As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 13, 2019.

Registration No. 333-229401​

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

AMENDMENT NO. 1
TO
FORM F-4

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

AURIS MEDICAL HOLDING AG

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Bahnhofstrasse 21
6300 Zug, Switzerland
+41 (0)41 729 71 94

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Cogency Global, Inc.
10 East 40th Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 947-7200

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

Copies to:

Marcel Fausten
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
450 Lexington
New York, NY 10017
(212) 450-4000

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: The Redomestication described herein will be effective on, or as soon as practicable after, the date that this registration statement is declared effective and the Redomestication is approved by shareholders.

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If applicable, place an X in the box to designate the appropriate rule provision relied upon in conducting this transaction:

Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(i) (Cross-Border Issuer Tender Offer) ☐

Exchange Act Rule 14d-1(d) (Cross-Border Third-Party Tender Offer) ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

Emerging growth company ☑

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

(1)

Based on the number of common shares of Auris Medical (Bermuda) (as hereinafter defined) expected to be issued on a one-for-one basis in connection with the Redomestication (as hereinafter defined) and based on 37,495,859 common shares of Auris Medical Holding AG outstanding on January 22, 2019.

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(2)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based on the average of the high and low prices of the common shares of Auris Medical Holding AG on the Nasdaq Capital Market on January 22, 2019 ($0.398 per share), in accordance with Rule 457(f).

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(3)

Previously paid.

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The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this proxy statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This proxy statement/prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

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SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED FEBRUARY 13, 2019

PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS

Invitation to the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Auris Medical Holding AG

Dear Shareholder:

Our extraordinary general meeting of shareholders (“General Meeting”) will be held at the following place and time:

Agenda

Agenda Item 1:   Redomestication of the Company’s Corporate Seat to Bermuda

Redomestication; Submission under Bermuda law; registration with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda

The board of directors proposes (i) to relocate the corporate seat of the Company from Zug, Switzerland, to Bermuda, by continuing the Company in Bermuda in accordance with Section 132C of the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda (the “Companies Act”), (ii) to register the Company as an exempted company limited by shares with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda with the name “Auris Medical Holding Ltd.” and (iii) to submit the Company to the law of Bermuda without liquidation or new formation.

Explanation:   It is intended to relocate the Company’s seat pursuant to Article 163 of the Swiss Federal Act on Private International Law to Bermuda, by continuing the Company in Bermuda in accordance with Section 132C of the Companies Act (the “Redomestication”). The Company shall continue to exist in Bermuda in the legal form of an exempted company limited by shares, pursuant to the Companies Act while preserving its legal personality (i.e. the relocation of the corporate seat will not result in the creation of a new legal entity). In order to gain corporate flexibility, achieve cost savings and relocate into a jurisdiction familiar to most of the Company’s current and potential new investors, the board of directors considers the proposed relocation of the Company to Bermuda to be in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. The board of directors may not be able to implement the Redomestication if the relevant consents, rulings and approvals in connection with the Redomestication are not obtained, including approvals from the Swiss and Bermuda authorities.

Agenda Item 2:   Other Approvals Relating to the Redomestication

Agenda Item 2.1 — Adoption and Approval of the Memorandum of Continuance

The board of directors proposes to adopt and approve the memorandum of continuance included as Appendix A to this proxy statement/prospectus (the “Memorandum of Continuance”), with effect upon the Redomestication, reflecting, inter alia, (i) the change of the Company’s legal form from a company limited by shares under Swiss law to an exempted company limited by shares under Bermuda law, (ii) the authorized share capital of the Company, (iii) that the objects of the Company are unrestricted, and (iv) that the Company shall have the capacity, rights, power and privileges of a natural person.

Explanation:   To effect the Redomestication, the Company will have to adopt the Memorandum of Continuance pursuant to Bermuda law. The new legal form of the Company, an exempted company limited by shares, will largely correspond to its current legal form (Swiss corporation) and the Company will maintain its previous organization to the extent possible. Pursuant to the Memorandum

of Continuance, the authorized share capital of the Company will be CHF 4,400,000.00 divided into 200,000,000 common shares of CHF 0.02 each and 20,000,000 preference shares of CHF 0.02 each. The Company’s objects will be unrestricted and the Company will have the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person.

Supporting Documents:   A copy of the Memorandum of Continuance is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Appendix A and available for download in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com).

Agenda item 2.1 is subject to the approval of agenda item 1.

Agenda Item 2.2 — Adoption and Approval of the Bye-Laws

The board of directors proposes to adopt and approve the bye-laws included as Appendix B to this proxy statement/prospectus (the “Bye-laws”) and to replace the current articles of association of the Company with such Bye-laws, with effect upon the Redomestication, reflecting, inter alia, the change of the Company’s legal form from a corporation under Swiss law to an exempted company limited by shares under Bermuda law, and that the board of directors of the Company be authorized to exercise any and all powers bestowed on the directors of the Company pursuant to the Bye-laws, including without limitation those authorities and powers, that do not require further approval from the shareholders to be performed, as set out in Bye-laws: 2 (Power to Issue Shares), 3 (Power of the Company to Purchase its Shares), 4 (Rights Attaching to Shares), 11 (Transfer of Registered Shares), 13 (Power to Alter Capital), 41 (Vacancy in the Office of Director), 42 (Remuneration of Directors), 45 (Powers of the Board of Directors) and 76 (Discontinuance).

Explanation:   To effect the Redomestication, the Company will have to replace its Swiss articles of association and to adopt new Bye-laws pursuant to Bermuda law. The new legal form of the Company, an exempted company limited by shares, will largely correspond to its current legal form (Swiss corporation) and the Company will maintain its previous organization to the extent possible. The Bye-laws grant the board of directors additional authority to act absent further shareholder approval, which the board of directors does not currently have under our Swiss articles of association.

Supporting Documents:   A copy of the Bye-laws is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Appendix B and available for download in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com).

Agenda item 2.2 is subject to the approval of agenda item 1 and 2.1.

The items covered in the agenda above are more fully described in this proxy statement/prospectus.

Zug, February       , 2019
For the Board of Directors
//Thomas Meyer, Chairman and CEO

Organizational Matters

A.

Documentation

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The documentation of the General Meeting is available for download in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com).

B.

Invitation and Attendance

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Shareholders registered in the share ledger maintained by our transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, at 4 pm EST on February 26, 2019 are entitled to participate in and vote at the General Meeting. On February 15, 2019, the mailing of the invitation and proxy form will be initiated to all holders of record as at February 14, 2019. Shareholders registered after February 14, 2019 will receive their invitation after February 26, 2019.

If you wish to attend the General Meeting in person, you will be required to present the enclosed proxy form and a valid government issued proof of identification.

C.

Representation

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Shareholders of record, who do not attend the General Meeting in person, may:

a.

grant a proxy to the independent proxy, Sandro Tobler, attorney at law, Schnurrenberger, Tobler, Gnehm & Partner, Alpenstrasse 2, 6300 Zug, Switzerland, in writing or electronically (see instruction on the proxy form); or

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b.

grant a proxy in writing to another shareholder or other third party.

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Proxies to the independent proxy must be received by the independent proxy or by Vote Processing c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood NY 11717, USA, no later than 4 pm EST on March 6, 2019. Proxies received after such time will not be considered.

To vote electronically, go to proxyvote.com and follow the instructions. You will need a 16-digit control number that is included on your proxy form. Electronic instructions must be received no later than 4 pm EST on March 7, 2019.

Shareholders that have granted a proxy to the independent proxy may not vote their shares at the General Meeting.

D.

Registration as a shareholder with voting rights/No Trading Restrictions

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Instructions on how a “street name” holder may become a holder of record are available in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com). Between 4 pm EST on February 26, 2019 and 4 pm EST on March 8, 2019 no shareholder will be registered as a shareholder of record in the Company’s share ledger. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC will continue to register transfers of shares in the share register in its capacity as transfer agent.

The registration of shareholders for voting purposes does not impact trading of Auris Medical shares held by registered shareholders before, during or after the General Meeting.

E.

“Street Name” Holders

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“Street name” holders hold their shares through a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee. The record date for “street name” holders is February 26, 2019. “Street name” holders should follow the instructions provided by their bank, broker or nominee when voting their shares. “Street name” holders who wish to vote in person at the General Meeting must obtain a signed proxy from the organization that holds their shares entitling them to represent and vote the shares at the General Meeting. The proxy must be presented at the entrance together with a government issued proof of identification.

“Street name” holders who have not obtained a proxy from their broker or custodian are not entitled to vote in person or participate in the General Meeting.

F.

Presence Quorum Requirement

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Neither the Swiss law nor the Company’s articles of association provide for a presence quorum requirement for the transaction of business at the General Meeting. Therefore, technically the presence in person or by proxy of one shareholder entitled to cast at least one of the shares entitled to vote at General Meeting will constitutes a quorum.

G.

How many votes you have

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On each proposal to be voted upon, you have one vote for each of our common share that you owned on the record date.

H.

Required Vote

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The proposals for approval the Redomestication, the adoption and approval of the Memorandum of Continuance and the adoption and approval of the Bye-laws must be approved by at least two thirds of the shares present at the General Meeting, whether in person or by proxy. The board of directors may, at any time, withdraw any of its proposals before shareholders vote on such proposal (including during the General Meeting).

I.

How Votes are Counted

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For the approval of the Redomestication, the adoption and approval of the Memorandum of Continuance and the adoption and approval of the Bye-laws, you may vote “For”, “Against”, or “Abstain” for the proposals. Votes that abstain and broker non-votes will have the same effect as “Against” votes.

A “broker non-vote” occurs when a broker, bank, or other nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner in street name does not vote on a particular proposal because it does not have discretionary voting power with respect to that proposal and has not received instructions with respect to that proposal from the beneficial owner of those shares, despite voting on at least one other proposal for which it does have discretionary authority or for which it has received instructions.

J.

Revocability of Proxy

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If you are a shareholder of record, you may revoke your proxy and change your vote at any time before the respective vote at the General Meeting. You may vote again on a later date via the Internet or by telephone (only your latest Internet or telephone proxy submitted prior to the General Meeting will be counted), by signing and returning a new proxy card with a later date, or by attending the General Meeting and voting in person. Your attendance at the General Meeting will not automatically revoke your prior proxy unless you vote again at the General Meeting or specifically request in writing that your prior proxy be revoked. You may also request that your prior proxy be revoked by following the steps on item C. Representation above.

If you hold your shares in street name, you will need to follow the voting instructions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee regarding how to revoke or change your vote.

K.

Cost of Proxy Preparation and Solicitation

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We pay the cost of proxy preparation and solicitation, including the reasonable charges and expenses of brokers, banks or other nominees for forwarding proxy materials to street name holders.

We are soliciting proxies primarily by mail. In addition, our directors, officers and regular employees may solicit proxies by telephone, facsimile, mail, other means of communication or personally. These individuals will receive no additional compensation for such services.

We will ask brokers, banks, and other nominees to forward the proxy materials to their principals and to obtain their authority to execute proxies and voting instructions. We will reimburse them for their reasonable charges and expenses.

Questions:

Please contact Auris Medical at the address below:
Auris Medical Holding AG
Attn. Investor Relations
Bahnhofstrasse 21
6300 Zug, Switzerland
Phone: +41 41 729 71 94
investors@aurismedical.com

Translation

A German and an English version of this invitation exist. In case of discrepancies between the English version and the German original of this invitation, the wording of the German original prevails.

Einladung zur ausserordentlichen Generalversammlung der Auris Medical Holding AG

Sehr geehrte Aktionäre:

Unsere ausserordentliche Generalversammlung (,,Generalversammlung“) wird am folgendem Ort und zu folgender Zeit stattfinden:

Traktanden

Traktandum 1:   Verlegung des Sitzes der Gesellschaft nach Bermuda

Sitzverlegung; Unterstellung nach Bermuda Recht; Registrierung beim Registerführer der Gesellschaften in Bermuda

Der Verwaltungsrat beantragt, (i) den Sitz der Gesellschaft von Zug, Schweiz, nach Bermuda zu verlegen und die Gesellschaft gemäss Art. 132C des Companies Act 1981 von Bermuda (der ,,Companies Act“) in Bermuda fortzuführen (ii) die Gesellschaft in Bermuda mit dem Namen ,,Auris Medical Holding Ltd“ beim Registerführer der Gesellschaften als “exempted company limited by shares” zu registrieren und (iii) die Gesellschaft ohne Liquidation und ohne Neugründung dem Recht von Bermuda zu unterstellen.

Erläuterung:   Es ist beabsichtigt, den Sitz der Gesellschaft gemäss den Bestimmungen von Art. 163 des Bundesgesetzes über das Internationale Privatrecht nach Bermuda zu verlegen und diese dort gemäss Art. 132C des Companies Act fortzuführen (die ,,Sitzverlegung“). Die Gesellschaft soll in Bermuda in der Rechtsform einer ,,exempted company limited by shares“ gemäss den Vorschriften des Companies Act unter Fortbestand ihrer Rechtspersönlichkeit fortbestehen (d.h. die Sitzverlegung erfolgt identitätswahrend und hat daher keine Schaffung einer neuen juristischen Person zur Folge). Um die Flexibilität der Gesellschaft zu erhöhen, Kostenersparungen zu erzielen und um den Sitz der Gesellschaft in eine Jurisdiktion zu verlagern, die den meisten ihrer bestehenden und potentiellen neuen Investoren vertraut ist, hält der Verwaltungsrat die vorgeschlagene Sitzverlegung der Gesellschaft nach Bermuda, als im besten Interesse der Gesellschaft und ihrer Aktionäre. Der Verwaltungsrat wird allenfalls nicht in der Lage sein, die Sitzverlegung umzusetzen, wenn notwendige Zustimmungen, Rulings und Genehmigungen, einschliesslich Genehmigungen von Schweizer und Bermuda Behörden nicht erteilt werden.

Traktandum 2:   Weitere Genehmigungen im Zusammenhang mit der Sitzverlegung

Traktandum 2.1.:   Erlass und Genehmigung des Memorandums of Continuance

Der Verwaltungsrat beantragt, das diesem ,,Proxy Statement“/Prospekt als Anhang A angehängten ,,memorandum of continuance“ (das ,,Memorandum of Continuance“), mit Wirkung ab der Sitzverlegung zu erlassen und zu genehmigen. Das Memorandum of Continuance wiederspiegelt unter anderem (i) den Rechtsformwechsel der Gesellschaft von einer Aktiengesellschaft nach schweizerischem Recht in eine ,,exempted company limited by shares“ nach Bermuda Recht, (ii) das genehmigte Aktienkapital der Gesellschaft, (iii) den uneingeschränkten Zweck der Gesellschaft und (iv) die Tatsache, dass die Gesellschaft die Eigenschaften, Rechte, Fähigkeiten sowie die Privilegien einer natürlichen Person hat.

Erläuterung:   Die Gesellschaft muss anlässlich der Sitzverlegung das Memorandum of Continuance nach Bermuda Recht genehmigen Die neue Rechtsform der Gesellschaft, eine ,,exempted company limited by shares“, wird ihrer bisherigen Rechtsform (schweizerische Aktiengesellschaft) weitgehend entsprechen und die Gesellschaft wird ihre Organisation soweit als möglich beibehalten. Gemäss dem Memorandum of Continuance wird das genehmigte Aktienkapital der Gesellschaft CHF 4‘400‘000.00 betragen, eingeteilt in 200‘000‘000 Stammaktien zu je CHF 0.02 und 20‘000‘000 Vorzugsaktien zu je CHF 0.02. Der Zweck der Gesellschaft ist uneingeschränkt und sie wird die Eigenschaften, Rechte, Fähigkeiten und Privilegien einer natürlichen Person haben.

Weitere Unterlagen:   Eine Kopie des Memorandum of Continuance ist diesem ,,Proxy Statement“/​Prospekt als Anhang A angehängt und kann auf der Website der Gesellschaft (www.aurismedical.com) unter ,,Investors“ heruntergeladen werden.

Traktandum 2.1. steht unter dem Vorbehalt der Genehmigung von Traktandum 1.

Traktandum 2.2.:   Erlass und Genehmigung der Statuten (Bye-Laws)

Der Verwaltungsrat beantragt, die diesem ,,Proxy Statement“/Prospekt als Anhang B angehängten Statuten (,,Bye-laws“), mit Wirkung ab der Sitzverlegung, zu erlassen und zu genehmigen, und die aktuellen Statuten des Unternehmens mit diesen Bye-laws zu ersetzen. Die Bye-laws wiederspiegeln unter anderem den Rechtsformwechsel des Gesellschaft von einer Aktiengesellschaft nach schweizerischem Recht in eine ,,exempted company limited by shares“ nach Bermuda Recht, und die Kompetenz der Verwaltungsrates der Gesellschaft, alle Befugnisse auszuüben, die den Mitgliedern des Verwaltungsrates der Gesellschaft gemäss den Bye-laws übertragen wurden, inklusive auf die Kompetenzen und Befugnisse, die gemäss Bye-laws keiner weiteren Genehmigung der Aktionäre bedürfen, um ausgeübt werden zu können: 2 (Befugnis zur Ausgabe von Aktien), 3 (Befugnis der Gesellschaft zum Erwerb ihrer Aktien), 4 (Mit Aktien verbundene Rechte), 11 (Übertragung von Namenaktien), 13 (Befugnis zur Kapitalveränderungen), 41 (Vakanzen im Verwaltungsrat), 42 (Vergütung des Verwaltungsrates), 45 (Kompetenzen des Verwaltungsrates) und 76 (Nichtweiterführung).

Erklärung:   Die Gesellschaft muss anlässlich der Sitzverlegung ihre Schweizer Statuten ersetzen und neue Bye-laws nach Bermuda Recht genehmigen. Die neue Rechtsform des Unternehmens, eine ,,exempted company limited by shares“, wird ihrer derzeitigen Rechtsform (Schweizer Aktiengesellschaft) weitgehend entsprechen und die Gesellschaft wird, soweit möglich, ihre bisherige Organisation beibehalten. Die Bye-laws erteilen u.a. dem Verwaltungsrat weitere Kompetenzen und Befugnisse, bestimmte Handlungen ohne die Zustimmung der Aktionäre vorzunehmen, die der Verwaltungsrat nach unseren Schweizer Statuten derzeit nicht besitzt.

Weitere Unterlagen:   Eine Kopie der Bye-laws ist diesem ,,Proxy Statement“/Prospekt als Anhang B beigefügt und steht im Bereich “Investoren” auf unserer Website (www.aurismedical.com) zum Download bereit.

Traktandum 2.2. steht unter dem Vorbehalt der Genehmigung von Traktandum 1 und 2.1.

Die oben erwähnten Punkte der Traktanden sind in diesem ,,Proxy Statement“/Prospekt genauer beschrieben.

Zug,       Februar 2019
Für den Verwaltungsrat
//Thomas Meyer, Präsident und CEO

Organisatorische Hinweise

A.

Dokumentation

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Die Dokumentation zur Generalversammlung kann unter der Rubrik ,,Investors“ auf unserer Website (www.aurismedical.com) eingesehen werden.

B.

Einladung und Persönliche Teilnahme

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An der Generalversammlung teilnahme- und stimmberechtigt sind die am 26. Februar 2019 um 16 Uhr EST im Aktienbuch unseres Transfer Agents, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, eingetragenen Aktionäre. Der Versand der Einladung und des Vollmachtformulars beginnt am 15. Februar 2019 an die am 14. Februar 2019 im Aktienbuch eingetragenen Aktionäre. Aktionäre, die sich nach dem 14. Februar im Aktienbuch eintragen lassen, erhalten die Einladung nach dem am 26. Februar 2019.

Aktionäre, die persönlich an der Generalversammlung teilnehmen, müssen sich am Eingang mit dem Vollmachtformular und einem gültigen Personalausweis ausweisen.

C.

Vollmachten

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Aktionäre, die nicht persönlich an der Generalversammlung teilnehmen, können:

a.

dem unabhängigen Stimmrechtsvertreter, Herrn RA Sandro Tobler, Schnurrenberger, Tobler, Gnehm & Partner, Alpen-strasse 2, 6300 Zug, Schweiz, schriftlich oder elektronisch (vgl. hierzu die Instruktionen auf dem Vollmachtformular) eine Vollmacht erteilen; oder

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b.

einem anderen Aktionär oder einen Dritten schriftlich eine Vollmacht erteilen.

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Vollmachten an den unabhängigen Stimmrechtsvertreter müssen bis zum 6. März 2019, 16 Uhr EST, beim unabhängigen Stimmrechtsvertreter oder bei Vote Processing c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood NY11717, USA, eingehen. Später eingehende Vollmachten können nicht berücksichtigt werden.

Um elektronisch abzustimmen, besuchen Sie bitte die Website proxyvote.com und folgen den Anweisungen. Sie benötigen eine sechzehnstellige Kontrollnummer, die Sie Ihrem Vollmachtformular entnehmen können. Elektronische Vollmachten müssen bis zum 7. März 2019, 16 Uhr EST, eingehen.

Aktionäre, die dem unabhängigen Stimmrechtsvertreter schriftlich oder elektronisch eine Vollmacht erteilen, sind an der Generalversammlung nicht stimmberechtigt.

D.

Eintragungen im Aktienbuch/Keine Handelsbeschränkung

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Informationen zur Eintragung im Aktienbuch sind in der Investor Relations Abteilung unserer Website (www.aurismedical.com) erhältlich. Zwischen dem 26. Februar 2019, 16 Uhr EST, und             8. März 2019, 16 Uhr EST, werden keine Aktionäre mit Stimmrecht im Aktienbuch der Gesellschaft eingetragen. In ihrer Eigenschaft als Transfer Agent nimmt American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC Eintragungen und Löschungen im Aktienbuch auch während der Registersperre vor.

Die Eintragung der Aktionäre zum Zweck der Stimmabgabe hat keinen Einfluss auf den Handel mit Auris Medical Aktien, die von den eingetragenen Aktionären vor, während oder nach der Generalversammlung gehalten werden.

E.

Aktien in “Street Name”

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Der Stichtag für Aktien, die treuhänderisch gehalten werden, ist der 26. Februar 2019. Die wirtschaftlich Berechtigten beachten in Bezug auf die Ausübung der Stimmrechte die Weisungen ihrer Bank, Broker oder Treuhänder. Wirtschaftlich Berechtigte, die persönlich an der Generalversammlung teilnehmen wollen, benötigen eine Vollmacht der Organisation, die ihre Aktien hält. Die Vollmacht muss zusammen mit einem gültigen Personalausweis am Eingang zur Generalversammlung vorgewiesen werden.

Wirtschaftlich Berechtigte, die keine Vollmacht von Ihrem Broker oder Treuhänder erhalten haben, sind nicht berechtigt, die Aktien zu vertreten und an der Generalversammlung teilzunehmen.

F.

Erforderliches Präsenzquorum

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Weder das Schweizer Recht noch die Statuten der Gesellschaft sehen für die Beschlussfähigkeit der Generalversammlung ein Präsenzquorum vor. Demzufolge ist bereits mit der Anwesenheit eines Aktionärs oder eines Vertreters, der berechtigt ist, mindestens mit einer Aktie an der Generalversammlung zu stimmen, ein Quorum gegeben.

G.

Wie viele Stimmen hat man

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Für jedes Traktandum, über welches abgestimmt werden soll, berechtigt jede Namenaktie, welche man am Stichtag hält, zu einer Stimme.

H.

Anforderungen an das Beschlussquorum

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Die Anträge zur Genehmigung der Sitzverlegung, des Erlasses und der Genehmigung des Memorandums of Continuance sowie des Erlasses und der Genehmigung der Bye-laws müssen von mindestens zwei Dritteln der an der Generalversammlung vertretenen Aktien (persönlich oder durch einen Vertreter) genehmigt werden. Der Verwaltungsrat kann jederzeit, bevor die Aktionäre über das betreffende Traktandum abgestimmt haben, einen Antrag des Verwaltungsrates zurückziehen (auch noch während der Generalversammlung).

I.

Wie die Stimmen gezählt werden

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Für die Genehmigung der Sitzverlegung, des Erlasses und der Genehmigung des Memorandums of Continuance sowie des Erlasses und der Genehmigung der Bye-laws, kann man entweder mit ,,Für“, ,,Gegen“ oder ,,Stimmenthaltung“ stimmen.

Ein og. ,,broker non-vote“ liegt vor, wenn ein Broker, eine Bank oder ein Treuhänder, welche Aktien für einen wirtschaftlich Berechtigten treuhänderisch halten, nicht für einen bestimmten Antrag stimmen, weil sie kein Ermessen in Bezug auf die Stimmabgabe zu diesen Antrag haben und keine Weisungen bezüglich des Antrags vom wirtschaftlichen Berechtigten der Aktien erhalten haben, obwohl sie über mindestens einen anderen Antrag abstimmen oder abgestimmt haben, für welchen sie einen Ermessensspielraum haben oder für welchen sie Weisungen erhalten haben.

J.

Widerruf der Vollmacht

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Wenn Sie ein eingetragener Aktionär sind, können Sie Ihre Vollmacht widerrufen und Ihre Stimmabgabe jederzeit vor der Abstimmung an der Generalversammlung ändern. Sie können zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt erneut via Internet oder telefonisch (es wird nur Ihre letzte vor der Generalversammlung eingereichte Internet- oder Telefonvollmacht berücksichtigt) erneut abstimmen, indem Sie eine neue ,,Vollmachtkarte“ mit einem späteren Datum unterschreiben und zurücksenden, oder indem Sie an der Generalversammlung teilnehmen und persönlich abstimmen. Ihre Teilnahme an der Generalversammlung hat nicht automatisch den Widerruf Ihrer bisherige Vollmacht zur Folge, sofern Sie nicht erneut an der Generalversammlung selber abstimmen oder ausdrücklich schriftlich verlangen, dass Ihre bisherige Vollmacht widerrufen wird. Sie können ebenfalls beantragen, dass Ihre bisherige Vollmacht widerrufen wird, indem Sie die Schritte in Abschnitt C. Vollmachten oben befolgen.

Falls Ihre Aktien treuhänderisch gehalten werden, befolgen Sie bitte die Anweisungen betreffend Abstimmungen, welche Sie von Ihrem Broker, Ihrer Bank oder Ihrem Treuhänder erhalten haben.

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Kosten für die Vorbereitung und Einholung der Vollmacht

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Wir bezahlen die Kosten für die Vorbereitung und Einholung der Vollmacht, inklusive angemessener Gebühren und Ausgaben der Broker, der Banken oder der Treuhänder für das Weiterleiten der Einladungsdokumentation an die Aktionäre, deren Aktien treuhänderisch gehalten werden.

Wir holen Vollmachten in erster Linie per E-Mail ein. Zudem nehmen unsere Mitglieder des Verwaltungsrates, Geschäftsführer und regulären Angestellte Vollmachten via Telefon, Fax, E-Mail oder mittels anderer Kommunikationsmittel und auch persönlich entgegen. Jene Personen erhalten keine weitere Entschädigung für diese Dienstleistung.

Wir werden die Broker, Banken und Treuhänder instruieren, die Einladungsdokumentation an ihre Auftraggeber weiterzuleiten, um deren Zustimmung zur Ausübung von Vollmachten einzuholen und Weisungen betreffend die Stimmabgabe zu erteilen. Wir werden jene für ihre Gebühren und Ausgaben angemessen entschädigen.

Fragen:

Bei Fragen zur Generalversammlung wenden Sie sich bitte an:
Auris Medical Holding AG
zHd Investor Relations
Bahnhofstrasse 21
6300 Zug, Schweiz
Tel. +41 41 729 71 94
investors@aurismedical.com

Übersetzung

Diese Einladung wurde in einer deutschen und einer englischen Version ausgefertigt. Im Falle von Widersprüchen zwischen der englischen Fassung und der deutschen Originalversion dieser Einladung, geht die deutsche Originalversion vor.

This proxy statement/prospectus provides you with detailed information about the matters to be considered at the General Meeting of shareholders. We encourage you to carefully read this entire document.

Our common shares are currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EARS.” We will seek, and expect to receive, approval from the Nasdaq Capital Market to trade the common shares of Auris Medical (Bermuda) under the same symbol upon effectiveness of the Redomestication.

See the “Risk Factors” beginning on page 7 of this proxy statement/prospectus for a discussion of certain risks that you should consider as shareholders of the Company with respect to the Redomestication, and the ownership of our common shares.

NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

We intend to apply for, and expect to receive, consent under the Exchange Control Act 1972 (and its related regulations) from the Bermuda Monetary Authority for the issue and transfer of our common shares to and between residents and non-residents of Bermuda for exchange control purposes provided our common shares remain listed on an appointed stock exchange, which includes the Nasdaq Capital Market. In granting such consent, neither the Bermuda Monetary Authority nor the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda accepts any responsibility for our financial soundness or the correctness of any of the statements made or opinions expressed in this proxy statement/prospectus.

