Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2019

 Registration No. 333-231114

  

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

  

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO 

FORM F-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Auris Medical Holding Ltd.

 (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

Not Applicable

 (Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

  

 

Bermuda		2834		NOT APPLICABLE
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

 

Clarendon House
2 Church Street
Hamilton HM 11
Bermuda
Tel: (441) 295-5950
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

  

 

Agent for Service of Process Info
Cogency Global, Inc.
10 East 40th Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10016
(212) 947-7200
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

Copies to:

Michael J. Lerner, Esq. Steven M. Skolnick, Esq. Lowenstein Sandler LLP 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Tel: (212) 262-6700

Oded Har-Even, Esq. Robert V. Condon III, Esq. Zysman, Aharoni, Gayer and Sullivan & Worcester LLP 1633 Broadway New York, NY 10019 Tel: (212) 660-5000

  

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒

 

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 this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) 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. ☐

 

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. ☐

 

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title Of Each Class Of Securities To Be Registered		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price per Unit(1)				Amount Of Registration Fee
Units consisting of: • Common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share(2)(4) • Warrants to purchase common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share(3)		$	8,050,000			$	975.67
Units consisting of: • Pre-Funded warrants to purchase common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share(4)(5) • Warrants to purchase common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share(3)			7,000,000				848.41
Common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share, issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants(2)(3)			-				-
Common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share, issuable upon exercise of the warrants(2)(6)		$	8,277,499			$	1,003.24
Total		$	23,327,499			$	2,827.32	(7)

 

(1)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Includes common shares, warrants and pre-funded warrants to be sold upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional common shares, warrants and pre-funded warrants. See “Underwriting.”

 

(2)

Pursuant to Rule 416, the securities being registered hereunder include such indeterminate number of additional securities as may be issued after the date hereof as a result of stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

 

(3)

No additional registration fee is payable pursuant to Rule 457(i) under the Securities Act.

 

(4)

The proposed maximum offering price of the common shares proposed to be sold in the offering will be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis on the offering price of any pre-funded warrants offered and sold in the offering, and as such the proposed aggregate maximum offering price of the units consisting of common shares and warrants and the units consisting of pre-funded warrants (including the common shares issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants) and warrants if any, is $8,050,000.

 

(5)

The Registrant may issue pre-funded warrants to purchase common shares in the offering. The purchase price of each unit consisting of a pre-funded warrant and a warrant will equal the price per unit at which units of common shares and warrants are being sold to the public in this offering, minus CHF 0.01, and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant will equal CHF 0.01 per share, payable in Swiss Francs.

 

	(6)	The warrants are exercisable at a per share exercise price equal to 110% of the public offering price (payable in Swiss Francs) of one unit consisting of a common share and a warrant. The proposed maximum aggregate public offering price of the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants was calculated to be the sum of (i) $4,427,500, which is equal to 110% of  $4,025,000 (which is 50% of  $8,050,000 since the warrants included in each unit consisting of a common share and a warrant is a warrant to purchase 50% of one common share) and (ii) $3,850,000, which is equal to 110% of  $3,500,000 (which is 50% of  $7,000,000 since the warrants included in each unit consisting of a pre-funded warrant and a warrant is a warrant to purchase 50% of one common share).
	(7)	A filing fee of $848.40 was previously paid.

 

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 Commission, acting pursuant to such Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

  

The information in this 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 prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

DATED MAY 6, 2019

 

  

1,452,282 Common Shares
Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase Common Shares
Warrants to Purchase 726,141 Common Shares
(Common Shares underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants)
(726,141 Common Shares underlying the Warrants)

 

 

Auris Medical Holding Ltd.

  

 

We are offering 1,452,282 of our common shares and warrants to purchase up to 726,141 common shares, each warrant entitling the holder to purchase 0.5 of a common share (each a “warrant”) at an exercise price per whole common share equal to 110% of the public offering price of a common share unit (as defined below), payable in Swiss Francs. The warrants will become exercisable upon issuance, and will expire five years after issuance. We are also offering the common shares that are issuable upon the exercise of the warrants offered hereby.

 

We are also offering to each purchaser whose purchase of common shares in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or 9.99% at the initial election of the purchaser) of our outstanding common shares immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants, in lieu of common shares that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or 9.99% at the election of the purchaser) of our outstanding common shares. Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of pre-funded warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its pre-funded warrants if the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or 9.99% at the election of the purchaser) of the number of common shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. Each pre-funded warrant will be exercisable for one common share. Each pre-funded warrant will become exercisable upon issuance and will expire when exercised in full. This offering also relates to the common shares issuable upon exercise of any pre-funded warrants offered hereby.

 

The common shares and the accompanying warrants will be sold in units (each, a “common share unit”) and the pre-funded warrants and the accompanying warrants will be sold in units (each, a “pre-funded warrant unit” and, together with the common share units, the “units”), with each common share unit consisting of one common share and one warrant to purchase 0.5 of a common share and each pre-funded warrant unit consisting of one pre-funded warrant and one warrant to purchase 0.5 of a common share. Each common share unit will be sold at a price of $     per unit.

 

The purchase price of each pre-funded warrant unit will equal the price per unit at which common share units are being sold to the public in this offering, minus CHF 0.01, and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant will equal CHF 0.01 per share, payable in Swiss Francs. The pre-funded warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until all of the pre-funded warrants are exercised in full. For each pre-funded warrant unit we sell, the number of common share units we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. As a result, because each common share unit and each pre-funded warrant unit includes a warrant, the number of warrants sold in this offering will not change due to a change in the mix of the common share units and pre-funded warrant units sold in this offering. The units will be mandatorily separable immediately upon issuance.

 

Our common shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EARS”. On May 3, 2019, the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $4.82 per common share. The public offering price per unit will be determined between us, the underwriters and investors based on market conditions at the time of pricing, and may be at a discount to the current market price of our common shares.

 

The warrants and pre-funded warrants are not and will not be listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or any other securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. There is no market through which the warrants or pre-funded warrants may be sold, and purchasers may not be able to resell the warrants or pre-funded warrants purchased under this prospectus. This may affect the pricing of the warrants or prefunded warrants in the secondary market, the transparency and availability of trading prices, and the liquidity of the warrants or pre-funded warrants.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See “Prospectus Summary - Implications of Being an “Emerging Growth Company and a Foreign Private Issuer.”

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

  

Per Common Share Unit(1)

Per Pre-Funded Warrant Unit(1)

Total

Public offering price

$

$

$

Underwriting discounts and commissions(2)

$

$

$

Proceeds, before expenses, to us(3)

$

$

$

 

(1)

The public offering price and underwriting discounts and commissions correspond to a public offering price per common share of  $    , a public offering price per warrant of  $0.01 and a public offering price per pre-funded warrant of  $    .

 

(2)

See “Underwriting” for a description of compensation payable to the underwriters.

 

(3)

The amount of the offering proceeds to us presented in this table does not give effect to any exercise of the pre-funded warrants or the warrants being issued in this offering.

 

We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 45 days from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to an additional 217,842 common shares and/or additional warrants to purchase up to 108,921 common shares, in any combinations thereof, from us at the public offering price per security less the underwriting discounts and commissions, to cover over-allotments.

 

Delivery of the common share units and the pre-funded warrant units, if any, is expected to be made on or about            , 2019.

 

A.G.P.

 

Prospectus dated            , 2019

 

 

table of contents

 

	Page
Prospectus Summary	1
Risk Factors	5
Presentation of Financial and Other Information	7
Market and Industry Data	8
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements	9
Use of Proceeds	10
Dividend Policy	11
Market for Our Common Shares	12
Capitalization	13
Dilution	14
Exchange Rates	15
Principal Shareholders	16
Description of Share Capital and Bye-laws	18
Description of Warrants	24
Description of Pre-Funded Warrants	26
Comparison of Bermuda Law and Delaware Law	28
Taxation	34
Underwriting	43
Expenses of the Offering	47
Legal Matters	48
Experts	48
Enforcement of Judgments	48
Where You Can Find More Information	49
Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference	49

 

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus to “Auris Medical Holding Ltd.” or “Auris,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” “ours,” “us” or similar terms refer to (i) Auris Medical Holding AG (formerly Auris Medical AG), or Auris Medical (Switzerland), 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), (ii) 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 (as defined below) and (iii) to Auris Medical Holding Ltd., a Bermuda company, or Auris Medical (Bermuda), the successor issuer to Auris Medical (Switzerland) under Rule 12g-3(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), after the effective time at which Auris Medical (Switzerland) continued its corporate existence from Switzerland to Bermuda (the “Redomestication”), which occurred on March 18, 2019. The trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus are property of their respective owners.

 

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.

 

 

On May 1, 2019, we effected a one-for-twenty reverse share split (the “2019 Reverse Share Split”) of our issued and outstanding common shares. All per share amounts and numbers of common shares in this prospectus reflect the 2019 Reverse Share Split.

 

Unless indicated or the context otherwise requires, (i) all references in this prospectus to our common shares as of any date prior to March 13, 2018 refer to the common shares of Auris Medical (Switzerland) (having a nominal value of CHF 8.00 per share) prior to the 10:1 “reverse share split” effected through the Merger, (ii) all references to our common shares as of, and after, March 13, 2018 and prior to the Redomestication refer to the common shares of Auris Medical (Switzerland) (having a nominal value of CHF 0.40 per share) after the 10:1 “reverse share split” effected through the Merger and (iii) all references to our common shares as of, and after, the Redomestication on March 18, 2019 refer to the common shares of Auris Medical (Bermuda) (having a par value of CHF 0.40 per share).

 

The terms “dollar,” “USD” or “$” refer to U.S. dollars and the term “Swiss Franc” and “CHF” refer to the legal currency of Switzerland.

 

We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we may have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We and the underwriters have not authorized any other person to provide you with different or additional information. Neither we nor the underwriters are making an offer to sell the common shares, warrants and pre-funded warrants in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. This offering is being made in the United States and elsewhere solely on the basis of the information contained in this prospectus. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of the common shares, warrants and pre-funded warrants. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since the date on the front cover of this prospectus.

 

 

  

RISK FACTORS

 

Any investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below and in “Item 3. Key Information - D. Risk factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2018, incorporated by reference herein, and all of the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus before deciding whether to purchase our securities. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of the events or circumstances described in the following risk factors actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations would suffer. In that event, the price of our common shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risks discussed below also include forward-looking statements and our actual results may differ substantially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. See “Forward-Looking Statements.”

 

Risks Related to this Offering

 

We will have broad discretion in how we use the proceeds, and we may use the proceeds in ways in which you and other shareholders may disagree.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not necessarily improve our operating results or enhance the value of our common shares.

 

You may not be able to resell your warrants or pre-funded warrants or obtain any return on your investment.

 

There is no established trading market for the warrants or pre-funded warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect such a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for listing of the warrants or pre-funded warrants on any securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, and you may not be able to resell your warrants or pre-funded warrants. If your warrants or prefunded-warrants cannot be resold, you will have to depend upon any appreciation in the value of our common shares over the exercise price of the warrants or over the public offering price plus the exercise price of the pre-funded warrants in order to realize a return on your investment in the warrants or pre-funded warrants. We cannot assure you that you will be able to obtain any return on your investment in our securities; and you may lose all of your investment.

 

The pre-funded warrants and warrants are speculative in nature.

 

Neither the pre-funded warrants nor the warrants offered hereby confer any rights of common share ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire common shares at a fixed price. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the pre-funded warrants may exercise their right to acquire common shares and pay an exercise price of CHF 0.01 per common share and holders of the warrants may exercise their right to acquire common shares and pay an exercise price per common share of 110% of the public offering price of the common share units in this offering, payable in Swiss Francs. Moreover, following this offering, the market value of the pre-funded warrants and warrants is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the pre-funded warrants or the warrants will equal or exceed their public offering price. There can be no assurance that the market price of the common shares will ever equal or exceed the public offering price plus the exercise price of the pre-funded warrants or the exercise price of the warrants, and consequently, whether it will ever be profitable for holders of the pre-funded warrants to exercise the pre-funded warrants or the holders of the warrants to exercise the warrants.

 

 

Provisions of the warrants and pre-funded warrants offered by this prospectus could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party.

 

Certain provisions of the pre-funded warrants and warrants offered by this prospectus could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. The pre-funded warrants and warrants prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the pre-funded warrants and warrants. These and other provisions of the pre-funded warrants and warrants offered by this prospectus could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.

 

Investors will have no rights as a shareholder with respect to their warrants or pre-funded warrants until they exercise their warrants and acquire our common shares.

 

Until you acquire our common shares upon exercise of your warrants or pre-funded warrants, you will have no rights with respect to the common shares underlying such warrants or pre-funded warrants except as set forth in the warrants or pre-funded warrants, as applicable. Upon exercise of your warrants or pre-funded warrants, you will be entitled to exercise the rights of a shareholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.

 

If you purchase units in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of your investment.

 

The public offering price of our common shares is substantially higher than the as adjusted net tangible book value per common share. Therefore, if you purchase units in this offering, you will pay a price per common share that substantially exceeds our as adjusted net tangible book value per common share after this offering. To the extent outstanding options are exercised, you will incur further dilution. Based on the assumed public offering price of  $4.82 per common share unit (which was the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 3, 2019), assuming no pre-funded warrants are sold in this offering and excluding the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants being offered in this offering, you will experience immediate dilution of  $2.84 per common share, representing the difference between our as adjusted net tangible book value per common share after giving effect to this offering and the public offering price. See “Dilution.” In addition, in the event the effective price per unit offered hereby is less than the current exercise price of the Series B warrants issued on July 17, 2018 of CHF 7.80 per common share, then the exercise price of the Series B warrants will be reduced to equal the higher of (A) such effective price and (B) CHF 1.00.

 

In addition, to the extent that outstanding stock options or warrants (including the exercise of any pre-funded warrants or warrants) have been or may be exercised or other shares issued, you may experience further dilution.

 

The exercise price of the pre-funded warrants and warrants offered by this prospectus will not be adjusted for certain dilutive events.

 

The exercise price of the pre-funded warrants and warrants offered by this prospectus is subject to adjustment for certain events, including, but not limited to, certain issuances of share capital, options, convertible securities and other securities. However, the exercise prices will not be adjusted for dilutive issuances of securities considered “excluded securities” and there may be transactions or occurrences that may adversely affect the market price of our common shares or the market value of such pre-funded warrants and warrants without resulting in an adjustment of the exercise prices of such pre-funded warrants or warrants.

 

 

Presentation of Financial and Other Information

 

We report under IFRS in Swiss Francs. None of the consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

 

The terms “dollar,” “USD” or “$” refer to U.S. dollars, the term, “Swiss Francs” or “CHF” refers to the legal currency of Switzerland and the terms “€” or “euro” are to the currency introduced at the start of the third stage of European economic and monetary union pursuant to the treaty establishing the European Community, as amended. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to currency amounts in this prospectus are in Swiss Francs.

 

We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in this prospectus. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that preceded them.

  

 

Market and Industry Data

 

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain industry, market and competitive position data that are based on industry publications and studies conducted by third parties as well as our own internal estimates and research. These industry publications and third party studies generally state that the information that they contain has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information.

 

 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This prospectus contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements, including statements concerning our industry, our operations, our anticipated financial performance and financial condition, and our business plans and growth strategy and product development efforts. These statements constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. The words “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “outlook,” “believe” and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions by our management that, although we believe to be reasonable, are inherently uncertain and subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.

 

Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this prospectus and 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:

 

●

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

 

●

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;

 

●

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

 

●

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;

 

●

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;

 

●

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;

 

●

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

 

●

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

 

●

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

 

●

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;

 

●

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

 

●

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

 

●

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;

 

●

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;

 

●

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;

 

●

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

 

●

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

 

●

other risk factors set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F.

 

Our actual results or performance could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements relating to those matters. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on our results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. Except as required by law, we are under no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the offering will be $6.3 million (or $7.3 million if the underwriters exercise in full their over-allotment option), based on an assumed public offering price of $4.82 per common share unit, which is the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 3, 2019 as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no sale of any pre-funded warrants in this offering and excluding the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of the warrants. Each $0.10 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of  $4.82 per common share unit, which is the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 3, 2019 as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our net proceeds by $0.1 million, assuming that the number of securities offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. Similarly, each 100,000 increase (decrease) in the number of common shares offered by us in this offering would increase (decrease) our net proceeds by $0.4 million, assuming a public offering price of  $4.82 per common share unit, which is the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 3, 2019 as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

The public offering price per unit will be determined between us, the underwriter and investors based on market conditions at the time of pricing, and may be at a discount to the current market price of our common shares. We will only receive additional proceeds from the exercise of the pre-funded warrants issuable in connection with this offering if such warrants are exercised at their exercise price of CHF 0.01 per share, payable in Swiss Francs. We will only receive additional proceeds from the exercise of the warrants issuable in connection with this offering if such warrants are exercised at their exercise price per common share of 110% of the public offering price of the common share units in this offering, payable in Swiss Francs.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from the issuance of the securities for working capital and general corporate purposes. Such purposes may include research and development expenditures and capital expenditures.

 

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds of this offering, and investors will be relying on our judgment regarding the application of the net proceeds. In addition, we might decide to postpone or not pursue certain preclinical activities or clinical trials if the net proceeds from this offering and our other sources of cash are less than expected.

 

Pending their use, we plan to invest the net proceeds of this offering in short-and intermediate-term interest-bearing investments.

 

 

Dividend Policy

 

We have never paid a dividend, and we do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future. We intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and expansion of our business. As a result, investors in our common shares will benefit in the foreseeable future only if our common shares appreciate in value.

 

Any future determination to declare and pay dividends to holders of our common shares will be made at the discretion of our board of directors, which may take into account several factors, including general economic conditions, our financial condition and results of operations, available cash and current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions, the implications of the payment of dividends by us to our shareholders and any other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. In addition, pursuant to the Companies Act, a company may not declare or pay dividends if there are reasonable grounds for believing that (1) the company is, or would after the payment be, unable to pay its liabilities as they become due or (2) that the realizable value of its assets would thereby be less than its liabilities. Under our bye-laws (the “Bye-laws”), each of our common shares 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 preferred shares.

 

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

 

 

Market For Our Common Shares

 

Our common shares are quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EARS.”  

 

As of May 3, 2019, we had 1,904,792 common shares issued and outstanding (giving effect to the one-for-twenty reverse share split effective May 1, 2019) held by 6 registered holders, one of which is Cede & Co., a nominee for The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). All of the common shares held by brokerage firms, banks and other financial institutions as nominees for beneficial owners are deposited into participant accounts at DTC and therefore are considered to be held of record by Cede & Co. as one shareholder.

 

 

Capitalization

 

The table below sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our total capitalization (defined as total debt and shareholders’ equity) as of December 31, 2018:

 

●

on an actual basis, adjusted to reflect the reverse share split of one-for-twenty effective May 1, 2019; and

 

●

on an as adjusted basis to give effect to our issuance and sale of 1,452,282 common shares and warrants to purchase 726,141 common shares in this offering (excluding common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants being offered in this offering), at the assumed public offering price of  $4.82 per common share unit, which is the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 3, 2019 as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us (the on an as adjusted basis information assumes no sale of pre-funded warrants, which, if sold, would reduce the number of common shares that we are offering on a one-for-one basis).

 

Investors should read this table in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018 and management’s discussion and analysis thereon, each as incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

U.S. dollar amounts have been translated into Swiss Francs at a rate of CHF 0.9832 to USD 1.00, the official exchange rate quoted as of December 31, 2018 by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank. Such Swiss Franc amounts are not necessarily indicative of the amounts of Swiss Francs that could actually have been purchased upon exchange of U.S. dollars on December 31, 2018 and have been provided solely for the convenience of the reader. On April 19, 2019, the exchange rate as reported by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank was CHF 1.0144 to USD 1.00.

 

		December 31, 2018
		Actual				As Adjusted
		(in thousands of CHF except  share and per share data)
Cash and cash equivalents(1)			5,393				11,571
Total debt(2)			1,435				1,435
Derivative Financial Instruments(3)			675				675
Shareholders’ equity:
Share capital(1)
Common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share; 1,775,839 common shares issued and outstanding on an actual basis, 3,228,121 common shares issued and outstanding on an as adjusted basis			710				1,291
Share premium			149,287				154,884
Foreign currency translation reserve			(44	)			(44	)
Accumulated deficit			(146,303	)			(146,303	)
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to owners of the company			3,650				9,828
Total capitalization			5,760				11,938

 

(1)

Since December 31, 2018, we have issued 128,953 of our common shares for an aggregate amount of $1,164,865. These subsequent issuances and the proceeds therefrom are not reflected in the table as they occurred after December 31, 2018.

