UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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Item 1.01 Entry into a Merial Definitive Agreement.
On July 31, 2023, Blue Water Biotech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), entered into a common stock preferred investment options exercise inducement offer letter (the “Inducement Letter”) with a certain holder (the “Holder”) of existing preferred investment options (“PIOs”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at the original exercise price of $2.546 per share, issued on August 11, 2022 (the “Existing PIOs”), pursuant to which the Holder agreed to exercise for cash its Existing PIOs to purchase an aggregate of 2,486,214 shares of the Company’s common stock, at a reduced exercised price of $1.09 per share, in exchange for the Company’s agreement to issue new PIOs (the “Inducement PIOs”) on substantially the same terms as the Existing PIOs as described below, to purchase up to 4,972,428 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Inducement PIO Shares”). The Company expects to receive aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $2,709,973 from the exercise of the Existing PIOs by the Holder and the sale of the Inducement PIOs, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company engaged H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (“HCW”) to act as its placement agent in connection with the transactions summarized above and will pay HCW a cash fee equal to 7.5% of the gross proceeds received from the exercise of the Existing PIOs as well as a management fee equal to 1.0% of the gross proceeds from the exercise of the Existing PIOs. The Company also agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for its expenses in connection with the exercise of the Existing PIOs and the issuance of the Inducement PIOs, up to $50,000 for fees and expenses of legal counsel and other out-of-pocket expenses, and agreed to pay the Placement Agent for non-accountable expenses in the amount of $35,000. The Company also agreed to issue to HCW or its designees warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants”, and such shares of common stock issuable thereunder, the “Placement Agent Warrant Shares”) to purchase (i) 149,173 shares of common stock which will have the same terms as the Inducement PIOs except for an exercise price equal to $1.3625 per share and (ii) upon any exercise for cash of the Inducement PIOs, that number of shares of common stock equal to 6.0% of the aggregate number of such shares of common stock underlying the Inducement PIOs that have been exercised, which will have the same terms as the Inducement PIOs except for an exercise price equal to $1.3625 per share. The Company expects to use the net proceeds of these transactions for general corporate and working capital purposes, including executing on launch activities for the Company’s commercial portfolio announced in a letter to shareholders issued earlier this month. The closing of the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Inducement Letter is expected to occur on August 2, 2023 (the “Closing Date”), subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
The resale of the shares of the Company’s common stock issuable upon exercise of the Existing PIOs are registered pursuant to an existing registration statement on a Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Form S-1 on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267142), declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 4, 2023.
The Company also agreed to file a registration statement on Form S-3 covering the resale of the Inducement PIO Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of the Inducement PIOs (the “Resale Registration Statement”), as soon as practicable, and to have such Resale Registration Statement declared effective by the SEC within 90 days following the date of the Inducement Letter. In the Inducement Letter, the Company agreed not to issue any shares of common stock or common stock equivalents or to file any other registration statement with the SEC (in each case, subject to certain exceptions) until 30 days after the Closing Date. The Company also agreed not to effect or agree to effect any variable rate transaction (as defined in the Inducement Letter) until 1 year after the Closing Date (subject to certain exceptions).
Inducement PIO Terms
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Inducement PIOs is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Inducement PIOs, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference. The following description of the Inducement PIOs is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibit.
Stockholder Approval
The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Inducement PIOs is subject to stockholder approval. The Company agreed to convene a stockholders’ meeting on or before 90 days following the Closing Date, to obtain such approval.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Inducement PIO will have an exercise price equal to $1.09 per share. The Inducement PIOs will be exercisable at any time on or after the date upon the stockholders’ approval of the transaction and have a term of exercise of five (5) years following the date of stockholder approval. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, subsequent rights offerings, pro rate distributions, reorganizations, a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Inducement PIOs) or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price.
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Exercisability
The Inducement PIOs will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to the Company a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of our common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of such holder’s Inducement PIOs to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding common stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to the Company, the holder may increase the amount of ownership of outstanding stock after exercising the holder’s Inducement PIOs up to 9.99% of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Inducement PIOs.
Cashless Exercise
If, at the time a holder exercises its Inducement PIOs, a registration statement registering the resale of the Inducement PIO Shares by the holder under the Securities Act (as defined herein) is not then effective or available, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Inducement PIOs.
Trading Market
There is no established trading market for the Inducement PIOs, and the Company does not expect an active trading market to develop. The Company does not intend to apply to list the Inducement PIOs on any securities exchange or other trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of the Inducement PIOs will be extremely limited.
Rights as a Stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Inducement PIOs or by virtue of the holder’s ownership of shares of the Company’s common stock, such holder of Inducement PIOs does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of the Company’s common stock, including any voting rights, until such holder exercises such holder’s Inducement PIOs. The Inducement PIOs will provide that the holders of the Inducement PIOs have the right to participate in distributions or dividends paid on the Company’s shares of common stock.
