-50 (the “Reverse Stock Split”). If approved by the
stockholders, the proposal will authorize our Board, at its sole
discretion, to effectuate the Reverse Stock Split at any time prior
to December 31, 2022. The form of the amendment to our certificate
of incorporation (including amendments to the Certificates of
Designation) to effect the Reverse Stock Split is set forth on
Appendix A below. Approval of the proposal would permit (but not
require) the Board to effect the Reverse Stock Split by a ratio of
not less than 1-for-10 and not more than 1-for-50, with the exact
ratio to be determined by the Board at its sole discretion. The
exact ratio of the Reverse Stock Split would be determined by the
Board and publicly announced by the Company prior to the effective
time of the split. We believe that enabling the Board to set the
ratio of the Reverse Stock Split within the stated range will
provide us with the flexibility to implement the Reverse Stock
Split in a manner designed to maximize the anticipated benefits for
our stockholders. If the Board implements the Reverse Stock Split,
the Certificates of Designation will also be amended to provide for
the proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a Reverse Stock
Split, as set forth on Appendix A below.
Reasons
for the Proposed Reverse Stock Split
Marketability of our Common Stock
The Company’s common stock currently trades in the over-the-counter
market on the National Association of Securities Dealers’ OTC
Bulletin Board (the “OTCBB”) because it does not meet the listing
requirements of the national securities exchanges. Our Board
recommends the Reverse Stock Split, in part, because our Board
believes that we can improve the marketability and liquidity of our
common stock if the share price of the common stock is increased to
a range of $1.00 to $3.00 per share. The increased stock price that
may result from the Reverse Stock Split may make our common stock
more attractive to a broader range of investors, such as
institutional investors, professional investors, and other members
of the investing public. Many brokerage houses and institutional
investors have internal policies and practices that either prohibit
them from investing in low-priced stocks or tend to discourage
individual brokers from recommending low-priced stocks to their
clients.
Material
Effects of the Proposed Reverse Stock Split
Upon the effectiveness of the amendment to our Certificate of
Incorporation, including the Certificates of Designation (the
“Effective Time”), as amended and attached hereto as Appendix
A, effecting the Reverse Stock Split, the outstanding shares of
our common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series
D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock will be reduced in accordance with
the exchange ratio selected by the Board and combined into a lesser
number of shares such that one share of our common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock will be issued for a specified number of shares, which number
shall be equal to or greater than 10 and equal to or less than 50,
of currently outstanding shares of our common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock, respectively, with the exact number within such range to be
determined by our Board prior to the effective time of such
amendment. If the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the same
ratio will be applied to each of the common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock. If the Board implements the Reverse Stock Split, the
Certificates of Designation will also be amended to provide for the
proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a Reverse Stock
Split. Specifically, the provision governing adjustments for stock
splits and combinations in the Certificates of Designation will be
amended to clarify that the number of shares of common stock into
which each share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series
D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible will be
proportionately adjusted upon a stock split of common stock (if
there is not a corresponding stock split of Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock,
respectively). The Certificates of Designation will also be amended
to provide for an appropriate adjustment to the “Original Issue
Price” upon a stock split of the Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock and to clarify the
information in the report that will be available to holders of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock following a stock split. The purpose of these
amendments is to ensure that the relative economic rights of each
of the common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock remain the same following a
stock split. The following discussion is qualified in its entirety
by the full text of the amendment to our Certificate of
Incorporation, including the Certificates of Designation, which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
If the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the par value of our
common stock and preferred stock would not change. In addition, the
aggregate liquidation preferences, voting rights and other rights
and privileges of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock would not change as a result
of the Reverse Stock Split, other than customary proportional
adjustments to the “Original Issue Price” as set forth in the
amendments to the Certificates of Designation described above to
ensure that the relative economic rights of the Series D Preferred
Stock and Series D-1 Preferred Stock remain the same following the
Reverse Stock Split. The number of shares of common stock into
which each share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series
D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible will not change as
a result of the Reverse Stock Split, because the Company would be
combining the shares of common stock at the same ratio in which it
is combining shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, respectively. Therefore, if
the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock will remain convertible at the option of the
holders thereof into shares of common stock based on a one-for-one
conversion ratio, and the Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
will remain convertible at the option of the holders thereof into
shares of common stock based on a one-for-10 conversion ratio.
Similarly, if the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, each share of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock will still carry the right to
one vote per share, and each share of Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock will carry the right to 10 votes per share. In
connection with the Reverse Stock Split, any fractional shares that
would otherwise be issued as a result of the Reverse Stock Split
will be rounded up to the nearest whole share. Even if stockholder
approval of the Reverse Stock Split is obtained, our Board may
decide not to effect the Reverse Stock Split at its sole discretion
if it determines that the Reverse Stock Split is no longer in the
best interests of the Company and its stockholders.
The Reverse Stock Split will affect all holders of our common
stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock uniformly and will not affect any
stockholder’s percentage ownership interest in the Company (subject
to the treatment of fractional shares). In addition, the Reverse
Stock Split will not affect any holder of common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock’s proportionate voting power (subject to the treatment of
fractional shares). The common stock, Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock issued
pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split will remain fully paid and
non-assessable.
Based on our shares of common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock outstanding as of
April 18, 2022, the principal effects of the Reverse Stock Split
will be that the number of shares of our common stock issued and
outstanding will be reduced from 528,666,466 shares to a range of
52,866,647 shares (if a 1-for-10 ratio is chosen) to 10,573,329
shares (if a 1-for-50 ratio is chosen), the number of shares of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding will be
reduced from 12,373,247 shares to a range of 1,237,325 shares (if a
1-for-10 ratio is chosen) to 247,465 shares (if a 1-for-50 ratio is
chosen), and the number of shares of Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock issued and outstanding will be reduced from
9,270,860 shares to a range of 927,086 shares (if a 1-for-10 ratio
is chosen) to 185,417 shares (if a 1-for-50 ratio is chosen),
depending on the exact exchange ratio chosen by our Board of
Directors and without giving effect to any rounding up of
fractional shares.
The table below sets forth, as of April 18, 2022 and for
illustrative purposes only, certain effects of the potential ratios
of between 1-for-10 and 1-for- 50, inclusive, including our total
outstanding common stock equivalents (without giving effect to the
treatment of fractional shares).
|
|
Common Stock
and
Equivalents Outstanding Prior to Reverse Stock Split
|
|
|
Common Stock and
Equivalents
Outstanding
Assuming Certain Reverse Stock Split Ratios
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Percent of
Total |
|
|
1-for-10 |
|
|
1-for-25 |
|
|
1-for-50 |
|
Common stock
outstanding |
|
|
419,447,119 |
|
|
|
96.21 |
% |
|
|
41,944,712 |
|
|
|
16,777,885 |
|
|
|
8,388,942 |
|
Common Stock underlying options |
|
|
3,625,000 |
|
|
|
0.83 |
% |
|
|
362,500 |
|
|
|
145,000 |
|
|
|
72,500 |
|
Common stock underlying warrants |
|
|
512,500 |
|
|
|
0.12 |
% |
|
|
51,250 |
|
|
|
20,500 |
|
|
|
10,250 |
|
Common stock upon conversion of PRH
notes to Series D Convertible Preferred Stock |
|
|
12,373,247 |
|
|
|
2.84 |
% |
|
|
1,237,325 |
|
|
|
494,930 |
|
|
|
247,465 |
|
Common stock upon conversion of PRH
notes to Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock |
|
|
92,708,600 |
|
|
|
21.27 |
% |
|
|
9,270,860 |
|
|
|
3,708,344 |
|
|
|
1,854,172 |
|
Total common stock and
equivalents |
|
|
435,957,866 |
|
|
|
100.00 |
% |
|
|
43,595,787 |
|
|
|
17,438,315 |
|
|
|
8,719,157 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common stock available (shortfall) for
future issuances |
|
|
564,042,134 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
56,404,213 |
|
|
|
22,561,685 |
|
|
|
11,280,843 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shares of common stock
authorized for issuance |
|
|
1,000,000,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
100,000,000 |
|
|
|
40,000,000 |
|
|
|
20,000,000 |
|
The table below sets forth, as of April 18, 2022 and for
illustrative purposes only, certain effects of the potential ratios
of between 1-for-10 and 1-for- 50, inclusive, including our total
outstanding Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock (without giving effect to the treatment
of fractional shares).