 

(2)

Total debt is comprised of the $12.5 million drawn on July 19, 2016 under our secured term loan facility with Hercules as administrative agent. The loan was initially recognized at transaction value less the fair value of the warrant issued to Hercules in connection with the loan as of the transaction date and less directly attributable transactions costs. Following the initial recognition, the loan is measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method. As of December 31, 2018, the loan has a carrying value of CHF 1,435,400 classified as current liability. The amortization payments, including the end of term charge, due within the 12 months after December 31, 2018, amount to CHF 1,435,400. As of January 28, 2019, the amount outstanding under our secured term loan facility with Hercules was $1.1 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.

 

(3)

The fair value calculation of the warrants is determined according to the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Assumptions are made regarding inputs such as volatility and the risk free rate in order to determine the fair value of the warrant. The fair value of the warrants is calculated based on assumptions made at December 31, 2018.

 

The above discussion and table are based on 1,775,839 common shares outstanding as of December 31, 2018, which number excludes:

 

●

49,638 of our common shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of December 31, 2018 at a weighted average exercise price of  $22.00 per common share;

 

●

783 common shares issuable upon the exercise of a warrant issued to Hercules, at an exercise price of  $788 per common share, 39,725 common shares issuable upon exercise of warrants issued on February 21, 2017 in a public offering at an exercise price of  $240.00 per common share, 37,500 common shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants issued on January 30, 2018 at an exercise price of  $100.00 per common share, 168,876 common shares issuable upon the exercise of Series A warrants issued on July 17, 2018 at an exercise price of CHF 7.80 per common share and 81,137 common shares issuable upon the exercise of Series B warrants issued on July 17, 2018 at a current exercise price of CHF 7.80 per common share.

 

The above discussion reflects the one-for-twenty reverse share split of our issued and outstanding common shares, options and warrants effected on May 1, 2019 and the corresponding adjustment of all stock option and warrant exercise prices per share.

 

  

DILUTION

 

If you invest in our securities, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price you pay in this offering and our as adjusted net tangible book value per common share immediately after this offering.

 

As of December 31, 2018, we had a net tangible book value of $0.1 million, corresponding to a net tangible book value of $0.07 per common share. Net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total assets less our total liabilities, excluding intangible assets, divided by 1,775,839, the total number of our common shares outstanding as of December 31, 2018 (adjusted to reflect the reverse share split of one-for-twenty effective May 1, 2019).

 

After giving effect to the sale by us of 1,452,282 common shares and warrants to purchase 726,141 common shares offered by us in the offering (assuming no pre-funded warrants are sold in this offering and excluding the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants being offered in this offering) at the assumed offering price of  $4.82 per common share unit, which is the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 3, 2019 as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value estimated at December 31, 2018 would have been approximately $6.4 million, representing $1.98 per common share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $1.91 per common share to existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of  $2.84 per common share to new investors purchasing common shares in this offering. Dilution for this purpose represents the difference between the price per common share unit paid by these purchasers and net tangible book value per common share immediately after the completion of the offering.

 

The following table illustrates this dilution to new investors purchasing units in the offering. 

Assumed public offering price per common share unit		$	4.82
Net tangible book value per common share at December 31, 2018		$	0.07
Increase in net tangible book value per common share attributable to new investors		$	1.91
As adjusted net tangible book value per common share after the offering		$	1.98
Dilution per common share to new investors		$	2.84
Percentage of dilution in net tangible book value per common share for new investors			59	%

 

The information above and below assumes that no pre-funded warrants are issued in this offering.

 

Each $0.10 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of  $4.82 per common share unit, which is the last reported sale price of our common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 3, 2019 as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering by $0.04 per common share and the dilution per common share to new investors in the offering by $0.06 per common share, assuming no pre-funded warrants are sold in this offering and excluding the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants being offered in this offering, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and assuming that the number of common shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same.

We may also increase or decrease the number of units we are offering. A 100,000 increase (decrease) in the number of units offered by us would increase (decrease) our as adjusted net tangible book value per common share after this offering by $0.08 ($0.08) and decrease (increase) the dilution per common share to new investors by $0.08 ($0.08), assuming no pre-funded warrants are sold in this offering and excluding the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants being offered in this offering, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

If the underwriters were to fully exercise their option to purchase up to 217,842 additional common shares from us, the as adjusted net tangible book value per common shares after the offering would be $2.14 per common share, and the dilution per common share to new investors would be $2.68 per share, assuming no pre-funded warrants are sold in this offering and excluding the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants being offered in this offering, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The above discussion and table are based on 1,775,839 common shares outstanding as of December 31, 2018, which number excludes:

 

●

49,638 of our common shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of December 31, 2018 at a weighted average exercise price of  $22.00 per common share;

 

●

783 common shares issuable upon the exercise of a warrant issued to Hercules, at an exercise price of  $788 per common share, 39,725 common shares issuable upon exercise of warrants issued on February 21, 2017 in a public offering at an exercise price of  $240.00 per common share, 37,500 common shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants issued on January 30, 2018 at an exercise price of  $100.00 per common share, 168,876 common shares issuable upon the exercise of Series A warrants issued on July 17, 2018 at an exercise price of CHF 7.80 per common share and 81,137 common shares issuable upon the exercise of Series B warrants issued on July 17, 2018 at a current exercise price of CHF 7.80 per common share.

 

The above discussion reflects the one-for-twenty reverse share split of our issued and outstanding common shares, options and warrants effected on May 1, 2019 and the corresponding adjustment of all stock option and warrant exercise prices per share.

 

To the extent that outstanding options or warrants are exercised, you may experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities may result in further dilution to our shareholders.

 

Swiss Franc amounts have been translated into U.S. dollars at a rate of CHF 0.9832 to USD 1.00, the official exchange rate quoted as of December 31, 2018 by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank. Such U.S. dollar amounts are not necessarily indicative of the amounts of U.S. dollars that could actually have been purchased upon exchange of Swiss Francs on December 31, 2018 and have been provided solely for the convenience of the reader.

 

 

Exchange Rates

 

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high, low, average and period-end exchange rates for the purchase of U.S. dollars expressed in CHF per U.S. dollar. The average rate is calculated by using the average of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank’s reported exchange rates on each day during a monthly period and on the last day of each month during an annual period. On April 19, 2019, the exchange rate as reported by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank was CHF 1.0144 to USD 1.00.

 

		Period-End				Average for Period				Low				High
		(CHF per U.S. dollar)
Year Ended December 31:
2013			0.8904				0.9269				0.8856				0.9814
2014			0.9934				0.9147				0.8712				0.9934
2015			1.0017				0.9628				0.8488				1.0305
2016			1.0160				0.9848				0.9536				1.0334
2017			0.9738				0.9842				0.9456				1.0266
2018			0.9832				0.9784				0.9232				1.0083
Month Ended:
January 31, 2019			0.9938				0.9897				0.9767				0.9988
February 28, 2019			0.9974				1.0014				0.9940				1.0073
March 31, 2019			0.9962				1.0005				0.9918				1.0110
April 19, 2019			1.0144				1.0034				0.9970				1.0154

 

 

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

 

The following table presents information relating to the beneficial ownership of our common shares as of May 3, 2019 by:

 

	●	each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to own beneficially 5% or more of our outstanding common shares;
	●	each of our executive officers and directors; and
	●	all executive officers and directors as a group.

 

The number of common shares beneficially owned by each entity, person, executive officer or director is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Under such rules, beneficial ownership includes any common shares over which the individual has sole or shared voting power or investment power as well as any common shares that the individual has the right to acquire within 60 days of May 3, 2019 through the exercise of any option, warrant or other right. Except as otherwise indicated, and subject to applicable community property laws, the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all common shares held by that person.

 

Common shares that a person has the right to acquire within 60 days of May 3, 2019 are deemed outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of the person holding such rights, but are not deemed outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person, except with respect to the percentage ownership of all executive officers and directors as a group. As of May 3, 2019, 1,594,246 common shares, or approximately 83.7%, are held by three holders in the United States. Unless otherwise indicated below, the business address for each beneficial owner is c/o Auris Medical Holding Ltd., Clarendon House 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda.

 

The percentage of common shares beneficially owned is based on 1,904,792 common shares issued and outstanding as of May 3, 2019. The number of outstanding common shares reflects the reverse share split of one-for-twenty effective May 3, 2019. Each common share confers the right on the holder to cast one vote at a general meeting of shareholders and no shareholder has different voting rights.

 

		Shares Beneficially Owned
Shareholder		Number				Percent
5% Shareholders
-			-				-
Executive Officers and Directors
Thomas Meyer, Ph.D. (1)			449,922				23.62	%
Armando Anido, M.B.A (2)			924				*
Mats Blom, M.B.A. (3)			886				*
Alain Munoz (4)			753				*
Calvin W. Roberts, M.D.(5)			1,250				*
Hernan Levett, CPA (6)			320				*

 

*	Indicates beneficial ownership of less than 1% of the total outstanding common shares.
(1)	Consists of 310,271 common shares, warrants to purchase 138,178 common shares, options to purchase 300 common shares under the Company’s Plan C, and options to purchase 1,173 common shares under the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Long Term Equity Incentive Plan (“EIP”).
(2)	Consists of options to purchase common shares under the Company’s EIP.
(3)	Consists of options to purchase common shares under the Company’s EIP.
(4)	Consists of 62 common shares owned by Alain Munoz and options to purchase common shares under the Company's EIP and the Company’s Plan C.
(5)	Consists of 76 common shares jointly owned by Calvin W. Roberts and Andrea Colvin Roberts. Also, consists of 100 common shares held by Calvin W. Roberts, MD PC Pension Plan, 50 common shares held by The David Roberts Trust and 50 common shares held by The Joanna Roberts Trust. Calvin Roberts is a trustee for each of Calvin W. Roberts, MD PC Pension Plan, The David Roberts Trust and The Joanna Roberts Trust. Also consists of options to purchase common shares under the Company’s EIP.
(6)	Consists of options to purchase common shares under the Company’s EIP.

 

 

Holders

 

As of May 3, 2019, we had six shareholders of record of our common shares.

 

Significant Changes in Ownership by Major Shareholders

 

We have experienced significant changes in the percentage ownership held by major shareholders as a result of our public offerings. Prior to our initial public offering in August 2014, our principal shareholders were Thomas Meyer (34.9%), Sofinnova Venture Partners VIII, L.P. (19.3%), Sofinnova Capital VII FCPR (18.6%), the ZKB Funds (11.4%) and entities affiliated with Idinvest Partners (9.1%).

 

In August 2014, we completed our initial public offering and listed our common shares on the Nasdaq Global Market. In the initial public offering, we issued and sold 10,113,325 common shares, including 713,235 common shares sold to the underwriters pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option. In May 2015, we completed a public offering of 5,275,000 common shares. In February 2017, we completed a public offering of 10,000,000 common shares and warrants to purchase 7,000,000 common shares. In January 2018, we completed a public offering of 12,499,999 common shares and a concurrent offering of warrants to purchase 7,499,000 common shares. In July 2018, we completed a public offering of 17,948,717 common shares and a concurrent offering of Series A warrants to purchase 6,282,050 common shares and Series B warrants to purchase 4,487,179 common shares. While none of our existing shareholders sold common shares in the public offerings, certain shareholders purchased common shares in certain of the public offerings. The percentage ownership held by certain shareholders decreased as a result of the issuance of the common shares sold by us in the public offerings.

 

Additionally, in February/March 2018 (prior to the Merger), Sofinnova Capital VII FCPR sold 2,000,000 of our common shares and in April/May 2018 Sofinnova Venture Partners VIII, L.P. sold all of our common shares beneficially held by it.

 

 

Description of Share Capital and BYE-LAWS

 

General

 

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of Bermuda. We began our current operations in 2003 as a corporation organized in accordance with Swiss law and domiciled in Switzerland 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 on March 18, 2019, the Redomestication was effected and we continued in Bermuda pursuant to Section 132C of the Companies Act as a Bermuda company with the name “Auris Medical Holding Ltd.” On May 1, 2019, we effected a one-for-twenty reverse share split (the “2019 Reverse Share Split”) of our issued and outstanding common shares. All per share amounts and numbers of common shares in this prospectus reflect the 2019 Reverse Share Split. Our registered office is located at Clarendon House 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda.

 

Our Memorandum of Continuance provides that the objects of our business are unrestricted, and we have the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person.

 

Since the Redomestication and except as described herein, 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

 

As of May 3, 2019, our authorized share capital consisted of 10,000,000 common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share, and 20,000,000 preference shares, par value CHF 0.02 per share, and there were 1,904,792 common shares issued and outstanding, excluding 49,638 common shares issuable upon exercise of options and 327,238 common shares issuable upon exercise of warrants, and no preference shares issued and outstanding. All of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares are fully paid.

 

Pursuant to the Bye-laws, subject to any resolution of the shareholders to the contrary, our 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 our 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 our 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, our 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 us.

 

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) 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 our board of directors, subject to any preferred dividend right of the holders of any preference shares.

 

Variation of Rights

 

If at any time we 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 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

 

Our 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. Our 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 our 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 our board of directors may accept the instrument signed only by the transferor.

 

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

 

Our board of directors may in its absolute discretion and without further approval of shareholders divide, consolidate or sub-divide our share capital 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 difficulty would arise, our board of directors may deal with or resolve the same in any manner as it thinks fit.

 

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 (or memorandum of continuance), including its objects and powers, and certain alterations to the memorandum of association (or memorandum of continuance). 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.

 

 

Election and Removal of Directors

 

The Bye-laws provide that our board shall consist of three directors or such greater number as the board may determine. Our 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 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 our 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 our directors is determined by our board of directors, and there is no requirement that a specified number or percentage of  “independent” directors must approve any such determination. Our 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 us 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 we shall indemnify our 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 us 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.

 

Amendment of Memorandum of Continuance and Bye-laws

 

Bermuda law provides that the memorandum of association (or memorandum of continuance) 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 our board of directors and by a resolution of our 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 66 2∕3% of our directors then in office and of at least 66 2∕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 (or memorandum of continuance) 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 (or memorandum of continuance) must be made within twenty-one days after the date on which the resolution altering the company’s memorandum of association (or memorandum of continuance) 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 our board of directors must be approved by the holders of not less than 66 2∕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 our board and authorized at an annual or special general meeting by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2∕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, our 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 our 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:

 

(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 66 2∕3% of all votes attaching to all shares then in issue entitling the holder to attend and vote on the resolution (except for certain “business combinations” with “interested shareholders” as set forth in Amalgamations, Mergers and Business Combinations above).

  

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 66 2∕3% of our directors then in office and of at least 66 2∕3% of the votes attaching to all issued and outstanding shares.

 

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 our shares 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 is proposed for appointment or election as a director, written notice of the proposal must be given to us 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 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 memorandum of continuance) 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 our 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. The 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, our board of directors may (i) capitalize any part of the amount of our 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 have received 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 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 our 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, we are entitled to cease sending 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 have been designated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority as a non-resident for Bermuda exchange control purposes. This designation allows us to engage in transactions in currencies other than the Bermuda dollar, and there are no restrictions on our 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 are holders of our common shares.

 

We have received consent from the Bermuda Monetary Authority for the issue and free transferability of all of our 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. Approvals or permissions given by the Bermuda Monetary Authority do not constitute a guarantee by the Bermuda Monetary Authority as to our performance or 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 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, we will not be bound to investigate or see to the execution of any such trust. We will take no notice of any trust applicable to any of our shares, whether or not we have been notified of such trust.

 

Stock Exchange Listing

 

Our common shares are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EARS.”

 

The Depository Trust Company

 

Initial settlement of any common shares to be issued pursuant to this prospectus will take place through The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, in accordance with its customary settlement procedures for equity securities. Each person owning common shares held through DTC must rely on the procedures thereof and on institutions that have accounts therewith to exercise any rights of a holder of the shares.

 

 

Description of Warrants

 

The warrants will be issued in electronic book entry form. The material terms and provisions of the warrants offered hereby are summarized below. Each warrant represents the right to purchase 0.5 of a common share. The warrants to be issued in this offering represent the rights to purchase an aggregate of up to 726,141 common shares at an initial exercise price per share equal to 110% of the public offering price of a common share unit in this offering, payable in Swiss Francs.

 

Exercisability

 

The warrants are exercisable beginning on the date of issuance, and at any time up to five years from the date of issuance. The warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part by delivering to us the original of a duly executed and irrevocable exercise notice accompanied by payment in full of the exercise price for the number of common shares purchased upon such exercise. Common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants will not be issued until both the executed notice of exercise and the relevant exercise price is received by the Company. No fractional common shares will be issued in connection with the exercise of a warrant. In lieu of fractional shares, we will pay the holder an amount in cash equal to the fractional amount multiplied by the market value of a common share.

 

If, at the time a holder exercises its warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance of the common shares underlying the warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such common shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of common shares determined according to a formula set forth in the warrant. The warrants will be automatically exercised on a cashless basis on the expiration date.

 

Exercise Limitations

 

Under the warrants, a holder will not have the right to exercise any portion of the warrant if such holder (together with its affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or 9.99% at the initial election of the holder) of the number of our common shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the warrants. A holder may give not less than 61 days’ prior notice to the Company to increase such beneficial ownership limit, up to 9.99%. The foregoing beneficial ownership restrictions will not apply to the extent a holder (together with its affiliates) beneficially owned in excess of the foregoing beneficial ownership thresholds prior to the date of issuance.

 

 

Failure to Timely Deliver Shares

 

If we fail to deliver to the investor the common shares specified in a duly executed notice of exercise by the second trading day after the receipt by the Company of such executed notice of exercise and the corresponding exercise price, as required by the warrant, and if the investor purchases the common shares after that second trading day to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the investor of the underlying warrant shares that the investor anticipated receiving from us, then, upon the investor’s request, we, at the investor’s option, will (A) pay in cash to the investor the amount, if any, by which (x) the investor’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the common shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of warrant shares that the Company was required to deliver to the investor in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (without deducting brokerage commissions, if any), and (B) at the option of the investor, either reinstate the portion of the warrant and equivalent number of warrant shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the investor the number of common shares that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations under the warrant.

 

Exercise Price

 

Each warrant represents the right to purchase 0.5 of a common share at an initial exercise price per share equal to 110% of the public offering price of a common share unit in this offering, payable in Swiss Francs. The exercise price is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of certain common share dividends (bonus issues) and distributions, share splits (subdivisions), stock combinations (consolidations), reclassifications or similar events affecting our common shares, and also upon any cash dividends to our shareholders; provided that in no event will the exercise price per share be lower than the par value of a common share, which is CHF 0.40 as of the date of issuance.

 

Fundamental Transactions

 

If we consummate any merger, consolidation, sale or other reorganization event in which our common shares are converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or if we consummate certain sales or other business combinations, then following such event, the holders of the warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the warrants immediately prior to such event. At the holder’s election, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of certain Fundamental Transactions, (as defined in the warrant), we or any successor entity shall purchase the warrant from the holder by paying the holder an amount of cash equal to the Black-Scholes value (determined in accordance with the provisions of the warrant).

 

Transferability

 

Subject to applicable laws, the warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without our consent.

 

No Exchange Listing

 

There is no public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for listing of the warrants on any securities exchange or other trading system.

 

No Rights as a Shareholder

 

Except as otherwise provided in the warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common shares, the holder of a warrant does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of our common shares, including any voting rights, until the holder exercises the warrant and delivers the corresponding executed exercise notice and exercise price and is issued common shares.

 

Governing Law

 

The warrants will be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. Matters involving the rights of shareholders, issuance of common shares and the validity of common shares are governed by the laws of Bermuda.

 

 

Description of Pre-Funded Warrants

 

We are offering 1,452,282 common shares. We are also offering to each purchaser whose purchase of common shares in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or 9.99% at the initial election of the purchaser) of our outstanding common shares immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants, in lieu of common shares that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or 9.99% at the election of the purchaser) of our outstanding common shares.

 

The pre-funded warrants will be issued in electronic book entry form. The material terms and provisions of the pre-funded warrants offered hereby are summarized below. Each pre-funded warrant represents the right to purchase one common share.

 

Exercisability

 

The pre-funded warrants are exercisable at any time after their original issuance and may be exercised at any time until exercised in full. The pre-funded warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part by delivering to us the original of a duly executed and irrevocable exercise notice accompanied by payment in full of the exercise price for the number of common shares purchased upon such exercise. Common shares issuable upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants will not be issued until both the executed notice of exercise and the relevant exercise price is received by the Company. No fractional common shares will be issued in connection with the exercise of a pre-funded warrant. In lieu of fractional shares, we will pay the holder an amount in cash equal to the fractional amount multiplied by the market value of a common share.

 

If, at the time a holder exercises its pre-funded warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance of the common shares underlying the pre-funded warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such common shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of common shares determined according to a formula set forth in the pre-funded warrant.

