As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 21, 2021
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
VAXART, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
Delaware |
59-1212264 |
|
|
(State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
170 Harbor Way, Suite 300
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)
Vaxart, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan
(Full title of the plan)
Andrei Floroiu
Chief Executive Officer
170 Harbor Way, Suite 300
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 550-3500
(Name and address of agent for service) (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Faith L. Charles
Thompson Hine LLP
335 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10017-4611
(212) 344-5680
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
|
Large accelerated filer ☒ |
Accelerated filer ☐ |
|
Non-accelerated filer ☐ |
Smaller reporting company ☐ |
|
Emerging growth company ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
|
Title of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered (1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Share (2) |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Amount of Registration Fee |
|
Vaxart, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share |
8,900,000 shares |
$7.80 |
$69,420,000 |
$7,573.72 |
|
(1) |
Pursuant to Rule 416(a) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of Registrant’s common stock that become issuable under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, or other similar transaction effected without receipt of consideration that increases the number of outstanding shares of Registrant’s common stock, as applicable. |
|
(2) |
Estimated in accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee on the basis of $7.80 per share, the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant’s common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market on June 17, 2021. |
Explanatory Note
This Registration Statement is being filed by Vaxart, Inc. (the “Registrant”) pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to register an additional 8,900,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 (“Common Stock”), that are issuable at any time or from time to time under the Registrant’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended to date, the “Plan”).
The additional 8,900,000 shares of Common Stock are authorized for issuance under the Plan pursuant to an amendment to the Plan which was approved by the Registrant’s stockholders at the 2021 annual meeting of stockholders held on June 16, 2021.
The Registrant previously filed a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-231013) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) to register 1,600,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Plan, and a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-239727) with the Commission to register an additional 6,400,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance pursuant to the Plan.
Upon the effectiveness of this Registration Statement, an aggregate of 16,900,000 shares of Common Stock will be registered for issuance from time to time under the Plan. Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the Registration Statements on Form S-8 (File Nos. 333-231013 and 333-239727) filed with the SEC on April 24, 2019 and July 7, 2020, respectively, are hereby incorporated by reference, except to the extent supplemented, amended or superseded by the information set forth herein. Only those items of Form S-8 containing new information not contained in the earlier registration statements are presented herein.
PART II
ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The following documents filed by Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:
|
(a) |
|
(b) |
The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on May 6, 2021. |
|
(c) |
|
(d) |
The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 29, 2021, February 3, 2021, April 13, 2021, April 23, 2021, May 3, 2021 and June 21, 2021. |
|
(e) |
The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 10, filed with the SEC on May 4, 1970, as amended by the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 15, 2003. |
|
(f) |
All other reports and documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than Current Reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that relate to such items) on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of the filing of such reports and documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document that also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement. |
ITEM 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES
Not applicable.
ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL
Not applicable.
ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities, including reimbursement for expenses incurred, arising under the Securities Act.
The Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, and amended and restated bylaws provide that the Registrant will indemnify its directors and officers, and may indemnify its employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law. However, Delaware law prohibits the Registrant’s certificate of incorporation from limiting the liability of the Registrant’s directors for the following:
|
● |
any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or to our stockholders; |
|
● |
acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; |
|
● |
unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; and |
|
● |
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. |
The Registrant has entered and expects to continue to enter into agreements to indemnify its directors and officers. These agreements provide for the indemnification of such persons for all reasonable expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with any action or proceeding brought against them by reason of the fact that they are or were serving in such capacity.
The Registrant maintains insurance policies that indemnify its directors and officers against various liabilities arising under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act that might be incurred by any director or officer in his capacity as such. The Registrant has obtained director and officer liability insurance to cover liabilities directors and officers may incur in connection with their services to the Registrant.
ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED
Not applicable.
ITEM 8. EXHIBITS
|
* |
Filed herewith |
ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS
|
1. |
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
(a) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(i) and (a)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.
(b) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(d) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
2. The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
3. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of South San Francisco, State of California, on June 21, 2021.
|
Vaxart, Inc. |
|
|
/s/ Andrei Floroiu |
|
|
Andrei Floroiu |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Know All Persons By These Presents, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Andrei Floroiu and Margaret A. Echerd, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
|
Signatures |
Title |
Date |
|
/s/ Andrei Floroiu Andrei Floroiu |
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer) |
June 21, 2021 |
|
/s/ Margaret A. Echerd Margaret A. Echerd |
SVP, Principal Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) |
June 21, 2021 |
|
/s/ Todd C. Davis Todd C. Davis |
Director |
June 21, 2021 |
|
/s/ Michael J. Finney, Ph.D. Michael J. Finney, Ph.D. |
Director |
June 21, 2021 |
|
/s/ David Wheadon, M.D. David Wheadon, M.D. |
Director |
June 21, 2021 |
|
/s/ Karen J. Wilson Karen J. Wilson |
Director |
June 21, 2021 |
|
/s/ Robert A. Yedid Robert A. Yedid |
Director |
June 21, 2021 |
Exhibit 5.1
June 21, 2021
Vaxart, Inc.
170 Harbor Way
Suite 300
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Vaxart, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), is filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) for the registration, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of 8,900,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) to be issued from time to time pursuant to the terms of the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Plan”).
Item 601 of Regulation S-K and the instructions to Form S-8 require that an opinion of counsel concerning the legality of the securities to be registered be filed as an exhibit to a Form S-8 registration statement if the securities are original issue shares. This opinion is provided in satisfaction of that requirement as it relates to the Registration Statement.
In rendering this opinion, we have examined the Plan, Registration Statement, the certificate of incorporation, as amended, and by-laws of the Company (each as amended and restated as of the date hereof) and such other records, instruments and documents as we have deemed advisable in order to render this opinion. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents, certificates and instruments submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents, certificates and instruments submitted to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
As a result of the foregoing, and subject to the further limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that, under the laws of the State of Delaware, when issued pursuant to the Plan, the Common Stock that is the subject of the Registration Statement will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
In rendering this opinion, we have assumed that the resolutions authorizing the Company to issue the Common Stock pursuant to the Plan will be in full force and effect at all times at which the Common Stock is issued by the Company, and that the Company will take no action inconsistent with such resolutions. We have further assumed that each award under the Plan will be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee of the Board of Directors.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Thompson Hine LLP
Thompson Hine LLP
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8, pertaining to the Vaxart, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, of our reports dated February 25, 2021 relating to the consolidated financial statements and the effectiveness of Vaxart, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, which appear in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
/s/ OUM & CO. LLP
San Francisco, California
June 18, 2021
Exhibit 23.2
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors
Vaxart, Inc.:
We consent to the use of our report dated February 6, 2019, with respect to the consolidated balance sheet of Vaxart, Inc. as of December 31, 2018, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes, incorporated herein by reference.
/s/ KPMG LLP
San Francisco, California
June 18, 2021