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Form S-3 CURIS INC

July 2, 2015 4:08 PM EDT
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 2, 2015

Registration No. 333–

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

CURIS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware 04-3505116

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

4 Maguire Road

Lexington, Massachusetts 02421

(617) 503-6500

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Ali Fattaey, Ph.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Curis, Inc.

4 Maguire Road

Lexington, Massachusetts 02421

(617) 503-6500

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copy to:

Steven D. Singer, Esq.

Cynthia T. Mazareas, Esq.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

60 State Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

Telephone: (617) 526-6000

Telecopy: (617) 526-5000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  x

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨    Accelerated filer   x
Non-accelerated filer   ¨  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company   ¨

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to be Registered(1)

  Amount to be
Registered(1)
 

Maximum Aggregate

Offering Price(1)

  Amount of
Registration Fee(1)

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

           

Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share

           

Warrants

           

Total

  $200,000,000   $200,000,000   $23,240(2)

 

 

(1) Pursuant to Form S-3 General Instruction II.D information is not required to be included. An indeterminate amount of the securities of each identified class is being registered as may from time to time be offered hereunder at indeterminate prices, along with an indeterminate number of securities that may be issued upon exercise, settlement, exchange or conversion of securities offered or sold hereunder as shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $200,000,000. Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers any additional securities that may be offered or issued in connection with any stock split, stock dividend or pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of any of the securities. Separate consideration may or may not be received for securities that are issuable upon conversion, exercise or exchange of other securities. In addition, the total amount to be registered and the proposed maximum aggregate offering price are estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.
(2) The Registrant filed a registration statement on Form S-3 on July 3, 2013, file number 333-189803 (the “Prior Registration Statement”). There remain outstanding and unsold under the Prior Registration Statement an aggregate of $34,112,967 of the securities registered thereunder. In connection with the registration of such unsold securities on the Prior Registration Statement, the Registrant paid a registration fee of $4,653 for such unsold securities, which fee has been offset against the registration fee that would otherwise have been due for this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 457(p) of the Securities Act.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This registration statement contains two prospectuses:

 

    a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to $200,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock and warrants; and

 

    a sales agreement prospectus covering the offering, issuance and sale of up to $30,000,000 of our common stock that may be issued and sold under a sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC.

The base prospectus immediately follows this explanatory note. The specific terms of any securities to be offered pursuant to the base prospectus will be specified in a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus. The sales agreement prospectus immediately follows the base prospectus. The common stock that may be offered, issued and sold by us under the sales agreement prospectus is included in the $200,000,000 of securities that may be offered, issued and sold by us under the base prospectus.


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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion, dated July 2, 2015

$200,000,000

PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

 

 

We may offer and sell securities from time to time in one or more offerings of up to $200,000,000 in aggregate offering price. This prospectus describes the general terms of these securities and the general manner in which these securities will be offered. We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. The prospectus supplements will also describe the specific manner in which these securities will be offered and may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this document. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement before you invest.

We may offer these securities in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of offering. The securities may be sold directly to you, through agents, or through underwriters and dealers. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell the securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “CRIS.”

 

 

Investing in these securities involves certain risks. See “Risk Factors” included in any accompanying prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus for a discussion of the factors you should carefully consider before deciding to purchase these securities.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is                     , 2015.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

  1   

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

  1   

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

  2   

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

  3   

CURIS, INC.

  4   

RISK FACTORS

  5   

CONSOLIDATED RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS

  6   

USE OF PROCEEDS

  7   

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

  8   

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

  15   

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

  16   

LEGAL MATTERS

  19   

EXPERTS

  19   

SIGNATURES

  II-5   

SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY

  II-5   


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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we refer to as the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings for an aggregate initial offering price of up to $200,000,000.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 1 of this prospectus.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in this prospectus or such accompanying prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.

Unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Curis,” the “Company” and similar designations refer to Curis, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. The Curis logo is a trademark of Curis in the United States and in other select countries. We may indicate U.S. trademark registrations and U.S. trademarks with the symbols “®” and “™”, respectively. Other third-party logos and product/trade names are registered trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at http://www.curis.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information about us and our consolidated subsidiaries and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.

 

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded.

This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below (File No. 000-30347) and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed) between the date of the initial registration statement and the effectiveness of the registration statement and following the effectiveness of the registration statement until the offering of the securities under the registration statement is terminated or completed:

 

    Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders;

 

    Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2015;

 

    Current Reports on Form 8-K filed January 21, 2015, February 11, 2015, February 26, 2015, April 10, 2015 and May 28, 2015; and

 

    The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on April 13, 2000, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:

Curis, Inc.

4 Maguire Road

Lexington, MA 02421

Attn: Chief Financial Officer

(617) 503-6500

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, regarding, among other things, our future discovery and development efforts, our collaborations, our future operating results and financial position, our business strategy, and other objectives for our operations. You can identify these forward-looking statements by their use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “target,” “will” and other words and terms of similar meaning. You also can identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. There are a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those inherent in pharmaceutical research and development, such as adverse results in our drug discovery, preclinical trials and clinical development activities, our dependence on our existing and future strategic partners, our ability to obtain any necessary financing to conduct our planned activities, decisions made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory authorities with respect to the development and commercialization of our drug candidates, our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce intellectual property rights for our drug candidates and other risk factors. You are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are referenced in the section of any accompanying prospectus supplement entitled “Risk Factors.” You should also carefully review the risk factors and cautionary statements described in the other documents we file from time to time with the SEC, specifically our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Except to the extent required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements.

 

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CURIS, INC.

We are a biotechnology company seeking to develop and commercialize innovative drug candidates for the treatment of human cancers. Our most advanced drug candidate is CUDC-907, an orally-available, small molecule inhibitor of histone deacetylase, or HDAC, and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, or PI3K enzymes. In addition, we recently entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement focused on immuno-oncology and selected precision oncology targets with Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited, a specialized, discovery stage biotechnology company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. Our proprietary pipeline also includes CUDC-427, an orally-available, small molecule antagonist of inhibitor of apoptosis, or IAP proteins, and CUDC-305, a Heat Shock Protein 90, or HSP90, inhibitor. Our collaborators F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, or Roche, and Genentech Inc., or Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, are commercializing Erivedge® (vismodegib), a first-in-class orally-administered small molecule Hedgehog pathway inhibitor, in advanced basal cell carcinoma, or BCC.

Our principal executive offices are located at 4 Maguire Road, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, and our telephone number is (617) 503-6500. Our website is located at www.curis.com. The information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. Our website address is included as an inactive textual reference only.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below and discussed under the sections captioned “Risk Factors” contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings we make with the SEC from time to time, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus, the information and documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.

 

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CONSOLIDATED RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS

The following table sets forth our consolidated ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends for each of the periods indicated. You should read this table in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

     Three
Months
Ended
   Fiscal Year
Ended
     March 31,
2015
   December 31,
2014
   December 31,
2013
   December 31,
2012
   December 31,
2011
   December 31,
2010

Consolidated ratios of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends

   N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A    N/A

For purposes of calculating the ratios above, earnings consist of net income from continuing operations plus provision for income taxes and fixed charges. Fixed charges include interest expense and the interest portion of rent expense which is deemed to be representative of the interest factor.

We did not pay any cash dividends on any shares of our capital stock during the periods set forth above.

We did not record earnings for the three months ended March 31, 2015 or any of the fiscal years ending December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010. Accordingly, our earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges for such periods and we are unable to disclose a ratio of combined fixed charges and preference dividends to earnings for such periods. The dollar amount of the deficiency in earnings available for fixed charges and preference dividends for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was approximately $31.8 million and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 was approximately $18.7 million, $12.3 million, $16.4 million, $9.9 million and $4.4 million, respectively.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. General corporate purposes may include to conduct further preclinical testing and clinical studies of our product candidates, to fund other research and development expenses, the in-licensing of individual drug candidates or drug programs, the acquisition of companies or businesses that complement our business, repayment and refinancing of debt, working capital and capital expenditures. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only and therefore is not a complete description of our capital stock. This description is based upon, and is qualified by reference to, our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, or our certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated by-laws, as amended, or our by-laws, and applicable provisions of Delaware corporate law. You should read our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, for the provisions that are important to you.

Our authorized capital stock consists of 225,000,000 shares of common stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock.

Common Stock

Annual Meeting. Annual meetings of our stockholders are held on the date designated in accordance with our by-laws. Written notice must be mailed to each stockholder entitled to vote not less than ten nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of our issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such meeting constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of the stockholders. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called for any purpose or purposes by the chairman of the board of directors, the chief executive officer (or if there is no chief executive officer, the president) or the board of directors. Except as may be otherwise provided by applicable law, our certificate of incorporation or our by-laws, all elections shall be decided by a plurality, and all other questions shall be decided by a majority, of the votes cast by stockholders entitled to vote thereon at a duly held meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present.

Voting Rights. For all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share registered in his or her name on our books. Our common stock does not have cumulative voting rights. As a result, holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock can elect all of the directors who are up for election in a particular year.

Dividends. If our board of directors declares a dividend, holders of common stock will receive payments from our funds that are legally available to pay dividends. However, this dividend right is subject to any preferential dividend rights we may grant to the persons who hold preferred stock, if any is outstanding.

Liquidation and Dissolution. If we are liquidated or dissolve, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all the assets that remain after we pay our liabilities and any amounts we may owe to the persons who hold preferred stock, if any is outstanding.

Other Rights. Holders of the common stock have no right to:

 

    convert the stock into any other security;

 

    have the stock redeemed;

 

    purchase additional stock; or

 

    maintain their proportionate ownership interest.

Holders of shares of the common stock are not required to make additional capital contributions.

Transfer Agent and Registrar. Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is transfer agent and registrar for the common stock.

Preferred Stock

As of June 30, 2015, no shares of preferred stock were outstanding.