 

Exercise Limitations

 

Under the pre-funded warrants, a holder will not have the right to exercise any portion of the pre-funded warrant if such holder (together with its affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or 9.99% at the initial election of the holder) of the number of our common shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the pre-funded warrants. A holder may give not less than 61 days’ prior notice to the Company to increase such beneficial ownership limit, up to 9.99%. The foregoing beneficial ownership restrictions will not apply to the extent a holder (together with its affiliates) beneficially owned in excess of the foregoing beneficial ownership thresholds prior to the date of issuance.

 

 

Failure to Timely Deliver Shares

 

If we fail to deliver to the investor the common shares specified in a duly executed notice of exercise by the second trading day after the receipt by the Company of such executed notice of exercise and the corresponding exercise price, as required by the pre-funded warrant, and if the investor purchases the common shares after that second trading day to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the investor of the underlying pre-funded warrant shares that the investor anticipated receiving from us, then, upon the investor’s request, we, at the investor’s option, will (A) pay in cash to the investor the amount, if any, by which (x) the investor’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the common shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of pre-funded warrant shares that the Company was required to deliver to the investor in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (without deducting brokerage commissions, if any), and (B) at the option of the investor, either reinstate the portion of the pre-funded warrant and equivalent number of pre-funded warrant shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the investor the number of common shares that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations under the pre-funded warrant.

 

Exercise Price

 

The exercise price per whole common share purchasable upon the exercise of the pre-funded warrants is CHF 0.01 per common share payable, in Swiss Francs. The exercise price of the pre-funded warrants is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of certain common share dividends (bonus issues) and distributions, share splits (subdivisions), stock combinations (consolidations), reclassifications or similar events affecting our common shares, and also upon any cash dividends to our shareholders.

 

Fundamental Transactions

 

If we consummate any merger, consolidation, sale or other reorganization event in which our common shares are converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or if we consummate certain sales or other business combinations, then following such event, the holders of the pre-funded warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the pre-funded warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the pre-funded warrants immediately prior to such event.

 

Transferability

 

Subject to applicable laws, the pre-funded warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without our consent.

 

No Exchange Listing

 

There is no public trading market for the pre-funded warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for listing of the pre-funded warrants on any securities exchange or other trading system.

 

No Rights as a Shareholder

 

Except as otherwise provided in the pre-funded warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of our common shares, the holder of a pre-funded warrant does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of our common shares, including any voting rights, until the holder exercises the pre-funded warrant and delivers the corresponding executed exercise notice and exercise price and is issued common shares.

 

Governing Law

 

The pre-funded warrants will be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. Matters involving the rights of shareholders, issuance of common shares and the validity of common shares are governed by the laws of Bermuda.

 

 

Comparison of BERMUDA Law and Delaware Law

 

The Bermuda laws applicable to Bermuda companies and their shareholders differ from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. The following table summarizes significant differences in shareholder rights between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to our company and the Delaware General Corporation Law applicable to companies incorporated in Delaware and their shareholders. Please note that this is only a general summary of certain provisions applicable to companies in Delaware. Certain Delaware companies may be permitted to exclude certain of the provisions summarized below in their charter documents.

 

DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW		BERMUDA CORPORATE LAW
Mergers and similar arrangemetns
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, with certain exceptions, a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of a corporation must be approved by the board of directors and a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote thereon. A shareholder of a Delaware corporation participating in certain major corporate transactions may, under certain circumstances, be entitled to appraisal rights pursuant to which such shareholder may receive cash in the amount of the fair value of the shares held by such shareholder (as determined by a court) in lieu of the consideration such shareholder would otherwise receive in the transaction. The Delaware General Corporation Law also provides that a parent corporation, by resolution of its board of directors, may merge with any subsidiary, of which it owns at least 90.0% of each class of capital stock without a vote by the shareholders of such subsidiary. Upon any such merger, dissenting shareholders of the subsidiary would have appraisal rights.		The amalgamation or merger of a Bermuda company with another company or corporation (other than certain affiliated companies) requires the amalgamation or merger agreement to be 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 a general 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 a merger or an amalgamation (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 voting shares.
		The Bye-laws contain provisions regarding “business combinations” with “interested shareholders”. Pursuant to our 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 our board and authorized at an annual or special general meeting by the affirmative vote of at least 66 and 2∕3rds% 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, our 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 our 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.
		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. Note that each share of an amalgamating or merging companies carries the right to vote in respect of an amalgamation or merger whether or not is otherwise carries the right to vote.

 

 

DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW		BERMUDA CORPORATE LAW
Shareholders’ suits
Class actions and derivative actions generally are available to shareholders of a Delaware corporation for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and actions not taken in accordance with applicable law. In such actions, the court has discretion to permit the winning party to recover attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such action.		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 our 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.
Shareholder vote on board and management compensation
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, the board of directors has the authority to fix the compensation of directors, unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or bylaws.		The Bye-laws contain a provision that the board of directors has the power to determine the remuneration, if any, of the directors.
Annual vote on board renewal
Unless directors are elected by written consent in lieu of an annual meeting, directors are elected in an annual meeting of stockholders on a date and at a time designated by or in the manner provided in the bylaws. Re-election is possible.		The Bye-laws provide that the directors 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. Re-election is possible.
Classified boards are permitted.		Provision for staggered boards of directors may be included in a company’s bye-laws.
Indemnification of directors and executive management and limitation of liability
The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors (but not other controlling persons) of the corporation for monetary damages for breach of a fiduciary duty as a director, except no provision in the certificate of incorporation may eliminate or limit the liability of a director for: ● any breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its shareholders;   ● acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;   ● statutory liability for unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock purchase or redemption; or   ● any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.		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.

 

 

DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW		BERMUDA CORPORATE LAW
A Delaware corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding, other than an action by or on behalf of the corporation, because the person is or was a director or officer, against liability incurred in connection with the proceeding if the director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation; and the director or officer, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.		The Bye-laws contain provisions that provide that we shall indemnify our 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 us 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.
Unless ordered by a court, any foregoing indemnification is subject to a determination that the director or officer has met the applicable standard of conduct:   ● by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to the proceeding, even though less than a quorum;   ● by a committee of directors designated by a majority vote of the eligible directors, even though less than a quorum;   ● by independent legal counsel in a written opinion if there are no eligible directors, or if the eligible directors so direct; or   ● by the shareholders.
Moreover, a Delaware corporation may not indemnify a director or officer in connection with any proceeding in which the director or officer has been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for those expenses which the court deems proper.
Directors’ fiduciary duties
A director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components:  ● the duty of care; and   ● the duty of loyalty.		At common law, members of a board of directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company to act in good faith in their dealings with or on behalf of the company and exercise their powers and fulfill the duties of their office honestly. This duty includes the following elements: (i) a duty to act in good faith in the best interests of the company; (ii) a duty not to make a personal profit from opportunities that arise from the office of director; (iii) a duty to avoid conflicts of interest; and (iv) a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were intended.

 

 

DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW		BERMUDA CORPORATE LAW
The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence a breach of one of the fiduciary duties.		The Companies Act also imposes a duty on directors and officers of a Bermuda company to: (i) act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company; and (ii) exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances.  In addition, the Companies Act imposes various duties on directors and officers of a company with respect to certain matters of management and administration of the company.
Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, a director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.
Shareholder action by written consent
A Delaware corporation may, in its certificate of incorporation, eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent.		The Companies Act provides that shareholders may take action by written consent, except in respect of the removal of an auditor from office before the expiry of his term or in respect of a resolution passed for the purpose of removing a director before the expiration of his term of office. A resolution in writing is passed when it is signed by the members of the company who at the date of the notice of the resolution represent such majority of votes as would be required if the resolution had been voted on at a meeting or when it is signed by all the members of the company or such other majority of members as may be provided by the bye-laws of the company.
Shareholder proposals
A shareholder of a Delaware corporation has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.		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.
		Pursuant to the Bye-laws, 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 in accordance with the Bye-laws.

 

 

DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW		BERMUDA CORPORATE LAW
Cumulative voting
Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation provides for it.		Under Bermuda law, the voting rights of shareholders are regulated by the company’s bye-laws and, in certain circumstances, by the Companies Act. The Bye-laws provide for a plurality of voting for elections of directors, and cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted.
Removal of directors
A Delaware corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise.		Under the Bye-laws, 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.
Transactions with interested shareholders
The Delaware General Corporation Law generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or group who or which owns or owned 15.0% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock within the past three years.		There is no similar law in Bermuda.   The Bye-laws contain provisions regarding “business combinations” with “interested shareholders” which are described above under “mergers and similar arrangements.”
Dissolution; Winding up
Unless the board of directors of a Delaware corporation approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100.0% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board.		A Bermuda company may be wound up by the Bermuda court on application presented by the company itself, its creditors (including contingent or prospective creditors) or its contributories. The Bermuda court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the Bermuda court, just and equitable to do so.  A Bermuda company limited by shares may be wound up voluntarily when the shareholders so resolve in general meeting. In the case of a voluntary winding up, the company shall, from the commencement of the winding up, cease to carry on its business, except so far as may be required for the beneficial winding up thereof.
Variation of rights of shares
A Delaware corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise.		Under the Bye-laws, if at any time we 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 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 persons holding or representing issued 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.
Amendment of governing documents
A Delaware corporation’s governing documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise.		A Bermuda company’s memorandum of association and bye-laws may be amended by resolutions of the board of directors and the shareholders, subject to the company’s bye-laws.

 

 

DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW		BERMUDA CORPORATE LAW
Inspection of Books and Records
Shareholders of a Delaware corporation, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, have the right during the usual hours for business to inspect for any proper purpose, and to obtain copies of list(s) of shareholders and other books and records of the corporation and its subsidiaries, if any, to the extent the books and records of such subsidiaries are available to the corporation.		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/continuance, including its objects and powers, and certain alterations to the memorandum of association/continuance. 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 without charge, and by members of the general public on payment of a fee. 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. Bermuda law does not, however, provide a general right for shareholders to inspect or obtain copies of any other corporate records.
Payment of dividends
The board of directors may approve a dividend without shareholder approval. Subject to any restrictions contained in its certificate of incorporation, the board may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock either:   ● out of its surplus, or   ● in case there is no such surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year.		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 our board of directors, subject to any preferred dividend right of the holders of any preference shares.
Stockholder approval is required to authorize capital stock in excess of that provided in the charter. Directors may issue authorized shares without stockholder approval.
Creation and issuance of new shares
All creation of shares require the board of directors to adopt a resolution or resolutions, pursuant to authority expressly vested in the board of directors by the provisions of the company’s certificate of incorporation.		The authorized share capital of a Bermuda company is determined by the company’s shareholders.

 

Taxation

 

The following summary contains a description of the material Bermuda, Swiss and U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants but it does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all the tax considerations that may be relevant to a decision to purchase common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants. The summary is based upon the tax laws of Bermuda and regulations thereunder, of Switzerland and regulations thereunder and on the tax laws of the United States and regulations thereunder as of the date hereof, which are subject to change.

 

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 have received 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

  

This summary of material Swiss tax consequences is based on Swiss law and regulations and the practice of the Swiss tax administration as in effect on the date hereof, all of which are subject to change (or subject to changes in interpretation), possibly with retroactive effect. The summary does not purport to take into account the specific circumstances of any particular shareholder or potential investor and does not relate to persons in the business of buying and selling common shares or other securities (e.g. warrants or pre-funded warrants). The summary is not intended to be, and should not be interpreted as, legal or tax advice to any particular potential shareholder/s, and no representation with respect to the tax consequences to any particular shareholder/s is made. 

 

On September 28, 2018, the Swiss parliament approved the final draft of the Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (“TRAF”). A public vote on the TRAF is planned to be held on May 19, 2019. The first measures could take place in 2020. Key measures of the reform are, inter alia, the abolition of the special tax treatment for cantonal status companies, which are no longer accepted internationally. Additionally, an increase of the partial taxation (Teilbesteuerung) for individual shareholders holding at least 10% shares in a company from 60% to 70% will likely be introduced on federal, cantonal and communal levels. Furthermore, TRAF provides for a repayment rule in the capital contribution principle according to which repayments of capital contribution reserves are only exempt from withholding and income tax if the company distributes taxable reserves to the same extent. However, the rule only applies to companies listed on a Swiss stock exchange. The rule also includes a partial liquidation rule in the event of the repurchase of our own shares. According to this rule, at least half of the corresponding liquidation surplus must be charged to the capital contribution reserves. If this rule is not respected, the amount of the capital contribution reserves is adjusted accordingly and the taxable portion of the liquidation surplus is reduced. 

 

Current and prospective shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers in light of their particular circumstances as to the Swiss tax laws, regulations and regulatory practices that could be relevant for them in connection with the acquiring, owning and selling or otherwise disposing of common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants and receiving dividends and similar cash or in-kind distributions on common shares (including dividends on liquidation proceeds and stock dividends) or distributions on common shares based upon a capital reduction (Nennwertrückzahlungen) or reserves paid out of capital contributions (Reserven aus Kapitaleinlagen) and the consequences thereof under the tax laws, regulations and regulatory practices of Switzerland. 

 

Taxation of Auris Medical Holding Ltd. 

  

Auris Medical Holding Ltd. is a Swiss tax resident company, taxed as a holding company in the Canton of Zug. The Company is taxed at a current effective income tax rate of 7.83% (including direct federal as well as cantonal/communal taxes), whereby a participation relief applies to dividend income from qualifying subsidiaries, and a current annual capital tax rate of 0.003% which is levied on the net equity of the Company. 

 

Assuming TRAF will be implemented, Auris Medical Holding Ltd. will lose its holding privilege at the cantonal/communal level as of January 1, 2020. 

 

  

Taxation of Common Shares: Swiss Federal Withholding Tax on Dividends and Distributions 

 

Dividend payments and similar cash or in-kind distributions on the common shares (including dividends on liquidation proceeds and stock dividends) that the Company makes to shareholders are subject to Swiss federal withholding tax (Verrechnungssteuer) at a rate of 35% on the gross amount of the dividend. The Company is required to withhold the Swiss federal withholding tax from the dividend and remit it to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration. Distributions based upon a capital reduction (Nennwertrückzahlungen) and reserves paid out of capital contributions (Reserven aus Kapitaleinlagen) are not subject to Swiss federal withholding tax. 

 

The Swiss federal withholding tax may also apply to gains realized upon a repurchase of shares by the Company, on the difference between the repurchase price and the nominal value of the shares (Nennwertprinzip); a different basis of taxation may apply under the capital contribution principle (Kapitaleinlageprinzip). The Swiss federal withholding tax is refundable or creditable in full to a Swiss tax resident corporate and individual shareholder as well as to a non-Swiss tax resident corporate or individual shareholder who holds the common shares as part of a trade or business carried on in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated for tax purposes in Switzerland, if such person is the beneficial owner of the distribution and, in the case of a Swiss tax resident individual who holds the common shares as part of his private assets, duly reports the gross distribution received in his individual income tax return or, in the case of a person who holds the common shares as part of a trade or business carried on in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated for tax purposes in Switzerland, recognizes the gross dividend distribution for tax purposes as earnings in the income statements and reports the annual profit in the Swiss income tax return. 

  

If a shareholder who is not a Swiss resident for tax purposes and does not hold the common shares in connection with the conduct of a trade or business in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes in Switzerland, receives a distribution from the Company, the shareholder may be entitled to a full or partial refund or credit of Swiss federal withholding tax incurred on a taxable distribution if the country in which such shareholder is resident for tax purposes has entered into a treaty for the avoidance of double taxation with Switzerland and the further prerequisites of the treaty for a refund have been met. Shareholders not resident in Switzerland should be aware that the procedures for claiming treaty benefits (and the time required for obtaining a refund or credit) may differ from country to country. 

  

Besides bilateral tax treaties, Switzerland has entered into an agreement with the European Union on the automatic exchange of information in tax matters (the “AEOI Agreement”) which provides for, inter alia, full withholding tax exemption of cross-border dividends, interest and royalties between related entities from EU member states to Switzerland and vice versa if the respective requirements of Article 9 AEOI Agreement are met. 

  

Individual and Corporate Income Tax on Dividends 

  

Swiss resident individuals holding the common shares as part of their private assets who receive dividends and similar distributions (including stock dividends and liquidation proceeds), which are not repayments of the nominal value (Nennwertrückzahlungen) of the common shares or reserves paid out of capital contributions (Reserven aus Kapitaleinlagen) are required to report such payments in their individual income tax returns and are liable to Swiss federal, cantonal and communal income taxes on any net taxable income for the relevant tax period. Furthermore, for the purpose of the Direct Federal Tax, dividends, shares in profits, liquidation proceeds and pecuniary benefits from shares (including bonus shares) are included in the tax base for only 60% of their value (Teilbesteuerung), if the investment amounts to at least 10% of nominal share capital of the Company. All Swiss cantons have introduced similar partial taxation measures at cantonal and communal levels. 

  

Swiss resident individuals as well as non-Swiss resident individual taxpayers holding the common shares in connection with the conduct of a trade or business in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland, are required to recognize dividends, distributions based upon a capital reduction (Nennwertrückzahlungen) and reserves paid out of capital contributions (Reserven aus Kapitaleinlagen) in their income statements for the relevant tax period and are liable to Swiss federal, cantonal and communal individual or corporate income taxes, as the case may be, on any net taxable earnings accumulated (including the payment of dividends) for such period. Furthermore, for the purpose of the Direct Federal Tax, dividends, shares in profits, liquidation proceeds and pecuniary benefits from shares (including bonus shares) are included in the tax base for only 50% (Teilbesteuerung), if the investment is held in connection with the conduct of a trade or business or qualifies as an opted business asset (gewillkürtes Geschäftsvermögen) according to Swiss tax law and amounts to at least 10% of nominal share capital of the Company. All cantons have introduced similar partial taxation measures at cantonal and communal levels. 

  

 

Swiss resident corporate taxpayers as well as non-Swiss resident corporate taxpayers holding the common shares in connection with the conduct of a trade or business through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland, are required to recognize dividends, distributions based upon a capital reduction (Nennwertrückzahlungen) and reserves paid out of capital contributions (Reserven aus Kapitaleinlagen) in their income statements for the relevant tax period and are liable to Swiss federal, cantonal and communal corporate income taxes on any net taxable earnings accumulated for such period. Swiss resident corporate taxpayers as well as non-Swiss resident corporate taxpayers holding the common shares in connection with the conduct of a trade or business through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland may be eligible for participation relief  (Beteiligungsabzug) in respect of dividends and distributions based upon a capital reduction (Nennwertrückzahlungen) and reserves paid out of capital contributions (Reserven aus Kapitaleinlagen) if the common shares held by them as part of a Swiss business have an aggregate market value of at least CHF 1 million or represent at least 10% of the nominal share capital of the Company or give entitlement to at least 10% of the profits and reserves of the Company, respectively. 

  

Recipients of dividends and similar distributions on the common shares (including stock dividends and liquidation proceeds) who neither are residents of Switzerland nor during the current taxation year have engaged in a trade or business in Switzerland and who are not subject to taxation in Switzerland for any other reason are not subject to Swiss federal, cantonal or communal individual or corporate income taxes in respect of dividend payments and similar distributions because of the mere holding of the common shares. 

  

Wealth and Annual Capital Tax on Holding of Common Shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants 

  

Swiss resident individuals holding the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants as private assets are required to report their common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants as part of their wealth and will be subject to cantonal and communal wealth tax to the extent the aggregate taxable net wealth is allocable to Switzerland. 

  

Individuals and corporate taxpayers holding the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants in connection with the conduct of a trade or business in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland, will be subject to cantonal and communal annual capital tax on the taxable capital to the extent the aggregate taxable capital is allocable to Switzerland. 

  

Individuals and corporate taxpayers not resident in Switzerland for tax purposes and not holding the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants in connection with the conduct of a trade or business in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland, are not subject to wealth or annual capital tax in Switzerland because of the mere holding of the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants. 

  

Capital Gains on Disposal of Common Shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants 

  

Swiss resident individuals who sell or otherwise dispose of the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants realize a tax-free capital gain, or a non-deductible capital loss, as the case may be, provided that they hold the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants as part of their private assets. Under certain circumstances, the sale proceeds may be requalified into taxable investment income (e.g., if the taxpayer is deemed to be a professional securities dealer, etc.). 

 

The (deemed) interest component of pre-funded warrants with a term of more than 12 months is subject to income tax for Swiss resident individuals holding their pre-funded warrants as private assets at the time of the exercise or repayment.