|
|
Preferred Stock
Outstanding
Prior to Reverse Stock Split
|
|
|
Preferred Stock
Outstanding
Assuming Certain Reverse Stock Split Ratios
|
|
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Percent of
Total |
|
|
1-for-10 |
|
|
1-for-25 |
|
|
1-for-50 |
|
Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock |
|
|
12,373,247 |
|
|
|
57.17 |
% |
|
|
1,237,325 |
|
|
|
494,930 |
|
|
|
247,465 |
|
Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock |
|
|
9,270,860 |
|
|
|
42.83 |
% |
|
|
927,086 |
|
|
|
370,834 |
|
|
|
185,417 |
|
Total preferred stock |
|
|
21,644,107 |
|
|
|
100.00 |
% |
|
|
2,164,411 |
|
|
|
865,764 |
|
|
|
432,882 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock available (shortfall)
for future issuances |
|
|
3,355,893 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
335,589 |
|
|
|
134,236 |
|
|
|
67,118 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total shares of Preferred stock
authorized for issuance |
|
|
25,000,000 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
2,500,000 |
|
|
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
In determining which ratio to implement, if any, following receipt
of stockholder approval, our Board may consider, among other
things, various factors such as:
|
● |
the
historical and projected performance of our trading price and
trading volume of our common stock; |
|
|
|
|
● |
the
then-prevailing trading price and trading volume of our common
stock and the expected impact of the Reverse Stock Split on the
trading market for our common stock; |
|
|
|
|
● |
our
capitalization (including the number of shares of our common stock
and preferred stock issued and outstanding) |
|
|
|
|
● |
which
ratio would result in the least administrative cost to
us; |
|
|
|
|
● |
potential
devaluation of our market capitalization as a result of a reverse
stock split; and |
|
|
|
|
● |
prevailing
general capital markets and economic conditions. |
If the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the same ratio will be
applied to each of the common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. The principal
effects of the Reverse Stock Split will be as follows:
|
● |
each
10 to 50 shares of common stock, inclusive, as determined in the
sole discretion of our Board, will be combined into one new share
of common stock, with any fractional shares that would otherwise be
issuable as a result of the split being rounded up to the nearest
whole share; |
|
|
|
|
● |
each
10 to 50 shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, inclusive,
as determined in the sole discretion of our Board, will be combined
into one new share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, with
any fractional shares that would otherwise be issuable as a result
of the split being rounded up to the nearest whole
share; |
|
● |
each
10 to 50 shares of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock,
inclusive, as determined in the sole discretion of our Board, will
be combined into one new share of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock, with any fractional shares that would otherwise be issuable
as a result of the split being rounded up to the nearest whole
share; |
|
|
|
|
● |
the
number of shares of common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock issued and
outstanding will be reduced accordingly, as illustrated in the
table above; |
|
|
|
|
● |
proportionate
adjustments will be made to the number of shares of common stock
issuable upon exercise of options and warrants, which will result
in approximately the same aggregate price being required to be paid
for such securities upon exercise as had been payable immediately
preceding the Reverse Stock Split; |
|
|
|
|
● |
proportionate
adjustments will be made to the Original Issue Price in the
Certificates of Designation to ensure the aggregate liquidation
preference of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series
D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock remain the same following a Reverse
Stock Split; |
|
|
|
|
● |
proportionate
adjustments will be made to the Conversion Price in the 2021 Notes
to ensure the relative economic rights of the 2021 Notes remain the
same following a Reverse Stock Split; |
|
|
|
|
● |
the
number of shares reserved for issuance or under the securities
described immediately above will be reduced proportionately;
and |
|
|
|
|
● |
we
will have available shares of common stock and preferred stock to
conduct future equity financings. |
Reservation
of Right to Delay the Filing of or Not Effect the Reverse Stock
Split
If stockholder approval is obtained to effect the Reserve Stock
Split, the Board expects to select an appropriate ratio and will
implement the Reverse Stock Split on or before December 31, 2022.
Our Board reserves the authority to decide at its sole discretion,
however, to delay or not effect at all the Reverse Stock Split
after such vote and before the effectiveness of the Reverse Stock
Split if it determines that the Reverse Stock Split is no longer in
the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. If our
stockholders approve this proposal, and the Board subsequently
elects to effect the Reverse Stock Split, we will file an amendment
to our certificate of incorporation (including amendments to the
Certificates of Designation) with the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware and they will become effective upon filing or
such later time as is set forth therein.
Fractional
Shares
Our stockholders will not receive fractional post-Reverse Stock
Split shares in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Instead,
any fractional shares that would otherwise be issuable as a result
of the Reverse Stock Split will be rounded up to the nearest whole
share. No stockholders will receive cash in lieu of fractional
shares.
No
Going Private Transaction
The Reverse Stock Split is not intended as, and will not have the
effect of, a “going private transaction” covered by Rule 13e-3
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange Act”). Following the Reverse Stock Split, we will
continue to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of
the Exchange Act.
Amendment
Effective Time
The effective date of the Reverse Stock Split will be the date on
which the certificate of amendment to our certificate of
incorporation (including the amendments to the Certificates of
Designation) to effect the amendments contemplated by this proposal
are accepted and recorded by the Delaware Secretary of State
(subject to any specific future time of effectiveness stated
therein) in accordance with Section 103 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law (the “DGCL”). The exact timing of the filing of the
amendments will be determined by the Board based on its assessments
of the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. Except
as explained herein with respect to fractional shares, on the
effective date of the amendments to effect the Reverse Stock Split,
shares of the common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock,
and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding
will be combined and converted, without any action on the part of
the stockholders, into one share of our common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock, respectively, in accordance with the ratio of between
1-for-10 and 1-for-50.
After the Effective Time, our common stock will have a new
committee on uniform securities identification procedures (“CUSIP”)
number, which is a number used to identify our equity securities,
and stock certificates with the older CUSIP numbers will need to be
exchanged for stock certificates with the new CUSIP numbers by
following the procedures described below.
Procedures
for Effecting the Reverse Stock Split and Exchange of Stock
Certificates
If our stockholders approve the Reverse Stock Split and our Board
determines that it is in our best interests to effect the Reverse
Stock Split, the Reverse Stock Split would become effective at the
Effective Time.
