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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-231920
Prospectus Supplement
(To Prospectus dated June 10, 2019)
3,000,000 Shares
Common Stock
We are offering 3,000,000 shares of our common stock in this offering. Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "SRRK." On June 19, 2019, the last reported sale price of our common stock, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, was $17.13 per share.
We are an "emerging growth company" under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules and are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. See "Prospectus Supplement Summary Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company."
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read the section entitled "Risk Factors" beginning on page S-11 of this prospectus supplement and in the related sections noted in the accompanying prospectus, and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus are truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
|
Per Share | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public offering price |
$ | 15.00 | 45,000,000 | ||||
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) |
$ | 0.90 | 2,700,000 | ||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us |
$ | 14.10 | 42,300,000 |
Delivery of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about June 24, 2019. We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of our common stock.
Joint Book-Running Managers
Jefferies | Cowen | BMO Capital Markets |
Co-Manager
Wedbush PacGrow
Prospectus Supplement dated June 19, 2019
Table of Contents
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering of common stock. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which provides more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. The information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement also adds to, updates and changes information contained or incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus. If information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus or the information incorporated by reference therein, then this prospectus supplement or the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement will apply and will supersede the information in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein.
This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, using a "shelf" registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may from time to time offer and sell any combination of the securities described in the accompanying prospectus up to a total dollar amount of $275 million, of which this offering is a part.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf. We have not, and the underwriter has not, authorized any other person to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriter is not, making an offer to sell or soliciting an offer to buy these securities under any circumstance in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation is not permitted. You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf is accurate only as of the date of the respective document in which the information appears, and that any information in documents that we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
It is important for you to read and consider all of the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in making your investment decision. We include cross-references in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to captions in these materials where you can find additional related discussions. The table of contents in this prospectus supplement provides the pages on which these captions are located. You should read both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with the additional information described in the sections entitled "Where You Can Find More Information" and "Incorporation by Reference" of this prospectus supplement, before investing in our common stock.
We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the offering of the common stock in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the common stock and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offer or solicitation.
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Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to "Scholar Rock", "we", "our", "us" and "the Company" refer, collectively, to Scholar Rock Holding Corporation and its subsidiaries.
All references in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to our consolidated financial statements include the related notes thereto.
We own various U.S. federal trademark applications and unregistered trademarks, including "Scholar Rock" and our corporate logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are referred to without the symbols ® and , but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend our use or display of other companies' trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
The industry and market data and other statistical information contained in the documents we incorporate by reference are based on management's own estimates, independent publications, government publications, reports by market research firms or other published independent sources and, in each case, are believed by management to be reasonable estimates. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we have not independently verified the information.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference herein and therein, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but are not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would," and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms, or similar expressions. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and in particular those factors referenced in the section "Risk Factors."
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain forward-looking statements that are based on our management's belief and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:
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We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein, particularly in the "Risk Factors" sections of these documents, that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance.
You should read this prospectus supplement the accompanying prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference herein and therein completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein represent our views as of the date of this prospectus. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this prospectus.
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The following summary of our business highlights some of the information contained elsewhere in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement. Because this is only a summary, however, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should carefully read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference, which are described under "Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference" in this prospectus supplement. You should also carefully consider the matters discussed in the section of this prospectus supplement entitled "Risk Factors" and under similar sections of the accompanying prospectus and other periodic reports incorporated herein and therein by reference.
Company Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. Our novel understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled us to develop a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level. We believe this approach, acting in the disease microenvironment, avoids the historical challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path. Our lead product candidate, SRK-015, is a highly selective, fully human, monoclonal antibody, with a unique mechanism of action that results in inhibition of the activation of the growth factor, myostatin, in skeletal muscle. We have advanced SRK-015 as a potential first muscle-directed therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy or SMA, into clinical development. In May 2018, we initiated our Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-015 in healthy volunteers and in February 2019, we announced favorable interim safety and tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetic data, which supported the advancement of SRK-015 to a Phase 2 clinical trial. We commenced patient dosing for our Phase 2 clinical trial in SMA in April 2019. In June 2019, we announced positive final top-line results from the Phase 1 clinical trial that were consistent with the interim findings and expect to present these detailed results at the Cure SMA Annual Conference being held June 28-July 1, 2019. Our second product candidate, SRK-181, is being developed for the treatment of cancers resistant to checkpoint blockade therapies, or CBTs, such as anti-PD1 or anti-PDL 1 antibodies. SRK-181 is a highly selective inhibitor of the activation of transforming growth factor beta-1, or TGFb1. We intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-181 in patients with solid tumors in mid-2020. This trial is planned to include dose escalation as well as the evaluation of SRK-181 in combination with CBTs. We anticipate that initial clinical data, such as data from the dose escalation portion of the trial, will be available by the end of 2021. In addition, we intend to nominate a product candidate that targets the signaling of bone morphogenetic protein 6, or BMP6, another member of the TGFb superfamily, to pursue in iron-restricted anemias in the first half of 2020. Utilizing our proprietary platform, we continue to create a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including other neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis and anemia.
Our proprietary platform is designed to discover and develop monoclonal antibodies that have a high degree of specificity to achieve selective modulation of growth factor signaling. Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins that typically act as signaling molecules between cells and play a fundamental role in regulating a variety of normal cellular processes, including cell growth and differentiation. Current therapeutic approaches to treating diseases in which growth factors play a fundamental role involve directly targeting an active growth factor or its receptor systemically throughout the body and have suffered from a variety of shortcomings:
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Our innovative approach is rooted in our structural biology insights into the mechanism by which certain growth factors are activated in close proximity to the cell surface. We integrate these insights with sophisticated protein expression, assay development and monoclonal antibody discovery capabilities. We believe our proprietary platform can address the challenges of current therapeutic approaches to treating diseases in which growth factors play a fundamental role by:
We have advanced our lead antibody product candidate, SRK-015, a novel, highly selective inhibitor of the activation of myostatin, into clinical development for the treatment of SMA. Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle mass expressed primarily in skeletal muscle tissue, and a member of the transforming growth factor beta, or TGFb, superfamily, a group of more than 30 related growth factors that mediate diverse biological processes. Vertebrate animals that lack the myostatin gene display increased muscle mass and strength relative to their normal counterparts, but are otherwise healthy. We believe selective inhibition of myostatin activation may promote a clinically meaningful increase in motor function. As a result, we have focused our initial development efforts for SRK-015 on the treatment of SMA. SMA is a rare, and often fatal, genetic disorder arising from a deficiency of a protein known as "survival of motor neuron," or SMN. This disease typically manifests in young children and is characterized by atrophy of the voluntary muscles of the limbs and trunk and dramatically reduced normal neuromuscular function. An estimated 30,000 to 35,000 patients suffer from SMA in the United States and Europe alone. In preclinical studies, we observed that SRK-015 promoted increased muscle mass and strength, and in vitro studies have shown that the antibody selectively avoids interaction with other closely related growth factors that play distinctly different physiological roles. We believe that SRK-015 has the potential to be the first muscle-directed therapy to improve motor function in patients with SMA and could be used both as a monotherapy or in conjunction with SMN up-regulator therapies (i.e., therapies that upregulate the expression of SMN, such as SMN splicing modulators or gene therapy). In May 2018, we initiated our Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-015 in healthy volunteers and in February 2019, we announced favorable interim safety and tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetic data, which supported the advancement of SRK-015 to a Phase 2 clinical trial. We commenced patient dosing for our Phase 2 clinical trial in SMA in April 2019. With respect to the Phase 2 clinical trial, we anticipate announcing preliminary pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic data analysis by the end of 2019, interim efficacy and safety analysis at six months in the first half of 2020 and top-line results of twelve-month treatment between the fourth quarter of 2020 and first quarter 2021. In June 2019, we announced positive final top-line results from the Phase 1 clinical trial that were consistent with the interim findings and expect to present these detailed results at the Cure SMA Annual Conference being held June 28-July 1, 2019. In addition, we plan to identify the next indication for SRK-015 in 2020.
Our second antibody program is focused on the discovery and development of highly specific inhibitors of the activation of TGFb1. TGFb1 is also a member of the TGFb superfamily, and increased signaling by
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TGFb1 has been implicated as a key driver of a number of disease-relevant processes, including tissue and organ fibrosis, immune system evasion by cancer cells, and bone marrow fibrosis associated with hematological disorders. Historically, selectively targeting TGFb1 signaling has been challenging due to the inability of both small molecule inhibitors and antibodies to avoid off-target inhibition of other, closely related growth factors, TGFb2 and TGFb3. Treatment of animals with these pan-TGFb inhibitors has been associated with a range of toxicities, most notably cardiac toxicity. In preclinical studies of our antibodies, we have observed specific inhibition of TGFb1 activation in vitro and immunomodulatory and antifibrotic activity in multiple disease models in vivo. In addition, we have completed a 28-day pilot nonclinical toxicology study in rats of our leading antibody in this program and we did not observe any drug-related toxicity up to the highest doses tested in the study. In the same study, we tested pan-TGFb inhibitors and observed the toxicities, including cardiac toxicity, that have been observed by others. Based on this program, in December 2018, we announced a major collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc., or Gilead, in the area of discovering, developing, and commercializing treatments for fibrotic diseases using highly specific inhibitors of the activation of TGFb. We retained exclusive worldwide rights to discover, develop, and commercialize certain TGFb1 inhibitors for oncology and cancer immunotherapy. In March 2019, we nominated SRK-181, a highly selective inhibitor of TGFb1 activation, as a product candidate for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to CBTs and intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-181 in patients with solid tumors in mid-2020. The trial is planned to include dose escalation as well as the evaluation of SRK-181 in combination with CBTs. We anticipate that initial clinical data, such as data from the dose escalation portion of the trial, will be available by the end of 2021. In connection with the TGFb1 inhibitors, we also anticipate that we'll continue to advance active discovery programs for context-dependent inhibition of TGFb1 and conduct fibrosis discovery and preclinical studies in partnership with Gilead.
Our third antibody program targets the signaling of bone morphogenetic protein 6, or BMP6, another member of the TGFb superfamily, which is involved in a diverse set of biological processes in various parts of the body. For example, in the liver, BMP6 signaling is a key controller of the body's ability to regulate iron levels. Given BMP6's important role in iron metabolism, we believe that targeting BMP6 signaling in a liver-selective fashion presents the potential to address both iron-restricted anemias and iron overload conditions.
