UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): June 11, 2026
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
| 001-38323 | 82-3074668 | |
| (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
4870 Sadler Road, Ste 300
Glen Allen, VA 23060
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
(804) 487-8196
(Registrant’s telephone number including area code)
(Former Name and Former Address)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbols | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| Common Stock | ADIL |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ((Nasdaq Capital Market) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by checkmark 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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01 - Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
Agreement and Plan of Merger
On June 11, 2026, Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “Adial”), acquired Azora Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Azora”), in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated June 11, 2026 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, Adial Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“First Merger Sub”), Adial Second Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Second Merger Sub”), and Azora. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, First Merger Sub merged with and into Azora, pursuant to which Azora was the surviving corporation and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “First Merger” and the effective time of the First Merger, the “First Effective Time”). Immediately following the First Merger, Azora merged with and into Second Merger Sub, pursuant to which Second Merger Sub was the surviving entity and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (together with the First Merger, the “Merger”). The Merger is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, upon the consummation of the Merger (the “Merger Closing”), in exchange for the outstanding shares of capital stock of Azora immediately prior to the effective time of the First Merger, the Company issued to the stockholders of Azora an aggregate of (i) 437,474 shares of its Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and (ii) 12,930.617 shares of its Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) (as described below), each share of which is convertible into 1,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to certain conditions described below.
Reference is made to the discussion of the Series A Preferred Stock in Item 5.03 of this Current Report on Form 8-K (this “Current Report”), which is incorporated into this Item 1.01 by reference.
Shares of Common Stock held by the holders thereof immediately prior to the First Effective Time remain outstanding and unaffected by the Merger. Immediately following the consummation of the Merger, but prior to giving effect to the Financing (as defined below) and the Azora Note Exchange (as defined below), assuming the conversion of all of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement into shares of Common Stock (without giving effect to any beneficial ownership limitations), pre-Merger equityholders of the Company hold approximately 13.1% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock and former equityholders of Azora hold approximately 86.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, on a fully diluted basis.
Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, each option to purchase Azora common stock that was outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time was assumed by the Company and was converted into an option to purchase shares of Common Stock (collectively, the “Assumed Options”). No portion of the Assumed Options will be exercisable unless and until the Assumed Option Exercise Proposal (as defined below) is approved by the Company’s stockholders. Once exercisable, the Assumed Options will be exercisable for an aggregate of 1,177,782 shares of Common Stock.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Purchase Agreement (as defined below) and the Exchange Agreements (as defined below), the Company has agreed to hold a stockholders’ meeting to submit the following matters to its stockholders for their consideration (i) the approval, in accordance with certain of the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“Nasdaq”) of the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock (the “Conversion Proposal”); (ii) the approval in accordance with certain of the rules of Nasdaq of the exercise of the Assumed Options (the “Assumed Option Exercise Proposal”); (iii) the approval in accordance with certain of the rules of Nasdaq of the exercise of the pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 11,780,948 shares of Common Stock (collectively, the “Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants”) issued to the PIPE Investors (as defined below) and the Azora Noteholders (as defined below) at the initial closing of the Financing and Note Exchange into shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Closing Proposal”); (iv) the approval in accordance with certain of the rules of Nasdaq of the exercise of the pre-funded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 11,780,948 shares of Common Stock (the “Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants”) and common warrants to purchase up to 11,780,948 shares of Common Stock (collectively, the “Milestone Incentive Warrants” and, together with the Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants and the Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants, the “Warrants”) that may be issued to PIPE Investors and the Azora Noteholders at the milestone closings pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement and the Note Exchange Agreements, respectively, if any, into shares of Common Stock (the “Milestone Closing Proposal”); (v) the approval of a “change of control” under Nasdaq Listing Rules 5110 and 5635(b) (the “Change in Control Proposal”); (vi) if deemed necessary or appropriate, the amendment of the Company’s certificate of incorporation to authorize sufficient shares of Common Stock for the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock and exercise of the Assumed Options issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement and the exercise of the Warrants to the PIPE Investors and the Azora Noteholders pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and Note Exchange Agreements (the “Charter Amendment Proposal” and, together with the Conversion Proposal and the Change in Control Proposal, the “Company Stockholder Matters”); (vii) to the extent deemed necessary, the amendment of the Company’s certificate of incorporation to effectuate a reverse stock split of all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a reverse stock split ratio to be reasonably determined by the Company for the purpose of maintaining compliance with Nasdaq listing standards; and (viii) the approval of a new 2026 Equity Incentive Plan of the Company, which will provide for new awards for a number of shares of Common Stock not exceeding 10% of the fully diluted shares of capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately after the Financing, and subject to approval by the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”), and which will include an annual increase pursuant to an “evergreen” provision providing for an annual increase of up to 5% of the total number of fully diluted shares of capital stock of the Company outstanding as of the day prior to such increase, and the approval of a new 2026 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, with a total pool of shares of Common Stock not exceeding 1% of the fully diluted shares of capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately after the Financing, and which shall include an annual increase pursuant to an “evergreen” provision providing for an annual increase of up to 1% of the total number of fully diluted shares of capital stock of the Company outstanding as of the day prior to such increase (matters contemplated in items (i) to (viii) collectively, the “Meeting Proposals”); and (ix) to make such other changes as may be mutually agreed by the Company and Azora. In connection with these matters, the Company intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a proxy statement and other relevant materials.
The Board unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and the related transactions and agreements, and the consummation of the Merger did not require the approval of the Company’s stockholders.
The foregoing description of the Merger and the Merger Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report and is incorporated herein by reference.
The issuance of the shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock issued to Azora stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement was exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), promulgated thereunder, as a transaction by an issuer not involving a public offering.
The Merger Agreement has been included as an exhibit to this Current Report to provide investors and security holders with information regarding its terms. It is not intended to provide any other factual information about the Company or Azora. The Merger Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants that the Company and Azora made to each other as of specific dates. The assertions embodied in those representations, warranties and covenants were made solely for purposes of the Merger Agreement between the Company and Azora, and may be subject to important qualifications and limitations agreed to by the Company and Azora in connection with negotiating its terms, including being qualified by confidential disclosures exchanged between the parties in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement. Moreover, the representations and warranties may be subject to a contractual standard of materiality that may be different from what may be viewed as material to investors or securityholders, or may have been used for the purpose of allocating risk between the Company, on the one hand, and Azora on the other hand, rather than establishing matters as facts. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the Company’s public disclosures. For the foregoing reasons, no person should rely on the representations and warranties as statements of factual information at the time they were made or otherwise.
Support Agreements
In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Company and Azora entered into stockholder support agreements (the “Support Agreements”) with certain of the Company’s officers and directors (solely in their capacity as stockholders). The Support Agreements provide that, among other things, each of the parties thereto has agreed to vote or cause to be voted all of the shares of Common Stock owned by such stockholder in favor of the Meeting Proposals at the Company stockholders’ meeting to be held in connection therewith, subject to and in accordance with the terms of the Support Agreements.
The foregoing description of the Support Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of the Support Agreement, which is provided as Exhibit D to the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report and incorporated herein by reference.
Lock-up Agreements
Concurrently and in connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain of the officers, directors and stockholders of Azora as of immediately prior to the Merger, and certain of the directors and officers of the Company as of immediately prior to the Merger entered into lock-up agreements (the “Lock-up Agreements”) with the Company and Azora, pursuant to which each such officer, director and stockholder will be subject to a 180-day lockup on the sale or transfer of shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, held by each such officer, director or stockholder at the Merger Closing (other than in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement).
In addition to the foregoing, the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series A Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”) contains additional lock up restrictions with respect to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued to Azora stockholders as consideration in the Merger and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion thereof, which restrictions are discussed in further detail below.
The foregoing description of the Lock-up Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of the Lock-up Agreement, which is provided as Exhibit B to the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report and incorporated herein by reference.
The Financing
On June 11, 2026, in connection with and as a condition to closing of the Merger, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with the purchasers named therein (the “PIPE Investors”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the PIPE Investors, in a private placement transaction, (i) at the initial closing (the “Initial Closing”) Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 9,749,345 shares of Common Stock, at a price of $2.7489 per Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrant (the “Purchase Price”), for an aggregate purchase price of $26.8 million; and (ii) at one or more subsequent closings (each, a “Milestone Closing”), Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase up to 9,749,345 an aggregate of shares of Common Stock and Milestone Incentive Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 9,749,345 shares of Common Stock, at a combined price equal to the Purchase Price per Milestone Pre-Funded Warrant and Milestone Incentive Warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of up to $26.8 million (collectively, the “Financing”).
The Initial Closing is expected to close on or about June 12, 2026. The net proceeds to the Company from the Initial Closing is expected to be approximately $25.3 million, after deducting placement agent fees and the payment of other offering expenses associated with the Financing that were payable by the Company.
Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, upon achievement of either of the following events (each, a “Milestone Event), the Company shall provide written notice to each of the PIPE Investors of such Milestone Event (the “Milestone Event Notice” and the date the Milestone Closing Notice is delivered, the “Milestone Event Notice Date”):
| 1. | the Company’s public announcement, via a press release on a nationally recognized news wire or the filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, that the first human has been dosed with AT177 in a Phase 1 clinical trial (in an SAD/MAD study)or acceptance of the IND (meaning 30 days past IND submission with no clinical hold); or |
| 2. | the achievement of a VWAP per share of the Common Stock equal to or greater than 400% of the Purchase Price (subject to appropriate, proportional adjustment for any stock splits or combinations of the Common Stock occurring after the date of the Agreement) measured during any 10 consecutive Trading Days during any 30 Trading Day period. |
Regardless of whether a Milestone Event has occurred, each PIPE Investor shall have the right to complete one or more additional purchases of Milestone Pre-funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants at additional closings (each such additional closing, a “Milestone Closing”) at any time following the Initial Closing Date and prior to the date that is 30 calendar days following the Milestone Event Notice. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (the “Milestone Funding Period Expiration”), at a Milestone Closing, the Company agreed to sell, and each such participating PIPE Investor, severally and not jointly, has the right, but not the obligation to purchase, a number of Milestone Pre-funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants (collectively, the “Milestone Warrants”) based on the pro rata amount of their investment in the Initial Closing; provided, however, that in the event a PIPE Investor exercises, prior to such PIPE Investor completing a Milestone Closing, any of the Initial Closing Pre-funded Warrants for shares of Common Stock, such PIPE Investor will only be eligible to participate in a Milestone Closing to purchase that percentage of Milestone Warrants that is equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the number of such PIPE Investor’s Initial Closing Pre-funded Warrants that remain unexercised and held by the PIPE Investor by (ii) the total number of such PIPE Investor’s Initial Closing Prefunded Warrants.
Each Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrant and each Milestone Pre-Funded Warrant (collectively, the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) will have an exercise price per share of Common Stock equal to $0.001, will never expire until fully exercised, and, subject to receipt of stockholder approval of the Financing Initial Closing Proposal and Financing Milestone Closing Proposal, as applicable, and certain beneficial ownership limitations and other limitations, will be immediately exercisable from the date of stockholder approval for one share of Common Stock. The Milestone Incentive Warrants will have an exercise price per share of Common Stock equal to the Purchase Price, will expire five years from the date of issuance, and, subject to receipt of stockholder approval of the Financing Initial Closing Proposal and Financing Milestone Closing Proposal, as applicable, and certain beneficial ownership limitations and other limitations, will be immediately exercisable from their date of stockholder approval for one share of Common Stock.
The Warrants may not be exercised by the holders thereof unless and until the Company receives stockholder approval of the Financing Initial Closing Proposal and Financing Milestone Closing Proposal, as applicable to the respective Warrants. The Company is prohibited from effecting an exercise of any Warrants to the extent that such exercise would result in the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such holder and its affiliates exceeding 4.99% (or 9.99% or up to 19.99%, at election of the holder) of the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”), which percentage may be increased or decreased at the holder’s election, not to exceed 19.99%. Any increase to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company.
Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, subject to certain exceptions, from the Initial Closing Date until the date that is ten business days following the later of (i) the Milestone Funding Period Expiration (or, if earlier, the date on which all PIPE Investors have (x) closed their Milestone Closing or (y) have lost their right to participate in a Milestone Closing) and (ii) provided that a resale registration statement covering the shares of Common Stock underlying the Initial Closing Pre-funded Warrants is effective, the Shareholder Approval Date (as defined in the Form of Pre-funded Warrant), the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the PIPE Investors holding a majority of the then-outstanding Pre-funded Warrants, issue shares of Common Stock or common stock equivalents at a price per share of Common Stock that is less than $4.25.
Wendy Young, who was appointed as a director of the Company in connection with the Merger, as discussed in further detail in Item 5.02 below, is participating in the Financing and agreed to purchase Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase 36,378 shares of Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $100,000 at the Initial Closing.
Lucid Capital Markets, LLC (“Lucid”) served as the Company’s exclusive placement agent in connection with the Financing pursuant to an engagement agreement (the “Engagement Agreement”), dated April 23, 2026 and amended on June 11, 2026, entered into between the Company and Lucid, pursuant to which Lucid is entitled to receive (i) a cash fee equal to 5.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Initial Closing of the Financing, provided that Lucid is only entitled to receive a cash fee equal to 2.5% of the aggregate gross proceeds raised from certain investors.
The issuance of the Warrants to the PIPE Investors will be exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as a transaction by an issuer not involving a public offering.
The foregoing summary of the Purchase Agreement, the Pre-Funded Warrants to be issued to the PIPE Investors and the Milestone Incentive Warrants to the issued to the PIPE Investors does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the forms of the Purchase Agreement, Pre-Funded Warrant (Financing) and Common Warrant (Financing), copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10.2, 4.1 and 4.2 to this Current Report, and are incorporated by reference herein.
Azora Note Exchange
Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, upon the Merger Closing, the Company agreed to guaranty the payment of $5.5 million in principal amount of amended and restated convertible promissory notes issued by Azora (the “Azora Notes”) to certain individuals (collectively, the “Azora Noteholders”). On June 11, 2026, the Company entered into exchange agreements (the “Exchange Agreements”) with the Azora Noteholders to extinguish the payment guarantee and retire the Azora Notes in exchange for Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock (the “Azora Note Exchange”). As a result of the Azora Note Exchange, all such Azora Notes have been deemed to be repaid in full and all outstanding obligations thereunder have been extinguished.
Pursuant to the Exchange Agreements, the Azora Noteholders are entitled to participate in Milestone Closings to purchase Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock and Milestone Incentive Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock, at a combined price equal to the Purchase Price, on substantially the same terms as the PIPE Investors under the Purchase Agreement.
The issuance of the Warrants to the Azora Noteholders in accordance with the Exchange Agreements was, and to the extent not issued, will be, exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as a transaction by an issuer not involving a public offering.
The foregoing description of the Exchange Agreements, the Pre-Funded Warrants issued to the Azora Noteholders and the Milestone Incentive Warrants to the issued to the Azora Noteholders does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the forms of Exchange Agreement, Pre-Funded Warrant (Note Exchange) and Common Warrant (Note Exchange), copies of which are filed as Exhibits 10.2, 4.3 and 4.4 to this Current Report, and are incorporated by reference herein.
Following the consummation of the Initial Closing of the Financing, the consummation of the Azora Note Exchange and the consummation of the Merger, assuming the full exercise of the Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants issued to the Azora Noteholders in the Azora Note Exchange into shares of Common Stock and the full exercise of the Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants issued to the Pipe Investors at the Initial Closing of the Financing into shares of Common Stock, and further assuming the conversion of all shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued to Azora stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement into shares of Common Stock (in each case, without giving effect to any beneficial ownership limitations), pre-Merger equityholders of the Company will hold approximately 7.7% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, former equityholders of Azora will hold approximately 51.0% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, former Noteholders of Azora will hold approximately 7.1% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, and the PIPE Investors will hold approximately 34.2% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, on a fully diluted basis.
Registration Rights Agreement
In connection with the closing of the Merger, Financing and Note Exchange, and as a condition to closing of the Merger, on June 11, 2026, the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with the several investors signatory thereto. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company agreed, as promptly as practicable following the Initial Closing (and in any event within 80 days following the Initial Closing Date), to prepare and file with the SEC, a registration statement on Form S-3 (or, if Form S-3 is not then available to the Company, on such form of registration statement as is then available) (the “Initial Registration Statement”) to register for resale of the shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued pursuant the Merger Agreement, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Initial Closing Pre-Funded Warrants and any other Warrants that will be issued to the PIPE Investors pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and the Azora Noteholders pursuant to the Note Exchange Agreements prior to filing such registration statement. Additionally, following the date on which the purchase price paid by investors and Azora Noteholders in connection with all Milestone Closings for which the underlying shares have not yet be registered equals $5,000,000 in the aggregate (the “Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date”), and thereafter, following the date on which the aggregate purchase price paid by the investors and Azora Noteholders in connection with all additional Milestone Closings after the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, for which the underlying shares have not yet be registered equals or exceeds $3,000,000 in the aggregate (together with the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, each a “Milestone Registration Trigger Date”), the Company agreed, as promptly as practicable following the applicable Milestone Registration Trigger Date (and in any event within 30 days following such Milestone Registration Trigger Date), to prepare and file with the SEC, an additional registration statement on Form S-3 (or, if Form S-3 is not then available to the Company, on such form of registration statement as is then available) (each such additional registration statement, a “Milestone Registration Statement”) to register for resale all shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants issued pursuant to such applicable Milestone Closings not already registered. The Company further agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to have (i) the Initial Registration Statement declared effective by (a) no later than 120 calendar days following the earlier of the initial filing date of the Initial Registration Statement or the applicable filing deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will not review the Initial Registration Statement and (b) no later than the 150th calendar day following the initial filing deadline of the Initial Registration Statement or the applicable filing deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will review the Initial Registration Statement; and (ii) each Milestone Registration Statement declared effective by no later than the earlier of (a) the 60th calendar day following the earlier of the initial filing date of the Milestone Registration Statement or the applicable filing deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will review the Milestone Registration Statement and (b) the 5th business day after the SEC notifies the Company that it will not review the Milestone Registration Statement or that it is not subject to further review.
If a registration statement required to be filed by the Company with the SEC pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement has not been filed with the SEC by the applicable filing deadline or declared effective by the SEC by the applicable effectiveness deadline, or after any such registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC sales cannot be made pursuant to such registration statement for any reason (subject to limited exceptions), then the Company will be required to make pro rata payments to each investor then holding registrable securities covered by such registration statement, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 1.0% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such investor for such registrable securities then held by such investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof during which the failure continues, not to exceed 5.0% of the aggregate purchase price paid by such investors.
The Company has also agreed to, among other things, indemnify the signatories to the Registration Rights Agreement, their officers, directors, members, employees, partners, managers, stockholders, affiliates, investment advisors and agents under the registration statement from certain liabilities and pay all fees and expenses (excluding any legal fees of the selling holder(s), and any underwriting discounts and selling commissions) incident to the Company’s obligations under the Registration Rights Agreement.
The foregoing summary of the Registration Rights Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the form of Registration Rights Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.3 to this Current Report, and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 2.01 - Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.
On June 11, 2026, the Company completed its acquisition of Azora. The information contained in Item 1.01 of this Current Report is incorporated by reference into this Item 2.01.
Item 2.03 - Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.
The information contained in Item 1.01 of this Current Report regarding the Company’s guarantee of the payment of the Azora Notes upon closing of the Merger is incorporated by reference into this Item 2.01.
Item 3.02 - Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
The information contained in Item 1.01 of this Current Report with respect to the sale and issuance of the 437,474 shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the 12,930.617 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement that are convertible into 12,930,617 shares of Common Stock and the Warrants issued or to be issued pursuant to the Financing and/or Note Exchange that are exercisable for up to an aggregate of 35,342,844 shares of Common Stock, including those Initial Closing Pre-funded Warrants to be sold and issued at the Initial Closing and those Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants that may be sold or issued in Milestone Closings in accordance with the Purchase Agreement and Note Exchange Agreements, as well as the Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares issuable or to be issuable upon conversion or exercise of the foregoing (collectively, the “Securities”), as applicable, is incorporated by reference into this Item 3.02.
With respect to the Securities that have already been issued and sold, such Securities were offered and sold, and with respect to such Securities that will be issued and sold, such Securities will be offered and sold, in transactions exempt from registration under the Securities Act, in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) thereof. The Securities that have already been issued and sold have not been, and to the extent the securities have not yet been issued will not be, registered under the Securities Act or applicable state securities laws and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Neither this Current nor any of the exhibits attached hereto is an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy shares of Common Stock, the Securities or any other securities of the Company.
Item 5.02 - Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Director Fees
On June 11, 2026, upon closing of the Merger, each director of the Company immediately prior to the First Effective Time will receive cash payment of $30,000.
Resignation of Director
In connection with the Merger, effective as of the First Effective Time, Tony Goodman resigned as a Class I Director of the Company. Mr. Goodman did not resign as a result of any disagreements with the Board or the Company.
Appointment of Directors and Chief Development Officer
On June 11, 2026, in connection with the Merger, effective immediately after the First Effective Time, Matt Davidson, Ph.D., was appointed to the Board as a Class I Director, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. Goodman, with a term expiring at the Company’s 2028 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and Wendy B. Young, Ph. D. was appointed to the Board as a Class III Director, filling a standing vacancy on the Board, with a term expiring at the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. On June 11, 2026, effective immediately after the First Effective Time, Dr. Davidson was also appointed as the Company’s Chief Development Officer. Dr. Davidson and Dr. Young were not appointed as a member to any Committee of the Board.
Matt Davidson (age 42) was appointed as the Company’s Chief Development Officer and member of the Board effective as of immediately after the First Effective Time. Prior to the Merger Closing, Dr. Davidson served as the Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azora since its inception in March 2019. From August 2013 until December 2017, he served as the Chief Executive Officer, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Verrica Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company, where he invented and developed the first FDA-approved drug for the skin disease molluscum contagiosum. Dr. Davidson holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from Stanford University School of Medicine and a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Wendy P. Young (age 60) was appointed as a member of the Board effective as of immediately after the First Effective Time. Since July 2021 she has served as President of BioPharma Discovery, LLC, where she provides scientific advisory services and expert witness services, and she has also served as a Senior Advisor to GV (Google Ventures), focused on life science company creation and investments, since January 2023. Additionally, she has served as a Senior Advisor to YK Bioventures since 2024 and currently serves as an independent board director of Rapport Therapeutics, Terray Therapeutics, Shenandoah, Genuiti, BioIntervene, and Think Bioscience. Dr. Young previously served as an Executive Partner at MPM Capital and as interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of a stealth oncology small molecule platform company from September 2021 to September 2023. Before joining MPM Capital, Dr. Young spent 15 years at Genentech, a member of the Roche group, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President, Small Molecule Drug Discovery from January 2018 to September 2021. In that role, she led a department of approximately 900 internal and external scientists across chemistry, cheminformatics, biochemical pharmacology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, and small molecule pharmaceutical sciences, and she served as an executive member of Genentech’s research and development leadership team. Dr. Young earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Princeton University in 1993 and a B.A./M.S. in Chemistry, cum laude, from Wake Forest University in 1989.
Each of Dr. Davidson and Dr. Young will receive the standard compensation available to the Company’s current directors. Dr. Young will also receive an option grant to purchase 25,666 shares of Common Stock on the second trading day after public announcement of the Merger, which shall have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Common Stock on the second trading day after public announcement of the Merger, shall have a term of ten years from the date of grant, and shall not be exercisable unless and until the Company amends its 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”) to increase the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance thereunder by a sufficient number of shares to permit the exercise of such grant, at which time the options shall vest as to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the result obtained by multiplying 25,666 by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of whole months between the date of grant and the date of such stockholder approval (the “Pre-Stockholder Approval Months”) and the denominator of which is 36 and thereafter the balance of the grant shall vest pro rata on a monthly basis over a number of months equal to the difference between 36 and the number of Pre-Stockholder Approval Months; provided, however, that in the event that such amendment to the 2017 Plan is not approved by the Company’s stockholders one or before the one-year anniversary of such grant, such grant shall be forfeited and cancelled in full.
Except as described in the Merger Agreement, there are no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Davidson and any other person pursuant to which he was appointed as a director of the Company. There are no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Young and any other person pursuant to which she was appointed as a director of the Company. Except as described above and below, Dr. Davidson and Dr. Young are not a party to any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Indemnification Agreements
In connection with Dr. Davidson’s appointment as a director of the Company and as the Company’s Chief Development Officer and Dr. Young’s appointment as a director, on June 11, 2026, the Company and each of Dr. Davidson and Dr. Young entered into the Company’s standard form of indemnification agreement, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the SEC on March 5, 2026.
Executive Officers
Appointment of Dr. Davidson and Execution of Davidson Agreement
In accordance with the Merger Agreement, on June 11, 2026, effective immediately after the First Effective Time, Dr. Davidson was appointed as the Chief Development Officer of the Company. In connection with Dr. Davidson’s appointment as Chief Development Officer, the Company will enter into an employment agreement with Dr. Davidson (the “Davidson Agreement”), which shall be effective as of June 11, 2026 and shall remain in effect until terminated by either party pursuant to its terms. The Davidson Agreement provides for Dr. Davidson to serve as the Company’s Chief Development Officer following the closing of the Merger, reporting to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Board, and provides for an annual base salary of $609,120, provided that in the event that the Company raises an additional $20 million or similar significant financing, his annual base salary shall be increased to $648,000. Additionally, upon closing Dr. Davidson will receive a cash payment of $312,484.98 as payment for previously deferred salary. Under the Davidson Agreement, Dr. Davidson is eligible to receive an annual bonus with a target amount equal to 50% of his base salary, which will be awarded by the Board, in its discretion, based on the achievement of performance-based metrics established by the Compensation Committee of the Board (or in its absence, the Board) on an annual basis. Dr. Davidson may also receive, in the discretion of the Compensation Committee (or in its absence, the Board), equity awards under the Company’s then-current equity plan. The Davidson Agreement further provides that the Company will make a one-time inducement equity award to Dr. Davidson to be divided equally between restricted stock units (the “Davidson RSU Inducement Award”) and stock options to purchase Common Stock (the “Davidson Option Inducement Award” and together with the Davidson RSU Inducement Award, the “Davidson Inducement Awards”), to be granted one trading day following the announcement by the Company of the consummation of the Merger. The Davidson agreement provides that the aggregate number of shares underlying the Davidson Inducement Awards will be equal to 1.63% of the Company’s fully diluted shares of Common Stock outstanding following the consummation of the Merger, the Initial Closing of the Financing and Note Exchange (collectively, the “Transactions”), plus 1.63% of the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon exercise of all Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants that may be issued to the PIPE Investors and the Azora Noteholders in Milestone Closings pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and the Note Exchange Agreements, respectively. The Davidson Inducement Awards will vest (i) with respect to that number of shares subject to the Davidson Inducement Awards calculated as of closing of the Transactions, pro rata on a monthly basis over three years commencing on the one month anniversary of the effective grant date hereof and (ii) with respect to that number of shares subject to the Davidson Inducement Awards calculated based on the number of Milestone Warrants that may be issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and the Note Exchange Agreement, a pro rata portion of such awards will be subject to the same vesting included in (i) upon issuance by the Company of each Milestone Warrant, subject to catch up vesting for any awards that would have otherwise vested prior to issuance of such Milestone Warrants. The Davidson Option Inducement Award will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Common Stock on the first trading day after the public announcement of the Merger.
The Company may terminate the Davidson Agreement upon written notice to Dr. Davidson in the event of Disability (as defined in the Davidson Agreement) or for Cause (as defined in the Davidson Agreement), in which event the Company would have no further obligations under the Davidson Agreement, except for payment of any Accrued Obligations (as defined in the Davidson Agreement). Dr. Davidson’s employment automatically terminates upon his death, in which event the Company would have no further obligations under the Davidson Agreement, except for payment of any Accrued Obligations. The Company may terminate the Davidson Agreement without Cause immediately upon written notice of termination to Dr. Davidson, and in such event, in addition to payment of any Accrued Obligations due, subject to the Company’s receipt of a release from Dr. Davidson, Dr. Davidson is entitled to receive severance payments in an amount equal to Dr. Davidson’s base salary for a period of 12 months after the effective date of the termination and a COBRA subsidy coverage for up to 12 months.
Dr. Davidson may generally terminate his agreement by providing 30 days written notice to the Company, provided, that to terminate his agreement for Good Reason (as defined in the Davidson Agreement), he must first meet certain procedural requirements set forth in the Davidson Agreement. If Dr. Davidson terminates his employment for Good Reason, Dr. Davidson will be entitled to receive the same payments and benefits on the same terms and conditions as would be applicable upon termination by the Company without Cause.
If the Davidson Agreement is terminated by Dr. Davidson for Good Reason or by us without Cause (other than on account of Dr. Davidson’s death or Disability), then, in addition to the severance payments described above, Dr. Davidson will be afforded an additional 12 months of vesting credit with respect to the Davidson Inducement Awards and extension of the post-termination exercise period for all vested stock options until the earliest of (i) the 12-month anniversary of the date of termination, (ii) the original expiration date of the applicable option or (iii) the 10th anniversary of the applicable option’s grant date.
If the Davidson Agreement is terminated by Dr. Davidson for Good Reason or by us without Cause (other than on account of Dr. Davidson’s death or Disability) in the three months before or 12 months following a Change in Control (as defined in the Davidson Agreement), then Dr. Davidson will be entitled to receive severance payments in an amount equal to Dr. Davidson’s base salary for a period of 18 months after the effective date of the termination (or the Change in Control, if later), his target annual bonus, a COBRA subsidy for up to 18 months, and acceleration of all incentive equity awards, with any performance-based awards deemed earned at the greater of target or actual performance.
The Company expects to grant and issue as an inducement to Dr. Davidson’s employment with the Company the Davidson RSU Inducement Award, consisting of 424,446 restricted stock units, and the Davidson Option Inducement Award to purchase 424,447 shares of Common Stock on June 12, 2026. The Davidson RSU Inducement Award, and the Davidson Option Inducement Award will be granted, outside of, but subject to the terms of, the Company’s 2017 Plan, and pursuant to the terms of the applicable award agreements. The Davidson RSU Inducement Award was issued, and the Davidson Option Inducement Award will be issued, without stockholder approval pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).
Dr. Davidson has no family relationships with any of the executive officers or directors of the Company. Except as otherwise described in the Merger Agreement, there are no arrangements or understandings between Dr. Davidson and any other person pursuant to which he was appointed as an executive officer of the Company. Except as described above, Dr. Davidson is not party to any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
The foregoing description of the Davidson Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Davidson Agreement, a copy of which will be filed as an exhibit to the next periodic report that the Company files with the SEC. Complete copies of the form of stock option grant notice and stock option agreement used for the Davidson Option Inducement Award and the restricted stock unit grant notice and restricted stock unit agreement used as for the Davidson RSU Inducement Award will also be filed as exhibits to the next periodic report that the Company files with the SEC.
Amendment and Restatement of Certain Executive Employment Agreements
On June 11, 2026, the Company amended the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement previously entered into with Cary J. Claiborne, its President and Chief Executive Officer (the “Claiborne EA Amendment”), the Employment Agreement previously entered into with Tony Goodman, its Chief Operating Officer (the “Goodman EA Amendment”), and the Employment Agreement previously entered into with Vinay Shah, its Chief Financial Officer (the “Shah EA Amendment” and, together with the Claiborne EA Amendment and the Goodman EA Amendment, the “EA Amendments”). The EA Amendments amended the severance provisions of the respective employment agreements to provide for the payments specified below upon a termination of employment without cause within twenty-four months after an “Execution Trigger” (as defined in the EA Amendments) and provide that amounts payable shall include: (i) the annual bonus earned by the executive for the immediately prior fiscal year to the extent unpaid, as if no such termination had occurred; (ii) the executive’s annual bonus target for the year in which the termination date occurs, multiplied by a fraction (A) the numerator of which is the number of days in the fiscal year that have transpired through the termination date and (B) the denominator of which is the number of days in such fiscal year, to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release required by the EA Amendments to be delivered by the executives in favor of the Company (with all revocation periods having expired unexercised); (iii) for Mr. Claiborne, a lump sum payment equal to two times his base salary and the higher of his target annual bonus opportunity and the annual bonus paid to him with respect to the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which such termination occurred, to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release required by the agreement to be delivered by Mr. Claiborne in favor of the Company (with all revocation periods having expired unexercised) and in all events no later than 70 days after such termination and continuation of medical coverage for 24 months; and (iv) for Mr. Shah and Mr. Goodman, a lump sum payment equal to the executive’s annual base salary and the higher of executive’s target annual bonus opportunity and the annual bonus paid to executive with respect to the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which such termination occurred, to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release required by the agreement to be delivered by the executives in favor of the Company (with all revocation periods having expired unexercised) and in all events no later than 70 days after such termination and continuation of medical coverage for 12 months.
In addition, upon closing of the Merger on June 11, 2026, as compensation for additional duties performed in connection with evaluating the transactions described herein, Mr. Claiborne, Mr. Shah and Mr. Goodman also received a discretionary bonus equal to $508,820, $327,600 and $156,000, respectively.
The foregoing description of the EA Amendments do not purport to be complete and are qualified by reference to the full text of the Claiborne EA Amendment, Goodman EA Amendment and Shah EA Amendment, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibits 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.
Employee Inducement Awards
On June 11, 2026, as inducements to entering into employment with the Company, the Board approved sign-on equity awards to an Azora employee who is expected to commence employment with the Company immediately following the Merger (collectively, the “Employee Inducement Awards”), in substantially the same form of awards granted to Dr. Davidson. The Employee Inducement Awards will consist of a one-time inducement equity award to such employees to be divided equally between restricted stock units (the “Employee RSU Inducement Awards”) and stock options to purchase Common Stock (the “Employee Option Inducement Awards” and together with the Employee RSU Inducement Awards, the “Employee Inducement Awards”), to be granted one trading day following the announcement by the Company of the consummation of the Merger. The aggregate number of shares underlying the Employee Inducement Awards will be equal to 0.51% of the Company’s fully diluted shares of Common Stock outstanding following the consummation of Transactions, plus 0.51% of the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon exercise of all Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants that may be issued to the PIPE Investors and the Azora Noteholders in Milestone Closings pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and the Note Exchange Agreements, respectively. The Employee Inducement Awards will vest (i) with respect to that number of shares subject to the Employee Inducement Awards calculated as of closing of the Transactions, pro rata on a monthly basis over three years commencing on the one month anniversary of the effective grant date hereof and (ii) with respect to that number of shares subject to the Employee Inducement Awards calculated based on the number of Milestone Warrants that may be issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and the Note Exchange Agreement, a pro rata portion of such awards will be subject to the same vesting included in (i) upon issuance by the Company of each Milestone Warrant, subject to catch up vesting for any awards that would have otherwise vested prior to issuance of such Milestone Warrants. The Employee Option Inducement Awards will have an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Common Stock on the second trading day after the public announcement of the Merger.
The Company expects to grant and issue as an inducement to the individual’s employment with the Company the Employee RSU Inducement Award, consisting of 132,802 restricted stock units, and the Employee Option Inducement Award to purchase 132,802 shares of Common Stock on June 12, 2026. The Employee Inducement Awards will be issued without stockholder approval pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). In accordance with Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Employee Inducement Awards will be made only to individuals who are commencing employment with the Company or a subsidiary thereof and such grants were made in connection with his or her commencement of employment with the Company or such subsidiary and as an inducement material to his or her entering into employment with the Company or such subsidiary.
A complete copy of the form of stock option grant notice and stock option agreement used for the Employee Option Inducement Award and Employee Inducement Award will be filed as an exhibit to the next periodic report that the Company files with the SEC. The Company will issue a press release with the information required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) regarding the Davidson Option Inducement Award and Employee Inducement Awards.
Termination of Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Goodman’s employment with the Company is expected to be terminated on or about 60 days following closing of the Merger. Upon such termination, and subject to his execution of a release, Mr. Goodman will be entitled to receive the severance payments and benefits set forth above under the Section of this Current Report titled “Amendment and Restatement of Certain Executive Employment Agreements.”
Item 5.03 - Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.
On June 11, 2026, the Company filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware the Certificate of Designation in connection with the Merger referenced in Item 1.01 above. The Certificate of Designation provides for the creation of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, designating 13,000 shares of the Company’s preferred stock as Series A Preferred Stock, and sets forth the terms applicable thereto, a summary of certain of which is set forth below.
Ranking. The Series A Preferred Stock ranks pari pasu with the Common Stock with respect to dividend rights and rights on the distribution of assets on any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company.
Dividends. Holders of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to receive dividends on shares of Series A Preferred Stock equal to, on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of the Common Stock.
Voting. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Designation or as otherwise required by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Series A Preferred Stock shall have no voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Company shall not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series A Preferred Stock: (i) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A Preferred Stock or alter or amend the Certificate of Designation, amend its certificate of incorporation or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the holders of Series A Preferred Stock, (ii) issue further shares of Series A Preferred Stock or increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock, (iii) prior to the stockholder approval of the Company Stockholder Matters, consummate either: (A) any Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Certificate of Designation) or (B) any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person or any stock sale to, or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, share exchange or scheme of arrangement) with or into another Person in which the stockholders of the Company immediately before such transaction do not hold at least a majority of the capital stock of the Company immediately after such transaction or in which the Company issues securities in such transaction that represent or are convertible into securities representing more than a majority of the voting power of the Company immediately before such transaction, (iv) prior to the stockholder approval of the Company Stockholder Matters, authorize or issue any class or series of stock that has powers, preferences or rights that are senior to those of the Series A Preferred Stock, (v) amend, waive or modify the Merger Agreement in any manner that would be reasonably likely to prevent, impede or materially delay stockholder approval of the Company Stockholder Matters or the Automatic Conversion (as defined in the Certificate of Designation) or (iv) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing. Holders of shares of Common Stock acquired upon the conversion of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to the same voting rights as each other holder of Common Stock, except that such holders may not vote such shares in connection with the Company Stockholder Matters in accordance with Rule 5635 of the listing rules of Nasdaq.
Transfer Restrictions. Subject to certain exceptions, holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of shares of Series A Preferred Stock (collectively, the “Locked Shares”) shall be subject to the following restrictions on transfer:
| 1. | 1/3 of the Locked Shares held by each holder thereof shall not be transferred until the date that is 180 days after the Initial Closing; |
| 2. | 1/3 of the Locked Shares held by each holder thereof shall not be transferred until the date that is 180 days after the date that stockholder approval of the Company Stockholder Matters in obtained; and |
| 3. | 1/3 of the Locked Shares held by each holder thereof shall not be transferred until the date that is 180 days after the date that the Company issues the Milestone Event Notice. |
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall any Locked Shares remain subject to the foregoing transfer restrictions after the Company’s issuance of the Milestone Event Notice.
Conversion. Following stockholder approval of the Company Stockholder Matters, each share of Series A Preferred Stock will automatically convert into 1,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to certain limitations (the “Conversion Ratio”), including that a holder of Series A Preferred Stock is prohibited from converting shares of Series A Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock if, as a result of such conversion, such holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own more than a specified percentage (to be established by the holder between 4.99% and 19.99%) of the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately after giving effect to such conversion, provided that following approval of the Nasdaq Listing Application (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and the Company Stockholder Matters, such beneficial ownership blockers may be waived by each holder of Series A Preferred Stock upon written notice to the Company to be effective on the 61st day following receipt of such notice. Following the earlier of (i) the third business day after the date that the Company Stockholder Matters are approved by the Company’s stockholders and (ii) solely for purposes of a cash settlement (as discussed below), the date that is 6 months after the initial issuance date of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, any shares of Series A Preferred Stock that remain outstanding may be converted, at the option of the holder thereof, into that number of shares equal to the Conversion Ratio.
Cash Settlement. If at any time after the earlier of (i) approval of the Company Stockholder Matters or (ii) six months after the initial issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Company fails to deliver to the holder of the Series A Preferred Stock shares of Common Stock underlying such shares Series A Preferred Stock, then (other than in certain circumstances set forth in the Certificate of Designation), the Company will pay, at the request of such holder, an amount of cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds equal to the Fair Value (as defined in the Certificate of Designation) of such undelivered shares.
Liquidation. In the event of liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the affairs of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall rank on parity with holders of Common Stock as to the distributions of assets.
The foregoing description of the Series A Preferred Stock does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Certificate of Designation, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01 - Regulation FD Disclosure.
On June 11, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the Merger, the Financing and related transactions and made available Azora’s investor presentation to be used in general corporate communications and investor communications. Copies of the press release and presentation are furnished as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, to this Current Report.
The information in Item 7.01 of this Current Report, including the information in the press release attached as Exhibit 99.1 and the presentation attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report, is furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section. Furthermore, the information in Item 7.01 of this Current Report, including Exhibit 99.1 and Exhibit 99.2 to this Current Report, shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in the filings of the Company under the Securities Act.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this Form 8-K may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words and phrases “designed to,” “may,” “might,” “can,” “will,” “to be,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “objective,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “likely,” “continue,” “ongoing” or similar expressions, or the negative of such words, are intended to identify “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company, Azora, the Financing and the Merger, including regarding the timing of the Initial Closing and Milestone Closings, if any, under the Purchase Agreement and Exchange Agreements, and the expected effects, perceived benefits or opportunities and related timing with respect thereto; the expected grant and issuance of inducement awards to Mr. Davidson and other Azora employees; and expectations regarding or plans for the combined company’s pipeline, including its ongoing clinical trials and research and development programs. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations and projections about future events. Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those above in this Current Report on Form 8-K and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. Statements made herein are as of the date of the filing of this Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC and should not be relied upon as of any subsequent date. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake, and it specifically disclaim, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statement.
Item 9.01 - Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(a) Financial statements of business acquired
The financial statements required by this Item 9.01(a) are not included in this Current Report. The Company intends to include such financial statements by amendment to this Current Report no later than 71 calendar days after the date this Current Report is required to be filed.
(b) Pro forma financial information
The pro forma financial information required by this Item 9.01(b) is not included in this Current Report. The Company intends to include such pro forma financial information by amendment to this Current Report no later than 71 calendar days after the date this Current Report is required to be filed.
(d) Exhibits
| * | Certain schedules and attachments have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company agrees to provide, on a supplemental basis, a copy of any omitted schedules and attachments to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Dated: June 11, 2026 | ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
|
| By: | /s/ Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Name: | Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
13
Exhibit 2.1
Execution Version
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
by and among:
ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.,
a Delaware corporation;
ADIAL MERGER SUB I, INC.,
a Delaware corporation;
ADIAL MERGER SUB II, LLC,
a Delaware limited liability company;
and
AZORA THERAPEUTICS, INC.,
a Delaware corporation
dated as of June 11, 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |||
| SECTION 1. | DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION | 3 | |
| 1.1 | The Merger | 3 | |
| 1.2 | Effects of the Merger | 3 | |
| 1.3 | Closing; First Effective Time; Second Effective Time | 3 | |
| 1.4 | Certificate of Designation; Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws; Directors and Officers | 4 | |
| 1.5 | Merger Consideration; Effect of Merger on Company Capital Stock | 5 | |
| 1.6 | Conversion of Shares | 5 | |
| 1.7 | Closing of the Company’s Transfer Books | 6 | |
| 1.8 | Exchange of Shares | 6 | |
| 1.9 | Company Options | 7 | |
| 1.10 | Further Action | 8 | |
| 1.11 | Withholding | 8 | |
| 1.12 | Outstanding Notes | 8 | |
| SECTION 2. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY | 8 | |
| 2.1 | Due Organization; Subsidiaries | 8 | |
| 2.2 | Organizational Documents | 9 | |
| 2.3 | Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement | 9 | |
| 2.4 | Vote Required | 9 | |
| 2.5 | Non-Contravention; Consents | 10 | |
| 2.6 | Capitalization | 11 | |
| 2.7 | Financial Statements | 12 | |
| 2.8 | Absence of Changes | 13 | |
| 2.9 | Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities | 15 | |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
| Page | |||
| 2.10 | Title to Assets | 15 | |
| 2.11 | Real Property; Leasehold | 15 | |
| 2.12 | Intellectual Property; Privacy | 16 | |
| 2.13 | Agreements, Contracts and Commitments | 19 | |
| 2.14 | Compliance; Permits; Restrictions | 21 | |
| 2.15 | Legal Proceedings; Orders | 21 | |
| 2.16 | Tax Matters | 21 | |
| 2.17 | Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans | 23 | |
| 2.18 | Environmental Matters | 26 | |
| 2.19 | Insurance | 26 | |
| 2.20 | No Financial Advisors | 27 | |
| 2.21 | Transactions with Affiliates | 27 | |
| 2.22 | Export Controls and Sanctions Compliance Issues | 27 | |
| 2.23 | Anti-Bribery | 27 | |
| 2.24 | Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties | 28 | |
| SECTION 3. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUBS | 2 | |
| 3.1 | Due Organization; Subsidiaries | 28 | |
| 3.2 | Organizational Documents | 29 | |
| 3.3 | Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement | 29 | |
| 3.4 | Vote Required | 29 | |
| 3.5 | Non-Contravention; Consents | 30 | |
| 3.6 | Capitalization | 30 | |
| 3.7 | SEC Filings; Financial Statements | 32 | |
| 3.8 | Absence of Changes | 34 | |
| 3.9 | Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities | 35 | |
| 3.10 | Title to Assets | 36 | |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
| Page | |||
| 3.11 | Real Property; Leasehold | 36 | |
| 3.12 | Intellectual Property; Privacy | 36 | |
| 3.13 | Agreements, Contracts and Commitments | 39 | |
| 3.14 | Compliance; Permits | 40 | |
| 3.15 | Legal Proceedings; Orders | 41 | |
| 3.16 | Tax Matters | 41 | |
| 3.17 | Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans | 42 | |
| 3.18 | Environmental Matters | 46 | |
| 3.19 | Transactions with Affiliates | 46 | |
| 3.20 | Insurance | 46 | |
| 3.21 | Opinion of Financial Advisor | 46 | |
| 3.22 | No Financial Advisors | 47 | |
| 3.23 | Anti-Bribery | 47 | |
| 3.24 | Valid Issuance | 47 | |
| 3.25 | Export Control and Sanctions Compliance | 47 | |
| 3.26 | Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties | 47 | |
| SECTION 4. | ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES | 48 | |
| 4.1 | Parent Stockholders’ Meeting | 48 | |
| 4.2 | Proxy Statement | 49 | |
| 4.3 | Reservation of Parent Common Stock; Issuance of Shares of Parent Common Stock | 50 | |
| 4.4 | Employee Benefits | 50 | |
| 4.5 | Indemnification of Officers and Directors | 51 | |
| 4.6 | Additional Agreements | 53 | |
| 4.7 | Listing | 53 | |
| 4.8 | Tax Matters | 53 | |
| 4.9 | Legends | 54 | |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
| Page | |||
| 4.10 | Directors and Officers | 54 | |
| 4.11 | Section 16 Matters | 54 | |
| 4.12 | Cooperation | 54 | |
| 4.13 | Closing Certificates | 54 | |
| 4.14 | Takeover Statutes | 55 | |
| 4.15 | Obligations of Merger Subs | 55 | |
| 4.16 | Private Placement | 55 | |
| SECTION 5. | CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF EACH PARTY | 55 | |
| 5.1 | No Restraints | 55 | |
| 5.2 | Certificate of Designation | 56 | |
| 5.3 | Parent Financing | 56 | |
| 5.4 | Exchange Agreements | 56 | |
| SECTION 6. | CLOSING DELIVERIES OF THE COMPANY | 56 | |
| 6.1 | Documents | 56 | |
| 6.2 | FIRPTA Certificate | 56 | |
| 6.3 | Company Lock-Up Agreements | 56 | |
| 6.4 | Registration Rights Agreements | 56 | |
| SECTION 7. | CLOSING DELIVERIES OF PARENT | 57 | |
| 7.1 | Documents | 57 | |
| 7.2 | Parent Lock-Up Agreements | 57 | |
| 7.3 | Parent Stockholder Support Agreements | 57 | |
| 7.4 | Registration Rights Agreements | 57 | |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
| Page | |||
| SECTION 8. | MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS | 57 | |
| 8.1 | Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties | 57 | |
| 8.2 | Amendment | 58 | |
| 8.3 | Waiver | 58 | |
| 8.4 | Entire Agreement; Counterparts; Exchanges by Electronic Transmission | 58 | |
| 8.5 | Applicable Law; Jurisdiction | 58 | |
| 8.6 | Attorneys’ Fees | 59 | |
| 8.7 | Assignability | 59 | |
| 8.8 | Notices | 59 | |
| 8.9 | Cooperation | 60 | |
| 8.10 | Severability | 60 | |
| 8.11 | Other Remedies; Specific Performance | 60 | |
| 8.12 | No Third-Party Beneficiaries | 60 | |
| 8.13 | Construction | 61 | |
| 8.14 | Expenses | 61 | |
Exhibits:
| Exhibit A | Definitions | A-1 |
| Exhibit B | Form of Lock-Up Agreement | B-1 |
| Exhibit C | Form of Certificate of Designation | C-1 |
| Exhibit D | Form of Parent Stockholder Support Agreement | D-1 |
| Exhibit E | Registration Rights Agreement | E-1 |
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of June 11, 2026, by and among ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), ADIAL MERGER SUB I, INC., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“First Merger Sub”), ADIAL MERGER SUB II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Second Merger Sub” and together with First Merger Sub, “Merger Subs”), and AZORA THERAPEUTICS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), (each, a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”). Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in Exhibit A.
RECITALS
A. Parent and the Company desire to enter into a business combination as contemplated by this Agreement based on the mutually agreed values of each of Parent and the Company.
B. Parent and the Company intend to effect a merger of First Merger Sub with and into the Company (the “First Merger”) in accordance with this Agreement and the DGCL. Upon consummation of the First Merger, First Merger Sub will cease to exist and the Company will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent.
C. Immediately following the First Merger and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, the Company will merge with and into Second Merger Sub (the “Second Merger” and, together with the First Merger, the “Merger”), with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity of the Second Merger.
D. The Parties intend that: (i) the First Merger and the Second Merger, taken together, will constitute an integrated transaction described in Rev. Rul. 2001-46, 2001-2 C.B. 321, that qualifies as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, and (ii) this Agreement will constitute, and is hereby adopted as, a plan of reorganization within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a).
E. The Parent Board has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders (“Parent Stockholders”), (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, including the issuance of the Parent Common Stock Payment Shares and the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares to the stockholders of the Company (“Company Stockholders”) pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Parent Stockholders vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting to be convened following the Closing.
F. The First Merger Sub Board has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of First Merger Sub and its sole stockholder, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the sole stockholder of First Merger Sub votes to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions.
G. The sole member of the Second Merger Sub has (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of Second Merger Sub and its sole member, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the sole member of Second Merger Sub votes to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions.
H. The Company Board has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of the Company Stockholders, (ii) approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) recommended, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Company Stockholders vote to approve the Company Stockholder Matters (collectively, the “Board Approval”).
I. Subsequent to the Board Approval, but prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the requisite Company Stockholders constituting the Required Company Stockholder Vote by written consent and in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation, the Company’s bylaws and the DGCL: (i) approved and adopted this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, (ii) acknowledged that the approval given thereby is irrevocable and that such stockholder is aware of its rights to demand appraisal for its shares pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL, a true and correct copy of which was attached thereto, and that such Company Stockholder has received and read a copy of Section 262 of the DGCL, and (iii) acknowledged that by its approval of the Merger it is not entitled to appraisal rights with respect to its shares in connection with the Merger and thereby waives any rights to receive payment of the fair value of its capital stock under the DGCL (such matters, the “Company Stockholder Matters” and the consent, the “Stockholder Written Consent”), and the Stockholder Written Consent is to become effective by its terms immediately following the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto.
J. Immediately following the Closing, the Company will transmit to each Company stockholder who did not execute the Stockholder Written Consent any notices required under Section 228(e) and Section 262 of the DGCL.
K. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to each of Parent and the Company’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, the directors and the officers of Parent listed in Section A-1 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule (solely in their capacity as Parent Stockholders) (the “Parent Signatories”) and the directors and the officers of the Company listed in Section A-1 of the Company Disclosure Schedule (the “Company Signatories”) (solely in their capacity as stockholders) are executing lock-up agreements in substantially the form attached as Exhibit B (each, a “Lock-Up Agreement”).
L. As a condition and inducement to the Parties’ willingness to enter into this Agreement, concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and conditioned solely on Closing, the Parent and certain investors named in that certain purchase agreement (collectively, the “PIPE Investors”), dated as of the date hereof (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”), have executed and delivered the Securities Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which the PIPE Investors have agreed to purchase prefunded warrants (the “PIPE Prefunded Warrants”) and common stock warrants (the “PIPE Common Warrants”, and together with the PIPE Prefunded Warrants, the “PIPE Warrants”) to purchase the number of shares of Parent Common Stock set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement in connection with the Parent Financing.
M. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to the Company’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, certain stockholders set forth on Section A-2 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule (solely in their capacity as stockholders) are executing support agreements in favor of the Company in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “Parent Stockholder Support Agreement”), pursuant to which such Persons have, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Parent Stockholder Support Agreement, agreed to vote all of their shares of capital stock of Parent in favor of the Parent Stockholder Matters.
N. Immediately following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, but prior to the filing of the First Certificate of Merger, Parent will file the Certificate of Designation with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
O. Concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to the Company’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, Parent is executing a registration rights agreement in substantially the form attached as Exhibit E (the “Registration Rights Agreement”).
AGREEMENT
The Parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:
SECTION 1. DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION
1.1 The Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the First Effective Time, First Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company, and the separate existence of First Merger Sub shall cease. As a result of the First Merger, the Company will continue as the surviving corporation in the First Merger (the “First Step Surviving Corporation”). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the Second Effective Time, the First Step Surviving Corporation will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, and the separate existence of the First Step Surviving Corporation shall cease. As a result of the Second Merger, Second Merger Sub will continue as the surviving entity in the Second Merger (the “Surviving Entity”).
1.2 Effects of the Merger. At and after the First Effective Time, the First Merger shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement, the First Certificate of Merger and in the applicable provisions of the DGCL. As a result of the First Merger, the First Step Surviving Corporation will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the First Effective Time, all the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of First Merger Sub and the Company will become the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of the First Step Surviving Corporation. At and after the Second Effective Time, the Second Merger shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement, the Second Certificate of Merger and in the applicable provisions of the DGCL and the DLLCA. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Second Effective Time, all the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of Second Merger Sub and the First Step Surviving Corporation will become the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of the Surviving Entity.
1.3 Closing; First Effective Time; Second Effective Time. The consummation of the Merger (the “Closing”) is being consummated remotely via the electronic exchange of documents and signatures substantially simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or at such other time, date and place as Parent and the Company may mutually agree in writing. The date on which the Closing actually takes place is referred to as the “Closing Date.” At the Closing: (a) the Parties shall cause the First Merger to be consummated by executing and filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a certificate of merger with respect to the First Merger, satisfying the applicable requirements of the DGCL and in form and substance to be agreed upon by the Parties (the “First Certificate of Merger”), and (b) the Parties shall cause the Second Merger to be consummated by executing and filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a certificate of merger with respect to the Second Merger, satisfying the applicable requirements of the DGCL and the DLLCA and in form and substance to be agreed upon by the Parties (the “Second Certificate of Merger” and together with the First Certificate of Merger, the “Certificates of Merger”). The First Merger shall become effective at the time of the filing of such First Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or at such later time as may be specified in such First Certificate of Merger with the consent of Parent and the Company (the time as of which the First Merger becomes effective being referred to as the “First Effective Time”). The Second Merger shall become effective at the time of the filing of such Second Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or at such later time as may be specified in such Second Certificate of Merger with the consent of Parent and the Company (the time as of which the Second Merger becomes effective being referred to as the “Second Effective Time”).
1.4 Certificate of Designation; Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws; Directors and Officers.
(a) Prior to the First Effective Time, Parent shall file the Certificate of Designation with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
(b) At the First Effective Time:
(i) the certificate of incorporation of the First Step Surviving Corporation shall be amended and restated as set forth in an exhibit to the First Certificate of Merger, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and such certificate of incorporation;
(ii) the bylaws of the First Step Surviving Corporation shall be amended and restated in their entirety to read identically to the bylaws of the Company as in effect immediately prior to the First Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and such bylaws; and
(iii) the directors and officers of the First Step Surviving Corporation, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the First Step Surviving Corporation, shall be such persons as shall be mutually agreed upon by Parent and the Company.
(c) At the Second Effective Time:
(i) the certificate of formation of the Surviving Entity shall be the certificate of formation of Second Merger Sub as in effect immediately prior to the Second Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DLLCA and such certificate of formation; provided, however, that at the Second Effective Time (as part of the Second Certificate of Merger), the certificate of formation shall be amended to: (A) change the name of the Surviving Entity to “Azora Therapeutics, LLC,” (B) comply with Section 4.5, and (C) make such other changes as are mutually agreed to by Parent and the Company;
(ii) the limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity shall be amended and restated in its entirety to read identically to the limited liability company agreement of Second Merger Sub as in effect immediately prior to the Second Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DLLCA and such limited liability company agreement; provided, however, that following the Second Effective Time (but as soon thereafter as practicable), the limited liability company agreement shall be amended to: (A) comply with Section 4.5, and (B) change the name of the Surviving Entity to “Azora Therapeutics, LLC”;
(iii) the managers and officers of the Surviving Entity, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity, shall be such persons as shall be mutually agreed upon by Parent and the Company; and
(iv) the certificate of incorporation of Parent shall be identical to the certificate of incorporation of Parent immediately prior to the Second Effective Time, until thereafter amended as provided by the DGCL and such certificate of incorporation; provided, however, that following the Second Effective Time, the certificate of incorporation may be amended to make such other changes as are mutually agreed to by Parent and the Company.
1.5 Merger Consideration; Effect of Merger on Company Capital Stock. The aggregate merger consideration (the “Merger Consideration”) to be paid by Parent for all of the outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock at the Closing shall be (a) 437,474 shares of Parent Common Stock (“Parent Common Stock Payment Shares”) (b) 12,930.617 shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares” and, together with the Parent Common Stock Payment Shares, the “Parent Stock Payment Shares”) in accordance with Section 1.6(a); provided that, subject to Section 1.9, the aggregate number of shares of Parent Common Stock issued or to be issued (i) in the Contemplated Transactions, including shares of Parent Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Parent Assumed Options, (ii) upon exercise of the PIPE Warrants issued and to be issued to the PIPE Investors in the Parent Financing pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, and (iii) upon exercise of the Azora Noteholder Warrants issued and to be issued to the Azora Noteholders pursuant to the Noteholder Exchange Agreements, collectively, shall not exceed the Cap, as further described in Section 3.4. Each Parent Preferred Stock Payment Share shall be convertible into 1,000 shares of Parent Common Stock, subject to and contingent upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares of Parent Common Stock present or represented and entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders of Parent (other than any Person receiving Parent Common Stock or securities convertible into Parent Common Stock in the Contemplated Transactions or the Parent Financing) to approve, for purposes of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, the issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock to the holders of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock upon conversion of any and all shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms of the Certificate of Designation (the “Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal”).
1.6 Conversion of Shares.
(a) At the First Effective Time, by virtue of the First Merger and without any further action on the part of Parent, Merger Subs, the Company or any stockholder of the Company or Parent:
(i) any shares of Company Common Stock held as treasury stock or held or owned by the Company or any wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company immediately prior to the First Effective Time shall be canceled and retired and shall cease to exist, and no consideration shall be delivered in exchange therefor; and
(ii) subject to Section 1.5 and Section 1.6(c), each share of Company Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time (excluding shares to be canceled pursuant to Section 1.6(a)(i)) shall be automatically converted solely into the right to receive the number of Parent Stock Payment Shares as set forth on the Allocation Certificate.
(b) The Company hereby covenants and agrees that, if any shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time are subject to a repurchase option or a risk of forfeiture under any applicable restricted stock purchase agreement or other similar agreement with the Company, the Company will cause such shares of Company Common Stock to no longer be subject to any right of repurchase, risk of forfeiture or other such conditions as of the First Effective Time.
(c) No fractional shares of Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock shall be issued in connection with the First Merger, and no certificates or scrip for any such fractional shares shall be issued and no cash shall be paid for any such fractional shares. Any fractional shares of Parent Common Stock that a holder of Company Common Stock would otherwise be entitled to receive shall be aggregated with all fractional shares of Parent Common Stock issuable to such holder and any remaining fractional shares shall be rounded up to the nearest whole share, in lieu of such fraction of a share. Any fractional share of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock will be rounded up to the nearest one ten-thousandth of a share, with no additional consideration paid for any fractional shares eliminated due to rounding.
(d) At the First Effective Time, by virtue of the First Merger and without any further action on the part of Parent, Merger Subs, the Company or any member of the Company or stockholder of Parent, each share of common stock of First Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time shall be converted into and exchanged for one share of common stock of the First Step Surviving Corporation. If applicable, each stock certificate of First Merger Sub evidencing ownership of any such shares of common stock of First Merger Sub shall, as of the First Effective Time, evidence ownership of such shares of common stock of the First Step Surviving Corporation.
(e) If, between the date of this Agreement and the First Effective Time, the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock or Parent Common Stock or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock shall have been changed into, or exchanged for, a different number of shares or a different class, by reason of any stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, split, combination or exchange of shares or other like change, the Exchange Ratio shall, to the extent necessary, be equitably adjusted to reflect such change to the extent necessary to provide the holders of Company Common Stock and Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock, with the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, split, combination or exchange of shares or other like change; provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement will be construed to permit the Company or Parent to take any action with respect to Company Common Stock or Parent Common Stock or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock, respectively, that is prohibited or not expressly permitted by the terms of this Agreement.
(f) At the Second Effective Time, by virtue of the Second Merger and without any action on the part of Parent, the First Step Surviving Corporation, Second Merger Sub or their respective stockholders, each share of the First Step Surviving Corporation issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Second Effective Time shall be canceled and extinguished without any conversion thereof and no payment or distribution shall be made with respect thereto.
1.7 Closing of the Company’s Transfer Books. At the First Effective Time: (a) all holders of (i) certificates representing shares of Company Capital Stock, and (ii) book-entry shares representing shares of Company Capital Stock (“Book-Entry Shares”), in each case, that were outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time shall be deemed, from and after the First Effective Time, to only have the right to receive book-entry shares of Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock representing the Merger Consideration and, following issuance of book-entry shares representing the Merger Consideration, such certificates representing shares of Company Common Stock and Book-Entry Shares shall be cancelled; and (b) three Business Days prior to the First Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the Company shall be closed with respect to all shares of Company Capital Stock outstanding as of such time. No further transfer of any such shares of Company Capital Stock shall be made on such stock transfer books after the First Effective Time. If, after the First Effective Time, a valid certificate previously representing any shares of Company Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time (a “Company Stock Certificate”) is presented to the Exchange Agent or to the Surviving Entity, such Company Stock Certificate shall be canceled and shall be exchanged as provided in Sections 1.6 and 1.8.
1.8 Exchange of Shares.
(a) Parent and the Company have selected VStock Transfer, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, to act as exchange agent in the Merger (the “Exchange Agent”). At the First Effective Time, Parent shall deposit with the Exchange Agent certificates or evidence of book-entry shares representing Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock issuable pursuant to Section 1.6(a). The Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock so deposited with the Exchange Agent, together with any dividends or distributions received by the Exchange Agent with respect to such shares, are referred to collectively as the “Exchange Fund.”
(b) Immediately following the First Effective Time, the Exchange Agent shall issue book-entry shares representing the Merger Consideration (in a number of whole shares of Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock) that each holder of Company Capital Stock has the right to receive pursuant to the provisions of Section 1.6(a) and each Company Stock Certificate or Book-Entry Share formerly held by each such holder shall be deemed, from and after the First Effective Time, to represent only the right to receive book-entry shares of Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock representing the Merger Consideration and, following issuance of book-entry shares representing the Merger Consideration, shall be cancelled. The Merger Consideration and any dividends or other distributions as are payable pursuant to Section 1.6(e) shall be deemed to have been in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to Company Capital Stock formerly represented by such Company Stock Certificates or Book-Entry Shares.
(c) Subject to compliance with applicable escheat Laws, any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains unclaimed by holders of shares of Company Capital Stock as of the date that is one year after the Closing Date shall be delivered to Parent upon demand, and any holders of Company Stock Certificates or Book-Entry Shares who have not theretofore surrendered their Company Stock Certificates or transferred their Book-Entry Shares in accordance with this Section 1.8 shall thereafter look only to Parent as general creditors for satisfaction of their claims for Parent Convertible Preferred Stock and any dividends or distributions with respect to shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock.
(d) No Party shall be liable to any holder of any shares of Company Capital Stock or to any other Person with respect to any shares of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock (or dividends or distributions with respect thereto) or for any cash amounts delivered to any public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property Law, escheat Law or similar Law. Any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains unclaimed by holders of shares of Company Capital Stock as of the date that is two years after the Closing Date (or immediately prior to such earlier date on which the related Exchange Funds (and all dividends or other distributions in respect thereof) would otherwise escheat to or become the property of any Governmental Body) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, become the property of the Surviving Entity, free and clear of all claims or interest of any Person previously entitled thereto.
1.9 Company Options.
(a) At the First Effective Time, each Company Option that is outstanding and unexercised immediately prior to the First Effective Time under the Company Plan, whether or not vested, shall be assumed and converted into and become an option to purchase Parent Common Stock (each, a “Parent Assumed Option”). Accordingly, from and after the First Effective Time: (i) each Parent Assumed Option may be exercised solely for shares of Parent Common Stock; (ii) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to each Parent Assumed Option shall be determined by multiplying (A) the number of shares of Company Common Stock that were subject to the corresponding Company Option, as in effect immediately prior to the First Effective Time, by (B) the Exchange Ratio, and rounding the resulting number down to the nearest whole number of shares of Parent Common Stock; (iii) the per share exercise price for the Parent Common Stock issuable upon exercise of each Parent Assumed Option shall be determined by dividing (A) the per share exercise price of Company Common Stock subject to the corresponding Company Option, as in effect immediately prior to the First Effective Time, by (B) the Exchange Ratio and rounding the resulting exercise price up to the nearest whole cent; and (iv) the other terms of each Parent Assumed Option (including, but not limited to, the expiration date, restrictions on exercisability, and vesting schedule) shall otherwise remain unchanged; provided, that, (I) in the case of any Parent Assumed Option that was converted from a Company Option to which Section 421 of the Code applies as of the First Effective Time by reason of its qualification under Section 422 of the Code, the per share exercise price, the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to such Parent Assumed Option and the terms and conditions of such Parent Assumed Option shall be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code; (II) the exercise price, the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to, and the terms and conditions of exercise of each Parent Assumed Option shall also be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and (III) the Parent Assumed Options shall not be exercisable unless and until the Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal is approved; provided, further, that: (x) the terms of the Parent Assumed Options shall be further amended as may be necessary to reflect such assumption and conversion of the Company Options into Parent Assumed Options (such as by making any change in control or similar definition relate to Parent instead of the Company and having any provision that provides for the adjustment of Company Options upon the occurrence of certain corporate events of the Company relate to similar corporate events of Parent instead); and (y) the Parent Board or a committee thereof shall succeed to the authority and responsibility of the Company Board or any committee thereof with respect to each Parent Assumed Option.
(b) Parent shall file with the SEC, promptly after the consummation of the Parent Financing (and in any event, not later than thirty (30) days thereafter), a registration statement on Form S-8 (or any successor form), if available for use by Parent, relating to the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable with respect to the Parent Assumed Options in accordance with Section 1.9.
1.10 Further Action. If, at any time after the First Effective Time, any further action is determined by the Surviving Entity to be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement or to vest the Surviving Entity with full right, title and possession of and to all rights and property of the Company, then the officers and directors of the Surviving Entity shall be fully authorized, and shall use their and its reasonable efforts (in the name of the Company, in the name of Merger Subs, in the name of the Surviving Entity and otherwise) to take such action.
1.11 Withholding. The Parties and the Exchange Agent (each, a “Withholding Agent”) shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement to any holder of Company Capital Stock or any other Person such amounts of Taxes as such Withholding Agent is required to deduct and withhold under the Code or any other Law with respect to the making of such payment; provided, however, that if a Withholding Agent determines that any payment to any holder of Company Capital Stock is subject to deduction and/or withholding, then, except with respect to compensatory payments to a current or former employee of the Company, or as a result of a failure to deliver the certificate described in Section 6.2 that establishes an exemption from U.S. federal withholding Tax, such Withholding Agent shall: (a) provide written notice to such holder of Company Capital Stock as soon as reasonably practicable after such determination (and no later than three (3) Business Days prior to undertaking such deduction and/or withholding), and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with such holder of Company Capital Stock prior to such deduction and/or withholding to reduce the amount of or eliminate the need for any such deduction and/or withholding to the extent permitted by applicable Law. To the extent that any amounts of Taxes are so deducted and/or withheld and paid over to the appropriate Governmental Body, such deducted and/or withheld amounts of Taxes shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of whom such deduction and withholding was made.
1.12 Outstanding Notes. Upon the Closing, the Parent agrees to guarantee the outstanding convertible notes of the Company, in the aggregate principal amount of $5,500,000 (the “Azora Notes”).
SECTION 2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
Subject to Section 8.13(h), except as set forth in the correspondingly numbered Section of the disclosure schedule delivered by the Company to Parent (the “Company Disclosure Schedule”), the Company represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Subs as of the date hereof (or, in the case of representations and warranties that speak as of a specified date, as of such specified date, as follows:
2.1 Due Organization; Subsidiaries.
(a) The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of Delaware and has all necessary corporate power and authority: (i) to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is currently being conducted, (ii) to own or lease and use its property and assets in the manner in which its property and assets are currently owned or leased and used, and (iii) to perform its obligations under all Contracts by which it is bound.
(b) The Company is duly licensed and qualified to do business, and is in good standing (to the extent applicable in such jurisdiction), under the Laws of all jurisdictions where the nature of its business requires such licensing or qualification other than in jurisdictions where the failure to be so qualified individually or in the aggregate would not be reasonably expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Except as set forth in Section 2.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule: (i) the Company has no Subsidiaries and has never had any Subsidiaries, and (ii) the Company does not own, and has never owned, any capital stock of, or any equity, ownership or profit-sharing interest of any nature in, and does not control, and has never controlled, directly or indirectly, any other Entity.
(d) Except as set forth in Section 2.1(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule: The Company is not, nor has ever been, directly or indirectly, a party to, member of or participant in any partnership, joint venture or similar business entity.
(e) The Company has not agreed to, and is not obligated to make, nor is bound by any Contract under which it may become obligated to make, any future investment in or capital contribution to any other Entity.
(f) The Company has not, at any time, been a general partner of, or has otherwise been liable for any of the debts or other obligations of, any general partnership, limited partnership or other Entity.
2.2 Organizational Documents. The Company has made available to Parent accurate and complete copies of the Organizational Documents of the Company in effect as of the date of this Agreement. The Company is not in breach or violation of its respective Organizational Documents.
2.3 Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement.
(a) The Company has all necessary corporate power and authority to enter into and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and, subject to receipt of the Required Company Stockholder Vote, to consummate the Contemplated Transactions. The Company Board (at meetings duly called and held or by unanimous written consent) has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of the Company and Company Stockholders, (ii) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Company Stockholders vote in favor of the Company Stockholder Matters.
(b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by Parent and Merger Subs, constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
2.4 Vote Required. The affirmative vote (or written consent) of the holders of (a) the holders of at least a majority of the shares of Company Preferred Stock outstanding on the record date for the Stockholder Written Consent and entitled to vote thereon, voting as a single class on an as-converted basis, (b) the holders of a majority of the shares of Company Common Stock outstanding on the record date for the Stockholder Written Consent ((a) and (b) collectively, the “Required Company Stockholder Vote”), is the only vote (or written consent) of the holders of any class or series of Company Capital Stock necessary to adopt and approve this Agreement and approve the Contemplated Transactions. The Stockholder Written Consent became effective upon the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto and provided the Required Company Stockholder Vote. No other corporate proceedings by the Company are necessary to authorize this Agreement or to consummate the Contemplated Transactions.
2.5 Non-Contravention; Consents. Subject to obtaining the Required Company Stockholder Vote, the filing of the Certificates of Merger required by the DGCL, the filing of the Certificate of Designation and the approval of the Nasdaq Listing Application, neither (x) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company, nor (y) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions, will directly or indirectly (with or without notice or lapse of time):
(a) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the provisions of the Company’s Organizational Documents;
(b) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of, or give any Governmental Body or other Person the right to challenge the Contemplated Transactions or to exercise any remedy or obtain any relief under, any Law or any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which the Company, or any of the assets owned or used by the Company, is subject, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business;
(c) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the terms or requirements of, or give any Governmental Body the right to revoke, withdraw, suspend, cancel, terminate or modify, any Governmental Authorization that is held by the Company, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business;
(d) except as set forth in Section 2.5(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of, or result in a default under, any provision of any Company Material Contract, or give any Person the right to: (i) declare a default or exercise any remedy under any Company Material Contract, (ii) any material payment, rebate, chargeback, penalty or change in delivery schedule under any Company Material Contract; (iii) accelerate the maturity or performance of any Company Material Contract; or (iv) cancel, terminate or modify any term of any Company Material Contract, except in the case of any non-material breach, default, penalty or modification; or
(e) result in the imposition or creation of any Encumbrance upon or with respect to any asset owned or used by the Company (except for Permitted Encumbrances).
Except for: (i) any Consent set forth in Section 2.5 of the Company Disclosure Schedule under any Company Contract, (ii) the Required Company Stockholder Vote, (iii) the filing of the Certificates of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL, (iv) the filing of the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL and (v) such consents, waivers, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings as may be required under applicable federal and state securities Laws or Nasdaq, the Company is not and will not be required to make any filing with or give any notice to, or to obtain any Consent from, any Person in connection with: (A) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, or (B) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. The Company Board has taken and will take all actions necessary to ensure that the restrictions applicable to business combinations contained in Section 203 of the DGCL (or analogous provisions) are, and will be, inapplicable to the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements and to the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. No other state takeover statute or similar Law applies or purports to apply to the Merger, this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements or any of the Contemplated Transactions.
2.6 Capitalization.
(a) The authorized Company Capital Stock as of the date immediately prior to the Closing consists of: (i) 48,800,000 shares of Company Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 22,856,666 shares are issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the Closing, and (ii) 19,057,182 shares of Company Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Company Preferred Stock”), 11,191,152 of which have been designated Series A-1 Preferred Stock, 11,191,152 of which are issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the Closing, 6,783,587 of which have been designated Series A-2 Preferred Stock, 6,783,587 of which are issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the Closing, and 1,082,443 of which have been designated Series A-3 Preferred Stock, 1,055,262 of which are issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the Closing. The Company does not hold any shares of its capital stock in its treasury. Section 2.6(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists, as of immediately prior to the Closing, each record holder of issued and outstanding Company Capital Stock and the number and type of shares of Company Capital Stock held by such holder.
(b) All of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set forth in the Investor Agreements, none of the outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock is entitled or subject to any preemptive right, right of participation, right of maintenance or any similar right and none of the outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock is subject to any right of first refusal in favor of the Company. Except as contemplated in this Agreement or as set forth in the Investor Agreements, there is no Company Contract relating to the voting or registration of, or restricting any Person from purchasing, selling, pledging or otherwise disposing of (or granting any option or similar right with respect to), any shares of Company Capital Stock. The Company is not under any obligation, nor is it bound by any Contract pursuant to which it may become obligated, to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock or other securities. Section 2.6(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule accurately and completely lists (i) all repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to shares of Company Capital Stock (including shares issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options) and specifies which of those repurchase rights are currently exercisable and (ii) whether the holder of such shares of Company Capital Stock timely filed an election with the relevant Governmental Bodies under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to such shares. Each share of Company Preferred Stock is convertible into one share of Company Common Stock.
(c) Except for the Company’s 2017 Incentive Plan (the “Company Plan”), the Company does not have any stock option plan or any other plan, program, agreement or arrangement providing for any equity-based compensation for any Person. As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has authorized 4,869,453 shares of Company Common Stock for issuance under the Company Plan, of which 3,690,382 shares have been issued and are currently outstanding. As of the date of this Agreement, 4,537,787 shares have been reserved for issuance upon (i) exercise of Company Options previously granted and currently outstanding under the Company Plan, and (ii) exercise of Company restricted stock awards previously granted and currently outstanding under the Company Plan, and 847,405 shares of Company Common Stock remain available for future issuance of awards pursuant to the Company Plan. Section 2.6(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth the following information with respect to each Company Option outstanding as of the date of this Agreement: (i) the name of the optionee, (ii) the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Option at the time of grant, (iii) the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Option as of the date of this Agreement, (iv) the exercise price of such Company Option (v) the date on which such Company Option was granted, (vi) the applicable vesting schedule, including the number of vested and unvested shares as of the date of this Agreement and any acceleration provisions, (vii) the date on which such Company Option expires, (viii) whether such Company Option is intended to constitute an “incentive stock option” (as defined in the Code) or a non-qualified stock option, and (ix) whether such Company Option is “early exercisable.” The Company has made available to Parent an accurate and complete copy of the Company Plan and a form of stock option agreement that is consistent in all material respects with the stock option agreements evidencing outstanding Company Options granted thereunder. No vesting of Company Options will be accelerated in connection with the closing of the Contemplated Transactions other than as set forth in Section 2.6(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. The per share exercise price of each Company Option is at least equal to the per share fair market value of the Company Common Stock as of the date such Company Option was granted. In addition, other than the Company Options, there are no bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness involving the Company having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of the Company may vote.
(d) Except for Company Options set forth in Section 2.6(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, there is no: (i) outstanding subscription, option, call, warrant or right (whether or not currently exercisable) to acquire any shares of the capital stock or other securities of the Company, (ii) outstanding security, instrument or obligation that is or may become convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of the capital stock or other securities of the Company, or (iii) condition or circumstance that could be reasonably likely to give rise to or provide a basis for the assertion of a claim by any Person to the effect that such Person is entitled to acquire or receive any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company. There are no outstanding or authorized stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation or other similar rights with respect to the Company.
(e) All outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock, Company Options and other securities of the Company have been issued and granted in compliance with (i) the Organizational Documents of the Company in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Law, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contracts.
(f) All distributions, dividends, repurchases and redemptions of the Company Capital Stock or other equity interests of the Company were undertaken in compliance with (i) the Organizational Documents of the Company in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Laws, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contracts.
2.7 Financial Statements.
(a) Prior to the execution hereof, the Company has provided to Parent true and complete copies of the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet, (collectively, the “Company Financials”). The Company Financials were (i) derived from and in accordance with the books and records of the Company, (ii) complied as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements with respect thereto as of their respective dates and (iii) and fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position and operating results of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated therein, except for normal, recurring year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes.
(b) The Company maintains accurate books and records reflecting its assets and liabilities and maintains a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (iii) the recorded accountability for the Company’s assets is compared with the existing assets at regular intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences, and (iv) accounts, notes and other receivables and inventory are recorded accurately, and proper and adequate procedures are implemented which are designed to effect the collection thereof on a current and timely basis.
(c) The Company has not entered into any securitization transactions and “off-balance sheet arrangements” (as defined in Item 303(c) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act) effected by the Company since the Company’s inception.
(d) Except as set forth in Section 2.7(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, since the Company’s inception, there have been no formal investigations regarding financial reporting or accounting policies and practices discussed with, reviewed by or initiated at the direction of the chief executive officer or chief financial officer of the Company, the Company Board or any committee thereof. Since the Company’s inception, neither the Company nor its independent auditors have identified: (i) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the design or operation of the system of internal accounting controls utilized by the Company, (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves the Company, the Company’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by the Company, or (iii) any claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing.
2.8 Absence of Changes. Except as set forth in Section 2.8 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, after the date of the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet, the Company has conducted its business only in the Ordinary Course of Business (except for the execution and performance of this Agreement and the discussions, negotiations and transactions related thereto) and there has not been any (x) Company Material Adverse Effect and (y) the Company has not done any of the following:
(a) declared, accrued, set aside or paid any dividend or made any other distribution in respect of any shares of its capital stock; or repurchased, redeemed or otherwise reacquired any shares of its capital stock or other securities (except for shares of Company Common Stock from terminated employees, directors or consultants of the Company or in connection with the payment of the exercise price and/or withholding Taxes incurred upon the exercise, settlement or vesting of any award granted under the Company Plan);
(b) sold, issued, granted, pledged, disposed of or otherwise encumbered (other than encumbrances pursuant to applicable securities Laws) or authorized any encumbrance (other than encumbrances pursuant to applicable securities Laws) with respect to: (A) any capital stock or other security of the Company (except for Company Common Stock issued upon the valid exercise of outstanding Company Options); (B) any option, warrant or right to acquire any capital stock or any other security, other than option grants to employees and consultants in the Ordinary Course of Business; or (C) any instrument convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock or other security of the Company ;
(c) except as required to give effect to anything in contemplation of the Closing, amended any of its Organizational Documents, or effected or been a party to any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split, reverse stock split or similar transaction except, for the avoidance of doubt, the Contemplated Transactions;
(d) formed any Subsidiary or acquired any equity interest or other interest in any other Entity or entered into a joint venture with any other Entity;
(e) either: (i) lent money to any Person (except for the advance of reasonable business expenses to employees, directors and consultants in the Ordinary Course of Business), (ii) incurred or guaranteed any indebtedness for borrowed money, or (iii) guaranteed any debt securities of others;
(f) other than as required by applicable Law or the terms of any Company Benefit Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement and other than the Company Plan or any Company Option: (A) adopted, terminated, established or entered into any Company Benefit Plan; (B) caused or permitted any Company Benefit Plan to be amended in any material respect; (C) paid any material bonus or distributed any profit-sharing account balances or similar payment to, or increased the amount of the wages, salary, commissions, benefits or other compensation or remuneration payable to, any of its directors, officers or employees; (D) increased the severance or change-of-control benefits offered to any current, former or new employees, directors or consultants or (E) hired, terminated or gave notice of termination (other than for cause) to, any (x) officer or (y) employee whose annual base salary is or is expected to be more than $125,000 per year; (h) entered into any material transaction outside the Ordinary Course of Business other than in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(g) entered into any Labor Agreement;
(i) acquired any material asset or sold or otherwise irrevocably disposed of any of its assets or properties (other than disposal of obsolete assets), or granted any Encumbrance (other than Permitted Encumbrances) with respect to such assets or properties, except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(j) sold, assigned, transferred, licensed, sublicensed, cancelled, abandoned, allowed to lapse, or otherwise disposed of any material Company IP (other than (A) pursuant to non-exclusive licenses granted in the Ordinary Course of Business or (B) expiration of Company IP in accordance with the applicable statutory term); (l) made any expenditures, incurred any Liabilities or discharged or satisfied any Liabilities, in each case, in amounts that exceed $100,000;
(k) made, changed or revoked any material Tax election, failed to pay any income or other material Tax as such Tax becomes due and payable, filed any amendment making any material change to any Tax Return, settled or compromised any income or other material Tax liability, entered into any Tax allocation, sharing, indemnification or other similar agreement or arrangement (including any “closing agreement” described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar Law) with any Governmental Body, but excluding customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes), requested or consented to any extension or waiver of any limitation period with respect to any claim or assessment for any income or other material Taxes (other than pursuant to an automatic extension of time to file any Tax Return granted in the Ordinary Course of Business of not more than six months), or adopted or changed any material accounting method in respect of Taxes;
(m) other than as required by Law or GAAP, taken any action to change accounting policies or procedures;
(n) initiated or settled any Legal Proceeding; or
(o) agreed, resolved or committed to do any of the actions in Sections 2.8(a) through 2.8(n).
2.9 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities. As of the date hereof, the Company has no liability, indebtedness, obligation or expense of any kind, whether accrued, absolute, contingent, matured or unmatured (whether or not required to be reflected in the financial statements in accordance with GAAP) (each a “Liability”), except for: (a) Liabilities disclosed, reflected or reserved against in the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet, (b) Liabilities that have been incurred by the Company since the date of the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet in the Ordinary Course of Business not in excess of $50,000, (c) Liabilities for performance of obligations under Company Contracts in the Ordinary Course of Business (other than those resulting from a breach of such Company Contracts), (d) Liabilities incurred in connection with the Contemplated Transactions, and (e) Liabilities described in Section 2.9 of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
2.10 Title to Assets. The Company owns, and has good and valid title to, or, in the case of leased properties and assets, valid leasehold interests in, all tangible properties or tangible assets and equipment used or held for use in its business or operations or purported to be owned by it that are material to the Company or its business, including: (a) all material tangible assets reflected on the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet, and (b) all other material tangible assets reflected in the books and records of the Company as being owned by the Company. All of such material tangible assets are owned or, in the case of leased assets, leased by the Company free and clear of any Encumbrances, other than Permitted Encumbrances.
2.11 Real Property; Leasehold. The Company does not own, nor has ever owned, any real property. The Company has made available to Parent (a) an accurate and complete list of all real properties with respect to which the Company directly or indirectly holds a valid leasehold interest as well as any other real estate that is in the possession of, or occupied or leased by, the Company, and (b) copies of all leases under which any such real property is possessed, occupied or leased (the “Company Real Estate Leases”), each of which is in full force and effect, with no existing material default thereunder by the Company, or to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto. The Company’s possession, occupancy, lease, use and/or operation of each such leased property and leasehold interests conforms to all applicable Laws in all material respects, and the Company has exclusive possession of each such leased property and leasehold interest and has not granted any occupancy rights to tenants or licensees with respect to such leased property or leasehold interest. In addition, each such leased property and leasehold interest is free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. The Company has not received any written notice from its landlords or any Governmental Body that: (i) relates to violations of building, zoning, safety or fire ordinances or regulations, (ii) claims any defect or deficiency with respect to any of such leased properties or leaseholder interests, or (iii) requests the performance of any repairs, alterations or other work, in each case, to such leased property and leaseholder interests.
2.12 Intellectual Property; Privacy.
(a) Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies each item of material Registered IP owned in whole or in part by the Company, including, with respect to each application and registration: (i) the name of the applicant or registrant and any other co-owner, (ii) the jurisdiction of application or registration, (iii) the application or registration number, (iv) the date of issue, filing, or registration, as applicable, and to the extent applicable, the twenty (20) year patent term expiration date. There are no material Trademarks, Copyrights, Internet domain names, or material proprietary Software. To the Knowledge of the Company, each of the patents and patent applications included in Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule properly identifies by name each and every inventor of the inventions claimed therein as determined in accordance with applicable Laws of the United States. For all patents and patent applications set forth in Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, all necessary registration, maintenance, renewal and other relevant filing fees due through the Closing Date have been timely paid and all necessary documents and certificates in connection therewith have been timely filed with the relevant Patent authorities in the United States or the applicable foreign jurisdiction, as the case may be, for the purpose of maintaining such patents and patent applications in full force and effect. As of the date of this Agreement, no cancellation, interference, opposition, reissue, reexamination or other proceeding of any nature (other than office actions or similar communications issued by any Governmental Body in the ordinary course of prosecution of any pending applications for registration) is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing in which the scope, validity, enforceability or ownership of any Company IP is being or has been contested or challenged. To the Knowledge of the Company, each item of Company IP is valid and enforceable, and with respect to the Company’s Registered IP, subsisting. There are no actions that must be taken within ninety (90) days of the Closing, the failure of which will result in the abandonment, lapse or cancellation of any material Registered IP owned in whole or in part by the Company, except as disclosed on Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule. The Company IP shall be available for use by the Surviving Entity immediately after the Closing Date on identical terms and conditions to those under which the Company owned or used the Company IP immediately prior to the Closing Date.
(b) The Company exclusively owns all right, title and interest in and to all material Company Owned IP (provided, that, with respect to the Registered IP disclosed in Section 2.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule that is identified as owned jointly by the Company with one or more co-owners, the Company exclusively owns all right, title and interest in and to its respective undivided ownership interest therein), free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. To the Knowledge of the Company, the Company owns or has a valid, enforceable written license to use all Company IP and all other Intellectual Property Rights used in, material to, or otherwise necessary for the operation of the Company’s business as currently conducted and as contemplated for the Company’s products in development, including AT177 for treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Each Company Associate involved in the creation or development of any material Company Owned IP, pursuant to such Company Associate’s activities on behalf of the Company, has signed a written agreement containing an assignment of such Company Associate’s rights in such Company Owned IP to the Company, which written agreement, to the Knowledge of the Company, is valid and enforceable. Each Company Associate who has or has had access to the Company’s trade secrets or confidential information has signed a written agreement containing confidentiality provisions protecting the Company Owned IP, trade secrets and confidential information which written agreement, to the Knowledge of the Company, is valid and enforceable. The Company has taken commercially reasonable steps to protect and preserve the confidentiality of its trade secrets and confidential information.
(c) To the Knowledge of the Company, no funding, facilities or personnel of any Governmental Body or any university, college, research institute or other educational institution has been used to create or develop any Company Owned IP, such that any such Governmental Body or institution has any claim to ownership rights or a license to such Company Owned IP or the right to receive royalties for the practice of such Company Owned IP.
(d) Section 2.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth each Contract pursuant to which the Company (i) is granted any license under, or otherwise has received or acquired any right (whether or not currently exercisable and including a right to receive a license, a covenant not to sue and similar rights) or interest in, any material Intellectual Property Right owned by any third party Person (each a “Company In-bound License”) or (ii) grants to any third party Person any license under, or otherwise grants any right (whether or not currently exercisable and including a right to receive a license, a covenant not to sue and similar rights) or interest in, any material Company IP (each a “Company Out-bound License”) (provided, that, Section 2.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule may not set forth, and Company In-bound Licenses shall not include Company Standard Inbound Contracts; and Section 2.12(d) of the Company Disclosure schedule may not set forth, and Company Out-bound Licenses shall not include Company Standard Outbound Contracts). To the Knowledge of the Company, all Company In-bound Licenses and Company Out-bound Licenses are in full force and effect and are valid, enforceable and binding obligations of the Company and, to the Knowledge of Company, each other party to such Company In-bound Licenses or Company Out-bound Licenses. Neither the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party to any Company In-bound License or Company Out-bound License, is in material breach of such Company In-bound License or Company Out-bound License. Except as set forth in Section 2.12(d) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, none of the terms or conditions of any Company In-bound License or any Company Out-bound License obligates the Company or any of its Affiliates to maintain or prosecute any Intellectual Property Rights should the Company choose to terminate such Intellectual Property Rights.
(e) To the Knowledge of the Company: (i) the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted and contemplated does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property Rights of any other Person and (ii) no other Person is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating any Company IP. No Legal Proceeding is pending (or, to the Knowledge of the Company, is threatened in writing) (A) against the Company alleging that the operation of the business of the Company infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Rights of another Person or (B) by the Company alleging that another Person has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any of the Company IP. Since January 1, 2023, the Company has not received any written notice or other written communication alleging that the operation of the business of the Company infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Right of another Person.
(f) None of the Company Owned IP and, to the Knowledge of the Company, none of the Company Licensed IP is subject to any pending or outstanding injunction, directive, order, judgment or other disposition of dispute that adversely and materially restricts the use, transfer, registration or licensing by the Company of any such Company IP.
(g) No source code of any Software owned by the Company has been licensed or otherwise provided to another Person other than to consultants and contractors who are licensed to use the source code solely in connection with performing work on behalf of the Company and who are bound by confidentiality obligations with respect to such source code (“Permitted Source Code Sublicensees”). Neither the Company has disclosed or delivered to any escrow agent or any other Person (other than Permitted Source Code Sublicensees) any of the source code of any Software owned by the Company, and no other Person (other than Permitted Source Code Sublicensees) has the right, contingent or otherwise, to obtain access to or use any such source code. The Company has in its possession, or has all necessary rights to obtain, all Software source code and all related technical and other information required to enable its appropriately skilled employees or those of another Person to maintain and support the Software owned by the Company.
(h) The Company has not (i) incorporated Open Source Software into, or combined Open Source Software with, any proprietary Software of the Company (ii) distributed Open Source Software in conjunction with or for use with any proprietary Software of the Company, or (iii) otherwise used Open Source Software, in each case, in a manner that obligates the Company to disclose, make available, offer or deliver any portion of the source code of any proprietary Software of the Company to any Person or otherwise affects the Company’s freedom of action with respect to the use or distribution of any proprietary Software of the Company. All use and distribution of any Open Source Software by the Company is and has been in compliance in all material respects with all licenses applicable thereto, including all applicable copyright notice and attribution requirements.
(i) The Company has used commercially reasonable efforts designed to prevent the introduction into any Software owned by the Company, and, to the Knowledge of the Company, such Software does not contain, any “back door,” “drop dead device,” “time bomb,” “Trojan horse,” “virus” or “worm” (as such terms are commonly understood in the software industry) or any other code designed or intended to have any of the following functions: disrupting or disabling the operation of, or providing unauthorized access to, a computer system or network or other device on which such code is stored or installed.
(j) To the Knowledge of the Company, the Company and the operation of the Company’s business are, and at all times since the Company’s inception have been, in material compliance with all applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in liability material to the Company, the Company has at all applicable times provided all notices, and obtained and maintained all rights, consents, and authorizations, to Process Company Data as Processed by or for the Company. Since the Company’s inception, there has been (i) no loss or theft of, malfunction of, or security breach relating to, Company Data or the Company’s information technology systems, (ii) no material violation of any security policy of the Company regarding any such Company Data, and (iii) no unauthorized access to, or unauthorized, unintended, or improper use, disclosure, or other Processing of any Company Data. The Company has not provided or been legally required to provide any notices to any Person in connection with an unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of Company Data. The Company has not been the subject of or received written notice of any complaints, claims or investigations related to their collection, use, storage or processing of Company Data or alleging any violation of applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements. Since the Company’s inception, the Company has maintained commercially reasonable measures and maintained commercially reasonable disaster recovery and security plans and procedures to protect the information technology systems used in, material to or necessary for operation of the Company’s business as currently conducted and Company Data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure or other unauthorized Processing, and such measures have at all times since the Company’s inception materially complied with applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements.
(k) The computer systems, including the software, firmware, hardware, networks, interfaces, platforms and related systems, owned, leased or licensed by the Company (collectively, the “Company Systems”) perform in all material respects as is necessary for the conduct of its business as presently conducted by Company. In the twelve (12) months immediately prior to the date of this Agreement, (i) there have been no material failures, breakdowns or other adverse events materially affecting any such Company Systems that have caused a material disruption or interruption to the conduct of the business of the Company.
2.13 Agreements, Contracts and Commitments.
(a) Section 2.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists the following Company Contracts in effect as of the date of this Agreement other than any Company Benefit Plans (each, a “Company Material Contract” and collectively, the “Company Material Contracts”):
(i) each Company Contract relating to any agreement of indemnification or guaranty not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(ii) each Company Contract containing (A) any covenant limiting the freedom of the Company or the Surviving Entity to engage in any line of business or compete with any Person, (B) any most-favored nation or other preferred pricing arrangement in favor of a Person other than the Company or any similar term by which any Person is or could become entitled to any benefit, right or privilege that must be at least as favorable to such Person as those offered to any other Person, (C) any exclusivity provision, right of first refusal or right of first negotiation or similar covenant in favor of a Person other than the Company, or (D) any non-solicitation provision not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(iii) each Company Contract relating to capital expenditures and requiring payments after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 pursuant to its express terms and not cancelable without penalty;
(iv) each Company Contract relating to the disposition or acquisition of material tangible assets or any ownership interest in any Entity, except as contemplated hereby;
(v) each Company Contract relating to any mortgages, indentures, loans, notes or credit agreements, security agreements or other agreements or instruments relating to the borrowing of money or extension of credit or creating any material Encumbrances with respect to any assets of the Company or any loans or debt obligations with officers or directors of the Company;
(vi) each Company Contract requiring payment by or to the Company after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate in the current calendar year or any future calendar year pursuant to its express terms relating to: (A) any distribution agreement, including a distribution agreement involving the development or commercialization of any pharmaceutical product (identifying any that contain exclusivity provisions); (B) any agreement involving provision of services or products with respect to any pre-clinical or clinical development activities of the Company; (C) any dealer, distributor, joint marketing, alliance, joint venture, cooperation, development or other agreement currently in force under which the Company has continuing obligations to develop or market any product, technology or service, or any agreement pursuant to which the Company has continuing obligations to develop any Intellectual Property Rights that will not be owned, in whole or in part, by the Company; or (D) any Contract with any third party providing any services relating to the manufacture or production of any product, service or technology of the Company or any Contract to sell, distribute or commercialize any products or service of the Company; (vii) each Company Contract with any financial advisor, broker, finder, investment banker or other similar Person providing financial advisory services to the Company in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(viii) each Company Real Estate Lease;
(ix) each Company Contract with any Governmental Body;
(x) each Company Out-bound License and Company In-bound License, and each Company Contract containing a covenant not to sue or otherwise enforce any Intellectual Property Rights;
(xi) each Company Contract requiring the payment of any royalty, dividend or similar arrangement based on the revenues or profits of the Company;
(xii) each Company Contract that is a Labor Agreement;
(xiii) each Company Contract, offer letter, employment agreement, or independent contractor agreement with any employee, independent contractor or other natural person service provider that (A) is not immediately terminable at will by the Company without notice, severance or other cost or payment, except as required under applicable Law, or (B) provides for retention payments, change of control payments, severance, accelerated vesting, or any similar payment or benefit that may or will become due as a result of the Merger (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event or condition);
(xiv) each Company Contract providing any option to receive a license or other right, any right of first negotiation, any right of first refusal or any similar right to any Person related to any material Company IP or material Intellectual Property Right licensed to the Company under a Company In-bound License;
(xv) each Company Contract entered into in settlement of any Legal Proceeding or other dispute; and
(xvi) any other Company Contract that is not terminable at will (with no penalty or payment or requirement for prior notice, except as required by applicable Law) by the Company and (A) which involves payment or receipt by the Company after the date of this Agreement under any such agreement, Contract or commitment of more than $100,000 in the aggregate, or obligations after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate, or (B) that is material to the business or operations of the Company taken as a whole.
(b) The Company has delivered or made available to Parent accurate and complete copies of all Company Material Contracts, including all amendments thereto. There are no Company Material Contracts that are not in written form. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, as of the date of this Agreement any other party to a Company Material Contract, has breached, violated or defaulted under, or received notice that it breached, violated or defaulted under, any of the terms or conditions of any Company Material Contract. As to the Company, as of the date of this Agreement, each Company Material Contract is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. No Person has provided notice to the Company requesting to renegotiate, exercise a right of negotiation or otherwise change, any material amount paid or payable to the Company under any Company Material Contract or any other material term or provision of any Company Material Contract or not renew, cancel or terminate any Company Material Contract.
2.14 Compliance; Permits; Restrictions. The Company holds all required Governmental Authorizations which are material to the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted or intended to be conducted (the “Company Permits”). Section 2.14 of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies each Company Permit. Each such Company Permit is valid and in full force and effect, and the Company is in material compliance with the terms of the Company Permits. No Legal Proceeding is pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened, which seeks to revoke, limit, suspend, or materially modify any Company Permit.
2.15 Legal Proceedings; Orders.
(a) Except as set forth in Section 2.15(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, as of the date of this Agreement, there is no pending Legal Proceeding and, to the Knowledge of the Company, no Person has threatened in writing to commence any Legal Proceeding: (i) that involves (A) the Company, (B) any Company Associate (in his or her capacity as such), or (C) any of the material assets owned or used by the Company, or (ii) that challenges, or that would have the effect of preventing, delaying, making illegal or otherwise interfering with, the Contemplated Transactions.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 2.15(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, since the Company’s inception through the date of this Agreement, no Legal Proceeding has been pending against the Company that resulted in material liability to the Company.
(c) There is no order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which the Company, or any of the material assets owned or used by the Company, is subject. To the Knowledge of the Company, no officer or employees of the Company is subject to any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree that prohibits such officer or employee from engaging in or continuing any conduct, activity or practice relating to the business of the Company or to any material assets owned or used by the Company.
2.16 Tax Matters.
(a) Except as set forth in Section 2.16(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company has timely filed all income and other material Tax Returns that were required to be filed by or with respect to it under applicable Law. All such Tax Returns are correct and complete in all material respects and have been prepared in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Law. No written, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, verbal claim has ever been made by any Governmental Body in any jurisdiction where the Company does not file a particular Tax Return or pay a particular Tax that the Company is subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.
(b) All income and other material Taxes due and owing by the Company on or before the date hereof (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) have been fully and timely paid. The unpaid Taxes of the Company did not, as of the date of the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet, materially exceed the reserve for Tax liability (excluding any reserve for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax items) set forth on the face of the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet. Since the date of the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet, the Company has not incurred any material Liability for Taxes outside the Ordinary Course of Business.
(c) All Taxes that the Company is or was required by Law to withhold or collect have been duly and timely withheld or collected in all material respects on behalf of its respective employees, independent contractors, stockholders, lenders, customers or other third parties and have been timely paid to the proper Governmental Body or other Person or properly set aside in accounts for this purpose.
(d) There are no Encumbrances for Taxes (other than Encumbrances described in clause (a) of the definition of Permitted Encumbrances) upon any of the assets of the Company.
(e) No deficiencies for a material amount of Taxes with respect to the Company have been claimed, proposed or assessed by any Governmental Body in writing, that have not been fully resolved. There are no pending or ongoing and, to the Knowledge of the Company, no threatened audits, assessments or other actions for or relating to any liability in respect of a material amount of Taxes of the Company. Neither the Company nor any of its predecessors has waived any statute of limitations or agreed to any extension of time with respect to any income or other material Tax assessment or deficiency.
(f) The Company has not been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code.
(g) The Company is not a party to any Tax allocation agreement, Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnity agreement, or similar agreement or arrangement, other than customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes.
(h) The Company (and Parent as a result of the Merger) will not be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income for any Tax period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any: (i) change in method of accounting for Tax purposes for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date; (ii) use of an improper method of accounting for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date; (iii) “closing agreement” as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date; (iv) intercompany transaction or excess loss account described in Treasury Regulations under Section 1502 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law); (v) installment sale or open transaction disposition made on or prior to the Closing Date; (vi) prepaid amount, advance payment or deferred revenue received or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date; (vii) application of Section 367(d) of the Code to any transfer of intangible property on or prior to the Closing Date; or (viii) application of Sections 951 or 951A of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) to any income received or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date.
(i) The Company has not ever been: (i) a member of a consolidated, combined or unitary Tax group (other than such a group the common parent of which is the Company), or (ii) a party to any joint venture, partnership, or other arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income Tax purposes. The Company has no Liability for any material Taxes of any Person (other than the Company) under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local, or foreign Law), as a transferee or successor, by Contract (other than a Contract entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes) or otherwise by operation of Law.
(j) The Company has not ever distributed stock of another Person, or had its stock distributed by another Person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 of the Code or Section 361 of the Code (or any similar provisions of state, local or foreign Law).
(k) The Company has not had a permanent establishment (within the meaning of an applicable Tax treaty) or otherwise had an office or fixed place of business in a country other than the country in which it is organized.
(l) The Company has not participated in or been a party to a transaction that constitutes a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).
(m) Section 2.16(m) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth the entity classification of the Company for U.S. federal, and applicable state and local, income Tax purposes. The Company has not made an election or taken any other action to change its federal, state, and local income Tax classification from such classification.
(n) The Company has not taken any action or have Knowledge of any fact that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from qualifying as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code.
For purposes of this Section 2.16, each reference to the Company shall be deemed to include any Person that was liquidated into, merged with, or is otherwise a predecessor to, the Company.
2.17 Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans.
(a) Section 2.17(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule is a list of all material Company Benefit Plans, other than at-will employment offer letters on the Company’s standard form and other than individual compensatory equity award agreements made pursuant to the Company’s standard forms and disclosed to the Parent, in which case only representative standard forms of such agreements shall be scheduled. “Company Benefit Plan” means each: (i) “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, and (ii) other pension, retirement, deferred compensation, excess benefit, profit-sharing, bonus, incentive, equity or equity-based, phantom equity, employment, severance, change-of-control, retention, health, life, disability, group insurance, paid time off, holiday, welfare and fringe benefit plan, program, agreement, Contract, or arrangement (whether written or unwritten, qualified or nonqualified, funded or unfunded, fully-insured or self-insured, subject or not subject to ERISA and including any that have been frozen), in each case, sponsored, maintained, administered, contributed to, or required to be contributed to, by the Company for the benefit of any current or former employee, director, officer or independent contractor of the Company (or beneficiary thereof) or under which the Company has any actual or contingent liability (including, without limitation, by reason of having a Company ERISA Affiliate).
(b) As applicable with respect to each material Company Benefit Plan, the Company has made available to Parent, true and complete copies of: (i) each material Company Benefit Plan, including all amendments thereto, and in the case of an unwritten material Company Benefit Plan, a written description thereof, (ii) all current trust documents, administrative services agreements and insurance Contracts relating thereto, (iii) the current summary plan description and each summary of material modifications thereto, (iv) the most recently filed annual reports with any Governmental Body (e.g., Form 5500 and all schedules thereto), (v) the most recent IRS determination, opinion or advisory letter, (vi) the most recent summary annual reports, coverage and nondiscrimination testing reports, actuarial reports and financial statements, and (vii) all notices and filings from the IRS or Department of Labor or other Governmental Body concerning audits or investigations, or “prohibited transactions” within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(c) Each Company Benefit Plan has been maintained, operated and administered in compliance in all material respects with its terms and the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and all other Laws.
(d) The Company Benefit Plans which are “employee pension benefit plans” within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA and which are intended to meet the qualification requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code have received determination or opinion letters from the IRS on which they may currently rely to the effect that such plans are qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and nothing has occurred that would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the qualification of such Company Benefit Plan or the tax exempt status of the related trust.