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Waivers and Amendments
The Inducement PIOs may be modified or amended or the provisions of the Inducement PIOs waived with the Company’s and the holder’s written consent.
The form of Inducement Letter and Inducement PIO are attached as Exhibits 10.1 and 4.1, respectively. The description of the terms of the Inducement Letter and the Inducement PIO is not intended to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibits. The Inducement Letter contains customary representations, warranties and covenants by the Company which were made only for the purposes of such agreements and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreements and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties.
Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
The Company issued the Inducement PIOs and the Placement Agent Warrants pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), available under Section 4(a)(2). Neither the issuance of the Inducement PIOs, the Placement Agent Warrants nor the Inducement PIO Shares or the Placement Agent Warrant Shares have been registered under the Securities Act and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. The description of the Inducement PIOs under Item 1.01 of this Form 8-K is incorporated by reference herein.
Neither this Current Report on Form 8-K nor any exhibit attached hereto is an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities of the Company.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On August 1, 2023, the Company issued a press release announcing the Company’s entry into the Inducement Letter (the “Press Release”). The Press Release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
The information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report and the Press Release being furnished herewith shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act. The information contained in this Item 7.01 and in the Press Release shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing with the SEC made by the Company, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 4.1 | Form of Inducement PIO | |
| 10.1 | Form of Inducement Letter | |
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated August 1, 2023. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Blue Water Biotech, Inc. | ||
| August 1, 2023 | By: | /s/ Joseph Hernandez |
| Name: | Joseph Hernandez | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
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Exhibit 4.1
NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR THE SECURITIES FOR WHICH THIS SECURITY IS EXERCISABLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THIS SECURITY AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS SECURITY MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
PREFERRED INVESTMENT OPTION
Blue Water Biotech, Inc.
| Preferred Investment Option Shares: ______ | Issue Date: ______, 2023 |
THIS PREFERRED INVESTMENT OPTION (the “Preferred Investment Option”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the Stockholder Approval Date (as defined below) (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the date that is the five (5) year anniversary of the Stockholder Approval Date, provided that, if such date is not a Trading Day, the date that is the immediately following Trading Day (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Blue Water Biotech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to ______ shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Preferred Investment Option Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Preferred Investment Option shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Preferred Investment Option, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or other day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.00001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Letter Agreement” means that certain letter agreement between the initial Holder hereof and the Company, dated as of July 31, 2023, pursuant to which such initial Holder agreed to exercise one or more warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock and the Company agreed to issue to the initial Holder this Preferred Investment Option.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Stockholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market (or any successor entity) from the stockholders of the Company with respect to issuance of all of the Preferred Investment Options and the Preferred Investment Option Shares upon the exercise thereof.
“Stockholder Approval Date” means the date on which Stockholder Approval is received and deemed effective under Delaware law.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company required to be listed pursuant to Item 601(b)(21) of Regulation S-K.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
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“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transfer Agent” means Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 1 State Street, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10004, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Preferred Investment Option” means this Preferred Investment Option and other Common Stock preferred investment options issued by the Company pursuant to the Letter Agreement.
Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Preferred Investment Option. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Preferred Investment Option may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the Preferred Investment Option Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Preferred Investment Option to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Preferred Investment Option Shares available hereunder and the Preferred Investment Option has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Preferred Investment Option to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Preferred Investment Option resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Preferred Investment Option Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Preferred Investment Option Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Preferred Investment Option Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Trading Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Preferred Investment Option, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Preferred Investment Option Shares hereunder, the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
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b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Preferred Investment Option shall be $1.09, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the resale of the Preferred Investment Option Shares by the Holder, then this Preferred Investment Option may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Preferred Investment Option Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
| (A) = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; | |
| (B) = | the Exercise Price of this Preferred Investment Option, as adjusted hereunder; and | |
| (X) = | the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Preferred Investment Option in accordance with the terms of this Preferred Investment Option if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
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“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
If Preferred Investment Option Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the holding period of the Preferred Investment Option Shares being issued may be tacked on to the holding period of this Preferred Investment Option. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
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d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Preferred Investment Option Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Preferred Investment Option Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Preferred Investment Option Shares to or resale of the Preferred Investment Option Shares by the Holder or (B) the Preferred Investment Option Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale limitations pursuant to Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the Preferred Investment Options), and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Preferred Investment Option Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Investment Option Shares with respect to which this Preferred Investment Option has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Preferred Investment Option Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received by the Preferred Investment Option Share Delivery Date. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Preferred Investment Option Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Preferred Investment Option Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Preferred Investment Option Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Preferred Investment Option Share Delivery Date) for each Trading Day after such Preferred Investment Option Share Delivery Date until such Preferred Investment Option Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Preferred Investment Option remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.
ii. Delivery of New Preferred Investment Options Upon Exercise. If this Preferred Investment Option shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Preferred Investment Option certificate, at the time of delivery of the Preferred Investment Option Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Preferred Investment Option evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Preferred Investment Option Shares called for by this Preferred Investment Option, which new Preferred Investment Option shall in all other respects be identical with this Preferred Investment Option.