 

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We are authorized to issue “blank check” preferred stock, which may be issued in one or more series upon authorization of our board of directors. Our board of directors is authorized to fix the designation of the series, the number of authorized shares of the series, dividend rights and terms, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences and any other rights, powers, preferences and limitations applicable to each series of preferred stock. The authorized shares of our preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. If the approval of our stockholders is not required for the issuance of shares of our preferred stock, our board may determine not to seek stockholder approval. The specific terms of any series of preferred stock offered pursuant to this prospectus will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to that series of preferred stock.

A series of our preferred stock could, depending on the terms of such series, impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt. Our board of directors will make any determination to issue preferred shares based upon its judgment as to the best interests of our stockholders. Our directors, in so acting, could issue preferred stock having terms that could discourage an acquisition attempt through which an acquirer may be able to change the composition of our board of directors, including a tender offer or other transaction that some, or a majority, of our stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then-current market price of the stock.

The preferred stock has the terms described below unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of preferred stock. You should read the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of preferred stock being offered for specific terms, including:

 

    the designation and stated value per share of the preferred stock and the number of shares offered;

 

    the amount of liquidation preference per share;

 

    the price at which the preferred stock will be issued;

 

    the dividend rate, or method of calculation of dividends, the dates on which dividends will be payable, whether dividends will be cumulative or noncumulative and, if cumulative, the dates from which dividends will commence to accumulate;

 

    any redemption or sinking fund provisions;

 

    if other than the currency of the United States, the currency or currencies including composite currencies in which the preferred stock is denominated and/or in which payments will or may be payable;

 

    any conversion provisions; and

 

    any other rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions on the preferred stock.

The preferred stock will, when issued, be fully paid and non-assessable. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, each series of preferred stock will rank equally as to dividends and liquidation rights in all respects with each other series of preferred stock. The rights of holders of shares of each series of preferred stock will be subordinate to those of our general creditors.

Rank. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, the preferred stock will, with respect to dividend rights and rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, rank:

 

    senior to our common stock and to all equity securities ranking junior to such preferred stock with respect to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs;

 

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    on a parity with all equity securities issued by us, the terms of which specifically provide that such equity securities rank on a parity with the preferred stock with respect to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs; and

 

    junior to all equity securities issued by us, the terms of which specifically provide that such equity securities rank senior to the preferred stock with respect to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs.

The term “equity securities” does not include convertible debt securities.

Dividends. Holders of the preferred stock of each series will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by our board of directors, cash dividends at such rates and on such dates described in the prospectus supplement. Different series of preferred stock may be entitled to dividends at different rates or based on different methods of calculation. The dividend rate may be fixed or variable or both. Dividends will be payable to the holders of record as they appear on our stock books on record dates fixed by our board of directors, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Dividends on any series of preferred stock may be cumulative or noncumulative, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If our board of directors does not declare a dividend payable on a dividend payment date on any series of noncumulative preferred stock, then the holders of that noncumulative preferred stock will have no right to receive a dividend for that dividend payment date, and we will have no obligation to pay the dividend accrued for that period, whether or not dividends on that series are declared payable on any future dividend payment dates. Dividends on any series of cumulative preferred stock will accrue from the date we initially issue shares of such series or such other date specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

No dividends may be declared or paid or funds set apart for the payment of any dividends on any parity securities unless full dividends have been paid or set apart for payment on the preferred stock. If full dividends are not paid, the preferred stock will share dividends pro rata with the parity securities.

No dividends may be declared or paid or funds set apart for the payment of dividends on any junior securities unless full dividends for all dividend periods terminating on or prior to the date of the declaration or payment will have been paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment set apart for payment on the preferred stock.

Liquidation Preference. Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, then, before we make any distribution or payment to the holders of any common stock or any other class or series of our capital stock ranking junior to the preferred stock in the distribution of assets upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, the holders of each series of preferred stock shall be entitled to receive out of assets legally available for distribution to stockholders, liquidating distributions in the amount of the liquidation preference per share set forth in the prospectus supplement, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon. Such dividends will not include any accumulation in respect of unpaid noncumulative dividends for prior dividend periods. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, after payment of the full amount of their liquidating distributions, the holders of preferred stock will have no right or claim to any of our remaining assets. Upon any such voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, if our available assets are insufficient to pay the amount of the liquidating distributions on all outstanding preferred stock and the corresponding amounts payable on all other classes or series of our capital stock ranking on parity with the preferred stock and all other such classes or series of shares of capital stock ranking on parity with the preferred stock in the distribution of assets, then the holders of the preferred stock and all other such classes or series of capital stock will share ratably in any such distribution of assets in proportion to the full liquidating distributions to which they would otherwise be entitled.

Upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up and if we have made liquidating distributions in full to all holders of preferred stock, we will distribute our remaining assets among the holders of any other classes or series of capital stock ranking junior to the preferred stock according to their respective rights and preferences and, in each case, according to their respective number of shares. For such purposes, our consolidation or merger with or into any other corporation, trust or entity, or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all of our property or assets will not be deemed to constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs.

 

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Redemption. If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, the preferred stock will be subject to mandatory redemption or redemption at our option, as a whole or in part, in each case upon the terms, at the times and at the redemption prices set forth in such prospectus supplement.

The prospectus supplement relating to a series of preferred stock that is subject to mandatory redemption will specify the number of shares of preferred stock that shall be redeemed by us in each year commencing after a date to be specified, at a redemption price per share to be specified, together with an amount equal to all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to the date of redemption. Unless the shares have a cumulative dividend, such accrued dividends will not include any accumulation in respect of unpaid dividends for prior dividend periods. We may pay the redemption price in cash or other property, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. If the redemption price for preferred stock of any series is payable only from the net proceeds of the issuance of shares of our capital stock, the terms of such preferred stock may provide that, if no such shares of our capital stock shall have been issued or to the extent the net proceeds from any issuance are insufficient to pay in full the aggregate redemption price then due, such preferred stock shall automatically and mandatorily be converted into the applicable shares of our capital stock pursuant to conversion provisions specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not redeem any preferred stock of a series unless:

 

    if that series of preferred stock has a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full cumulative dividends on the preferred stock for all past dividend periods and the then current dividend period; or

 

    if such series of preferred stock does not have a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full dividends for the then current dividend period.

In addition, we will not acquire any preferred stock of a series unless:

 

    if that series of preferred stock has a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full cumulative dividends on all outstanding shares of such series of preferred stock for all past dividend periods and the then current dividend period; or

 

    if that series of preferred stock does not have a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full dividends on the preferred stock of such series for the then current dividend period.

However, at any time we may purchase or acquire preferred stock of that series (1) pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding preferred stock of such series or (2) by conversion into or exchange for shares of our capital stock ranking junior to the preferred stock of such series as to dividends and upon liquidation.

If fewer than all of the outstanding shares of preferred stock of any series are to be redeemed, we will determine the number of shares that may be redeemed pro rata from the holders of record of such shares in proportion to the number of such shares held or for which redemption is requested by such holder or by any other equitable manner that we determine. Such determination will reflect adjustments to avoid redemption of fractional shares.

Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, we will mail notice of redemption at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each holder of record of preferred stock to be redeemed at the address shown on our stock transfer books. Each notice shall state:

 

    the redemption date;

 

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    the number of shares and series of preferred stock to be redeemed;

 

    the redemption price;

 

    the place or places where certificates for such preferred stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price;

 

    that dividends on the shares to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such redemption date;

 

    the date on which the holder’s conversion rights, if any, as to such shares shall terminate; and

 

    the specific number of shares to be redeemed from each such holder if fewer than all the shares of any series are to be redeemed.

If notice of redemption has been given and we have set aside the funds necessary for such redemption in trust for the benefit of the holders of any shares called for redemption, then from and after the redemption date, dividends will cease to accrue on such shares, and all rights of the holders of such shares will terminate, except the right to receive the redemption price.

Voting Rights. Holders of preferred stock will not have any voting rights, except as required by law or as indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise provided for under the terms of any series of preferred stock, no consent or vote of the holders of shares of preferred stock or any series thereof shall be required for any amendment to our certificate of incorporation that would increase the number of authorized shares of preferred stock or the number of authorized shares of any series thereof or decrease the number of authorized shares of preferred stock or the number of authorized shares of any series thereof (but not below the number of authorized shares of preferred stock or such series, as the case may be, then outstanding).

Conversion Rights. The terms and conditions, if any, upon which any series of preferred stock is convertible into our common stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating thereto. Such terms will include the number of shares of common stock into which the shares of preferred stock are convertible, the conversion price, rate or manner of calculation thereof, the conversion period, provisions as to whether conversion will be at our option or at the option of the holders of the preferred stock, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price and provisions affecting conversion in the event of the redemption.

Transfer Agent and Registrar. The transfer agent and registrar for the preferred stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws and Delaware Law That May Have Anti-Takeover Effects

Board of Directors. Our by-laws provide for a board of directors divided as nearly equally as possible into three classes. Each class is elected to a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of such election. The number of directors comprising our board of directors is fixed from time to time by the board of directors.

Removal of Directors by Stockholders. Our by-laws provide that directors may be removed only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% of the shares of our capital stock issued, outstanding and entitled to vote. Our by-laws require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of our outstanding voting securities to amend or repeal the provision relating to the division of our board of directors into three classes.

Stockholder Nomination of Directors. Our by-laws provide that a stockholder must notify us in writing of any stockholder nomination of a director not earlier than the 90th day and not later than the 60th day prior to such

 

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meeting; provided, if less than 70 days’ notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders, such nomination shall have been mailed or delivered to the Secretary not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the date on which the notice of the meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever occurs first.

No Action By Written Consent. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders may not act by written consent and may only act at duly called meetings of stockholders.

Delaware Business Combination Statute. Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which we refer to as the DGCL, is applicable to us. Section 203 of the DGCL restricts some types of transactions and business combinations between a corporation and a 15% stockholder. A 15% stockholder is generally considered by Section 203 to be a person owning 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. Section 203 refers to a 15% stockholder as an “interested stockholder.” Section 203 restricts these transactions for a period of three years from the date the stockholder acquires 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. With some exceptions, unless the transaction is approved by the board of directors and the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation, Section 203 prohibits significant business transactions such as:

 

    a merger with, disposition of significant assets to or receipt of disproportionate financial benefits by the interested stockholder, and

 

    any other transaction that would increase the interested stockholder’s proportionate ownership of any class or series of our capital stock.