While the details of BMP6 activation and signaling are different from myostatin and TGFb1, signaling of BMP6 is a similarly localized phenomenon, driven by a co-receptor molecule, RGMc, also known as hemojuvelin, which is required for BMP6 signaling upon binding to its receptor. RGMc is a member of a small family of proteins that include RGMa and RGMb. While each of these family members shares significant structural homology, particularly across their BMP binding domains, their physiological roles are quite different. RGMa and RGMb are reported to have roles in nervous system biology, immunity, inflammation, angiogenesis, and growth. Unlike RGMa and RGMb, RGMc's known function is localized to hepatocytes. As such, identification of RGMc selective-antibodies that do not bind to RGMa or RGMb could provide the potential for liver-specific modulation of BMP6 biology. Utilizing our structural biology insights into BMP6 and its co-receptors, along with our novel antibody discovery and optimization strategies, we have identified highly specific inhibitors of RGMc's interaction with BMP6.
In preclinical studies of our antibodies that target BMP6 signaling in the liver, we have observed increased serum iron levels in healthy animals. We are now evaluating a limited number of these antibodies in disease models of iron-restricted anemia and intend to nominate a produce candidate in the first half of 2020.
Our Pipeline Programs
Using our innovative approach and proprietary platform, we are creating a pipeline of novel product candidates that selectively inhibit the activation of latent growth factor precursors believed to be important drivers in a variety of diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis and anemia. Our proprietary platform includes (i) our know-how about expression and purification of latent protein growth factor complexes in quantity and quality sufficient to enable antibody discovery; (ii) strategies to identify
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rare antibodies that selectively bind targeted latent protein growth factor complexes; and (iii) assays developed by us in which to test the highly selective antibodies' ability to modulate the activation of specific latent growth factors. We have worldwide rights to our proprietary platform and all of our product candidates, with the exception of those that are subject of our fibrosis-focused collaboration with Gilead, and early-stage antibodies that specifically inhibit the activation of TGFb1 in the context of regulatory T cells, which we licensed to Janssen Biotech, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in December 2013.
The following summarizes our pipeline programs:
Recent Developments
Board of Directors Changes
On April 25, 2019, the Board of Directors appointed Akshay Vaishnaw, M.D., Ph.D. to join the Board, effective immediately following our annual meeting of stockholders occurring on May 21, 2019, or the Annual Meeting. Dr. Vaishnaw was also appointed to serve as a member of the Board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. In addition, Timothy A. Springer, Ph.D., did not stand for re-election upon completion of his term at the Annual Meeting and has transitioned to a scientific advisory role with us.
Company Information
We were incorporated in 2017 under the laws of the State of Delaware as the holding company for Scholar Rock, Inc. Scholar Rock, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Scholar Rock, LLC. On December 22, 2017, we completed a series of transactions pursuant to which Scholar Rock Merger Sub, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, was merged with and into Scholar Rock, LLC, or the Reorganization. The purpose of the Reorganization was to reorganize our corporate structure so that we would continue as a corporation and so that our investors prior to the Reorganization would own our capital stock after the Reorganization rather than equity interests in a limited liability company. All of our convertible preferred stock converted into shares of common stock upon the completion of our initial public offering at the then effective conversion ratio. Our operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, developing our technology, identifying potential product candidates, producing drug substance and drug product material for use in preclinical studies and clinical trials, conducting preclinical studies of our product candidates and conducting clinical trials for our
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lead product candidate, SRK-015. We do not have any products approved for sale and have not generated any revenue to date.
Our principal executive offices are located at 620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, and our phone number is (857) 259-3860. Our website address is http://www.scholarrock.com. The information contained on our website or social media accounts, or that can be accessed through our website or social media accounts, is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.
On May 29, 2018, we completed the sale of 5,360,000 shares of our common stock in our initial public offering, or IPO, at a public offering price $14.00 per share. On June 1, 2018, the underwriters fully exercised their option to purchase additional shares and purchased an additional 804,000 shares of our common stock. We raised approximately $77.8 million in net proceeds in the IPO after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by us. Upon the closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock converted into 15,109,950 shares of common stock. Our Board and stockholders approved a 2.8548-to-one reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock that became effective on May 11, 2018.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our most recently completed fiscal year, we qualify as an "emerging growth company" as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable, in general, to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include:
We may take advantage of these exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company on the last day of 2023, or sooner if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenues as of the end of a fiscal year, have more than $700 million in market value of our capital stock held by non-affiliates as of any June 30 before that time or if we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year-period. We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of the available exemptions. Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we may still qualify as a "smaller reporting company" which would allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements, including reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements.
The JOBS Act permits an emerging growth company to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies.
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Common stock offered by us |
3,000,000 shares | |
Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering |
29,217,447 shares (or 29,667,447 shares, if the underwriters exercise their option in full to purchase additional shares) |
|
Option to purchase additional shares offered by us |
450,000 shares |
|
Use of proceeds |
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund (i) the SRK-015 program for the treatment of SMA, including clinical trials and other development activities, (ii) the SRK-181 program for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to CBTs, including preclinical and initial Phase 1 proof-of-concept trial activities, and (iii) preclinical activities for our other pipeline programs, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. See "Use of Proceeds" for additional information. |
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Risk factors |
Your investment involves a high degree of risk. See the information contained in "Risk Factors" beginning on page S-11 of this prospectus supplement, and in the related sections of the accompanying prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. |
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Nasdaq Global Select Market symbol |
"SRRK" |
The number of shares of our common stock that will be outstanding immediately after this offering as shown above is based on 26,217,447 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2019. The number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2019 as used throughout this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated, excludes:
Except as otherwise noted, all information in this prospectus supplement assumes:
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Your investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should carefully consider the risks discussed under the section captioned "Risk Factors" contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the information and documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to this Offering
We have broad discretion in the use of our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
Our management will have broad discretion in the application of our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and the net proceeds from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled "Use of Proceeds," and you will not have the opportunity as part of your investment decision to assess whether such proceeds are being used appropriately. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of our existing cash and cash equivalents and the net proceeds from this offering, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. Our management might not apply our existing cash and cash equivalents and the net proceeds from this offering in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities. These investments may not yield a favorable return to our stockholders. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance stockholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline.
You will experience immediate and substantial dilution.
The offering price per share in this offering may exceed the net tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding prior to this offering. Based on the public offering price of $15.00 per share, and a net tangible book value of $97.5 million, or $3.72 per share of common stock, as of March 31, 2019, if you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of $10.23 per share in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase. The exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants will result in further dilution of your investment. See the section titled "Dilution" below for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in this offering.
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.
In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to those of existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this offering.
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Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market after this offering could cause our stock price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or the perception that these sales might occur could depress the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the effect that sales may have on the prevailing market price of our common stock. In addition, the sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely impact the price of our common stock. As of March 31, 2019, 26,217,447 shares of our common stock were outstanding. The sale, or the availability for sale, of a large number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
The trading price of the shares of our common stock could be highly volatile, and purchasers of our common stock could incur substantial losses.
On May 29, 2018, we completed the sale of 5,360,000 shares of our common stock in our initial public offering at a price to the public of $14.00 per share. On June 1, 2018, the underwriters fully exercised their option to purchase additional shares and purchased an additional 804,000 shares of our common stock. Since our common stock began trading on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on May 29, 2018, our stock has traded at prices as low as $13.09 per share and as high as $30.00 per share through June 19, 2019. This volatility may affect the price at which you could sell the shares of our common stock, and the sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect the price of our common stock. Our stock price is likely to continue to be volatile and subject to significant price and volume fluctuations in response to market and other factors, including those described in the sections captioned "Risk Factors" in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.
As a result, you may not be able to sell your shares of common stock at or above the price at which you purchase them. In addition, the stock market in general, and the Nasdaq Global Select Market and the stock of biotechnology and emerging pharmaceutical companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock so any returns will be limited to the value of our stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, our ability to pay cash dividends is currently restricted by the terms of our credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank, and future debt or other financing arrangements may contain terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the appreciation of their stock.
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We have never declared or paid any dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings, if any, to fund the development and expansion of our business and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, pursuant to our loan and security agreement with SVB, we are prohibited from paying cash dividends without the prior written consent of SVB. Moreover, any future indebtedness that we may incur could preclude us from paying dividends. Investors should not purchase our common stock with the expectation of receiving cash dividends.
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Based on the public offering price of $15.00 per share of common stock, we estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of the shares of common stock that we are offering will be approximately $41.9 million, or approximately $48.2 million if the option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full by the underwriters, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We expect to use the net proceeds received from this offering to fund (i) the SRK-015 program for the treatment of SMA, including clinical trials and other development activities, (ii) the SRK-181 program for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to CBTs, including preclinical and initial Phase 1 proof-of-concept trial activities, and (iii) preclinical activities for our other pipeline programs, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
We cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. The amount and timing of our actual expenditures will depend upon numerous factors, including the results of our research and development efforts, the timing of regulatory submissions and the feedback from regulatory authorities, the timing and success of our clinical trials, preclinical studies, or studies or trials we may commence in the future, as well as any collaborations that we may enter into with third parties for our product candidates, and any unforeseen cash needs. As a result, our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering.
Pending the application of the net proceeds as described above or otherwise, we plan to invest the proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government or other securities.
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The following table sets forth our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and our capitalization as of March 31, 2019:
You should read the data set forth in the table below in conjunction with our financial statements, including the related notes, and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" from our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.
|
AS OF MARCH 31, 2019 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ACTUAL | AS ADJUSTED | |||||
|
(unaudited) |
||||||
|
(in thousands, except share data) |
||||||
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities |
$ | 159,666 | $ | 201,566 | |||
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Total long-term liabilities |
$ | 39,384 | $ | 39,384 | |||
| | | | | | | |
Stockholders' equity: |
|||||||
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, actual and as adjusted |
$ | | $ | | |||
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized, 26,217,447 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 29,217,447 shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted |
26 | 29 | |||||
Additional paid-in capital |
215,084 | 256,981 | |||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
16 | 16 | |||||
Accumulated deficit |
(117,603 | ) | (117,603 | ) | |||
| | | | | | | |
Total stockholders' equity |
97,523 | 139,423 | |||||
| | | | | | | |
Total capitalization |
$ | 136,907 | $ | 178,807 | |||
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
The number of shares of our common stock that will be outstanding immediately after this offering as shown above is based on 26,217,447 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2019. The number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2019 as used throughout this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated, excludes:
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If you purchase our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the price per share you pay in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. Our net tangible book value as of March 31, 2019 was approximately $97.5 million, or approximately $3.72 per share of common stock, based upon 26,217,447 shares outstanding as of that date. Net tangible book value per share is equal to our total tangible assets, less our total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding.