This proxy statement/prospectus is dated February       , 2019, and is first being sent or given to
our shareholders on or about February       , 2019.

table of contents

In this proxy statement/prospectus, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references to “Auris Medical Holding AG” or “Auris,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” “ours,” “us” or similar terms refer to Auris Medical Holding AG, together with its subsidiaries, prior to our corporate reorganization by way of the Merger (as defined below) on March 13, 2018 (i.e. to the transferring entity), and to Auris Medical Holding AG (formerly Auris Medical NewCo Holding AG), together with its subsidiaries after the Merger (i.e. to the surviving entity) and prior to the Redomestication. The trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this proxy statement/prospectus are property of their respective owners. The term “you” means you, the reader and a shareholder of the Company. The term “Auris Medical (Bermuda)” refers to Auris Medical Holding Ltd., a Bermuda corporation whose shares you are expected to own after we change the corporate jurisdiction of the Company from Switzerland to Bermuda pursuant to the Redomestication.

On March 13, 2018, Auris NewCo Holding AG merged (the “Merger”) with Auris Medical Holding AG (“Auris OldCo”), a corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) organized in accordance with Swiss law and domiciled in Switzerland. The Merger took place following Auris OldCo shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held on March 12, 2018. Auris NewCo Holding AG changed its name to Auris Medical Holding AG following consummation of the Merger.

Unless indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this proxy statement/prospectus to our common shares as of any date prior to March 13, 2018 refer to our common shares (having a nominal value of CHF 0.40 each) prior to the 10:1 “reverse share split” effected through the Merger and all references to our common shares as of, and after, March 13, 2018 refer to our common shares (having a nominal value of CHF 0.02 each) after the 10:1 “reverse share split” effected through the Merger.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This proxy statement/prospectus and documents incorporated by reference herein and therein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Many of the forward-looking statements contained in this proxy statement/prospectus can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate” and “potential,” among others, or the negatives thereof.

Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations. Forward-looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to those identified under “Risk Factors” in this proxy statement/prospectus. These risks and uncertainties include factors relating to:

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our operation as a development-stage company with limited operating history and a history of operating losses;

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our need for substantial additional funding to continue the development of our product candidates before we can expect to become profitable from sales of our products and the possibility that we may be unable to raise additional capital when needed;

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the outcome of our review of strategic options and of any action that we may pursue as a result of such review;

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our dependence on the success of AM-125, AM-201, Keyzilen® (AM-101) and Sonsuvi® (AM-111), which are still in clinical development, may eventually prove to be unsuccessful;

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the chance that we may become exposed to costly and damaging liability claims resulting from the testing of our product candidates in the clinic or in the commercial stage;

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the chance our clinical trials may not be completed on schedule, or at all, as a result of factors such as delayed enrollment or the identification of adverse effects;

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uncertainty surrounding whether any of our product candidates will receive regulatory approval, which is necessary before they can be commercialized;

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if our product candidates obtain regulatory approval, our product candidates being subject to expensive, ongoing obligations and continued regulatory overview;

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enacted and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval and commercialization;

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the chance that we do not obtain orphan drug exclusivity for Sonsuvi®, which would allow our competitors to sell products that treat the same conditions;

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dependence on governmental authorities and health insurers establishing adequate reimbursement levels and pricing policies;

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our products may not gain market acceptance, in which case we may not be able to generate product revenues;

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our reliance on our current strategic relationships with INSERM or Xigen and the potential success or failure of strategic relationships, joint ventures or mergers and acquisitions transactions;

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our reliance on third parties to conduct our nonclinical and clinical trials and on third-party, single-source suppliers to supply or produce our product candidates;

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our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property rights and operate our business without infringing or otherwise violating the intellectual property rights of others;

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our ability to comply with the requirements under our term loan facility with Hercules Capital, Inc., including repayment of amounts outstanding when due;

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our ability to meet the continuing listing requirements of Nasdaq and remain listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market;

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the chance that certain intangible assets related to our product candidates will be impaired; and

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other risk factors discussed under “Risk Factors.”

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Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information or future developments or to release publicly any revisions to these statements in order to reflect later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below and the other information in this proxy statement/prospectus before making an investment decision with respect to our common shares. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if any of these risks occurs, and as a result, the market price of our common shares could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. This proxy statement/prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Forward-Looking Statements.” Our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

We are in the process of evaluating potential next steps in the development of our lead product candidate, Keyzilen® following the failure of the Phase 3 trial. In addition, we have initiated a strategic partnering process for our second lead product candidate Sonsuvi®. We cannot give any assurance that these candidates will continue to be developed, receive regulatory approval or be successfully commercialized or partnered.

We do not have any products that have gained regulatory approval. We have two lead clinical-stage product candidates, (i) Keyzilen® (AM-101), which is being developed for the treatment of acute inner ear tinnitus and (ii) Sonsuvi® (AM-111), which is being developed for the treatment of acute inner ear hearing loss. On March 13, 2018, we announced that preliminary top-line data from the TACTT3 Phase 3 clinical trial with Keyzilen® indicated that the study did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in the Tinnitus Functional Index, or TFI, score from baseline to Day 84 in the active treated group compared to placebo either in the overall population or in the otitis media subpopulation. This followed our announcement in August 2016 that, TACTT2, the previously conducted Phase 3 sister trial with Keyzilen®, did not meet its two co-primary efficacy endpoints of statistically significant changes in tinnitus loudness and tinnitus burden compared to placebo. We are in the process of evaluating our options for the Keyzilen® development program, including whether we will continue to seek the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of either Keyzilen® in the future, or pursue an alternative course of action. If we continue development of Keyzilen®, we would need to conduct additional studies and trials in the future, in order to pursue regulatory approval and would need to raise additional capital to fund any such additional study, and we may be unable to secure such capital. If we are not able to raise additional capital, we may not be able to complete the development, testing and commercialization of Keyzilen®.

On November 28, 2017, we announced that the HEALOS Phase 3 clinical trial that investigated our other lead product candidate, Sonsuvi®, in the treatment of acute inner ear hearing loss did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in hearing from baseline to Day 28 compared to placebo for either active treatment groups in the overall study population. However, in post-hoc analyses a clinically meaningful and nominally significant improvement in hearing was observed in the subpopulation of patients with acute profound hearing loss at baseline. Based on these results, we submitted the design of a new pivotal trial with AM-111 0.4 mg/mL in patients suffering from acute profound hearing loss to the EMA and subsequently also to the FDA for review. Through a Protocol Assistance procedure the EMA endorsed the proposed trial design, choice of efficacy and safety endpoints, as well as the statistical methodology. In a Type C meeting with written responses, the proposed choice of primary and secondary efficacy endpoints, the safety endpoints, as well as the planned sample size and statistical methodology were also endorsed by the FDA. Following this feedback, we have mandated a transaction advisory firm to identify potential partners for the Sonsuvi® development program and provide support for partnering discussions and negotiations. If successful, this may result in one or several sale, out-licensing or co-development transaction(s) on a global or regional scale. However, there is no guarantee that we will be successful in any pursuit of such strategic options or if we do continue our efforts to develop and commercialize Sonsuvi® in the future, or that any alternative course of action will lead to the success of the program.

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We are a development-stage company and have a limited operating history and a history of operating losses. We anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future.

We are a development-stage biopharmaceutical company with limited operating history. Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. We incurred net losses (defined as net loss attributable to owners of the Company) of CHF 7.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, and CHF 24.4 million, CHF 30.7 million and CHF 29.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As of September 30, 2018, we had an accumulated deficit of CHF 142.5 million.

Our losses have resulted principally from expenses incurred in research and development of our product candidates, pre-clinical research and general and administrative expenses that we have incurred while building our business infrastructure. We expect to continue to incur significant operating losses in the future as we continue our research and development efforts for our product candidates in clinical development. In our financial year ended December 31, 2017, we incurred CHF 19.2 million in research and development costs, and we expect that our total operating expense in 2018 will be in the range of CHF 10.0 to 13.0 million.

To date, we have financed our operations through the initial public offering and a follow-on offering of our common shares, private placements of equity securities and short- and long-term loans. On July 19, 2016, we entered into a Loan and Security Agreement with Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc., or Hercules. The agreement provides us with a senior secured term loan facility for up to $20 million. As of September 30, 2018, the amount outstanding under the Loan and Security Agreement was CHF 2.1 million. On January 31, 2019, we made the final payment to Hercules under the facility, comprising the last amortization rate as well as an end of term charge. With the final payment, all covenants and collaterals in favor of Hercules have been lifted.

We have no products approved for commercialization and have never generated any revenues from product sales. Biopharmaceutical product development is a highly speculative undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk. It may be several years, if ever, before we have a product candidate approved for commercialization and begin to generate revenues from product sales.

We have never generated any revenue from product sales and may never be profitable.

We have no products approved for commercialization and have never generated any revenue. Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability depends on our ability to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the marketing approvals necessary to commercialize, one or more of our product candidates. We do not anticipate generating revenue from product sales unless and until we obtain regulatory approval for, and commercialize, Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 or AM-201. Our ability to generate future revenue from product sales depends heavily on our success in many areas, including but not limited to:

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completing research and clinical development of our product candidates;

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obtaining marketing approvals for our product candidates, including Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 or AM-201, for which we will have to complete clinical trials;

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developing a sustainable and scalable manufacturing process for any approved product candidates and maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties that can conduct the process and provide adequate (in amount and quality) products to support clinical development and the market demand for our product candidates, if approved;

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launching and commercializing product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval, either directly or with a collaborator or distributor;

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obtaining market acceptance of our product candidates as viable treatment options;

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addressing any competing technological and market developments;

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identifying, assessing, acquiring and/or developing new product candidates;

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negotiating favorable terms in any collaboration, licensing, or other arrangements into which we may enter;

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maintaining, protecting, and expanding our portfolio of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets, and know-how; and

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attracting, hiring, and retaining qualified personnel.

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Even if one or more of the product candidates that we develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties with pharmaceutical product development, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when, or if, we will be able to achieve profitability. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, the EMA, or other regulatory agencies, domestic or foreign, to change our manufacturing processes, or to perform clinical, nonclinical, or other types of trials in addition to those that we currently anticipate. In cases where we are successful in obtaining regulatory approvals to market one or more of our product candidates, our revenue will be dependent, in part, upon the size of the markets in the territories for which we gain regulatory approval, the accepted price for the product, the ability to obtain coverage and reimbursement at any price, and whether we own the commercial rights for that territory. If the number of our addressable patients is not as significant as we estimate, the indication approved by regulatory authorities is narrower than we expect, or the treatment population is narrowed by competition, physician choice or treatment guidelines, we may not generate significant revenue from sales of such products, even if approved. Additionally, if we are not able to generate sufficient revenue from the sale of any approved products, we may never become profitable.

We may be unable to develop and commercialize Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 or AM-201 or any other product candidate and, even if we do, may never achieve profitability. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would decrease the value of the Company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business or continue our operations.

We expect that we will need substantial additional funding before we can expect to become profitable from sales of our products. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts.

We expect our research and development expenses to remain significant in connection with our ongoing clinical development activities, particularly as we continue our ongoing trials of AM-125, may initiate new trials of Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® and initiate pre-clinical and clinical development of other product candidates. We expect that our total operating expense in 2019 will be in the range of CHF 10.0 to 13.0 million. As of September 30, 2018, our cash and cash equivalents were CHF 5.3 million. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements at least until the second quarter of 2019. Our assumptions may prove to be wrong, and we may have to use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, suspend, reduce or terminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts. Also, should we fail to raise sufficient funds to cover our operating expenditures for at least a 12 month period, we may no longer be considered a “going concern.” The lack of a going concern assessment may negatively affect the valuation of the Company’s investments in its subsidiaries and result in a revaluation of these holdings. Under Swiss law, should the Company’s assets fall short of its liabilities as evidenced by the Company’s standalone Swiss GAAP accounts, the board of directors will have to immediately take steps to restructure the business or if it fails to do, file for bankruptcy. If the board of directors fails to take appropriate action, under Swiss law, in case of such over-indebtedness, the auditors may, according to Swiss law, file for bankruptcy on the Company’s behalf. Following the Redomestication, similar standards will apply under Bermuda law, and the board of directors will need to consider the interests of our creditors and take appropriate action to restructure the business if it appears that we are insolvent or likely to become insolvent. Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:

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the scope, rate of progress, results and cost of our clinical trials, nonclinical testing, and other related activities;

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the cost of manufacturing clinical supplies, and establishing commercial supplies, of our product candidates and any products that we may develop;

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the number and characteristics of product candidates that we pursue;

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the cost, timing, and outcomes of regulatory approvals;

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the cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities; and

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the terms and timing of any collaborative, licensing, and other arrangements that we may establish, including any required milestone and royalty payments thereunder.

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We expect that we will require additional funding to continue our ongoing clinical development activities and seek to obtain regulatory approval for, and commercialize, our product candidates. If we receive regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, and if we choose to not grant any licenses to partners, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution, depending on where we choose to commercialize. We also expect to continue to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. Additional funds may not be available on a timely basis, on favorable terms, or at all, and such funds, if raised, may not be sufficient to enable us to continue to implement our long-term business strategy. If we are not able to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts.

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our shareholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our intellectual property or future revenue streams.

Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenue, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, grants, and license and development agreements in connection with any collaborations. We do not have any committed external source of funds. In the event we need to seek additional funds, we may raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities. In such an event, our shareholders’ ownership interests will be diluted, and the terms of these new securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our shareholders’ rights as holders of our common shares. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements, such as our term loan agreement with Hercules, that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.

If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our intellectual property or future revenue streams. If we are unable to raise additional funds when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.

We do not have a history of commercializing pharmaceutical products, which may make it difficult to evaluate the prospects for our future viability.

Our operations to date have been limited to financing and staffing the Company, developing our technology and developing our product candidates. We have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully complete large-scale, pivotal clinical trials, obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial scale product or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Consequently, predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a history of successfully developing and commercializing pharmaceutical products.

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Risks Related to the Development and Clinical Testing of Our Product Candidates

We depend entirely on the success of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, and AM-125 and AM-201, which are still in clinical development. If our clinical trials are unsuccessful, we do not obtain regulatory approval or we are unable to commercialize Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201, or we experience significant delays in doing so, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.

We currently have no products approved for sale and have invested a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in the development of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201, which are still in clinical development. Our ability to generate product revenues, which we do not expect will occur for at least the next few years, if ever, will depend heavily on successful clinical development, obtaining regulatory approval and eventual commercialization of these product candidates. We currently generate no revenues from sales of any drugs, and we may never be able to develop or commercialize a marketable drug. The success of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201 and our other product candidates will depend on several factors, including the following:

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completing clinical trials that demonstrate the efficacy and safety of our product candidates;

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receiving marketing approvals from competent regulatory authorities;

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establishing commercial manufacturing capabilities;

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launching commercial sales, marketing and distribution operations;

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acceptance of our product candidates by patients, the medical community and third-party payors;

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a continued acceptable safety profile following approval;

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competing effectively with other therapies; and

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qualifying for, maintaining, enforcing and defending our intellectual property rights and claims.

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If we do not achieve one or more of these factors in a timely manner or at all, we could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully commercialize Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201, which would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Clinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain timelines and uncertain outcomes, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results. If clinical trials of our product candidates are prolonged or delayed, we may be unable to obtain required regulatory approvals, and therefore be unable to commercialize our product candidates on a timely basis or at all.

To obtain the requisite regulatory approvals to market and sell any of our product candidates, we must demonstrate through extensive pre-clinical studies and clinical trials that our products are safe and effective in humans. Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of pre-clinical studies and early clinical trials of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. For example, positive results generated to date in clinical trials for our product candidates do not ensure that later clinical trials will demonstrate similar results. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through pre-clinical studies and initial clinical trials. A number of companies in the biopharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. Our future clinical trial results may not be successful.

Clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with FDA, EMA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities’ legal requirements, regulations or guidelines, and are subject to oversight by these governmental agencies and Institutional Review Boards, or IRBs, at the medical institutions where the clinical trials are conducted. In addition, clinical trials must be conducted with supplies of our product candidates produced under current good manufacturing practices, or cGMP, and other requirements. We depend on medical institutions and clinical research organizations, or CROs, to conduct our clinical trials in compliance with

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current good clinical practice, or cGCP, standards. To the extent the CROs fail to enroll participants for our clinical trials, fail to conduct the trials to cGCP standards or are delayed for a significant time in the execution of trials, including achieving full enrollment, we may be affected by increased costs, program delays or both, which may harm our business.

To date, we have not completed all clinical trials required for the approval of any of our product candidates. Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® are in Phase 3 clinical development and AM-125 is in Phase 2 and AM-201 is in Phase 1 clinical development.

The completion of clinical trials for our clinical product candidates may be delayed, suspended or terminated as a result of many factors, including but not limited to:

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the delay or refusal of regulators or IRBs to authorize us to commence a clinical trial at a prospective trial site and changes in regulatory requirements, policies and guidelines;

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delays or failure to reach agreement on acceptable terms with prospective CROs and clinical trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;

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delays in patient enrollment and variability in the number and types of patients available for clinical trials;

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the inability to enroll a sufficient number of patients in trials to ensure adequate statistical power to detect statistically significant treatment effects;

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negative or inconclusive results, which may require us to conduct additional pre-clinical or clinical trials or to abandon projects that we expect to be promising;

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safety or tolerability concerns could cause us to suspend or terminate a trial if we find that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

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regulators or IRBs requiring that we or our investigators suspend or terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or safety concerns, among others;

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lower than anticipated retention rates of patients and volunteers in clinical trials;

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our CROs or clinical trial sites failing to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all, deviating from the protocol or dropping out of a trial;

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delays relating to adding new clinical trial sites;

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difficulty in maintaining contact with patients after treatment, resulting in incomplete data;

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errors in survey design, data collection and translation;

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delays in establishing the appropriate dosage levels;

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the quality or stability of the product candidate falling below acceptable standards;

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the inability to produce or obtain sufficient quantities of the product candidate to complete clinical trials; and

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exceeding budgeted costs due to difficulty in accurately predicting costs associated with clinical trials.

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Any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down our product candidate development and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly. In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates.

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Positive or timely results from pre-clinical or early-stage trials do not ensure positive or timely results in late-stage clinical trials or product approval by the FDA, the EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Product candidates that show positive pre-clinical or early clinical results may not show sufficient safety or efficacy in later stage clinical trials and therefore may fail to obtain regulatory approvals. For example, although Keyzilen® achieved favorable results in our Phase 2 efficacy trial, in August 2016, we announced that the Phase 3 TACTT2 clinical trial of Keyzilen® did not meet its two co-primary efficacy endpoints of statistically significant changes in tinnitus loudness and tinnitus burden compared to placebo. On March 13, 2018, we announced preliminary top-line data from the TACTT3 trial which indicated that the study had not met its primary efficacy endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in the Tinnitus Functional Score from baseline to Day 84 in the active treated group compared to placebo either in the overall population or in the otitis media subpopulation. On May 15, 2018, we announced that further investigation of the trial’s outcomes confirmed these preliminary results.

Also, pre-clinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses. Many companies that believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval for the product candidates. The FDA, the EMA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities have substantial discretion in the approval process and in determining when or whether regulatory approval will be obtained for any of our product candidates. Even if we believe the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates are promising, such data may not be sufficient to support approval by the FDA, the EMA or any other regulatory authority.

In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and/or efficacy results between different trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, differences in the size and type of the patient populations, adherence to the dosing regimen and other trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. In the case of our late-stage clinical product candidates, results may differ in general on the basis of the larger number of clinical trial sites and additional countries and languages involved in Phase 3 clinical trials.

In the case of Keyzilen®, our endpoints in Phase 3 clinical trials are based on patient reported outcomes, or PROs, some of which were captured daily from trial participants with electronic diaries. Based on insights from our analysis of the TACTT2 and TACTT3 trials, we believe the high frequency of tinnitus loudness ratings over an extended period of time may have caused a number of patients to excessively focus on their tinnitus symptoms, thereby influencing the measured outcome. In addition, the daily reporting requirements may have led to rating fatigue and a loss of accuracy and reliability of the data that were entered. In the previous clinical trials with Keyzilen® we had collected these PROs only during study visits, i.e. much less frequently. Under the SPA with the FDA we agreed to increase the rating frequency.

In the case of Sonsuvi®, we are evaluating the safety and efficacy in an idiopathic condition which implies a considerable heterogeneity in the etiology and natural history of the condition. In addition, we are dealing with a limited availability of detailed and reliable data relating to the natural history of acute hearing loss, which implies substantial uncertainty with regards to the design of clinical trials, e.g. for determining the number of patients required for statistical testing or the size of the expected treatment effect. For example, a Phase 2 clinical trial with Sonsuvi® showed a strong relationship between the level or severity of initial hearing loss and the size of the treatment effect for active-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients. Whereas a high spontaneous recovery rate and no treatment effects were observed in patients with mild to moderate hearing loss at baseline, lower spontaneous recovery and meaningful treatment effects were observed in patients with severe to profound hearing loss. Accordingly, enrollment into the Phase 3 trials HEALOS and ASSENT was restricted to patients with severe-profound hearing loss at baseline. On November 28, 2017, we announced that the HEALOS Phase 3 clinical trial that investigated Sonsuvi® in the treatment of acute inner ear hearing loss did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in hearing from baseline to Day 28 compared to placebo for either active treatment groups in the overall study population. However, a post-hoc analysis of the subpopulation with profound acute hearing loss (PTA ≥ 90 dB at baseline in accordance with a commonly used classification of hearing loss severity) revealed a clinically meaningful and nominally significant improvement in the Sonsuvi® 0.4 mg/mL treatment group. Accordingly, in HEALOS we found confirmation about the relationship between severity of hearing loss and the size of therapeutic effects; however, such therapeutic effects were not observed in the subgroup of patients with severe initial hearing

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loss but rather, unlike in the Phase 2 trial, only in the subgroup with profound initial hearing loss. We understand from animal studies that the pharmacological target for Sonsuvi® is only activated in case of severe acute cochlear injury; however, activation of this target cannot be determined in humans, and we have to rely on the measurement of hearing loss for assessing the severity of injury.

Based on the results from the HEALOS clinical trial, we submitted the design of a new pivotal trial with AM-111 0.4 mg/mL in patients suffering from acute profound hearing loss to the EMA and subsequently also to the FDA for review. Through a Protocol Assistance procedure the EMA endorsed the proposed trial design, choice of efficacy and safety endpoints, as well as the statistical methodology. In a Type C meeting with written responses, the proposed choice of primary and secondary efficacy endpoints, the safety endpoints, as well as the planned sample size and statistical methodology were also endorsed by the FDA. Orphan drug designation for AM-111 was granted by the FDA and EMA for the treatment of acute sensorineural hearing loss, or ASNHL, an umbrella term that comprises hearing loss from acute acoustic trauma, or AAT, surgery-induced trauma, or ISSNHL. We estimate ISSNHL to be the largest of the three subgroups. The broader, more general designation of ASNHL is based on the common pathophysiologic pathway shared by the three subgroups. Although we expect to obtain regulatory approval for the entire indication of ASNHL based on confirmatory efficacy and safety data that covers only one or two rather than all three of the subgroups, there can be no assurance that regulatory agencies will concur with this assumption at the time of the marketing approval procedure. In that case, it may not be sufficient to conduct trials in the subgroup of ISSNHL, as is currently planned to gain the indication for ASNHL.

If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125, AM-201 or any other product candidate that we develop beyond the trials and testing that we currently contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of our product candidates or other testing, if the results of these trials or tests are unfavorable or are only modestly favorable or if there are safety concerns associated with Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi® or our other product candidates, we may:

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be delayed in obtaining marketing approval for our product candidates;

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not obtain marketing approval at all;

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obtain approval for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as intended or desired;

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obtain approval with labeling that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or significant safety warnings, including boxed warnings;

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be subject to additional post-marketing testing or other requirements; or

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remove the product from the market after obtaining marketing approval.

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Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or marketing approvals or if we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 or AM-201 beyond the trials and testing that we currently contemplate and we may be required to obtain additional funds to complete such additional clinical trials. We cannot assure you that our clinical trials will begin as planned or be completed on schedule, if at all, or that we will not need to restructure our trials after they have begun. Significant clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do or shorten any periods during which we have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates, which may harm our business and results of operations. In addition, some of the factors that cause, or lead to, clinical trial delays may ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125, AM-201 or any other product candidate.

If serious adverse, undesirable or unacceptable side effects are identified during the development of our product candidates or following approval, if any, we may need to abandon our development of such product candidates, the commercial profile of any approved label may be limited, or we may be subject to other significant negative consequences following marketing approval, if any.

If our product candidates are associated with serious adverse, undesirable or unacceptable side effects, we may need to abandon their development or limit development to certain uses or sub-populations in which such side effects are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective. Many compounds that initially showed promise in pre-clinical or early-stage testing have later been found to cause side effects that restricted their use and prevented further development of the compound for larger indications.

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In our clinical trials of Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® to date, adverse events have included procedure-related transient changes in tinnitus loudness, muffled hearing, ear discomfort or pain, incision site complications and middle ear infections. A limited number of serious adverse events were observed (in 1.2 to 2.5% of patients enrolled in the Keyzilen® trials and in 2.7 to 4.5% of patients in the Sonsuvi® trials); all (Keyzilen®) or most (Sonsuvi®) were considered unrelated or unlikely related to the treatment. In the two Phase 1 trials with intranasal betahistine, adverse events included transient and dose-dependent nasal congestion or discomfort. Occurrence of serious procedure- or treatment-related side effects could impede clinical trial enrollment and receipt of marketing approval from the FDA, the EMA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities. They could also adversely affect physician or patient acceptance of our product candidates.

Additionally, if one or more of our product candidates receives marketing approval, and we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by such products, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:

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regulatory authorities may withdraw approvals of such product;

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regulatory authorities may require additional warnings on the label;

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we may be required to create a medication guide outlining the risks of such side effects for distribution to patients;

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we could be sued and held liable for harm caused to patients; and

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our reputation and physician or patient acceptance of our products may suffer.

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Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the particular product candidate, if approved, and could significantly harm our business, results of operations and prospects.

We depend on enrollment of patients in our clinical trials for our product candidates. If we are unable to enroll patients in our clinical trials, our research and development efforts could be materially adversely affected.

Successful and timely completion of clinical trials will require that we enroll a sufficient number of patient candidates. Trials may be subject to delays as a result of patient enrollment taking longer than anticipated or patient withdrawal. Patient enrollment depends on many factors, including the size and nature of the patient population, eligibility criteria for the trial, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the design of the clinical protocol, the availability of competing clinical trials, the availability of new drugs approved for the indication the clinical trial is investigating, and clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages of the drug being studied in relation to other available therapies.

The specific target population of patients and therapeutic time windows may make it difficult for us to enroll enough patients to complete our clinical trials in a timely and cost-effective manner. Delays in the completion of any clinical trial of our product candidates will increase our costs, slow down our product candidate development and approval process and delay or potentially jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenue. In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates.

We may become exposed to costly and damaging liability claims, either when testing our product candidates in the clinic or at the commercial stage; and our product liability insurance may not cover all damages from such claims.

We are exposed to potential product liability and professional indemnity risks that are inherent in the research, development, manufacturing, marketing and use of pharmaceutical products. Currently, we have no products that have been approved for commercial sale; however, the current and future use of product candidates by us in clinical trials, and the sale of any approved products in the future, may expose us to liability claims. These claims might be made by patients that use the product, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies or others selling such products. Any claims against us, regardless of their merit, could be difficult and costly to defend and could materially adversely affect the market for our product candidates or any prospects for commercialization of our product candidates.

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Although the clinical trial process is designed to identify and assess potential side effects, it is always possible that a drug, even after regulatory approval, may exhibit unforeseen side effects. If any of our product candidates were to cause adverse side effects during clinical trials or after approval of the product candidate, we may be exposed to substantial liabilities. Physicians and patients may not comply with any warnings that identify known potential adverse effects and patients who should not use our product candidates.

We purchase liability insurance in connection with each of our clinical trials. It is possible that our liabilities could exceed our insurance coverage. We intend to expand our insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products if we obtain marketing approval for any of our product candidates. However, we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or obtain insurance coverage that will be adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise. If a successful product liability claim or series of claims is brought against us for uninsured liabilities or in excess of insured liabilities, our assets may not be sufficient to cover such claims and our business operations could be impaired.

Should any of the events described above occur, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We have obtained orphan drug designation for Sonsuvi® for the treatment of ASNHL from the FDA and the EMA, and we may rely on obtaining and maintaining orphan drug exclusivity for Sonsuvi®, if approved. Orphan drug designation may not ensure that we will enjoy market exclusivity in a particular market, and if we fail to obtain or maintain orphan drug exclusivity for Sonsuvi®, we may be subject to earlier competition and our potential revenue will be reduced.