As soon as practicable after the Effective Time of the Reverse
Stock Split, we will notify our stockholders that the Reverse Stock
Split has been implemented. Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions,
Inc., our transfer agent, will act as exchange agent for purposes
of implementing the exchange of common stock and preferred stock
certificates. Holders of pre-Reverse Stock Split shares of our
common stock and preferred stock will be asked to surrender to the
exchange agent certificates representing pre-Reverse Stock Split
shares of our common stock and preferred stock in accordance with
the procedures to be set forth in a letter of transmittal that will
be delivered to our common and preferred stockholders. No new
certificates will be issued to a stockholder until the stockholder
has surrendered to the exchange agent his, her or its outstanding
certificate(s) together with the properly completed and executed
letter of transmittal. STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD NOT DESTROY ANY STOCK
CERTIFICATES AND SHOULD NOT SUBMIT ANY CERTIFICATES UNTIL REQUESTED
TO DO SO. Stockholders whose shares are held by their broker do not
need to submit old stock certificates for exchange. These shares
will automatically reflect the new quantity of shares based on the
Reverse Stock Split.
Beginning at the Effective Time of the Reverse Stock Split, each
certificate representing pre-Reverse Stock Split shares will be
deemed for all corporate purposes to evidence ownership of
post-Reverse Stock Split shares.
Effect
on Registered and Beneficial Holders of Common Stock and Preferred
Stock
Upon the effectiveness of the Reverse Stock Split, shares of our
common stock and preferred stock held by stockholders that hold
their shares through a broker or other nominee will be treated in
the same manner as shares held by registered stockholders that hold
their shares in their names. Brokers and other nominees that hold
shares of our common stock and preferred stock will be instructed
to effect the Reverse Stock Split for the beneficial owners of such
shares. However, those brokers or other nominees may implement
different procedures than those to be followed by registered
stockholders for processing the Reverse Stock Split. Stockholders
whose shares of our common stock and preferred stock are held in
the name of a broker or other nominee are encouraged to contact
their broker or other nominee with any questions regarding the
procedure of implementing the Reverse Stock Split with respect to
their shares.
Effect
on Registered “Book-Entry” Holders of Our Common Stock and
Preferred Stock
Registered holders of shares of our common stock and preferred
stock may hold some or all of their shares electronically in
book-entry form under the direct registration system for the
securities. Those stockholders will not have stock certificates
evidencing their ownership of shares of our common stock and
preferred stock, but generally have a statement reflecting the
number of shares registered in their accounts.
Stockholders that hold registered shares of our common stock and
preferred stock in book-entry form do not need to take any action
to receive post-Reverse Stock Split shares. Any such stockholder
that is entitled to post-Reverse Stock Split shares will
automatically receive, at the stockholder’s address of record, a
transaction statement indicating the number of post-Reverse Stock
Split shares held following the implementation of the Reverse Stock
Split.
Dissenters’
Rights
Our stockholders will not be entitled to dissenters’ rights with
respect to the proposed amendment to the Certificate of
Incorporation (including the amendments to the Certificates of
Designation) in connection with the Reverse Stock Split.
Effect
on Dividends
The payment of dividends, including the timing and amount
dividends, must be made in accordance with our Certificate of
Incorporation (including the Certificates of Designation) and the
requirements of the DGCL. We have never declared or paid any cash
dividends on our common stock and do not expect to pay any
dividends for the foreseeable future. We intend to use future
earnings, if any, in the operation and expansion of our business.
Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be
made at the discretion of our Board of Directors, based on our
financial condition, results of operations, contractual
restrictions, capital requirements, business properties,
restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our Board
of Directors may deem relevant. Future debt covenants may prohibit
payment of dividends.
Accounting
Matters
Effect on Par Value
The proposed amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation
(including the Certificates of Designation) will not affect the par
value of our common stock, which will remain at $0.001 per share,
or the par value of our preferred stock, which will remain at
$0.001 per share.
Reduction in Stated Capital
As a result of the Reverse Stock Split, upon the Effective Time,
the stated capital on our consolidated balance sheet attributable
to our common stock and preferred stock, which consists of the par
value per share of our common stock and preferred stock multiplied
by the aggregate number of shares of our common stock outstanding
and preferred stock outstanding, respectively, will be reduced in
proportion to the size of the Reverse Stock Split. Correspondingly,
our additional paid-in capital account reported on our consolidated
balance sheet shall be increased with the amount by which the
stated capital is reduced. Our stockholders’ equity balance, in the
aggregate, will remain unchanged.
Effect
on Our Outstanding Options and Warrants
If the Reverse Stock Split is effectuated, the number of shares of
common stock issuable upon exercise of our outstanding stock
options (including shares reserved for issuance under our 2014
Equity Compensation Plan) and warrants will be proportionately
adjusted by the applicable administrator, using the ratio of the
Reverse Stock Split, rounded up to the nearest whole share. In
connection with the Reverse Stock Split, our Board of Directors or
the applicable administrator will implement only applicable
technical, conforming changes to the securities, including ratably
reducing the authorized shares of common stock available for awards
under our 2014 Equity Compensation Plan. In addition, the exercise
price for each outstanding stock option and warrant would be
increased in inverse proportion to the Reverse Stock Split ratio
such that upon exercise of stock options or warrants, the aggregate
exercise price payable by the optionee or warrant holder to the
Company for the shares of common stock subject to the option or
warrant would remain approximately the same as the aggregate
exercise price, as applicable, prior to the Reverse Stock
Split.
Corresponding
Amendments to the Certificates of Designation
If the Board implements the Reverse Stock Split, the Certificates
of Designation will also be amended to provide for the proportional
adjustment of certain terms upon a Reverse Stock Split.
Specifically, the provision governing adjustments for stock splits
and combinations in the Certificates of Designation will be amended
to clarify that the number of shares of common stock into which
each share of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible will be proportionately
adjusted upon a stock split of common stock (if there is not a
corresponding stock split of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock
and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, respectively). The
Certificates of Designation will also be amended to provide for an
appropriate adjustment to the “Original Issue Price” upon a stock
split of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock and to clarify the information in the
report that will be available to holders of Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
following a stock split. The purpose of these amendments is to
ensure that the relative economic rights of each of the common
stock, Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock remain the same following a stock
split.
Effect
on Our Outstanding Series D and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock
If the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the number of shares of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding will be
reduced from 12,373,247 shares to a range of 1,237,325 shares (if a
1-for-10 ratio is chosen) to 247,465 shares (if a 1-for-50 ratio is
chosen), and the number of shares of Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock issued and outstanding will be reduced from
9,270,860 shares to a range of 927,086 shares (if a 1-for-10 ratio
is chosen) to 185,417 shares (if a 1-for-50 ratio is
chosen).
If the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, there will be customary
adjustments to the “Original Issue Price” as defined in the
Certificates of Designation to ensure that the relative economic
rights of the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock remain the same following the Reverse
Stock Split. Specifically, the Original Issue Price for each
outstanding share of Series D and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock would be increased in inverse proportion to the Reverse Stock
Split ratio such that upon certain mergers, corporate
reorganizations or sales of our assets (each, a “Company Event”),
the aggregate liquidation preference payable to the holders of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock would remain approximately the same as the
aggregate liquidation preference prior to the Reverse Stock
Split.
The number of shares of common stock into which each share of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock are convertible will not change as a result of the
Reverse Stock Split, because the Company would be combining the
shares of common stock at the same ratio in which it is combining
shares of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock, respectively. Therefore, if the
Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock will remain convertible at the option of the
holders thereof into shares of common stock based on a one-for-one
conversion ratio, and the Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
will remain convertible at the option of the holders thereof into
shares of common stock based on a one-for-10 conversion ratio.
Similarly, if the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, each share of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock will still carry the right to
one vote per share, and each share of Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock will carry the right to 10 votes per
share.
Effect
on Our 2021 Notes
As of April 18, 2022, the Company has an aggregate principal amount
of $1,510,000 of 2021 Notes outstanding. The outstanding principal
amount and interest payable under the 2021 Notes may be convertible
at the investors’ option into shares of Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock at a price per share equal to $2.8620.