After giving effect to the sale of the shares of common stock in this offering at the public offering price of $15.00 per share of common stock, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other estimated offering expenses payable by us, our adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2019 would have been approximately $139.4 million, or approximately $4.77 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of approximately $1.05 per share to our existing stockholders, and an immediate dilution of $10.23 per share to investors purchasing shares of common stock in the offering.
The following table illustrates the per share dilution to investors purchasing shares of common stock in the offering:
Public offering price per share of common stock |
$ | 15.00 | |||||
Net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2019 |
$ | 3.72 | |||||
Increase per share attributable to sale of common stock to investors |
1.05 | ||||||
| | | | | | | |
Adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering |
4.77 | ||||||
| | | | | | | |
Dilution per share to investors |
$ | 10.23 |
If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase 450,000 shares of common stock in full, the as adjusted net tangible book value after this offering would be approximately $4.91 per share, representing an increase in net tangible book value of approximately $1.19 per share to existing stockholders and immediate dilution in net tangible book value of approximately $10.09 per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering at the public offering price.
The above calculation is based on 26,217,447 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2019 and excludes as of that date:
To the extent that outstanding options or warrants are exercised, new options or other securities are issued under our equity incentive plans or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK
The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to non-U.S. holders (as defined below) with respect to their ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering. For purposes of this discussion, a non-U.S. holder means a beneficial owner of our common stock that is not a "U.S. person" or a partnership (including any entity or arrangement treated as a partnership and the equity holders therein) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. person is any of the following U.S. federal income tax purposes:
This discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships or other entities or arrangements that are classified as partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes or persons that hold their common stock through partnerships or other pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A partner in a partnership or other pass-through entity that will hold our common stock should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of acquiring, holding and disposing of our common stock through a partnership or other pass-through entity, as applicable.
This discussion is based on current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which we refer to as the Code, existing and proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, current administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus supplement and, all of which are subject to change or to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any such change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to non-U.S. holders described in this prospectus supplement. There can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service, which we refer to as the IRS, will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described herein. We assume in this discussion that a non-U.S. holder holds shares of our common stock as a capital asset, generally property held for investment.
This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income that may be relevant to a particular non-U.S. holder in light of that non-U.S. holder's individual circumstances nor does it address any aspects of any U.S. state, local or non-U.S. taxes, the alternative minimum tax, any estate tax, any tax considerations resulting from a non-U.S. holder having a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar, the timing of income accruals required under Section 451(b) of the Code, the Medicare tax on net investment income; or any other U.S. federal tax other than the income tax. This discussion also does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a non-U.S. holder and does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular non-U.S. holders, such as:
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This discussion is for general information only and is not tax advice. Accordingly, all prospective non-U.S. holders of our common stock should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.
Distributions on Our Common Stock
Distributions, if any, on our common stock generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holder's investment, up to such holder's tax basis in the common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain, subject to the tax treatment described below in "Gain on sale, exchange or other disposition of our common stock." Any such distributions will also be subject to the discussion below under the sections titled "Backup Withholding and Information Reporting" and "Withholding and Information Reporting Requirements FATCA."
Subject to the discussion in the following two paragraphs in this section, dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder's country of residence. If we or another withholding agent apply over-withholding or if a non-U.S. holder does not timely provide us with the required certification, the non-U.S. holder may be entitled to a refund or credit of any excess tax withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS.
A non-U.S. holder who claims the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder's country of residence generally will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) to the applicable withholding agent and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements. This certification must be provided to the withholding agent prior to the payment of dividends and must be updated periodically. If the non-U.S. holder holds the stock through a financial institution or other agent acting on the non-U.S. holder's behalf, the non-U.S. holder will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the agent, which then will be required to provide certification to us or our paying agent, either directly or through other intermediaries. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty. Non-U.S. holders that do not timely provide the required certification, but that qualify for a reduced treaty
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rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.
Dividends that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder within the United States, are generally exempt from the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies applicable certification and disclosure requirements. To obtain this exemption, a non-U.S. holder must generally provide a properly executed original and unexpired IRS Form W-8ECI (or successor form) properly certifying such exemption. However, such U.S. effectively connected income, net of specified deductions and credits, is taxed at the same graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional "branch profits tax" at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder's country of residence.
Any documentation provided to an applicable withholding agent may need to be updated in certain circumstances.
Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Common Stock
Subject to the discussions below under "Backup Withholding and Information Reporting" and "Withholding and Information Reporting Requirements FATCA," a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to any U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized upon such holder's sale or other taxable disposition of shares of our common stock unless:
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described above. If we are a U.S. real property holding corporation and either our common stock is not regularly traded on an established securities market or a non-U.S. holder holds, or is treated as holding, more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, directly or indirectly, during the applicable testing period, such non-U.S. holder will generally be taxed on any gain in the same manner as gain that is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business, except that the branch profits tax generally will not apply. If we are a U.S. real property holding corporation and our common stock is not regularly traded on an established securities market, a non-U.S. holder's proceeds received on the disposition of shares will also generally be subject to withholding at a rate of 15%. Prospective investors are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible consequences to them if we are, or were to become, a U.S. real property holding corporation.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the gross amount of the distributions on our common stock paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. holders may have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a United States person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate, currently 24%, with respect to dividends on our common stock. Dividends paid to non-U.S. holders subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, as described above in "Distributions on Our Common Stock," generally will be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.
Information reporting and backup withholding will generally apply to the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S. holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them. Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder can be refunded or credited against the non-U.S. holder's U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that an appropriate claim is filed with the IRS in a timely manner.
Withholding and Information Reporting Requirements FATCA
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally imposes a U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% on payments of dividends on, or gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock paid to a foreign entity unless (i) if the foreign entity is a "foreign financial institution," such foreign entity undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) if the foreign entity is not a "foreign financial institution," such foreign entity identifies certain of its U.S. investors, if any, or (iii) the foreign entity is otherwise exempt under FATCA. Under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, withholding under FATCA currently applies to payments of dividends on our common stock. Proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations provide that FATCA withholding does not apply to gross proceeds from the disposition of property of a type that can produce U.S. source dividends or interest; however, the current version of the rules subjects such gross proceeds subject to FATCA withholding. In its preamble to such proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations, the U.S. Treasury stated that taxpayers (including withholding agents) can currently rely on the proposed Treasury Regulations. Under certain circumstances, a non-U.S. holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of this withholding tax. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this paragraph.
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Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this legislation on their investment in our common stock and the entities through which they hold our common stock, including, without limitation, the process and deadlines for meeting the applicable requirements to prevent the imposition of the 30% withholding tax under FATCA.
The preceding discussion of material U.S. federal tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the particular U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed changes in applicable laws.
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Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, between us and Jefferies LLC, Cowen and Company, LLC and BMO Capital Markets Corp. as the representatives of the underwriters named below and the joint book-running managers of this offering, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each of the underwriters has agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase from us, the respective number of shares of common stock shown opposite its name below:
Underwriter
|
Number of Shares |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
Jefferies LLC |
1,200,000 | |||
Cowen and Company, LLC |
900,000 | |||
BMO Capital Markets Corp. |
600,000 | |||
Wedbush Securities Inc. |
300,000 | |||
| | | | |
Total |
3,000,000 | |||
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters are subject to certain conditions precedent such as the receipt by the underwriters of officers' certificates and legal opinions and approval of certain legal matters by their counsel. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters will purchase all of the shares of common stock if any of them are purchased. If an underwriter defaults, the underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of the nondefaulting underwriters may be increased or the underwriting agreement may be terminated. We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and certain of their controlling persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.
The underwriters have advised us that, following the completion of this offering, they currently intend to make a market in the common stock as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, the underwriters are not obligated to do so, and the underwriters may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice in their sole discretion. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for common stock that you will be able to sell any of the common stock held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable.
The underwriters are offering the shares of common stock subject to their acceptance of the shares of common stock from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
Commission and Expenses
The underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the shares of common stock to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to certain dealers, which may include the underwriters, at that price less a concession not in excess of $0.54 per share of common stock. The underwriters may allow, and certain dealers may reallow, a discount from the concession not in excess of $0.18 per share of common stock to certain brokers and dealers. After the offering, the public offering price, concession and reallowance to dealers may be reduced by the representative. No such reduction will change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
The following table shows the public offering price, the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us in connection with this offering. Such
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amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.
|
Per Share | Total | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Without Option to Purchase Additional Shares |
With Option to Purchase Additional Shares |
Without Option to Purchase Additional Shares |
With Option to Purchase Additional Shares |
|||||||||
Public offering price |
$ | 15.00 | $ | 15.00 | $ | 45,000,000 | $ | 51,750,000 | |||||
Underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us |
$ | 0.90 | $ | 0.90 | $ | 2,700,000 | $ | 3,105,000 | |||||
Proceeds to us, before expenses |
$ | 14.10 | $ | 14.10 | $ | 42,300,000 | $ | 48,645,000 |
We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $0.4 million.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol "SRRK".
Stamp Taxes
If you purchase shares of common stock offered in this prospectus, you may be required to pay stamp taxes and other charges under the laws and practices of the country of purchase, in addition to the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus.
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate of 450,000 shares from us at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions. If the underwriters exercise this option, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to specified conditions, to purchase a number of additional share proportionate to that underwriter's initial purchase commitment as indicated in the table above.
No Sales of Similar Securities
Pursuant to certain "lock-up" agreements, we and our executive officers, directors and certain stockholders that are affiliated with our directors have agreed that for a period of 90 days following the pricing of the offering, and subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of or announce the intention to otherwise dispose of, or enter into any swap, hedge or similar agreement or arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequence of ownership of, directly or indirectly, or make any demand or request or exercise any right with respect to the registration of, or file with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any common stock without the prior written consent of Jefferies LLC. In addition, a former director has agreed to be subject to the same restrictions for a period of 60 days following the pricing of the offering.
Stabilization
The underwriters have advised us that they, pursuant to Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in short sale transactions,
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stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either "covered" short sales or "naked" short sales.
"Covered" short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in this offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares of our common stock or purchasing shares of our common stock in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares.
"Naked" short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional shares of our common stock. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares of our common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.
A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the common stock. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriters in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriter's purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriters to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the common stock originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.