Sonsuvi® has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of ASNHL by the FDA and EMA. Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a product as an orphan drug if it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug will be recovered from sales in the United States. In the European Union, the EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products, or COMP, grants orphan drug designation to promote the development of products that are intended for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition affecting not more than five in 10,000 persons in the European Union. Additionally, designation is granted for products intended for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a life-threatening, seriously debilitating or serious and chronic condition when, without incentives, it is unlikely that sales of the drug in the European Union would be sufficient to justify the necessary investment in developing the drug or biological product or where there is no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention, or treatment, or, if such a method exists, the medicine must be of significant benefit to those affected by the condition.

In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers. In addition, if a product receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has orphan designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means the FDA may not approve any other application to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient product quantity. In the European Union, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as reduction of fees or fee waivers and ten years of market exclusivity following drug or biological product approval. This period may be reduced to six years if the orphan drug designation criteria are no longer met, including where it is shown that the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity.

Even though we have obtained orphan drug designation for Sonsuvi® for the treatment of ASNHL in the United States and Europe, we may not be the first to obtain marketing approval for any particular orphan indication due to the uncertainties associated with developing pharmaceutical products. Further, even if we obtain orphan drug designation for a product, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition because different drugs with different active moieties can be approved for the same condition. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug nor gives the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.

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The orphan drug designation for Sonsuvi® relates to ASNHL, an umbrella term comprising AAT, ISSNHL and surgery-induced trauma based on a common pathophysiologic pathway. Our Phase 3 late-stage program enrolled patients suffering from ISSNHL, which represent the largest of the three ASNHL subgroups.

Due to our limited resources and access to capital, we must and have in the past decided to prioritize development of certain product candidates; these decisions may prove to have been wrong and may adversely affect our revenues.

Because we have limited resources and access to capital to fund our operations, we must decide which product candidates to pursue and the amount of resources to allocate to each. As such, we have been primarily focused on the development of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201 for the treatment of acute inner ear tinnitus, acute inner ear hearing loss, vertigo and antipsychotic-induced weight gain, respectively. Our decisions concerning the allocation of research, collaboration, management and financial resources toward particular compounds, product candidates or therapeutic areas may not lead to the development of viable commercial products and may divert resources away from better opportunities. Similarly, our potential decisions to delay, terminate or collaborate with third parties in respect of certain product development programs may also prove not to be optimal and could cause us to miss valuable opportunities. If we make incorrect determinations regarding the market potential of our product candidates or misread trends in the biopharmaceutical industry, in particular for inner ear disorders, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our research and development activities could be affected or delayed as a result of possible restrictions on animal testing.

Certain laws and regulations require us to test our product candidates on animals before initiating clinical trials involving humans. Animal testing activities have been the subject of controversy and adverse publicity. Animal rights groups and other organizations and individuals have attempted to stop animal testing activities by pressing for legislation and regulation in these areas and by disrupting these activities through protests and other means. To the extent the activities of these groups are successful, our research and development activities may be interrupted, delayed or become more expensive.

Risks Related to Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates

We cannot give any assurance that any of our product candidates will receive regulatory approval, which is necessary before they can be commercialized.

Our future success is dependent on our ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and then successfully commercialize one or more product candidates. We currently have two lead clinical-stage product candidates, (i) Keyzilen® (AM-101), which is being developed for the treatment of acute inner ear tinnitus and (ii) Sonsuvi® (AM-111), being developed for the treatment of acute inner ear hearing loss. Additionally, we have one product candidate, AM-125, in Phase II clinical development, and another, AM-201, in Phase I clinical development. We are not permitted to market or promote any of our product candidates before we receive regulatory approval from the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and we may never receive such regulatory approval for any of our product candidates.

Although certain of our employees have prior experience with submitting marketing applications to the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, we as a company have not submitted such applications for our product candidates. We cannot be certain that any of our product candidates will be successful in clinical trials or receive regulatory approval. Applications for our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including but not limited to the following:

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the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the design or implementation of our clinical trials;

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the population studied in the clinical program may not be sufficiently broad or representative to assure safety in the full population for which we seek approval;

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the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from nonclinical trials or clinical trials;

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the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates may not be sufficient to support the submission of a new drug application, or NDA, or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the United States or elsewhere;

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we may be unable to demonstrate to the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities that a product candidate’s risk-benefit ratio for its proposed indication is acceptable;

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the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities may fail to approve the manufacturing processes, test procedures and specifications, or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and

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the approval policies or regulations of the FDA, EMA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.

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In addition, no product for the treatment of acute inner ear tinnitus, acute inner ear hearing loss or antipsychotic-induced weight gain has been approved by the FDA or the EMA. Accordingly, our current product candidates or any of our other future product candidates could take a significantly longer time to gain regulatory approval than expected or may never gain regulatory approval. This could delay or eliminate any potential product revenue by delaying or terminating the potential commercialization of our product candidates.

We generally plan to seek regulatory approval to commercialize our product candidates in the United States, the European Union and in additional foreign countries where we have commercial rights. To obtain regulatory approval in other countries, we must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of such other countries regarding safety, efficacy, chemistry, manufacturing and controls, clinical trials, commercial sales, pricing, and distribution of our product candidates. Even if we are successful in obtaining approval in one jurisdiction, we cannot ensure that we will obtain approval in any other jurisdictions. Failure to obtain marketing authorization for our product candidates will result in our being unable to market and sell such products, which would materially adversely affect our business, financial conditional and results of operations. If we fail to obtain approval in any jurisdiction, the geographic market for our product candidates could be limited. Similarly, regulatory agencies may not approve the labeling claims that are necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of our product candidates.

Because we are developing therapies for which there is little clinical experience and, in some cases, using new endpoints, there is more risk that the outcome of our clinical trials will not be favorable. Even if the results of our trials are favorable, there is risk that they will not be acceptable to regulators or physicians.

There are currently no drugs with proven efficacy for acute inner ear tinnitus or acute inner ear hearing loss. In addition, there has been limited historical clinical trial experience generally for the development of drugs to treat these conditions. Regulatory authorities in the United States and European Union have not issued definitive guidance as to how to measure the efficacy of treatments for acute inner ear tinnitus or acute inner ear hearing loss, and regulators have not yet established what is required to be demonstrated in a clinical trial in order to signify a clinically meaningful result and/or obtain marketing approval. We designed our Phase 3 trials for Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® to include endpoints that we believe are clinically justified and meaningful. Specifically, with regard to Keyzilen®, the EMA indicated that a statistically significant improvement in tinnitus loudness that is supported by several secondary variables would demonstrate a clinically meaningful result. The FDA indicated that an improvement in tinnitus loudness supported by a co-primary efficacy point, such as the TFI questionnaire, would be clinically meaningful.

With regard to Sonsuvi®, the FDA and EMA have indicated that a 10 dB improvement in hearing thresholds is clinically significant, in line with clinical practice. However, no product has been approved for marketing based upon such guidance and we cannot be certain that Sonsuvi® will be approved even if it were to demonstrate such result in further Phase 3 trials.

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Whereas various balance tests such as the tandem Romberg or standing on foam tests or other objective measures such as nystagmography or head impulse tests are widely used in the diagnosis and management of vertigo, there is no universally recognized definition of the clinical meaningfulness of outcomes, and regulatory authorities have not issued guidelines for demonstrating efficacy for drug-based treatments such as AM-125. Therefore we cannot be certain that AM-125 will be approved even if it were to show statistically significant improvements in these tests.

Some of our conclusions regarding the potential efficacy of Sonsuvi® in our completed HEALOS clinical trial for the treatment of ASNHL in the subgroup of patients with profound acute hearing loss is based on retrospective analyses of the results, which are generally considered less reliable indicators of efficacy than pre-specified analyses.

After determining that we did not achieve the primary efficacy endpoint in our completed HEALOS clinical trial of Sonsuvi® for the treatment of ASNHL, we performed retrospective analyses that we believe show treatment effects on the magnitude of hearing recovery in favor of Sonsuvi® in case of profound hearing loss at baseline. Although we believe that these additional analyses were warranted, a retrospective analysis performed after unblinding trial results can result in the introduction of bias if the analysis is inappropriately tailored or influenced by knowledge of the data and actual results. In particular, the analysis that resulted in a clinically meaningful effect being observed in active-treated patients who suffered from profound acute hearing loss poses greater risk of bias as such subgroup was not pre-specified in the trial design, notwithstanding that we applied a commonly used definition of profound hearing loss.

Because of these limitations, regulatory authorities typically give greatest weight to results from pre-specified analyses and less weight to results from post-hoc, retrospective analyses. According to discussions with the EMA and FDA, the therapeutic benefits that were observed in the HEALOS subgroup of profound acute hearing loss will need to be confirmed prospectively in one or more additional Phase 3 trials in order to gain regulatory market approval. However, there is no guarantee that we will ever receive such regulatory approval.

Safety issues with isomers of our product candidates or with approved products of third parties that are similar to our product candidates, could delay or prevent the regulatory approval process or result in restrictions on labeling.

Discovery of previously unknown problems, or increased focus on a known problem, with an approved product may result in restrictions on its permissible uses, including withdrawal of the medicine from the market. Esketamine and betahistine, the active pharmaceutical ingredients, or APIs, of Keyzilen® and AM-125, may be affected by the safety of the drugs related to them. Although both APIs have been used successfully in patients for many years, newly observed toxicities or worsening of known toxicities, in pre-clinical studies of, or in patients receiving, Esketamine, the racemate Ketamine or betahistine, or reconsideration of known toxicities of these APIs in the setting of new indications, could result in increased regulatory scrutiny of Keyzilen® or AM-125. For example, Ketamine is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, under the Controlled Substances Act, or CSA, as a Schedule III drug. DEA scheduling is a separate process that can delay when a drug may become available to patients beyond a NDA approval date, and the timing and outcome of such DEA process is uncertain. Although we have observed no abuse liability associated with Keyzilen® to date, if Keyzilen® were to be scheduled under the CSA, such scheduling could negatively impact the ability or willingness of physicians to prescribe Keyzilen® and our ability to commercialize it.

Substantial additional data may need to be generated in order to obtain marketing approval for AM-125.

Oral betahistine has been in clinical use for several decades and is reported to be currently marketed in 115 countries world-wide. However, in the United States oral betahistine is not approved since the FDA revoked the drug product’s marketing authorization in the early 1970s over issues with unsubstantiated information about some patients in the efficacy studies upon which approval had been based. Given the absence of an approved betahistine drug product in the United States and to the extent that existing data may not be deemed sufficient, the FDA may require a full development package for AM-125.

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Furthermore, additional data will be required for the specific formulation of AM-125 and the intranasal administration route. Since intranasal delivery of betahistine has the potential to result in substantially higher systemic exposures as measured by concentrations in blood plasma compared to oral delivery, existing safety assessments conducted with or for the approved drug product may not be sufficient. In addition, some of these assessments were performed a long time ago and may not be in line with current regulations and guidelines. Therefore the scope of our development program for AM-125 may ultimately not be much smaller than one for new chemical entities.

Even if our product candidates obtain regulatory approval, we will be subject to ongoing obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense. Additionally, our product candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other restrictions and market withdrawal and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience unanticipated problems with our products.

If marketing authorization is obtained for any of our product candidates, the product will remain subject to continual regulatory review and therefore authorization could be subsequently withdrawn or restricted. Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates may also be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. In addition, if the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves any of our product candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight by regulatory authorities, including with respect to the manufacturing processes, labeling, packing, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising and marketing restrictions, and recordkeeping and, potentially, other post-marketing obligations, all of which may result in significant expense and limit our ability to commercialize such products. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as continued compliance with cGMPs, cGDPs and cGCPs for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In the European Union, the marketing authorization holder has to operate a pharmacovigilance system which conforms with and is equivalent to the respective Member State’s pharmacovigilance system, requiring him to evaluate all information scientifically, to consider options for risk minimization and prevention and to take appropriate measures as necessary. As part of this system, we will have to, inter alia, have a qualified person responsible for pharmacovigilance, maintain a pharmacovigilance system master file, operate a risk management system for each medicinal product, monitor the outcome of risk minimization measures, and update continuously all pharmacovigilance data to update the risk assessment.

Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in, among other things:

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restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, withdrawal of the product from the market, or voluntary or mandatory product recalls;

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fines, warning letters or holds on clinical trials;

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refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us, or suspension or revocation of product license approvals;

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product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and

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injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

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If any of these events occurs, our ability to sell such product may be impaired, and we may incur substantial additional expense to comply with regulatory requirements, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The FDA’s or any other regulatory authority’s policies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our product candidates. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, which would adversely affect our business, prospects and ability to achieve or sustain profitability.

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Enacted and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize our product candidates and may affect the prices we may set.

In the United States and the European Union, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system. These changes could prevent or delay marketing approval of our product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell any products for which we obtain marketing approval.

For example, in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, or collectively, the Health Care Reform Law was enacted, a sweeping law intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for health care and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. The Health Care Reform Law, among other things, increased rebates a manufacturer must pay to the Medicaid program, addressed a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected, established a Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must provide 50% point-of-sale discounts on products covered under Part D and implemented payment system reforms including a national pilot program on payment bundling to encourage hospitals, physicians and other providers to improve the coordination, quality and efficiency of certain healthcare services through bundled payment models. Further, the law imposed a significant annual fee on companies that manufacture or import branded prescription drug products, expanded eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs, and created a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research. Substantial provisions affecting compliance were enacted, which may affect our business practices with health care practitioners. Continued pressure on pharmaceutical pricing is expected and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs.

Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Health Care Reform Law was enacted. On August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect through 2025 unless additional Congressional action is taken. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals, imaging centers and cancer treatment centers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. These laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other health care funding, which could have a material adverse effect on our customers and accordingly, our financial operations. Additionally, there has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed bills designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing by requiring drug companies to notify insurers and government regulators of price increases and provide an explanation of the reasons for the increase, reduce the out-of-pocket cost of prescription drug, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. Moreover, U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed the need for federal legislation, regulation or Executive Order to regulate the prices of medicines.

Because of the continued uncertainty about the implementation of the Health Care Reform Law, including the potential for further legal challenges or repeal of that legislation, we cannot quantify or predict with any certainty the likely impact of the Health Care Reform Law or its repeal on our business model, prospects, financial condition or results of operations, in particular on the pricing, coverage or reimbursement of any of our product candidates that may receive marketing approval. We also anticipate that Congress, state legislatures, and third-party payors may continue to review and assess alternative healthcare delivery and payment systems and may in the future propose and adopt legislation or policy changes or implementations effecting additional fundamental changes in the healthcare delivery system. We

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cannot assure you as to the ultimate content, timing, or effect of changes, nor is it possible at this time to estimate the impact of any such potential legislation.

In the European Union, a new clinical trial regulation centralizes clinical trial approval, which eliminates redundancy, but in some cases this may extend timelines for clinical trial approvals due to potentially longer wait times. The regulation requires specific consents for use of data in research which, among other measures, may increase the costs and timelines for our product development efforts. The regulation also provides an obligation for clinical trial sponsors to make summaries of all trial results, accompanied by a summary understandable to laypersons, as well as the clinical trial report publicly available in a new database. Beyond this obligation, the EMA adopted a new “Agency policy on publication of clinical data” (in force since January 1, 2015) based on which the EMA makes available to the public all clinical trials submitted with the EMA as well as raw data results (“individual patient data”). These publication requirements can conflict with legitimate secrecy interests of the sponsors and may lead to valuable clinical trial data falling into the public domain.

On June 23, 2016, the UK public voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. The UK government subsequently announced its intention to serve notice of withdrawal from the European Union no later than March 2017. As a consequence of such withdrawal notice, EU law will cease to apply to the UK from the date of entry into force of a withdrawal agreement, or two years after UK’s submission of the withdrawal notification. As a result, the UK is likely to remain within the European Union for at least the next two years, and, therefore there will likely be no major legal implications for the life sciences sector in the short term. In the long term, however, the effects may be more severe, in particular if the UK cannot agree the terms of a continued close association with the European Union and/or chooses not to incorporate existing EU rules into national law and/or to no longer align themselves with European law. The administrative burden for pharmaceutical companies could increase significantly because regulatory requirements, for example clinical trial authorizations and marketing authorization applications, may need to be fulfilled under a new and different legal framework for the UK. Existing marketing authorizations granted in the European Union under the centralized procedure prior to the exit may potentially not be recognized anymore by the UK.

Austerity measures in certain European nations may also affect the prices we are able to seek if our products are approved, as discussed below.

Both in the United States and in the European Union, legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. We do not know whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether the regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals of our product candidates, if any, may be.

Our relationships with customers and payors may be subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, which, if violated, could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, exclusion from government healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings, among other penalties.

Healthcare providers, payors and others play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any products for which we obtain marketing approval. Our future arrangements with third-party payors and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, primarily in the United States, that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute our products for which we obtain marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable U.S. healthcare laws and regulations, include the following:

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the U.S. healthcare anti-kickback statute prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under U.S. government healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid;

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the U.S. False Claims Act imposes criminal and civil penalties, including civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the U.S. government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government;

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the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, imposes criminal and civil liability for executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;

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HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;

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the transparency requirements under the Health Care Reform Law require manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies to report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services information related to payments and other transfers of value made by such manufacturers to physicians and teaching hospitals, and ownership and investment interests held by physicians or their immediate family members; and

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analogous laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers, and some state laws require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government in addition to requiring manufacturers to report information related to payments to physicians and other health care providers or marketing expenditures.

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Similar laws exist in other jurisdictions.

In the European Union, there is currently no central European anti-bribery or similar legislation. However, more and more EU member states as well as life sciences industry associations are enacting increasingly specific anti-bribery rules for the healthcare sector which are as severe and sometimes even more severe than in the United States. Germany, for example, has recently adopted new criminal provisions dealing with granting benefits to healthcare professionals. This new law has increased the legal restrictions as well as the legal scrutiny for the collaboration and contractual relationships between the pharmaceutical industry and its customers.

Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the statutory exceptions and safe harbors available under the U.S. federal Anti-Kickback Statute, it is possible that some of our future business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of such laws. In addition, recent health care reform legislation has strengthened these laws. For example, the Health Care Reform Law, among other things, amends the intent requirement of the federal anti-kickback and criminal healthcare fraud statutes. A person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it. Moreover, the Health Care Reform Law provides that the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal anti-kickback statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the False Claims Act.

Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from U.S. government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other providers or entities with whom we expect to do business with are found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.

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Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Product Candidates

We operate in highly competitive and rapidly changing industries, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing competing products before or more successfully than we do.

The biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industries are highly competitive and subject to significant and rapid technological change. Our success is highly dependent on our ability to discover, develop and obtain marketing approval for new and innovative products on a cost-effective basis and to market them successfully. In doing so, we face and will continue to face intense competition from a variety of businesses, including large, fully integrated pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, government agencies and other private and public research institutions in Europe, the United States and other jurisdictions. These organizations may have significantly greater resources than we do and conduct similar research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and marketing of products that compete with our product candidates.

We believe that our key competitors are Otonomy, Inc., or Otonomy, Sound Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Sound Pharma, and Sensorion SA, or Sensorion. In October 2013, Otonomy announced the launch of a development program for the treatment of tinnitus, OTO-311, which is based on the NMDA receptor antagonist gacyclidine and may directly compete with our Keyzilen® product candidate. According to a recent public filing, Otonomy intends to develop a polymer-based formulation of gacyclidine that will provide a full course of treatment from a single intratympanic injection. Following a Phase 1 trial, Otonomy made adjustments to the formulation, resulting in product candidate OTO-313, which the company plans to evaluate in a Phase 1/2 trial starting in 2019. OTO-313’s competitive strength will ultimately depend on the demonstration of clinical efficacy and safety and its comparison with Keyzilen®. Otonomy is also developing OTO-104, which is a polymer-based formulation of dexamethasone for intratympanic treatment of vertigo in Ménière’s disease. In Phase 3 of clinical development, OTO-104 showed no treatment effects in a North American study, but showed treatment effects in a European study, which had been terminated early. In March 2018 the company announced its intention to conduct another Phase 3 study with OTO-104. If Otonomy’s drug product is approved prior to AM-125, we will have to compete against it in the treatment of vertigo in Ménière’s disease. In addition, OTO-104 is being evaluated by Otonomy for the treatment of certain types of hearing loss and may compete against Sonsuvi®.

In June 2006, Sound Pharma began clinical testing of an oral treatment for hearing loss (SPI-1005, ebselen). Its active substance mimics and prompts production of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme. In February 2014, Sound Pharma announced positive outcomes from a placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial with SPI-1005 in the prevention of temporary inner ear hearing loss from listening to loud music with a mobile digital media player. Although Sonsuvi® targets permanent rather than transient hearing loss, SPI-1005 may become competing products if Sound Pharma seeks and manages to demonstrate clinical efficacy also in the prevention and treatment of permanent inner ear hearing loss.

Sensorion is developing SENS-401, a 5-HT3 antagonist with anti-inflammatory properties, for the oral treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The company is initiating a Phase 2 clinical trial with SENS-401 in the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorion is also developing SENS-111, a histamine H4 receptor antagonist, for the oral treatment of acute vertigo crises and in 2017 initiated a Phase 2 trial to enroll patients with acute unilateral vestibulopathy. According to Sensorion, this trial will conclude in the second half of 2019. If successful, SENS-401 may compete against Sonsuvi®, and SENS-111 may compete against AM-125.

There are several companies developing treatments for hearing loss. Strekin AG, a privately held Swiss company, announced in April 2016 that it plans to develop STR001, an agonist of the peroxisome proliferator, for surgery induced hearing loss and that it commenced a Phase 2 program in Germany and France. Nordmark, a German company, is developing Ancrod, the biologically active substance from the venom of the Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma), for the treatment of sudden sensorineural hearing loss and has initiated Phase 2 program. Both, STR001 and Ancrod have the potential to compete with Sonsuvi®.

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There exist a variety of drug products that are licensed or used off-label for the treatment of vestibular disorders and Ménière’s disease, including steroids, diuretics, anti-emetics or anti-nausea medications. In many countries outside the United States, oral betahistine is the standard of care and licensed for the treatment of Ménière’s disease and vestibular vertigo. Although, we expect that AM-125 will offer benefits over oral betahistine due to the ability to bypass the strong first-pass metabolism associated with oral intake and provide for a higher bioavailability and avoid gastric side effects, it may take time to change prescribing and usage patterns in favor of the newer product.

The highly competitive nature of and rapid technological changes in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries could render our product candidates or our technology obsolete or non-competitive. Our competitors may, among other things:

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develop and commercialize products that are safer, more effective, less expensive, or more convenient or easier to administer;

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obtain quicker regulatory approval;

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establish superior proprietary positions;

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have access to more manufacturing capacity;

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implement more effective approaches to sales and marketing; or

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form more advantageous strategic alliances.

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Should any of these occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

The successful commercialization of our product candidates will depend in part on the extent to which governmental authorities and health insurers establish adequate coverage and reimbursement levels and pricing policies.

The successful commercialization of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125, AM-201 or our other product candidates will depend, in part, on the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for our products or procedures using our products will be available from government and health administration authorities, private health insurers and other third-party payors. To manage healthcare costs, many governments and third-party payors increasingly scrutinize the pricing of new technologies and require greater levels of evidence of favorable clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness before extending coverage. In light of such challenges to prices and increasing levels of evidence of the benefits and clinical outcomes of new technologies, we cannot be sure that coverage will be available for Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 or any other product candidate that we commercialize and, if available, that the reimbursement rates will be adequate.

Our customers, including hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers that purchase certain injectable drugs administered during a procedure, such as our product candidates, generally rely on third-party payors to pay for all or part of the costs and fees associated with the drug and the procedures administering the drug. These third-party payors may pay separately for the drug or may bundle or otherwise include the costs of the drug in the payment for the procedure. We are unable to predict at this time whether our product candidates, if approved, will be eligible for such separate payments. Nor can we predict at this time the adequacy of payments, whether made separately for the drug and procedure or with a bundled or otherwise aggregate payment amount for the drug and procedure. In addition, obtaining and maintaining adequate coverage and reimbursement status is time-consuming and costly.

Third-party payors may deny coverage and reimbursement status altogether of a given drug product, or cover the product but may also establish prices at levels that are too low to enable us to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development. Because the rules and regulations regarding coverage and reimbursement change frequently, in some cases at short notice, even when there is favorable coverage and reimbursement, future changes may occur that adversely impact the favorable status. Further, the net reimbursement for drug products may be subject to additional reductions if there are changes to laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States.

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The unavailability or inadequacy of third-party coverage and reimbursement could have a material adverse effect on the market acceptance of our product candidates and the future revenues we may expect to receive from those products. In addition, we are unable to predict what additional legislation or regulation relating to the healthcare industry or third-party coverage and reimbursement may be enacted in the future, or what effect such legislation or regulation would have on our business.

Our products may not gain market acceptance, in which case we may not be able to generate product revenues, which will materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Even if the FDA, the EMA or other regulatory authority approves the marketing of any product candidates that we develop, physicians, healthcare providers, patients or the medical community may not accept or use them. Efforts to educate the medical community and third-party payors on the benefits of our product candidates may require significant resources and may not be successful. If Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 or any other product candidate that we develop does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, we may not generate significant product revenues or any profits from operations. The degree of market acceptance of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 or any of our product candidates that is approved for commercial sale will depend on a variety of factors, including:

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how clinicians and potential patients perceive our novel products;

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the timing of market introduction;

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the number and clinical profile of competing products;

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our ability to provide acceptable evidence of safety and efficacy;

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the prevalence and severity of any side effects;

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relative convenience and ease of administration, particularly as Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® have to be administered by an ear, nose, throat physician, and in case of Keyzilen® the procedure has to be repeated for a total of three times;

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cost-effectiveness;

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patient diagnostics and screening infrastructure in each market, particularly as Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi® and AM-125, are being developed for the treatment of acute inner ear disorders and are thus dependent on a relatively rapid diagnosis and dosing process;

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marketing and distribution support;

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availability of coverage, reimbursement and adequate payment from health maintenance organizations and other third-party payors, both public and private; and

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other potential advantages over alternative treatment methods.

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If our product candidates fail to gain market acceptance, this will have a material adverse impact on our ability to generate revenues to provide a satisfactory, or any, return on our investments. Even if some products achieve market acceptance, the market may prove not to be large enough to allow us to generate significant revenues.

In addition, the potential market opportunity of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201 are difficult to precisely estimate. Our estimates of the potential market opportunity are predicated on several key assumptions such as industry knowledge and publications, third-party research reports and other surveys. While we believe that our internal assumptions are reasonable, these assumptions involve the exercise of significant judgment on the part of our management, are inherently uncertain and the reasonableness of these assumptions could not have been assessed by an independent source in every detail. If any of the assumptions proves to be inaccurate, then the actual market for Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201 could be smaller than our estimates of the potential market opportunity. If the actual market for Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201 is smaller than we expect, or if the products fail to achieve an adequate level of acceptance by physicians, health care payors and patients, our product revenue may be limited and it may be more difficult for us to achieve or maintain profitability.

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We have never commercialized a product candidate before and may lack the necessary expertise, personnel and resources to successfully commercialize our products on our own or together with suitable partners.

We have never commercialized a product candidate, and we currently have no sales force, marketing or distribution capabilities. To achieve commercial success for Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and our other product candidates, we will have to develop our own sales, marketing and supply organization or outsource these activities to a third party.

Factors that may affect our ability to commercialize our product candidates on our own include recruiting and retaining adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel, obtaining access to or persuading adequate numbers of physicians to prescribe our drug candidates and other unforeseen costs associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization. Developing a sales and marketing organization requires significant investment, is time-consuming and could delay the launch of our product candidates. We may not be able to build an effective sales and marketing organization. If we are unable to build our own distribution and marketing capabilities or to find suitable partners for the commercialization of our product candidates, we may not generate revenues from them or be able to reach or sustain profitability.

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

We have several areas of disagreement with Xigen, and consequently our relationship with Xigen may be adversely affected, we could potentially lose our right to commercialize Sonsuvi® and our business, commercialization prospects and financial condition may be adversely affected.