  

Capital gains realized on the sale of the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants held by Swiss resident individuals who do not hold the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants as part of their private assets and Swiss resident corporate taxpayers, as well as non-Swiss resident individuals and corporate taxpayers holding the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants in connection with the conduct of a trade or business in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland, will be subject to Swiss federal, cantonal and communal individual or corporate income tax, as the case may be. This also applies to Swiss resident individuals who, for individual income tax purposes, are deemed to be professional securities dealers for reasons of, inter alia, frequent dealing and debt-financed purchases. Capital gains realized by resident individuals who hold the common shares as business assets might be entitled to reductions or partial taxations similar to those mentioned above for dividends (Teilbesteuerung) if certain conditions are met (e.g. holding period of at least one year and participation of at least 10% of nominal share capital of the Company). 

   

 

Swiss resident corporate taxpayers as well as non-Swiss resident corporate taxpayers holding the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants in connection with the conduct of a trade or business, through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland, are required to recognize such capital gain in their income statements for the relevant tax period. Corporate taxpayers may qualify for participation relief on capital gains (Beteiligungsabzug), if the common shares sold during the tax period represent at least 10% of the Company’s share capital or if the common shares sold give entitlement to at least 10% of the Company’s profit and reserve and were held for at least one year. The tax relief applies to the difference between the sale proceeds of common shares by the Company and the acquisition costs of the participation (Gestehungskosten). 

  

Individuals and corporations not resident in Switzerland for tax purposes and not holding the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants in connection with the conduct of a trade or business in Switzerland through a permanent establishment or fixed place of business situated, for tax purposes, in Switzerland, are not subject to Swiss federal, cantonal and communal individual income or corporate income tax, as the case may be, on capital gains realized on the sale of the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants. 

  

Gift and Inheritance Tax 

  

Transfers of common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants may be subject to cantonal and/or communal inheritance or gift taxes if the deceased or the donor or the recipient were resident in a Canton levying such taxes and, in international circumstances where residency requirements are satisfied, if the applicable tax treaty were to allocate the right to tax to Switzerland. 

  

Swiss Issuance Stamp Duty 

  

The Company is subject to paying to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration a 1% Swiss federal issuance stamp tax (Emissionsabgabe) on any increase of the nominal share capital of the Company (including capital surplus) or any other equity contributions received by the Company (with our without issuance of shares). Certain costs incurred in connection with the issuance of shares (if any) may be deductible. There are several exemptions from issuance stamp tax that may apply under certain circumstances (e.g., certain intercompany reorganizations). 

 

Swiss Securities Transfer Tax 

  

The purchase or sale (or other financial transfer) of the common shares or pre-funded warrants with a term of more than 12 months, whether by Swiss residents or non-Swiss residents, may be subject to Swiss securities transfer tax of up to 0.15%, calculated on the purchase price or the proceeds if the purchase or sale occurs through or with a Swiss bank or other Swiss securities dealer as defined in the Swiss Federal Stamp Duty Act as an intermediary or party to the transaction unless an exemption applies. 

 

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders

 

The following is a description of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants by a U.S. Holder (defined below), but it does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all tax considerations that may be relevant to a particular person’s decision to acquire the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants. This discussion addresses only the U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders that are initial purchasers of our common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants and that will hold such common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, it does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant in light of a U.S. Holder’s particular circumstances, including alternative minimum tax consequences, the potential application of the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, known as the Medicare contribution tax and tax consequences applicable to U.S. Holders subject to special rules, including, without limitation:

  

●

banks, certain financial institutions and insurance companies;

 

●

brokers, dealers or traders in securities or persons who use a mark-to-market method of tax accounting;

  

 

●

persons holding common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants as part of a straddle, wash sale, or conversion transaction or persons entering into a constructive sale with respect to the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants;

 

●

persons whose functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar;

 

●

entities classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

●

tax-exempt entities, including an “individual retirement account” or “Roth IRA”;

 

●

persons that own or are deemed to own ten percent or more of the vote or value of our shares;

 

●

persons who acquired our common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants pursuant to the exercise of an employee stock option or otherwise as compensation; or

 

●

persons holding common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants in connection with a trade or business conducted outside of the United States.

 

If an entity that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding common shares and partners in such partnerships should consult their tax advisers as to their particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of holding and disposing of the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants.

 

This discussion is based on the Code, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations, all as of the date hereof, any of which is subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. 

  

A “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes: 

 

●

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

●

a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia; or

 

●

an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

●

a trust with respect to which a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions, or that has a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations.

 

U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers concerning the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of owning and disposing of common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants in their particular circumstances. 

 

Tax Treatment of the Pre-Funded Warrants

 

Although the characterization of the pre-funded warrants for U.S. federal income tax purposes is not entirely clear, we expect to treat our pre-funded warrants as a class of our common shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, our position is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and the IRS may treat the pre-funded warrants as warrants to acquire our common shares. Accordingly, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the pre-funded warrants. The following discussion assumes our pre-funded warrants are properly treated as a class of our common shares.

 

Allocation of Purchase Price and Characterization of Units

 

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each unit and pre-funded unit should be treated as an “investment unit” and the purchase price for each investment unit should be allocated between the two components thereof in proportion to their relative fair market values at the time the unit is purchased by the holder. This allocation of the purchase price for each unit will establish the holder’s initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the common share or pre-funded warrant, as applicable, and the warrant included in each unit. The separation of the common share or pre-funded warrant, as applicable, and the warrant included in each unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each holder should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the allocation of the purchase price for a unit.

 

 

Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules

 

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 taxable year and for the foreseeable future. In addition, we may, directly or indirectly, hold equity interests in other PFICs, or Lower-tier PFICs. In general, a non-U.S. corporation will be considered a PFIC for any taxable year in which (i) 75% or more of its gross income consists of passive income or (ii) 50% or more of the average quarterly value of its 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 for this purpose generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, rents, royalties and capital gains.

 

Under attribution rules, assuming we are a PFIC, U.S. Holders will be deemed to own their proportionate shares of Lower-tier PFICs and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax according to the rules described in the following paragraphs on (i) certain distributions by a Lower-tier PFIC and (ii) a disposition of shares of a Lower-tier PFIC, in each case as if the U.S. Holder held such shares directly, even if the U.S. Holder has not received the proceeds of those distributions or dispositions.

 

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants, the U.S. Holder may be subject to certain adverse tax consequences. Unless a U.S. Holder makes a timely “mark-to-market” election or “qualified electing fund” election, each as discussed below, gain recognized on a disposition (including, under certain circumstances, a pledge) of common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants by the U.S. Holder, or on an indirect disposition of shares of a Lower-tier PFIC, will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants. The amounts allocated to the taxable year of disposition and to years before we became a PFIC, if any, will be taxed as ordinary income. The amounts allocated to each other taxable year will be subject to tax at the highest rate in effect for that taxable year for individuals or corporations, as appropriate, and an interest charge will be imposed on the tax attributable to the allocated amounts. Further, to the extent that any distribution received by a U.S. Holder on our common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants (or a distribution by a Lower-tier PFIC to its shareholder that is deemed to be received by a U.S. Holder) exceeds 125% of the average of the annual distributions on the shares received during the preceding three years or the U.S. Holder’s holding period, whichever is shorter, the distribution will be subject to taxation in the same manner as gain, described immediately above.

 

If we are a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. Holder holds common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants, we generally will continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to the U.S. Holder for all succeeding years during which the U.S. Holder holds common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants, even if we cease to meet the threshold requirements for PFIC status. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the potential availability of a “deemed sale” election that would allow them to eliminate this continuing PFIC status under certain circumstances.

 

Under proposed Treasury regulations, which have yet to be finalized, a U.S. Holder of our warrants will be taxed in a manner similar to a U.S. Holder of our common shares and pre-funded warrants if the U.S. Holder realizes gain on the sale of such warrants. Moreover, if a U.S. Holder of our warrants exercises such warrants to purchase common shares, the holding period over which any income realized upon a sale or other disposition will be allocated will include the holding period of the warrants.

 

If our common shares are “regularly traded” on a “qualified exchange,” a U.S. Holder may make a mark-to-market election with respect to the shares that would result in tax treatment different from the general tax treatment for PFICs described above. Our common shares will be treated as “regularly traded” in any calendar year in which more than a de minimis quantity of the common shares is traded on a qualified exchange on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter. Nasdaq, on which the common shares are currently listed, is a qualified exchange for this purpose. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the availability and advisability of making a mark-to-market election in their particular circumstances and the consequences to them if the common shares are delisted from Nasdaq (see “Risk Factors”). In particular, U.S. Holders should consider carefully the impact of a mark-to-market election with respect to their common shares given that we may have Lower-tier PFICs for which a mark-to-market election may not be available. In addition, U.S. Holders will not be able to make a mark-to-market election with respect to the warrants.

  

 

If a U.S. Holder makes the mark-to-market election, the U.S. Holder generally will recognize as ordinary income any excess of the fair market value of the common shares at the end of each taxable year over their adjusted tax basis, and will recognize an ordinary loss in respect of any excess of the adjusted tax basis of the common shares over their fair market value at the end of the taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of income previously included as a result of the mark-to-market election). If a U.S. Holder makes the election, the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common shares will be adjusted to reflect the income or loss amounts recognized. Any gain recognized on a sale or other disposition of common shares in a year in which we are a PFIC will be treated as ordinary income and any loss will be treated as an ordinary loss (but only to the extent of the net amount of income previously included as a result of the mark-to-market election). Distributions paid on common shares will be treated as discussed below under “Taxation of Distributions.” Once made, the election cannot be revoked without the consent of the Internal Revenue Service unless the common shares cease to be marketable. 

 

Alternatively, a U.S. Holder of our common shares or pre-funded warrants can make an election, if we provide the necessary information, to treat us and each Lower-tier PFIC as a qualified electing fund (a “QEF Election”) in the first taxable year that we (and each Lower-tier PFIC) are treated as a PFIC with respect to the U.S. Holder. A U.S. Holder must make the QEF Election for each PFIC by attaching a separate properly completed IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Elected Fund) for each PFIC to its timely filed U.S. federal income tax return. Upon request of a U.S. Holder, we will provide the information necessary for a U.S. Holder to make a QEF Election with respect to us and will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause each Lower-tier PFIC that we control to provide such information with respect to such Lower-tier PFIC. However, no assurance can be given that such QEF Election information will be available for any Lower-tier PFIC and we cannot guarantee that we will continue to provide such determination or information for future years. 

 

If a U.S. Holder makes a QEF Election with respect to a PFIC, the U.S. Holder will be currently taxable on its pro rata share of the PFIC’s ordinary earnings and net capital gain (at ordinary income and capital gain rates, respectively) for each taxable year that the entity is classified as a PFIC. If a U.S. Holder makes a QEF Election with respect to us, any distributions paid by us out of our earnings and profits that were previously included in the U.S. Holder’s income under the QEF Election will not be taxable to the U.S. Holder. A U.S. Holder will increase its tax basis in its common shares or pre-funded warrants by an amount equal to any income included under the QEF Election and will decrease its tax basis by any amount distributed on the common shares that is not included in its income. In addition, a U.S. Holder will recognize capital gain or loss on the disposition of common shares or pre-funded warrants in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and its adjusted tax basis in the common shares or pre-funded warrants. U.S. Holders should note that if they make QEF Elections with respect to us and Lower-tier PFICs, they may be required to pay U.S. federal income tax with respect to their common shares or pre-funded warrants for any taxable year significantly in excess of any cash distributions (which may be zero) received on the common shares or pre-funded warrants for such taxable year. U.S. Holders should note that a QEF Election cannot be made with respect to our warrants. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding making QEF Elections in their particular circumstances. 

  

Furthermore, if with respect to a particular U.S. Holder we are treated as a PFIC for the taxable year in which we paid a dividend or the prior taxable year, the preferential dividend rate with respect to dividends paid to certain non-corporate U.S. Holders will not apply. 

  

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds common shares or pre-funded warrants, such U.S. Holder will be required to file an annual information report with respect to the company and any Lower-tier PFIC, generally with such U.S. Holder’s U.S. Federal income tax return on IRS Form 8621. 

  

U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers concerning our PFIC status and the tax considerations relevant to an investment in a PFIC. 

  

Taxation of Distributions

  

As discussed above under “Dividend Policy,” we do not currently expect to make distributions on our common shares. In the event that we do make distributions of cash or other property, subject to the PFIC rules described above, distributions paid on common shares, other than certain pro rata distributions of common shares, will be treated as dividends to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Because we may not account for our earnings and profits in accordance with U.S. federal income tax principles, we expect that distributions generally will be reported to U.S. Holders as dividends. The U.S. dollar amount of any dividend will be treated as foreign-source dividend income to U.S. 

  

 

Dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally available to U.S. corporations under the Code. In light of the discussion in “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” above, non-corporate U.S. Holders should expect that any dividends will not constitute “qualified dividend income” eligible for preferential tax rates. Dividends will be included in a U.S. Holder’s income on the date of the U.S. Holder’s receipt of the dividend. 

  

The amount of any dividend income paid in a non-U.S. currency will be the U.S. dollar amount calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the date of receipt, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. If the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt, a U.S. Holder should not be required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss in respect of the dividend income. A U.S. Holder may have foreign currency gain or loss if the dividend is converted into U.S. dollars after the date of receipt. 

  

Constructive Dividends on Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrants

 

As discussed above under “Dividend Policy,” we do not currently expect to make distributions on our common shares. Subject to the PFIC rules described above, if at any time during the period in which a U.S. Holder held our pre-funded warrants or warrants we were to pay a taxable dividend to our shareholders and, in accordance with the anti-dilution provisions of the pre-funded warrants or warrants, the exercise price of the pre-funded warrants or warrants were decreased, that decrease would be deemed to be the payment of a taxable dividend to a U.S. Holder of the pre-funded warrants or warrants to the extent of our earnings and profits, notwithstanding the fact that the U.S. Holder would not receive a cash payment. If the exercise price is adjusted in certain other circumstances (or in certain circumstances, there is a failure to make adjustments), that adjustment may also result in the deemed payment of a taxable dividend to a U.S. Holder. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the proper treatment of any adjustments to the pre-funded warrants or warrants and the interaction between these adjustments and the PFIC rules.

 

Any taxable deemed distribution will be generally taxed in the same manner as an actual distribution received by a U.S. Holder as discussed above under “—Taxation of Distributions.”

 

Information reporting and backup withholding may be required regarding the amount of any deemed distributions. See “Information Reporting and Backup Withholding.” Because a deemed distribution would not result in the payment of any cash to a U.S. Holder from which any applicable backup withholding could be satisfied, if backup withholding is paid on the U.S. Holder’s behalf (because the U.S. Holder failed to establish an exemption from backup withholding), an applicable withholding agent may withhold such amounts from the common shares or current or subsequent payments of cash payable to such U.S. Holder.

 

For certain information reporting purposes, we are required to determine the date and amount of any such constructive distributions. Recently proposed Treasury regulations, on which we may rely prior to the issuance of final regulations, specify how the date and amount of constructive distributions are determined. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisor with respect to the tax consequences of any adjustment (or the absence of any adjustment) to the warrants and any resulting deemed distribution.

 

Sale or Other Disposition of Common Shares, Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants

 

Subject to the PFIC rules described above, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, gain or loss realized on the sale or other disposition of common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder held the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants for more than one year. The amount of the gain or loss will equal the difference between the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common shares, warrants or pre-funded warrants disposed of and the amount realized on the disposition, in each case as determined in U.S. dollars. This gain or loss will generally be U.S.-source gain or loss for foreign tax credit purposes. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant or a Pre-funded Warrant

 

Subject to the PFIC rules described above and except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss on the exercise of a warrant or a pre-funded warrant and related receipt of a common share, unless cash is received in lieu of the issuance of a fractional common share. However, under a proposed regulation (which is proposed to have retroactive effect), a U.S. Holder would recognize gain if the pre-funded warrant was treated as stock of a PFIC with respect to a U.S. Holder at the time of the exercise of the pre-funded warrants and the stock received upon the exercise was not treated as stock of a PFIC for the taxable year in which the exercise occurs.

 

 

A U.S. Holder’s initial tax basis in the common share received on the exercise of a warrant or pre-funded warrant should be equal to the sum of (i) the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrant or pre-funded warrant (that is, an amount equal to the portion of the purchase price of a unit or a pre-funded unit, as the case may be, allocable to the warrant or pre-funded warrant, as the case may be, as described above) plus (ii) the exercise price paid by the U.S. Holder on the exercise of the warrant or pre-funded warrant. A U.S. Holder’s holding period for common shares received on exercise of a warrant will commence on the date following the date of exercise of the warrant and will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the common warrant. Although it is not entirely clear, a U.S. Holder’s holding period for common shares received on exercise of a pre-funded warrant will likely include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the pre-funded warrant.

 

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise of warrants or pre-funded warrants into common shares is unclear, and the tax consequences of a cashless exercise could differ from the consequences upon the exercise of a warrant or pre-funded warrant described in the preceding paragraph.

 

Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance as to the tax treatment that would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants or pre-funded warrants.

 

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

 

United States backup withholding tax and information reporting requirements may apply to certain payments to certain holders of stock. Payments of dividends (including constructive dividends) and sales proceeds that are made within the United States or through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries generally are subject to information reporting, and may be subject to backup withholding, unless (i) the U.S. Holder is a corporation or other exempt recipient or (ii) in the case of backup withholding, the U.S. Holder provides a correct taxpayer identification number and certifies that it is not subject to backup withholding.

 

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a U.S. Holder will be allowed as a credit against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle it to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.  

 

Certain U.S. Holders who are individuals and certain entities may be required to report information relating to an interest in our common shares, or non-U.S. financial accounts through which they are held. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding their reporting obligations with respect to the common shares.

 

The above description is not intended to constitute a complete analysis of all tax consequences relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common shares, pre-funded warrants and warrants. You should consult your tax advisor concerning the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common shares, pre-funded warrants or warrants in your particular situation.

  

 

UNDERWRITING

 

We have entered into an underwriting agreement, dated   , 2019, with A.G.P., acting as the representative of the several underwriters named below, with respect to the common share units and the pre-funded warrant units (if any). Subject to certain conditions, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and the underwriters have severally agreed to purchase, the common share units and the pre-funded warrant units provided below opposite their respective names.

 

Underwriters

Number of Common Share Units

Number of Pre-Funded Warrant Units

Total

A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners

Total

  

The underwriters are offering the units subject to their acceptance of the units from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters to pay for and accept delivery of the units offered by this prospectus are subject to the approval of certain legal matters by their counsel and to certain other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to take and pay for all of the units if any such units are taken.

 

Discount, Commissions and Expenses

 

The underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the units at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to certain dealers at that price less a concession not in excess of  $     per unit. The underwriters may allow, and certain dealers may reallow, a discount from the concession not in excess of  $     per unit to certain brokers and dealers. After this offering, the public offering price, concession and reallowance to dealers may be changed by the representative. No such change shall change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. The units are offered by the underwriters as stated herein, subject to receipt and acceptance by them and subject to their right to reject any order in whole or in part. The underwriters have informed us that they do not intend to confirm sales to any accounts over which they exercise discretionary authority.

 

The following table shows the underwriting discount payable to the underwriters by us in connection with this offering.

 

Total

Per Common Share Unit

Per Pre- Funded Warrant Unit

Without Over- Allotment

With Over- Allotment

Public offering price

Underwriting discount

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

 

We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for accountable legal expenses not to exceed $82,500 and non-accountable expenses not to exceed $20,000 in the aggregate. We estimate that expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, including reimbursement of the underwriters out-of-pocket expenses, but excluding the underwriting discount referred to above, will be approximately $226,637.

 

 

Over-allotment Option

 

We have granted to the underwriters an option exercisable not later than 45 days after the date of this prospectus to purchase up to additional 217,842 common shares and/or additional warrants to purchase up to 108,921 common shares at the public offering price per common share and/or warrant set forth on the cover page hereto less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters may exercise the option solely to cover overallotments, if any, made in connection with this offering. If any additional common shares and/or warrants are purchased pursuant to the over-allotment option, the underwriters will offer these common shares and/or warrants on the same terms as those on which the other securities are being offered.

 

Indemnification

 

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and liabilities arising from breaches of representations and warranties contained in the underwriting agreement, or to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

 

Lock-up Agreements

 

We and our directors and executive officers have agreed, subject to limited exceptions, for a period of 90 days after the date of the underwriting agreement, not to offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly any common shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common shares either owned as of the date of the underwriting agreement or thereafter acquired without the prior written consent of the representative. The representative may, in its sole discretion and at any time or from time to time before the termination of the lock-up period, without notice, release all or any portion of the securities subject to lock-up agreements.

 

Stabilization

 

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in over-allotment transactions, syndicate-covering transactions, stabilizing transactions, penalty bids and purchases to cover positions created by short sales.

 

Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase securities, so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum and are engaged in for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the securities while the offering is in progress.