The Company intends to amend the 2021 Notes (which it may do upon
the consent of the majority of the outstanding principal amounts of
all 2021 Notes) to provide that the conversion price will be
proportionately adjusted upon a reverse stock split. The Board will
not implement the Reverse Stock Split unless the 2021 Notes are
amended to provide that the conversion price will be
proportionately adjusted upon a reverse stock split. If the Reverse
Stock Split is implemented, there will be customary adjustments to
the conversion price in the 2021 Notes to ensure that the relative
economic rights of the holders of the 2021 Notes remain the same
following the Reverse Stock Split. Specifically, the conversion
price would be increased in inverse proportion to the Reverse Stock
Split ratio such that upon a conversion, the number of shares of
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon conversion of
the 2021 Notes will be decreased in proportion to the Reverse Stock
Split ratio.
Interests
of Directors and Executive Officers
Our directors and executive officers do not have substantial
interests, directly or indirectly, in the matters set forth in this
proposal except to the extent of their ownership of shares of our
common and preferred stock or any other of our
securities.
Certain
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reverse Stock
Split
The following is a summary of material United States federal income
tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split to holders of our
common stock and preferred stock. Except where noted, this summary
deals only with our common stock and preferred stock that are held
as a capital asset.
This summary is based upon provisions of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and United States Treasury
regulations, rulings, and judicial decisions as of the date hereof.
Those authorities may be changed, perhaps retroactively, so as to
result in United States federal income tax consequences different
from those summarized below.
This summary does not address all aspects of United States federal
income taxes that may be applicable to holders of common stock and
preferred stock and does not deal with non-U.S., state, local or
other tax considerations that may be relevant to stockholders in
light of their particular circumstances. In addition, it does not
represent a detailed description of the United States federal
income tax consequences applicable to you if you are subject to
special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws
(including if you are a dealer in securities or currencies; a
financial institution; a regulated investment company; a real
estate investment trust; an insurance company; a tax-exempt
organization; a person holding shares as part of a hedging,
integrated or conversion transaction, a constructive sale or a
straddle; a trader in securities that has elected the
mark-to-market method of accounting for your securities; a person
liable for alternative minimum tax; a person who owns or is deemed
to own 10% or more of our voting stock; a partnership or other
pass-through entity for United States federal income tax purposes;
a person whose “functional currency” is not the United States
dollar; a United States expatriate; a “controlled foreign
corporation”; or a “passive foreign investment
company”).
We cannot assure you that a change in law will not significantly
alter the tax considerations that we describe in this summary. No
ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or opinion of counsel will
be obtained regarding the federal income tax consequences to
stockholders as a result of the Reverse Stock Split.
If a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for
United States federal income tax purposes) holds our common stock
or preferred stock, the tax treatment of a partner will generally
depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the
partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our
common stock or preferred stock, you should consult your own tax
advisors.
We believe that the Reverse Stock Split, if implemented, would be a
tax-free recapitalization under the Code. If the Reverse Stock
Split qualifies as a tax- free recapitalization under the Code,
then, generally, for United States federal income tax purposes, no
gain or loss will be recognized by the Company in connection with
the Reverse Stock Split, and no gain or loss will be recognized by
stockholders that exchange their shares of pre-split common stock
and preferred stock for shares of post-split common stock and
preferred stock. The post-split common stock and preferred stock in
the hands of a stockholder following the Reverse Stock Split will
have an aggregate tax basis equal to the aggregate tax basis of the
pre-split common stock and preferred stock held by that stockholder
immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split. A stockholder’s
holding period for the post-split common stock and preferred stock
generally will be the same as the holding period for the pre-split
common stock and preferred stock exchanged therefor.
Alternative characterizations of the Reverse Stock Split are
possible. For example, while the Reverse Stock Split, if
implemented, would generally be treated as a tax-free
recapitalization under the Code, stockholders whose fractional
shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split are rounded up to the
nearest whole share may recognize gain for United States federal
income tax purposes equal to the value of the additional fractional
share. However, we believe that, in such case, the resulting tax
liability may not be material in view of the low value of such
fractional interest. Stockholders should consult their own tax
advisors regarding the characterization of the Reverse Stock Split
for United States federal income tax purposes.
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE FEDERAL, STATE,
LOCAL, AND FOREIGN INCOME AND OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU OF THE
REVERSE STOCK SPLIT IN YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
Certain
Risks Associated with the Reverse Stock Split
Our Board believes that the Reverse Stock Split will increase the
market price of our shares of common stock. There are a number of
risks associated with the Reverse Stock Split, however, including
but not limited to:
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Our
Board cannot predict the effect of the Reverse Stock Split upon the
market price for our shares of common stock, and the history of
similar reverse stock splits for companies in like circumstances
has varied. |
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If
the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the resulting per-share
price may not attract institutional investors, investment funds or
brokers and may not satisfy the investing guidelines of these
investors or brokers, and consequently, the trading liquidity of
our common stock may not improve. |
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The
market price of our shares of common stock may also be affected by
the Company’s performance and other factors, the effect of which
our Board cannot predict. |
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In
the future, the market price of the shares of our common stock
following the Reverse Stock Split may not exceed or remain higher
than the market price of the shares of our common stock prior to
the Reverse Stock Split. |
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If
the Reverse Stock Split is effected and the market price of the
shares of our common stock then declines, the percentage decline
may be greater than would occur in the absence of the Reverse Stock
Split. Additionally, the liquidity of the shares of our common
stock could be adversely affected by the reduced number of shares
that would be outstanding after the implementation of the Reverse
Stock Split. |
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The
Reverse Stock Split may result in some stockholders owning “odd
lots” of less than 100 shares of common stock. Odd lot shares may
be more difficult to sell, and brokerage commissions and other
costs of transactions in odd lots are generally somewhat higher
than the costs of transactions in “round lots” of even multiples of
100 shares. |
Since
the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock is convertible into common stock, holders of Series
D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock are subject to these same risks.
Vote
Required
The
proposal to authorize our Board to amend our Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended by the Certificates of Designation, to
effect a reverse stock split of our common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock at a ratio of between 1-for-10 and 1-for-50, where the ratio
would be determined by our Board at its discretion, and to make
corresponding amendments to the Certificates of Designation to
provide for the proportional adjustment of certain terms upon a
reverse stock split, will be approved if a majority of the
outstanding shares of common stock, Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock (voting on an as converted basis with the common stock) and
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock (voting on an as converted
basis with the common stock) are voted in favor of the
proposal.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS
VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL 4.
Each proxy solicited on behalf of our Board will be voted
FOR the approval of Proposal 4 unless the stockholder
instructs otherwise in the proxy.
PROPOSAL 5
To authorize our Board, if and only if Proposal 4 is approved,
to amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by the
Certificates of Designation, to decrease the number of authorized
shares of our common stock and preferred stock by the same reverse
stock split ratio determined by our Board
Description
of the Amendment
Our
Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a resolution to amend
our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by the Certificates of
Designation, to decrease the number of shares of common and
preferred stock that we are authorized to issue, if and only if,
Proposal 4 is approved, by the same Reverse Stock Split ratio
determined by our Board. The amendment will change the number of
shares of common stock and preferred stock that are authorized, and
the total authorized shares of capital stock will be decreased in
proportion to the Reverse Stock Split ratio. We will also amend our
Certificates of Designation to reduce the number of shares of
preferred stock that are designated as Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock in
approximate proportion to the Reverse Stock Split ratio (subject to
ensuring there are sufficient shares of preferred stock designated
as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock to account for the rounding up of fractional shares
in connection with the Reverse Stock Split). The form of the
amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation (including the
amendments to the Certificates of Designation) to effect the
reduction in authorized shares is set forth on Appendix B
below.