We have several areas of disagreement with Xigen S.A., or Xigen, with whom we have an agreement pursuant to which Xigen granted us an exclusive worldwide license to use specified compounds to develop, manufacture and commercialize “pharmaceutical products as well as drug delivery devices and formulations for local administration of therapeutic substances to the inner ear for the treatment of ear disorders” (the Area). We differ from Xigen in our interpretation of the definition of the Area. We interpret “Area,” as it pertains to pharmaceutical products, as not limited to local administration to the inner ear, but inclusive of the use of pharmaceutical products generally for the treatment of ear disorders (and that the limitation of “local administration to the inner ear” applies only to “drug delivery devices and formulations”). Xigen has adopted the interpretation that the license is limited to local administration for both pharmaceutical products and drug delivery and formulations. This difference in interpretation has no impact on our current or planned use of Sonsuvi® delivered locally via intratympanic treatment.

In addition, in October 2013, Xigen assigned certain of the patents relevant to the agreement to Xigen Inflammation Ltd., an unaffiliated entity organized in Cyprus. We consider this transfer to be in breach of the agreement since our prior written approval was not sought, although Xigen Inflammation Ltd. has confirmed to us that the assignment of patents is without prejudice to our license for local administration. In the past, Xigen has also requested from us quantities of Sonsuvi® for certain analyses, although we believe the quantities requested exceed what laboratories would generally require for such tests.

The agreement contains a confidentiality provision restricting the disclosure of the terms of the agreement. We believe that Xigen may have waived the confidentiality provision of the agreement by disclosing the terms of the agreement to Xigen Inflammation Ltd., although Xigen has denied that any disclosure of the agreement has been made to the assignee despite the assignee’s assurance that the assignment was without prejudice to our license for local administration. Despite this, in connection with our initial public offering, we sought Xigen’s consent to disclose certain provisions of the agreement and file a redacted version of the agreement with the SEC. Xigen, however, was only willing to provide its consent if we agreed to limit the scope of the definition of  “Area,” desist from claims that the transfer of patents to Xigen Inflammation Ltd. was in breach of the agreement and provide Xigen with certain quantities of the active substance of Sonsuvi® for analysis.

We believe Xigen’s demands were unreasonable and unwarranted, and therefore we were not able to come to an agreement with Xigen prior to disclosing certain provisions of the agreement in the prospectus relating to our initial public offering and filing a redacted version of the agreement. Xigen may consider

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such disclosure to be a breach of the confidentiality provision of the agreement. The agreement is governed by Swiss law, and the venue is Solothurn, Switzerland. In the opinion of our Swiss counsel, while there can be no assurances, this disclosure by us does not rise to the level of material breach that would allow Xigen to repudiate the agreement.

We cannot predict the result of these disagreements with Xigen and any litigation that may result. While Xigen has taken no action as of the date of this Annual Report, Xigen may attempt to repudiate the contract and initiate a claim for damages against us. According to our Swiss counsel, Xigen would have to show that it had suffered a loss due to the disclosure of the redacted agreement and certain provisions of the agreement in the prospectus associated with our initial public offering, and the damages could be equal to the amount of the effective direct damage that Xigen proves it has suffered.

These disagreements, and in particular any resulting litigation, could result in substantial legal expenses, distraction to our management and employees and potentially the loss of our right to commercialize Sonsuvi®. No assurance can be given that these disagreements and any resulting litigation will not have a material adverse effect on our business, commercialization prospects for Sonsuvi® and our other product candidates and our financial condition. For a description of our agreement with Xigen. See “Business — Business overview — Collaboration and License Agreements — Xigen.”

If we fail to maintain our current strategic relationships with INSERM and Xigen, our business, commercialization prospects and financial condition may be materially adversely affected.

We have a co-ownership/exploitation agreement with the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, or INSERM, governing the exploitation of any products derived from patents that resulted from our joint research program with INSERM that was conducted in 2003 to 2005. Under this agreement with INSERM, we are given the exclusive right to exploit the patents issuing from the filed patent applications for all claimed applications, including the treatment of tinnitus, in order to develop, promote, manufacture, cause to be manufactured, use, sell and distribute any products, processes or services deriving from such patents, including Keyzilen®, in any country in which these patent applications have been filed during the term of the agreement. We alone are entitled to grant manufacturing or sales licenses for any patents to our subsidiaries and/or third parties. INSERM is entitled to use the inventions covered by the patents and applications for its own research purposes, free of charge, but may not generate any direct or indirect profits from such use. We have agreed to finance any additional research and development work necessary to obtain marketing authorizations for inventions covered by these patents and applications. If we fail to use reasonable efforts in carrying out this additional research, then INSERM may revoke the exclusivity of exploitation granted to us under this agreement. Additionally, we have an exclusive worldwide license from Xigen for the application of Xigen’s novel intracellular peptide therapeutics in the area of ear disorders. These intellectual property rights have been the basis of our research and development of Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi®.

Good relationships with INSERM and Xigen are important for our business prospects. If our relationships with INSERM or Xigen were to deteriorate substantially or INSERM or Xigen were to challenge our use of their intellectual property or our calculations of the payments we owe under our agreements, our business, financial condition, commercialization prospects and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

We may seek to form additional strategic alliances in the future with respect to our product candidates, and if we do not realize the benefits of such alliance, our business, financial condition, commercialization prospects and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Our product development programs and the potential commercialization of our product candidates will require substantial additional cash to fund expenses and may require expertise, such as sales and marketing expertise, which we do not currently possess. Therefore, in addition to our relationships with INSERM and Xigen, for our Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® product candidates respectively, for one or more of our product candidates, we may decide to enter into strategic alliances, or create joint ventures or collaborations with pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical companies for the further development and potential commercialization of those product candidates.

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We face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document. Any delays in entering into new strategic partnership agreements related to our product candidates could delay the development and commercialization of our product candidates and reduce their competitiveness even if they reach the market. We may also be restricted under existing and future collaboration agreements from entering into strategic partnerships or collaboration agreements on certain terms with other potential collaborators. We may not be able to negotiate collaborations on acceptable terms, or at all, for any of our existing or future product candidates and programs because the potential partner may consider that our research and development pipeline is insufficiently developed to justify a collaborative effort, or that our product candidates and programs do not have the requisite potential to demonstrate safety and efficacy in the target population. If we are unsuccessful in establishing and maintaining a collaboration with respect to a particular product candidate, we may have to curtail the development of that product candidate, reduce the scope of or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of our sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense for which we have not budgeted. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we will not be able to bring our product candidates to market and generate product revenue. Even if we are successful in establishing a new strategic partnership or entering into a collaboration agreement, we cannot be certain that, following such a strategic transaction or license, we will be able to progress the development and commercialization of the applicable product candidates as envisaged, or that we will achieve the revenues that would justify such transaction, and we could be subject to the following risks, each of which may materially harm our business, commercialization prospects and financial condition:

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we may not be able to control the amount and timing of resources that the collaboration partner devotes to the product development program;

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the collaboration partner may experience financial difficulties;

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we may be required to relinquish important rights such as marketing, distribution and intellectual property rights;

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a collaboration partner could move forward with a competing product developed either independently or in collaboration with third parties, including our competitors; or

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business combinations or significant changes in a collaboration partner’s business strategy may adversely affect our willingness to complete our obligations under any arrangement.

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We rely on third parties to conduct our nonclinical and clinical trials and perform other tasks for us. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines, or comply with regulatory requirements, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our product candidates and our business could be substantially harmed.

We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon third-party CROs to monitor and manage data for our ongoing nonclinical and clinical programs, including the clinical trials of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201. We rely on these parties for execution of our nonclinical and clinical studies and control only certain aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory, and scientific standards and our reliance on the CROs does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our CROs and other vendors are required to comply with cGMP, cGCP, and Good Laboratory Practice, or GLP, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA, the Competent Authorities of the Member States of the European Union and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for all of our product candidates in nonclinical and clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these regulations through periodic inspections of study sponsors, principal investigators, trial sites and other contractors. If we or any of our CROs or vendors fail to comply with applicable regulations, the data generated in our nonclinical and clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the EMA, FDA, other regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional nonclinical and clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot

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assure you that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that all of our clinical trials comply with cGCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP regulations. Our failure to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process.

If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminates, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or do so on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, our CROs are not our employees, and except for remedies available to us under our agreements with such CROs, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our on-going nonclinical and clinical programs. If CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our protocols, regulatory requirements, or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed, or terminated and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize our product candidates. CROs may also generate higher costs than anticipated. As a result, our results of operations and the commercial prospects for our product candidates would be harmed, our costs could increase, and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.

Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter similar challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.

We currently rely on third-party suppliers and other third parties for production of our product candidates and our dependence on these third parties may impair the advancement of our research and development programs and the development of our product candidates.

We currently rely on and expect to continue to rely on third parties, for the manufacturing and supply of chemical compounds for the clinical trials of our product candidates, including Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201, and others for the manufacturing and supply of pre-filled syringes and spray pumps. For the foreseeable future, we expect to continue to rely on such third parties for the manufacture of any of our product candidates on a clinical or commercial scale, if any of our product candidates receives regulatory approval. Reliance on third-party providers may expose us to different risks than if we were to manufacture product candidates ourselves. The facilities used by our contract manufacturers to manufacture our product candidates must be approved by the FDA or other regulatory authorities pursuant to inspections that will be conducted after we submit our NDA or comparable marketing application to the FDA or other regulatory authority. Although we have auditing rights with all our manufacturing counterparties, we do not have control over a supplier’s or manufacturer’s compliance with these laws, regulations and applicable cGMP standards and other laws and regulations, such as those related to environmental health and safety matters. If our contract manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA or others, they will not be able to secure and/or maintain regulatory approval for their manufacturing facilities. In addition, we have no control over the ability of our contract manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority does not approve these facilities for the manufacture of our product candidates or if it withdraws any such approval in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain regulatory approval for or market our product candidates, if approved. Any failure to achieve and maintain compliance with these laws, regulations and standards could subject us to the risk that we may have to suspend the manufacturing of our product candidates or that obtained approvals could be revoked, which would adversely affect our business and reputation. Furthermore, third-party providers may breach agreements they have with us because of factors beyond our control. They may also terminate or refuse to renew their agreements because of their own financial difficulties or business priorities, potentially at a time that is costly or otherwise inconvenient for us. If we were unable to find adequate replacement or another acceptable solution in time, our clinical trials could be delayed or our commercial activities could be harmed.

In addition, the fact that we are dependent on our suppliers and other third parties for the manufacture, storage and distribution of our product candidates means that we are subject to the risk that

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our product candidates and, if approved, commercial products may have manufacturing defects that we have limited ability to prevent or control. The sale of products containing such defects could result in recalls or regulatory enforcement action that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Growth in the costs and expenses of components or raw materials may also adversely influence our business, financial condition and results of operations. Supply sources could be interrupted from time to time and, if interrupted, that supplies could be resumed (whether in part or in whole) within a reasonable time frame and at an acceptable cost or at all.

Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacturing of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and any other product candidate that we develop may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any products that receive marketing approval on a timely and competitive basis.

The drug substance and drug product for our product candidates are currently acquired from single-source suppliers. The loss of these suppliers, or their failure to supply us with the drug substance or drug product, could materially and adversely affect our business.

We do not currently, and do not expect to in the future, independently conduct manufacturing activities for our product candidates, including Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201. We currently have a relationship with one supplier each, for the supply of the API of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201. We are reliant upon single source third-party contract manufacturing organizations to manufacture and supply the drug substance and drug product and components thereof for each of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201. We do not currently have any other suppliers for the drug substance or drug product of our product candidates and, although we believe that there are alternate sources of supply that could satisfy our clinical and commercial requirements, and we have performed some preliminary investigations to assess this availability, we cannot assure you that identifying alternate sources and establishing relationships with such sources would not result in significant delay in the development of our product candidates. Additionally, we may not be able to enter into supply arrangements with alternative suppliers on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. A delay in the development of our product candidates or having to enter into a new agreement with a different third party on less favorable terms than we have with our current suppliers could have a material adverse impact upon on our business.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

If we or our licensors are unable to obtain and maintain effective patent rights for our technologies, product candidates or any future product candidates, or if the scope of the patent rights obtained is not sufficiently broad, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets.

We rely upon a combination of patents, trade secret protection, and confidentiality agreements to protect the intellectual property related to our technologies and product candidates. Our success depends in large part on our and our licensors’ ability to obtain and maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the United States and in other countries with respect to our proprietary technology and products.

We have sought to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to our novel technologies and products that are important to our business. This process is expensive and time-consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner or in all jurisdictions. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Moreover, in some circumstances, we do not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology that we license from third parties. Therefore, these patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business.

The patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions for which legal principles remain unsolved. The patent applications that we own or in-license may fail to result in issued patents with claims that cover our product

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candidates in the United States or in other foreign countries. Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions remain confidential for a period of time after filing, and some remain so until issued. We cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to our product candidates, or whether we were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned patents or pending patent applications, nor can we know whether those from whom we license patents were the first to make the inventions claimed or were the first to file. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights are highly uncertain. There is no assurance that all potentially relevant prior art relating to our patents and patent applications has been found, which can invalidate a patent or prevent a patent from issuing from a pending patent application. Even if patents do successfully issue, and even if such patents cover our product candidates, third parties may challenge their validity, enforceability, or scope, which may result in such patents being narrowed, found unenforceable or invalidated, which could allow third parties to commercialize our technology or products and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing third party patent rights. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property, provide exclusivity for our product candidates, prevent others from designing around our claims or provide us with a competitive advantage. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may have an adverse impact on our business.

We, independently or together with our licensors, have filed several patent applications covering various aspects of our product candidates. We cannot offer any assurances about which, if any, patents will issue, the breadth of any such patent or whether any issued patents will be found invalid and unenforceable or will be challenged by third parties. Any successful opposition to these patents or any other patents owned by or licensed to us after patent issuance could deprive us of rights necessary for the successful commercialization of any product candidates that we may develop. Further, if we encounter delays in regulatory approvals, the period of time during which we could market a product candidate under patent protection could be reduced.

We may not have sufficient patent terms to effectively protect our products and business.

Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years after it is filed. Although various extensions may be available, the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our owned and licensed patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours or otherwise provide us with a competitive advantage. Even if patents covering our product candidates are obtained, once the patent life has expired for a product, we may be open to competition from generic medications.

While patent term extensions under the Hatch-Waxman Act in the United States and under supplementary protection certificates in Europe may be available to extend the patent exclusivity term for Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201, we cannot provide any assurances that any such patent term extension will be obtained and, if so, for how long. In addition, upon issuance in the United States any patent term can be adjusted based on certain delays caused by the applicant(s) or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. For example, a patent term can be reduced based on certain delays caused by the patent applicant during patent prosecution.

While in the United States there is a possibility of obtaining market protection independent from any patent protection for up to 3 and 5 years from approval, and in the European Union one may obtain data exclusivity of eight years from approval with an additional two years of market exclusivity (which can potentially be extended by one year), there is no assurance that we can obtain such data exclusivity and market protection with respect to Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125, or any of our other product candidates. Our issued patents and pending patent applications are expected to expire for Keyzilen® between 2025 and 2028, for Sonsuvi® between 2020 and 2027, and for AM-125 and AM-201 between 2025 and 2037, prior to any patent term extensions to which we may be entitled under applicable laws.

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Patent policy and rule changes could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents.

Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection. The laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Assuming the other requirements for patentability are met, in the United States prior to March 15, 2013, the first to make the claimed invention is entitled to the patent, while outside the United States, the first to file a patent application is entitled to the patent. After March 15, 2013, under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the Leahy-Smith Act, enacted on September 16, 2011, the United States has moved to a first to file system. The Leahy-Smith Act also includes a number of significant changes that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The effects of these changes are currently unclear as the USPTO must still implement various regulations, the courts have yet to address any of these provisions and the applicability of the act and new regulations on specific patents discussed herein have not been determined and would need to be reviewed. In general, the Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. In addition, recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on future actions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.

If we are unable to maintain effective proprietary rights for our technologies, product candidates or any future product candidates, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets.

In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable or that we elect not to patent, processes for which patents are difficult to enforce and any other elements of our product candidate discovery and development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information or technology that is not covered by patents. However, trade secrets can be difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary technology and processes, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, scientific advisors, and contractors. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data and trade secrets by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. While we have confidence in these individuals, organizations and systems, agreements or security measures may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. Moreover, if any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent such competitor from using that technology or information to compete with us, which could harm our competitive position.

Although we expect all of our employees and consultants to assign their inventions to us, and all of our employees, consultants, advisors, and any third parties who have access to our proprietary know-how, information or technology to enter into confidentiality agreements, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed or that our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information will not be disclosed or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. Misappropriation or unauthorized disclosure of our trade secrets could impair our competitive position and may have a material adverse effect on our business. Additionally, if the steps taken to maintain our trade secrets are deemed inadequate, we may have insufficient recourse against third parties for misappropriating such trade secrets. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and proprietary information. For example, the FDA, as part of its Transparency Initiative, is currently considering whether to make additional information publicly available on a routine basis, including information that we may consider to be trade secrets or other proprietary information, and it is not clear at the present time how the FDA’s disclosure policies may change in the future, if at all.

Further, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the U.S. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting

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and defending our intellectual property both in the U.S. and abroad. If we are unable to prevent material disclosure of the intellectual property related to our technologies to third parties, we will not be able to establish or maintain a competitive advantage in our market, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement may expose us to substantial liability or prevent or delay our development and commercialization efforts.

Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our product candidates and use our proprietary technology without alleged or actual infringement, misappropriation, or other violation of the patents and proprietary rights of third parties. There have been many lawsuits and other proceedings involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including patent infringement lawsuits, interferences, oppositions, and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO and corresponding foreign patent offices. Numerous U.S.- and foreign-issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are developing product candidates. Some claimants may have substantially greater resources than we do and may be able to sustain the costs of complex intellectual property litigation to a greater degree and for longer periods of time than we could. In addition, patent holding companies that focus solely on extracting royalties and settlements by enforcing patent rights may target us. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our product candidates may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties.

Third parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to materials, formulations, methods of manufacture, or methods of treatment related to the use or manufacture of our product candidates. Although we generally conduct certain freedom to operate search and review with respect to our product candidates, we cannot guarantee that any of our search and review is complete and thorough, nor can we be sure that we have identified each and every patent and pending application in the United States and abroad that is relevant or necessary to the commercialization of our product candidates. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications that may later result in issued patents that our product candidates may infringe. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. If any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover the manufacturing process of any of our product candidates, any molecules formed during the manufacturing process or any final product itself, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize such product candidate unless we obtained a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents expire or are finally determined to be invalid or unenforceable. Similarly, if any third-party patents were held by a court of competent jurisdiction to cover aspects of our formulations, processes for manufacture, or methods of use, the holders of any such patents may be able to block our ability to develop and commercialize the applicable product candidate unless we obtained a license or until such patent expires or is finally determined to be invalid or unenforceable. In either case, such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us.

Parties making claims against us may obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, pay royalties, redesign our infringing products or obtain one or more licenses from third parties, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure.

Additional competitors could enter the market with generic versions of our products, which may result in a material decline in sales of affected products.

Under the Hatch-Waxman Act, a pharmaceutical manufacturer may file an abbreviated new drug application, or ANDA, seeking approval of a generic copy of an approved innovator product. Under the

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Hatch-Waxman Act, a manufacturer may also submit an NDA under section 505(b)(2) that references the FDA’s prior approval of the innovator product. A 505(b)(2) NDA product may be for a new or improved version of the original innovator product. Hatch-Waxman also provides for certain periods of regulatory exclusivity, which preclude FDA approval (or in some circumstances, FDA filing and reviewing) of an ANDA, or 505(b)(2) NDA. These include, subject to certain exceptions, the period during which an FDA-approved drug is subject to orphan drug exclusivity. In addition to the benefits of regulatory exclusivity, an innovator NDA holder may have patents claiming the active ingredient, product formulation or an approved use of the drug, which would be listed with the product in the FDA publication, “Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations,” known as the “Orange Book.” If there are patents listed in the Orange Book, a generic or 505(b)(2) applicant that seeks to market its product before expiration of the patents must include in the ANDA what is known as a “Paragraph IV certification,” challenging the validity or enforceability of, or claiming non-infringement of, the listed patent or patents. Notice of the certification must be given to the innovator, too, and if within 45 days of receiving notice the innovator sues to protect its patents, approval of the ANDA is stayed for 30 months, or as lengthened or shortened by the court.

Accordingly, if Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201 are approved, competitors could file ANDAs for generic versions of Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201, or 505(b)(2) NDAs that reference Keyzilen®, AM-111 and AM-125, respectively. If there are patents listed for Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi®, AM-125 and AM-201 in the Orange Book, those ANDAs and 505(b)(2) NDAs would be required to include a certification as to each listed patent indicating whether the ANDA applicant does or does not intend to challenge the patent. We cannot predict whether any patents issuing from our pending patent applications will be eligible for listing in the Orange Book, how any generic competitor would address such patents, whether we would sue on any such patents, or the outcome of any such suit.

We may not be successful in securing or maintaining proprietary patent protection for products and technologies we develop or license. Moreover, if any patents that are granted and listed in the Orange Book are successfully challenged by way of a Paragraph IV certification and subsequent litigation, the affected product could immediately face generic competition and its sales would likely decline rapidly and materially. Should sales decline, we may have to write off a portion or all of the intangible assets associated with the affected product and our results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

Periodic maintenance fees on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and foreign patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime of the patent. The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. While an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In such an event, our competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

The patent protection and patent prosecution for some of our product candidates is dependent on third parties.

While we normally seek to obtain the right to control prosecution, maintenance and enforcement of the patents relating to our product candidates, there may be times when the filing and prosecution activities for patents relating to our product candidates are controlled by our licensors. This is the case under our agreement with Xigen, where Xigen is entirely responsible for the prosecution and maintenance of the licensed patents and patent applications directed to Sonsuvi®. Xigen has no obligation to provide us any information with respect to such prosecution and we will not have access to any patent prosecution or maintenance information that is not publicly available. Although we monitor Xigen’s ongoing prosecution

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and maintenance of the licensed patents, if Xigen or any of our future licensing partners fail to prosecute, maintain and enforce such patents and patent applications in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business, including by payment of all applicable fees for patents covering Sonsuvi® or any of our product candidates, we could lose our rights to the intellectual property or our exclusivity with respect to those rights, our ability to develop and commercialize those product candidates may be adversely affected and we may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using, and selling competing products. Specifically, Xigen is concurrently developing another indication for brimapitide (XG-102), the active substance of Sonsuvi®. This may cause a conflict of interest and adversely affect Xigen’s ability to prosecute the patent portfolio licensed to us in the best interest of our business. In addition, even where we have the right to control patent prosecution of patents and patent applications we have licensed from third parties including with respect to the patents and applications licensed to us under our co-ownership and exploitation agreement with INSERM for Keyzilen®, we may still be adversely affected or prejudiced by actions or inactions of our licensors and their counsel that took place prior to the date upon which we assumed control over patent prosecution. We are required to consult and cooperate with INSERM regarding the prosecution, maintenance, and enforcement of, and in certain instances INSERM has the right to independently enforce, the relevant patents, which may place those patients at risk or hinder our ability to develop and commercialize those product candidates or protect our patent rights.

If we fail to comply with the obligations in our intellectual property agreements, including those under which we license intellectual property and other rights from third parties, or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors and partners, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business.

We are a party to a number of intellectual property license and co-ownership agreements that are important to our business and expect to enter into additional such agreements in the future. Our existing agreements impose, and we expect that future agreements will impose, various diligence, commercialization, milestone payment, royalty, and other obligations on us. If we fail to comply with our obligations under these agreements, or we are subject to a bankruptcy, we may be required to make certain payments to the licensor, we may lose the exclusivity of our license, or the licensor may have the right to terminate the license, in which event we would not be able to develop or market products covered by the license. Moreover, if we fail to comply with our obligations under our co-ownership and exploitation agreement with INSERM for Keyzilen®, including certain commercialization requirements, or we are subject to a bankruptcy, INSERM may terminate the agreement and we may lose our rights to exclusively exploit and commercialize the applicable patents. In such event we would not be able to prevent INSERM from exploiting or licensing to the third parties the rights to exploit the applicable patents, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to successfully commercialize the affected product candidates. Under our co-ownership agreement with INSERM we may be required to assign our rights in the relevant patents to INSERM if we choose not to or fail to continue to prosecute maintain or patents or patent applications in a given country or countries, in which event we would not be able to develop or market products covered by the applicable patents.

Licensing of intellectual property is of critical importance to our business and involves complex legal, business, and scientific issues. Disputes may arise regarding intellectual property subject to a licensing or co-ownership agreement, including:

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the scope of rights granted under the agreement and other interpretation-related issues;

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the extent to which our technology and processes infringe on intellectual property of the licensor or partner that is not subject to the agreement;

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the sublicensing of patent and other rights;

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our diligence and commercialization obligations under the agreement and what activities satisfy those obligations;

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the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our licensors or partners and us and our collaborators; and

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the priority of invention of patented technology.

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If disputes over intellectual property and other rights that we have licensed or co-own prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing or exclusivity arrangements on acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates.

We may not be successful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights to our product candidates through acquisitions and in-licenses.

We currently have rights to the intellectual property, through licenses from third parties and under patents that we own, to develop our product candidates. Because our programs may require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of our business will likely depend in part on our ability to acquire, in-license, maintain or use these proprietary rights. In addition, our product candidates may require specific formulations to work effectively and efficiently and the rights to these formulations may be held by others. We may be unable to acquire or in-license any compositions, methods of use, processes, or other third-party intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for our product candidates. The licensing and acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and a number of more established companies are also pursuing strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, cash resources, and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities.

For example, we sometimes collaborate with U.S. and foreign academic institutions to accelerate our pre-clinical research or development under written agreements with these institutions. Typically, these institutions provide us with an option to negotiate a license to any of the institution’s rights in technology resulting from the collaboration. Regardless of such option, we may be unable to negotiate a license within the specified timeframe or under terms that are acceptable to us. If we are unable to do so, the institution may offer the intellectual property rights to other parties, potentially blocking our ability to pursue our applicable product candidate or program.

In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment. If we are unable to successfully obtain a license to third-party intellectual property rights necessary for the development of a product candidate or program, we may have to abandon development of that product candidate or program and our business and financial condition could suffer.

We may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents or the patents of our licensors, which could be expensive, time-consuming, and unsuccessful.

Competitors may infringe our patents or the patents of our licensors. To counter such infringement, we may be required to file claims against those competitors, which can be expensive and time-consuming. If we or one of our licensing partners were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering one of our product candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidate is invalid, overbroad and/or unenforceable, or that we infringe the defendant’s patents. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity, overbreadth and/or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. A court may decide that a patent of ours is invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, construe the patent’s claims narrowly or refuse to stop a third party from using the technology in question on the grounds that our patents do not cover that technology. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, which could adversely affect us.

Interference proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by us or declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications or those of our licensors. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing

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party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Our defense of litigation or interference proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our research programs, license necessary technology from third parties, or enter into development partnerships that would help us bring our product candidates to market. We may not be able to prevent, alone or with our licensors, misappropriation of our intellectual property rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States.

Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. There could also be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions, or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a material adverse effect on the price of our common shares.

On July 20, 2015, the USPTO declared Patent Interference No. 106,030 involving our issued U.S. patent No. 9,066,865 (the “‘865 Patent”) and Otonomy’s U.S. patent application No. 13/848,636 (the “‘636 Application”). The patent interference identified claims 1-9 in the ‘865 Patent as interfering with claims 38, 43 and 46-50 of the ‘636 Application. The ‘865 Patent discloses methods of treating inner or middle ear diseases with intratympanic injections of poloxamer-based compositions. The claims of the ‘865 Patent are directed to the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in poloxamer 407 compositions under certain specifications. On January 26, 2017, the USPTO issued a decision on the interference granting Auris benefit of priority. As a result of the decision, judgment was entered against Otonomy and all claims in the ‘636 Application were refused. In addition, claims 1-8 of the ‘865 Patent were cancelled as the result of the USPTO’s determination that the written description of the specification lacked full scope support for treating middle or inner ear disease with fluoroquinolone. However, claim 9, which is directed to a method of treating viral and bacterial infections with intratympanic injection of a fluoroquinolone antibiotic in a poloxamer 407 composition under certain specifications, was affirmed. On March 27, 2017, Otonomy submitted a notice of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. To preserve its rights, Auris filed a notice of cross-appeal on April 5, 2017. Otonomy subsequently filed its opening brief on July 20, 2017, and Auris filed its principal and response brief on October 27, 2017. On January 5, 2018, Otonomy filed its opposition and reply brief. Auris filed its reply brief on February 2, 2018. On August 1, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s determination of priority in our favor relating to the July 2015 USPTO declaration of patent interference (No. 106,030) involving our issued ‘865 Patent and Otonomy’s ‘636 Application. We believe that this ruling will not materially impact any of our development programs.

We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants, or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties or that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.