The shares held by the interested stockholder are not counted as outstanding when calculating the two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock needed for approval.

The prohibition against these transactions does not apply if:

 

    prior to the time that any stockholder became an interested stockholder, the board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction in which such stockholder acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, or

 

    the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of our outstanding voting stock as a result of a transaction in which such stockholder acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. Shares held by persons who are both directors and officers or by some types of employee stock plans are not counted as outstanding when making this calculation.

Directors’ Liability

Our certificate of incorporation provides that a member of the board of directors will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of their legal duties to us or our stockholders as a director, except for liability:

 

    for any breach of the director’s legal duty to act in the best interests of us and our stockholders;

 

    for acts or omissions by the director with dishonest intentions or which involve intentional misconduct or an intentional violation of the law;

 

    for declaring dividends or authorizing the purchase or redemption of shares in violation of Delaware law; or

 

    for transactions where the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

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Our certificate of incorporation also allows us to indemnify directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, and we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase preferred stock or common stock. We may offer warrants separately or together with one or more additional warrants, preferred stock or common stock, or any combination of those securities in the form of units, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we issue warrants as part of a unit, the accompanying prospectus supplement will specify whether those warrants may be separated from the other securities in the unit prior to the expiration date of the warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement will also describe the following terms of any warrants:

 

    the specific designation and aggregate number of, and the offering price at which we will issue, the warrants;

 

    the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;

 

    the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which that right will expire or, if you may not continuously exercise the warrants throughout that period, the specific date or dates on which you may exercise the warrants;

 

    whether the warrants are to be sold separately or with other securities as parts of units;

 

    whether the warrants will be issued in definitive or global form or in any combination of these forms, although, in any case, the form of a warrant included in a unit will correspond to the form of the unit and of any security included in that unit;

 

    any applicable material U.S. federal income tax consequences;

 

    the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents;

 

    the proposed listing, if any, of the warrants or any securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants on any securities exchange;

 

    the designation and terms of any equity securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants;

 

    if applicable, the designation and terms of the preferred stock or common stock with which the warrants are issued and, the number of warrants issued with each security;

 

    if applicable, the date from and after which any warrants issued as part of a unit and the related preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable;

 

    the number of shares of preferred stock or the number of shares of common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which those shares may be purchased;

 

    if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time;

 

    information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

 

    the anti-dilution provisions of, and other provisions for changes to or adjustment in the exercise price of, the warrants, if any;

 

    any redemption or call provisions; and

 

    any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange or exercise of the warrants.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell securities:

 

    through underwriters;

 

    through dealers;

 

    through agents;

 

    directly to purchasers; or

 

    through a combination of any of these methods of sale.

In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. We will, in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act, and describe any commissions that we must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis.

The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions:

 

    at a fixed price, or prices, which may be changed from time to time;

 

    at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

    at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or

 

    at negotiated prices.

Each prospectus supplement will describe the method of distribution of the securities and any applicable restrictions.

The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities of a particular series will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including the following:

 

    the name of the agent or any underwriters;

 

    the public offering or purchase price and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the securities;

 

    any discounts and commissions to be allowed or re-allowed or paid to the agent or underwriters;

 

    all other items constituting underwriting compensation;

 

    any discounts and commissions to be allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and

 

    any exchanges on which the securities will be listed.

 

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If any underwriters or agents are utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.

If we offer securities in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers, acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.

Remarketing firms, agents, underwriters, dealers and other persons may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date stated in the prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of securities sold pursuant to such contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutions, but shall in all cases be subject to our approval. Delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that:

 

    the purchase by an institution of the securities covered under that contract shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which that institution is subject; and

 

    if the securities are also being sold to underwriters acting as principals for their own account, the underwriters shall have purchased such securities not sold for delayed delivery. The underwriters and other persons acting as our agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of delayed delivery contracts.

Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates may be customers of, have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, and/or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in three business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that the original issue date for your securities may be more than three scheduled business

 

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days after the trade date for your securities. Accordingly, in such a case, if you wish to trade securities on any date prior to the third business day before the original issue date for your securities, you will be required, by virtue of the fact that your securities initially are expected to settle more than three scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities, to make alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

The securities may be new issues of securities and may have no established trading market. The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of or the existence of trading markets for any of the securities.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Unless the applicable prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, the validity of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered will be passed upon by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion, dated July 2, 2015

Up to $30,000,000

PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

We have entered into a sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC, or Cowen, relating to shares of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share, offered by this prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the sales agreement, we may offer and sell from time to time shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $30,000,000.

Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “CRIS.” On June 30, 2015, the last reported sale price for our common stock on Nasdaq was $3.31 per share.

Upon our delivery of a placement notice and subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, Cowen may sell the common stock by methods deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, including sales made directly on Nasdaq, on any other existing trading market for the common stock or to or through a market maker. In addition, with our prior written approval, Cowen may also sell the common stock in negotiated transactions. Cowen will act as sales agent using its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC.

We will pay Cowen a commission for its services in acting as agent and/or principal in the sale of common stock, of 3% of the gross sales price per share of all shares sold through it as agent under the sales agreement.

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on Page SA-7 of this prospectus, as well as the section captioned “Item 1A—Risk Factors” in our most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, for certain risks you should consider. You should read the entire prospectus carefully before you make your investment decision.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

Cowen and Company

Prospectus dated                     , 2015.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

  SA-1   

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

  SA-2   

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

  SA-2   

NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

  SA-3   

CURIS, INC.

  SA-5   

RISK FACTORS

  SA-7   

DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

  SA-8   

USE OF PROCEEDS

  SA-11   

DILUTION

  SA-12   

PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK

  SA-13   

DIVIDEND POLICY

  SA-14   

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

  SA-15   

MATERIAL FEDERAL U.S. TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK

  SA-16   

LEGAL MATTERS

  SA-20   

EXPERTS

  SA-20   


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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing a shelf registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may offer shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $30,000,000 from time to time under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering.

This prospectus describes the specific terms of the common stock we are offering and also adds to, and updates information contained in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus, on the one hand, and the information contained in any document incorporated by reference into this prospectus that was filed with the SEC before the date of this prospectus, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date — for example, a document incorporated by reference into this prospectus — the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.

We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference herein were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreement, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any free writing prospectus we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. We have not, and Cowen has not, authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We and Cowen take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not, and Cowen is not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. You should read this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety before making an investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents we have referred you to in the sections of this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.”

Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or Cowen that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.

Unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Curis,” the “Company” and similar designations refer to Curis, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. The Curis logo is a trademark of Curis in the United States and in other select countries. We may indicate U.S. trademark registrations and U.S. trademarks with the symbols “®” and “™”, respectively. Other third-party logos and product/trade names are registered trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at http://www.curis.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room.

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information on us and our consolidated subsidiaries and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded.

This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below (File No. 000-30347) and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed) between the date of the initial registration statement and the effectiveness of the registration statement and following the effectiveness of the registration statement until the offering of the securities under the registration statement is terminated or completed:

 

    Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement for the 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders;

 

    Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2015;

 

    Current Reports on Form 8-K filed January 21, 2015, February 11, 2015, February 26, 2015, April 10, 2015 and May 28, 2015; and

 

    The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on April 13, 2000, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or phone number:

Curis, Inc.

4 Maguire Road

Lexington, MA 02421

Attn: Chief Financial Officer

(617) 503-6500

 

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NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which we refer to as the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the Exchange Act. For purposes of these statutes, any statement contained in this prospectus or in the documents we incorporate by reference herein other than a statement of historical fact, may be a forward-looking statement, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by such terms as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

    the initiation, timing, progress and results of future preclinical studies and clinical trials, and our research and development programs;

 

    our plans to develop and commercialize our product candidates;

 

    our ability to establish and maintain collaborations or obtain additional funding;

 

    the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals;

 

    the implementation of our business model, strategic plans for our business, product candidates and technology;

 

    our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy;

 

    the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our products;

 

    our competitive position;

 

    our intellectual property position;

 

    developments and projections relating to our competitors and our industry;

 

    the potential of CUDC-907, CUDC-427, CUDC-305 and any product candidates that we may elect to in-license from Aurigene Discovery Technologies Limited, or Aurigene, a specialized, discovery stage biotechnology company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories;

 

    our expectations related to the use of proceeds from this offering;

 

    our estimates of the period in which we anticipate that existing cash, cash equivalents and investments will enable us to fund our current and planned operations; and

 

    our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing.

Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the factors referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” on page SA-7 of this prospectus supplement and in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. If one or more of these factors materialize, or if any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

 

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You should consider these factors and the other cautionary statements made in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein as being applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever they appear in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, or the documents incorporated by reference. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements wherever they appear in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, or the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, we do not assume, and specifically disclaim, any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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CURIS, INC.

We are a biotechnology company seeking to develop and commercialize innovative drug candidates for the treatment of human cancers. Our most advanced drug candidate is CUDC-907, an orally-available, small molecule inhibitor of histone deacetylase, or HDAC, and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, or PI3K enzymes. In addition, we recently entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement focused on immuno-oncology and selected precision oncology targets with Aurigene. Our proprietary pipeline also includes CUDC-427, an orally-available, small molecule antagonist of inhibitor of apoptosis, or IAP proteins, and CUDC-305, a Heat Shock Protein 90, or HSP90, inhibitor. Our collaborators F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, or Roche, and Genentech Inc., or Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, are commercializing Erivedge® (vismodegib), a first-in-class orally-administered small molecule Hedgehog pathway inhibitor, in advanced basal cell carcinoma, or BCC.

Our principal executive offices are located at 4 Maguire Road, Lexington, Massachusetts 02421, and our telephone number is (617) 503-6500. Our website is located at www.curis.com. The information on our website or any other website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement. Our website address is included as an inactive textual reference only.

