UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_____________________
FORM
8-K
_____________________
_____________________
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event Reported): November 9, 2022 (November 7, 2022 )
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
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(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
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(Commission File Number)
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(857 ) 259-3860
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of each class
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Trading Symbol(s)
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Name of each exchange on which registered
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2). Emerging growth company
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange
Act. ☒
Item 5.02 - Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory
Arrangements of Certain Officers.
CMO Appointment
On November 7, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (the “Company”) appointed Dr. Jing Marantz as Chief Medical Officer effective as of
November 9, 2022 (the “Effective Date”).
Dr. Marantz previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Krystal Biotech, Inc. from January 2022 to August 2022. Prior to
Krystal Biotech, Inc., Dr. Marantz was Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Acceleron Pharma from October 2020 until January 2022 following its acquisition by Merck & Co., Inc. Before Acceleron, she served in roles of increasing
responsibilities, including Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals from August 2016 to October 2020, during which time she built the medical affairs organization and led two successful global product launches. Dr.
Marantz formerly served as Vice President, Global Medical Affairs, Head of U.S. and Interim Head of Latin America Medical Affairs with Alexion Pharmaceuticals where she was responsible for 3 marketed rare disease products (SOLIRIS®,
STRENSIQ®, and KANUMA®). Previously, she has held leadership positions at Biogen, ARIAD, and Millennium Pharmaceuticals. She was a management consultant with Strategic Decisions Group and briefly affiliated with
Massachusetts General Hospital following a post-doctoral fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Marantz has served as a member of the board of directors of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. since December 2021 and has previously
served as a member of the board of directors of Krystal Biotech, Inc. from January 2021 to January 2022. Dr. Marantz holds an MD from Tongji Medical College, a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Medical University of South Carolina,
and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.
There are no arrangements or understandings pursuant to which Dr. Marantz was selected for her position. She has no family relationships with any of the
Company’s directors or executive officers, and she is not a party to, and she does not have any direct or indirect material interest in, any transaction requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
In connection with her appointment as the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Marantz entered into an employment agreement with the Company on November 7, 2022
(the “Marantz Agreement”). Pursuant to the Marantz Agreement, Dr. Marantz will receive an initial annual base salary of $465,000 and will be eligible for
an annual cash bonus as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee of the Board with an annual incentive target of 40% of her annual base salary. Dr. Marantz is also eligible to participate in the employee benefit plans available to
the Company’s employees, subject to the terms of those plans. Dr. Marantz shall be entitled to severance benefits as specified in the Marantz Agreement.
As an inducement to Dr. Marantz’s employment, following her start of employment, she will receive a stock option under the Company’s 2022 Inducement
Equity Plan (the “Inducement Plan”) to purchase 250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Stock Option Award”). The Stock Option Award will vest with respect to 25% of the shares of common stock underlying the Stock Option Award on the first anniversary following her start date (the “Vesting Commencement Date”), and the remaining 75% of the shares of common stock underlying the Stock Option Award shall vest in 12 equal quarterly
installments following the Vesting Commencement Date, subject to the Dr. Marantz’s continuing service at the Company through the applicable vesting date. The Stock Option Award will be subject to all terms and conditions and other provisions set
forth in the Inducement Plan and form of stock option agreement thereunder.
Dr. Marantz may also be eligible to receive future equity awards, in the sole discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee.
Dr. Marantz will also enter into the Company’s standard form indemnification agreement pursuant to which the Company may be required to indemnify Dr.
Marantz for certain expenses arising out of her service as an officer of the Company.
The Marantz Agreement also contains other customary terms and provisions. The above summary is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by the
Marantz Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On November 9, 2022, the Company issued a press release announcing Dr. Marantz as the Company’s Chief Medical Officer, effective as of the Effective Date.
A copy of this press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report on Form 8-K.
The information in this Item 7.01 and Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto is intended to be furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by
reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
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Exhibit
No.
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Description
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104
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Cover Page lnteractive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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Scholar Rock Holding Corporation
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Date: November 9, 2022
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By:
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/s/ Junlin Ho
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Junlin Ho
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General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
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Exhibit 10.1
SCHOLAR ROCK, INC.
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of November 7, 2022, between Scholar Rock, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
and Jing Marantz (the “Employee”) and is effective commencing on the Employee’s first day of employment at the Company (the “Effective Date”), which is expected to be on or before November 14, 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained and other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
1. Employment.
(a) Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and continue until terminated in accordance with the provisions hereof (the “Term”). The
Employee’s employment with the Company will be “at will,” meaning that the Employee’s employment may be terminated by the Company or the Employee at any time and for any reason subject to the terms of this Agreement.