We employ and utilize the services of individuals who were previously employed or provided services to universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies. Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants, and independent contractors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants, or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any of our employee’s, consultant’s or independent contractor’s former employer or other third parties. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could adversely impact our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

Our reliance on our advisors, employees and third parties requires us to share our intellectual property and trade secrets, which increases the possibility that a competitor will discover them or that our intellectual property will be misappropriated or disclosed.

Because we rely on our advisors, employees and third-party contractors and consultants to research and develop and to manufacture our product candidates, we must, at times, share our intellectual property

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with them. We seek to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary technology in part by entering into confidentiality agreements and, if applicable, material transfer agreements, consulting agreements or other similar agreements with our advisors, employees, third-party contractors and consultants prior to beginning research or disclosing proprietary information. These agreements typically limit the rights of these advisors, employees and third parties to use or disclose our confidential information, including our intellectual property and trade secrets. Despite the contractual provisions employed when working with these advisors, employees and third parties, the need to share intellectual property and other confidential information increases the risk that such confidential information becomes known by our competitors, are inadvertently incorporated into the product development of others or are disclosed or used in violation of these agreements. Given that our proprietary position is based, in part, on our know-how, intellectual property and trade secrets, a competitor’s discovery of our intellectual property or trade secrets or other unauthorized use or disclosure would impair our competitive position and may have a material adverse effect on our business.

In addition, these agreements typically restrict the ability of our advisors, employees, third-party contractors and consultants to publish data potentially relating to our intellectual property, although our agreements may contain certain limited publication rights. For example, any academic institution that we may collaborate with in the future may expect to be granted rights to publish data arising out of such collaboration, provided that we are notified in advance and given the opportunity to delay publication for a limited time period in order for us to secure patent protection of intellectual property rights arising from the collaboration, in addition to the opportunity to remove confidential or trade secret information from any such publication. In the future, we may also conduct joint research and development programs that may require us to share intellectual property under the terms of our research and development or similar agreements. Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property, our competitors may discover our trade secrets or know how, either through breach of our agreements with third parties, independent development or publication of information by any of our third-party collaborators. A competitor’s discovery of our intellectual property would impair our competitive position and have an adverse impact on our business.

We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship of our patents and other intellectual property.

We may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our patents or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we may have inventorship disputes arise from conflicting obligations of consultants or others who are involved in developing our product candidates. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or our ownership of our patents or other intellectual property. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, valuable intellectual property. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

Filing, prosecuting, and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States can be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. As part of ordinary course prosecution and maintenance activities, we determine whether to seek patent protection outside the U.S. and in which countries. This also applies to patents we have acquired or in-licensed from third parties. In some cases this means that we, or our predecessors in interest or licensors of patents within our portfolio, have sought patent protection in a limited number of countries for patents covering our product candidates. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained or are unable to adequately enforce patent protection to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to

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territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.

Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biotechnology products, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents, the reproduction of our manufacturing or other know-how or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions, whether or not successful, could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.

Risks Related to Employee Matters and Managing Growth

Our future growth and ability to compete depends on retaining our key personnel and recruiting additional qualified personnel.

Our success depends upon the continued contributions of our key management, scientific and technical personnel, many of whom have substantial experience with or been instrumental for us and our projects. Key management includes our executive officers Thomas Meyer, our founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Hernan Levett, Chief Financial Officer.

The loss of key managers and senior scientists could delay our research and development activities. Laws and regulations on executive compensation, including legislation in Switzerland, may restrict our ability to attract, motivate and retain the required level of qualified personnel. If the Redomestication is not approved, we will remain impacted by legislation in Switzerland affecting public companies that, among other things, (a) imposes an annual binding shareholders’ “say on pay” vote with respect to the compensation of executive management, including executive officers and the board of directors, (b) prohibits severance, advances, transaction premiums and similar payments to executive officers and directors and (c) requires companies to specify various compensation-related matters in their articles of association, thus requiring them to be approved by a shareholders’ vote. In addition, the competition for qualified personnel in the biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical field is intense, and our future success depends upon our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly-skilled scientific, technical and managerial employees. We face competition for personnel from other companies, universities, public and private research institutions and other organizations. If our recruitment and retention efforts are unsuccessful in the future, it may be difficult for us to implement business strategy, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We expect to expand our sales and marketing, development, and regulatory capabilities, and as a result, we may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations.

We expect to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations, particularly in the areas of sales and marketing, and to a lesser extent, drug development and regulatory affairs. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Due to our limited financial resources, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel. The expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations.

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Risks Related to Our Common Shares

The price of our common shares may be volatile and may fluctuate due to factors beyond our control.

The share price of publicly traded emerging biopharmaceutical and drug discovery and development companies has been highly volatile and is likely to remain highly volatile in the future. The market price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly due to a variety of factors, including:

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positive or negative results of testing and clinical trials by us, strategic partners, or competitors;

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delays in entering into strategic relationships with respect to development and/or commercialization of our product candidates or entry into strategic relationships on terms that are not deemed to be favorable to us;

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technological innovations or commercial product introductions by us or competitors;

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changes in government regulations;

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developments concerning proprietary rights, including patents and litigation matters;

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public concern relating to the commercial value or safety of any of our product candidates;

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financing or other corporate transactions;

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publication of research reports or comments by securities or industry analysts;

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general market conditions in the pharmaceutical industry or in the economy as a whole;

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our ability to maintain the listing of our common shares on Nasdaq; or

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other events and factors beyond our control.

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Additionally, these factors may affect the liquidity of our common shares, which may hurt your ability to sell our common shares in the future. In addition, the stock market in general has recently experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of individual companies. Broad market and industry factors may materially affect the market price of companies’ stock, including ours, regardless of actual operating performance.

Our common shares may be involuntarily delisted from trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market if we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements. A delisting of our common shares is likely to reduce the liquidity of our common shares and may inhibit or preclude our ability to raise additional financing.

We are required to comply with certain Nasdaq continued listing requirements, including a series of financial tests relating to shareholder equity, market value of listed securities and number of market makers and shareholders. If we fail to maintain compliance with any of those requirements, our common shares could be delisted from The Nasdaq Capital Market.

We are currently not in compliance with the quantitative listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market, which require, among other things, that listed companies maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share. We failed to satisfy this threshold for 30 consecutive trading days and on July 30, 2018, we received a letter from Nasdaq indicating that we had been provided a period of 180 calendar days, or until January 28 2019, to regain compliance. We did not regain compliance within the 180 days.

On February 6, 2019, we received a letter from Nasdaq stating that due to our continued non-compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement, our common shares were subject to delisting unless we timely requested a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel. We timely requested such a hearing on February 8, 2019, which request has stayed any delisting or suspension action by Nasdaq pending the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted following the hearing.

At the hearing, we intend to present our plan to regain compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement; however, there can be no assurance that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel will grant our request for continued listing or that we will be able to evidence compliance with the applicable listing criteria prior to the expiration of any additional extension period that may be granted to us.

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At the hearing, we intend to commit that in the event that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel grants us an additional compliance period and the bid price of our common shares fails to increase above the $1.00 minimum during such additional compliance period, we will pursue a reverse share split by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors in order to regain compliance with the $1.00 bid price requirement. In the event shareholders approve the Bye-laws, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors would have the ability, after the Redomestication, to effect a reverse share split without further shareholders approval, by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully resolve such noncompliance.

In 2017, we also failed to maintain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. To address that non-compliance, on March 13, 2018, we effected the Merger, pursuant to which we effected a “reverse share split” at a ratio of 10-for-1. Additionally, on January 11, 2018, we received a letter from Nasdaq indicating that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq’s market value of listed securities requirement. As a result of the July 2018 Registered Offering, we resolved the non-compliance with the market value of listed securities requirement by complying with Nasdaq’s minimum equity standard. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully maintain compliance with the several Nasdaq continued listing requirements.

If, for any reason, Nasdaq should delist our common shares from trading on its exchange and we are unable to obtain listing on another national securities exchange or take action to restore our compliance with the Nasdaq continued listing requirements, a reduction in some or all of the following may occur, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our shareholders:

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the liquidity of our common shares;

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the market price of our common shares;

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our ability to obtain financing for the continuation of our operations;

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the number of institutional and general investors that will consider investing in our common shares;

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the number of investors in general that will consider investing in our common shares;

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the number of market makers in our common shares;

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the availability of information concerning the trading prices and volume of our common shares; and

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the number of broker-dealers willing to execute trades in shares of our common shares.

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In the event that our common shares are delisted from Nasdaq, U.S. broker-dealers may be discouraged from effecting transactions in shares of our common shares because they may be considered penny stocks and thus be subject to the penny stock rules.

On February 6, 2019, we received a letter from Nasdaq stating that due to our continued non-compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement, our common shares were subject to delisting unless we timely requested a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel. We timely requested such a hearing on February 8, 2019, which request has stayed any delisting or suspension action by Nasdaq pending the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted following the hearing. If the Nasdaq Hearings Panel does not grant our request for continued listing and our common shares are delisted from trading on Nasdaq, our common shares may be considered to be “penny stock.”

The SEC has adopted a number of rules to regulate “penny stock” that restrict transactions involving stock which is deemed to be penny stock. Such rules include Rules 3a51-1, 15g-1, 15g-2, 15g-3, 15g-4, 15g-5, 15g-6, 15g-7, and 15g-9 under the Exchange Act. These rules may have the effect of reducing the liquidity of penny stocks. “Penny stocks” generally are equity securities with a price of less than $5.00 per share (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market if current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided

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by the exchange or system). Our common shares have in the past constituted, and may again in the future constitute, “penny stock” within the meaning of the rules. The additional sales practice and disclosure requirements imposed upon U.S. broker-dealers may discourage such broker-dealers from effecting transactions in shares of our common shares, which could severely limit the market liquidity of such common shares and impede their sale in the secondary market.

A U.S. broker-dealer selling penny stock to anyone other than an established customer or “accredited investor” (generally, an individual with net worth in excess of  $1,000,000 or an annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 together with his or her spouse) must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must receive the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. In addition, the “penny stock” regulations require the U.S. broker-dealer to deliver, prior to any transaction involving a “penny stock”, a disclosure schedule prepared in accordance with SEC standards relating to the “penny stock” market, unless the broker-dealer or the transaction is otherwise exempt. A U.S. broker-dealer is also required to disclose commissions payable to the U.S. broker-dealer and the registered representative and current quotations for the securities. Finally, a U.S. broker-dealer is required to submit monthly statements disclosing recent price information with respect to the “penny stock” held in a customer’s account and information with respect to the limited market in “penny stocks.”

Shareholders should be aware that, according to the SEC, the market for “penny stocks” has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include (i) control of the market for the security by one or a few broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer; (ii) manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases; (iii) “boiler room” practices involving high-pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons; (iv) excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and (v) the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, resulting in investor losses. Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market. Although we do not expect to be in a position to dictate the behavior of the market or of broker-dealers who participate in the market, management will strive within the confines of practical limitations to prevent the described patterns from being established with respect to our securities.

Certain principal shareholders and members of our executive team and board of directors own a majority of our common shares and as a result will be able to exercise significant control over us, and your interests may conflict with the interests of such shareholders.

Certain principal shareholders and their affiliated entities as well as members of our executive team and board of directors own approximately 17% of our common shares. Depending on the level of attendance at our general meetings of shareholders, these shareholders may be in a position to determine the outcome of decisions taken at any such general meeting. Any shareholder or group of shareholders controlling more than 50% of the shares represented at our general meetings of shareholders may control any shareholder resolution requiring an absolute majority of the shares represented, including the election of members to the board of directors of the Company, certain decisions relating to our capital structure, the approval of certain significant corporate transactions and certain amendments to our articles of association. To the extent that the interests of these shareholders may differ from the interests of the Company’s other shareholders, the latter may be disadvantaged by any action that these shareholders may seek to pursue. Among other consequences, this concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control and might therefore negatively affect the market price of our common shares.

Future sales, or the possibility of future sales, of a substantial number of our common shares could adversely affect the price of our common shares.

Future sales of a substantial number of our common shares, or the perception that such sales will occur, could cause a decline in the market price of our common shares. Approximately 17% of our common shares outstanding are held by affiliates. If these shareholders sell substantial amounts of common shares in the public market, or the market perceives that such sales may occur, the market price of our common

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shares and our ability to raise capital through an issue of equity securities could be adversely affected. Additionally, as of the date of this proxy statement/prospectus we have warrants outstanding, which are exercisable for an aggregate of 6,544,791 common shares at a weighted average exercise price of  $2.33 per share, an equity commitment to sell up to $9.0 million of additional common shares to Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“LPC”) pursuant to the commitment purchase agreement we entered into on May 2, 2018 with LPC (the “LPC Purchase Agreement”) and an at-the-market offering program pursuant to the sales agreement we entered into with A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners (“A.G.P.”) on November 30, 2018 (the “A.G.P. Sales Agreement”) for sales of up to $25.0 million of additional common shares. In connection with the Redomestication, we will be unable to raise capital through the A.G.P. Sales Agreement unless we successfully renegotiate such agreement with A.G.P. We cannot be certain that we will be able to negotiate the A.G.P. Sales Agreement with the same terms and conditions, or at all. We have also entered into a registration rights agreement pursuant to which we have agreed under certain circumstances to file a registration statement to register the resale of common shares held by certain of our shareholders, as well as to cooperate in certain public offerings of such common shares. We have also filed registration statements to register the resale of the common shares underlying the warrants that we have offered and sold in unregistered transactions, the common shares that are sold to LPC and the common shares and other equity securities that we have issued under our prior equity incentive plans or may issue under our new omnibus equity compensation plan. These common shares may be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to certain limitations applicable to affiliates. In addition, we have filed a registration statement covering the issuance and sale by us of up to $100 million of common shares, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts, units and common shares. We may issue such securities, including our common shares and warrants to purchase common shares, at any time and from time to time subject to the limitations set forth in General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3. If a large number of our common shares and/or warrants to purchase common shares are sold in the public market, the sales could reduce the trading price of our common shares and impede our ability to raise future capital. Following the Redomestication, we intend to update all of our existing registration statements to the extent necessary to allow for their continued use.

We do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.

We have not paid any dividends since our incorporation. Even if future operations lead to significant levels of distributable profits, we currently intend that any earnings will be reinvested in our business and that dividends will not be paid until we have an established revenue stream to support continuing dividends. Following the Redomestication, the proposal to pay future dividends to shareholders will in addition effectively be at the discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors including our business prospects, cash requirements, financial performance and new product development. In addition, payment of future dividends is subject to certain limitations pursuant to Swiss law or by our articles of association. If the Redomestication is effected, we will be subject to Bermuda law restrictions on the payment of dividends including that no dividends may be declared by our board of directors or paid by the Company if there are reasonable grounds for believing that: (i) we are, or would after the payment be, unable to pay our liabilities as they become due; or (ii) that the realizable value of our assets would thereby be less than our liabilities. Accordingly, investors cannot rely on dividend income from our common shares and any returns on an investment in our common shares will likely depend entirely upon any future appreciation in the price of our common shares.

Additionally, in connection with the Merger, the Swiss Federal Tax Administration took the position (on the basis of a tax ruling) that, as a result of the Merger, the existing Capital Contribution Reserves will be offset against the retained losses. This leads to a reduced amount of Capital Contribution Reserves. We do not intend to make distributions in the foreseeable future, but if the position of the tax authorities were to prevail, it is likely that any distributions exceeding the reduced amount of Capital Contributions Reserves would be treated as taxable dividends for Swiss tax purposes. If we ever decide to declare dividends, we expect to challenge the view under the tax ruling, but there can be no assurance that any such challenge would be successful.

We are a holding company with no material direct operations.

We are a holding company with no material direct operations. As a result, we would be dependent on dividends, other payments or loans from our subsidiaries in order to pay a dividend. Our subsidiaries are

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subject to legal requirements of their respective jurisdictions of organization that may restrict their paying dividends or other payments, or making loans, to us.

We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we are not subject to U.S. proxy rules and are subject to Exchange Act reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of a U.S. domestic public company.

We report under the Exchange Act, as a non-U.S. company with foreign private issuer status. Because we qualify as a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act and although we are subject to Swiss laws and regulations with regard to such matters and intend to furnish quarterly financial information to the SEC, we are exempt from certain provisions of the Exchange Act that are applicable to U.S. domestic public companies, including (i) the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; (ii) the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and (iii) the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q containing unaudited financial and other specified information, or current reports on Form 8-K, upon the occurrence of specified significant events. In addition, foreign private issuers are not required to file their annual report on Form 20-F until four months after the end of each financial year, while U.S. domestic issuers that are accelerated filers are required to file their annual report on Form 10-K within 75 days after the end of each fiscal year. Foreign private issuers are also exempt from the Regulation Fair Disclosure, aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information. As a result of the above, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are not foreign private issuers.

As a foreign private issuer and as permitted by the listing requirements of Nasdaq, we follow certain home country governance practices rather than the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq.

We are a foreign private issuer. As a result, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5615(a)(3), we comply with home country governance requirements and certain exemptions thereunder rather than complying with certain of the corporate governance requirements of Nasdaq.

Neither Swiss law nor Bermuda law requires that a majority of our board of directors consists of independent directors. Our board of directors therefore may include fewer independent directors than would be required if we were subject to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(b)(1). In addition, we are not subject to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(b)(2), which requires that independent directors regularly have scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

Although Swiss law also requires that we adopt a compensation committee, we follow home country requirements with respect to such committee. As a result, our practice varies from the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(d), which sets forth certain requirements as to the responsibilities, composition and independence of compensation committees. We follow Swiss law requirements with respect to disclosure of compensation for our directors and executive officers. Neither Swiss law nor Bermuda law requires that we disclose information regarding third-party compensation of our directors or director nominee. As a result, our practice varies from the third-party compensation disclosure requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(b)(3). After the Redomestication, we intend to follow the requirements of Bermuda law with respect to our compensation committee, disclosure of compensation of our directors and executive officers and information regarding third-party compensation of our directors or director nominee, each of which differ from the requirements of the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

In addition, as permitted by with Swiss law and Bermuda law, we have opted not to implement a standalone nominating committee. To this extent, our practice varies from the independent director oversight of director nominations requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605(e).

Furthermore, in accordance with Swiss law and generally accepted business practices, our constitutive documents do not provide quorum requirements generally applicable to general meetings of shareholders. After the Redomestication, the quorum for a general meeting of shareholders will be as set out in the Bye-laws, which will provide for a quorum of two or more persons present at the start of the meeting and representing in person or by proxy issued and outstanding voting shares in the company. Our practice thus

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varies from the requirement of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(c), which requires an issuer to provide in its bylaws for a generally applicable quorum, and that such quorum may not be less than one-third of the outstanding voting stock. Our constitutive documents provide for an independent proxy holder elected by our shareholders, who may represent our shareholders at a general meeting of shareholders, and we must provide shareholders with an agenda and other relevant documents for the general meeting of shareholders. However, neither Swiss law nor Bermuda law has a regulatory regime for the solicitation of proxies, thus our practice varies from the requirement of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5620(b), which sets forth certain requirements regarding the solicitation of proxies. In addition, we have opted out of shareholder approval requirements for the issuance of securities in connection with certain events such as the acquisition of stock or assets of another company, the establishment of or amendments to equity-based compensation plans for employees, a change of control of us and certain private placements. To this extent, our practice varies from the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635, which generally requires an issuer to obtain shareholder approval for the issuance of securities in connection with such events.

As a result of the above, you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are not foreign private issuers.

We may lose our foreign private issuer status, which would then require us to comply with the Exchange Act’s domestic reporting regime and cause us to incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses.

We are a foreign private issuer and therefore we are not required to comply with all of the periodic disclosure and current reporting requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. In order to maintain our current status as a foreign private issuer, either (a) a majority of our common shares must be either directly or indirectly owned of record by non-residents of the United States or (b)(i) a majority of our executive officers or directors may not be United States citizens or residents, (ii) more than 50 percent of our assets cannot be located in the United States and (iii) our business must be administered principally outside the United States. These criteria are tested on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, each year. If we lost this status, we would be required to comply with the Exchange Act reporting and other requirements applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, which are more detailed and extensive than the requirements for foreign private issuers. We may also be required to make changes in our corporate governance practices in accordance with various SEC and stock exchange rules. The regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. securities laws if we are required to comply with the reporting requirements applicable to a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly higher than the cost we would incur as a foreign private issuer. As a result, we expect that a loss of foreign private issuer status would increase our legal and financial compliance costs and would make some activities highly time-consuming and costly. We also expect that if we were required to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, it would make it more difficult and expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These rules and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to “emerging growth companies” will make our common shares less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an “emerging growth company” until 2019, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our common shares held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 (the end of our second fiscal quarter) before that time, in which case we would no longer be an “emerging growth company” as of the following December 31 (our fiscal year end). We cannot predict if investors will find our common shares less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common shares and the price of our common shares may be more volatile.

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We believe that we were a “passive foreign investment company,” or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our 2018 taxable year, and we expect to be a PFIC for our current year and for the foreseeable future.

We believe that we were a “passive foreign investment company,” or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our 2018 taxable year, and we expect to be a PFIC for our current year and for the foreseeable future. In addition, we may, directly or indirectly, hold equity interests in other PFICs. Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, we will be a PFIC for any taxable year in which (i) 75% or more of our gross income consists of passive income or (ii) 50% or more of the average quarterly value of our assets consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. For purposes of the above calculations, a non-U.S. corporation that directly or indirectly owns at least 25% by value of the shares of another corporation is treated as if it held its proportionate share of the assets of the other corporation and received directly its proportionate share of the income of the other corporation. Passive income generally includes dividends, interest, rents, royalties and capital gains.

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. investor holds our shares, the U.S. investor may be subject to adverse tax consequences, including (i) the treatment of all or a portion of any gain on disposition as ordinary income, (ii) the application of a deferred interest charge on such gain and the receipt of certain dividends and (iii) compliance with certain reporting requirements.

For further discussion of the adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences of our classification as a PFIC, see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders.”

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, shareholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common shares.

Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm, may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retroactive changes to our financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Inferior internal controls could also subject us to regulatory scrutiny and sanctions, impair our ability to raise revenue and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common shares.

We will be required to disclose changes made in our internal controls and procedures and our management will be required to assess the effectiveness of these controls annually. However, for as long as we are an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404. We could be an “emerging growth company” until August 2019. An independent assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls could detect problems that our management’s assessment might not. Undetected material weaknesses in our internal controls could lead to financial statement restatements and require us to incur the expense of remediation.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research, or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research, about our business, the price of our common shares and our trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common shares depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. We cannot assure you that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common shares or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our common shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of the Company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common shares could decrease, which might cause the price of our common shares and trading volume to decline.

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Risks Related to the Change in Our Jurisdiction of Incorporation

Currently, your rights as a shareholder of Auris Medical Holding AG arise under Swiss law as well as our existing Swiss articles of association. Upon Redomestication, your rights as a shareholder of Auris Medical (Bermuda) will arise under Bermuda law, the Memorandum of Continuance and the Bye-laws to be adopted in accordance with Bermuda law.

The Memorandum of Continuance and the Bye-laws of Auris Medical (Bermuda) will be the constitutive documents of Auris Medical (Bermuda) upon Redomestication, assuming shareholder approval of the Redomestication, the Memorandum of Continuance and the Bye-laws. These new constitutive documents and Bermuda law will contain provisions that differ from those in our current constitutive documents and Swiss law and, therefore, your rights as a shareholder of Auris Medical (Bermuda) could differ materially from the rights you currently possess as a shareholder of Auris Medical Holding AG. For instance, upon effectiveness of the Redomestication, the Swiss OaEC (VegüV) will no longer apply to the Company. The OaEC contains numerous provisions that serve to increase the transparency and provide shareholders with a right to voice their opinions on compensation matters. Pursuant to the OaEC, Swiss companies are, among others, obliged to have a framework in place according to which (i) the shareholders each year elect the members of the board of directors separately, (ii) the shareholders each year elect the chairman of the board of directors, (iii) the shareholders each year elect the members of the compensation committee and the independent proxy and (iv) the shareholders each year separately approve the compensation of the members of the board of directors, the management and the advisory board. The OaEC further contains provisions according to which the board of directors for each year has to prepare a written compensation report which has to be approved by the shareholders, detailing the compensations paid to each member of the board of directors, the management and the advisory board. In addition, companies that are subject to the OaEC are generally not allowed to make severance payments, advance compensations and to pay commissions for restructuring within the group. Under Bermuda law, directors are subject to election each year at the annual general meeting of the company, but there is no requirement that the chairman of the board of directors be elected by the shareholders. There is also no requirement under Bermuda law for shareholders to elect members of a company’s compensation committee, or for shareholders to approve the compensation of the members of the board of directors or the company’s management; the foregoing matters are typically determined by the company’s board of directors. In addition, under Bermuda law there is no requirement to submit a written compensation report for approval to shareholders, and there are no general restrictions on severance payments, advance compensation or the payment of commissions for restructuring within the group. See “Risk Factors — Your rights as a shareholder of the Company will change as a result of the Redomestication. The Bye-laws grants certain powers to the board of directors that differs from our current articles of association. Such changes may adversely affect your rights as a shareholder of the Company.” and “Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s corporate seat to Bermuda — Comparison of Corporate Law,” where we describe material differences between the corporate law of Delaware, Switzerland and Bermuda relating to your rights as a shareholder. The form of Memorandum of Continuance and Bye-laws of Auris Medical (Bermuda) are filed as Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively, to this proxy statement/prospectus.

Upon effectiveness of the Redomestication, we will be a Bermuda company and it may be difficult for you to enforce judgments against us or our directors and executive officers.

Upon our continuance in Bermuda, we will be a Bermuda exempted company. As a result, the rights of holders of our common shares will be governed by Bermuda law and our Memorandum of Continuance and Bye-laws. The rights of shareholders under Bermuda law may differ from the rights of shareholders of companies incorporated in other jurisdictions. Many of our directors and the named experts referred to in this proxy statement/prospectus are not residents of the United States, and a substantial portion of our assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process on those persons in the United States or to enforce in the United States judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us or those persons based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. securities laws. It is doubtful whether courts in Bermuda will enforce judgments obtained in other jurisdictions, including the United States, against us or our directors or officers under the securities laws of those jurisdictions or entertain actions in Bermuda against us or our directors or officers under the securities laws of other jurisdictions.

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Your rights as a shareholder of the Company will change as a result of the Redomestication. The Bye-laws grants certain powers to the board of directors that differs from our current articles of association. Such changes may adversely affect your rights as a shareholder of the Company.

Because of the differences between Swiss law and Bermuda law, your rights as a shareholder will change if the Redomestication is completed. The Bye-laws grant certain powers to the board of directors that differ from our current articles of association. Generally, under Swiss law, shareholders are allowed to vote in matters related to an issuance of preferred shares or to alter the company’s share capital by dividing, consolidating or sub-dividing the company’s shares (including a reverse share split effected by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors, while under Bermuda law, the board of directors have the power and authority to perform such acts without the shareholders’ approval. Also, the presence and voting quorum requirements for certain shareholder resolutions under Swiss and Bermuda law differ in some instances. For example, the Bye-laws provide that, where certain business combination restrictions do not apply and the merger or amalgamation is approved by the board of directors, a merger or an amalgamation generally requires the approval of a majority of the votes cast at a general meeting at which the presence quorum is two or more persons present in person and representing in person or by proxy issued and outstanding voting shares. Whereas, under Swiss law, with certain exceptions, the approval of two thirds of the shares represented at the respective general meeting is required for a merger or an amalgamation. Additionally, under both Bermuda and Swiss law, shareholders may put proposals to the general meeting, but the exact framework and required shareholder and quorum requirements vary. Another matter that Bermuda and Swiss law differs is related to dividend payments. Under Swiss law, dividend payments are subject to the approval of the general meeting of shareholders. The board of directors may propose to shareholders that a dividend shall be paid but cannot itself authorize the distribution. Whereas, under Bermuda law, the board of directors may declare a dividend without shareholder approval, but a company may not declare or pay dividends if there are reasonable grounds for believing that: (i) the company is, or would after the payment be, unable to pay its liabilities as they become due; or (ii) that the realizable value of its assets would thereby be less than its liabilities. Also, the Bye-laws include anti-takeover provisions that our current articles of association do not contemplate. Such provisions give power and authority for the board of directors to require an increased majority for shareholder approval on a change of control. See “We have anti-takeover provisions in our proposed Bye-laws that may discourage a change of control.” Such changes may adversely affect your rights as a shareholder of the Company. For a detailed discussion of these differences, see “Agenda Item 1 — Approval of the Redomestication — Comparison of Corporate Law.”

Bermuda law differs from the laws in effect in the United States and may afford less protection to holders of our common shares.