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iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Preferred Investment Option Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Preferred Investment Option Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Preferred Investment Option Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Preferred Investment Option Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Preferred Investment Option Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Preferred Investment Option Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Preferred Investment Option and equivalent number of Preferred Investment Option Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Preferred Investment Option as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Preferred Investment Option. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
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vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Preferred Investment Option Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Preferred Investment Option Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Preferred Investment Option Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Preferred Investment Option Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Preferred Investment Option when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Preferred Investment Option Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Preferred Investment Option, pursuant to the terms hereof.
e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Preferred Investment Option, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Preferred Investment Option, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Preferred Investment Option with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Preferred Investment Option beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Preferred Investment Option is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Preferred Investment Option is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Preferred Investment Option is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Preferred Investment Option is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one (1) Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Preferred Investment Option, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be [4.99%/9.99%] of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Preferred Investment Option. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Preferred Investment Option held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Preferred Investment Option.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Preferred Investment Option is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Preferred Investment Option), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Preferred Investment Option shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Preferred Investment Option shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Preferred Investment Option (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Preferred Investment Option is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Preferred Investment Option, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Preferred Investment Option (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
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d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Preferred Investment Option is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company (or any Subsidiary), directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding Common Stock or more than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or more than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Preferred Investment Option, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Preferred Investment Option Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Preferred Investment Option), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Preferred Investment Option is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Preferred Investment Option). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Preferred Investment Option following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Preferred Investment Option from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Preferred Investment Option on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, that, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company’s control, including not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, the Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Preferred Investment Option, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction; provided, further, that if holders of Common Stock of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Common Stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the Successor Entity (which Entity may be the Company following such Fundamental Transaction) in such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Preferred Investment Option based on the Black -Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of (1) the 30 day volatility, (2) the 100 day volatility or (3) the 365 day volatility, each of clauses (1)-(3) as obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365 day annualization factor) as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the highest VWAP during the period beginning on the Trading Day immediately preceding the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction (or the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, if earlier) and ending on the Trading Day of the Holder’s request pursuant to this Section 3(d) and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date and (E) a zero cost of borrow. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds (or such other consideration) within the later of (i) five Business Days of the Holder’s election and (ii) the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Preferred Investment Option and the Letter Agreement in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(d) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Preferred Investment Option a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Preferred Investment Option which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Preferred Investment Option (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Preferred Investment Option) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Preferred Investment Option immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall be added to the term “Company” under this Preferred Investment Option (so that from and after the occurrence or consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, each and every provision of this Preferred Investment Option and the Letter Agreement referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to each of the Company and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally), and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally with the Company, may exercise every right and power of the Company prior thereto and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities shall assume all of the obligations of the Company prior thereto under this Preferred Investment Option and the Letter Agreement with the same effect as if the Company and such Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally, had been named as the Company herein. For the avoidance of doubt, the Holder shall be entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this Section 3(d) regardless of (i) whether the Company has sufficient authorized shares of Common Stock for the issuance of Preferred Investment Option Shares and/or (ii) whether a Fundamental Transaction occurs prior to the Initial Exercise Date.
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e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by email to the Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the Preferred Investment Option Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Preferred Investment Option constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Preferred Investment Option during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
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Section 4. Transfer of Preferred Investment Option.
a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in Section 4(d) hereof, this Preferred Investment Option and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Preferred Investment Option at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Preferred Investment Option substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Preferred Investment Option or Preferred Investment Options in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Preferred Investment Option evidencing the portion of this Preferred Investment Option not so assigned, and this Preferred Investment Option shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Preferred Investment Option to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Preferred Investment Option in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Preferred Investment Option to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Preferred Investment Option in full. The Preferred Investment Option, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Preferred Investment Option Shares without having a new Preferred Investment Option issued.
b) New Preferred Investment Options. This Preferred Investment Option may be divided or combined with other Preferred Investment Options upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Preferred Investment Options are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Preferred Investment Option or Preferred Investment Options in exchange for the Preferred Investment Option or Preferred Investment Options to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Preferred Investment Options issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the Issue Date of this Preferred Investment Option and shall be identical with this Preferred Investment Option except as to the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Preferred Investment Option Register. The Company shall register this Preferred Investment Option, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Preferred Investment Option Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Preferred Investment Option as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
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d) Transfer Restrictions. If, at the time of the surrender of this Preferred Investment Option in connection with any transfer of this Preferred Investment Option, the transfer of this Preferred Investment Option shall not be either (i) registered pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or (ii) eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions or current public information requirements pursuant to Rule 144, the Company may require, as a condition of allowing such transfer, that the Holder or transferee of this Preferred Investment Option, provide to the Company an opinion of counsel, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company to the effect that the transfer of this Preferred Investment Option does not require registration under the Securities Act.