(e) Neither the Company nor any Company ERISA Affiliate maintains or has at any time in the last six years, maintained, contributed to, been required to contribute to, or had any actual or contingent liability with respect to, (i) any “employee pension benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA) that is subject to Title IV or Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code, (ii) any “multiemployer plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(37) of ERISA), (iii) any “multiple employer plan” (within the meaning of Section 413 of the Code), or (iv) any “multiple employer welfare arrangement” (within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA).
(f) There are no pending audits or investigations by any Governmental Body involving any Company Benefit Plan, and no pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened claims (except for routine individual claims for benefits payable in the normal operation of the Company Benefit Plans), suits or proceedings involving any Company Benefit Plan, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any fiduciary thereof or service provider thereto, in any case except as would not be reasonably expected to result in material liability to the Company. All contributions and premium payments required to have been made under any of the Company Benefit Plans or by applicable Law (without regard to any waivers granted under Section 412 of the Code), have been timely made or properly accrued and the Company has no material liability for any unpaid contributions with respect to any Company Benefit Plan. Neither the Company, nor any Company Benefit Plan, has any material liability for, nor is reasonably expected have any material liability for, any excise tax or penalty under ERISA or the Code.
(g) None of the Company, any Company ERISA Affiliate or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any fiduciary, trustee or administrator of any Company Benefit Plan, has engaged in, or in connection with the Contemplated Transactions will engage in, any transaction with respect to any Company Benefit Plan which would subject any such Company Benefit Plan, the Company, or Parent to a material Tax, material penalty or material liability for a “prohibited transaction” under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(h) No Company Benefit Plan provides death, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability or other welfare benefits beyond termination of service or retirement other than coverage mandated by Law The Company is not an “applicable large employer” as defined in Section 54.4980H-1(a)(4) of the Treasury Regulations.
(i) Each Company Benefit Plan that is a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code to which the Company is a party has been administered and operated in documentary and operational compliance with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, and no additional tax under Section 409A(a)(1)(B) of the Code has been or could reasonably be expected to be incurred by a participant in any such Company Benefit Plan.
(j) Except as set forth in Section 2.17(j) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the performance of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment), will: (i) result in any payment becoming due to any current or former employee, director, officer, or independent contractor of the Company thereof, pursuant to any Company Benefit Plan, (ii) increase any amount of compensation or benefits otherwise payable under any Company Benefit Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any benefits under any Company Benefit Plan, (iv) require any contribution or payment to fund any obligation under any Company Benefit Plan, or (v) limit the right to merge, amend or terminate any Company Benefit Plan.
(k) Except as set forth in Section 2.17(j) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment) will result in the receipt or retention by any person who is a “disqualified individual” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G) with respect to the Company of any payment or benefit that is or could be characterized as a “parachute payment” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G), determined without regard to the application of Code Section 280G(b)(5).
(l) No current or former employee, officer, director or independent contractor of the Company has any “gross up” agreements with the Company or other assurance of reimbursement by the Company for any Taxes imposed under Code Section 409A or Code Section 4999.
(m) Except as set forth in Section 2.17(m) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company does not maintain any Company Benefit Plan for the benefit of any service providers located outside of the United States. Each Company Benefit Plan maintained for the benefit of service providers located outside of the United States (each, a “Company Foreign Plan”) has obtained from the Governmental Body having jurisdiction with respect to such plan any required determinations that such plan is in compliance with the Laws of any such Governmental Body and each Company Foreign Plan required to be registered or intended to meet certain requirements for favorable tax treatment has been timely and properly registered.
(n) Except as set forth in Section 2.17(n) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, no Company Foreign Plan is a “defined benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA, whether or not subject to ERISA), seniority premium, termination indemnity, provident fund, gratuity or similar plan or arrangement or has any unfunded or underfunded liabilities. The assets of each of the Company Foreign Plans that is similar to an employee pension benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA (whether or not subject to ERISA)) or that otherwise provides retirement, medical or life insurance benefits following retirement or other termination of service or employment are at least equal to the liabilities of such plans.
(o) The Company has provided to Parent a true and correct list, as of the date of this Agreement, containing the names (and/or their entity, if applicable to any independent contractors) of all current full-time, part-time or temporary employees, including any employee on leave of absence, short term disability, long term disability or layoff status, and independent contractors (and indication as such), and, as applicable: (i) employing entity, (ii) work location (city and state), (iii) the annual dollar amount of all cash compensation in the form of wages, salary, fees, commissions, bonus, or director’s fees payable to each person, including any paid time off (including sick, personal, and vacation leave) that is accrued but unused, (iv) dates of employment or service, (v) job title and, with respect to independent contractors, a current written description of such person’s contracting services, including engagement date and anticipated termination date, as well as an indication of whether any employees of the Company perform any similar services, (vi) full-time or part-time status, (vii) visa status, if applicable, (viii) copies, if any, of any written agreements with the independent contractors, and (ix) with respect to employees, (A) a designation of whether they are classified as exempt or non-exempt for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as amended (“FLSA”) and any similar state or federal law, (B) whether such an employee is on leave and, if so, the expected return date, and (C) employment authorization status and whether their I-9 documentation is on file.
(p) The Company is not and has never been a party to, bound by, or has a duty to bargain under any Labor Agreement, and, there is not and has never been, nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, is there or has there ever been since December 31, 2024 any threat of, any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, picketing, hand billing, material grievance, unfair labor practice charge, union election petition, demand for recognition, or any similar activity or dispute or any union organizing activity, affecting the Company.
(q) The Company is, and since December 31, 2024, has been, in material compliance with all applicable Laws respecting labor, employment, employment practices, and terms and conditions of employment, including document retention, worker classification (including the distinction of exempt versus non-exempt), contractor classification, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, equal employment opportunities (including compliance with any affirmative action plan obligations), fair employment practices, meal and rest periods, immigration (including the completion of Forms I-9 for all employees and the proper confirmation of employees visas), employee safety and health, payment of wages (including overtime wages), pay equity, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation, plant closures and layoffs (including the WARN Act or any similar Laws), labor relations, employee leave issues, child labor, accommodations, disability rights or benefits, leaves of absence, and hours of work. Except as would not be reasonably likely to result in a material liability to the Company, with respect to employees of the Company, the Company, since the Company’s inception, has withheld and reported all amounts required by Law to be withheld and reported with respect to wages, salaries and other payments, benefits, or compensation to employees. There is no material Legal Proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened or reasonably anticipated against the Company relating to any current or former employee, applicant for employment, or consultant of the Company.
(r) Since December 31, 2024, the Company has complied in all material respects with the WARN Act and no action that could trigger the WARN Act will be implemented before the Closing Date.
2.18 Environmental Matters. The Company is and since December 31, 2024 has complied with all applicable Environmental Laws, which compliance includes the possession by the Company of all permits and other Governmental Authorizations required under applicable Environmental Laws and compliance with the terms and conditions thereof, except for any failure to be in such compliance that, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business. The Company has not received since December 31, 2024 (or prior to that time, which is pending and unresolved) any written notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise), whether from a Governmental Body or other Person, that alleges that the Company is not in compliance with or has liability pursuant to any Environmental Law and, to the Knowledge of the Company, there are no circumstances that would reasonably be expected to prevent or interfere with the Company’s compliance in any material respects with any Environmental Law, except where such failure to comply would not reasonably be expected to be material to the Company or its business. No current or (during the time a prior property was leased or controlled by the Company) prior property leased or controlled by the Company has had a release of or exposure to Hazardous Materials in material violation of or as would reasonably be expected to result in any material liability of the Company pursuant to Environmental Law. No consent, approval or Governmental Authorization of or registration or filing with any Governmental Body is required by Environmental Laws in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or consummation of the Contemplated Transactions by the Company. Prior to the date hereof, the Company has provided or otherwise made available to Parent true and correct copies of all material environmental reports, assessments, studies and audits in the possession or control of the Company with respect to any property leased or controlled by the Company or any business operated by it.
2.19 Insurance. The Company has delivered or made available to Parent accurate and complete copies of all material insurance policies and all material self-insurance programs and arrangements relating to the business, assets, liabilities and operations of the Company. Each of such insurance policies is in full force and effect and the Company is in compliance in all material respects with the terms thereof. Other than customary end of policy notifications from insurance carriers, since the Company’s inception, the Company has not received any notice or other communication regarding any actual or possible: (a) cancellation or invalidation of any insurance policy, or (b) refusal or denial of any coverage, reservation of rights or rejection of any material claim under any insurance policy. The Company has provided timely written notice to the appropriate insurance carrier(s) of each Legal Proceeding that is currently pending against the Company for which the Company has insurance coverage, and no such carrier has issued a denial of coverage or a reservation of rights with respect to any such Legal Proceeding, or informed the Company of its intent to do so.
2.20 No Financial Advisors. Except as set forth in Section 2.20 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, no broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to any brokerage fee, finder’s fee, opinion fee, success fee, transaction fee or other fee or commission in connection with the Contemplated Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company.
2.21 Transactions with Affiliates.
(a) Section 2.21(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule describes any material transactions or relationships, since the Company’s inception, between, on one hand, the Company and, on the other hand, any: (i) officer or director of the Company or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any of such officer’s or director’s immediate family members, (ii) owner of more than five percent of the voting power of the outstanding Company Capital Stock, or (iii) to the Knowledge of the Company, any “related person” (within the meaning of Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) of any such officer, director or owner (other than the Company) in the case of each of (i), (ii) or (iii) that is of the type that would be required to be disclosed under Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
(b) Section 2.21(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists each stockholders agreement, voting agreement, registration rights agreement, co-sale agreement or other similar Contract between the Company and any holders of Company Capital Stock, including any such Contract granting any Person investor rights, rights of first refusal, rights of first offer, registration rights, director designation rights or similar rights (collectively, the “Investor Agreements”).
2.22 Export Controls and Sanctions Compliance Issues. The Company has conducted its business in compliance with U.S. export and re-export controls, sanctions, and anti-boycott laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Act and Regulations, the Foreign Assets Control Regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, other controls administered by the United States Department of Commerce or the United States Department of State, the regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”), and all other applicable import/export controls and sanctions laws and regulations in other countries in which the Company conducts business (collectively, “Trade Laws”). The Company has not engaged in any direct or indirect transactions or dealings with (a) any country or territory that is, or has been, subject to a U.S. Government embargo (including, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, and so-called Luhansk People’s Republic) (collectively, the “Embargoed Countries”); (b) any instrumentality, agent, entity, or individual that is located in, or acting on behalf of, or directly or indirectly owned or controlled by any Governmental Body of, any Embargoed Country; and (c) any individual or entity identified on, or 50% or more owned (individually or in the aggregate) or otherwise controlled by persons identified on, any list of designated and prohibited parties maintained by the U.S. Government, the United Kingdom, or the European Union, including, but not limited to, the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, the Foreign Sanctions Evaders List, or the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List, which are maintained by OFAC, or the Entity List, Denied Persons List, or Unverified List, which are maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Commerce Department (a “Sanctioned Party”). The Company is not, nor has it ever been, the subject of any investigation, prosecution, inquiry, or enforcement action by any Governmental Body with respect to potential violations of Trade Laws.
2.23 Anti-Bribery. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers, employees or, to the Company’s Knowledge, agents or any other Person acting on their behalf (in each in their respective capacities as such) has directly or indirectly paid, provided, offered, made or authorized the provision of any bribes, improper rebates, payoffs, influence payments, kickbacks, illegal payments, illegal political contributions, or other payments, or anything of value, in the form of cash, gifts, or otherwise, or taken any other action, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the UK Bribery Act of 2010 or any other anti-bribery or anti-corruption Law (collectively, the “Anti-Bribery Laws”). The Company is not, nor has ever been, the subject of any investigation, prosecution or inquiry by any Governmental Body with respect to potential violations of Anti-Bribery Laws.
2.24 Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties.
(a) Except as previously set forth in this Section 2 or in any certificate delivered by the Company to Parent and/or Merger Subs pursuant to this Agreement, the Company makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, at law or in equity, with respect to it or any of its assets, liabilities or operations, and any such other representations or warranties are hereby expressly disclaimed.
(b) The Company acknowledges and agrees that, except for the representations and warranties of Parent and Merger Subs set forth in Section 3 or in any certificate delivered by Parent and/or Merger Subs to the Company pursuant to this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Representatives is relying on any other representation or warranty of Parent, Merger Subs or any other Person made outside of Section 3 or such certificate, including regarding the accuracy or completeness of any such other representations or warranties or the omission of any material information, whether express or implied, in each case, with respect to the Contemplated Transactions.
SECTION 3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUBS
Subject to Section 8.13(h), except (a) as set forth in the correspondingly numbered Section of the disclosure schedule delivered by Parent to the Company (the “Parent Disclosure Schedule”), or (b) as disclosed in the Parent SEC Documents filed with the SEC and publicly available on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system and that is reasonably apparent on the face of such disclosure to be applicable to the representation and warranty set forth herein (but (i) without giving effect to any amendment thereof filed with, or furnished to the SEC on or after the date hereof, and (ii) excluding any disclosures contained under the heading “Risk Factors” and any disclosure of risks included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or in any other section to the extent they are forward-looking statements or cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), Parent and Merger Subs represent and warrant to the Company as of the date hereof (or in the case or representations and warranties that speak as of a speak as of a specified date, such specified date) as follows:
3.1 Due Organization; Subsidiaries.
(a) Parent is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, and each of First Merger Sub and Second Merger Sub is a company duly incorporated or organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, and each has all necessary corporate or limited liability company power and authority, as applicable: (i) to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is described in the Parent SEC Documents, (ii) to own or lease and use its property and assets in the manner in which its property and assets are currently owned or leased and used as described in the Parent SEC Documents, and (iii) to perform its obligations under all Contracts by which Parent is bound. Since their respective date of incorporation or formation, as applicable, no Merger Sub has engaged in any activities other than activities incident to its formation or in connection with or as contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) Parent is duly licensed and qualified to do business, and is in good standing (to the extent applicable in such jurisdiction), under the Laws of all jurisdictions where the nature of its business requires such licensing or qualification other than in jurisdictions where the failure to be so qualified individually or in the aggregate would not be reasonably expected to have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Parent has no Subsidiaries, except for the Entities identified in Section 3.1(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule; and neither Parent nor any of the Entities identified in Section 3.1(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule owns any capital stock of, or any equity, ownership or profit-sharing interest of any nature in, or controls directly or indirectly, any other Entity other than the Entities identified in Section 3.1(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule. Each of Parent’s Subsidiaries is a corporation or other legal entity duly organized, validly existing and, if applicable, in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization and has all necessary corporate or other power and authority: (i) to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is currently being conducted, (ii) to own or lease and use its property and assets in the manner in which its property and assets are currently owned or leased and used, and (iii) to perform its obligations under all Contracts by which it is bound.
(d) Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has otherwise been, directly or indirectly, a party to, member of or participant in any partnership, joint venture or similar business Entity. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has agreed or is obligated to make, or is bound by any Contract under which it may become obligated to make, any future investment in or capital contribution to any other Entity. Neither the Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has, at any time, been a general partner of, or has otherwise been liable for, any of the debts or other obligations of, any general partnership, limited partnership or other Entity.
3.2 Organizational Documents. Parent has made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of the Organizational Documents or Parent and each of its Subsidiaries in effect as of the date of this Agreement. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of its respective Organizational Documents.
3.3 Authority; Binding Nature of Agreement.
(a) The Parent and each of its Subsidiaries (including the Merger Subs) have all necessary corporate or limited liability company power, as applicable, and authority to enter into and to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, and, subject, with respect to Parent, to receipt of the Required Parent Stockholder Vote and, with respect to Merger Subs, the adoption of this Agreement by Parent in its capacity as sole stockholder or sole member of Merger Subs, to perform its obligations hereunder and to consummate the Contemplated Transactions. The Parent Board (at meetings duly called and held or by unanimous written consent) has: (i) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Parent Stockholders, (ii) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, including the issuance of Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares to the Company Stockholders pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the treatment of the Company Options pursuant to this Agreement, and (iii) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the Parent Stockholders vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters. The First Merger Sub Board (by unanimous written consent) has: (A) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of First Merger Sub and its sole stockholder, (B) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions, and (C) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the stockholder of First Merger Sub vote to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions. The sole member of the Second Merger Sub has: (X) determined that the Contemplated Transactions are fair to, advisable, and in the best interests of Second Merger Sub and its sole member, (Y) authorized, approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions; and (Z) determined to recommend, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, that the sole member of Second Merger Sub vote to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Contemplated Transactions.
(b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Parent and each Merger Sub and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the Company, constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Parent and Merger Subs, enforceable against each of Parent and Merger Subs in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.
3.4 Vote Required. The approval of holders of Parent Common Stock is not required in order to approve this Agreement or, except with respect to Parent Stockholder Matters, the Contemplated Transactions. The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting by the holders of Parent Common Stock present or represented and entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders of Parent (other than any Person receiving Parent Common Stock or securities convertible into Parent Common Stock in the Contemplated Transactions, the Parent Financing, or in connection with (i) the exchange of the Azora Notes for securities of Parent pursuant to the Noteholder Exchange Agreements or (ii) the Parent Assumed Options) is the only vote of the holders of any class or series of Parent’s capital stock necessary to approve the proposal described i in Section 4.2(a) (“Required Parent Stockholder Vote”). Prior to the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable pursuant to (i) the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, (ii) the exercise of the Parent Assumed Options, (iii) the exercise of the Azora Noteholder Warrants issued or to be issued to the Azora Noteholders pursuant to the Noteholder Exchange Agreements, and (iv) the exercise of the PIPE Warrants issued or to be issued to the PIPE Investors pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, shall all be subject to the Cap.
3.5 Non-Contravention; Consents. Subject to obtaining the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, the filing of the Certificates of Merger required by the DGCL and the filing of the Certificate of Designation, neither (x) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by Parent or Merger Subs, nor (y) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions, will directly or indirectly (with or without notice or lapse of time):
(a) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the provisions of the Organizational Documents of Parent or Merger Subs;
(b) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of, give any Governmental Body or other Person the right to challenge the Contemplated Transactions or to exercise any remedy or obtain any relief under, any Law or any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which Parent or its Subsidiaries, or any of the assets owned or used by Parent or its Subsidiaries, is subject, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business;
(c) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of any of the terms or requirements of, or give any Governmental Body the right to revoke, withdraw, suspend, cancel, terminate or modify, any Governmental Authorization that is held by Parent, except as would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business;
(d) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of, or result in a default under, any provision of any Parent Material Contract, or give any Person the right to: (i) declare a default or exercise any remedy under any Parent Material Contract; (ii) any material payment, rebate, chargeback, penalty or change in delivery schedule under any Parent Material Contract; (iii) accelerate the maturity or performance of any Parent Material Contract; or (iv) cancel, terminate or modify any term of any Parent Material Contract, except in the case of any non-material breach, default, penalty or modification; or
(e) result in the imposition or creation of any Encumbrance upon or with respect to any asset owned or used by Parent (except for Permitted Encumbrances).
Except for (i) any Consent set forth in Section 3.5 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, (ii) the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, (iii) the filing of the Certificates of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL, (iv) the filing of the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the DGCL, (v) such consents, waivers, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings as may be required under applicable federal and state securities Laws or Nasdaq, or (vi) notice to the holders of the Parent Warrants, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or will be required to make any filing with or give any notice to, or to obtain any Consent from, any Person in connection with (A) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, or (B) the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. The Parent Board and the First Merger Sub Board and the sole member of Second Merger Sub have taken and will take all actions necessary to ensure that the restrictions applicable to business combinations contained in Section 203 of the DGCL (or analogous provisions) are, and will be, inapplicable to the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements and to the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions. No other state takeover statute or similar Law applies or purports to apply to the Merger, this Agreement or any of the other Contemplated Transactions.
3.6 Capitalization.
(a) The authorized capital stock of Parent as of the date of this Agreement consists of 100,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which 2,188,469 shares have been issued and are outstanding as of the close of business on the Reference Date and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which no shares have been issued or are outstanding as of the date of this Agreement. Parent does not hold any shares of its capital stock in its treasury.
(b) All of the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable. None of the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock are entitled or subject to any preemptive right, right of participation, right of maintenance or any similar right and none of the outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock is subject to any right of first refusal in favor of Parent. Except as contemplated herein, there is no Parent Contract relating to the voting or registration of, or restricting any Person from purchasing, selling, pledging or otherwise disposing of (or granting any option or similar right with respect to), any shares of Parent Common Stock. Parent is not under any obligation, nor is it bound by any Contract pursuant to which it may become obligated, to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock or other securities. Section 3.6(b) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule accurately and completely lists all repurchase rights held by Parent with respect to shares of Parent Common Stock (including shares issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options) and specifies which of those repurchase rights are currently exercisable and whether the holder of such shares of Parent Common Stock timely filed an election with the relevant Governmental Bodies under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to such shares.
(c) Except for the Parent Stock Plan, and except as set forth in Section 3.6(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, Parent does not have any stock option plan or any other plan, program, agreement or arrangement providing for any equity-based compensation for any Person. As of the close of business on the Reference Date, Parent has reserved 200,000 shares of Parent Common Stock for issuance under the Parent Stock Plan, of which Parent Options to purchase a total of 54,385 shares, in the aggregate, have been issued and are currently outstanding of, which no shares are subject to Parent’s right of repurchase, of which (x) 191,104 shares have been reserved for issuance upon exercise of Parent Options previously granted and currently outstanding under the Parent Stock Plan, (y) 143,636 shares have been reserved for issuance upon the settlement of Parent RSAs granted under the Parent Stock Plan that are outstanding as of the close of business on the Reference Date, and (z) 1,979 shares remain available for future issuance pursuant to the Parent Stock Plan. Section 3.6(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth the following information with respect to each Parent Option and Parent RSA outstanding as of the Reference Date: (i) the name of the holder, (ii) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to such Parent Option or Parent RSA at the time of grant, (iii) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock subject to such Parent Option or Parent RSA as of the close of business on the Reference Date, (iv) the exercise price of such Parent Option, (v) the date on which such Parent Option or Parent RSA was granted, (vi) the applicable vesting schedule, including the number of vested and unvested shares as of the close of business on the Reference Date and any acceleration provisions, (vii) the date on which such Parent Option or Parent RSA expires, (viii) whether such Parent Option is intended to constitute an “incentive stock option” (as defined in the Code) or a non-qualified stock option, and (ix) whether such Parent Option is “early exercisable”. Parent has made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of the Parent Stock Plan and the form of the stock option agreements and restricted stock unit agreements evidencing outstanding Parent Options and Parent RSAs granted thereunder. No vesting of Parent Options or Parent RSAs will be accelerated in connection with the closing of the Contemplated Transactions other than as set forth on such Section 3.6(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule. The per share exercise price of each Parent Option is at least equal to the per share fair market value of the Parent Common Stock as of the date such Parent Option was granted.
(d) Except for the Parent Options and the Parent RSAs granted pursuant to the Parent Stock Plan and the Parent Warrants, and as otherwise set forth in Section 3.6(d) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, there is no: (i) outstanding subscription, option, call, warrant or right (whether or not currently exercisable) to acquire any shares of the capital stock or other securities of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) outstanding security, instrument or obligation that is or may become convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of the capital stock or other securities of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iii) condition or circumstance that could be reasonably likely to give rise to or provide a basis for the assertion of a claim by any Person to the effect that such Person is entitled to acquire or receive any shares of capital stock or other securities of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. There are no outstanding or authorized stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation or other similar rights with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. In addition, there are no stockholder rights plans (or similar plan commonly referred to as a “poison pill”) or bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of Parent having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of Parent may vote.
(e) All outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock, Parent Options, Parent RSAs, Parent Warrants and other securities of Parent have been issued and granted in material compliance with: (i) the Organizational Documents of Parent in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Law, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contracts.
(f) All distributions, dividends, repurchases and redemptions of Parent Common Stock or other equity interests of Parent were undertaken in material compliance with (i) the Organizational Documents of Parent in effect as of the relevant time and all applicable securities Laws and other applicable Laws, and (ii) all requirements set forth in applicable Contracts.
3.7 SEC Filings; Financial Statements.
(a) Parent has delivered or made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of all registration statements, proxy statements, Certifications (as defined below) and other statements, reports, schedules, forms and other documents filed by Parent with the SEC (the “Parent SEC Documents”), other than such documents that can be obtained on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Since December 31, 2024, all material statements, reports, schedules, forms and other documents, including any exhibits thereto, required to have been filed by Parent or its officers with the SEC have been so filed on a timely basis. As of the time it was filed with the SEC (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, then on the date of such filing), each of the Parent SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (as the case may be), and the rules and regulations thereunder, and, as of the time they were filed, or if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, on the date of the last such amendment or superseding filing prior to the date of this Agreement, none of the Parent SEC Documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The certifications and statements required by (i) Rule 13a-14 under the Exchange Act and (ii) 18 U.S.C. §1350 (Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) relating to the Parent SEC Documents (collectively, the “Certifications”) are accurate and complete and comply as to form and content with all applicable Laws, and no current or former executive officer of Parent has failed to make the Certifications required of him or her. Parent has made available to the Company true and complete copies of all correspondence, other than transmittal correspondence or general communications by the SEC not specifically addressed to Parent, between the SEC, on the one hand, and Parent, on the other, since December 31, 2024, including all SEC comment letters and responses to such comment letters and responses to such comment letters by or on behalf of Parent except for such comment letters and responses to such comment letters that are publicly accessible through EDGAR. As of the date of this Agreement, there are no outstanding unresolved comments in comment letters received from the SEC or Nasdaq with respect to Parent SEC Documents. To the Knowledge of Parent, none of the Parent SEC Documents is the subject of ongoing SEC review and there are no inquiries or investigations by the SEC or any internal investigations pending or threatened, including with regards to any accounting practices of Parent. As used in this Section 3.7, the term “file” and variations thereof shall be broadly construed to include any manner in which a document or information is filed, furnished, supplied or otherwise made available to the SEC.
(b) The financial statements (including any related notes) contained or incorporated by reference in the Parent SEC Documents: (i) complied as to form in all material respects with the published rules and regulations of the SEC applicable thereto, (ii) were prepared in accordance with GAAP (except as may be indicated in the notes to such financial statements or, in the case of unaudited financial statements, except as permitted by Form 10-Q of the SEC, and except that the unaudited financial statements may not contain footnotes and are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments) applied on a consistent basis unless otherwise noted therein throughout the periods indicated, and (iii) fairly present, in all material respects, the financial position of Parent and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the respective dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows of Parent for the periods covered thereby. Other than as expressly disclosed in the Parent SEC Documents filed prior to the date hereof, there has been no material change in Parent’s accounting methods or principles that would be required to be disclosed in Parent’s financial statements in accordance with GAAP.
(c) Parent’s independent registered public accounting firm has at all times since the date of enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act been: (i) a registered public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), (ii) to the Knowledge of Parent, “independent” with respect to Parent within the meaning of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act, and (iii) to the Knowledge of Parent, in compliance with subsections (g) through (l) of Section 10A of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board thereunder.
(d) Except as set forth in the Parent SEC Documents, since December 31, 2024, through the date of this Agreement, Parent has not received any comment letter from the SEC or the staff thereof or any correspondence from officials of Nasdaq or the staff thereof relating to the delisting or maintenance of listing of the Parent Common Stock on Nasdaq. As of the date of this Agreement, Parent has timely responded to all comment letters of the staff of the SEC relating to the Parent SEC Documents, and the SEC has not advised Parent that any final responses are inadequate, insufficient or otherwise non-responsive. Parent has made available to the Company true, correct and complete copies of all comment letters, written inquiries and enforcement correspondences between the SEC, on the one hand, and Parent, on the other hand, occurring since December 31, 2024 and will, reasonably promptly following the receipt thereof, make available to the Company any such correspondence sent or received after the date of this Agreement. To the Knowledge of Parent, as of the date of this Agreement, none of the Parent SEC Documents is the subject of an ongoing SEC report or outstanding SEC comment.
(e) Since December 31, 2024, there have been no formal investigations regarding financial reporting or accounting policies and practices discussed with, reviewed by or initiated at the direction of the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, principal accounting officer or general counsel of Parent, the Parent Board or any committee thereof, other than ordinary course audits or reviews of accounting policies and practices or internal controls required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
(f) Except as disclosed in the Parent SEC Reports, Parent is and, since its first date of listing on Nasdaq, has been, in compliance in all material respects with the applicable current listing and governance rules and regulations of Nasdaq.
(g) Parent maintains, and at all times since December 31, 2024, has maintained, a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP and to provide reasonable assurance (i) that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (ii) that receipts and expenditures are made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Parent Board, (iii) regarding prevention or timely detection of the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of Parent’s assets that could have a material effect on Parent’s financial statements and (iv) that Parent maintains records in reasonable detail which accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of Parent and any of its Subsidiaries. Parent has evaluated the effectiveness of Parent’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, and, to the extent required by applicable Law, presented in any applicable Parent SEC Document that is a report on Form 10-K or Form 10-Q (or any amendment thereto) its conclusions about the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the period covered by such report or amendment based on such evaluation. Parent has disclosed, based on its most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to Parent’s auditors and audit committee (and has described in Section 3.7(g) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule) (A) all material weaknesses and all significant deficiencies, if any, in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect Parent’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves Parent, any of its Subsidiaries, Parent’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by the Parent and its Subsidiaries, and (C) any claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing. Parent has not identified, based on its most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of Parent’s internal control over financial reporting.
(h) Parent maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that are reasonably designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by Parent in the periodic reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the required time periods, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to Parent’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the Certifications.
(i) Parent has not been and is not currently a “shell company” as defined under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
3.8 Absence of Changes. Except as set forth in Section 3.8 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, after the date of the Parent Balance Sheet through the date of this Agreement, Parent and its Subsidiaries have conducted its business only in the Ordinary Course of Business (except for the execution and performance of this Agreement and the discussions, negotiations and transactions related thereto) and there has not been any (a) Parent Material Adverse Effect and (b) neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has done any of the following:
(a) declared, accrued, set aside or paid any dividend or made any other distribution in respect of any shares of its capital stock or repurchased, redeemed or otherwise reacquired any shares of its capital stock or other securities (except (i) as set forth in the Parent SEC Documents, and (ii) for shares of Parent Common Stock from terminated employees, directors or consultants of Parent or in connection with the payment of the exercise price and/or withholding Taxes incurred upon the exercise, settlement or vesting of any award granted under the Parent Stock Plan);
(b) sold, issued, granted, pledged, disposed of or otherwise encumbered (other than encumbrances pursuant to applicable securities Laws) or authorized any encumbrance (other than encumbrances pursuant to applicable securities Laws) with respect to: (A) any capital stock or other security of Parent (except for Parent Common Stock issued upon the valid exercise of outstanding Parent Options); (B) any option, warrant or right to acquire any capital stock or any other security, other than option grants to employees and consultants in the Ordinary Course of Business; or (C) any instrument convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock or other security of Parent;
(c) except as required to give effect to anything in contemplation of the Closing, amended any of its Organizational Documents, or effected or been a party to any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split, reverse stock split or similar transaction except, for the avoidance of doubt, the Contemplated Transactions;
(d) formed any Subsidiary or acquired any equity interest or other interest in any other Entity or entered into a joint venture with any other Entity;
(e) (i) lent money to any Person (except for the advance of reasonable business expenses to employees, directors and consultants in the Ordinary Course of Business), (ii) incurred or guaranteed any indebtedness for borrowed money, or (iii) guaranteed any debt securities of others;
(f) other than as required by applicable Law or the terms of any Parent Benefit Plan as in effect on the date of this Agreement: (i) adopted, terminated, established or entered into any Parent Benefit Plan; (ii) caused any Parent Benefit Plan to be amended in any material respect; (iii) paid any material bonus or distributed any profit-sharing account balances or similar payment to, or, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, increased the amount of the wages, salary, commissions, benefits or other compensation or remuneration payable to, any of its directors, officers or employees; (iv) increased the severance or change-of-control benefits offered to any current, former or new employees, directors or consultants or (v) hired, terminated or gave notice of termination (other than for cause) to any (x) officer or (y) employee whose annual base salary is or is expected to be more than $125,000 per year; (h) entered into any material transaction outside of the Ordinary Course of Business other than in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(g) entered into any Labor Agreement;
(i) acquired any material asset or sold or otherwise irrevocably disposed of any of its assets or properties (other than the disposal of obsolete assets), or granted any Encumbrance (other than a Permitted Encumbrance) with respect to such assets or properties;
(j) sold, assigned, transferred, licensed, sublicensed, cancelled, abandoned, allowed to lapse, or otherwise disposed of any material Parent IP (other than pursuant to (A) non-exclusive licenses granted in the Ordinary Course of Business or (B) expiration of Parent IP in accordance with the applicable statutory term);
(k) made, changed or revoked any material Tax election, failed to pay any income or other material Tax as such Tax becomes due and payable, filed any amendment making any material change to any Tax Return, settled or compromised any income or other material Tax liability, entered into any Tax allocation, sharing, indemnification or other similar agreement or arrangement (including any “closing agreement” described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar Law) with any Governmental Body, but excluding customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes), requested or consented to any extension or waiver of any limitation period with respect to any claim or assessment for any income or other material Taxes (other than pursuant to an automatic extension of time to file any Tax Return granted in the Ordinary Course of Business of not more than six months), or adopted or changed any material accounting method in respect of Taxes;
(l) made any expenditures, incurred any Liabilities or discharged or satisfied any Liabilities, in each case, in amounts that exceed the aggregate amount of $100,000;
(m) other than as required by Law or GAAP, taken any action to change accounting policies or procedures;
(n) initiated or settled any Legal Proceeding; or
(o) agreed, resolved or committed to do any of the foregoing.
3.9 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities. As of the date hereof, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has any Liability, individually or in the aggregate, of a type required to be recorded or reflected on a balance sheet or disclosed in the footnotes thereto under GAAP except for: (a) Liabilities disclosed, reflected or reserved against in the Parent Balance Sheet, (b) Liabilities that have been incurred by Parent or its Subsidiaries since the date of the Parent Balance Sheet in the Ordinary Course of Business, (c) Liabilities for performance of obligations of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries under Parent Contracts in the Ordinary Course of Business, which, in each case, are not related to any breach or default of Parent or its Subsidiaries, (d) Liabilities incurred in connection with the Contemplated Transactions, (e) Liabilities which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to be material to the Parent, (f) Liabilities described in Section 3.9 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule.
3.10 Title to Assets. Each of Parent and its Subsidiaries owns, and has good and valid title to, or, in the case of leased properties and assets, valid leasehold interests in, all tangible properties or tangible assets and equipment used or held for use in its business or operations or purported to be owned by it that are material to Parent and its Subsidiaries or their business, including: (a) all material tangible assets reflected on the Parent Balance Sheet, and (b) all other material tangible assets reflected in the books and records of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries as being owned by Parent or such Subsidiary. All of such material tangible assets are owned or, in the case of leased assets, leased by Parent or its Subsidiaries free and clear of any Encumbrances, other than Permitted Encumbrances.
3.11 Real Property; Leasehold. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries own or ever have owned any real property. Parent has made available to the Company (a) an accurate and complete list of all real properties with respect to which Parent directly or indirectly holds a valid leasehold interest as well as any other real estate that is in the possession of, or occupied or leased by, Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, and (b) copies of all leases under which any such real property is possessed, occupied or leased (the “Parent Real Estate Leases”), each of which is in full force and effect, with no existing material default thereunder by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or to the Knowledge of Parent, any other party thereto. Parent’s possession, occupancy, lease, use and/or operation of each such leased property conforms to all applicable Laws in all material respects, and Parent has exclusive possession of each such leased property and leasehold interest and has not granted any occupancy rights to tenants or licensees with respect to such leased property or leasehold interest. In addition, each such leased property and leasehold interest is free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. Parent has not received any written notice from its landlords or any Governmental Body that: (i) relates to violations of building, zoning, safety or fire ordinances or regulations, (ii) claims any defect or deficiency with respect to any of such properties, or (iii) requests the performance of any repairs, alterations or other work to such properties.
3.12 Intellectual Property; Privacy
(a) Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule identifies each item of Parent IP that is (i) Registered IP, including, with respect to each application and registration: (1) the name of the applicant or registrant, (2) the jurisdiction of application or registration, and (3) the application or registration number and (4) the date of issue, filing, or registration, as applicable, and to the extent applicable, the twenty (20) year patent term expiration date. There are no material Trademarks, Copyrights, Internet domain names, or material proprietary Software. For all patents and patent applications set forth in Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, all necessary registration, maintenance, renewal and other relevant filing fees due through the Closing Date have been timely paid and all necessary documents and certificates in connection therewith have been timely filed with the relevant Patent authorities in the United States or the applicable foreign jurisdiction, as the case may be, for the purpose of maintaining such patents and patent applications in full force and effect. As of the date of this Agreement, no cancellation, interference, opposition, reissue, reexamination or other proceeding of any nature (other than office actions or similar communications issued by any Government Body in the ordinary course of prosecution of any pending applications for registration) is pending, or to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened in writing, in which the scope, validity, enforceability, or ownership of any Parent IP is being or has been contested or challenged. To the Knowledge of Parent, each of the patents and patent applications included in Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule properly identifies by name each and every inventor of the inventions claimed therein as determined in accordance with applicable Laws of the United States. As of the date of this Agreement, no cancellation, interference, opposition, reissue, reexamination or other proceeding of any nature (other than office actions or similar communications issued by any Governmental Body in the ordinary course of prosecution of any pending applications for registration) is pending or threatened in writing, in which the scope, validity, enforceability or ownership of any Parent IP is being or has been contested or challenged. To the Knowledge of Parent, each item of Parent IP is valid and enforceable, and all applications for registrations of Parent IP are subsisting. Except as set forth in Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, there are no actions that must be taken, outside the course of normal prosecution, within 90 days of the Closing, the failure of which will result in the abandonment, lapse or cancellation of any material Registered IP owned in whole or in part by Parent.
(b) Parent or its Subsidiaries exclusively own all right, title and interest in and to all material Parent Owned IP (provided, that, with respect to the Registered IP disclosed in Section 3.12(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule that is identified as owned jointly by Parent or its Subsidiary with one or more co-owners, Parent or the applicable Subsidiary exclusively owns all right, title and interest in and to its respective undivided ownership interest therein), free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. To the Knowledge of Parent, Parent or its Subsidiary owns or has a valid, enforceable, written license to use all Parent IP and all other Intellectual Property Rights used in, material to or otherwise necessary for the operation of Parent’s and any of its Subsidiaries’ business as currently conducted and as contemplated for the Parent’s products in development. Each Parent Associate involved in the creation or development of any material Parent Owned IP, pursuant to such Parent Associate’s activities on behalf of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, has signed a written agreement containing an assignment of such Parent Associate’s rights in such Parent Owned IP to Parent or its Subsidiaries, which written agreement, to the Knowledge of Parent, is valid and enforceable. Each Parent Associate who has or has had access to Parent’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ trade secrets or confidential information has signed a written agreement containing confidentiality provisions protecting the Parent Owned IP, trade secrets and confidential information, which written agreement, to the Knowledge of the Company, is valid and enforceable. Parent has taken commercially reasonable steps to protect and preserve the confidentiality of its trade secrets and confidential information.
(c) Except as set forth in Section 3.12(c) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, to the Knowledge of Parent, no funding, facilities or personnel of any Governmental Body or any university, college, research institute or other educational institution has been used to create or develop any Parent Owned IP, such that any such Governmental Body or institution has any claim to ownership rights or a license to such Parent Owned IP or the right to receive royalties for the practice of such Parent Owned IP.
(d) Section 3.12(d) of Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth each Contract pursuant to which Parent (i) is granted any license under, or otherwise has received or acquired any right (whether or not currently exercisable and including a right to receive a license, a covenant not to sue and similar rights) or interest in, any material Intellectual Property Right owned by any third party Person (each a “Parent In-bound License”) or (ii) grants to any third party Person any license under, or otherwise grants any right (whether or not currently exercisable and including a right to receive a license, a covenant not to sue and similar rights) or interest in, any material Parent IP (each a “Parent Out-bound License”) (provided, that, Section 3.12(e) of Parent Disclosure Schedule may not set forth, and Parent In-bound Licenses shall not include Parent Standard In-bound Contracts; and Section 3.12(e) of Parent Disclosure Schedule may not set forth, and Parent Out-bound Licenses shall not include Parent Standard Outbound Contracts). To the Knowledge of Parent, all Parent In-bound Licenses and Parent Out-bound Licenses are in full force and effect and are valid, enforceable and binding obligations of Parent and, to the Knowledge of Parent, each other party to such Parent In-bound Licenses or Parent Out-bound Licenses. Neither Parent, nor, to the Knowledge of Parent, any other party to such Parent In-bound License or Parent Out-bound License, is in material breach of such Parent In-bound License or Parent Out-bound License. Except as set forth in Section 3.12(e) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, none of the terms or conditions of any Parent In-bound License or any Parent Out-bound License obligates Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates to maintain or prosecute any Intellectual Property Rights should Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their Affiliates (as applicable) choose to terminate such Intellectual Property Rights.
(e) To the Knowledge of Parent: (i) the operation of the business of Parent and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted and contemplated has not misappropriated any trade secrets of any other Person; (ii) the operation of the business of Parent and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property Rights of any other Person and (iii) no other Person is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating any Parent IP. No Legal Proceeding is pending (or, to the Knowledge of Parent, is threatened in writing) (A) against Parent or its Subsidiaries alleging that the operation of the business of Parent or its Subsidiaries infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Rights of another Person or (B) by Parent or its Subsidiaries alleging that another Person has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any of the Parent IP. Since January 1, 2020, neither Parent nor its Subsidiaries have received any written notice or other written communication alleging that the operation of the business of Parent or its Subsidiaries infringes or constitutes the misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Right of another Person.
(f) None of the Parent Owned IP and, to the Knowledge of Parent, none of the Parent Licensed IP, is subject to any pending or outstanding injunction, directive, order, judgment or other disposition of dispute, that adversely and materially restricts the use, transfer, registration or licensing by Parent or its Subsidiaries of any such Parent IP.
(g) No source code of any Software owned by Parent or its Subsidiaries has been licensed or otherwise provided to another Person other than to consultants and contractors who are licensed to use the source code solely in connection with performing work on behalf of Parent and who are bound by confidentiality obligations with respect to such source code (“Permitted Parent Source Code Sublicensees”). Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries have disclosed or delivered to any escrow agent or any other Person (other than Permitted Parent Source Code Sublicensees) any of the source code of any Software owned by Parent or its Subsidiaries, and no other Person (other than Permitted Parent Source Code Sublicensees) has the right, contingent or otherwise, to obtain access to or use any such source code. Parent has in its possession, or has all necessary rights to obtain, all Software source code and all related technical and other information required to enable its appropriately skilled employees or those of another Person to maintain and support the Software owned by Parent or its Subsidiaries.
(h) Neither Parent nor its Subsidiaries have (i) incorporated Open Source Software into, or combined Open Source Software with, any proprietary Software of Parent or its Subsidiaries, (ii) distributed Open Source Software in conjunction with or for use with any proprietary Software of Parent or its Subsidiaries, or (iii) otherwise used Open Source Software, in each case, in a manner that obligates Parent or its Subsidiaries to disclose, make available, offer or deliver any portion of the source code of any proprietary Software of Parent or its Subsidiaries to any Person or otherwise affects Parent’s or its Subsidiaries’ freedom of action with respect to the use or distribution of any proprietary Software of Parent or its Subsidiaries. All use and distribution of any Open Source Software by Parent is and has been in compliance in all material respects with all licenses applicable thereto, including all applicable copyright notice and attribution requirements.
(i) Parent has used commercially reasonable efforts designed to prevent the introduction into any Software owned by Parent or its Subsidiaries, and to the Knowledge of the Parent, such Software does not contain, any “back door,” “drop dead device,” “time bomb,” “Trojan horse,” “virus” or “worm” (as such terms are commonly understood in the software industry) or any other code designed or intended to have any of the following functions: disrupting or disabling the operation of, or providing unauthorized access to, a computer system or network or other device on which such code is stored or installed.
(j) To the Knowledge of the Parent, Parent and the operation of Parent’s and its Subsidiaries’ business are, and at all times since Parent’s inception have been, in material compliance with all applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in liability material to Parent, Parent and its Subsidiaries have at all applicable times provided all notices, and obtained and maintained all rights, consents, and authorizations, to Process Parent Data as Processed by or for Parent or its Subsidiaries. Since Parent’s inception, there has been (i) no loss or theft of, malfunction of, or security breach relating to, Parent Data or Parent’s information technology systems, (ii) no material violation of any security policy of Parent or its Subsidiaries regarding any such Parent Data, and (iii) no unauthorized access to, or unauthorized, unintended, or improper use, disclosure, or other Processing of any Parent Data. Neither the Parent nor any Subsidiary has provided or been legally required to provide any notices to any Person in connection with an unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of Parent Data. Neither the Parent nor any Subsidiary has been the subject of or received written notice of any complaints, claims or investigations related to their collection, use, storage or processing of Parent Data or alleging any violation of applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements. Since Parent’s inception, Parent and its Subsidiaries have maintained commercially reasonable measures and maintained commercially reasonable disaster recovery and security plans and procedures to protect the information technology systems used in, material to or necessary for operation of Parent’s or its Subsidiaries business as currently conducted and Parent Data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure or other unauthorized Processing, and such measures have at all times since the Company’s inception materially complied with applicable Privacy and Data Processing Requirements.
(k) The computer systems, including the software, firmware, hardware, networks, interfaces, platforms and related systems, owned, leased or licensed by the Parent and any Subsidiary (collectively, the “Parent Systems”) perform in all material respects as is necessary for the conduct of its business as presently conducted. In the twelve (12) months immediately prior to the date of this Agreement, (i) there have been no material failures, breakdowns or other adverse events materially affecting any such Parent Systems that have caused a material disruption or interruption to the conduct of the business of the Parent or any Subsidiary.
3.13 Agreements, Contracts and Commitments.
(a) Section 3.13 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule lists the following Parent Contracts in effect as of the date of this Agreement other than any Parent Benefit Plans (each, a “Parent Material Contract” and collectively, the “Parent Material Contracts”):
(i) a material Contract as defined in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K as promulgated under the Securities Act;
(ii) each Parent Contract relating to any agreement of indemnification or guaranty not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(iii) each Parent Contract containing: (A) any covenant limiting in any material respect the freedom of Parent or its Subsidiaries to engage in any line of business or compete with any Person, (B) any most-favored nation or other preferred pricing arrangement in favor of a Person other than Parent or any similar term by which any Person is or could become entitled to any benefit, right or privilege that must be at least as favorable to such Person as those offered to any other Person, (C) any exclusivity provision, option to receive a license, right of first refusal or right of first negotiation or similar covenant in favor of a Person other than Parent, or (D) any non-solicitation provision not entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(iv) each Parent Contract relating to capital expenditures and requiring payments after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 pursuant to its express terms and not cancelable without penalty;
(v) each Parent Contract relating to the disposition or acquisition of material assets or any ownership interest in any Entity, except as contemplated hereby;
(vi) each Parent Contract relating to any mortgages, indentures, loans, notes or credit agreements, security agreements or other agreements or instruments relating to the borrowing of money or extension of credit or creating any material Encumbrances with respect to any assets of Parent or its Subsidiaries or any loans or debt obligations with officers or directors of Parent;
(vii) each Parent Contract requiring payment by or to Parent after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate in the current calendar year or any future calendar year pursuant to its express terms relating to: (A) any distribution agreement (identifying any that contain exclusivity provisions); (B) any agreement involving provision of services or products with respect to any pre-clinical or clinical development activities of Parent; (C) any dealer, distributor, joint marketing, alliance, joint venture, cooperation, development or other agreement currently in force under which Parent has continuing obligations to develop or market any product, technology or service, or any agreement pursuant to which Parent has continuing obligations to develop any Intellectual Property Rights that will not be owned, in whole or in part, by Parent; or (D) any Parent Contract with any third party providing any services relating to the manufacture or production of any product, service or technology of Parent or any Parent Contract to sell, distribute or commercialize any products or service of Parent; (viii) each Parent Contract with any financial advisor, broker, finder, investment banker or other similar Person providing financial advisory services to Parent in connection with the Contemplated Transactions;
(ix) each Parent Real Estate Lease;
(x) each Parent Contract with any Governmental Body;
(xi) each Parent Out-bound License and Parent In-bound License, and each Parent Contract containing a covenant not to sue or otherwise enforce any Intellectual Property Rights;
(xii) each Parent Contract requiring the payment of any royalty, dividend or similar arrangement based on the revenues or profits of Parent or its Subsidiaries;
(xiii) each Parent Contract that is a Labor Agreement;
(xiv) each Parent Contract, offer letter, employment agreement, or independent contractor agreement with any employee, independent contractor or other natural person service provider that: (A) is not immediately terminable by Parent without notice, severance, or other cost or liability, except as required under applicable Law, or (B) provides for retention payments, change-of-control payments, severance, accelerated vesting, or any similar payment or benefit that may or will become due as a result of the Merger (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event or condition);
(xv) each Parent Contract providing any option to receive a license or other right, any right of first negotiation, any right of first refusal or any similar right to any Person related to any material Parent IP or material Intellectual Property Right licensed to Parent under a Parent In-bound License; and
(xvi) each Parent Contract entered into in settlement of any Legal Proceeding or other dispute; and
(xvii) any other Contract that is not terminable at will (with no penalty or payment or requirement for prior notice, except as required by applicable law) by Parent or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, and (A) which involves payment or receipt by Parent or its Subsidiaries after the date of this Agreement under any such agreement, Contract or commitment of more than $100,000 in the aggregate, or obligations after the date of this Agreement in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate, or (B) that is material to the business or operations of Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(b) Parent has delivered or made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of all Parent Material Contracts, including all amendments thereto. There are no Parent Material Contracts that are not in written form. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has, nor, to Parent’s Knowledge, as of the date of this Agreement, has any other party to a Parent Material Contract, breached, violated or defaulted under, or received notice that it breached, violated or defaulted under, any of the terms or conditions of any Parent Material Contract. As to Parent and its Subsidiaries, as of the date of this Agreement, each Parent Material Contract is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. No Person is renegotiating, or has a right pursuant to the terms of any Parent Material Contract to change, any material amount paid or payable to Parent under any Parent Material Contract or any other material term or provision of any Parent Material Contract, and no Person has indicated to Parent that it desires to renegotiate, modify, not renew or cancel any Parent Material Contract.
3.14 Compliance; Permits. Parent or its Subsidiaries hold all required Governmental Authorizations which are material to the operation of the business of Parent or such Subsidiary as currently conducted (the “Parent Permits”). Section 3.14 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule identifies each Parent Permit. Each such Parent Permit is valid and in full force and effect, and Parent is in material compliance with the terms of the Parent Permits. No Legal Proceeding is pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened, which seeks to revoke, limit, suspend, or materially modify any Parent Permit.
3.15 Legal Proceedings; Orders.
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, there is no material pending Legal Proceeding and, to the Knowledge of Parent, no Person has threatened in writing to commence any Legal Proceeding: (i) that involves (A) Parent, (B) any of its Subsidiaries, (C) any Parent Associate (in his or her capacity as such) or (D) any of the material assets owned or used by Parent or its Subsidiaries, or (ii) that challenges, or that would have the effect of preventing, delaying, making illegal or otherwise interfering with, the Contemplated Transactions.
(b) Except as set forth in Section 3.15(b) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, since December 31, 2024 through the date of this Agreement, no Legal Proceeding has been pending against Parent that resulted in material liability to Parent.
(c) There is no order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of the material assets owned or used by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, is subject. To the Knowledge of Parent, no officer of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree that prohibits such officer or employee from engaging in or continuing any conduct, activity or practice relating to the business of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or to any material assets owned or used by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.16 Tax Matters.
(a) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries have filed all income and other material Tax Returns that were required to be filed by or with respect to it under applicable Law. All such Tax Returns are correct and complete in all material respects and have been prepared in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Law. No written, or to the Knowledge of Parent, verbal claim has ever been made by any Governmental Body in any jurisdiction where Parent or any of its Subsidiaries does not file a particular Tax Return or pay a particular Tax that Parent or such Subsidiary is subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.
(b) All income and other material Taxes due and owing by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries on or before the date hereof (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) have been fully and timely paid. The unpaid Taxes of Parent and its Subsidiaries did not, as of the date of the Parent Balance Sheet, materially exceed the reserve for Tax liability (excluding any reserve for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax items) set forth on the face of the Parent Balance Sheet. Since the Parent Balance Sheet Date, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any material Liability for Taxes outside the Ordinary Course of Business.
(c) All Taxes that Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is or was required by Law to withhold or collect have been duly and timely withheld or collected in all material respects on behalf of its respective employees, independent contractors, stockholders, lenders, customers or other third parties and have been timely paid to the proper Governmental Body or other Person or properly set aside in accounts for this purpose.
(d) There are no Encumbrances for material Taxes (other than Encumbrances described in clause (a) of the definition of Permitted Encumbrances) upon any of the assets of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
(e) No deficiencies for a material amount of Taxes with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries have been claimed, proposed or assessed by any Governmental Body in writing that have not been fully resolved. There are no pending or ongoing and, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened audits, assessments or other actions for or relating to any liability in respect of a material amount of Taxes of Parent. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries (or predecessors thereof) has waived any statute of limitations or agreed to any extension of time with respect to any income or other material Tax assessment or deficiency.
(f) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code.
(g) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any Tax allocation agreement, Tax sharing agreement, Tax indemnity agreement, or similar agreement or arrangement, other than customary commercial Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes.
(h) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries will be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income for any Tax period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any: (i) change in method of accounting for Tax purposes for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date, (ii) use of an improper method of accounting for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date, (iii) “closing agreement” as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date, (iv) intercompany transaction or excess loss account described in Treasury Regulations under Section 1502 of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law), (v) installment sale or open transaction disposition made on or prior to the Closing Date; (vi) prepaid amount, advance payment or deferred revenue received or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date, (vii) application of Section 367(d) of the Code to any transfer of intangible property on or prior to the Closing Date, or (viii) application of Sections 951 or 951A of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) to any income received or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date.
(i) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has ever been: (i) a member of a consolidated, combined or unitary Tax group (other than such a group the common parent of which is Parent), or (ii) a party to any joint venture, partnership, or other arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income Tax purposes. Parent has no Liability for any material Taxes of any Person (other than Parent and any of its Subsidiaries) under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local, or foreign Law), as a transferee or successor, by Contract (other than a Contract entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business the principal subject matter of which is not Taxes) or otherwise by operation of Law.
(j) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has distributed stock of another Person, or had its stock distributed by another Person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 of the Code or Section 361 of the Code (or any similar provisions of state, local or foreign Law).
(k) Parent has never had a permanent establishment (within the meaning of an applicable Tax treaty) or otherwise had an office or fixed place of business in a country other than the country in which it is organized.
(l) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has participated in or been a party to a transaction that constitutes a “listed transaction” within the meaning of Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).
(m) Section 3.16(m) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule sets forth the entity classification of Parent and each of its Subsidiaries for U.S. federal, and applicable state and local, income Tax purposes. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has made an election or taken any other action to change its federal, state, and local income Tax classification from such classification.
(n) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any action nor has Knowledge of any fact that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from qualifying as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code.
For purposes of this Section 3.16, each reference to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries shall be deemed to include any Person (for the avoidance of doubt, other than the Company) that was liquidated into, merged with, or is otherwise a predecessor to, Parent.
3.17 Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans.
(a) Section 3.17(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule is a list of all material Parent Benefit Plans, other than employment offer letters on Parent’s standard form and other compensatory equity award agreements made pursuant to the Parent’s standard forms and disclosed to the Company, in which case only representative standard forms of such agreements shall be scheduled. “Parent Benefit Plan” means each: (i) “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, and (ii) other pension, retirement, deferred compensation, excess benefit, profit sharing, bonus, incentive, equity or equity-based, phantom equity, employment, severance, change-of-control, retention, health, life, disability, group insurance, paid time off, holiday, welfare and fringe benefit plan, program, agreement, Contract, or arrangement (whether written or unwritten, qualified or nonqualified, funded or unfunded, fully insured or self-funded, subject or not subject to ERISA and including any that have been frozen), in each case, sponsored, maintained, administered, contributed to, or required to be contributed to, by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries for the benefit of any current or former employee, director, officer or independent contractor of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or under which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has any actual or contingent liability (including, without limitation, by reason of having a Parent ERISA Affiliate). Section 3.17(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule indicates which of the Parent Benefit Plans are maintained by a professional employer organization (“Parent PEO Plans”). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, all representations pursuant to this Section 3.17 in respect of any Parent PEO Plan shall only apply to the portion of the Parent PEO Plans that involve the assets contributed by Parent, employees of the Parent who are participating in such Parent PEO Plan, any administrative responsibilities of Parent related to such Parent PEO Plan, or any information furnished by Parent to the plan sponsor or administrator of such Parent PEO Plan; all other representations pursuant to this Section 3.17 in respect of any Parent PEO Plan shall only be made to Parent’s Knowledge.
(b) As applicable with respect to each material Parent Benefit Plan, and to the extent provided to Parent from the professional employer organization (after Parent has made a commercially reasonable effort to obtain such documents), Parent has made available to the Company true and complete copies of (i) each material Parent Benefit Plan, including all amendments thereto, and in the case of an unwritten material Parent Benefit Plan, a written description thereof, (ii) all current trust documents, investment management Contracts, custodial agreements, administrative services agreements and insurance and annuity Contracts relating thereto, (iii) the current summary plan description and each summary of material modifications thereto, (iv) the most recently filed annual reports with any Governmental Body (e.g., Form 5500 and all schedules thereto), (v) the most recent IRS determination, opinion or advisory letter, (vi) the most recent summary annual reports, coverage and nondiscrimination testing reports, actuarial reports, financial statements and trustee reports, and (vii) all notices and filings from the IRS or Department of Labor or other Governmental Body concerning audits or investigations, or “prohibited transactions” within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(c) Each Parent Benefit Plan has been maintained, operated and administered in compliance in all material respects with its terms and the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and all other Laws.
(d) The Parent Benefit Plans which are “employee pension benefit plans” within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA and which are intended to meet the qualification requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code have received determination or opinion letters from the IRS on which they may currently rely to the effect that such plans are qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and the related trusts are exempt from federal income Taxes under Section 501(a) of the Code, respectively, and nothing has occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially adversely affect the qualification of such Parent Benefit Plan or the tax exempt status of the related trust.
(e) Neither Parent, any of its Subsidiaries nor any Parent ERISA Affiliate maintains, contributes to, is required to contribute to, or has any actual or contingent liability with respect to, (i) any “employee pension benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA) that is subject to Title IV or Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code, (ii) any “multiemployer plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(37) of ERISA), (iii) any “multiple employer plan” (within the meaning of Section 413 of the Code) or (iv) any “multiple employer welfare arrangement” (within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA).
(f) There are no pending audits or investigations by any Governmental Body involving any Parent Benefit Plan, and no pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened claims (except for routine individual claims for benefits payable in the normal operation of the Parent Benefit Plans), suits or proceedings involving any Parent Benefit Plan, or, to the Knowledge of Parent, any fiduciary thereof or service provider thereto, in any case except as would not be reasonably expected to result in material liability to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. All contributions and premium payments required to have been made under any of the Parent Benefit Plans or by applicable Law (without regard to any waivers granted under Section 412 of the Code), have been timely made and neither Parent nor any Parent ERISA Affiliate has any material liability for any unpaid contributions with respect to any Parent Benefit Plan.
(g) None of Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent ERISA Affiliates, or to the Knowledge of Parent, any fiduciary, trustee or administrator of any Parent Benefit Plan, has engaged in, or in connection with the Contemplated Transactions will engage in, any transaction with respect to any Parent Benefit Plan which would subject any such Parent Benefit Plan, Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or Parent ERISA Affiliates to a material Tax, material penalty or material liability for a “prohibited transaction” under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
(h) No Parent Benefit Plan provides death, medical, dental, vision, life insurance or other welfare benefits beyond termination of service or retirement other than coverage mandated by Law. Neither Parent nor any of its ERISA Affiliates currently is, or has been, an “applicable large employer” as defined in Section 54.4980H-1(a)(4) of the Treasury Regulations.
(i) Each Parent Benefit Plan that is a “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code to which the Parent and its Subsidiaries is a party has been administered and operated in documentary and operational compliance with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder, and no additional tax under Section 409A(a)(1)(B) of the Code has been or could reasonably be expected to be incurred by a participant in any such Parent Benefit Plan.
(j) Except as set forth in Section 3.17(i) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the performance of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment) will: (i) result in any payment becoming due to any current or former employee, director, officer, or independent contractor of Parent or any Subsidiary thereof pursuant to any Parent Benefit Plan, (ii) increase any amount of compensation or benefits otherwise payable under any Parent Benefit Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any benefits under any Parent Benefit Plan, (iv) require any contribution or payment to fund any obligation under any Parent Benefit Plan or (v) limit the right to merge, amend or terminate any Parent Benefit Plan.
(k) Except as set forth in Section 3.17(k) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, neither the execution of, nor the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions (either alone or when combined with the occurrence of any other event, including without limitation, a termination of employment) will result in the receipt or retention by any person who is a “disqualified individual” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G) with respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries of any payment or benefit that is or could be characterized as a “parachute payment” (within the meaning of Code Section 280G), determined without regard to the application of Code Section 280G(b)(5).
(l) Except as set for the in Section 3.17(k) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, no current or former employee, officer, director or independent contractor of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has any “gross up” agreements with the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or other assurance of reimbursement by the Parent or any of its Subsidiaries for any Taxes imposed under Code Section 409A or Code Section 4999.
(m) Each Parent Benefit Plan maintained for the benefit of service providers located outside of the United States (each, a “Parent Foreign Plan”) has obtained from the Governmental Body having jurisdiction with respect to such plan any required determinations that such plan is in compliance with the Laws of any such Governmental Body and each Parent Foreign Plan required to be registered or intended to meet certain requirements for favorable tax treatment has been timely and properly registered.
(n) Except as set forth in Section 3.17(n) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, no Parent Foreign Plan is a “defined benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA, whether or not subject to ERISA), seniority premium, termination indemnity, provident fund, gratuity or similar plan or arrangement or has any unfunded or underfunded liabilities. The assets of each of the Parent Foreign Plans that is similar to an employee pension benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA (whether or not subject to ERISA)) or that otherwise provides retirement, medical or life insurance benefits following retirement or other termination of service or employment are at least equal to the liabilities of such plans.
(o) Parent has provided to the Company a true and correct list, as of the date of this Agreement, containing the names (and/or their entity, if applicable to any independent contractors) of all current full-time, part-time or temporary employees, including any employee on leave of absence, short term disability, long term disability or layoff status, and independent contractors (and indication as such), and, as applicable: (i) employing entity,(ii) work location (city and state), (iii) the annual dollar amount of all cash compensation in the form of wages, salary, fees, commissions, bonus or director’s fees payable to each person, including any paid time off (including sick, personal, and vacation leave) that is accrued but unused, (iv) dates of employment or service, (v) job title and, with respect to independent contractors, a current written description of such person’s contracting services, including engagement date and anticipated termination date, as well as an indication of whether any employees of the Company perform any similar services, (vi) full-time or part-time status, (vii) visa status, if applicable; and (viii) with respect to employees, (A) a designation of whether they are classified as exempt or non-exempt for purposes of FLSA and any similar state, federal or Foreign law and (B) whether such an employee is on leave, and if so, the expected return date, and (C) employment authorization status and whether their I-9 documentation is on file.
(p) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is not and has never been a party to, bound by, or has a duty to bargain under any Labor Agreement, and, there is not and has never been, nor, to the Knowledge of Parent, is there or has there ever been since December 31, 2024 any threat of, any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, picketing, hand billing, material grievance, unfair labor practice charge, union election petition, demand for recognition, or any similar activity or dispute or any union organizing activity, affecting the Parent and each of its Subsidiaries;
(q) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is, and since December 31, 2024 has been, in material compliance with all applicable Laws respecting labor, employment, employment practices, and terms and conditions of employment, including document retention, worker classification (including the distinction of exempt versus non-exempt), discrimination, harassment and retaliation, equal employment opportunities (including compliance with any affirmative action plan obligations), fair employment practices, meal and rest periods, immigration (including the completion of Forms I-9 for all employees and the proper confirmation of employees visas), employee safety and health, payment of wages (including overtime wages), pay equity, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation, plant closures and layoffs (including the WARN Act or any similar Laws), labor relations, employee leave issues, child labor, accommodations, disability rights or benefits, leaves of absence, and hours of work. Except as would not be reasonably likely to result in a material liability to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, with respect to employees of Parent and its Subsidiaries, each of Parent and its Subsidiaries, since December 31, 2024, has withheld and reported all amounts required by Law to be withheld and reported with respect to wages, salaries and other payments, benefits, or compensation to employees. There is no material Legal Proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened or reasonably anticipated against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries relating to any current or former employee, applicant for employment, or consultant of Parent.
(r) Since December 31, 2024, Parent has complied in all material respects with the WARN Act and no action that could trigger the WARN Act will be implemented before the Closing Date.
3.18 Environmental Matters. Parent and each of its Subsidiaries are in compliance and since December 31, 2024 have complied with all applicable Environmental Laws, which compliance includes the possession by Parent of all permits and other Governmental Authorizations required under applicable Environmental Laws and compliance with the terms and conditions thereof, except for any failure to be in such compliance that, either individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has received since December 31, 2024 (or prior to that time, which is pending and unresolved), any written notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise), whether from a Governmental Body or other Person, that alleges that Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is not in compliance with or has liability pursuant to any Environmental Law and, to the Knowledge of Parent, there are no circumstances that would reasonably be expected to prevent or interfere with Parent’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ compliance in any material respects with any Environmental Law, except where such failure to comply would not reasonably be expected to be material to Parent or its business. No current or (during the time a prior property was leased or controlled by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries) prior property leased or controlled by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has had a release of or exposure to Hazardous Materials in material violation of or as would reasonably be expected to result in any material liability of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to Environmental Law. No consent, approval or Governmental Authorization of or registration or filing with any Governmental Body is required by Environmental Laws in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions by Parent or Merger Subs. Prior to the date hereof, Parent has provided or otherwise made available to the Company true and correct copies of all material environmental reports, assessments, studies and audits in the possession or control of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to any property leased or controlled by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any business operated by them.
3.19 Transactions with Affiliates. Since the date of Parent’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 5, 2026, no event has occurred that would be required to be reported by Parent pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K. Section 3.19 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule identifies each Person who is (or who may be deemed to be) an Affiliate of Parent as of the date of this Agreement.
3.20 Insurance. Parent has delivered or made available to the Company accurate and complete copies of all material insurance policies and all material self-insurance programs and arrangements relating to the business, assets, liabilities and operations of Parent and each of its Subsidiaries. Each of such insurance policies is in full force and effect and Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with the terms thereof. Other than customary end of policy notifications from insurance carriers, since December 31, 2024, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice or other written communication regarding any actual or possible: (a) cancellation or invalidation of any insurance policy, or (b) refusal or denial of any coverage, reservation of rights or rejection of any material claim under any insurance policy. Parent and each of its Subsidiaries has provided timely written notice to the appropriate insurance carrier(s) of each Legal Proceeding that is currently pending against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries for which Parent or such Subsidiary has insurance coverage, and no such carrier has issued a denial of coverage or a reservation of rights with respect to any such Legal Proceeding, or informed Parent or any of its Subsidiaries of its intent to do so.
3.21 Opinion of Financial Advisor. The Parent Board has received an opinion of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. to the effect that as of the date of such opinion, and subject to the assumptions, qualifications, limitations and other matters set forth therein and such other factors deemed relevant by Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., the Exchange Ratio is fair, from a financial point of view, to Parent. It is agreed and understood that such opinion is furnished solely for the use of the Parent Board and may not be relied upon by the Company or any other party.
3.22 No Financial Advisors. No broker, finder or investment banker, other than Lucid Capital Markets, LLC and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., is entitled to any tail fee, brokerage fee, finder’s fee, opinion fee, success fee, transaction fee or other fee or commission in connection with the Contemplated Transactions and the transactions contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.23 Anti-Bribery. None of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or, to Parent’s Knowledge, agents or any other Person acting on its behalf has directly or indirectly paid, provided, offered, made or authorized the provision of any bribes, improper rebates, payoffs, influence payments, kickbacks, illegal payments, illegal political contributions, or other payments, or anything of value, in the form of cash, gifts, or otherwise, or taken any other action, in violation of Anti-Bribery Laws. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has been the subject of any investigation, prosecution or inquiry by any Governmental Body with respect to potential violations of Anti-Bribery Laws.
3.24 Valid Issuance. The Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock to be issued in the Merger will, when issued in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. To the Knowledge of Parent as of the date of this Agreement, no “bad actor” disqualifying event described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i)–(viii) of the Securities Act (a “Disqualifying Event”) is applicable to Parent or, to Parent’s Knowledge, any Parent Covered Person, except for a Disqualifying Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii)–(iv) or (d)(3) of the Securities Act is applicable.
3.25 Export Control and Sanctions Compliance. Parent has conducted its business in compliance with U.S. export and re-export controls, sanctions, and anti-boycott laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Act and Regulations, the Foreign Assets Control Regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, other controls administered by the United States Department of Commerce or the United States Department of State, the regulations administered by OFAC and all other Trade Laws. Parent has not engaged in any direct or indirect transactions or dealings with (a) any country or territory that is, or has been, subject to a U.S. Government embargo (including the Embargoed Countries), (b) any instrumentality, agent, entity, or individual that is located in, or acting on behalf of, or directly or indirectly owned or controlled by any Governmental Body of, any Embargoed Country and (c) any Sanctioned Party. Parent is not, nor has ever been, the subject of any investigation, prosecution, inquiry, or enforcement action by any Governmental Body with respect to potential violations of Trade Laws.
3.26 Disclaimer of Other Representations or Warranties.
(a) Except as previously set forth in this Section 3 or in any certificate delivered by Parent or Merger Subs to the Company pursuant to this Agreement, neither Parent nor any Merger Sub makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, at law or in equity, with respect to it or any of its assets, liabilities or operations, and any such other representations or warranties are hereby expressly disclaimed.
(b) Each of Parent, First Merger Sub and Second Merger Sub acknowledges and agrees that, except for the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 2 or in any certificate delivered by the Company to Parent or the Merger Subs pursuant to this Agreement, none of Parent, First Merger Sub, Second Merger Sub or any of their respective Representatives is relying on any other representation or warranty of the Company or any other Person made outside of Section 2 or such certificates, including regarding the accuracy or completeness of any such other representations or warranties or the omission of any material information, whether express or implied, in each case, with respect to the Contemplated Transactions.
SECTION 4. ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Parent Stockholders’ Meeting.
(a) As promptly as practicable following the execution of this Agreement, Parent shall use reasonable efforts take all action necessary under applicable Law to call, give notice of and hold a meeting of the holders of Parent Common Stock for the purpose of seeking:
(i) approval of the Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal;
(ii) approval of a “change of control” under Nasdaq Listing Rules 5110 and 5635(b) (the “Change of Control Proposal”);
(iii) approval of the exercise of the Parent Assumed Options by the holders thereof;
(iv) to authorize such other changes as are mutually agreeable to Parent and the Company, and if deemed necessary or appropriate by Parent or as otherwise required by applicable Law or Contract, to authorize the amendment of Parent’s certificate of incorporation to authorize sufficient Parent Common Stock in Parent’s certificate of incorporation for the conversion of the Parent Convertible Preferred Stock issued pursuant to this Agreement and/or to effectuate the Nasdaq Reverse Split (the “Charter Amendment Proposal”);
(v) approve the issuance of the shares of Parent Common Stock underlying the PIPE Warrants issued or to be issued to the PIPE Investors pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement;
(vi) approve the issuance of the shares of Parent Common Stock underlying the Azora Noteholder Warrants issued or to be issued to the Azora Noteholders pursuant to the Noteholder Exchange Agreements;
(vii) (A) to approve a 2026 Equity Incentive Plan, which will provide for new awards for a number of shares of Parent Common Stock not exceeding 10% of the fully diluted shares of capital stock of Parent outstanding immediately after the Parent Financing, and subject to approval by the Parent Board, and which shall include an annual increase pursuant to an “evergreen” provision providing for an annual increase of up to 5% of the total number of fully diluted shares of capital stock of Parent outstanding as of the day prior to such increase and (B) a 2026 Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a total pool of shares of Parent Common Stock not exceeding 1% of the fully diluted shares of capital stock of Parent outstanding immediately after the Parent Financing, and which shall include an annual increase pursuant to an “evergreen” provision providing for an annual increase of up to 1% of the total number of fully diluted shares of capital stock of Parent outstanding as of the day prior to such increase (the matters contemplated by the clauses 4.1(a)(i) - 4.1(a)(vii) are referred to as the “Parent Stockholder Matters,” and such meeting, the “Parent Stockholders’ Meeting”).
(b) Parent agrees to call and hold the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting as soon as practicable after the date hereof and to solicit the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, including without limitation: (A) engaging a nationally recognized proxy solicitation firm and information agent, (B) actively attempting to contact and obtain votes from the Parent’s Stockholders (including its retail stockholders with meaningful holdings of Parent Common Stock), and (C) working with the Parent’s transfer agent and inspector of elections to facilitate an appropriate and straightforward process for obtaining the Required Parent Stockholder Vote. If the approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters is not obtained at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting or if on a date preceding the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting, Parent reasonably believes that (x) it will not receive proxies sufficient to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, whether or not quorum would be present, or (y) it will not have sufficient shares of Parent Common Stock represented (whether in person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the business of the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting or (z) the Nasdaq Listing Application has not been conditionally approved, then, in each case, Parent will use its reasonable efforts to adjourn the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting one or more times to a date or dates no more than 30 days after the scheduled date for such meeting, and to obtain such approvals at such time. If the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting is not so adjourned, and/or if the Nasdaq Supplemental Listing Application and/or the approval of Parent Stockholder Matters is not then obtained, Parent will use its reasonable efforts to obtain such approvals as soon as practicable thereafter, and in any event to obtain such approvals at the next occurring annual meeting of the Parent Stockholders or, if such annual meeting is not scheduled to be held within six months after the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting, a special meeting of the Parent Stockholders to be held within six months after the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting. Parent will hold an annual meeting or special meeting of Parent Stockholders, at which a vote of the Parent Stockholders to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters will be solicited and taken, at least once every six months until Parent obtains approval of the Nasdaq Supplemental Listing Application and/or the approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters.
(c) Parent agrees that: (i) the Parent Board shall recommend that the holders of Parent Common Stock vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters and shall solicit and use its reasonable efforts to obtain such approval within the time frames set forth in Section 4.2(b), and (ii) the Proxy Statement shall include a statement to the effect that the Parent Board recommends that the Parent Stockholders vote to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters.
(d) The Company and Parent acknowledge that, under Nasdaq Rules, the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares will not be entitled to vote on the Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal or the Change of Control Proposal.
4.2 Proxy Statement.
(a) As promptly as practicable after the Closing Date and subject to Section 4.2(d), Parent shall use reasonable efforts to prepare and Parent shall use reasonable efforts to file with the SEC a proxy statement relating to the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting to be held in connection with the Parent Stockholder Matters (together with any amendments thereof or supplements thereto, the “Proxy Statement”). Parent shall use reasonable efforts to: (i) cause the Proxy Statement to comply with applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, and (ii) respond promptly to any comments or requests of the SEC or its staff related to the Proxy Statement. Parent shall not file the Proxy Statement, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or respond to SEC comments or requests, without providing the Company a reasonable opportunity to review and comment thereon (which comments shall be reasonably considered by Parent).
(b) Parent covenants and agrees that the Proxy Statement (and the letters to stockholders, notice of meeting and form of proxy included therewith) will: (i) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of applicable U.S. federal securities Laws and the DGCL, and (ii) will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) Parent shall cause the Proxy Statement to be mailed to Parent Stockholders as promptly as practicable after the Proxy Statement has been filed with the SEC and either: (i) the SEC has indicated that it does not intend to review the Proxy Statement or that its review of the Proxy Statement has been completed, or (ii) at least ten (10) days shall have passed since the Proxy Statement was filed with the SEC without receiving any correspondence from the SEC commenting upon, or indicating that it intends to review, the Proxy Statement, all in compliance with applicable U.S. federal securities laws and the DGCL. If Parent, First Merger Sub, Second Merger Sub or the Surviving Entity: (A) become aware of any event or information that, pursuant to the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, should be disclosed in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement, (B) receives notice of any SEC request for an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement or for additional information related thereto, or (C) receives SEC comments on the Proxy Statement, as the case may be, then such Party, as the case may be, shall promptly inform the other Parties thereof and shall cooperate with such other Parties in Parent filing such amendment or supplement with the SEC and, if appropriate, in mailing such amendment or supplement to the Parent Stockholders.
(d) The Parties shall reasonably cooperate and consult with each other and provide, and shall use reasonable efforts to cause their respective Representatives to provide, the other Party and its Representatives, with all true, correct and complete information regarding such Party that is required by Law to be included in the Proxy Statement or reasonably requested by the other Party to be included in the Proxy Statement. If at any time the information provided in Proxy Statement has or will become “stale” and new information should, as determined by Parent acting reasonably, be disclosed in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement, then Parent shall use reasonable efforts to inform the Company promptly thereof and each such Party shall cooperate and consult with one another, and shall cause their accounting and other outside professionals to so cooperate and consult, (i) in providing the financial reporting necessary for such filing and (ii) in filing such amendment or supplement with the SEC (and, if related to the Proxy Statement, mailing such amendment or supplement to the Parent Stockholders).
4.3 Reservation of Parent Common Stock; Issuance of Shares of Parent Common Stock. For as long as any Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares remain outstanding, Parent shall at all times reserve and keep available, free from preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued Parent Common Stock or shares of Parent Common Stock held in treasury by Parent, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares, the full number of shares of Parent Common Stock then issuable upon the conversion of all Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares then outstanding. All shares of Parent Common Stock delivered upon conversion of the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares shall be newly issued shares or shares held in treasury by Parent, shall have been duly authorized and validly issued and shall be fully paid and nonassessable, and shall be free from preemptive rights and free of any Encumbrance.
4.4 Employee Benefits.
(a) For purposes of vesting, eligibility to participate, and level of benefits (other than for purposes of determining awards under an equity incentive plan or accrued benefits under any defined benefit pension plan) under the benefit plans, programs, Contracts or arrangements of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (including, following the Closing, the Surviving Entity and its Subsidiaries) (the “Post-Closing Plans”), Parent or Surviving Entity shall use reasonable efforts to cause each employee of the Company who remains employed by Parent or the Surviving Entity, or any of their respective Subsidiaries following the Closing, (collectively, the “Company Continuing Employees”) to be credited with his or her years of service with the Company or any of its predecessors; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to the extent that its application would result in a duplication of benefits. In addition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, for purposes of each Post-Closing Plan providing medical, dental, pharmaceutical and/or vision benefits to a Company Continuing Employee, Parent shall use reasonable efforts to cause all pre-existing condition exclusions and actively-at-work requirements of such Post-Closing Plan to be waived for such Company Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents to the extent and unless such conditions would have been waived or satisfied under the employee benefit plan whose coverage is being replaced under the Post-Closing Plan, and Parent shall use its reasonable efforts to cause any eligible expenses incurred by a Company Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents during the portion of such plan year in which coverage is replaced with coverage under a Post-Closing Plan to be taken into account under such Post-Closing Plan with respect to the plan year in which participation in such Post-Closing Plan begins for purposes of satisfying all deductible, coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such Company Continuing Employee and his or her covered dependents for such plan year as if such amounts had been paid in accordance with such Post-Closing Plan.
(b) Parent shall, or shall cause one of its Affiliates to, (i) provide Company Continuing Employees with base salary or hourly wage rate, as applicable, that are no less than the base salary or hourly wage rate, as applicable, in effect as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time through December 31, 2026 and, (ii) at all times from the First Effective Time through December 31, 2026, honor all severance commitments of the Company in effect as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time that pertain to the Company Continuing Employees (the “Existing Severance Plan”).
(c) The provisions of this Section 4.4 are for the sole benefit of Parent and the Company and no provision of this Agreement shall: (i) create any third-party beneficiary or other rights in any Person, including rights in respect of any benefits that may be provided, directly or indirectly, under any Company Benefit Plan, Parent Benefit Plan or Post-Closing Plan or rights to continued employment or service with the Company or the Parent (or any Subsidiary thereof), (ii) be construed as an amendment, waiver or creation of or limitation on the ability to terminate any Company Benefit Plan, Parent Benefit Plan or Post-Closing Plan, or (iii) limit the ability of the Parent to terminate the employment of any Company Continuing Employee, modify the at-will status of any Company Continuing Employees or modify the terms and conditions of the employment of any Company Continuing Employees.
4.5 Indemnification of Officers and Directors.
(a) From the First Effective Time through the sixth anniversary of the date on which the First Effective Time occurs, each of Parent and the Surviving Entity shall indemnify and hold harmless each person who is now, or has been at any time prior to the date hereof, or who becomes prior to the First Effective Time, a director or officer of Parent or the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries, respectively (the “D&O Indemnified Parties”), against all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, judgments, fines and reasonable fees, costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees and disbursements, incurred in connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining to the fact that the D&O Indemnified Party is or was a director or officer of Parent or of the Company, or any Subsidiary thereof, asserted or claimed prior to the First Effective Time, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law. Except in the case of fraud, each D&O Indemnified Party will be entitled to advancement of expenses incurred in the defense of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation from each of Parent and the Surviving Entity, jointly and severally, upon receipt by Parent or the Surviving Entity from the D&O Indemnified Party of a request therefor; provided that any such person to whom expenses are advanced provides an undertaking to Parent, to the extent then required by the DGCL and DLLCA, as applicable, to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification.
(b) The provisions of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Parent with respect to indemnification, advancement of expenses and exculpation of present and former directors and officers of Parent that are presently set forth in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Parent shall not be amended, modified or repealed for a period of six years from the First Effective Time in a manner that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of individuals who, at or prior to the First Effective Time, were officers or directors of Parent, unless such modification is required by applicable Law. The certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity shall contain, and Parent shall cause the certificate of formation and limited liability company agreement of the Surviving Entity to so contain, provisions no less favorable with respect to indemnification, advancement of expenses and exculpation of present and former directors and officers as those presently set forth in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Parent.
(c) From and after the First Effective Time: (i) the Surviving Entity shall fulfill and honor in all respects the obligations of the Company to its D&O Indemnified Parties as of immediately prior to the Closing pursuant to any indemnification provisions under the Company’s Organizational Documents and pursuant to any indemnification agreements between the Company and such D&O Indemnified Parties set forth on Schedule 4.5(c)(i) hereto, with respect to claims arising out of matters occurring at or prior to the First Effective Time, and (ii) Parent shall fulfill and honor in all respects the obligations of Parent to its D&O Indemnified Parties as of immediately prior to the Closing pursuant to any indemnification provisions under Parent’s Organizational Documents and pursuant to any indemnification agreements between Parent and such D&O Indemnified Parties set forth on Schedule 4.5(c)(ii) hereto, with respect to claims arising out of matters occurring at or prior to the First Effective Time.
(d) From and after the First Effective Time through the sixth anniversary of the date on which the First Effective Time occurs, Parent shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering each D&O Indemnified Party, in each case with respect to claims arising out of or relating to acts or omissions occurring or alleged to have occurred at or prior to the First Effective Time or the service of such D&O Indemnified Party as a director or officer of Parent, the Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries at or prior to the First Effective Time, on terms (including coverage, limits, retentions, exclusions and insurer credit quality) no less favorable in the aggregate to such D&O Indemnified Parties than the terms of the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by Parent and the Company, as applicable, immediately prior to the First Effective Time. Parent may satisfy the foregoing obligation through the continuation of existing policies, replacement or renewal policies, endorsements, run-off coverage, an extended reporting period, a six-year prepaid “tail” policy, or any combination thereof; provided that no such arrangement shall result in any lapse or gap in coverage or coverage that is less favorable in the aggregate to the applicable D&O Indemnified Parties. If the Contemplated Transactions would cause, or could reasonably be expected to cause, any such coverage to lapse, terminate, be converted to run-off coverage, exclude coverage for pre-Closing acts or omissions, or otherwise be reduced or impaired, Parent shall, prior to the First Effective Time, procure such endorsements, replacement coverage, run-off coverage, extended reporting period coverage or tail coverage as is necessary to satisfy the foregoing obligation. From and after the First Effective Time, Parent shall advance and pay all expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, that are incurred by the persons referred to in this Section 4.5 in connection with their enforcement of the rights provided to such persons in this Section 4.5.
(e) The provisions of this Section 4.5 are intended to be in addition to the rights otherwise available to the current and former officers and directors of Parent and the Company by Law, charter, statute, bylaw or agreement, and shall operate for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each of the D&O Indemnified Parties, their heirs and their representatives.
(f) In the event Parent or the Surviving Entity or any of their respective successors or assigns (i) consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Parent or the Surviving Entity, as the case may be, shall succeed to the obligations set forth in this Section 4.5. Parent shall cause the Surviving Entity to perform all of the obligations of the Surviving Entity under this Section 4.5.
4.6 Additional Agreements. The Parties shall use reasonable best efforts to cause to be taken all actions necessary to consummate the Contemplated Transactions. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Party to this Agreement: (a) shall make all filings and other submissions (if any) and give all notices (if any) required to be made and given by such Party in connection with the Contemplated Transactions; (b) shall use reasonable efforts to obtain each Consent (if any) reasonably required to be obtained (pursuant to any applicable Law or Contract, or otherwise) by such Party in connection with the Contemplated Transactions or for such Contract to remain in full force and effect; (c) shall use reasonable efforts to lift any injunction prohibiting, or any other legal bar to, the Contemplated Transactions; and (d) shall use reasonable efforts to satisfy the conditions precedent to the consummation of this Agreement.
4.7 Listing. Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to (a) maintain its existing listing on Nasdaq, (b) prepare and submit to Nasdaq a notification form for the listing of the shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued upon conversion of the Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares in connection with the Contemplated Transactions; and, to cause such shares to be approved for listing (subject to official notice of issuance), (c) effect the Nasdaq Reverse Split, if deemed necessary, and (d) to the extent required by Nasdaq rules and regulations, file an initial listing application for the Parent Common Stock on Nasdaq (the “Nasdaq Listing Application”), which Nasdaq Listing Application shall be prepared in cooperation with the Company and to cause such Nasdaq Listing Application to be conditionally approved prior to the First Effective Time. The Parties will use reasonable efforts to coordinate with respect to compliance with Nasdaq rules and regulations. Each Party will promptly inform the other Party of all verbal or written communications between Nasdaq and such Party or its representatives. The Company will cooperate with Parent as reasonably requested by Parent with respect to the Nasdaq Listing Application and promptly furnish to Parent all information concerning the Company and its stockholders that may be required or reasonably requested in connection with any action contemplated by this Section 4.7.
4.8 Tax Matters.
(a) For U.S. federal income Tax purposes: (i) the Parties intend that the First Merger and the Second Merger, taken together, constitute an integrated transaction described in Rev. Rul. 2001-46, 2001-2 C.B. 321 that qualifies as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Intended Tax Treatment”), and (ii) this Agreement is intended to be, and is hereby adopted as, a “plan of reorganization” for purposes of Sections 354 and 361 of the Code and Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a), to which the Parent, Merger Subs and the Company are parties under Section 368(b) of the Code. The Parties shall treat the Merger as, and shall not take any tax reporting position (including during the course of any audit, litigation or other proceeding with respect to Taxes) inconsistent with the treatment of the Merger as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code for U.S. federal, state and other relevant Tax purposes, unless otherwise required pursuant to a “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code. The Parties shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) not take any action or cause any action to be taken, or fail to take or cause to be taken any action, which action or failure to act would reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from qualifying, for the Intended Tax Treatment.
(b) Each Party shall reasonably cooperate with the other Parties in good faith as to and to the extent reasonably requested by a Party, in connection with the filing of Tax returns and any Legal Proceeding related to Taxes, and each Party shall provide all information reasonably requested by the other Parties with respect to any Tax matters of the Company, in each case, for any taxable period ending on or prior to, or including, the Closing Date.
(c) Parent will not (and shall cause its Affiliates not to) make or change any election with respect to Taxes or otherwise take any action, in each case with retroactive effect to a taxable period (or portion thereof) ending on or prior to the Closing Date for the Company that could adversely impact the Company Stockholders with respect to their eligibility for the gain exclusion under Section 1202 of the Code.
4.9 Legends. Parent shall be entitled to place appropriate legends, including the legend noted in Section 4.15, on the book entries and/or certificates evidencing any shares of Parent Common Stock or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock to be received in the Merger by equity holders of the Company who may be considered “affiliates” of Parent for purposes of Rules 144 and 145 under the Securities Act reflecting the restrictions set forth in Rules 144 and 145 and to issue appropriate stop transfer instructions to the transfer agent for Parent Common Stock and Parent Convertible Preferred Stock.
4.10 Directors and Officers. The Parties shall take all necessary action so that: (a) at no later than immediately prior to the First Effective Time: (i) the Parent Board is comprised of six (6) members, with five (5) such members designated by Parent, four (4) of which shall be incumbent Parent Board members and the fifth of which shall be a new independent board member, acceptable to the Company (such acceptance not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), and one (1) such member designated by the Company, as set forth on Schedule 4.10(a)(i), and (b) the Persons set forth on Schedule 4.10(b) hereto under the heading “Officers” are elected or appointed, as applicable, to the positions of officers of Parent and the Surviving Entity, as set forth therein, to serve in such positions effective as of the Second Effective Time until successors are duly appointed and qualified in accordance with applicable Law. All independent board members must qualify as “independent directors” under applicable SEC rules. Concurrently with the Closing, the newly constituted Parent Board shall ensure that the various committees of the Parent Board are constituted in the manner set forth on Section 4.10 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule.
4.11 Section 16 Matters. Prior to the First Effective Time, Parent and the Company shall take all such steps as may be required (to the extent permitted under applicable Laws) to cause any acquisitions of Parent Common Stock, restricted stock awards to acquire Parent Common Stock and any Parent Options to purchase Parent Common Stock in connection with the Contemplated Transactions, by each individual who is reasonably expected to become subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to Parent, to be exempt under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
4.12 Cooperation. Each Party shall cooperate reasonably with the other Parties and shall provide the other Party with such assistance as may be reasonably requested for the purpose of facilitating the performance by each Party of its respective obligations under this Agreement and to enable the combined entity to continue to meet its obligations following the First Effective Time.
4.13 Closing Certificates
(a) The Company will prepare and deliver to Parent prior to the Closing a certificate signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (“Company Closing Certificate”) in a form reasonably acceptable to Parent setting forth, as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time: (i) each holder of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock and Company Options, (ii) such holder’s name and address, (iii) the number and type of Company Common Stock held and/or underlying the Company Options as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time for each such holder, and the number and type of Company Preferred Stock held, and (iv) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock and/or Parent Convertible Preferred Stock to be issued to such holder, or to underlie any Parent Option to be issued to such holder, pursuant to this Agreement in respect of the Company Capital Stock, Company Preferred Stock or Company Options held by such holder as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time, which shall be calculated using the Exchange Ratio (the “Allocation Certificate”).
(b) Parent will prepare and deliver to the Company prior to the Closing a certificate signed by the Chief Financial Officer of Parent (“Parent Closing Certificate”) in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, setting forth, as of immediately prior to the Reference Date: (i) the number of Parent Common Stock outstanding and (ii) (A) each record holder of Parent Options or Parent RSAs, (B) such record holder’s name, (C) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock underlying the Parent Options or Parent RSAs as of the First Effective Time for such holder (the “Parent Outstanding Shares Certificate”).
4.14 Takeover Statutes. If any Takeover Statute is or may become applicable to the Contemplated Transactions, each of the Company, the Company Board, Parent and the Parent Board, as applicable, shall grant such approvals and take such actions as are necessary so that the Contemplated Transactions may be consummated as promptly as practicable on the terms contemplated by this Agreement and otherwise act to eliminate or minimize the effects of such statute or regulation on the Contemplated Transactions.
4.15 Obligations of Merger Subs. Parent will take all action necessary to cause Merger Subs to perform their obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Merger on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
4.16 Private Placement. Each of the Company and Parent shall take all reasonably necessary action on its part such that the issuance of Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares pursuant to this Agreement constitutes a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act in compliance with Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder. Each certificate representing Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares comprising Merger Consideration shall, until such time that such shares are not so restricted under the Securities Act, bear a legend identical or similar in effect to the following legend (together with any other legend or legends required by applicable state securities applicable Law or otherwise, if any):
“THE SHARES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE “ACT”) AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE ACT OR UNLESS AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACT IS AVAILABLE.”
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO OBLIGATIONS OF EACH PARTY
The obligations of each Party to effect the Merger and otherwise consummate the Contemplated Transactions to be consummated at the Closing are subject to the satisfaction or, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, the written waiver by each of the Parties, at or prior to the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions:
5.1 No Restraints. No temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other order preventing the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions shall have been issued by any court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Body of competent jurisdiction and remain in effect and there shall not be any Law which has the effect of making the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions illegal.
5.2 Certificate of Designation. Parent shall have filed the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
5.3 Parent Financing. The Securities Purchase Agreement shall be executed and held in escrow pending the closing of the Merger, with commitments for cash proceeds not less than the Concurrent Investment Amount in accordance with the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement.
5.4 Exchange Agreements. The holders of the Azora Notes shall have executed an Exchange Agreement (the “Noteholder Exchange Agreements”, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Parent and the Company, to be held in escrow pending the closing of the Merger to exchange the Azora Notes for prefunded warrants (the “Azora Noteholder Prefunded Warrants”) and common warrants (the “Azora Noteholder Common Warrants”, and together with the Azora Noteholder Prefunded warrants, the “Azora Noteholder Warrants”) to purchase an aggregate of 2,031,603 shares of Parent Common Stock.
SECTION 6. CLOSING DELIVERIES OF THE COMPANY
The obligations of Parent and Merger Subs to effect the Merger and otherwise consummate the transactions to be consummated at the Closing are subject to the satisfaction or the written waiver by Parent, at or prior to the Closing, of each of the following conditions:
6.1 Documents. Parent shall have received the following documents, each of which shall be in full force and effect:
(a) a written resignation, in a form reasonably satisfactory to Parent, dated as of the Closing Date and effective as of the Closing, executed by each of the directors of the Company listed on Schedule 6.1(a) hereto;
(b) the Company Closing Certificate; and
(c) the Allocation Certificate.
6.2 FIRPTA Certificate. Parent shall have received: (i) an original signed statement from the Company that the Company is not, and has not been at any time during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code, a “United States real property holding corporation,” as defined in Section 897(c)(2) of the Code, conforming to the requirements of Treasury Regulations Section 1.1445-2(c)(3) and 1.897-2(h), and (ii) an original signed notice to be delivered to the IRS in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.897-2(h)(2), together with written authorization for Parent to deliver such notice to the IRS on behalf of the Company following the Closing, each dated as of the Closing Date, duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, and in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Parent; provided, that the Parent’s sole remedy for the Company’s failure to deliver such documentation shall be to withhold pursuant to Section 1.12.
6.3 Company Lock-Up Agreements. Parent shall have received the Lock-Up Agreements duly executed by each of the Company Signatories, each of which shall be in full force and effect.
6.4 Registration Rights Agreements. Parent shall have received the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by each of the Purchasers under the Securities Purchase Agreement.
SECTION 7. CLOSING DELIVERIES OF PARENT
The obligations of the Company to effect the Merger and otherwise consummate the transactions to be consummated at the Closing are subject to the satisfaction or the written waiver by the Company, at or prior to the Closing, of each of the following conditions:
7.1 Documents. The Company shall have received the following documents, each of which shall be in full force and effect:
(a) the Parent Outstanding Shares Certificate;
(b) a written resignation, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, dated as of the Closing Date and effective as of the Closing, executed by each of the officers and directors of Parent who are not to continue as officers or directors, as the case may be, of Parent after the Closing pursuant to Section 4.10 hereof;
(c) Parent Closing Certificate;
(d) certified copies of the resolutions duly adopted by the Parent Board and in full force and effect as of the First Effective Time causing the adoption, assignment and assumption of the employment agreements set forth on Section 2.17(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule from the First Merger Sub to Parent; and
(e) certified copies of the resolutions duly adopted by the Parent Board and in full force and effect as of the Closing authorizing the appointment of the directors and officers set forth in Section 4.10.
7.2 Parent Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall have received the Lock-Up Agreements duly executed by each of the Parent Signatories, each of which shall be in full force and effect.
7.3 Parent Stockholder Support Agreements. Company shall have received the Parent Stockholder Support Agreements duly executed by the Parent Signatories, each of which shall be in full force and effect.
7.4 Registration Rights Agreements. The Company shall have received the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by Parent.
SECTION 8. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
8.1 Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company, Parent and Merger Subs contained in this Agreement or any certificate or instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall terminate at the First Effective Time and only the covenants that by their terms survive the First Effective time and this Section 8 shall survive the First Effective Time.
8.2 Amendment. Until the Required Parent Stockholder Vote has been obtained in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, this Agreement may not be amended in any manner that is disproportionately material and adverse to (i) the holders of Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time, or any Person who is or has been prior to the First Effective Time a director or officer of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries without the prior written approval of a majority of the holders of the Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the First Effective Time or (ii) the holders of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time, or any Person who is or has been prior to the First Effective Time a director or officer of the Company, without the prior written approval of the Required Company Stockholder Vote. After the Required Parent Stockholder Vote has been obtained, this Agreement may be amended with the written approval of the board of directors of Parent, and the sole member of the Surviving Entity at any time; provided, however, that after any such approval of this Agreement by a Party’s stockholders, no amendment shall be made which by Law requires further approval of such stockholders without the further approval of such stockholders. This Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the Surviving Entity and Parent.
8.3 Waiver.
(a) No failure on the part of any Party to exercise any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, and no delay on the part of any Party in exercising any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, shall operate as a waiver of such power, right, privilege or remedy; and no single or partial exercise of any such power, right, privilege or remedy shall preclude any other or further exercise thereof or of any other power, right, privilege or remedy.
(b) No Party shall be deemed to have waived any claim arising out of this Agreement, or any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, unless the waiver of such claim, power, right, privilege or remedy is expressly set forth in a written instrument duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Party and any such waiver shall not be applicable or have any effect except in the specific instance in which it is given.
8.4 Entire Agreement; Counterparts; Exchanges by Electronic Transmission. This Agreement and the other schedules, exhibits, certificates, instruments and agreements referred to in this Agreement constitute the entire agreement and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among or between any of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof; provided, however, that the Confidentiality Agreement shall not be superseded and shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
8.5 Applicable Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, regardless of the Laws that might otherwise govern under applicable principles of conflicts of laws. In any action or proceeding between any of the Parties arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the Contemplated Transactions, each of the Parties: (a) irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, to the extent such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware or, to the extent that neither of the foregoing courts has jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, (b) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined exclusively in accordance with clause (a) of this Section 8.5, (c) waives any objection to laying venue in any such action or proceeding in such courts, (d) waives any objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum or do not have jurisdiction over any Party, (e) agrees that service of process upon such Party in any such action or proceeding shall be effective if notice is given in accordance with Section 8.8 of this Agreement, and (f) irrevocably and unconditionally waives the right to trial by jury.
8.6 Attorneys’ Fees. In any action at law or suit in equity to enforce this Agreement or the rights of any of the Parties, the prevailing Party in such action or suit (as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction) shall be entitled to recover its reasonable out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees and all other reasonable costs and expenses incurred in such action or suit.
8.7 Assignability. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall be enforceable by and inure solely to the benefit of, the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither this Agreement nor any of a Party’s rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned or delegated by such Party without the prior written consent of the other Party, and any attempted assignment or delegation of this Agreement or any of such rights or obligations by such Party without the other Party’s prior written consent shall be void and of no effect.
8.8 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly delivered and received hereunder (a) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable international overnight courier service, (b) upon delivery in the case of delivery by hand, or (c) on the date delivered in the place of delivery if sent by email (with a written or electronic confirmation of delivery) prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, otherwise on the next succeeding Business Day, in each case to the intended recipient as set forth below:
if to Parent or Merger Subs:
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
4870 Sadler Road, Ste 300
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Attention: Cary J. Caliborne, President and CEO
Email Address: Cclaiborne@adialpharma.com
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Attention: Leslie Marlow and Hank Gracin
Email: Leslie.Marlow@blankrome.com and Hank.Gracin@blankrome.com
if to the Company:
Azora Therapeutics, Inc.
4267 Valley Meadow Road
Encino, California 91436
Attention: Matt Davidson, President
Email: Matt@azoratherapeutics.com
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Honigman LLP
2290 First National Building
660 Woodward Avenue
Detroit MI 48226
Attention: Michael J. Rosenberg and N. Danny Shulman
Email: mrosenberg@honigman.com; and nshulman@honigman.com
8.9 Cooperation. Each Party agrees to cooperate fully with the other Party and to execute and deliver such further documents, certificates, agreements and instruments and to take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the other Party to evidence or reflect the Contemplated Transactions and to carry out the intent and purposes of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.
8.10 Severability. Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, the Parties agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to limit such term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases or to replace such term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the Parties agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term or provision.
8.11 Other Remedies; Specific Performance. Except as otherwise provided herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a Party will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such Party, and the exercise by a Party of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy. The Parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that any Party does not perform the provisions of this Agreement (including failing to take such actions as are required of it hereunder to consummate this Agreement) in accordance with its specified terms or otherwise breaches such provisions. Accordingly, the Parties acknowledge and agree that the Parties shall be entitled to an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each of the Parties agrees that it will not oppose the granting of an injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief on the basis that any other Party has an adequate remedy at law or that any award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason at law or in equity. Any Party seeking an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement shall not be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with any such order or injunction.
8.12 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any Person (other than the Parties and the D&O Indemnified Parties to the extent of their respective rights pursuant to Section 4.5) any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
8.13 Construction.
(a) References to “cash,” “dollars” or “$” are to U.S. dollars.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, whenever the context requires: the singular number shall include the plural, and vice versa; the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders; the feminine gender shall include the masculine and neuter genders; and the neuter gender shall include masculine and feminine genders.
(c) The Parties have participated jointly in the negotiating and drafting of this Agreement and agree that any rule of construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting Party shall not be applied in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any Party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement.
(d) As used in this Agreement, the words “include” and “including,” and variations thereof, shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”
(e) Except as otherwise indicated, all references in this Agreement to “Sections,” “Exhibits” and “Schedules” are intended to refer to Sections of this Agreement and Exhibits and Schedules to this Agreement, respectively.
(f) Any reference to legislation or to any provision of any legislation shall include any modification, amendment, re-enactment thereof, any legislative provision substituted therefore and all rules, regulations, and statutory instruments issued or related to such legislations. All references to legislation or to any provision of any legislation in this Agreement are to those of the United States, unless the contrary is indicated.
(g) The bold-faced headings and table of contents contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, shall not be deemed to be a part of this Agreement and shall not be referred to in connection with the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
(h) The inclusion of any information in the Company Disclosure Schedule or Parent Disclosure Schedule shall not be deemed an admission or acknowledgment to any third party, in and of itself and solely by virtue of the inclusion of such information in the Company Disclosure Schedule or Parent Disclosure Schedule, as applicable, that such information is required to be listed in the Company Disclosure Schedule or Parent Disclosure Schedule, as applicable, that such items are material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as the case may be, or that such items have resulted in a Company Material Adverse Effect or a Parent Material Adverse Effect. The Parties agree that each of the Company Disclosure Schedule and the Parent Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged in sections and subsections corresponding to the numbered and lettered sections and subsections contained in this Agreement. The disclosures in any section or subsection of the Company Disclosure Schedule or the Parent Disclosure Schedule shall qualify other sections and subsections in this Agreement to the extent it is readily apparent on its face from a reading of the disclosure that such disclosure is applicable to such other sections and subsections.
(i) Each of “delivered” or “made available” means, with respect to any documentation, that: (i) prior to 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the date that is two Business Days prior to the date of this Agreement: (A) a copy of such material has been posted to and made available by a Party to the other Party and its Representatives in the electronic data room maintained by such disclosing Party, or (B) such material is disclosed in the Parent SEC Documents filed with the SEC prior to the date hereof and publicly made available on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system, or (ii) delivered by or on behalf of a Party or its Representatives via electronic mail or in hard copy form prior to the execution of this Agreement.
(j) Whenever the last day for the exercise of any privilege or the discharge of any duty hereunder shall fall upon a Saturday, Sunday, or any date on which banks in New York, NY, are authorized or obligated by Law to be closed, the Party having such privilege or duty may exercise such privilege or discharge such duty on the next succeeding day which is a regular Business Day.