Background
We
may issue shares of capital stock to the extent such shares have
been authorized under our Certificate of Incorporation. Our
Certificate of Incorporation currently authorizes us to issue up to
1,000,000,000 shares of common stock and 25,000,000 shares of
preferred stock, par value $.001 per share. Of the 25,000,000
shares of authorized preferred stock, 12,374,000 shares of
preferred stock are designated as Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock and 11,241,000 shares of preferred stock are designated as
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock.
As of
April 18, 2022, the total shares of common stock issued and
outstanding and reserved for issuance pursuant to outstanding
warrants and options and outstanding Series D and Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock totaled 528,666,466 shares. No shares
of common stock are held in treasury. The aggregate amount of
common stock issued and reserved for issuance consisted of the
following amounts as of April 18, 2022:
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419,447,119
shares of common stock issued and outstanding; |
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512,500
shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to
outstanding warrants to purchase common stock; |
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3,625,000
shares of common stock reserved for issuance pursuant to
outstanding options to purchase common stock; and |
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105,081,847
shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon conversion of our
Series D and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. |
The
total number of shares of common stock (i) issued and outstanding,
(ii) reserved for issuance pursuant to warrants to purchase common
stock, (iii) reserved for issuance pursuant to options to purchase
common stock granted under the Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2012
Stock Plan and the Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. 2014 Equity
Compensation Plan and (iv) reserved for issuance upon conversion of
our Series D and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock totals
528,666,466 shares of common stock as of April 18, 2022.
On
August 13, 2021, the Board approved a Financing Term Sheet (the
“2021 Term Sheet”), which sets forth the terms under which the
Company will use its best efforts to arrange for financing of a
maximum of $5,000,000 (the “2021 Financing”), which amounts will be
obtained in several tranches.
As of
April 18, 2022, the Company had received 2021 Notes proceeds of
$1,510,000, of which $200,000 is from a related party
investor.
Pursuant
to the 2021 Term Sheet, the 2021 Notes will be paid back, convert
into shares of the Company’s Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock, or convert into Company equity securities and/or debt
instruments of certain future financings on or before twelve months
after the issue date of a 2021 Note, subject to certain
exceptions.
Reasons
for the Authorized Share Reduction
Our
Board wishes to align both issued and outstanding as well as
authorized shares of the Company’s common and preferred stock with
a Reverse Stock Split. Our Board desires to demonstrate to
stockholders that it will continue to be prudent in approving
additional issuances of common stock and preferred stock in
connection with future financings.
Future
Issuances of Shares of Common Stock or Preferred
Stock
Given
our current available capital, our cash and cash equivalents, our
history of operating at a loss and our need for additional capital
to implement our plan of operations, we currently anticipate that
we will be required to raise additional capital through equity
financing. See Proposal 4 above regarding the proposed Reverse
Stock Split. In addition, we also anticipate issuing additional
shares of common stock and/or preferred stock to satisfy the 2021
Financing.
This
Proxy Statement does not constitute an offer of any securities for
sale or a solicitation of an offer to buy any
securities.
Approval
of the proposal to amend our Certificate of Incorporation (as
amended by the Certificates of Designation) to decrease the number
of shares of common stock and preferred stock we are authorized to
issue in proportion to the Reverse Stock Split ratio will provide
us with the necessary flexibility to raise additional capital using
equity, if and when such opportunities may arise.
Reservation
of Right to Delay the Filing of, or Abandon the Amendment to
Decrease the Number of Shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock
We Are Authorized to Issue
We
reserve the right to delay the filing of, or not effect, the
amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation (as amended by the
Certificates of Designation) to decrease the number of shares of
our common stock that we are authorized to issue from 1,000,000,000
shares to between 100,000,000 to 20,000,000 shares, decrease the
number of shares of preferred stock that we are authorized to issue
from 25,000,000 shares to between 2,500,000 to 500,000 shares,
decrease the number of shares of preferred stock designated as
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock from 12,374,000 shares to
between 1,237,400 shares to 247,480 shares, and decrease the number
of shares of preferred stock designated as Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock from 11,241,000 to between 1,124,100 shares to
224,820 shares, in proportion with approval of Proposal 4 – Reverse
Stock Split, without further action by our stockholders at any time
before December 31, 2022, even if such amendment has been approved
by our stockholders at the 2022 Annual Stockholders Meeting, if and
only if we delay the filing of, or do not effect at all the Reverse
Stock Split. By voting in favor of the amendment, you are expressly
also authorizing our Board of Directors to delay (until December
31, 2022) or abandon the amendment to our Certificate of
Incorporation (as amended by the Certificates of Designation) to
decrease the number of shares of our common stock that we are
authorized to issue from 1,000,000,000 shares to between
100,000,000 to 20,000,000 shares, decrease the number of shares of
preferred stock that we are authorized to issue from 25,000,000
shares to between 2,500,000 to 500,000 shares, decrease the number
of shares of preferred stock designated as Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock from 12,374,000 shares to between 1,237,400 shares
to 247,480 shares, and decrease the number of shares of preferred
stock designated as Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock from
11,241,000 to between 1,124,100 shares to 224,820 shares, in
proportion with approval of Proposal 4 – Reverse Stock Split, if it
determines, in its sole discretion, that such action is in the best
interests of the Company and its stockholders.
Authorized
Shares of Common and Preferred Stock
Under Proposal 5, if and only if Proposal 4 is approved and the
Reverse Stock Split is implemented, the number of authorized shares
of our common and preferred stock, and the number of shares of
preferred stock designated as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock
and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, would each be reduced
by the same Reverse Stock Split ratio determined by our Board. The
number of authorized shares of our common and preferred stock under
our Certificate of Incorporation, and the number of shares of
preferred stock designated as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock
and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock in our Certificates of
Designation, will be reduced by the Reverse Stock Split ratio that
is determined by our Board. Currently we are authorized to issue up
to a total of 1,025,000,000 shares of capital stock, comprised of
1,000,000,000 shares of common stock and 25,000,000 shares of
preferred stock. The number of shares of our authorized common
stock would be reduced from 1,000,000,000 shares to a range of
100,000,000 shares (if a 1-for-10 ratio is chosen) to 20,000,000
shares (if a 1-for-50 ratio is chosen), depending on the exact
exchange ratio chosen by our Board. The number of shares of our
authorized preferred stock would be reduced from 25,000,000 shares
to a range of 2,500,000 shares (if a 1- for-10 ratio is chosen) to
500,000 shares (if a 1-for-50 ratio is chosen), depending on the
exact exchange ratio chosen by our Board. The number of shares of
our preferred stock designated as Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock would be reduced from 12,374,000 shares to a range of
1,237,400 shares (if a 1-for-10 ratio is chosen) to 247,480 shares
(if a ratio of 1-for-50 is chosen), depending on the exact exchange
ratio chose by our Board. The number of shares of our preferred
stock designated as Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock would be
reduced from 11,241,000 to a range of 1,124,100 shares (if a
1-for-10 ratio is chosen) to 224,820 shares (if a ratio of 1-for-50
is chosen).