 

Over-allotment transactions involve sales by the underwriters of securities in excess of the number of securities the underwriters are obligated to purchase. This creates a syndicate short position, which may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of securities over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of securities that they may purchase in the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of securities involved is greater than the number of securities in the over-allotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option or purchasing securities in the open market.

 

Syndicate covering transactions involve the purchase of securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of securities to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of securities available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase securities through the exercise of the over-allotment option. If the underwriters sell more shares of securities than could be covered by the exercise of the over-allotment option, creating a naked short position, the position can be closed out only by buying securities in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that after pricing there could be downward pressure on the price of the securities in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

 

Penalty bids permit the representative to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in stabilizing or syndicate covering transactions to cover syndicate short positions.

 

These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our securities. As a result, the price of our securities in the open market may be higher than it would be otherwise in the absence of these transactions.

 

 

Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the prices of our securities. These transactions may occur on the Nasdaq Capital Market or on any other trading market. If any of these transactions are commenced, they may be discontinued without notice at any time.

 

Passive Market Making

 

In connection with this offering, the underwriters and any selling group members may engage in passive market making transactions in our common shares on Nasdaq in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of common shares and extending through the completion of the distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.

 

Electronic Distribution

 

This prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites or through other online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters, or by their affiliates. Other than this prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter, and should not be relied upon by investors.

 

Other

 

From time to time, certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, various investment banking and other financial services for us for which services they have received and, may in the future receive, customary fees. In the course of their businesses, the underwriters and their affiliates may actively trade our securities or loans for their own account or for the accounts of customers, and, accordingly, the underwriters and their affiliates may at any time hold long or short positions in such securities or loans. Except for services provided in connection with this offering, no underwriter has provided any investment banking or other financial services to us during the 180-day period preceding the date of this prospectus and we do not expect to retain any underwriter to perform any investment banking or other financial services for at least 90 days after the date of this prospectus.

 

Notice to Investors

 

Notice to Investors in Canada

 

The securities may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

 

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

 

Pursuant to section 3A.3 (or, in the case of securities issued or guaranteed by the government of a non-Canadian jurisdiction, section 3A.4) of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (“NI 33-105”), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

  

 

Notice to Investors in the United Kingdom

 

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”) an offer to the public of any securities which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus may not be made in that Relevant Member State except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of any such securities may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive, if they have been implemented in that Relevant Member State:

 

(a) to legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities;

 

(b) to any legal entity which has two or more of: (1) an average of at least 250 employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000; and (3) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in its last annual or consolidated accounts;

 

(c) by the underwriter to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive); or

 

(d) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of these securities shall result in a requirement for the publication by the issuer or the underwriter of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

 

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any of the securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any such securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase any such securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State.

 

Each underwriter has represented, warranted and agreed that:

 

(a) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the FSMA)) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of any of the securities in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the issuer; and

 

(b) it has complied with and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

 

European Economic Area

 

In particular, this document does not constitute an approved prospectus in accordance with European Commission’s Regulation on Prospectuses no. 809/2004 and no such prospectus is to be prepared and approved in connection with this offering. Accordingly, in relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (being the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 2003/71/EC and including any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State) (each, a Relevant Member State), with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the Relevant Implementation Date) an offer of securities to the public may not be made in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to such securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, make an offer of securities to the public in that Relevant Member State at any time:

 

●

to legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities;

 

●

to any legal entity which has two or more of: (1) an average of at least 250 employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000; and (3) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in the last annual or consolidated accounts; or

 

●

in any other circumstances which do not require the publication by the Issuer of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

 

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of securities to the public” in relation to any of the securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State. For these purposes the securities offered hereby are “securities.”

  

 

Expenses of the Offering

 

We estimate that our expenses in connection with this offering, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, will be as follows:

 

Expenses		Amount
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee		$	2,827
FINRA filing fee			3,999
Legal fees and expenses			157,500
Accounting fees and expenses			42,311
Miscellaneous			20,000
Total		$	226,637

 

All amounts in the table are estimates except the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee and the FINRA filing fee. The Company will pay all of the expenses of this offering.

  

 

Legal Matters

 

The validity of the common shares, the common shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants and pre-funded warrants, if any, and certain other matters of Bermuda law will be passed upon for us by Conyers Dill & Pearman Limited, Bermuda. The validity of the pre-funded warrants, the warrants and certain matters of U.S. federal and New York State law will be passed upon for us by Lowenstein Sandler LLP, New York, New York. Zysman, Aharoni, Gayer and Sullivan & Worcester LLP is acting as counsel to the underwriters in this offering as to matters of U.S. federal and New York State law.

 

Experts

 

The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from Auris Medical Holding Ltd. (formerly Auris Medical Holding AG)’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2018 have been audited by Deloitte AG, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is incorporated herein by reference (which report expresses an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and includes an explanatory paragraph referring to the retrospective adjustments for the effects of the reverse share split described in Note 21 to the consolidated financial statements). Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm, given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

The current address of Deloitte AG is General Guisan-Quai 38, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland, phone number + (41) 58 279 60 00.

 

Enforcement of Judgments

 

Auris Medical Holding Ltd. is a Bermuda exempted company. As a result, the rights of holders of its common shares will be governed by Bermuda law and its memorandum of continuation 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 some of the named experts referred to in this 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.

 

 

Where You Can Find More Information

 

We have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement (including amendments and exhibits to the registration statement) on Form F-1 under the Securities Act. This prospectus, which is part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. For further information, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as part of the registration statement. If a document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, we refer you to the copy of the document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit.

 

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, we are required to file reports and other information with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K. You may inspect and copy reports and other information filed with the SEC at the Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports and other information about issuers, like us, that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.

 

As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt under the Exchange Act from, among other things, the rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our directors, executive officers and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference

 

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference information into this document. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this document, except for any information superseded by information that is included directly in this prospectus or incorporated by reference subsequent to the date of this prospectus.

 

We incorporate by reference the following documents or information that we have filed with the SEC:

 

●

our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018;

 

●

our Reports on Form 6-K furnished on March 18, 2019, April 5, 2019 and April 30, 2019; and

 

●

the description of our common shares contained in our Report on Form 6-K furnished on March 18, 2019, including any subsequent amendment or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

Documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus are available from us without charge upon written or oral request, excluding any exhibits to those documents that are not specifically incorporated by reference into those documents. You can obtain documents incorporated by reference in this document by requesting them from us in writing or at Auris Medical Holding Ltd., Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton HM 11, Bermuda or via telephone at (441) 295-5950.

  

 

 

 

1,452,282 Common Shares

 

Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase Common Shares

 

Warrants to 726,141 Purchase Common Shares

 

(Common Shares underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants)

 

(726,141 Common Shares underlying the Warrants)

    

 

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

A.G.P.

 

                 , 2019

  

 

 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS

 

Item 6. 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 favour or in which they are acquitted or granted relief by the Supreme Court of Bermuda pursuant to section 281 of the Companies Act.

 

We have adopted provisions in our bye-laws that provide that we shall indemnify our officers and directors in respect of their actions and omissions, except in respect of their fraud or dishonesty. Our 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 us 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 entered into indemnification agreements with each of the members of our board of directors and executive officers in the form filed as Exhibit 10.23 to this registration statement.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Company, the Company has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and is, therefore, unenforceable.

 

Item 7. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

On October 10, 2017, we entered into a purchase agreement (the “Prior Purchase Agreement”) and a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Prior Registration Rights Agreement”) with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“LPC”). Pursuant to the Prior Purchase Agreement, LPC agreed to subscribe for up to $13,500,000 of our common shares over the 30-month term of the Prior Purchase Agreement. We issued an aggregate of 130,000 common shares to LPC under the Prior Purchase Agreement pursuant to the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act.

 

On January 26, 2018, we entered into a purchase agreement with certain investors providing for the issuance and sale by us of 624,999 of our common shares. The common shares were offered pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3, which was initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 1, 2015 and declared effective on September 10, 2015 (File No. 333-206710).

 

In a concurrent private placement pursuant to the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act and Rule 506(b) promulgated thereunder, we issued to the same investors warrants to purchase up to 374,999 of our common shares in the aggregate. The warrants became exercisable immediately upon their issuance on January 30, 2018, at an exercise price of  $10.00 per common share, and expire on January 30, 2025. Following the consummation of the Merger, the warrants became exercisable for an aggregate of 37,500 of our common shares (assuming we decide to round up fractional common shares to the next whole common share), at an exercise price of  $100.00 per common share

 

On May 2, 2018, we entered into a purchase agreement (the “LPC Purchase Agreement”) and a Registration Rights Agreement (the “LPC Registration Rights Agreement”) with LPC. Pursuant to the LPC Purchase Agreement, LPC agreed to subscribe for up to $10,000,000 of our common shares over the 30-month term of the LPC Purchase Agreement. We have issued an aggregate of 117,500 common shares to LPC under the LPC Purchase Agreement pursuant to the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act.

  

 

Item 8. Exhibits

 

(a) Exhibits

 

See the Exhibit Index attached to this registration statement, which is incorporated by reference herein.

 

(b) Financial Statement Schedules

 

None.

 

Item 9. Undertakings

 

The undersigned hereby undertakes:

 

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

i. To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

ii. To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

 

iii. To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

 

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4) To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act need not be furnished, provided that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (a)(4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to registration statements on Form F-3, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act or Rule 3-19 of this chapter if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Form F-3.

 

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

 

i. If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B:

 

A. Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

  

 

B. Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness of the date of the first contract or sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or

 

ii. If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell securities to such purchaser:

 

i. Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

ii. Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

iii. The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

iv. Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

  

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

The following documents are filed as part of this registration statement:

 

1.1		Form of Underwriting Agreement
3.1		Memorandum of Continuance of the registrant (incorporated herein by reference to exhibit 1.2 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 14, 2019)
3.2		Bye-laws of the registrant (incorporated herein by reference to exhibit 1.3 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 14, 2019)
4.1		Form of Registration Rights Agreement between Auris Medical Holding AG and the shareholders listed therein (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-197105) filed with the Commission on July 21, 2014)
4.2		Warrant Agreement, dated as of March 13, 2018, between Auris Medical Holding AG and Hercules Capital, Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 2.2 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 22, 2018)
4.3		Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of October 10, 2017 between Auris Medical Holding AG and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.3 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2017)
4.4		Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 2, 2018 between Auris Medical Holding AG and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on May 2, 2018)
4.5		Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of May 2, 2018 between Auris Medical Holding AG and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on May 2, 2018)
4.6		Form of Pre-Funded Warrant (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.6 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-225676) filed with the Commission on July 12, 2018)
4.7		Form of Series A Warrant (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.7 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-225676) filed with the Commission on July 12, 2018)
4.8		Form of Series B Warrant (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.8 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-225676) filed with the Commission on July 12, 2018)
4.9		Form of Warrant
4.10		Form of Pre-funded warrant
5.1		Opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman Limited, Bermuda counsel to the Company, as to the validity of the common shares of Auris Medical Holding Ltd.
5.2		Opinion of Lowenstein Sandler LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company, as to the validity of the pre-funded warrants and the warrants
10.1#		Collaboration and License Agreement, dated October 21, 2003, between Auris Medical AG and Xigen SA (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-197105) filed with the Commission on June 27, 2014)
10.2#		Co-Ownership and Exploitation Agreement, dated September 29, 2003, between Auris Medical AG and INSERM (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-197105) filed with the Commission on June 27, 2014)
10.3		Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to exhibit 99.4 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on May 11, 2016)
10.4		Stock Option Plan A (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.11 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-197105) filed with the Commission on June 27, 2014)
10.5		Stock Option Plan C (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.12 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-197105) filed with the Commission on June 27, 2014)
10.6		Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to exhibit 99.1 to the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form S-8 (Registration no. 333-217306) filed with the Commission on April 14, 2017)
10.7		English language translation of Lease Agreement between Auris Medical AG and PSP Management AG (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.8 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 14, 2017)
10.8		Controlled Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement, dated as of June 1, 2016, between Auris Medical Holding AG and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 1.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on June 1, 2016)
10.9		Share Lending Agreement, dated as of June 1, 2016, between Thomas Meyer and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on June 1, 2016)

  

 

10.10		Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of July 19, 2016, between Auris Medical Holding AG, the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to the agreement and Hercules Capital, Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. rep ort on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on July 19, 2016)
10.11		Consent and Waiver, dated as of March 8, 2018, between Auris Medical Holding AG, the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to the agreement and Hercules Capital, Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.12 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 22, 2018)
10.12		Joinder Agreement dated as of March 13, 2018 to the Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of July 19, 2016, between Auris Medical Holding AG, the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to the agreement and Hercules Capital, Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.13 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 22, 2018)
10.13		Share Pledge Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, between Auris Medical Holding AG and Hercules Capital, Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.3 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on July 19, 2016)
10.14		Claims Security Assignment Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, between Auris Medical Holding AG and Hercules Capital, Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.4 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on July 19, 2016)
10.15		Bank Account Claims Security Assignment Agreement, dated July 19, 2016, between Auris Medical Holding AG and Hercules Capital, Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.5 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on July 19, 2016)
10.16		Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 10, 2017 between Auris Medical Holding AG and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2017)
10.17		Purchase Agreement, dated as of October 10, 2017 between Auris Medical Holding AG and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on October 11, 2017)
10.18		Placement Agency Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2018, between Auris Medical Holding AG and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. (incorporated by reference to exhibit 1.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on January 30, 2018)
10.19		Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 26, 2018 by and among Auris Medical Holding AG and the investors named therein (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on January 30, 2018)
10.20		Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 9, 2018, by and among Auris Medical Holding AG and Auris Medical NewCo Holding AG (incorporated by reference to exhibit 99.3 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on February 9, 2018)
10.21		Share Transfer Agreement, dated as of February 9, 2018 by and between Thomas Meyer and Auris Medical Holding AG (incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.22 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on March 22, 2018)
10.22		Sales Agreement, dated as of November 30, 2018, between Auris Medical Holding AG and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners (incorporated by reference to exhibit 1.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on November 30, 2018)
10.23		Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.23 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-229465) filed with the Commission on March 20, 2019)
10.24		Amendment No. 1 to Sales Agreement, dated as of April 5, 2019, between Auris Medical Holding Ltd. and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners (incorporated by reference to exhibit 1.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. report on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on April 5, 2019)
21.1		List of subsidiaries (incorporated by reference to exhibit 21.1 of the Auris Medical Holding Ltd. registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration no. 333-197105) filed with the Commission on June 27, 2014)
23.1		Consent of Deloitte AG
23.2		Consent of Conyers Dill & Pearman Limited, Bermuda counsel to the Company (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.3		Consent of Lowenstein Sandler LLP, U.S. counsel to the Company (included in Exhibit 5.2)
24.1		Powers of attorney (included on the signature page of the registration statement)

 

#

Confidential treatment requested as to portions of the exhibit. Confidential materials omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Hamilton, Bermuda on May 6, 2019.

 

	Auris Medical Holding Ltd.
	By:	/s/ Thomas Meyer
	Name:	Thomas Meyer
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons on May 6, 2019 in the capacities indicated:

  

	By:	/s/ Thomas Meyer
	Name:	Thomas Meyer
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer and Director
		(principal executive officer)
	By:	*
	Name:	Hernan Levett
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer (principal financial
		officer and principal accounting officer)
	By:	*
	Name:	Armando Anido
	Title:	Director
	By:	*
	Name:	Mats Blom
	Title:	Director
	By:	*
	Name:	Alain Munoz
	Title:	Director
	By:	*
	Name:	Calvin Roberts
	Title:	Director
	By:	*
	Name:	Richard Arthur
	Title:	Assistant Secretary on behalf of
		Cogency Global Inc., Authorized
		Representative in the United States

 

* By:	/s/ Thomas Meyer
​	Name:	Thomas Meyer
​	Title:	Attorney-in-Fact

 

II-6

Exhibit 1.1

 

[      ] Common Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase [      ] Common Shares and Warrants to
Purchase [       ] Common Shares

 

Auris Medical Holding Ltd.

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

[     ], 2019

 

A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners

As Representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I attached hereto
590 Madison Avenue, 36^th Floor

New York, New York 10022

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Introductory. Auris Medical Holding Ltd., an exempted company limited by shares incorporated in Bermuda (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, as the representative (the “Representative”) of the several underwriters, if any, named in Schedule I hereto (each an “Underwriter” and collectively, the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of [      ] common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share of the Company (the “Shares”), [      ] pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), each Pre-Funded Warrant entitling its holder to purchase one Share, and [      ] common share purchase warrants (the “Warrants”), each Warrant entitling its holder to purchase [      ] of a Share. The [      ] Shares to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm Shares,” the [      ] Pre-Funded Warrants are called the “Firm Pre-Funded Warrants” and the [      ] Warrants are called the “Firm Warrants”. The Firm Shares, the Firm Pre-Funded Warrants and the Firm Warrants to be sold by the Company are collectively called the “Firm Securities.” In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional [      ] Shares (“Option Shares”) and/or [      ] Warrants (“Option Warrants”), each Option Warrant entitling its holder to purchase [      ] of a Share, as provided in Section 2. The Option Shares and/or Option Warrants to be sold by the Company pursuant to such option are, collectively called the “Optional Securities.” The Shares underlying the Firm Warrants, the Firm Pre-Funded Warrants and the Option Warrants are collectively called the “Warrant Shares.” The Firm Securities and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Securities are collectively called the “Offered Securities.”

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form F-1, File No. 333-231114, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “Rules and Regulations”), including a preliminary prospectus relating to the Offered Securities and such amendments to such registration statement (including post effective amendments) as may have been required to the date of this agreement (the “Agreement”). Such registration statement, as amended (including any post effective amendments), has been declared effective by the Commission. Such registration statement, including amendments thereto (including post effective amendments thereto) and all documents and information deemed to be a part of the registration statement through incorporation by reference, pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act or otherwise at the time of effectiveness thereof (the “Effective Time”), the exhibits and any schedules thereto at the Effective Time or thereafter during the period of effectiveness and the documents and information otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by the Securities Act or otherwise pursuant to the Rules and Regulations at the Effective Time or thereafter during the period of effectiveness, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” If the Company has filed or files an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term Registration Statement shall include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The Preliminary Prospectus that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus.” As used herein, “Applicable Time” is [      ].M. (New York City time) on [      ], 2019. As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Pricing Prospectus, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule A hereto and the pricing information identified on Schedule B hereto. As used herein, “Road Show” means a “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the offering of the Offered Securities contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

 

 

The Company is filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act a final prospectus covering the Offered Securities, which includes the information permitted to be omitted therefrom at the Effective Time by Rule 430A under the Securities Act. Such final prospectus, as so filed, is hereinafter called the “Final Prospectus.” The Final Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus and any preliminary prospectus in the form in which they were included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act is hereinafter called a “Prospectus.” All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus shall include the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which are “contained,” “included” or “stated” in, or “part of” the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, and all other references of like import, shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, or any free writing prospectus, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities as contemplated by Section 5(m) of this Agreement.

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as follows:

 

Section 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company.

 

 

The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Underwriters, as of the date of this Agreement, as of the First Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and as of each Option Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), if any, as follows:

 

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act. The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information, if any. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and, to the knowledge of the Company, no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. At the time the Registration Statement was originally filed with the Commission, the Company met the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-1 under the Securities Act and it meets as of the date hereof the eligibility requirements set forth in General Instruction VI of Form F-1. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, or became effective under the Exchange Act, as the case may be, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

(b) Disclosure. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR, was identical (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act) to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became or becomes effective, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, the Time of Sale Prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus wrapper) did not, and at the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2) and at each applicable Option Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus (including any Prospectus wrapper), as of its date, did not, and at the First Closing Date and at each applicable Option Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in the following sections of the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting”: (i) the first, second, third and sixth sentences of the section entitled “Discount, Commissions and Expenses”; (ii) the section entitled “Stabilization”; and (iii) the section entitled “Passive Market Making” (the “Underwriter Information”). There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

 

 

(c) Free Writing Prospectuses; Road Show. As of the determination date referenced in Rule 164(h) under the Securities Act, the Company was not, is not or will not be (as applicable) an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Each free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus and not superseded or modified. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule A, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior written consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus. Each Road Show, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(d) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. Prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the Underwriters in Section 2 and (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Securities, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities other than the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Underwriters, the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule A.

 

(e) Validity and Authorization. This Agreement, the agreements for the Warrants and the agreement for the Pre-Funded Warrants have been duly and validly authorized by the Company, and, when executed and delivered, will constitute, the valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws and Bermuda law; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.