e) Representation by the Holder. The Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that it is acquiring this Preferred Investment Option and, upon any exercise hereof, will acquire the Preferred Investment Option Shares issuable upon such exercise, for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Preferred Investment Option Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the Securities Act.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Preferred Investment Option does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting the rights of a Holder to receive Preferred Investment Option Shares on a “cashless exercise,” and to receive the cash payments contemplated pursuant to Sections 2(d)(i) and 2(d)(iv), in no event will the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Preferred Investment Option.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Preferred Investment Option. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Preferred Investment Option or any stock certificate relating to the Preferred Investment Option Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Preferred Investment Option, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Preferred Investment Option or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Preferred Investment Option or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Preferred Investment Option or stock certificate.
c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Trading Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Trading Day.
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d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Preferred Investment Option is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Preferred Investment Option Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Preferred Investment Option. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Preferred Investment Option shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Preferred Investment Option Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Preferred Investment Option. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Preferred Investment Option Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Preferred Investment Option Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Preferred Investment Option will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Preferred Investment Option and payment for such Preferred Investment Option Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Preferred Investment Option, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Preferred Investment Option against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Preferred Investment Option Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Preferred Investment Option Shares upon the exercise of this Preferred Investment Option and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Preferred Investment Option.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Preferred Investment Option Shares for which this Preferred Investment Option is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
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e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Preferred Investment Option shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Preferred Investment Option (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Preferred Investment Option and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Preferred Investment Option, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Preferred Investment Option Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Preferred Investment Option, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies, notwithstanding the fact that the right to exercise this Preferred Investment Option terminates on the Termination Date. Without limiting any other provision of this Preferred Investment Option, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Preferred Investment Option, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
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h) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder, including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by digital submission, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at 201 E. Fifth Street, Suite 1900, Cincinnati, OH, Attention: Erin Henderson, Chief Business Officer, email address: ehenderson@bwbioinc.com, or such other facsimile number, email address or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile or e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile number, e-mail address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.
i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Preferred Investment Option to purchase Preferred Investment Option Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Preferred Investment Option. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Preferred Investment Option and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Preferred Investment Option and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Preferred Investment Option are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Preferred Investment Option and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Preferred Investment Option Shares.
l) Amendment. This Preferred Investment Option may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder of this Preferred Investment Option, on the other hand.
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m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Preferred Investment Option shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Preferred Investment Option shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Preferred Investment Option.
n) Acceptance. Receipt of this Preferred Investment Option by the Holder shall constitute acceptance of and agreement to all the terms and conditions contained herein.
o) Headings. The headings used in this Preferred Investment Option are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Preferred Investment Option.
********************
(Signature Page Follows)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Preferred Investment Option to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
| Blue Water BIOTECH, Inc. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
To: Blue Water Biotech, Inc.
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Preferred Investment Option Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Preferred Investment Option (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
| ☐ | in lawful money of the United States; or | |
| ☐ | if permitted the cancellation of such number of Preferred Investment Option Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Preferred Investment Option with respect to the maximum number of Preferred Investment Option Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c). |
(3) Please issue said Preferred Investment Option Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
_______________________________
The Preferred Investment Option Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
(4) Accredited Investor. The undersigned is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: ________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: _________________________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: ___________________________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ____________________________________________________________________
Date: ________________________________________________________________________________________
EXHIBIT B
ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Preferred Investment Option, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to exercise the Preferred Investment Option to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Preferred Investment Option and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
| Name: | |
| (Please Print) | |
| Address: | |
| (Please Print) | |
| Phone Number: | |
| Email Address: | |
| Dated: _______________ __, ______ | |
| Holder’s Signature:___________________ | |
| Holder’s Address:______________________ |
Exhibit 10.1
BLUE WATER BIOTECH, INC.
July 31, 2023
Holder of Common Stock Preferred Investment Options
| Re: | Inducement Offer to Exercise Common Stock Preferred Investment Options |
Dear Holder:
Blue Water Biotech, Inc. (the “Company”) is pleased to offer to you (“Holder”, “you” or similar terminology) the opportunity to receive (i) new preferred investment options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and (ii) a reduction in the Exercise Price (as defined in the respective Existing PIO) of the preferred investment options to purchase shares of Common Stock held by you (the “Holder”) in consideration for exercising all of the preferred investment options to purchase shares of the Company’s Common Stock, issued to you on August 11, 2022 (the “Existing PIOs”), as more particularly set forth on the signature page hereto. The resale of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Existing PIOs (the “PIO Shares”) has been registered pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-267142) (the “Registration Statement”). The Registration Statement is currently effective and, upon exercise of the Existing PIOs pursuant to this letter agreement, will be effective for the resale of the PIO Shares. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the New PIOs (as defined herein).