8.14 Expenses. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, all expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions will be paid by the Party incurring such expenses.
(Remainder of page intentionally left blank)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Cary Claiborne | |
| Name: | Cary Claiborne | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| ADIAL MERGER SUB I, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Cary Claiborne | |
| Name: | Cary Claiborne | |
| Title: | President | |
| ADIAL MERGER SUB II, LLC | ||
| By: Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ||
| Its: Sole member | ||
| By: | /s/ Cary Claiborne | |
| Name: | Cary Claiborne | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
[signature page to agreement and plan of merger agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.
| AZORA THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Matthew Davidson | |
| Name: | Matthew Davidson | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement (including this Exhibit A):
“Act” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.15.
“Affiliate” of a Person means any other Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person. The term “control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by Contract or otherwise.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Allocation Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.13.
“Anti-Bribery Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.22.
“Authorized Increase” means an increase in the number of authorized shares of Parent Common Stock.
“Azora Noteholder Common Warrants” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.
“Azora Noteholder Prefunded Warrants” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.
“Azora Noteholder Warrants” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.
“Azora Notes” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.12
“Board Approval” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Book-Entry Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.7.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banks in New York, NY, are authorized or obligated by Law to be closed.
“Cap” shall mean 19.99% of the total Parent Common Stock issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the First Effective Time.
“Certificate of Designation” means the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.
“Certificates of Merger” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Certifications” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.7(a).
“Change of Control Proposal” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(a)(ii)
“Charter Amendment Proposal” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(a)(ii).
A-
“Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Company Associate” means any current or former employee, consultant, independent contractor, officer or director of the Company.
“Company Benefit Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.17(a).
“Company Board” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Company Capital Stock” means the Company Common Stock and the Company Preferred Stock.
“Company Common Stock” means the Common Stock, $0.00001 par value per share, of the Company.
“Company Closing Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.13(a).
“Company Continuing Employees” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).
“Company Contract” means any Contract: (a) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a Party, (b) by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound or under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, or may become subject to, any obligation, or (c) under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has or may acquire any right or interest.
“Company Data” means all data and information Processed by or for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
“Company Disclosure Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.
“Company ERISA Affiliate” means any corporation or trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which is (or at any relevant time was) treated with the Company as a single employer within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code.
“Company Financials” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7(a).
“Company In-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(d).
“Company IP” means the Company Licensed IP and the Company Owned IP.
“Company Licensed IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are, or are purported to be, exclusively licensed to the Company.
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“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any Effect that, considered together with all other Effects that have occurred prior to the date of determination of the occurrence of a Company Material Adverse Effect, has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise), assets, liabilities or results of operations of the Company, taken as a whole; provided, however, that Effects arising or resulting from the following shall not be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Company Material Adverse Effect: (a) general business or economic conditions affecting the industry in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate, (b) acts of war, armed hostilities or terrorism, acts of God or comparable events, epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 virus) or any worsening of the foregoing, or any declaration of martial law, quarantine or similar directive, policy or guidance or Law or other action by any Governmental Body in response thereto, (c) changes in financial, banking or securities markets, (d) any change in, or any compliance with or action taken for the purpose of complying with, any Law or GAAP (or interpretations of any Law or GAAP), (e) resulting from the announcement of this Agreement or the pendency of the Contemplated Transactions; or (f) resulting from the taking of any action, or the failure to take action, by the Company that is required to be taken or not taken in accordance with this Agreement; except in each case with respect to clauses (a) through (c), to the extent disproportionately affecting the Company, taken as a whole, relative to other similarly situated companies in the industries in which the Company operates.
“Company Material Contract(s)” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.13(a).
“Company Options” means options or other rights to purchase shares of Company Common Stock issued by the Company.
“Company Out-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(d).
“Company Owned IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are owned or purported to be owned by the Company, in whole or in part.
“Company Permits” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.14.
“Company Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(c).
“Company Preferred Stock” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(a).
“Company Real Estate Leases” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.11.
“Company Signatories” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company Standard Inbound Contracts” shall mean each of the following Contracts when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business: material transfer agreements, services agreements, clinical trial agreements, agreements with Company Associates, non-disclosure agreements, commercially available Software-as-a-Service offerings, off-the-shelf software and any other Contract pursuant to which the Company is granted a non-exclusive license to Intellectual Property Rights that is incidental to the transaction contemplated in such Contract. “Company Stock Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.7.
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“Company Standard Outbound Contracts” shall mean each of the following Contracts when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business: material transfer agreements, clinical trial agreements, services agreements, non-disclosure agreements and any other Contract pursuant to which the Company grants to a third party Person a non-exclusive license to Intellectual Property Rights that is incidental to the transaction contemplated in such Contract.
“Company Stockholder Matters” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company Stockholders” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet” means the unaudited balance sheet of the Company as of March 14, 2026, provided to Parent prior to the date of this Agreement.
“Concurrent Investment Amount” means a $20,000,000 as contemplated by the Securities Purchase Agreement.
“Confidentiality Agreement” means that certain non-disclosure agreement by and between the parties dated as of February 3, 2026, between Parent and Company.
“Consent” means any approval, consent, ratification, permission, waiver or authorization (including any Governmental Authorization).
“Contemplated Transactions” means the First Merger, the Second Merger, the Nasdaq Reverse Split or Authorized Increase (if deemed necessary), Parent Stockholder Support Agreements and the other transactions and actions contemplated by this Agreement to be consummated at or prior to the Closing (but not, for the avoidance of doubt, the actions proposed to be taken as the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting following the Closing pursuant to Section 4.2).
“Contract” means, with respect to any Person, any written or oral agreement, contract, subcontract, lease (whether for real or personal property), mortgage, license, sublicense or other legally binding commitment or undertaking of any nature to which such Person is a party or by which such Person or any of its assets are bound or affected under applicable Law.
“Data Processing Policy” means each policy, statement, representation, or notice of the Company, Parent or their respective Subsidiaries relating to the Processing of Company Data or Parent Data (as applicable), privacy, data protection, or security.
“DGCL” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
“DLLCA” means the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act.
“D&O Indemnified Parties” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(a).
“Disqualifying Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.24.
“Effect” means any effect, change, event, circumstance, or development.
“Embargoed Countries” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.22.
“Encumbrance” means any lien, pledge, hypothecation, charge, mortgage, security interest, lease, license, option, easement, reservation, servitude, adverse title, claim, infringement, interference, option, right of first refusal, preemptive right, community property interest or restriction or encumbrance of any nature (including any restriction on the voting of any security, any restriction on the transfer of any security or other asset, any restriction on the receipt of any income derived from any asset, any restriction on the use of any asset and any restriction on the possession, exercise or transfer of any other attribute of ownership of any asset).
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“Enforceability Exceptions” means the (a) Laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency and the relief of debtors, and (b) rules of law governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.
“Entity” means any corporation (including any non-profit corporation), partnership (including any general partnership, limited partnership or limited liability partnership), joint venture, estate, trust, company (including any company limited by shares, limited liability company or joint stock company), firm, society or other enterprise, association, organization or entity, and each of its successors.
“Environmental Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign Law relating to pollution or protection of human health (as it relates to exposure to Hazardous Materials) or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, ground water, land surface or subsurface strata), including any Law or regulation relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of Hazardous Materials, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
“Exchange Agent” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.8.
“Exchange Fund” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.8.
“Exchange Ratio” means, subject to Section 1.6(e), 0.3191.
“Existing Severance Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(b).
“First Certificate of Merger” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“First Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“First Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“First Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“First Merger Sub Board” means the board of directors of First Merger Sub.
“First Step Surviving Corporation” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.1.
“FLSA” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.17(m).
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles and practices in effect from time to time within the United States applied consistently throughout the period involved.
“Governmental Authorization” means any: (a) permit, license, certificate, franchise, permission, variance, exception, approval, exemption, order, clearance, registration, qualification or authorization issued, granted, given or otherwise made available by or under the authority of any Governmental Body or pursuant to any Law, or (b) right under any Contract with any Governmental Body.
“Governmental Body” means any: (a) nation, state, commonwealth, province, territory, county, municipality, district or other jurisdiction of any nature, (b) federal, state, local, municipal, foreign or other government, (c) governmental or quasi-governmental authority of any nature (including any governmental division, department, agency, commission, bureau, instrumentality, official, ministry, fund, foundation, center, organization, unit, body or Entity and any court, arbitral body (public or private) or other tribunal, and for the avoidance of doubt, any taxing authority), or (d) self-regulatory organization (including Nasdaq).
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“Hazardous Materials” means any pollutant, chemical, substance and any toxic, infectious, carcinogenic, reactive, corrosive, ignitable or flammable chemical, or chemical compound, or hazardous substance, material or waste, whether solid, liquid or gas, that is subject to regulation, control or remediation under any Environmental Law, including without limitation, crude oil or any fraction thereof, and petroleum products or byproducts.
“Intellectual Property Rights” means and includes all intellectual property or other proprietary rights under the laws of any jurisdiction in the world, including, without limitation: (a) rights associated with works of authorship, including exclusive exploitation rights, copyrights, moral rights, software, databases, and mask works; (b) trademarks, service marks, trade dress, logos, trade names and other source identifiers, domain names and URLs and similar rights and any goodwill associated therewith; (c) rights associated with trade secrets, know how, inventions, invention disclosures, methods, processes, protocols, specifications, techniques and other forms of technology; (d) patents and industrial property rights; (e) other similar proprietary rights in intellectual property of every kind and nature; (f) rights of privacy and publicity; and (g) all registrations, renewals, extensions, statutory invention registrations, provisionals, continuations, continuations-in-part, provisionals, divisions, or reissues of, and applications for, any of the rights referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above (whether or not in tangible form and including all tangible embodiments of any of the foregoing, such as samples, studies and summaries), along with all rights to prosecute and perfect the same through administrative prosecution, registration, recordation or other administrative proceeding, and all causes of action and rights to sue or seek other remedies arising from or relating to the foregoing, including for past, present or future infringement of any of the foregoing.
“Intended Tax Treatment” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.8(a).
“Investor Agreements” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.21(b).
“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“Knowledge” means, with respect to an individual, that such individual is actually aware of the relevant fact or such individual would reasonably be expected to know such fact in the ordinary course of the performance of such individual’s employment responsibilities. Any Person that is an Entity shall have Knowledge if any officer or director of such Person as of the date such knowledge is imputed has Knowledge of such fact or other matter.
“Labor Agreement” means any collective bargaining agreement or similar agreement with any labor union, works council, or similar labor organization.
“Law” means any federal, state, national, foreign, material local or municipal or other law, act, statute, constitution, principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code, order, judgment, injunction, edict, decree, award, writ, rule, regulation, ruling or requirement issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented or otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any Governmental Body (including under the authority of Nasdaq or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).
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“Legal Proceeding” means any action, claim, suit, charge, complaint, litigation, arbitration, proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or appellate proceeding), hearing, inquiry, audit, examination or investigation commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise involving, any court or other Governmental Body or any arbitrator or arbitration panel.
“Liability” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.9.
“Lock-Up Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Merger Consideration” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
“Merger Subs” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Stock Market, including the Nasdaq Capital Market or such other Nasdaq market on which shares of Parent Common Stock are then listed.
“Nasdaq Listing Application” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.7.
“Nasdaq Reverse Split” means a reverse stock split of all outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock at a reverse stock split ratio to be reasonably determined by Parent for the purpose of maintaining compliance with Nasdaq listing standards.
“Noteholder Exchange Agreements” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.
“OFAC” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.22.
“Open Source Software” means any Software that is distributed as, or that contains, or is derived in any manner (in whole or in part) from, any “free software,” “open source software” or under similar licensing or distribution terms (including but not limited to the GNU General Public License (GPL), GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), Mozilla Public License (MPL), BSD licenses, the Artistic License, the Netscape Public License, the Sun Community Source License (SCSL), the Sun Industry Standards License (SISL), the Apache License and any license identified as an open source license by the Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org)). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Open Source Software includes any Software that requires as a condition of use, modification and/or distribution of such Software that other Software distributed with such Software (a) be disclosed or distributed in source code form, (b) be licensed for the purpose of making derivative works, (c) be redistributable at no charge, or (d) grants to any third party Person any rights to or immunities under Intellectual Property Rights of the distributing party.
“Ordinary Course of Business” means, in the case of each of the Company and Parent, such actions taken in the ordinary course of its normal operations and consistent with its past practices.
“Organizational Documents” means, with respect to any Person (other than an individual): (a) the certificate or articles of association or incorporation or organization or limited partnership or limited liability company, and any joint venture, limited liability company, operating or partnership agreement and other similar documents adopted or filed in connection with the creation, formation or organization of such Person, and (b) all bylaws, regulations and similar documents or agreements relating to the organization or governance of such Person, in each case, as amended or supplemented.
“Parent” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Parent Associate” means any current or former employee, independent contractor, officer or director of Parent.
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“Parent Balance Sheet” means the audited balance sheet of Parent as of December 31, 2025 and the unaudited balance sheet for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 (the “Parent Balance Sheet Date”) provided to the Company prior to the date of this Agreement.
“Parent Benefit Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.17(a).
“Parent Board” means the board of directors of Parent.
“Parent Closing Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.13(b).
“Parent Common Stock” means the Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Parent.
“Parent Contract” means any Contract: (a) to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, (b) by which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or any Parent IP or any other asset of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound or under which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has, or may become subject to, any obligation, or (c) under which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has or may acquire any right or interest.
“Parent Convertible Preferred Stock” means Parent’s non-voting convertible preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, with the rights, preferences, powers and privileges specified in the Certificate of Designation.
“Parent Covered Person” means, with respect to Parent as an “issuer” for purposes of Rule 506 promulgated under the Securities Act, any Person listed in the first paragraph of Rule 506(d)(1).
“Parent Data” means all data and information Processed by or for Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.
“Parent Disclosure Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.
“Parent ERISA Affiliate” means any corporation or trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which is (or at any relevant time was) treated with Parent or any of its Subsidiaries as a single employer within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code.
“Parent Financing” means the issuance of shares of Parent Common Stock and PIPE Warrants to be consummated immediately prior to the Closing pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement with aggregate gross cash proceeds to Parent of at least the Concurrent Investment Amount.
“Parent Foreign Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.17(l).
“Parent In-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(d).
“Parent IP” means the Parent Licensed IP and the Parent Owned IP.
“Parent Licensed IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are or are purported to be exclusively licensed to Parent or its Subsidiaries.
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“Parent Material Adverse Effect” means any Effect that, considered together with all other Effects that have occurred prior to the date of determination of the occurrence of a Parent Material Adverse Effect, has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise), assets, liabilities or results of operations of Parent; provided, however, that Effects arising or resulting from the following shall not be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Parent Material Adverse Effect: (a) general business or economic conditions affecting the industry in which Parent operates, (b) acts of war, armed hostilities or terrorism, acts of God or comparable events, epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 virus) or any worsening of the foregoing, or any declaration of martial law, quarantine or similar directive, policy or guidance or Law or other action by any Governmental Body in response thereto, (c) changes in financial, banking or securities markets, (d) the taking of any action required to be taken by this Agreement, (e) any change in the stock price or trading volume of Parent Common Stock (it being understood, however, that any Effect causing or contributing to any change in stock price or trading volume of Parent Common Stock may be taken into account in determining whether a Parent Material Adverse Effect has occurred, unless such Effects are otherwise excepted from this definition), (f) any change in, or any compliance with or action taken for the purpose of complying with, any Law or GAAP (or interpretations of any Law or GAAP), (g) resulting from the announcement of this Agreement or the pendency of the Contemplated Transactions; or (h) resulting from the taking of any action or the failure to take any action, by Parent that is required to be taken or not taken by this Agreement, except in each case with respect to clauses (a) through (c), to the extent disproportionately affecting Parent relative to other similarly situated companies in the industries in which Parent operates.
“Parent Material Contract(s)” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.13(a).
“Parent Options” means options or other rights to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock issued by Parent.
“Parent Out-bound License” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(d).
“Parent Outstanding Shares Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.13(b).
“Parent Owned IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are owned or purported to be owned by Parent or its Subsidiaries, in whole or in part.
“Parent PEO Plans” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.17(a).
“Parent Permits” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.14.
“Parent Common Stock Payment Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
“Parent Preferred Stock Payment Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
“Parent Stock Payment Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
“Parent Real Estate Leases” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.11.
“Parent RSAs” means any restricted stock award granted pursuant to the Parent Stock Plan.
“Parent SEC Documents” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.7(a).
“Parent Signatories” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Parent Standard Inbound Contracts” shall mean each of the following Contracts when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business: material transfer agreements, services agreements, clinical trial agreements, agreements with Parent Associates, non-disclosure agreements, commercially available Software-as-a-Service offerings, off-the-shelf software and any other Contract pursuant to which Parent is granted a non-exclusive license to Intellectual Property Rights that is incidental to the transaction contemplated in such Contract.
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“Parent Standard Outbound Contracts” shall mean each of the following Contracts when entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business: material transfer agreements, clinical trial agreements, services agreements, non-disclosure agreements and any other Contract pursuant to which Parent grants to a third party Person a non-exclusive license to Intellectual Property Rights that is incidental to the transaction contemplated in such Contract.
“Parent Stock Plan” means Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.
“Parent Stockholder Matters” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(a)(ii).
“Parent Stockholder Support Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Parent Stockholders” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Parent Stockholders’ Meeting” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(a)(ii).
“Parent Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(j).
“Parent Warrants” means warrants to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock issued by Parent.
“Party” or “Parties” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Permitted Encumbrance” means: (a) any Encumbrance for Taxes not yet due or payable without penalty or for Taxes that are being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been made on the Company Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet or the Parent Balance Sheet, as applicable, in accordance with GAAP, (b) minor liens that have arisen in the Ordinary Course of Business and that do not (in any case or in the aggregate) materially detract from the value of the assets or properties subject thereto or materially impair the operations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent, as applicable, (c) liens to secure obligations to landlords, lessors or renters under leases or rental agreements, (d) deposits or pledges made in connection with, or to secure payment of, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance or similar programs mandated by Law, (e) non-exclusive licenses of Intellectual Property Rights granted by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent, as applicable, in the Ordinary Course of Business and that do not (in any case or in the aggregate) materially detract from the value of the Intellectual Property Rights subject thereto, (f) statutory liens in favor of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics and materialmen, to secure claims for labor, materials or supplies the payment for which is not delinquent, and (g) obligations of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Parent under Company In-bound Licenses disclosed in Section 2.12(d) with respect to Company or any of its Subsidiaries or under Parent In-bound Licenses disclosed in Section 3.12(d) with respect to Parent, as the case may be.
“Person” means any individual, Entity or Governmental Body.
“Personal Information” means all information in any form or media that identifies, could be used to identify or is otherwise related to an individual person (including any current, prospective, or former customer, end user or employee), in addition to any definition for “personal information” or any similar term provided by applicable Law or by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in any of its privacy policies, notices or contracts (e.g., “personal data,” “personally identifiable information” or “PII”).
“PIPE Common Warrants” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“PIPE Investors” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“PIPE Prefunded Warrants” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“PIPE Warrants” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Post-Closing Plans” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).
“Preferred Stock Conversion Proposal” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.5.
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“Privacy and Data Processing Requirements” means any applicable (i) Law (including of any applicable foreign jurisdiction) relating to privacy, data protection, security, or Personal Information, including, the Federal Trade Commission Act, California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), HIPAA, EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), any applicable Law relating to breach notification, and any laws relating to the use of biometric identifiers, (ii) Data Processing Policy, or (iii) requirement of any self-regulatory organization, industry standard (including, as applicable, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), or Contract by which the Company, Parent or their respective Subsidiaries are bound relating to the Processing of Company Data or Parent Data (as applicable), privacy, data protection, or security, including, in each case of (i) through (iii), in connection with direct marketing or the initiation, transmission, monitoring, interception, recording, or receipt of communications.
“Process” means, with respect to any data, information, or information technology system, any operation or set of operations performed thereon, whether or not by automated means, including access, adaptation, alignment, alteration, collection, combination, compilation, consultation, creation, derivation, destruction, disclosure, disposal, dissemination, erasure, interception, maintenance, making available, organization, recording, restriction, retention, retrieval, storage, structuring, transmission, and use, and security measures with respect thereto.
“Proxy Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.
“Reference Date” means June 2, 2026.
“Registered IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights that are registered or issued under the authority of, with or by any Governmental Body, including all patents, registered copyrights, registered mask works, and registered trademarks, service marks and trade dress, and all applications for any of the foregoing.
“Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Representatives” means directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, advisors and representatives.
“Required Company Stockholder Vote” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
“Required Parent Stockholder Vote” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4.
“Sanctioned Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Second Certificate of Merger” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Second Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.3.
“Second Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Second Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
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“Securities Purchase Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Software” means computer software code, applications, utilities, development tools, diagnostics, databases and embedded systems, whether in source code, interpreted code or object code form.
“Stockholder Written Consent” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.
“Subsidiary” means an entity shall be deemed to be a ‘subsidiary’ of a Person if such Person directly or indirectly owns or purports to own, beneficially or of record: (a) an amount of voting securities or other interests in such entity that is sufficient to enable such Person to elect at least a majority of the members of such entity’s board of directors or other governing body, or (b) at least 50% of the outstanding equity, voting, beneficial or financial interests in such Entity.
“Surviving Entity” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.1.
“Takeover Statute” means any “fair price,” “moratorium,” “control share acquisition” or other similar anti-takeover Law.
“Tax” means any: (i) federal, state, local, foreign or other tax, including any income, capital gain, gross receipts, capital stock, profits, transfer, estimated, registration, stamp, premium, escheat, unclaimed property, customs duty, ad valorem, occupancy, occupation, alternative, add-on, windfall profits, value added, severance, property, business, production, sales, use, license, excise, franchise, employment, payroll, social security, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation, national health insurance, withholding or other taxes, duties, fees, assessments or governmental charges, surtaxes or deficiencies thereof in the nature of a tax, however denominated (whether imposed directly or through withholding and whether or not disputed), and including any fine, penalty, addition to tax, or interest or additional amount imposed by a Governmental Body with respect thereto (or attributable to the nonpayment thereof), and (ii) any liability for payment of amounts described in clause (i) whether as a result of transferee or successor liability, of being a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or unitary group for any period, pursuant to a Contract, through operation of Law or otherwise.
“Tax Return” means any return (including any information return), report, statement, declaration, claim for refund, estimate, schedule, notice, notification, form, election, certificate or other document, and any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, filed with or submitted to, or required to be filed with or submitted to, any Governmental Body (or provided to a payee) in connection with the determination, assessment, collection or payment of any Tax or in connection with the administration, implementation or enforcement of or compliance with any Law relating to any Tax.
“Trade Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.22.
“Treasury Regulations” means the United States Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code.
“UK” means the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“U.S.” or “United States” means the United States of America, its states, territories and possessions.
“WARN Act” means the Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar state or local Law.
“Withholding Agent” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.12.
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EXHIBIT B
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
June 11, 2026
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
4870 Sadler Road, Suite 300
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Re: Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – Lock-Up Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned is a director or officer of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”).
The Company, Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub I”), Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub II”), and Azora Therapeutics, Inc. (“Azora”) have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 11, 2026 (the “Merger Agreement”), providing for, among other things, the merger of Merger Sub I with and into Azora, with Azora continuing as the surviving entity, followed by which Azora will merge with and into Merger Sub II, with Merger Sub II continuing as the surviving entity (the “Merger”), effective upon the filing of certificates of merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the Merger Agreement (the “Effective Time”).
All capitalized terms used in this letter agreement (the “Letter Agreement”) but not defined in this Letter Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Merger Agreement.
In consideration of the promises and of the mutual consents and obligations hereinafter set forth, and of other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, the undersigned will not, during the period beginning on the date of this Letter Agreement and ending at the close of business 180 days after the Effective Time (such period, the “Restricted Period”): (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned as of the Effective Time in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant) (collectively with the Common Stock, the “Lock-Up Securities”), (2) enter into any hedging, swap, short sale or other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Lock-Up Securities, or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing precludes the undersigned from engaging during the Restricted Period in any hedging or other transactions or arrangements (including, without limitation, any short sale or the purchase or sale of, or entry into, any put or call option, or combination thereof, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument, however described or defined) designed or intended, or which could reasonably be expected to lead to or result in, a sale or disposition or transfer (whether by the undersigned or any other person) of any economic consequences of ownership, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, of any Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction or arrangement (or instrument provided for thereunder) would be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may:
(a) sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, or enter into any transaction relating to, the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities:
(i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, or for bona fide estate planning purposes,
(ii) by will, other testamentary document or intestacy,
(iii) to any member of the undersigned’s immediate family or to any trust or other legal entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, or if the undersigned is a trust, to a trustor or beneficiary of the trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, current or former marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin),
(iv) to a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned and the immediate family of the undersigned are, directly or indirectly, the legal and beneficial owners of all of the outstanding equity securities or similar interests,
(v) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (A) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is a direct or indirect affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned, or to any investment fund or other, directly or indirectly, entity controlling, controlled by, managing, managed by, or under common control or common investment management with the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership), or (B) as part of a distribution, transfer or disposition by the undersigned to limited partners, general partners, members, beneficiaries, stockholders, affiliates or holders of similar equity interests of the undersigned or its affiliates (including a fund managed by the same manager or managing member or general partner or management company or by an entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such manager or managing member or general partner or management company as the undersigned or who shares a common investment advisor with the undersigned),
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(vi) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (i) through (v) above,
(vii) by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order, divorce settlement, divorce decree or separation agreement, or pursuant to a final order of a court or regulatory agency,
(viii) to the Company from an employee or consultant of the Company upon death, disability or termination of employment, in each case, of such employee or consultant,
(ix) the vesting, settlement, or exercise of restricted stock units, options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of Common Stock (including, in each case, by way of “net” or “cashless” exercise), and any related transfer of shares of Common Stock to the Company for payment of exercise price or tax withholdings or remittance payments due as a result of the vesting, settlement, or exercise of such restricted stock units, options, warrants or rights, provided that any such shares of Common Stock received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement, and provided further that any such restricted stock units, options, warrants or rights are held by the undersigned pursuant to an agreement or equity awards granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan,
(x) in connection with open market transactions to generate such amount of net proceeds to the undersigned from such sales (after deducting commissions) in an aggregate amount up to the total amount of taxes or estimated taxes (as applicable) that become due as a result of the vesting, exercise and/or settlement of Company equity awards held by the undersigned and issued pursuant to a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan that vest, are exercised and/or settle during the Restricted Period, provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, any Lock-Up Securities retained by the undersigned after giving effect to this provision shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement, or
(xi) pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s capital stock involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company (for purposes hereof, “Change of Control” shall mean the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons, of shares of capital stock if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (or the surviving entity)); provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities shall remain subject to the provisions of this Letter Agreement;
provided that (A) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii), such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and each donee, devisee, transferee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Company a lock-up letter in substantially the form of this Letter Agreement, (B) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(iii), (iv) and (vi), no filing of a Form 4 shall be required by any party (donor, donee, devisee, transferor, transferee, distributer or distributee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or other public announcement shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than (x) a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Restricted Period referred to above or (y) any required filing on Form 13F, Schedule 13D, Schedule 13D/A, Schedule 13G or Schedule 13G/A) and (C) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(i), (ii), (v), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) and (xi) it shall be a condition to such transfer that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period and if any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution shall be legally required during the Restricted Period, such filing, report or announcement (other than a filing on Form 13F, Schedule 13D, Schedule 13D/A, Schedule 13G or Schedule 13G/A) shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer;
(b) exercise outstanding options, settle restricted stock units or other equity awards or exercise warrants pursuant to equity awards granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan; provided that any Lock-up Securities received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement;
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(c) convert outstanding preferred stock, warrants to acquire preferred stock or convertible securities into shares of Common Stock or warrants to acquire shares of Common Stock; provided that any such shares of Common Stock or warrants received upon such conversion shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement;
(d) make any demand or requests for, exercise any right with respect to, or take any action in preparation of the registration by the Company under the Securities Act of the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities or other securities; provided that, except in connection with the opportunity to participate in an Underwritten Sale (as defined below), (i) no public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other public announcement may be made during the Restricted Period in relation to such registration, and (ii) no Lock-up Securities or other securities of the Company may be sold, distributed or exchanged prior to the expiration of the Restricted Period; and
(e) establish trading plans pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Lock-Up Securities; provided that (1) such plans do not provide for the transfer of Lock-Up Securities during the Restricted Period and (2) any public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act made by any person regarding the establishment of such plan during the Restricted Period shall include a statement that the undersigned is not permitted to transfer, sell or otherwise dispose of securities under such plan during the Restricted Period in contravention of this Letter Agreement.
If any record or beneficial owner of any Lock-Up Securities is granted an early release or waiver from the restrictions described herein (or in any other lock-up agreement with respect to the Merger) during the Restricted Period, then each holder of Company capital stock (“Company Stockholder”) shall also be granted an early release from its obligations hereunder on a pro rata basis with all other record or beneficial holders of similarly restricted Lock-Up Securities based on the maximum percentage of shares held by any such record or beneficial holder being released from such holder’s lock-up agreement (a “Pro-Rata Release”); provided, however, that in the case of an early release from the restrictions described herein during the Restricted Period in connection with an underwritten public offering, whether or not such offering or sale is wholly or partially a secondary offering of the Company’s Common Stock (an “Underwritten Sale”), if the Company Stockholder is offered the opportunity to participate in such Underwritten Sale on a pro rata basis, such early release shall only apply to the extent of such Company Stockholder’s participation in such Underwritten Sale. For the avoidance of doubt, there shall be no Pro-Rata Release in connection with an Underwritten Sale if the Company Stockholder was offered and declined the opportunity to participate in the Underwritten Sale. The restriction of this paragraph will not apply if, and to the extent that, the aggregate number of securities subject to all releases or waivers granted by the Company, including any early release to a natural person due to circumstances of an emergency or hardship, as determined by the Company in its sole judgment determines, is less than or equal to 1% of the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the consummation of the Merger. In the event that, as a result of this paragraph, the undersigned is released from any of its obligations under this Letter Agreement or, by virtue of this Letter Agreement, becomes entitled to offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, or otherwise transfer or dispose of any Common Stock of the Company or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock of the Company during the Restricted Period, the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to notify the undersigned, to the extent that such release gives rise to a corresponding release of the undersigned from its obligations hereunder pursuant to the terms of this paragraph, within one (1) business day thereafter.
If the undersigned is an executive officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Company-directed Securities the undersigned may purchase in the Merger.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
This Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate and the undersigned shall be released from all obligations hereunder upon the date on which for any reason the Merger Agreement is terminated (other than the provisions thereof that survive termination) prior to payment for and delivery of the securities to be sold thereunder.
This Letter Agreement may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g. www.docusign.com or www.echosign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
[Signature Page Follows]
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| Very truly yours, | |
| SECURITYHOLDER | |
| Name: | |
| Title: |
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Execution version
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION
ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES A NON-VOTING CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
Pursuant to Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
THE UNDERSIGNED DOES HEREBY CERTIFY, on behalf of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), that the following resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”), in accordance with the provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), at a meeting duly called and held on June 11, 2026, which resolution provides for the creation of a series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, which is designated as “Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock,” with the preferences, rights and limitations set forth therein relating to dividends, conversion, redemption, dissolution and distribution of assets of the Corporation.
WHEREAS: the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), provides for a class of its authorized stock known as Preferred Stock, consisting of 5,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”), issuable from time to time in one or more series.
RESOLVED: that, pursuant to authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the Certificate of Incorporation, (i) a new series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be, and hereby is authorized by the Board of Directors, (ii) the Board of Directors hereby authorizes the issuance of 12,930.617 shares of “Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock” pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Corporation, Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation, Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation, and Azora Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Merger Agreement”), and (iii) the Board of Directors hereby fixes the designations, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of such shares of Preferred Stock, in addition to any provisions set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation that are applicable to the Preferred Stock of all classes and series, as follows:
TERMS OF SERIES A NON-VOTING CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
Definitions. For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“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 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banks in Delaware or New York are authorized or obligated by law to be closed.
“Buy-In” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.6.4.
“Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing trade price for such security immediately prior to 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on the principal Trading Market where such security is listed or traded, as reported by Bloomberg, L.P. (or an equivalent, reliable reporting service), or if the foregoing do not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, L.P., or, if no last trade price is reported for such security by Bloomberg, L.P., the average of the bid prices of any market makers for such security as reported on the OTC Pink Market by OTC Markets Group, Inc. If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation utilizing an independent, nationally recognized valuation firm or investment bank (the “Independent Valuator”) mutually acceptable to the Corporation and the Holders of a majority of the then-outstanding Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (the “Required Holders”) If the Corporation and the Required Holders are unable to agree on an Independent Valuator within five (5) Business Days, the Independent Valuator shall be selected pursuant to the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association (or such other nationally recognized arbitration body as the Corporation and the Required Holders may agree in writing), with the selection to be completed within ten (10) Business Days of the expiration of such initial five (5) Business Day period. The fees and expenses of the Independent Valuator shall be borne by the Corporation.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
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“Common Stock” means the Corporation’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and stock of any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Holder” means a holder of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock.
“Initial Closing” has the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Lead Investor” has the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Lock-Up Period” means, with respect to any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, the applicable period during which such shares are subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in Section 10.
“Milestone Event Notice” has the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Stock Market, including the Nasdaq Capital Market or such other Nasdaq market on which shares of Common Stock are then listed.
“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.
“Purchase Agreement” means the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated on or about the date hereof, by and among the Corporation and the investor parties thereto.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for business.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is 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, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
Designation, Amount and Par Value. The series of Preferred Stock shall be designated as the Corporation’s Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares so designated shall be 13,000. Each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share.
Dividends. Holders shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay, dividends on shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, without regard to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below)) equal to and in the same form, and in the same manner, as dividends (other than dividends on shares of the Common Stock payable in the form of Common Stock) actually paid on shares of the Common Stock when, as and if such dividends (other than dividends payable in the form of Common Stock) are paid on shares of the Common Stock. Other than as set forth in the previous sentence, no other dividends shall be paid on shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, and the Corporation shall pay no dividends (other than dividends payable in the form of Common Stock) on shares of the Common Stock unless it simultaneously complies with the previous sentence.
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Voting Rights.
Except as otherwise provided herein or as otherwise required by the DGCL, the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall have no voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote or written waiver of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock: (i) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”), amend or repeal any provision of, or add any provision to, the Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation, or file any certificate of amendment, certificate of designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of any series of Preferred Stock, in each case, if such action would adversely alter or change the preferences, rights, privileges or powers of, or restrictions provided for the benefit of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, regardless of whether any of the foregoing actions shall be by means of amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation or by merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, conversion or otherwise, it being agreed that an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock or to effect a reverse stock split or to effect the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement shall not be deemed to adversely alter or change the preferences, rights, privileges or powers of, or restrictions provided for the benefit of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; (ii) issue further shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock or increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; (iii) prior to the Stockholder Approval (as defined below), consummate either: (A) any Fundamental Transaction (as defined below) or (B) any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person or any stock sale to, or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, share exchange or scheme of arrangement) with or into another Person in which the stockholders of the Corporation immediately before such transaction do not hold at least a majority of the capital stock of the Corporation immediately after such transaction or in which the Corporation issues securities in such transaction that represent or are convertible into securities representing more than a majority of the voting power of the Corporation immediately before such transaction; (iv) prior to the Stockholder Approval, authorize or issue any class or series of stock that has powers, preferences or rights that are senior to those of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; (v) amend, waive or modify the Merger Agreement in any manner that would be reasonably likely to prevent, impede or materially delay the Stockholder Approval or the Automatic Conversion (as defined below); or (vi) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing. Holders of shares of Common Stock acquired upon the conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be entitled to the same voting rights as each other holder of Common Stock, except that such holders may not vote such shares upon the proposal for Stockholder Approval in accordance with Rule 5635 of the listing rules of Nasdaq.
Any vote required or permitted under Section 4.1 may be taken at a meeting of the Holders or through the execution of an action by written consent in lieu of such meeting or other written waiver by such stockholders, provided that the consent or waiver is executed by Holders representing a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock.
Rank; Liquidation.
The Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall rank on parity with the Common Stock as to distributions of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.
Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary (a “Liquidation”), each Holder shall be entitled to receive out of the assets, whether capital or surplus, of the Corporation the same amount that a holder of Common Stock would receive if the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock were fully converted (disregarding for such purpose any Beneficial Ownership Limitations) to Common Stock which amounts shall be paid pari passu with all holders of Common Stock, plus an additional amount equal to any dividends declared on but unpaid to such shares. If, upon any such Liquidation, the assets of the Corporation shall be insufficient to pay the Holders of shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock the amount required under the preceding sentence, then all remaining assets of the Corporation shall be distributed ratably to the Holders and the holders of Common Stock in accordance with the respective amounts that would be payable on all such securities if all amounts payable thereon were paid in full. For the avoidance of any doubt, a Fundamental Transaction shall not be deemed a Liquidation unless the Corporation expressly declares that such Fundamental Transaction shall be treated as if it were a Liquidation.
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Conversion.
8.1 Automatic Conversion Upon Stockholder Approval. Effective as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the third (3rd) Business Day after the date that the Corporation obtains the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement) in accordance with Nasdaq listing rules, as set forth in Section 4.2 of the Merger Agreement (the “Stockholder Approval”), each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding shall automatically convert into a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Ratio (as defined below), subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (if any) (the “Automatic Conversion”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock being converted are subject to a Lock-Up Period at the time of the Automatic Conversion, the corresponding Conversion Shares shall (i) not be delivered via DWAC Delivery, (ii) remain in book-entry form at the Corporation’s transfer agent, and (iii) bear restrictive legend(s) as determined by the Corporation and the Transfer Agent, in each case until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period (or an earlier release pursuant to Section 10). The Corporation shall inform each Holder of the occurrence of the Stockholder Approval and the effective date of the Automatic Conversion within one (1) Business Day of such Stockholder Approval via a Current Report on Form 8-K publicly disclosing the same. The Corporation shall request from each Holder, no less than 30 days prior to the date of the Automatic Conversion, a written notice of such Holder’s beneficial ownership of Common Stock (a “Beneficial Ownership Statement”). In determining the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitations solely with respect to the Automatic Conversion, the Corporation shall calculate beneficial ownership for each Holder taking into account the beneficial ownership by such Holder of: (x) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable to such Holder in such Automatic Conversion, plus (y) any additional shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder as set forth in such Holder’s Beneficial Ownership Statement and assuming the conversion of all shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock held by all other Holders less the aggregate number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock held by all other Holders that will not convert into shares of Common Stock on account of the application of any Beneficial Ownership Limitations applicable to any such other Holders. If, following a written request from the Corporation, a Holder does not provide a Beneficial Ownership Statement within ten (10) days prior to the date of Stockholder Approval, the Corporation shall presume the Holder’s beneficial ownership of Common Stock (excluding the Conversion Shares) to be zero. The shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock that are converted in the Automatic Conversion are referred to as the “Converted Stock”. For the avoidance of doubt, any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock that are not automatically converted pursuant to the Automatic Conversion as a result of a Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall remain outstanding until such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock are converted pursuant to Section 6.2. The Conversion Shares shall be issued as follows:
Converted Stock that is registered in book entry form shall be automatically cancelled upon the Automatic Conversion and converted into the corresponding Conversion Shares, which shares shall be issued in book entry form and shall be delivered to the Holders within one Business Day of the effectiveness of the Automatic Conversion without any action on the part of the Holders.
Converted Stock that is issued in certificated form shall be deemed converted into the corresponding Conversion Shares on the date of Automatic Conversion and the Holder’s rights as a holder of such shares of Converted Stock shall cease and terminate on such date, excepting only the right to receive the Conversion Shares within one (1) Business Day of the effectiveness of the Automatic Conversion. Without delaying the delivery of the Conversion Shares, the Holder shall as soon as practicable following the effectiveness of the Automatic Conversion, tender to the Corporation (or its designated agent) the stock certificate(s) (duly endorsed) representing such certificated Converted Stock.
Notwithstanding the cancellation of the Converted Stock upon the Automatic Conversion, Holders of Converted Stock shall continue to have any remedies provided herein or otherwise available at law or in equity to such Holder because of a failure by the Corporation to comply with the terms of this Certificate of Designation. In all cases, the Holder shall retain all of its rights and remedies for the Corporation’s failure to convert the Converted Stock.
Conversion at Option of Holder. Subject to Section 6.4, Section 6.5, Section 6.6.3 and Section 10, each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time following the earlier of (i) 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the third (3rd) Business Day after the date that the Stockholder Approval is obtained by the Corporation and (ii) solely for purposes of effecting a cash settlement pursuant to Section 6.5.3, the date that is six (6) months after the initial issuance date of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, at the option of the Holder thereof, into a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Ratio, subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (each, an “Optional Conversion”). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock subject to an Optional Conversion remain subject to a Lock-Up Period at the time of conversion, (A) the corresponding Conversion Shares shall not be delivered via DWAC Delivery but shall instead remain in book-entry form at the Corporation’s transfer agent, and (B) such Conversion Shares shall bear the restrictive legend(s) set forth in Section 10 until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period (or an earlier release pursuant to Section 10). For the avoidance of doubt, an Optional Conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock that are subject to a Lock-Up Period shall not, in and of itself, constitute a Transfer for purposes of Section 10. Holders shall effect conversions by providing the Corporation with the form of conversion notice attached hereto as Annex A (a “Notice of Conversion”), duly completed and executed. Provided the Corporation’s transfer agent is participating in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer program, and provided further that the applicable Conversion Shares are not subject to a Lock-Up Period, the Notice of Conversion may specify, at the Holder’s election, whether the applicable Conversion Shares shall be credited to the account of the Holder’s prime broker with DTC through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system (a “DWAC Delivery”). The date on which an Optional Conversion shall be deemed effective (the “Conversion Date”) shall be the Trading Day that the Notice of Conversion, completed and executed, is sent via email to, and received during regular business hours by, the Corporation. The Holder shall not be required to physically surrender any stock certificate to the Corporation until the Holder has converted all of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock represented by such certificate in full without regard to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, in which case, the Holder shall surrender its stock certificate to the Corporation for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date the final Notice of Conversion is delivered to the Corporation. Execution and delivery of a Notice of Conversion shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original stock certificate and issuance of a new stock certificate evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Conversion Shares, if any. The calculations set forth in the Notice of Conversion shall control in the absence of manifest or mathematical error.
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Conversion Ratio. The “Conversion Ratio” for each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be 1,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion (the “Conversion”) of each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (corresponding to a ratio of 1,000:1), subject to adjustment as provided herein.
Authorized Shares Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Corporation shall not effect any conversion of any share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, including pursuant to Section 6.1, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 6.2, to the extent that, after giving effect to such attempted Automatic Conversion or conversion set forth on an applicable Notice of Optional Conversion with respect to the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, as applicable, such conversion would result in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such conversion to exceed the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation (the “Authorized Share Cap”). If at any time the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (an “Authorized Share Failure”), the Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to take such corporate action as may be necessary to amend its Certificate of Incorporation to increase the Authorized Share Cap by a sufficient amount to permit the conversion of all shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock into Conversion Shares, including, without limitation, engaging in best efforts to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of any necessary amendment to the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation to effect such increase.
Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Corporation shall not effect any conversion of any share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, including pursuant to Section 6.1, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 6.2, to the extent that, after giving effect to such attempted conversion set forth on an applicable Notice of Conversion with respect to the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, such Holder (or any of such Holder’s Affiliates or any other Person who would be a beneficial owner of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, including any “group” of which the Holder is a member (the foregoing, “Attribution Parties”)) would beneficially own a number of shares of Common Stock in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and its Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock subject to the Notice of Conversion or Automatic Conversion, as applicable, with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (i) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties, and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation (including any warrants) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties that are subject to and would exceed a limitation on conversion or exercise similar to the limitation contained herein. For purposes of this Section 6.5, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and the terms “beneficial ownership” and “beneficially own” have the meanings ascribed to such terms therein. In addition, for purposes hereof, “group” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission. For purposes of this Section 6.5, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (a) the Corporation’s most recent periodic or annual filing with the Commission, as the case may be, (b) a more recent public announcement by the Corporation that is filed with the Commission, or (c) a more recent notice by the Corporation or the Corporation’s transfer agent to the Holder setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. Upon the written request of a Holder (which may be by email), the Corporation shall, within two (2) Trading Days thereof, confirm in writing to such Holder (which may be via email) the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to any actual conversion or exercise of securities of the Corporation, including shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, by such Holder or its Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was last publicly reported or confirmed to the Holder. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall initially be set at 4.99%, subject to adjustment at the discretion of each Holder to a percentage designated by such Holder between 4.99% and 19.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Automatic Conversion or such Notice of Conversion (as applicable), to the extent permitted pursuant to this Section 6.5. The Corporation shall be entitled to rely on representations made to it by the Holder in any Notice of Conversion regarding its Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by written notice to the Corporation (email being sufficient), (1) which will not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such written notice is delivered to the Corporation, the Holder may reset the Beneficial Ownership Limitation percentage to a higher percentage, not to exceed 19.99%, to the extent then applicable, and (2) which will be effective immediately after such notice is delivered to the Corporation, the Holder may reset the Beneficial Ownership Limitation percentage to a lower percentage than was in effect for such Holder prior to such written notice. Upon such a change by a Holder of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, not to exceed 19.99%, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation may not be further amended by such Holder without first providing the minimum notice required by this Section 6.5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time following the approval by Nasdaq of the Nasdaq Listing Application (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and receipt of Stockholder Approval, the Holder may waive and/or change the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, which will be effective on the sixty-first (61st) day after written notice of such waiver and/or change is delivered to the Corporation. The provisions of this Section 6.5 shall be construed, corrected and implemented in a manner so as to effectuate the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained and the shares of Common Stock underlying the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) or Rule 16a-1(a)(1) of the Exchange Act.
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Mechanics of Conversion.
Delivery of Certificate or Electronic Issuance. Upon Conversion not later than two (2) Trading Days after the applicable Conversion Date, or if the Holder requests the issuance of physical certificate(s), two (2) Trading Days after receipt by the Corporation of the original certificate(s) representing such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock being converted, duly endorsed, and the accompanying Notice of Conversion (the “Share Delivery Date”), the Corporation shall either: (a) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the converting Holder a physical certificate or certificates representing the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, or (b) in the case of a DWAC Delivery (if so requested by the Holder and if the applicable Conversion Shares are not then subject to a Lock-Up Period), electronically transfer such Conversion Shares by crediting the account of the Holder’s prime broker with DTC through its DWAC system. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Conversion Shares are subject to a Lock-Up Period at the time of conversion, such shares shall be issued in book-entry form and held at the Corporation’s transfer agent bearing the restrictive legend(s) described in Section 10 until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period. If in the case of any Notice of Conversion such certificate or certificates for the Conversion Shares are not delivered to or as directed by or, in the case of a DWAC Delivery, such shares are not electronically delivered to or as directed by, the applicable Holder by the Share Delivery Date, the applicable Holder shall be entitled to elect to rescind such Notice of Conversion by written notice to the Corporation at any time on or before its receipt of such certificate or certificates for Conversion Shares or electronic receipt of such shares, as applicable, in which event the Corporation shall promptly return to such Holder any original Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock certificate delivered to the Corporation and such Holder shall promptly return to the Corporation any Common Stock certificates or otherwise direct the return of any shares of Common Stock delivered to the Holder through the DWAC system, representing the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock unsuccessfully tendered for conversion to the Corporation.
Obligation Absolute. Subject to Section 6.4 and Section 6.5 and subject to Holder’s right to rescind a Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, the Corporation’s obligation to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by a Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by such Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Corporation or any violation or alleged violation of law by such Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Corporation to such Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares. Subject to Section 6.4 and Section 6.5 and subject to Holder’s right to rescind a Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, in the event a Holder shall elect to convert any or all of its Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, the Corporation may not refuse conversion based on any claim that such Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with such Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and/or enjoining conversion of all or part of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock of such Holder shall have been sought and obtained by the Corporation, and the Corporation posts a surety bond for the benefit of such Holder in the amount of 150% of the value of the Conversion Shares into which would be converted the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock which is subject to such injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, the Corporation shall, subject to Section 6.4 and Section 6.5 and subject to Holder’s right to rescind a Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, issue Conversion Shares upon a properly noticed conversion.
Cash Settlement. If, at any time after the earlier of (i) Stockholder Approval or (ii) six (6) months after the initial issuance of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder such certificate or certificates, or electronically deliver (or cause its transfer agent to electronically deliver) such shares in the case of a DWAC Delivery, pursuant to Section 6.6.1 on or prior to the first (1st) Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date applicable to such conversion (other than a failure caused by (a) materially incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Corporation or (b) the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation after Stockholder Approval (but, prior to the Stockholder Approval, disregarding for such purpose any Beneficial Ownership Limitation)) or if the Corporation is unable to effect the conversion of any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock due to an Authorized Share Failure, then, unless the Holder has rescinded the applicable Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, the Corporation shall, at the request of the Holder, pay an amount of cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds equal to the Fair Value (as defined below) of such undelivered shares, with such payment to be made within two (2) Business Days from the date of request by the Holder, whereupon the Corporation’s obligations to deliver such shares underlying the Notice of Conversion shall be extinguished upon payment in full of the Fair Value of such undelivered shares. For purposes of this Section 6.6.3, the “Fair Value” of shares shall be fixed with reference to the last reported Closing Sale Price on the principal Trading Market on which the Common Stock is listed as of the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which the Notice of Conversion is delivered to the Corporation. For the avoidance of doubt, the cash settlement provisions set forth in this Section 6.6.3 shall be available irrespective of the reason for the Corporation’s failure to timely deliver Conversion Shares (other than a failure caused by (1) materially incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Corporation or (2) the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation after Stockholder Approval (but, prior to the Stockholder Approval, disregarding for such purpose any Beneficial Ownership Limitation)), including due to an Authorized Share Failure, limitations set forth in Section 6.6.6, the lack of obtaining Stockholder Approval, or due to applicable Trading Market rules.
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Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates. If the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder the applicable certificate or certificates or to effect a DWAC Delivery, as applicable, by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 6.6.1 (other than a failure caused by materially incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Corporation or the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation), and if after such Share Delivery Date such Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which such Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then the Corporation shall (i) pay in cash to such Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by such Holder) the amount by which (x) such Holder’s total purchase price (including any brokerage commissions) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (a) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder was entitled to receive from the conversion at issue multiplied by (b) the actual sale price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage commissions) and (ii) at the option of such Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock equal to the number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock submitted for conversion or deliver to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6.6.1. For example, if a Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock with respect to which the actual sale price (including any brokerage commissions) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a total of $10,000 under clause (i) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Corporation shall be required to pay such Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Corporation with written notice, within three (3) Trading Days after the occurrence of a Buy-In, indicating the amounts payable to such Holder in respect of such Buy-In together with applicable confirmations and other evidence reasonably requested by the Corporation. 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 Corporation’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock as required pursuant to the terms hereof or the cash settlement remedy set forth in Section 6.6.3; provided, however, that the Holder shall not be entitled to both (A) require the reissuance of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock submitted for conversion for which such conversion was not timely honored and (B) receive the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6.6.1.
Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. The Corporation covenants that at all times it will reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, subject to receipt of the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holders, not less than such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock as shall be issuable (taking into account the adjustments of Section 7) upon the conversion of all outstanding shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be issuable upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, no certificates or scrip for any such fractional shares shall be issued and no cash shall be paid for any such fractional shares. Any fractional shares of Common Stock that a Holder of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock would otherwise be entitled to receive shall be aggregated with all fractional shares of Common Stock issuable to such Holder and any remaining fractional shares shall be rounded up to the nearest whole share. Whether or not fractional shares would be issuable upon such conversion shall be determined on the basis of the total number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock the Holder seeks to convert into Common Stock and the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion.
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Transfer Taxes. The issuance of certificates for shares of the Common Stock upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be made without charge to any Holder for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such certificates, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such certificate upon conversion in a name other than that of the registered Holder(s) of such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock and the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Corporation the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid.
Status as Stockholder. Upon each Conversion Date, (i) the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock being converted shall be deemed converted into shares of Common Stock and (ii) the Holder’s rights as a holder of such converted shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall cease and terminate, excepting only the right to receive certificates for such shares of Common Stock and to any remedies provided herein or otherwise available at law or in equity to such Holder because of a failure by the Corporation to comply with the terms of this Certificate of Designation. In all cases, the Holder shall retain all of its rights and remedies for the Corporation’s failure to convert Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. In no event shall the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock convert into shares of Common Stock prior to the Stockholder Approval.
Certain Adjustments.
Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Corporation, at any time while this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Corporation upon conversion of this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock) with respect to the then outstanding shares of Common Stock; (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares; or (iii) combines (including by way of a reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then the Conversion Ratio shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) outstanding immediately after such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation). Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 7.1 shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision or combination.
Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock is outstanding, (i) the Corporation effects any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person or any stock sale to, or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, share exchange or scheme of arrangement) with or into another Person (other than such a transaction in which the Corporation is the surviving or continuing entity and its Common Stock is not exchanged for or converted into other securities, cash or property), (ii) the Corporation effects any sale, lease, transfer or exclusive license of all or substantially all of its assets in one transaction or a series of related transactions, (iii) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Corporation or another Person) is completed pursuant to which more than 50% of the Common Stock not held by the Corporation or such Person is exchanged for or converted into other securities, cash or property, or (iv) the Corporation effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant (other than as a result of a dividend, subdivision or combination covered by Section 7.1) to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent conversion of this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock the Holders shall have the right to receive, in lieu of the right to receive Conversion Shares, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any Beneficial Ownership Limitation), the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if such conversion of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock had occurred immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (the “Alternate Consideration”). For purposes of any such subsequent conversion, the determination of the Conversion Ratio shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Corporation shall adjust the Conversion Ratio in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holders shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any conversion of this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Corporation or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall file a new certificate of designations with the same terms and conditions and issue to the Holders new preferred stock consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holders’ right to convert such preferred stock into Alternate Consideration. The terms of any agreement to which the Corporation is a party and pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 7.2 and ensuring that this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (or any such replacement security) will be similarly adjusted upon any subsequent transaction analogous to a Fundamental Transaction. The Corporation shall cause to be delivered to each Holder, at its last address as it shall appear upon the stock books of the Corporation, written notice of any Fundamental Transaction at least 20 calendar days prior to the date on which such Fundamental Transaction is expected to become effective or close.
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Calculations. All calculations under this Section 7 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 7, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) issued and outstanding.
Redemption. The shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise deal in such shares to the extent otherwise permitted hereby and by law, nor shall the foregoing limit the Holder’s rights under Section 6.6.3 or Section 6.6.4.
Transfer. Subject to the limitations set forth herein, a Holder may transfer any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock together with the accompanying rights set forth herein, held by such Holder without the consent of the Corporation; provided that such transfer is in compliance with applicable securities laws. The Corporation shall in good faith (a) do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and (b) execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, in each case, as any holder of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Section 9. The transferee of any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation applicable to the transferor as of the time of such transfer.
Transfer Restrictions.
Lock-Up Restrictions. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement, including Section 9 to the contrary, following the issuance of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, no Holder may Transfer (as defined below in Section 10.7) any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock held by such Holder or any Conversion Shares issued upon conversion thereof during the applicable Lock-Up Period (such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock and, to the extent still subject to a Lock-Up Period, the corresponding Conversion Shares, collectively, the “Locked Shares”), except in accordance with this Section 10.
Lock-Up Tranches. The Locked Shares held by each Holder shall be divided into three equal tranches, and the transfer restrictions set forth in this Section 10 shall apply to each tranche as follows:
One-third (1/3) of the Locked Shares shall not be Transferred until the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the Initial Closing (the “First Tranche Lock-Up Period”).
One-third (1/3) of the Locked Shares shall not be Transferred until the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the Stockholder Approval (the “Second Tranche Lock-Up Period”).
One-third (1/3) of the Locked Shares shall not be Transferred until the issuance by the Corporation of the Milestone Event Notice (the “Third Tranche Lock-Up Period” and, together with the First Tranche Lock-Up Period and the Second Tranche Lock-Up Period, each a “Lock-Up Period”).
Backstop. Notwithstanding anything in Section 10.2 to the contrary, in no event shall any Locked Share remain subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in Section 10 after the issuance of the Milestone Event Notice.
Permitted Transfers. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10, the transfer restrictions set forth herein shall not apply to: (a) transfers to an Affiliate of the Holder; (b) distributions to limited partners, members or stockholders of a Holder that is a fund; (c) pledges of Locked Shares in connection with bona fide financing, including, for example, pledging shares as collateral to secure a bona fide loan or other obligation, in each case entered into with a nationally recognized financial institution, and any foreclosure by such financial institution or transfer to such financial institution in lieu of foreclosure and subsequent sale of the securities; provided, however, that in the event of any foreclosure by such financial institution or transfer to such financial institution in lieu of foreclosure, the transferee shall not Transfer such foreclosed Locked Shares other than in a transaction otherwise allowed by this Section 10.4; (d) in the event of a liquidation, merger, stock or unit exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Holders having the right to exchange their shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock for cash, securities or other property, or (e) conversions or exercises of other securities of the Corporation into or for shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; provided that, in the case of clauses (a), (b) and (c), the transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in this Section 10 for the remainder of the applicable Lock-Up Period.
Legends. The Locked Shares (including any Conversion Shares that remain subject to a Lock-Up Period) shall carry appropriate legends indicating the restrictions on Transfer imposed by this Section 10, including as required by Section 151(f) of the DGCL in respect to uncertificated stock, until such time as the Corporation shall instruct the transfer agent to remove such legend(s) and release such shares to the applicable Holder in accordance with the limitations and restrictions of this Section 10 (including, at the Holder’s election, via DWAC Delivery). Such Conversion Shares shall remain in book-entry form at the Corporation’s transfer agent and shall retain the appropriate legends until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period (or an earlier release pursuant to this Section 10).
Waiver. Notwithstanding the other provisions set forth in this Section 10 or any other provision contained herein, the Corporation may, with the prior written consent of the Lead Investor, determine to waive, amend, or repeal the lock-up obligations set forth in this Section 10, whether in whole or in part.
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Definition of Transfer. For purposes of this Section 10, “Transfer” means any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance or other disposition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, Conversion Shares, or any economic interest therein, including by operation of law; provided, however, that the conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock into Conversion Shares in accordance with Section 6 shall not, in and of itself, constitute a “Transfer” for purposes of this Section 10.
Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock Register. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal executive offices (or at the Corporation’s transfer agent as of the date hereof, or such other office or agency of the Corporation as it may designate by notice to the Holders in accordance with Section 12), a register for the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, in which the Corporation shall record (a) the name, address, and electronic mail address of each holder in whose name the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock have been issued and (b) the name, address, and electronic mail address of each transferee of any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. The Corporation may deem and treat the registered Holder of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock as the absolute owner thereof for the purpose of any conversion thereof and for all other purposes. The Corporation shall keep the register open and available at all times during business hours for inspection by any holder of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock or his, her or its legal representatives.
Notices. Any notice required or permitted by the provisions of this Certificate of Designation to be given to a Holder of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Corporation, or given by electronic communication in compliance with the provisions of the DGCL, and shall be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.
Book-Entry; Certificates. The Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock will be issued in book-entry form; provided that, if a Holder requests that such Holder’s shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock be issued in certificated form, the Corporation will instead issue a stock certificate to such Holder representing such Holder’s shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. To the extent that any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form, references herein to “certificates” shall instead refer to the book-entry notation relating to such shares.
Lost or Mutilated Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock Certificate. If a Holder’s Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Corporation shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated certificate, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, a new certificate for the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such certificate, and of the ownership hereof reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation.
Waiver. Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder of a breach of any provision of this Certificate of Designation shall not operate as or be construed to be a waiver of any other breach of such provision or of any breach of any other provision of this Certificate of Designation or a waiver by any other Holders, other than as expressly set forth herein. The failure of the Corporation or a Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Certificate of Designation on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party (or any other Holder) of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Certificate of Designation. Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder must be in writing. Notwithstanding any provision in this Certificate of Designation to the contrary, any provision contained herein and any right of the Holders of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock granted hereunder may be waived as to all shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (and the Holders thereof) upon the written consent of the Holders of not less than a majority of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding, provided, however, that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation applicable to a Holder, and any provisions contained herein that are related to such Beneficial Ownership Limitation, cannot be modified, waived or terminated without the consent of such Holder, provided further, that any proposed waiver that would, by its terms, have a disproportionate and materially adverse effect on any Holder shall require the consent of such Holder(s).
Severability. Whenever possible, each provision hereof shall be interpreted in a manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision hereof is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, then such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating or otherwise adversely affecting the remaining provisions hereof.
Status of Converted Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. If any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be converted, such shares shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be retired and cancelled upon such acquisition, and shall not be reissued as a share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. Any share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock so acquired shall, upon its retirement and cancellation, and upon the taking of any action required by applicable law, resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock and shall no longer be designated as Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has caused this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock to be duly executed by its President and Chief Executive Officer on June 11, 2026.
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
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ANNEX A
NOTICE OF OPTIONAL CONVERSION
(TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER IN ORDER TO CONVERT SHARES OF SERIES A NON-VOTING CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK)
The undersigned Holder hereby irrevocably elects to convert the number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock indicated below, represented in book-entry form, into shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), as of the date written below. If securities are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto. Capitalized terms utilized but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in that certain Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”) filed by the Corporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June 11, 2026.
As of the date hereof, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the undersigned Holder (together with such Holder’s Attribution Parties), including the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock subject to this Notice of Optional Conversion, but excluding the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (A) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties, and (B) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation (including any warrants) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties that are subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise similar to the limitation contained in Section 6.5 of the Certificate of Designation, is _____. For purposes hereof, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the applicable regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). In addition, for purposes hereof, “group” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the applicable regulations of the Commission.
CONVERSION CALCULATIONS:
| Date to Effect Conversion: | ________________________________ |
| Number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock owned prior to Conversion: | ________________________________ |
| Number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock to be Converted: | ________________________________ |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be Issued: | ________________________________ |
| Address for delivery of physical certificates: | ________________________________ |
For DWAC Delivery, please provide the following:
Broker No.: ________________
Account No.: _______________
[HOLDER]
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
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Execution Copy
EXHIBIT D
FORM OF PARENT STOCKHOLDER SUPPORT AGREEMENT
This Support Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of June 11, 2026, by and among ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), AZORA THERAPEUTICS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and the undersigned holder (the “Stockholder” and each of the Stockholder, Parent and the Company, a “Party” and, collectively, the “Parties”) of shares of Parent Common Stock and/or Parent Options and Parent RSAs.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution and delivery hereof, Parent, the Company, Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“First Merger Sub”), and Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Second Merger Sub” and, together with the First Merger Sub, the “Merger Subs”), have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as such agreement may be amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to the terms thereof, the “Merger Agreement”), providing for (i) the merger of First Merger Sub with and into the Company, with the Company surviving the First Merger as the surviving corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the “First Merger”), and (ii) the merger of the Company with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity of the Second Merger, in each case, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement (the “Second Merger” and, together with the First Merger, the “Merger”).
WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, the Stockholder is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of such number of shares of Parent Common Stock, and holds Parent Options and/or Parent RSAs, in each case, in, or exercisable into, the number of shares of Parent Common Stock, indicated in Appendix A.
WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to the willingness of the Company, First Merger Sub, Second Merger Sub and Parent to enter into the Merger Agreement, and in consideration of the substantial expenses incurred or to be incurred by them in connection therewith, the Stockholder has agreed to enter into and perform this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, intending to be legally bound, the Parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Merger Agreement. For all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
(a) “Constructive Sale” means, with respect to any security, a short sale with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a derivative contract with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a futures or forward contract to deliver such security or entering into any other hedging or other derivative transaction that has the effect of either directly or indirectly materially changing the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such security.
(b) “Shares” means (i) all shares of Parent Common Stock owned, beneficially or of record, by the Stockholder as of the date hereof, (ii) all convertible notes, promissory notes, warrants, options, rights or other securities or instruments directly or indirectly held by the Stockholder as of the date hereof that are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Parent Common Stock, whether or not currently convertible, exercisable or exchangeable, and (iii) any of the foregoing as may be acquired after the date hereof, in each case, as described in Section 3(c) of this Agreement.
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(c) “Transfer” or “Transferred” means, with respect to any security, the direct or indirect assignment, sale, transfer, tender, exchange, pledge or hypothecation, or the grant, creation or sufferance of a lien, security interest or encumbrance in or upon, or the gift, grant or placement in trust, or the Constructive Sale or other disposition of such security (including transfers by testamentary or intestate succession, by domestic relations order or other court order, or otherwise by operation of law) or any right, title or interest therein (including any right or power to vote to which the holder thereof may be entitled, whether such right or power is granted by proxy or otherwise), or the record or beneficial ownership thereof, the offer to make such a sale, transfer, Constructive Sale or other disposition, and each agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, to effect any of the foregoing.
2. Transfer and Voting Restrictions. The Stockholder covenants to Parent and the Company as follows:
(a) Except as otherwise permitted by Section 2(c), during the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Expiration Date (as defined below), the Stockholder shall not Transfer any of the Stockholder’s Shares, enter into any Contract, option, commitment or other arrangement or understanding regarding the Transfer of its Shares, or publicly announce its intention to Transfer any of its Shares (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any announcement of its intention to Transfer its Shares after the expiration of the Expiration Date if such announcement should occur during such period).
(b) Except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement or otherwise permitted or required by order of a court of competent jurisdiction or a Governmental Body, the Stockholder will not commit or take any act that would restrict the Stockholder’s legal power, authority and right to vote all of the Shares held by the Stockholder or otherwise prevent or disable the Stockholder from performing any of his, her or its obligations under this Agreement, or take any action, commit to, or omit to take any action that would make any representation or warranty of the Stockholder contained in this Agreement untrue or incorrect or which would have the effect of preventing or disabling the Stockholder from performing any of his, her or its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except for this Agreement, and as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, the Stockholder shall not enter into any voting agreement or similar arrangement with any person or entity with respect to any of the Stockholder’s Shares, grant any person or entity any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of the Shares, deposit any Shares in a voting trust or otherwise enter into any agreement or arrangement with any person or entity, in each case, which has the effect of limiting or affecting the Stockholder’s legal power, authority or right to vote the Stockholder’s Shares in favor of the Parent Stockholder Matters and against any competing proposals.
(c) Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the Stockholder may, at any time, Transfer Shares (i) by will or other testamentary document or by intestacy, (ii) to such Stockholder’s Affiliates (in each case, directly or indirectly), (iii) to any member of the Stockholder’s immediate family (or, if the Stockholder is a corporation, partnership or other entity, to an immediate family member of a beneficial owner of the Shares held by the Stockholder), (iv) to any trust or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the Stockholder or the immediate family of the Stockholder (or, if the Stockholder is a corporation, partnership or other entity, for the direct or indirect benefit of an immediate family member of a beneficial owner of the Shares held by the Stockholder) or otherwise for estate tax or estate planning purposes, (v) in the case of a Stockholder who is not a natural person, by pro rata distributions from the Stockholder to its members, partners, shareholders or, in the case of a trust, beneficiaries pursuant to the Stockholder’s organizational documents, (vi) to the extent required by applicable Law, (vii) in order to pay the exercise price of any Stockholder’s Parent Options or the taxes applicable to the exercise thereof, in each case, with respect to the Stockholder’s Parent Options which expire on or prior to the Expiration Date, (viii) to another holder of the capital stock of Parent that has signed a support agreement in substantially the form of this Agreement, and (ix) with Parent’s and the Company’s prior written consent; provided, that in each case, other than with respect to subclauses (vii) and (viii), (A) such Transferred Shares shall continue to be bound by this Agreement, (B) the transferee (which shall include any subsequent transferees of the initial transferee) shall take and hold such Shares subject to all restrictions, liabilities and rights under this Agreement, and (C) the transferee of such Transferred Shares shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and either the Stockholder or the transferee shall provide Parent with a copy of such agreement upon consummation of any such Transfer.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing in this Agreement shall obligate the Stockholder to exercise any option or any other right to acquire any shares of Parent Common Stock.
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3. Agreement to Vote Shares. The Stockholder covenants to Parent and the Company as follows:
(a) From the date hereof until the Expiration Date (as defined below), at any meeting of the stockholders of Parent called to vote upon the Parent Stockholder Matters, however called, and at every adjournment, recess, postponement, stay or rescheduling thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of Parent, the Stockholder shall (i) be present (in person or by proxy) at such meeting or otherwise cause the Shares to be counted as present thereat for purposes of calculating a quorum, (ii) vote (or cause to be voted), or deliver a written consent (or cause a written consent to be delivered) covering all of the Shares that the Stockholder shall be entitled to so vote: (1) in favor of the Parent Stockholder Matters and any matters that could reasonably be expected to facilitate the Parent Stockholder Matters; (2) against any agreement, transaction or other matter that is intended to, or could reasonably be expected to, impede, interfere with, delay, postpone, discourage or materially and adversely affect the consummation of the Parent Stockholder Matters; (3) against any other proposal that would materially and adversely affect the rights of holders of Parent Convertible Preferred Stock as set forth in the Certificate of Designation; and (4) to approve any proposal to adjourn, recess, postpone, stay or reschedule the applicable meeting to a later date if there are not sufficient votes for the approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters on the date on which such meeting is held. The Stockholder hereby agrees that it shall not, and it shall cause its Subsidiaries and Affiliates not to, take or commit or agree to take or commit any action inconsistent with the foregoing.
(b) If the Stockholder is the beneficial owner, but not the record holder, of Shares, the Stockholder agrees to take all actions necessary to cause the record holder and any nominees to be present (in person or by proxy) and vote all the Stockholder’s Shares in accordance with Section 3(a).
(c) From the date of execution of this Agreement until the Expiration Date, in the event of (i) a stock split, stock dividend or distribution, or any change in the capital stock of Parent by reason of any split-up, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, reincorporation, exchange of shares or the like or (ii) the acquisition of sole or shared voting power by the Stockholder of additional shares of capital stock or other equity securities of Parent, whether by the exercise of Parent Options or otherwise, including, without limitation, by gift or succession, then the term “Shares” shall be deemed to refer to and include such shares as well as all such stock dividends and distributions and any securities into which or for which any or all of such shares may be changed or exchanged or which are received in such transaction, and such Shares shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement to the same extent as if they constituted Shares as of the date of the execution of this Agreement, without the need for any further action by the Parties (including, for the avoidance of doubt, with respect to Appendix A).
4. Irrevocable Proxy. By execution of this Agreement, the Stockholder does hereby appoint each of Parent, the Company and any of their respective designees with full powers of substitution and resubstitution, as the Stockholder’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact and irrevocable proxy, to the fullest extent of the Stockholder’s rights with respect to the Shares, to vote and exercise all voting and related rights at any meeting called or with respect to any consent required, in each case, with respect to the matters set forth in Section 3 hereof, including the right to sign the Stockholder’s name (solely in its capacity as Stockholder) to any stockholder consent, if the Stockholder is unable to perform or otherwise does not perform his, her or its obligations under this Agreement. The irrevocable proxy and power of attorney granted herein shall survive the death or incapacity of the Stockholder and the obligations of the Stockholder shall be binding on the Stockholder’s heirs, personal representatives, successors, transferees and assigns. The Stockholder hereby revokes (or agrees to cause to be revoked) any proxies that the Stockholder has heretofore granted with respect to its Shares and represents that none of such previously-granted proxies is irrevocable. Parent and the Company agree not to exercise the proxy granted herein for any purpose other than the purposes described in this Agreement. The Stockholder hereby affirms that the irrevocable proxy contemplated in this Section 4 is coupled with an interest, is given to secure the obligations of the Stockholder in Section 3 and may under no circumstances be revoked and that such irrevocable proxy is executed and intended to be irrevocable. With respect to any Shares that are owned beneficially by the Stockholder but are not held of record by the Stockholder, the Stockholder shall take all reasonable actions necessary to cause the record holder of such Shares to grant the irrevocable proxy and take all other reasonable actions provided for in this Section 4 with respect to such Shares. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the irrevocable proxy granted hereunder shall automatically terminate on the Expiration Date.
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5. Documentation and Information. The Stockholder hereby authorizes Parent and the Company to publish and disclose in any proxy statement, registration statement, prospectus, or other documents and schedules filed with the SEC or other regulatory authority and as otherwise required by applicable Law, and in any press release or other disclosure document that Parent or the Company may reasonably determine to be necessary or desirable in connection with the Merger and any of the Contemplated Transactions, a copy of this Agreement, the Stockholder’s identity and ownership of the Shares and the nature of the Stockholder’s commitments and obligations under this Agreement. Prior to the Expiration Date, the Stockholder shall not, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause its representatives, Subsidiaries and Affiliates not to, directly or indirectly, make any press release, public announcement or other public communication that criticizes or disparages this Agreement or the Merger Agreement or any of the Parent Stockholder Matters or the Contemplated Transactions, without the prior written consent of Parent and the Company (which may be withheld in the sole discretion of Parent or the Company, as applicable); provided that the foregoing shall not limit or affect any actions taken by the Stockholder (or any affiliated officer or director of the Stockholder) that would be permitted to be taken by the Stockholder, Parent or the Company pursuant to the Merger Agreement; provided, further, that the foregoing shall not affect any actions of the Stockholder the prohibition of which would be prohibited under applicable Law.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Stockholder. The Stockholder hereby represents and warrants to Parent and the Company as follows:
(a) (i) The Stockholder is the beneficial or record owner of the shares of Parent Common Stock and/or the holder of the Parent Options or Parent RSAs indicated in Appendix A (each of which shall be deemed to be “held” by the Stockholder for purposes of Section 3 unless otherwise expressly stated with respect to any shares in Appendix A), free and clear of any and all Encumbrances (except for any Encumbrance that may be imposed pursuant to this Agreement and Encumbrances arising under applicable securities or community property laws) and (ii) the Stockholder does not beneficially own any securities of Parent other than the shares of Parent Common Stock and rights to purchase or otherwise acquire shares of Parent Common Stock set forth in Appendix A.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Stockholder has full power and authority to (i) make, enter into and carry out the terms of this Agreement and (ii) vote all of its Shares in the manner set forth in this Agreement without the consent or approval of, or any other action on the part of, any other person or entity (including any Governmental Body). If the Stockholder is an entity, the Stockholder is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated, organized or constituted. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Stockholder has not entered into any voting agreement (other than this Agreement) with any person with respect to any of the Stockholder’s Shares, granted any person any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of the Stockholder’s Shares, deposited any of the Stockholder’s Shares in a voting trust or entered into any arrangement or agreement with any person limiting or affecting the Stockholder’s legal power, authority or right to vote the Stockholder’s Shares on any matter.
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(c) This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Stockholder and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other Parties) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Stockholder enforceable against the Stockholder in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Stockholder and the performance by the Stockholder of the agreements and obligations hereunder will not result in any breach or violation of or be in conflict with or constitute a default (or an event that with or without notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any right of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, or result in the creation of any Encumbrances on any Shares pursuant to, any term of any Contract or if applicable any provision of an organizational document (including a certificate of incorporation) or any other order, arbitration award, judgement or decree to or by which the Stockholder is a party or bound, or any applicable Law to which the Stockholder (or any of the Stockholder’s assets) is subject or bound, except for any such breach, violation, conflict or default which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to materially impair or delay or adversely affect the Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(d) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Stockholder do not and will not require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, action by, filing with or notification to, any Governmental Body, except for applicable requirements, if any, of the Exchange Act or any such consent, approval, authorization, permit, action, filing or notification the failure of which to make or obtain, individually or in the aggregate, has not and would not materially impair or delay the Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(e) The Stockholder has had the opportunity to review the Merger Agreement and this Agreement with counsel of the Stockholder’s own choosing. The Stockholder has had an opportunity to review with its own tax advisors the tax consequences of the Merger and the Contemplated Transactions. The Stockholder understands that it must rely solely on its advisors and not on any statements or representations made by Parent, the Company or any of their respective agents or representatives with respect to the tax consequences of the Merger and the Contemplated Transactions. The Stockholder understands that such Stockholder (and not Parent, the Company or the Surviving Entity) shall be responsible for such Stockholder’s tax liability that may arise as a result of the Merger or the Contemplated Transactions. The Stockholder understands and acknowledges that the Company, Parent and Merger Subs are entering into the Merger Agreement in reliance upon the Stockholder’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.
(f) No investment banker, broker, finder or other intermediary is entitled to a fee or commission from Parent or the Company in respect of this Agreement based upon any Contract made by or on behalf of the Stockholder.
(g) With respect to the Stockholder, as of the date hereof, there is no Legal Proceeding pending, or, to the knowledge of the Stockholder, threatened against, the Stockholder or any of the Stockholder’s properties or assets (including the Shares) that would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or impair the ability of the Stockholder to perform its obligations hereunder or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
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7. Termination. This Agreement shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earliest of (a) nine months from the date of this Agreement, (b) the effective time of the approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters and (c) the time this Agreement is terminated upon the mutual written agreement of each of the Stockholder, Parent and the Company (the “Expiration Date”); provided, however, that (i) Section 10 shall survive the termination of this Agreement, and (ii) the termination of this Agreement shall not relieve any Party from any liability for any material and willful breach of this Agreement prior to the First Effective Time.
8. Directors and Officers. To the extent the Stockholder is also a director or officer of Parent, this Agreement shall apply to the Stockholder solely in the Stockholder’s capacity as a stockholder of Parent and/or holder of Parent Options and/or Parent RSAs and not in the Stockholder’s capacity as a director, officer or employee of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or in the Stockholder’s capacity as a trustee or fiduciary of any employee benefit plan or trust. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement shall (or requires the Stockholder to attempt to) limit or restrict a director and/or officer of Parent in the exercise of his or her fiduciary duties as a director and/or officer of Parent or in his or her capacity as a trustee or fiduciary of any employee benefit plan or trust or prevent or be construed to create any obligation on the part of any director and/or officer of Parent or any trustee or fiduciary of any employee benefit plan or trust from taking any action in his or her capacity as such director, officer, trustee and/or fiduciary.
9. No Ownership Interest. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to vest in the Company or Parent any direct or indirect ownership or incidence of ownership of or with respect to any Shares. All rights, ownership and economic benefits of and relating to the Shares shall remain vested in and belong to the Stockholder, and the Company does not have authority to manage, direct, superintend, restrict, regulate, govern, or administer any of the policies or operations of Parent or exercise any power or authority to direct the Stockholder in the voting of any of the Shares, except as otherwise provided herein.
10. Miscellaneous Provisions.
(a) Amendments; Waivers. No amendment, modification or supplement of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective against any Party unless it shall be in writing and signed by each of the Parties. No waivers of any breach of this Agreement extended by the Company or Parent to the Stockholder shall be construed as a waiver of any rights or remedies of the Company or Parent, as applicable, with respect to any other stockholder of Parent who has executed an agreement substantially in the form of this Agreement with respect to Shares held or subsequently held by such stockholder or with respect to any subsequent breach of the Stockholder or any other stockholder of Parent. No waiver of any provisions hereof by any Party shall be deemed a waiver of any other provisions hereof by any such Party, nor shall any such waiver be deemed a continuing waiver of any provision hereof by such Party.
(b) Entire Agreement; Counterparts; Exchanges by Electronic Transmission or Facsimile. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties and supersedes all other prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, both written and oral, among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument. The exchange of a fully executed Agreement (in counterparts or otherwise) by all Parties by facsimile or electronic transmission in PDF format shall be sufficient to bind the Parties to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
(c) Further Assurances. The Stockholder shall, from time to time, execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, such additional or further consents, documents and other instruments as the Company or Parent may reasonably request for the purpose of effectively carrying out the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Parent Stockholder Matters and the Contemplated Transactions.
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(d) Applicable Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, regardless of the laws that might otherwise govern under applicable principles of conflicts of laws. In any action or proceeding between any of the Parties arising out of or relating to this Agreement, each of the Parties: (i) irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, to the extent such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, (ii) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined exclusively in accordance with clause (i) of this Section 10(d), (iii) waives any objection to laying venue in any such action or proceeding in such courts, (iv) waives any objection that such courts are an inconvenient forum or do not have jurisdiction over any Party, (v) agrees that service of process upon such Party in any such action or proceeding shall be effective if notice is given in accordance with Section 10(k) of this Agreement and (vi) irrevocably and unconditionally waives the right to trial by jury.
(e) Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and shall be enforceable by and inure solely to the benefit of, the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither this Agreement nor any of a Party’s rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned or delegated (except pursuant to the Merger) by such Party without the prior written consent of the other Parties, and any attempted assignment or delegation of this Agreement or any of such rights or obligations by such Party without the other Parties’ prior written consent shall be void and of no effect.
(f) No Third-Party Rights. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any Person any right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.
(g) Severability. Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, the Parties agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to limit such term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases or to replace such term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the Parties agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term or provision.
(h) Specific Performance. Except as otherwise provided herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a Party will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such Party, and the exercise by a Party of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy. The Parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms (including failing to take such actions as are required of it hereunder to consummate this Agreement) or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the Parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, to the extent such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity, and each of the Parties waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other Party with respect thereto. Each of the Parties further agrees that it will not oppose the granting of an injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief on the basis that any other Party has an adequate remedy at law or that any award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason at law or in equity.
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(i) Fees and Expenses. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Merger Agreement or any other agreement contemplated by the Merger Agreement to which a Party hereto is a party, each Party hereto shall bear its own expenses in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.
(j) Voluntary Execution of Agreement. This Agreement is executed voluntarily and without any duress or undue influence on the part or behalf of the Parties. Each Party hereby acknowledges, represents and warrants that (a) it has read and fully understood this Agreement and the implications and consequences thereof; (b) it has been represented in the preparation, negotiation, and execution of this Agreement by legal counsel of its own choice, or it has made a voluntary and informed decision to decline to seek such counsel; and (c) it is fully aware of the legal and binding effect of this Agreement.
(k) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly delivered and received hereunder (i) one (1) Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable international overnight courier service, (ii) upon delivery in the case of delivery by hand, or (iii) on the date delivered in the place of delivery if sent by email or facsimile (with a written or electronic confirmation of delivery) prior to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, otherwise on the next succeeding Business Day, (A) if to Parent or the Company, to the address, electronic mail address or facsimile provided in Section 8.8 of the Merger Agreement, including to the persons designated therein to receive copies, and/or (B) if to the Stockholder, to the Stockholder’s address, electronic mail address or facsimile shown below the Stockholder’s signature to this Agreement.
(l) Confidentiality. Except to the extent required by applicable Law or regulation, the Stockholder shall hold any non-public information regarding the Company, Parent, this Agreement, the Merger Agreement and the Merger in strict confidence and shall not divulge any such information to any third person until the Company and Parent have publicly disclosed their entry into the Merger Agreement and this Agreement; provided, however, that the Stockholder may disclose such information to its Affiliates, attorneys, accountants, consultants, and other advisors (provided that such Persons are subject to confidentiality obligations at least as restrictive as those contained herein). Neither the Stockholder nor any of its Affiliates (other than Parent, whose actions shall be governed by the Merger Agreement), shall issue or cause the publication of any press release or other public announcement with respect to Parent, this Agreement, the Merger, the Merger Agreement or the other transactions contemplated hereby or thereby without the prior written consent of Parent, except as may be required by applicable Law in which circumstance such announcing Party shall make reasonable efforts to consult with Parent to the extent practicable.
(m) Company Designee. Any consent, waiver or other action required or permitted to be taken by the Company shall require the consent, waiver or other action of Cary J. Claiborne (or such other Person as the Company Designee may designate by providing written notice to Parent) as the Company’s designee.
(n) Interpretation. The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of like import used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. The captions herein are included for convenience of reference only and shall be ignored in the construction or interpretation hereof. References to Sections and Appendixes are to Sections and Appendixes of this Agreement unless otherwise specified. Any capitalized terms used in any Appendix but not otherwise defined therein shall have the meaning as defined in this Agreement. Any singular term in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the plural, and any plural term the singular, the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders; the feminine gender shall include the masculine and neuter genders; and the neuter gender shall include masculine and feminine gender. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation,” whether or not they are in fact followed by those words or words of like import. The word “or” is not exclusive. “Writing,” “written” and comparable terms refer to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form. References to any agreement or Contract are to that agreement or Contract as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof. References to any Person include the successors and permitted assigns of that Person. References to any statute are to that statute and to the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, in each case as amended, modified, re-enacted, substituted, from time to time. References to “$” and “dollars” are to the currency of the United States. All accounting terms used herein will be interpreted, and all accounting determinations hereunder will be made, in accordance with GAAP unless otherwise expressly specified. References from or through any date shall mean, unless otherwise specified, from and including or through and including, respectively. All references to “days” shall be to calendar days unless otherwise indicated as a “Business Day.” Except as otherwise specifically indicated, for purposes of measuring the beginning and ending of time periods in this Agreement (including for purposes of “Business Day” and for hours in a day or Business Day), the time at which a thing, occurrence or event shall begin or end shall be deemed to occur in the Eastern time zone of the United States. The Parties agree that any rule of construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting Party shall not be applied in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
[Remainder of Page Left Intentionally Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
| PARENT: | |||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Cary J. Claiborne | ||
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
[Signature Page to Parent Stockholder Support Agreement]
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| COMPANY: | |||
| AZORA THERAPEUTICS, INC. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Matthew Davidson, Ph.D. | ||
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
[Signature Page to Parent Stockholder Support Agreement]
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| [STOCKHOLDER]: | ||
| Signature: | ||
| Email: | ||
| Address: |
[Signature Page to Parent Stockholder Support Agreement]
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Execution version
EXHIBIT E
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 11, 2026, is entered into by and among Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the several investors signatory hereto (individually as an “Investor” and collectively together with their respective permitted assigns, the “Investors”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement by and among the Company and the investors party thereto, dated on or around the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement”). Reference is made to that certain Exchange Agreement, by and among the Company and the note holders party thereto, dated on or around the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Exchange Agreement”).
WHEREAS:
A. The Company is party to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Company, Azora Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Azora”), Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“First Merger Sub”), and Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Second Merger Sub”), dated on or around the date hereof (as amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Azora, with Azora surviving and becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and (ii) Azora will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company ((i) and (ii) together, the “Merger”), and (iii) following the Merger and in accordance with the Merger Agreement, the Second Merger Sub will change its name to “Azora Therapeutics, LLC”.
B. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement and the Exchange Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue to certain Investors, and such Investors have agreed to purchase, severally and not jointly, (i) at the Initial Closing, prefunded warrants to purchase an aggregate of (a) 9,749,345 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and (b) 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement (together, the “Initial Closing Prefunded Warrants”), (ii) at the Milestone Closings, prefunded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of (a) 9,749,345 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and (b) 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement (together, the “Milestone Closing Prefunded Warrants”), and (iii) at the Milestone Closings, common warrants to purchase an aggregate of (a) 9,749,345 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and (b) 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement (together, the “Milestone Incentive Warrants” and, together with the Initial Closing Prefunded Warrants and the Milestone Closing Prefunded Warrants, the “Warrants”). The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Shares.” The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Initial Closing Prefunded Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Initial Closing Shares.” The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Milestone Closing Prefunded Warrants and the Milestone Incentive Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Milestone Shares.”
C. To induce the Investors to enter into the Purchase Agreement and the Exchange Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “Securities Act”), and applicable state securities laws.
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NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Investors hereby agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Filing Deadline” means, (i) with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the 80th calendar day following the Initial Closing Date; (ii) with respect to the Milestone Registration Statement(s) required hereunder, the 30th calendar day following the applicable Milestone Registration Trigger Date and (iii) with respect to any New Registration Statements or other Registration Statement filed hereunder, the 30th calendar day following the later of (x) the date on which the Company is permitted by SEC Guidance to file such New Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities and (y) the date on which the Company becomes aware (or reasonably should have become aware) of the necessity of filing such New Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities. For the purposes of this definition, the ‘necessity’ to file a New Registration Statement shall be deemed to arise at the time the Company determines (or reasonably should determine) that the number of shares then registered is insufficient to cover all Registrable Securities required to be covered hereunder.
(b) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, other entity or organization, any governmental agency or any governmental or political subdivision thereof.
(c) “Prospectus” means (i) the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and by all other amendments and supplements to the prospectus, including post-effective amendments and all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus, and (ii) any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, relating to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities.
(d) “Register,” “Registered,” and “Registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more registration statements of the Company in compliance with the Securities Act and providing for offering securities on a continuous basis, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement(s) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
(e) “Registrable Securities” means (i) the Shares, (ii) any shares of Common Stock issued to an Investor pursuant to the Merger Agreement, including any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon conversion of the shares of preferred stock issued thereunder, and (iii) any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable with respect to the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) as a result of any stock split or subdivision, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event. Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) upon the earliest to occur of the date on which (A) such Investor shall have resold such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement pursuant to the Registration Statement, (B) such Registrable Securities have been previously sold by such Investor in accordance with Rule 144, and (C) such securities become eligible for resale by such Investor without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144.
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(f) “Registration Expenses” means all registration and filing fee expenses incurred by the Company in effecting any registration pursuant to this Agreement, including (i) all registration, qualification, and filing fees, printing expenses, and any other fees and expenses associated with filings required to be made with the SEC, FINRA or any other regulatory authority, (ii) all fees and expenses in connection with compliance with or clearing the Registrable Securities for sale under any securities or “Blue Sky” laws, (iii) all printing, duplicating, word processing, messenger, telephone, facsimile and delivery expenses, and (iv) all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and of all independent certified public accountants of the Company (including the expenses of any special audit and cold comfort letters required by or incident to such performance); provided that in no event shall the Company be responsible for any underwriting, broker or similar fees or commissions of any Investor or, except to the extent provided for in the Purchase Agreement or this Agreement, any legal fees or other costs of the Investors.
(g) “Registration Statement” means any registration statement of the Company filed with, or to be filed with, the SEC under the Securities Act, that Registers Registrable Securities, including the related Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including pre- and post-effective amendments, and all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement as may be necessary to comply with applicable securities laws. “Registration Statement” shall also include a New Registration Statement, as amended when each became effective, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus subsequently filed with the SEC.
(h) “Required Investors” means the Investors holding a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding (determined as if all of the (i) Warrants then outstanding have been exercised in full without regard to any limitations on the exercise of such Warrants and (ii) shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding have been converted in full without regard to any limitations on the conversion of such shares of Preferred Stock, in each case including the requirement to obtain the approval of the stockholders of the Company) (voting together as a single class).
(i) “SEC Guidance” means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the SEC staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the SEC staff (whether or not publicly-available); provided, that any such oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests are shared with the Investors upon request if not publicly-available and (ii) the Securities Act.
(j) “Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities and all similar fees and commissions relating to an Investor’s disposition of its Registrable Securities.
2. REGISTRATION.
(a) Mandatory Registration.
(1) The Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable following the Initial Closing, and in any event no later than the applicable Filing Deadline, prepare and file with the SEC an initial Registration Statement (the “Initial Registration Statement”) covering the resale of all Registrable Securities available to be registered. Before filing the Registration Statement, the Company shall furnish to the Investors a copy of the Registration Statement. The Investors and their respective counsel shall have at least three (3) Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date of a Registration Statement to review and comment upon such Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement and any related Prospectus, prior to its filing with the SEC. Subject to any SEC comments, such Registration Statement shall include the plan of distribution substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. Such Registration Statement also shall cover, to the extent allowable under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated thereunder (including Rule 416), such indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions with respect to the Registrable Securities being registered pursuant to such Registration Statement. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company prior to the date hereof, such Registration Statement shall not include any shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of any other holder of securities of the Company without the prior written consent of the Required Investors. The Company shall (a) use commercially reasonable efforts to address in each such document prior to being so filed with the SEC such comments as the Investor or its counsel reasonably proposed to the Company, and (b) not file any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto containing information regarding any Investor to which such Investor reasonably objects or reasonably believes contains an 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such information is required (in the opinion of the Company’s outside legal counsel) to comply with any applicable law or regulation or SEC Guidance. Each Investor shall furnish all information with respect to such Investor reasonably requested by the Company as shall be reasonably required in connection with any registration referred to in this Agreement.
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(2) Milestone Registration. Promptly following the date on which the aggregate purchase price paid by the Investors in connection with all Milestone Closings (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) for which Registrable Securities have not yet been registered pursuant to a prior Registration Statement equals or exceeds $5,000,000 in the aggregate (the “Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date”), and in any event no later than the applicable Filing Deadline, the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement (the “Milestone Registration Statement”) covering the resale of all such Milestone Shares issued or issuable in connection with all Milestone Closings occurring on or prior to such date that have not yet been registered pursuant to a prior Registration Statement. The Company may, at its election, include the Milestone Shares on the Initial Registration Statement (by way of amendment or post-effective amendment thereto) or on a separate Registration Statement, to the extent permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Before filing the Milestone Registration Statement (or any amendment to an existing Registration Statement to include the Milestone Shares), the Company shall furnish to the Investors a copy of such Registration Statement or amendment. The Investors and their respective counsel shall have at least three (3) Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date thereof to review and comment upon such Registration Statement or amendment and any related Prospectus, prior to its filing with the SEC. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment) declared effective by the SEC at the earliest possible date but no later than the earlier of (1) the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following the earlier of (i) the initial filing date of the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment) and (ii) the applicable Filing Deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment), and (2) the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment) will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (the “Milestone Effectiveness Deadline”). The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to keep the Milestone Registration Statement continuously effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act and available for the resale by the Investors of all of the Milestone Shares covered thereby at all times until the earlier to occur of the following events: (i) the date on which the Investors shall have resold all the Registrable Securities covered thereby (whether pursuant to Rule 144, the Registration Statement or otherwise); and (ii) the date on which the Registrable Securities covered thereby may be resold by the Investors without registration, without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect (the “Registration Period”). Following the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, promptly following the date on which the aggregate purchase price paid by the Investors in connection with all additional Milestone Closings after the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, for which Registrable Securities have not yet been registered pursuant to a prior Registration Statement, equals or exceeds $3,000,000 in the aggregate (in each case, an “Additional Milestone Registration Trigger Date” and together with the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, a “Milestone Registration Trigger Date”), the Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable and in any event within thirty (30) calendar days following the applicable Additional Milestone Registration Trigger Date, amend the Milestone Registration Statement or file a New Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2(c) below) to cover the resale of such additional Milestone Shares.