(b) Position and Duties. During the Term, the Employee shall serve as the Chief Medical Officer (the “CMO”) of the Company and shall have such duties and authorities as
may from time to time be prescribed by the Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”), or other authorized executive. The Employee shall devote the Employee’s full working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Employee may serve on other boards of directors, in each instance with the prior written approval of the CEO, or engage in religious, charitable or other community activities as long as such services and
activities do not interfere with the Employee’s performance of the Employee’s duties to the Company as provided in this Agreement.
(c) Work Location. During the Term, the Employee’s primary work location will be the Company’s offices in Massachusetts; provided that the Employee may work from the
Employee’s home office in accordance with the Company’s policies and procedures relating to remote work, as may be in effect from time to time.
2. Compensation and Related Matters.
(a) Base Salary. During the Term, the Employee’s annual base salary shall be $465,000. The Employee’s base salary shall be reviewed annually by the Compensation Committee of
the Board of Directors of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (such Board of Directors, the “Board” and such Compensation Committee the “Compensation Committee”) or the Company. The base salary in effect at any given time is referred to
herein as “Base Salary.” The Base Salary shall be payable in a manner that is consistent with the Company’s usual payroll practices.
(b) Incentive Compensation. Beginning in calendar year 2023 (payable in 2024), the Employee shall be eligible to receive cash incentive compensation as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee from time to time. The Employee’s target annual incentive compensation shall be 40% of the Employee’s Base Salary. The target annual incentive compensation in effect at
any given time is referred to herein as the “Target Annual Incentive Compensation”. For the avoidance of doubt, the Employee will not be eligible for any cash incentive compensation for calendar year 2022 (payable in 2023). Except as
otherwise provided herein, to earn incentive compensation, the Employee must be employed by the Company on the day such incentive compensation is paid.
(c) Expenses. The Employee shall be entitled to receive prompt reimbursement for all reasonable expenses incurred by the Employee during the Term in performing services
hereunder, in accordance with the policies and procedures then in effect and established by the Company.
(d) Other Benefits. During the Term, the Employee shall be eligible to participate in or receive benefits under the Company’s employee benefit plans in effect from time to
time, subject to the terms of such plans.
(e) Vacations. During the Term, the Employee shall be entitled to paid vacation in accordance with the Company’s policies and procedures as may be amended from time to time.
The Employee shall also be entitled to all paid holidays given by the Company in accordance with the policies and procedures then in effect and established by the Company.
(f) Equity. On or after November 14, 2022, in connection with the commencement of the Employee’s employment and as an inducement grant consistent with the requirements of NASDAQ Stock Market Rule 5635(c), subject to the
approval of the Board or the Compensation Committee and the Employee’s employment with the Company on the date of grant, the Employee shall be granted a stock option to purchase 250,000 shares of SR Holding Corporation’s (“SR Holding’s”)
common stock (the “Stock Option Award”) at an exercise price per share equal to the closing price of SR Holding’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on the date of grant (or if no closing market price is reported for such date, the
closing market price on the immediately preceding date for which a closing market price is reported). The Stock Option Award will vest with respect to 25% of the shares of SR Holding’s common stock underlying the Stock Option Award on the first
anniversary of the Effective Date (the “Vesting Commencement Date”), and the remaining 75% of the shares of SR Holding’s common stock underlying the Stock Option Award shall vest in 12 equal quarterly installments following the Vesting
Commencement Date, subject to the Employee’s continued Service Relationship (as defined in SR Holding’s 2022 Inducement Equity Plan (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Plan”)) with SR Holding through each applicable vesting
date. The Stock Option Award will be subject to all terms and conditions and other provisions set forth in the Plan and a Stock Option Award Agreement (such agreement, with the Plan, the “Equity Documents”). The Employee may also be
eligible to receive future equity awards, in the sole discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee.
3. Termination. During the Term, the Employee’s employment hereunder may be terminated without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:
(a) Death. The Employee’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon the Employee’s death.
(b) Termination by Company for Cause. The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment hereunder for Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall mean: (i)
conduct by the Employee constituting a material act of misconduct in connection with the performance of the Employee’s duties, including, without limitation, misappropriation of funds or property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
affiliates other than the occasional, customary and de minimis use of Company property for personal purposes; (ii) the commission by the Employee of any felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, deceit, dishonesty or fraud, or any conduct
by the Employee that would reasonably be expected to result in material injury or reputational harm to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates if the Employee were retained in the Employee’s position; (iii) continued non-performance by
the Employee of the Employee’s duties hereunder (other than by reason of the Employee’s physical or mental illness, incapacity or disability) which has continued for more than 30 days following written notice of such non-performance from the
Company; (iv) a material breach by the Employee of any of the Continuing Obligations (as defined below) which has not been cured (or is incapable of or otherwise cannot be cured) within 30 days after the Company gives the Employee written notice
regarding such breach; (v) a material violation by the Employee of the Company’s written employment policies which has not been cured (or which is incapable of or otherwise cannot be cured) within 30 days after the Company gives the Employee
written notice regarding such violation; or (vi) failure to cooperate with a bona fide internal investigation or an investigation by regulatory or law enforcement authorities, after being instructed by the Company to cooperate, or the willful
destruction or failure to preserve documents or other materials known to be relevant to such investigation or the inducement of others to fail to cooperate or to produce documents or other materials in connection with such investigation.