Upon our continuance in Bermuda, we will be subject to the laws of Bermuda. As a result, our corporate affairs will be governed by the Companies Act, which differs in some material respects from laws typically applicable to U.S. corporations and shareholders, including the provisions relating to interested directors, amalgamations, mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, shareholder lawsuits and indemnification of directors. Generally, the duties of directors and officers of a Bermuda company are owed to the company only. Shareholders of Bermuda companies typically do not have rights to take action against directors or officers of the company and may only do so in limited circumstances. Class actions are not available under Bermuda law. The circumstances in which derivative actions may be available under Bermuda law are substantially more proscribed and less clear than they would be to shareholders of U.S. corporations. The Bermuda courts, however, would ordinarily be expected to permit a shareholder to commence an action in the name of a company to remedy a wrong to the company where the act complained of is alleged to be beyond the corporate power of the company or illegal, or would result in the violation of the company’s memorandum of association or bye-laws. Furthermore, consideration would be given by a Bermuda court to acts that are alleged to constitute a fraud against the minority shareholders or, for instance, where an act requires the approval of a greater percentage of the company’s shareholders than that which actually approved it.

When the affairs of a company are being conducted in a manner that is oppressive or prejudicial to the interests of some shareholders, one or more shareholders may apply to the Supreme Court of Bermuda, which may make such order as it sees fit, including an order regulating the conduct of the company’s affairs

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in the future or ordering the purchase of the shares of any shareholders by other shareholders or by the company. Additionally, under our proposed Bye-laws and as permitted by Bermuda law, each shareholder has waived any claim or right of action against our directors or officers for any action taken by directors or officers in the performance of their duties, except for actions involving fraud or dishonesty. In addition, the rights of holders of our common shares and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Bermuda law are not as clearly established as under statutes or judicial precedent in existence in jurisdictions in the United States, particularly the State of Delaware. Therefore, holders of our common shares may have more difficulty protecting their interests than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction within the United States.

Our proposed Bye-laws restrict shareholders from bringing legal action against our officers and directors.

Our proposed Bye-laws contain a broad waiver by our shareholders of any claim or right of action, both individually and on our behalf, against any of our officers or directors. The waiver applies to any action taken by an officer or director, or the failure of an officer or director to take any action, in the performance of his or her duties, except with respect to any matter involving any fraud or dishonesty on the part of the officer or director. This waiver limits the right of shareholders to assert claims against our officers and directors unless the act or failure to act involves fraud or dishonesty.

We have anti-takeover provisions in our proposed Bye-laws that may discourage a change of control.

Our proposed Bye-laws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without the consent of our board of directors. These provisions provide for:

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directors only to be removed for cause;

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restrictions on the time period in which directors may be nominated;

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our board of directors to determine the powers, preferences and rights of our preference shares and to issue the preference shares without shareholder approval; and

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an affirmative vote of 662∕3% of our voting shares for certain “business combination” transactions which have not been approved by our board of directors.

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These provisions could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if the third party’s offer may be considered beneficial by many shareholders. As a result, shareholders may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares.

If the Redomestication is effected, legislation enacted in Bermuda in response to the European Union’s review of harmful tax competition could adversely affect our operations.

During 2017, the European Union (“EU”) Economic and Financial Affairs Council (“ECOFIN”) released a list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. The stated aim of this list, and accompanying report, was to promote good governance worldwide in order to maximize efforts to prevent tax fraud and tax evasion. Bermuda was not on the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions, but did feature in the report (along with approximately 40 other jurisdictions) as having committed to address concerns relating to economic substance by December 31, 2018. In accordance with that commitment, Bermuda has enacted legislation that requires certain entities in Bermuda engaged in “relevant activities” to maintain a substantial economic presence in Bermuda and to satisfy economic substance requirements. The list of “relevant activities” includes carrying on as a business any one or more of: banking, insurance, fund management, financing, leasing, headquarters, shipping, distribution and service center, intellectual property and holding entities. At present, it is unclear what (if anything) Auris Medical (Bermuda) would be required to do in order to satisfy economic substance requirements in Bermuda, but to the extent we are required to increase our substance in Bermuda to satisfy such requirements, it could result in additional costs that could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations. If we were required to satisfy economic substance requirements in Bermuda but failed to do so, we could face automatic disclosure to competent authorities in the EU of the information filed by the entity with the Bermuda Registrar of Companies in connection with the economic substance requirements and may also face financial penalties, restriction or regulation of its business activities and/or may be struck off as a registered entity in Bermuda.

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Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s
Corporate Seat to Bermuda

Redomestication; Submission under Bermuda law; Registration with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda

General

On January 24, 2019, our board of directors determined that it would be in the best interest of the Company to change our legal seat from Switzerland to Bermuda. We are proposing to change our legal seat and jurisdiction by discontinuing from Switzerland and continuing as an exempted company limited by shares registered under the laws of Bermuda.

To effect the Redomestication, we will, upon the approval of the shareholders’ meeting, file an application with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda that contains the following: (a) an original and three copies of an amended Form 1, which is the application for consent to be registered, together with a notice of registered office address and declaration regarding an exempted company; (b) an original and three copies of the Memorandum of Continuance; (c) proof satisfactory to the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda that the Company has obtained all necessary authorizations required under the laws of Switzerland to enable it to make the application to continue to Bermuda; (d) financial statements of the Company prepared for a period ending within twelve months of the proposed date of the continuance; (e) any applicable fees; and (f) such additional documents as the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda may require.

The board of directors may not be able to implement the Redomestication if the relevant consents, rulings and approvals in connection with the Redomestication are not obtained, including approvals from the Swiss and Bermuda authorities.

As a matter of Bermuda law, the Redomestication provisions are not deemed: (a) to create a new legal entity; (b) to prejudice or affect the continuity of the Company which was formerly a Swiss company; (c) to affect the property or liabilities of the Company; or (d) to render defective any legal proceedings by or against the Company and any legal proceedings that could have been continued or commenced by or against the Company before its Redomestication under the law may, notwithstanding the Redomestication, be continued or commenced by or against the Company after the Redomestication.

Upon the issuance of a certificate of continuance by the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda, the Redomestication will be effected and we will have continued in Bermuda pursuant to Section 132C of the Companies Act as a Bermuda company, subject to the Companies Act and other laws of Bermuda, with a new name “Auris Medical Holding Ltd.”

Text of the Shareholder Resolution

The shareholder resolution approving the Redomestication is as follows:

Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s corporate seat to Bermuda

Redomestication; Submission under Bermuda law; Registration with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda

The shareholders resolve (i) to relocate the corporate seat of the Company from Zug, Switzerland, to Bermuda, by continuing the Company in Bermuda in accordance with Section 132C of the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda (the “Companies Act”), (ii) to register the Company as an exempted company limited by shares with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda with the name “Auris Medical Holding Ltd.” and (iii) to submit the Company to the law of Bermuda without liquidation or new formation.

Explanation:   It is intended to relocate the Company’s seat pursuant to Article 163 of the Swiss Federal Act on Private International Law to Bermuda, by continuing the Company in Bermuda in accordance with Section 132C of the Companies Act (the “Redomestication”). The Company shall continue to exist in Bermuda in the legal form of an exempted company limited by shares, pursuant to the Companies Act while preserving its legal personality (i.e. the relocation of the corporate seat will not result in the creation of a new legal entity). In order to gain corporate flexibility, achieve cost

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savings and relocate into a jurisdiction familiar to most of the Company’s current and potential new investors, the board of directors considers the proposed relocation of the Company to Bermuda to be in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders. The board of directors may not be able to implement the Redomestication if the relevant consents, rulings and approvals in connection with the Redomestication are not obtained, including approvals from the Swiss and Bermuda authorities.

Principal Reasons for the Redomestication

After careful consideration, we believe that the Redomestication is in the best interests of the Company because the Redomestication will provide additional corporate flexibility, result in cost savings and Bermuda is a jurisdiction that most of our current and potential new investors are more familiar with ultimately resulting in improved access to capital markets.

Amendment or Termination

The Redomestication may be amended, modified or supplemented at any time before or after its adoption by our shareholders. Our board of directors may terminate the Redomestication and abandon or delay the Redomestication at any time prior to its effectiveness without obtaining the approval of our shareholders in case of immaterial amendments, modifications or supplementations. Upon effectiveness of the Redomestication (“Effective Time”), amendments, modifications or supplements may be made subject to applicable Bermuda law and the Bye-laws.

Conditions to Consummation of the Redomestication

The Redomestication will not be completed under Swiss law and Bermuda law, unless the following conditions are satisfied or, if allowed by law, waived:

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the Redomestication and adoption of the Memorandum of Continuance and Bye-laws are approved by the requisite vote of our shareholders;

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we are not subject to any governmental decree, order or injunction that prohibits the consummation of the Redomestication;

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we obtain all consents, rulings and approvals that are necessary, desirable or appropriate in connection with the Redomestication including approvals from the Swiss and Bermuda authorities and from the Nasdaq Capital Market.

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To effect the deletion of the Company in the commercial register of the Canton of Zug, Switzerland, the Company will need, among other steps, to publish a Creditors’ Call three times in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce and the Company’s auditors will have to confirm that the claims of the creditors (if any) within the meaning of article 46 Swiss Merger Act have been secured or fulfilled or that the creditors agree to the deletion in the Swiss commercial register. The necessary filing of the documents with the commercial register will include, among other documents, the resolution of the board of directors, the minutes of the shareholders’ resolution, a copy the certificate of continuance (issued by the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda), the legal opinion of Bermuda counsel and the auditors confirmation. Upon filing of the application to delete the Company in the commercial register of the Canton of Zug, the commercial register will involve the federal and cantonal tax authorities and request their consent to cancel the Company. Such consent is only granted upon payment of all taxes by the Company (whether before or after the continuance of the Company in Bermuda).

The deletion of the Company in the Commercial register of the Canton of Zug, Switzerland, is not a condition for the effectiveness of the Redomestication.

No Appraisal Rights

Under Swiss law, our shareholders do not have any right to an appraisal of the value of their shares or payment for them in connection with the Redomestication.

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Applicable Law

As of the Effective Time, our legal jurisdiction of incorporation will be Bermuda and the continuing company will no longer be subject to the provisions of Swiss corporate law. All matters of corporate law will be determined under Bermuda law. Auris Medical (Bermuda) will continue to be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. In addition, Auris Medical (Bermuda) will continue to be subject to the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market. The legal jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company’s subsidiaries will not be affected by the Redomestication and will not change for the time being.

Assets, Liabilities, Obligations, Etc.

Under Bermuda law, upon the company’s continuance to Bermuda, all of our assets, property, rights, liabilities and obligations immediately prior to the Redomestication will continue to be our assets, property, rights, liabilities and obligations. If the Redomestication is approved by the requisite shareholder vote, we anticipate that the Redomestication will become effective promptly following such approval with the exact date and time being determined by our board of directors.

Capital Stock

If our shareholders approve all of the agenda items at the General Meeting, as of the Effective Time, all of the common shares of Auris Medical Holding AG will automatically convert by operation of law into common shares of Auris Medical (Bermuda).

Immediately following the Effective Time, our authorized share capital will consist of 200,000,000 common shares, par value CHF 0.02 per share, and 20,000,000 preference shares, par value CHF 0.02 per share, and there will be 37,495,859 common shares issued and outstanding, excluding 978,954 common shares issuable upon exercise of options granted as of the Effective Time and 6,650,464 common shares issuable upon exercise of warrants granted as of the Effective Time, and no preference shares issued and outstanding. All of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares are, and upon the Redomestication, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s then issued and outstanding common shares will be, fully paid.

Voting

Following the Redomestication, our shareholders will continue to hold the same relative equity and voting interests that they held prior to the Redomestication.

Business and Operations

The Redomestication, if approved, will effect a change in the legal jurisdiction of incorporation as of the Effective Time, but our business and operations will remain the same. We expect to retain our employees and office space in Switzerland. Auris Medical (Bermuda) plans to rent office space in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Board of Directors and Executive Officers

When the Redomestication is completed, executive officers and directors of Auris Medical Holding AG immediately prior to the Effective Time will be executive officers and directors of Auris Medical (Bermuda). In addition, pursuant to Bermuda law we will be required to appoint certain officers who are ordinarily resident in Bermuda, and therefore we intend to appoint a secretary and/or a resident representative who is ordinarily resident in Bermuda. Our directors will continue as directors during their respective assigned terms. Our current executive officers are Thomas Meyer (Chief Executive Officer) and Hernan Levett (Chief Financial Officer). Our current board of directors is comprised of Thomas Meyer (Chairman), Armando Anido, Mats Blom, Alain Munoz and Calvin W. Roberts.

Accounting Treatment of the Redomestication

Under IFRS as issued by the IASB, the Redomestication is not a business combination and is accounted for as a reorganization. There is no change in the accounting basis of assets and liabilities in our financial statements as a result of the Redomestication.

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The assets and liabilities in our financial statements after the Redomestication will be reflected at their historical value in our financial statements at the time of the Redomestication. In addition, the Redomestication will not impact the Company’s capitalization.

Effective Time

If the Redomestication is approved by the requisite shareholder vote, we anticipate that the Redomestication will become effective promptly following such approval, with the exact date and time being determined by our board of directors. To effect the Redomestication, we will, upon the approval of our shareholders of the Redomestication, file an application with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda that contains the following: (a) an original and three copies of an amended Form 1, which is the application for consent to be registered, together with a notice of registered office address and declaration regarding an exempted company; (b) an original and three copies of the Company’s Memorandum of Continuance; (c) proof satisfactory to the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda that the Company has obtained all necessary authorizations required under the laws of Switzerland to enable it to make the application to continue to Bermuda; (d) financial statements of the Company prepared for a period ending within twelve months of the proposed date of continuance; (e) any applicable fees; (f) information about the beneficial owners of the Company, if required; and (g) such additional documents as the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda may require.

The board of directors may not be able to implement the Redomestication if the relevant consents, rulings and approvals in connection with the Redomestication are not obtained, including approvals from the Swiss and Bermuda authorities.

Upon the issuance of a certificate of continuance by the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda, the Redomestication will be effected and we will have continued in Bermuda pursuant to Section 132C of the Companies Act as a Bermuda company, subject to the Companies Act and other laws of Bermuda, with a new name “Auris Medical Holding Ltd.”

If approved, we expect to complete the Redomestication soon after the General Meeting.

In the event the conditions to the Redomestication are not satisfied, the Redomestication may be abandoned or delayed, even after approval by our shareholders. In addition, the Redomestication may be abandoned or delayed for any reason by our board of directors at any time prior to the approval of the Redomestication by our shareholders, even if all other conditions to the Redomestication might be satisfied.

Board Recommendation; Required Vote

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE REDOMESTICATION AND HAS RECOMMENDED THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL OF ALL THE PROPOSALS RELATED TO THE REDOMESTICATION.

The Redomestication requires the approval of two thirds of the shares present at the General Meeting, whether in person or by proxy. Our directors and executive officers, who currently hold approximately 17% of our outstanding common shares, have indicated that they intend to vote for the approval of the Redomestication. The adjournment proposal requires the approval of holders of the same majority.

Regulatory Approvals

In order for the Company to carry out the Redomestication, it will be necessary for us to comply with the provisions of the corporate law of Switzerland and Bermuda. Under Swiss corporate law, we are required to obtain approval from the holders of two thirds of our shares present or represented at the General Meeting, in order to carry out the Redomestication. Under Bermuda law, we are required to obtain the consent of the Bermuda Monetary Authority under the Exchange Control Act 1972 (and its related regulations) prior to effecting the Redomestication.

Effect on Shares

If you hold shares in certificated form, you do not need to take any action as a result of the Redomestication. Your certificated shares will still be valid and continue to represent your interest in the Company.

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If you hold your shares through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or similar institution, you should not need to take any action as a result of the Redomestication. Since the Redomestication will not impact the number of shares you own, we expect that account statements from your institution will look largely the same after the Redomestication.

Federal Securities Law Consequences; Resale Restrictions

Our common shares after the Redomestication will be freely transferable, except for restrictions applicable to certain “affiliates” of the Company under the Securities Act, as follows:

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Persons who were not affiliates of the Company at the time of the effectiveness of the Redomestication and that have not been affiliated within 90 days prior to such time will be permitted to sell any common shares pursuant to Rule 144.

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Persons who were affiliates of the Company at the time of the effectiveness of the Redomestication or were affiliates within 90 days prior to such time will be permitted to resell any common shares in the manner permitted by Rule 144.

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Persons whose common shares are subject to transfer restrictions under the Securities Act will continue to be subject to the same restrictions after the Redomestication.

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In computing the holding period of the common shares for the purpose of Rule 144(d), such persons will be permitted to “tack” the holding period of their common shares held prior to the Effective Time to the period beginning at the Effective Time.

Persons who may be deemed to be affiliates of the Company for these purposes generally include individuals or entities that control, are controlled by, or are under common control with, the Company, and would generally not include shareholders who are not executive officers, directors or significant shareholders of the Company.

The Company intends to file certain post-effective amendments to existing effective registration statements and/or new registration statements of the Company concurrently with the completion of the Redomestication.

Upon consummation of the Redomestication, the common shares of the Company will be deemed to be registered under Section 12(b) of Exchange Act, by virtue of Rule 12g-3 under the Exchange Act, without the filing of any Exchange Act registration statement.

Interests of Certain Persons in the Redomestication

No person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the last fiscal year, or any associate of any such person, has any substantial interest in the Redomestication, except for any interest arising from his or her ownership of securities of the Company. No such person is receiving any extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all other holders of shares of the Company.

Material Tax Considerations Relating to the Redomestication

This section contains a general discussion of certain material tax consequences of: (1) the Redomestication; (2) post-Redomestication ownership and disposition of Auris Medical (Bermuda) common shares; and (3) our post-Redomestication operations.

The discussion under the caption “— U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” addresses certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences to: (1) the Company of the Redomestication and post-Redomestication operations; and (2) to U.S. holders (as defined below) of the Redomestication and of owning and disposing of Auris Medical (Bermuda) common shares received in the Redomestication.

The discussion under the caption “— Bermuda Tax Considerations” addresses certain material Bermuda tax consequences to: (1) shareholders resulting from the Redomestication and from ownership and disposition of the Auris Medical (Bermuda) common shares and (2) the Company resulting from the Redomestication and from subsequent operations.

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The discussion under the caption “— Swiss Tax Considerations” addresses the Swiss income tax consequences of the Redomestication.

The below discussion is not a substitute for an individual analysis of the tax consequences of the Redomestication, post-Redomestication ownership and disposition of Auris Medical (Bermuda) shares or post-Redomestication operations of the Company. You should consult your own tax advisors regarding the particular U.S. (federal, state and local), Swiss, Bermuda and other non-U.S. tax consequences of these matters in light of your particular situation.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following discussion of U.S. federal income tax matters is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the Code, judicial decisions, administrative pronouncements, and existing and proposed regulations issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of common shares that is a U.S. citizen or resident, U.S. corporation or other U.S. entity taxable as a corporation, or an estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

If a partnership holds common shares, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner in a partnership holding common shares, you are encouraged to consult your tax advisor.

The Redomestication should qualify as a tax-free “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. Accordingly, the Company should not be subject to U.S. federal income tax as a result of the Redomestication. However, because we believe we were a “passive foreign investment company,” or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our 2018 taxable year, and we expect to be a PFIC for our current year, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Redomestication for U.S. Holders will turn on the application of certain of the PFIC rules. Section 1291(f) of the Code requires that, to the extent provided in regulations, a U.S. person that disposes of stock of a PFIC recognize gain notwithstanding any other provision of the Code. No final Treasury Regulations have been promulgated under Section 1291(f). Proposed Treasury Regulations were promulgated in 1992 with a retroactive effective date. If finalized in their current form, these regulations would generally require gain (but not loss) to be recognized by U.S. persons exchanging shares in a corporation that is a PFIC at any time during such U.S. person’s holding period of such shares (the “Gain Recognition Rule”). There is an exception to this rule for transactions that qualify as a certain type of reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code. We believe that the Redomestication should qualify as this type of reorganization. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should not recognize gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes solely as a result of the Redomestication either because Section 1291(f) is determined not to be effective in the absence of because final implementing regulations or any such final regulations are consistent with the proposed regulations. However, because we believe that we are a PFIC, the proposed Treasury Regulations would require a U.S. Holder to file Form 8621 along with its U.S. federal income tax return for the year in which the Redomestication occurs. The proposed regulations would also require a U.S. Holder to attach to this Form 8621 (1) a complete description of the transfer, (2) certain identifying information regarding Auris Medical Holding AG and Auris Medical Holding Ltd. and (3) a statement citing the applicable exception to the Gain Recognition Rule. A U.S. Holder should consult its tax advisor regarding these requirements and the application of Section 1291(f), the Gain Recognition Rule and the exception thereto described above.

We do not intend to request a ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Redomestication, and consequently there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court of law will treat the Redomestication in the manner described above. If the IRS successfully challenges the treatment of the Redomestication, adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences may result. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the potential U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. and other tax consequences of the Redomestication.

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Bermuda Tax Considerations

At the present time, there is no Bermuda income or profits tax, withholding tax, capital gains tax, capital transfer tax, estate duty or inheritance tax payable by us or by our shareholders in respect of our shares. We intend to apply for and to obtain an assurance from the Minister of Finance of Bermuda under the Exempted Undertakings Tax Protection Act 1966 that, in the event that any legislation is enacted in Bermuda imposing any tax computed on profits or income, or computed on any capital asset, gain or appreciation or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax, such tax shall not, until March 31,2035, be applicable to us or to any of our operations or to our shares, debentures or other obligations except insofar as such tax applies to persons ordinarily resident in Bermuda or is payable by us in respect of real property owned or leased by us in Bermuda.

Swiss Tax Considerations

As confirmed by the Swiss Federal Tax Administration and the Zug Cantonal Tax Administration by way of tax rulings, the Redomestication is not seen as a liquidation of the Company for Swiss corporate income tax and Swiss federal withholding tax purposes and, in consequence, does not trigger any corporate income tax or federal withholding tax. The Company will remain subject to Swiss corporate income tax and Swiss federal withholding tax as before the Redomestication.

As confirmed by the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (for the Swiss federal income tax) and the Zug Cantonal Tax Administration (for the Zug cantonal and communal income tax) by way of tax rulings, Swiss resident holders of the Company’s common shares should not realize any taxable income or gain solely as a result of the Redomestication due to the fact the existing share capital or the capital contributions reserves of the Company will not be increased in the course of the Redomestication (by conversion of existing reserves into share capital or capital contributions reserves).

Description of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s Share Capital

The following description of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s share capital summarizes certain provisions of our Memorandum of Continuance (which is equivalent for these purposes to a memorandum of association under Bermuda law) and our Bye-laws that, subject to approval by the General Meeting and continuance of the Company in Bermuda, will become effective as of the Effective Time. Such summaries do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of our Memorandum of Continuance and Bye-laws in effect from the continuance of the Company in Bermuda, copies of which are included as Appendix A and Appendix B to this proxy statement/prospectus. We urge you to read the forms of the Memorandum of Continuance and the Bye-laws of Auris Medical (Bermuda), included as Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively, to this proxy statement/prospectus.

General

Upon the Effective Time, Auris Medical (Bermuda) will be an exempted company incorporated under the laws of Bermuda. We began our current operations in 2003 under the name Auris Medical AG, and our name was changed to Auris Medical Holding AG on April 22, 2014. Following the Merger on March 13, 2018, the surviving entity was named Auris Medical Holding AG. Upon the issuance of a certificate of continuance by the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda, the Redomestication will be effected and we will have continued in Bermuda pursuant to Section 132C of the Companies Act as a Bermuda company, subject to the Companies Act and other laws of Bermuda, with a new name “Auris Medical Holding Ltd.” Following the Redomestication, our registered office will be located at Clarendon House 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda.

At the General Meeting, our shareholders are being asked to adopt the Memorandum of Continuance which provides that the objects of our business are unrestricted, and the Company will have the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person.

At the General Meeting, our shareholders are being asked to adopt new Bye-laws of the company which will become effective at the Effective Time. The following description assumes that the adoption of new Bye-laws has become effective, and the Company has continued to Bermuda as an exempted company limited by shares incorporated in Bermuda.

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There have been no material changes to our share capital, mergers, amalgamations or consolidations of us or any of our subsidiaries, no material changes in the mode of conducting our business, no material changes in the types of products produced or services rendered and no name changes. There have been no bankruptcy, receivership or similar proceedings with respect to us or our subsidiaries.

There have been no public takeover offers by third parties for our shares nor any public takeover offers by us for the shares of another company which have occurred during the last or current financial years.

Share Capital

Immediately following the Effective Time, our authorized share capital will consist of 200,000,000 common shares, par value CHF 0.02 per share, and 20,000,000 preference shares, par value CHF 0.02 per share, and there will be 37,495,859 common shares issued and outstanding, excluding 978,954 common shares issuable upon exercise of options granted as of the Effective Time and 6,650,464 common shares issuable upon exercise of warrants granted as of the Effective Time, and no preference shares issued and outstanding. All of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares are, and upon the Redomestication, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s then issued and outstanding common shares will be, fully paid.

Pursuant to the Bye-laws, subject to any resolution of the shareholders to the contrary, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors is authorized to issue any of our authorized but unissued shares. There are no limitations on the right of non-Bermudians or non-residents of Bermuda to hold or vote Auris Medical (Bermuda) shares.

Common Shares

Holders of common shares have no pre-emptive, redemption, conversion or sinking fund rights. Holders of common shares are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of holders of common shares. Unless a different majority is required by law or by the Bye-laws, resolutions to be approved by holders of common shares require approval by a simple majority of votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present.

In the event of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of common shares are entitled to share equally and ratably in our assets, if any, remaining after the payment of all of our debts and liabilities, subject to any liquidation preference on any issued and outstanding preference shares.

Preferred Shares

Pursuant to Bermuda law and our Bye-laws, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors by resolution may establish one or more series of preference shares having such number of shares, designations, dividend rates, relative voting rights, conversion or exchange rights, redemption rights, liquidation rights and other relative participation, optional or other special rights, qualifications, limitations or restrictions as may be fixed by the board without any further shareholder approval. Such rights, preferences, powers and limitations as may be established could have the effect of discouraging an attempt to obtain control of the Auris Medical (Bermuda).

Dividend Rights

Under Bermuda law, the board of directors may declare a dividend without shareholder approval, but a company may not declare or pay dividends if there are reasonable grounds for believing that: (i) the company is, or would after the payment be, unable to pay its liabilities as they become due; or (ii) that the realizable value of its assets would thereby be less than its liabilities. Under the Bye-laws, each common share is entitled to dividends if, as and when dividends are declared by Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors, subject to any preferred dividend right of the holders of any preference shares.

Variation of Rights

If at any time Auris Medical (Bermuda) have more than one class of shares, the rights attaching to any class, unless otherwise provided for by the terms of issue of the relevant class, may be varied either: (i) with the consent in writing of the holders of 75% of the issued shares of that class; or (ii) with the sanction of a

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resolution passed by a majority of the votes cast at a general meeting of the relevant class of shareholders at which a quorum consisting of at least two or more persons holding or representing issued and outstanding shares of the relevant class is present. The Bye-laws specify that the creation or issue of shares ranking equally with existing shares will not, unless expressly provided by the terms of issue of existing shares, vary the rights attached to existing shares. In addition, the creation or issue of preference shares ranking prior to common shares will not be deemed to vary the rights attached to common shares or, subject to the terms of any other series of preference shares, to vary the rights attached to any other series of preference shares.

Transfer of Shares

Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors may in its absolute discretion and without assigning any reason refuse to register the transfer of a share that it is not fully paid. Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors may also refuse to recognize an instrument of transfer of a share unless it is accompanied by the relevant share certificate and such other evidence of the transferor’s right to make the transfer as Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors shall reasonably require. Subject to these restrictions, a holder of common shares may transfer the title to all or any of his common shares by completing a form of transfer in the form set out in the Bye-laws (or as near thereto as circumstances admit) or in such other common form as the board may accept. The instrument of transfer must be signed by the transferor and transferee, although in the case of a fully paid share Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors may accept the instrument signed only by the transferor.

Share Split and Reverse Share Split effected by consolidating our common shares

Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors may in its absolute discretion and without further approval of shareholders divide, consolidate or sub-divide the share capital of Auris Medical (Bermuda) in any manner permitted by the Companies Act, including approving a reverse share split by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors. The Bye-laws also provide that upon an alteration or reduction of share capital where fractions of shares or some other difficult would arise, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors may deal with or resolve the same in any manner as it thinks fit.

We are currently not in compliance with the quantitative listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market, which require, among other things, that listed companies maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share. We failed to satisfy this threshold for 30 consecutive trading days and on July 30, 2018, we received a letter from Nasdaq indicating that we had been provided a period of 180 calendar days, or until January 28, 2019, to regain compliance. We did not regain compliance within the 180 days.