Possible
Anti-Takeover Effects of the Amendment
The
proposed amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation (as amended
by the Certificates of Designation) to decrease the number of
shares of our common stock that we are authorized to issue from
1,000,000,000 shares to between 100,000,000 to 20,000,000 shares,
decrease the number of shares of preferred stock that we are
authorized to issue from 25,000,000 shares to between 2,500,000 to
500,000 shares, decrease the number of shares of preferred stock
designated as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock from 12,374,000
shares to between 1,237,400 shares to 247,480 shares, and decrease
the number of shares of preferred stock designated as Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock from 11,241,000 to between 1,124,100
shares to 224,820 shares, in proportion with approval of Proposal 4
– Reverse Stock Split, is not being recommended in response to any
specific effort of which our Board of Directors is aware to obtain
control of the Company, and our Board of Directors does not intend
or view the proposed decrease of authorized shares of common stock
and preferred stock, as an anti-takeover measure.
No
Preemptive Rights
Under
Section 102(b)(3) of the DGCL and our Certificate of Incorporation,
the holders of common stock and preferred stock do not have
preemptive rights to acquire unissued shares of common stock and
preferred stock.
Dissenters’
Rights
Our
stockholders will not be entitled to dissenters’ rights with
respect to the proposed amendment to the Certificate of
Incorporation (including the amendments to the Certificates of
Designation) to decrease the number of shares of common stock that
we are authorized to issue from 1,000,000,000 shares to between
100,000,000 to 20,000,000 shares, decrease the number of shares of
preferred stock that we are authorized to issue from 25,000,000
shares to between 2,500,000 to 500,000 shares, decrease the number
of shares of preferred stock designated as Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock from 12,374,000 shares to between 1,237,400 shares
to 247,480 shares, and decrease the number of shares of preferred
stock designated as Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock from
11,241,000 to between 1,124,100 shares to 224,820 shares, in
proportion with approval of Proposal 4 – Reverse Stock
Split.
Vote
Required
The proposal to authorize our Board, if and only if Proposal 4 is
approved, to amend our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended by
the Certificates of Designation, to decrease the number of shares
of common stock and preferred stock that we are authorized to issue
by the same Reverse Stock Split ratio, will be approved if a
majority of the outstanding shares of common stock, Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock (voting on an as converted basis with
the common stock) and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
(voting on an as converted basis with the common stock) are voted
in favor of the proposal. After filing the certificates of
amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation and Certificates of
Designation, the remaining shares of common stock and preferred
stock (including Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock) may be
issued from time to time by action of our Board of Directors on
such terms and for such purposes as our Board of Directors may
consider appropriate. In the event that Proposal 5 is not approved
and adopted by our stockholders at the 2022 Annual Stockholder
Meeting, the number of authorized shares of common stock and
preferred stock in the Certificate of Incorporation and the number
of shares of preferred stock designated as Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock and Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock in the
Certificates of Designation will remain the same as currently in
effect.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS
VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL 5. Each proxy solicited on
behalf of our Board of Directors will be voted FOR the
approval of Proposal 5 unless the stockholder instructs otherwise
in the proxy.
OTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING
MANAGEMENT
Executive
Officers
Set
forth below is a biographical summary of the experience of each of
our executive officers:
Bruce
Horowitz, 65, has served as our COO since May 2019. Information
about his business experience is set forth above under the heading,
“Proposal 1 – ELECTION OF DIRECTORS – Director
Nominees.”
Heather
Raines, CPA, 56, has served as our CFO since March 2019. Mrs.
Raines previously served as the Company’s Controller from August
2017 until her appointment as the Company’s CFO. Before joining the
Company, Mrs. Raines served as the Vice President of Finance for
BDry Waterproofing, a service business, from 2015 to 2017. She
previously managed financial and accounting functions at AMETEK,
Inc. (NYSE: AME), a manufacturing company, serving as AMT Business
Unit Controller for AMETEK’s wholly owned subsidiary, Advanced
Measurement Technology, Inc., in 2015, Scientific Instruments
Business Unit Controller from 2013 to 2015, and Senior Finance
Manager from 2007 to 2013. Mrs. Raines was a tax analyst at Goody’s
Family Clothing from 2006 to 2007, and an Accounting Manager at
Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), from 2005 to 2006, and CTI Molecular
Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTMI) from 1999 to 2005. Mrs. Raines
received a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Strayer University
and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of
Tennessee. She is a CPA, and a member of the American Institute of
CPAs, the Tennessee Society of CPAs, and the Institute of
Management Accountants.
Eric
A. Wachter, Ph.D., 59, has served as our Chief Technology
Officer since May 2012. Dr. Wachter previously served as Executive
Vice President, Pharmaceuticals and as a member of our Board from
2002 to 2012 and from 2016 to 2018. From 1997 to 2002, he was a
senior member of the management team of Photogen Technologies, Inc.
(the precursor company of the Company), including serving as Vice
President, Secretary, and a member of its board of directors. Prior
to joining Photogen, Dr. Wachter served as a senior research staff
member with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He earned a Ph.D. in
Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in
1988.
Code
of Ethics
Our
Board has adopted a code of ethics that applies to our principal
executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons
performing similar functions. The code of ethics contains written
standards that are reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to
promote: (1) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical
handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between
personal and professional relationships; (2) full, fair, accurate,
timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that
we file with, or submit to, the SEC and in other public
communications made by us; (3) compliance with applicable
governmental laws, rules and regulations; (4) the prompt internal
reporting of violations of the code to an appropriate person or
persons identified in the code; and (5) accountability for
adherence to the code. The code of ethics is available without
charge upon request from our Secretary, Provectus
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., 10025 Investment Drive, Suite 250,
Knoxville, Tennessee 37932.
Hedging
As of
the date hereof, the Company does not have a formal policy
regarding hedging activities.
OTHER MATTERS
As of
the date hereof, our Board knows of no business that will be
presented at the 2022 Annual Meeting other than the proposals
described in this Proxy Statement. If any other proposal properly
comes before the stockholders for a vote at the meeting, the proxy
holders will vote the shares of common stock represented by proxies
that are submitted to us in accordance with their best
judgment.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Solicitation
of Proxies
We
will solicit proxies on behalf of our Board by mail, telephone,
facsimile, or other electronic means or in person. We will pay the
proxy solicitation costs. We will supply copies of the proxy
solicitation materials to brokerage firms, banks, and other
nominees for the purpose of soliciting proxies from the beneficial
owners of the shares of common stock held of record by such
nominees. We request that such brokerage firms, banks, and other
nominees forward the proxy solicitation materials to the beneficial
owners, and we will reimburse them for their reasonable
expenses.
Mailing
Address of Principal Executive Office
The
mailing address of our principal executive office is Provectus
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., 10025 Investment Drive, Suite 250,
Knoxville, Tennessee 37932.
Stockholder
Proposals for Inclusion in Proxy Statement for 2023 Annual Meeting
of Stockholders
To be
considered for inclusion in our proxy statement for the 2023 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders (the “2023 Annual Meeting”), a stockholder
proposal must be received by us no later than the close of business
on [●], 2022. Stockholder proposals must be sent to our Secretary,
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., 10025 Investment Drive, Suite
250, Knoxville, Tennessee 37932. We will not be required to include
in our proxy statement any stockholder proposal that does not meet
all the requirements for such inclusion established by the SEC’s
proxy rules and Delaware corporate law.