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(c) Termination Without Cause. The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment hereunder at any time without Cause. Any termination by the Company of the Employee’s
employment under this Agreement which does not constitute a termination for Cause under Section 3(b) and does not result from the death of the Employee under Section 3(a) shall be deemed a termination without Cause.
(d) Termination by the Employee. The Employee may terminate the Employee’s employment hereunder at any time for any reason, including but not limited to Good Reason. For
purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean that the Employee has complied with the Good Reason Process (hereinafter defined) following the occurrence of any of the following events without the Employee’s consent: (i) a material
diminution in the Employee’s responsibilities, authority or duties; (ii) a material diminution in the Employee’s Base Salary except for across-the-board salary reductions based on the Company’s financial performance similarly affecting all or
substantially all senior management employees of the Company; (iii) a change of more than 30 miles in the geographic location at which the Employee is required to provide services to the Company; or (iv) the material breach by the Company of this
Agreement. “Good Reason Process” shall mean that (i) the Employee reasonably determines in good faith that a “Good Reason” condition has occurred; (ii) the Employee notifies the Company in writing of the first occurrence of the Good Reason
condition within 60 days of the first occurrence of such condition; (iii) the Employee cooperates in good faith with the Company’s efforts, for a period not less than 30 days following such notice (the “Cure Period”), to remedy the
condition; (iv) notwithstanding such efforts, the Good Reason condition continues to exist; and (v) the Employee terminates the Employee’s employment within 60 days after the end of the Cure Period. If the Company cures the Good Reason condition
during the Cure Period, Good Reason shall be deemed not to have occurred.
(e) Notice of Termination. Except for termination as specified in Section 3(a), any termination of the Employee’s employment by the Company or any such termination by the
Employee shall be communicated by written Notice of Termination to the other party hereto. For purposes of this Agreement, a “Notice of Termination” shall mean a notice which shall indicate the specific termination provision in this
Agreement relied upon.
(f) Date of Termination. For purposes of this Agreement, “Date of Termination” shall mean: (i) if the Employee’s employment is terminated by the Employee’s death, the
date of the Employee’s death; (ii) if the Employee’s employment is terminated by the Company for Cause under Section 3(b), the date on which a Notice of Termination is given; (iii) if the Employee’s employment is terminated by the Company without
Cause under Section 3(c), the date on which a Notice of Termination is given or the date otherwise specified by the Company in the Notice of Termination; (iv) if the Employee’s employment is terminated by the Employee under Section 3(d) without
Good Reason, the date on which a Notice of Termination is given or the date otherwise specified by the Employee in the Notice of Termination, and (v) if the Employee’s employment is terminated by the Employee under Section 3(d) for Good Reason, the
date on which a Notice of Termination is given after the end of the Cure Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Employee gives a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may unilaterally accelerate the Date of
Termination and such acceleration shall not result in a termination by the Company for purposes of this Agreement.
4. Compensation Upon Termination.
(a) Termination Generally. If the Employee’s employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, the Company shall pay or provide to the Employee (or to the Employee’s
authorized representative or estate) (i) any Base Salary earned through the Date of Termination, unpaid expense reimbursements (subject to, and in accordance with, Section 2(c) of this Agreement) and unused vacation that accrued through the Date of
Termination on or before the time required by law but in no event more than 30 days after the Employee’s Date of Termination; and (ii) any vested benefits the Employee may have under any employee benefit plan of the Company through the Date of
Termination, which vested benefits shall be paid and/or provided in accordance with the terms of such employee benefit plans (collectively, the “Accrued Benefit”).