Neither we, nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, any of the activities may be discontinued at any time.
The underwriters may also engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Select Market in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of shares of our common stock in this offering and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker's bid, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available by e-mail or on the web sites or through online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters or their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of shares of common stock for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters' web sites and any information contained in any other web site maintained by any of the underwriters is not part
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of this prospectus, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriters and should not be relied upon by investors.
Other Activities and Relationships
The underwriter and certain of its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriter and certain of its affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses. Jefferies LLC is the agent under our Open Market Sale AgreementSM, dated June 3, 2019.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriter and certain of its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the underwriters or their respective affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the common stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the common stock offered hereby. The underwriters and certain of their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Disclaimers About Non-U.S. Jurisdictions
Canada
The distribution of common stock in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the common stock in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.
By purchasing common stock in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:
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Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that the representatives are relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the offering memorandum (including any amendment thereto) such as this document contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory. The purchaser of these securities in Canada should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.
Canadian purchasers of common stock should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the common stock in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the common stock for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.
Australia
This prospectus is not a disclosure document for the purposes of Australia's Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of Australia, or Corporations Act, has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is only directed to the categories of exempt persons set out below. Accordingly, if you receive this prospectus in Australia:
To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor, associated person or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this prospectus is void and incapable of acceptance.
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resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under section 708 of the Corporations Act.
European Economic Area
Any distributor subject to MiFID II that is offering, selling or recommending the common stock responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the common stock and determining its own distribution channels for the purposes of the MiFID product governance rules under Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 ("Delegated Directive"). Neither the Issuers nor the underwriters make any representations or warranties as to a distributor's compliance with the Delegated Directive.
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relevant Member State"), an offer to the public of any shares of common stock which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may not be made in that Relevant Member State except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of any shares of common stock may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive, if they have been implemented in that Relevant Member State:
(a) to any legal entity which is a "qualified investor" as defined in the Prospectus Directive;
(b) to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriters or the underwriters nominated by us for any such offer; or
(c) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive,
provided that no such offer of shares of common stock shall require us or any of the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer shares of common stock to the public" in relation to the shares of common stock in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the shares of common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe to the common stock as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State and the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression "2010 PD Amending Directive" means Directive 2010/73/EU.
Hong Kong
No securities have been offered or sold, and no securities may be offered or sold, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than to persons whose ordinary business is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent; or to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong ("SFO") and any rules made under that Ordinance; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong ("CO") or which do not constitute an offer or invitation to the public for the purpose of the CO or the SFO. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" as defined in the SFO and any rules made under that Ordinance.
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This prospectus has not been registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this prospectus may not be issued, circulated or distributed in Hong Kong, and the securities may not be offered for subscription to members of the public in Hong Kong. Each person acquiring the securities will be required, and is deemed by the acquisition of the securities, to confirm that he is aware of the restriction on offers of the securities described in this prospectus and the relevant offering documents and that he is not acquiring, and has not been offered any securities in circumstances that contravene any such restrictions.
Israel
This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, or the Securities Law, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In Israel, this prospectus is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the common stock is directed only at, (i) a limited number of persons in accordance with the Israeli Securities Law and (ii) investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and "qualified individuals," each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case, purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors are required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
Japan
The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended), or FIEL, and the Initial Purchaser will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEL and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.
Singapore
This prospectus has not been and will not be lodged or registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the notes may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the notes be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the "SFA"), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.
Where the notes are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
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securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries' rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the notes pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:
Switzerland
The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange ("SIX") or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This prospectus has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this prospectus will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes ("CISA"). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
United Kingdom
This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive that are also (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") and/or (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated (each such person being referred to as a "relevant person").
This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
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The validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Cooley LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the underwriters in connection with this offering.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated herein by reference. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP's report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC. Certain information in the registration statement has been omitted from this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in accordance with the rules of the SEC. We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These documents also may be accessed through the SEC's electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system, or EDGAR, via electronic means, including the SEC's home page on the Internet (www.sec.gov). You may also inspect the registration statement and this prospectus on this website.
We have the authority to designate and issue more than one class or series of stock having various preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption. We will furnish a full statement of the relative rights and preferences of each class or series of our stock which has been so designated and any restrictions on the ownership or transfer of our stock to any shareholder upon request and without charge. Written requests for such copies should be directed Investor Relations, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, 620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139. Our website is located at http://www.scholarrock.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and, except for the documents incorporated by reference as noted below, you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed from, our website as part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus the information contained in other documents we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Any statement contained in any document incorporated or deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded, for purposes of this prospectus supplement, to the extent that a statement contained in or omitted from this prospectus supplement, or in any other subsequently filed document that also is, or is deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
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constitute a part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below, which have been filed by us:
Additionally, all documents filed by us with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than any portions of filings that are furnished rather than filed pursuant to Items 2.02 and 7.01 of a Current Report on Form 8-K), after the date of this prospectus supplement and before the termination or completion of this offering shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement from the respective dates of filing of such documents. Any information that we subsequently file with the SEC that is incorporated by reference as described above will automatically update and supersede any previous information that is part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
Upon written or oral request, we will provide you without charge, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference, other than exhibits to those documents unless the exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference in the documents. You may request a copy of these filings, and any exhibits we have specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this prospectus, at no cost by writing us at the following address: Investor Relations, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, 620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139. Our website is located at http://www.scholarrock.com. The reference to our website is intended to be an inactive textual reference and, except for the documents incorporated by reference as noted above, the information on, or accessible through, our website is not intended to be part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.
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PROSPECTUS
$275,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
We may from time to time issue, in one or more series or classes, up to $275,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and/or units. We may offer these securities separately or together in units. We will specify in the accompanying prospectus supplement the terms of the securities being offered. We may sell these securities to or through underwriters and also to other purchasers or through agents. We will set forth the names of any underwriters or agents, and any fees, conversions, or discount arrangements, in the accompanying prospectus supplement. We may not sell any securities under this prospectus without delivery of the applicable prospectus supplement.
You should read this document and any prospectus supplement or amendment carefully before you invest in our securities.
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "SRRK." On May 30, 2019, the closing price for our common stock, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, was $18.77 per share. Our principal executive offices are located at 620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in this prospectus beginning on page 2 and any applicable prospectus supplement, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this Prospectus is June 10, 2019.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a "shelf" registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings for an aggregate initial offering price of up to $275,000,000.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading "Where You Can Find More Information".
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in the accompanying prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this prospectus to "Scholar Rock", "we", "our", "us" and "the Company" refer, collectively, to Scholar Rock Holding Corporation and its subsidiaries.
We own various U.S. federal trademark applications and unregistered trademarks, including "Scholar Rock" and our corporate logo. All other trademarks or trade names referred to in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus are referred to without the symbols ® and , but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto. We do not intend our use or display of other companies' trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described below and in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including (i) our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, which is on file with the SEC and is incorporated herein by reference, (ii) our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which is on file with the SEC and is incorporated herein by reference and (iii) other documents we file with the SEC that are deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but are not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would," and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms, or similar expressions. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this prospectus, and in particular those factors referenced in the section "Risk Factors."
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management's belief and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:
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We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein, particularly in the "Risk Factors" sections of these documents, that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein represent our views as of the date of this prospectus. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this prospectus.
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We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. Our novel understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled us to develop a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level. We believe this approach, acting in the disease microenvironment, avoids the historical challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path. Our lead product candidate, SRK-015, is a highly selective, fully human, monoclonal antibody, with a unique mechanism of action that results in inhibition of the activation of the growth factor, myostatin, in skeletal muscle. We have advanced SRK-015 as a potential first muscle-directed therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy ("SMA") into clinical development. In May 2018, we initiated our Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-015 in healthy volunteers and in February 2019, we announced favorable interim safety and tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetic data, which supported the advancement of SRK-015 to a Phase 2 clinical trial. We commenced patient dosing for our Phase 2 clinical trial in SMA in April 2019. Our second product candidate, SRK-181, is being developed for the treatment of cancers resistant to checkpoint blockade therapies ("CBTs") such as anti-PD1 or anti-PDL 1 antibodies. SRK-181 is a highly selective inhibitor of the activation of transforming growth factor beta-1 ("TGFb1"). We intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-181 in cancer immunotherapy in mid-2020. In addition, utilizing our proprietary platform, we are continuing to create a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including other neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis and anemia.
Our proprietary platform is designed to discover and develop monoclonal antibodies that have a high degree of specificity to achieve selective modulation of growth factor signaling. Growth factors are naturally occurring proteins that typically act as signaling molecules between cells and play a fundamental role in regulating a variety of normal cellular processes, including cell growth and differentiation. Current therapeutic approaches to treating diseases in which growth factors play a fundamental role involve directly targeting an active growth factor or its receptor systemically throughout the body and have suffered from a variety of shortcomings:
Our innovative approach is rooted in our structural biology insights into the mechanism by which certain growth factors are activated in close proximity to the cell surface. We integrate these insights with sophisticated protein expression, assay development and monoclonal antibody discovery capabilities. We believe our proprietary platform can address the challenges of current therapeutic approaches to treating diseases in which growth factors play a fundamental role by:
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We have advanced our lead antibody product candidate, SRK-015, a novel, highly selective inhibitor of the activation of myostatin, into clinical development for the treatment of SMA. Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle mass expressed primarily in skeletal muscle tissue, and a member of the transforming growth factor beta, or TGFb, superfamily, a group of more than 30 related growth factors that mediate diverse biological processes. Vertebrate animals that lack the myostatin gene display increased muscle mass and strength relative to their normal counterparts, but are otherwise healthy. We believe selective inhibition of myostatin activation may promote a clinically meaningful increase in motor function. As a result, we have focused our initial development efforts for SRK-015 on the treatment of SMA. SMA is a rare, and often fatal, genetic disorder arising from a deficiency of a protein known as "survival of motor neuron," or SMN. This disease typically manifests in young children and is characterized by atrophy of the voluntary muscles of the limbs and trunk and dramatically reduced normal neuromuscular function. An estimated 30,000 to 35,000 patients suffer from SMA in the United States and Europe alone. In preclinical studies, we observed that SRK-015 promoted increased muscle mass and strength, and in vitro studies have shown that the antibody selectively avoids interaction with other closely related growth factors that play distinctly different physiological roles. We believe that SRK-015 has the potential to be the first muscle-directed therapy to improve motor function in patients with SMA and could be used both as a monotherapy or in conjunction with SMN upregulator therapies (i.e., therapies that upregulate the expression of SMN, such as SMN splicing modulators or gene therapy). In May 2018, we initiated our Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-015 in healthy volunteers and in February 2019, we announced favorable interim safety and tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetic data, which supported the advancement of SRK-015 to a Phase 2 clinical trial. We commenced patient dosing for our Phase 2 clinical trial in SMA in April 2019.