The Company desires to reduce the Exercise Price (as defined in the respective Existing PIO) of the Existing PIOs to $1.09 per share (the “Reduced Exercise Price”). In consideration for exercising in full all of the Existing PIOs held by Holder as set forth on the Holder’s signature page hereto (the “PIO Exercise”) on or before the Execution Time (as defined herein), the Company hereby offers to issue you or your designees:
(a) a new unregistered Common Stock Preferred Investment Option (“New PIO”) pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), to purchase up to a number of shares (the “New PIO Shares”) of Common Stock equal to 200% of the number of PIO Shares issued pursuant to each PIO Exercise hereunder, which New PIO shall be substantially in the form as set forth in Exhibit A hereto, will be exercisable at any time on or after the Stockholder Approval Date, and have a term of exercise of five (5) years following the Stockholder Approval Date, provided that, if such termination date is not a Trading Day, the date that is the immediately following Trading Day, and an exercise price per share equal to $1.09, subject to adjustments as provided in the New PIO.
(b) The New PIO certificate(s) will be delivered within two (2) Trading Days following the Execution Time, and such New PIOs, together with any underlying shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise of the New PIOs, will, unless and until registered, contain customary restrictive legends and other language typical for an unregistered preferred investment option and unregistered shares. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that any PIO Exercise would otherwise cause the Holder to exceed the beneficial ownership limitations (“Beneficial Ownership Limitation”) set forth in Section 2(e) of the Existing PIOs (or, if applicable and at the Holder’s election, 9.99%), the Company shall only issue such number of PIO Shares to the Holder that would not cause the Holder to exceed the maximum number of PIO Shares permitted thereunder, as directed by the Holder, with the balance to be held in abeyance until notice from the Holder that the balance (or portion thereof) may be issued in compliance with such limitations, which abeyance shall be evidenced through the Existing PIOs which shall be deemed prepaid thereafter (including the payment in full of the exercise price), and exercised pursuant to a Notice of Exercise in the Existing PIOs (provided no additional exercise price shall be due and payable). The parties hereby agree that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation for purposes of the Existing PIO is as set forth on the Holder’s signature page hereto.
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Expressly subject to the paragraph immediately following this paragraph below, Holder may accept this offer by signing this letter below, with such acceptance constituting Holder’s exercise in full of the Existing PIOs for an aggregate exercise price set forth on the Holder’s signature page hereto (the “PIO Exercise Price”) on or before 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on July 31, 2023 (the “Execution Time”).
Additionally, the Company agrees to the representations, warranties and covenants set forth on Annex A attached hereto. Holder represents and warrants that, as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any New PIOs it will be, an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of the Securities Act, and agrees that the New PIOs will contain restrictive legends when issued, and neither the New PIOs nor the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the New PIOs will be registered under the Securities Act, except as provided in Annex A attached hereto. Also, Holder represents and warrants that it is acquiring the New PIOs as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of the New PIOs or the New PIO Shares (this representation is not limiting Holder’s right to sell the New PIO Shares pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).
The Holder understands that the New PIOs and the New PIO Shares are not, and may never be, registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state and, accordingly, each certificate, if any, representing such securities shall bear a legend substantially similar to the following:
“THIS SECURITY HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.”
Certificates evidencing the New PIO Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth above), (i) while a registration statement covering the resale of such New PIO Shares is effective under the Securities Act, (ii) following any sale of such New PIO Shares pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, (iii) if such New PIO Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the New PIO), without the requirement for the Company to be in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such New PIO Shares and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions, (iv) if such New PIO Shares may be sold under Rule 144 (assuming cashless exercise of the New PIO) and the Company is then in compliance with the current public information required under Rule 144 as to such New PIO Shares, or (v) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the earliest of clauses (i) through (v), the “Delegend Date”)). The Company shall cause its counsel to issue a legal opinion to the Transfer Agent promptly after the Delegend Date if required by the Company and/or the Transfer Agent to effect the removal of the legend hereunder, or at the request of the Holder, which opinion shall be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Holder. From and after the Delegend Date, such New PIO Shares shall be issued free of all legends. The Company agrees that following the Delegend Date or at such time as such legend is no longer required under this Section, it will, no later than two (2) Trading Days following the delivery by the Holder to the Company or the Transfer Agent of a certificate representing the New PIO Shares issued with a restrictive legend (such second (2nd) Trading Day, the “Legend Removal Date”), deliver or cause to be delivered to the Holder a certificate representing such shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends or, at the request of the Holder shall credit the account of the Holder’s prime broker with the Depository Trust Company System as directed by the Holder.