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(b) Termination by the Company without Cause or by the Employee for Good Reason. During the Term, if the Employee’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause as
provided in Section 3(c), or the Employee terminates the Employee’s employment for Good Reason as provided in Section 3(d), then the Company shall pay the Employee the Employee’s Accrued Benefit. In addition, subject to the Employee signing a
separation agreement in a form and manner satisfactory to the Company, containing, among other provisions, a general release of claims in favor of the Company and related persons and entities, a reaffirmation of all of the Employee’s Continuing
Obligations (as defined below), and, in the Company’s sole discretion, a one-year post employment noncompetition agreement, and shall provide that if Employee breaches any of the Continuing Obligations, all payments of the Severance Amount shall
immediately cease (the “Separation Agreement and Release”) and the Separation Agreement and Release becoming irrevocable and fully effective, all within 60 days after the Date of Termination (or such shorter time period provided in the
Separation Agreement and Release), which shall include a 7 business day revocation period:
(i) the Company shall pay the Employee an amount equal to 9 months of the Employee’s Base Salary (the “Severance Amount”); provided in the event the Employee is entitled to any payments pursuant to the Restrictive Covenant Agreement, the Severance Amount received in any calendar year will be reduced by the amount the Employee
is paid in the same such calendar year pursuant to the Restrictive Covenant Agreement (the “Restrictive Covenant Agreement Setoff”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Employee breaches any of the Continuing Obligations, all payments of
the Severance Amount shall immediately cease;
(ii) if the Employee was participating in the Company’s group health plan immediately prior to the Date of Termination and
elects COBRA health continuation, then the Company shall, for the period of 9 months following the Date of Termination or the Employee’s COBRA health continuation period, whichever is shorter, pay the cost of the monthly employer contribution (either
by direct payment to the group health plan provider or the COBRA provider or by reimbursing the Employee for such cost) that the Company would have made to provide health insurance to the Employee if the Employee had remained employed by the Company;
provided, however, if the Company determines that it cannot pay such amounts to the group health plan provider or the COBRA provider (if applicable) without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of
the Public Health Service Act), then the Company shall convert such payments to payroll payments directly to the Employee for the time period specified above. Such payments shall be subject to tax-related deductions and withholdings and paid on the
Company’s regular payroll dates; and
(iii) the amounts payable under Section 4(b)(i) and (ii), to the extent taxable, shall be paid out in substantially equal installments
in accordance with the Company’s payroll practice commencing within 60 days after the Date of Termination; provided, however, that if the 60-day period begins in one calendar year and ends in a second
calendar year, the Severance Amount shall begin to be paid in the second calendar year by the last day of such 60-day period; provided, further, that the initial payment shall include a catch-up payment to cover amounts retroactive to the day
immediately following the Date of Termination. Each payment pursuant to this Agreement is intended to constitute a separate payment for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2).
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5. Compensation Upon Termination after a Change in Control. The provisions of this Section 5 set forth certain terms of an agreement reached between the Employee and the
Company regarding the Employee’s rights and obligations upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined below) of the Company. These provisions are intended to assure and encourage in advance the Employee’s continued attention and
dedication to the Employee’s assigned duties and the Employee’s objectivity during the pendency and after the occurrence of any such event. These provisions shall apply in lieu of, and expressly supersede, the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding
the Severance Amount and other benefits upon a termination of employment, if such termination of employment occurs within 18 months after the occurrence of the first event constituting a Change in Control. These provisions shall terminate and be
of no further force or effect beginning 18 months after the occurrence of a Change in Control.
(a) Change in Control. During the Term, if within 18 months after a Change in Control, the Employee’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause as provided in
Section 3(c) or the Employee terminates the Employee’s employment for Good Reason as provided in Section 3(d), then, subject to the signing of the Separation Agreement and Release by the Employee and the Separation Agreement and Release becoming
irrevocable and fully effective, all within 60 days after the Date of Termination (or such shorter time period provided in the Separation Agreement and Release), which shall include a 7 business day revocation period:
(i) the Company shall pay the Employee a lump sum in cash in an amount equal to 1 times the sum of (A) the Employee’s Base
Salary (or the Employee’s Base Salary in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control, if higher than the Employee’s then-current Base Salary) plus (B) the Employee’s Annual Incentive Compensation (collectively, the “Change in Control Payment”);
provided that the Change in Control Payment shall be reduced by the amount of the Restrictive Covenant Agreement Setoff, if applicable. For purposes of this Agreement, “Annual Incentive Compensation” shall mean the Target Annual
Incentive Compensation the Employee would have been entitled to receive in the fiscal year of the Date of Termination (or the Employee’s Target Annual Incentive Compensation in the fiscal year immediately prior to the Change in Control, if higher).
For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall “Annual Incentive Compensation” include any sign-on bonus, retention bonus or any other special bonus;
(ii) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Equity Documents, time-based stock options and other time-based
stock-based awards held by the Employee that are subject solely to time-based vesting (the “Time-Based Equity Awards”) shall immediately accelerate and become fully vested and exercisable or nonforfeitable as of the later of (i) the Date of
Termination and (ii) the effective date of the Separation and Release (the “Accelerated Vesting Date”); and
(iii) if the Employee was participating in the Company’s group health plan immediately prior to the Date of Termination and
elects COBRA health continuation, then the Company shall, for the period of 12 months following the Date of Termination or the Employee’s COBRA health continuation period, whichever is shorter, pay the cost of the monthly employer contribution
(either by direct payment to the group health plan provider or the COBRA provider or by reimbursing the Employee for such cost) that the Company would have made to provide health insurance to the Employee if the Employee had remained employed by the
Company; provided, however, if the Company determines that it cannot pay such amounts to the group health plan provider or the COBRA provider (if applicable) without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section
2716 of the Public Health Service Act), then the Company shall convert such payments to payroll payments directly to the Employee for the time period specified above. Such payments shall be subject to tax-related deductions and withholdings and paid
on the Company’s regular payroll dates; and
(iv) The amounts payable under Section 5(a)(i) and (iii), to the extent taxable, shall be paid or commence to be paid within
60 days after the Date of Termination; provided, however, that if the 60-day period begins in one calendar year and ends in a second calendar year, such payment shall be paid or commence to be paid in the second calendar year by the last day
of such 60-day period.