 

(f) Authorization of the Offered Securities. The Offered Securities and the Warrant Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement or the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants and, when issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement or the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants, the Offered Securities and, the Warrant Shares will be, upon their exercise (according to their terms, including the payment of the exercise price), validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, and the exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants, is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase the Offered Securities or the Warrant Shares which have not been duly withdrawn waived or satisfied. Upon the sale and delivery to the Representative of the Offered Securities, and payment therefor, the Representative will acquire good, marketable and valid title to such Offered Securities, free and clear of all pledges, liens, security interests, charges, claims or encumbrances. Upon issuance of Warrant Shares pursuant to the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Warrants, the holders thereof will acquire good, marketable and valid title to the applicable Warrant Shares, free and clear of all pledges, liens, security interests, charges, claims or encumbrances. So long as Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrants or Option Warrants remain exercisable under the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Warrants or the Option Warrants, respectively, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) will ensure that the Company has authorized and reserved a sufficient number of Shares issuable or deliverable for purposes of the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Warrants and Option Warrants.

 

 

(g) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly withdrawn or waived.

 

(h) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, properties, operations, assets, liabilities or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change being referred to herein as a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, including without limitation any losses or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, that are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, or have entered into any transactions not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has not been any material decrease in the capital stock or any material increase in any short-term or long-term indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries and there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, by any of the Company’s subsidiaries on any class of capital stock, or any repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

 

(i) No Overindebtedness. Except for Auris Medical AG, whose overindebtedness is covered by subordination of claims of the Company, neither the Company nor its Swiss subsidiaries are overindebted or suffering from capital loss within the meaning of article 725 CO.

 

(j) Independent Accountants. Deloitte AG, which has expressed its opinions with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”), (ii) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act, (iii) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the PCAOB whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn and (iv) an independent qualified public accountant qualified under the applicable provisions of Bermuda law, the Swiss Code of Obligations (the “CO”), the Swiss Audit Supervision Act (Revisionsaufsichtsgesetz) and any ordinances promulgated thereunder.

 

 

(k) Financial Statements. The financial statements filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (the “IASB”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto or as otherwise disclosed therein, and, in the case of interim financial statements, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the exclusion of certain footnotes. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus. The financial data set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Selected Financial Data” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2018 (the “Annual Report”) and “Capitalization” present fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. To the Company’s knowledge, no person who has been suspended or barred from being associated with a registered public accounting firm, or who has failed to comply with any sanction pursuant to Rule 5300 promulgated by the PCAOB, has participated in or otherwise aided the preparation of, or audited, the financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(l) Company’s Accounting System. The Company and each of its subsidiaries make and keep accurate books and records and maintain a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS as issued by IASB and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

(m) Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act), which are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities and are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company is not aware of any change in its internal control over financial reporting that has occurred that has materially and adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

(n) Incorporation of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing under the laws of Bermuda and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business.

 

(o) Subsidiaries. Each of the Company’s “subsidiaries” (for purposes of this Agreement, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing (where such concept exists) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing (where such concept exists) would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect (as hereinafter defined). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

 

(p) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding share capital of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans, or upon the exercise of outstanding options or conversion rights, in each case described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus). The share capital of the Company, including the Offered Securities, conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, none of the outstanding Shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. The Shares conform to the law of the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation and to any requirements of the Company’s organizational documents. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The descriptions of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

 

 

(q) Stock Exchange Listing. The Firm Shares, the Warrant Shares and the Option Shares have been approved for listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market (the “NASDAQ”).

 

(r) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its articles of association or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, loan, credit agreement, note, lease, license agreement, contract, franchise or other instrument (including, without limitation, any pledge agreement, security agreement, mortgage or other instrument or agreement evidencing, guaranteeing, securing or relating to indebtedness) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of their respective properties or assets are subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as would not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), earnings, business, properties, operations, assets, liabilities or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities (including the use of proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, of the Company or any subsidiary (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries except, as to clauses (ii) and (iii), as would not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act and such as may be required under applicable state securities or blue sky laws, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or the NASDAQ. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

(s) Compliance with Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries have been and are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, except where failure to be so in compliance would not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t) No Material Actions or Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation brought by or before any governmental entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which would be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any such subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, if determined adversely to the Company, would not be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened or imminent.

 

 

(u) Intellectual Property Rights.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company, to the best of its knowledge, owns or has valid, binding and enforceable licenses or other enforceable rights under the patents and patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, service names and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and used in the conduct, or the proposed conduct, of the business of the Company in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Company Intellectual Property”); except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Company, the patents, trademarks, and copyrights included within the Company Intellectual Property are valid, enforceable, and subsisting, and there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Company Intellectual Property; other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) the Company has not received any notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or conflict with any asserted rights of others with respect to any of the Company’s products, proposed products or processes, (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, neither the sale nor use of any of products, proposed products or processes of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus do or will, to the knowledge of the Company, infringe, any valid patent claim of any third party or violate any valid right of any third party, and (iii) to the knowledge of the Company, no third party has any ownership right in or to any Company Intellectual Property that is owned by the Company, other than any co-owner of any patent or pending patent application constituting Company Intellectual Property who is listed on the records of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) , and, to the knowledge of the Company, no third party has any ownership right in or to any Company Intellectual Property in any field of use that is exclusively licensed to the Company, other than any licensor to the Company of such Company Intellectual Property; except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, none of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company except as would not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, or, to the Company’s knowledge, upon any of its officers, directors or employees; except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Company all patents and patent applications owned by and licensed to the Company or under which the Company has rights have been duly and properly filed and maintained; to the knowledge of the Company, the parties prosecuting such applications have complied with their duty of candor and disclosure to the USPTO in connection with such applications; and the Company is not aware of any facts required to be disclosed to the USPTO that were not disclosed to the USPTO and which would preclude the grant of a patent in connection with any such application or could form the basis of a finding of invalidity with respect to any patents that have issued with respect to such applications.

 

 

(v) All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations, exemptions, approvals, clearances or permits required by state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (“Permits”). Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, any of the Permits or has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit except where such revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(w) Title to Properties. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the real and personal property and other assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(k) above (or elsewhere in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse claims and other defects, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such subsidiary.

 

(x) Tax Law Compliance. Except where the failure to do so would not constitute a Material Adverse Effect, (a) all tax returns (including tax refund requests) required to be filed pursuant to applicable law by or with respect to the Company and any of its subsidiaries have been timely filed, or proper request of extension thereof has been filed, and (b) all tax returns filed are complete and correct, and all taxes, fines or penalties due including any interest and penalties, except tax deficiencies that the Company or any of its subsidiaries are contesting in good faith subject to applicable reserves, have been timely paid and fully reserved against in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(k). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding, value added, capital or other taxes (but excluding any income tax, capital gains tax or similar resulting from the sale of the Offered Securities and any tax on or determined by reference to the income of the Underwriters that is subject to tax on a net income basis) are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to any Bermuda or Swiss tax authorities or any political subdivisions or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with (i) the issuance of the Offered Securities, (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement or any other document to be furnished hereunder, and (iii) the sale, delivery and resale of the Offered Securities in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and this Agreement.

 

(y) Insurance. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as the Company believes are adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and earthquakes and policies covering the Company and its subsidiaries for product liability claims and clinical trial liability claims. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

 

(z) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and except as would not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements; (iii) there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and (iv) to the Company’s knowledge there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(aa) ERISA Compliance. The “employee benefit plans” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) sponsored or maintained by the Company or its subsidiaries are operated in compliance in all material respects with ERISA to the extent applicable, except where the failure to be in compliance would not be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any entity that is treated as a single employer with the Company or any of its subsidiaries under Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”).  Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code that would reasonably be expected to be a material liability of the Company.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) sponsors or maintains any plan that is subject to Title IV of ERISA or is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code or (ii) reasonably expects to incur any material liability under Title IV of ERISA.

 

(bb) Company Not an “Investment Company” The Company is not, and will not be, either after receipt of payment for the Offered Securities or after the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

 

(cc) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly (without giving any effect to the activities of the Underwriters), any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or of any “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”)) with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.

 

(dd) Related-Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

 

(ee) FINRA Matters. All of the information provided to the Representative or to counsel for the Representative by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and, to the Company’s knowledge, the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities is true, complete, correct and compliant with FINRA’s rules in all material respects and any letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rules or NASD Conduct Rules is true, complete and correct in all material respects.

 

(ff) Parties to Lock-Up Agreements. The Company has furnished to the Representative a letter agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-up Agreement”) from each of the persons listed on Exhibit B. Such Exhibit B lists under an appropriate caption the directors and officers of the Company. If any additional persons shall become directors or officers of the Company prior to the end of the Company Lock-up Period (as defined below), the Company shall cause each such person, prior to or contemporaneously with their appointment or election as a director or officer of the Company, to execute and deliver to the Representative a Lock-up Agreement.

 

(gg) Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, to be reliable and accurate in all material respects. To the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

(hh) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

 

(ii) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any domestic government official, “foreign official” (as defined in the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”) or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA or any applicable non-U.S. anti-bribery statute or regulation; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any domestic government official, such foreign official or employee; and the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

 

(jj) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and have been conducted at all times, in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(kk) OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any person, or impermissibly in any country or territory, that currently is the subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

(ll) Brokers. Except pursuant to this Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(mm) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 21 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each United States federal court and New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan, in the City of New York, New York, U.S.A. (each, a “New York Court”), and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 21 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and authorized an agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Offered Securities in any New York Court, and service of process effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided in Section 21 hereof.

 

(nn) No Rights of Immunity. Except as provided by laws or statutes generally applicable to transactions of the type described in this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its respective properties, assets or revenues has any right of immunity under Bermuda, Swiss, New York or United States law, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any Bermuda, Swiss, New York or United States federal court, from service of process, attachment upon or prior judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or from execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement. To the extent that the Company or any of its respective properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, the Company waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided in Section 21 of this Agreement.

 

 

(oo) Forward-Looking Statements. Each financial or operational projection or other “forward-looking statement” (as defined by Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (i) was so included by the Company in good faith and with reasonable basis after due consideration by the Company of the underlying assumptions, estimates and other applicable facts and circumstances and (ii) is accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying those factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statement. No such statement was made with the knowledge of an executive officer or director of the Company that is was false or misleading.

 

(pp) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

(qq) Clinical Data and Regulatory Compliance. The preclinical tests and clinical trials conducted by the Company, and to the knowledge of the Company, the preclinical tests and clinical trials conducted on behalf of or sponsored by the Company, that are described in, or the results of which are referred to in, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with the protocols, procedures and controls designed and approved for such studies and with standard medical and scientific research procedures and all applicable laws and regulations, including, without limitation, 21 C.F.R. Parts 50, 54, 56, 58, and 312; each description of the results of such studies is accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly presents the data derived from such studies, and the Company and its subsidiaries have no knowledge of any other studies the results of which are inconsistent with, or otherwise call into question, the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectuses or the Prospectus; the Company and its subsidiaries have made all such filings and obtained all such Permits as may be required by the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any committee thereof or from any other U.S. or foreign government or drug or medical device regulatory agency, or health care facility Institutional Review Board (collectively, the “Regulatory Agencies”) for the operation of the Company’s business as currently conducted, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of, or correspondence from, any Regulatory Agency requiring the termination, suspension or modification of any clinical trials that are described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus; and the Company and its subsidiaries have each operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules and regulations of the Regulatory Agencies except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(rr) Compliance with Health Care Laws. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each of the Company and its subsidiaries is, and at all times has been, in compliance with all applicable Health Care Laws, and has not engaged in activities which are, as applicable, cause for false claims liability, civil penalties, or mandatory or permissive exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid, or any other state health care program or federal health care program. For purposes of this Agreement, “Health Care Laws” means: (i) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder; (ii) all applicable federal, state, local and all applicable foreign health care related fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7b(b)), the Anti-Inducement Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a(a)(5)), the U.S. Physician Payment Sunshine Act (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7h), the U.S. Civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. Section 3729 et seq.), the criminal False Claims Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(a)), all criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including but not limited to 18 U.S.C. Sections 286 and 287, and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), the exclusion laws (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7), the civil monetary penalties law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. Section 17921 et seq.), and the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes; (iii) Medicare (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act); (iv) Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act); and (v) any and all other applicable health care laws and regulations. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, its subsidiary has received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in material violation of any Health Care Laws, and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action is threatened. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, its subsidiary is a party to or has any ongoing reporting obligations pursuant to any corporate integrity agreements, deferred prosecution agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, plans of correction or similar agreements with or imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority. Additionally, neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of its respective employees, officers or directors has been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any U.S. federal health care program or human clinical research or, to the knowledge of the Company, is subject to a governmental inquiry, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action that could reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.

 

(ss) No Contract Terminations. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, or any document incorporated by reference therein, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement, which threat of termination or non-renewal has not been rescinded as of the date hereof, except where such termination or non-renewal would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(tt) Dividend Restrictions. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any property or assets to the Company or to any other subsidiary.

 

 

(uu) Loans. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. All transactions by the Company with office holders or control persons of the Company have been duly approved by the board of directors of the Company, or duly appointed committees or officers thereof, if and to the extent required under U.S. federal law.

 

(vv) Suppliers, Customers, Distributors and Sales Agents. No supplier, customer, distributor or sales agent of the Company has notified the Company that it intends to discontinue or decrease the rate of business done with the Company, except where such decrease is not reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ww) Emerging Growth Company. From the first date on which the Company engaged directly in or through any Person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the Waters Communication through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act.

 

(xx) Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not (i) alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications, other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representative and with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company confirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Representative in connection with the offering, or the purchase and sale, of the Offered Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Representative as to the matters covered thereby.

 

The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 1. The Company acknowledges that the Representative and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 8 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Representative, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Securities.

 

(a) The Firm Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Representative an aggregate of [      ] Shares, [      ] Pre-Funded Warrants and [      ] Warrants. The combined issuance/purchase price per unit of one Share and one Warrant to be paid by the Representative to the Company shall be $[      ], which shall be allocated as $[      ] per Share (“Share Purchase Price”) and $0.0093 per Warrant (“Warrant Purchase Price”). The combined issuance/purchase price per unit of one Pre-Funded Warrant and one Warrant to be paid by the Representative shall be $[      ], which shall be allocated as $[      ] per Pre-Funded Warrant (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Purchase Price”) and the Warrant Purchase Price per Warrant.

 

 

(b) The First Closing Date. Delivery of the Firm Securities to be purchased by the Representative and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Zysman, Aharoni, Gayer and Sullivan & Worcester LLP (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative) at 10:00 a.m. New York City time, on [      ], 2019, or such other time and date not later than 2:00 p.m. New York City time, on [      ], 2019 as the Representative shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”). The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the Representative may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are not limited to, any determination by the Company or the Representative to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus.

 

(c) The Optional Securities; Option Closing Date. In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Representative to subscribe/purchase up to an aggregate of [      ] Option Shares and/or [      ] Option Warrants from the Company, which Optional Securities may be subscribed/purchased in any combination of Option Shares and Option Warrants at the Share Purchase Price and/or Warrant Purchase Price, respectively. The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Representative to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 45 days from the date of this Agreement (the date of any such exercise, an “Option Exercise Date”). Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants, as applicable, as to which the Representative is exercising the option and (ii) the time, date and place at which the Optional Securities will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the First Closing Date, the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of the Firm Securities and such Optional Securities). Any such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date,” shall be determined by the Representative and shall not be earlier than three or later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise. The Representative may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.

 

(d) Public Offering of the Offered Securities. The Representative hereby advises the Company that it intends to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Offered Securities as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Representative, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.

 

(e) Payment for the Offered Securities. Payment for the Offered Securities shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.

 

(f) Delivery of the Offered Securities. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representative the Firm Securities at the First Closing Date, against release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representative, the Option Shares and/or Option Warrants, as applicable, the Representative has agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Offered Securities shall be registered in such names and denominations as the Representative shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be). Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Representative.

 

 

Section 3. [Reserved.]

 

Section 4. [Reserved.]

 

Section 5. Additional Covenants of the Company.

 

The Company further covenants and agrees with the Representative as follows:

 

(a) Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus. The Company shall furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Securities, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

 

(b) Underwriters’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), the Company (i) will furnish to the Underwriters for review, a reasonable period of time prior to the proposed time of filing of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, a copy of each such amendment or supplement and (ii) will not amend or supplement the Registration Statement (including any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act) without the Underwriters’ prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. Prior to amending or supplementing any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (including any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the time of filing or use of the proposed amendment or supplement, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement. The Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Underwriters’ prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

 

 

(c) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Underwriters for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Underwriters’ prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall furnish to the Underwriters, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by or referred to by the Company as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Securities (but in any event if at any time through and including the First Closing Date) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Underwriters’ prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

(d) Filing of Underwriters Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in the Underwriters or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriters that the Underwriters otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(e) Amendments and Supplements to Time of Sale Prospectus. If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company shall (subject to Section 5(b) and Section 5(c) hereof) promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

 

(f) Certain Notifications and Required Actions. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Underwriters in writing of: (i) the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission; (ii) the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus; (iii) the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or, to the Company’s knowledge, of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with all applicable provisions of Rule 424(b), Rule 433 and Rule 430A under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(g) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company agrees (subject to Section 5(b) and Section 5(c)) hereof to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law. Neither the Underwriters’ consent to, nor delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Section 5(b) or Section 5(c).

 

(h) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Securities for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws (or other foreign laws) of those jurisdictions reasonably designated by the Underwriters, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Securities. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Underwriters promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

 

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities sold by it in all material respects as described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(j) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Underwriters as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company commencing after the date of this Agreement that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(k) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Offered Securities as contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), file on a timely basis with the Commission and the NASDAQ all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

 

(l) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list the Firm Shares, the Warrant Shares upon issuance of such Warrant Shares, and the Option Shares on the NASDAQ.

 

(m) Company to Provide Copy of the Prospectus in Form That May be Downloaded from the Internet. If requested by the Underwriters, the Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered, at its expense, within two business days from the effective date of this Agreement, to the Underwriters an “electronic Prospectus” to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities. As used herein, the term “electronic Prospectus” means a form of Time of Sale Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, that may be transmitted electronically by the Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Offered Securities; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper Time of Sale Prospectus, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, that will allow investors to store and have continuously ready access to the Time of Sale Prospectus at any future time, without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Time of Sale Prospectus.

 

 

(n) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. During the period commencing on and including the date hereof and continuing through and including the 90^th day following the date of the Prospectus (such period being referred to herein as the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly: (i) sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend any Shares or Related Securities (as defined below); (ii) effect any short sale, or establish or increase any “put equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) of any Shares or Related Securities; (iii) pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in any Shares or Related Securities; (iv) in any other way transfer or dispose of any Shares or Related Securities; (v) enter into any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise; (vi) announce the offering of any Shares or Related Securities; (vii) file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of any Shares or Related Securities (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Securities); or (viii) publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that the Company may (A) effect the transactions contemplated hereby (B) issue Shares, rights to receive Shares, phantom equity settleable into Shares or options to purchase Shares, or issue Shares upon settlement of phantom equity or vesting of rights to receive Shares or exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or any compensatory equity plan, but only if the holders of such Shares, phantom equity, rights to receive Shares or options agree in writing with the Representative not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such Shares, rights to receive Shares, phantom equity or options during such Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), except as allowed pursuant to the form of Lock-up Agreement on Exhibit A, (C) file any registration statement on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto, (D) file any registration statement that the Company is required to file pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of August 11, 2014, among the Company and the Shareholders party thereto, the Warrant Agreement, dated as of July 19, 2016, between Auris Medical Holding AG and Hercules Capital, Inc., the Registration Rights Agreement dated as of May 2, 2018, between the Company and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“LPC”), or the Sales Agreement dated as of November 30, 2018 between the Company and the Representative, (E) issue Shares or other securities issued in connection with a transaction that includes a commercial relationship (including joint ventures, marketing or distribution arrangements, collaboration agreements or intellectual property license agreements) or any acquisition of assets or not less than a majority or controlling portion of the equity of another entity, provided that the recipient of any such Shares and securities issued pursuant to this clause (E) during the 90^th-day restricted period described above shall enter into an agreement in writing with the Representative not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such Shares or securities during such Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), (F) issue Shares or Related Securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into Shares or Related Securities issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, (G) issue Shares to LPC pursuant to the Purchase Agreement between the Company and LPC dated May 2, 2018, and (H) issue Shares pursuant to the Sales Agreement between the Company and the Representative dated November 30, 2018. For purposes of the foregoing, “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for, or convertible into, Shares.

 

 

(o) Future Reports to the Representative. During the period of two years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representative, A.G.P, 590 Madison Avenue, 36^th Floor, New York, NY 10022, telecopy number: (212) 813-1047, Attention: Managing Director of Investment Banking, with a copy to Zysman, Aharoni, Gayer and Sullivan & Worcester LLP, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, telecopy number: (212) 660-3001, Attention: Oded Har-Even: (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the annual report of the Company containing the consolidated statement of financial position of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each Annual Report on Form 20-F, Report on Form 6-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company furnished or made available generally to holders of its capital stock; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 5(o) shall be satisfied to the extent that such reports, statement, communications, financial statements or other documents are available on EDGAR.