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In addition to the Holder’s other available remedies, the Company shall pay to a Holder, in cash, (i) as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of New PIO Shares (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date such New PIO Shares are submitted to the Transfer Agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend, $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day five (5) Trading Days after such damages have begun to accrue) for each Trading Day after the Legend Removal Date until such certificate is delivered without a legend and (ii) if the Company fails to (a) issue and deliver (or cause to be delivered) to the Holder by the Legend Removal Date a certificate representing the New PIO Shares so delivered to the Company by the Holder that is free from all restrictive and other legends and (b) if after the Legend Removal Date the Holder purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock, or a sale of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to all or any portion of the number of shares of Common Stock that the Holder anticipated receiving from the Company without any restrictive legend, then, an amount equal to the excess of the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased (including brokerage commissions and other out-of-pocket expenses, if any) (the “Buy-In Price”) over the product of (A) such number of New PIO Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder by the Legend Removal Date and for which the Holder was required to purchase shares to timely satisfy delivery requirements, multiplied by (B) the weighted average price at which the Holder sold that number of shares of Common Stock.
If this offer is accepted and the transaction documents are executed by the Execution Time, then as promptly as possible following the Execution Time, but in any event no later than 9:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on the Trading Day following the date hereof, the Company shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission disclosing all material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder, including this letter agreement as an exhibit thereto with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, the Company represents to you that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to you by the Company, or any of its respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder. In addition, effective upon the filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates on the one hand, and you and your Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate. The Company represents, warrants and covenants that, upon acceptance of this offer, the PIO Shares shall be issued free of any legends or restrictions on resale by Holder.
No later than the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date hereof, the closing (“Closing”) shall occur at such location as the parties shall mutually agree. Unless otherwise directed by H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (the “Placement Agent”), settlement of the PIO Shares shall occur via “Delivery Versus Payment” (“DVP”) (i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the PIO Shares registered in the Holder’s name and address provided to the Company in writing and released by the Transfer Agent directly to the account(s) at the Placement Agent identified by the Holder; upon receipt of such PIO Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such PIO Shares to the Holder, and payment therefor shall concurrently be made to the Company by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company). The date of the Closing of the exercise of the Existing PIOs shall be referred to as the “Closing Date”.
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The Company acknowledges and agrees that the obligations of the Holder under this letter agreement is several and not joint with the obligations of any other holder or holders of warrants and/or preferred investment options to purchase Common Stock of the Company that were issued by the Company on August 11, 2022 (each, an “Other Holder”) under any other agreement which may exist related to the exercise of such warrants and/or preferred investment options (“Other Warrant Exercise Agreement”), and the Holder shall not be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any Other Holder or under any such Other Warrant Exercise Agreement. Nothing contained in this letter agreement, and no action taken by any Other Holder pursuant hereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holder and the Other Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Holder and the Other Holders are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this letter agreement and the Company acknowledges that the Holder and the Other Holders are not acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this letter agreement or any Other Warrant Exercise Agreement. The Company and the Holder confirm that the Holder has independently participated in the Company’s solicitation of, and the mutual negotiation of, the transactions contemplated hereby with the advice of its own counsel and advisors. The Holder shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this letter agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any Other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.
The Company hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and covenants and agrees from and after the date hereof until thirty (30) days after the date hereof, that none of the terms offered to any Other Holder with respect to any Other Warrant Exercise Agreement (or any amendment, modification or waiver thereof) relating to warrants that were sold concurrently with the Existing PIOs, is or will be more favorable to such Other Holder than those of the Holder and this letter agreement unless such terms are concurrently offered to the Holder. If, and whenever on or after the date hereof until thirty (30) days after the date hereof, the Company enters into an Other Warrant Exercise Agreement relating to warrants that were sold concurrently with the Existing PIOs, then (i) the Company shall provide notice thereof to the Holder promptly following the occurrence thereof and (ii) the terms and conditions of this letter agreement shall be, without any further action by the Holder or the Company, automatically amended and modified in an economically and legally equivalent manner such that the Holder shall receive the benefit of the more favorable terms and/or conditions (as the case may be) set forth in such Other Warrant Exercise Agreement (including the issuance of additional PIO Shares), provided that upon written notice to the Company at any time the Holder may elect not to accept the benefit of any such amended or modified term or condition, in which event the term or condition contained in this letter agreement shall apply to the Holder as it was in effect immediately prior to such amendment or modification as if such amendment or modification never occurred with respect to the Holder. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply similarly and equally to each such Other Warrant Exercise Agreement.