Our second antibody program is focused on the discovery and development of highly specific inhibitors of the activation of TGFb1. TGFb1 is also a member of the TGFb superfamily, and increased signaling by TGFb1 is a key driver of a number of disease-relevant processes, including tissue and organ fibrosis, immune system evasion by cancer cells, and bone marrow fibrosis associated with hematological disorders. Historically, selectively targeting TGFb1 signaling has been challenging due to the inability of both small molecule inhibitors and antibodies to avoid off-target inhibition of other, closely related growth factors, TGFb2 and TGFb3. Treatment of animals with these pan-TGFb inhibitors has been associated with a range of toxicities, most notably cardiac toxicity. In preclinical studies of our antibodies, we have observed specific inhibition of TGFb1 activation in vitro and immunomodulatory and antifibrotic activity in multiple disease models in vivo. In addition, we have completed a 28-day pilot nonclinical toxicology study in rats of our leading antibody and we did not observe any drug-related toxicity up to the highest doses tested in the study. In the same study, we tested pan-TGFb inhibitors and observed the toxicities, including cardiac toxicity, that have been observed by others. Based on this program, in December 2018, we announced a major collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc., or Gilead, in the area of discovering, developing, and commercializing treatments for fibrotic diseases using highly specific inhibitors of the activation of TGFb. We retained exclusive worldwide rights to discover, develop, and commercialize certain TGFb1 inhibitors for oncology and cancer immunotherapy. In March 2019, we nominated SRK-181 as a product candidate for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to CBTs and intend to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of SRK-181 in cancer immunotherapy in mid-2020.
Our third antibody program targets the signaling of bone morphogenetic protein 6, or BMP6, another member of the TGFb superfamily, which is involved in a diverse set of biological processes in various parts of the body. For example, in the liver, BMP6 signaling is a key controller of the body's
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ability to regulate iron levels. Given BMP6's important role in iron metabolism, we believe that targeting BMP6 signaling in a liver-selective fashion presents the potential to address both iron-restricted anemias and iron overload conditions. In preclinical studies of our antibodies that target BMP6 signaling in the liver, we have observed increased serum iron levels in healthy animals and we are now evaluating a limited number of these antibodies in disease models of iron-restricted anemia.
We have worldwide rights to our proprietary platform and all of our product candidates and antibodies with the exception of those that are subject to our collaboration with Gilead and certain early-stage antibodies that specifically inhibit the activation of TGFb1 in the context of regulatory T cells, which we licensed to Janssen Biotech, Inc., or Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in December 2013.
We were incorporated in 2017 under the laws of the State of Delaware as the holding company for Scholar Rock, Inc. Scholar Rock, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Scholar Rock, LLC. On December 22, 2017, we completed a series of transactions pursuant to which Scholar Rock Merger Sub, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, was merged with and into Scholar Rock, LLC (the "Reorganization"). The purpose of the Reorganization was to reorganize our corporate structure so that we would continue as a corporation and so that our investors prior to the Reorganization would own our capital stock after the Reorganization rather than equity interests in a limited liability company. All of our convertible preferred stock converted into shares of common stock upon the completion of our initial public offering at the then effective conversion ratio.
Our principal executive offices are located at 620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, and our phone number is (857) 259-3860. Our website address is http://www.scholarrock.com. The information contained in or accessible from our website is not incorporated into this prospectus, and you should not consider it part of this prospectus.
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We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. General corporate purposes may include research and development costs, including the conduct of clinical trials and process development and manufacturing of our product candidates, services or technologies, expansion of our technology infrastructure and capabilities, working capital and capital expenditures. We may temporarily invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments, including investment grade, interest bearing instruments and U.S. government securities, until they are used for their stated purpose. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.
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This prospectus contains summary descriptions of the securities we may offer from time to time. These summary descriptions are not meant to be complete descriptions of each security. The particular terms of any security will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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The following description of our common stock and preferred stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the common stock and preferred stock that we may offer under this prospectus. The following description of our capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended to date, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws, which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and by applicable law. We refer in this section to our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended to date, as our "certificate of incorporation," and we refer to our Amended and Restated Bylaws as our "bylaws." The terms of our common stock and preferred stock may also be affected by Delaware law.
Authorized Capital Stock
Our authorized capital stock consists of 150,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, all of which shares of preferred stock are undesignated.
As of March 31, 2019, 26,217,447 shares of our common stock were outstanding and held by approximately 58 stockholders of record, of which 571,437 shares were subject to future vesting. In addition, as of March 31, 2019, we had outstanding options to purchase 2,271,870 shares of our common stock, at a weighted average exercise price of $12.03 per share, 318,576 of which were exercisable and an outstanding warrant to purchase 7,614 shares of our common stock, at an exercise price of $3.94 per share.
Common Stock
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. The holders of our common stock do not have any cumulative voting rights. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available for that purpose, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding preferred stock. Our common stock has no preemptive rights, conversion rights or other subscription rights or redemption or sinking fund provisions.
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of all debts and other liabilities and any liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock. The shares to be issued by us will be, when issued and paid for, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "SRRK." On May 30, 2019, the closing price for our common stock, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, was $18.77 per share.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
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Preferred Stock
Undesignated Preferred Stock
Our board of directors or any authorized committee thereof has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions thereof. No shares of preferred stock are outstanding, and we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.
The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock in one or more series and determine the number of shares in the series and its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a shareholder vote on specific issuances. Examples of rights and preferences that the board of directors may fix are:
The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock may enable our board of directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of us or our stockholders, our board of directors could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer, stockholder or stockholder group. The rights of holders of our common stock described above will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of any preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.
Additional Series of Preferred Stock
We will incorporate by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus, the form of any certificate of designation that describes the terms of the series of preferred stock we are offering. This description and the applicable prospectus supplement will include:
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When we issue shares of preferred stock under this prospectus, the shares will fully be paid and nonassessable and will not have, or be subject to, any preemptive or similar rights.
Registration Rights
Holders of our Registrable Securities, as defined in our investors' rights agreement, or the Investor Rights Agreement, and Gilead, pursuant to a registration rights agreement, or Registration Rights Agreement, respectively, are entitled to rights with respect to the registration of certain shares under the Securities Act as hereinafter described. These rights are provided under the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement, and include demand registration rights, short-form and shelf registration rights and piggyback registration rights. All fees, costs and expenses of underwritten registrations, subject to certain restrictions, will be borne by us and all selling expenses, including underwriting discounts and selling commissions, will be borne by the holders of the shares being registered.
Demand Registration Rights
Certain holders of our Registrable Securities, are entitled to demand registration rights. Under the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, we are required, upon the written request of holders of at least 80% of these securities then outstanding to file a Form S-1 registration with respect to at least 20% of such securities, to file such registration statement and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective, subject to certain exceptions. We are required to effect up to two registrations pursuant to this provision of the Investor Rights Agreement.
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Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement with Gilead, beginning on December 19, 2020, we are required, upon the written request of the stockholder to register securities with an aggregate value of at least $10.0 million based on then-current value of the securities, to use reasonable best efforts to effect the registration of such shares on Form S-1, subject to certain exceptions. Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, we are required to effect up to two registrations pursuant to this provision, and the short-form and shelf registration rights provisions of the Registration Rights Agreement, except that the number of shelf takedowns that are not underwritten offerings are not limited.
An aggregate of 9,019,745 shares of common stock are entitled to the demand registration rights under the Investor Rights Agreement. An aggregate of 980,392 shares of common stock are entitled to the demand registration rights under the Registration Rights Agreement.
Short-Form and Shelf Registration Rights
Certain holders of our Registrable Securities are also entitled to short-form registration rights. Under the terms of the Investor Rights Agreement, if we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, upon the written request of holders of at least 20% of these securities then outstanding to sell registrable securities at an aggregate price, net of selling expenses, of at least $10.0 million, we will be required to file such registration statement and use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective, subject to certain exceptions. We are required to effect up to two registrations in any twelve-month period pursuant to this provision of the Investor Rights Agreement.
Under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, beginning on December 19, 2020, if we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, upon the written request of the stockholder to register securities with an aggregate value of at least $3.0 million based on then-current value of the securities, we will use reasonable best efforts to cause registration of the securities on Form S-3. In addition, under the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, upon the written request of the stockholder, we will be required to file a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 to register the securities pursuant to Securities Act Rule 415 and use our reasonable best efforts to cause such shelf registration statement to become effective, subject to certain exceptions.
The right to have such shares registered on Form S-3 is further subject to other specified conditions and limitations in each case.
An aggregate of 9,019,745 shares of common stock are entitled to these Form S-3 registration rights under the Investor Rights Agreement. An aggregate of 980,392 shares of common stock are entitled to the Form S-3 registration rights under the Registration Rights Agreement.
Piggyback Registration Rights
Certain holders of our Registrable Securities are entitled to piggyback registration rights. If we propose to register any of our securities, either for our own account or for the account of other security holders, under the Investor Rights Agreement, the holders of these shares are entitled to include their shares in the registration, subject to certain exceptions, and under the Registration Rights Agreement, we will use reasonable best efforts to include the stockholder's shares in the registration.
Under the Investor Rights Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement, subject to certain exceptions, the underwriters may limit the number of shares included in the underwritten offering to the number of shares which the underwriters determine in their sole discretion will not jeopardize the success of the offering, including, specifically, under the Registration Rights Agreement, where the underwriter has determined that in their opinion there is a risk that the price of the securities will be reduced or the number of securities intended to be included on our behalf will be reduced.
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An aggregate of 9,019,745 shares of common stock are entitled to these piggyback registration rights under the Investor Rights Agreement. An aggregate of 980,392 shares of common stock are entitled to these piggyback registration rights under the Registration Rights Agreement.
Indemnification
The Investor Rights Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement contain customary cross-indemnification provisions, under which we are obligated to indemnify holders of our Registrable Securities in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and they are obligated to indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions attributable to them.
Expiration of Registration Rights
The registration rights granted under the Investor Rights Agreement will terminate on the earliest of (i) a deemed liquidation event, as defined in the Investor Rights Agreement, (ii) the third anniversary of the closing of the IPO and (iii) at such time after the closing of the IPO when the holders' shares may be sold without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 within a three-month period.