The Offering

 

Common stock offered by us Shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $30 million.
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering assuming the sale of all shares in this offering Up to 9,063,444 shares, assuming sales at a price of $3.31 per share, which was the closing price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market on June 30, 2015. The actual number of shares issued will vary depending on the sales price under this offering.
Manner of offering “At the market offering” that may be made from time to time through our sales agent, Cowen and Company, LLC. See “Plan of Distribution” on page SA-15.
Use of proceeds

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes. Although we have not yet identified specific uses for these proceeds, we currently anticipate using the proceeds for some or all of the following: to conduct further preclinical testing and clinical studies of our product candidates, to fund other research and development expenses, the in-licensing of individual drug candidates or drug programs, the acquisition of companies or businesses that complement our business, repayment and refinancing of debt, working capital and capital expenditures.

 

We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds. See “Use of Proceeds” on page SA-11 of this prospectus.

Risk factors Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read the information contained in and incorporated by reference under the heading “Risk Factors” on page SA-7 of this prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are filed after the date hereof and incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
NASDAQ Global Market symbol “CRIS”

 

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The number of shares of our common stock that will be outstanding immediately after this offering as shown above is based on 128,337,695 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2015. The number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2015, as used throughout this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated, excludes the following:

 

    12,650,494 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of March 31, 2015 at a weighted average exercise price of $2.60 per share;

 

    an aggregate of 323,252 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan; and

 

    an aggregate of 174,686 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2010 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below and discussed under the section captioned “Risk Factors” contained in Part I—Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, together with other information in this prospectus, and the information and documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. We expect to update these Risk Factors from time to time in the periodic and current reports that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus. These updated Risk Factors will be incorporated by reference in this prospectus. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.

Additional Risks Related to This Offering

We have broad discretion in how we use the net proceeds of this offering, and we may not use these proceeds effectively or in ways with which you agree.

Our management will have broad discretion as to the application of the net proceeds of this offering and could use them for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of this offering. Our stockholders may not agree with the manner in which our management chooses to allocate and spend the net proceeds. Moreover, our management may use the net proceeds for corporate purposes that may not increase the market price of our common stock.

You may experience immediate and substantial dilution.

The offering prices per share in this offering may exceed the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. Assuming that an aggregate of 9,063,444 shares of our common stock are sold at a price of $3.31 per share pursuant to this prospectus, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market on June 30, 2015, for aggregate gross proceeds of $30.0 million, after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, you would experience immediate dilution of $2.53 per share, representing the difference between our as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2015 after giving effect to this offering and the assumed offering price. The exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants may result in further dilution of your investment. See the section entitled “Dilution” below for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in this offering.

You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.

In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share paid by any investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by any investors in this offering.

Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gain.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We anticipate that we will retain our earnings, if any, for future growth and therefore do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the future. As a result, only appreciation of the price of our common stock will provide a return to stockholders.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

The following description of our common stock is intended as a summary only. This description is based upon, and is qualified by reference to, our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, or our certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated by-laws, as amended, or our by-laws, and applicable provisions of Delaware corporate law. This summary is not complete. You should read our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, for the provisions that are important to you.

As of March 31, 2015, 128,337,695 shares of common stock were outstanding.

Common Stock

Annual Meeting. Annual meetings of our stockholders are held on the date designated in accordance with our by-laws. Written notice must be mailed to each stockholder entitled to vote not less than ten nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of our issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such meeting constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of the stockholders. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called for any purpose or purposes by the chairman of the board of directors, the chief executive officer (or if there is no chief executive officer, the president) or the board of directors. Except as may be otherwise provided by applicable law, our certificate of incorporation or our by-laws, all elections shall be decided by a plurality, and all other questions shall be decided by a majority, of the votes cast by stockholders entitled to vote thereon at a duly held meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present.

Voting Rights. For all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share registered in his or her name on our books. Our common stock does not have cumulative voting rights. As a result, holders of a majority of our outstanding common stock can elect all of the directors who are up for election in a particular year.

Dividends. If our board of directors declares a dividend, holders of common stock will receive payments from our funds that are legally available to pay dividends. However, this dividend right is subject to any preferential dividend rights we may grant to the persons who hold preferred stock, if any is outstanding.

Liquidation and Dissolution. If we are liquidated or dissolve, the holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all the assets that remain after we pay our liabilities and any amounts we may owe to the persons who hold preferred stock, if any is outstanding.

Other Rights. Holders of the common stock have no right to:

 

    convert the stock into any other security;

 

    have the stock redeemed;

 

    purchase additional stock; or

 

    maintain their proportionate ownership interest.

Holders of shares of the common stock are not required to make additional capital contributions.

Transfer Agent and Registrar. Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is transfer agent and registrar for the common stock.

 

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Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws and Delaware Law That May Have Anti-Takeover Effects

Board of Directors. Our by-laws provide for a board of directors divided as nearly equally as possible into three classes. Each class is elected to a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of such election. The number of directors comprising our board of directors is fixed from time to time by the board of directors.

Removal of Directors by Stockholders. Our by-laws provide that directors may be removed only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% of the shares of our capital stock issued, outstanding and entitled to vote. Our by-laws require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of our outstanding voting securities to amend or repeal the provision relating to the division of our board of directors into three classes.

Stockholder Nomination of Directors. Our by-laws provide that a stockholder must notify us in writing of any stockholder nomination of a director not earlier than the 90th day and not later than the 60th day prior to such meeting; provided, if less than 70 days’ notice or prior public disclosure of the date of the meeting is given to stockholders, such nomination shall have been mailed or delivered to the Secretary not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the date on which the notice of the meeting was mailed or such public disclosure was made, whichever occurs first.

No Action By Written Consent. Our certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders may not act by written consent and may only act at duly called meetings of stockholders.

Delaware Business Combination Statute. Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which we refer to as the DGCL, is applicable to us. Section 203 of the DGCL restricts some types of transactions and business combinations between a corporation and a 15% stockholder. A 15% stockholder is generally considered by Section 203 to be a person owning 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. Section 203 refers to a 15% stockholder as an “interested stockholder.” Section 203 restricts these transactions for a period of three years from the date the stockholder acquires 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. With some exceptions, unless the transaction is approved by the board of directors and the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation, Section 203 prohibits significant business transactions such as:

 

    a merger with, disposition of significant assets to or receipt of disproportionate financial benefits by the interested stockholder, and

 

    any other transaction that would increase the interested stockholder’s proportionate ownership of any class or series of our capital stock.

The shares held by the interested stockholder are not counted as outstanding when calculating the two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock needed for approval.

The prohibition against these transactions does not apply if:

 

    prior to the time that any stockholder became an interested stockholder, the board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction in which such stockholder acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, or

 

    the interested stockholder owns at least 85% of our outstanding voting stock as a result of a transaction in which such stockholder acquired 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. Shares held by persons who are both directors and officers or by some types of employee stock plans are not counted as outstanding when making this calculation.

Directors’ Liability

Our certificate of incorporation provides that a member of the board of directors will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of their legal duties to us or our stockholders as a director, except for liability:

 

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    for any breach of the director’s legal duty to act in the best interests of us and our stockholders;

 

    for acts or omissions by the director with dishonest intentions or which involve intentional misconduct or an intentional violation of the law;

 

    for declaring dividends or authorizing the purchase or redemption of shares in violation of Delaware law; or

 

    for transactions where the director derived an improper personal benefit.

Our certificate of incorporation also allows us to indemnify directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, and we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes unless otherwise indicated in any applicable prospectus supplement. General corporate purposes may include to conduct further preclinical testing and clinical studies of our product candidates, to fund other research and development expenses, the in-licensing of individual drug candidates or drug programs, the acquisition of companies or businesses that complement our business, repayment and refinancing of debt, working capital and capital expenditures.

The amounts and timing of our use of the net proceeds from the sale of securities in this offering will depend on a number of factors, such as the timing and progress of our and our strategic partners’ clinical trials of our product candidates and our development efforts, the timing and progress of any partnering efforts, technological advances and the competitive environment for our product candidates. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to us from this offering. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion in the timing and application of these proceeds. Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we intend to temporarily invest the proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing instruments.

 

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DILUTION

If you invest in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering. We calculate net tangible book value per share by dividing the new tangible book value, which is tangible assets less total liabilities, by the number of outstanding shares of our common stock. Dilution represents the difference between the portion of the amount per share paid by purchasers of shares in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after giving effect to this offering.

Our net tangible book value on March 31, 2015 was approximately $78.6 million, or $0.61 per share.

After giving effect to the sale of shares of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $30.0 million in this offering at an assumed offering price of $3.31 per share, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market on June 30, 2015, and after deducting estimated offering commissions and expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value as of March 31, 2015 would have been approximately $107.6 million, or $0.78 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.17 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $2.53 per share to investors participating in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution per share to investors participating in this offering:

 

Assumed offering price per share

$ 3.31   

Net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2015

$ 0.61   

Increase per share attributable to new investors

$ 0.17   
  

 

 

    

Net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this

offering

$ 0.78   
     

 

 

 

Dilution per share to new investors

$ 2.53   
     

 

 

 

The table above assumes, for illustrative purposes, that an aggregate of 9,063,444 shares of our common stock are sold at a price of $3.31 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market on June 30, 2015, for aggregate gross proceeds of $30.0 million. The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at various prices. An increase of $0.50 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $3.31 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $30.0 million is sold at that price, would increase our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to $0.79 per share and would increase the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors to $3.02 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of $0.50 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $3.31 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $30.0 million is sold at that price, would decrease our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to $0.77 per share and would decrease the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors to $2.04 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. This information is supplied for illustrative purposes only.

To the extent that any options or warrants are exercised, new options are issued under our equity incentive plans or we otherwise issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to new investors.

 

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PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “CRIS.” The following table shows the high and low per share sale prices of our common stock for the periods indicated.