| Sincerely yours, | ||
| BLUE WATER BIOTECH, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
[Holder Signature Page Follows]
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Accepted and Agreed to:
Name of Holder: ________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Holder: _________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: _______________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________
Number of Existing Preferred Investment Options: __________________
Aggregate Preferred Investment Option Exercise Price at the Reduced Exercise Price being exercised contemporaneously with signing this letter agreement: _________________
Existing Preferred Investment Option Beneficial Ownership Blocker: ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%
New Preferred Investment Options: (200% of total Existing Preferred Investment Options being exercised): ___________
New Preferred Investment Option Beneficial Ownership Blocker: ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%
DTC Instructions:
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Annex A
Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to the Holder:
| a) | SEC Reports. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein “SEC Reports”). As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. |
| b) | Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this letter agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this letter agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, its board of directors or its stockholders in connection therewith. This letter agreement has been duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law. |
| c) | No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this letter agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not: (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents; or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any liens, claims, security interests, other encumbrances or defects upon any of the properties or assets of the Company in connection with, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any material agreement, credit facility, debt or other material instrument (evidencing Company debt or otherwise) or other material understanding to which such Company is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected; or (iii) conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected, except, in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect upon the business, prospects, properties, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company, taken as a whole, or in its ability to perform its obligations under this letter agreement. |
| d) | Registration Obligations. As soon as practicable, the Company shall file a registration statement on Form S-3 (or other appropriate form if the Company is not then S-3 eligible) providing for the resale of the New PIO Shares by the holders of the New PIOs (the “Resale Registration Statement”). The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Resale Registration Statement to become effective within 90 calendar days following the date hereof and to keep the Resale Registration Statement effective at all times until no holder of the New PIOs owns any New PIOs or New PIO Shares. |
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| e) | Trading Market. Except for as related to the Stockholder Approval, the transactions contemplated under this letter agreement comply with all the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market. |
| f) | Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this letter agreement, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to this letter agreement; (ii) application(s) or notice to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the New PIOs and New PIO Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (iii) the filing of Form D with the Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws, and (iv) Stockholder Approval. |
| g) | Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the New PIO Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the New PIO Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the New PIO Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the New PIO Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer. In addition, the Company shall hold an annual or special meeting of stockholders on or prior to the date that is ninety (90) days following the Closing Date for the purpose of obtaining Stockholder Approval, with the recommendation of the Company’s Board of Directors that such proposals are approved, and the Company shall solicit proxies from its stockholders in connection therewith in the same manner as all other management proposals in such proxy statement and all management-appointed proxyholders shall vote their proxies in favor of such proposals. If the Company does not obtain Stockholder Approval at the first meeting, the Company shall call a meeting every ninety (90) days thereafter to seek Stockholder Approval until the earlier of the date on which Stockholder Approval is obtained or the New PIOs are no longer outstanding. |
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| h) | Subsequent Equity Sales. |
(i) From the date hereof until thirty (30) days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (A) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or (B) file any registration statement or any amendment or supplement to any existing registration statement (other than (x) the Resale Registration Statement referred to herein, (y) prospectus supplements to the Registration Statement to reflect the transactions contemplated hereby, or (z) amendments or prospectus supplements to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-270383) for the purpose of updating such registration statement to reflect a fundamental change of the Company). Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section (h)(i) shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance. “Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered to the Company, (b) warrants to the Placement Agent in connection with the transactions pursuant to this letter agreement (the “Placement Agent Warrants”) and any shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this letter agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this letter agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with stock splits or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities, and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period this Section (h)(i), and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities. “Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind, for purposes of this Section (h)(i).
(ii) From the date hereof until one (1) year following the Closing Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company nor any Subsidiary of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive, additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon, and/or varies with, the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit or an “at-the-market offering”, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price, regardless of whether shares pursuant to such agreement have actually been issued and regardless of whether such agreement is subsequently canceled; provided, however, that, after thirty (30) days following the Closing Date, the entry into and/or issuance of shares of Common Stock in an “at the market” offering with the Placement Agent as sales agent shall not be deemed a Variable Rate Transaction. The Holder shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.
| i) | Form D; Blue Sky Filings. If required, the Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the New PIOs and New PIO Shares as required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof, promptly upon request of any Purchaser. The Company shall take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the New PIOs and New PIO Shares for, sale to the Holder at Closing under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of any Holder. |
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Exhibit 99.1
Blue Water Biotech Announces Exercise of Warrants and Issuance of New Warrants in A Private Placement For $2.7 Million Gross Proceeds
CINCINNATI, Ohio, August 1, 2023 – Blue Water Biotech, Inc. ("Blue Water" or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: BWV), today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement for the exercise of certain existing warrants to purchase 2,486,214 shares of its common stock at a reduced exercise price of $1.09 per share, in exchange for new warrants as described below. The aggregate gross proceeds from the exercise of the existing warrants is expected to total approximately $2.7 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. The transaction is expected to close on or about August 2, 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
H.C. Wainwright is acting as the exclusive placement agent for this transaction.