(b) Effectiveness. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have the Initial Registration Statement, and any amendment thereto declared effective by the SEC at the earliest possible date but no later than the earlier of (1) the one hundred and twentieth (120th) calendar day following the earlier of (i) the initial filing date of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) the applicable Filing Deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will not “review” the Initial Registration Statement, (2) the one hundred and fiftieth (150th) calendar day following the earlier of (i) the initial filing date of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) the applicable Filing Deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” the Initial Registration Statement and (3) the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the Initial Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (such earlier date, the “Effectiveness Deadline”). The Company shall notify the Investors by e-mail as promptly as practicable, and in any event, within twenty-four (24) hours, after the Initial Registration Statement is declared effective or is supplemented and shall provide the Investors with copies of any Prospectus to be used in connection with the sale or other disposition of the securities covered thereby. The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to keep the Initial Registration Statement continuously effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act and available for the resale by the Investors of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby during the Registration Period. The Initial Registration Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto and prospectuses contained therein) shall 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, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
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(c) Sufficient Number of Shares Registered. In the event the number of shares available under the Initial Registration Statement or the Milestone Registration Statement at any time is insufficient to cover the Registrable Securities required to be covered thereby, the Company shall, to the extent necessary and permissible, amend the Initial Registration Statement or the Milestone Registration Statement, as applicable, or file a new registration statement (together with any prospectuses or prospectus supplements thereunder, a “New Registration Statement”), so as to cover all of such additional Registrable Securities as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event not later than fifteen (15) Business Days after the necessity therefore arises (the “New Registration Filing Deadline”). The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment and/or New Registration Statement become effective as soon as reasonably practicable following the filing thereof, but no later than the earlier of (1) the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following the initial filing date of the New Registration Statement, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” the New Registration Statement and (2) the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the New Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (the earlier of such dates, the “New Registration Effectiveness Deadline”). The provisions of Sections 2(a) and 2(b) shall apply to the New Registration Statement, except as modified hereby.
(d) Liquidated Damages. If (i) the Initial Registration Statement has not been filed by the Filing Deadline, (ii) the Initial Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Effectiveness Deadline, (iii) the New Registration Statement has not been filed by the New Registration Filing Deadline, (iv) the New Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the New Registration Effectiveness Deadline, (v) the Milestone Registration Statement has not been filed by the applicable Filing Deadline, (vi) the Milestone Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Milestone Effectiveness Deadline, or (vii) after any Registration Statement (including the Milestone Registration Statement) has been declared effective by the SEC, sales cannot be made pursuant to such Registration Statement for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a stop order, or the Company’s failure to update such Registration Statement), but excluding any Allowed Delay (as defined below) or, if the Registration Statement is on Form S-1, for a period of 20 days following the date on which the Company files a post-effective amendment to incorporate the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, then the Company will make pro rata payments to each Investor then holding Registrable Securities, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 1.0% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such Investor for such Registrable Securities then held by such Investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof during which the failure continues (the “Blackout Period”), provided that no liquidated damages shall be payable if and to the extent to, despite best efforts by the Company to avoid a breach hereof, the Company’s failure was caused by a government shutdown resulting in the SEC’s inability to review or declare effective the Registration Statement. Such payments shall constitute the Investors’ exclusive monetary remedy for such events, but shall not affect the right of the Investors to seek injunctive relief. The amounts payable as liquidated damages pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid in cash no later than five (5) Business Days after each such 30-day period following the commencement of the Blackout Period until the termination of the Blackout Period (the “Blackout Period Payment Date”). Interest shall accrue at the rate of 1.0% per month on any such liquidated damages payments that shall not be paid by the Blackout Period Payment Date until such amount is paid in full. Notwithstanding the above, in no event shall the aggregate amount of liquidated damages (or interest thereon) paid under this Agreement to any Investor exceed, in the aggregate, 5.0% of the aggregate purchase price of the Shares purchased by such Investor under the Purchase Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2(d) to the contrary, during any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities because any Investor fails to furnish information required to be provided pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 4(a) within three Business Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that would otherwise accrue as to such Investor only shall be tolled until such information is delivered to the Company.
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(e) Allowable Delays. On no more than two (2) occasions in any twelve (12)-month period for not more than thirty (30) consecutive days or for a total of not more than sixty (60) days, the Company may delay the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, the Milestone Registration Statement or any other Registration Statement, or suspend the use of any Prospectus, in the event that the Board of Directors reasonably determines, in good faith and upon advice of legal counsel, that such delay or suspension is necessary to (A) delay the disclosure of material non-public information concerning the Company, including in connection with the negotiation or consummation of a material transaction by the Company that is pending, that would require additional disclosure by the Company in the Registration Statement of material non-public information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential and the non-disclosure of which would be expected, in the reasonable determination of the Board of Directors, upon advice of legal counsel, to cause the Registration Statement to fail to comply with applicable disclosure requirements, or (B) amend or supplement the affected Registration Statement or the related Prospectus so that such Registration Statement or Prospectus shall not include an 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, in the case of the Prospectus in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (an “Allowed Delay”); provided, that the Company shall promptly (a) notify each Investor in writing of the commencement of an Allowed Delay, but shall not (without the prior written consent of an Investor) disclose to such Investor any material non-public information giving rise to an Allowed Delay and such notice shall specify that an Allowed Delay has commenced and that sales pursuant to the Registration Statement must cease, and the Company shall provide a written notice within twenty-four (24) hours after the termination of the Allowed Delay confirming the sales may be resumed; (b) advise the Investors in writing to cease all sales under the applicable Registration Statement until the end of the Allowed Delay and (c) use commercially reasonable efforts to terminate an Allowed Delay as promptly as practicable.
(f) Rule 415; Cutback. If at any time the SEC takes the position that (1) the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in any Registration Statement (including the Milestone Registration Statement) is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act (provided, however, the Company shall be obligated to use reasonable best efforts to advocate with the SEC for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities), (2) certain Registrable Securities cannot be registered until Stockholder Approval has been obtained, or (3) the SEC requires any Investor to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall (i) promptly notify each holder of Registrable Securities thereof and (ii) make commercially reasonable efforts to persuade the SEC that all Registrable Securities can be registered pursuant to the Registration Statement and, to the extent applicable, that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Investors is an “underwriter.” Each Investor shall have the right to have its legal counsel at such Investor’s expense, to review and oversee any registration or matters pursuant to this Section 2(f), including participating in any meetings or discussions with the SEC regarding the SEC’s position and to comment on any written submission made to the SEC with respect thereto. No such written submission with respect to this matter shall be made to the SEC to which any Investor’s counsel reasonably objects. In the event that, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2(f), the SEC refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (A) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the “Cut-Back Shares”) and/or (B) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the SEC may require to assure the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 415, other applicable provisions of the Securities Act and SEC comments (collectively, the “SEC Restrictions”); provided, however, that the Company shall not name any Investor as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Investor (provided that, in the event an Investor withholds such consent, the Company shall have no obligation hereunder to include any Registrable Securities of such Investor in any Registration Statement covering the resale thereof until such time as the SEC no longer requires such Investor to be named as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement or such Investor otherwise consents in writing to being so named). Any cut-back imposed on the Investors pursuant to this Section 2(f) shall be allocated among the Investors on a pro rata basis and shall be applied first to any of the Registrable Securities of an Investor as such Investor shall designate, unless the SEC Restrictions otherwise require or provide otherwise, or an Investor otherwise agrees. No liquidated damages shall accrue as to any Cut-Back Shares until such date as the Company is able to effect the registration of such Cut-Back Shares in accordance with any SEC Restrictions applicable to such Cut-Back Shares (such date, the “Restriction Termination Date”). From and after the Restriction Termination Date applicable to any Cut-Back Shares, all of the provisions of this Section 2 (including the Company’s obligations with respect to the filing of a Registration Statement and its obligations to use reasonable efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective within the time periods set forth herein and the liquidated damages provisions relating thereto) shall again be applicable to such Cut-Back Shares; provided, however, that the date by which the Company is required to file the Registration Statement with respect to such Cut-Back Shares shall be the fifteenth (15th) day following the Restriction Termination Date and the date by which the Company is required to have the Registration Statement effective with respect to such Cut-Back Shares shall be the sixtieth (60th) day immediately after the Restriction Termination Date.
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(g) Each Registration Statement filed hereunder (including the Milestone Registration Statement) shall be on Form S-3 (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on another form in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2(g)). If, in the reasonable opinion of the Company’s counsel, the Form S-3 is not available for the registration of the resale of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Company shall (i) register the resale of the Registrable Securities on another appropriate form and (ii) undertake to register the Registrable Securities on Form S-3 as soon as practicable after such form is available, provided that the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the SEC.
3. RELATED COMPANY OBLIGATIONS.
With respect to the Registration Statement and whenever any Registrable Securities are to be Registered pursuant to Section 2, including on the Initial Registration Statement, the Milestone Registration Statement or on any New Registration Statement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof and, pursuant thereto, the Company shall have the following obligations:
(a) Notifications. The Company will notify the Investors promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Initial Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the SEC and/or has become effective or where a receipt has been issued therefor or any subsequent supplement to a Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the SEC for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any prospectus or for additional information.
(b) Amendments. The Company will prepare and file with the SEC any amendments, post-effective amendments or supplements to the Initial Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, as applicable, that, (a) as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for the Registration Period and to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), with respect to the distribution of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby, or (b) in the reasonable opinion of the Investors and the Company, as may be necessary or advisable in connection with any acquisition or sale of Registrable Securities by the Investors.
(c) Investor Review. The Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to any Investor, the Registrable Securities or the transactions contemplated hereby unless (A) such Investor and its counsel shall have been advised and afforded the opportunity to review and comment thereon at least three (3) Business Days prior to filing with the SEC and (B) the Company shall have given reasonable due consideration to any comments thereon received from such Investor or its counsel.
(d) Copies Available. The Company will furnish to any Investor whose Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement and its counsel copies of the Initial Registration Statement, any Prospectus thereunder (including all documents incorporated by reference therein), any Prospectus supplement thereunder, any New Registration Statement and all amendments to the Initial Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement that are filed with the SEC during the Registration Period (including all documents filed with or furnished to the SEC during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the staff of the SEC, and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, in each case relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential treatment) and such other documents as such Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor that are covered by such Registration Statement, in each case as soon as reasonably practicable upon such Investor’s request and in such quantities as such Investor may from time to time reasonably request; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document to such Investor to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
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(e) Notification of Stop Orders; Material Changes. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness and, (ii) if such order is issued, obtain the withdrawal of any such order as soon as practicable. The Company shall advise the Investors promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) and shall confirm such advice in writing, in each case: (i) of the Company’s receipt of notice of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendment of or a supplement to the Registration Statement or any Prospectus or for any additional information; (ii) of the Company’s receipt of notice of the issuance by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of any Prospectus or Prospectus supplement, or any New Registration Statement, or of the Company’s receipt of any notification of the suspension of qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or contemplated initiation of any proceeding for such purpose; and (iii) of the Company becoming aware of the happening of any event, which makes any statement of a material fact made in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus untrue or which requires the making of any additions to or changes to the statements then made in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus in order to state a material fact required by the Securities Act to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements then made therein (in the case of any Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or of the necessity to amend any Registration Statement or any Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other law. The Company shall not be required to disclose to the Investors (and shall not so disclose to any Investor without such Investor’s prior written consent) the substance of specific reasons of any of the events set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence (each, a “Suspension Event”), but rather, shall only be required to disclose that the event has occurred; provided that the Company shall not provide any material non-public information to the Investors in such notice. If at any time the SEC, or any other federal or state governmental authority, shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of any Prospectus or Prospectus supplement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest practicable time. The Company shall furnish to the Investors, without charge, a copy of any correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, or any other federal or state governmental authority to the Company or its representatives relating to the Initial Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, or Prospectus supplement as the case may be. In the event of a Suspension Event set forth in clause (iii) of the second sentence of this Section 3(e), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to publicly disclose such event as soon as reasonably practicable, or otherwise resolve the matter such that sales under Registration Statements may resume. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company may not suspend pursuant to a Suspension Event on no more than two (2) occasions in any twelve (12)-month period for not more than thirty (30) consecutive days or for a total of not more than sixty (60) days.
(f) Confirmation of Effectiveness. If reasonably requested by an Investor at any time in respect of any Registration Statement, the Company shall deliver to such Investor a written confirmation (email being sufficient) from Company’s counsel of whether or not the effectiveness of such Registration Statement has lapsed at any time for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order) and whether or not such Registration Statement is currently effective and available to the Company for sale of Registrable Securities.
(g) Listing. The Company shall use best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be listed and to maintain such listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and/or any other National Exchange upon which the Registrable Securities are listed provided that the Company shall not be required to take any action that would violate applicable law or the rules of such National Exchange.
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(h) Compliance. The Company shall otherwise use best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 172 under the Securities Act, file any final prospectus, including any supplement or amendment thereof, with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act by 9:30 a.m. New York time on the Business Day following the date the applicable Registration Statement is declared effective, promptly inform the Investors in writing if, at any time during the Registration Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Investors are required to deliver a prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities and take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities hereunder, and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve (12) months, beginning after the effective date of each Registration Statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, including Rule 158 promulgated thereunder (for the purpose of this Section 3(h), “Availability Date” means the forty-fifth (45th) calendar day following the end of the fourth (4th) fiscal quarter that includes the effective date of such Registration Statement, except that, if such fourth (4th) fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the ninetieth (90th) calendar day after the end of such fourth (4th) fiscal quarter).
(i) Blue-Sky. The Company shall register or qualify or cooperate with any Investor and its counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of such Registrable Securities for the offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions reasonably requested by such Investor; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (i) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(i), (ii) subject itself to general taxation in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be so subject but for this Section 3(i), or (iii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(j) Rule 144. With a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144 (or its successor rule) and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investors to sell the Registrable Securities to the public without registration, the Company covenants and agrees to, for so long as any Registrable Securities are outstanding, (i) make and keep adequate current public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144, until the earlier of (A) six months after such date as all of the Registrable Securities may be sold without restriction by the holders thereof pursuant to Rule 144 or any other rule of similar effect or (B) such date as there are no longer Registrable Securities (without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with any current public information requirements); (ii) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Exchange Act; (iii) furnish electronically to each Investor upon request, as long as such Investor owns any Registrable Securities, (A) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, (B) a copy of or electronic access to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and (C) such other information as may be reasonably requested in order to avail such Investor of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such Registrable Securities without registration; and (iv) in furtherance of (iii)(C) above, use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such other information as may be reasonably requested by such Investor to allow counsel for such Investor to provide, at such Investor’s sole cost, any legal opinions in connection with the sale or transfer of Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144 or any other exemption from registration under the Securities Act.
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(k) Cooperation. The Company shall cooperate with the holders of the Registrable Securities to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates or uncertificated shares representing the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to such Registration Statement or Rule 144 free of any restrictive legends and representing such number of shares of Common Stock and registered in such names as the holders of the Registrable Securities may reasonably request in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement, and the Company may satisfy its obligations hereunder without issuing physical stock certificates through the use of The Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System.
(l) Removal of Restrictive Legends. Without limiting Section 5.5 of the Purchase Agreement, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Company’s transfer agent to remove any restrictive legend from any Registrable Securities, as promptly as reasonably practicable following effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement, without any request for removal being required from any holder of Registrable Securities.
4. OBLIGATIONS OF THE INVESTORS.
(a) Investor Information. Each Investor shall provide a completed Investor Questionnaire in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B and such other information reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities. If the Company has not received such completed questionnaire from an Investor within five (5) Business days of the Company’s request, the Company may file the Registration Statement without including such Investor’s Registrable Securities.
(b) Suspension of Sales. Each Investor, severally and not jointly with any other Investor, agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the existence of an Allowed Delay or Suspension Event, the Investor will promptly discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until the Investor’s receipt of a notice from the Company confirming the resolution of such Allowed Delay or Suspension Event and that such dispositions may again be made; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the Investor to sell or otherwise dispose of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144 or any other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act or to settle a transaction pursuant to a Registration Statement as to which a contract for such sale was entered into prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice from the Company of the existence of the Allowed Delay or Suspension Event. The Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of an Investor in accordance with any sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement with respect to which such Investor has entered into a contract for sale prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice from the Company of the existence of the Allowed Delay or Suspension Event.
(c) Investor Cooperation. Each Investor, severally and not jointly with any other Investor, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement or New Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of its election to exclude all of its Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.
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5. EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION.
All Registration Expenses incurred in connection with registrations pursuant to this Agreement shall be borne by the Company. All Selling Expenses relating to securities registered on behalf of an Investor shall be borne by the Investor incurring the relevant Selling Expenses.
6. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend each Investor, each Person, if any, who controls each Investor, the members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners, employees, members, managers, agents, representatives and advisors of each Investor and each Person, if any, who controls any of the foregoing within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Person”), against any losses, obligation, claims, damages, liabilities, contingencies, judgments, fines, penalties, charges and costs (including, without limitation, court costs and costs of preparation), reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees, amounts paid in settlement (with the prior written consent of the Company, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) and or reasonable and documented expenses (collectively, “Claims”) reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim, suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency or body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an indemnified party is or may be a party thereto (the “Indemnified Damages”), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any other state securities or other “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in which Registrable Securities are offered or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company or its agents and relating to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with such registration of the Registrable Securities (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being, collectively, “Violations”). The Company shall reimburse each Indemnified Person promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any reasonable and documented out of pocket legal fees or other reasonable and documented expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (A) shall not apply to a Claim by an Indemnified Person arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the relevant Investor or such relevant Indemnified Person specifically for use in such Registration Statement or prospectus and was reviewed and approved in writing by such Investor or such Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of any Registration Statement, any prospectus or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto if the foregoing was timely made available by the Company; (B) with respect to any superseded prospectus, shall not inure to the benefit of any such Person from whom the Person asserting any such Claim purchased the Registrable Securities that are the subject thereof (or to the benefit of any other Indemnified Person) if the untrue statement or omission of material fact contained in the superseded prospectus was corrected in the revised prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, and the Indemnified Person was promptly advised in writing not to use the outdated, defective or incorrect prospectus prior to the use giving rise to a Violation; (C) shall not be available to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of the relevant Indemnified Person to deliver, or cause to be delivered, if required the prospectus to the Persons asserting an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of Registrable Securities; and (D) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by an Investor pursuant to Section 8.
(b) In connection with the Initial Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any prospectus, each Investor, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify, hold harmless and defend, the Company, each of its directors, and officers who signed the Initial Registration Statement or signs any New Registration Statement, and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expense (including reasonable attorney fees) resulting from (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement to the extent, and only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission occurred in reliance upon and in conformity with information about the relevant Investor furnished in writing by such Investor to the Company expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement, any prospectus or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by such Investor of its obligations under this Agreement. In no event shall the liability of an Investor under this Section 6(b) be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of all expense paid by such Investor in connection with any claim relating to this Section 6 and the amount of any damages such Investor has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission, such alleged untrue statement or omission, such violation or such alleged violation) received by such Investor upon the sale of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(b), shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of such Investor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by an Investor pursuant to Section 8.
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(c) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as the case may be, and upon such notice, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof; provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (together with all other Indemnified Persons and Indemnified Parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the reasonable fees and expenses of one such counsel to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel retained by the indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person shall cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person which relates to such action or claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person fully apprised as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its written consent, provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise unless such judgment or settlement (i) imposes no liability or obligation on, (ii) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving of a complete, explicit and unconditional release from the party bringing such indemnified claims of all liability of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person in respect to or arising out of such claim or litigation in favor of, and (iii) does not include any admission of fault, culpability, wrongdoing, or wrongdoing or malfeasance by or on behalf of, the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.
(d) The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred. Any Person receiving a payment pursuant to this Section 6 which person is later determined to not be entitled to such payment shall promptly return such payment (including reimbursement of expenses) to the person making it.
(e) The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law.
7. CONTRIBUTION.
To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that: (i) no seller of Registrable Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any seller of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (ii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds (net of all expenses paid by such holder in connection with any claim relating to this Section 7 and the amount of any damages such holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission) received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation.
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8. ASSIGNMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS.
The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder (whether by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the Required Investors; provided, however, that in any transaction, whether by merger, reorganization, restructuring, consolidation, financing or otherwise, whereby the Company is a party and in which the Registrable Securities are converted into the equity securities of another Person, from and after the effective time of such transaction, such Person shall, by virtue of such transaction, be deemed to have assumed the obligations of the Company hereunder, the term “Company” shall be deemed to refer to such Person and the term “Registrable Securities” shall be deemed to include the securities received by such Investor in connection with such transaction unless such securities are otherwise freely tradable by such Investor after giving effect to such transaction, and the prior written consent of the Required Investors shall not be required for such transaction. An Investor may transfer or assign its rights hereunder, in whole or from time to time in part, to one or more Persons in connection with the transfer of not fewer than 100,000 (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization) Registrable Securities by such Investor to such Person, provided that such Investor complies with all laws applicable thereto, and the provisions of the Purchase Agreement, and provides written notice of assignment to the Company promptly after such assignment is effected, and such Person agrees in writing to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein.
The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Investor and its successors and permitted assigns.
9. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS.
The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may be amended, modified or supplemented, or waived only by a written instrument executed by (a) the Company and (b) the Required Investors, provided that (i) any party may give a waiver as to itself, (ii) any amendment, modification, supplement or waiver that disproportionately and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Investor relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Investors shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Investor or each Investor, as applicable, and (iii) any amendments to Section 6 or Section 7 or to the definitions of “Filing Deadline,” “Effectiveness Deadline,” “Milestone Effectiveness Deadline” or “Registration Period” shall require the written consent of each Investor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of one or more Investors and that does not adversely directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Investors may be given by Investors holding a two-thirds (66.66%) majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (determined as if all of the (i) Warrants then outstanding have been exercised in full without regard to any limitations on the exercise of such Warrants and (ii) shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding have been converted in full without regard to any limitations on the conversion of such shares of Preferred Stock, including in each case the requirement to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote) to which such waiver or consent relates; provided such consenting Investors shall not in any event be paid any separate consideration in connection with any such amendment or waiver.
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10. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) Notices. Any notices or other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to be given (a) when delivered if personally delivered to the party for whom it is intended, (b) when delivered, if sent by electronic mail during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next Business Day, (c) three (3) days after having been sent by certified or registered mail, return-receipt requested and postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next business day delivery, with written verification of receipt:
i. If to the Company, addressed as follows:
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
4870 Sadler Road, Ste 300
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Attention: Cary J. Claiborne, President and CEO
Email Address: Cclaiborne@adialpharma.com
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Attention: Leslie Marlow and Hank Gracin
Email Address: Leslie.Marlow@blankrome.com and Hank.Gracin@blankrome.com
ii. If to any Investor, at its e-mail address or address set forth on its signature page or Exhibit A to the Purchase Agreement or to such e-mail address, or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 10.
Any Person may change the address to which notices and communications to it are to be addressed by notification as provided for herein.
(b) Reserved.
(c) No Waiver. No failure or delay on the part of any party hereto in the exercise of any power, right or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or privilege.
(d) Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Venue; Waiver of Trial by Jury. The provisions of Section 8.6 of the Purchase Agreement are incorporated by reference herein mutatis mutandis.
(e) Integration. This Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements (including all schedules and exhibits hereto and thereto) constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes all prior agreements, negotiations, understandings, representations and statements respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof, whether written or oral.
(f) Headings. The titles, subtitles and headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
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(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party; provided that a facsimile or pdf signature including any electronic signatures complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile or pdf (or other electronic reproduction of a) signature.
(h) Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(i) Contract Interpretation. This Agreement is the joint product of each Investor and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
(j) No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Except as set forth in Sections 6 and 7, nothing in this Agreement is intended for the benefit of any party other than the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
(k) Severability. If any part or provision of this Agreement is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Agreement shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
(l) Non-Recourse. Notwithstanding anything that may be expressed or implied in this Agreement, the Company covenants, agrees and acknowledges that no recourse under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement shall be had against any current or future director, officer, employee, stockholder, general or limited partner or member of the Investors or of any Affiliates or assignees thereof, whether by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding, or by virtue of any statute, regulation or other applicable law, it being expressly agreed and acknowledged that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, be imposed on or otherwise be incurred by any current or future director, officer, employee, stockholder, general or limited partner or member of the Investors or of any Affiliates or assignees thereof, as such for any obligation of the Investors under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.
(m) Specific Performance. In addition to any and all other remedies that may be available at law in the event of any breach of this Agreement, each Investor shall be entitled to seek to obtain specific performance of the agreements and obligations of the Company hereunder and to such other injunction or equitable relief as may be granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(n) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of date first written above.
| COMPANY: | ||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Cary Claiborne | |
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of date first written above.
| INVESTOR | ||
| [NAME] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
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Exhibit A
Plan of Distribution
Exhibit B
Investor Questionnaire
Exhibit 3.1
Execution Version
ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES A NON-VOTING CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
Pursuant to Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
THE UNDERSIGNED DOES HEREBY CERTIFY, on behalf of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), that the following resolution was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”), in accordance with the provisions of Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), at a meeting duly called and held on June 11, 2026, which resolution provides for the creation of a series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, which is designated as “Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock,” with the preferences, rights and limitations set forth therein relating to dividends, conversion, redemption, dissolution and distribution of assets of the Corporation.
WHEREAS: the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), provides for a class of its authorized stock known as Preferred Stock, consisting of 5,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”), issuable from time to time in one or more series.
RESOLVED: that, pursuant to authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the Certificate of Incorporation, (i) a new series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be, and hereby is authorized by the Board of Directors, (ii) the Board of Directors hereby authorizes the issuance of up to 13,000 shares of “Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock” pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Corporation, Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation, Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation, and Azora Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Merger Agreement”), and (iii) the Board of Directors hereby fixes the designations, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of such shares of Preferred Stock, in addition to any provisions set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation that are applicable to the Preferred Stock of all classes and series, as follows:
TERMS OF SERIES A NON-VOTING CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“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 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which banks in Delaware or New York are authorized or obligated by law to be closed.
“Buy-In” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.6.4.
“Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing trade price for such security immediately prior to 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on the principal Trading Market where such security is listed or traded, as reported by Bloomberg, L.P. (or an equivalent, reliable reporting service), or if the foregoing do not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, L.P., or, if no last trade price is reported for such security by Bloomberg, L.P., the average of the bid prices of any market makers for such security as reported on the OTC Pink Market by OTC Markets Group, Inc. If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation utilizing an independent, nationally recognized valuation firm or investment bank (the “Independent Valuator”) mutually acceptable to the Corporation and the Holders of a majority of the then-outstanding Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (the “Required Holders”) If the Corporation and the Required Holders are unable to agree on an Independent Valuator within five (5) Business Days, the Independent Valuator shall be selected pursuant to the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association (or such other nationally recognized arbitration body as the Corporation and the Required Holders may agree in writing), with the selection to be completed within ten (10) Business Days of the expiration of such initial five (5) Business Day period. The fees and expenses of the Independent Valuator shall be borne by the Corporation.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the Corporation’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and stock of any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Conversion Shares” means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Holder” means a holder of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock.
“Initial Closing” has the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Lead Investor” has the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Lock-Up Period” means, with respect to any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, the applicable period during which such shares are subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in Section 10.
“Milestone Event Notice” has the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
“Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Stock Market, including the Nasdaq Capital Market or such other Nasdaq market on which shares of Common Stock are then listed.
“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.
“Purchase Agreement” means the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated on or about the date hereof, by and among the Corporation and the investor parties thereto.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for business.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is 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, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
2. Designation, Amount and Par Value. The series of Preferred Stock shall be designated as the Corporation’s Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares so designated shall be 13,000. Each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.001 per share.
3. Dividends. Holders shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay, dividends on shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, without regard to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below)) equal to and in the same form, and in the same manner, as dividends (other than dividends on shares of the Common Stock payable in the form of Common Stock) actually paid on shares of the Common Stock when, as and if such dividends (other than dividends payable in the form of Common Stock) are paid on shares of the Common Stock. Other than as set forth in the previous sentence, no other dividends shall be paid on shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, and the Corporation shall pay no dividends (other than dividends payable in the form of Common Stock) on shares of the Common Stock unless it simultaneously complies with the previous sentence.
4. Voting Rights.
4.1 Except as otherwise provided herein or as otherwise required by the DGCL, the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall have no voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote or written waiver of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock: (i) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”), amend or repeal any provision of, or add any provision to, the Certificate of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation, or file any certificate of amendment, certificate of designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of any series of Preferred Stock, in each case, if such action would adversely alter or change the preferences, rights, privileges or powers of, or restrictions provided for the benefit of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, regardless of whether any of the foregoing actions shall be by means of amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation or by merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, conversion or otherwise, it being agreed that an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock or to effect a reverse stock split or to effect the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement shall not be deemed to adversely alter or change the preferences, rights, privileges or powers of, or restrictions provided for the benefit of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; (ii) issue further shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock or increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; (iii) prior to the Stockholder Approval (as defined below), consummate either: (A) any Fundamental Transaction (as defined below) or (B) any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person or any stock sale to, or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, share exchange or scheme of arrangement) with or into another Person in which the stockholders of the Corporation immediately before such transaction do not hold at least a majority of the capital stock of the Corporation immediately after such transaction or in which the Corporation issues securities in such transaction that represent or are convertible into securities representing more than a majority of the voting power of the Corporation immediately before such transaction; (iv) prior to the Stockholder Approval, authorize or issue any class or series of stock that has powers, preferences or rights that are senior to those of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; (v) amend, waive or modify the Merger Agreement in any manner that would be reasonably likely to prevent, impede or materially delay the Stockholder Approval or the Automatic Conversion (as defined below); or (vi) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing. Holders of shares of Common Stock acquired upon the conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be entitled to the same voting rights as each other holder of Common Stock, except that such holders may not vote such shares upon the proposal for Stockholder Approval in accordance with Rule 5635 of the listing rules of Nasdaq.
4.2 Any vote required or permitted under Section 4.1 may be taken at a meeting of the Holders or through the execution of an action by written consent in lieu of such meeting or other written waiver by such stockholders, provided that the consent or waiver is executed by Holders representing a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock.
5. Rank; Liquidation.
5.1 The Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall rank on parity with the Common Stock as to distributions of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.
5.2 Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary (a “Liquidation”), each Holder shall be entitled to receive out of the assets, whether capital or surplus, of the Corporation the same amount that a holder of Common Stock would receive if the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock were fully converted (disregarding for such purpose any Beneficial Ownership Limitations) to Common Stock which amounts shall be paid pari passu with all holders of Common Stock, plus an additional amount equal to any dividends declared on but unpaid to such shares. If, upon any such Liquidation, the assets of the Corporation shall be insufficient to pay the Holders of shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock the amount required under the preceding sentence, then all remaining assets of the Corporation shall be distributed ratably to the Holders and the holders of Common Stock in accordance with the respective amounts that would be payable on all such securities if all amounts payable thereon were paid in full. For the avoidance of any doubt, a Fundamental Transaction shall not be deemed a Liquidation unless the Corporation expressly declares that such Fundamental Transaction shall be treated as if it were a Liquidation.
6. Conversion.
6.1 Automatic Conversion Upon Stockholder Approval. Effective as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the third (3rd) Business Day after the date that the Corporation obtains the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement) in accordance with Nasdaq listing rules, as set forth in Section 4.2 of the Merger Agreement (the “Stockholder Approval”), each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding shall automatically convert into a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Ratio (as defined below), subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (if any) (the “Automatic Conversion”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock being converted are subject to a Lock-Up Period at the time of the Automatic Conversion, the corresponding Conversion Shares shall (i) not be delivered via DWAC Delivery, (ii) remain in book-entry form at the Corporation’s transfer agent, and (iii) bear restrictive legend(s) as determined by the Corporation and the Transfer Agent, in each case until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period (or an earlier release pursuant to Section 10). The Corporation shall inform each Holder of the occurrence of the Stockholder Approval and the effective date of the Automatic Conversion within one (1) Business Day of such Stockholder Approval via a Current Report on Form 8-K publicly disclosing the same. The Corporation shall request from each Holder, no less than 30 days prior to the date of the Automatic Conversion, a written notice of such Holder’s beneficial ownership of Common Stock (a “Beneficial Ownership Statement”). In determining the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitations solely with respect to the Automatic Conversion, the Corporation shall calculate beneficial ownership for each Holder taking into account the beneficial ownership by such Holder of: (x) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable to such Holder in such Automatic Conversion, plus (y) any additional shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder as set forth in such Holder’s Beneficial Ownership Statement and assuming the conversion of all shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock held by all other Holders less the aggregate number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock held by all other Holders that will not convert into shares of Common Stock on account of the application of any Beneficial Ownership Limitations applicable to any such other Holders. If, following a written request from the Corporation, a Holder does not provide a Beneficial Ownership Statement within ten (10) days prior to the date of Stockholder Approval, the Corporation shall presume the Holder’s beneficial ownership of Common Stock (excluding the Conversion Shares) to be zero. The shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock that are converted in the Automatic Conversion are referred to as the “Converted Stock”. For the avoidance of doubt, any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock that are not automatically converted pursuant to the Automatic Conversion as a result of a Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall remain outstanding until such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock are converted pursuant to Section 6.2. The Conversion Shares shall be issued as follows:
6.1.1 Converted Stock that is registered in book entry form shall be automatically cancelled upon the Automatic Conversion and converted into the corresponding Conversion Shares, which shares shall be issued in book entry form and shall be delivered to the Holders within one Business Day of the effectiveness of the Automatic Conversion without any action on the part of the Holders.
6.1.2 Converted Stock that is issued in certificated form shall be deemed converted into the corresponding Conversion Shares on the date of Automatic Conversion and the Holder’s rights as a holder of such shares of Converted Stock shall cease and terminate on such date, excepting only the right to receive the Conversion Shares within one (1) Business Day of the effectiveness of the Automatic Conversion. Without delaying the delivery of the Conversion Shares, the Holder shall as soon as practicable following the effectiveness of the Automatic Conversion, tender to the Corporation (or its designated agent) the stock certificate(s) (duly endorsed) representing such certificated Converted Stock.
6.1.3 Notwithstanding the cancellation of the Converted Stock upon the Automatic Conversion, Holders of Converted Stock shall continue to have any remedies provided herein or otherwise available at law or in equity to such Holder because of a failure by the Corporation to comply with the terms of this Certificate of Designation. In all cases, the Holder shall retain all of its rights and remedies for the Corporation’s failure to convert the Converted Stock.
6.2 Conversion at Option of Holder. Subject to Section 6.4, Section 6.5, Section 6.6.3 and Section 10, each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time following the earlier of (i) 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on the third (3rd) Business Day after the date that the Stockholder Approval is obtained by the Corporation and (ii) solely for purposes of effecting a cash settlement pursuant to Section 6.5.3, the date that is six (6) months after the initial issuance date of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, at the option of the Holder thereof, into a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Conversion Ratio, subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (each, an “Optional Conversion”). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to the extent any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock subject to an Optional Conversion remain subject to a Lock-Up Period at the time of conversion, (A) the corresponding Conversion Shares shall not be delivered via DWAC Delivery but shall instead remain in book-entry form at the Corporation’s transfer agent, and (B) such Conversion Shares shall bear the restrictive legend(s) set forth in Section 10 until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period (or an earlier release pursuant to Section 10). For the avoidance of doubt, an Optional Conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock that are subject to a Lock-Up Period shall not, in and of itself, constitute a Transfer for purposes of Section 10. Holders shall effect conversions by providing the Corporation with the form of conversion notice attached hereto as Annex A (a “Notice of Conversion”), duly completed and executed. Provided the Corporation’s transfer agent is participating in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer program, and provided further that the applicable Conversion Shares are not subject to a Lock-Up Period, the Notice of Conversion may specify, at the Holder’s election, whether the applicable Conversion Shares shall be credited to the account of the Holder’s prime broker with DTC through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system (a “DWAC Delivery”). The date on which an Optional Conversion shall be deemed effective (the “Conversion Date”) shall be the Trading Day that the Notice of Conversion, completed and executed, is sent via email to, and received during regular business hours by, the Corporation. The Holder shall not be required to physically surrender any stock certificate to the Corporation until the Holder has converted all of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock represented by such certificate in full without regard to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, in which case, the Holder shall surrender its stock certificate to the Corporation for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date the final Notice of Conversion is delivered to the Corporation. Execution and delivery of a Notice of Conversion shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original stock certificate and issuance of a new stock certificate evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Conversion Shares, if any. The calculations set forth in the Notice of Conversion shall control in the absence of manifest or mathematical error.
6.3 Conversion Ratio. The “Conversion Ratio” for each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be 1,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion (the “Conversion”) of each share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (corresponding to a ratio of 1,000:1), subject to adjustment as provided herein.
6.4 Authorized Shares Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Corporation shall not effect any conversion of any share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, including pursuant to Section 6.1, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 6.2, to the extent that, after giving effect to such attempted Automatic Conversion or conversion set forth on an applicable Notice of Optional Conversion with respect to the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, as applicable, such conversion would result in the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such conversion to exceed the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation (the “Authorized Share Cap”). If at any time the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding shares of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (an “Authorized Share Failure”), the Corporation shall use its reasonable best efforts to take such corporate action as may be necessary to amend its Certificate of Incorporation to increase the Authorized Share Cap by a sufficient amount to permit the conversion of all shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock into Conversion Shares, including, without limitation, engaging in best efforts to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of any necessary amendment to the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation to effect such increase.
6.5 Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Corporation shall not effect any conversion of any share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, including pursuant to Section 6.1, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 6.2, to the extent that, after giving effect to such attempted conversion set forth on an applicable Notice of Conversion with respect to the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, such Holder (or any of such Holder’s Affiliates or any other Person who would be a beneficial owner of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, including any “group” of which the Holder is a member (the foregoing, “Attribution Parties”)) would beneficially own a number of shares of Common Stock in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and its Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock subject to the Notice of Conversion or Automatic Conversion, as applicable, with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (i) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties, and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation (including any warrants) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties that are subject to and would exceed a limitation on conversion or exercise similar to the limitation contained herein. For purposes of this Section 6.5, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and the terms “beneficial ownership” and “beneficially own” have the meanings ascribed to such terms therein. In addition, for purposes hereof, “group” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission. For purposes of this Section 6.5, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (a) the Corporation’s most recent periodic or annual filing with the Commission, as the case may be, (b) a more recent public announcement by the Corporation that is filed with the Commission, or (c) a more recent notice by the Corporation or the Corporation’s transfer agent to the Holder setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. Upon the written request of a Holder (which may be by email), the Corporation shall, within two (2) Trading Days thereof, confirm in writing to such Holder (which may be via email) the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to any actual conversion or exercise of securities of the Corporation, including shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, by such Holder or its Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was last publicly reported or confirmed to the Holder. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall initially be set at 4.99%, subject to adjustment at the discretion of each Holder to a percentage designated by such Holder between 4.99% and 19.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Automatic Conversion or such Notice of Conversion (as applicable), to the extent permitted pursuant to this Section 6.5. The Corporation shall be entitled to rely on representations made to it by the Holder in any Notice of Conversion regarding its Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by written notice to the Corporation (email being sufficient), (1) which will not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such written notice is delivered to the Corporation, the Holder may reset the Beneficial Ownership Limitation percentage to a higher percentage, not to exceed 19.99%, to the extent then applicable, and (2) which will be effective immediately after such notice is delivered to the Corporation, the Holder may reset the Beneficial Ownership Limitation percentage to a lower percentage than was in effect for such Holder prior to such written notice. Upon such a change by a Holder of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, not to exceed 19.99%, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation may not be further amended by such Holder without first providing the minimum notice required by this Section 6.5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time following the approval by Nasdaq of the Nasdaq Listing Application (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and receipt of Stockholder Approval, the Holder may waive and/or change the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, which will be effective on the sixty-first (61st) day after written notice of such waiver and/or change is delivered to the Corporation. The provisions of this Section 6.5 shall be construed, corrected and implemented in a manner so as to effectuate the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained and the shares of Common Stock underlying the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) or Rule 16a-1(a)(1) of the Exchange Act .
6.6 Mechanics of Conversion.
6.6.1 Delivery of Certificate or Electronic Issuance. Upon Conversion not later than two (2) Trading Days after the applicable Conversion Date, or if the Holder requests the issuance of physical certificate(s), two (2) Trading Days after receipt by the Corporation of the original certificate(s) representing such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock being converted, duly endorsed, and the accompanying Notice of Conversion (the “Share Delivery Date”), the Corporation shall either: (a) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the converting Holder a physical certificate or certificates representing the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, or (b) in the case of a DWAC Delivery (if so requested by the Holder and if the applicable Conversion Shares are not then subject to a Lock-Up Period), electronically transfer such Conversion Shares by crediting the account of the Holder’s prime broker with DTC through its DWAC system. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Conversion Shares are subject to a Lock-Up Period at the time of conversion, such shares shall be issued in book-entry form and held at the Corporation’s transfer agent bearing the restrictive legend(s) described in Section 10 until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period. If in the case of any Notice of Conversion such certificate or certificates for the Conversion Shares are not delivered to or as directed by or, in the case of a DWAC Delivery, such shares are not electronically delivered to or as directed by, the applicable Holder by the Share Delivery Date, the applicable Holder shall be entitled to elect to rescind such Notice of Conversion by written notice to the Corporation at any time on or before its receipt of such certificate or certificates for Conversion Shares or electronic receipt of such shares, as applicable, in which event the Corporation shall promptly return to such Holder any original Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock certificate delivered to the Corporation and such Holder shall promptly return to the Corporation any Common Stock certificates or otherwise direct the return of any shares of Common Stock delivered to the Holder through the DWAC system, representing the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock unsuccessfully tendered for conversion to the Corporation.
6.6.2 Obligation Absolute. Subject to Section 6.4 and Section 6.5 and subject to Holder’s right to rescind a Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, the Corporation’s obligation to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by a Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by such Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Corporation or any violation or alleged violation of law by such Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Corporation to such Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares. Subject to Section 6.4 and Section 6.5 and subject to Holder’s right to rescind a Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, in the event a Holder shall elect to convert any or all of its Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, the Corporation may not refuse conversion based on any claim that such Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with such Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and/or enjoining conversion of all or part of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock of such Holder shall have been sought and obtained by the Corporation, and the Corporation posts a surety bond for the benefit of such Holder in the amount of 150% of the value of the Conversion Shares into which would be converted the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock which is subject to such injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, the Corporation shall, subject to Section 6.4 and Section 6.5 and subject to Holder’s right to rescind a Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, issue Conversion Shares upon a properly noticed conversion.
6.6.3 Cash Settlement. If, at any time after the earlier of (i) Stockholder Approval or (ii) six (6) months after the initial issuance of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder such certificate or certificates, or electronically deliver (or cause its transfer agent to electronically deliver) such shares in the case of a DWAC Delivery, pursuant to Section 6.6.1 on or prior to the first (1st) Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date applicable to such conversion (other than a failure caused by (a) materially incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Corporation or (b) the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation after Stockholder Approval (but, prior to the Stockholder Approval, disregarding for such purpose any Beneficial Ownership Limitation)) or if the Corporation is unable to effect the conversion of any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock due to an Authorized Share Failure, then, unless the Holder has rescinded the applicable Notice of Conversion pursuant to Section 6.6.1, the Corporation shall, at the request of the Holder, pay an amount of cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds equal to the Fair Value (as defined below) of such undelivered shares, with such payment to be made within two (2) Business Days from the date of request by the Holder, whereupon the Corporation’s obligations to deliver such shares underlying the Notice of Conversion shall be extinguished upon payment in full of the Fair Value of such undelivered shares. For purposes of this Section 6.6.3, the “Fair Value” of shares shall be fixed with reference to the last reported Closing Sale Price on the principal Trading Market on which the Common Stock is listed as of the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which the Notice of Conversion is delivered to the Corporation. For the avoidance of doubt, the cash settlement provisions set forth in this Section 6.6.3 shall be available irrespective of the reason for the Corporation’s failure to timely deliver Conversion Shares (other than a failure caused by (1) materially incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Corporation or (2) the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation after Stockholder Approval (but, prior to the Stockholder Approval, disregarding for such purpose any Beneficial Ownership Limitation)), including due to an Authorized Share Failure, limitations set forth in Section 6.6.6, the lack of obtaining Stockholder Approval, or due to applicable Trading Market rules.
6.6.4 Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Certificates. If the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder the applicable certificate or certificates or to effect a DWAC Delivery, as applicable, by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 6.6.1 (other than a failure caused by materially incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Corporation or the application of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation), and if after such Share Delivery Date such Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which such Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a “Buy-In”), then the Corporation shall (i) pay in cash to such Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by such Holder) the amount by which (x) such Holder’s total purchase price (including any brokerage commissions) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (a) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder was entitled to receive from the conversion at issue multiplied by (b) the actual sale price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage commissions) and (ii) at the option of such Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock equal to the number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock submitted for conversion or deliver to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6.6.1. For example, if a Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock with respect to which the actual sale price (including any brokerage commissions) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a total of $10,000 under clause (i) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Corporation shall be required to pay such Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Corporation with written notice, within three (3) Trading Days after the occurrence of a Buy-In, indicating the amounts payable to such Holder in respect of such Buy-In together with applicable confirmations and other evidence reasonably requested by the Corporation. 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 Corporation’s failure to timely deliver certificates representing shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock as required pursuant to the terms hereof or the cash settlement remedy set forth in Section 6.6.3; provided, however, that the Holder shall not be entitled to both (A) require the reissuance of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock submitted for conversion for which such conversion was not timely honored and (B) receive the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6.6.1.
6.6.5 Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. The Corporation covenants that at all times it will reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, subject to receipt of the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holders, not less than such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock as shall be issuable (taking into account the adjustments of Section 7) upon the conversion of all outstanding shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be issuable upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
6.6.6 Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, no certificates or scrip for any such fractional shares shall be issued and no cash shall be paid for any such fractional shares. Any fractional shares of Common Stock that a Holder of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock would otherwise be entitled to receive shall be aggregated with all fractional shares of Common Stock issuable to such Holder and any remaining fractional shares shall be rounded up to the nearest whole share. Whether or not fractional shares would be issuable upon such conversion shall be determined on the basis of the total number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock the Holder seeks to convert into Common Stock and the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion.
6.6.7 Transfer Taxes. The issuance of certificates for shares of the Common Stock upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be made without charge to any Holder for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such certificates, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such certificate upon conversion in a name other than that of the registered Holder(s) of such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock and the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver such certificates unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Corporation the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid.
6.7 Status as Stockholder. Upon each Conversion Date, (i) the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock being converted shall be deemed converted into shares of Common Stock and (ii) the Holder’s rights as a holder of such converted shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall cease and terminate, excepting only the right to receive certificates for such shares of Common Stock and to any remedies provided herein or otherwise available at law or in equity to such Holder because of a failure by the Corporation to comply with the terms of this Certificate of Designation. In all cases, the Holder shall retain all of its rights and remedies for the Corporation’s failure to convert Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. In no event shall the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock convert into shares of Common Stock prior to the Stockholder Approval.
7. Certain Adjustments.
7.1 Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Corporation, at any time while this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Corporation upon conversion of this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock) with respect to the then outstanding shares of Common Stock; (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares; or (iii) combines (including by way of a reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then the Conversion Ratio shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) outstanding immediately after such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation). Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 7.1 shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision or combination.
7.2 Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock is outstanding, (i) the Corporation effects any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person or any stock sale to, or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, share exchange or scheme of arrangement) with or into another Person (other than such a transaction in which the Corporation is the surviving or continuing entity and its Common Stock is not exchanged for or converted into other securities, cash or property), (ii) the Corporation effects any sale, lease, transfer or exclusive license of all or substantially all of its assets in one transaction or a series of related transactions, (iii) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Corporation or another Person) is completed pursuant to which more than 50% of the Common Stock not held by the Corporation or such Person is exchanged for or converted into other securities, cash or property, or (iv) the Corporation effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant (other than as a result of a dividend, subdivision or combination covered by Section 7.1) to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent conversion of this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock the Holders shall have the right to receive, in lieu of the right to receive Conversion Shares, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any Beneficial Ownership Limitation), the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if such conversion of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock had occurred immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (the “Alternate Consideration”). For purposes of any such subsequent conversion, the determination of the Conversion Ratio shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Corporation shall adjust the Conversion Ratio in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holders shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any conversion of this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Corporation or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall file a new certificate of designations with the same terms and conditions and issue to the Holders new preferred stock consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holders’ right to convert such preferred stock into Alternate Consideration. The terms of any agreement to which the Corporation is a party and pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 7.2 and ensuring that this Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (or any such replacement security) will be similarly adjusted upon any subsequent transaction analogous to a Fundamental Transaction. The Corporation shall cause to be delivered to each Holder, at its last address as it shall appear upon the stock books of the Corporation, written notice of any Fundamental Transaction at least 20 calendar days prior to the date on which such Fundamental Transaction is expected to become effective or close.
7.3 Calculations. All calculations under this Section 7 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 7, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) issued and outstanding.
8. Redemption. The shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise deal in such shares to the extent otherwise permitted hereby and by law, nor shall the foregoing limit the Holder’s rights under Section 6.6.3 or Section 6.6.4.
9. Transfer. Subject to the limitations set forth herein, a Holder may transfer any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock together with the accompanying rights set forth herein, held by such Holder without the consent of the Corporation; provided that such transfer is in compliance with applicable securities laws. The Corporation shall in good faith (a) do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and (b) execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, in each case, as any holder of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Section 9. The transferee of any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation applicable to the transferor as of the time of such transfer.
10. Transfer Restrictions.
10.1 Lock-Up Restrictions. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement, including Section 9 to the contrary, following the issuance of the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, no Holder may Transfer (as defined below in Section 10.7) any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock held by such Holder or any Conversion Shares issued upon conversion thereof during the applicable Lock-Up Period (such shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock and, to the extent still subject to a Lock-Up Period, the corresponding Conversion Shares, collectively, the “Locked Shares”), except in accordance with this Section 10.
10.2 Lock-Up Tranches. The Locked Shares held by each Holder shall be divided into three equal tranches, and the transfer restrictions set forth in this Section 10 shall apply to each tranche as follows:
10.2.1 One-third (1/3) of the Locked Shares shall not be Transferred until the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the Initial Closing (the “First Tranche Lock-Up Period”).
10.2.2 One-third (1/3) of the Locked Shares shall not be Transferred until the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the Stockholder Approval (the “Second Tranche Lock-Up Period”).
10.2.3 One-third (1/3) of the Locked Shares shall not be Transferred until the issuance by the Corporation of the Milestone Event Notice (the “Third Tranche Lock-Up Period” and, together with the First Tranche Lock-Up Period and the Second Tranche Lock-Up Period, each a “Lock-Up Period”).
10.3 Backstop. Notwithstanding anything in Section 10.2 to the contrary, in no event shall any Locked Share remain subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in Section 10 after the issuance of the Milestone Event Notice.
10.4 Permitted Transfers. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10, the transfer restrictions set forth herein shall not apply to: (a) transfers to an Affiliate of the Holder; (b) distributions to limited partners, members or stockholders of a Holder that is a fund; (c) pledges of Locked Shares in connection with bona fide financing, including, for example, pledging shares as collateral to secure a bona fide loan or other obligation, in each case entered into with a nationally recognized financial institution, and any foreclosure by such financial institution or transfer to such financial institution in lieu of foreclosure and subsequent sale of the securities; provided, however, that in the event of any foreclosure by such financial institution or transfer to such financial institution in lieu of foreclosure, the transferee shall not Transfer such foreclosed Locked Shares other than in a transaction otherwise allowed by this Section 10.4; (d) in the event of a liquidation, merger, stock or unit exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Holders having the right to exchange their shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock for cash, securities or other property, or (e) conversions or exercises of other securities of the Corporation into or for shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock; provided that, in the case of clauses (a), (b) and (c), the transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the transfer restrictions set forth in this Section 10 for the remainder of the applicable Lock-Up Period.
10.5 Legends. The Locked Shares (including any Conversion Shares that remain subject to a Lock-Up Period) shall carry appropriate legends indicating the restrictions on Transfer imposed by this Section 10, including as required by Section 151(f) of the DGCL in respect to uncertificated stock, until such time as the Corporation shall instruct the transfer agent to remove such legend(s) and release such shares to the applicable Holder in accordance with the limitations and restrictions of this Section 10 (including, at the Holder’s election, via DWAC Delivery). Such Conversion Shares shall remain in book-entry form at the Corporation’s transfer agent and shall retain the appropriate legends until the expiration of the applicable Lock-Up Period (or an earlier release pursuant to this Section 10).
10.6 Waiver. Notwithstanding the other provisions set forth in this Section 10 or any other provision contained herein, the Corporation may, with the prior written consent of the Lead Investor, determine to waive, amend, or repeal the lock-up obligations set forth in this Section 10, whether in whole or in part.
10.7 Definition of Transfer. For purposes of this Section 10, “Transfer” means any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance or other disposition, whether voluntary or involuntary, of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, Conversion Shares, or any economic interest therein, including by operation of law; provided, however, that the conversion of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock into Conversion Shares in accordance with Section 6 shall not, in and of itself, constitute a “Transfer” for purposes of this Section 10.
11. Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock Register. The Corporation shall maintain at its principal executive offices (or at the Corporation’s transfer agent as of the date hereof, or such other office or agency of the Corporation as it may designate by notice to the Holders in accordance with Section 12), a register for the Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock, in which the Corporation shall record (a) the name, address, and electronic mail address of each holder in whose name the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock have been issued and (b) the name, address, and electronic mail address of each transferee of any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. The Corporation may deem and treat the registered Holder of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock as the absolute owner thereof for the purpose of any conversion thereof and for all other purposes. The Corporation shall keep the register open and available at all times during business hours for inspection by any holder of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock or his, her or its legal representatives.
12. Notices. Any notice required or permitted by the provisions of this Certificate of Designation to be given to a Holder of shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Corporation, or given by electronic communication in compliance with the provisions of the DGCL, and shall be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.
13. Book-Entry; Certificates. The Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock will be issued in book-entry form; provided that, if a Holder requests that such Holder’s shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock be issued in certificated form, the Corporation will instead issue a stock certificate to such Holder representing such Holder’s shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. To the extent that any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form, references herein to “certificates” shall instead refer to the book-entry notation relating to such shares.
14. Lost or Mutilated Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock Certificate. If a Holder’s Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Corporation shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated certificate, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, a new certificate for the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such certificate, and of the ownership hereof reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation.
15. Waiver. Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder of a breach of any provision of this Certificate of Designation shall not operate as or be construed to be a waiver of any other breach of such provision or of any breach of any other provision of this Certificate of Designation or a waiver by any other Holders, other than as expressly set forth herein. The failure of the Corporation or a Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Certificate of Designation on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party (or any other Holder) of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Certificate of Designation. Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder must be in writing. Notwithstanding any provision in this Certificate of Designation to the contrary, any provision contained herein and any right of the Holders of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock granted hereunder may be waived as to all shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock (and the Holders thereof) upon the written consent of the Holders of not less than a majority of the shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding, provided, however, that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation applicable to a Holder, and any provisions contained herein that are related to such Beneficial Ownership Limitation, cannot be modified, waived or terminated without the consent of such Holder, provided further, that any proposed waiver that would, by its terms, have a disproportionate and materially adverse effect on any Holder shall require the consent of such Holder(s).
16. Severability. Whenever possible, each provision hereof shall be interpreted in a manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision hereof is held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, then such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating or otherwise adversely affecting the remaining provisions hereof.
17. Status of Converted Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. If any shares of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock shall be converted, such shares shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be retired and cancelled upon such acquisition, and shall not be reissued as a share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock. Any share of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock so acquired shall, upon its retirement and cancellation, and upon the taking of any action required by applicable law, resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock and shall no longer be designated as Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has caused this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Non-Voting Preferred Stock to be duly executed by its President and Chief Executive Officer on June 11, 2026.
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Name: | Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
ANNEX A
NOTICE OF OPTIONAL CONVERSION
(TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER IN ORDER TO CONVERT SHARES OF SERIES A NON-VOTING CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK)
The undersigned Holder hereby irrevocably elects to convert the number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock indicated below, represented in book-entry form, into shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), as of the date written below. If securities are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto. Capitalized terms utilized but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in that certain Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”) filed by the Corporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June 11, 2026.
As of the date hereof, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the undersigned Holder (together with such Holder’s Attribution Parties), including the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock subject to this Notice of Optional Conversion, but excluding the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (A) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties, and (B) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation (including any warrants) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Attribution Parties that are subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise similar to the limitation contained in Section 6.5 of the Certificate of Designation, is _____. For purposes hereof, beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the applicable regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). In addition, for purposes hereof, “group” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the applicable regulations of the Commission.
CONVERSION CALCULATIONS:
| Date to Effect Conversion: | ________________________________ |
| Number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock owned prior to Conversion: | ________________________________ |
| Number of shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock to be Converted: | ________________________________ |
| Number of shares of Common Stock to be Issued: | ________________________________ |
| Address for delivery of physical certificates: | ________________________________ |
For DWAC Delivery, please provide the following:
Broker No.: ________________
Account No.: _______________
[HOLDER]
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: |
Exhibit 4.1
Execution Version
THIS WARRANT AND THE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON THE EXERCISE OF THIS WARRANT (THE “SECURITIES”) HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED UNLESS (I) SUCH SECURITIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED FOR SALE PURSUANT TO THE SECURITIES ACT, (II) SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (III) THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSFER MAY LAWFULLY BE MADE WITHOUT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (IV) THE SECURITIES ARE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO AN AFFILIATE OF SUCH HOLDER OR A CUSTODIAL NOMINEE (WHICH FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT SHALL REQUIRE NEITHER CONSENT NOR THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION).
FORM OF PRE-FUNDED WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
Number of Shares: [__](subject to adjustment)
| Warrant No. PFW-[__] | Original Issue Date: [__], 2026 |
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, [_________] or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company up to a total of the number listed above of shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (each such share, a “Warrant Share” and all such shares, the “Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price per share equal to $0.001 (the “Exercise Price”), in each case as adjusted from time to time as provided in Section 9, upon surrender of this Pre-Funded Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (including any Warrants to Purchase Common Stock issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”) at any time and from time to time on or after the [date Shareholder Approval is received (the “Shareholder Approval Date”)][the Original Issue Date (as listed above)]1, subject to the following terms and conditions:
This Warrant is one of a series of similar warrants issued pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated June 11, 2026, by and among the Company and the Investors identified therein (the “Purchase Agreement”).
1. Definitions. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediates, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person.
| 1 | If issued after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
“Attribution Parties” means, collectively, the following Persons and entities: (i) any direct or indirect Affiliates of the Holder, (ii) any investment vehicle, including, any funds, feeder funds or managed accounts, currently, or from time to time after the date hereof, directly or indirectly managed or advised by the Holder’s investment manager, (iii) any Person acting or who could be deemed to be acting as a Group together with the Holder or any Attribution Parties and (iv) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of the Company’s Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s and/or any other Attribution Parties for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act. For clarity, the purpose of the foregoing is to subject collectively the Holder and all other Attribution Parties to the Maximum Percentage.
“Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last trade price for such security on the Principal Trading Market for such security, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or, if such Principal Trading Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the last trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00 P.M., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or if the foregoing do not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets. If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then the Board of Directors of the Company shall use its good faith judgment to determine the fair market value. The Board of Directors’ determination shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during the applicable calculation period.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Group” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and all related rules, regulations and jurisprudence.
“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or any other entity or organization.
“Principal Trading Market” means the national securities exchange or other trading market on which the Common Stock is primarily listed on and quoted for trading, which, as of [__], 2026 (the “Original Issue Date”), shall be the Nasdaq Capital Market.
“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shareholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market (or any successor entity) from the shareholders of the Company to permit the exercise of the Warrant.
“Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, for the Principal Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock that is in effect on the date of delivery of an applicable Exercise Notice, which as of the Original Issue Date was “T+1.”
“Trading Day” means any weekday on which the Principal Trading Market is normally open for trading.
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the Company’s transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock, and any successor appointed in such capacity.
2. Issuance of Securities; Registration of Warrants. The Company shall register ownership of this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder (which shall include the initial Holder or, as the case may be, any assignee to which this Warrant is permissibly assigned hereunder) 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.
3. Registration of Transfers. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) 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, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, 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. Subject to compliance with all applicable securities laws, the Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, register the transfer of all or any portion of this Warrant in the Warrant Register, upon surrender of this Warrant, and payment for all applicable transfer taxes (if any). Upon any such registration or transfer, a new warrant to purchase Common Stock in substantially the form of this Warrant (any such new warrant, a “New Warrant”) evidencing the portion of this Warrant so transferred shall be issued to the transferee, and a New Warrant evidencing the remaining portion of this Warrant not so transferred, if any, shall be issued to the transferring Holder. The acceptance of the New Warrant by the transferee thereof shall be deemed the acceptance by such transferee of all of the rights and obligations in respect of the New Warrant that the Holder has in respect of this Warrant. The Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, prepare, issue and deliver at the Company’s own expense, any New Warrant under this Section 3. Until due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company may treat the registered Holder hereof as the owner and holder for all purposes, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary.
4. Exercise of Warrants.
(a) All or any part of this Warrant shall be exercisable by the registered Holder in any manner permitted by this Warrant (including Section 10 and subject to Section 11) at any time and from time to time on or after the [Shareholder Approval Date][Original Issue Date]2, and such rights shall not expire until exercised in full.
| 2 | If issued after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
(b) The Holder may exercise this Warrant by delivering to the Company (i) an exercise notice, in the form attached as Schedule 1 hereto (the “Exercise Notice”), completed and duly signed, and (ii) payment of the Exercise Price for the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant is being exercised (which may take the form of a “cashless exercise” if so indicated in the Exercise Notice pursuant to Section 10 below), and the date on which the last of such items is delivered to the Company (as determined in accordance with the notice provisions hereof) is an “Exercise Date.” The Company shall have no obligation to inquire with respect to or otherwise confirm the authenticity of the signature(s) contained on any Notice of Exercise nor the authority of the person so executing such Notice of Exercise. The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of the Exercise Notice shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original Warrant and issuance of a New Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares, if any.
(c) The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this section, 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.
5. Delivery of Warrant Shares.
(a) Upon exercise of this Warrant, and provided that payment is received, the Company shall promptly (but in no event later than the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date), upon the request of the Holder, cause the Transfer Agent to credit such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock specified by the Holder in the Exercise Notice and to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise (the “Exercise Shares”) to (i) the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit Withdrawal At Custodian system or (ii) in book-entry form via a direct registration system (“DRS”) maintained by or on behalf of the Transfer Agent, in each case, so long as either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or the resale of such Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) the Exercise Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (assuming cashless exercise of this Warrant). If (A) and (B) above are not true, the Company shall cause the Transfer Agent to either (i) record the Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee on the certificates reflecting the Exercise Shares with an appropriate legend regarding restriction on transferability, which shall be issued and dispatched by overnight courier to the address as specified in the Exercise Notice, and on the Company’s share register or (ii) issue such Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register. The Holder, or any Person so designated by the Holder to receive Warrant Shares, shall be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Warrant Shares as of the Exercise Date, irrespective of the date such Warrant Shares are credited to the Holder’s DTC account, the date of the book entry positions or the date of delivery of the certificates evidencing such Exercise Shares, as the case may be.
(b) In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to deliver to the Holder or its designee Exercise Shares in the manner required pursuant to Section 5(a) within the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date (other than a failure caused by incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Company) and the Holder or the Holder’s broker on its behalf purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock 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”) but did not receive within the Standard Settlement Period, then the Company shall, within two Trading Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s sole discretion, promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Holder or its designee the Exercise Shares pursuant to Section 5(a) and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased in the Buy-In, less the product of (A) the number of shares of Common Stock purchased in the Buy-In, times (B) the Closing Sale Price of a share of Common Stock on the Exercise Date. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice promptly after the occurrence of a Buy-In, indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In together with applicable confirmations and other evidence reasonably requested by the Company.
(c) To the extent permitted by law and subject to Section 5(b), the Company’s obligations to issue and deliver Warrant Shares in accordance with and subject to the terms hereof (including the limitations set forth in Section 11 below) are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Company or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance that might otherwise limit such obligation of the Company to the Holder in connection with the issuance of Warrant Shares. Subject to Section 5(b), nothing herein shall limit the 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 Exercise Shares; provided, however, that the Holder shall not be entitled to both (i) require the Company to reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not timely honored and (ii) receive the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Company had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 5(a).
6. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance and delivery of Exercise Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax, transfer agent fee or other incidental tax or expense (excluding any applicable stamp duties) in respect of the issuance of such shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the registration of any Warrant Shares or the Warrants in a name other than that of the Holder or an Affiliate thereof. The Holder shall be responsible for all other tax liability that may arise as a result of holding or transferring this Warrant or receiving Warrant Shares upon exercise hereof.
7. Replacement of Warrant. If this Warrant is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation hereof, or in lieu of and substitution for this Warrant, a New Warrant, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction (in such case) and, in each case, a customary and reasonable contractual indemnity, if requested by the Company. If a New Warrant is requested as a result of a mutilation of this Warrant, then the Holder shall deliver such mutilated Warrant to the Company as a condition precedent to the Company’s obligation to issue the New Warrant.
8. Reservation of Warrant Shares. The Company covenants that it will, at all times while this Warrant is outstanding, reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved Common Stock, solely for the purpose of enabling it to issue Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as herein provided, the number of Warrant Shares that are initially issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of this entire Warrant, free from preemptive rights or any other contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Holder (taking into account the adjustments and restrictions of Section 9). The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares so issuable and deliverable shall, upon issuance and the payment of the applicable Exercise Price in accordance with the terms hereof, be duly and validly authorized, issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The Company will take all such action as may be reasonably necessary to assure that such shares of Common Stock may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company further covenants that it will not, without the prior written consent of the Holder, take any actions to increase the par value of the Common Stock at any time while this Warrant is outstanding.
9. Certain Adjustments. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (the “Number of Warrant Shares”) are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in this Section 9.
(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) pays a stock dividend on its Common Stock or otherwise makes a distribution on any class of capital stock issued and outstanding on the Original Issue Date and in accordance with the terms of such stock on the Original Issue Date or as amended, that is payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivides its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares of Common Stock, (iii) combines its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of capital stock any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company, then in each such case the Number of Warrant Shares shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution, provided, however, that if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid on the date fixed therefor, the Number of Warrant Shares shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Number of Warrant Shares shall be adjusted pursuant to this paragraph as of the time of actual payment of such dividends. Any adjustment pursuant to clause (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such subdivision, combination or issuance.
(b) Pro Rata Distributions. If, on or after the Original Issue Date, the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other pro rata distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property, options, evidence of indebtedness or any other assets by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction, but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any distribution of shares of Common Stock subject to Section 9(a), any distribution of Purchase Rights (as defined below) subject to Section 9(c) and any Fundamental Transaction (as defined below) subject to Section 9(d)) (a “Distribution”) then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage (as defined below)) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such Distribution (and any Distributions declared or made on such initial Distribution or on any subsequent Distribution held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation.
(c) Purchase Rights. If at any time on or after the Original Issue Date that this Warrant is outstanding, the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property, in each case pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Stock (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 shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage) 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 Stock are to be determined for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right (and beneficial ownership) to such extent) and at the Holder’s election, in its sole discretion, either (1) such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such right (and any Purchase Right granted, issued or sold on such initial Purchase Right or on any subsequent Purchase Right to be held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation or (2) the Company shall offer the Holder the right upon exercise of such Purchase Right to acquire a security (e.g. a pre-funded warrant) that would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage but will otherwise to the extent possible have economic and other rights, preferences and privileges substantially consistent and on par with the securities or other property issuable upon exercise of the originally offered Purchase Rights. As used in this Section 9(c), (i) “Options” means any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities and (ii) “Convertible Securities” mean any stock or securities (other than Options) directly or indirectly convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock.
(d) Fundamental Transactions. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding (i) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, in which the Company is not the surviving entity or in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not own, directly or indirectly, at least 50% of the voting power of the surviving entity immediately after such merger or consolidation (other than (a) a reincorporation in a different state or a similar transaction pursuant to which the surviving company remains a public company and (b) the Merger, as defined in the Purchase Agreement), (ii) the Company effects any sale to another Person of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions (and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), (iii) pursuant to any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person), holders of capital stock tender shares representing more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company and the Company or such other Person, as applicable, accepts such tender for payment, (iv) the Company consummates a stock purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement (other than a stock split)) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company (except for any such transaction in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction maintain, in substantially the same proportions, the voting power of such Person immediately after the transaction) or (v) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock (other than a stock split) or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (other than as a result of a subdivision or combination of shares of Common Stock covered by Section 9(a) above) (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then following such Fundamental Transaction the Holder shall have the right to receive, upon exercise of this Warrant, the same amount and kind of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of the number of Warrant Shares then issuable upon exercise in full of this Warrant (including any Distributions or Purchase Rights then held in abeyance pursuant to Sections 9(b) or 9(c) above) without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein (the “Alternate Consideration”). The Company shall not effect any Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the surviving entity or the Alternate Consideration includes securities of another Person unless (i) the Alternate Consideration is solely cash and the Company provides for the simultaneous “cashless exercise” of this Warrant pursuant to Section 10 below or (ii) prior to or simultaneously with the consummation thereof, any successor to the Company, surviving entity or other Person (including any purchaser of assets of the Company) shall assume the obligation to deliver to the Holder such Alternate Consideration as, in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the Holder may be entitled to receive, and the other obligations under this Warrant. The provisions of this paragraph (d) shall similarly apply to subsequent transactions analogous to a Fundamental Transaction type.
(e) Number of Warrant Shares. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Number of Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 9, the Exercise Price shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the increased or decreased Number of Warrant Shares shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may the Exercise Price be adjusted below the par value of the Common Stock then in effect.
(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 9 shall be made to the nearest one-tenth of one cent or the nearest share, as applicable.
(g) Notice of Adjustments. Upon the occurrence of each adjustment pursuant to this Section 9, the Company at its expense will, at the written request of the Holder, promptly compute such adjustment, in good faith, in accordance with the terms of this Warrant and prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, including a statement of the adjusted Exercise Price and adjusted number or type of Warrant Shares or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (as applicable), describing the transactions giving rise to such adjustments and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment is based; provided however, that no notice shall be required if the information is disseminated by the Company in a filing with the Commission on its EDGAR system pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K or in a press release. Upon written request, the Company will promptly deliver a copy of each such certificate to the Holder and to the Company’s transfer agent.
(h) Notice of Corporate Events. If, while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company (i) declares a dividend or any other distribution of cash, securities or other property in respect of its Common Stock (other than a stock split), including, without limitation, any granting of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary (excluding any granting or issuance of rights to all of the Company’s stockholders pursuant to a stockholder rights plan), (ii) authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction or (iii) authorizes the voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such transaction at least four days prior to the applicable record or effective date on which a Person would need to hold Common Stock in order to participate in or vote with respect to such transaction (unless such information is filed with the Commission on its EDGAR system in which case a notice shall not be required); provided, however, that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be described in such notice. In addition, if while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction contemplated by Section 9(d), other than a Fundamental Transaction under clause (iii) of Section 9(d), the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such Fundamental Transaction at least 30 days prior to the date such Fundamental Transaction is consummated. Holder agrees to maintain any information disclosed pursuant to this Section 9(h) in confidence until such information is publicly available, and shall comply with applicable law with respect to trading in the Company’s securities following receipt of any such information.
10. Payment of Exercise Price. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Holder may, in its sole discretion, satisfy its obligation to pay the Exercise Price through a “cashless exercise”, in which event the Company shall issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares in an exchange of securities effected pursuant to Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, determined as follows:
X = Y [(A-B)/A]
where:
“X” equals the number of Warrant Shares to be issued to the Holder;
“Y” equals the total number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised;
“A” equals the Closing Sale Price of the shares of Common Stock (as reported by Bloomberg Financial Market) as of the Trading Day on the date immediately preceding the Exercise Date; and
“B” equals the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.
For purposes of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, it is intended, understood and acknowledged that the Warrant Shares issued in a “cashless exercise” transaction shall be deemed to have been acquired by the Holder, and the holding period for the Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have commenced, on the Original Issue Date (provided that the Commission continues to take the position that such treatment is proper at the time of such exercise). In the event that a registration statement registering the issuance of Warrant Shares is, for any reason, not effective at the time of exercise of this Warrant, then this Warrant may only be exercised through a cashless exercise, as set forth in this Section 10. If the Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the Company acknowledges and agrees that, in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Exercise Shares issued in such exercise shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised and may be tacked on to the holding period of the Warrants being exercised. Except as set forth in Section 5(b) (Buy-in Remedy) and Section 12 (No Fractional Shares), in no event will the exercise of this Warrant be settled in cash.
11. Limitations on Exercise.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not effect the exercise of any portion of this Warrant, and the Holder of this Warrant shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the Warrant, and any such exercise shall be null and void ab initio and treated as if the exercise had not been made, to the extent that immediately prior to or following such exercise, the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, beneficially owns or would beneficially own as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, in excess of 4.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Common Stock that would be issued and outstanding following such exercise. For purposes of calculating beneficial ownership for determining whether the Maximum Percentage is or will be exceeded, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties, shall include the number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the relevant Warrant with respect to which the determination is being made but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, unexercised Warrant held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company held and/or beneficially owned by such Holder or any Attribution Party (including, without limitation, any convertible notes, convertible stock or warrants) that are subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. For purposes of this Paragraph 11(a), beneficial ownership of the Holder or the Attribution Parties shall, except as set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, be calculated and determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder of this Warrant may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Company’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding (such issued and outstanding shares, the “Reported Outstanding Share Number”). For any reason at any time, upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within one business day confirm orally and in writing or by electronic mail to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. The Holder shall disclose to the Company the number of shares of Common Stock that it, together with the Attribution Parties holds and/or beneficially owns and has the right to acquire through the exercise of derivative securities and any limitations on exercise or conversion analogous to the limitation contained herein contemporaneously or immediately prior to submitting an Exercise Notice for the relevant Warrant. If the Company receives an Exercise Notice from the Holder at a time when the actual number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is less than the Reported Outstanding Share Number, the Company shall (i) notify the Holder in writing of the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding and, to the extent that such Exercise Notice would otherwise cause the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, beneficial ownership, as determined pursuant to this Section 11(a), to exceed the Maximum Percentage, the Holder must notify the Company of a reduced number of Warrant Shares to be purchased pursuant to such Exercise Notice (the number of shares by which such purchase is reduced, the “Reduction Shares”) and (ii) as soon as reasonably practicable, the Company shall return to the Holder any exercise price paid by the Holder for the Reduction Shares. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder and the Attribution Parties since the date as of which the Reported Outstanding Share Number was reported. In the event that the issuance of Common Stock to the Holder upon exercise of this Warrant results in the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, being deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, more than the Maximum Percentage of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), the number of shares so issued by which the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, aggregate beneficial ownership exceeds the Maximum Percentage (the “Excess Shares”) shall be deemed null and void and shall be cancelled ab initio, and the Holder and/or the Attribution Parties shall not have the power to vote or to transfer the Excess Shares. As soon as reasonably practicable after the issuance of the Excess Shares has been deemed null and void, the Company shall return to the Holder the exercise price paid by the Holder for the Excess Shares. By written notice to the Company, a Holder of this Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 19.99% specified in such notice; provided that any increase in the Maximum Percentage will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company and shall not negatively affect any partial exercise effected prior to such change.
(b) This Section 11 shall not restrict the number of shares of Common Stock which a Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive or beneficially own in order to determine the amount of securities or other consideration that such Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive in the event of a Fundamental Transaction as contemplated in Section 9(c) of this Warrant. For purposes of clarity, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the terms of this Warrant in excess of the Maximum Percentage shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder or Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, including Rule 16a-1(a)(1). No prior inability to exercise this Warrant pursuant to this paragraph shall have any effect on the applicability of the provisions of this paragraph with respect to any subsequent determination of exercisability. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 11 to the extent necessary to correct this paragraph or any portion of this paragraph which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation contained in this Section 11 or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitation contained in this paragraph may not be waived and shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
12. No Fractional Shares. No fractional Warrant Shares will be issued in connection with any exercise of this Warrant. In lieu of any fractional shares that would otherwise be issuable, the number of Warrant Shares to be issued shall be rounded down to the next whole number and the Company shall pay the Holder in cash the fair market value (based on the Closing Sale Price) for any such fractional shares.
13. Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries hereunder (including, without limitation, any Exercise Notice) shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company prior to 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on a Trading Day, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on any Trading Day, (iii) the Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service specifying next business day delivery, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the Person to whom such notice is required to be given, if by hand delivery.
14. Warrant Agent. The Company shall initially serve as warrant agent under this Warrant. Upon 30 days’ notice to the Holder, the Company may appoint a new warrant agent. Any corporation into which the Company or any new warrant agent may be merged or any corporation resulting from any consolidation to which the Company or any new warrant agent shall be a party or any corporation to which the Company or any new warrant agent transfers substantially all of its corporate trust or shareholders services business shall be a successor warrant agent under this Warrant without any further act. Any such successor warrant agent shall promptly cause notice of its succession as warrant agent to be mailed (by first class mail, postage prepaid) to the Holder at the Holder’s last address as shown on the Warrant Register.
15. Miscellaneous.
(a) No Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise set forth in this Warrant, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Warrant Shares which such Person is then entitled to receive upon the due exercise of this Warrant. In addition, nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as imposing any liabilities on the Holder to purchase any securities (upon exercise of this Warrant or otherwise) or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liabilities are asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
(b) Further Assurances. 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 or articles 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 (a) 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, (b) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) 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.
(c) Successors and Assigns. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, this Warrant may be assigned by the Holder. This Warrant may not be assigned by the Company without the written consent of the Holder, except to a successor in the event of a Fundamental Transaction. This Warrant shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the Company and the Holder and their respective successors and assigns. Subject to the preceding sentence, nothing in this Warrant shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company and the Holder any legal or equitable right, remedy or cause of action under this Warrant.
(d) Amendment and Waiver. This Warrant may be amended only in writing signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the Warrant Shares underlying the Warrants to purchase Common Stock issued under the Purchase Agreement that are outstanding as of such date, or their successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder.
(e) Acceptance. Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions contained herein.
(f) Governing Law; Jurisdiction. ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, ENFORCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF THIS WARRANT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW THEREOF. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR DISCUSSED HEREIN (INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY OF THE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS), AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF VIA REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL OR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY (WITH EVIDENCE OF DELIVERY) TO SUCH PERSON AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO A TRIAL BY JURY.
(g) Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Warrant and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
(h) Severability. If any part or provision of this Warrant is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Warrant shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be duly executed by its authorized officer as of the date first indicated above.
| Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | [__________] | ||
| Title: | [__________] | ||
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF EXERCISE NOTICE
[To be executed by the Holder to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Warrant]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
(1) The undersigned is the Holder of Warrant No. __ (the “Warrant”) issued by Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.
(2) The undersigned hereby exercises its right to purchase _____ Warrant Shares pursuant to the Warrant.
(3) The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as (check one):
| ☐ | Cash Exercise |
| ☐ | “Cashless Exercise” under Section 10 of the Warrant |
(4) If the Holder has elected a Cash Exercise, the Holder shall pay the sum of $ _____ in immediately available funds to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.
(5) Pursuant to this Exercise Notice, the Company shall deliver to the Holder Warrant Shares determined in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. The Warrant Shares shall be delivered (check one):
| ☐ | to the following DWAC Account Number: _______________________________ | ||
| ☐ | in book-entry form via a direct registration system | ||
| ☐ | by physical delivery of a certificate to: | ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ |
|
| ☐ | in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register | ||
(6) By its delivery of this Exercise Notice, the undersigned represents and warrants to the Company that in giving effect to the exercise evidenced hereby the Holder (i) the Holder is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and (ii) will not beneficially own in excess of the number of shares of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) permitted to be owned under Section 11(a) of the Warrant to which this notice relates.
| Dated: | _______________________________ | |
| Name of Holder: | _______________________________ | |
| By: | _______________________________ | |
| Name: | _______________________________ | |
| Title: | _______________________________ |
(Signature must conform in all respects to name of Holder as specified on the face of the Warrant)
Exhibit 4.2
Execution Version
THIS WARRANT AND THE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON THE EXERCISE OF THIS WARRANT (THE “SECURITIES”) HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED UNLESS (I) SUCH SECURITIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED FOR SALE PURSUANT TO THE SECURITIES ACT, (II) SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (III) THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSFER MAY LAWFULLY BE MADE WITHOUT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (IV) THE SECURITIES ARE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO AN AFFILIATE OF SUCH HOLDER OR A CUSTODIAL NOMINEE (WHICH FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT SHALL REQUIRE NEITHER CONSENT NOR THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION).
FORM OF WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
Number of Shares: [__](subject to adjustment)
| Warrant No. [__] | Original Issue Date: [__], 2026 |
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, [_________] or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company up to a total of the number listed above of shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (each such share, a “Warrant Share” and all such shares, the “Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price per share equal to $2.7489 (the “Exercise Price”), in each case as adjusted from time to time as provided in Section 9, upon surrender of this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (including any Warrants to Purchase Common Stock issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”) at any time and from time to time on or after the [date Shareholder Approval is received (the “Shareholder Approval Date”)][Original Issue Date (as listed above)]1 and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [__]2 (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, subject to the following terms and conditions:
This Warrant is one of a series of similar warrants issued pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated June 11, 2026, by and among the Company and the Investors identified therein (the “Purchase Agreement”).
1. Definitions. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediates, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person.
| 1 | If issued before/after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
| 2 | This date will be the date that is five years from the Original Issue Date. |
“Attribution Parties” means, collectively, the following Persons and entities: (i) any direct or indirect Affiliates of the Holder, (ii) any investment vehicle, including, any funds, feeder funds or managed accounts, currently, or from time to time after the date hereof, directly or indirectly managed or advised by the Holder’s investment manager, (iii) any Person acting or who could be deemed to be acting as a Group together with the Holder or any Attribution Parties and (iv) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of the Company’s Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s and/or any other Attribution Parties for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act. For clarity, the purpose of the foregoing is to subject collectively the Holder and all other Attribution Parties to the Maximum Percentage.
“Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last trade price for such security on the Principal Trading Market for such security, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or, if such Principal Trading Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the last trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00 P.M., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or if the foregoing do not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets. If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then the Board of Directors of the Company shall use its good faith judgment to determine the fair market value. The Board of Directors’ determination shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during the applicable calculation period.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Group” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and all related rules, regulations and jurisprudence.
“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or any other entity or organization.
“Principal Trading Market” means the national securities exchange or other trading market on which the Common Stock is primarily listed on and quoted for trading, which, as of [____], 2026 (the “Original Issue Date”), shall be the Nasdaq Capital Market.
“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, for the Principal Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock that is in effect on the date of delivery of an applicable Exercise Notice, which as of the Original Issue Date was “T+1.”
“Trading Day” means any weekday on which the Principal Trading Market is normally open for trading.
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the Company’s transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock, and any successor appointed in such capacity.
2. Issuance of Securities; Registration of Warrants. The Company shall register ownership of this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder (which shall include the initial Holder or, as the case may be, any assignee to which this Warrant is permissibly assigned hereunder) 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.
3. Registration of Transfers. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) 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, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, 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. Subject to compliance with all applicable securities laws, the Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, register the transfer of all or any portion of this Warrant in the Warrant Register, upon surrender of this Warrant, and payment for all applicable transfer taxes (if any). Upon any such registration or transfer, a new warrant to purchase Common Stock in substantially the form of this Warrant (any such new warrant, a “New Warrant”) evidencing the portion of this Warrant so transferred shall be issued to the transferee, and a New Warrant evidencing the remaining portion of this Warrant not so transferred, if any, shall be issued to the transferring Holder. The acceptance of the New Warrant by the transferee thereof shall be deemed the acceptance by such transferee of all of the rights and obligations in respect of the New Warrant that the Holder has in respect of this Warrant. The Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, prepare, issue and deliver, at the Company’s own expense, any New Warrant under this Section 3. Until due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company may treat the registered Holder hereof as the owner and holder for all purposes, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary.
4. Exercise of Warrants.
(a) All or any part of this Warrant shall be exercisable by the registered Holder in any manner permitted by this Warrant (including Section 10 and subject to Section 11) at any time and from time to time on or after the [Shareholder Approval Date][Original Issue Date]3 Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date.
| 3 | If issued before/after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
(b) The Holder may exercise this Warrant by delivering to the Company (i) an exercise notice, in the form attached as Schedule 1 hereto (the “Exercise Notice”), completed and duly signed, and (ii) payment of the Exercise Price for the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant is being exercised (which may take the form of a “cashless exercise” if so indicated in the Exercise Notice pursuant to Section 10 below), and the date on which the last of such items is delivered to the Company (as determined in accordance with the notice provisions hereof) is an “Exercise Date.” The Company shall have no obligation to inquire with respect to or otherwise confirm the authenticity of the signature(s) contained on any Notice of Exercise nor the authority of the person so executing such Notice of Exercise. The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of the Exercise Notice shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original Warrant and issuance of a New Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares, if any.
(c) The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this section, 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.
5. Delivery of Warrant Shares.
(a) Upon exercise of this Warrant, and provided that payment is received, the Company shall promptly (but in no event later than the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date), upon the request of the Holder, cause the Transfer Agent to credit such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock specified by the Holder in the Exercise Notice and to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise (the “Exercise Shares”) to (i) the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit Withdrawal At Custodian system or (ii) in book-entry form via a direct registration system (“DRS”) maintained by or on behalf of the Transfer Agent, in each case, so long as either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or the resale of such Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) the Exercise Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (assuming cashless exercise of this Warrant). If (A) and (B) above are not true, the Company shall cause the Transfer Agent to either (i) record the Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee on the certificates reflecting the Exercise Shares with an appropriate legend regarding restriction on transferability, which shall be issued and dispatched by overnight courier to the address as specified in the Exercise Notice, and on the Company’s share register or (ii) issue such Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register. The Holder, or any Person so designated by the Holder to receive Warrant Shares, shall be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Warrant Shares as of the Exercise Date, irrespective of the date such Warrant Shares are credited to the Holder’s DTC account, the date of the book entry positions or the date of delivery of the certificates evidencing such Exercise Shares, as the case may be.
(b) In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to deliver to the Holder or its designee Exercise Shares in the manner required pursuant to Section 5(a) within the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date (other than a failure caused by incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Company) and the Holder or the Holder’s broker on its behalf purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock 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”) but did not receive within the Standard Settlement Period, then the Company shall, within two Trading Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s sole discretion, promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Holder or its designee the Exercise Shares pursuant to Section 5(a) and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased in the Buy-In, less the product of (A) the number of shares of Common Stock purchased in the Buy-In, times (B) the Closing Sale Price of a share of Common Stock on the Exercise Date. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice promptly after the occurrence of a Buy-In, indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In together with applicable confirmations and other evidence reasonably requested by the Company.
(c) To the extent permitted by law and subject to Section 5(b), the Company’s obligations to issue and deliver Warrant Shares in accordance with and subject to the terms hereof (including the limitations set forth in Section 11 below) are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Company or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance that might otherwise limit such obligation of the Company to the Holder in connection with the issuance of Warrant Shares. Subject to Section 5(b), nothing herein shall limit the 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 Exercise Shares; provided, however, that the Holder shall not be entitled to both (i) require the Company to reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not timely honored and (ii) receive the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Company had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 5(a).
6. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance and delivery of Exercise Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax, transfer agent fee or other incidental tax or expense (excluding any applicable stamp duties) in respect of the issuance of such shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the registration of any Warrant Shares or the Warrants in a name other than that of the Holder or an Affiliate thereof. The Holder shall be responsible for all other tax liability that may arise as a result of holding or transferring this Warrant or receiving Warrant Shares upon exercise hereof.
7. Replacement of Warrant. If this Warrant is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation hereof, or in lieu of and substitution for this Warrant, a New Warrant, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction (in such case) and, in each case, a customary and reasonable contractual indemnity, if requested by the Company. If a New Warrant is requested as a result of a mutilation of this Warrant, then the Holder shall deliver such mutilated Warrant to the Company as a condition precedent to the Company’s obligation to issue the New Warrant.
8. Reservation of Warrant Shares. The Company covenants that it will, at all times while this Warrant is outstanding, reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved Common Stock, solely for the purpose of enabling it to issue Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as herein provided, the number of Warrant Shares that are initially issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of this entire Warrant, free from preemptive rights or any other contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Holder (taking into account the adjustments and restrictions of Section 9). The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares so issuable and deliverable shall, upon issuance and the payment of the applicable Exercise Price in accordance with the terms hereof, be duly and validly authorized, issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The Company will take all such action as may be reasonably necessary to assure that such shares of Common Stock may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company further covenants that it will not, without the prior written consent of the Holder, take any actions to increase the par value of the Common Stock at any time while this Warrant is outstanding.
9. Certain Adjustments. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (the “Number of Warrant Shares”) are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in this Section 9.
(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) pays a stock dividend on its Common Stock or otherwise makes a distribution on any class of capital stock issued and outstanding on the Original Issue Date and in accordance with the terms of such stock on the Original Issue Date or as amended, that is payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivides its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares of Common Stock, (iii) combines its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of capital stock any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company, then in each such case the Number of Warrant Shares shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution, provided, however, that if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid on the date fixed therefor, the Number of Warrant Shares shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Number of Warrant Shares shall be adjusted pursuant to this paragraph as of the time of actual payment of such dividends. Any adjustment pursuant to clause (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such subdivision, combination or issuance.
(b) Pro Rata Distributions. If, on or after the Original Issue Date, the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other pro rata distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property, options, evidence of indebtedness or any other assets by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction, but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any distribution of shares of Common Stock subject to Section 9(a), any distribution of Purchase Rights (as defined below) subject to Section 9(c) and any Fundamental Transaction (as defined below) subject to Section 9(d)) (a “Distribution”) then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage (as defined below)) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such Distribution (and any Distributions declared or made on such initial Distribution or on any subsequent Distribution held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation.