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(b) Additional Limitation.
(i) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in the event that the amount of any compensation, payment or
distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of the Employee, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise, calculated in a manner consistent with Section 280G of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and the applicable regulations thereunder (the “Aggregate Payments”), would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, then the Aggregate Payments shall be reduced
(but not below zero) so that the sum of all of the Aggregate Payments shall be $1.00 less than the amount at which the Employee becomes subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided that such reduction shall only
occur if it would result in the Employee receiving a higher After Tax Amount (as defined below) than the Employee would receive if the Aggregate Payments were not subject to such reduction. In such event, the Aggregate Payments shall be reduced in
the following order, in each case, in reverse chronological order beginning with the Aggregate Payments that are to be paid the furthest in time from consummation of the transaction that is subject to Section 280G of the Code: (1) cash payments not
subject to Section 409A of the Code; (2) cash payments subject to Section 409A of the Code; (3) equity-based payments and acceleration; and (4) non-cash forms of benefits; provided that in the case of all the foregoing Aggregate Payments all
amounts or payments that are not subject to calculation under Treas. Reg. §1.280G-1, Q&A-24(b) or (c) shall be reduced before any amounts that are subject to calculation under Treas. Reg. §1.280G-1, Q&A-24(b) or (c).
(ii) For purposes of this Section 5(b), the “After Tax Amount” means the amount of the Aggregate Payments less all
federal, state, and local income, excise and employment taxes imposed on the Employee as a result of the Employee’s receipt of the Aggregate Payments. For purposes of determining the After Tax Amount, the Employee shall be deemed to pay federal
income taxes at the highest marginal rate of federal income taxation applicable to individuals for the calendar year in which the determination is to be made, and state and local income taxes at the highest marginal rates of individual taxation in
each applicable state and locality, net of the maximum reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained from deduction of such state and local taxes.
(iii) The determination as to whether a reduction in the Aggregate Payments shall be made pursuant to Section 5(b)(i) shall
be made by a nationally recognized accounting firm selected by the Company (the “Accounting Firm”), which shall provide detailed supporting calculations both to the Company and the Employee within 15 business days of the Date of Termination,
if applicable, or at such earlier time as is reasonably requested by the Company or the Employee. Any determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon the Company and the Employee.
(c) Definitions. For purposes of this Section 5, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Change in Control” shall mean any of the following:
(i) any “person,” as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Act”)
(other than SR Holding, any of its subsidiaries, or any trustee, fiduciary or other person or entity holding securities under any employee benefit plan or trust of SR Holding or any of its subsidiaries), together with all “affiliates” and
“associates” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Act) of such person, shall become the “beneficial owner” (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of SR Holding representing 50% or
more of the combined voting power of SR Holding’s then outstanding securities having the right to vote in an election of the Board (“Voting Securities”) (in such case other than as a result of an acquisition of securities directly from SR
Holding); or
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(ii) the date a majority of the members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board
before the date of the appointment or election; or
(iii) the consummation of (A) any consolidation or merger of SR Holding where the stockholders of SR Holding, immediately prior to the consolidation or merger, would not, immediately after the
consolidation or merger, beneficially own (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act), directly or indirectly, shares representing in the aggregate more than 50% of the voting shares of SR Holding issuing cash or securities in the
consolidation or merger (or of its ultimate parent corporation, if any), or (B) any sale or other transfer (in one transaction or a series of transactions contemplated or arranged by any party as a single plan) of all or substantially all of the
assets of SR Holding and its affiliates on a consolidated basis.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of the foregoing clause (i) solely as
the result of an acquisition of securities by SR Holding which, by reducing the number of shares of Voting Securities outstanding, increases the proportionate number of Voting Securities beneficially owned by any person to 50% or more of the combined
voting power of all of the then outstanding Voting Securities; provided, however, that if any person referred to in this sentence shall thereafter become the beneficial owner of any additional shares of Voting Securities (other than pursuant
to a stock split, stock dividend, or similar transaction or as a result of an acquisition of securities directly from SR Holding) and immediately thereafter beneficially owns 50% or more of the combined voting power of all of the then outstanding
Voting Securities, then a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred for purposes of the foregoing clause (i).