The registration rights granted under the Registration Rights Agreement will terminate, with respect to 50% of the Registrable Securities held by the stockholder, on December 19, 2023 and with respect to 50% of the Registrable Securities held by the stockholder, on December 19, 2024.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Our Bylaws
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain certain provisions that are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of the board of directors and which may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a future takeover or change in control of the company unless such takeover or change in control is approved by the board of directors.
These provisions include:
Classified Board. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes of directors, with the classes as nearly equal in number as possible. As a result, approximately one-third of our board of directors will be elected each year. The classification of directors has the effect of making it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our board. Our certificate of incorporation provides that, subject to any rights of holders of preferred stock to elect additional directors under specified circumstances, the number of directors will be fixed exclusively pursuant to a resolution adopted by our board of directors. Our board of directors has eight members. Our certificate of incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote, and the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote as a class, is required to amend or repeal the foregoing provision. This requirement of a supermajority vote to amend or repeal that provision of our bylaws could enable a minority of our stockholders to prevent a declassification of our Board.
Action by Written Consent; Special Meetings of Stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation provides that stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders and cannot be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting. This limit may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions and would prevent the amendment of our bylaws or removal of directors by our stockholders without holding a meeting of stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote, and the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote as a class, is required to amend or repeal the foregoing provision. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special
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meetings of the stockholders can be called only by or at the direction of the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors, and only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws limit the business that may be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders to those matters properly brought before the meeting. Stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting or to require the board of directors to call a special meeting. Our bylaws provide that the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, and of each class entitled to vote, respectively, is required to amend the or repeal the provision in our bylaws that provides that special meetings of the stockholders can be called only by or at the direction of the board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors, unless the Board first recommends such amendment or repeal to stockholders. This requirement of a supermajority vote to amend or repeal that provision of our bylaws could enable a minority of our stockholders to prevent a change to such provision and has the effect of making it more difficult for stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders.
Removal of Directors. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our directors may be removed only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds or more of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, at a meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose. Furthermore, any vacancy on our board of directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of our board, may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office even if less than a quorum. This requirement of a supermajority vote to remove directors could enable a minority of our stockholders to prevent a change in the composition of our board, and the treatment of vacancies also has the effect of making it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our board.
Advance Notice Procedures. Our bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of our stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the board of directors. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. Our bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders' notices. Stockholders at an annual meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given our secretary timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder's intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although the bylaws do not give the board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, the bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the company.
Super Majority Approval Requirements and Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. Any amendment of our certificate of incorporation must first be approved by a majority of our board of directors, and if required by law or our certificate of incorporation, must thereafter be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment and a majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to stockholder action, board composition, limitation of liability and the amendment of our bylaws and certificate of incorporation must be approved by not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Our bylaws may be amended by the affirmative
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vote of a majority of the directors then in office, subject to any limitations set forth in the bylaws, and may also be amended by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, or, if our board of directors recommends that the stockholders approve the amendment, by the affirmative vote of the majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, in each case voting together as a single class.
Authorized but Unissued Shares. Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital and corporate acquisitions. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of a majority of our common stock by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise. For example, if in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of our stockholders, our board of directors could cause shares of convertible preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder or stockholder group. In this regard, our certificate of incorporation grants our board of directors broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of convertible preferred stock. The issuance of shares of convertible preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.
Choice of Forum. Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty or other wrongdoing by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (3) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; (4) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; or (5) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
In addition, our bylaws contain a provision by virtue of which, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts will be the exclusive forum for any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. In addition, our bylaws provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our common stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions.
We have chosen the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts as the exclusive forum for such causes of action because our principal executive offices are located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Some companies that have adopted similar federal district court forum selection provisions are currently subject to a suit in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware brought by stockholders who assert that the federal district court forum selection provision is not enforceable. On December 19, 2018, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware issued a decision declaring that federal forum selection provisions purporting to require claims under the Securities Act be brought in federal court are ineffective and invalid under Delaware law. On January 17, 2019, the decision was appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court. While the Delaware Supreme Court recently dismissed the appeal on jurisdictional grounds, we expect that the appeal will be re-filed after the Court of Chancery issues a final judgment. Unless and until the Court of Chancery's decision is reversed by the Delaware Supreme Court or otherwise abrogated, we do not intend to enforce our federal forum selection provision designating the District of Massachusetts as the exclusive forum for Securities Act claims. In the event that the Delaware Supreme Court affirms the Court of Chancery's decision or otherwise
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determines that federal forum selection provisions are invalid, our board of directors intends to amend promptly our bylaws to remove our federal forum selection bylaw provision.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or Section 203. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a "business combination" with an "interested stockholder" for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A "business combination" includes, among other things, a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An "interested stockholder" is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or did own within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, 15% or more of the corporation's voting stock.
Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions: before the stockholder became interested, the board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and employee stock plans, in some instances; or at or after the time the stockholder became interested, the business combination was approved by the board of directors of the corporation and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.
A Delaware corporation may "opt out" of these provisions with an express provision in its original certificate of incorporation or an express provision in its certificate of incorporation or bylaws resulting from a stockholders' amendment approved by at least a majority of the outstanding voting shares. We have not opted out of these provisions. As a result, mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts of us may be discouraged or prevented.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The paragraphs below describe the general terms and provisions of the debt securities we may issue. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the securities in a supplement to this prospectus, including any additional covenants or changes to existing covenants relating to such series. The prospectus supplement also will indicate whether the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities. You should read the actual indenture if you do not fully understand a term or the way we use it in this prospectus.
We may offer senior or subordinated debt securities. Each series of debt securities may have different terms. The senior debt securities will be issued under one or more senior indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and the trustee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the "senior indenture." Any subordinated debt securities will be issued under one or more separate indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and the trustee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the "subordinated indenture" and to the trustee under the senior or subordinated indenture as the "trustee." The senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are sometimes collectively referred to in this prospectus as the "indentures." The indentures will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. We included copies of the forms of the indentures as exhibits to our registration statement and they are incorporated into this prospectus by reference.
If we issue debt securities at a discount from their principal amount, then, for purposes of calculating the aggregate initial offering price of the offered securities issued under this prospectus, we will include only the initial offering price of the debt securities and not the principal amount of the debt securities.
We have summarized below the material provisions of the indentures and the debt securities, or indicated which material provisions will be described in the related prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement relating to any particular securities offered will describe the specific terms of the securities, which may be in addition to or different from the general terms summarized in this prospectus. Because the summary in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement does not contain all of the information that you may find useful, you should read the documents relating to the securities that are described in this prospectus or in any applicable prospectus supplement. Please read "Where You Can Find More Information" to find out how you can obtain a copy of those documents. Except as otherwise indicated, the terms of the indentures are identical. As used under this caption, the term "debt securities" includes the debt securities being offered by this prospectus and all other debt securities issued by us under the indentures.
General
The indentures:
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Unless we give you different information in the applicable prospectus supplement, the senior debt securities will be unsubordinated obligations and will rank equally with all of our other senior unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. Payments on the subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the prior payment in full of all of our senior indebtedness, as described under "Description of Debt SecuritiesSubordination" and in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each indenture provides that we may, but need not, designate more than one trustee under an indenture. Any trustee under an indenture may resign or be removed and a successor trustee may be appointed to act with respect to the series of debt securities administered by the resigning or removed trustee. If two or more persons are acting as trustee with respect to different series of debt securities, each trustee shall be a trustee of a trust under the applicable indenture separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee. Except as otherwise indicated in this prospectus, any action described in this prospectus to be taken by each trustee may be taken by each trustee with respect to, and only with respect to, the one or more series of debt securities for which it is trustee under the applicable indenture.
The prospectus supplement for each offering will provide the following terms, where applicable:
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We may issue debt securities that provide for less than the entire principal amount thereof to be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities. We refer to any such debt securities throughout this prospectus as "original issue discount securities." The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the United States federal income tax consequences and other relevant considerations applicable to original issue discount securities.
We also may issue indexed debt securities. Payments of principal of, and premium and interest on, indexed debt securities are determined with reference to the rate of exchange between the currency or currency unit in which the debt security is denominated and any other currency or currency unit specified by us, to the relationship between two or more currencies or currency units or by other similar methods or formulas specified in the prospectus supplement.
Except as described under "Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets" or as may be set forth in any prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that (i) would limit our ability to incur indebtedness or (ii) would afford holders of debt securities protection in the event of (a) a highly leveraged or similar transaction involving us, or (b) a change of control or reorganization, restructuring, merger or similar transaction involving us that may adversely affect the holders of the debt securities. In the future, we may enter into transactions, such as the sale of all or substantially all of our assets or a merger or consolidation, that may have an adverse effect on our ability to service our indebtedness, including the debt securities, by, among other things, substantially reducing or eliminating our assets.
Our governing instruments do not define the term "substantially all" as it relates to the sale of assets. Additionally, Delaware cases interpreting the term "substantially all" rely upon the facts and
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circumstances of each particular case. Consequently, to determine whether a sale of "substantially all" of our assets has occurred, a holder of debt securities must review the financial and other information that we have disclosed to the public.
We will provide you with more information in the applicable prospectus supplement regarding any deletions, modifications, or additions to the events of default or covenants that are described below, including any addition of a covenant or other provision providing event risk or similar protection.
Payment
Unless we give you different information in the applicable prospectus supplement, the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, any series of the debt securities will be payable at the corporate trust office of the trustee. We will provide you with the address of the trustee in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may also pay interest by mailing a check to the address of the person entitled to it as it appears in the applicable register for the debt securities or by wire transfer of funds to that person at an account maintained within the United States.
All monies that we pay to a paying agent or a trustee for the payment of the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, or interest on, any debt security will be repaid to us if unclaimed at the end of two years after the obligation underlying payment becomes due and payable. After funds have been returned to us, the holder of the debt security may look only to us for payment, without payment of interest for the period which we hold the funds.
Denomination, Interest, Registration and Transfer
Unless otherwise described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities of any series will be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
Subject to the limitations imposed upon debt securities that are evidenced by a computerized entry in the records of a depository company rather than by physical delivery of a note, a holder of debt securities of any series may:
Every debt security surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange must be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer satisfactory to the applicable trustee or transfer agent. Payment of a service charge will not be required for any registration of transfer or exchange of any debt securities, but we or the trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith. If in addition to the applicable trustee, the applicable prospectus supplement refers to any transfer agent initially designated by us for any series of debt securities, we may at any time rescind the designation of any such transfer agent or approve a change in the location through which any such transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for such series. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents for any series of debt securities.