 

             High                      Low          

2013

     

First Quarter

   $ 3.68       $ 2.66   

Second Quarter

     4.50         2.96   

Third Quarter

     4.63         3.20   

Fourth Quarter

     4.74         2.44   

2014

     

First Quarter

     3.40         2.56   

Second Quarter

     2.99         1.60   

Third Quarter

     2.06         1.35   

Fourth Quarter

     1.53         1.09   

2015

     

First Quarter

     3.50         1.27   

Second Quarter (through June 30, 2015)

     3.65         2.24   

On June 30, 2015, the last sale price reported on the NASDAQ Global Market for our common stock was $3.31 per share.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain earnings, if any, to support our business strategy and do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Payment of future dividends, if any, will be at the sole discretion of our board of directors after taking into account various factors, including our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements and any plans for expansion.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We have entered into a sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC, or Cowen, under which we may issue and sell from time to time up to $30,000,000 of our common stock through Cowen as our sales agent. Sales of the common stock, if any, will be made at market prices by any method that is deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the NASDAQ Global Market and any other trading market for the common stock, and sales to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. In addition, with our prior written consent, Cowen may also sell our common stock in negotiated transactions.

Cowen will offer the common stock subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement on a daily basis or as otherwise agreed upon by us and Cowen. We will designate the maximum amount of common stock to be sold through Cowen on a daily basis or otherwise determine such maximum amount together with Cowen. Subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, Cowen will use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be sold by us. We may instruct Cowen not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any such instruction. We or Cowen may suspend the offering of the common stock being made through Cowen under the sales agreement upon proper notice to the other party. We and Cowen each have the right, by giving written notice as specified in the sales agreement, to terminate the sales agreement in each party’s sole discretion at any time.

The aggregate compensation payable to Cowen as sales agent shall be 3% of the gross sales price of the shares sold through it pursuant to the sales agreement.

The remaining sales proceeds, after deducting any expenses payable by us and any transaction fees imposed by any governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory organization in connection with the sales, will equal our net proceeds for the sale of such common stock.

Cowen will provide written confirmation to us following the close of trading on the NASDAQ Global Market, each day in which common stock is sold through it as sales agent under the sales agreement. Each confirmation will include the number of shares of common stock sold through it as sales agent on that day, the gross sales price per share, the net proceeds to us and the compensation payable by us to Cowen.

We will report at least quarterly the number of shares of common stock sold through Cowen under the sales agreement, the net proceeds to us and the compensation paid by us to Cowen in connection with the sales of common stock.

Settlement for sales of common stock will occur, unless the parties agree otherwise, on the third business day that is also a trading day following the date on which any sales were made in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

In connection with the sales of the common stock on our behalf, Cowen may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation paid to Cowen may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed in the sales agreement to provide indemnification and contribution to Cowen against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. As sales agent, Cowen will not engage in any transactions that stabilize our common stock. In addition, we have agreed to reimburse a portion of the expenses of Cowen in connection with this offering up to a maximum of $30,000.

We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, excluding commissions payable to Cowen under the sales agreement, will be approximately $100,000.

 

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MATERIAL FEDERAL U.S. TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK

The following is a general discussion of material U.S. federal income and estate tax considerations relating to ownership and disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder. For purposes of this discussion, the term “non-U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner (other than a partnership or other pass-through entity) of our common stock that is not, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

    an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

    a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

    an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

    a trust, if a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or if the trust has a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations.

This discussion is based on current provisions of the Code, existing and proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, current administrative rulings, and judicial decisions, all publicly available and as in effect as of the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change or to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to non-U.S. holders described in this prospectus. In addition, the IRS could challenge one or more of the tax consequences described in this prospectus and we have not obtained nor do we intend to obtain an opinion of counsel with respect to the U.S. federal income or estate tax consequences to a non-U.S. holder of acquiring, holding, and disposing of our common stock.

This discussion addresses only non-U.S. holders that hold shares of our common stock as a capital asset (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income and estate taxation that may be relevant to a particular non-U.S. holder in light of that non-U.S. holder’s individual circumstances nor does it address the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on net investment income or any aspects of U.S. state, local, or non-U.S. taxes. This discussion also does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a non-U.S. holder and does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular non-U.S. holders, such as:

 

    insurance companies;

 

    tax-exempt organizations;

 

    financial institutions;

 

    brokers or dealers in securities;

 

    regulated investment companies;

 

    pension plans;

 

    controlled foreign corporations;

 

    passive foreign investment companies;

 

    owners that hold our common stock as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security, or other integrated investment; and

 

    certain U.S. expatriates.

 

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In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships or persons who hold their common stock through partnerships or other entities that are pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A partner in a partnership or other pass-through entity that will hold our common stock should consult his, her, or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our common stock through a partnership or other pass-through entity, as applicable.

Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations of acquiring, holding, and disposing of our common stock.

Dividends

If we pay distributions on our common stock, those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holder’s investment, up to such holder’s tax basis in the common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain, subject to the tax treatment described below under the heading “—Gain on Disposition of Common Stock.”

Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence. A non-U.S. holder of our common stock who claims the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence generally will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty.

Dividends that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder within the United States are generally exempt from the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies applicable certification and disclosure requirements. However, such U.S. effectively connected income is taxed on a net income basis at the same graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence.

Gain on Disposition of Common Stock

A non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on a disposition of our common stock unless:

 

    the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the United States; in these cases, the non-U.S. holder will be taxed on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates and in the manner applicable to U.S. persons, and if the non-U.S. holder is a foreign corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, may also apply;

 

    the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met, in which case the non-U.S. holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the net gain derived from the disposition, which may be offset by U.S.-source capital losses of the non-U.S. holder, if any; or

 

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    we are, or have been at any time during the five-year period preceding such disposition (or the non-U.S. holder’s holding period, if shorter), a “U.S. real property holding corporation,” unless our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and the non-U.S. holder held no more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, directly or indirectly, during the shorter of the five year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the non-U.S. holder held our common stock. If we are determined to be a U.S. real property holding corporation and the foregoing exception does not apply, then a purchaser may withhold 10% of the proceeds payable to a non-U.S. holder from a sale of our common stock and the non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed on its net gain derived from the disposition at the graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Generally, a corporation is a “U.S. real property holding corporation” if the fair market value of its “U.S. real property interests” equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. Although there can be no assurance, we believe that we are not currently, and we do not anticipate becoming, a “U.S. real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No assurance can be provided that our common stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market for purposes of the rule described above.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the gross amount of the distributions on our common stock paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. holders may have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a U.S. person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate, currently 28%, with respect to dividends on our common stock. Generally, a non-U.S. holder will comply with such procedures if it provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable Form W-8) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a non-U.S. holder, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Dividends paid to non-U.S. holders subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, as described above under the heading “—Dividends,” will generally be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.

Information reporting and backup withholding generally will apply to the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S. holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them.

Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder can be refunded or credited against the non-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that an appropriate claim is timely filed with the IRS.

FATCA

Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (commonly referred to as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” or “FATCA”) generally impose a 30% withholding tax on dividends on, and gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock if paid to a foreign entity unless (i) if the foreign entity is a “foreign financial institution,” the foreign entity undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) if the foreign entity is not a “foreign financial institution,” the foreign entity identifies certain of its U.S. investors, or (iii) the foreign entity is otherwise excepted under FATCA.

 

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Under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations, withholding under FATCA generally applies currently to payments of dividends on our common stock and will apply to payments of gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock made after December 31, 2016. If withholding under FATCA is required on any payment related to our common stock, investors not otherwise subject to withholding (or that otherwise would be entitled to a reduced rate of withholding) on such payment may be required to seek a refund or credit from the IRS. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in our common stock and the entities through which they hold our common stock, including, without limitation, the process and deadlines for meeting the applicable requirements to prevent the imposition of the 30% withholding tax under FATCA.

Federal Estate Tax

Common stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is a non-U.S. holder (as specially defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be included in the individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes and, therefore, may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax, unless an applicable estate tax or other treaty provides otherwise.

The preceding discussion of material U.S. federal tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the particular U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed changes in applicable laws.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the issuance of the common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Cowen is being represented in connection with this offering by LeClairRyan, A Professional Corporation, Newark, New Jersey.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

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Up to $30,000,000

 

LOGO

Common Stock

PROSPECTUS

Cowen and Company

                    , 2015

 

 

 


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PART II.

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

Set forth below are estimates (except in the case of the SEC registration fee) of the amount of fees and expenses to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the offered securities, other than underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

SEC registration fee

$ 23,240   

Printing and engraving

  *   

Accounting services

  *   

Legal fees of registrant’s counsel

  *   

Transfer agent fees

  *   

Miscellaneous

  *   

Total

  *   

 

* These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”) provides, generally, that a corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (except actions by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation against all expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. A corporation may similarly indemnify such person for expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of any action or suit by or in the right of the corporation, provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in the case of claims, issues and matters as to which such person shall have been adjudged liable to the corporation, provided that a court shall have determined, upon application, that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which such court shall deem proper.

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides, generally, that our certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision may not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its shareholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. No such provision may eliminate or limit the liability of a director for any act or omission occurring prior to the date when such provision became effective.

Article Sixth of our certificate of incorporation provides that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for any monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director of Curis, except to the extent that the DGCL prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breach of fiduciary duty.

Article Eighth of our certificate of incorporation provides, in general, that we shall indemnify each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of Curis),

 

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by reason of the fact that such person is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of Curis, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve, at the request of Curis, as a director, officer or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation (including any partially or wholly owned subsidiary of the Registrant), partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including any employee benefit plan), against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding to the maximum extent permitted by the DGCL. The foregoing right of indemnification is in no way exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which any such director or officer may be entitled, under any by-law, agreement, vote of directors or stockholders or otherwise.