Other
Stockholder Proposals for Presentation at the 2023 Annual Meeting
of Stockholders
In
addition to the above, our bylaws contain an advance notice
provision requiring that, if a stockholder’s proposal or director
nomination is to be brought before and considered at the 2023
Annual Meeting, such stockholder must provide timely written notice
thereof to our Secretary. In order to be timely, the notice must be
delivered to or mailed and received by our Secretary at our
principal executive offices not earlier than the close of business
on [●], 2022 and not later than the close of business on [●], 2023;
provided, however, that in the event the date of the 2023 Annual
Meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 30 days after the
anniversary of the 2022 Annual Meeting, notice by the stockholder
to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of
business on the 90th day prior to the date of such 2023 Annual
Meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of
the 60th day prior to the date of such 2023 Annual Meeting or the
10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date
of such annual meeting is first made by us. In the event a
stockholder proposal intended to be presented for action at the
2023 Annual Meeting is not received timely, then the persons
designated as proxies in the proxies solicited by the Board in
connection with the 2023 Annual Meeting will be permitted to use
their discretionary voting authority with respect to the proposal,
whether or not the proposal is discussed in the proxy statement for
the 2023 Annual Meeting.
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By
Order of our Board |
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/s/ Bruce Horowitz |
Knoxville,
Tennessee
[●],
2022
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Bruce
Horowitz
Chief
Operating Officer
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APPENDIX
A
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENTS
REVERSE
STOCK SPLIT
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
TO
THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
of
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (the “Corporation”), a
corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the
“DGCL”), does hereby certify:
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1. |
The
name of the Corporation is Provectus Biopharmaceuticals,
Inc. |
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2. |
The
following paragraph will be added to Article IV.A.1 of the
Certificate of Incorporation: |
“Upon
the effectiveness of this Certificate of Amendment to the
Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, every [number of
shares] shares of the Corporation’s issued and outstanding Common
Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to [date]
shall, automatically and without any further action on the part of
the Corporation or the holder thereof, be combined into one (1)
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable share of the
Corporation’s Common Stock, provided that in the event a
stockholder would otherwise be entitled to a fraction of a share of
Common Stock pursuant to the provisions of this Article, such
stockholder shall receive one whole share of Common Stock in lieu
of such fractional share and no fractional shares shall be
issued.”
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3. |
This
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation has
been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 242
of the DGCL. |
In Witness Whereof,
said Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to the
Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by the authorized officer
Amendment as of the [ ] day of [___________],
2022.
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PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, |
|
INC. |
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By: |
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Heather
Raines |
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Chief
Financial Officer |
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
TO
CERTIFICATE
OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS
AND LIMITATIONS OF
SERIES
D CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
OF
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Pursuant
to Section 242 of the
General
Corporation law of the State of Delaware)
Provectus
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), a corporation
organized and existing and by virtue of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”), DOES HEREBY
CERTIFY:
FIRST:
That the Company’s Certificate of Designation of Preferences,
Rights, and Limitations of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock was
filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June
17, 2021 (the “Certificate of Designation”).
SECOND:
That the Board of Directors of the Company duly adopted resolutions
proposing to amend the Certificate of Designation of the Company,
declaring said amendment to be advisable and in the best interests
of the Company and its stockholders, and authorizing the
appropriate officers of the Company to solicit the consent of the
stockholders therefor, which resolution setting forth the proposed
amendment is as follows:
RESOLVED,
that the Certificate of Designation of the Company be amended as
follows:
1.
Section 9(a) of the Certificate of Designation shall be amended as
set forth below such that all of the double underlined text
(indicated textually in the same manner as the following example:
double-underlined
text) shall be deemed to be inserted and all stricken
text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following
example: stricken
text) shall be deemed to be deleted
therefrom.
(a)
Adjustment for Stock Splits and Combinations. If at any time
or from time to time after the Original Issue Date the Corporation
effects a subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock without a
corresponding subdivision of the Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock, the Conversion Price in
effect immediately before that subdivision
number
of Conversion Shares into which each share of Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock are convertible pursuant to Sections 7 and 8 of
this Certificate of Designation shall be proportionately
decreased. Conversely, if at any time or from time to time after
the Original Issue Date the Corporation combines the outstanding
shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares without a
corresponding combination of the Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock, the Conversion Price in
effect immediately before that subdivision
number
of Conversion Shares into which each share of Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock are convertible pursuant to Sections 7 and Section
8 of this Certificate of Designation shall be
proportionately increased. The Original Issue
Price shall be subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of
any stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, combination,
or other similar recapitalization with respect to the shares of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock. Any adjustment
under this Section 9(a) shall become effective at the close of
business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes
effective.
2.
Section 11 of the Certificate of Designation shall be amended as
set forth below such that all of the double underlined text
(indicated textually in the same manner as the following example:
double-underlined
text) shall be deemed to be inserted and all stricken
text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following
example: stricken
text) shall be deemed to be deleted
therefrom.
11.
Report or Certificate as to Adjustments. In each case of any
adjustment or readjustment in the shares of Common Stock (or other
securities) issuable upon the conversion of shares of Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, the Corporation at its expense will
promptly deliver a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer
showing in reasonable detail the computation of such adjustment or
readjustment in accordance with the terms of this Certificate of
Designation. The Corporation shall also cause independent certified
public accountants of recognized national standing (which may be
the regular auditors of the Corporation) selected by the
Corporation to verify such computation and prepare a report setting
forth such adjustment or readjustment and showing in detail the
method of calculation thereof and the facts upon which such
adjustment or readjustment is based. The Corporation will forthwith
(and in any event not later than 30 days following the occurrence
of the event requiring such adjustment) furnish a copy of each such
report to each holder, and will, upon the written request at any
time of a holder, furnish to such holder a like report setting
forth the Conversion Price at the
time in effect number of Conversion
Shares into which each share of Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock are convertible pursuant to Sections 7 and 8 of this
Certificate of Designation and showing how such
number it was calculated. The
Corporation will also keep copies of all such reports at its
principal office and will cause the same to be available for
inspection at such office during normal business hours by each
holder or any prospective purchaser of shares of Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock designated by the holder
thereof.
3.
The following paragraph will be added as Section 16 of the
Certificate of Designation:
“16.
Reverse Stock Split. Upon the effectiveness of the
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Designation of
Preferences, Rights, and Limitations of Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock, dated as of [___], every [___] shares of the
Corporation’s Series D Convertible Preferred Stock that are issued
and outstanding immediately prior to [____] shall automatically and
without any further action on the part of the of the Corporation or
the holder thereof, be combined into one (1) validly issued, fully
paid, and non-assessable share of the Corporation’s Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock, provided that in the event a
stockholder would otherwise be entitled to a fraction of a share of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock pursuant to the provisions of
this Section 13, such stockholder shall receive one whole share of
Series D Convertible Preferred Stock in lieu of such fractional
share and no fractional shares shall be issued.”
THIRD:
That the foregoing amendment was approved by the holders of the
requisite number of shares of the Company’s capital stock in
accordance with 228 of the DGCL.
FOURTH:
That this Certificate of Amendment, which amends the provisions of
the Certificate of Designation, has been duly adopted in accordance
with Section 242 of the DGCL.
[Signature
Page Follows]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate of
Amendment as of the [___] day of [________], 2022.
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PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
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|
|
|
By: |
|
|
|
Heather
Raines |
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer |
SIGNATURE
PAGE
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
TO
CERTIFICATE
OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS
AND LIMITATIONS OF
SERIES
D-1 CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
OF
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Pursuant
to Section 242 of the
General
Corporation law of the State of Delaware)
Provectus
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), a corporation
organized and existing and by virtue of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”), DOES HEREBY
CERTIFY:
FIRST:
That the Company’s Certificate of Designation of Preferences,
Rights, and Limitations of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock
was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on
June 17, 2021 (the “Certificate of Designation”).
SECOND:
That the Board of Directors of the Company duly adopted resolutions
proposing to amend the Certificate of Designation of the Company,
declaring said amendment to be advisable and in the best interests
of the Company and its stockholders, and authorizing the
appropriate officers of the Company to solicit the consent of the
stockholders therefor, which resolution setting forth the proposed
amendment is as follows:
RESOLVED,
that the Certificate of Designation of the Company be amended as
follows:
1.