6. Section 409A.
(a) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if at the time of the Employee’s separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, the Company
determines that the Employee is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, then to the extent any payment or benefit that the Employee becomes entitled to under this Agreement on account of the Employee’s
separation from service would be considered deferred compensation otherwise subject to the 20% additional tax imposed pursuant to Section 409A(a) of the Code as a result of the application of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such payment shall
not be payable and such benefit shall not be provided until the date that is the earlier of (A) 6 months and 1 day after the Employee’s separation from service, or (B) the Employee’s death. If any such delayed cash payment is otherwise payable on
an installment basis, the first payment shall include a catch-up payment covering amounts that would otherwise have been paid during the six-month period but for the application of this provision, and the balance of the installments shall be
payable in accordance with their original schedule.
(b) All in-kind benefits provided and expenses eligible for reimbursement under this Agreement shall be provided by the Company or incurred by the Employee during the time periods set
forth in this Agreement. All reimbursements shall be paid as soon as administratively practicable, but in no event shall any reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was
incurred. The amount of in-kind benefits provided or reimbursable expenses incurred in one taxable year shall not affect the in-kind benefits to be provided or the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year (except for any
lifetime or other aggregate limitation applicable to medical expenses). Such right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.
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(c) To the extent that any payment or benefit described in this Agreement constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code, and to the extent that such
payment or benefit is payable upon the Employee’s termination of employment, then such payments or benefits shall be payable only upon the Employee’s “separation from service.” The determination of whether and when a separation from service has
occurred shall be made in accordance with the presumptions set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A‑1(h).
(d) The parties intend that this Agreement will be administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that any provision of this Agreement is ambiguous as to its
compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the provision shall be read in such a manner so that all payments hereunder comply with Section 409A of the Code. Each payment pursuant to this Agreement is intended to constitute a separate payment for
purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A‑2(b)(2). The parties agree that this Agreement may be amended, as reasonably requested by either party, and as may be necessary to fully comply with Section 409A of the Code and all related rules and
regulations in order to preserve the payments and benefits provided hereunder without additional cost to either party.
(e) The Company makes no representation or warranty and shall have no liability to the Employee or any other person if any provisions of this Agreement are determined to constitute
deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code but do not satisfy an exemption from, or the conditions of, such Section.
7. Continuing Obligations.
(a) Restrictive Covenant Agreement. As a material condition of this Agreement, the Employee will execute the Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and
Assignment Agreement (the “Restrictive Covenant Agreement”), attached hereto as Exhibit A, prior to the Effective Date. The Employee acknowledges and agrees that, among other things, the Employee’s opportunity to receive: the
incentive compensation, the equity grant and the protections of the severance and change in control provisions, all as set forth in this Employment Agreement, are fair and reasonable consideration independent from the continuation of Employee’s
employment to support the noncompetition provision in the Restrictive Covenant Agreement (the “Noncompete Provision”). The Employee and the Company further acknowledge and agree that the Noncompete Provision will not become effective until
the later of: (i) the Effective Date, or (ii) ten (10) business days from the date the Employee first receives this Employment Agreement and the Restrictive Covenant Agreement from the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, the obligations in
this Section 7 and those that arise in the Restrictive Covenant Agreement and any other agreement related to confidentiality, assignment of inventions, or other restrictive covenants shall collectively be referred to as the “Continuing
Obligations”.
(b) Third-Party Agreements and Rights. The Employee hereby confirms that the Employee is not bound by the terms of any agreement with any previous employer or other party
which restricts in any way the Employee’s use or disclosure of information, other than confidentiality restrictions (if any), or the Employee’s engagement in any business. The Employee represents to the Company that the Employee’s execution of
this Agreement, the Employee’s employment with the Company and the performance of the Employee’s proposed duties for the Company will not violate any obligations the Employee may have to any such previous employer or other party. In the Employee’s
work for the Company, the Employee will not disclose or make use of any information in violation of any agreements with or rights of any such previous employer or other party, and the Employee will not bring to the premises of the Company any
copies or other tangible embodiments of non-public information belonging to or obtained from any such previous employment or other party.
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(c) Litigation and Regulatory Cooperation. During and after the Employee’s employment, the Employee shall cooperate fully with any reasonable request of the Company in the
defense or prosecution of any claims or actions now in existence or which may be brought in the future against or on behalf of the Company which relate to events or occurrences that transpired while the Employee was employed by the Company. The
Employee’s full cooperation in connection with such claims or actions shall include, but not be limited to, being available to meet with counsel to prepare for discovery or trial and to act as a witness on behalf of the Company at mutually
convenient times. During and after the Employee’s employment, the Employee also shall cooperate fully with the Company in connection with any investigation or review of any federal, state or local regulatory authority as any such investigation or
review relates to events or occurrences that transpired while the Employee was employed by the Company. The Company shall reimburse the Employee for any reasonable out‑of‑pocket expenses incurred in connection with the Employee’s performance of
obligations pursuant to this Section 7(c).