In addition to the indemnification provided by our certificate of incorporation and under the DGCL, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our executive officers and directors. The indemnification agreements provide that each such person:

 

    shall be indemnified by Curis against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with any litigation or other legal proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of Curis) brought against him or her by virtue of his or her position as an officer or director of Curis if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Curis, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful; and

 

    shall be indemnified by Curis against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with any action by or in the right of Curis brought against him or her by virtue of his or her position as an officer or director of Curis if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of Curis, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to Curis, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification of such expenses.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that an officer or director has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she is required to be indemnified by us against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred in connection with defending any proceeding to the extent that we do not assume the defense of such proceeding. Expenses shall be advanced to an officer or director, provided that he or she undertakes to repay the amount advanced if it is ultimately determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification for such expenses.

Indemnification is required to be made unless we determine that the applicable standard of conduct required for indemnification has not been met. As a condition precedent to the right of indemnification, the officer or director must give us notice of the action for which indemnity is sought and we have the right to participate in such action or assume the defense thereof.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy which covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of Curis arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

Item 16. Exhibits.

The exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed in the exhibit index, which appears elsewhere herein and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 17. Undertakings.

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(a)(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

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  (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act of 1933”);

 

  (ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this 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 this 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 Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

  (iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) 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 Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.

 

  (2) That, for the purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (3) 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.

 

  (4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

 

  (i) each prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

  (ii) each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

  (5)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned Registrant undertakes

 

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  that in a primary offering of securities of such 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.

 

  (6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933:

 

  (i) the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of the registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the time it was declared effective; and

 

  (ii) each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 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 this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(d) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

(e) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the indemnification provisions described herein, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 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 of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

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-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Town of Lexington, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on July 2, 2015.

 

CURIS, INC.
By:   /s/ Ali Fattaey, Ph.D.
Name:   Ali Fattaey, Ph.D.
Title:   President and Chief Executive Officer

SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned officers and directors of Curis, Inc. hereby severally constitute and appoint Ali Fattaey and Michael P. Gray, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power to any of them, and to each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below the Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed herewith and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to said Registration Statement, and any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with said Registration Statement, and to file or cause to be filed the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and generally to do all such things in our name and on our behalf in our capacities as officers and directors to enable Curis, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys, and each of them, or their substitute or substitutes, shall 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.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Ali Fattaey, Ph.D.

Ali Fattaey, Ph.D.

  

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

  July 2, 2015

/s/ Michael P. Gray

Michael P. Gray

  

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

  July 2, 2015

/s/ James R. McNab, Jr.

James R. McNab, Jr.

  

Chairman of the Board of Directors

  July 2, 2015

/s/ Daniel R. Passeri

Daniel R. Passeri

  

Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

  July 2, 2015

/s/ Martyn D. Greenacre

Martyn D. Greenacre

  

Director

  July 2, 2015

 

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/s/ Kenneth I. Kaitin, Ph.D.

Kenneth I. Kaitin, Ph.D.

Director

July 2, 2015

/s/ Robert Martell, M.D., Ph.D.

Robert Martell, M.D., Ph.D.

Director

July 2, 2015

/s/ Kenneth Pienta, M.D.

Kenneth Pienta, M.D.

Director

July 2, 2015

/s/ Marc Rubin, M.D.

Marc Rubin, M.D.

Director

July 2, 2015

/s/ James R. Tobin

James R. Tobin

Director

July 2, 2015

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description

  1*    Form of Underwriting Agreement.
  1.2    Sales Agreement, dated July 2, 2015, by and between Curis, Inc. and Cowen and Company, LLC.
  4.1    Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Curis, Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Joint Proxy Statement-Prospectus on Form S-4/A, filed on June 19, 2000 (File No. 333-32446)).
  4.2    Amended and Restated By-laws of Curis, Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed on November 29, 2000 (File No. 333-50906)).
  4.3    Amendment to Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Curis, Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on June 3, 2013).
  4.4    Amendment to Amended and Restated By-laws of Curis, Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on September 24, 2007).
  4.5    Form of the Registrant’s Common Stock Certificate. Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 2, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference.
  4.6    Certificate of Designations of Curis, Inc. (incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, filed on August 10, 2001 (File No. 333-50906)).
  4.7*    Form of Warrant Agreement.
  5.1    Opinion of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.
12.1    Calculation of Consolidated Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends
23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for Curis, Inc.
23.2    Consent of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1    Powers of Attorney (included in the signature pages to the Registration Statement).

 

* To be filed by amendment or by a Current Report on Form 8-K.

Exhibit 1.2

EXECUTION COPY

CURIS, INC.

$30,000,000

SALES AGREEMENT

July 2, 2015

Cowen and Company, LLC

599 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Curis, Inc. (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with Cowen and Company, LLC (“Cowen”), as follows:

1. Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through Cowen, acting as agent and/or principal, shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $30,000,000. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitation set forth in this Section 1 on the number of shares of Common Stock issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and Cowen shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of Common Stock through Cowen will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement (as defined below) to issue the Common Stock.

The Company shall file, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3, including one or more base prospectuses, relating to certain securities, including the Common Stock, to be issued from time to time by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”). The Company will, if necessary, prepare a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Common Stock to be issued from time to time by the Company pursuant to this Agreement (the “Prospectus Supplement”). The Company will furnish to Cowen, for use by Cowen, copies of the prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented, if at all, by the Prospectus Supplement relating to the Common Stock to be issued from time to time by the Company pursuant to this Agreement. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, as amended when it becomes effective, including all documents filed as


part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B or 462(b) of the Securities Act, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The prospectus specifically relating to the Common Stock to be issued from time to time by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form in which such prospectus and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, together with any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (“Rule 433”), relating to such Common Stock that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (ii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i), in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g), is herein called the “Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”). For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to either the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System or Interactive Data Electronic Applications (collectively “IDEA”).

2. Placements. Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell Common Stock hereunder (each, a “Placement”), it will notify Cowen by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) (a “Placement Notice”) containing the parameters in accordance with which it desires the Common Stock to be sold, which shall at a minimum include the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued (the “Placement Shares”), the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of shares of Common Stock that may be sold in any one Trading Day (as defined in Section 3) and any minimum price below which sales may not be made, a form of which containing such minimum sales parameters necessary is attached hereto as Schedule 1. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company whose names are set forth on Schedule 2 (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company whose names are listed on such schedule), and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from Cowen whose names are set forth on Schedule 2, as such Schedule 2 may be amended in writing from time to time. The Placement Notice shall be effective upon receipt by Cowen unless and until (i) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, Cowen declines to accept the terms contained therein for any reason, in its sole discretion, (ii) the entire amount of the Placement Shares have been sold, (iii) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, the Company suspends or terminates the Placement Notice for any reason, in its sole discretion, (iv) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice with parameters superseding those on the earlier dated Placement Notice, or (v) the Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 11. The amount of any commission to be paid by the Company to Cowen in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in

 

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Schedule 3. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor Cowen will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to Cowen and Cowen does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control.

3. Sale of Placement Shares by Cowen.

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Company’s issuance of a Placement Notice, and unless the sale of the Placement Shares described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, Cowen, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) to sell such Placement Shares up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. Cowen will provide written confirmation to the Company (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the Company whose names are set forth on Schedule 2, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Shares sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to Cowen pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by Cowen (as set forth in Section 5(a)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales. Cowen may sell Placement Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including without limitation sales made through Nasdaq, on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock or to or through a market maker. If expressly authorized by the Company in a Placement Notice, Cowen may also sell Placement Shares in privately negotiated transactions. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6(ee), Cowen shall not purchase Placement Shares for its own account as principal unless expressly authorized to do so by the Company in a Placement Notice. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that Cowen will be successful in selling Placement Shares, and (ii) Cowen will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Shares for any reason other than a failure by Cowen to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Shares as required under this Section 3. For the purposes hereof, “Trading Day” means any day on which the Company’s Common Stock is traded on Nasdaq.

(b) During the term of this Agreement, neither Cowen nor any of its affiliates or subsidiaries shall engage in (any market making, bidding, stabilization or other trading activity with regard to the Common Stock or related derivative securities if such activity would be prohibited under Regulation M or other anti-manipulation rules under the Securities Act or any other law applicable to the Company.

 

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4. Suspension of Sales. The Company or Cowen may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party whose names are set forth on Schedule 2, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party whose names are set forth on Schedule 2), suspend any sale of Placement Shares; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. Each of the Parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against the other unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Schedule 2 hereto, as such schedule may be amended from time to time.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information, the Company and Cowen agree that (i) no sale of Placement Shares will take place, (ii) the Company shall not request the sale of any Placement Shares, and (iii) Cowen shall not be obligated to sell or offer to sell any Placement Shares.

5. Settlement.

(a) Settlement of Placement Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Shares will occur on the third (3rd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a “Settlement Date”). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Shares sold (the “Net Proceeds”) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by Cowen at which such Placement Shares were sold, after deduction for (i) Cowen’s commission for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof and as set forth on Schedule 3 hereto, and (ii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.

(b) Delivery of Placement Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Shares being sold by crediting Cowen’s or its designee’s account (provided Cowen shall have given the Company written notice of such designee at least one Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradeable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, Cowen will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Shares on a Settlement Date through no fault of Cowen, then the Company agrees that in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 9(a) (Indemnification and Contribution) hereto, it will (i) hold Cowen harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonable documented expense (including reasonable documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company and

 

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(ii) pay to Cowen any commission to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.

6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (including the Incorporated Documents), the Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, Cowen that, unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies otherwise, as of each Applicable Time (as defined in Section 20 (a)):

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. As of each Applicable Time other than the date of this Agreement, the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information related to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The proposed offering of the Placement Shares may be made pursuant to General Instruction I.B.1. of Form S-3.

(b) No Misstatement or Omission. The Prospectus when filed complied and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied and, as of each of the Settlement Dates, if any, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and, as of each of the Settlement Dates, if any, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date, did not and, as of each of the Settlement Dates, if any, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to Cowen furnished to the Company in writing by Cowen expressly for use therein. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

(c) Offering Materials Furnished to Cowen. The Company has delivered to Cowen one complete copy of the Registration Statement and a copy of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits) and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as Cowen has reasonably requested.