On February 6, 2019, we received a letter from Nasdaq stating that due to our continued non-compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement, our common shares were subject to delisting unless we timely requested a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel. We timely requested such a hearing on February 8, 2019, which request has stayed any delisting or suspension action by Nasdaq pending the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted following the hearing.

At the hearing, we intend to present our plan to regain compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement; however, there can be no assurance that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel will grant our request for continued listing or that we will be able to evidence compliance with the applicable listing criteria prior to the expiration of any additional extension period that may be granted to us.

At the hearing, we intend to commit that in the event that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel grants us an additional compliance period and the bid price of our common shares fails to increase above the $1.00 minimum during such additional compliance period, we will pursue a reverse share split by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors in order to regain compliance with the $1.00 bid price requirement. In the event shareholders approve the Bye-laws, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors would have the ability, after the Redomestication, to effect a reverse share split without further shareholders approval, by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors.

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Meeting of Shareholders

Under Bermuda law, a company is required to convene at least one general meeting of shareholders each calendar year (the “annual general meeting”). However, the members may by resolution waive this requirement, either for a specific year or period of time, or indefinitely. When the requirement has been so waived, any member may, on notice to the company, terminate the waiver, in which case an annual general meeting must be called.

Bermuda law provides that a special general meeting of shareholders may be called by the board of directors of a company and must be called upon the request of shareholders holding not less than 10% of the paid-up capital of the company carrying the right to vote at general meetings. Bermuda law also requires that shareholders be given at least five days’ advance notice of a general meeting, but the accidental omission to give notice to any person does not invalidate the proceedings at a meeting. The Bye-laws provide that the board of directors may convene an annual general meeting or a special general meeting. Under the Bye-laws, at least 14 days’ notice of an annual general meeting or a special general meeting must be given to each shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting. This notice requirement is subject to the ability to hold such meetings on shorter notice if such notice is agreed: (i) in the case of an annual general meeting by all of the shareholders entitled to attend and vote at such meeting; or (ii) in the case of a special general meeting by a majority in number of the shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting holding not less than 95% in nominal value of the shares entitled to vote at such meeting. The quorum required for a general meeting of shareholders is two or more persons present in person at the start of the meeting and representing in person or by proxy issued and outstanding common shares.

Access to Books and Records and Dissemination of Information

Members of the general public have a right to inspect the public documents of a company available at the office of the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda. These documents include the company’s memorandum of association, including its objects and powers, and certain alterations to the memorandum of association. The shareholders have the additional right to inspect the bye-laws of the company, minutes of general meetings and the company’s audited financial statements, which must be presented to the annual general meeting. The register of members of a company is also open to inspection by shareholders and by members of the general public without charge. The register of members is required to be open for inspection for not less than two hours in any business day (subject to the ability of a company to close the register of members for not more than thirty days in a year). A company is required to maintain its share register in Bermuda but may, subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, establish a branch register outside of Bermuda. A company is required to keep at its registered office a register of directors and officers that is open for inspection for not less than two hours in any business day by members of the public without charge. A company is also required to file with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda a list of its directors to be maintained on a register, which register will be available for public inspection subject to such conditions as the Registrar may impose and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed. Bermuda law does not, however, provide a general right for shareholders to inspect or obtain copies of any other corporate records. See “Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s corporate seat to Bermuda — Comparison of Corporate Law — Inspection of Books and Records.”

Election and Removal of Directors

The Bye-laws provide that Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board shall consist of three directors or such greater number as the board may determine. Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors will initially consist of five directors. Each director shall hold office for such term as the shareholders may determine or, in their absence of such determination, until the next annual general meeting or until their successors are elected or appointed or their office is otherwise vacated.

Any shareholder or shareholders holding or representing not less than 5% of the total voting rights wishing to propose for election as a director someone who is not an existing director or is not proposed by our board must give notice of the intention to propose the person for election. Where a director is to be elected at an annual general meeting, that notice must be given not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days before the anniversary of the last annual general meeting prior to the giving of the notice or, in the event the annual general meeting is called for a date that is not 30 days before or after such anniversary the notice

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must be given not later than 10 days following the earlier of the date on which notice of the annual general meeting was posted to members or the date on which public disclosure of the date of the annual general meeting was made. Where a director is to be elected at a special general meeting, that notice must be given not later than 10 days following the earlier of the date on which notice of the special general meeting was posted to members or the date on which public disclosure of the date of the special general meeting was made.

A director may be removed, with cause, by the shareholders, provided notice of the shareholders meeting convened to remove the director is given to the director. The notice must contain a statement of the intention to remove the director and must be served on the director not less than fourteen days before the meeting. The director is entitled to attend the meeting and be heard on the motion for his removal.

Proceedings of Board of Directors

The Bye-laws provide that our business is to be managed and conducted by Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors. Bermuda law permits individual and corporate directors and there is no requirement in the Bye-laws or Bermuda law that directors hold any of our shares. There is also no requirement in the Bye-laws or Bermuda law that our directors must retire at a certain age.

The remuneration of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s directors is determined by Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors, and there is no requirement that a specified number or percentage of  “independent” directors must approve any such determination. Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s directors may also be paid all travel, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with our business or their duties as directors.

Provided a director discloses a direct or indirect interest in any contract or arrangement with Auris Medical (Bermuda) as required by Bermuda law, such director is entitled to vote in respect of any such contract or arrangement in which he or she is interested unless he or she is disqualified from voting by the chairman of the relevant board meeting.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 98 of the Companies Act provides generally that a Bermuda company may indemnify its directors, officers and auditors against any liability which by virtue of any rule of law would otherwise be imposed on them in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, except in cases where such liability arises from fraud or dishonesty of which such director, officer or auditor may be guilty in relation to the company. Section 98 further provides that a Bermuda company may indemnify its directors, officers and auditors against any liability incurred by them in defending any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, in which judgment is awarded in their favor or in which they are acquitted or granted relief by the Supreme Court of Bermuda pursuant to section 281 of the Companies Act.

The Bye-laws that provide that Auris Medical (Bermuda) shall indemnify Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s officers and directors in respect of their actions and omissions, except in respect of their fraud or dishonesty. The Bye-laws provide that the shareholders waive all claims or rights of action that they might have, individually or in right of the company, against any of the company’s directors or officers for any act or failure to act in the performance of such director’s or officer’s duties, except in respect of any fraud or dishonesty of such director or officer. Section 98A of the Companies Act permits Auris Medical (Bermuda) to purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any officer or director in respect of any loss or liability attaching to him in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust, whether or not we may otherwise indemnify such officer or director. We have purchased and maintain a directors’ and officers’ liability policy for such a purpose. See “— Comparison of Corporate Law — Indemnification of directors and executive management and limitation of liability.”

Amendment of Memorandum of Association and Bye-laws

Bermuda law provides that the memorandum of association of a company may be amended by a resolution passed at a general meeting of shareholders. The Bye-laws provide that no bye-law shall be rescinded, altered or amended, and no new bye-law shall be made, unless it shall have been approved by a resolution of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors and by a resolution of our shareholders. In the

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case of certain bye-laws, such as the Bye-laws relating to election and removal of directors, approval of business combinations and amendment of bye-law provisions, the required resolutions must include the affirmative vote of at least 662∕3% of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s directors then in office and of at least 662∕3% percent of the votes attaching to all shares in issue.

Under Bermuda law, the holders of an aggregate of not less than 20% in par value of a company’s issued share capital or any class thereof have the right to apply to the Supreme Court of Bermuda for an annulment of any amendment of the memorandum of association adopted by shareholders at any general meeting, other than an amendment which alters or reduces a company’s share capital as provided in the Companies Act. Where such an application is made, the amendment becomes effective only to the extent that it is confirmed by the Bermuda court. An application for an annulment of an amendment of the memorandum of association must be made within twenty-one days after the date on which the resolution altering the company’s memorandum of association is passed and may be made on behalf of persons entitled to make the application by one or more of their number as they may appoint in writing for the purpose. No application may be made by shareholders voting in favor of the amendment.

Amalgamations, Mergers and Business Combinations

The amalgamation or merger of a Bermuda company with another company or corporation (other than certain affiliated companies) requires an amalgamation or merger agreement that is approved by the company’s board of directors and by its shareholders. Unless the company’s bye-laws provide otherwise, the approval of 75% of the shareholders voting at such meeting is required to approve the amalgamation or merger agreement, and the quorum for such meeting must be two persons holding or representing more than one-third of the issued shares of the company. The Bye-laws provide that an amalgamation or a merger (other than with a wholly owned subsidiary or as described below) that has been approved by the board must only be approved by a majority of the votes cast at a general meeting of the shareholders at which the quorum shall be two or more persons present in person and representing in person or by proxy issued and outstanding common voting shares. Any amalgamation or merger or other business combination (as defined in the Bye-laws) not approved by Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors must be approved by the holders of not less than 662∕3% of all votes attaching to all shares then in issue entitling the holder to attend and vote on the resolution.

Under Bermuda law, in the event of an amalgamation or merger of a Bermuda company with another company or corporation, a shareholder of the Bermuda company who did not vote in favor of the amalgamation or merger and who is not satisfied that fair value has been offered for such shareholder’s shares may, within one month of notice of the shareholders meeting, apply to the Supreme Court of Bermuda to appraise the fair value of those shares.

The Bye-laws contain provisions regarding “business combinations” with “interested shareholders”. Pursuant to the Bye-laws, in addition to any other approval that may be required by applicable law, any business combination with an interested shareholder within a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested shareholder must be approved by Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board and authorized at an annual or special general meeting by the affirmative vote of at least 662∕3% of our issued and outstanding voting shares that are not owned by the interested shareholder, unless: (i) prior to the time that the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder; or (ii) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the shareholder becoming an interested shareholder, the interested shareholder owned at least 85% of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s issued and outstanding voting shares at the time the transaction commenced. For purposes of these provisions, “business combinations” include mergers, amalgamations, consolidations and certain sales, leases, exchanges, mortgages, pledges, transfers and other dispositions of assets, issuances and transfers of shares and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to an interested shareholder. An “interested shareholder” is a person that beneficially owns 15% or more of our issued and outstanding voting shares and any person affiliated or associated with us that owned 15% or more of our issued and outstanding voting shares at any time three years prior to the relevant time.

Compulsory Acquisition of Shares Held by Minority Holders

An acquiring party is generally able to acquire compulsorily the common shares of minority holders in the following ways:

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(1) By a procedure under the Companies Act known as a “scheme of arrangement.” A scheme of arrangement could be effected by obtaining the agreement of the company and of holders of its shares (or any class of shares), representing in the aggregate a majority in number and at least 75% in value of the shares or class of shares present and voting at a court ordered meeting held to consider the scheme or arrangement. The scheme of arrangement must then be sanctioned by the Bermuda Supreme Court. If a scheme of arrangement receives all necessary agreements and sanctions, upon the filing of the court order with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda, all holders of common shares could be compelled to sell their shares under the terms of the scheme or arrangement.

(2) If the acquiring party is a company it may compulsorily acquire all the shares of the target company, by acquiring pursuant to a tender offer 90% of the shares or class of shares not already owned by, or by a nominee for, the acquiring party (the offeror), or any of its subsidiaries. If an offeror has, within four months after the making of an offer for all the shares or class of shares not owned by, or by a nominee for, the offeror, or any of its subsidiaries, obtained the approval of the holders of 90% or more of all the shares to which the offer relates, the offeror may, at any time within two months beginning with the date on which the approval was obtained, require by notice any nontendering shareholder to transfer its shares on the same terms as the original offer. In those circumstances, nontendering shareholders will be compelled to sell their shares unless the Supreme Court of Bermuda (on application made within a one-month period from the date of the offeror’s notice of its intention to acquire such shares) orders otherwise.

(3) Where one or more parties holds not less than 95% of the shares or a class of shares of a company, such holder(s) may, pursuant to a notice given to the remaining shareholders or class of shareholders, acquire the shares of such remaining shareholders or class of shareholders. When this notice is given, the acquiring party is entitled and bound to acquire the shares of the remaining shareholders on the terms set out in the notice, unless a remaining shareholder, within one month of receiving such notice, applies to the Supreme Court of Bermuda for an appraisal of the value of their shares. This provision only applies where the acquiring party offers the same terms to all holders of shares whose shares are being acquired.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

Two-thirds supermajority shareholder voting requirement:   The Bye-laws provide that, except to the extent that a proposal has received the prior approval of the board, the approval of an amalgamation, merger or consolidation with or into any other person shall require the affirmative vote of not less than 662∕3% of all votes attaching to all shares then in issue entitling the holder to attend and vote on the resolution.

Amendments to the Bye-laws:   The Bye-laws provide that no bye-law may be rescinded, altered or amended and no new bye-law may be made until the same has been approved by a resolution of the board and by a resolution of the shareholders. In the case of certain bye-laws, such as the Bye-laws relating to election and removal of directors, approval of business combinations and amendment of bye-law provisions, the required resolutions must include the affirmative vote of at least 662∕3% of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s directors then in office and of at least 662∕3% percent of the votes attaching to all shares in issue.

Limitations on the election of directors:   The Bye-laws provide that a person may be proposed for election or appointment as a director at a general meeting either by the board or by one or more shareholders holding shares of Auris Medical (Bermuda) which in the aggregate carry not less than 5% of the voting rights in respect of the election of directors. In addition, unless a person is proposed for election or appointment as a director by the Board, when a person proposed for appointment or election as a director written notice of the proposal must be given to Auris Medical (Bermuda) as follows. Where a director is to be appointed or elected: (1) at an annual general meeting, such notice must be given not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days before the anniversary of the last annual general meeting prior to the giving of the notice or, in the event the annual general meeting is called for a date that is not 30 days before or after such anniversary the notice must be given not later than 10 days following the earlier of the date on which notice of the annual general meeting was posted to shareholders or the date on which public

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disclosure of the date of the annual general meeting was made; and (2) at a special general meeting, such notice must be given not later than 10 days following the earlier of the date on which notice of the special general meeting was posted to shareholders or the date on which public disclosure of the date of the special general meeting was made.

Shareholder Suits

Class actions and derivative actions are generally not available to shareholders under Bermuda law. The Bermuda courts, however, would ordinarily be expected to permit a shareholder to commence an action in the name of a company to remedy a wrong to the company where the act complained of is alleged to be beyond the corporate power of the company or illegal, or would result in the violation of the company’s memorandum of association or bye-laws. Furthermore, consideration would be given by a Bermuda court to acts that are alleged to constitute a fraud against the minority shareholders or, for instance, where an act requires the approval of a greater percentage of the company’s shareholders than that which actually approved it.

When the affairs of a company are being conducted in a manner which is oppressive or prejudicial to the interests of some part of the shareholders, one or more shareholders may apply to the Supreme Court of Bermuda, which may make such order as it sees fit, including an order regulating the conduct of the company’s affairs in the future or ordering the purchase of the shares of any shareholders by other shareholders or by the company.

The Bye-laws contain a provision by virtue of which Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s shareholders waive any claim or right of action that they have, both individually and on our behalf, against any director or officer in relation to any action or failure to take action by such director or officer, except in respect of any fraud or dishonesty of such director or officer. SEC has advised that the operation of this provision as a waiver of the right to sue for violations of federal securities laws would likely be unenforceable in U.S. courts.

Capitalization of Profits and Reserves

Pursuant to the Bye-laws, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors may (i) capitalize any part of the amount of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s share premium or other reserve accounts or any amount credited to our profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution by applying such sum in paying up unissued shares to be allotted as fully paid bonus shares pro-rata (except in connection with the conversion of shares) to the shareholders; or (ii) capitalize any sum standing to the credit of a reserve account or sums otherwise available for dividend or distribution by paying up in full, partly paid or nil paid shares of those shareholders who would have been entitled to such sums if they were distributed by way of dividend or distribution.

Exchange controls

We intend to apply for and expect to receive consent under the Exchange Control Act 1972 from the Bermuda Monetary Authority for the issue and transfer of the common shares to and between non-residents of Bermuda for exchange control purposes provided our shares remain listed on an appointed stock exchange, which includes the Nasdaq Capital Market. In granting such consent the Bermuda Monetary Authority accepts no responsibility for our financial soundness or the correctness of any of the statements made or opinions expressed in this proxy statement/prospectus.

Registrar or Transfer Agent

A register of holders of the common shares will be maintained by Conyers Corporate Services (Bermuda) Limited in Bermuda, and a branch register will be maintained in the United States by American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, who will serve as branch registrar and transfer agent.

Untraced Shareholders

The Bye-laws provide that Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors may forfeit any dividend or other monies payable in respect of any shares which remain unclaimed for six years from the date when such monies became due for payment. In addition, Auris Medical (Bermuda) is entitled to cease sending

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dividend warrants and checks by post or otherwise to a shareholder if such instruments have been returned undelivered to, or left uncashed by, such shareholder on at least two consecutive occasions or, following one such occasion, reasonable enquires have failed to establish the shareholder’s new address. This entitlement ceases if the shareholder claims a dividend or cashes a dividend check or a warrant.

Certain Provisions of Bermuda Law

We expect that, upon the Redomestication, Auris Medical (Bermuda) will be designated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority as a non-resident for Bermuda exchange control purposes. This designation allows Auris Medical (Bermuda) to engage in transactions in currencies other than the Bermuda dollar, and there are no restrictions on Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s ability to transfer funds (other than funds denominated in Bermuda dollars) in and out of Bermuda or to pay dividends to United States residents who will be holders of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s common shares.

We intend to apply for and expect to receive from the Bermuda Monetary Authority its consent for the issue and free transferability of all of the common shares of Auris Medical (Bermuda) to and between non-residents of Bermuda for exchange control purposes, provided Auris Medical (Bermuda) shares remain listed on an appointed stock exchange, which includes the Nasdaq. Approvals or permissions given by the Bermuda Monetary Authority do not constitute a guarantee by the Bermuda Monetary Authority as to Auris Medical (Bermuda) performance or its creditworthiness. Accordingly, in giving such consent or permissions, the Bermuda Monetary Authority shall not be liable for the financial soundness, performance or default of our business or for the correctness of any opinions or statements expressed in this proxy statement/prospectus. Certain issues and transfers of common shares involving persons deemed resident in Bermuda for exchange control purposes require the specific consent of the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

In accordance with Bermuda law, share certificates are only issued in the names of companies, partnerships or individuals. In the case of a shareholder acting in a special capacity (for example as a trustee), certificates may, at the request of the shareholder, record the capacity in which the shareholder is acting. Notwithstanding such recording of any special capacity, Auris Medical (Bermuda) will not be bound to investigate or see to the execution of any such trust. And, upon the Redomestication, Auris Medical (Bermuda) will take no notice of any trust applicable to any of Auris Medical (Bermuda) shares, whether or not we have been notified of such trust.

Stock Exchange Listing

We will submit an application so that Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s shares will continue to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EARS”, the same symbol under which our common shares currently are listed.

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Comparison of Corporate Law

As of the Effective Time, the Memorandum of Continuance and the Bye-laws will replace our current articles of incorporation as our constitutive document after the Redomestication. The form of Memorandum of Continuance and the Bye-laws of Auris Medical (Bermuda) are included as Appendix A and Appendix B to this proxy statement/prospectus.

The new constitutive documents under Bermuda law will comprise similar rights for Auris Medical (Bermuda) shareholders and creditors to those they currently have under Swiss law and our current constitutive documents. However, there will be differences between Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s new constitutive documents and Bermuda law, on one hand, and our current constitutive documents and Swiss law, on the other hand, that may affect the rights of shareholders. Set forth below is a comparison of select provisions of the corporate laws of Delaware, Switzerland and Bermuda showing the default positions in each jurisdiction that govern shareholder rights.

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Agenda Item 2 — Other approvals relating to the redomestication

Interests of Certain Persons in the Other Approvals Relating to the Redomestication

No person who has been a director or executive officer of the Company at any time since the beginning of the last fiscal year, or any associate of any such person, has any substantial interest in any of the agenda items contemplated in the Agenda Item 2 — Other Approvals Relating to the Redomestication, except for any interest arising from his or her ownership of shares of the Company. No such person is receiving any extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all other holders of shares of the Company.

Agenda Item 2.1 — Adoption and Approval of the Memorandum of Continuance

General

Subject to the approval of the Redomestication, the board of directors also seeks your approval to adopt and approve the Memorandum of Continuance included as Appendix A to this proxy statement/prospectus. The Memorandum of Continuance reflects, inter alia, (i) the change of the Company’s legal form from a corporation under Swiss law to an exempted company limited by shares under Bermuda law, (ii) the authorized share capital of the Company, (iii) that the objects of the Company are unrestricted, and (iv) that the Company shall have the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person.

A copy of the Memorandum of Continuance is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Appendix A and available for download in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com).

Text of the Shareholder Resolutions

The shareholders resolution approving the adoption and approval of the Memorandum of Continuance:

Agenda Item 2.1 — Adoption and Approval of the Memorandum of Continuance

To adopt and approve the memorandum of continuance included as Appendix A to this proxy statement/prospectus (the “Memorandum of Continuance”), with effect upon the Redomestication, reflecting, inter alia, (i) the change of the Company’s legal form from a corporation under Swiss law to an exempted company limited by shares under Bermuda law, (ii) the authorized share capital of the Company, (iii) that the objects of the Company are unrestricted, and (iv) that the Company shall have the capacity, rights, power and privileges of a natural person.

Explanation:   To effect the Redomestication, the Company will have to adopt the Memorandum of Continuance pursuant to Bermuda law. The new legal form of the Company, an exempted company limited by shares, will largely correspond to its current legal form (Swiss corporation) and the Company will maintain its previous organization to the extent possible. Pursuant to the Memorandum of Continuance, the authorized share capital of the Company will be CHF 4,400,000.00 divided into 200,000,000 common shares of CHF 0.02 each and 20,000,000 preference shares of CHF 0.02 each. The Company’s objects will be unrestricted and the Company will have the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person.

Supporting Documents:   A copy of the Memorandum of Continuance is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Appendix A and available for download in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com).

Agenda item 2.1 is subject to the approval of agenda item 1.

* * *

“Agenda Item 2.1 — Adoption and Approval of the Memorandum of Continuance” will not be presented to the General Meeting if  “Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s Corporate Seat to Bermuda” is not approved by the requisite vote of our shareholders.

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Our board of directors UNANIMOUSLY recommends that you vote FOR the
adoption and approval of the memorandum of continuance.

Agenda Item 2.1 requires the approval of two thirds of the shares present at the General Meeting, whether in person or by proxy. Our directors and executive officers, who currently hold approximately 17% of our outstanding common shares, have indicated that they intend to vote for the approval of the Agenda Item 2.1.

Agenda Item 2.2 — Adoption and Approval of the Bye-Laws

General

Subject to the approval of the Redomestication and the adoption and approval of the Memorandum of Continuance, the board of directors further seeks your approval to adopt the Bye-laws included as Appendix B to this proxy statement/prospectus, and that the board of directors of the Company be authorized to exercise any and all powers bestowed on the directors of the Company pursuant to the Bye-laws. Such Bye-laws reflects, inter alia, the change of the Company’s legal form from a corporation under Swiss law to an exempted company limited by shares under Bermuda law, and the powers bestowed on the directors of the Company pursuant to the Bye-laws, including without limitation those authorities and powers, that do not require further approval from the shareholders to be performed, as set out in the Bye-laws: 2 (Power to Issue Shares), 3 (Power of the Company to Purchase its Shares), 4 (Rights Attaching to Shares), 11 (Transfer of Registered Shares), 13 (Power to Alter Capital), 41 (Vacancy in the Office of Director), 42 (Remuneration of Directors), 45 (Powers of the Board of Directors) and 76 (Discontinuance).

A copy of the Bye-laws is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Appendix B and available for download in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com).

Text of the Shareholder Resolutions

The shareholders resolution approving the adoption and approval of the Bye-laws is as follow:

Agenda Item 2.2 — Adoption and Approval of the Bye-Laws

To adopt and approve the bye-laws included as Appendix B to this proxy statement/prospectus (the “Bye-laws”) and to replace the current articles of association of the Company with such Bye-laws, with effect upon the Redomestication, reflecting, inter alia, the change of the Company’s legal form from a corporation under Swiss law to an exempted company limited by shares under Bermuda law, and that the board of directors of the Company be authorized to exercise any and all powers bestowed on the directors of the Company pursuant to the Bye-laws, including without limitation those authorities and powers, that do not require further approval from the shareholders to be performed, as set out in Bye-laws: 2 (Power to Issue Shares), 3 (Power of the Company to Purchase its Shares), 4 (Rights Attaching to Shares), 11 (Transfer of Registered Shares), 13 (Power to Alter Capital), 41 (Vacancy in the Office of Director), 42 (Remuneration of Directors), 45 (Powers of the Board of Directors) and 76 (Discontinuance).

Explanation:   To effect the Redomestication, the Company will have to replace its Swiss articles of association and to adopt new Bye-laws pursuant to Bermuda law. The new legal form of the Company, an exempted company limited by shares, will largely correspond to its current legal form (Swiss corporation) and the Company will maintain its previous organization to the extent possible. The Bye-laws grant the board of directors additional authority to act absent further shareholder approval, which the board of directors does not currently have under our Swiss articles of association.

Supporting Documents:   A copy of the Bye-laws is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Appendix B and available for download in the “Investors” section of our website (www.aurismedical.com).

Agenda item 2.2 is subject to the approval of agenda item 1 and 2.1.

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How the Approval and Adoption of the Bye-laws will Affect Your Rights as a Shareholder

You will continue to hold the same relative equity and voting interests that you now hold following the Redomestication from Switzerland to Bermuda. However, the rights of shareholders under Swiss law differ in certain substantive ways from the rights of shareholders under Bermuda law. In particular, upon effectiveness of the Redomestication, the OaEC (VegüV) will no longer apply to the Company. The OaEC contains numerous provisions that serve to increase the transparency and provide shareholders with a right to voice their opinions on compensation matters. Pursuant to the OaEC, Swiss companies are, among others, obliged to have a framework in place according to which (i) the shareholders each year elect the members of the board of directors separately, (ii) the shareholders each year elect the chairman of the board of directors, (iii) the shareholders each year elect the members of the compensation committee and the independent proxy and (iv) the shareholders each year separately approve the compensation of the members of the board of directors, the management and the advisory board. The OaEC further contains provisions according to which the board of directors for each year has to prepare a written compensation report which has to be approved by the shareholders, detailing the compensations paid to each member of the board of directors, the management and the advisory board. In addition, companies that are subject to the OaEC are generally not allowed to make severance payments, advance compensations and to pay commissions for restructuring within the group. Under Bermuda law, directors are subject to election each year at the annual general meeting of the company, but there is no requirement that the chairman of the board of directors be elected by the shareholders. There is also no requirement under Bermuda law for shareholders to elect members of a company’s compensation committee, or for shareholders to approve the compensation of the members of the board of directors or the company’s management; the foregoing matters are typically determined by the company’s board of directors. In addition, under Bermuda law there is no requirement to submit a written compensation report for approval to shareholders, and there are no general restrictions on severance payments, advance compensation or the payment of commissions for restructuring within the group.

Additionally, the presence and voting quorum requirements for certain shareholder resolutions under Swiss and Bermuda law differ in some instances. The proposed Bye-laws, for example, provide that a merger or an amalgamation generally requires the approval of a majority of the votes cast at a general meeting at which the presence quorum is two or more persons present in person and representing in person or by proxy issued and outstanding voting shares. Under Swiss law, with certain exceptions, the approval of two thirds of the shares represented at the respective general meeting is required.

Under both Bermuda and Swiss law, shareholders may put proposals to the general meeting; even though the exact framework and the required quorum requirements vary.

Under Swiss law, at any general meeting of shareholders any shareholder may put proposals to the meeting if the proposal is part of an agenda item. Unless the articles of association provide for a lower threshold or for additional shareholders’ rights:

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one or several shareholders representing 10% of the share capital may ask that a general meeting of shareholders be called for specific agenda items and specific proposals (including the election of a director who is not an existing director or who is not proposed by the board); and

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one or several shareholders representing 10% of the share capital or CHF 1.0 million of nominal share capital may ask that an agenda item including a specific proposal be put on the agenda for a regularly scheduled general meeting of shareholders, provided such request is made with appropriate notice.