Neither we, nor any trustee, will be required to:
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securities selected for redemption is mailed and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing;
Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets
The indentures provide that we may, without the consent of the holders of any outstanding debt securities, (i) consolidate with, (ii) sell, lease or convey all or substantially all of our assets to, or (iii) merge with or into, any other entity provided that:
Covenants
Existence. Except as described under "Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets," the indentures require us to do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect our existence, rights and franchises. However, the indentures do not require us to preserve any right or franchise if we determine that any right or franchise is no longer desirable in the conduct of our business.
Payment of taxes and other claims. The indentures require us to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before they become delinquent (i) all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed on us, and (ii) all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon our property. However, we will not be required to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.
Provision of financial information. The indentures require us to (i) within 15 days of each of the respective dates by which we are required to file our annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents with the SEC, file with the trustee copies of the annual report, quarterly report and other documents that we file with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, (ii) file with the trustee and the SEC any additional information, documents and reports regarding compliance by us with the conditions and covenants of the indentures, as required, (iii) within 30 days after the filing with the trustee, mail to all holders of debt securities, as their names and addresses appear in the applicable register for such debt securities, without cost to such holders, summaries of any documents and reports required to be filed by us pursuant to (i) and (ii) above, and (iv) supply, promptly upon written request and payment of the reasonable cost of duplication and delivery, copies of such documents to any prospective holder.
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Additional covenants. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any of our additional covenants relating to any series of debt securities.
Events of Default, Notice and Waiver
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, when we refer to "events of default" as defined in the indentures with respect to any series of debt securities, we mean:
if the default results in the indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to the date it otherwise would have, without such indebtedness having been discharged, or such acceleration having been rescinded or annulled, within 30 days after notice to the issuing company specifying such default. Such notice shall be given to us by the trustee, or to us and the trustee by the holders of at least 10% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series. The written notice shall specify such default and require us to cause such indebtedness to be discharged or cause such acceleration to be rescinded or annulled and shall state that such notice is a "Notice of Default" under such indenture;
If an event of default occurs and is continuing with respect to debt securities of any series outstanding, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable. If the debt securities of that series are original issue discount securities or indexed securities, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms thereof to be due and payable. However, at any time after such a declaration of acceleration has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the applicable trustee, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of such series or of all debt securities then outstanding under the applicable indenture may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
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overdue installment of interest, plus applicable fees, expenses, disbursements and advances of the applicable trustee; and
The indentures also provide that the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series or of all debt securities then outstanding under the applicable indenture may, on behalf of all holders, waive any past default with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default:
The indentures require each trustee to give notice to the holders of debt securities within 90 days of a default unless such default has been cured or waived. However, the trustee may withhold notice if specified persons of such trustee consider such withholding to be in the interest of the holders of debt securities. The trustee may not withhold notice of a default in the payment of principal, any premium or interest on any debt security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment in respect of any debt security of such series.
The indentures provide that holders of debt securities of any series may not institute any proceedings, judicial or otherwise, with respect to such indenture or for any remedy under the indenture, unless the trustee fails to act for a period of 60 days after the trustee has received a written request to institute proceedings in respect of an event of default from the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, as well as an offer of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. However, this provision will not prevent any holder of debt securities from instituting suit for the enforcement of payment of the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, such debt securities at the respective due dates thereof.
The indentures provide that, subject to provisions in each indenture relating to its duties in the case of a default, a trustee has no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any holders of any series of debt securities then outstanding under the indenture, unless the holders have offered to the trustee reasonable security or indemnity. The holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series or of all debt securities then outstanding under an indenture shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the applicable trustee, or of exercising any trust or power conferred upon such trustee. However, a trustee may refuse to follow any direction which:
Within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, we will be required to deliver to each trustee a certificate, signed by one of our several specified officers, stating whether or not that officer has knowledge of any default under the applicable indenture. If the officer has knowledge of any default, the notice must specify the nature and status of the default.
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Modification of the Indentures
The indentures provide that modifications and amendments may be made only with the consent of the affected holders of a majority in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities issued under that indenture. However, no such modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holders of the debt securities affected by the modification or amendment:
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series may, on behalf of all holders of debt securities of that series, waive, insofar as that series is concerned, our compliance with material restrictive covenants of the applicable indenture.
We and our respective trustee may make modifications and amendments of an indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities for any of the following purposes:
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Voting
The indentures provide that in determining whether the holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding debt securities of a series have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver under the indentures or whether a quorum is present at a meeting of holders of debt securities:
The indentures contain provisions for convening meetings of the holders of debt securities of a series. A meeting will be permitted to be called at any time by the applicable trustee, and also, upon request, by us or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, in any such case upon notice given as provided in such indenture. Except for any consent that must be given by the holder of each debt security affected by the modifications and amendments of an indenture described above, any resolution presented at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present may be adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series represented at such meeting.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, except as referred to above, any resolution relating to a request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, may be adopted at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present by the affirmative vote of such specified percentage.
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Any resolution passed or decision taken at any properly held meeting of holders of debt securities of any series will be binding on all holders of such series. The quorum at any meeting called to adopt a resolution, and at any reconvened meeting, will be persons holding or representing a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series. However, if any action is to be taken relating to a consent or waiver which may be given by the holders of at least a specified percentage in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, the persons holding such percentage will constitute a quorum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the indentures provide that if any action is to be taken at a meeting with respect to any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that such indenture expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities affected by such action, or of the holders of such series and one or more additional series:
Subordination
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, subordinated debt securities will be subject to the following subordination provisions.
Upon any distribution to our creditors in a liquidation, dissolution or reorganization, the payment of the principal of and interest on any subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the extent provided in the applicable indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all senior debt. However, our obligation to make payments of the principal of and interest on such subordinated debt securities otherwise will not be affected. No payment of principal or interest will be permitted to be made on subordinated debt securities at any time if a default on senior debt exists that permits the holders of such senior debt to accelerate its maturity and the default is the subject of judicial proceedings or we receive notice of the default. After all senior debt is paid in full and until the subordinated debt securities are paid in full, holders of subordinated debt securities will be subrogated to the rights of holders of senior debt to the extent that distributions otherwise payable to holders of subordinated debt securities have been applied to the payment of senior debt. The subordinated indenture will not restrict the amount of senior debt or other indebtedness of ours. As a result of these subordination provisions, in the event of a distribution of assets upon insolvency, holders of subordinated debt securities may recover less, ratably, than our general creditors.
The term "senior debt" will be defined in the applicable indenture as the principal of and interest on, or substantially similar payments to be made by us in respect of, other outstanding indebtedness, whether outstanding at the date of execution of the applicable indenture or subsequently incurred, created or assumed. The prospectus supplement may include a description of additional terms implementing the subordination feature.
No restrictions will be included in any indenture relating to subordinated debt securities upon the creation of additional senior debt.
If this prospectus is being delivered in connection with the offering of a series of subordinated debt securities, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the information incorporated in this prospectus by reference will set forth the approximate amount of senior debt outstanding as of the end of our most recent fiscal quarter.
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Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indentures allow us to discharge our obligations to holders of any series of debt securities issued under any indenture when:
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indentures provide that, upon our irrevocable deposit with the applicable trustee, in trust, of an amount, in such currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies in which such debt securities are payable at stated maturity, or government obligations, or both, applicable to such debt securities, which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, such debt securities, and any mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments thereon, on the scheduled due dates therefor, the issuing company may elect either:
Notwithstanding the above, we may not elect to defease and be discharged from the obligation to pay any additional amounts upon the occurrence of particular events of tax, assessment or governmental charge with respect to payments on such debt securities and the obligations to register the transfer or exchange of such debt securities, to replace temporary or mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities, to maintain an office or agency in respect of such debt securities, or to hold monies for payment in trust.
The indentures only permit us to establish the trust described in the paragraph above if, among other things, we have delivered to the applicable trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of such debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred. Such opinion of counsel, in the case of defeasance, will be required to refer to and be based upon a ruling received from or published by the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable United States federal income tax law occurring after the date of the indenture. In the event of such defeasance, the holders of such debt securities would be able to look only to such trust fund for payment of principal, any premium or make-whole amount, and interest.
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When we use the term "government obligations," we mean securities that are:
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, if after we have deposited funds and/or government obligations to effect defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to debt securities of any series, (i) the holder of a debt security of such series is entitled to, and does, elect under the terms of the applicable indenture or the terms of such debt security to receive payment in a currency, currency unit or composite currency other than that in which such deposit has been made in respect of such debt security, or (ii) a conversion event occurs in respect of the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such deposit has been made, the indebtedness represented by such debt security will be deemed to have been, and will be, fully discharged and satisfied through the payment of the principal of, and premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, such debt security as they become due out of the proceeds yielded by converting the amount so deposited in respect of such debt security into the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such debt security becomes payable as a result of such election or such cessation of usage based on the applicable market exchange rate.
When we use the term "conversion event," we mean the cessation of use of:
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, all payments of principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, any debt security that is payable in a foreign currency that ceases to be used by its government of issuance shall be made in United States dollars.
In the event that (i) we effect covenant defeasance with respect to any debt securities and (ii) those debt securities are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any event of default, the amount in the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such debt securities are payable, and government obligations on deposit with the applicable trustee, will be sufficient to pay amounts due on such debt securities at the time of their stated maturity but may not be sufficient to pay amounts due on such debt securities at the time of the acceleration resulting from such event of
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default. However, the issuing company would remain liable to make payments of any amounts due at the time of acceleration.
The applicable prospectus supplement may further describe the provisions, if any, permitting such defeasance or covenant defeasance, including any modifications to the provisions described above, with respect to the debt securities of or within a particular series.
Conversion Rights
The terms and conditions, if any, upon which the debt securities are convertible into common stock or other securities of ours will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms will include whether the debt securities are convertible into shares of common stock or other securities of ours, the conversion price, or manner of calculation thereof, the conversion period, provisions as to whether conversion will be at the issuing company's option or the option of the holders, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price and provisions affecting conversion in the event of the redemption of the debt securities and any restrictions on conversion.
Global Securities
The debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depository identified in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such series. Global securities, if any, issued in the United States are expected to be deposited with The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, as depository. We may issue global securities in either registered or bearer form and in either temporary or permanent form. We will describe the specific terms of the depository arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such series. We expect that unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise, the following provisions will apply to depository arrangements.