(c) Purchase Rights. If at any time on or after the Original Issue Date that this Warrant is outstanding, the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property, in each case pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Stock (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 shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage) 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 Stock are to be determined for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right (and beneficial ownership) to such extent) and at the Holder’s election, in its sole discretion, either (1) such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such right (and any Purchase Right granted, issued or sold on such initial Purchase Right or on any subsequent Purchase Right to be held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation or (2) the Company shall offer the Holder the right upon exercise of such Purchase Right to acquire a security (e.g. a pre-funded warrant) that would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage but will otherwise to the extent possible have economic and other rights, preferences and privileges substantially consistent and on par with the securities or other property issuable upon exercise of the originally offered Purchase Rights. As used in this Section 9(c), (i) “Options” means any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities and (ii) “Convertible Securities” mean any stock or securities (other than Options) directly or indirectly convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock.
(d) Fundamental Transactions. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding (i) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, in which the Company is not the surviving entity or in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not own, directly or indirectly, at least 50% of the voting power of the surviving entity immediately after such merger or consolidation (other than (a) a reincorporation in a different state or a similar transaction pursuant to which the surviving company remains a public company and (b) the Merger, as defined in the Purchase Agreement), (ii) the Company effects any sale to another Person of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions (and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), (iii) pursuant to any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person), holders of capital stock tender shares representing more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company and the Company or such other Person, as applicable, accepts such tender for payment, (iv) the Company consummates a stock purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement (other than a stock split)) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company (except for any such transaction in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction maintain, in substantially the same proportions, the voting power of such Person immediately after the transaction) or (v) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock (other than a stock split) or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (other than as a result of a subdivision or combination of shares of Common Stock covered by Section 9(a) above) (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then following such Fundamental Transaction the Holder shall have the right to receive, upon exercise of this Warrant, the same amount and kind of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of the number of Warrant Shares then issuable upon exercise in full of this Warrant (including any Distributions or Purchase Rights then held in abeyance pursuant to Sections 9(b) or 9(c) above) without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein (the “Alternate Consideration”). The Company shall not effect any Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the surviving entity or the Alternate Consideration includes securities of another Person unless (i) the Alternate Consideration is solely cash and the Company provides for the simultaneous “cashless exercise” of this Warrant pursuant to Section 10 below or (ii) prior to or simultaneously with the consummation thereof, any successor to the Company, surviving entity or other Person (including any purchaser of assets of the Company) shall assume the obligation to deliver to the Holder such Alternate Consideration as, in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the Holder may be entitled to receive, and the other obligations under this Warrant. The provisions of this paragraph (d) shall similarly apply to subsequent transactions analogous to a Fundamental Transaction type.
(e) Number of Warrant Shares. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Number of Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 9, the Exercise Price shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the increased or decreased Number of Warrant Shares shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may the Exercise Price be adjusted below the par value of the Common Stock then in effect.
(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 9 shall be made to the nearest one-tenth of one cent or the nearest share, as applicable.
(g) Notice of Adjustments. Upon the occurrence of each adjustment pursuant to this Section 9, the Company at its expense will, at the written request of the Holder, promptly compute such adjustment, in good faith, in accordance with the terms of this Warrant and prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, including a statement of the adjusted Exercise Price and adjusted number or type of Warrant Shares or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (as applicable), describing the transactions giving rise to such adjustments and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment is based; provided however, that no notice shall be required if the information is disseminated by the Company in a filing with the Commission on its EDGAR system pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K or in a press release. Upon written request, the Company will promptly deliver a copy of each such certificate to the Holder and to the Company’s transfer agent.
(h) Notice of Corporate Events. If, while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company (i) declares a dividend or any other distribution of cash, securities or other property in respect of its Common Stock (other than a stock split), including, without limitation, any granting of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary (excluding any granting or issuance of rights to all of the Company’s stockholders pursuant to a stockholder rights plan), (ii) authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction or (iii) authorizes the voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such transaction at least four days prior to the applicable record or effective date on which a Person would need to hold Common Stock in order to participate in or vote with respect to such transaction (unless such information is filed with the Commission on its EDGAR system in which case a notice shall not be required); provided, however, that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be described in such notice. In addition, if while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction contemplated by Section 9(d), other than a Fundamental Transaction under clause (iii) of Section 9(d), the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such Fundamental Transaction at least 30 days prior to the date such Fundamental Transaction is consummated. Holder agrees to maintain any information disclosed pursuant to this Section 9(h) in confidence until such information is publicly available, and shall comply with applicable law with respect to trading in the Company’s securities following receipt of any such information.
(i) Voluntary Adjustment By Company. Subject to the rules and regulations of the Principal Trading Market, the Company may at any time during the term of this Warrant, reduce the then-current Exercise Price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the board of directors of the Company.
10. Payment of Exercise Price. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Holder may, in its sole discretion, satisfy its obligation to pay the Exercise Price through a “cashless exercise”, in which event the Company shall issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares in an exchange of securities effected pursuant to Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, determined as follows:
X = Y [(A-B)/A]
where:
“X” equals the number of Warrant Shares to be issued to the Holder;
“Y” equals the total number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised;
“A” equals the Closing Sale Price of the shares of Common Stock (as reported by Bloomberg Financial Market) as of the Trading Day on the date immediately preceding the Exercise Date; and
“B” equals the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.
For purposes of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, it is intended, understood and acknowledged that the Warrant Shares issued in a “cashless exercise” transaction shall be deemed to have been acquired by the Holder, and the holding period for the Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have commenced, on the Original Issue Date (provided that the Commission continues to take the position that such treatment is proper at the time of such exercise). In the event that a registration statement registering the issuance of Warrant Shares is, for any reason, not effective at the time of exercise of this Warrant, then this Warrant may only be exercised through a cashless exercise, as set forth in this Section 10. If the Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the Company acknowledges and agrees that, in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Exercise Shares issued in such exercise shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised and may be tacked on to the holding period of the Warrants being exercised. Except as set forth in Section 5(b) (Buy-in Remedy) and Section 12 (No Fractional Shares), in no event will the exercise of this Warrant be settled in cash.
11. Limitations on Exercise.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not effect the exercise of any portion of this Warrant, and the Holder of this Warrant shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the Warrant, and any such exercise shall be null and void ab initio and treated as if the exercise had not been made, to the extent that immediately prior to or following such exercise, the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, beneficially owns or would beneficially own as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, in excess of 4.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Common Stock that would be issued and outstanding following such exercise. For purposes of calculating beneficial ownership for determining whether the Maximum Percentage is or will be exceeded, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties, shall include the number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the relevant Warrant with respect to which the determination is being made but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, unexercised Warrant held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company held and/or beneficially owned by such Holder or any Attribution Party (including, without limitation, any convertible notes, convertible stock or warrants) that are subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. For purposes of this Paragraph 11(a), beneficial ownership of the Holder or the Attribution Parties shall, except as set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, be calculated and determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder of this Warrant may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Company’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding (such issued and outstanding shares, the “Reported Outstanding Share Number”). For any reason at any time, upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within one business day confirm orally and in writing or by electronic mail to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. The Holder shall disclose to the Company the number of shares of Common Stock that it, together with the Attribution Parties holds and/or beneficially owns and has the right to acquire through the exercise of derivative securities and any limitations on exercise or conversion analogous to the limitation contained herein contemporaneously or immediately prior to submitting an Exercise Notice for the relevant Warrant. If the Company receives an Exercise Notice from the Holder at a time when the actual number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is less than the Reported Outstanding Share Number, the Company shall (i) notify the Holder in writing of the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding and, to the extent that such Exercise Notice would otherwise cause the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, beneficial ownership, as determined pursuant to this Section 11(a), to exceed the Maximum Percentage, the Holder must notify the Company of a reduced number of Warrant Shares to be purchased pursuant to such Exercise Notice (the number of shares by which such purchase is reduced, the “Reduction Shares”) and (ii) as soon as reasonably practicable, the Company shall return to the Holder any exercise price paid by the Holder for the Reduction Shares. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder and the Attribution Parties since the date as of which the Reported Outstanding Share Number was reported. In the event that the issuance of Common Stock to the Holder upon exercise of this Warrant results in the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, being deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, more than the Maximum Percentage of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), the number of shares so issued by which the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, aggregate beneficial ownership exceeds the Maximum Percentage (the “Excess Shares”) shall be deemed null and void and shall be cancelled ab initio, and the Holder and/or the Attribution Parties shall not have the power to vote or to transfer the Excess Shares. As soon as reasonably practicable after the issuance of the Excess Shares has been deemed null and void, the Company shall return to the Holder the exercise price paid by the Holder for the Excess Shares. By written notice to the Company, a Holder of this Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 19.99% specified in such notice; provided that any increase in the Maximum Percentage will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company and shall not negatively affect any partial exercise effected prior to such change.
(b) This Section 11 shall not restrict the number of shares of Common Stock which a Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive or beneficially own in order to determine the amount of securities or other consideration that such Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive in the event of a Fundamental Transaction as contemplated in Section 9(c) of this Warrant. For purposes of clarity, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the terms of this Warrant in excess of the Maximum Percentage shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder or Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, including Rule 16a-1(a)(1). No prior inability to exercise this Warrant pursuant to this paragraph shall have any effect on the applicability of the provisions of this paragraph with respect to any subsequent determination of exercisability. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 11 to the extent necessary to correct this paragraph or any portion of this paragraph which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation contained in this Section 11 or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitation contained in this paragraph may not be waived and shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
12. No Fractional Shares. No fractional Warrant Shares will be issued in connection with any exercise of this Warrant. In lieu of any fractional shares that would otherwise be issuable, the number of Warrant Shares to be issued shall be rounded down to the next whole number and the Company shall pay the Holder in cash the fair market value (based on the Closing Sale Price) for any such fractional shares.
13. Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries hereunder (including, without limitation, any Exercise Notice) shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company prior to 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on a Trading Day, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on any Trading Day, (iii) the Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service specifying next business day delivery, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the Person to whom such notice is required to be given, if by hand delivery.
14. Warrant Agent. The Company shall initially serve as warrant agent under this Warrant. Upon 30 days’ notice to the Holder, the Company may appoint a new warrant agent. Any corporation into which the Company or any new warrant agent may be merged or any corporation resulting from any consolidation to which the Company or any new warrant agent shall be a party or any corporation to which the Company or any new warrant agent transfers substantially all of its corporate trust or shareholders services business shall be a successor warrant agent under this Warrant without any further act. Any such successor warrant agent shall promptly cause notice of its succession as warrant agent to be mailed (by first class mail, postage prepaid) to the Holder at the Holder’s last address as shown on the Warrant Register.
15. Miscellaneous.
(a) No Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise set forth in this Warrant, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Warrant Shares which such Person is then entitled to receive upon the due exercise of this Warrant. In addition, nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as imposing any liabilities on the Holder to purchase any securities (upon exercise of this Warrant or otherwise) or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liabilities are asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
(b) Further Assurances. 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 or articles 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 (a) 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, (b) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) 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.
(c) Successors and Assigns. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, this Warrant may be assigned by the Holder. This Warrant may not be assigned by the Company without the written consent of the Holder, except to a successor in the event of a Fundamental Transaction. This Warrant shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the Company and the Holder and their respective successors and assigns. Subject to the preceding sentence, nothing in this Warrant shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company and the Holder any legal or equitable right, remedy or cause of action under this Warrant.
(d) Amendment and Waiver. This Warrant may be amended only in writing signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the Warrant Shares underlying the Warrants to purchase Common Stock issued under the Purchase Agreement that are outstanding as of such date, or their successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder.
(e) Acceptance. Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions contained herein.
(f) Governing Law; Jurisdiction. ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, ENFORCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF THIS WARRANT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW THEREOF. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR DISCUSSED HEREIN (INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY OF THE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS), AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF VIA REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL OR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY (WITH EVIDENCE OF DELIVERY) TO SUCH PERSON AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO A TRIAL BY JURY.
(g) Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Warrant and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
(h) Severability. If any part or provision of this Warrant is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Warrant shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be duly executed by its authorized officer as of the date first indicated above.
| Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | [__________] | ||
| Title: | [__________] | ||
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF EXERCISE NOTICE
[To be executed by the Holder to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Warrant]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
(1) The undersigned is the Holder of Warrant No. __ (the “Warrant”) issued by Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.
(2) The undersigned hereby exercises its right to purchase _____ Warrant Shares pursuant to the Warrant.
(3) The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as (check one):
| ☐ | Cash Exercise |
| ☐ | “Cashless Exercise” under Section 10 of the Warrant |
(4) If the Holder has elected a Cash Exercise, the Holder shall pay the sum of $ _____ in immediately available funds to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.
(5) Pursuant to this Exercise Notice, the Company shall deliver to the Holder Warrant Shares determined in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. The Warrant Shares shall be delivered (check one):
| ☐ | to the following DWAC Account Number: _______________________________ | ||
| ☐ | in book-entry form via a direct registration system | ||
| ☐ | by physical delivery of a certificate to: | ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ | |
| ☐ | in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register | ||
(6) By its delivery of this Exercise Notice, the undersigned represents and warrants to the Company that in giving effect to the exercise evidenced hereby the Holder (i) the Holder is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and (ii) will not beneficially own in excess of the number of shares of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) permitted to be owned under Section 11(a) of the Warrant to which this notice relates.
| Dated: | _______________________________ | |
| Name of Holder: | _______________________________ | |
| By: | _______________________________ | |
| Name: | _______________________________ | |
| Title: | _______________________________ |
(Signature must conform in all respects to name of Holder as specified on the face of the Warrant)
15
Exhibit 4.3
Execution Version
THIS WARRANT AND THE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON THE EXERCISE OF THIS WARRANT (THE “SECURITIES”) HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED UNLESS (I) SUCH SECURITIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED FOR SALE PURSUANT TO THE SECURITIES ACT, (II) SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (III) THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSFER MAY LAWFULLY BE MADE WITHOUT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (IV) THE SECURITIES ARE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO AN AFFILIATE OF SUCH HOLDER OR A CUSTODIAL NOMINEE (WHICH FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT SHALL REQUIRE NEITHER CONSENT NOR THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION).
FORM OF PRE-FUNDED WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
Number of Shares: [__](subject to adjustment)
| Warrant No. PFW-[__] | Original Issue Date: [__], 2026 |
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, [_________] or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company up to a total of the number listed above of shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (each such share, a “Warrant Share” and all such shares, the “Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price per share equal to $0.001 (the “Exercise Price”), in each case as adjusted from time to time as provided in Section 9, upon surrender of this Pre-Funded Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (including any Warrants to Purchase Common Stock issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”) at any time and from time to time on or after the [date Shareholder Approval is received (the “Shareholder Approval Date”)][the Original Issue Date (as listed above)]1, subject to the following terms and conditions:
This Warrant is one of a series of similar warrants issued pursuant to that certain Exchange Agreement, dated June 11, 2026, by and among the Company and the Holders identified therein (the “Exchange Agreement”).
1. Definitions. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediates, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person.
| 1 | If issued after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
“Attribution Parties” means, collectively, the following Persons and entities: (i) any direct or indirect Affiliates of the Holder, (ii) any investment vehicle, including, any funds, feeder funds or managed accounts, currently, or from time to time after the date hereof, directly or indirectly managed or advised by the Holder’s investment manager, (iii) any Person acting or who could be deemed to be acting as a Group together with the Holder or any Attribution Parties and (iv) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of the Company’s Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s and/or any other Attribution Parties for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act. For clarity, the purpose of the foregoing is to subject collectively the Holder and all other Attribution Parties to the Maximum Percentage.
“Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last trade price for such security on the Principal Trading Market for such security, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or, if such Principal Trading Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the last trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00 P.M., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or if the foregoing do not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets. If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then the Board of Directors of the Company shall use its good faith judgment to determine the fair market value. The Board of Directors’ determination shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during the applicable calculation period.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Group” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and all related rules, regulations and jurisprudence.
“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or any other entity or organization.
“Principal Trading Market” means the national securities exchange or other trading market on which the Common Stock is primarily listed on and quoted for trading, which, as of [__], 2026 (the “Original Issue Date”), shall be the Nasdaq Capital Market.
“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shareholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market (or any successor entity) from the shareholders of the Company to permit the exercise of the Warrant.
“Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, for the Principal Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock that is in effect on the date of delivery of an applicable Exercise Notice, which as of the Original Issue Date was “T+1.”
“Trading Day” means any weekday on which the Principal Trading Market is normally open for trading.
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the Company’s transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock, and any successor appointed in such capacity.
2. Issuance of Securities; Registration of Warrants. The Company shall register ownership of this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder (which shall include the initial Holder or, as the case may be, any assignee to which this Warrant is permissibly assigned hereunder) 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.
3. Registration of Transfers. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) 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, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, 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. Subject to compliance with all applicable securities laws, the Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, register the transfer of all or any portion of this Warrant in the Warrant Register, upon surrender of this Warrant, and payment for all applicable transfer taxes (if any). Upon any such registration or transfer, a new warrant to purchase Common Stock in substantially the form of this Warrant (any such new warrant, a “New Warrant”) evidencing the portion of this Warrant so transferred shall be issued to the transferee, and a New Warrant evidencing the remaining portion of this Warrant not so transferred, if any, shall be issued to the transferring Holder. The acceptance of the New Warrant by the transferee thereof shall be deemed the acceptance by such transferee of all of the rights and obligations in respect of the New Warrant that the Holder has in respect of this Warrant. The Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, prepare, issue and deliver at the Company’s own expense, any New Warrant under this Section 3. Until due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company may treat the registered Holder hereof as the owner and holder for all purposes, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary.
4. Exercise of Warrants.
(a) All or any part of this Warrant shall be exercisable by the registered Holder in any manner permitted by this Warrant (including Section 10 and subject to Section 11) at any time and from time to time on or after the [Shareholder Approval Date][Original Issue Date]2, and such rights shall not expire until exercised in full.
| 2 | If issued after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
(b) The Holder may exercise this Warrant by delivering to the Company (i) an exercise notice, in the form attached as Schedule 1 hereto (the “Exercise Notice”), completed and duly signed, and (ii) payment of the Exercise Price for the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant is being exercised (which may take the form of a “cashless exercise” if so indicated in the Exercise Notice pursuant to Section 10 below), and the date on which the last of such items is delivered to the Company (as determined in accordance with the notice provisions hereof) is an “Exercise Date.” The Company shall have no obligation to inquire with respect to or otherwise confirm the authenticity of the signature(s) contained on any Notice of Exercise nor the authority of the person so executing such Notice of Exercise. The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of the Exercise Notice shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original Warrant and issuance of a New Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares, if any.
(c) The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this section, 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.
5. Delivery of Warrant Shares.
(a) Upon exercise of this Warrant, and provided that payment is received, the Company shall promptly (but in no event later than the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date), upon the request of the Holder, cause the Transfer Agent to credit such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock specified by the Holder in the Exercise Notice and to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise (the “Exercise Shares”) to (i) the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit Withdrawal At Custodian system or (ii) in book-entry form via a direct registration system (“DRS”) maintained by or on behalf of the Transfer Agent, in each case, so long as either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or the resale of such Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) the Exercise Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (assuming cashless exercise of this Warrant). If (A) and (B) above are not true, the Company shall cause the Transfer Agent to either (i) record the Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee on the certificates reflecting the Exercise Shares with an appropriate legend regarding restriction on transferability, which shall be issued and dispatched by overnight courier to the address as specified in the Exercise Notice, and on the Company’s share register or (ii) issue such Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register. The Holder, or any Person so designated by the Holder to receive Warrant Shares, shall be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Warrant Shares as of the Exercise Date, irrespective of the date such Warrant Shares are credited to the Holder’s DTC account, the date of the book entry positions or the date of delivery of the certificates evidencing such Exercise Shares, as the case may be.
(b) In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to deliver to the Holder or its designee Exercise Shares in the manner required pursuant to Section 5(a) within the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date (other than a failure caused by incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Company) and the Holder or the Holder’s broker on its behalf purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock 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”) but did not receive within the Standard Settlement Period, then the Company shall, within two Trading Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s sole discretion, promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Holder or its designee the Exercise Shares pursuant to Section 5(a) and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased in the Buy-In, less the product of (A) the number of shares of Common Stock purchased in the Buy-In, times (B) the Closing Sale Price of a share of Common Stock on the Exercise Date. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice promptly after the occurrence of a Buy-In, indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In together with applicable confirmations and other evidence reasonably requested by the Company.
(c) To the extent permitted by law and subject to Section 5(b), the Company’s obligations to issue and deliver Warrant Shares in accordance with and subject to the terms hereof (including the limitations set forth in Section 11 below) are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Company or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance that might otherwise limit such obligation of the Company to the Holder in connection with the issuance of Warrant Shares. Subject to Section 5(b), nothing herein shall limit the 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 Exercise Shares; provided, however, that the Holder shall not be entitled to both (i) require the Company to reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not timely honored and (ii) receive the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Company had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 5(a).
6. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance and delivery of Exercise Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax, transfer agent fee or other incidental tax or expense (excluding any applicable stamp duties) in respect of the issuance of such shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the registration of any Warrant Shares or the Warrants in a name other than that of the Holder or an Affiliate thereof. The Holder shall be responsible for all other tax liability that may arise as a result of holding or transferring this Warrant or receiving Warrant Shares upon exercise hereof.
7. Replacement of Warrant. If this Warrant is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation hereof, or in lieu of and substitution for this Warrant, a New Warrant, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction (in such case) and, in each case, a customary and reasonable contractual indemnity, if requested by the Company. If a New Warrant is requested as a result of a mutilation of this Warrant, then the Holder shall deliver such mutilated Warrant to the Company as a condition precedent to the Company’s obligation to issue the New Warrant.
8. Reservation of Warrant Shares. The Company covenants that it will, at all times while this Warrant is outstanding, reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved Common Stock, solely for the purpose of enabling it to issue Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as herein provided, the number of Warrant Shares that are initially issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of this entire Warrant, free from preemptive rights or any other contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Holder (taking into account the adjustments and restrictions of Section 9). The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares so issuable and deliverable shall, upon issuance and the payment of the applicable Exercise Price in accordance with the terms hereof, be duly and validly authorized, issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The Company will take all such action as may be reasonably necessary to assure that such shares of Common Stock may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company further covenants that it will not, without the prior written consent of the Holder, take any actions to increase the par value of the Common Stock at any time while this Warrant is outstanding.
9. Certain Adjustments. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (the “Number of Warrant Shares”) are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in this Section 9.
(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) pays a stock dividend on its Common Stock or otherwise makes a distribution on any class of capital stock issued and outstanding on the Original Issue Date and in accordance with the terms of such stock on the Original Issue Date or as amended, that is payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivides its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares of Common Stock, (iii) combines its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of capital stock any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company, then in each such case the Number of Warrant Shares shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution, provided, however, that if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid on the date fixed therefor, the Number of Warrant Shares shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Number of Warrant Shares shall be adjusted pursuant to this paragraph as of the time of actual payment of such dividends. Any adjustment pursuant to clause (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such subdivision, combination or issuance.
(b) Pro Rata Distributions. If, on or after the Original Issue Date, the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other pro rata distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property, options, evidence of indebtedness or any other assets by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction, but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any distribution of shares of Common Stock subject to Section 9(a), any distribution of Purchase Rights (as defined below) subject to Section 9(c) and any Fundamental Transaction (as defined below) subject to Section 9(d)) (a “Distribution”) then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage (as defined below)) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such Distribution (and any Distributions declared or made on such initial Distribution or on any subsequent Distribution held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation.
(c) Purchase Rights. If at any time on or after the Original Issue Date that this Warrant is outstanding, the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property, in each case pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Stock (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 shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage) 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 Stock are to be determined for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right (and beneficial ownership) to such extent) and at the Holder’s election, in its sole discretion, either (1) such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such right (and any Purchase Right granted, issued or sold on such initial Purchase Right or on any subsequent Purchase Right to be held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation or (2) the Company shall offer the Holder the right upon exercise of such Purchase Right to acquire a security (e.g. a pre-funded warrant) that would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage but will otherwise to the extent possible have economic and other rights, preferences and privileges substantially consistent and on par with the securities or other property issuable upon exercise of the originally offered Purchase Rights. As used in this Section 9(c), (i) “Options” means any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities and (ii) “Convertible Securities” mean any stock or securities (other than Options) directly or indirectly convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock.
(d) Fundamental Transactions. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding (i) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, in which the Company is not the surviving entity or in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not own, directly or indirectly, at least 50% of the voting power of the surviving entity immediately after such merger or consolidation (other than (a) a reincorporation in a different state or a similar transaction pursuant to which the surviving company remains a public company and (b) the Merger, as defined in the Exchange Agreement), (ii) the Company effects any sale to another Person of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions (and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), (iii) pursuant to any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person), holders of capital stock tender shares representing more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company and the Company or such other Person, as applicable, accepts such tender for payment, (iv) the Company consummates a stock purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement (other than a stock split)) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company (except for any such transaction in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction maintain, in substantially the same proportions, the voting power of such Person immediately after the transaction) or (v) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock (other than a stock split) or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (other than as a result of a subdivision or combination of shares of Common Stock covered by Section 9(a) above) (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then following such Fundamental Transaction the Holder shall have the right to receive, upon exercise of this Warrant, the same amount and kind of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of the number of Warrant Shares then issuable upon exercise in full of this Warrant (including any Distributions or Purchase Rights then held in abeyance pursuant to Sections 9(b) or 9(c) above) without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein (the “Alternate Consideration”). The Company shall not effect any Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the surviving entity or the Alternate Consideration includes securities of another Person unless (i) the Alternate Consideration is solely cash and the Company provides for the simultaneous “cashless exercise” of this Warrant pursuant to Section 10 below or (ii) prior to or simultaneously with the consummation thereof, any successor to the Company, surviving entity or other Person (including any purchaser of assets of the Company) shall assume the obligation to deliver to the Holder such Alternate Consideration as, in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the Holder may be entitled to receive, and the other obligations under this Warrant. The provisions of this paragraph (d) shall similarly apply to subsequent transactions analogous to a Fundamental Transaction type.
(e) Number of Warrant Shares. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Number of Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 9, the Exercise Price shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the increased or decreased Number of Warrant Shares shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may the Exercise Price be adjusted below the par value of the Common Stock then in effect.
(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 9 shall be made to the nearest one-tenth of one cent or the nearest share, as applicable.
(g) Notice of Adjustments. Upon the occurrence of each adjustment pursuant to this Section 9, the Company at its expense will, at the written request of the Holder, promptly compute such adjustment, in good faith, in accordance with the terms of this Warrant and prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, including a statement of the adjusted Exercise Price and adjusted number or type of Warrant Shares or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (as applicable), describing the transactions giving rise to such adjustments and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment is based; provided however, that no notice shall be required if the information is disseminated by the Company in a filing with the Commission on its EDGAR system pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K or in a press release. Upon written request, the Company will promptly deliver a copy of each such certificate to the Holder and to the Company’s transfer agent.
(h) Notice of Corporate Events. If, while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company (i) declares a dividend or any other distribution of cash, securities or other property in respect of its Common Stock (other than a stock split), including, without limitation, any granting of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary (excluding any granting or issuance of rights to all of the Company’s stockholders pursuant to a stockholder rights plan), (ii) authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction or (iii) authorizes the voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such transaction at least four days prior to the applicable record or effective date on which a Person would need to hold Common Stock in order to participate in or vote with respect to such transaction (unless such information is filed with the Commission on its EDGAR system in which case a notice shall not be required); provided, however, that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be described in such notice. In addition, if while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction contemplated by Section 9(d), other than a Fundamental Transaction under clause (iii) of Section 9(d), the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such Fundamental Transaction at least 30 days prior to the date such Fundamental Transaction is consummated. Holder agrees to maintain any information disclosed pursuant to this Section 9(h) in confidence until such information is publicly available, and shall comply with applicable law with respect to trading in the Company’s securities following receipt of any such information.
10. Payment of Exercise Price. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Holder may, in its sole discretion, satisfy its obligation to pay the Exercise Price through a “cashless exercise”, in which event the Company shall issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares in an exchange of securities effected pursuant to Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, determined as follows:
X = Y [(A-B)/A]
where:
“X” equals the number of Warrant Shares to be issued to the Holder;
“Y” equals the total number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised;
“A” equals the Closing Sale Price of the shares of Common Stock (as reported by Bloomberg Financial Market) as of the Trading Day on the date immediately preceding the Exercise Date; and
“B” equals the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.
For purposes of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, it is intended, understood and acknowledged that the Warrant Shares issued in a “cashless exercise” transaction shall be deemed to have been acquired by the Holder, and the holding period for the Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have commenced, on the Original Issue Date (provided that the Commission continues to take the position that such treatment is proper at the time of such exercise). In the event that a registration statement registering the issuance of Warrant Shares is, for any reason, not effective at the time of exercise of this Warrant, then this Warrant may only be exercised through a cashless exercise, as set forth in this Section 10. If the Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the Company acknowledges and agrees that, in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Exercise Shares issued in such exercise shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised and may be tacked on to the holding period of the Warrants being exercised. Except as set forth in Section 5(b) (Buy-in Remedy) and Section 12 (No Fractional Shares), in no event will the exercise of this Warrant be settled in cash.
11. Limitations on Exercise.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not effect the exercise of any portion of this Warrant, and the Holder of this Warrant shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the Warrant, and any such exercise shall be null and void ab initio and treated as if the exercise had not been made, to the extent that immediately prior to or following such exercise, the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, beneficially owns or would beneficially own as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, in excess of 4.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Common Stock that would be issued and outstanding following such exercise. For purposes of calculating beneficial ownership for determining whether the Maximum Percentage is or will be exceeded, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties, shall include the number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the relevant Warrant with respect to which the determination is being made but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, unexercised Warrant held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company held and/or beneficially owned by such Holder or any Attribution Party (including, without limitation, any convertible notes, convertible stock or warrants) that are subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. For purposes of this Paragraph 11(a), beneficial ownership of the Holder or the Attribution Parties shall, except as set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, be calculated and determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder of this Warrant may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Company’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding (such issued and outstanding shares, the “Reported Outstanding Share Number”). For any reason at any time, upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within one business day confirm orally and in writing or by electronic mail to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. The Holder shall disclose to the Company the number of shares of Common Stock that it, together with the Attribution Parties holds and/or beneficially owns and has the right to acquire through the exercise of derivative securities and any limitations on exercise or conversion analogous to the limitation contained herein contemporaneously or immediately prior to submitting an Exercise Notice for the relevant Warrant. If the Company receives an Exercise Notice from the Holder at a time when the actual number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is less than the Reported Outstanding Share Number, the Company shall (i) notify the Holder in writing of the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding and, to the extent that such Exercise Notice would otherwise cause the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, beneficial ownership, as determined pursuant to this Section 11(a), to exceed the Maximum Percentage, the Holder must notify the Company of a reduced number of Warrant Shares to be purchased pursuant to such Exercise Notice (the number of shares by which such purchase is reduced, the “Reduction Shares”) and (ii) as soon as reasonably practicable, the Company shall return to the Holder any exercise price paid by the Holder for the Reduction Shares. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder and the Attribution Parties since the date as of which the Reported Outstanding Share Number was reported. In the event that the issuance of Common Stock to the Holder upon exercise of this Warrant results in the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, being deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, more than the Maximum Percentage of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), the number of shares so issued by which the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, aggregate beneficial ownership exceeds the Maximum Percentage (the “Excess Shares”) shall be deemed null and void and shall be cancelled ab initio, and the Holder and/or the Attribution Parties shall not have the power to vote or to transfer the Excess Shares. As soon as reasonably practicable after the issuance of the Excess Shares has been deemed null and void, the Company shall return to the Holder the exercise price paid by the Holder for the Excess Shares. By written notice to the Company, a Holder of this Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 19.99% specified in such notice; provided that any increase in the Maximum Percentage will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company and shall not negatively affect any partial exercise effected prior to such change.
(b) This Section 11 shall not restrict the number of shares of Common Stock which a Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive or beneficially own in order to determine the amount of securities or other consideration that such Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive in the event of a Fundamental Transaction as contemplated in Section 9(c) of this Warrant. For purposes of clarity, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the terms of this Warrant in excess of the Maximum Percentage shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder or Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, including Rule 16a-1(a)(1). No prior inability to exercise this Warrant pursuant to this paragraph shall have any effect on the applicability of the provisions of this paragraph with respect to any subsequent determination of exercisability. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 11 to the extent necessary to correct this paragraph or any portion of this paragraph which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation contained in this Section 11 or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitation contained in this paragraph may not be waived and shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
12. No Fractional Shares. No fractional Warrant Shares will be issued in connection with any exercise of this Warrant. In lieu of any fractional shares that would otherwise be issuable, the number of Warrant Shares to be issued shall be rounded down to the next whole number and the Company shall pay the Holder in cash the fair market value (based on the Closing Sale Price) for any such fractional shares.
13. Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries hereunder (including, without limitation, any Exercise Notice) shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company prior to 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on a Trading Day, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on any Trading Day, (iii) the Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service specifying next business day delivery, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the Person to whom such notice is required to be given, if by hand delivery.
14. Warrant Agent. The Company shall initially serve as warrant agent under this Warrant. Upon 30 days’ notice to the Holder, the Company may appoint a new warrant agent. Any corporation into which the Company or any new warrant agent may be merged or any corporation resulting from any consolidation to which the Company or any new warrant agent shall be a party or any corporation to which the Company or any new warrant agent transfers substantially all of its corporate trust or shareholders services business shall be a successor warrant agent under this Warrant without any further act. Any such successor warrant agent shall promptly cause notice of its succession as warrant agent to be mailed (by first class mail, postage prepaid) to the Holder at the Holder’s last address as shown on the Warrant Register.
15. Miscellaneous.
(a) No Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise set forth in this Warrant, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Warrant Shares which such Person is then entitled to receive upon the due exercise of this Warrant. In addition, nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as imposing any liabilities on the Holder to purchase any securities (upon exercise of this Warrant or otherwise) or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liabilities are asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
(b) Further Assurances. 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 or articles 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 (a) 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, (b) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) 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.
(c) Successors and Assigns. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, this Warrant may be assigned by the Holder. This Warrant may not be assigned by the Company without the written consent of the Holder, except to a successor in the event of a Fundamental Transaction. This Warrant shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the Company and the Holder and their respective successors and assigns. Subject to the preceding sentence, nothing in this Warrant shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company and the Holder any legal or equitable right, remedy or cause of action under this Warrant.
(d) Amendment and Waiver. This Warrant may be amended only in writing signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the Warrant Shares underlying the Warrants to purchase Common Stock issued under the Exchange Agreement that are outstanding as of such date, or their successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder.
(e) Acceptance. Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions contained herein.
(f) Governing Law; Jurisdiction. ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, ENFORCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF THIS WARRANT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW THEREOF. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR DISCUSSED HEREIN (INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY OF THE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS), AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF VIA REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL OR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY (WITH EVIDENCE OF DELIVERY) TO SUCH PERSON AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO A TRIAL BY JURY.
(g) Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Warrant and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
(h) Severability. If any part or provision of this Warrant is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Warrant shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be duly executed by its authorized officer as of the date first indicated above.
| Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | [__________] | ||
| Title: | [__________] | ||
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF EXERCISE NOTICE
[To be executed by the Holder to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Warrant]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
(1) The undersigned is the Holder of Warrant No. __ (the “Warrant”) issued by Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.
(2) The undersigned hereby exercises its right to purchase _____ Warrant Shares pursuant to the Warrant.
(3) The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as (check one):
| ☐ | Cash Exercise |
| ☐ | “Cashless Exercise” under Section 10 of the Warrant |
(4) If the Holder has elected a Cash Exercise, the Holder shall pay the sum of $ _____ in immediately available funds to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.
(5) Pursuant to this Exercise Notice, the Company shall deliver to the Holder Warrant Shares determined in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. The Warrant Shares shall be delivered (check one):
| ☐ | to the following DWAC Account Number: _______________________________ | ||
| ☐ | in book-entry form via a direct registration system | ||
| ☐ | by physical delivery of a certificate to: | ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ |
|
| ☐ | in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register | ||
(6) By its delivery of this Exercise Notice, the undersigned represents and warrants to the Company that in giving effect to the exercise evidenced hereby the Holder (i) the Holder is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and (ii) will not beneficially own in excess of the number of shares of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) permitted to be owned under Section 11(a) of the Warrant to which this notice relates.
| Dated: | _______________________________ | |
| Name of Holder: | _______________________________ | |
| By: | _______________________________ | |
| Name: | _______________________________ | |
| Title: | _______________________________ |
(Signature must conform in all respects to name of Holder as specified on the face of the Warrant)
Exhibit 4.4
Execution Version
THIS WARRANT AND THE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON THE EXERCISE OF THIS WARRANT (THE “SECURITIES”) HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED UNLESS (I) SUCH SECURITIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED FOR SALE PURSUANT TO THE SECURITIES ACT, (II) SUCH SECURITIES MAY BE SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (III) THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH TRANSFER MAY LAWFULLY BE MADE WITHOUT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR (IV) THE SECURITIES ARE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO AN AFFILIATE OF SUCH HOLDER OR A CUSTODIAL NOMINEE (WHICH FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT SHALL REQUIRE NEITHER CONSENT NOR THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION).
FORM OF WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
Number of Shares: [__](subject to adjustment)
| Warrant No. [__] | Original Issue Date: [__], 2026 |
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, [_________] or its registered assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company up to a total of the number listed above of shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (each such share, a “Warrant Share” and all such shares, the “Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price per share equal to $2.7489 (the “Exercise Price”), in each case as adjusted from time to time as provided in Section 9, upon surrender of this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (including any Warrants to Purchase Common Stock issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”) at any time and from time to time on or after the [date Shareholder Approval is received (the “Shareholder Approval Date”)][Original Issue Date (as listed above)]1 and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [__]2 (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, subject to the following terms and conditions:
This Warrant is one of a series of similar warrants issued pursuant to that certain Exchange Agreement, dated June 11, 2026, by and among the Company and the Investors identified therein (the “Exchange Agreement”).
1. Definitions. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediates, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person.
| 1 | If issued before/after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
| 2 | This date will be the date that is five years from the Original Issue Date. |
“Attribution Parties” means, collectively, the following Persons and entities: (i) any direct or indirect Affiliates of the Holder, (ii) any investment vehicle, including, any funds, feeder funds or managed accounts, currently, or from time to time after the date hereof, directly or indirectly managed or advised by the Holder’s investment manager, (iii) any Person acting or who could be deemed to be acting as a Group together with the Holder or any Attribution Parties and (iv) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of the Company’s Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s and/or any other Attribution Parties for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Exchange Act. For clarity, the purpose of the foregoing is to subject collectively the Holder and all other Attribution Parties to the Maximum Percentage.
“Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last trade price for such security on the Principal Trading Market for such security, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or, if such Principal Trading Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the last trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00 P.M., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets, or if the foregoing do not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg Financial Markets. If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then the Board of Directors of the Company shall use its good faith judgment to determine the fair market value. The Board of Directors’ determination shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during the applicable calculation period.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Group” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and all related rules, regulations and jurisprudence.
“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or any other entity or organization.
“Principal Trading Market” means the national securities exchange or other trading market on which the Common Stock is primarily listed on and quoted for trading, which, as of [____], 2026 (the “Original Issue Date”), shall be the Nasdaq Capital Market.
“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, for the Principal Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock that is in effect on the date of delivery of an applicable Exercise Notice, which as of the Original Issue Date was “T+1.”
“Trading Day” means any weekday on which the Principal Trading Market is normally open for trading.
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the Company’s transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock, and any successor appointed in such capacity.
2. Issuance of Securities; Registration of Warrants. The Company shall register ownership of this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder (which shall include the initial Holder or, as the case may be, any assignee to which this Warrant is permissibly assigned hereunder) 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.
3. Registration of Transfers. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) 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, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company, 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. Subject to compliance with all applicable securities laws, the Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, register the transfer of all or any portion of this Warrant in the Warrant Register, upon surrender of this Warrant, and payment for all applicable transfer taxes (if any). Upon any such registration or transfer, a new warrant to purchase Common Stock in substantially the form of this Warrant (any such new warrant, a “New Warrant”) evidencing the portion of this Warrant so transferred shall be issued to the transferee, and a New Warrant evidencing the remaining portion of this Warrant not so transferred, if any, shall be issued to the transferring Holder. The acceptance of the New Warrant by the transferee thereof shall be deemed the acceptance by such transferee of all of the rights and obligations in respect of the New Warrant that the Holder has in respect of this Warrant. The Company shall, or will cause its Transfer Agent to, prepare, issue and deliver, at the Company’s own expense, any New Warrant under this Section 3. Until due presentment for registration of transfer, the Company may treat the registered Holder hereof as the owner and holder for all purposes, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice to the contrary.
4. Exercise of Warrants.
(a) All or any part of this Warrant shall be exercisable by the registered Holder in any manner permitted by this Warrant (including Section 10 and subject to Section 11) at any time and from time to time on or after the [Shareholder Approval Date][Original Issue Date]3 Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date.
| 3 | If issued before/after the receipt of stockholder approval. |
(b) The Holder may exercise this Warrant by delivering to the Company (i) an exercise notice, in the form attached as Schedule 1 hereto (the “Exercise Notice”), completed and duly signed, and (ii) payment of the Exercise Price for the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant is being exercised (which may take the form of a “cashless exercise” if so indicated in the Exercise Notice pursuant to Section 10 below), and the date on which the last of such items is delivered to the Company (as determined in accordance with the notice provisions hereof) is an “Exercise Date.” The Company shall have no obligation to inquire with respect to or otherwise confirm the authenticity of the signature(s) contained on any Notice of Exercise nor the authority of the person so executing such Notice of Exercise. The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of the Exercise Notice shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original Warrant and issuance of a New Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares, if any.
(c) The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this section, 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.
5. Delivery of Warrant Shares.
(a) Upon exercise of this Warrant, and provided that payment is received, the Company shall promptly (but in no event later than the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date), upon the request of the Holder, cause the Transfer Agent to credit such aggregate number of shares of Common Stock specified by the Holder in the Exercise Notice and to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise (the “Exercise Shares”) to (i) the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit Withdrawal At Custodian system or (ii) in book-entry form via a direct registration system (“DRS”) maintained by or on behalf of the Transfer Agent, in each case, so long as either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or the resale of such Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) the Exercise Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (assuming cashless exercise of this Warrant). If (A) and (B) above are not true, the Company shall cause the Transfer Agent to either (i) record the Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee on the certificates reflecting the Exercise Shares with an appropriate legend regarding restriction on transferability, which shall be issued and dispatched by overnight courier to the address as specified in the Exercise Notice, and on the Company’s share register or (ii) issue such Exercise Shares in the name of the Holder or its designee in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register. The Holder, or any Person so designated by the Holder to receive Warrant Shares, shall be deemed to have become the holder of record of such Warrant Shares as of the Exercise Date, irrespective of the date such Warrant Shares are credited to the Holder’s DTC account, the date of the book entry positions or the date of delivery of the certificates evidencing such Exercise Shares, as the case may be.
(b) In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to deliver to the Holder or its designee Exercise Shares in the manner required pursuant to Section 5(a) within the Standard Settlement Period following the Exercise Date (other than a failure caused by incorrect or incomplete information provided by Holder to the Company) and the Holder or the Holder’s broker on its behalf purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock 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”) but did not receive within the Standard Settlement Period, then the Company shall, within two Trading Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s sole discretion, promptly honor its obligation to deliver to the Holder or its designee the Exercise Shares pursuant to Section 5(a) and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased in the Buy-In, less the product of (A) the number of shares of Common Stock purchased in the Buy-In, times (B) the Closing Sale Price of a share of Common Stock on the Exercise Date. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice promptly after the occurrence of a Buy-In, indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In together with applicable confirmations and other evidence reasonably requested by the Company.
(c) To the extent permitted by law and subject to Section 5(b), the Company’s obligations to issue and deliver Warrant Shares in accordance with and subject to the terms hereof (including the limitations set forth in Section 11 below) are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by the Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by the Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Company or any violation or alleged violation of law by the Holder or any other Person, and irrespective of any other circumstance that might otherwise limit such obligation of the Company to the Holder in connection with the issuance of Warrant Shares. Subject to Section 5(b), nothing herein shall limit the 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 Exercise Shares; provided, however, that the Holder shall not be entitled to both (i) require the Company to reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not timely honored and (ii) receive the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Company had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 5(a).
6. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance and delivery of Exercise Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax, transfer agent fee or other incidental tax or expense (excluding any applicable stamp duties) in respect of the issuance of such shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the registration of any Warrant Shares or the Warrants in a name other than that of the Holder or an Affiliate thereof. The Holder shall be responsible for all other tax liability that may arise as a result of holding or transferring this Warrant or receiving Warrant Shares upon exercise hereof.
7. Replacement of Warrant. If this Warrant is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation hereof, or in lieu of and substitution for this Warrant, a New Warrant, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction (in such case) and, in each case, a customary and reasonable contractual indemnity, if requested by the Company. If a New Warrant is requested as a result of a mutilation of this Warrant, then the Holder shall deliver such mutilated Warrant to the Company as a condition precedent to the Company’s obligation to issue the New Warrant.
8. Reservation of Warrant Shares. The Company covenants that it will, at all times while this Warrant is outstanding, reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its authorized but unissued and otherwise unreserved Common Stock, solely for the purpose of enabling it to issue Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as herein provided, the number of Warrant Shares that are initially issuable and deliverable upon the exercise of this entire Warrant, free from preemptive rights or any other contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Holder (taking into account the adjustments and restrictions of Section 9). The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares so issuable and deliverable shall, upon issuance and the payment of the applicable Exercise Price in accordance with the terms hereof, be duly and validly authorized, issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The Company will take all such action as may be reasonably necessary to assure that such shares of Common Stock may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of any securities exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company further covenants that it will not, without the prior written consent of the Holder, take any actions to increase the par value of the Common Stock at any time while this Warrant is outstanding.
9. Certain Adjustments. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (the “Number of Warrant Shares”) are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in this Section 9.
(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) pays a stock dividend on its Common Stock or otherwise makes a distribution on any class of capital stock issued and outstanding on the Original Issue Date and in accordance with the terms of such stock on the Original Issue Date or as amended, that is payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivides its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares of Common Stock, (iii) combines its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of Common Stock or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of capital stock any additional shares of Common Stock of the Company, then in each such case the Number of Warrant Shares shall be multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution, provided, however, that if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid on the date fixed therefor, the Number of Warrant Shares shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Number of Warrant Shares shall be adjusted pursuant to this paragraph as of the time of actual payment of such dividends. Any adjustment pursuant to clause (ii), (iii) or (iv) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such subdivision, combination or issuance.
(b) Pro Rata Distributions. If, on or after the Original Issue Date, the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other pro rata distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property, options, evidence of indebtedness or any other assets by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction, but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any distribution of shares of Common Stock subject to Section 9(a), any distribution of Purchase Rights (as defined below) subject to Section 9(c) and any Fundamental Transaction (as defined below) subject to Section 9(d)) (a “Distribution”) then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage (as defined below)) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such Distribution (and any Distributions declared or made on such initial Distribution or on any subsequent Distribution held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation.
(c) Purchase Rights. If at any time on or after the Original Issue Date that this Warrant is outstanding, the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property, in each case pro rata to the record holders of any class of Common Stock (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 shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations or restrictions on exercise of this Warrant, including without limitation, the Maximum Percentage) 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 Stock are to be determined for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights; provided, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (and shall not be entitled to beneficial ownership of such Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right (and beneficial ownership) to such extent) and at the Holder’s election, in its sole discretion, either (1) such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time or times as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, at which time or times the Holder shall be granted such right (and any Purchase Right granted, issued or sold on such initial Purchase Right or on any subsequent Purchase Right to be held similarly in abeyance) to the same extent as if there had been no such limitation or (2) the Company shall offer the Holder the right upon exercise of such Purchase Right to acquire a security (e.g. a pre-funded warrant) that would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage but will otherwise to the extent possible have economic and other rights, preferences and privileges substantially consistent and on par with the securities or other property issuable upon exercise of the originally offered Purchase Rights. As used in this Section 9(c), (i) “Options” means any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities and (ii) “Convertible Securities” mean any stock or securities (other than Options) directly or indirectly convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock.
(d) Fundamental Transactions. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding (i) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, in which the Company is not the surviving entity or in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not own, directly or indirectly, at least 50% of the voting power of the surviving entity immediately after such merger or consolidation (other than (a) a reincorporation in a different state or a similar transaction pursuant to which the surviving company remains a public company and (b) the Merger, as defined in the Exchange Agreement), (ii) the Company effects any sale to another Person of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions (and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), (iii) pursuant to any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person), holders of capital stock tender shares representing more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company and the Company or such other Person, as applicable, accepts such tender for payment, (iv) the Company consummates a stock purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement (other than a stock split)) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company (except for any such transaction in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction maintain, in substantially the same proportions, the voting power of such Person immediately after the transaction) or (v) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock (other than a stock split) or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (other than as a result of a subdivision or combination of shares of Common Stock covered by Section 9(a) above) (in any such case, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then following such Fundamental Transaction the Holder shall have the right to receive, upon exercise of this Warrant, the same amount and kind of securities, cash or property as it would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction if it had been, immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction, the holder of the number of Warrant Shares then issuable upon exercise in full of this Warrant (including any Distributions or Purchase Rights then held in abeyance pursuant to Sections 9(b) or 9(c) above) without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein (the “Alternate Consideration”). The Company shall not effect any Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the surviving entity or the Alternate Consideration includes securities of another Person unless (i) the Alternate Consideration is solely cash and the Company provides for the simultaneous “cashless exercise” of this Warrant pursuant to Section 10 below or (ii) prior to or simultaneously with the consummation thereof, any successor to the Company, surviving entity or other Person (including any purchaser of assets of the Company) shall assume the obligation to deliver to the Holder such Alternate Consideration as, in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the Holder may be entitled to receive, and the other obligations under this Warrant. The provisions of this paragraph (d) shall similarly apply to subsequent transactions analogous to a Fundamental Transaction type.
(e) Number of Warrant Shares. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Number of Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 9, the Exercise Price shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the increased or decreased Number of Warrant Shares shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may the Exercise Price be adjusted below the par value of the Common Stock then in effect.
(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 9 shall be made to the nearest one-tenth of one cent or the nearest share, as applicable.
(g) Notice of Adjustments. Upon the occurrence of each adjustment pursuant to this Section 9, the Company at its expense will, at the written request of the Holder, promptly compute such adjustment, in good faith, in accordance with the terms of this Warrant and prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment, including a statement of the adjusted Exercise Price and adjusted number or type of Warrant Shares or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (as applicable), describing the transactions giving rise to such adjustments and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment is based; provided however, that no notice shall be required if the information is disseminated by the Company in a filing with the Commission on its EDGAR system pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K or in a press release. Upon written request, the Company will promptly deliver a copy of each such certificate to the Holder and to the Company’s transfer agent.
(h) Notice of Corporate Events. If, while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company (i) declares a dividend or any other distribution of cash, securities or other property in respect of its Common Stock (other than a stock split), including, without limitation, any granting of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary (excluding any granting or issuance of rights to all of the Company’s stockholders pursuant to a stockholder rights plan), (ii) authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction or (iii) authorizes the voluntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such transaction at least four days prior to the applicable record or effective date on which a Person would need to hold Common Stock in order to participate in or vote with respect to such transaction (unless such information is filed with the Commission on its EDGAR system in which case a notice shall not be required); provided, however, that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be described in such notice. In addition, if while this Warrant is outstanding, the Company authorizes or approves, enters into any agreement contemplating or solicits stockholder approval for any Fundamental Transaction contemplated by Section 9(d), other than a Fundamental Transaction under clause (iii) of Section 9(d), the Company shall deliver to the Holder a notice of such Fundamental Transaction at least 30 days prior to the date such Fundamental Transaction is consummated. Holder agrees to maintain any information disclosed pursuant to this Section 9(h) in confidence until such information is publicly available, and shall comply with applicable law with respect to trading in the Company’s securities following receipt of any such information.
(i) Voluntary Adjustment By Company. Subject to the rules and regulations of the Principal Trading Market, the Company may at any time during the term of this Warrant, reduce the then-current Exercise Price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the board of directors of the Company.
10. Payment of Exercise Price. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Holder may, in its sole discretion, satisfy its obligation to pay the Exercise Price through a “cashless exercise”, in which event the Company shall issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares in an exchange of securities effected pursuant to Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, determined as follows:
X = Y [(A-B)/A]
where:
“X” equals the number of Warrant Shares to be issued to the Holder;
“Y” equals the total number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised;
“A” equals the Closing Sale Price of the shares of Common Stock (as reported by Bloomberg Financial Market) as of the Trading Day on the date immediately preceding the Exercise Date; and
“B” equals the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.
For purposes of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, it is intended, understood and acknowledged that the Warrant Shares issued in a “cashless exercise” transaction shall be deemed to have been acquired by the Holder, and the holding period for the Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have commenced, on the Original Issue Date (provided that the Commission continues to take the position that such treatment is proper at the time of such exercise). In the event that a registration statement registering the issuance of Warrant Shares is, for any reason, not effective at the time of exercise of this Warrant, then this Warrant may only be exercised through a cashless exercise, as set forth in this Section 10. If the Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the Company acknowledges and agrees that, in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Exercise Shares issued in such exercise shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised and may be tacked on to the holding period of the Warrants being exercised. Except as set forth in Section 5(b) (Buy-in Remedy) and Section 12 (No Fractional Shares), in no event will the exercise of this Warrant be settled in cash.
11. Limitations on Exercise.
(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not effect the exercise of any portion of this Warrant, and the Holder of this Warrant shall not have the right to exercise any portion of the Warrant, and any such exercise shall be null and void ab initio and treated as if the exercise had not been made, to the extent that immediately prior to or following such exercise, the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, beneficially owns or would beneficially own as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, in excess of 4.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the Common Stock that would be issued and outstanding following such exercise. For purposes of calculating beneficial ownership for determining whether the Maximum Percentage is or will be exceeded, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties, shall include the number of shares of Common Stock held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder together with the Attribution Parties plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the relevant Warrant with respect to which the determination is being made but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, unexercised Warrant held and/or beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company held and/or beneficially owned by such Holder or any Attribution Party (including, without limitation, any convertible notes, convertible stock or warrants) that are subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein. For purposes of this Paragraph 11(a), beneficial ownership of the Holder or the Attribution Parties shall, except as set forth in the immediately preceding sentence, be calculated and determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder of this Warrant may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (1) the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (2) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (3) any other notice by the Company or the Company’s transfer agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding (such issued and outstanding shares, the “Reported Outstanding Share Number”). For any reason at any time, upon the written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall within one business day confirm orally and in writing or by electronic mail to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. The Holder shall disclose to the Company the number of shares of Common Stock that it, together with the Attribution Parties holds and/or beneficially owns and has the right to acquire through the exercise of derivative securities and any limitations on exercise or conversion analogous to the limitation contained herein contemporaneously or immediately prior to submitting an Exercise Notice for the relevant Warrant. If the Company receives an Exercise Notice from the Holder at a time when the actual number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is less than the Reported Outstanding Share Number, the Company shall (i) notify the Holder in writing of the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding and, to the extent that such Exercise Notice would otherwise cause the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, beneficial ownership, as determined pursuant to this Section 11(a), to exceed the Maximum Percentage, the Holder must notify the Company of a reduced number of Warrant Shares to be purchased pursuant to such Exercise Notice (the number of shares by which such purchase is reduced, the “Reduction Shares”) and (ii) as soon as reasonably practicable, the Company shall return to the Holder any exercise price paid by the Holder for the Reduction Shares. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder and the Attribution Parties since the date as of which the Reported Outstanding Share Number was reported. In the event that the issuance of Common Stock to the Holder upon exercise of this Warrant results in the Holder, together with the Attribution Parties, being deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, more than the Maximum Percentage of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (as determined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act), the number of shares so issued by which the Holder’s, together with the Attribution Parties’, aggregate beneficial ownership exceeds the Maximum Percentage (the “Excess Shares”) shall be deemed null and void and shall be cancelled ab initio, and the Holder and/or the Attribution Parties shall not have the power to vote or to transfer the Excess Shares. As soon as reasonably practicable after the issuance of the Excess Shares has been deemed null and void, the Company shall return to the Holder the exercise price paid by the Holder for the Excess Shares. By written notice to the Company, a Holder of this Warrant may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage to any other percentage not in excess of 19.99% specified in such notice; provided that any increase in the Maximum Percentage will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company and shall not negatively affect any partial exercise effected prior to such change.
(b) This Section 11 shall not restrict the number of shares of Common Stock which a Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive or beneficially own in order to determine the amount of securities or other consideration that such Holder or the Attribution Parties may receive in the event of a Fundamental Transaction as contemplated in Section 9(c) of this Warrant. For purposes of clarity, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the terms of this Warrant in excess of the Maximum Percentage shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder or the Attribution Parties for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder or Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, including Rule 16a-1(a)(1). No prior inability to exercise this Warrant pursuant to this paragraph shall have any effect on the applicability of the provisions of this paragraph with respect to any subsequent determination of exercisability. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 11 to the extent necessary to correct this paragraph or any portion of this paragraph which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation contained in this Section 11 or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitation contained in this paragraph may not be waived and shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
12. No Fractional Shares. No fractional Warrant Shares will be issued in connection with any exercise of this Warrant. In lieu of any fractional shares that would otherwise be issuable, the number of Warrant Shares to be issued shall be rounded down to the next whole number and the Company shall pay the Holder in cash the fair market value (based on the Closing Sale Price) for any such fractional shares.
13. Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries hereunder (including, without limitation, any Exercise Notice) shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company prior to 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on a Trading Day, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via confirmed e-mail at the e-mail address specified by the Company on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on any Trading Day, (iii) the Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service specifying next business day delivery, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the Person to whom such notice is required to be given, if by hand delivery.
14. Warrant Agent. The Company shall initially serve as warrant agent under this Warrant. Upon 30 days’ notice to the Holder, the Company may appoint a new warrant agent. Any corporation into which the Company or any new warrant agent may be merged or any corporation resulting from any consolidation to which the Company or any new warrant agent shall be a party or any corporation to which the Company or any new warrant agent transfers substantially all of its corporate trust or shareholders services business shall be a successor warrant agent under this Warrant without any further act. Any such successor warrant agent shall promptly cause notice of its succession as warrant agent to be mailed (by first class mail, postage prepaid) to the Holder at the Holder’s last address as shown on the Warrant Register.
15. Miscellaneous.
(a) No Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise set forth in this Warrant, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, amalgamation, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Warrant Shares which such Person is then entitled to receive upon the due exercise of this Warrant. In addition, nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as imposing any liabilities on the Holder to purchase any securities (upon exercise of this Warrant or otherwise) or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liabilities are asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
(b) Further Assurances. 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 or articles 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 (a) 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, (b) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) 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.
(c) Successors and Assigns. Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, this Warrant may be assigned by the Holder. This Warrant may not be assigned by the Company without the written consent of the Holder, except to a successor in the event of a Fundamental Transaction. This Warrant shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the Company and the Holder and their respective successors and assigns. Subject to the preceding sentence, nothing in this Warrant shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company and the Holder any legal or equitable right, remedy or cause of action under this Warrant.
(d) Amendment and Waiver. This Warrant may be amended only in writing signed by the Company and the Holders of a majority of the Warrant Shares underlying the Warrants to purchase Common Stock issued under the Exchange Agreement that are outstanding as of such date, or their successors and assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder.
(e) Acceptance. Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions contained herein.
(f) Governing Law; Jurisdiction. ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, ENFORCEMENT AND INTERPRETATION OF THIS WARRANT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW THEREOF. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS SITTING IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR WITH ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR DISCUSSED HEREIN (INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF ANY OF THE TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS), AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND AGREES NOT TO ASSERT IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING, ANY CLAIM THAT IT IS NOT PERSONALLY SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH COURT. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS AND CONSENTS TO PROCESS BEING SERVED IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY MAILING A COPY THEREOF VIA REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL OR OVERNIGHT DELIVERY (WITH EVIDENCE OF DELIVERY) TO SUCH PERSON AT THE ADDRESS IN EFFECT FOR NOTICES TO IT AND AGREES THAT SUCH SERVICE SHALL CONSTITUTE GOOD AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE OF PROCESS AND NOTICE THEREOF. NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN SHALL BE DEEMED TO LIMIT IN ANY WAY ANY RIGHT TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY MANNER PERMITTED BY LAW. EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE HOLDER HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO A TRIAL BY JURY.
(g) Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Warrant and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
(h) Severability. If any part or provision of this Warrant is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Warrant shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be duly executed by its authorized officer as of the date first indicated above.
| Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | [__________] | ||
| Title: | [__________] | ||
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF EXERCISE NOTICE
[To be executed by the Holder to purchase shares of Common Stock under the Warrant]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
(1) The undersigned is the Holder of Warrant No. __ (the “Warrant”) issued by Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.
(2) The undersigned hereby exercises its right to purchase _____ Warrant Shares pursuant to the Warrant.
(3) The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as (check one):
| ☐ | Cash Exercise |
| ☐ | “Cashless Exercise” under Section 10 of the Warrant |
(4) If the Holder has elected a Cash Exercise, the Holder shall pay the sum of $ _____ in immediately available funds to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.
(5) Pursuant to this Exercise Notice, the Company shall deliver to the Holder Warrant Shares determined in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. The Warrant Shares shall be delivered (check one):
| ☐ | to the following DWAC Account Number: _______________________________ | ||
| ☐ | in book-entry form via a direct registration system | ||
| ☐ | by physical delivery of a certificate to: | ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ |
|
| ☐ | in restricted book-entry form in the Company’s share register | ||
(6) By its delivery of this Exercise Notice, the undersigned represents and warrants to the Company that in giving effect to the exercise evidenced hereby the Holder (i) the Holder is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and (ii) will not beneficially own in excess of the number of shares of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) permitted to be owned under Section 11(a) of the Warrant to which this notice relates.
| Dated: | _______________________________ | |
| Name of Holder: | _______________________________ | |
| By: | _______________________________ | |
| Name: | _______________________________ | |
| Title: | _______________________________ |
(Signature must conform in all respects to name of Holder as specified on the face of the Warrant)
Exhibit 10.1
Execution Version
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of June 11, 2026, by and among Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the Persons listed on Exhibit A attached to this Agreement (each, an “Investor” and together, the “Investors”).
WHEREAS, the Company and the Investors are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act”);
WHEREAS, the Company desires to sell to the Investors, and each Investor desires to purchase from the Company, severally and not jointly, upon the terms and subject to the conditions stated in this Agreement, pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Prefunded Warrants”);
WHEREAS, contemporaneously with the sale of the Prefunded Warrants at the Initial Closing (defined below), the parties hereto will execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D, pursuant to which the Company will agree to provide certain registration rights in respect of the Warrant Shares (as defined below), under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws;
WHEREAS, the Company is party to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Company, Azora Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Azora”), Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“First Merger Sub”) and Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Second Merger Sub”), dated on or around the date hereof (as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof and Section 5.13 hereof, the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Azora, with Azora surviving and becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and (ii) Azora will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company ((i) and (ii) together, the “Merger”), and (iii) following the Merger and in accordance with the Merger Agreement, Second Merger Sub will change its name to “Azora Therapeutics, LLC”; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Prefunded Warrants, the ability to exercise the Prefunded Warrants shall be subject to the receipt of the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement).
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, the Company and each Investor, severally and not jointly, agree as follows:
1. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
“2026 SEC Reports” means (a) the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 5, 2026 and (b) any Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or any Current Reports on Form 8-K filed or furnished (as applicable) by the Company after January 1, 2026 and prior to the Business Day immediately preceding the date hereof, together in each case with any documents incorporated by reference therein or exhibits thereto.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Benefit Plan” or “Benefit Plans” means employee benefit plans as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and all other employee benefit practices or arrangements, including, without limitation, any such practices or arrangements providing severance pay, sick leave, vacation pay, salary continuation for disability, retirement benefits, deferred compensation, bonus pay, incentive pay, stock options or other stock-based compensation, hospitalization insurance, medical insurance, life insurance, scholarships or tuition reimbursements, maintained by the Company or to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to contribute for employees or former employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“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.
“Bylaws” means the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as currently in effect and as in effect on the Closing Date.
“Capital Markets Advisor” means TD Securities (USA) LLC.
“Certificate of Incorporation” means the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended, as currently in effect and as in effect on the Closing Date.
“Charter Amendment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4 hereof.
“Closing” means the Initial Closing and any Milestone Closing.
“Closing Date” means the Initial Closing Date and any Milestone Closing Date.
“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company that would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Confidential Data” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“DGCL” means the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended or superseded from time to time.
“Disclosure Document” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.3 hereof.
“Disclosure Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.3 hereof.
“Disqualification Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.28 hereof.
“Drug Regulatory Agency” means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or other foreign, state, local or comparable governmental authority responsible for regulation of the research, development, testing, manufacturing, processing, storage, labeling, sale, marketing, advertising, distribution and importation or exportation of drug or biological products and drug or biological product candidates.
“Environmental Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.15 hereof.
“ERISA” means the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Financial Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.8 hereof.
“Fundamental Representations” means the representations and warranties made by the Company in Sections 3.1 (Organization and Power), 3.2 (Capitalization), 3.4 (Authorization), 3.5 (Valid Issuance), 3.6 (No Conflict), 3.7 (Consents), 3.8 (SEC Filings; Financial Statements), 3.18 (Nasdaq Stock Market), 3.19 (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), 3.23 (Price Stabilization of Common Stock), 3.24 (Investment Company Act), 3.25 (General Solicitation; No Integration or Aggregation), 3.26 (Brokers and Finders), 3.27 (Reliance by the Investors), 3.28 (No Disqualification Event), 3.29 (Other Covered Persons) and 3.30 (No Additional Agreements).
“First Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Funding Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2 hereof.
“GAAP” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.8 hereof.
“GDPR” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Governmental Authorizations” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.11 hereof.
“Health Care Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.21 hereof.
“HIPAA” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“Indemnified Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.10(a).
“Initial Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 hereof.
“Intellectual Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12 hereof.
“Investor” and “Investors” have the meanings set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Issuer Covered Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.28 hereof.
“IT Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, circumstance, development, condition, occurrence or effect that, individually or in the aggregate, (a) was, is, or would reasonably be expected to be, materially adverse to the business, financial condition, properties, assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) materially delays or materially impairs the ability of the Company to comply, or prevents the Company from complying, with its obligations under this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements, the Merger Agreement or with respect to the Closing, or would reasonably be expected to do so.
“Majority in Interest of the Investors” means Investors holding a majority of the outstanding Prefunded Warrants (excluding any Prefunded Warrants issued in the Notes Exchange).
“Merger” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Merger Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Milestone Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2.
“Milestone Event” means the achievement of either of the following prior to the five-year anniversary of the Initial Closing Date:
(A) the Company’s public announcement, via a press release on a nationally recognized news wire or the filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, that either (i) the first person has been dosed in the Company’s Phase 1 clinical trial (in an SAD/MAD study) or (ii) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the Company’s Investigational New Drug Application for AT177 (such acceptance being deemed to occur upon the expiration of thirty (30) days following the submission of such Investigational New Drug Application without the imposition of a clinical hold by the FDA); or
(B) the achievement of a VWAP per share of the Common Stock equal to or greater than 400% of the Purchase Price (subject to appropriate, proportional adjustment for any stock splits or combinations of the Common Stock occurring after the date of the Agreement) measured during any 10 consecutive Trading Days during any 30 Trading Day period.
“Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.
“National Exchange” means (i) on and prior to the Closing Date, The Nasdaq Capital Market, and (ii) following the Closing Date, any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question, together with any successor thereto: the NYSE American, The New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Global Market, The Nasdaq Global Select Market and The Nasdaq Capital Market.
“Notes Exchange” means the exchange the Azora Notes (as defined in the Merger Agreement) for prefunded warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock.
“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or any other entity or organization.
“Personal Data” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“Placement Agent” means Lucid Capital Markets, LLC.
“Privacy Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Privacy Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Process” or “Processing” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Purchase Price” means an amount equal to $2.7489.
“Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1(j) hereof.
“Regulatory Agencies” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.20 hereof.
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC having substantially the same effect as such rule.
“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Second Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Securities” means the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.
“Securities Act” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Short Sales” include, without limitation, (i) all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act, whether or not against the box, and all types of direct and indirect stock pledges, forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, short sales, swaps, “put equivalent positions” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) and similar arrangements (including on a total return basis), and (ii) sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or non-U.S. regulated brokers (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock), in each case, solely to the extent it has the same economic effect as a “short sale” (as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act).
“Subsidiaries” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1 hereof.
“Tax” or “Taxes” means any and all federal, state, local, foreign and other taxes, levies, fees, imposts, duties and charges of whatever kind (including any interest, penalties or additions to the tax imposed in connection therewith or with respect thereto), whether or not imposed on the Company or its Subsidiaries, including, without limitation, taxes imposed on, or measured by, income, franchise, profits or gross receipts, and also ad valorem, value added, sales, use, service, real or personal property, capital stock, license, payroll, withholding, employment, social security, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, utility, severance, production, excise, stamp, occupation, premium, windfall profits, transfer and gains taxes and customs duties.
“Tax Returns” means returns, reports, information statements and other documentation (including any additional or supporting material) filed or maintained, or required to be filed or maintained, in connection with the calculation, determination, assessment or collection of any Tax and shall include any amended returns required as a result of examination adjustments made by the Internal Revenue Service or other Tax authority.
“Trading Day” means any day on which the National Exchange is open for trading.
“Transaction Agreements” means this Agreement, the form of Prefunded Warrant, form of Milestone Incentive Warrant, the Exchange Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and any other documents or agreements explicitly contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means, with respect to the Common Stock, VStock Transfer, LLC, or such other financial institution that provides transfer agent services as the Company may engage from time to time.
“Transfer Taxes” means all real property transfer, sales, use, value added, stamp, documentary, recording, registration, conveyance, stock transfer, intangible property transfer, personal property transfer, gross receipts, registration, duty, securities transactions or similar fees or Taxes (together with any interest, penalty, or addition thereto) incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a National Exchange, the daily volume weighted average price of a share of Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the National Exchange on which the Common Stock is 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 the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on the OTCQB or OTCQX and not a National Exchange, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTCQB or OTCQX and if the price for Common Stock is then reported in The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported.
“Warrants” means all the Prefunded Warrants, the Milestone Prefunded Warrants (as defined below) and the Milestone Incentive Warrants (as defined below).
“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants.
2. Purchase and Sale of Securities.
2.1 Purchase and Sale. On the Initial Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell, and the Investors, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, the number of Prefunded Warrants set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Exhibit A. The price per Pre-Funded Warrant is equal to the Purchase Price.
2.2 Initial Closing. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 6, the closing of the purchase and sale of the Prefunded Warrants (the “Initial Closing” and the date on which the Initial Closing occurs, the “Initial Closing Date”) shall occur remotely via the exchange of executed documents and funds within one (1) Business Day following the date hereof, or at such other time as agreed to by the Company and a Majority in Interest of the Investors, but in no event later than the fifth Business Day after the date of this Agreement. Concurrently with or prior to the execution and delivery hereof, the Company has provided written notice to the Investors (the “Funding Notice”) of the anticipated Initial Closing Date and the wire instructions for delivery of the Aggregate Purchase Amount. At the Initial Closing, the Prefunded Warrants shall be issued and registered in the name of such Investor, or in such nominee name(s) as designated by such Investor, representing the number of Prefunded Warrants to be purchased by such Investor at such Initial Closing as set forth in Exhibit A, in each case against payment to the Company of the purchase price therefor (the “Aggregate Purchase Amount”) in full, by wire transfer to the Company of immediately available funds, at or prior to the Initial Closing, in accordance with wire instructions provided by the Company to the Investors in the Funding Notice. On the Initial Closing Date, the Company will issue the Prefunded Warrants to each Investor. If the Initial Closing has not occurred within two (2) Business Days after the anticipated Initial Closing Date, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and such Investor, the Company shall promptly (but no later than one (1) Business Day thereafter) return the previously wired Aggregate Purchase Amount to each respective Investor by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by each Investor, and any Prefunded Warrants shall be deemed cancelled; provided that, unless this Agreement has been terminated pursuant to Section 7, such return of funds shall not terminate this Agreement or relieve such Investor of its obligation to purchase, or the Company of its obligation to issue and sell, the Prefunded Warrants at the Initial Closing. Notwithstanding the foregoing and anything in this Agreement to the contrary, (i) the Company may amend Exhibit A following the Initial Closing, without the consent of the other parties hereto, to reflect the number of Prefunded Warrants actually purchased and the Aggregate Purchase Amount paid at the Initial Closing in accordance with Section 2.1, in each case, by each such applicable Investor, and shall provide such updated Exhibit A to an Investor upon request, and (ii), as may be agreed to among the Company and one or more Investors, if an Investor is (a) an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (b) advised by an investment adviser subject to regulation under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or (c) otherwise subject to internal policies and/or procedures relating to the timing of funding and issuance of securities, such Investor shall not be required to wire its Aggregate Purchase Amount until it confirms receipt of evidence of the issuance of such Investor’s Prefunded Warrants as of the Closing Date.
2.3 Milestone Closing.
(a) Regardless of whether a Milestone Event has occurred, each Investor shall have the right to complete a milestone closing pursuant to this Agreement (a “Milestone Closing”) any time following the Initial Closing Date and prior to the date that is 30 calendar days following the Milestone Event Notice Date (the “Milestone Funding Period Expiration”). Upon the achievement of a Milestone Event, the Company shall provide written notice to the Investors of such Milestone Event (the “Milestone Event Notice” and the date the Milestone Event Notice is delivered, the “Milestone Event Notice Date”).
(b) At a Milestone Closing, the Company agrees to sell, and each such participating Investor, severally and not jointly, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase, the number of Milestone Prefunded Warrants set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto under the heading “Milestone Prefunded Warrants” for a purchase price per Milestone Prefunded Warrant equal to the Purchase Price; provided, that in the event an Investor exercises, prior to such Investor completing a Milestone Closing, any of the Prefunded Warrants issued to the Investor at the Initial Closing for shares of Common Stock, such Investor will only be eligible to participate in a Milestone Closing to purchase that percentage of Milestone Prefunded Warrants set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto (such number of Milestone Prefunded Warrants being referred to as “Eligible Milestone Prefunded Warrants”) that is equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the number of such Investor’s Prefunded Warrants issued at the Initial Closing that remain unexercised and held by the Investor by (ii) the total number of such Investor’s Prefunded Warrants issued at the Initial Closing (the “Stapled Prefunded Percentage”).
(c) At a Milestone Closing, each such participating Investor shall pay to an account designated by the Company, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the amount that is equal to the number of shares underlying the Eligible Milestone Prefunded Warrants purchased by such Investor at a Milestone Closing times the Purchase Price, and the Company will issue to the Investor (A) the number of Milestone Prefunded Warrants purchased by the Investor pursuant to this Section 2.3 and (B) the Milestone Incentive Warrants (defined below).
2.4 Milestone Incentive Warrants. At a Milestone Closing, the Company shall also issue Milestone Incentive Warrants to each such participating Investor in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Milestone Incentive Warrants”) to purchase up to the number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto under the heading “Milestone Incentive Warrants”; provided, that in the event that, prior to completing a Milestone Closing, an Investor exercises any of the Prefunded Warrants issued to the Investor at the Initial Closing, such Investor will only receive that percentage of the Milestone Incentive Warrants set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto that is equal to the Stapled Prefunded Percentage.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the 2026 SEC Reports (but excluding the Fundamental Representations, which are not so qualified, and any risk factor disclosures contained under the heading “Risk Factors,” any disclosure of risks included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or any other statements that are similarly predictive or forward-looking in nature, in each case, other than any specific factual information contained therein), the Company hereby represents and warrants to each of the Investors, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor that the statements contained in this Section 3 are true and correct as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date (except for the representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be made as of such date):
3.1 Organization and Power. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted and described in the 2026 SEC Reports and is qualified to do business in each jurisdiction in which the character of its properties or the nature of its business requires such qualification, except where such failure to be in good standing or to have such power and authority or to so qualify has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) is wholly owned by the Company. Each of the Subsidiaries is duly incorporated or organized, as applicable, and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, as applicable, and has the requisite power and authority to carry on their business as now conducted and to own or lease its properties. Each of the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required unless the failure to so qualify has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
3.2 Capitalization. The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of the date hereof, none of the Company’s authorized preferred stock is issued and outstanding. The Company’s disclosure of its authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock in the 2026 SEC Reports containing such disclosure was accurate in all material respects as of the date indicated in such 2026 SEC Reports. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company which have not been waived, and such shares were issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable state and federal securities law and any rights of third parties. There are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such Subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options, except for the shares of preferred stock issued in the Merger and the prefunded warrants being issued in the Notes Exchange and pursuant to this Agreement as of the date of this Agreement and the Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants that may be issued from time to time after the date hereof in the Notes Exchange and to the Investors pursuant to this Agreement; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the 2026 SEC Reports; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (except, in the case of any foreign Subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party. There are no securities or instruments issued by or to which the Company is a party containing anti-dilution, rights of first refusal, rights of participation or similar provisions that will be triggered (which, for the avoidance of doubt, excludes any such anti-dilution, rights of first refusal, rights of participation or similar provision that will be waived in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Merger Agreement) by the issuance of the Warrants pursuant to this Agreement.
3.3 Registration Rights. Except as set forth in the Transaction Agreements and the Merger Agreement, the Company is presently not under any obligation, and has not granted any rights, to register under the Securities Act any of the Company’s presently outstanding securities or any of its securities that may hereafter be issued, other than such rights and obligations that have expired or been satisfied or waived.
3.4 Authorization. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into the Transaction Agreements and to carry out and perform its obligations under the terms of the Transaction Agreements, including the issuance and sale of the Warrants and, subject to obtaining the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement), the issuance of the Warrant Shares. Except for the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, all corporate action on the part of the Company, its officers, directors and stockholders necessary for the authorization of the Warrants and the Warrant Shares, the authorization, execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, including the issuance and sale of the Warrants and the Warrant Shares and the reservation of the Warrant Shares, has been taken, including, without limitation to the extent applicable, the approval of the Board of Directors (or a committee thereof) in accordance with Section 144(a)(1) or 144(b)(1) of the DGCL. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by each Investor of this Agreement and that this Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding agreement of each Investor, this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors generally or by general equity principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). Upon its execution by the Company and the other parties thereto and assuming that it constitutes legal, valid and binding agreements of the other parties thereto, the Registration Rights Agreement will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors generally or by general equity principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
3.5 Valid Issuance. The Warrants being purchased by the Investors hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, upon issuance pursuant to the terms hereof, against full payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will be issued free and clear of any liens or other restrictions (other than restrictions on transfer under applicable state and federal securities laws or as set forth in the Transaction Agreements). Subject to obtaining the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, the Warrant Shares will be duly and validly authorized and reserved for issuance and, upon issuance in accordance with terms of the respective Warrants against full payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will be issued free and clear of any liens or other restrictions (other than restrictions on transfer under applicable state and federal securities laws) and the holder of the Warrant Shares upon exercise in accordance with the terms of the Warrants shall be entitled to all rights accorded to a holder of Common Stock. The issuance and delivery of the Warrants and the exercise in full of the Warrants and the issuance and delivery of the Warrant Shares thereupon will not (a) obligate the Company to offer to issue, or issue, shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Investors) pursuant to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal, rights of participation or similar rights, or (b) result in any adjustment (automatic, at the election of any Person or otherwise) of the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under, or any other anti-dilution adjustment pursuant to, any outstanding securities of the Company. Subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties made by the Investors in Section 4 hereof, the offer and sale of the Warrants to the Investors is and will be, and the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon exercise in accordance with the terms of the Warrants will be, in compliance with applicable exemptions from (i) the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and (ii) the registration and qualification requirements of applicable securities laws of the states of the United States.
3.6 No Conflict. Subject to obtaining Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement), submission of the Nasdaq Listing Application (as defined in the Merger Agreement), the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Warrants and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements do not and will not (i) violate any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, (ii) conflict with or result in a violation of or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or the giving of consent or waiver, or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation, a change of control right or to a loss of a benefit under any agreement or instrument, credit facility, franchise, license, judgment, order, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulations, applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or their respective properties or assets, (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or any Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations) and the rules and regulations of any self-regulatory organization to which the Company or its securities are subject (including, without limitation, all applicable listing rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market), or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iv) conflict with, result in a breach of, or require any consent, approval, authorization or waiver under the Merger Agreement that has not been obtained or made, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), as has not and would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.7 Consents. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Investors in Section 4, no consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body or other Person is required in connection with the authorization, execution or delivery by the Company of the Transaction Agreements, the issuance and sale of the Warrants and the performance by the Company of its other obligations under the Transaction Agreements, except (a) as have been or will be obtained or made under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, (b) the filing of any requisite notices and/or application(s) to the National Exchange for the issuance and sale of the Warrants and the listing of the Warrant Shares for trading or quotation, as the case may be, thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (c) customary post-closing filings with the SEC or pursuant to state securities laws in connection with the offer and sale of the Warrants by the Company in the manner contemplated herein, which will be filed on a timely basis, (d) the filing of the registration statement required to be filed by the Registration Rights Agreement, (e) the Required Parent Stockholder Vote and the Nasdaq Listing Application or (f) such that the failure of which to obtain has not had and would not have a Material Adverse Effect. All notices, consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company is required to deliver or obtain prior to the Closing pursuant to the preceding sentence have been obtained or made or will be delivered or obtained or effected, and shall remain in full force and effect, on or prior to the Closing.
3.8 SEC Filings; Financial Statements.
(a) The Company has timely filed all forms, statements, certifications, reports and documents required to be filed by it with the SEC under Section 13, 14(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act for the one year preceding the date of this Agreement and is in compliance with General Instruction I.A.3 of Form S-3. As of the time it was filed with the SEC (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, then on the date of such filing), each of the filed 2026 SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, and, as of the time they were filed, none of the filed 2026 SEC Reports contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. There are no outstanding or unresolved comments from the SEC staff with respect to the 2026 SEC Reports. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the 2026 SEC Reports are the subject of an ongoing SEC review. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the 2026 SEC Reports fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the SEC’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. The Company is not, and has never been, and after the Closing will not be, an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act.
(b) The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the 2026 SEC Reports (together with the related schedules and notes thereto, collectively, the “Financial Statements”) comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing (or to the extent corrected by a subsequent restatement) and fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the periods therein specified, and have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) (except as otherwise noted therein, and except that the unaudited financial statements may not contain footnotes and are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments) applied on a consistent basis unless otherwise noted therein throughout the periods therein specified. Except as set forth in the Financial Statements filed prior to the date hereof, the Company has not incurred any liabilities, contingent or otherwise, except (i) those incurred in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practices since the date of such Financial Statements, or (ii) liabilities not required under GAAP to be reflected in the Financial Statements, in either case, none of which, individually or in the aggregate, have had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.9 Absence of Changes. Except for the execution and performance of this Agreement and the discussions, negotiations and transactions related thereto, including the Merger Agreement and transactions related thereto, since December 31, 2025: (a) the Company has conducted its business only in the ordinary course of business and there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company or its Subsidiaries; (b) no material change to any material contract or arrangement by which the Company or its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of its assets or properties is subject has been entered into that has not been disclosed in the 2026 SEC Reports or in writing to the Investors, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor; and (c) there has not been any other event or condition of any character that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
3.10 Absence of Litigation. There is no action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, claim, investigation, charge, complaint or inquiry pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary which, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, nor are there any orders, writs, injunctions, judgments or decrees outstanding of any court or government agency or instrumentality and binding upon the Company or any Subsidiary that have had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any director or officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or within the last ten (10) years has been, the subject of any action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws relating to the Company or such Subsidiary or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty relating to the Company or such Subsidiary.
3.11 Compliance with Law; Permits. None of the Company or any Subsidiary is in violation of, or has received any notices of violations with respect to, any laws, statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations of any governmental body, court or government agency or instrumentality, except for violations which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have all required licenses, permits, certificates and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Authorizations”) from such federal, state or local government or governmental agency, department or body that are currently necessary for the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted, except where the failure to possess currently such Governmental Authorizations has not had and is not reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or any Subsidiary has received any written (or, to the Company’s knowledge, oral) notice regarding any revocation or material modification of any such Governmental Authorization, which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, has or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
3.12 Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries own, or have rights to use, all material inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks, trade names, service names, service marks, copyrights, trade secrets, know how (including unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary of confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property as described in the 2026 SEC Reports that is necessary for, or used in the conduct of their respective businesses (including as described in the 2026 SEC Reports) (collectively, “Intellectual Property”), except where any failure to own, possess or acquire such Intellectual Property has not had, and would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Intellectual Property of the Company and its Subsidiaries has not been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part. To the Company’s knowledge: (i) there are no third parties who have rights to any Intellectual Property, including no liens, security interests, or other encumbrances; and (ii) there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property, except, in each case, which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No action, suit, or other proceeding is pending, or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened: (A) challenging the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ rights in or to any Intellectual Property; (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property; or (C) alleging that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, trade name, service name, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, except, in each case, which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in all material respects, and to the Company’s knowledge all such agreements are in full force and effect. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no material defects in any of the patents or patent applications included in the Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard their Intellectual Property.
3.13 Employee Benefits. Except as would not be reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect, each Benefit Plan has been established and administered in accordance with its terms and in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended, and other applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations regarding employment, except for any failures to comply that are not reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no labor dispute, strike or work stoppage against the Company or its Subsidiaries pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened which may interfere with the business activities of the Company, except where such dispute, strike or work stoppage is not reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.14 Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and foreign income Tax Returns and other Tax Returns required to have been filed under applicable law (or extensions have been duly obtained) and have paid all Taxes required to have been paid by them or required to be collected or withheld by them and remitted to the appropriate taxing authority, except for those which are being contested in good faith and except where failure to file such Tax Returns or pay such Taxes would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No assessment in connection with United States federal tax returns has been made against the Company. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or reassessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. No audits, examinations, or other proceedings with respect to any material amounts of Taxes imposed on the Company or its Subsidiaries are presently in progress or have been asserted or proposed in writing without subsequently being paid, settled or withdrawn. There are no liens on any of the assets of the Company. The Company, at all times since inception, has been and continues to be classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Code Section 897(c)(2) during the period specified in Code Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii).
3.15 Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits and other Governmental Authorizations required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals have not had and would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or any Subsidiary has received since December 31, 2025, any written notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise), whether from a governmental authority or other Person, that alleges that the Company or any Subsidiary is not in compliance with any Environmental Law and, to the knowledge of the Company, there are no circumstances that may prevent or interfere with the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s compliance with any Environmental Law in the future, except where such failure to comply has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company: (i) no current or (during the time a prior property was leased or controlled by the Company) prior property leased or controlled by the Company or any Subsidiary has received since December 31, 2025, any written notice or other communication relating to property owned or leased at any time by the Company, whether from a governmental authority, or other Person, that alleges that such current or prior owner or the Company or any Subsidiary is not in compliance with or violated any Environmental Law relating to such property and (ii) the Company has no material liability under any Environmental Law.
3.16 Title. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all personal property owned by it that is material to the business of the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially and adversely interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or its Subsidiaries, as the case may be. Any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company or its Subsidiaries is held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or its Subsidiaries, as the case may be. The Company does not own any real property.
3.17 Insurance. The Company carries or is entitled to the benefits of insurance in such amounts and covering such risks that is customary for comparably situated companies and is adequate for the conduct of its and its Subsidiaries’ businesses and the value of its and its Subsidiaries’ real and personal properties (owned or leased) and tangible assets, and each of such insurance policies is in full force and effect and the Company is in compliance in all material respects with the terms of such insurance policies. Other than customary end of policy notifications from insurance carriers, since December 31, 2025, the Company has not received any notice or other communication regarding any actual or possible: (i) cancellation or invalidation of any insurance policy or (ii) refusal or denial of any coverage, reservation of rights or rejection of any material claim under any insurance policy.
3.18 Nasdaq Stock Market. The issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ADIL”. The Company is in compliance with all listing requirements of Nasdaq applicable to the Company. As of the date of this Agreement, there is no suit, action, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company by Nasdaq or the SEC, respectively, to prohibit or terminate the listing of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market or to deregister the Common Stock under the Exchange Act. The Company has taken no action that is designed to terminate the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act.
3.19 Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company is, and since December 31, 2025 has been, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder.
3.20 Clinical Data and Regulatory Compliance. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect: (i) the preclinical tests and clinical trials, and other studies used to support regulatory approval (collectively, “studies”) being conducted by or on behalf of, or sponsored by, the Company or its Subsidiaries 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; (ii) 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 required to be disclosed in accordance with the Exchange Act and are inconsistent with, or otherwise call into question, the results described or referred to in the 2026 SEC Reports; (iii) the Company and its Subsidiaries have made all such filings and obtained all such approvals as may be required by the FDA or from any other U.S. federal, state or local government or foreign government or Drug Regulatory Agency, or Institutional Review Board, each having jurisdiction over biopharmaceutical products (collectively, the “Regulatory Agencies”) for the conduct of its business; (iv) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of, or correspondence from, any Regulatory Agency requiring the termination or suspension of or imposing any clinical hold on any clinical trials; and (v) the Company and its Subsidiaries have each operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules, regulations and policies of the Regulatory Agencies.
3.21 Compliance with Health Care Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all Health Care Laws to the extent applicable to the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ current business and research use only products. For purposes of this Agreement, “Health Care Laws” means: (i) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Section 301 et seq.) and the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), and the regulations promulgated thereunder; (ii) all applicable federal, state, local and foreign health care fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7b(b)); (iii) HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. Section 17921 et seq.); (iv) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010; (v) the European Union (“EU”) Clinical Trials Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 536/2014); (vi) the EU Regulation regarding community procedures for authorization and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Medicines Agency (Regulation (EC) No. 726/2004); (vii) licensure, quality, safety and accreditation requirements under applicable federal, state, local or foreign laws or regulatory bodies; (viii) all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws, relating to the regulation of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and (ix) the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes and any state or non-U.S. counterpart thereof. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received written or, to the Company’s knowledge, oral 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 nor, to the Company’s knowledge, is any such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action threatened. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Health Care Laws, and all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and accurate on the date filed in all material respects (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any corporate integrity agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, or similar agreements with or imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority. Additionally, neither the Company, any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective employees, officers, directors, or, to the knowledge of the Company, agents 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 would reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.
3.22 Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company and provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including policies and procedures sufficient to provide reasonable assurance (i) that the Company maintains records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the Company’s transactions and dispositions of assets, (ii) that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (iii) that receipts and expenditures are made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Board of Directors and (iv) regarding prevention or timely detection of the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (a) no material weaknesses in the design or operation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (b) 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’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) are designed to provide reasonable assurance that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
3.23 Price Stabilization of Common Stock. The Company has not taken, nor will it take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Warrants or the Warrant Shares, respectively.
3.24 Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Warrants will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
3.25 General Solicitation; No Integration or Aggregation. Neither the Company nor any other Person or entity authorized by the Company to act on its behalf has engaged in a general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D of the Securities Act) of investors with respect to offers or sales of the Warrants pursuant to this Agreement. Except with respect to the capital stock of the Company to be issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, sold, offered for sale, solicited offers to buy or otherwise negotiated in respect of, any security (as defined in the Securities Act) which, to its knowledge, is or will be (i) integrated with the offer and sale of the Warrants pursuant to this Agreement for purposes of the Securities Act or (ii) aggregated with prior offerings by the Company for the purposes of the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Investors set forth in Section 4, neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates, its subsidiaries nor any Person acting on their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any Company security or solicited any offers to buy any Company security, under circumstances that would adversely affect reliance by the Company on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act for the exemption from registration for the transactions contemplated hereby.
3.26 Brokers and Finders. Other than the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor, neither the Company nor any other Person authorized by the Company to act on its behalf has retained, utilized or been represented by any broker or finder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Certain persons affiliated with the Placement Agent own securities of Azora that, following the Closing, will result in ownership interests representing less than 1% of the Company.
3.27 Reliance by the Investors. The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 3. The Company acknowledges that each of the Investors will rely upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Company’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and understandings of the Company set forth herein.