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Under Bermuda law, shareholder(s) may, as set forth below and at their own expense (unless the company otherwise resolves), require the company to: (i) give notice to all shareholders entitled to receive notice of the annual general meeting of any resolution that the shareholder(s) may properly move at the next annual general meeting; and/or (ii) circulate to all shareholders entitled to receive notice of any general meeting a statement in respect of any matter referred to in the proposed resolution or any business to be conducted at such general meeting. The number of shareholders necessary for such a requisition is either: (i) any number of shareholders representing not less than 5% of the total voting rights of all shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting to which the requisition relates; or (ii) not less than 100 shareholders. In

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addition, the proposed Bye-laws provide that any shareholder holding or representing not less than 5% of the total voting rights wishing to propose for election as a director someone who is not an existing director or is not proposed by our board must give notice of the intention to propose the person for election in accordance with our bye-laws.

Under Swiss law, dividend payments are subject to the approval of the general meeting of shareholders. The board of directors may propose to shareholders that a dividend shall be paid but cannot itself authorize the distribution.

Payments out of the Company’s share capital (in other words, the aggregate nominal value of the Company’s registered share capital) in the form of dividends are not allowed and may be made by way of a capital reduction only. Dividends may be paid only from the profits brought forward from the previous business years or if the Company has distributable reserves, each as will be presented on the Company’s audited annual stand-alone balance sheet. The dividend may be determined only after the allocations to reserves required by the law and the articles of association have been deducted.

Under Bermuda law, the board of directors may declare a dividend without shareholder approval, but a company may not declare or pay dividends if there are reasonable grounds for believing that: (i) the company is, or would after the payment be, unable to pay its liabilities as they become due; or (ii) that the realizable value of its assets would thereby be less than its liabilities. Under our bye-laws, each common share is entitled to dividends if, as and when dividends are declared by our board of directors, subject to any preferred dividend right of the holders of any preference shares. Issued share capital is the aggregate par value of the company’s issued shares, and the share premium account is the aggregate amount paid for issued shares over and above their par value. Share premium accounts may be reduced in certain limited circumstances.

Additionally, the proposed Bye-laws grants certain powers and authority to the board of directors to perform certain acts without further shareholders’ approval, such as to issue and designate the powers, preferences, rights and restrictions of each series of preferred shares and divide, consolidate and subdivide the authorized share capital of the company including by conducting a reverse share split, by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors. For more information, see “Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s Corporate Seat to Bermuda — Description of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s Share Capital.”

On February 6, 2019, we received a letter from Nasdaq stating that due to our continued non-compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement, our common shares were subject to delisting unless we timely requested a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel. We timely requested such a hearing on February 8, 2019, which request has stayed any delisting or suspension action by Nasdaq pending the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted following the hearing.

At the hearing, we intend to present our plan to regain compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement; however, there can be no assurance that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel will grant our request for continued listing or that we will be able to evidence compliance with the applicable listing criteria prior to the expiration of any additional extension period that may be granted to us.

At the hearing, we intend to commit that in the event that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel grants us an additional compliance period and the bid price of our common shares fails to increase above the $1.00 minimum during such additional compliance period, we will pursue a reverse share split by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors in order to regain compliance with the $1.00 bid price requirement. In the event shareholders approve the Bye-laws, Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s board of directors would have the ability, after the Redomestication, to effect a reverse share split without further shareholders approval, by consolidating our common shares (together with a corresponding increase in the par value thereof) in a ratio determined by the board of directors.

Furthermore, the proposed Bye-laws sets forth anti-takeover provisions, that our current articles of association does not contemplate, by which the board of directors have the power and authority to require an increased majority for shareholder approval on a change of control. For more information, see “Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s Corporate Seat to Bermuda — Description of Auris Medical (Bermuda)’s Share Capital.”

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Additional examples of other changes in shareholder rights which will result from the Redomestication are described in “Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s Corporate Seat to Bermuda — Comparison of Corporate Law.”

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“Agenda Item 2.2 — Adoption and Approval of the Bye-Laws” will not be presented to the General Meeting if  “Agenda Item 1 — Redomestication of the Company’s Corporate Seat to Bermuda” and “Agenda 2.1 — Adoption and Approval of the Memorandum of Continuance” are not approved by the requisite vote of our shareholders.

Our board of directors UNANIMOUSLY recommends that you vote FOR the adoption and approval of the Bye-laws.

Agenda Item 2.2 requires the approval of two thirds of the shares present at the General Meeting, whether in person or by proxy. Our directors and executive officers, who currently hold approximately 17% of our outstanding common shares, have indicated that they intend to vote for the approval of the Agenda Item 2.2.

Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Information

The following selected consolidated historical financial information should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements as of September 30, 2018 and as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, and our consolidated financial statements dated as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, including the notes thereto, included in this proxy statement/prospectus.

The numbers below have been derived from our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements as of September 30, 2018 and as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, which have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard (IAS) 34, and our consolidated financial statement as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. The consolidated financial data as of December 31, 2015 and for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB and which have not been included herein.

We maintain our books and records in Swiss Francs. We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in the table below. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to currency amounts in this discussion and analysis are in Swiss Francs.

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(1)

For periods prior to the closing of our initial public offering, net loss per share includes preferred shares, which were converted on a one-for-one basis upon the closing of our initial public offering.

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(2)

Basic net loss per common share and diluted net loss per common share are the same. See Note 21 to our audited consolidated financial statements on page F-43.

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The basic and diluted loss per share for the nine months ended September 2017 is revised to reflect the reverse-split ratio of 10 to 1 following the Merger on March 13, 2018.

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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the information under “Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Information,” our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements as of September 30, 2018 and as of and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, and our consolidated financial statements dated as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017, including the notes thereto, included in this proxy statement/prospectus. Our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34, and on our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB, which might differ in material respects from generally accepted accounting principles in other jurisdictions. The following discussion includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including but not limited to those described under “Risk factors” and elsewhere in this proxy statement/prospectus.

We maintain our books and records in Swiss Francs. We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in this management’s discussion and analysis. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to currency amounts in this discussion and analysis are in Swiss Francs.

Overview

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel products that address important unmet medical needs in neurotology and mental health supportive care. We are focusing on the development of intranasal betahistine for the treatment of vertigo (AM-125) and for the treatment of antipsychotic-induced weight gain and somnolence (AM-201). These programs have gone through two Phase 1 trials and will move into proof-of-concept studies in 2019. In addition, we have two Phase 3 programs under development: (i) Keyzilen® (AM-101), which is being developed for the treatment of acute inner ear tinnitus and (ii) Sonsuvi® (AM-111), which is being developed for the treatment of acute inner ear hearing loss. Sonsuvi® has been granted orphan drug status by the FDA and the EMA and has been granted fast track designation by the FDA.

To date, we have financed our operations through public offerings of our common shares, private placements of equity securities, and short- and long-term loans. We have no products approved for commercialization and have never generated any revenues from royalties or product sales. As of September 30, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of CHF 5.3 million. Based on our current plans, we do not expect to generate royalty or product revenues unless and until we obtain marketing approval for, and commercialize, Keyzilen®, Sonsuvi® or any of our other product candidates.

As of September 30, 2018, we had an accumulated deficit of CHF 142.5 million. We expect to continue incurring losses as we continue our clinical and pre-clinical development programs, apply for marketing approval for our product candidates and, subject to obtaining regulatory approval of our product candidates, build a sales and marketing force in preparation for the potential commercialization of our product candidates.

INSERM

In 2006, we entered into a co-ownership/exploitation agreement with the INSERM, a publicly funded government science and technology agency in France. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, we were granted the exclusive right to exploit any products derived from patents that resulted from our joint research program with INSERM that was conducted in 2003 to 2005 and led to the development of Keyzilen®. Pursuant to the terms of the co-ownership/exploitation agreement, we were given the exclusive right to exploit the patents issuing from the filed patent applications for all claimed applications, including the treatment of tinnitus, in order to develop, promote, manufacture, cause to be manufactured, use, sell and distribute any products, processes or services deriving from such patents, including Keyzilen®, in any country in which these patent applications have been filed during the term of the agreement.

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As consideration for the exclusive rights granted to us under the agreement, we agreed to pay INSERM a two tiered low single digit percentage royalty (where the higher rate is due on any net sales above a certain threshold) on the net sales of any product covered by the patents (including the use of Keyzilen® in the treatment of tinnitus triggered by cochlear glutamate excitotoxicity) earned in each country in which these patent applications have been filed during the term of the agreement. We have also agreed to pay INSERM a low double digit fee on any sums of any nature (except royalties and certain costs) collected by us in respect of the granting of licenses to third parties.

Xigen

In October 2003, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Xigen, pursuant to which Xigen granted us an exclusive worldwide license to use specified compounds to develop, manufacture and commercialize “pharmaceutical products as well as drug delivery devices and formulations for local administration of therapeutic substances to the inner ear for the treatment of ear disorders” (the Area). We also have a right of first refusal to license certain additional compounds developed by Xigen which may be used for the Area, specifically any cell permeable inhibitors to effectively block certain signal pathways in apoptotic processes.

Under this agreement, we made an upfront payment to Xigen of CHF 200,000 and we are obligated to make development milestone payments on an indication-by-indication basis of up to CHF 1.5 million and regulatory milestone payments on a product-by-product basis of up to CHF 2.5 million, subject to a mid-twenties percentage reduction for smaller indications, e.g., those qualifying for orphan drug status. To date, we have paid CHF 1.325 million to Xigen under the agreement. We will be required to pay Xigen a mid-single digit percentage royalty on net sales of each licensed product that uses a compound licensed under the agreement, which royalty for a given indication shall be partially offset by milestone payments we have paid for such indication, until the later of 10 years after the first commercial sale of any licensed product using such licensed compound in any country, and the first expiration of a patent owned by or exclusively licensed to Xigen that covers the use of such licensed compound in any country, subject to our obligation to enter into good faith negotiations with Xigen, upon expiration of the relevant patent on a licensed compound, about the conditions of our further use of such licensed compound.

Otifex

On February 2, 2017, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with Otifex Therapeutics Pty Ltd (“Otifex”), pursuant to which we agreed to purchase and Otifex has agreed to sell us certain preclinical and clinical assets related to a formulation for the intranasal application of betahistine, which we refer to as AM-125, as well as associated intellectual property rights. We plan to develop the formulation for the treatment of vertigo. The Otifex transaction closed in July 2017.

Financial Operations Overview

Research and development expense

Research and development expense consists principally of:

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salaries for research and development staff and related expenses, including employee benefits;

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costs for production of pre-clinical compounds and drug substances by contract manufacturers;

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fees and other costs paid to contract research organizations in connection with additional pre-clinical testing and the performance of clinical trials;

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costs of related facilities, materials and equipment;

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costs associated with obtaining and maintaining patents;

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costs related to the preparation of regulatory filings and fees; and

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depreciation and amortization of tangible and intangible fixed assets used to develop our product candidates.

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We expect that our operating expenses in 2018 will be in the range of CHF 10.0 to 13.0 million, the majority of which we expect to be research and development expense. Our research and development expense mainly relates to the following key programs:

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Keyzilen® (AM-101).   We conducted a Phase 3 clinical development program with Keyzilen® comprising two Phase 3 trials and two open label follow-on trials. We completed enrollment of the last of these trials (TACTT3) in September 2017. On March 13, 2018, we announced preliminary top-line data from the TACTT3 trial which indicated that the study had not met its primary efficacy endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in the Tinnitus Functional Score from baseline to Day 84 in the active treated group compared to placebo either in the overall population or in the otitis media subpopulation. On May 15, 2018, we announced that further investigation of the trial’s outcomes confirmed these preliminary results and that we believe that the lack of separation between the active- and placebo-treated groups may be due to certain elements of the study design and conduct. We anticipate that one or more additional clinical trials will be necessary to move the Keyzilen® program forward, which we will seek to fund through partnering or research grants. Pending such funding, we expect our research and development expenses in connection with the Keyzilen® program to remain minimal.

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Sonsuvi® (AM-111).   We conducted a Phase 3 clinical development program with Sonsuvi® comprising two Phase 3 trials in the treatment of ISSNHL, titled HEALOS and ASSENT. On November 28, 2017, we announced that the HEALOS trial did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in hearing from baseline to Day 28 compared to placebo for either active treatment groups in the overall study population. However, a post-hoc analysis of the subpopulation with profound acute hearing loss revealed a clinically meaningful and nominally significant improvement in the Sonsuvi® 0.4 mg/mL treatment group. We terminated the ASSENT trial as it was very similar in design to the HEALOS trial and, based on the new findings, was no longer adequate for testing Sonsuvi®. Based on the HEALOS results, we submitted the design of a new pivotal trial with AM-111 0.4 mg/mL in patients suffering from acute profound hearing loss to the EMA and subsequently also to the FDA for review. Through a Protocol Assistance procedure the EMA endorsed the proposed trial design, choice of efficacy and safety endpoints, as well as the statistical methodology. In a Type C meeting with written responses, the proposed choice of primary and secondary efficacy endpoints, the safety endpoints, as well as the planned sample size and statistical methodology were also endorsed by the FDA. Following this feedback, we have mandated a transaction advisory firm to identify potential partners for the SONSUVI® development program and provide support for partnering discussions and negotiations. If successful, this may result in one or several sale, outlicensing or co-development transaction(s) on a global or regional scale. For 2019, we expect our research and development expenses in connection with the Sonsuvi® program to be lower than in 2019, reflecting the completion of the Phase 3 trials.

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AM-125.   In the first half of 2018, we initiated a second randomized placebo-controlled Phase 1 trial in 72 healthy volunteers to further test the safety and tolerability and the pharmacokinetics of AM-125. On October 17, 2018 we announced positive results from the trial as superior bioavailability over a range of four intranasal betahistine doses compared to oral betahistine observed, with plasma exposure being 6 to 29 times higher (p-value between 0.056 and p < 0.0001). Further, it confirmed the good safety profile of intranasal betahistine and showed that the treatment was well tolerated when administered three times daily for three days. In 2019 we plan to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study with AM-125 in the first quarter, which will result in higher research and development expense for the AM-125 program than in 2018. The “TRAVERS” Phase 2 trial will enroll 138 patients suffering from acute vertigo following surgical removal of a vestibular schwannoma, a tumor growing behind the inner ear. It will be conducted in several European countries and potentially, Canada.

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AM-201.   On May 15, 2018, we announced the expansion of our intranasal betahistine development program beyond the treatment of vertigo into mental health supportive care indications. Under project code AM-201 we intend to develop intranasal betahistine for the prevention of antipsychotic-induced weight gain. We plan to initiate a randomized

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placebo-controlled Phase 1b proof-of-concept trial with AM-201 in healthy volunteers in the first quarter of 2019. The trial will be conducted in Europe and will enroll 50 healthy volunteers who will receive either AM-201 or placebo concomitantly with olanzapine over four weeks.

Other research and development expenses mainly relate to our pre-clinical studies of AM-102 (second generation tinnitus treatment). The expenses mainly consist of costs for production of the pre-clinical compounds and costs paid to academic and other research institutions in conjunction with pre-clinical testing.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we spent CHF 1.1 million on research and development for Keyzilen®, CHF 1.9 million on research and development for Sonsuvi® and CHF 3.5 million on research and development for intranasal Betahistine. For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, we spent CHF 6.5 million, CHF 15.3 million and CHF 19.7 million, respectively, on research and development expenses related to Keyzilen®. For the same time periods, we spent CHF 11.4 million, CHF 9.4 million and CHF 6.4 million, respectively, on research and development expenses related to Sonsuvi®. In addition, we incurred research and development expenses related to our earlier stage products. Following a market reduction in research and development expenses related to the conclusion of the Phase 3 trials with Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi®, their level is expected to start increasing again from 2020 onward as we advance the clinical development with AM-125 and AM-201. At this time, we cannot reasonably estimate the nature, timing and estimated costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the development of, or the period, if any, in which material net cash inflows may commence from, any of our product candidates. This is due to numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing drugs, including the uncertainty of:

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the scope, rate of progress, results and cost of our clinical trials, nonclinical testing, and other related activities;

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the cost of manufacturing clinical supplies, and establishing commercial supplies, of our product candidates and any products that we may develop;

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the number and characteristics of product candidates that we pursue;

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the cost, timing, and outcomes of regulatory approvals and payer discussions;

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the cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities; and

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the terms and timing of any collaborative, licensing, and other arrangements that we may establish, including any required milestone and royalty payments thereunder.

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A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of AM-125, AM-201, Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® or any other product candidate that we may develop could mean a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the development of such product candidate. For example, if the FDA or other regulatory authority were to require us to conduct preclinical and clinical studies beyond those which we currently anticipate will be required for the completion of clinical development or if we experience significant delays in enrollment in any clinical trials, we could be required to expend significant additional financial resources and time on the completion of the clinical development.

General and administrative expense

Our general and administrative expense consists principally of:

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salaries for general and administrative staff and related expenses, including employee benefits;

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business development expenses, including travel expenses;

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administration expenses including professional fees for auditors and other consulting expenses not related to research and development activities, professional fees for lawyers not related to the protection and maintenance of our intellectual property and IT expenses;

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cost of facilities, communication and office expenses; and

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depreciation and amortization of tangible and intangible fixed assets not related to research and development activities.

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Interest income

Our policy is to invest funds in low risk investments including interest bearing deposits. Saving and deposit accounts generate a small amount of interest income.

Interest expense

Our interest expense consists principally of bank charges and interest expenses due to the Loan and Security Agreement with Hercules.

Revaluation gain from derivative financial instruments

In connection with the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, the Company issued Hercules a warrant to purchase up to 241,117 of its common shares at an exercise price of  $3.94 per share. Revaluation gain/(loss) show the changes in fair value of the warrant issued to Hercules. As of March 13, 2018, following the consummation of the Merger, the Hercules warrant was exercisable for up to 15,673 common shares at an exercise price of  $39.40 per common share.

On February 21, 2017, we issued 10,000,000 warrants, each warrant entitling its holder to purchase 0.70 of a common share at an exercise price of  $1.20. Additionally, the underwriter was granted a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional common shares and/or 1,500,000 additional warrants. On February 15, 2017, the underwriter partially exercised its option for 1,350,000 warrants. Revaluation gain/(loss) show the changes in fair value of the warrant issued in connection with this offering. As of March 13, 2018, following the consummation of the Merger, the outstanding warrants issued in the February 2017 offering were exercisable for up to 794,500 common shares at an exercise price of  $12.00 per common share. As of September 30, 2018, the fair value of the warrants amounted to CHF 50,070. The revaluation gain of the derivative for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 amounted to CHF 1,763,343, which is an increase of CHF 63,221 when comparing to the same period in 2017. Since its initial recognition, the fair value decreased by CHF 5,040,393, resulting in a gain in the corresponding amount (fair value as of February 21, 2017: CHF 5,090,463).

Foreign currency exchange gain/(loss), net

Our foreign currency exchange gain/(loss), net, consists primarily of unrealized gains or losses on our USD and EUR denominated cash and cash equivalents.

Transaction costs

For the year ended December 31, 2017, transaction costs relates to the fees and transaction costs allocated to the warrants (derivative financial instrument) related to the public offering completed on February 21, 2017, and fees and transaction costs allocated to the Commitment Purchase Agreement entered in on October 10, 2017, representing LPC’s commitment to purchase shares at the option of the Company, subject to certain restrictions (derivative financial instrument).

For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, transaction costs relates to the fees and transaction costs allocated to the warrants (derivative financial instrument) related to the public offerings completed on January 2018 and July 2018, and the LPC Purchase Agreement.

Other comprehensive loss

Remeasurements of the net defined benefit liability, which comprise actuarial gains and losses, the return on plan assets (excluding interest) and the effect of the asset ceiling (if any, excluding interest), are recognized in other comprehensive loss.

We determine the net interest expense or income on the net defined benefit liability or asset for the period by applying the discount rate used to measure the defined benefit obligation at the beginning of the annual period to the then-net defined benefit liability or asset, taking into account any changes in the net defined benefit liability or asset during the period as a result of contributions and benefit payments. Net interest expense and other expenses related to defined benefit plans are recognized in profit or loss.

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Assets and liabilities of our subsidiaries with functional currency other than CHF are included in our consolidated financial statements by translating the assets and liabilities into CHF at the exchange rates applicable at the end of the reporting period. Income and expenses for each consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income are translated at average exchange rates (unless this average is not a reasonable approximation of the cumulative effect of the rates prevailing on the transaction dates, in which case income and expenses are translated at the dates of the transaction).

Foreign currency differences arising from translating the financial statements of our subsidiaries from currencies other than CHF are recognized in other comprehensive income and presented in the foreign currency translation reserve under equity in the statement of financial position. When a foreign operation is disposed of such that control, significant influence or joint control is lost, the cumulative amount in the translation reserve related to that foreign operation is reclassified to profit or loss as part of the gain or loss on disposal.

Results of Operations

The numbers below have been derived from our unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and our audited consolidated financial statements. The discussion below should be read along with these financial statements and it is qualified in its entirety by reference to them.

Comparison of the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017

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Comparison of the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017

Research and development expense

Research and development expenses amounted to CHF 1.7 million in the three months ended September 30, 2018. This represents a decrease of about CHF 2.5 million from research and development expenses of CHF 4.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017. Research and development expenses reflected the following:

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Clinical projects.   In the three months ended September, 2018 clinical expenses were lower than in the three months ended September 30, 2017 by CHF 1.9 million due to lower service and milestone costs for our Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® studies, mainly reflecting the completion of our late-stage clinical trials.

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Pre-clinical projects.   In the three months ended September, 2018, pre-clinical expenses increased by CHF 0.2 million compared to the three months ended September, 2017, primarily due to higher expenses in our AM-125 program.

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Drug manufacture and substance.   In the three months ended September 30, 2018, drug manufacture and substance related costs decreased by CHF 0.7 million compared to the three months ended September 30, 2017, due to lower Sonsuvi® project activities.

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Employee benefits.   Employee expenses decreased by CHF 0.4 million in the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 primarily due to a reduction in headcount.

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Other research and development expenses.   Other research and development expenses increased by CHF 0.2 million in the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 primarily due to intellectual property related activities.

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Research and development expenses amounted to CHF 6.7 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. This represents a decrease of about CHF 8.2 million from research and development expenses of CHF 14.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. Research and development expenses reflected the following:

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Clinical projects.   In the nine months ended September, 2018 clinical expenses were lower than in the nine months ended September 30, 2017 by CHF 7.1 million due to lower service and milestone costs for our Keyzilen® and Sonsuvi® studies, mainly reflecting the completion of our late-stage clinical trials.

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Pre-clinical projects.   In the nine months ended September 30, 2018, pre-clinical expenses increased by CHF 0.3 million compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2017, primarily due to activities related to our AM-125 and AM-201 program.

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Drug manufacture and substance.   In the nine months ended September 30, 2018, drug manufacture and substance related costs decreased by CHF 0.6 million compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2017, due to lower activities related to our AM-101 and Sonsuvi® project activities.

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Employee benefits.   Employee expenses decreased by CHF 0.8 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 primarily due to a reduction in headcount.

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Other research and development expenses.   Other research and development expenses decreased by 54 thousand in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 primarily due to a reduction in regulatory related activities.

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General and administrative expense

General and administrative expense amounted to CHF 1.2 million in the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to CHF 1.3 million in the same period in the previous year. Administration costs were lower mainly due to lower personnel cost expenses partly offset by higher depreciation of tangible assets.

General and administrative expense amounted to CHF 3.6 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to CHF 4.0 million in the same period in the previous year. The decrease is related to lower employee benefits due to lower headcount and employee benefit-related expenses, partly offset by higher administration costs mainly due to higher legal fees related to the Merger.

Interest income

Interest income decreased by CHF 8 thousand in the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2017, due to the termination of short-term deposits.

Interest income decreased by CHF 54 thousand in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2017, due to the termination of short-term deposits.

Interest expense

Interest expense decreased in the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same prior year period by CHF 0.3 million. The decrease relates to a reduction in the outstanding balance of the loan under the Loan and Security Agreement, as we commenced repayment of the loan facility in July 2017 and made an extraordinary repayment of  $5 million principal amount in April 2018.

Interest expense decreased in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same prior year period by CHF 0.3 million. The decrease relates to a reduction in the outstanding balance of the loan under the Loan and Security Agreement, as we commenced repayment of the loan facility in July 2017.

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Following the modification of the loan to repay $5 million, a loss of CHF 334,747 was recognized in connection with the modification of the loan and transaction costs. This loss is presented in the line interest expense in the condensed consolidated interim statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income or loss.

Foreign currency exchange gain/(loss), net

For the three months ended September 30, 2018, foreign currency exchange loss was CHF 0.1 million higher than during the same period in the previous year, due to the impact of the appreciation of the US$ currency and the increased US$ cash and cash equivalents held by the Company from the July 2018 Registered Offering.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, foreign currency exchange loss was CHF 0.7 million lower than during the same period in the previous year, due to the impact of the appreciation of the US$ currency and the increased US$ cash and cash equivalents held by the Company from the January 2018 Registered Offering and the July 2018 Registered Offering.

Revaluation gain/(loss) from derivative financial instruments

In connection with the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, we issued Hercules a warrant to purchase up to 241,117 of the Company’s common shares at an exercise price of US$3.94 per share. As of March 13, 2018 following the consummation of the Merger, the warrant was exercisable for 15,673 common shares at an exercise price of  $39.40 per common share. As of September 30, 2018 the fair value of the warrant amounted to CHF 1,065. The revaluation gain of the derivative for the nine months ended September, 2018 amounted to CHF 22,285, which is a decrease of CHF 39,384 when comparing to the same period in 2017. Since its initial recognition, the fair value decreased by CHF 407,115 resulting in a revaluation gain in the corresponding amount (fair value as of July 19, 2016: CHF 408,180).

On February 21, 2017 we issued 10,000,000 warrants in connection with the January 2018 Registered Offering, each warrant entitling its holder to purchase 0.70 of a common share at an exercise price of US$1.20 per common share. Additionally, the underwriter was granted a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,500,000 additional common shares and/or 1,500,000 additional warrants, of which the underwriter partially exercised its option for 1,350,000 warrants. As of March 13, 2018, following the consummation of the Merger, the warrants became exercisable for an aggregate of 794,000 of our common shares, at an exercise price of  $12.00 per common share. As of September 30, 2018, the fair value of the warrants amounted to CHF 50,070. The revaluation gain of the derivative for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 amounted to CHF 1,763,343, which is an increase of CHF 63,221 when comparing to the same period in 2017. Since its initial recognition, the fair value decreased by CHF 5,040,393, resulting in a gain in the corresponding amount (fair value as of February 21, 2017: CHF 5,090,463).

On January 30, 2018 we issued 7,499,999 warrants in connection with a direct offering of 12,499,999 common shares, each warrant entitling its holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.50 per common share. As of March 13, 2018, following the consummation of the Merger, the warrants became exercisable for an aggregate of 750,002 of our common shares (assuming we decide to round up fractional common shares to the next whole common share), at an exercise price of  $5.00 per common share. As of September 30, 2018 the fair value of the warrants amounted CHF 161,737. Since its initial recognition, the fair value of the warrants has decreased by CHF 2,322,010, resulting in a gain in the corresponding amount (fair value as of January 30, 2018: CHF 2,483,747).

On July 17, 2018 we issued 6,282,050 Series A warrants and 4,487,179 Series B warrants in connection with the July 2018 Registered Offering of 17,948,717 common shares, each warrant entitling its holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of CHF 0.39 per common share. As of September 30, 2018 the fair value of the warrants amounted CHF 872,217. Since its initial recognition, the fair value of the warrants has decreased by CHF 24,224, resulting in a gain in the corresponding amount (fair value as of July 17, 2018: CHF 896,441).

Transaction costs

Transaction costs increased by CHF 0.1 million in the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the previous period, due to transaction costs related to the July 2018 Registered Offering.

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Transaction costs increased by CHF 14 thousand in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the previous period, due to higher fees and transaction costs related to the equity offering in the first quarter of 2018 and the July 2018 Registered Offering compared to the equity offering in the first quarter of 2017.

Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

Research and development expense

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Research and development expense decreased by 22% from CHF 24.8 million in 2016 to CHF 19.2 million in 2017. Our research and development expense is dependent on the development phases of our research projects and may therefore fluctuate significantly from year to year. The variances in expense between 2016 and 2017 are mainly due to the following factors:

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Clinical projects.   In 2017, we incurred lower service and milestone costs for our Keyzilen® studies, mainly reflecting the completion of TACTT2, AMPACT1 and AMPACT2 and progression towards completion of TACTT3 were partly offset by higher Sonsuvi® related expenses due to progression of our HEALOS and ASSENT trials.

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Preclinical projects.   In 2017 preclinical expenses increased by 18% due to an increase in activities in our early stage program AM-102.

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Drug manufacture and substance.   In 2017 costs related to raw material purchases and expenses decreased by 22% mainly due to lower costs for process validation related to Keyzilen®, which were partly offset by increases related to Sonsuvi®.

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Employee benefits.   Employee benefit costs decreased in 2017 due to lower headcount and lower recruiting fees.

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General and administrative expense