The Company expects to use the net proceeds from the transaction for working capital and general corporate purposes, including executing on launch activities for Blue Water’s commercial portfolio announced in a letter to shareholders issued earlier this month.
The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the existing warrants are registered pursuant to an existing registration statement on a Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Form S-1 on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267142), declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 4, 2023.
In consideration for the immediate exercise of the existing warrants for cash, the Company will issue new unregistered warrants to purchase shares of common stock in a private placement pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the new warrants is subject to stockholder approval. The Company agreed to convene a stockholders’ meeting on or before 90 days following the closing date of the transaction to obtain such approval. The new warrants will be exercisable for up to an aggregate of 4,972,428 shares of common stock, at an exercise price of $1.09 per share and have a term of exercise equal to five years from the date of stockholder approval.
The new warrants offered in the private placement have not been registered under the 1933 Act, or applicable under state securities laws. Accordingly, the new warrants and shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the new warrants may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws. As part of the offering, the Company has agreed to file a resale registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC as soon as practicable to register the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the new warrants issued in the private placement, and to have such resale registration statement declared effective within 90 days following the date of the agreement.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
About Blue Water Biotech
Blue Water Biotech, Inc. is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing transformational therapies to address significant health challenges globally. Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, the Company owns ENTADFI®, an FDA-approved, once daily pill that combines finasteride and tadalafil for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. This combination allows men to receive treatment for their symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia without the negative sexual side effects typically seen in patients on finasteride alone. The Company is also in the process of acquiring approved therapies from WraSer, LLC, and Xspire Pharma, LLC, including ZONTIVITY® (reduction of thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with myocardial infarction or with peripheral arterial disease), OTOVEL® (acute otitis media with tympanostomy tubes), CETRAXAL® (acute otitis externa), CONJUPRI® (hypertension), TREZIX™ (moderate to severe pain) and NALFON® (NSAID treatment for pain and inflammation). The Company also has a robust preclinical vaccine pipeline. Blue Water holds the rights to proprietary technology developed at the University of Oxford, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Blue Water is developing a Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine candidate, designed to specifically prevent highly infectious middle ear infections, known as AOM, in children, and prevention of pneumonia in the elderly. The Company is also developing a universal flu vaccine that will provide protection from all virulent strains in addition to licensing a novel norovirus S&P nanoparticle versatile virus-like particle vaccine platform from Cincinnati Children’s to develop vaccines for multiple infectious diseases, including Marburg and monkeypox, among others. Additionally, the Company is developing a Chlamydia vaccine candidate with UT Health Science Center San Antonio to prevent infection and reduce the need for antibiotic treatment associated with contracting Chlamydia disease. For more information about Blue Water, visit www.bwbioinc.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “expect,” and “intend,” among others. These forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the offering, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, the intended use of proceeds from the offering, the anticipated benefits of the Company’s agreements with Knipper, UpScript, IQVIA, APS and bfw and the anticipated results of the Company’s sales and marketing efforts for its commercial stage products as described herein) are based on Blue Water’s current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, market and other conditions, risks related to Blue Water’s ability to realize the benefits of its acquisitions of ENTADFI®, ZONTIVITY®, OTOVEL®, CETRAXAL®, CONJUPRI®, TREZIX™ and NALFON®; risks related to Blue Water’s ability to expand its business scope, commercialize ENTADFI® and integrate the assets and commercial operations being acquired from WraSer, LLC, and Xspire Pharma, LLC into Blue Water’s business; risks related to Blue Water’s ability to attract, hire and retain skilled personnel and establish an effective sales team; risks related to Blue Water’s ability to establish, maintain and optimize key third party commercial collaboration agreements (such as those with Knipper, UpScript, IQVIA, APS and bfw); risks related to the Company’s present need for capital to close its asset acquisitions, commercially launch the Company’s acquired products and have adequate working capital; risks related to the development of Blue Water’s vaccine candidates; the failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations; risks related to the timing and progress of clinical development of our product candidates; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; uncertainties of government or third party payor reimbursement; limited research and development efforts and dependence upon third parties; and substantial competition. As with any commercial-stage pharmaceutical product or any product candidate under clinical development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Blue Water does not undertake an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in Blue Water’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2023 and periodic reports filed with the SEC on or after the date thereof. All of Blue Water’s forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by all such risk factors and other cautionary statements. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date thereof.
Media Contact Information:
Blue Water Media Relations
Telephone: (646) 942-5591
Email: Nic.Johnson@russopartnersllc.com
Investor Contact Information:
Blue Water Investor Relations
Email: investors@bwbioinc.com