(d) Distribution of Offering Material by the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the completion of Cowen’s distribution of the

 

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Common Stock, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Common Stock contemplated by this Agreement other than the Prospectus.

(e) The Sales Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(f) Authorization of the Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock to be sold by Cowen, acting as agent and/or principal for the Company, have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company to Cowen pursuant to this Agreement against payment therefor as provided herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(g) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

(h) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for regular quarterly dividends publicly announced by the Company or dividends paid to the Company, or other subsidiaries, by any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

(i) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission or incorporated by reference as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

(j) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements, together with the related notes and schedules, filed with the Commission as a part of or incorporated within the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. The

 

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supporting schedules included in or incorporated in the Registration Statement present fairly, in all material respects, the information required to be stated therein. Such financial statements and supporting schedules have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in or incorporated in the Registration Statement. The financial data set forth or incorporated in the Prospectus under the captions “Selected Financial Data” and the “Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges” exhibit fairly present, in all material respects, the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained, incorporated or deemed to be incorporated in the Registration Statement.

(k) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the each Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(l) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has no significant subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 1-02 (w) of Regulation S-X of the Exchange Act). The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or foreign partnership to transact business and is in good standing in the State of Massachusetts and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or foreign partnership to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such jurisdictions (other than the State of Massachusetts in the case of the Company) where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year and other than (i) those subsidiaries not required to be listed on Exhibit 21.1 by Item 601 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act and (ii) those subsidiaries formed since the last day of the most recently ended fiscal year.

(m) Capital Stock Matters. The Common Stock conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those accurately described in all material respects in the Prospectus. The description of the

 

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Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents in all material respects the information with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

(n) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, except for such conflicts, breaches, Defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act or as may be required under applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from Nasdaq and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

(o) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (i) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) relating to environmental or discrimination matters, where in any such case (A) there is a reasonable possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined adversely to the Company or such subsidiary and (B) any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent.

(p) All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and each subsidiary possesses such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses, other than those the failure to possess or own would not result in a Material Adverse Change, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the

 

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revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could result in a Material Adverse Change.

(q) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have filed all federal, state and foreign income, property and franchise tax returns which have been required to be filed and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them, except as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section (j) above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income, property and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

(r) Company Not an “Investment Company”. The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Common Stock will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act.

(s) Insurance. Except as otherwise described in the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries are insured in such amounts and covering such risks as are generally deemed prudent and customary for the business for which it is engaged.

(t) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Common Stock.

(u) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions, as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act, involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other person required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described as required.

(v) Exchange Act Compliance. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time of each sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(w) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any of its executive officers, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus.

 

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(x) Company’s Accounting System. The Company maintains a system of accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(y) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as otherwise described in the Prospectus, and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law or regulation relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including without limitation, laws and regulations relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum and petroleum products (collectively, “Materials of Environmental Concern”), or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Materials of Environment Concern (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), which violation includes, but is not limited to, noncompliance with any permits or other governmental authorizations required for the operation of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries under applicable Environmental Laws, or noncompliance with the terms and conditions thereof, nor has the Company received any written communication, whether from a governmental authority, citizens group, employee or otherwise, that alleges that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any Environmental Law; (ii) there is no claim, action or cause of action filed with a court or governmental authority, no investigation with respect to which the Company has received written notice, and no written notice by any person or entity alleging potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs, governmental responses costs, natural resources damages, property damages, personal injuries, attorneys’ fees or penalties arising out of, based on or resulting from the presence, or release into the environment, of any Material of Environmental Concern at any location owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, now or in the past (collectively, “Environmental Claims”), pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing against the Company or any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law; and (iii) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no past or present actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events or incidents, including, without limitation, the release, emission, discharge, presence or disposal of any Material of Environmental Concern; in each case that reasonably could result in a violation of any Environmental Law or form the basis of a potential Environmental Claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any of its subsidiaries has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law, except, in the case of any of clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above, for any such claim or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change.

 

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(z) Intellectual Property. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries own or, to the knowledge of the Company, possess, license or have other enforceable rights to use all (i) valid and enforceable patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, Internet domain name registrations, copyrights, copyright registrations, licenses and trade secret rights (“Intellectual Property Rights”) and (ii) inventions, software, works of authorship, trade names, databases, formulae, know how, Internet domain names and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary confidential information, systems, or procedures) (collectively, “Intellectual Property Assets”) necessary to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted, except to the extent that the failure to own or possess rights to use such Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company has not received any opinion from their legal counsel concluding that any activities of their respective businesses infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person, and have not received written notice of any proceeding, suit, or legal action, which is, to their knowledge, still pending, by any other person challenging the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to any Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets owned or used by the Company. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s businesses as now conducted do not constitute infringement of, misappropriation of, or other violation of, any valid and enforceable Intellectual Property Rights of any other person. All licenses for the use of the Intellectual Property Rights described in the Prospectus to which the Company is a party are, to the Company’s knowledge, valid, binding upon, and enforceable by or against the parties thereto in accordance to their terms. The Company has complied in all material respects with, and is not in material breach nor has received any written notice of any asserted or threatened claim of material breach of, any intellectual property license to which the Company is a party, and the Company has no knowledge of any material breach by any other person to any intellectual property license to which the Company is a party. Except as described in the Prospectus, no claim has been made in writing to the Company alleging the infringement by the Company of any Intellectual Property Rights of any person. The Company has taken all reasonable steps to protect, maintain and safeguard its Intellectual Property Rights, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in the loss or impairment of or payment of any additional amounts with respect to, nor require the consent of any other person in respect of, the Company’s right to own, use, or hold for use any of the Intellectual Property Rights as owned, used or held by the Company for use in the conduct of the business of the Company as currently conducted.

(aa) Compliance with Certain Laws, Rules, Procedures, Etc. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, the conduct, by or on behalf of the Company, of the preclinical and clinical testing and manufacture of the products of the Company is in compliance, in all material respects, with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to such activities, including without limitation applicable good laboratory practices, good clinical practices and good manufacturing practices, except for such non-compliance as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. The descriptions of the results of such tests and trials contained in the Prospectus are accurate in all material respects. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus,

 

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the Company has not received notice of adverse finding, warning letter or clinical hold notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or any non-U.S. counterpart thereof, or any untitled letter or other written correspondence or notice from the FDA or any other governmental authority or agency or any institutional or ethical review board, alleging or asserting noncompliance with any law, rule or regulation applicable to the Company’s products in any jurisdiction, except any of the foregoing alleging or asserting such noncompliance as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, (i) the Company has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted or issued, or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any investigator notice, or other written notice or action, relating to an alleged material violation of any material applicable law, rule, regulation or any clinical trial, (ii) the Company is not aware of any facts or information that would cause it to initiate any such notice or action and has no knowledge or reason to believe the FDA, the European Medicines Agency or any other governmental agency or authority or any institutional or ethical review board or other non-governmental authority intends to impose, require, request or suggest such notice or action, except, in the case of (i) or (ii), with respect to any circumstances as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company has not received and is otherwise not aware of any written notices, written correspondence or other written communication from the FDA or other governmental regulatory agency or subdivision thereof, or any institutional or ethical review boards, asserting material non-compliance with any applicable statutes, rules, regulations, orders, or other laws applicable to, or requiring or requesting the termination or suspension of, any preclinical or clinical studies, tests, investigations, or trials conducted by, or on behalf of, the Company or in which the Company has participated, except such notices, correspondence or other written communication with respect to any of the foregoing as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

(bb) Brokers. Other than Cowen, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or Cowen any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(cc) No Outstanding Loans or Other Indebtedness. Except as described in the Prospectus, there are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of the members of any of them.

(dd) No Reliance. The Company has not relied upon Cowen or legal counsel for Cowen for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Placement Shares.

(ee) Cowen Purchases. The Company acknowledges and agrees that Cowen has informed the Company that Cowen may, to the extent permitted under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any other applicable law, purchase and sell shares of Common Stock for its own account while this Agreement is in effect, provided, that (i) no such purchase or sales shall take place while a Placement Notice is in effect (except to the extent Cowen may engage in sales

 

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of Placement Shares purchased or deemed purchased from the Company as a “riskless principal” or in a similar capacity) and (ii) the Company shall not be deemed to have authorized or consented to any such purchases or sales by Cowen.

(ff) Compliance with Laws. To the Company’s knowledge, it and each of its subsidiaries are conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to Cowen or to counsel for Cowen shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to Cowen as to the matters set forth therein.

The Company acknowledges that Cowen and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 7 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to Cowen, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with Cowen that:

(a) Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Cowen under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), (i) the Company will notify Cowen promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference or supplements not related to any Placement, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement (insofar as it relates to the transactions contemplated hereby) or Prospectus or for additional information, (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon Cowen’s reasonable request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in Cowen’s reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Shares by Cowen (provided, however, that the failure of Cowen to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect Cowen’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that the only remedy Cowen shall have with respect to the failure to make such filing shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement until such amendment or supplement is filed); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to the Placement Shares or a security convertible into the Placement Shares unless a copy thereof has been submitted to Cowen within a reasonable period of time before the filing and Cowen has not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, that (A) the failure of Cowen to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect Cowen’s right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and (B) the Company has no obligation to provide Cowen any advance copy of such filing or to provide Cowen an opportunity to object to such filing if the filing does not name Cowen or does not relate to the transaction herein provided; and provided, further, that the only remedy Cowen shall

 

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have with respect to the failure by the Company to obtain such consent shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to Cowen at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via IDEA; and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act.

(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise Cowen, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and it will promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued.

(c) Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Cowen under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Shares, (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as from time to time in force, and to file on or before their respective due dates (taking into account any extensions available under the Exchange Act) all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company will promptly notify Cowen to suspend the offering of Placement Shares during such period and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, provided, however, that the Company may delay any such amendment or supplement if, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, it is in the best interests of the Company to do so. Until such time as the Company shall have corrected such statement or omission or effected such compliance, the Company shall not notify Cowen to resume the offering of Placement Shares.