(d) Relief. The Employee agrees that it would be difficult to measure any damages caused to the Company which might result from any breach by the Employee of the Continuing
Obligations, and that in any event money damages would be an inadequate remedy for any such breach. Accordingly, subject to Section 8 of this Agreement, the Employee agrees that if the Employee breaches, or proposes to breach, any portion of this
Agreement, the Company shall be entitled, in addition to all other remedies that it may have, to an injunction or other appropriate equitable relief to restrain any such breach without showing or proving any actual damage to the Company. In
addition, in the event the Employee breaches, or proposes to breach, any portion of the Continuing Obligations during a period when the Employee is receiving severance payments pursuant to Section 4 or Section 5 hereof, the Company shall have the
right to suspend or terminate such severance payments. Such suspension or termination shall not limit the Company’s other options with respect to relief for such breach and shall not relieve the Employee of the Employee’s duties under this
Agreement.
(e) Protected Disclosures and Other Protected Action. Nothing contained in this Agreement limits the Employee’s ability to communicate with any federal, state or local
governmental agency or commission, including to provide documents or other information, without notice to the Company.
8. Arbitration of Disputes. Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof or otherwise arising out of the Employee’s employment
or the termination of that employment (including, without limitation, any claims of unlawful employment discrimination or retaliation, whether based on race, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other
protected class under applicable law, including without limitation Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 151B) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be settled by arbitration in any forum and form agreed upon by the parties or, in the
absence of such an agreement, under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in Boston, Massachusetts in accordance with the Employment Dispute Resolution Rules of the AAA, including, but not limited to, the rules and
procedures applicable to the selection of arbitrators. In the event that any person or entity other than the Employee or the Company may be a party with regard to any such controversy or claim, such controversy or claim shall be submitted to
arbitration subject to such other person or entity’s agreement. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. This Section 8 shall be specifically enforceable. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, this Section 8 shall not preclude either party from pursuing a court action for the sole purpose of obtaining a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction in circumstances in which such relief is appropriate; provided that
any other relief shall be pursued through an arbitration proceeding pursuant to this Section 8.
9. Consent to Jurisdiction. To the extent that any court action is permitted consistent with or to enforce Section 8 of this Agreement, the parties hereby consent to the
jurisdiction of the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Accordingly, with respect to any such court action, the Employee (a) submits to the personal
jurisdiction of such courts; (b) consents to service of process; and (c) waives any other requirement (whether imposed by statute, rule of court, or otherwise) with respect to personal jurisdiction or service of process.
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10. Integration. This Agreement, together with the Continuing Obligations, and the Equity Documents, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the
subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements between the parties concerning such subject matter.
11. Withholding. All payments made by the Company to the Employee under this Agreement shall be net of any tax or other amounts required to be withheld by the Company under
applicable law.
12. Successor to the Employee. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Employee’s personal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs,
distributees, devisees and legatees. In the event of the Employee’s death after the Employee’s termination of employment but prior to the completion by the Company of all payments due to the Employee under this Agreement, the Company shall
continue such payments to the Employee’s beneficiary designated in writing to the Company prior to the Employee’s death (or to the Employee’s estate, if the Employee fails to make such designation).
13. Enforceability. If any portion or provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, any portion or provision of any section of this Agreement) shall to any
extent be declared illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such portion or provision in circumstances other than those as to which it is so declared illegal or
unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby, and each portion and provision of this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.
14. Survival. The provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement and/or the termination of the Employee’s employment to the extent necessary to
effectuate the terms contained herein.
15. Waiver. No waiver of any provision hereof shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by the waiving party. The failure of any party to require the performance
of any term or obligation of this Agreement, or the waiver by any party of any breach of this Agreement, shall not prevent any subsequent enforcement of such term or obligation or be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach.
16. Notices. Any notices, requests, demands and other communications provided for by this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and delivered in person or sent by a
nationally recognized overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the Employee at the last address the Employee has filed in writing with the Company or, in the case of the Company, at
its main offices, attention of the Board.
17. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by a written instrument signed by the Employee and by a duly authorized representative of the Company.
18. Governing Law. This is a Massachusetts contract and shall be construed under and be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without
giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof.
19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be taken to be an original; but such
counterparts shall together constitute one and the same document.
20. Successor to Company. The Company shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of
the business or assets of the Company expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain an assumption of
this Agreement at or prior to the effectiveness of any succession shall be a material breach of this Agreement.
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21. Gender Neutral. Wherever used herein, a pronoun in the masculine gender shall be considered as including the feminine gender unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement effective on the date and year first above written.