3.28 No Disqualification Events. Neither the Company nor any of its (i) predecessors, (ii) Affiliates, (iii) directors, (iv) executive officers, (v) non-executive officers participating in the placement contemplated by this Agreement, (vi) beneficial owners of 20% or more of its outstanding voting equity securities (calculated on the basis of voting power), (vii) promoters or (viii) investment managers (including any of such investment managers’ directors, executive officers or officers participating in the placement contemplated by this Agreement) or general partners or managing members of such investment managers (including any of such general partners’ or managing members’ directors, executive officers or officers participating in the placement contemplated by this Agreement) (each, an “Issuer Covered Person” and, together, “Issuer Covered Persons”) is subject to the disqualification provisions of Rule 506(d)(1)(i-viii) of Regulation D under the Securities Act (a “Disqualification Event”). The Company has complied, to the extent applicable, with its disclosure obligations under Rule 506(e), and has furnished to the Investors a copy of any disclosures provided thereunder.
3.29 Other Covered Persons. Other than the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor, the Company is not aware of any person (other than any Issuer Covered Person) that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of any Warrants.
3.30 No Additional Agreements. There are no agreements or understandings between the Company, on one hand, and any Investor, on the other hand, with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements other than (i) as specified in the Transaction Agreements and (ii) confidentiality, nondisclosure, or similar agreements.
3.31 Anti-Bribery and Anti-Money Laundering Laws; Sanctions. Each of the Company, its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective officers, directors, supervisors, managers, agents, or employees are and have at all times been in compliance with and its participation in the offering will not violate: (A) anti-bribery laws, including but not limited to, any applicable law, rule, or regulation of any locality, including but not limited to any law, rule, or regulation promulgated to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, signed December 17, 1997, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, or any other law, rule or regulation of similar purposes and scope, (B) anti-money laundering laws, including, but not limited to, applicable federal, state, international, foreign or other laws, regulations or government guidance regarding anti-money laundering, including, without limitation, Title 18 US. Code sections 1956 and 1957, the Patriot Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and international anti-money laundering principles or procedures by an intergovernmental group or organization, such as the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, of which the United States is a member and with which designation the United States representative to the group or organization continues to concur, all as amended, and any executive order, directive, or regulation pursuant to the authority of any of the foregoing, or any orders or licenses issued thereunder, or (C) except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, any laws with respect to import and export control and economic sanctions, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and economic sanctions regulations and executive orders administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control.
3.32 Cybersecurity. The Company and its Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted, and are free and clear of all material Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other malicious code. The Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls designed to maintain and protect the confidentiality, integrity, availability, privacy and security of all sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Confidential Data”) used or maintained in connection with their businesses and Personal Data (defined below), and the integrity, availability continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems. “Personal Data” means the following data used in connection with the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ businesses and in their possession or control: (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or other tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number or bank information; (ii) information that identifies or may reasonably be used to identify an individual; (iii) any information that would qualify as “protected health information” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (collectively, “HIPAA”); and (iv) any information that would qualify as “personal data,” “personal information” (or similar term) under the Privacy Laws. To the Company’s knowledge, there have been no breaches, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to the Company’s IT Systems, Confidential Data, or Personal Data that would require notification under Privacy Laws (as defined below). The Company has not received any written notice, complaint, or claim from any Person, or any notice from any Regulatory Agency, alleging that the Company or any Subsidiary has violated or is not in compliance with any Privacy Laws (as defined below) or that the Company or any Subsidiary must undertake, or has failed to undertake, any action to comply with any Privacy Laws.
3.33 Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in material compliance with all applicable state, federal and foreign data privacy and security laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, storage, retention, disclosure, transfer, disposal, or any other processing (collectively “Process” or “Processing”) of Personal Data, including without limitation HIPAA, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (Regulation (EU) No. 2016/679), all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws relating to the regulation of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes and any state or non-U.S. counterpart thereof (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). To ensure material compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company and its Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take all appropriate steps necessary to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security, and the Processing of Personal Data and Confidential Data (the “Privacy Statements”). The Company and its Subsidiaries have, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, at all times since inception provided accurate notice of its Privacy Statements then in effect to its customers, employees, third party vendors and representatives. None of such disclosures made or contained in any Privacy Statements have been materially inaccurate, misleading, incomplete, or in material violation of any Privacy Laws.
3.34 Transactions with Affiliates and Employees. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any director, officer, stockholder, customer or supplier of the Company, on the other hand, that is required to be described in any forms, statements, certifications, reports and documents required to be filed or furnished with the SEC under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act that has not been so described in accordance with the Exchange Act.
3.35 Additional Representations and Warranties. As of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 3 of the Merger Agreement and in any certificate or other writing delivered by the Company pursuant thereto are true and correct in all material respects (or, if any such representations or warranties are qualified by materiality, material adverse effect or similar language, true and correct in all respects). To the Company’s knowledge, the representations and warranties of Azora contained in Section 2 of the Merger Agreement (as qualified therein and in the disclosure schedules thereto) were, as of the date of the Merger Agreement, true and correct in all material respects (or, if any such representations or warranties are qualified by materiality, material adverse effect or similar language, true and correct in all respects). All necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken by the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of the Merger Agreement. The Merger Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub, enforceable against the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. The Company has furnished or otherwise made available to each Investor a true and substantially complete copy of the Merger Agreement as in effect as of the date hereof.
3.36 Disclosure. The Company confirms that it has not provided, and to the Company’s knowledge, none of its officers or directors nor any other Person acting on its or their behalf (including, without limitation, the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor) has provided, and it has not authorized the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor to provide, any Investor or its respective agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes material, non-public information except insofar as the existence, provisions and terms of the Transaction Agreements, the Merger Agreement, and the proposed transactions hereunder and thereunder may constitute such information, all of which will be disclosed by the Company in the Disclosure Document as contemplated by Section 5.3 hereof. The Company understands and confirms that the Investors will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4. Representations and Warranties of Each Investor. Each Investor, severally for itself and not jointly with any other Investor, represents and warrants to the Company, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor that the statements contained in this Section 4 are true and correct as of the date hereof and the Closing Date (except for the representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be made as of such date):
4.1 Organization. Such Investor is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization and has the requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted.
4.2 Authorization. Such Investor has all requisite corporate or similar power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements to which it will be a party and to carry out and perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder. All corporate, member or partnership action on the part of such Investor or its stockholders, members or partners necessary for the authorization, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements to which it will be a party and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated herein has been taken. The execution, delivery and performance by such Investor of the Transaction Agreements to which such Investor is a party has been duly authorized and each has been duly executed. Assuming this Agreement constitutes the legal and binding agreement of the Company, this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Investor, enforceable against such Investor in accordance with its respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited or otherwise affected by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and/or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally or by general equity principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
4.3 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements by such Investor, the purchase of the Warrants in accordance with their terms and the consummation by such Investor of the other transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with or result in any violation of, breach or default by such Investor (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, conflict with, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation, a change of control right or to a loss of a material benefit under (i) any provision of the organizational documents of such Investor, including, without limitation, its incorporation or formation papers, bylaws, indenture of trust or partnership or operating agreement, as may be applicable or (ii) any agreement or instrument, undertaking, credit facility, franchise, license, judgment, order, ruling, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulations, applicable to such Investor or its respective properties or assets, except, in the case of clause (ii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to materially delay or hinder the ability of such Investor to perform its obligations under the Transaction Agreements.
4.4 Residency. Such Investor’s residence (if an individual) or offices in which its investment decision with respect to the Securities was made (if an entity) are located at the address immediately below such Investor’s name on Exhibit A, except as otherwise communicated by such Investor to the Company.
4.5 Brokers and Finders. Such Investor has not retained, utilized or been represented by any broker or finder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement whose fees the Company would be required to pay.
4.6 Investment Representations and Warranties. Such Investor hereby represents and warrants that, it (i) as of the date hereof is, if an entity, a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) or an institutional “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) under Regulation D promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act; or (ii) if an individual, is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D of the Securities Act and has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be able to protect its own interests in connection with an investment in the Securities. Such Investor further represents and warrants that (x) it is capable of evaluating the merits and risk of such investment, and (y) that it has not been organized for the purpose of acquiring the Securities and is an “institutional account” as defined by FINRA Rule 4512(c). Such Investor understands and agrees that the offering and sale of the Securities has not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws and is being made in reliance upon federal and state exemptions for transactions not involving a public offering which depend upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of the investment intent and the accuracy of such Investor’s representations as expressed herein.
4.7 Intent. Such Investor is purchasing the Securities solely for such Investor’s own account and not for the account of others, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act, and the Investor has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same in violation of the Securities Act without prejudice, however, to the Investor’s right at all times to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of such securities in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such Investor is purchasing the Securities as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, such Investor has full investment discretion with respect to each such account, and the full power and authority to make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each owner of each such account. Such Investor has no present arrangement to sell the Securities to or through any Person or entity. Such Investor understands that the Securities must be held indefinitely unless such securities are resold pursuant to a registration statement under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration is available. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed a representation or warranty by such Investor to hold the Securities for any period of time.
4.8 Investment Experience; Ability to Protect Its Own Interests and Bear Economic Risks. Such Investor acknowledges that it can bear the economic risk and complete loss of its investment in the Securities and has knowledge and experience in finance, securities, taxation, investments and other business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of investments of the kind described in this Agreement and contemplated hereby, and the Investor has had an opportunity to seek, and has sought, such accounting, legal, business and tax advice as such Investor has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision.
Such Investor acknowledges that such Investor (i) is a sophisticated investor, experienced in investing in private placements of equity securities and capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to all transactions and investment strategies involving a security or securities and (ii) has exercised independent judgment in evaluating its participation in the purchase of the Securities. Such Investor acknowledges that such Investor is aware that there are substantial risks incident to the purchase and ownership of the Securities, including those set forth in the Company’s filings with the SEC. Alone, or together with any professional advisor(s), such Investor has adequately analyzed and fully considered the risks of an investment in the Securities and determined that the Securities are a suitable investment for the Investor. Such Investor is, at this time and in the foreseeable future, able to afford the loss of such Investor’s entire investment in the Securities and such Investor acknowledges specifically that a possibility of total loss exists.
4.9 Independent Investment Decision. Such Investor understands that nothing in the Transaction Agreements or any other materials presented by or on behalf of the Company to such Investor in connection with the purchase of the Securities constitutes legal, tax or investment advice. Such Investor has consulted such legal, tax and investment advisors as it, in its sole discretion, has deemed necessary or appropriate in connection with its purchase of the Securities.
4.10 Securities Not Registered; Legends. Such Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Securities are being offered in a transaction not involving any public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act, and such Investor understands that the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act, by reason of their issuance by the Company in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and that the Securities must continue to be held and may not be offered, resold, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of by such Investor unless a subsequent disposition thereof is registered under the Securities Act or is exempt from such registration and in each case in accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States. Such Investor understands that the exemptions from registration afforded by Rule 144 (the provisions of which are known to it) promulgated under the Securities Act depend on the satisfaction of various conditions including, but not limited to, the time and manner of sale, the holding period and on requirements relating to the Company which are outside of such Investor’s control and which the Company may not be able to satisfy, and that, if applicable, Rule 144 may afford the basis for sales only in limited amounts. Such Investor acknowledges and agrees that it has been advised to consult legal counsel prior to making any offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition of any of the Securities. Such Investor acknowledges that no federal or state agency has passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities or made any findings or determination as to the fairness of this investment.
Such Investor understands that any certificates or book entry notations evidencing the Warrants and the Warrant Securities upon exercise of the Warrants may bear one or more legends in substantially the following form and substance:
“THE OFFER AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE TO WHICH THIS CONFIRMATION RELATES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS, OR UNLESS OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR TRANSFERRED PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THOSE LAWS. THE COMPANY AND ITS TRANSFER AGENT SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, (I) THE SECURITIES MAY BE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO AN AFFILIATE OF SUCH HOLDER OR A CUSTODIAL NOMINEE AND (II) THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.”
In addition, the Securities may contain a legend regarding affiliate status of the Investor, if applicable, provided that the Company will notify the Investor in advance of Closing if such a legend is to be placed on its Securities.
4.11 Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor. Each Investor hereby acknowledges and agrees that (a) the Placement Agent and Capital Markets advisor are acting solely as placement agent and capital markets advisor, respectively in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements and the issuance of the Securities to the Investor and none of the Placement Agent, the Capital Markets Advisor nor any of their respective Affiliates have acted as an underwriter or in any other capacity and are not and shall not be construed as a fiduciary or financial advisor for such Investor, the Company, Azora or any other Person or entity in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements and the issuance and purchase of the Securities, (b) the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor have not made and do not make any representation or warranty, whether express or implied, of any kind or character, and the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor have not provided any advice or recommendation in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements or with respect to the Securities, nor is such information or advice necessary or desired, (c) the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor will not have any responsibility with respect to (i) any representations, warranties or agreements made by any Person or entity under or in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements, or the execution, legality, validity or enforceability (with respect to any Person) thereof, or (ii) the business, affairs, financial condition, operations, properties or prospects of, or any other matter concerning the Company or Azora, and (d) the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor will not have any liability or obligation (including without limitation, for or with respect to any losses, claims, damages, obligations, penalties, judgments, awards, liabilities, costs, expenses or disbursements incurred by such Investor, the Company, Azora or any other Person or entity), whether in contract, tort or otherwise, to such Investor, or to any Person claiming through it, in respect of the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements, except in each case for such party’s own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith. No disclosure or offering document has been prepared by the Placement Agent, the Capital Markets Advisor or any of their respective Affiliates in connection with the offer and sale of the Warrants. None of the Placement Agent, the Capital Markets Advisor nor any of their respective Affiliates have made or make any representation as to the quality or value of the Securities and the Placement Agent, the Capital Markets Advisor and their respective Affiliates may have acquired non-public information with respect to the Company or Azora which the Investor agrees need not be provided to it. On behalf of itself and its Affiliates, the Investor releases the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor in respect of any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) or expenses related to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the purchase and sale of the Securities hereunder, except in each case for the Placement Agent’s or Capital Markets Advisor’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith, as applicable. Each Investor agrees not to commence any litigation or bring any claim against the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor in any court or any other forum which relates to, may arise out of, or is in connection with, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the purchase and sale of the Securities hereunder, except in each case for the Placement Agent’s or Capital Markets Advisor’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith, as applicable. This undertaking is given freely and after obtaining independent legal advice.
4.12 No General Solicitation. Each Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor is purchasing the Securities directly from the Company. Such Investor became aware of this offering of the Securities solely by means of direct contact from the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor or directly from the Company as a result of a pre-existing, substantive relationship with the Company, the Placement Agent or the Capital Markets Advisor, and/or their respective advisors (including, without limitation, attorneys, accountants, bankers, consultants and financial advisors), agents, control persons, representatives, Affiliates, directors, officers, managers, members, and/or employees, and/or the representatives of such persons. The Securities were offered to such Investor solely by direct contact between such Investor, the Company, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor and/or their respective representatives. Such Investor did not become aware of this offering of the Securities, nor were the Securities offered to such Investor, by any other means, and none of the Company, the Placement Agent, the Capital Markets Advisor and/or their respective representatives acted as investment advisor, broker or dealer to such Investor. Such Investor is not purchasing the Securities as a result of any general or public solicitation or general advertising or publicly disseminated advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television, radio or the internet or presented in any seminar or any other general solicitation or general advertisement, including any of the methods described in Section 502(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act.
4.13 Access to Information. In making its decision to purchase the Securities, such Investor has relied solely upon independent investigation made by such Investor, upon the 2026 SEC Reports and upon the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth herein. Such Investor acknowledges and agrees that such Investor and such Investor’s professional advisor(s), if any, have had the opportunity to ask such questions, receive such answers and obtain such information from Azora and the Company regarding Azora, the Company, their respective businesses and the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities as such Investor and such Investor’s professional advisor(s), if any, have deemed necessary to make an investment decision with respect to the Securities and that such Investor has independently made its own analysis and decision to invest in the Company. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by such Investor shall modify, limit or otherwise affect such Investor’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement.
4.14 Certain Trading Activities. Other than consummating the transaction contemplated hereby, such Investor has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Investor, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Investor was first contacted by the Company or any other Person regarding the transaction contemplated hereby and ending immediately prior to execution of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) in the case of an Investor that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Investor’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Investor’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of the assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Warrants covered by this Agreement and (ii) in the case of an Investor whose investment adviser utilized an information barrier with respect to the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder after first being contacted by the Company, Azora or such other Person representing the Company or Azora, the representation set forth above shall only apply after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages such Investor’s assets was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder and, with respect to the Investor’s investment adviser, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company on behalf of other funds or investment vehicles for which the Investor’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or subadviser after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages the assets of such other funds or investment vehicles for which the Investor’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or sub-adviser was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement and to its advisors and agents who had a need to know such information, such Investor has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future. The Company represents that it has implemented and maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent trading in the Company’s securities by its officers, directors and employees while in possession of material non-public information.
4.15 Disqualification Event. To the extent the Investor is one of the covered persons identified in Rule 506(d)(1), the Investor represents that no Disqualification Event is applicable to the Investor or any of its Rule 506(d) Related Parties (as defined below), except, if applicable, for a Disqualification Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii) or (iii) or (d)(3) is applicable. The Investor hereby agrees that it shall notify the Company promptly in writing in the event a Disqualification Event becomes applicable to the Investor or any of its Rule 506(d) Related Parties, except, if applicable, for a Disqualification Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii) or (iii) or (d)(3) is applicable. For purposes of this Section, “Rule 506(d) Related Party” means a person or entity that is a beneficial owner of the Investor’s securities for purposes of Rule 506(d) of the Securities Act.
5. Covenants.
5.1 Further Assurances. After the date hereof, each party agrees to cooperate with each other and their respective officers, employees, attorneys, accountants and other agents, and, generally, do such other reasonable acts and things in good faith as may be necessary to effectuate the intents and purposes of this Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions hereof and compliance with applicable law, including taking reasonable action to facilitate the filing of any document or the taking of reasonable action to assist the other parties hereto in complying with the terms hereof. Each Investor acknowledges that the Company, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement. Prior to the Closing, the Investor agrees to promptly notify the Company if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties set forth in Section 4 are no longer accurate, and the Company agrees to promptly notify each Investor, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties set forth in Section 3 are no longer accurate.
5.2 Listing. The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing and trading of the Common Stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market and, in accordance therewith, will use reasonable best efforts to comply in all material respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. The Company shall also use its reasonable best efforts to take all steps necessary to cause the Warrant Shares to be approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market as promptly as possible.
5.3 Disclosure of Transactions. The Company shall, by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first (1st) Business Day immediately following the date hereof (provided that, if this Agreement is executed between midnight and 9:00 a.m., New York City time on any Business Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. on the date hereof), issue a press release and ensure that the Company shall substantially contemporaneously file with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K (including all exhibits thereto, the “Disclosure Document” and the actual filing of such press release and/or Current Report on Form 8-K, the “Disclosure Time”) disclosing (i) all material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Transaction Agreements and the Merger Agreement and attaching this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements and the Merger Agreement as exhibits to such Disclosure Document, and (ii) all material non-public information concerning the Company, Azora, the transactions contemplated hereby or the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement disclosed to the Investors prior to the Disclosure Time. Following the Disclosure Time, no Investor shall be in possession of any material non-public information received from the Company, Azora, their respective Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents (including the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor). Without limiting the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, from and after the issuance of the Disclosure Document, the Company shall not provide material non-public information to any Investor, unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing by such Investor prior to any such disclosure. The Company understands and confirms that the Investors will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting securities transactions. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not disclose the name of any Investor or any of its Affiliates or advisors, or include the name of any Investor or any of its Affiliates or advisors in any marketing materials (whether or not made publicly available), press release, public announcement or filing with the SEC (other than any registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement, which shall be subject to review of the Investors in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement) or any regulatory agency, without the prior written consent of such Investor, except (i) as required by the federal securities law in connection with (A) any registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement and (B) the filing of final Transaction Agreements with the SEC or pursuant to other routine proceedings of regulatory authorities, or (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by law, at the request of the staff of the SEC or regulatory agency or under the regulations of Nasdaq, provided that the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Investors with prior written notice of and a reasonable opportunity to review such disclosure permitted under foregoing clauses (i) and (ii).
5.4 Integration. The Company shall not, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that no Affiliate of the Company shall, sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that will be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Securities to the Investors, or that will be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any National Exchange such that it would require stockholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction; provided, however, that this Section 5.4 shall not limit the Company’s right to issue shares of capital stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
5.5 Removal of Legends. Once a registration statement covering the resale of the Warrant Shares is declared effective, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to promptly remove all restrictive legends, including the legend set forth in Section 4.10 above (or, in the event that Warrant Shares are issued upon exercise after the Registration Statement is declared effective, the Warrant Shares shall be issued without restrictive legends). Further, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to remove all restrictive legends, including the legend set forth in Section 4.10 above, (i) following any transfer or sale of such Warrant Shares once such Warrant Shares are eligible for transfer or sale pursuant to Rule 144 or any other applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, or (ii) if such Warrant Shares are eligible for resale under Rule 144(b)(1) or any successor provision (or, in the event that Warrant Shares are issued upon conversion after the conditions set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) above, the Warrant Shares shall be issued without restrictive legends). Without limiting the foregoing, either (i) upon request of an Investor and upon receipt by the Company of an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company to the effect that such legend is no longer required under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or (ii) the Company shall promptly cause the legend to be removed from any certificate for any Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and deliver, or cause to be delivered, to any Investor new certificate(s) representing the Warrant Shares that are free from all restrictive and other legends or, at the request of such Investor, via DWAC transfer to such Investor’s account. In connection with any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of the Warrant Shares by an Investor pursuant to Rule 144 or pursuant to any other exemption under the Securities Act such that the purchaser acquires freely tradable shares and upon compliance by the Investor with the requirements of this Agreement, if requested by the Investor by notice to the Company, the Company shall request the Transfer Agent to remove any restrictive legends related to the book entry account holding such shares and make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry shares sold or disposed of without restrictive legends as soon as reasonably practicable following any such request therefor from the Investor, provided that the Company has timely received from the Investor customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company in connection therewith. The Company shall be responsible for the fees of its Transfer Agent and its legal counsel associated with such legend removal.
(b) Subject to receipt from the Investor by the Company and the Transfer Agent of customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith, upon the earliest of such time as the Warrant Shares (i) have been registered under the Securities Act pursuant to an effective registration statement; (ii) have been sold pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) are eligible for resale under Rule 144(b)(1) without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirements under Rule 144(c)(1) (or any successor provision), the Company shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5.5(b) and as soon as reasonably practicable following any request therefor from an Investor accompanied by such customary and reasonably acceptable documentation referred to above, (A) deliver to the Transfer Agent irrevocable instructions that the Transfer Agent shall make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry shares, and (B) cause its counsel to deliver to the Transfer Agent one or more opinions to the effect that the removal of such legends in such circumstances may be effected under the Securities Act if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
5.6 Withholding Taxes. Each Investor agrees to furnish the Company with any information, representations and forms as shall reasonably be requested by the Company from time to time to assist the Company in complying with any applicable tax law (including any withholding obligations).
5.7 Fees. The Company shall be solely responsible for the payment of any placement agent’s fees, financial advisory fees, or broker’s commissions (other than for Persons engaged by an Investor) relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, any fees or commissions payable to the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor.
5.8 No Conflicting Agreements. The Company will not take any action, enter into any agreement or make any commitment that would conflict or interfere in any material respect with the Company’s obligations to the Investors under the Transaction Agreements.
5.9 Reporting Status. The Company shall timely file all reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, and the Company shall not terminate its status as an issuer required to file reports under the Exchange Act even if the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder would otherwise permit such termination.
5.10 Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Investor and its Affiliates and each Person who controls such Investor (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and their respective directors, officers, trustees, members, managers, employees, investment advisers and agents (collectively, the “Indemnified Persons”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable and documented attorney fees and disbursements and other documented out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim or proceeding, pending or threatened and the costs of enforcement thereof) to which such Indemnified Person may become subject (i) as a result of any breach of representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by or to be performed on the part of the Company under the Transaction Agreements or (ii) as a result of or arising out of any action, claim or proceeding, pending or threatened, against an Indemnified Person in any capacity by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of the Indemnified Person, whether directly or in a derivative capacity, with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements (unless such action, claim or proceeding is based upon a breach of such Investor’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Agreements), and in each case will reimburse any such Indemnified Person for all such amounts as they are incurred by such Indemnified Person.
(b) Any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided that any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Person unless (a) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees or expenses, (b) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Person or (c) in the reasonable judgment of any such Person, based upon written advice of its counsel, a conflict of interest exists between such Person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the Person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such Person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such Person); and provided, further, that the failure of any indemnified party to give written notice as provided herein shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder, except to the extent that such failure to give notice shall materially adversely affect the indemnifying party in the defense of any such claim or litigation. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for fees or expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties. No indemnifying party will, except with the consent of the indemnified party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement unless such judgment or settlement (i) imposes no liability or obligation on, (ii) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving of a complete, explicit and unconditional release from the party bringing such indemnified claims of all liability of the indemnified party in respect of such claim or litigation in favor of, and (iii) does not include any admission of fault, culpability, wrongdoing, or wrongdoing or malfeasance by or on behalf of, the indemnified party. No indemnified party will, except with the consent of the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement.
5.11 Beneficial Ownership Limitation. The Company and each Investor hereby agree that such Investor’s initial Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined in the Warrants) will be as set forth on such Investor’s signature page to this Agreement. Each Investor’s Beneficial Ownership Limitation may thereafter only be changed in accordance with the provisions of the Warrants.
5.12 Reservation of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue the Warrant Shares.
5.13 No Amendment or Waiver of Merger Agreement Terms. The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, amend, modify, supplement, terminate or waive (or fail to contest an action regarding a breach of or agree to amend, modify, supplement, terminate or waive) any provision of the Merger Agreement or any other Transaction Agreement in a manner that would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the benefits that an Investor would reasonably expect to receive pursuant to this Agreement without the prior written consent of a Majority in Interest of the Investors, it being agreed that any amendment or modification to the definition of “Exchange Ratio” shall be deemed to materially and adversely affect the benefits that the Investors would reasonably expect to receive under this Agreement.
5.14 Stockholder Approval. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement) to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters (as defined in the Merger Agreement), including the issuance of the Warrant Shares for purposes of the listing rules of Nasdaq at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting (as defined in the Merger Agreement), which shall be held as promptly as practicable after the filing of the Proxy Statement (as defined in the Merger Agreement) in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to solicit its stockholders’ approval of such resolution and shall cause the Board of Directors to recommend to the stockholders that they approve such resolution and shall use reasonable best efforts to engage a proxy solicitor and otherwise take customary actions to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote. If the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement) is not obtained, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain such approvals as soon as practicable thereafter, including to (i) obtain such approvals at the next occurring annual meeting of the stockholders of the Company or, if such annual meeting is not scheduled to be held within six months, a special meeting of the stockholders of the Company to be held within six months, and (ii) hold an annual meeting or special meeting of its stockholders, at which a vote of the stockholders of the Company to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters (as defined in the Merger Agreement) will be solicited and taken, at least once every six months until the Company obtains approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters, in each case, in accordance with Section 4.1 of the Merger Agreement.
5.15 Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not consent or agree to amend, alter, waive or otherwise modify the terms of any of the Lock-Up Agreements (as defined in the Merger Agreement) without the consent of the Placement Agent, Capital Markets Advisor and a Majority in Interest of the Investors.
5.16. Equal Treatment of Investors. The Company shall not enter into any agreement, side letter, understanding or arrangement with any Investor or any affiliate thereof in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the other Transaction Agreements that provides such Investor or affiliate with rights, preferences, economic terms, information rights, registration rights, liquidity rights, transfer rights, waiver rights, consent rights, funding mechanics or other benefits that are more favorable in any material respect than those provided to the other Investors, unless such more favorable terms are offered to all Investors on the same basis. The Company shall promptly provide each Investor with a true and complete copy of any such agreement, side letter, understanding or arrangement. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Investor to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the Investors. The Company shall not be entitled to redeem or repurchase any of the Warrants unless such redemption or repurchase is on a pro-rata basis amongst the Investors. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Investor by the Company and negotiated separately by each Investor and shall not in any way be construed as the Investors acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of shares of Common Stock or otherwise.
5.17 Subsequent Equity Sales. From the Initial Closing Date until the date that is ten Business Days following the later of (a) the Milestone Funding Period Expiration (or, if earlier, the date on which all Investors have (x) closed their Milestone Closing or (y) have lost their right to participate in a Milestone Closing) and (b) provided that a resale registration statement covering the shares of common stock underlying the Prefunded Warrants sold in the Initial Closing is effective, the Shareholder Approval Date (as defined in the Form of Prefunded Warrant), the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Investors holding a majority of the then-outstanding Prefunded Warrants, issue shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, except for shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (i) as contemplated by the Merger Agreement or the Notes Exchange, (ii) as contemplated hereunder, (iii) upon the conversion, exercise or vesting of any securities of the Company outstanding on the date of this Agreement or outstanding pursuant to clause (iv), (iv) pursuant to any Company stock-based compensation plans or in accordance with Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5635(c)(4) (which shall include the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register the offer and sale of securities on an equity incentive plan or employee stock purchase plan) and (v) issued and sold at a price per share of at least $4.25 (subject to appropriate, proportional adjustment for any stock splits or combinations of the Common Stock occurring after the date of the Agreement).
5.18 Azora Lock Up. From the Initial Closing Date until the Milestone Event Notice Date, the Company shall not release any of the Company Stockholders or holders of the Parent Assumed Options (each as defined in the Merger Agreement) from the Azora Shareholder Lockup (as defined in the Merger Agreement) relating to the sale of shares of preferred stock or common stock, as the case may be, issued in connection with the Merger, without the written consent of Coastlands Capital, LP.
6. Conditions of Closing.
6.1 Conditions to the Obligation of the Investors. The several obligations of each Investor to consummate the transactions to be consummated at the Closing, and to purchase and pay for the Warrants being purchased by it at the applicable Closing pursuant to this Agreement, are subject to the satisfaction or waiver in writing of the following conditions precedent:
(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all respects as of the date hereof except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct in all respects as of such earlier date, and the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the applicable Closing Date, as though made on and as of such date, except for those representations and warranties qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, which shall be true and correct in all respects and except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date.
(b) Performance. The Company shall have performed in all material respects the obligations and conditions herein required to be performed or observed by the Company on or prior to the applicable Closing Date.
(c) No Injunction. The purchase of and payment for the Warrants by each Investor shall not be prohibited or enjoined by any law or governmental or court order or regulation and no such prohibition shall have been threatened in writing.
(d) Consents. The Company shall have obtained any and all consents, permits, approvals, registrations and waivers necessary for the consummation of the purchase and sale of the Warrants (except for the Required Parent Stockholder Vote and any approvals required by Nasdaq for the issuance for the Warrant Shares), all of which shall be in full force and effect.
(e) [Reserved].
(f) Adverse Changes. Since the date hereof, no event or series of events shall have occurred that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or a Company Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Merger Agreement).
(g) Opinion of Company Counsel. The Company shall have delivered to the Investors, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor the opinion of Blank Rome LLP, dated as of the Initial Closing Date, in customary form and substance to be reasonably agreed upon with the Investor, Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor and addressing such legal matters as the Investor, Placement Agent, Capital Markets Advisor and the Company reasonably agree.
(h) Compliance Certificate. An authorized officer of the Company shall have delivered to the Investors at the Closing Date a certificate certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 6.1(a) (Representations and Warranties), 6.1(b) (Performance), 6.1(c) (No Injunction), 6.1(d) (Consents), 6.1(f) (Adverse Changes), 6.1(k) (Nasdaq), 6.1(m) (Merger), 6.1(p) (Injunction) and 6.1(q) (Payment) of this Agreement have been fulfilled.
(i) Secretary’s Certificate. The Secretary of the Company shall have delivered to the Investors at the Closing Date a certificate certifying (i) the Certificate of Incorporation, (ii) the Bylaws, and (iii) resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors (or an authorized committee thereof) approving this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the issuance of the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.
(j) Registration Rights Agreement. The Company shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) to the Investors.
(k) Nasdaq. The Company shall have filed with Nasdaq a Notification Form: Listing of Additional Shares for the listing of the Warrant Shares and shall have not received any objections to such notice or to the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements or the Merger Agreement. No stop order or suspension of trading shall have been imposed by Nasdaq, the SEC or any other governmental or regulatory body with respect to public trading in the Common Stock. The Common Stock shall be listed on Nasdaq and shall not have been suspended, as of the Closing Date, by the SEC or Nasdaq from trading thereon nor shall suspension by the SEC or Nasdaq have been threatened, as of the Closing Date, in writing by the SEC or Nasdaq.
(l) [Reserved].
(m) Merger. The closing of the Merger shall have occurred in accordance with the Merger Agreement.
(n) [Reserved].
(o) Lock-Up Agreements. The officers and directors of the Company who are continuing in such roles following the Initial Closing Date shall have executed the Lock-Up Agreements (as defined in the Merger Agreement).
(p) Injunction. No judgment, writ, order, injunction, award or decree of or by any court, or judge, justice or magistrate, including any bankruptcy court or judge, or any order of or by any governmental or regulatory body, shall have been issued, and no action or proceeding shall have been instituted by any governmental or regulatory body, enjoining or preventing the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or in the other Transaction Agreements.
(q) Payment. Except as may be agreed to among the Company and one or more Investors in accordance with Section 2.2, the Company shall have received payment, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the full amount of the purchase price for the number of Prefunded Warrants being purchased by each other Investor at the applicable Closing as set forth in Exhibit A or described in Section 2.3.
6.2 Conditions to the Obligation of the Company. The obligation of the Company to consummate the transactions to be consummated at the applicable Closing, and to issue and sell to each Investor the Prefunded Warrants to be purchased by it at the Initial Closing pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants to be purchased at a Milestone Closing, is subject to the satisfaction or waiver in writing of the following conditions precedent:
(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of each Investor in Section 4 hereto shall be true and correct in all respects on and as of the applicable Closing Date, with the same force and effect as though made on and as of the applicable Closing Date, except to the extent that any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all respects as of such earlier date, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation by the Investor of each of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the Investor contained in this Agreement as of the applicable Closing Date.
(b) Performance. Each Investor shall have performed or complied with in all material respects all obligations and conditions herein required to be performed or observed by such Investor on or prior to the applicable Closing Date.
(c) Injunction. The purchase of and payment for the Prefunded Warrants at the Initial Closing and the Warrants to be purchased at a Milestone Closing, in each case, by each Investor shall not be prohibited or enjoined by any law or governmental or court order or regulation.
(d) Registration Rights Agreement. Each Investor shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement to the Company in the form attached as Exhibit D.
(e) Payment. Except as may be agreed to among the Company and such Investor in accordance with Section 2.2, the Company shall have received payment, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the full amount of the purchase price for the number and type of Warrants being purchased by each Investor at the applicable Closing as set forth in Exhibit A or as described in Section 2.3.
7. Termination.
7.1 Termination. The obligations of the Company, on the one hand, and each Investor, on the other hand, to effect the Closing shall terminate as follows:
(i) Upon the mutual written consent of the Company and a Majority in Interest of the Investors prior to the Closing;
(ii) By the Company, if any of the conditions set forth in Section 6.2 shall have become incapable of fulfillment and shall not have been waived by the Company;
(iii) By an Investor, solely as to itself, if any of the conditions set forth in Section 6.1 shall have become incapable of fulfillment and shall not have been waived by such Investor; or
(iv) By either the Company or an Investor, solely as to itself, if the Closing has not occurred on or before the fifth (5th) Business Day following the date of this Agreement;
provided, however, that, in the case of clauses (ii) through (iv) above, the party seeking to terminate its obligation to effect the Closing shall not then be in breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in the Transaction Agreements if such breach has resulted in the circumstances giving rise to such party’s seeking to terminate its obligation to effect the Closing.
7.2 Notice. In the event of termination by the Company or the Investor of its obligations to effect the Closing pursuant to Section 7.1, written notice thereof shall be given to each other Investor by the Company. Nothing in this Section 7 shall be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the other terms and provisions of the Transaction Agreements or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other party of its other obligations under the Transaction Agreements.
8. Miscellaneous Provisions.
8.1 Public Statements or Releases. Except as set forth in Section 5.3 and except for an investor call held prior to the Disclosure Time and the material terms of which are disclosed in the Disclosure Document, neither the Company nor any Investor shall make any public announcement with respect to the existence or terms of this Agreement or the transactions provided for herein without the prior consent of the other party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) other than filings pursuant to Section 13 and/or Section 16 of the Exchange Act or as otherwise required by law, rule or regulation, which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not require the Company’s consent; provided that, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Investor or any Affiliate or investment adviser of any Investor without such Investor’s prior written consent (email being sufficient). Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to compliance with Section 5.3, nothing in this Section 8.1 shall prevent any party from making any public announcement it considers necessary in order to satisfy its obligations under the law, including applicable securities laws, or under the rules of any national securities exchange or securities market, in which case the Company shall, to the extent reasonably practicable, allow the Investors reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of such issuance, and the Company will consider in good faith any Investor comments. The Company shall not include the name of the Investor in any press release or public announcement (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include any filing with the SEC if so required by the applicable rules of the SEC) without the prior written consent of the Investors, except as otherwise required by law or the applicable rules or regulations of any securities exchange or securities market, in which case the Company shall allow the Investors, to the extent reasonably practicable in the circumstances, reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of such issuance. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8.1, Investor review shall not be required for Company disclosures that are substantially consistent with prior Company disclosures.
8.2 Interpretation. The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement will refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement, and section and subsection references are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified. The headings in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and will not limit or otherwise affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they will be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.” The phrases “the date of this Agreement,” “the date hereof” and terms of similar import, unless the context otherwise requires, will be deemed to refer to the date set forth in the first paragraph of this Agreement. The meanings given to terms defined herein will be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms. All matters to be agreed to by any party hereto must be agreed to in writing by such party unless otherwise indicated herein. References to agreements, policies, standards, guidelines or instruments, or to statutes or regulations, are to such agreements, policies, standards, guidelines or instruments, or statutes or regulations, as amended or supplemented from time to time (or to successors thereto).
8.3 Notices. Any notices or other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to be given (a) when delivered if personally delivered to the party for whom it is intended, (b) when delivered, if sent by electronic mail during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next Business Day, provided no rejection or undeliverable notice is received, (c) three (3) calendar days after having been sent by certified or registered mail, return-receipt requested and postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next business day delivery, with written verification of receipt:
(a) If to the Company, addressed as follows:
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
4870 Sadler Road, Ste 300
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Attention: Cary J. Claiborne, President and CEO
Email Address: Cclaiborne@adialpharma.com
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Attention: Leslie Marlow and Hank Gracin
Email Address: Leslie.Marlow@blankrome.com and Hank.Gracin@blankrome.com
(b) If to any Investor, at its address set forth on Exhibit A or e-mail address set forth on its signature page or to such e-mail address or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 8.3.
Any Person may change the address to which notices and communications to it are to be addressed by notification as provided for herein.
8.4 Consent to Electronic Notice. Each Investor consents to the delivery of any stockholder notice pursuant to Section 232 of the DGCL, as amended or superseded from time to time, with respect to the Warrants purchased or issued to an Investor at the e-mail address(es) set forth below the Investor’s name on the signature page or Exhibit A, as updated from time to time by notice to the Company in accordance with Section 8.3. To the extent that any notice given by means of electronic mail is returned or undeliverable for any reason, the foregoing consent shall be deemed to have been revoked until a new or corrected e-mail address has been provided, and such attempted electronic notice shall be ineffective and deemed to not have been given. Each party agrees to promptly notify the other parties of any change in its e-mail address, and that failure to do so shall not affect the foregoing.
8.5 Severability. If any part or provision of this Agreement is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Agreement shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
8.6 Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Venue; Waiver of Trial by Jury.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to choice of laws or conflicts of laws provisions thereof that would require the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction, expect to the extent that mandatory principles of Delaware law may apply.
(b) The Company and each of the Investors hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:
(i) submits for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating solely to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, to the general jurisdiction of the any state court or United States Federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, City of New York in the State of New York;
(ii) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts, and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same to the extent permitted by applicable law;
(iii) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to the party, as the case may be, at its address set forth in Section 8.3, Exhibit A or at such other address of which the other party shall have been notified pursuant thereto;
(iv) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right to sue in any other jurisdiction for recognition and enforcement of any judgment or if jurisdiction in the courts referenced in the foregoing clause (i) are not available despite the intentions of the parties hereto;
(v) agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court may be enforced in the courts of any jurisdiction to which such party is subject by a suit upon such judgment, provided that service of process is effected upon such party in the manner specified herein or as otherwise permitted by law;
(vi) agrees that to the extent that such party has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, such party hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Agreement, to the extent permitted by law; and
(vii) irrevocably and unconditionally waives trial by jury in any legal action or proceeding in relation to this Agreement.
8.7 Waiver. No waiver of any term, provision or condition of this Agreement, whether by conduct or otherwise, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be, or be construed as, a further or continuing waiver of any such term, provision or condition or as a waiver of any other term, provision or condition of this Agreement.
8.8 Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Agreements to the contrary, each party shall pay its own out-of-pocket fees and expenses, including the fees and expenses of attorneys, accountants and consultants employed by such party, incurred in connection with the proposed investment in the Warrants and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby; provided, however, that the Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company), Transfer Taxes, stamp taxes and other taxes (other than income taxes) and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Warrants or Warrant Shares to the Investors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel for a certain Investor, in an amount not to exceed $50,000 in the aggregate. The Company shall pay all Placement Agent fees relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
8.9 Assignment. None of the parties may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement or designate another person (i) to perform all or part of its obligations under this Agreement or (ii) to have all or part of its rights and benefits under this Agreement, in each case without the prior written consent of (x) the Company, in the case of an Investor, and (y) the Investors, in the case of the Company, provided that an Investor may, without the prior consent of the Company, (i) assign its rights to purchase the Warrants hereunder to any of its Affiliates or to any other investment funds or accounts managed or advised by the investment manager who acts on behalf of such Investor (provided each such assignee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement as an Investor hereunder and makes the same representations and warranties set forth in Section 4 hereof) or (ii) assign its rights hereunder to a permitted transferee of its Warrants or Warrant Shares following the Closing (other than with respect to transfers pursuant to the Registration Statement or Rule 144) (provided each such assignee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement applicable to the Investor). In the event of any assignment in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the assignee shall specifically assume and be bound by the provisions of this Agreement by executing a writing agreeing to be bound by and subject to the provisions of this Agreement and shall deliver an executed counterpart signature page to this Agreement and, notwithstanding such assumption or agreement to be bound hereby by an assignee, no such assignment shall relieve any party assigning any interest hereunder from its obligations or liability pursuant to this Agreement.
8.10 Confidential Information.
(a) Each Investor covenants that until the earliest of (i) such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any material non-public information provided to such Investor are publicly disclosed by the Company and (ii) the termination of this Agreement, such Investor will maintain the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction), other than to such Investor’s outside attorney, accountant, auditor or investment advisor only to the extent necessary to permit evaluation of the investment, and the performance of the necessary or required tax, accounting, financial, legal, or administrative tasks and services and other than as may be required by law.
(b) The Company may request from the Investors such reasonable and customary additional information as the Company may deem necessary to evaluate the eligibility of the Investor to acquire the Warrants, and the Investor shall promptly provide such information as may reasonably be requested to the extent readily available; provided, that the Company agrees to keep any such information provided by the Investor confidential, except (i) as required by the federal securities laws, rules or regulations and (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by other laws, rules or regulations, at the request of the staff of the SEC or regulatory agency or under the regulations of Nasdaq, in which case, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to notify the applicable Investor and provide such Investor the opportunity to review such disclosure. Each Investor acknowledges that the Company may file a form of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement with the SEC as exhibits to a periodic report or a registration statement of the Company.
8.11 Reliance by and Exculpation of Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor.
(a) Each Investor agrees for the express benefit of the Placement Agent, Capital Markets Advisor and any of their respective Affiliates and representatives that (i) neither the Placement Agent, Capital Markets Advisor nor any of their respective Affiliates or their respective representatives have made and will not make any representations or warranties with respect to the Company, Azora or the offer and sale of the Warrants, and such Investor will not rely on any statements made by the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor, orally or in writing, to the contrary, (ii) the Placement Agent and Capital Markets are acting solely as the agent and advisor of the Company, respectively, in this placement of the Warrants and are not acting as underwriter or in any other capacity and are not and shall not be construed as fiduciary for the Investor, the Company, Azora or any other person or entity in connection with this placement of the Warrants, (iii) such Investor will be responsible for conducting its own due diligence investigation with respect to the Company, Azora and the offer and sale of the Warrants, (iv) such Investor will be purchasing Warrants based on the results of its own due diligence investigation of the Company and Azora, and the Placement Agent, Capital Markets Advisor and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives, and controlling persons have made no independent investigation with respect to the Company, Azora, the Warrants, or the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of any information supplied to the Investor by the Company or Azora, (vi) such Investor has negotiated the offer and sale of the Warrants directly with the Company and the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor will not be responsible for the ultimate success of any such investment and (vii) the decision to invest in the Company will involve a significant degree of risk, including a risk of total loss of such investment. Each Investor further represents and warrants to the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor that it, including any fund or funds that it manages or advises that participates in the offer and sale of the Warrants, is permitted under its constitutive documents (including, without limitation, all limited partnership agreements, charters, bylaws, limited liability company agreements, all applicable side letters with investors, and similar documents) to make investments of the type contemplated by this Agreement. This Section 8.11 shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
(b) The Company agrees and acknowledges that the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor may rely on its representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained in this Agreement and each Investor agrees that the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor may rely on such Investor’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement as if such representations and warranties, as applicable, were made directly to the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor.
(c) Neither the Placement Agent, Capital Markets Advisor nor any of their respective Affiliates or representatives (1) shall be liable for any improper payment made in accordance with the information provided by the Company or Azora; (2) makes any representation or warranty, or has any responsibilities as to the validity, enforceability, accuracy, value or genuineness of any information, certificates or documentation delivered by or on behalf of the Company or Azora pursuant to the Transaction Agreements or in connection with any of the transactions contemplated therein; or (3) shall be liable (x) for any action taken, suffered or omitted by any of them in good faith and reasonably believed to be authorized or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon them by the Transaction Agreements or (y) for anything which any of them may do or refrain from doing in connection with the Transaction Agreements, except in each case for such party’s own gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith.
(d) The Company agrees that the Placement Agent, Capital Markets Advisor and their respective Affiliates and representatives shall be entitled to (1) rely on, and shall be protected in acting upon, any certificate, instrument, notice, letter or any other document or security delivered to any of them by or on behalf of the Company or Azora, and (2) be indemnified by the Company for acting as the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor hereunder pursuant to the indemnification provisions set forth in the applicable letter agreement(s) between the Company and the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor.
8.12 Third Parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer on any Person other than the parties to this Agreement any rights, remedies, claims, benefits, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, and no Person that is not a party to this Agreement (including, without limitation, any partner, member, shareholder, director, officer, employee or other beneficial owner of any party to this Agreement, in its own capacity as such or in bringing a derivative action on behalf of a party to this Agreement) shall have any standing as a third party beneficiary with respect to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, except as expressly set forth in this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor are each an intended third-party beneficiary of the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 3, the representations and warranties of each Investor set forth in Section 4, Section 6.1(g) and Section 8.11 of this Agreement, and (ii) the Indemnified Persons are intended third-party beneficiaries of Section 5.10.
8.13 Independent Nature of Investors’ Obligations and Right. The obligations of each Investor under this Agreement are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Investor, and no Investor shall be responsible in any way for the performance obligations of any other Investor under this Agreement. Nothing contained herein, and no action taken by any Investor pursuant hereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Investors as, and the Company acknowledges that the Investors do not so constitute, a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Investors are in any way acting in concert or as a group (including a “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), and the Company will not assert any such claim with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Company acknowledges that the Investors are not acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. It is expressly understood that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and an Investor, solely, and not between the Company and the Investors collectively and not between and among the Investors. The Company acknowledges and each Investor confirms that it has independently participated in the negotiation of the transaction contemplated hereby with the advice of its own counsel and advisors. Each Investor also acknowledges that none of Blank Rome LLP or Honigman LLP have rendered legal advice to such Investor. Each Investor shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose whether said proceeding be brought against the Company, Azora, Placement Agent, or any other party to the Transaction Agreements The Company has elected to provide all Investors with the same terms and Transaction Agreements for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Investor.
8.14 Headings. The titles, subtitles and headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
8.15 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in three (3) or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party; provided that a facsimile or pdf signature including any electronic signatures complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile or pdf (or other electronic reproduction of a) signature.
8.16 Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements (including all schedules and exhibits hereto and thereto) constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements, negotiations, understandings, representations and statements respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof, whether written or oral. No amendment, modification, alteration, waiver or change in any of the terms of this Agreement shall be valid or binding upon the parties hereto unless made in writing and duly executed by the Company and a Majority in Interest of the Investors provided, however, that the amendment and replacement of Exhibit A pursuant to Section 2.2 to reflect the final number of Warrants purchased and the Aggregate Purchase Amount paid by each Investor at the Closing, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, shall not be deemed an amendment of this Agreement for the purposes of this Section 8.16. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) this Agreement may not be amended or waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor unless such amendment or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion, and (ii) any amendment to Section 2.1, Section 2.2, Section 5.5, Section 5.10, Section 5.12, Section 5.13, Section 5.14, Section 5.15, Section 5.16, Section 6.1, Section 7.1 or this Section 8.16 shall require the consent of each Investor. The Company, on the one hand, and each Investor, on the other hand, may by an instrument signed in writing by such parties waive the performance, compliance or satisfaction by such Investor or the Company, respectively, with any term or provision hereof or any condition hereto to be performed, complied with or satisfied by such Investor or the Company, respectively. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else to the contrary, no amendment, modification, alteration, change or waiver of this Section 8.16 that is material and adverse to the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor shall be valid without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor, as applicable, which consent may be granted or withheld in the sole discretion of the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor.
8.17 Survival. The covenants, representations and warranties made by each party hereto contained in this Agreement shall survive the Initial Closing and each applicable Milestone Closing and the delivery of the Warrants in accordance with their respective terms. Each Investor shall be responsible only for its own representations, warranties, agreements and covenants hereunder.
8.18 Mutual Drafting. This Agreement is the joint product of each Investor and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
8.19 Arm’s Length Negotiations. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties acknowledge and confirm that the terms and conditions of the Warrants were determined as a result of arm’s-length negotiations.
8.20 Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY: | ||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Cary Claiborne | |
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Securities Purchase Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
| INVESTOR: | ||
| [NAME] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Beneficial Ownership Limitation: | ||
| Email: | ||
[Signature Page to Securities Purchase Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
INVESTORS
See attached.
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF PREFUNDED WARRANT
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF MILESTONE INCENTIVE WARRANT
EXHIBIT D
FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.2
Execution Version
EXCHANGE AGREEMENT
This EXCHANGE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of June 11, 2026, by and among Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the noteholders listed on Exhibit A attached to this Agreement (each, a “Holder” and together, the “Holders”).
WHEREAS, the Company and the Holders are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act”);
WHEREAS, each Holder is the holder of one or more convertible promissory notes originally issued by Azora Therapeutics, Inc. (“Azora”) to such Holder (collectively, the “Notes”), in the aggregate principal amounts set forth opposite such Holder’s name on Exhibit A;
WHEREAS, the Company is party to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Company, Azora, Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“First Merger Sub”) and Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Second Merger Sub”), dated on or around the date hereof (as amended from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof and Section 5.13 hereof, the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Azora, with Azora surviving and becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and (ii) Azora will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company ((i) and (ii) together, the “Merger”), and (iii) following the Merger and in accordance with the Merger Agreement, the Second Merger Sub will change its name to “Azora Therapeutics, LLC”; and
WHEREAS, as a condition to the Merger, Azora Therapeutics, LLC will assume all obligations under the Notes and the Company has agreed to guarantee the payment of the Notes (the “Guarantee”);
WHEREAS, the Company desires to issue to the Holders in exchange for the extinguishment of the Guarantee and cancellation of the Notes, and each Holder desires to receive from the Company in exchange for the extinguishment of the Guarantee and the cancellation of such Holder’s Notes and all outstanding obligations thereunder, severally and not jointly, upon the terms and subject to the conditions stated in this Agreement, pre-funded warrants to purchase an aggregate of 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Prefunded Warrants”);
WHEREAS, contemporaneously with the extinguishment of the Guarantee and cancellation of the Notes and the issuance of the Prefunded Warrants, the Company and the Holders will execute and deliver a Registration Rights Agreement, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D, pursuant to which the Company will agree to provide certain registration rights in respect of the Warrant Shares (as defined below), under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Prefunded Warrants, the ability to exercise the Prefunded Warrants shall be subject to the receipt of the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement).
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, the Company and each Holder, severally and not jointly, agree as follows:
1. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
“2026 SEC Reports” means (a) the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 5, 2026 and (b) any Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or any Current Reports on Form 8-K filed or furnished (as applicable) by the Company after January 1, 2026 and prior to the Business Day immediately preceding the date hereof, together in each case with any documents incorporated by reference therein or exhibits thereto.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person.
“Aggregate Note Amount” means, with respect to each Holder, the aggregate outstanding principal amount (together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon) of such Holder’s Notes as of the Closing Date.
“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Benefit Plan” or “Benefit Plans” means employee benefit plans as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and all other employee benefit practices or arrangements, including, without limitation, any such practices or arrangements providing severance pay, sick leave, vacation pay, salary continuation for disability, retirement benefits, deferred compensation, bonus pay, incentive pay, stock options or other stock-based compensation, hospitalization insurance, medical insurance, life insurance, scholarships or tuition reimbursements, maintained by the Company or to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to contribute for employees or former employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“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.
“Bylaws” means the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as currently in effect and as in effect on the Closing Date.
“Capital Markets Advisor” means TD Securities (USA) LLC.
“Certificate of Incorporation” means the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended, as currently in effect and as in effect on the Closing Date.
“Closing” means the Initial Closing and any Milestone Closing.
“Closing Date” means the Initial Closing Date and any Milestone Closing Date.
“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company that would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Company” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Confidential Data” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“DGCL” means the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended or superseded from time to time.
“Disclosure Document” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.3 hereof.
“Disclosure Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.3 hereof.
“Drug Regulatory Agency” means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or other foreign, state, local or comparable governmental authority responsible for regulation of the research, development, testing, manufacturing, processing, storage, labeling, sale, marketing, advertising, distribution and importation or exportation of drug or biological products and drug or biological product candidates.
“Environmental Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.15 hereof.
“ERISA” means the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Financial Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.8 hereof.
“Fundamental Representations” means the representations and warranties made by the Company in Sections 3.1 (Organization and Power), 3.2 (Capitalization), 3.4 (Authorization), 3.5 (Valid Issuance), 3.6 (No Conflict), 3.7 (Consents), 3.8 (SEC Filings; Financial Statements), 3.18 (Nasdaq Stock Market), 3.19 (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), 3.23 (Price Stabilization of Common Stock), 3.24 (Investment Company Act), 3.25 (General Solicitation; No Integration or Aggregation), 3.26 (Brokers and Finders), 3.27 (Reliance by the Holders) and 3.28 (No Additional Agreements).
“First Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Funding Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2 hereof.
“Holder” and “Holders” have the meanings set forth in the recitals hereof.
“GAAP” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.8 hereof.
“GDPR” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Governmental Authorizations” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.11 hereof.
“Health Care Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.21 hereof.
“HIPAA” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“Holder” and “Holders” have the meanings set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Indemnified Persons” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.10(a).
“Intellectual Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12 hereof.
“Initial Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2 hereof.
“IT Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, circumstance, development, condition, occurrence or effect that, individually or in the aggregate, (a) was, is, or would reasonably be expected to be, materially adverse to the business, financial condition, properties, assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) materially delays or materially impairs the ability of the Company to comply, or prevents the Company from complying, with its obligations under this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements, the Merger Agreement or with respect to the Closing, or would reasonably be expected to do so.
“Milestone Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4 hereof.
“Milestone Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4 hereof.
“Milestone Event” means the achievement of either of the following prior to the five-year anniversary of the Initial Closing Date: (A) the Company’s public announcement, via a press release on a nationally recognized news wire or the filing of a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC, that either (i) the first person has been dosed in the Company’s Phase 1 clinical trial (in an SAD/MAD study) or (ii) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the Company’s Investigational New Drug Application for AT177 (such acceptance being deemed to occur upon the expiration of thirty (30) days following the submission of such Investigational New Drug Application without the imposition of a clinical hold by the FDA); or (B) the achievement of a VWAP per share of the Common Stock equal to or greater than 400% of the Purchase Price (subject to appropriate, proportional adjustment for any stock splits or combinations of the Common Stock occurring after the date of the Agreement) measured during any 10 consecutive Trading Days during any 30 Trading Day period.
“Milestone Event Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(a) hereof.
“Milestone Event Notice Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(a) hereof.
“Milestone Funding Period Expiration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(a) hereof.
“Milestone Incentive Warrants” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5 hereof.
“Milestone Prefunded Warrants” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(b) hereof.
“Merger” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Merger Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Nasdaq” means the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.
“National Exchange” means (i) on and prior to the Closing Date, The Nasdaq Capital Market, and (ii) following the Closing Date, any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question, together with any successor thereto: the NYSE American, The New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Global Market, The Nasdaq Global Select Market and The Nasdaq Capital Market.
“Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or any other entity or organization.
“Personal Data” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.30 hereof.
“Purchase Price” means an amount equal to $2.7489.
“Placement Agent” means Lucid Capital Markets, LLC.
“Privacy Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Privacy Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Process” or “Processing” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.31 hereof.
“Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1(j) hereof.
“Regulatory Agencies” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.20 hereof.
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act, as such rule may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC having substantially the same effect as such rule.
“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Second Merger Sub” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Securities” means the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.
“Short Sales” include, without limitation, (i) all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act, whether or not against the box, and all types of direct and indirect stock pledges, forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, short sales, swaps, “put equivalent positions” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) and similar arrangements (including on a total return basis), and (ii) sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or non-U.S. regulated brokers (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common Stock), in each case, solely to the extent it has the same economic effect as a “short sale” (as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act).
“Securities Act” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereof.
“Securities Purchase Agreement” means that certain securities purchase agreement, dated on or about the date hereof, between the Company and the investors party thereto.
“Subsidiaries” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1 hereof.
“Tax” or “Taxes” means any and all federal, state, local, foreign and other taxes, levies, fees, imposts, duties and charges of whatever kind (including any interest, penalties or additions to the tax imposed in connection therewith or with respect thereto), whether or not imposed on the Company or its Subsidiaries, including, without limitation, taxes imposed on, or measured by, income, franchise, profits or gross receipts, and also ad valorem, value added, sales, use, service, real or personal property, capital stock, license, payroll, withholding, employment, social security, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, utility, severance, production, excise, stamp, occupation, premium, windfall profits, transfer and gains taxes and customs duties.
“Tax Returns” means returns, reports, information statements and other documentation (including any additional or supporting material) filed or maintained, or required to be filed or maintained, in connection with the calculation, determination, assessment or collection of any Tax and shall include any amended returns required as a result of examination adjustments made by the Internal Revenue Service or other Tax authority.
“Trading Day” means any day on which the National Exchange is open for trading.
“Transaction Agreements” means this Agreement, the form of Prefunded Warrant, the form of Milestone Incentive Warrant, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Securities Purchase Agreement and any other documents or agreements explicitly contemplated hereunder
“Transfer Agent” means, with respect to the Common Stock, VStock Transfer, LLC, or such other financial institution that provides transfer agent services as the Company may engage from time to time.
“Transfer Taxes” means all real property transfer, sales, use, value added, stamp, documentary, recording, registration, conveyance, stock transfer, intangible property transfer, personal property transfer, gross receipts, registration, duty, securities transactions or similar fees or Taxes (together with any interest, penalty, or addition thereto) incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a National Exchange, the daily volume weighted average price of a share of Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the National Exchange on which the Common Stock is 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 the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on the OTCQB or OTCQX and not a National Exchange, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, or (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTCQB or OTCQX and if the price for Common Stock is then reported in The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported.
“Warrants” means all the Prefunded Warrants, the Milestone Prefunded Warrants (as defined below) and the Milestone Incentive Warrants (as defined below).
“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Warrants.
2. Exchange and Cancellation of Notes.
2.1 Exchange and Cancellation. On the Initial Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, (a) each Holder agrees to surrender and deliver to the Company (or its designee) its Notes for cancellation, and (b) in consideration of such surrender and cancellation of the Notes and the full satisfaction and discharge of all obligations of Azora and the Company thereunder, the Company agrees to issue to each Holder the number of Prefunded Warrants set forth opposite such Holder’s name on Exhibit A hereto (the “Exchange”), representing such Holder’s Aggregate Note Amount divided by the Purchase Price. Upon the Initial Closing and the issuance of the Prefunded Warrants hereunder, all of each Holder’s rights under its Notes shall be extinguished and the Notes shall be deemed cancelled and of no further force or effect.
2.2 Initial Closing. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 6, the closing of the extinguishment of the Guarantee and cancellation of the Notes and the issuance of the Prefunded Warrants (the “Initial Closing” and the date on which the Initial Closing occurs, the “Initial Closing Date”) shall occur remotely via the exchange of executed documents within one (1) Business Day following the date hereof, or at such other time as agreed to by the Company and the Majority Holders (as defined in the Notes) to be exchanged hereunder. At the Initial Closing, the Prefunded Warrants shall be issued and registered in the name of such Holder, or in such nominee name(s) as designated by such Holder, representing the number of Prefunded Warrants to be issued to such Holder at such Initial Closing as set forth in Exhibit A. On the Initial Closing Date, the Company will issue the Prefunded Warrants to each Holder.
2.3 Note Cancellation. Upon issuance of the Prefunded Warrants pursuant to this Agreement, each Holder hereby agrees that the Notes held by each such Holder and all rights, title and interest arising from such Notes shall be deemed cancelled and extinguished, without need for surrender to the Company of such Notes or any other further action by any of the parties to each such Note, and the Notes shall thereupon be null and void and have no further force or effect. Each Holder hereby agrees that, as of the Initial Closing, except for the right of each such Holder pursuant to this Agreement, all rights and obligations of each such Holder with respect to each such Note owned by such Holder or any related agreement, including the Guarantee shall terminate in their entirety. To the extent necessary or required to effectuate the transactions contemplated hereby, the Company and each of the Holders representing the Majority Holders (as defined in the Notes) hereby agree that (A) this Agreement constitutes an amendment to each of the Notes and shall supersede all terms of the Notes that are inconsistent with the terms of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the definition of a Qualified Financing (as defined in the Notes) and the applicability of a discount factor or valuation cap in calculating the conversion price, (B) all Holders shall be subject to the Note Conversion on the terms stated herein in accordance with the terms of the Notes as amended in this Section 2.3 and (C) to the extent not already waived, the Company and the Waiving Holders hereby amend and waive any rights associated with a Change of Control (as defined in the Notes) pursuant to the Notes in connection with the Merger.
2.4 Milestone Closing.
(a) Regardless of whether a Milestone Event has occurred, each Holder shall have the right to complete a milestone closing pursuant to this Agreement (a “Milestone Closing” and the date on which a Milestone Closing occurs, a “Milestone Closing Date”) any time following the Initial Closing Date and prior to the date that is 30 calendar days following the Milestone Event Notice Date (the “Milestone Funding Period Expiration”). Upon the achievement of a Milestone Event, the Company shall provide written notice to the Holders of such Milestone Event (the “Milestone Event Notice” and the date the Milestone Event Notice is delivered, the “Milestone Event Notice Date”).
(b) At a Milestone Closing, the Company agrees to sell, and each such Holder, severally and not jointly, shall have the right, but not the obligation to purchase, the number of Milestone Prefunded Warrants set forth opposite such Holder’s name on Exhibit A hereto under the heading “Milestone Prefunded Warrants” (the “Milestone Prefunded Warrants”) for a purchase price per Milestone Prefunded Warrant equal to the Purchase Price; provided, that in the event a Holder exercises, prior to such Holder completing a Milestone Closing, any of the Prefunded Warrants issued to the Holder at the Initial Closing for shares of Common Stock, such Holder will only be eligible to participate in a Milestone Closing to purchase that percentage of Milestone Prefunded Warrants set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto (such number of Milestone Prefunded Warrants being referred to as “Eligible Milestone Prefunded Warrants”) that is equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the number of such Holder’s Prefunded Warrants issued at the Initial Closing that remain unexercised and held by the Holder by (ii) the total number of such Holder’s Prefunded Warrants issued at the Initial Closing (the “Stapled Prefunded Percentage”).
(c) At a Milestone Closing, each such Holder shall pay to an account designated by the Company, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the amount that is equal to the number of shares underlying the Eligible Milestone Prefunded Warrants purchased by such Holder at a Milestone Closing times the Purchase Price, and the Company will issue to the Holder (A) the number of Milestone Prefunded Warrants purchased by the Holder pursuant to this Section 2.4 and (B) the Milestone Incentive Warrants (defined below).
2.5 Milestone Incentive Warrants. At a Milestone Closing, the Company shall also issue Milestone Incentive Warrants to each such Holder in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Milestone Incentive Warrants”) to purchase up to the number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Holder’s name on Exhibit A hereto under the heading “Milestone Incentive Warrants”; provided, that in the event that, prior to completing a Milestone Closing, a Holder exercises any of the Prefunded Warrants issued to the Holder at the Initial Closing, such Holder will only receive that percentage of the Milestone Incentive Warrants set forth opposite such Investor’s name on Exhibit A hereto that is equal to the Stapled Prefunded Percentage.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the 2026 SEC Reports (but excluding the Fundamental Representations, which are not so qualified, and any risk factor disclosures contained under the heading “Risk Factors,” any disclosure of risks included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or any other statements that are similarly predictive or forward-looking in nature, in each case, other than any specific factual information contained therein), the Company hereby represents and warrants to each of the Holders, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor that the statements contained in this Section 3 are true and correct as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date (except for the representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be made as of such date):
3.1 Organization and Power. The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted and described in the 2026 SEC Reports and is qualified to do business in each jurisdiction in which the character of its properties or the nature of its business requires such qualification, except where such failure to be in good standing or to have such power and authority or to so qualify has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) is wholly owned by the Company. Each of the Subsidiaries is duly incorporated or organized, as applicable, and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, as applicable, and has the requisite power and authority to carry on their business as now conducted and to own or lease its properties. Each of the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required unless the failure to so qualify has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
3.2 Capitalization. The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. The Company’s disclosure of its issued and outstanding capital stock in the 2026 SEC Reports containing such disclosure was accurate in all material respects as of the date indicated in such 2026 SEC Reports. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company which have not been waived, and such shares were issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable state and federal securities law and any rights of third parties. There are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such Subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options, except for (i) options outstanding under the Company’s equity incentive plans, including any options assumed in connection with the Merger and (ii) the shares of preferred stock being issued in the Merger, (iii) the Prefunded Warrants being issued in the Notes Exchange and under the Securities Purchase Agreement as of the date of this Agreement, and (iv) the Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants that may be issued from time to time after the date hereof to the Holders pursuant to this Agreement and to the investors pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement. As of the date of this Agreement, the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the 2026 SEC Reports; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (except, in the case of any foreign Subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party. There are no securities or instruments issued by or to which the Company is a party containing anti-dilution, rights of first refusal, rights of participation or similar provisions that will be triggered (which, for the avoidance of doubt, excludes any such anti-dilution, rights of first refusal, rights of participation or similar provision that will be waived in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Merger Agreement) by the issuance of the Warrants pursuant to this Agreement.
3.3 Registration Rights. Except as set forth in the Transaction Agreements and the Merger Agreement, the Company is presently not under any obligation, and has not granted any rights, to register under the Securities Act any of the Company’s presently outstanding securities or any of its securities that may hereafter be issued, other than such rights and obligations that have expired or been satisfied or waived.
3.4 Authorization. The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. The Company’s disclosure of its authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock in the 2026 SEC Reports containing such disclosure was accurate in all material respects as of the date indicated in such 2026 SEC Reports. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company which have not been waived, and such shares were issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable state and federal securities law and any rights of third parties. There are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such Subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options, except for (i) options outstanding under the Company’s equity incentive plans, including any options assumed in connection with the Merger; (ii) shares of preferred stock issued in the Merger, (iii) the Prefunded Warrants being issued in the Notes Exchange and under the Securities Purchase Agreement as of the date of this Agreement, and (iv) the Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants and Milestone Incentive Warrants that may be issued from time to time after the date hereof to the Holders pursuant to this Agreement and to the investors pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the 2026 SEC Reports; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (except, in the case of any foreign Subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party. There are no securities or instruments issued by or to which the Company is a party containing anti-dilution, rights of first refusal, rights of participation or similar provisions that will be triggered (which, for the avoidance of doubt, excludes any such anti-dilution, rights of first refusal, rights of participation or similar provision that will be waived in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Merger Agreement) by the issuance of the Warrants pursuant to this Agreement.
3.5 Valid Issuance. The Warrants being issued to the Holders hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, upon issuance pursuant to the terms hereof, (i) in the case of the Pre-Funded Warrants issued at the Initial Closing, in exchange for the cancellation of the Notes and extinguishment of the Guarantee, and (ii) in the case of the Milestone Pre-Funded Warrants and the Milestone Incentive Warrants issued at a Milestone Closing, upon payment therefor, in each case in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will be issued free and clear of any liens or other restrictions (other than restrictions on transfer under applicable state and federal securities laws or as set forth in the Transaction Agreements). Subject to obtaining the Required Parent Stockholder Vote, the Warrant Shares will be duly and validly authorized and reserved for issuance and, upon issuance in accordance with terms of the respective Warrants against full payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will be issued free and clear of any liens or other restrictions (other than restrictions on transfer under applicable state and federal securities laws) and the holder of the Warrant Shares upon exercise in accordance with the terms of the Warrants shall be entitled to all rights accorded to a holder of Common Stock. Subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties made by the Holders in Section 4 hereof, the offer and sale of the Warrants to the Holders is and will be, and the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon exercise in accordance with the terms of the Warrants will be, in compliance with applicable exemptions from (i) the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and (ii) the registration and qualification requirements of applicable securities laws of the states of the United States.
3.6 No Conflict. Subject to obtaining Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement), submission and approval of the Nasdaq Listing Application (as defined in the Merger Agreement), the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Warrants and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements do not and will not (i) violate any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, (ii) conflict with or result in a violation of or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or the giving of consent or waiver, or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation, a change of control right or to a loss of a benefit under any agreement or instrument, credit facility, franchise, license, judgment, order, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulations, applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary or their respective properties or assets, (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or any Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations) and the rules and regulations of any self-regulatory organization to which the Company or its securities are subject (including, without limitation, all applicable listing rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market), or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iv) conflict with, result in a breach of, or require any consent, approval, authorization or waiver under the Merger Agreement that has not been obtained or made, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), as has not and would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.7 Consents. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Holders in Section 4, no consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body or other Person is required in connection with the authorization, execution or delivery by the Company of the Transaction Agreements, the issuance and sale of the Warrants and the performance by the Company of its other obligations under the Transaction Agreements, except (a) as have been or will be obtained or made under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, (b) the filing of any requisite notices and/or application(s) to the National Exchange for the issuance and sale of the Warrants and the listing of the Warrant Shares for trading or quotation, as the case may be, thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (c) customary post-closing filings with the SEC or pursuant to state securities laws in connection with the offer and sale of the Warrants by the Company in the manner contemplated herein, which will be filed on a timely basis, (d) the filing of the registration statement required to be filed by the Registration Rights Agreement, (e) the Required Parent Stockholder Vote and the Nasdaq Listing Application or (f) such that the failure of which to obtain has not had and would not be reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All notices, consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company is required to deliver or obtain prior to the Closing pursuant to the preceding sentence have been obtained or made or will be delivered or obtained or effected, and shall remain in full force and effect, on or prior to the Closing.
3.8 SEC Filings; Financial Statements.
(a) The Company has timely filed all forms, statements, certifications, reports and documents required to be filed by it with the SEC under Section 13, 14(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act for the one year preceding the date of this Agreement and is in compliance with General Instruction I.A.3 of Form S-3. As of the time it was filed with the SEC (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, then on the date of such filing), each of the filed 2026 SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, and, as of the time they were filed, none of the filed 2026 SEC Reports contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. There are no outstanding or unresolved comments from the SEC staff with respect to the 2026 SEC Reports. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the 2026 SEC Reports are the subject of an ongoing SEC review. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the 2026 SEC Reports fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the SEC’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. The Company is not, and has never been, and after the Closing will not be, an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act.
(b) The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the 2026 SEC Reports (together with the related schedules and notes thereto, collectively, the “Financial Statements”) comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing (or to the extent corrected by a subsequent restatement) and fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the periods therein specified, and have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) (except as otherwise noted therein, and except that the unaudited financial statements may not contain footnotes and are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments) applied on a consistent basis unless otherwise noted therein throughout the periods therein specified. Except as set forth in the Financial Statements filed prior to the date hereof, the Company has not incurred any liabilities, contingent or otherwise, except (i) those incurred in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practices since the date of such Financial Statements, or (ii) liabilities not required under GAAP to be reflected in the Financial Statements, in either case, none of which, individually or in the aggregate, have had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.9 Absence of Changes. Except for the execution and performance of this Agreement and the discussions, negotiations and transactions related thereto, including the Merger Agreement and transactions related thereto, since December 31, 2025: (a) the Company has conducted its business only in the ordinary course of business and there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company or its Subsidiaries; (b) no material change to any material contract or arrangement by which the Company or its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of its assets or properties is subject has been entered into that has not been disclosed in the 2026 SEC Reports or in writing to the Holders, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor; and (c) there has not been any other event or condition of any character that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
3.10 Absence of Litigation. There is no action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, claim, investigation, charge, complaint or inquiry pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary which, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, nor are there any orders, writs, injunctions, judgments or decrees outstanding of any court or government agency or instrumentality and binding upon the Company or any Subsidiary that have had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any director or officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or within the last ten (10) years has been, the subject of any action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws relating to the Company or such Subsidiary or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty relating to the Company or such Subsidiary.
3.11 Compliance with Law; Permits. None of the Company or any Subsidiary is in violation of, or has received any notices of violations with respect to, any laws, statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations of any governmental body, court or government agency or instrumentality, except for violations which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have all required licenses, permits, certificates and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Authorizations”) from such federal, state or local government or governmental agency, department or body that are currently necessary for the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted, except where the failure to possess currently such Governmental Authorizations has not had and is not reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or any Subsidiary has received any written (or, to the Company’s knowledge, oral) notice regarding any revocation or material modification of any such Governmental Authorization, which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, has or would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
3.12 Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries own, or have rights to use, all material inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks, trade names, service names, service marks, copyrights, trade secrets, know how (including unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary of confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property as described in the 2026 SEC Reports that is necessary for, or used in the conduct of their respective businesses (collectively, “Intellectual Property”), except where any failure to own, possess or acquire such Intellectual Property has not had, and would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Intellectual Property of the Company and its Subsidiaries has not been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part. To the Company’s knowledge: (i) there are no third parties who have rights to any Intellectual Property, including no liens, security interests, or other encumbrances; and (ii) there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property, except, in each case, which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No action, suit, or other proceeding is pending, or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened: (A) challenging the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ rights in or to any Intellectual Property; (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property; or (C) alleging that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, trade name, service name, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, except, in each case, which, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in all material respects, and to the Company’s knowledge all such agreements are in full force and effect. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no material defects in any of the patents or patent applications included in the Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard their Intellectual Property.
3.13 Employee Benefits. Except as would not be reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect, each Benefit Plan has been established and administered in accordance with its terms and in compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended, and other applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations regarding employment, except for any failures to comply that are not reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no labor dispute, strike or work stoppage against the Company or its Subsidiaries pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened which may interfere with the business activities of the Company, except where such dispute, strike or work stoppage is not reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
3.14 Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and foreign income Tax Returns and other Tax Returns required to have been filed under applicable law (or extensions have been duly obtained) and have paid all Taxes required to have been paid by them, except for those which are being contested in good faith and except where failure to file such Tax Returns or pay such Taxes would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No assessment in connection with United States federal tax returns has been made against the Company. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or reassessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. No audits, examinations, or other proceedings with respect to any material amounts of Taxes of the Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in progress or have been asserted or proposed in writing without subsequently being paid, settled or withdrawn. There are no liens on any of the assets of the Company. The Company, at all times since inception, has been and continues to be each classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Code Section 897(c)(2) during the period specified in Code Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii).
3.15 Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits and other Governmental Authorizations required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals have not had and would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or any Subsidiary has received since December 31, 2025, any written notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise), whether from a governmental authority or other Person, that alleges that the Company or any Subsidiary is not in compliance with any Environmental Law and, to the knowledge of the Company, there are no circumstances that may prevent or interfere with the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s compliance with any Environmental Law in the future, except where such failure to comply has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company: (i) no current or (during the time a prior property was leased or controlled by the Company) prior property leased or controlled by the Company or any Subsidiary has received since December 31, 2025, any written notice or other communication relating to property owned or leased at any time by the Company, whether from a governmental authority, or other Person, that alleges that such current or prior owner or the Company or any Subsidiary is not in compliance with or violated any Environmental Law relating to such property and (ii) the Company has no material liability under any Environmental Law.
3.16 Title. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all personal property owned by it that is material to the business of the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially and adversely interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or its Subsidiaries, as the case may be. Any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company or its Subsidiaries is held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially and adversely interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or its Subsidiaries, as the case may be. The Company does not own any real property.
3.17 Insurance. The Company carries or is entitled to the benefits of insurance in such amounts and covering such risks that is customary for comparably situated companies and is adequate for the conduct of its and its Subsidiaries’ businesses and the value of its and its Subsidiaries’ properties (owned or leased) and tangible assets, and each of such insurance policies is in full force and effect and the Company is in compliance in all material respects with the terms thereof. Other than customary end of policy notifications from insurance carriers, since December 31, 2025, the Company has not received any notice or other communication regarding any actual or possible: (i) cancellation or invalidation of any insurance policy or (ii) refusal or denial of any coverage, reservation of rights or rejection of any material claim under any insurance policy.
3.18 Nasdaq Stock Market. The issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “ADIL”. The Company is in compliance with all listing requirements of Nasdaq applicable to the Company. As of the date of this Agreement, there is no suit, action, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company by Nasdaq or the SEC, respectively, to prohibit or terminate the listing of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market or to deregister the Common Stock under the Exchange Act. The Company has taken no action that is designed to terminate the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act.
3.19 Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company is, and since December 31, 2025 has been, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder.
3.20 Clinical Data and Regulatory Compliance. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect: (i) the preclinical tests and clinical trials, and other studies used to support regulatory approval (collectively, “studies”) being conducted by or on behalf of, or sponsored by, the Company or its Subsidiaries 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; (ii) 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 required to be disclosed in accordance with the Exchange Act and are inconsistent with, or otherwise call into question, the results described or referred to in the 2026 SEC Reports; (iii) the Company and its Subsidiaries have made all such filings and obtained all such approvals as may be required by the FDA or from any other U.S. federal, state or local government or foreign government or Drug Regulatory Agency, or Institutional Review Board, each having jurisdiction over biopharmaceutical products (collectively, the “Regulatory Agencies”) for the conduct of its business; (iv) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of, or correspondence from, any Regulatory Agency requiring the termination or suspension of or imposing any clinical hold on any clinical trials; and (v) the Company and its Subsidiaries have each operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules, regulations and policies of the Regulatory Agencies.
3.21 Compliance with Health Care Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all Health Care Laws to the extent applicable to the Company’s current business and research use only products. For purposes of this Agreement, “Health Care Laws” means: (i) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Section 301 et seq.) and the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), and the regulations promulgated thereunder; (ii) all applicable federal, state, local and foreign health care fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7b(b)); (iii) HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. Section 17921 et seq.); (iv) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010; (v) the European Union (“EU”) Clinical Trials Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 536/2014); (vi) the EU Regulation regarding community procedures for authorization and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Medicines Agency (Regulation (EC) No. 726/2004); (vii) licensure, quality, safety and accreditation requirements under applicable federal, state, local or foreign laws or regulatory bodies; (viii) all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws, relating to the regulation of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and (ix) the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes and any state or non-U.S. counterpart thereof. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received written or, to the Company’s knowledge, oral 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 nor, to the Company’s knowledge, is any such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action threatened. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Health Care Laws, and all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and accurate on the date filed in all material respects (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any corporate integrity agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, or similar agreements with or imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority. Additionally, neither the Company, any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective employees, officers, directors, or, to the knowledge of the Company, agents 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 would reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.
3.22 Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company and provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including policies and procedures sufficient to provide reasonable assurance (i) that the Company maintains records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the Company’s transactions and dispositions of assets, (ii) that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (iii) that receipts and expenditures are made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Board of Directors and (iv) regarding prevention or timely detection of the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (a) no material weaknesses in the design or operation of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (b) 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’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) are designed to provide reasonable assurance that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
3.23 Price Stabilization of Common Stock. The Company has not taken, nor will it take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Warrants or Warrant Shares, respectively.
3.24 Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and immediately after the receipt of payment for and issuance of the Warrants will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
3.25 General Solicitation; No Integration or Aggregation. Neither the Company nor any other Person or entity authorized by the Company to act on its behalf has engaged in a general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D of the Securities Act) of investors with respect to offers or sales of the Warrants pursuant to this Agreement. Except with respect to the capital stock of the Company to be issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, sold, offered for sale, solicited offers to buy or otherwise negotiated in respect of, any security (as defined in the Securities Act) which, to its knowledge, is or will be (i) integrated with the offer and sale of the Warrants pursuant to this Agreement for purposes of the Securities Act or (ii) aggregated with prior offerings by the Company for the purposes of the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Holders set forth in Section 4, neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates, its subsidiaries nor any Person acting on their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any Company security or solicited any offers to buy any Company security, under circumstances that would adversely affect reliance by the Company on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act for the exemption from registration for the transactions contemplated hereby.
3.26 Brokers and Finders. Other than the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor, neither the Company nor any other Person authorized by the Company to act on its behalf has retained, utilized or been represented by any broker or finder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Certain persons affiliated with the Placement Agent own securities of Azora that, following the Closing, will result in ownership interests representing less than 1% of the Company.
3.27 Reliance by the Holders. The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 3. The Company acknowledges that each of the Holders will rely upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Company’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and understandings of the Company set forth herein.
3.28 No Additional Agreements. There are no agreements or understandings between the Company, on one hand, and any Holder, on the other hand, with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements other than as specified in the Transaction Agreements (other than confidentiality, nondisclosure, or similar agreements).
3.29 Anti-Bribery and Anti-Money Laundering Laws; Sanctions. Each of the Company, its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective officers, directors, supervisors, managers, agents, or employees are and have at all times been in compliance with and its participation in the offering will not violate: (A) anti-bribery laws, including but not limited to, any applicable law, rule, or regulation of any locality, including but not limited to any law, rule, or regulation promulgated to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, signed December 17, 1997, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, or any other law, rule or regulation of similar purposes and scope, (B) anti-money laundering laws, including, but not limited to, applicable federal, state, international, foreign or other laws, regulations or government guidance regarding anti-money laundering, including, without limitation, Title 18 US. Code sections 1956 and 1957, the Patriot Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and international anti-money laundering principles or procedures by an intergovernmental group or organization, such as the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, of which the United States is a member and with which designation the United States representative to the group or organization continues to concur, all as amended, and any executive order, directive, or regulation pursuant to the authority of any of the foregoing, or any orders or licenses issued thereunder, or (C) except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, any laws with respect to import and export control and economic sanctions, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and economic sanctions regulations and executive orders administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control.
3.30 Cybersecurity. The Company and its Subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted, and are free and clear of all material Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other malicious code. The Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls designed to maintain and protect the confidentiality, integrity, availability, privacy and security of all sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Confidential Data”) used or maintained in connection with their businesses and Personal Data (defined below), and the integrity, availability continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems. “Personal Data” means the following data used in connection with the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ businesses and in their possession or control: (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or other tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number or bank information; (ii) information that identifies or may reasonably be used to identify an individual; (iii) any information that would qualify as “protected health information” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (collectively, “HIPAA”); and (iv) any information that would qualify as “personal data,” “personal information” (or similar term) under the Privacy Laws. To the Company’s knowledge, there have been no breaches, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to the Company’s IT Systems, Confidential Data, or Personal Data that would require notification under Privacy Laws (as defined below). The Company has not received any written notice, complaint, or claim from any Person, or any notice from any Regulatory Agency, alleging that the Company or any Subsidiary has violated or is not in compliance with any Privacy Laws (as defined below) or that the Company or any Subsidiary must undertake, or has failed to undertake, any action to comply with any Privacy Laws.
3.31 Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in material compliance with all applicable state, federal and foreign data privacy and security laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, storage, retention, disclosure, transfer, disposal, or any other processing (collectively “Process” or “Processing”) of Personal Data, including without limitation HIPAA, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (Regulation (EU) No. 2016/679), all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws relating to the regulation of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes and any state or non-U.S. counterpart thereof (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). To ensure material compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company and its Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take all appropriate steps necessary to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security, and the Processing of Personal Data and Confidential Data (the “Privacy Statements”). The Company and its Subsidiaries have, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, at all times since December 31, 2023 provided accurate notice of its Privacy Statements then in effect to its customers, employees, third party vendors and representatives. None of such disclosures made or contained in any Privacy Statements have been materially inaccurate, misleading, incomplete, or in material violation of any Privacy Laws.
3.32 Transactions with Affiliates and Employees. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and any director, officer, stockholder, customer or supplier of the Company, on the other hand, that is required to be described in any forms, statements, certifications, reports and documents required to be filed or furnished with the SEC under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act that has not been so described in accordance with the Exchange Act.
3.33 Additional Representations and Warranties. As of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 3 of the Merger Agreement and in any certificate or other writing delivered by the Company pursuant thereto are true and correct in all material respects (or, if any such representations or warranties are qualified by materiality, material adverse effect or similar language, true and correct in all respects). To the Company’s knowledge, the representations and warranties of Azora contained in Section 2 of the Merger Agreement (as qualified therein and in the disclosure schedules thereto) were, as of the date of the Merger Agreement, true and correct in all material respects (or, if any such representations or warranties are qualified by materiality, material adverse effect or similar language, true and correct in all respects). All necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken by the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of the Merger Agreement. The Merger Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub, enforceable against the Company, the First Merger Sub and the Second Merger Sub in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. The Company has furnished or otherwise made available to each Holder a true and substantially complete copy of the Merger Agreement as in effect as of the date hereof.
3.34 Disclosure. The Company confirms that it has not provided, and to the Company’s knowledge, none of its officers or directors nor any other Person acting on its or their behalf (including, without limitation, the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor) has provided, and it has not authorized the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor to provide, any Holder or its respective agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes material, non-public information except insofar as the existence, provisions and terms of the Transaction Agreements, the Merger Agreement, and the proposed transactions hereunder and thereunder may constitute such information, all of which will be disclosed by the Company in the Disclosure Document as contemplated by Section 5.3 hereof. The Company understands and confirms that the Holders will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4. Representations and Warranties of Each Holder. Each Holder, severally for itself and not jointly with any other Holder, represents and warrants to the Company that the statements contained in this Section 4 are true and correct as of the date hereof and the Closing Date (except for the representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be made as of such date):
4.1 Organization. Such Holder is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization and has the requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted.
4.2 Authorization. Such Holder has all requisite corporate or similar power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements to which it will be a party and to carry out and perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder. All corporate, member or partnership action on the part of such Holder or its stockholders, members or partners necessary for the authorization, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements to which it will be a party and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated herein has been taken. The signature of the Holder on this Agreement and each Transactions Agreement to which such Holder is a party, is genuine and the signatory to this Agreement and each Transactions Agreement to which such Holder is a party, if the Holder is an individual, has the legal competence and capacity to execute the same or, if the Holder is not an individual, the signatory has been duly authorized to execute the same on behalf of the Holder. Each Holder has duly authorized the performance of such Holder’s obligations under this Agreement and each Transactions Agreement to which such Holder is a party. Assuming this Agreement constitutes the legal and binding agreement of the Company, this Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Holder, enforceable against such Holder in accordance with its respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited or otherwise affected by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and/or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally or by general equity principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
4.3 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements by such Holder, the acquisition of the Prefunded Warrants in exchange for the cancellation of such Holder’s Notes and the consummation by such Holder of the other transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with or result in any violation of, breach or default by such Holder (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, conflict with, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation, a change of control right or to a loss of a material benefit under (i) any provision of the organizational documents of such Holder, including, without limitation, its incorporation or formation papers, bylaws, indenture of trust or partnership or operating agreement, as may be applicable or (ii) any agreement or instrument, undertaking, credit facility, franchise, license, judgment, order, ruling, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulations, applicable to such Holder or its respective properties or assets, except, in the case of clause (ii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to materially delay or hinder the ability of such Holder to perform its obligations under the Transaction Agreements.
4.3A Ownership of Notes. Such Holder is the sole legal and beneficial owner of its Notes as set forth on Exhibit A, free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests, options, charges and encumbrances of any nature. Such Holder has not sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of or encumbered any of its Notes or any interest therein, nor has such Holder entered into any agreement to do any of the foregoing. Such Holder has the full right, power and authority to surrender its Notes for cancellation as contemplated by this Agreement. Upon the cancellation of such Holder’s Notes at the Closing, the Company and Azora will be released from all obligations under such Notes.
4.4 Residency. Such Holder’s residence (if an individual) or offices in which its investment decision with respect to the Securities was made (if an entity) are located at the address immediately below such Holder’s name on Exhibit A, except as otherwise communicated by such Holder to the Company.
4.5 Brokers and Finders. Such Holder has not retained, utilized or been represented by any broker or finder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement whose fees the Company would be required to pay.
4.6 Investment Representations and Warranties. Each Holder hereby represents and warrants that, it (i) as of the date hereof is, if an entity, a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) or an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) under Regulation D promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act; or (ii) if an individual, is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D of the Securities Act and has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be able to protect its own interests in connection with an investment in the Securities. Each Holder further represents and warrants that (x) it is capable of evaluating the merits and risk of such investment, and (y) that it has not been organized for the purpose of acquiring the Securities and is an “institutional account” as defined by FINRA Rule 4512(c). Such Holder understands and agrees that the offering and issuance of the Securities has not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state securities laws and is being made in reliance upon federal and state exemptions for transactions not involving a public offering which depend upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of the investment intent and the accuracy of such Holder’s representations as expressed herein.
4.7 Intent. Each Holder is acquiring the Securities solely for investment purposes, for such Holder’s own account and not for the account of others, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act, and the Holder has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same in violation of the Securities Act without prejudice, however, to the Holder’s right at all times to sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of such securities in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such Holder is acquiring the Securities as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, such Holder has full investment discretion with respect to each such account, and the full power and authority to make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each owner of each such account. Each Holder has no present arrangement to sell the Securities to or through any Person or entity. Each Holder understands that the Securities must be held indefinitely unless such securities are resold pursuant to a registration statement under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration is available. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed a representation or warranty by such Holder to hold the Securities for any period of time.
4.8 Investment Experience; Ability to Protect Its Own Interests and Bear Economic Risks. Each Holder acknowledges that it can bear the economic risk and complete loss of its investment in the Securities and has knowledge and experience in finance, securities, taxation, investments and other business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of investments of the kind described in this Agreement and contemplated hereby, and the Holder has had an opportunity to seek, and has sought, such accounting, legal, business and tax advice as such Holder has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision.
Each Holder acknowledges that such Holder (i) is a sophisticated investor, experienced in investing in private placements of equity securities and capable of evaluating investment risks independently, both in general and with regard to all transactions and investment strategies involving a security or securities and (ii) has exercised independent judgment in evaluating its participation in the acquisition of the Securities. Each Holder acknowledges that such Holder is aware that there are substantial risks incident to the purchase and ownership of the Securities, including those set forth in the Company’s filings with the SEC. Alone, or together with any professional advisor(s), such Holder has adequately analyzed and fully considered the risks of an investment in the Securities and determined that the Securities are a suitable investment for the Holder. Each Holder is, at this time and in the foreseeable future, able to afford the loss of such Holder’s entire investment in the Securities and such Holder acknowledges specifically that a possibility of total loss exists.
4.9 Independent Investment Decision. Such Holder understands that nothing in the Transaction Agreements or any other materials presented by or on behalf of the Company to such Holder in connection with the acquisition of the Securities constitutes legal, tax or investment advice. Such Holder has consulted such legal, tax and investment advisors as it, in its sole discretion, has deemed necessary or appropriate in connection with its acquisition of the Securities.
4.10 Securities Not Registered; Legends. Such Holder acknowledges and agrees that the Securities are being offered in a transaction not involving any public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act, and such Holder understands that the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act, by reason of their issuance by the Company in a transaction exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and that the Securities must continue to be held and may not be offered, resold, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of by such Holder unless a subsequent disposition thereof is registered under the Securities Act or is exempt from such registration and in each case in accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States. Such Holder understands that the exemptions from registration afforded by Rule 144 (the provisions of which are known to it) promulgated under the Securities Act depend on the satisfaction of various conditions including, but not limited to, the time and manner of sale, the holding period and on requirements relating to the Company which are outside of such Holder’s control and which the Company may not be able to satisfy, and that, if applicable, Rule 144 may afford the basis for sales only in limited amounts. Such Holder acknowledges and agrees that it has been advised to consult legal counsel prior to making any offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition of any of the Securities. Such Holder acknowledges that no federal or state agency has passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities or made any findings or determination as to the fairness of this investment.
Each Holder understands that any certificates or book entry notations evidencing the Warrants and the Warrant Securities upon exercise of the Warrants may bear one or more legends in substantially the following form:
“THE OFFER AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE TO WHICH THIS CONFIRMATION RELATES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS, OR UNLESS OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR TRANSFERRED PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THOSE LAWS. THE COMPANY AND ITS TRANSFER AGENT SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND THE TRANSFER AGENT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, (I) THE SECURITIES MAY BE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT CONSIDERATION TO AN AFFILIATE OF SUCH HOLDER OR A CUSTODIAL NOMINEE AND (II) THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.”
In addition, the Securities may contain a legend regarding affiliate status of the Holder, if applicable, provided that the Company will notify the Holder in advance of Closing if such a legend is to be placed on its Securities.
4.11 [Reserved.]
4.12 No General Solicitation. Each Holder acknowledges and agrees that the Holder is acquiring the Securities directly from the Company in exchange for the cancellation of such Holder’s Notes and the Guarantee. Such Holder became aware of this transaction solely by means of direct contact from the Company or Azora as a result of a pre-existing, substantive relationship with the Company or Azora, and/or their respective advisors (including, without limitation, attorneys, accountants, bankers, consultants and financial advisors), agents, control persons, representatives, Affiliates, directors, officers, managers, members, and/or employees, and/or the representatives of such persons. Such Holder is not acquiring the Securities as a result of any general or public solicitation or general advertising or publicly disseminated advertisement, article, notice or other communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television, radio or the internet or presented in any seminar or, to its knowledge, general solicitation, within the meaning of the Securities Act.