Once a global security is issued, the depository for such global security or its nominee will credit on its book-entry registration and transfer system the respective principal amounts of the individual debt securities represented by such global security to the accounts of participants that have accounts with such depository. Such accounts shall be designated by the underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to such debt securities or by us if we offer such debt securities directly. Ownership of beneficial interests in such global security will be limited to participants with the depository or persons that may hold interests through those participants.
We expect that, under procedures established by DTC, ownership of beneficial interests in any global security for which DTC is the depository will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by DTC or its nominee, with respect to beneficial interests of participants with the depository, and records of participants, with respect to beneficial interests of persons who hold through participants with the depository. Neither we nor the trustee will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records of DTC or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records of DTC or any of its participants relating to beneficial ownership interests in the debt securities. The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such limits and laws may impair the ability to own, pledge or transfer beneficial interest in a global security.
So long as the depository for a global security or its nominee is the registered owner of such global security, such depository or such nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture. Except as described below or in the applicable prospectus supplement, owners of beneficial interest in a global security will not be entitled to have any of the individual debt securities represented by such global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical
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delivery of any such debt securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable indenture. Beneficial owners of debt securities evidenced by a global security will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable indenture for any purpose, including with respect to the giving of any direction, instructions or approvals to the trustee under the indenture. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a global security with respect to which DTC is the depository must rely on the procedures of DTC and, if such person is not a participant with the depository, on the procedures of the participant through which such person owns its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture. We understand that, under existing industry practice, if DTC requests any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a global security desires to give or take any action which a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, DTC would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interest to give or take such action, and such participants would authorize beneficial owners through such participants to give or take such actions or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.
Payments of principal of, and any premium or make-whole amount, and interest on, individual debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depository or its nominee will be made to or at the direction of the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security under the applicable indenture. Under the terms of the applicable indenture, we and the trustee may treat the persons in whose name debt securities, including a global security, are registered as the owners thereof for the purpose of receiving such payments. Consequently, neither we nor the trustee have or will have any responsibility or liability for the payment of such amounts to beneficial owners of debt securities including principal, any premium or make-whole amount, or interest. We believe, however, that it is currently the policy of DTC to immediately credit the accounts of relevant participants with such payments, in amounts proportionate to their respective holdings of beneficial interests in the relevant global security as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in such global security held through such participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in street name, and will be the responsibility of such participants. Redemption notices with respect to any debt securities represented by a global security will be sent to the depository or its nominee. If less than all of the debt securities of any series are to be redeemed, we expect the depository to determine the amount of the interest of each participant in such debt securities to be redeemed to be determined by lot. Neither we, the trustee, any paying agent nor the security registrar for such debt securities will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security for such debt securities or for maintaining any records with respect thereto.
Neither we nor the trustee will be liable for any delay by the holders of a global security or the depository in identifying the beneficial owners of debt securities, and we and the trustee may conclusively rely on, and will be protected in relying on, instructions from the holder of a global security or the depository for all purposes. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
If a depository for any debt securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depository and we do not appoint a successor depository within 90 days, we will issue individual debt securities in exchange for the global security representing such debt securities. In addition, we may at any time and at our sole discretion, subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities, determine not to have any of such debt securities represented by one or more global securities and in such event will issue individual debt securities in exchange for the global security or securities representing such debt securities. Individual debt securities so issued will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
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The debt securities of a series may also be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more bearer global securities that will be deposited with a depository, or with a nominee for such depository, identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any such bearer global securities may be issued in temporary or permanent form. The specific terms and procedures, including the specific terms of the depositary arrangement, with respect to any portion of a series of debt securities to be represented by one or more bearer global securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
No Recourse
There is no recourse under any obligation, covenant or agreement in the applicable indenture or with respect to any security against any of our or our successor's past, present or future shareholders, employees, officers or directors.
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The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus.
General
We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.
We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue under a separate warrant agreement. We will enter into the warrant agreement with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:
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We may issue units comprised of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, debt securities and warrants in any combination. We may issue units in such amounts and in as many distinct series as we wish. This section outlines certain provisions of the units that we may issue. If we issue units, they will be issued under one or more unit agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or other financial institution, as unit agent. The information described in this section may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the unit agreement with respect to the units of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of units offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in a particular supplement, the specific terms of any series of units may differ from the general description of terms presented below. We urge you to read any prospectus supplement related to any series of units we may offer, as well as the complete unit agreement and unit certificate that contain the terms of the units. If we issue units, forms of unit agreements and unit certificates relating to such units will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus.
Each unit that we may issue will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date. The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:
The provisions described in this section, as well as those described under "Description of Capital Stock," "Description of Debt Securities" and "Description of Warrants" will apply to the securities included in each unit, to the extent relevant and as may be updated in any prospectus supplements.
Issuance in Series
We may issue units in such amounts and in as many distinct series as we wish. This section summarizes terms of the units that apply generally to all series. Most of the financial and other specific terms of your series will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unit Agreements
We will issue the units under one or more unit agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or other financial institution, as unit agent. We may add, replace or terminate unit agents from time to time. We will identify the unit agreement under which each series of units will be issued and the unit agent under that agreement in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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The following provisions will generally apply to all unit agreements unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement:
Modification without Consent
We and the applicable unit agent may amend any unit or unit agreement without the consent of any holder:
We do not need any approval to make changes that affect only units to be issued after the changes take effect. We may also make changes that do not adversely affect a particular unit in any material respect, even if they adversely affect other units in a material respect. In those cases, we do not need to obtain the approval of the holder of the unaffected unit; we need only obtain any required approvals from the holders of the affected units.
Modification with Consent
We may not amend any particular unit or a unit agreement with respect to any particular unit unless we obtain the consent of the holder of that unit, if the amendment would:
Any other change to a particular unit agreement and the units issued under that agreement would require the following approval:
These provisions regarding changes with majority approval also apply to changes affecting any securities issued under a unit agreement, as the governing document.
In each case, the required approval must be given by written consent.
Unit Agreements Will Not Be Qualified under Trust Indenture Act
No unit agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no unit agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of units issued under unit agreements will not have the protections of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their units.
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Mergers and Similar Transactions Permitted; No Restrictive Covenants or Events of Default
The unit agreements will not restrict our ability to merge or consolidate with, or sell our assets to, another corporation or other entity or to engage in any other transactions. If at any time we merge or consolidate with, or sell our assets substantially as an entirety to, another corporation or other entity, the successor entity will succeed to and assume our obligations under the unit agreements. We will then be relieved of any further obligation under these agreements.
The unit agreements will not include any restrictions on our ability to put liens on our assets, nor will they restrict our ability to sell our assets. The unit agreements also will not provide for any events of default or remedies upon the occurrence of any events of default.
Governing Law
The unit agreements and the units will be governed by Delaware law.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
Unless the accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, we will issue each unit in globali.e., book-entryform only. Units in book-entry form will be represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary, which will be the holder of all the units represented by the global security. Those who own beneficial interests in a unit will do so through participants in the depositary's system, and the rights of these indirect owners will be governed solely by the applicable procedures of the depositary and its participants. We will describe book-entry securities, and other terms regarding the issuance and registration of the units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless the accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, each unit and all securities comprising the unit will be issued in the same form.
If we issue any units in registered, non-global form, the following will apply to them.
The units will be issued in the denominations stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Holders may exchange their units for units of smaller denominations or combined into fewer units of larger denominations, as long as the total amount is not changed.
Only the depositary will be entitled to transfer or exchange a unit in global form, since it will be the sole holder of the unit.
Payments and Notices
In making payments and giving notices with respect to our units, we will follow the procedures as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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We may sell securities:
In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders.
We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. In the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, we will name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act and describe any commissions that we must pay to any such agent. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions:
Each prospectus supplement will describe the method of distribution of the securities and any applicable restrictions.
The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities of a particular series will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including the following:
If any underwriters or agents are used in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement, sales agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.
In connection with the offering of securities, we may grant to the underwriters an option to purchase additional securities with an additional underwriting commission, as may be set forth in the
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accompanying prospectus supplement. If we grant any such option, the terms of such option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for such securities.
If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer, who may be deemed to be an "underwriter" as that term is defined in the Securities Act, may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.
If we offer securities in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers, acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.
Agents, underwriters, dealers and other persons may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date stated in the prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of securities sold pursuant to such contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutions, but shall in all cases be subject to our approval. Delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that:
Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with their remarketing of offered securities.
Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates, may be customers of, have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition,
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to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.
Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that the original issue date for your securities may be more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities. Accordingly, in such a case, if you wish to trade securities on any date prior to the second business day before the original issue date for your securities, you will be required, by virtue of the fact that your securities initially are expected to settle in more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities, to make alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
The securities may be new issues of securities and may have no established trading market. The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of or the existence of trading markets for any of the securities.
The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.
The anticipated date of delivery of offered securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to each offer.
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Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Any underwriters will also be advised about the validity of the securities and other legal matters by their own counsel, which will be named in the prospectus supplement.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as set forth in their report, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP's report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These documents also may be accessed through the SEC's electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system, or EDGAR, via electronic means, including the SEC's home page on the Internet (www.sec.gov).
We have the authority to designate and issue more than one class or series of stock having various preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption. See "Description of Capital Stock." We will furnish a full statement of the relative rights and preferences of each class or series of our stock which has been so designated and any restrictions on the ownership or transfer of our stock to any shareholder upon request and without charge. Written requests for such copies should be directed to Investor Relations, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, 620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139. Our website is located at http://www.scholarrock.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and, therefore, is not part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information and reports we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to these documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information already incorporated by reference. We are incorporating by reference the documents listed below, which we have already filed with the SEC, and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including all filings made after the date of the filing of this registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, except as to any portion of any future report or document that is not deemed filed under such provisions, until we sell all of the securities:
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Upon request, we will provide, without charge, to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a copy of this prospectus is delivered, a copy of the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings, and any exhibits we have specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this prospectus, at no cost by writing us at the following address: Investor Relations, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, 620 Memorial Drive, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. We have incorporated exhibits into this registration statement. You should read the exhibits carefully for provisions that may be important to you.
You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or in the documents incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus or those documents.
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3,000,000 Shares
Common Stock
Prospectus Supplement
Joint Book-Running Managers
Jefferies | Cowen | BMO Capital Markets |
Co-Manager
Wedbush PacGrow
June 19, 2019