 

(p) Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Securities in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

(q) No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. The Company will not take, and will ensure that no affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M (it being understood that the Company makes no statement as to the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the offering).

 

(r) Enforce Lock-Up Agreements. During the Lock-up Period, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to enforce all agreements between the Company and any of its security holders that restrict or prohibit, expressly or in operation, the offer, sale or transfer of Shares or Related Securities or any of the other actions restricted or prohibited under the terms of the form of Lock-up Agreement. In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements, including, without limitation, “lock-up” agreements entered into by the Company’s officers and directors pursuant to Section 8(k) hereof.

 

(s) Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements. Prior to the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date, the Company will furnish the Representative, as soon as practicable after they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim quarterly financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 5(s) shall be satisfied to the extent that such financial statements are available on EDGAR.

 

(t) Tax Indemnity. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against all issue, transfer and other stamp taxes, in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters and/or the initial purchasers of the Offered Securities, including security transfer tax, such as any Bermuda or Swiss Federal stamp duty on the transfer of securities (Umsatzabgabe) (unless the Underwriter concerned is a Swiss security dealer in the meaning of the Swiss law on stamp duty), but excluding any brokerage and resale fee and any income tax, capital gains tax or similar resulting from the sale of the Offered Securities and any tax on or determined by reference to the income of the Underwriters that is subject to tax on a net income basis.

 

 

(u) Transfer Agent. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Offered Securities.

 

(v) Warrant Shares. If all or any portion of a Pre-Funded Warrant or a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance of the Warrant Shares, the Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise shall be issued free of all restrictive legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Warrants in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale of the Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any holder thereof to sell, any of the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).

 

(w) Financial Public Relations Firm. The Company has retained a financial public relations firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative and the Company, which is LifeSci Advisers, which firm is experienced in assisting issuers in public offerings of securities and in their relations with their security holders, and shall retain such firm or another firm reasonably acceptable to the Representative for a period deemed reasonable by the Company.

 

(x) Prohibition on Press Releases and Public Announcements. The Company shall not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representative’s prior written consent, for a period ending at 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the first Business Day following the thirtieth day after the Closing Date, other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course business.

 

(y) Maintaining Sufficient Authorized Capital. The Company shall constantly maintain sufficient authorized share capital to cover the exercise of all then outstanding Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrants and Option Warrants.

 

Section 6. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Securities (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Offered Securities, (iii) all issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities to the Underwriter and by the Underwriters to the initial purchasers thereof, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, each free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all cost and expenses incurred in connection with the settlement processing and clearing of the Offered Securities, (vii) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, (viii) up to US$82,500 for out of pocket and legal expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby (including the fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriter), (ix) up to US$20,000 for the Underwriters’ non-accountable expenses, (x) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, and travel and lodging expenses of the representatives, employees and officers of the Company and any such consultants, (xi) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Offered Securities on the NASDAQ and (xii) all other fees, costs and expenses of the nature referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement; provided, however that such expenses shall be inclusive of the $25,000 advance for accountable expenses previously paid by the Company to the Representative. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any advance received by the Representative will be reimbursed to the Company to the extent not actually incurred in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(C). Except as provided in this Section 6 or in Section 9, Section 11 or Section 12 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of its counsel, any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make and the travel expenses of their own representatives in connection with any road show presentation to potential investors, but excluding the following: stock transfer taxes payable on the sale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Offered Securities to the initial purchasers thereof, including, without limitation, any Bermuda or Swiss federal stamp duty on the issuance of securities (Emissionsabgabe) and Bermuda or Swiss federal stamp duty on the transfer of securities (Umsatzabgabe).

 

 

Section 7. Covenant of the Representative. The Representative covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Representative that otherwise would not, but for such actions, be required to be filed by the Company under Rule 433(d).

 

Section 8. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder to purchase and pay for the Offered Securities as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Securities, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Securities, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a) Comfort Letter of Deloitte AG. On the date hereof, the Representative shall have received from Deloitte AG, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Representative in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and each free writing prospectus, if any.

 

 

(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRA.

 

(i) The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information previously omitted from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information previously omitted from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective.

 

(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.

 

(iii) FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(c) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Optional Securities purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date:

 

(i) in the judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and

 

(ii) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as that term is used in Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act.

 

(d) Opinion of U.S. Counsel for the Company. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representative shall have received the opinion and 10b-5 statement of Lowenstein Sandler LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, dated as of such date, in the form and substance previously agreed to by, and satisfactory to, the Representative.

 

(e) Opinion of Bermuda Counsel for the Company. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman Limited, counsel for the Company with respect to the laws of Bermuda, dated as of such date, in the form and substance previously agreed to by, and satisfactory to, the Representative.

 

(f) Opinion of U.S. Counsel for the Underwriters. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representative shall have received the opinion and 10b-5 statement of Zysman, Aharoni, Gayer and Sullivan & Worcester LLP, counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, dated as of such date.

 

 

(g) Officers’ Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a certificate, on behalf of the Company, executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect set forth in Section 8(b)(ii) and further to the effect that:

 

(i) for the period from and including the date of this Agreement through and including such date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

 

(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date; and

 

(iii) the Company has complied, in all material respects, with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such date.

 

(h) Bring-down Comfort Letter of Deloitte AG. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative shall have received from Deloitte AG, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, which letter shall: (i) reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to Section 8(a), except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than two business days prior to the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be; and (ii) cover certain financial information contained in the Prospectus.

 

(i) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative an agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each of the persons listed on Exhibit B hereto, and each such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

 

(j) Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission on the date of this Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.

 

(k) Approval of Listing. At the First Closing Date, the Firm Shares and shares underlying the Firm Warrants and Firm Pre-Funded Warrants shall have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(l) Warrants. On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Date, the Representative shall have received copies of the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Firm Warrants and Optional Warrants, as applicable, executed by the Company.

 

(m) Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Representative shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as contemplated herein and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Representative.

 

 

If any condition specified in this Section 8 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice from the Representative to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Securities, at any time on or prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 6, Section 9, Section 11 and Section 12 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 9. Reimbursement of Representative’s Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 8 or Section 14, or if the sale to the Representative of the Offered Securities on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representative upon demand for all documented out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representative in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Securities, including, but not limited to, fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

 

Section 10. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

 

Section 11. Indemnification.

 

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and each of its and their respective directors, officers, members, employees, representatives and agents and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (collectively the “Underwriter Indemnified Parties,” and each an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including but not limited to any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and the Company or between any of the Underwriter Indemnified Parties and any third party, or otherwise) to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other statute or at common law or otherwise or under the laws of foreign countries, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (ii) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the Offering, including any Road Show or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); or (iii) any application or other document or written communication (in this Section 11, collectively called “application”) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Offered Securities under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency, the Exchange or any other national securities exchange; or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information.

 

 

(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the several Underwriters, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented) in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information. In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other person so indemnified based on any Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented) or any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the several Underwriters by the provisions of Section 11(c). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Representative of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or any person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities or in connection with the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented).

 

(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. If any action is brought against an Underwriter Indemnified Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to Section 11(a), such Underwriter Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such action and the Company shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment and fees of counsel (subject to the reasonable approval of such Underwriter Indemnified Party) and payment of actual expenses. Such Underwriter Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter Indemnified Party unless (i) the employment of such counsel at the expense of the Company shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such action, or (ii) the Company shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such action, or (iii) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one additional firm of attorneys selected by the Underwriter Indemnified Party (in addition to local counsel) shall be borne by the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if any Underwriter Indemnified Party shall assume the defense of such action as provided above, the Company shall have the right to approve the terms of any settlement of such action, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

 

Section 12. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 11 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 11(a) or 11(b) in respect of any loss, claim, damage or liability, or any action in respect thereof, referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the Offering of the Offered Securities, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to such Offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the Offering of the Offered Securities purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the Offered Securities purchased under this Agreement, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the other hand. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 12 were to be determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 12 shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 12, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 12 in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the Offering of the Offered Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

Within fifteen (15) days after receipt by any party to this Agreement (or its representative) of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, such party will, if a claim for contribution in respect thereof is to be made against another party (“contributing party”), notify the contributing party of the commencement thereof, but the failure to so notify the contributing party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any other party other than for contribution hereunder. In case any such action, suit or proceeding is brought against any party, and such party notifies a contributing party or its representative of the commencement thereof within the aforesaid 15 days, the contributing party will be entitled to participate therein with the notifying party and any other contributing party similarly notified. Any such contributing party shall not be liable to any party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding affected by such party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding affected by such party seeking contribution without the written consent of such contributing party. The contribution provisions contained in this Section 12 are intended to supersede, to the extent permitted by law, any right to contribution under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise available. Each Underwriter’s obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 12 are several and not joint.

 

 

Section 13. [Reserved]

 

Section 14. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the purchase of the Firm Securities by the Underwriters on the First Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice given to the Company if at any time: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the NASDAQ, or trading in securities generally on either the NASDAQ or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, New York, Bermuda or Swiss authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Underwriters is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Securities in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representative there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Representative may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 14 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to the Underwriters, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representative pursuant to Section 6 or Section 9  hereof or (b) the Underwriters to the Company; provided, however, that the provisions of Section 11 and Section 12 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 15. [Reserved.].

 

Section 16. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Offered Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, the Underwriters are and have been acting solely as a principal and are not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) the Underwriters have not assumed or will not assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Underwriters have advised or are currently advising the Company on other matters) and the Underwriters have no obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

 

Section 17. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

Section 18. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

	If to the Underwriter:	A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners
		590 Madison Avenue, 36th Floor
		New York, New York 10022
		Attn: Mr. Thomas J. Higgins, Managing Director
		Fax No.: (212) 813-1047
	with a copy to:	Zysman, Aharoni, Gayer and Sullivan & Worcester LLP
		1633 Broadway
		New York, New York 10019
		Attention: Oded Har-Even, Esq.
		Fax No.: (212) 660-3000
	If to the Company:	Auris Medical Holding AG
		Bahnhofstrasse 21
		6300 Zug
		Switzerland
		Facsimile:  +41 61 201 13 51
		Attention:  Thomas Meyer
	with a copy to:	Lowenstein Sandler LLP
		1251 Avenue of the Americas
		New York, NY 10020
		Facsimile:  (212) 701-5762
		Attention:  Michael J. Lerner, Esq.

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

Section 19. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and to the benefit of the affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 11 and Section 12, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Securities as such from the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

 

 

Section 20. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

Section 21. Governing Law Provisions; Currency Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company and each other party not located in the United States has irrevocably appointed Auris Medical Inc., which currently maintains an office at 500 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 600, Chicago Illinois 60611, United States of America, as its agent to receive service of process or other legal summons for purposes of any such suit, action or proceeding that may be instituted in any state or federal court in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York, United States of America.

 

With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.

 

The obligations of the Company pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to the Underwriters shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by the Underwriters of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which the Underwriters may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to the Underwriters in United States dollars hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify the Underwriters against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to the Underwriters hereunder, the Underwriters agree to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to the Underwriters hereunder.

 

 

All payments made by the Company under this Agreement, if any, will be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature (other than taxes on net income) imposed or levied by or on behalf of Bermuda or Switzerland, any other jurisdiction from or through which payment is made, or, in each case, any political subdivision or any taxing authority thereof or therein unless the Company is or becomes required by law to withhold or deduct such taxes, duties, assessments or other governmental charges. In such event, the Company will pay such additional amounts as will result, after such withholding or deduction, in the receipt by the Underwriters and each person controlling the Underwriters, as the case may be, of the amounts that would otherwise have been receivable in respect thereof.

 

Section 22. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, and delivered by electronic means, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 11 and the contribution provisions of Section 12, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 11 and Section 12 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements to the foregoing), as contemplated by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

	Very truly yours,
	AURIS MEDICAL HOLDING LTD.
	By:
		Name:
		Title:

 

 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representative in New York, New York as of the date first above written.

 

A.G.P./ALLIANCE GLOBAL PARTNERS
as the Representative of the several
Underwriters listed on Schedule I

 

By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

 

Schedule I

 

Number of Shares

Number of Pre-Funded Warrants

Number of Warrants

A.G.P./ALLIANCE GLOBAL PARTNERS

Total

 

 

Schedule A

 

Free Writing Prospectuses Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus

 

[     ]

 

 

Schedule B

 

Pricing Information

 

Price to public: $[      ] per unit, consisting of one Share and one Warrant; $[      ] per unit, consisting of one Pre-Funded Warrant and one Warrant;

 

Firm Securities: [      ] Firm Shares, [      ] Pre-Funded Warrants and [      ] Warrants

 

Optional Securities: [      ] Option Shares and/or [      ] Option Warrants

 

Prefunded Warrant Exercise Price: CHF 0.01 per Share

 

Warrant Exercise Price: CHF [      ] per Share

 

 

Exhibit A

 

LOCK-UP LETTER AGREEMENT

 

__________, 2019

 

A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners

590 Madison Avenue, 36^th Floor

New York, New York 10022

 

As Representative (the “Representative”) of the several Underwriters named on Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement referenced below.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you and certain other firms (the “Underwriters”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) providing for the purchase by the Underwriters of securities (the “Securities”), including Common Shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share (the “Common Shares”), of Auris Medical Holding Ltd., a Bermuda company (the “Company”), and that the Underwriters propose to reoffer the Securities to the public (the “Offering”).

 

In consideration of the execution of the Underwriting Agreement by the Underwriters, and for other good and valuable consideration, the undersigned hereby irrevocably agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise transfer or dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the transfer or disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any Common Shares (including, without limitation, Common Shares that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Common Shares that may be issued upon exercise of any options or warrants) or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares, (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of Common Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) except as provided for below, make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any Common Shares or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or any other securities of the Company, or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 90th day after the date of the Underwriting Agreement (such 90-day period, the “Lock-Up Period”).

 

 

The foregoing paragraph shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to Common Shares or other securities acquired in the open market after the completion of the Offering , provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfers; (b) bona fide gifts, sales or other dispositions of shares of any class of the Company’s capital stock or any security convertible into Common Shares, in each case that are made exclusively between and among the undersigned or members of the undersigned’s family, or affiliates of the undersigned, including its partners (if a partnership) or members (if a limited liability company); (c) any transfer of Common Shares or any security convertible into Common Shares by will or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned; (d) transfer of Common Shares or any security convertible into Common Shares to an immediate family member (for purposes of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin) or any trust, limited partnership, limited liability company or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or any immediate family member of the undersigned; provided that, in the case of clauses (b)- (d) above, it shall be a condition to any such transfer that (i) the transferee/donee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement (including, without limitation, the restrictions set forth in the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if the transferee/donee were a party hereto, (ii) each party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall not be required by law (including without limitation the disclosure requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Exchange Act) to make, and shall agree to not voluntarily make, any filing or public announcement of the transfer or disposition prior to the expiration of the 90-day period referred to above, and (iii) the undersigned notifies the Representative at least two business days prior to the proposed transfer or disposition; (e) the transfer of Common Shares to the Company to satisfy withholding obligations for any equity award granted pursuant to the terms of the Company’s stock option/incentive plans, such as upon exercise, vesting, lapse of substantial risk of forfeiture, or other similar taxable event, in each case on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis (which, for the avoidance of doubt shall not include “cashless” exercise programs involving a broker or other third party), provided that as a condition of any transfer pursuant to this clause (e), that if the undersigned is required to file a report under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Common Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares during the Lock-Up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report, and if applicable an appropriate disposition transaction code, to the effect that such transfer is being made as a stock delivery or forfeiture in connection with a net value exercise, or as a forfeiture or sale of shares solely to cover required tax withholding, as the case may be; (f) transfers of Common Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares pursuant to a bona fide third party tender offer made to all holders of the Common Shares, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction involving a change of control (as defined below) of the Company, including voting in favor of any such transaction or taking any other action in connection with such transaction, provided that in the event that such merger, tender offer or other transaction is not completed, the Common Shares and any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares shall remain subject to the restrictions set forth herein; (g) the exercise of warrants or the exercise of stock options granted pursuant to the Company’s stock option/incentive plans or otherwise outstanding on the date hereof; provided, that the restrictions shall apply to Common Shares issued upon such exercise or conversion; (h) the establishment of any contract, instruction or plan that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 (a “Rule 10b5-1 Plan”) under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that no sales of Common Shares or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, Common Shares, shall be made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Plan prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period; provided further, that the Company is not required to report the establishment of such Rule 10b5-1 Plan in any public report or filing with the Commission under the Exchange Act during the lock-up period and does not otherwise voluntarily effect any such public filing or report regarding such Rule 10b5-1 Plan; and (i) any demands or requests for, exercise any right with respect to, or take any action in preparation of, the registration by the Company under the Act of the undersigned’s Common Shares, provided that no transfer of the undersigned’s Common Shares registered pursuant to the exercise of any such right and no registration statement shall be filed under the Act with respect to any of the undersigned’s Common Shares during the Lock-Up Period. For purposes of clause (f) above, “change of control” shall mean the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, purchase, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of a majority of total voting power of the voting stock of the Company.

 

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s securities subject to this Lock-Up Letter Agreement except in compliance with this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

 

It is understood that, if the Company notifies the Underwriters that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Securities, the undersigned will be released from its obligations under this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

 

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters will proceed with the Offering in reliance on this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

 

Whether or not the Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.

 

This Lock-Up Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (1) the termination of the Underwriting Agreement before the sale of any Securities to the Underwriters or (2) July 28, 2019, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by that date.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Letter Agreement and that, upon request, the undersigned will execute any additional documents necessary in connection with the enforcement hereof. Any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the heirs, personal representative, successors and assigns of the undersigned.

 

	Very truly yours,
	(Name - Please Print)
	(Signature)
	(Name of Signatory, in the case of entities - Please Print)
	(Title of Signatory, in the case of entities - Please Print)
	Address:

 

 

Exhibit B

 

Directors, Officers and Others
Signing Lock-up Agreement

 

Directors:

 

Thomas Meyer

 

Armando Anido

 

Mats Blom

 

Alain Munoz

 

Calvin W. Roberts

 

 

Officers:

 

Thomas Meyer

 

Herman Levett

 

 

B-1

Exhibit 4.9

 

COMMON SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT

 

AURIS MEDICAL holding LTD.

 

Warrant Shares: _______

Issue Date: _________, 2019

 

THIS COMMON SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to the close of business on ______, 2024 (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Auris Medical Holding Ltd., an exempted company limited by shares incorporated in Bermuda (the “Company”), up to ______ registered common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share (each, a “Common Share”) (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”). The purchase price of one Common Share under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).

 

Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:

 

“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.

 

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Common Share Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or its subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Shares.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Market Price” of a Common Share on any date shall mean the arithmetic mean of the VWAP on each of the five (5) consecutive Trading Days immediately preceding such date. The Market Price shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during such period.

 

“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

 

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.

 

“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

“Transfer Agent” means American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, the current transfer agent for the Company, with a mailing address of 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10005 and a facsimile number of (718) 234-5001, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

Section 2. Exercise.

 

a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy (or.pdf copy via e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the unpaid portion of the aggregate Exercise Price for the Warrant Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.

 

b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per Common Share under this Warrant shall be CHF [___ ], subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”). In no event shall the Exercise Price be adjusted below the par value (or U.S. dollar equivalent) of the Common Shares, which is CHF 0.40 per share as of the Initial Exercise Date.

 

 

c) Cashless Exercise. If at any time after the Initial Exercise Date, there is no effective registration statement registering, or no current prospectus available for, the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

 

(A) = as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(64) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Shares on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;

 

(B) = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and

 

(X) = the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

If Warrant Shares are issued in such a “cashless exercise,” the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).

 

“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Shares for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Shares are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Common Share so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a Common Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Shares are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Common Share so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a Common Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).

 

d) Mechanics of Exercise.

 

i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Shares on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period“ means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Shares as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered by 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, the Company agrees to deliver the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date.

 

 

ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.

 

iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.

 

iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, Common Shares to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Common Shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (without deducting brokerage commissions, if any), and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of Common Shares that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Shares having a total purchase price of CHF 11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of Common Shares with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of CHF 10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder CHF 1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver Common Shares upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

 

v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.

 

vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided , however , that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto as Exhibit B duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.

 

vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its shareholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below), provided that this restriction shall not apply with respect to exercises of this Warrant by a Holder to the extent such Holder together with its Affiliates and Attribution Parties beneficially owned in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation prior to the Initial Exercise Date. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of Common Shares beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of Common Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of Common Shares which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Share Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding Common Shares, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Common Shares as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Common Shares outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within two (2) Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Common Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Common Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding Common Shares was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation“ shall be [9.99%/4.99%] of the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Common Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Common Shares upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.

 

 

Section 3. Certain Adjustments.