4.13 Access to Information. In making its decision to exchange its Notes for Securities, each Holder has relied solely upon independent investigation made by such Holder, upon the 2026 SEC Reports and upon the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth herein. Such Holder acknowledges and agrees that such Holder and such Holder’s professional advisor(s), if any, have had the opportunity to ask such questions, receive such answers and obtain such information from Azora and the Company regarding Azora, the Company, their respective businesses and the terms and conditions of the exchange of the Notes for Securities as such Holder and such Holder’s professional advisor(s), if any, have deemed necessary to make an investment decision with respect to the Securities and that such Holder has independently made its own analysis and decision to invest in the Company. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by such Holder shall modify, limit or otherwise affect such Holder’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement.
4.14 Certain Trading Activities. Other than consummating the transaction contemplated hereby, such Holder has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Holder, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Holder was first contacted by the Company or any other Person regarding the transaction contemplated hereby and ending immediately prior to execution of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) in the case of a Holder that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Holder’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Holder’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of the assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to acquire the Warrants covered by this Agreement and (ii) in the case of a Holder whose investment adviser utilized an information barrier with respect to the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder after first being contacted by the Company, Azora or such other Person representing the Company or Azora, the representation set forth above shall only apply after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages such Holder’s assets was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder and, with respect to the Holder’s investment adviser, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company on behalf of other funds or investment vehicles for which the Holder’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or subadviser after the point in time when the portfolio manager who manages the assets of such other funds or investment vehicles for which the Holder’s investment adviser is also an investment adviser or sub-adviser was informed of the information regarding the transactions contemplated hereunder. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement and to its advisors and agents who had a need to know such information, such Holder has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of, or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
4.15 Disqualification Event. To the extent the Holder is one of the covered persons identified in Rule 506(d)(1), the Holder represents that no Disqualification Event is applicable to the Holder or any of its Rule 506(d) Related Parties (as defined below), except, if applicable, for a Disqualification Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii) or (iii) or (d)(3) is applicable. The Investor hereby agrees that it shall notify the Company promptly in writing in the event a Disqualification Event becomes applicable to the Holder or any of its Rule 506(d) Related Parties, except, if applicable, for a Disqualification Event as to which Rule 506(d)(2)(ii) or (iii) or (d)(3) is applicable. For purposes of this Section, “Rule 506(d) Related Party” means a person or entity that is a beneficial owner of the Holder’s securities for purposes of Rule 506(d) of the Securities Act.
5. Covenants.
5.1 Further Assurances. After the date hereof, each party agrees to cooperate with each other and their respective officers, employees, attorneys, accountants and other agents, and, generally, do such other reasonable acts and things in good faith as may be necessary to effectuate the intents and purposes of this Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions hereof and compliance with applicable law, including taking reasonable action to facilitate the filing of any document or the taking of reasonable action to assist the other parties hereto in complying with the terms hereof. Each Holder acknowledges that the Company, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement. Prior to the Closing, the Holder agrees to promptly notify the Company if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties set forth in Section 4 are no longer accurate, and the Company agrees to promptly notify each Holder, the Placement Agent and the Capital Markets Advisor if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties set forth in Section 3 are no longer accurate.
5.2 Listing. The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing and trading of the Common Stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market and, in accordance therewith, will use reasonable best efforts to comply in all material respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. The Company shall also use its reasonable best efforts to take all steps necessary to cause the Warrant Shares to be approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market as promptly as possible.
5.3 Disclosure of Transactions. The Company shall, by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first (1st) Business Day immediately following the date hereof (provided that, if this Agreement is executed between midnight and 9:00 a.m., New York City time on any Business Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. on the date hereof), issue a press release and ensure that the Company shall substantially contemporaneously file with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K (including all exhibits thereto, the “Disclosure Document” and the actual filing of such press release and/or Current Report on Form 8-K, the “Disclosure Time”) disclosing (i) all material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Transaction Agreements and the Merger Agreement and attaching this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements and the Merger Agreement as exhibits to such Disclosure Document, and (ii) all material non-public information concerning the Company, Azora, the transactions contemplated hereby or the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement disclosed to the Holders prior to the Disclosure Time. Following the Disclosure Time, no Investor shall be in possession of any material non-public information received from the Company, Azora, their respective Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents (including the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor). Without limiting the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, from and after the issuance of the Disclosure Document, the Company shall not provide material non-public information to any Holder, unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing by such Holder prior to any such disclosure. The Company understands and confirms that the Holders will rely on the foregoing representations in effecting securities transactions. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not disclose the name of any Holder or any of its Affiliates or advisors, or include the name of any Holder or any of its Affiliates or advisors in any marketing materials (whether or not made publicly available), press release, public announcement or filing with the SEC (other than any registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement, which shall be subject to review of the Holders in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement) or any regulatory agency, without the prior written consent of such Holder, except (i) as required by the federal securities law in connection with (A) any registration statement contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement and (B) the filing of final Transaction Agreements with the SEC or pursuant to other routine proceedings of regulatory authorities, or (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by law, at the request of the staff of the SEC or regulatory agency or under the regulations of Nasdaq, provided that the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Holders with prior written notice of and a reasonable opportunity to review such disclosure permitted under foregoing clauses (i) and (ii).
5.4 Integration. The Company shall not, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that no Affiliate of the Company shall, sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that will be integrated with the offer or issuance of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the issuance of the Securities to the Holders, or that will be integrated with the offer or issuance of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any National Exchange such that it would require stockholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless stockholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction; provided, however, that this Section 5.4 shall not limit the Company’s right to issue shares of capital stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
5.5 Removal of Legends.
(a) Once a registration statement covering the resale of the Warrant Shares is declared effective, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to promptly remove all restrictive legends, including the legend set forth in Section 4.10 above (or, in the event that Warrant Shares are issued upon exercise after the Registration Statement is declared effective, the Warrant Shares shall be issued without restrictive legends). Further, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to remove all restrictive legends, including the legend set forth in Section 4.10 above, (i) following any transfer or sale of such Warrant Shares once such Warrant Shares are eligible for transfer or sale pursuant to Rule 144 or any other applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, or (ii) if such Warrant Shares are eligible for resale under Rule 144(b)(1) or any successor provision (or, in the event that Warrant Shares are issued upon exercise after the conditions set forth in clauses (i) and (ii) above, the Warrant Shares shall be issued without restrictive legends). Without limiting the foregoing, either (i) upon request of a Holder and upon receipt by the Company of an opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company to the effect that such legend is no longer required under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or (ii) the Company shall promptly cause the legend to be removed from any certificate for any Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and deliver, or cause to be delivered, to any Holder new certificate(s) representing the Warrant Shares that are free from all restrictive and other legends or, at the request of such Holder, via DWAC transfer to such Holder’s account. In connection with any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of the Warrant Shares by a Holder pursuant to Rule 144 or pursuant to any other exemption under the Securities Act such that the purchaser acquires freely tradable shares and upon compliance by the Holder with the requirements of this Agreement, if requested by the Holder by notice to the Company, the Company shall request the Transfer Agent to remove any restrictive legends related to the book entry account holding such shares and make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry shares sold or disposed of without restrictive legends as soon as reasonably practicable following any such request therefor from the Holder, provided that the Company has timely received from the Holder customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company in connection therewith. The Company shall be responsible for the fees of its Transfer Agent and its legal counsel associated with such legend removal.
(b) Subject to receipt from the Holder by the Company and the Transfer Agent of customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith, upon the earliest of such time as the Warrant Shares (i) have been registered under the Securities Act pursuant to an effective registration statement; (ii) have been sold pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) are eligible for resale under Rule 144(b)(1) without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirements under Rule 144(c)(1) (or any successor provision), the Company shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5.5(b) and as soon as reasonably practicable following any request therefor from a Holder accompanied by such customary and reasonably acceptable documentation acceptable to the Company and its counsel, (A) deliver to the Transfer Agent irrevocable instructions that the Transfer Agent shall make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry shares, and (B) cause its counsel to deliver to the Transfer Agent one or more opinions to the effect that the removal of such legends in such circumstances may be effected under the Securities Act if required by the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
5.6 Withholding Taxes. Each Holder agrees to furnish the Company with any information, representations and forms as shall reasonably be requested by the Company from time to time to assist the Company in complying with any applicable tax law (including any withholding obligations).
5.7 Fees. The Company shall be solely responsible for the payment of any placement agent’s fees, financial advisory fees, or broker’s commissions (other than for Persons engaged by a Holder) relating to or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, any fees or commissions payable to the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor.
5.8 No Conflicting Agreements. The Company will not take any action, enter into any agreement or make any commitment that would conflict or interfere in any material respect with the Company’s obligations to the Holders under the Transaction Agreements.
5.9 Reporting Status. The Company shall timely file all reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, and the Company shall not terminate its status as an issuer required to file reports under the Exchange Act even if the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder would otherwise permit such termination.
5.10 Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Holder and its Affiliates and each Person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and their respective directors, officers, trustees, members, managers, employees, investment advisers and agents (collectively, the “Indemnified Persons”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation reasonable and documented attorney fees and disbursements and other documented out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim or proceeding, pending or threatened and the costs of enforcement thereof) to which such Indemnified Person may become subject (i) as a result of any breach of representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by or to be performed on the part of the Company under the Transaction Agreements or (ii) as a result of or arising out of any action, claim or proceeding, pending or threatened, against an Indemnified Person in any capacity by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of the Indemnified Person, whether directly or in a derivative capacity, with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements (unless such action, claim or proceeding is based upon a breach of such Holder’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Agreements), and in each case will reimburse any such Indemnified Person for all such amounts as they are incurred by such Indemnified Person.
(b) Any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided that any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Person unless (a) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees or expenses, (b) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Person or (c) in the reasonable judgment of any such Person, based upon written advice of its counsel, a conflict of interest exists between such Person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the Person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such Person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such Person); and provided, further, that the failure of any indemnified party to give written notice as provided herein shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder, except to the extent that such failure to give notice shall materially adversely affect the indemnifying party in the defense of any such claim or litigation. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for fees or expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties. No indemnifying party will, except with the consent of the indemnified party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement unless such judgment or settlement (i) imposes no liability or obligation on, (ii) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving of a complete, explicit and unconditional release from the party bringing such indemnified claims of all liability of the indemnified party in respect of such claim or litigation in favor of, and (iii) does not include any admission of fault, culpability, wrongdoing, or wrongdoing or malfeasance by or on behalf of, the indemnified party. No indemnified party will, except with the consent of the indemnifying party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement.
5.11 Beneficial Ownership Limitation. The Company and each Holder hereby agree that such Holder’s initial Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined in the Warrants) will be as set forth on such Holder’s signature page to this Agreement. Each Holder’s Beneficial Ownership Limitation may thereafter only be changed in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Designation.
5.12 Reservation of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue the Warrant Shares.
5.13 No Amendment or Waiver of Merger Agreement Terms. The Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, amend, modify, supplement, terminate or waive (or fail to contest an action regarding a breach of or agree to amend, modify, supplement, terminate or waive) any provision of the Merger Agreement or any other Transaction Agreement in a manner that would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the benefits that a Holder would reasonably expect to receive pursuant to this Agreement without the prior written consent of a Majority Holders (as defined in the Notes), it being agreed that any amendment or modification to the definition of “Exchange Ratio” shall be deemed to materially and adversely affect the benefits that the Holders would reasonably expect to receive under this Agreement.
5.14 Stockholder Approval. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement) to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters (as defined in the Merger Agreement), including the issuance of the Warrant Shares for purposes of the listing rules of Nasdaq at the Parent Stockholders’ Meeting (as defined in the Merger Agreement), which shall be held as promptly as practicable after the filing of the Proxy Statement (as defined in the Merger Agreement) in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to solicit its stockholders’ approval of such resolution and shall cause the Board of Directors to recommend to the stockholders that they approve such resolution and shall use reasonable best efforts to engage a proxy solicitor and otherwise take customary actions to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote. If the Required Parent Stockholder Vote (as defined in the Merger Agreement) is not obtained, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain such approvals as soon as practicable thereafter, including to (i) obtain such approvals at the next occurring annual meeting of the stockholders of the Company or, if such annual meeting is not scheduled to be held within six months, a special meeting of the stockholders of the Company to be held within six months, and (ii) hold an annual meeting or special meeting of its stockholders, at which a vote of the stockholders of the Company to approve the Parent Stockholder Matters (as defined in the Merger Agreement) will be solicited and taken, at least once every six months until the Company obtains approval of the Parent Stockholder Matters, in each case, in accordance with Section 4.1 of the Merger Agreement
5.15 Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not consent or agree to amend, alter, waive or otherwise modify the terms of any of the Lock-Up Agreements (as defined in the Merger Agreement) without the consent of the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor.
5.16. Equal Treatment of Holders. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Holder to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the Holders. The Company further confirms that there are no side letters or other agreements giving any Holder any additional rights or benefits other than as set forth in the Transaction Agreements (other than confidentiality, nondisclosure, or similar agreements). The Company shall not be entitled to redeem or repurchase any of the Warrants unless such redemption or repurchase is on a pro-rata basis amongst the Holders. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Holder by the Company and negotiated separately by each Holder and shall not in any way be construed as the Holders acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of shares of Common Stock or otherwise.
6. Conditions of Closing.
6.1 Conditions to the Obligation of the Holders. The several obligations of each Holder to consummate the transactions to be consummated at the Closing, and to surrender its Notes for cancellation in exchange for the issuance of Prefunded Warrants at the Initial Closing and to purchase Warrants at any Milestone Closing, in each case pursuant to this Agreement, are subject to the satisfaction or waiver in writing of the following conditions precedent
(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all respects as of the date hereof except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct in all respects as of such earlier date, and the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of such date, except for those representations and warranties qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, which shall be true and correct in all respects and except to the extent any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date.
(b) Performance. The Company shall have performed in all material respects the obligations and conditions herein required to be performed or observed by the Company on or prior to the Closing Date.
(c) No Injunction. The purchase and issuance of Warrants to each Holder shall not be prohibited or enjoined by any law or governmental or court order or regulation and no such prohibition shall have been threatened in writing.
(d) Consents. The Company shall have obtained any and all consents, permits, approvals, registrations and waivers necessary for the consummation of the exchange and cancellation of the Notes and the issuance of the Warrants, (except for the Required Parent Stockholder Vote and any approvals required by Nasdaq for the issuance of the Warrant Shares) all of which shall be in full force and effect.
(e) Adverse Changes. Since the date hereof, no event or series of events shall have occurred that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or a Company Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Merger Agreement).
(f) Registration Rights Agreement. The Company shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) to the Holders.
(g) Nasdaq. The Company shall have filed with Nasdaq a Notification Form: Listing of Additional Shares for the listing of the Warrant Shares and shall have not received any objections to the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, the other Transaction Agreements or the Merger Agreement. No stop order or suspension of trading shall have been imposed by Nasdaq, the SEC or any other governmental or regulatory body with respect to public trading in the Common Stock. The Common Stock shall be listed on Nasdaq and shall not have been suspended by the SEC or Nasdaq from trading thereon nor shall suspension by the SEC or Nasdaq have been threatened, as of the Closing Date, in writing by the SEC or Nasdaq.
(h) Merger. The closing of the Merger shall have occurred in accordance with the Merger Agreement.
(i) Injunction. No judgment, writ, order, injunction, award or decree of or by any court, or judge, justice or magistrate, including any bankruptcy court or judge, or any order of or by any governmental or regulatory body, shall have been issued, and no action or proceeding shall have been instituted by any governmental or regulatory body, enjoining or preventing the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or in the other Transaction Agreements.
6.2 Conditions to the Obligation of the Company. The obligation of the Company to consummate the transactions to be consummated at the applicable Closing, and to issue to each Holder the Prefunded Warrants at the Initial Closing pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants to be purchased at a Milestone Closing, is subject to the satisfaction or waiver in writing of the following conditions precedent
(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of each Holder in Section 4 hereto shall be true and correct in all respects as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, with the same force and effect as though made on and as of the Closing Date, except to the extent that any such representation or warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct in all respects as of such earlier date, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation by the Holder of each of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of the Holder contained in this Agreement as of the Closing Date.
(b) Performance. Each Holder shall have performed or complied with in all material respects all obligations and conditions herein required to be performed or observed by such Holder on or prior to the Closing Date.
(c) Injunction. The exchange and cancellation of the Notes and the issuance of Prefunded Warrants at the Initial Closing and the Warrants to be purchased at a Milestone Closing, in each case, by each Holder shall not be prohibited or enjoined by any law or governmental or court order or regulation.
(d) Registration Rights Agreement. Each Holder shall have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement to the Company in the form attached as Exhibit D.
7. Termination.
7.1 Termination. The obligations of the Company, on the one hand, and each Holder, on the other hand, to effect the Closing shall terminate as follows:
(i) Upon the mutual written consent of the Company and the Majority Holders (as defined in the Notes) to be exchanged hereunder prior to the Closing;
(ii) By the Company, if any of the conditions set forth in Section 6.2 shall have become incapable of fulfillment and shall not have been waived by the Company;
(iii) By a Holder, solely as to itself, if any of the conditions set forth in Section 6.1 shall have become incapable of fulfillment and shall not have been waived by such Holder; or (iv) By either the Company or a Holder, solely as to itself, if the Closing has not occurred on or before the fifth (5th) Business Day following the date of this Agreement;
provided, however, that, in the case of clauses (ii) through (iv) above, the party seeking to terminate its obligation to effect the Closing shall not then be in breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements contained in the Transaction Agreements if such breach has resulted in the circumstances giving rise to such party’s seeking to terminate its obligation to effect the Closing.
7.2 Notice. In the event of termination pursuant to Section 7.1, written notice thereof shall be given to each other Investor by the Company. Nothing in this Section 7 shall be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the other terms and provisions of the Transaction Agreements or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other party of its other obligations under the Transaction Agreements.
8. Miscellaneous Provisions.
8.1 Public Statements or Releases. Except as set forth in Section 5.3 and except for an investor call held prior to the Disclosure Time and the material terms of which are disclosed in the Disclosure Document, neither the Company nor any Holder shall make any public announcement with respect to the existence or terms of this Agreement or the transactions provided for herein without the prior consent of the other party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld) other than filings pursuant to Section 13 and/or Section 16 of the Exchange Act or as otherwise required by law, rule or regulation, which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not require the Company’s consent; provided that, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Holder or any Affiliate or investment adviser of any Holder without such Holder’s prior written consent (email being sufficient). Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to compliance with Section 5.3, nothing in this Section 8.1 shall prevent any party from making any public announcement it considers necessary in order to satisfy its obligations under the law, including applicable securities laws, or under the rules of any national securities exchange or securities market, in which case the Company shall, to the extent reasonably practicable, allow the Holders reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of such issuance, and the Company will consider in good faith any Holder comments. The Company shall not include the name of the Holder in any press release or public announcement (which, for the include any filing with the SEC if so required by the applicable rules of the SEC) the Holders, except as otherwise required by law or the applicable rules or regulations of any securities exchange or securities market, in which case the Company shall allow the Holders, to the extent reasonably practicable in the circumstances, reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of such issuance. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8.1, Investor review shall not be required for Company disclosures that are substantially consistent with prior Company disclosures.
8.2 Interpretation. The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement will refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement, and section and subsection references are to this Agreement unless otherwise specified. The headings in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and will not limit or otherwise affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they will be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.” The phrases “the date of this Agreement,” “the date hereof” and terms of similar import, unless the context otherwise requires, will be deemed to refer to the date set forth in the first paragraph of this Agreement. The meanings given to terms defined herein will be equally applicable to both the singular and plural forms of such terms. All matters to be agreed to by any party hereto must be agreed to in writing by such party unless otherwise indicated herein. References to agreements, policies, standards, guidelines or instruments, or to statutes or regulations, are to such agreements, policies, standards, guidelines or instruments, or statutes or regulations, as amended or supplemented from time to time (or to successors thereto).
8.3 Notices. Any notices or other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to be given (a) when delivered if personally delivered to the party for whom it is intended, (b) when delivered, if sent by electronic mail during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next Business Day, provided no rejection or undeliverable notice is received, (c) three (3) calendar days after having been sent by certified or registered mail, return-receipt requested and postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next business day delivery, with written verification of receipt:
(a) If to the Company, addressed as follows:
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
4870 Sadler Road, Ste 300
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Attention: Cary J. Claiborne, President and CEO
Email Address: Cclaiborne@adialpharma.com
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Attention: Leslie Marlow and Hank Gracin
Email Address: Leslie.Marlow@blankrome.com and Hank.Gracin@blankrome.com
(b) If to any Holder, at its address set forth on Exhibit A or to such e-mail address or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 8.3.
Any Person may change the address to which notices and communications to it are to be addressed by notification as provided for herein.
8.4 Consent to Electronic Notice. Each Holder consents to the delivery of any stockholder notice pursuant to Section 232 of the DGCL, as amended or superseded from time to time, with respect to the Warrants purchased or issued to a Holder at the e-mail address(es) set forth below the Holder’s name on the signature page or Exhibit A, as updated from time to time by notice to the Company in accordance with Section 8.3. To the extent that any notice given by means of electronic mail is returned or undeliverable for any reason, the foregoing consent shall be deemed to have been revoked until a new or corrected e-mail address has been provided, and such attempted electronic notice shall be ineffective and deemed to not have been given. Each Holder agrees to promptly notify the Company of any change in its e-mail address, and that failure to do so shall not affect the foregoing.
8.5 Severability. If any part or provision of this Agreement is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Agreement shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
8.6 Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Venue; Waiver of Trial by Jury.
(a) This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to choice of laws or conflicts of laws provisions thereof that would require the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction.
(b) The Company and each of the Holders hereby irrevocably and unconditionally:
(i) submits for itself and its property in any legal action or proceeding relating solely to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, to the general jurisdiction of the any state court or United States Federal court sitting in the City of Wilmington in the State of Delaware;
(ii) consents that any such action or proceeding may be brought in such courts, and waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such action or proceeding in any such court or that such action or proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same to the extent permitted by applicable law;
(iii) agrees that service of process in any such action or proceeding may be effected by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, to the party, as the case may be, at its address set forth in Section 8.3, Exhibit A or at such other address of which the other party shall have been notified pursuant thereto;
(iv) agrees that nothing herein shall affect the right to effect service of process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right to sue in any other jurisdiction for recognition and enforcement of any judgment or if jurisdiction in the courts referenced in the foregoing clause (i) are not available despite the intentions of the parties hereto;
(v) agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court may be enforced in the courts of any jurisdiction to which such party is subject by a suit upon such judgment, provided that service of process is effected upon such party in the manner specified herein or as otherwise permitted by law;
(vi) agrees that to the extent that such party has or hereafter may acquire any immunity from jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, such party hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Agreement, to the extent permitted by law; and
(vii) irrevocably and unconditionally waives trial by jury in any legal action or proceeding in relation to this Agreement.
8.7 Waiver. No waiver of any term, provision or condition of this Agreement, whether by conduct or otherwise, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be, or be construed as, a further or continuing waiver of any such term, provision or condition or as a waiver of any other term, provision or condition of this Agreement.
8.8 Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Agreements to the contrary, each party shall pay its own out-of-pocket fees and expenses, including the fees and expenses of attorneys, accountants and consultants employed by such party, incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby; provided, however, that the Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company), Transfer Taxes, stamp taxes and other taxes (other than income taxes) and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Warrants or Warrant Shares to the Holders.
8.9 Assignment. None of the parties may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement or designate another person (i) to perform all or part of its obligations under this Agreement or (ii) to have all or part of its rights and benefits under this Agreement, in each case without the prior written consent of (x) the Company, in the case of a Holder, and (y) the Holders, in the case of the Company, provided that a Holder may, without the prior consent of the Company, (i) assign its rights hereunder to any of its Affiliates or to any other investment funds or accounts managed or advised by the investment manager who acts on behalf of such Holder (provided each such assignee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement as a Holder hereunder and makes the same representations and warranties set forth in Section 4 hereof) or (ii) assign its rights hereunder to a permitted transferee of its Warrants or Warrant Shares following the Closing (other than with respect to transfers pursuant to the Registration Statement or Rule 144) (provided each such assignee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement applicable to the Holder). In the event of any assignment in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the assignee shall specifically assume and be bound by the provisions of this Agreement by executing a writing agreeing to be bound by and subject to the provisions of this Agreement and shall deliver an executed counterpart signature page to this Agreement and, notwithstanding such assumption or agreement to be bound hereby by an assignee, no such assignment shall relieve any party assigning any interest hereunder from its obligations or liability pursuant to this Agreement.
8.10 Confidential Information.
(a) Each Holder covenants that until the earliest of (i) such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any material non-public information provided to such Holder are publicly disclosed by the Company and (ii) the termination of this Agreement, such Holder will maintain the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction), other than to such Holder’s outside attorney, accountant, auditor or investment advisor only to the extent necessary to permit evaluation of the investment, and the performance of the necessary or required tax, accounting, financial, legal, or administrative tasks and services and other than as may be required by law.
(b) The Company may request from the Holders such reasonable and customary additional information as the Company may deem necessary to evaluate the eligibility of the Holder to acquire the Warrants, and the Holder shall promptly provide such information as may reasonably be requested to the extent readily available; provided, that the Company agrees to keep any such information provided by the Holder confidential, except (i) as required by the federal securities laws, rules or regulations and (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by other laws, rules or regulations, at the request of the staff of the SEC or regulatory agency or under the regulations of Nasdaq, in which case, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to notify the applicable Holder and provide such Holder the opportunity to review such disclosure. Each Holder acknowledges that the Company may file a form of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement with the SEC as exhibits to a periodic report or a registration statement of the Company.
8.11 [Reserved.]
8.12 [Reserved.]
8.13 Independent Nature of Investors’ Obligations and Right. The obligations of each Holder under this Agreement are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Investor, and no Investor shall be responsible in any way for the performance obligations of any other Investor under this Agreement. Nothing contained herein, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as, and the Company acknowledges that the Holders do not so constitute, a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert or as a group (including a “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), and the Company will not assert any such claim with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Company acknowledges that the Holders are not acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. It is expressly understood that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Holder, solely, and not between the Company and the Holders collectively and not between and among the Holders. The Company acknowledges and each Holder confirms that it has independently participated in the negotiation of the transaction contemplated hereby with the advice of its own counsel and advisors. Each Holder also acknowledges that none of Blank Rome LLP or Honigman LLP have rendered legal advice to such Holder. Each Holder shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The Company has elected to provide all Investors with the same terms and Transaction Agreements for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Holder.
8.14 Headings. The titles, subtitles and headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
8.15 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in three (3) or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party; provided that a facsimile or pdf signature including any electronic signatures complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile or pdf (or other electronic reproduction of a) signature.
8.16 Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements (including all schedules and exhibits hereto and thereto) constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements, negotiations, understandings, representations and statements respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof, whether written or oral. No amendment, modification, alteration, waiver or change in any of the terms of this Agreement shall be valid or binding upon the parties hereto unless made in writing and duly executed by the Company and the Majority Holders (as defined in the Notes) of the Notes to be exchanged hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) this Agreement may not be amended or waived with respect to any Holder without the written consent of such Holder unless such amendment or waiver applies to all Holders in the same fashion, and (ii) any amendment to Section 2.1, Section 2.2, Section 2.4, Section 2.5, Section 5.5, Section 5.10, Section 5.14, Section 5.13, Section 5.12, Section 6.1, Section 7.1 or this Section 8.16 shall require the consent of each Holder. The Company, on the one hand, and each Holder, on the other hand, may by an instrument signed in writing by such parties waive the performance, compliance or satisfaction by such Holder or the Company, respectively, with any term or provision hereof or any condition hereto to be performed, complied with or satisfied by such Holder or the Company, respectively. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else to the contrary, no amendment, modification, alteration, change or waiver of this Section 8.16 that is material and adverse to the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor shall be valid without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent or Capital Markets Advisor, as applicable, which consent may be granted or withheld in the sole discretion of the Placement Agent and Capital Markets Advisor.
8.17 Survival. The covenants, representations and warranties made by each party hereto contained in this Agreement shall survive the Initial Closing and each applicable Milestone Closing and the delivery of the Warrants in accordance with their respective terms. Each Holder shall be responsible only for its own representations, warranties, agreements and covenants hereunder.
8.18 Mutual Drafting. This Agreement is the joint product of each Holder and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
8.19 Arm’s Length Negotiations. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties acknowledge and confirm that the terms and conditions of the Warrants were determined as a result of arm’s-length negotiations.
8.20 Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
| COMPANY: | ||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Exchange Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
| HOLDER: | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| Beneficial Ownership Limitation: | ||
[Signature Page to Exchange Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
HOLDERS
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF PREFUNDED WARRANT
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF MILESTONE INCENTIVE WARRANT
EXHIBIT D
FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
35
Exhibit 10.3
Execution Version
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 11, 2026, is entered into by and among Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the several investors signatory hereto (individually as an “Investor” and collectively together with their respective permitted assigns, the “Investors”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Securities Purchase Agreement by and among the Company and the investors party thereto, dated on or around the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement”). Reference is made to that certain Exchange Agreement, by and among the Company and the note holders party thereto, dated on or around the date hereof (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Exchange Agreement”).
WHEREAS:
A. The Company is party to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among the Company, Azora Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Azora”), Adial Merger Sub I, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“First Merger Sub”), and Adial Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Second Merger Sub”), dated on or around the date hereof (as amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which (i) First Merger Sub will merge with and into Azora, with Azora surviving and becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and (ii) Azora will merge with and into Second Merger Sub, with Second Merger Sub being the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company ((i) and (ii) together, the “Merger”), and (iii) following the Merger and in accordance with the Merger Agreement, the Second Merger Sub will change its name to “Azora Therapeutics, LLC”.
B. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Purchase Agreement and the Exchange Agreement, the Company has agreed to issue to certain Investors, and such Investors have agreed to purchase, severally and not jointly, (i) at the Initial Closing, prefunded warrants to purchase an aggregate of (a) 9,749,345 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and (b) 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement (together, the “Initial Closing Prefunded Warrants”), (ii) at the Milestone Closings, prefunded warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of (a) 9,749,345 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and (b) 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement (together, the “Milestone Closing Prefunded Warrants”), and (iii) at the Milestone Closings, common warrants to purchase an aggregate of (a) 9,749,345 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and (b) 2,031,603 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Exchange Agreement (together, the “Milestone Incentive Warrants” and, together with the Initial Closing Prefunded Warrants and the Milestone Closing Prefunded Warrants, the “Warrants”). The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Shares.” The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Initial Closing Prefunded Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Initial Closing Shares.” The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Milestone Closing Prefunded Warrants and the Milestone Incentive Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the “Milestone Shares.”
C. To induce the Investors to enter into the Purchase Agreement and the Exchange Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “Securities Act”), and applicable state securities laws.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Investors hereby agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a) “Filing Deadline” means, (i) with respect to the Initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the 80th calendar day following the Initial Closing Date; (ii) with respect to the Milestone Registration Statement(s) required hereunder, the 30th calendar day following the applicable Milestone Registration Trigger Date and (iii) with respect to any New Registration Statements or other Registration Statement filed hereunder, the 30th calendar day following the later of (x) the date on which the Company is permitted by SEC Guidance to file such New Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities and (y) the date on which the Company becomes aware (or reasonably should have become aware) of the necessity of filing such New Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities. For the purposes of this definition, the ‘necessity’ to file a New Registration Statement shall be deemed to arise at the time the Company determines (or reasonably should determine) that the number of shares then registered is insufficient to cover all Registrable Securities required to be covered hereunder.
(b) “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture, other entity or organization, any governmental agency or any governmental or political subdivision thereof.
(c) “Prospectus” means (i) the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and by all other amendments and supplements to the prospectus, including post-effective amendments and all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus, and (ii) any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, relating to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities.
(d) “Register,” “Registered,” and “Registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing one or more registration statements of the Company in compliance with the Securities Act and providing for offering securities on a continuous basis, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement(s) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
(e) “Registrable Securities” means (i) the Shares, (ii) any shares of Common Stock issued to an Investor pursuant to the Merger Agreement, including any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon conversion of the shares of preferred stock issued thereunder, and (iii) any shares of Common Stock issued or issuable with respect to the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) as a result of any stock split or subdivision, stock dividend, recapitalization, exchange or similar event. Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) upon the earliest to occur of the date on which (A) such Investor shall have resold such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement pursuant to the Registration Statement, (B) such Registrable Securities have been previously sold by such Investor in accordance with Rule 144, and (C) such securities become eligible for resale by such Investor without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions pursuant to Rule 144 and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144.
(f) “Registration Expenses” means all registration and filing fee expenses incurred by the Company in effecting any registration pursuant to this Agreement, including (i) all registration, qualification, and filing fees, printing expenses, and any other fees and expenses associated with filings required to be made with the SEC, FINRA or any other regulatory authority, (ii) all fees and expenses in connection with compliance with or clearing the Registrable Securities for sale under any securities or “Blue Sky” laws, (iii) all printing, duplicating, word processing, messenger, telephone, facsimile and delivery expenses, and (iv) all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and of all independent certified public accountants of the Company (including the expenses of any special audit and cold comfort letters required by or incident to such performance); provided that in no event shall the Company be responsible for any underwriting, broker or similar fees or commissions of any Investor or, except to the extent provided for in the Purchase Agreement or this Agreement, any legal fees or other costs of the Investors.
(g) “Registration Statement” means any registration statement of the Company filed with, or to be filed with, the SEC under the Securities Act, that Registers Registrable Securities, including the related Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including pre- and post-effective amendments, and all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement as may be necessary to comply with applicable securities laws. “Registration Statement” shall also include a New Registration Statement, as amended when each became effective, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus subsequently filed with the SEC.
(h) “Required Investors” means the Investors holding a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding (determined as if all of the (i) Warrants then outstanding have been exercised in full without regard to any limitations on the exercise of such Warrants and (ii) shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding have been converted in full without regard to any limitations on the conversion of such shares of Preferred Stock, in each case including the requirement to obtain the approval of the stockholders of the Company) (voting together as a single class).
(i) “SEC Guidance” means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the SEC staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the SEC staff (whether or not publicly-available); provided, that any such oral guidance, comments, requirements or requests are shared with the Investors upon request if not publicly-available and (ii) the Securities Act.
(j) “Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities and all similar fees and commissions relating to an Investor’s disposition of its Registrable Securities.
2. REGISTRATION.
(a) Mandatory Registration.
(1) The Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable following the Initial Closing, and in any event no later than the applicable Filing Deadline, prepare and file with the SEC an initial Registration Statement (the “Initial Registration Statement”) covering the resale of all Registrable Securities available to be registered. Before filing the Registration Statement, the Company shall furnish to the Investors a copy of the Registration Statement. The Investors and their respective counsel shall have at least three (3) Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date of a Registration Statement to review and comment upon such Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement and any related Prospectus, prior to its filing with the SEC. Subject to any SEC comments, such Registration Statement shall include the plan of distribution substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. Such Registration Statement also shall cover, to the extent allowable under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated thereunder (including Rule 416), such indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions with respect to the Registrable Securities being registered pursuant to such Registration Statement. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company prior to the date hereof, such Registration Statement shall not include any shares of Common Stock or other securities for the account of any other holder of securities of the Company without the prior written consent of the Required Investors. The Company shall (a) use commercially reasonable efforts to address in each such document prior to being so filed with the SEC such comments as the Investor or its counsel reasonably proposed to the Company, and (b) not file any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto containing information regarding any Investor to which such Investor reasonably objects or reasonably believes contains an 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such information is required (in the opinion of the Company’s outside legal counsel) to comply with any applicable law or regulation or SEC Guidance. Each Investor shall furnish all information with respect to such Investor reasonably requested by the Company as shall be reasonably required in connection with any registration referred to in this Agreement.
(2) Milestone Registration. Promptly following the date on which the aggregate purchase price paid by the Investors in connection with all Milestone Closings (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) for which Registrable Securities have not yet been registered pursuant to a prior Registration Statement equals or exceeds $5,000,000 in the aggregate (the “Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date”), and in any event no later than the applicable Filing Deadline, the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC a Registration Statement (the “Milestone Registration Statement”) covering the resale of all such Milestone Shares issued or issuable in connection with all Milestone Closings occurring on or prior to such date that have not yet been registered pursuant to a prior Registration Statement. The Company may, at its election, include the Milestone Shares on the Initial Registration Statement (by way of amendment or post-effective amendment thereto) or on a separate Registration Statement, to the extent permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Before filing the Milestone Registration Statement (or any amendment to an existing Registration Statement to include the Milestone Shares), the Company shall furnish to the Investors a copy of such Registration Statement or amendment. The Investors and their respective counsel shall have at least three (3) Business Days prior to the anticipated filing date thereof to review and comment upon such Registration Statement or amendment and any related Prospectus, prior to its filing with the SEC. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment) declared effective by the SEC at the earliest possible date but no later than the earlier of (1) the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following the earlier of (i) the initial filing date of the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment) and (ii) the applicable Filing Deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment), and (2) the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the Milestone Registration Statement (or such amendment) will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (the “Milestone Effectiveness Deadline”). The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to keep the Milestone Registration Statement continuously effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act and available for the resale by the Investors of all of the Milestone Shares covered thereby at all times until the earlier to occur of the following events: (i) the date on which the Investors shall have resold all the Registrable Securities covered thereby (whether pursuant to Rule 144, the Registration Statement or otherwise); and (ii) the date on which the Registrable Securities covered thereby may be resold by the Investors without registration, without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations by reason of Rule 144, and without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect (the “Registration Period”). Following the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, promptly following the date on which the aggregate purchase price paid by the Investors in connection with all additional Milestone Closings after the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, for which Registrable Securities have not yet been registered pursuant to a prior Registration Statement, equals or exceeds $3,000,000 in the aggregate (in each case, an “Additional Milestone Registration Trigger Date” and together with the Initial Milestone Registration Trigger Date, a “Milestone Registration Trigger Date”), the Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable and in any event within thirty (30) calendar days following the applicable Additional Milestone Registration Trigger Date, amend the Milestone Registration Statement or file a New Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2(c) below) to cover the resale of such additional Milestone Shares.
(b) Effectiveness. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have the Initial Registration Statement, and any amendment thereto declared effective by the SEC at the earliest possible date but no later than the earlier of (1) the one hundred and twentieth (120th) calendar day following the earlier of (i) the initial filing date of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) the applicable Filing Deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will not “review” the Initial Registration Statement, (2) the one hundred and fiftieth (150th) calendar day following the earlier of (i) the initial filing date of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) the applicable Filing Deadline, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” the Initial Registration Statement and (3) the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the Initial Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (such earlier date, the “Effectiveness Deadline”). The Company shall notify the Investors by e-mail as promptly as practicable, and in any event, within twenty-four (24) hours, after the Initial Registration Statement is declared effective or is supplemented and shall provide the Investors with copies of any Prospectus to be used in connection with the sale or other disposition of the securities covered thereby. The Company shall use reasonable best efforts to keep the Initial Registration Statement continuously effective pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act and available for the resale by the Investors of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby during the Registration Period. The Initial Registration Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto and prospectuses contained therein) shall 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, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
(c) Sufficient Number of Shares Registered. In the event the number of shares available under the Initial Registration Statement or the Milestone Registration Statement at any time is insufficient to cover the Registrable Securities required to be covered thereby, the Company shall, to the extent necessary and permissible, amend the Initial Registration Statement or the Milestone Registration Statement, as applicable, or file a new registration statement (together with any prospectuses or prospectus supplements thereunder, a “New Registration Statement”), so as to cover all of such additional Registrable Securities as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event not later than fifteen (15) Business Days after the necessity therefore arises (the “New Registration Filing Deadline”). The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment and/or New Registration Statement become effective as soon as reasonably practicable following the filing thereof, but no later than the earlier of (1) the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following the initial filing date of the New Registration Statement, if the SEC notifies the Company that it will “review” the New Registration Statement and (2) the fifth (5th) Business Day after the date the Company is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the New Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or will not be subject to further review (the earlier of such dates, the “New Registration Effectiveness Deadline”). The provisions of Sections 2(a) and 2(b) shall apply to the New Registration Statement, except as modified hereby.
(d) Liquidated Damages. If (i) the Initial Registration Statement has not been filed by the Filing Deadline, (ii) the Initial Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Effectiveness Deadline, (iii) the New Registration Statement has not been filed by the New Registration Filing Deadline, (iv) the New Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the New Registration Effectiveness Deadline, (v) the Milestone Registration Statement has not been filed by the applicable Filing Deadline, (vi) the Milestone Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Milestone Effectiveness Deadline, or (vii) after any Registration Statement (including the Milestone Registration Statement) has been declared effective by the SEC, sales cannot be made pursuant to such Registration Statement for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a stop order, or the Company’s failure to update such Registration Statement), but excluding any Allowed Delay (as defined below) or, if the Registration Statement is on Form S-1, for a period of 20 days following the date on which the Company files a post-effective amendment to incorporate the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, then the Company will make pro rata payments to each Investor then holding Registrable Securities, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 1.0% of the aggregate amount paid pursuant to the Purchase Agreement by such Investor for such Registrable Securities then held by such Investor for each 30-day period or pro rata for any portion thereof during which the failure continues (the “Blackout Period”), provided that no liquidated damages shall be payable if and to the extent to, despite best efforts by the Company to avoid a breach hereof, the Company’s failure was caused by a government shutdown resulting in the SEC’s inability to review or declare effective the Registration Statement. Such payments shall constitute the Investors’ exclusive monetary remedy for such events, but shall not affect the right of the Investors to seek injunctive relief. The amounts payable as liquidated damages pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid in cash no later than five (5) Business Days after each such 30-day period following the commencement of the Blackout Period until the termination of the Blackout Period (the “Blackout Period Payment Date”). Interest shall accrue at the rate of 1.0% per month on any such liquidated damages payments that shall not be paid by the Blackout Period Payment Date until such amount is paid in full. Notwithstanding the above, in no event shall the aggregate amount of liquidated damages (or interest thereon) paid under this Agreement to any Investor exceed, in the aggregate, 5.0% of the aggregate purchase price of the Shares purchased by such Investor under the Purchase Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2(d) to the contrary, during any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities because any Investor fails to furnish information required to be provided pursuant to Section 2(a) or Section 4(a) within three Business Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated damages that would otherwise accrue as to such Investor only shall be tolled until such information is delivered to the Company.
(e) Allowable Delays. On no more than two (2) occasions in any twelve (12)-month period for not more than thirty (30) consecutive days or for a total of not more than sixty (60) days, the Company may delay the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, the Milestone Registration Statement or any other Registration Statement, or suspend the use of any Prospectus, in the event that the Board of Directors reasonably determines, in good faith and upon advice of legal counsel, that such delay or suspension is necessary to (A) delay the disclosure of material non-public information concerning the Company, including in connection with the negotiation or consummation of a material transaction by the Company that is pending, that would require additional disclosure by the Company in the Registration Statement of material non-public information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential and the non-disclosure of which would be expected, in the reasonable determination of the Board of Directors, upon advice of legal counsel, to cause the Registration Statement to fail to comply with applicable disclosure requirements, or (B) amend or supplement the affected Registration Statement or the related Prospectus so that such Registration Statement or Prospectus shall not include an 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, in the case of the Prospectus in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (an “Allowed Delay”); provided, that the Company shall promptly (a) notify each Investor in writing of the commencement of an Allowed Delay, but shall not (without the prior written consent of an Investor) disclose to such Investor any material non-public information giving rise to an Allowed Delay and such notice shall specify that an Allowed Delay has commenced and that sales pursuant to the Registration Statement must cease, and the Company shall provide a written notice within twenty-four (24) hours after the termination of the Allowed Delay confirming the sales may be resumed; (b) advise the Investors in writing to cease all sales under the applicable Registration Statement until the end of the Allowed Delay and (c) use commercially reasonable efforts to terminate an Allowed Delay as promptly as practicable.
(f) Rule 415; Cutback. If at any time the SEC takes the position that (1) the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in any Registration Statement (including the Milestone Registration Statement) is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act (provided, however, the Company shall be obligated to use reasonable best efforts to advocate with the SEC for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities), (2) certain Registrable Securities cannot be registered until Stockholder Approval has been obtained, or (3) the SEC requires any Investor to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall (i) promptly notify each holder of Registrable Securities thereof and (ii) make commercially reasonable efforts to persuade the SEC that all Registrable Securities can be registered pursuant to the Registration Statement and, to the extent applicable, that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Investors is an “underwriter.” Each Investor shall have the right to have its legal counsel at such Investor’s expense, to review and oversee any registration or matters pursuant to this Section 2(f), including participating in any meetings or discussions with the SEC regarding the SEC’s position and to comment on any written submission made to the SEC with respect thereto. No such written submission with respect to this matter shall be made to the SEC to which any Investor’s counsel reasonably objects. In the event that, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2(f), the SEC refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (A) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the “Cut-Back Shares”) and/or (B) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the SEC may require to assure the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 415, other applicable provisions of the Securities Act and SEC comments (collectively, the “SEC Restrictions”); provided, however, that the Company shall not name any Investor as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Investor (provided that, in the event an Investor withholds such consent, the Company shall have no obligation hereunder to include any Registrable Securities of such Investor in any Registration Statement covering the resale thereof until such time as the SEC no longer requires such Investor to be named as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement or such Investor otherwise consents in writing to being so named). Any cut-back imposed on the Investors pursuant to this Section 2(f) shall be allocated among the Investors on a pro rata basis and shall be applied first to any of the Registrable Securities of an Investor as such Investor shall designate, unless the SEC Restrictions otherwise require or provide otherwise, or an Investor otherwise agrees. No liquidated damages shall accrue as to any Cut-Back Shares until such date as the Company is able to effect the registration of such Cut-Back Shares in accordance with any SEC Restrictions applicable to such Cut-Back Shares (such date, the “Restriction Termination Date”). From and after the Restriction Termination Date applicable to any Cut-Back Shares, all of the provisions of this Section 2 (including the Company’s obligations with respect to the filing of a Registration Statement and its obligations to use reasonable efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective within the time periods set forth herein and the liquidated damages provisions relating thereto) shall again be applicable to such Cut-Back Shares; provided, however, that the date by which the Company is required to file the Registration Statement with respect to such Cut-Back Shares shall be the fifteenth (15th) day following the Restriction Termination Date and the date by which the Company is required to have the Registration Statement effective with respect to such Cut-Back Shares shall be the sixtieth (60th) day immediately after the Restriction Termination Date.
(g) Each Registration Statement filed hereunder (including the Milestone Registration Statement) shall be on Form S-3 (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on another form in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2(g)). If, in the reasonable opinion of the Company’s counsel, the Form S-3 is not available for the registration of the resale of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Company shall (i) register the resale of the Registrable Securities on another appropriate form and (ii) undertake to register the Registrable Securities on Form S-3 as soon as practicable after such form is available, provided that the Company shall maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement then in effect until such time as a Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the Registrable Securities has been declared effective by the SEC.
3. RELATED COMPANY OBLIGATIONS.
With respect to the Registration Statement and whenever any Registrable Securities are to be Registered pursuant to Section 2, including on the Initial Registration Statement, the Milestone Registration Statement or on any New Registration Statement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof and, pursuant thereto, the Company shall have the following obligations:
(a) Notifications. The Company will notify the Investors promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Initial Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the SEC and/or has become effective or where a receipt has been issued therefor or any subsequent supplement to a Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the SEC for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any prospectus or for additional information.
(b) Amendments. The Company will prepare and file with the SEC any amendments, post-effective amendments or supplements to the Initial Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, as applicable, that, (a) as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for the Registration Period and to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), with respect to the distribution of all of the Registrable Securities covered thereby, or (b) in the reasonable opinion of the Investors and the Company, as may be necessary or advisable in connection with any acquisition or sale of Registrable Securities by the Investors.
(c) Investor Review. The Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to any Investor, the Registrable Securities or the transactions contemplated hereby unless (A) such Investor and its counsel shall have been advised and afforded the opportunity to review and comment thereon at least three (3) Business Days prior to filing with the SEC and (B) the Company shall have given reasonable due consideration to any comments thereon received from such Investor or its counsel.
(d) Copies Available. The Company will furnish to any Investor whose Registrable Securities are included in any Registration Statement and its counsel copies of the Initial Registration Statement, any Prospectus thereunder (including all documents incorporated by reference therein), any Prospectus supplement thereunder, any New Registration Statement and all amendments to the Initial Registration Statement or any New Registration Statement that are filed with the SEC during the Registration Period (including all documents filed with or furnished to the SEC during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the staff of the SEC, and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, in each case relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential treatment) and such other documents as such Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor that are covered by such Registration Statement, in each case as soon as reasonably practicable upon such Investor’s request and in such quantities as such Investor may from time to time reasonably request; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document to such Investor to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
(e) Notification of Stop Orders; Material Changes. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness and, (ii) if such order is issued, obtain the withdrawal of any such order as soon as practicable. The Company shall advise the Investors promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) and shall confirm such advice in writing, in each case: (i) of the Company’s receipt of notice of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendment of or a supplement to the Registration Statement or any Prospectus or for any additional information; (ii) of the Company’s receipt of notice of the issuance by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of any Prospectus or Prospectus supplement, or any New Registration Statement, or of the Company’s receipt of any notification of the suspension of qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or contemplated initiation of any proceeding for such purpose; and (iii) of the Company becoming aware of the happening of any event, which makes any statement of a material fact made in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus untrue or which requires the making of any additions to or changes to the statements then made in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus in order to state a material fact required by the Securities Act to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements then made therein (in the case of any Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or of the necessity to amend any Registration Statement or any Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or any other law. The Company shall not be required to disclose to the Investors (and shall not so disclose to any Investor without such Investor’s prior written consent) the substance of specific reasons of any of the events set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) of the immediately preceding sentence (each, a “Suspension Event”), but rather, shall only be required to disclose that the event has occurred; provided that the Company shall not provide any material non-public information to the Investors in such notice. If at any time the SEC, or any other federal or state governmental authority, shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or prohibiting or suspending the use of any Prospectus or Prospectus supplement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest practicable time. The Company shall furnish to the Investors, without charge, a copy of any correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, or any other federal or state governmental authority to the Company or its representatives relating to the Initial Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any Prospectus, or Prospectus supplement as the case may be. In the event of a Suspension Event set forth in clause (iii) of the second sentence of this Section 3(e), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to publicly disclose such event as soon as reasonably practicable, or otherwise resolve the matter such that sales under Registration Statements may resume. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Company may not suspend pursuant to a Suspension Event on no more than two (2) occasions in any twelve (12)-month period for not more than thirty (30) consecutive days or for a total of not more than sixty (60) days.
(f) Confirmation of Effectiveness. If reasonably requested by an Investor at any time in respect of any Registration Statement, the Company shall deliver to such Investor a written confirmation (email being sufficient) from Company’s counsel of whether or not the effectiveness of such Registration Statement has lapsed at any time for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order) and whether or not such Registration Statement is currently effective and available to the Company for sale of Registrable Securities.
(g) Listing. The Company shall use best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be listed and to maintain such listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and/or any other National Exchange upon which the Registrable Securities are listed provided that the Company shall not be required to take any action that would violate applicable law or the rules of such National Exchange.
(h) Compliance. The Company shall otherwise use best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 172 under the Securities Act, file any final prospectus, including any supplement or amendment thereof, with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act by 9:30 a.m. New York time on the Business Day following the date the applicable Registration Statement is declared effective, promptly inform the Investors in writing if, at any time during the Registration Period, the Company does not satisfy the conditions specified in Rule 172 and, as a result thereof, the Investors are required to deliver a prospectus in connection with any disposition of Registrable Securities and take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities hereunder, and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve (12) months, beginning after the effective date of each Registration Statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act, including Rule 158 promulgated thereunder (for the purpose of this Section 3(h), “Availability Date” means the forty-fifth (45th) calendar day following the end of the fourth (4th) fiscal quarter that includes the effective date of such Registration Statement, except that, if such fourth (4th) fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the ninetieth (90th) calendar day after the end of such fourth (4th) fiscal quarter).
(i) Blue-Sky. The Company shall register or qualify or cooperate with any Investor and its counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of such Registrable Securities for the offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions reasonably requested by such Investor; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to (i) qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 3(i), (ii) subject itself to general taxation in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be so subject but for this Section 3(i), or (iii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(j) Rule 144. With a view to making available to the Investors the benefits of Rule 144 (or its successor rule) and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit the Investors to sell the Registrable Securities to the public without registration, the Company covenants and agrees to, for so long as any Registrable Securities are outstanding, (i) make and keep adequate current public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144, until the earlier of (A) six months after such date as all of the Registrable Securities may be sold without restriction by the holders thereof pursuant to Rule 144 or any other rule of similar effect or (B) such date as there are no longer Registrable Securities (without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with any current public information requirements); (ii) file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Exchange Act; (iii) furnish electronically to each Investor upon request, as long as such Investor owns any Registrable Securities, (A) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, (B) a copy of or electronic access to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and (C) such other information as may be reasonably requested in order to avail such Investor of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such Registrable Securities without registration; and (iv) in furtherance of (iii)(C) above, use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such other information as may be reasonably requested by such Investor to allow counsel for such Investor to provide, at such Investor’s sole cost, any legal opinions in connection with the sale or transfer of Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144 or any other exemption from registration under the Securities Act.
(k) Cooperation. The Company shall cooperate with the holders of the Registrable Securities to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates or uncertificated shares representing the Registrable Securities to be sold pursuant to such Registration Statement or Rule 144 free of any restrictive legends and representing such number of shares of Common Stock and registered in such names as the holders of the Registrable Securities may reasonably request in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement, and the Company may satisfy its obligations hereunder without issuing physical stock certificates through the use of The Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System.
(l) Removal of Restrictive Legends. Without limiting Section 5.5 of the Purchase Agreement, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Company’s transfer agent to remove any restrictive legend from any Registrable Securities, as promptly as reasonably practicable following effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement, without any request for removal being required from any holder of Registrable Securities.
4. OBLIGATIONS OF THE INVESTORS.
(a) Investor Information. Each Investor shall provide a completed Investor Questionnaire in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B and such other information reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities. If the Company has not received such completed questionnaire from an Investor within five (5) Business days of the Company’s request, the Company may file the Registration Statement without including such Investor’s Registrable Securities.
(b) Suspension of Sales. Each Investor, severally and not jointly with any other Investor, agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the existence of an Allowed Delay or Suspension Event, the Investor will promptly discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to any Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until the Investor’s receipt of a notice from the Company confirming the resolution of such Allowed Delay or Suspension Event and that such dispositions may again be made; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the Investor to sell or otherwise dispose of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 144 or any other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act or to settle a transaction pursuant to a Registration Statement as to which a contract for such sale was entered into prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice from the Company of the existence of the Allowed Delay or Suspension Event. The Company shall cause its transfer agent to deliver unlegended shares of Common Stock to a transferee of an Investor in accordance with any sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement with respect to which such Investor has entered into a contract for sale prior to such Investor’s receipt of the notice from the Company of the existence of the Allowed Delay or Suspension Event.
(c) Investor Cooperation. Each Investor, severally and not jointly with any other Investor, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of any amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement or New Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of its election to exclude all of its Registrable Securities from such Registration Statement.
5. EXPENSES OF REGISTRATION.
All Registration Expenses incurred in connection with registrations pursuant to this Agreement shall be borne by the Company. All Selling Expenses relating to securities registered on behalf of an Investor shall be borne by the Investor incurring the relevant Selling Expenses.
6. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company will, and hereby does, indemnify, hold harmless and defend each Investor, each Person, if any, who controls each Investor, the members, shareholders, directors, officers, partners, employees, members, managers, agents, representatives and advisors of each Investor and each Person, if any, who controls any of the foregoing within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Person”), against any losses, obligation, claims, damages, liabilities, contingencies, judgments, fines, penalties, charges and costs (including, without limitation, court costs and costs of preparation), reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees, amounts paid in settlement (with the prior written consent of the Company, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) and or reasonable and documented expenses (collectively, “Claims”) reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending any action, claim, suit, inquiry, proceeding, investigation or appeal taken from the foregoing by or before any court or governmental, administrative or other regulatory agency or body or the SEC, whether pending or threatened, whether or not an indemnified party is or may be a party thereto (the “Indemnified Damages”), to which any of them may become subject insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any other state securities or other “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction in which Registrable Securities are offered or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company or its agents and relating to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with such registration of the Registrable Securities (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being, collectively, “Violations”). The Company shall reimburse each Indemnified Person promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any reasonable and documented out of pocket legal fees or other reasonable and documented expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a): (A) shall not apply to a Claim by an Indemnified Person arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the relevant Investor or such relevant Indemnified Person specifically for use in such Registration Statement or prospectus and was reviewed and approved in writing by such Investor or such Indemnified Person expressly for use in connection with the preparation of any Registration Statement, any prospectus or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto if the foregoing was timely made available by the Company; (B) with respect to any superseded prospectus, shall not inure to the benefit of any such Person from whom the Person asserting any such Claim purchased the Registrable Securities that are the subject thereof (or to the benefit of any other Indemnified Person) if the untrue statement or omission of material fact contained in the superseded prospectus was corrected in the revised prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, and the Indemnified Person was promptly advised in writing not to use the outdated, defective or incorrect prospectus prior to the use giving rise to a Violation; (C) shall not be available to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of the relevant Indemnified Person to deliver, or cause to be delivered, if required the prospectus to the Persons asserting an untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of Registrable Securities; and (D) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by an Investor pursuant to Section 8.
(b) In connection with the Initial Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement or any prospectus, each Investor, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify, hold harmless and defend, the Company, each of its directors, and officers who signed the Initial Registration Statement or signs any New Registration Statement, and each Person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expense (including reasonable attorney fees) resulting from (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement to the extent, and only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission occurred in reliance upon and in conformity with information about the relevant Investor furnished in writing by such Investor to the Company expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, any New Registration Statement, any prospectus or any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto or (ii) any violation or alleged violation by such Investor of its obligations under this Agreement. In no event shall the liability of an Investor under this Section 6(b) be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the proceeds (net of all expense paid by such Investor in connection with any claim relating to this Section 6 and the amount of any damages such Investor has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission, such alleged untrue statement or omission, such violation or such alleged violation) received by such Investor upon the sale of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement giving rise to such indemnification obligation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(b), shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of such Investor, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by an Investor pursuant to Section 8.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including any governmental action or proceeding) involving a Claim, such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the indemnifying party and the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party, as the case may be, and upon such notice, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnified Person or the Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof; provided, however, that an Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party (together with all other Indemnified Persons and Indemnified Parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain its own counsel with the reasonable fees and expenses of one such counsel to be paid by the indemnifying party, if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel retained by the indemnifying party, the representation by such counsel of the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person shall cooperate with the indemnifying party in connection with any negotiation or defense of any such action or claim by the indemnifying party and shall furnish to the indemnifying party all information reasonably available to the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person which relates to such action or claim. The indemnifying party shall keep the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person fully apprised as to the status of the defense or any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without its written consent, provided, however, that the indemnifying party shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise unless such judgment or settlement (i) imposes no liability or obligation on, (ii) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving of a complete, explicit and unconditional release from the party bringing such indemnified claims of all liability of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person in respect to or arising out of such claim or litigation in favor of, and (iii) does not include any admission of fault, culpability, wrongdoing, or wrongdoing or malfeasance by or on behalf of, the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person. Following indemnification as provided for hereunder, the indemnifying party shall be subrogated to all rights of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating to the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Person or Indemnified Party under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability to defend such action.
(d) The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified Damages are incurred. Any Person receiving a payment pursuant to this Section 6 which person is later determined to not be entitled to such payment shall promptly return such payment (including reimbursement of expenses) to the person making it.
(e) The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause of action or similar right of the Indemnified Party or Indemnified Person against the indemnifying party or others, and (ii) any liabilities the indemnifying party may be subject to pursuant to the law.
7. CONTRIBUTION.
To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that: (i) no seller of Registrable Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any seller of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation; and (ii) contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds (net of all expenses paid by such holder in connection with any claim relating to this Section 7 and the amount of any damages such holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission) received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation.
8. ASSIGNMENT OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS.
The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder (whether by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the Required Investors; provided, however, that in any transaction, whether by merger, reorganization, restructuring, consolidation, financing or otherwise, whereby the Company is a party and in which the Registrable Securities are converted into the equity securities of another Person, from and after the effective time of such transaction, such Person shall, by virtue of such transaction, be deemed to have assumed the obligations of the Company hereunder, the term “Company” shall be deemed to refer to such Person and the term “Registrable Securities” shall be deemed to include the securities received by such Investor in connection with such transaction unless such securities are otherwise freely tradable by such Investor after giving effect to such transaction, and the prior written consent of the Required Investors shall not be required for such transaction. An Investor may transfer or assign its rights hereunder, in whole or from time to time in part, to one or more Persons in connection with the transfer of not fewer than 100,000 (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization) Registrable Securities by such Investor to such Person, provided that such Investor complies with all laws applicable thereto, and the provisions of the Purchase Agreement, and provides written notice of assignment to the Company promptly after such assignment is effected, and such Person agrees in writing to be bound by all of the provisions contained herein.
The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Investor and its successors and permitted assigns.
9. AMENDMENTS AND WAIVERS.
The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may be amended, modified or supplemented, or waived only by a written instrument executed by (a) the Company and (b) the Required Investors, provided that (i) any party may give a waiver as to itself, (ii) any amendment, modification, supplement or waiver that disproportionately and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Investor relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Investors shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Investor or each Investor, as applicable, and (iii) any amendments to Section 6 or Section 7 or to the definitions of “Filing Deadline,” “Effectiveness Deadline,” “Milestone Effectiveness Deadline” or “Registration Period” shall require the written consent of each Investor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of one or more Investors and that does not adversely directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Investors may be given by Investors holding a two-thirds (66.66%) majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (determined as if all of the (i) Warrants then outstanding have been exercised in full without regard to any limitations on the exercise of such Warrants and (ii) shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding have been converted in full without regard to any limitations on the conversion of such shares of Preferred Stock, including in each case the requirement to obtain the Required Parent Stockholder Vote) to which such waiver or consent relates; provided such consenting Investors shall not in any event be paid any separate consideration in connection with any such amendment or waiver.
10. MISCELLANEOUS.
(a) Notices. Any notices or other communications required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to be given (a) when delivered if personally delivered to the party for whom it is intended, (b) when delivered, if sent by electronic mail during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next Business Day, (c) three (3) days after having been sent by certified or registered mail, return-receipt requested and postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) Business Day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next business day delivery, with written verification of receipt:
i. If to the Company, addressed as follows:
Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
4870 Sadler Road, Ste 300
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Attention: Cary J. Claiborne, President and CEO
Email Address: Cclaiborne@adialpharma.com
with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Attention: Leslie Marlow and Hank Gracin
Email Address: Leslie.Marlow@blankrome.com and Hank.Gracin@blankrome.com
ii. If to any Investor, at its e-mail address or address set forth on its signature page or Exhibit A to the Purchase Agreement or to such e-mail address, or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 10.
Any Person may change the address to which notices and communications to it are to be addressed by notification as provided for herein.
(b) Reserved.
(c) No Waiver. No failure or delay on the part of any party hereto in the exercise of any power, right or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or privilege.
(d) Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Venue; Waiver of Trial by Jury. The provisions of Section 8.6 of the Purchase Agreement are incorporated by reference herein mutatis mutandis.
(e) Integration. This Agreement and the other Transaction Agreements (including all schedules and exhibits hereto and thereto) constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes all prior agreements, negotiations, understandings, representations and statements respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof, whether written or oral.
(f) Headings. The titles, subtitles and headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
(g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party; provided that a facsimile or pdf signature including any electronic signatures complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile or pdf (or other electronic reproduction of a) signature.
(h) Further Assurances. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(i) Contract Interpretation. This Agreement is the joint product of each Investor and the Company and each provision hereof has been subject to the mutual consultation, negotiation and agreement of such parties and shall not be construed for or against any party hereto.
(j) No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Except as set forth in Sections 6 and 7, nothing in this Agreement is intended for the benefit of any party other than the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.
(k) Severability. If any part or provision of this Agreement is held unenforceable or in conflict with the applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction, the invalid or unenforceable part or provisions shall be replaced with a provision which accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original business purpose of such part or provision in a valid and enforceable manner, and the remainder of this Agreement shall remain binding upon the parties hereto.
(l) Non-Recourse. Notwithstanding anything that may be expressed or implied in this Agreement, the Company covenants, agrees and acknowledges that no recourse under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement shall be had against any current or future director, officer, employee, stockholder, general or limited partner or member of the Investors or of any Affiliates or assignees thereof, whether by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding, or by virtue of any statute, regulation or other applicable law, it being expressly agreed and acknowledged that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, be imposed on or otherwise be incurred by any current or future director, officer, employee, stockholder, general or limited partner or member of the Investors or of any Affiliates or assignees thereof, as such for any obligation of the Investors under this Agreement or any documents or instruments delivered in connection with this Agreement for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such obligations or their creation.
(m) Specific Performance. In addition to any and all other remedies that may be available at law in the event of any breach of this Agreement, each Investor shall be entitled to seek to obtain specific performance of the agreements and obligations of the Company hereunder and to such other injunction or equitable relief as may be granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(n) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies provided by law.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of date first written above.
| COMPANY: | ||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Cary Claiborne | |
| Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be duly executed as of date first written above.
| INVESTOR | ||
| [NAME] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]
Exhibit A
Plan of Distribution
The selling stockholders, which as used herein includes donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest selling shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock received after the date of this prospectus from a selling stockholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer, may, from time to time, sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any or all of their shares of common stock or interests in shares of common stock on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the shares are traded or in private transactions. These dispositions may be at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of sale, at prices related to the prevailing market price, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices.
The selling stockholders may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of shares or interests therein:
| ● | distributions to members, partners, stockholders or other equityholders of the selling stockholders; |
| ● | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers; |
| ● | block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| ● | purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account; |
| ● | an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange; |
| ● | privately negotiated transactions; |
| ● | short sales and settlement of short sales entered into after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part; |
| ● | through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise; |
| ● | broker-dealers may agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share; |
| ● | a combination of any such methods of sale; and |
| ● | any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law. |
The selling stockholders may, from time to time, pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of common stock owned by them and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the shares of common stock, from time to time, under this prospectus, or under an amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act, amending the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer the shares of common stock in other circumstances, in which case the transferees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling stockholders for purposes of this prospectus.
A-
In connection with the sale of our common stock or interests therein, the selling stockholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions, which may in turn engage in short sales of the common stock in the course of hedging the positions they assume. The selling stockholders may also sell shares of our common stock short and deliver these securities to close out their short positions, or loan or pledge the common stock to broker-dealers that in turn may sell these securities. The selling stockholders may also enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers or other financial institutions or the creation of one or more derivative securities which require the delivery to such broker-dealer or other financial institution of shares offered by this prospectus, which shares such broker-dealer or other financial institution may resell pursuant to this prospectus (as supplemented or amended to reflect such transaction).
The aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholders from the sale of the common stock offered by them will be the purchase price of the common stock less discounts or commissions, if any. Each of the selling stockholders reserves the right to accept and, together with their agents from time to time, to reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of common stock to be made directly or through agents. We will not receive any of the proceeds from this offering.
The selling stockholders also may resell all or a portion of the shares in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act, provided that they meet the criteria and conform to the requirements of that rule, or another available exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act.
The selling stockholders and any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the sale of the common stock or interests therein may be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act (it being understood that the selling stockholders shall not be deemed to be underwriters solely as a result of their participation in this offering). Any discounts, commissions, concessions or profit they earn on any resale of the shares may be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Selling stockholders who are “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act.
To the extent required, the shares of our common stock to be sold, the names of the selling stockholders, the respective purchase prices and public offering prices, the names of any agent, dealer or underwriter, and any applicable commissions or discounts with respect to a particular offer will be set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement or, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment to the registration statement that includes this prospectus.
In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the common stock may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the common stock may not be sold unless it has been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.
We have advised the selling stockholders that the anti-manipulation rules of Regulation M under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of shares in the market and to the activities of the selling stockholders and their Affiliates. In addition, to the extent applicable, we will make copies of this prospectus (as it may be supplemented or amended from time to time) available to the selling stockholders for the purpose of satisfying the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act. The selling stockholders may indemnify any broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving the sale of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
We have agreed to indemnify the selling stockholders against liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and state securities laws, relating to the registration of the shares offered by this prospectus.
We have agreed with the selling stockholders to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the registration statement of which this prospectus constitutes a part to become effective and to remain continuously effective until the earlier of: (i) the date on which the selling stockholders shall have resold or otherwise disposed of all the shares covered by this prospectus and (ii) the date on which the shares covered by this prospectus no longer constitute “Registrable Securities” as such term is defined in the Registration Rights Agreement, such that they may be resold by the selling stockholders without registration and without regard to any volume or manner-of-sale limitations and without current public information pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act or any other rule of similar effect.
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Exhibit B
Investor Questionnaire
The undersigned hereby provides the following information to the Company and represents and warrants that such information is accurate:
QUESTIONNAIRE
| 1. | Name. |
| (a) | Full Legal Name of Investor |
| (b) | Full Legal Name of Registered Holder (if not the same as (a) above) through which Registrable Securities are held: |
| (c) | Full Legal Name of Natural Control Person (which means a natural person who directly or indirectly alone or with others has power to vote or dispose of the securities covered by this Questionnaire): |
| 2. | Address for Notices to Investor: |
Telephone:
E-Mail:
Contact Person:
B-
| 3. | Broker-Dealer Status: |
| (a) | Are you a broker-dealer? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
| (b) | If “yes” to Section 3(a), did you receive your Registrable Securities as compensation for investment banking services to the Company? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
Note: If “no” to Section 3(b), the SEC’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement.
| (c) | Are you an affiliate of a broker-dealer? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
| (d) | If you are an affiliate of a broker-dealer, do you certify that you purchased the Registrable Securities in the ordinary course of business, and at the time of the purchase of the Registrable Securities to be resold, you had no agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Registrable Securities? |
Yes ☐ No ☐
Note: If “no” to Section 3(d), the SEC’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement.
| 4. | Beneficial Ownership of Securities of the Company Owned by the Investor. |
Except as set forth below in this Item 4, the undersigned is not the beneficial or registered owner of any securities of the Company other than the securities issuable pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
| (a) | Type and Amount of other securities beneficially owned by the Investor: |
| 5. | Relationships with the Company: |
Except as set forth below, neither the undersigned nor any of its affiliates, officers, directors or principal equity holders (owners of 5% of more of the equity securities of the undersigned) has held any position or office or has had any other material relationship with the Company (or its predecessors or affiliates) during the past three years.
State any exceptions here:
B-
The undersigned agrees to promptly notify the Company of any material inaccuracies or changes in the information provided herein that may occur subsequent to the date hereof at any time while the Registration Statement remains effective; provided, that the undersigned shall not be required to notify the Company of any changes to the number of securities held or owned by the undersigned or its affiliates.
By signing below, the undersigned consents to the disclosure of the information contained herein in its answers to Items 1 through 5 and the inclusion of such information in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto. The undersigned understands that such information will be relied upon by the Company in connection with the preparation or amendment of the Registration Statement and the related prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, by authority duly given, has caused this Notice and Questionnaire to be executed and delivered either in person or by its duly authorized agent.
| Date: | Investor: | |||
| By: | ||||
| Name: | ||||
| Title: | ||||
PLEASE EMAIL A .PDF COPY OF THE COMPLETED AND EXECUTED QUESTIONNAIRE TO: LESLIE MARLOW, ESQ. OF BLANK ROME LLP AT LESLIE.MARLOW@BLANKROME.COM.
B-3
Exhibit 10.4
Execution Copy
AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Amendment (this “Amendment”), effective as of the 11th day of June, 2026, to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, effective as of December 5, 2024 (the “Employment Agreement”), by and between Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) and Cary J. Claiborne (the “Executive”). Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned in the Employment Agreement.
WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive desire to amend the Employment Agreement to add a new Section 4.2.6 and amend the provisions of Section 4.2.5 thereof.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree to amend the Employment Agreement as follows:
| 1. | Amendments. |
1.1 Section 4.2.5 of the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
“4.2.5 Release Requirement. Payment and provision of the benefits set forth in Sections 4.2.2, or 4.2.3 or 4.2.6 (other than the Accrued Benefits) is subject to the Executive’s (or, as applicable, the Executive’s estate’s or legal representative’s) execution of a general release of claims and covenant not to sue in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, such that such release becomes effective, with all revocation periods having expired unexercised, within sixty (60) days after the Termination Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such sixty (60) day period ends in a calendar year after the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates, then to the extent required by Section 409A, any severance payment set forth in Sections 4.2.2 or 4.2.3 or 4.2.6 (other than the Accrued Benefits) that would have been made during the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates instead shall be withheld and paid on the first payroll date in the calendar year after the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates, with all remaining payments to be made as if no such delay had occurred.”
1.2 The following new Section 4.2.6 is hereby added to the Employment Agreement:
“4.2.6 Special Termination. If the Executive’s employment is terminated without Cause at any time within twenty-four (24) months after an Execution Trigger (as defined below); then the Executive shall be entitled to receive (i) the Accrued Benefits; and (ii), subject to Section 4.2.5: (x) the Unpaid Prior Year Bonus at the same time as if no such termination had occurred and the Annual Bonus target for the year in which the Termination Date occurs, multiplied by a fraction (A) the numerator of which is the number of days in the fiscal year that have transpired through the Termination Date and (B) the denominator of which is the number of days in such fiscal year to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5); (y) a lump sum payment equal to two times the Executive’s Annual Base Salary (at the highest rate in effect during the 24 month period commencing on the date of such termination) and the higher of Executive’s target Annual Bonus opportunity and the Annual Bonus paid to Executive with respect to the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which such termination occurred, with such payment to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5) and (z) a payment equal to 24 times the monthly COBRA premium for Executive and his eligible dependents (at the rate in effect for Executive’s coverage at the time of his termination, regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA coverage), with such payment to be paid in cash after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5), at the option of Executive either in a lump sum payment on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5) or in installments over 12 months following the Termination Date; provided, however, that if Executive and/or his eligible dependents are receiving health coverage through Medicare the reference to paying 12 times the monthly COBRA premium for such persons shall be deemed to be instead their applicable Medicare premium (including Medicare Part B, Part D, and any Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan premiums). To the extent the following will not result in a violation of Section 409A, the Executive shall be entitled to, in addition to the Accrued Benefits and the payments set forth in the foregoing clauses (x) through (z), and subject to Section 4.2.5, immediate and full accelerated vesting of all equity awards received by Executive from the Company or any of its direct or indirect parent companies that are outstanding as of the Termination Date without regard for the vesting schedule set forth in any applicable plan or agreement governing such equity awards; provided that, any equity awards that are subject to the satisfaction of performance goals shall be deemed earned at not less than target performance; and provided, further, that, with respect to any equity award that is in the form of a stock option or stock appreciation right, the option or stock appreciation right shall remain outstanding and exercisable for 24 months following the Termination Date (but in no event beyond the expiration date of the applicable option or stock appreciation right). For purposes of this Agreement an Execution Trigger shall occur upon the Company’s execution of a definitive agreement, merger agreement or other agreement providing for a transaction that upon consummation would result in a non-listed private company or non-listed public company (the “Non-Listed Company”) combining with or being acquired by the Company or its subsidiary or the assets of the Non-Listed Company being acquired by the Company or its subsidiary in any structural form, including a sign and close merger, if the transaction would ultimately result in the Company’s voting securities immediately prior to the signing of the agreement not representing, or not being converted into securities that represent, a majority of the voting power of all voting securities of the Company immediately after the completion of the transaction or series of transactions contemplated by such agreement. All other rights the Executive may have to compensation and employee benefits from the Company or its Affiliates, other than as set forth in this Section 4.2.6, shall immediately terminate upon the Termination Date. An amount equal to Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) shall be allocated from the payment described in clause (ii) of this Section 4.2.6 as, and deemed, a payment to Executive in exchange for the Executive’s covenant not to compete as set forth in Section 4.5 of the Employment Agreement, which the parties acknowledge and agree represents the fair market value of the non-compete obligation and is intended to constitute compensation for refraining from services within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(A) of the Code. The parties further agree that such amount is separately bargained for, is not severance pay, and shall be treated as consideration for the covenant not to compete and excluded from “parachute payments” under Section 280G to the maximum extent permitted by law.”
2. Severability. The provisions of this Amendment are severable and if any part of it is found to be unenforceable the other paragraphs shall remain fully valid and enforceable.
3. No Other Amendments; Confirmation. All other terms of the Employment Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. The Employment Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof.
4. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but both of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
5. Governing Law. This Amendment is made and shall be construed and performed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia without regard to its choice or conflict of law principles and the parties agree to Virginia as the exclusive venue for any disputes arising hereunder.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
| Company: | ||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Vinay Shah | |
| Name: | Vinay Shah | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
| Executive: | |
| /s/ Cary J. Claiborne | |
| CARY J. CLAIBORNE |
SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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Exhibit 10.5
AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Amendment (this “Amendment”), effective as of the 11th day of June, 2026, amends the Employment Agreement, dated April 1, 2025 (the “Employment Agreement”), by and between Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), and Tony Goodman (“Executive”). Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned in the Employment Agreement.
WHEREAS, Executive and the Corporation desire to amend the Employment Agreement to add a new section 4.2.6 and amend the provisions of Section 4.2.5 thereof.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree to amend the Employment Agreement as follows:
1. Amendments.
1.1 Section 4.2.5 of the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
“4.2.5 Release Requirement. Payment and provision of the benefits set forth in Sections 4.2.2, or 4.2.3 or 4.2.6 (other than the Accrued Benefits) is subject to the Executive’s (or, as applicable, the Executive’s estate’s or legal representative’s) execution of a general release of claims and covenant not to sue in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, such that such release becomes effective, with all revocation periods having expired unexercised, within sixty (60) days after the Termination Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such sixty (60) day period ends in a calendar year after the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates, then to the extent required by Section 409A, any severance payment set forth in Sections 4.2.2 or 4.2.3 or 4.2.6 (other than the Accrued Benefits) that would have been made during the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates instead shall be withheld and paid on the first payroll date in the calendar year after the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates, with all remaining payments to be made as if no such delay had occurred. “ 2. The following new Section 4.2.6 is hereby added to the Employment Agreement:
“4.2.6 Special Termination. If the Executive’s employment is terminated without Cause at any time within twenty four (24) months after an Execution Trigger (as defined below); then the Executive shall be entitled to receive (i) the Accrued Benefits; and (ii), subject to Section 4.2.5: (x) the Unpaid Prior Year Bonus at the same time as if no such termination had occurred and the Annual Bonus target for the year in which the Termination Date occurs, multiplied by a fraction (A) the numerator of which is the number of days in the fiscal year that have transpired through the Termination Date and (B) the denominator of which is the number of days in such fiscal year to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5); (y) a lump sum payment equal to twelve (12) times the Executive’s monthly Base Salary (at the highest rate in effect during the 12 month period commencing on the date of such termination) and the higher of Executive’s target Annual Bonus opportunity and the Annual Bonus paid to Executive with respect to the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which such termination occurred, with such payment to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5) and (z) a payment equal to 12 times the monthly COBRA premium for Executive and his eligible dependents (at the rate in effect for Executive’s coverage at the time of his termination, regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA coverage), with such payment to be paid in cash after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5), at the option of Executive either in a lump sum payment on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5) or in installments over 12 months following the Termination Date; provided, however, that if Executive and/or his eligible dependents are receiving health coverage through Medicare the reference to paying 12 times the monthly COBRA premium for such persons shall be deemed to be instead their applicable Medicare premium (including Medicare Part B, Part D, and any Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan premiums). To the extent the following will not result in a violation of Section 409A, the Executive shall be entitled to, in addition to the Accrued Benefits and the payments set forth in the foregoing clauses (x) through (z), and subject to Section 4.2.5, immediate and full accelerated vesting of all equity awards received by Executive from the Company or any of its direct or indirect parent companies that are outstanding as of the Termination Date without regard for the vesting schedule set forth in any applicable plan or agreement governing such equity awards; provided that, any equity awards that are subject to the satisfaction of performance goals shall be deemed earned at not less than target performance; and provided, further, that, with respect to any equity award that is in the form of a stock option or stock appreciation right, the option or stock appreciation right shall remain outstanding and exercisable for 24 months following the Termination Date (but in no event beyond the expiration date of the applicable option or stock appreciation right). For purposes of this Agreement an Execution Trigger shall occur upon the Company’s execution of a definitive agreement, merger agreement or other agreement providing for a transaction that upon consummation would result in a non-listed private company or non-listed public company (the “Non-Listed Company”) combining with or being acquired by the Company or its subsidiary or the assets of the Non-Listed Company being acquired by the Company or its subsidiary in any structural form, including a sign and close merger, if the transaction would ultimately result in the Company’s voting securities immediately prior to the signing of the agreement not representing, or not being converted into securities that represent, a majority of the voting power of all voting securities of the Company immediately after the completion of the transaction or series of transactions contemplated by such agreement. All other rights the Executive may have to compensation and employee benefits from the Company or its Affiliates, other than as set forth in this Section 4.2.6, shall immediately terminate upon the Termination Date. An amount equal to Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) shall be allocated from the payment described in clause (ii) of this Section 4.2.6 as, and deemed, a payment to Executive in exchange for the Executive’s covenant not to compete as set forth in Section 4.5 of the Employment Agreement, which the parties acknowledge and agree represents the fair market value of the non-compete obligation and is intended to constitute compensation for refraining from services within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(A) of the Code. The parties further agree that such amount is separately bargained for, is not severance pay, and shall be treated as consideration for the covenant not to compete and excluded from “parachute payments” under Section 280G to the maximum extent permitted by law.”
2. Severability. The provisions of this Amendment are severable and if any part of it is found to be unenforceable the other paragraphs shall remain fully valid and enforceable.
3. No Other Amendments; Confirmation. All other terms of the Employment Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. The Employment Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof.
4. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but both of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
5. Governing Law. This Amendment is made and shall be construed and performed under the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its choice or conflict of law principles.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment to the Employment Agreement as of the day and year first written above.
| Company: | ||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Name: | Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| Executive: | |
| /s/ Tony Goodman | |
| TONY GOODMAN |
SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
3
Exhibit 10.6
Execution Copy
AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Amendment (this “Amendment”), effective as of the 11th day of June, 2026, amends the Employment Agreement, dated November 16, 2024 (the “Employment Agreement”), by and between Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”), and Vinay K. Shah (“Executive”). Capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings assigned in the Employment Agreement.
WHEREAS, Executive and the Corporation desire to amend the Employment Agreement to add a new Section 4.2.6 and amend the provisions of Sections 4.2.5, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, and 4.9 thereof.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree to amend the Employment Agreement as follows:
1. Amendments.
1.1 Section 4.2.5 of the Employment Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
“4.2.5 Release Requirement. Payment and provision of the benefits set forth in Sections 4.2.2, or 4.2.3 or 4.2.6 (other than the Accrued Benefits) is subject to the Executive’s (or, as applicable, the Executive’s estate’s or legal representative’s) execution of a general release of claims and covenant not to sue in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, such that such release becomes effective, with all revocation periods having expired unexercised, within sixty (60) days after the Termination Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such sixty (60) day period ends in a calendar year after the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates, then to the extent required by Section 409A, any severance payment set forth in Sections 4.2.2 or 4.2.3 or 4.2.6 (other than the Accrued Benefits) that would have been made during the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates instead shall be withheld and paid on the first payroll date in the calendar year after the calendar year in which the Executive’s employment terminates, with all remaining payments to be made as if no such delay had occurred.”
1.2 The following new Section 4.2.6 is hereby added to the Employment Agreement:
“4.2.6 Special Termination. If the Executive’s employment is terminated without Cause at any time within twenty-four (24) months after an Execution Trigger (as defined below); then the Executive shall be entitled to receive (i) the Accrued Benefits; and (ii), subject to Section 4.2.5: (x) the Unpaid Prior Year Bonus at the same time as if no such termination had occurred and the Annual Bonus target for the year in which the Termination Date occurs, multiplied by a fraction (A) the numerator of which is the number of days in the fiscal year that have transpired through the Termination Date and (B) the denominator of which is the number of days in such fiscal year to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5); (y) a lump sum payment equal to twelve (12) times the Executive’s monthly Base Salary (at the highest rate in effect during the 12 month period commencing on the date of such termination) and the higher of Executive’s target Annual Bonus opportunity and the Annual Bonus paid to Executive with respect to the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which such termination occurred, with such payment to be paid in cash on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5) and (z) a payment equal to 12 times the monthly COBRA premium for Executive and his eligible dependents (at the rate in effect for Executive’s coverage at the time of his termination, regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA coverage), with such payment to be paid in cash after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5), at the option of Executive either in a lump sum payment on the first payroll date after the effective date of the release with all revocation periods having expired unexercised (as described in Section 4.2.5) or in installments over 12 months following the Termination Date; provided, however, that if Executive and/or his eligible dependents are receiving health coverage through Medicare the reference to paying 12 times the monthly COBRA premium for such persons shall be deemed to be instead their applicable Medicare premium (including Medicare Part B, Part D, and any Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan premiums). To the extent the following will not result in a violation of Section 409A, the Executive shall be entitled to, in addition to the Accrued Benefits and the payments set forth in the foregoing clauses (x) through (z), and subject to Section 4.2.5, immediate and full accelerated vesting of all equity awards received by Executive from the Company or any of its direct or indirect parent companies that are outstanding as of the Termination Date without regard for the vesting schedule set forth in any applicable plan or agreement governing such equity awards; provided that, any equity awards that are subject to the satisfaction of performance goals shall be deemed earned at not less than target performance; and provided, further, that, with respect to any equity award that is in the form of a stock option or stock appreciation right, the option or stock appreciation right shall remain outstanding and exercisable for 24 months following the Termination Date (but in no event beyond the expiration date of the applicable option or stock appreciation right). For purposes of this Agreement an Execution Trigger shall occur upon the Company’s execution of a definitive agreement, merger agreement or other agreement providing for a transaction that upon consummation would result in a non-listed private company or non-listed public company (the “Non-Listed Company”) combining with or being acquired by the Company or its subsidiary or the assets of the Non-Listed Company being acquired by the Company or its subsidiary in any structural form, including a sign and close merger, if the transaction would ultimately result in the Company’s voting securities immediately prior to the signing of the agreement not representing, or not being converted into securities that represent, a majority of the voting power of all voting securities of the Company immediately after the completion of the transaction or series of transactions contemplated by such agreement. All other rights the Executive may have to compensation and employee benefits from the Company or its Affiliates, other than as set forth in this Section 4.2.6, shall immediately terminate upon the Termination Date.”
1.3 Sections 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9 of the Employment Agreement are hereby deleted in their entirety and in each case replaced with the following:
“[RESERVED]”
2. Severability. The provisions of this Amendment are severable and if any part of it is found to be unenforceable the other paragraphs shall remain fully valid and enforceable.
3. No Other Amendments; Confirmation. All other terms of the Employment Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. The Employment Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof.
4. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but both of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
5. Governing Law. This Amendment is made and shall be construed and performed under the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its choice or conflict of law principles.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment to the Employment Agreement as of the day and year first written above.
| Company: | ||
| ADIAL PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Name: | Cary J. Claiborne | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| Executive: | |
| /s/ Vinay K. Shah | |
| VINAY K. SHAH | |
SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
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Exhibit 99.1
Adial Pharmaceuticals Announces Acquisition of Azora Therapeutics and up to $64 Million Financing
Acquisition of Azora and concurrent private placement positions the combined company to advance its pipeline through key clinical milestones in ulcerative colitis, including Phase 1 initiation in mid-2027
- Azora’s oral candidate, AT177, is a novel, colon-targeted AhR agonist rationally engineered to have minimal systemic exposure and designed to mitigate safety concerns with systemically absorbed AhR agonists
- $32 million in upfront financing with the potential to receive an additional $32 million under additional milestone tranches
- Adial to host a conference call today, June 11, 2026 at 1pm ET
GLEN ALLEN, Va. and LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 11, 2026 — Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADIL) (“Adial” or the “Company”) today announced that it has acquired Azora Therapeutics, Inc. (“Azora”), a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for serious inflammatory diseases. The acquisition brings Azora’s lead asset AT177, a proprietary colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist designed to enable localized activation with limited systemic exposure, into Adial’s pipeline.
Concurrent with the acquisition, Adial entered into a definitive agreement for a concurrent private placement of up to $64 million in gross proceeds to Adial, before deducting placement agent and other offering expenses. The private placement is composed of (i) an initial upfront financing of approximately $32 million in gross proceeds (including the conversion of outstanding notes assumed in the acquisition) in exchange for pre-funded warrants to purchase 11,780,948 shares of Adial’s common stock, representing a purchase price of $2.7489 for each pre-funded warrant sold at the initial closing and (ii) the potential for up to an additional $32 million in gross proceeds upon Phase 1 clinical study initiation in exchange for (x) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 11,780,948 shares of common stock and (y) common warrants to purchase up to 11,780,948 shares of common stock at a combined purchase price of $2.7489 for each pre-funded warrant and accompanying common warrant sold at milestone closings. The financing was led by Coastlands Capital with participation from Boxer Capital Management, Stonepine Capital Management, AuGC BioFund and other biotech specialists and institutional investors along with insiders and management. The combined company expects to use the proceeds from the private placement primarily to advance Azora’s AT177 lead colon-targeted AhR program through key clinical milestones, including IND-enabling studies and the Phase 1a and Phase 1b studies in ulcerative colitis (“UC”).
“AhR is now a validated target in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Azora’s data support a uniquely differentiated, colon-targeted approach that is designed to minimize systemic exposure in ulcerative colitis. The quality of the investor syndicate supporting this transaction reinforces our conviction in Azora’s thesis and the AT177 program,” said Cary Claiborne, president and chief executive officer of Adial. “With these proceeds, we believe the combined company will be well capitalized to execute through key clinical milestones to address a significant unmet need in ulcerative colitis.”
“AhR signaling is a key regulator of gut homeostasis, and clinical experience has helped establish both the therapeutic relevance of this pathway in ulcerative colitis and the importance of controlling systemic exposure. Systemic AhR activation may be associated with immunosuppression, which creates the potential for long-term safety risks. AT177 was engineered to address this challenge directly. It is a rationally-designed, fully-synthetic, patented compound intended to concentrate pharmacologic activity at the site of inflammation in the colon while minimizing systemic exposure,” said Matt Davidson, PhD, co-Founder of Azora Therapeutics and incoming chief development officer and newly appointed director of Adial. “By starting from fundamental UC biology and robust clinical data, we built what we believe has the potential to be a best-in-class therapy that avoids the risks associated with systemic AhR circulation. For the many UC patients who still do not achieve durable remission on currently available therapies, AT177 represents a potentially meaningfully differentiated option with a safety profile designed to support long-term use.”
In addition, Adial is pleased to announce the appointment of Wendy Young, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. Dr. Young brings more than 32 years of drug discovery and biopharma leadership experience, including senior leadership roles at Genentech, where she served as senior vice president, small molecule drug discovery. She currently serves as, senior advisor to GV (Google Ventures), and an independent board director and scientific advisor to multiple life sciences companies. The Company believes Dr. Young’s deep expertise in small-molecule drug discovery, company building and strategic R&D leadership will be highly valuable as the Company advances its next phase of growth.
About Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Adial Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company historically focused on the development of treatments for addictions and related disorders. Following the acquisition of Azora Therapeutics, Adial’s lead program is AT177, a proprietary colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist designed to enable localized activation with limited systemic exposure in development for ulcerative colitis. The company’s historical investigational new drug product, AD04, is a genetically targeted, serotonin-3 receptor antagonist, therapeutic agent for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in heavy drinking patients. Additional information is available at www.adial.com.
About Azora Therapeutics
Azora Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for serious inflammatory diseases. The company was spun out of Stanford University after being incubated in the translational medicine SPARK program. Azora owns the worldwide royalty-free rights to its technology, which is based on the development of potential best-in-class oral agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The company’s lead program is AT177, a proprietary colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist designed to enable localized activation with limited systemic exposure in development for ulcerative colitis. More information on Azora can be found on the company’s website at www.AzoraTherapeutics.com.
About AT177
AT177 is a fully synthetic, patented, oral AhR agonist designed to restore mucosal immune homeostasis at the site of disease with minimal systemic exposure. Its active ingredient is a prodrug of indirubin, the most potent AhR agonist within indigo naturalis, a botanical extract with best-in-category clinical efficacy in ulcerative colitis. AT177’s colon-targeted formulation delivers therapeutic AhR engagement directly to the colonic mucosa with exquisite gut restriction, minimizing the systemic AhR exposure associated with adverse effects. In preclinical studies, AT177 demonstrated robust local colonic AhR activation with markedly limited systemic exposure and superior colon-to-systemic selectivity compared to other AhR agonists in development. AT177 is currently in IND-enabling studies, with a proof-of-concept clinical trial planned for 2027.
About the Transactions
The acquisition of Azora was structured as an asset acquisition pursuant to which all of Azora’s outstanding equity interests were exchanged, based on a fixed exchange ratio, for a combination of 437,474 shares of Adial common stock and approximately 12,930 shares of Adial Series A non-voting convertible preferred stock (representing 12,930,617 shares on an as-converted-to-common basis), in each case, calculated on a fully-diluted basis (and without giving effect to any beneficial ownership limitations). Concurrently with the acquisition of Azora, Adial entered into a definitive agreement for a private placement financing with new and returning investors to raise up to $64 million in gross proceeds. The private placement is composed of (i) an initial upfront financing of approximately $32 million in gross proceeds (including the conversion of outstanding notes assumed in the acquisition) in exchange for pre-funded warrants to purchase 11,780,948 shares of Adial’s common stock (without giving effect to any beneficial ownership limitations), representing a purchase price of $2.7489 for each pre-funded warrant sold at the initial closing, and (ii) the potential for up to an additional $32 million in gross proceeds in exchange for (x) pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 11,780,948 shares of Adial common stock and (y) common warrants to purchase up to 11,780,948 shares of Adial common stock at a combined purchase price of $2.7489 for each pre-funded warrant and common warrant sold at milestone closings. In addition, following Adial stockholder approval, each share of Series A non-voting convertible preferred stock issued in the acquisition will automatically convert into 1,000 shares of common stock and each pre-funded warrant and common warrant (if issued) sold in the private placement will become exercisable into common stock, subject to certain beneficial ownership limitations set by each holder.
As a result of the transactions, following Adial stockholder approval, and without giving effect to the funding of the milestone tranche of the financing, equity holders of Adial immediately prior to the acquisition will own approximately 7.7% of Adial’s common stock, equity holders of Azora immediately prior to the acquisition will own approximately 51.0% of Adial’s common stock and investors in the private placement financing including the conversion of outstanding notes will own approximately 41.3% of Adial’s common stock, in each case, calculated on a fully-diluted, as-converted-to-common-basis (and without giving effect to any beneficial ownership limitations) using the treasury stock method and based on the implied equity values of Adial and Azora.
The acquisition was approved by the Board of Directors of Adial and the Board of Directors and stockholders of Azora. The closings of the transactions were not subject to the approval of Adial’s stockholders. The approval of Adial’s stockholders is required under the terms of the Series A non-voting convertible preferred stock in order for the Series A non-voting convertible preferred stock to be converted into shares of Adial common stock and for the pre-funded warrants and common warrants issued, and to be issued, in the private placement as well as in the exchange of certain outstanding notes issued by Azora, in each case, to become exercisable into shares of Adial’s common stock, and Adial is required to promptly hold a stockholder meeting for such vote.
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is serving as financial advisor to Adial. Blank Rome LLP is serving as legal counsel to Adial. Lucid Capital Markets is serving as the exclusive placement agent for the concurrent financing and financial advisor to Azora. TD Cowen is serving as capital markets advisor to Azora for the concurrent financing. Honigman LLP is serving as legal counsel to Azora.
Conference Call and Webcast Details
The company will host a conference call and webcast today, June 11, 2026, at 1pm ET to discuss the acquisition and financing. To access the call: 1-877-451-6152 (domestic), 1-201-389-0879 (International), Passcode: 13761153, Webcast: https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1764298&tp_key=1feafa06f8.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Such statements are based upon various facts and derived utilizing numerous important assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “projects,” “estimates,” “plans” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may” and “could” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts, although not all forward-looking statements include the foregoing. The forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Azora’s lead asset AT177 enabling localized activation with limited systemic exposure; the potential for the Company to receive an additional $32 million upon second tranche milestone; using the private placement proceeds primarily to advance Azora’s AT177 lead colon-targeted AhR program through key clinical milestones, including IND-enabling studies, the Phase 1a and Phase 1b studies in ulcerative colitis; Azora’s colon-targeted approach minimizing systemic exposure in ulcerative colitis; the combined company being well capitalized to execute through key clinical milestones; Systemic AhR activation being associated with immunosuppression creating the potential for long-term safety risks; AT177 addressing systemic AhR activation risk directly; building a best-in-class therapy, that avoids the risks associated with systemic AhR circulation; AT177 representing a meaningfully differentiated option, with a safety profile designed to support long-term use; the expected contribution of Dr. Young; advancing the Company’s next phase of growth; the potential of AD04 to treat other addictive disorders such as opioid use disorder, gambling, and obesity; and plans for a proof-of-concept clinical trial of AT177 for 2027. Any forward-looking statements included herein reflect the Company’s current views, and they involve certain risks and uncertainties, including, among others, the Company’s ability to pursue its regulatory strategy; the Company’s ability to obtain regulatory approvals for commercialization of product candidates or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements; the Company’s ability to develop strategic partnership opportunities and maintain collaborations; the Company’s ability to obtain or maintain the capital or grants necessary to fund its research and development activities; the Company’s ability to complete clinical trials on time and achieve desired results and benefits as expected; regulatory limitations relating to the Company’s ability to promote or commercialize its product candidates for specific indications; acceptance of the Company’s product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of its products; the Company’s ability to maintain its license agreements; the continued maintenance and growth of the Company’s patent estate and its ability to retain its key employees or maintain the Company’s Nasdaq listing. These risks should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with the other cautionary statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with the other cautionary statements contained in such reports. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was initially made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, unless required by law.
Contact:
Crescendo Communications, LLC
David Waldman / Alexandra Schilt
Tel: 212-671-1020
Email: adil@crescendo-ir.com
Mike Moyer
Managing Director,
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
Phone: (617) 328-4326
Email: mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com
Exhibit 99.2