Section 9(a) of the Certificate of Designation shall be amended as
set forth below such that all of the double underlined text
(indicated textually in the same manner as the following example:
double-underlined
text) shall be deemed to be inserted and all stricken
text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following
example: stricken
text) shall be deemed to be deleted
therefrom.
(a)
Adjustment for Stock Splits and Combinations. If at any time
or from time to time after the Original Issue Date the Corporation
effects a subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock without a
corresponding subdivision of the Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock, the Conversion Price in
effect immediately before that subdivision
number
of Conversion Shares into which each share of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible pursuant to Sections 7
and 8 of this Certificate of Designation shall be
proportionately decreased. Conversely, if at any time or from time
to time after the Original Issue Date the Corporation combines the
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares
without a corresponding combination of the Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock, the Conversion
Price in effect immediately before that subdivision
number
of Conversion Shares into which each share of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock are convertible pursuant to Sections 7
and Section 8 of this Certificate of Designation shall
be proportionately increased. The Original Issue
Price shall be subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of
any stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, combination,
or other similar recapitalization with respect to the shares of
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock. Any adjustment
under this Section 9(a) shall become effective at the close of
business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes
effective.
2.
Section 11 of the Certificate of Designation shall be amended as
set forth below such that all of the double underlined text
(indicated textually in the same manner as the following example:
double-underlined
text) shall be deemed to be inserted and all stricken
text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following
example: stricken
text) shall be deemed to be deleted
therefrom.
11.
Report or Certificate as to Adjustments. In each case of any
adjustment or readjustment in the shares of Common Stock (or other
securities) issuable upon the conversion of shares of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock, the Corporation at its expense will
promptly deliver a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer
showing in reasonable detail the computation of such adjustment or
readjustment in accordance with the terms of this Certificate of
Designation. The Corporation shall also cause independent certified
public accountants of recognized national standing (which may be
the regular auditors of the Corporation) selected by the
Corporation to verify such computation and prepare a report setting
forth such adjustment or readjustment and showing in detail the
method of calculation thereof and the facts upon which such
adjustment or readjustment is based. The Corporation will forthwith
(and in any event not later than 30 days following the occurrence
of the event requiring such adjustment) furnish a copy of each such
report to each holder, and will, upon the written request at any
time of a holder, furnish to such holder a like report setting
forth the Conversion Price at the
time in effect number of Conversion
Shares into which each share of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock are convertible pursuant to Sections 7 and 8 of this
Certificate of Designation and showing how such
number it was calculated. The
Corporation will also keep copies of all such reports at its
principal office and will cause the same to be available for
inspection at such office during normal business hours by each
holder or any prospective purchaser of shares of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock designated by the holder
thereof.
3.
The following paragraph will be added as Section 16 of the
Certificate of Designation:
“16. Reverse
Stock Split. Upon the effectiveness of the Certificate of
Amendment to the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights,
and Limitations of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, dated as
of [__], every [__] shares of the Corporation’s Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding
immediately prior to [__] shall automatically and without any
further action on the part of the of the Corporation or the holder
thereof, be combined into one (1) validly issued, fully paid, and
non-assessable share of the Corporation’s Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock, provided that in the event a stockholder would
otherwise be entitled to a fraction of a share of Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 13, such stockholder shall receive one whole share of
Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock in lieu of such fractional
share and no fractional shares shall be issued.”
THIRD:
That the foregoing amendment was approved by the holders of the
requisite number of shares of the Company’s capital stock in
accordance with 228 of the DGCL.
FOURTH:
That this Certificate of Amendment, which amends the provisions of
the Certificate of Designation, has been duly adopted in accordance
with Section 242 of the DGCL.
[Signature
Page Follows]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate of
Amendment as of the [ ] day of [________], 2022.
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PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
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|
|
|
By: |
|
|
|
Heather
Raines |
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer |
SIGNATURE
PAGE
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
APPENDIX
B
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENTS
REDUCTION
IN AUTHORIZED SHARES
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
TO
THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
of
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (the “Corporation”), a
corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the
“DGCL”), does hereby certify:
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1. |
The
name of the Corporation is Provectus Biopharmaceuticals,
Inc. |
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|
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|
2. |
The
Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is amended by
deleting the introductory sentence of Article IV thereof and
substituting the following in its place: |
“The
total number of shares which the Corporation shall have authority
to issue is [______] shares of capital stock, of which [________]
shares shall be designated Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share
(“Common Stock”), and [_______] shall be designated
Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Preferred
Stock”).”
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3. |
This
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation has
been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 242
of the DGCL. |
In Witness Whereof,
said Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to the
Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by the authorized officer
Amendment as of the [ ] day of [__________], 2022.
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PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, |
|
INC. |
|
|
|
|
By: |
|
|
|
Heather
Raines |
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer |
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
TO
CERTIFICATE
OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS
AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES
D CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
OF
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 151 OF THE
DELAWARE
GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
Provectus
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), a corporation
organized and existing and by virtue of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”), does hereby
certify:
FIRST:
The Company’s Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and
Limitations of Series D Convertible Preferred Stock was filed with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June 17, 2021
(the “Certificate of Designation”).
SECOND:
That the Board of Directors of the Company duly adopted resolutions
proposing to amend the Certificate of Designation of the Company to
decrease the number of shares of authorized preferred stock that
would be designated as Series D Convertible Preferred Stock, par
value $0.001 per share (the “Series D Convertible Preferred
Stock”), declaring said amendment to be advisable and in the
best interests of the Company and its stockholders, and authorizing
the appropriate officers of the Company to solicit the consent of
the stockholders therefor, which resolution setting forth the
proposed amendment is as follows:
RESOLVED,
that the Certificate of Designation of the Company be amended as
follows:
1.
Designation and Number of Shares. One series of Preferred
Stock is established and designated as Series D Convertible
Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series D
Convertible Preferred Stock”). The number of shares
constituting the Series D Convertible Preferred Stock shall be
[___] shares.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate of
Amendment as of the [___] day of [_______], 2022.
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PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
|
|
|
|
By: |
|
|
|
Heather
Raines |
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer |
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
TO
CERTIFICATE
OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS
AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES
D-1 CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
OF
PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
PURSUANT
TO SECTION 151 OF THE
DELAWARE
GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
Provectus
Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), a corporation
organized and existing and by virtue of the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”), does hereby
certify:
FIRST:
The Company’s Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and
Limitations of Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock was filed
with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June 17,
2021 (the “Certificate of Designation”).
SECOND:
That the Board of Directors of the Company duly adopted resolutions
proposing to amend the Certificate of Designation of the Company to
decrease the number of shares of authorized preferred stock that
would be designated as Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, par
value $0.001 per share (the “Series D-1 Convertible Preferred
Stock”), declaring said amendment to be advisable and in the
best interests of the Company and its stockholders, and authorizing
the appropriate officers of the Company to solicit the consent of
the stockholders therefor, which resolution setting forth the
proposed amendment is as follows:
RESOLVED,
that the Certificate of Designation of the Company be amended as
follows:
1.
Designation and Number of Shares. One series of Preferred
Stock is established and designated as Series D-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series D-1
Convertible Preferred Stock”). The number of shares
constituting the Series D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock shall be
[__] shares.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate of
Amendment as of the [__] day of [__________], 2022.
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PROVECTUS
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
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|
|
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By: |
|
|
|
Heather
Raines |
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer |



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