 

a) Share Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a share dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on its Common Shares or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in Common Shares (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any Common Shares issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding Common Shares into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse share split) outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares or (iv) issues by reclassification of Common Shares any shares of capital share of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of Common Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.

 

b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Share Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Shares (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of Common Shares acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Common Shares are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such Common Shares as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

c) Cash Dividends. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any cash dividend or other cash distribution to holders of Common Shares (a “Cash Dividend”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then (i) any Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the record date fixed for the determination of holders of Common Shares entitled to receive the Cash Dividend shall be reduced, effective as of the close of business on such record date, to a price determined by multiplying such Exercise Price by a fraction of which (A) the numerator shall be the Market Price of the Common Shares on the Trading Day immediately preceding such record date minus the amount of the Cash Dividend applicable to one Common Share, and (B) the denominator shall be the Market Price of the Common Shares on the Trading Day immediately preceding such record date; and (ii) the number of Warrant Shares shall be increased to a number of Common Shares equal to the number of Common Shares obtainable immediately prior to the close of business on the record date fixed for the determination of holders of Common Shares entitled to receive the Cash Dividend multiplied by the reciprocal of the fraction set forth in the immediately preceding clause (i).

 

 

d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Shares are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Shares or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Shares are effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares (not including any Common Shares held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of Common Shares of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of Common Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one Common Share in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Shares are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction (other than a Fundamental Transaction resulting from the merger of the Company with a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company in which the common shares of the surviving entity remain listed or quoted on a Trading Market), the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction. provided, however, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company’s control, including not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity, as of the date of consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg, L.P. (“Bloomberg”) determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds within five Business Days of the Holder’s election (or, if later, on the effective date of the Fundamental Transaction). The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares in the share capital of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the Common Shares acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares (but taking into account the relative value of the Common Shares pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares, such number of shares and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction). Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.

 

 

e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of Common Shares deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of Common Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.

 

f) Notice to Holder.

 

i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder, by facsimile or email, a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Shares, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Shares, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any shareholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Shares, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Shares is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered, by facsimile or email, to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 5 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Shares of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Shares of record shall be entitled to exchange their Common Shares for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice required by this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report on Form 6-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

 

Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.

 

a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws, this Warrant and all rights hereunder are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

 

b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the Issue Date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

 

 

c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.

 

Section 5. Miscellaneous.

 

a) No Rights as Shareholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a shareholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting the rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise,” and to receive the cash payments contemplated pursuant to Sections 2(d)(i) and 2(d)(iv), in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle a Warrant exercise.

 

b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any share certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or share certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or share certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or share certificate.

 

c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

d) Authorized Shares.

 

The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Shares a sufficient number of Common Shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant.

 

The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, including by maintaining an effective registration statement under the Securities Act permitting the issuance of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant from the Initial Exercise Date until the Termination Date, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Shares may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).

 

 

Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.

 

Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.

 

e) Governing Law. This Warrant shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, excluding conflict of laws principles that would cause the application of laws of any other jurisdiction. For the avoidance of doubt, matters involving the rights of shareholders, issuance of Common Shares and the validity of Common Shares shall be governed by the laws of Bermuda.

 

f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.

 

g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.

 

h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered to the address of the Holder set forth in the Warrant Register.

 

 

i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Share or as a shareholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

 

j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.

 

l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.

 

m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.

 

n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.

 

********************

 

(Signature Page Follows)

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.

 

AURIS MEDICAL HOLDING LTD.
By:
Name:
Title:

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

TO: AURIS MEDICAL HOLDING LTD.

 

(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.

 

(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):

 

[  ] in CHF; or

 

[  ] if permitted, the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).

 

(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

 

_____________________________________

 

The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:

 

_____________________________________

 

 

_____________________________________

 

 

_____________________________________

 

 

[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]

 

Name of Investing Entity:

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Name of Authorized Signatory:

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Title of Authorized Signatory:

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Date:

 

__________________________________

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to

 

Name:
	(Please Print)
Address:
	(Please Print)
Phone Number:
Email Address:

 

Dated:____________ _____, ______

 

 

Holder’s	Signature:
Holder’s	Address:

 

 

16

 

Exhibit 4.10

 

PRE-FUNDED COMMON SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT

 

AURIS MEDICAL holding LTD.

 

Warrant Shares: _______

Issue Date: _________, 2019

 

THIS PRE-FUNDED COMMON SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) until this Warrant is exercised in full (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Auris Medical Holding Ltd., an exempted company limited by shares incorporated in Bermuda (the “Company”), up to ______ registered common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share (each, a “Common Share”) (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”). The purchase price of one Common Share under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).

 

Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:

 

“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.

 

“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

“Common Share Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or its subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Shares.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Market Price” of a Common Share on any date shall mean the arithmetic mean of the VWAP on each of the five (5) consecutive Trading Days immediately preceding such date. The Market Price shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during such period.

 

“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

 

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.

 

“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).

 

“Transfer Agent” means American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, the current transfer agent for the Company, with a mailing address of 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10005 and a facsimile number of (718) 234-5001, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.

 

Section 2. Exercise.

 

a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy (or.pdf copy via e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the unpaid portion of the aggregate Exercise Price for the Warrant Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.

 

b) Exercise Price. The aggregate exercise price of this Warrant, except for a nominal exercise price of CHF 0.01 per Warrant Share, was pre-funded to the Company on or prior to the Initial Exercise Date and, consequently, no additional consideration (other than the nominal exercise price of CHF [ ] per Warrant Share) shall be required to be paid by the Holder to any Person to effect any exercise of this Warrant and the Company agrees that it shall apply amounts standing to the credit of any reserve account or otherwise available for distribution by the Company in paying up the par value of each Warrant Share issued hereunder. The Holder shall not be entitled to the return or refund of all, or any portion, of such pre-paid aggregate exercise price under any circumstance or for any reason whatsoever, including in the event this Warrant shall not have been exercised prior to the Termination Date. The exercise price per Warrant Share under this Warrant shall be CHF [ ], subject to adjustment hereunder. The remaining unpaid exercise price per Warrant Share shall be CHF 0.01, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).

 

 

c) Cashless Exercise. If at any time after the Initial Exercise Date, there is no effective registration statement registering, or no current prospectus available for, the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

 

(A) = as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(64) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Shares on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day;

 

(B) = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and

 

(X) = the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

If Warrant Shares are issued in such a “cashless exercise,” the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).

 

“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Shares for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Shares are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Common Share so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a Common Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

 

“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Shares are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Common Share so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a Common Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).

 

d) Mechanics of Exercise.

 

i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Shares on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Shares as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered by 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, the Company agrees to deliver the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date.

 

 

ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.

 

iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.

 

iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, Common Shares to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Common Shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (without deducting brokerage commissions, if any), and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of Common Shares that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Shares having a total purchase price of CHF 11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of Common Shares with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of CHF 10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder CHF 1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver Common Shares upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

 

v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.

 

vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided , however , that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto as Exhibit B duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.

 

vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its shareholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below), provided that this restriction shall not apply with respect to exercises of this Warrant by a Holder to the extent such Holder together with its Affiliates and Attribution Parties beneficially owned in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation prior to the Initial Exercise Date. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of Common Shares beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of Common Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of Common Shares which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Share Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding Common Shares, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Common Shares as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Common Shares outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within two (2) Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Common Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Common Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding Common Shares was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be [9.99%/4.99%] of the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Common Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Common Shares upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.

 

 

Section 3. Certain Adjustments.

 

a) Share Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a share dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on its Common Shares or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in Common Shares (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any Common Shares issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding Common Shares into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse share split) outstanding Common Shares into a smaller number of shares or (iv) issues by reclassification of Common Shares any shares of capital share of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of Common Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.

 

b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Share Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Shares (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of Common Shares acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Common Shares are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such Common Shares as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).

 

c) Cash Dividends. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any cash dividend or other cash distribution to holders of Common Shares (a “Cash Dividend”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then (i) any Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to the close of business on the record date fixed for the determination of holders of Common Shares entitled to receive the Cash Dividend shall be reduced, effective as of the close of business on such record date, to a price determined by multiplying such Exercise Price by a fraction of which (A) the numerator shall be the Market Price of the Common Shares on the Trading Day immediately preceding such record date minus the amount of the Cash Dividend applicable to one Common Share, and (B) the denominator shall be the Market Price of the Common Shares on the Trading Day immediately preceding such record date; and (ii) the number of Warrant Shares shall be increased to a number of Common Shares equal to the number of Common Shares obtainable immediately prior to the close of business on the record date fixed for the determination of holders of Common Shares entitled to receive the Cash Dividend multiplied by the reciprocal of the fraction set forth in the immediately preceding clause (i).

 

 

d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Shares are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Shares, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Shares or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Shares are effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding Common Shares (not including any Common Shares held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of Common Shares of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of Common Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one Common Share in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Shares are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares in the share capital of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the Common Shares acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares (but taking into account the relative value of the Common Shares pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares, such number of shares and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction). Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.

 

e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of Common Shares deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of Common Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.

 

 

f) Notice to Holder.

 

i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder, by facsimile or email, a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Shares, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Shares, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any shareholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Shares, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Shares is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered, by facsimile or email, to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 5 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Shares of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Shares of record shall be entitled to exchange their Common Shares for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice required by this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report on Form 6-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.

 

Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.

 

a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws, this Warrant and all rights hereunder are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

 

 

b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the Issue Date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

 

c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.

 

Section 5. Miscellaneous.

 

a) No Rights as Shareholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a shareholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting the rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise,” and to receive the cash payments contemplated pursuant to Sections 2(d)(i) and 2(d)(iv), in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle a Warrant exercise.

 

b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any share certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or share certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or share certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or share certificate.

 

c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

d) Authorized Shares.

 

The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Shares a sufficient number of Common Shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant.

 

 

The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, including by maintaining an effective registration statement under the Securities Act permitting the issuance of Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant from the Initial Exercise Date until the Termination Date, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Shares may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).

 

Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.

 

Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.

 

e) Governing Law. This Warrant shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, excluding conflict of laws principles that would cause the application of laws of any other jurisdiction. For the avoidance of doubt, matters involving the rights of shareholders, issuance of Common Shares and the validity of Common Shares shall be governed by the laws of Bermuda.

 

f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.

 

 

g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.

 

h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered to the address of the Holder set forth in the Warrant Register.

 

i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Share or as a shareholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

 

j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.

 

l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.

 

m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.

 

n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.

 

********************

 

(Signature Page Follows)

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.

 

AURIS MEDICAL HOLDING LTD.
By:
Name:
Title:

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

 

TO: AURIS MEDICAL HOLDING LTD.

 

(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.

 

(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):

 

[  ]  in CHF; or

 

[  ]  if permitted, the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).

 

(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

 

                                                                

 

The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:

 

                                                                

 

                                                               

 

                                                               

 

 

[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]

 

Name of Investing Entity:

 

                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:

 

                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Name of Authorized Signatory:

 

                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

Title of Authorized Signatory:

 

                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Date:

 

                                                               

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

ASSIGNMENT FORM

 

(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to

 

Name:
		(Please Print)
Address:
		(Please Print)
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Dated:____________ _____, ______

 

Holder’s	Signature:
Holder’s	Address:

 

 

15

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

6 May 2019

 

Matter No.:361824

Doc Ref: 15511248

 

+1 441 278 7904

guy.cooper@conyersdill.com

 

 

Auris Medical Holding Ltd

Clarendon House

2 Church Street

Hamilton HM 11

Bermuda

 

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Re: Auris Medical Holding Ltd. (the "Company")

 

We have acted as special Bermuda legal counsel to the Company in connection an amendment to its registration statement on form F1 (Registration No. 333-231114) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on 6 May 2019 (the "Registration Statement", which term does not include any other document or agreement whether or not specifically referred to therein or attached as an exhibit or schedule thereto) relating to the registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "Securities Act") of (i) up to 1,670,124 common shares par value CHF 0.40 each (the “Common Shares”), (ii) warrants entitling the holder to purchase up to 835,062 common shares of CHF 0.40 par value each (“Warrants”), and (iii) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 1,452,282 common shares of CHF 0.40 par value each (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”; the common shares of CHF 0.40 par value each issuable upon exercise of the Warrants and/or the Pre-Funded Warrants are referred to as the “Warrant Shares”), with each of the Common Shares, the Warrants, and the Pre-Funded Warrants being offered in units consisting of (a) Common Shares and Warrants; and (b) Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrants. The Common Shares, the Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants will be sold pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Company and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners.

 

For the purposes of giving this opinion, we have examined a copy of the Registration Statement and the Agreement. We have also reviewed the memorandum of continuance and the bye-laws of the Company, each certified by the Secretary of the Company on 6 May 2019 (the “Constitutional Documents”), minutes of a meeting of the Company’s board of directors held on 25 April 2019 and unanimous written resolutions of the Company dated 5 May 2019 (collectively, the “Resolutions”), the form of the individual warrant agreement constituting the Warrants (the “Warrant Document”), the form of the individual pre-funded warrant agreement constituting the Pre-Funded Warrant (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Document”), each of which is exhibited to the Registration Statement, and such other documents and made such enquiries as to questions of law as we have deemed necessary in order to render the opinion set forth below.

 

  

We have assumed (a) the genuineness and authenticity of all signatures and the conformity to the originals of all copies (whether or not certified) examined by us and the authenticity and completeness of the originals from which such copies were taken, (b) that where a document has been examined by us in draft form, it will be or has been executed and/or filed in the form of that draft, and where a number of drafts of a document have been examined by us all changes thereto have been marked or otherwise drawn to our attention, (c) the accuracy and completeness of all factual representations made in the Registration Statement and other documents reviewed by us, (d) that the Resolutions were passed at one or more duly convened, constituted and quorate meetings, or by unanimous written resolutions, remain in full force and effect and have not been, and will not be, rescinded or amended, (e) that there is no provision of the law of any jurisdiction, other than Bermuda, which would have any implication in relation to the opinions expressed herein, (f) that the Constitutional Documents will not be amended in any manner that would affect the opinions expressed herein, (g) that each individual warrant agreement constituting the Warrants is in the same form as the Warrant Document and each individual pre-funded warrant agreement constituting the Pre-Funded Warrants is in the same form as the Pre-Funded Warrant Document; (h) that the Agreement, each individual warrant agreement constituting the Warrants and each individual pre-funded warrant agreement constituting the Pre-Funded Warrants will be duly approved, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Company and all other parties thereto; (i) that the Agreement, each individual warrant agreement constituting the Warrants and each individual pre-funded warrant agreement constituting the Pre-Funded Warrants will be valid and binding in accordance with its terms pursuant to its governing law, (j) that upon issue of any Warrant Shares the Company will receive consideration for the full issue price thereof which shall be equal to at least the par value thereof, (k) that the Company will have sufficient authorised capital to effect the issue of any of the Warrant Shares at the time of issuance upon exercise of either the Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants; and (l) that the Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company shall approve the final number of, manner of and price at which the Common Shares, the Warrants, the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Warrant Shares are sold and issued.

 

"Non-assessability" is not a legal concept under Bermuda law, but when we describe the Common Shares and/or Warrant Shares herein as being "non-assessable" we mean, subject to any contrary provision in any agreement between the Company and any one of its members holding any of the Common Shares and/or Warrant Shares (but only with respect to such member), that no further sums are payable with respect to the issue of such shares and no member shall be bound by an alteration in the Constitutional Documents after the date upon which it became a member if and so far as the alteration requires such member to take or subscribe for additional Common Shares or Warrant Shares or in any way increases its liability to contribute to the share capital of, or otherwise pay money to, the Company.

 

  

We have made no investigation of and express no opinion in relation to the laws of any jurisdiction other than Bermuda. This opinion is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Bermuda and is limited to and is given on the basis of the current law and practice in Bermuda. This opinion is issued solely for the purposes of the filing of the Registration Statement and the offering of the Common Shares, Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants by the Company and is not to be relied upon in respect of any other matter.

 

On the basis of and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

 

1.

The Company is duly incorporated and existing under the laws of Bermuda in good standing (meaning solely that it has not failed to make any filing with any Bermuda government authority or to pay any Bermuda government fees or tax which would make it liable to be struck off the Register of Companies and thereby cease to exist under the laws of Bermuda).

 

2.

When issued and paid for as contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Agreement, the Common Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

3.

When issued and paid for in accordance with (i) an individual warrant agreement constituting the Warrants, or (ii) an individual pre-funded warrant agreement constituting the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Warrant Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

4.

The Company has taken all corporate action required to authorise its execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement, the individual warrant agreements constituting the Warrants and the individual pre-funded warrant agreements constituting the Pre-Funded Warrants.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the captions “Legal Matters” in the prospectus forming a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are experts within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act or that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Conyers Dill & Pearman Limited

 

 

Exhibit 5.2

 

 

 

May 6, 2019

Auris Medical Holding Ltd

Clarendon House

2 Church Street

Hamilton HM 11

Bermuda

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as special U.S. counsel to Auris Medical Holding Ltd., an exempted company incorporated in Bermuda (the “Company”) in connection with the sale and issuance of up to 1,670,124 of the Company’s common shares, par value CHF 0.40 per share (the “Common Shares” and such shares, the “Shares”), Warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase up to an aggregate of 835,062 Common Shares (the “Common Warrant Shares”) and Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to 1,452,282 Common Shares (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares” and, together with the Common Warrant Shares, the “Warrant Shares”) pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-231114) (the “Registration Statement”) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, together with the Prospectus contained therein (the “Prospectus”). The Shares, Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants are to be sold pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement (the “Agreement”) between the Company and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, as the representative (the “Representative”) of the several underwriters, if any, named in Schedule I thereto (each an “Underwriter” and collectively, the “Underwriters”).

 

As counsel to the Company in connection with the proposed potential issuance and sale of the above-referenced Shares, Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares, we have reviewed the Registration Statement, Prospectus and the respective exhibits thereto. We have also reviewed such corporate documents and records of the Company, such certificates of public officials and officers of the Company and such other matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion. In our examination, we have assumed: (i) the authenticity of original documents and the genuineness of all signatures; (ii) the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies; (iii) the truth, accuracy and completeness of the information, representations and warranties contained in the instruments, documents, certificates and records we have reviewed; (iv) that, as set forth in a separate opinion delivered to the Company on the date hereof by Conyers Dill & Pearman Limited, special Bermuda counsel to the Company, the Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants have been duly authorized; and (v) the legal capacity for all purposes relevant hereto of all natural persons and, with respect to all parties to agreements or instruments relevant hereto other than the Company, that such parties had the requisite power and authority (corporate or otherwise) to execute, deliver and perform such agreements or instruments, that such agreements or instruments have been duly authorized by all requisite action (corporate or otherwise), executed and delivered by such parties and that such agreements or instruments are the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of such parties. As to any facts material to the opinions expressed herein that were not independently established or verified, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company.

 

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications set forth herein, we are of the opinion that (i) when the Warrants are duly executed and delivered by the Company and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Agreement, such Warrants will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and to general equitable principles and (ii) when the Pre-Funded Warrants are duly executed and delivered by the Company and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Agreement, such Pre-Funded Warrants will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights and to general equitable principles.

 

The opinion set forth above are subject to the following exceptions, limitations and qualifications: (i) the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors; (ii) the effect of general principles of equity, including without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought; and (iii) the unenforceability under certain circumstances under law or court decisions of provisions providing for the indemnification of, or contribution to, a party with respect to liability where such indemnification or contribution is contrary to public policy. We express no opinion concerning the enforceability of any waiver of rights or defenses with respect to stay, extension or usury laws.

 

 

Our opinion is limited to the laws of New York. We express no opinion as to the effect of the law of any other jurisdiction. Our opinion is rendered as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to advise you of changes in law or fact (or the effect thereof on the opinions expressed herein) that hereafter may come to our attention. We advise you that matters of Bermuda law are covered in the opinion of Dill & Pearman Limited, special Bermuda counsel for the Company, in Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement.

 

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.2 to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm therein and in the Prospectus under the caption “Legal Matters.” In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
/s/ Lowenstein Sandler LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP

 

 

 Exhibit 23.1

 

Deloitte AG General-Guisan-Quai 38 8022 Zurich Switzerland Phone: +41 (0)58 279 6000 Fax: +41 (0)58 279 6600 www.deloitte.ch

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form F-1 of our report dated March 14, 2019, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Auris Medical Holding Ltd. (formerly Auris Medical Holding AG) and its subsidiaries (which report expresses an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and includes an explanatory paragraph referring to the retrospective adjustments for the effects of the reverse share split described in Note 21 to the consolidated financial statements), appearing in the Annual Report on Form 20-F of Auris Medical Holding Ltd. for the year ended December 31, 2018, and to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus, which is part of such Registration Statement.

 

Deloitte AG

 

/s/ Matthias Gschwend		/s/ Adrian Kaeppeli
Zurich, Switzerland
May 6, 2019