Transaction & Company Overview June 2026

2 Forward Looking Statements This presentation includes statements that are, or may be deemed, ‘‘forward - looking statements’’ within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Such statements are based upon various facts and derived utilizing numerous important assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors tha t may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward - looking statements. In some cases, these forward - looking statements can be identified by the use of forward - looking terminology, including the terms “believes,” “might,” estimates,” “approximately,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “in tends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “seeks,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “will”, “future,” “likely,” “goal,” “continue,” “appears,” “suggests,” “ongoing,” or, in each case, their negative or other variation s t hereon or comparable terminology, although not all forward - looking statements contain these words. Forward looking statements appear in a number of places throughout this presentation and include stateme nts regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things, the proposed merger transaction between Adial and Azora and concurrent PIPE offering, our ongoing and planned discovery and development of drugs targeting inflammatory bowel diseases, our planned clinical trials, targeting an IND filing for AT177 in 2027, the concurrent PI PE offering positioning the combined company to advance its colon - targeted AhR program through key clinical milestones in ulcerative colitis, the potential for AT177 to be a best - in - class AhR agonist rationally designed to transform UC treatment, combining AT177's AhR mechanism with other mechanisms; the opportunity for expansion to Crohn’s disease; the strength and breadth of our intellectual proper ty the length of time that we will be able to continue to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditures, and our expected financing needs and sources of financing. Any forward - looking statements included herein reflect our current views, and they involve certain risks and uncertainties, incl uding, among others, our ability to conclude the merger transaction and concurrent PIPE offering, our ability to pursue our regulatory strategy, our ability to commence our planned clinical trials, our abilit y t o obtain regulatory approvals for commercialization of product candidates or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, our ability to obtain or maintain the capital necessary to fund our research and de velopment activities, our ability to complete clinical trials on time and achieve desired results and benefits as expected, our ability to partner our product development, regulatory limitations relating to our ability to promote or commercialize our product candidates for specific indications, acceptance of our product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of our pr oducts, the continued maintenance and growth of our patent estate and our ability to retain our key employees. These risks should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with the o the r cautionary statements included in Adial’s Annual Report on Form 10 - K for the year ended December 31, 2025, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10 - Q and current reports on Form 8 - K filed with the Securitie s and Exchange Commission. Any forward - looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was initially made. Adial undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward - looking statement, whether as a result of new information, fu ture events, changed circumstances or otherwise, unless required by law. This Presentation may contain trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights of other companies, which are the propert y o f their respective owners. Solely for convenience, some of the trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights referred to in this Presentation may be listed without the TM, SM or © or ® symbols , b ut the combined company will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, the rights of the owners to these trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights.

3 Adial / Azora – Transaction highlights Transaction Structure Use of Proceeds Management • Acquisition of Azora structured as a stock - for - stock transaction where all of Azora’s outstanding equity interests were exchanged for Adial common stock and a newly created non - voting convertible preferred stock. • $32 million in upfront financing with the potential to receive an additional $32 million upon second tranche milestone of IND or first dosing. • Proceeds and existing cash and cash equivalents position the combined company to advance its colon - targeted AhR program through key clinical milestones in ulcerative colitis including opening of IND, Phase 1a SAD/MAD study and Phase 1b proof - of concept studies in UC patients. • IND and Phase 1a SAD/MAD initiation are expected first half of 2027 Continuing Azora Leadership: Matt Davidson PhD, Cofounder/CEO CEO at Verrica , developed Ycanth ® Julie Saiki PhD, Cofounder/COO Ran UC trial at Stanford, McKinsey & Co Continuing Adial Leadership: Cary Caliborne MBA, CEO and Director Vinay Shah MBA, CFO New Independent Director: Wendy Young PhD Ex - SVP small molecules at Genentech Company is positioned to read out PoC study in ulcerative colitis early 2028 4 Capitalization As of 06/10/2026 Pre - acquisition Adial common stock outstanding 2,188,469 Adial options and warrants (as converted to common) 1 2,133 Acquisition Consideration Shares of common 437,474 Shares of preferred stock 12,930 Options 2 1,177,782 Preferred stock conversion ratio 1,000 Total pre - financing common equivalents outstanding 3 16,736,455 Concurrent financing 4 Pre - funded warrants 11,780,970 Purchase price $2.7489 Total capitalization (Common, as converted) 5 28.5 million Market capitalization at deal price ~$80 million 1.

Calculated using treasury stock method 2. Represents shares of common stock underlying Azora options assumed by Adial 3. Includes common stock, options and preferred stock calculated on an as converted to common stock basis 4. Represents shares underlying pre - funded warrants issuable upon closing of the financing and includes conversion of bridge note 5. Represents Adial’s pre - acquisition shares of common stock outstanding and share of common stock underlying the preferred stock i ssued to Azora stockholders at the closing of the acquisition and pre - funded warrants to be issued upon the closing of the concurrent financing and note exchange. Does not include any securities that may be issued in a future mi les tone closing. • Shares of common stock, preferred stock and options were issued to Azora security holders in exchange for all of Azora’s outstanding equity interests. • Pre - funded warrants issued to investors upon closing of the $32 million private placement and note exchange. • Following approval by Adial’s shareholders and subject to beneficial ownership restrictions and contractual lockup terms, each share of Adial preferred stock will convert into 1,000 shares of Adial common stock. • Private placement and note investors may purchase an additional $32 million of pre - funded warrants in connection with Phase 1 clinical study initiation • Please refer to the company’s SEC filings for additional information.

5 Inspired by nature, clinically validated, scientifically optimized Azora Therapeutics is a Stanford spin - out advancing potential best - in - category therapies inspired by indigo naturalis , a botanical extract with demonstrated clinical benefit in ulcerative colitis but potential systemic safety liabilities AT177 is a fully - synthetic, patented, oral, colon - targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor ( AhR ) agonist designed to restore mucosal immune homeostasis at the site of disease with minimal systemic exposure to optimize safety Current Status: • Drug scaled, in vivo animal efficacy, target PK/PD in large animals, GLP rat tox completed • FDA Pre - IND feedback received, IND - enabling studies ongoing, IND planned Q2 2027 • Up to $64M potential financing positions Azora into P1b clinical inflection in early 2028 6 AT177: Potential best - in - class AhR agonist rationally designed to transform UC Validated in patients with ulcerative colitis: AT177's active moiety indirubin is the same as in indigo naturalis which has demonstrated clinical benefit in UC; AhR mechanism further validated in Phase 3 trials of obefazimod Optimized profile for ulcerative colitis: oral, colon - targeted AT177 is engineered to maximize local AhR activation at the site of disease to improve efficacy while minimizing systemic exposure to limit toxicities Durable IP: composition - of - matter protection to 2043 with potential blocking IP on colon - targeted AhR agonists Market expansion opportunities: AT177 is designed to be combinable with other UC mechanisms.

UC proof - of - concept unlocks Crohn’s disease.

Financing to clinical PoC: Up to $64M private placement from fundamental biotech specialist investors supports Azora through Phase 1 PoC in UC Current approved therapies for ulcerative colitis (UC) are inadequate due to limited efficacy, secondary loss of response, and systemic safety liabilities 7 The future of IBD treatment is oral AT177's mechanism of action is oral, orthogonal to other mechanisms and potentially combinable with approved drugs IBD is a $30B market: even modest improvements in efficacy unlock significant value $30B per year 1 $11B in UC, 5M patients and growing, shift to orals 2, 3 $2 - $6B Individual annual revenue for IBD sales and growing $ 10B market cap after positive UC Phase 3 AhR agonist data with 16.4% placebo - adjusted remission at induction 7 $3 - $11B Acquisitions after positive Phase 1b or Phase 2 Value creation precedents Market opportunity Limitations of existing UC drugs Therapeutic ceiling that does not exceed 30% clinical remission at induction or 40% at maintenance 4 50% of patients with initial benefit lose response 5 10% fail all therapies and require colectomy 6 Systemic drugs: immunosuppression and cancer risk 1) IBD = inflammatory bowel disease global market by 2030 Polaris Market Research, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment Marke t R eport, 2022 - 2030.; 2) Global UC Allied Market Research, "Ulcerative Colitis Market," 2021 3) Global UC patients Le Berre (2023) Lancet 4) Placebo adjusted - Papamichael (2019) Curr Opin Gastroenterol 35(4):302 - 310. 5) Alsoud (2021) Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 6(7):589 - 595. 6) 10 - year post - diagnosis colectomy rate. Dai (2023) Dig Liver Dis 55(1):13 - 20. 7) Market cap $11B on Dec 23 2025, 50 mg dose achieved 16.4% placebo - adjusted clinical remission at Week 8. Abivax press release, July 2025.

8 The solution: AT177, a fully - synthetic, gut - restricted small molecule AhR agonist, designed to recapitulate the benefit of indigo naturalis , while minimizing systemic exposure Prodrug approach: Converts to indirubin, the most potent AhR agonist in indigo naturalis , in colon lumen The design: Once - daily oral small molecule, scalable CMC, colon - targeted delivery, strong granted IP (to 2043) The discovery: Azora cofounder Julie Saiki treated her refractory UC with a botanical mixture called indigo naturalis Validated biology: Julie conducted a Phase 1b trial at Stanford demonstrating that indigo naturalis was effective in refractory UC patients and drove robust colonic AhR signaling The problem: : Indigo naturalis is an uncontrolled botanical mixture with potential systemic safety risks and is not FDA approved AT177: From botanical proof - of - concept to rationally - engineered drug 9 Inspired by nature Rationally designed Azora is inspired by patient experience and robust clinical data We rationally built AT177 based on validated science for potential best - class - safety and best - in - category efficacy


10 Aryl hydrocarbon receptor ( AhR ) is a master regulator of gut health AhR : transcription factor expressed in immune cells and epithelium that regulates immune and barrier function (increases tight junction proteins)¹ AhR agonism reduces pro - inflammatory cytokines (IL - 17a, IL - 6, TNF α ) and increases IL - 10, IL - 22, and Tregs ² Disrupted and reduced AhR signaling drives UC risk and severity 3 ; AhR polymorphisms associated with UC 4 Systemic AhR agonists are effective in UC but systemic AhR signaling presents potential safety risks like headaches, cardiovascular AEs and immunosuppression which may increase cancer risk 1) Stockinger (2021) Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 18 (8): 559 - 570; 2) Mizoguchi (2018) J Gastroenterol 53:465 – 474; 3) Yoshimats u (2022) Cell Rep. 39(6):110773; 4) Huo (2023) Front Cell Infect Microbiol 13:1279172. AEs = Adverse Events.

11 Indigo naturalis has profound durable efficacy, validating AhR mechanism in UC Saiki (2021) BMJ Open Gastroenterology Stanford phase 1b (n=11) • Refractory patients: 9/11 anti - TNF ; 6/11 anti - TNF and vedolizumab, 5/11 colectomy - recommended • AhR target engagement: ~12,000X increase in colon AhR activity Randomized, double - blind, placebo - controlled (n=86) • Up to 50% placebo - adjust clinical remission 1 • Equal benefit observed in biologic experienced and biologic naïve patients 2 Efficacy endpoints at Week 8 Efficacy endpoints at Week 8 Clinical remission Clinical response Mucosal healing C l i n i c a l r e s p o n s e C l i n i c a l r e m i s s i o n M u c o s a l h e a l i n g 0 20 40 60 80 100 100 80 60 40 20 0 91% 27% 64% Long term maintenance (n= 33 ) • Long term use: clinical remission 73% at 1 - year 3 • With continued use, 90% (9/10) of those achieving remission still in remission 1 - year later 4 Efficacy endpoints to Week 52 94% 85% 73% 58% 70% 73% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 4 wk 8 wk 52 wk Clinical response Clinical remission Matsuno (2022) Intest Res 20(2):260 - 268. Matsuno (2024) Gastroenterology 166S12. Naganuma (2018) Gastroenterology 154(4):935 - 947. 1 ) Naganuma (2018) Gastroenterology 154(4):935 - 947. 2) Naganuma (2020) J.

Gastroenterology 55:169 - 189 3) Matsuno (2022) Intest Res 20(2):260 - 268; 4) Matsuno (2024) Gastroenterology 166S12 12 0% 20% 40% AhR agonist 1 M iR - 124 / AhR 2 JAK inhibitor Anti - TNF S1P modulator Anti - integrin IL - 23 inhibitor IL - 12/23 inhibitor AhR has the potential to raise the efficacy bar in UC UC placebo - adjusted clinical remission rates by mechanism of action at induction Indigo naturalis 21 - 51% placebo - adjusted remission demonstrates potential ceiling - breaking efficacy with AhR mechanism Obefazimod Medium - potency systemic AhR agonist 3 designed to treat HIV, PK/PD profile may not achieve optimal colon AhR activation levels based on published PK data 4 C urrent therapies fall short • Modest efficacy, particularly in biologic - experienced patients • Slow onset of benefit • Lack of durability and development of anti - drug antibodies • Systemically immunosuppressive • Safety risks including infection, malignancy, intolerability Placebo - adjusted clinical remission at induction. 1) Indigo naturalis Naganuma (2018) Gastroenterology 154(4):935 - 947. 2) Obefazimod : ABTECT - 1/2 Phase 3 (2025). All other data from pivotal Phase 2/3 trials per drug labels. 3) Azora data on file and Equillium investor presentation May 27 2026. 4) Near undetectable levels of obefazimod and metabolite in rectal biopsies at 50 - 150mg doses at all time points. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02990325 accessed on Jun 3 2026.

13 AhR is a validated target: efficacy is driven locally, not systemically 1) DSS colitis model · AhR Δ IEC = mice with AhR deleted selectively in intestinal epithelial cells (immune - cell AhR intact) · I3C = indole - 3 - carbinol, AhR agonist structurally distinct from indigo naturalis , used here to isolate AhR - dependent epithelial function. IN is indigo naturalis . Blocking AhR eliminates benefit of indigo naturalis When epithelial AhR is knocked out in the gut ( AhR Δ IEC ) in a chronic murine colitis model, AhR agonism loses most of its benefit Colon epithelial signaling key to efficacy 1 Tapinarof ( Vtama ® ), a topically - applied AhR agonist approved for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, achieves its therapeutic effect with trivial systemic exposure Azora’s AT193 topical indirubin program was effective in psoriasis with no quantifiable systemic exposure Local AhR activation sufficient to drive clinical benefit When AhR is knocked out in a murine colitis model, indigo naturalis loses its therapeutic effect Indirubin Placebo Mouse colitis model +/ - AhR agonist (I3C) AhR Δ IEC – no AhR in intestinal epithelium; AhR intact elsewhere Kawai (2017) J Gastroenterol 52(8):904 - 919. Qazi (2023) Nutrients 15(23):4980. Dermavant Vtama ® and Azora AT193 clinical data Week 16 Indigo Naturalis does not work in AhR KO 14 AT177 converts into indirubin, the active moiety in indigo naturalis 1) In vitro AhR activation in human liver cell line using luciferase behind CYP1A1 promoter.

2) Azora prodrug scaffold, molecule converts int o indirubin. 3) AhR crystal structure bound to indirubin from Gruszcyzk (2022) Nat Commun 13(1):7010. Indirubin is the most potent AhR agonist in indigo naturalis with sub - nanomolar activity 1 AhR activation in vitro Indirubin Indigo naturalis Indigo AT177 rapidly converts into indirubin in the lumen of the colon and does not require absorption or bacterial enzymes 2 Indirubin directly binds the AhR and is as effective as indigo naturalis in animal models of UC 3 15 Oral AT177 is effective in UC models and achieves ~8X more colon AhR signaling than indirubin Local colon AhR signaling AT177 works like indirubin in DSS colitis mouse model with superior in vivo AhR activity Dextra sodium sulfate (DSS) model.

Mice treated for 9 days orally with a molar equivalent of indirubin N=5. Colon samples t ake n at 6h after final dose. Similar trends observed with disease activity index ** p<0.01, **** p<0.0001 16 Rodents treated with oral AT177 have preserved colonic crypt architecture, restored epithelial integrity and reduced inflammatory infiltrate in lamina propria AT177 is effective in TNBS colitis and supported by histology Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) model.

Sham animals not administered TNBS. Disease activity index is a composite score of weight loss, stool consistency and rectal bleeding from 0 to 12. N=8, dosed orally for 7 days. H&E histopathology at 200X shown.

** p<0.05, **** p<0.0001 17 Indirubin levels above the EC 50 along the entire colon 1,000X Greater i ndirubin colon levels than plasma levels Robust colon AhR activation with minimal systemic exposure 10X 5 00X Lower plasma Cmax than topical tapinarof Lower plasma Cmax than oral obefazimod Plasma exposure well below expected safe thresholds Oral AT177 Administration AT177 is exquisitely gut - restricted and has a wide therapeutic index BQL – below the quantification limit. EC50 – indirubin 50% effective concentration on AhR of 2 ng/g. Colon concentration average of distal, mid and proximal colon levels. Colon to plasma ratio calculated as colon concentration divided by highest average day 1 plasma levels assuming BQL levels are at the lower limit o f q uantification. Cmax of tapinarof in maximum use systemic exposure studies of 0.9 to 1.3 ng/ mL. Cmax of obefazimod reported as 50.21 ng/ml with 50 mg dose under fed conditions Scherrer 2016.

18 AT177 was rationally designed to be a potential best - in - class AhR agonist for UC 1. In July ௗ 2025, AllianThera entered into a strategic partnership with Dr. Falk Pharma Azora’s AT177 designed to be h ighly potent, rapidly metabolized, and the most gut - restricted program in development to mitigate possible systemic safety risks Dr. Falk 1 Equillium Abivax Azora X X D Active moiety has shown benefit in patients X High potency AhR agonist X X X Optimized PK/PD profile for UC X X X Active moiety is endogenous X Colon - targeted formulation supports gut restriction Safety Efficacy 19 AT177 is clinically derisked - same active moiety as indigo naturalis with superior control and delivery 1.

Indigo naturalis has demonstrated clinical benefit in refractory UC 2. Indigo naturalis efficacy requires AhR signaling in the intestinal epithelium 3. Indirubin is the most potent AhR agonist in indigo naturalis 4. Indirubin alone is effective in murine UC models and in patients with psoriasis 1 5. AT177 rapidly converts into indirubin and drives more colonic AhR signaling compared with the same amount of indirubin 6. AT177 delivers indirubin above the EC 50 in large animals across the entire colon and into the rectum with dramatically lower systemic exposures than other AhR agonists AT177 is derisked and positioned for clinical development 1. Azora P1b study of synthetic indirubin AT193 in psoriasis under Australian clinical trial notification scheme, Azora data on file 20 AT177: Phase 1 clinical trial 2027 With rapid progression to Phase ௗ 1 and 2 value inflection


21 Drug Substance • Commercially available fully - synthetic starting materials • Proprietary synthetic route • 18M+ room temperature stability • KG+ feasibility batches completed • US - based GMP manufacturing initiated • Processes are highly scalable • Uses only FDA - approved excipients • Highly - targeted release profile • Precise drug delivery to colon confirmed in large animal studies CMC infrastructure is ready to support clinical advancement Drug Product Formulation Scale - Up AT177's CMC package is derisked with a scalable synthetic route, colon - targeted formulation using FDA - approved excipients, and US - based GMP manufacturing 22 Financing positions Azora through IND - enabling studies and into PoC in UC 2029 2028 2027 2026 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Financing Reg CMC Tox IND - enabling Clinic External events GLP 28d minipig MTD, Dose Finding GMP Manufacturing Transporter, safety pharm, genetox Long term tox Ph1 SAD/MAD + P1b PoC in UC patients Global Phase 2 with 6 mo open - label extension GMP Manufacturing Open IND OLE to Q2 2030 Obefazimod NDA submission Capital - efficient path to clinical proof - of - concept in ulcerative colitis $32M financing Up to $32M milestone tranche Obefazimod P2 Crohn’s OLE = open label extension.

PoC = proof of concept. SAD/MAD = single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose. GMP = good ma nufacturing processes. GLP = good laboratory practices. NDA = new drug application. CD = Crohn’s disease.. Obefazimod timeline from LifeSci Capital analyst report 6.2.26.

23 Experienced team with track record of FDA approval Our team and advisors have developed the following drugs: Cary J. Claiborne MBA Chief Executive Officer, Director Vinay Shah MBA Chief Financial Officer Matt Davidson PhD Chief Development Officer, Director Julie Saiki PhD EVP of Strategy 24 Strong, long - dated granted IP position with broad claims on use of AhR agonists pending Key Claims Expires Status Type Publication No.

• Indirubin prodrugs 2043 Granted (US, JP) Composition US - 2023 0227408 - A1 • Use of APIs in inflammatory diseases 2043 Granted (US) Method US - 2024 - 0182416 - A1 • Colon - targeted formulations of AhR agonists 2040 Pending Composition US - 2025 - 0255820 - A1 • Methods to reduce possible side effects of AhR agonists including headaches, GI, PAH. • Methods to enhance the efficacy of AhR agonists 2042 Pending Method US - 2025 - 0195469 Azora holds 100% ownership of all intellectual property on a worldwide, royalty - free basis GI = Gastrointestinal. PAH = Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

API = Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients 25 AT177: Ulcerative colitis success unlocks Crohn’s disease and possible combinations Phase 2 Phase 1a/1b IND - Enabling Pre - Clinical Discovery AT177 Ulcerative Colitis Lead program AT177 Crohn's Disease UC proof unlocks CD Undisclosed Platform optionality Initiate Phase 1 trial 2027 TODAY Current financing positions Azora through IND - enabling studies and key clinical AT177 value inflection 26 Thank you Investor Contact Mike Moyer, Managing Director LifeSci Advisors +1 - 617 - 308 - 4306 mmoyer@lifesciadvisors.com