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Exhibit A
Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation,
Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement
Exhibit 99.1
Scholar Rock Appoints Jing L. Marantz, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., as Chief Medical Officer
- Dr. Marantz brings over two decades of industry expertise across neurology, hematology/oncology, and rare diseases
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 9, 2022--Scholar Rock (NASDAQ: SRRK), a Phase 3, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious diseases in which protein growth factors play a fundamental role, today announced the appointment of Jing L. Marantz, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Marantz is an accomplished biopharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of industry experience spanning multiple specialties, including neurology, hematology/oncology, and rare diseases.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jing to Scholar Rock as Chief Medical Officer. Her broad and deep expertise in leading development and medical affairs will be instrumental in helping us advance our clinical programs and differentiated platform in targeting the TGFβ superfamily,” said Jay Backstrom, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Executive Officer of Scholar Rock. “She is an esteemed former colleague, an industry veteran, and will be an integral member of our executive leadership team.”
“Scholar Rock’s revolutionary approach of selectively targeting latent growth factors is very exciting, and the safety and efficacy data from the Phase 2 TOPAZ trial gives me confidence about apitegromab’s transformative potential for people living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA),” said Dr. Marantz. “I look forward to overseeing future clinical development, including the Phase 1 DRAGON proof-of-concept trial of SRK-181 in patients with advanced cancer, and progressing the Phase 3 SAPPHIRE trial of apitegromab for the treatment of SMA towards potential regulatory approval.”
Most recently, Dr. Marantz served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer at Krystal Biotech. Previously, she was Senior Vice President and Head of Medical Affairs at Acceleron Pharma, where she was also a member of the R&D leadership team, safety committee, and product development committee that oversaw the research, development, and commercialization strategy. Prior to that, Dr. Marantz was Senior Vice President and Head of Medical Affairs at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where she successfully launched ONPATTRO® & GIVLAARI® and built the medical team’s global footprint across 19 countries. She also served as Vice President of Global Affairs and the Head of U.S. Medical Affairs and interim Head of Latin America Medical Affairs at Alexion, where she led the complement franchise in hematology, nephrology, and neurology. Earlier, Dr. Marantz held leadership positions at Biogen, ARIAD and Millennium Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Marantz holds an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from the University of California at Berkeley, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Medical University of South Carolina, and an M.D. from Tongji Medical College. She currently serves on the board of Arcturus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ARCT).
About Scholar Rock
Scholar Rock is a clinical-stage 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. Scholar Rock is creating a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, cancer, and fibrosis. Scholar Rock’s approach to targeting the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled it 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. By developing product candidates that act in the disease microenvironment, the Company intends to avoid the historical challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. Scholar Rock believes its focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path. For more information, please visit www.ScholarRock.com or follow Scholar Rock on Twitter (@ScholarRock) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/scholar-rock/).
Availability of Other Information About Scholar Rock
Investors and others should note that we communicate with our investors and the public using our company website www.scholarrock.com, including, but not limited to, company disclosures, investor presentations and FAQs, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, press releases, public conference call transcripts and webcast transcripts, as well as on Twitter and LinkedIn. The information that we post on our website or on Twitter or LinkedIn could be deemed to be material information. As a result, we encourage investors, the media and others interested to review the information that we post there on a regular basis. The contents of our website or social media shall not be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Scholar Rock® is a registered trademark of Scholar Rock, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Scholar Rock’s future expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation, Scholar Rock’s expectations regarding its growth, strategy, progress and timing of its clinical trials for apitegromab, and other product candidates and indication selection and development timing, the ability of any product candidate to perform in humans in a manner consistent with earlier nonclinical, preclinical or clinical trial data, and the potential of its product candidates and proprietary platform. The use of words such as “may,” “might,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “future,” “potential,” or “continue,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, that preclinical and clinical data, including the results from the Phase 2 clinical trial, including extension periods, of apitegromab are not predictive of, may be inconsistent with, or more favorable than, data generated from future clinical trials of the same product candidate, including, without limitation, the Phase 3 clinical trial of apitegromab in SMA, Scholar Rock’s ability to provide the financial support, resources and expertise necessary to identify and develop product candidates on the expected timeline, the data generated from Scholar Rock’s nonclinical and preclinical studies and clinical trials, information provided or decisions made by regulatory authorities, competition from third parties that are developing products for similar uses, Scholar Rock’s ability to obtain, maintain and protect its intellectual property, Scholar Rock’s dependence on third parties for development and manufacture of product candidates including, without limitation, to supply any clinical trials, Scholar Rock’s ability to manage expenses and to obtain additional funding when needed to support its business activities and establish and maintain strategic business alliances and new business initiatives, and the impacts of public health pandemics such as COVID-19 on business operations and expectations, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Scholar Rock’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Scholar Rock’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements represent Scholar Rock’s views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Scholar Rock undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
Contacts
Scholar Rock:
Investors
Rushmie Nofsinger
Scholar Rock
rnofsinger@scholarrock.com
ir@scholarrock.com
857-259-5573
Media
Ariane Lovell
Finn Partners
ariane.lovell@finnpartners.com
media@scholarrock.com
917-565-2204