(d) Listing of Placement Shares. During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Cowen under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Shares (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Shares to be listed on Nasdaq and to qualify the Placement Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as Cowen

 

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reasonably designates and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or dealer in securities or file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.

(e) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to Cowen and its counsel (at the reasonable expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities as Cowen may from time to time reasonably request and, at Cowen’s request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Placement Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to Cowen to the extent such document is available on IDEA.

(f) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement covering a 12-month period that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 of the Securities Act.

(g) Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 hereunder, will pay the following expenses all incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, but not limited to, expenses relating to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and each amendment and supplement thereto, of each Prospectus and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Placement Shares, (iii) the qualification of the Placement Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(d) of this Agreement, including filing fees (provided, however, that any fees or disbursements of counsel for Cowen in connection therewith shall be paid by Cowen except as set forth in (vii) below), (iv) the printing and delivery to Cowen of copies of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and of this Agreement, (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing or qualification of the Placement Shares for trading on Nasdaq, (vi) filing fees and expenses, if any, of the Commission and the FINRA Corporate Financing Department and (vii) the reasonable fees and disbursements of Cowen’s counsel not to exceed $30,000.

(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”

(i) Notice of Other Sales. During the pendency of any Placement Notice given hereunder, and for 5 trading days following the termination of any Placement Notice given hereunder, the Company shall provide Cowen notice as promptly as reasonably practicable before it offers to sell, contracts to sell, sells, grants any option to sell or otherwise disposes of any shares of Common Stock (other than Placement Shares offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or

 

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any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock; provided, that such notice shall not be required in connection with the (i) issuance, grant or sale of Common Stock, options to purchase shares of Common Stock or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or other equity awards pursuant to the any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Prospectus, (ii) the issuance of securities in connection with an acquisition, merger or sale or purchase of assets, (iii) the issuance or sale of Common Stock pursuant to any dividend reinvestment plan that the Company may adopt from time to time provided the implementation of such is disclosed to Cowen in advance, (iv) any shares of common stock issuable upon the exchange, conversion or redemption of securities or the exercise of warrants, options or other rights in effect or outstanding or (v) issuance of Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock, offered and sold in a privately negotiated transaction to vendors, customers, strategic partners or other investors conducted in a manner so as not to be integrated with the offering of Common Stock hereby.

(j) Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during the pendency of a Placement Notice, advise Cowen promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to Cowen pursuant to this Agreement.

(k) Due Diligence Cooperation. During the term of this Agreement, the Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by Cowen or its agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as Cowen may reasonably request.

(l) Required Filings Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Company agrees that on such dates as the Securities Act shall require, the Company will (i) file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (each and every filing under Rule 424(b), a “Filing Date”), which prospectus supplement will set forth, within the relevant period, the amount of Placement Shares sold through Cowen, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to Cowen with respect to such Placement Shares, and (ii) deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market.

(m) Representation Dates; Certificate. On or prior to the date of the first Placement Notice and each time the Company subsequently thereafter (i) files the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares or amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares (other than a prospectus supplement filed in accordance with Section 7(l) of this Agreement) by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of document(s) by reference to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares; (ii) files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act; (iii) files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or (iv) files a report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information “furnished” pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassification of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange

 

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Act (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a “Representation Date”); the Company shall furnish Cowen with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) within five (5) Trading Days of any Representation Date if requested by Cowen (but in the case of clause (iv) above only if Cowen reasonably determines that the information contained in such Form 8-K is material). The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(m) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide Cowen with a certificate under this Section 7(m), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or Cowen sells any Placement Shares, the Company shall provide Cowen with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m), dated the date of the Placement Notice.

(n) Legal Opinion. On or prior to date of the first Placement Notice and within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(n) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to Cowen a written opinion of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to Cowen, in form and substance satisfactory to Cowen and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(n)(i) and Exhibit 7(n)(ii), respectively, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, the Company shall be required to furnish to Cowen no more than one opinion hereunder per calendar quarter; provided, further, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish Cowen with a letter (a “Reliance Letter”) to the effect that Cowen may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(n) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation Date).

(o) Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date of the first Placement Notice and within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause its independent accountants to furnish Cowen a letter (the “Comfort Letter”), dated the date of the Comfort Letter is delivered, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Cowen, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the PCAOB, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to Cowen in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the “Initial Comfort Letter”) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.

 

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(p) Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or would reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Common Stock or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Common Stock to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Placement Shares other than Cowen; provided, however, that the Company may bid for and purchase shares of its common stock in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act.

(q) Insurance. The Company shall maintain, or caused to be maintained, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonable and customary for the business for which it is engaged.

(r) Compliance with Laws. The Company will use its best efforts to maintain, or cause to be maintained, all material environmental permits, licenses and other authorizations required by federal, state and local law in order to conduct their businesses as described in the Prospectus, and the Company shall conduct its businesses, or cause its businesses to be conducted, in substantial compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations and with applicable environmental laws, except where the failure to maintain or be in compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change.

(s) Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that it will not be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act, assuming no change in the Commission’s current interpretation as to entities that are not considered an investment company.

(t) Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will use its best efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Placement Shares as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.

(u) No Offer to Sell. Other than a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) approved in advance by the Company and Cowen in its capacity as principal or agent hereunder, neither Cowen nor the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than Cowen in its capacity as such) will make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act), required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Placement Shares hereunder.

(v) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all effective applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

8. Conditions to Cowen’s Obligations. The obligations of Cowen hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein, to the due performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, to the completion by Cowen of a due diligence review

 

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satisfactory to Cowen in its reasonable judgment, and to the continuing satisfaction (or waiver by Cowen in its sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:

(a) Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall be effective and shall be available for (i) all sales of Placement Shares issued to Cowen and not yet sold by Cowen and (ii) the sale of all Placement Shares contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice.

(b) No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus or such documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. Cowen shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in Cowen’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in Cowen’s opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(d) Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any material adverse change, on a consolidated basis, in the authorized capital stock of the Company or any Material Adverse Change or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, or any downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities) by any rating organization or a public announcement by any rating organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities), the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a rating organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of Cowen (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Placement Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

 

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(e) Company Counsel Legal Opinion. Cowen shall have received the opinion of Company Counsel required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(n) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(n).

(f) Cowen Counsel Legal Opinion. Cowen shall have received from LeClairRyan, A Professional Corporation, counsel for Cowen, such opinion or opinions, on or before the date on which the delivery of the Company Counsel legal opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(n), with respect to such matters as Cowen may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(g) Comfort Letter. Cowen shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(o) on or before the date on which such delivery of such Comfort Letter is required pursuant to Section 7(o).

(h) Representation Certificate. Cowen shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(m).

(i) No Suspension. Trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended on Nasdaq.

(j) Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.

(k) Approval for Listing. The Placement Shares shall either have been (i) approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject only to notice of issuance, or (ii) the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Shares on the Nasdaq Global Market at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.

(l) No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit Cowen to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 11(a).

9. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Company Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Cowen, the directors, officers, partners, employees and agents of Cowen and each person, if any, who (i) controls Cowen within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with Cowen (a “Cowen Affiliate”) from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including, but not limited to, any and all reasonable investigative, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any and all amounts paid in settlement (in accordance with Section 9(c)) of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), as and when incurred, to which Cowen, or any such person, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at

 

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common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based, directly or indirectly, on (x) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any free writing prospectus or in any application or other document executed by or on behalf of the Company in connection with this Agreement or based on written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Common Stock under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, (y) the omission or alleged omission to state in any such document a material fact required to be stated in it or necessary to make the statements in it not misleading or (z) any breach by any of the indemnifying parties of any of their respective representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement; provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement and is caused directly or indirectly by an untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to Cowen and furnished to the Company by Cowen expressly for inclusion in any document as described in clause (x) of this Section 9(a). This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.

(b) Cowen Indemnification. Cowen agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors and each officer of the Company that signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company (a “Company Affiliate”) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 9(a), as and when incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendments thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to Cowen and furnished to the Company by Cowen expressly for inclusion in any document as described in clause (x) of Section 9(a).

(c) Procedure. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 9 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 9, notify each such indemnifying party in writing of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the failure so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 9 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provision of this Section 9 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and

 

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except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (3) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (4) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 9 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (1) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding and (2) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 9 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or Cowen, the Company and Cowen will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than Cowen, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company and Cowen may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and Cowen on the other. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and Cowen on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total Net Proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by Cowen from the sale of Placement Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the

 

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one hand, and Cowen, on the other, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or Cowen, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and Cowen agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 9(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense, or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 9(d) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 9(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 9(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 9(d), Cowen shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 9(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of Cowen, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer and director of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 9(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 9(d) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 9(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof.

10. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 9 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of Cowen, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Placement Shares and payment therefor or (iii) following any termination of this Agreement.

11. Termination.

(a) Cowen shall have the right by giving notice as hereinafter specified at any time to terminate this Agreement if (i) any Material Adverse Change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change has occurred that, in the

 

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reasonable judgment of Cowen, may materially impair the ability of Cowen to sell the Placement Shares hereunder, (ii) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder; provided, however, in the case of any failure of the Company to deliver (or cause another person to deliver) any certification, opinion, or letter required under Sections 7(m), 7(n), or 7(o), Cowen’s right to terminate shall not arise unless such failure to deliver (or cause to be delivered) continues for more than thirty (30) days from the date such delivery was required, (iii) any other condition of Cowen’s obligations hereunder is not fulfilled or (iv) any suspension or limitation of trading in the Placement Shares or in securities generally on Nasdaq shall have occurred. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g) (Expenses), Section 9 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 10 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 16 (Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 17 (Waiver of Jury Trial) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. If Cowen elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 11(a), Cowen shall provide the required notice as specified in Section 12 (Notices).

(b) The Company shall have the right, by giving five (5) days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(c) Cowen shall have the right, by giving five (5) days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(d) Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 11, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Shares through Cowen on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein; provided that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(e) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 11(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 shall remain in full force and effect.

(f) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by Cowen or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Shares, such Placement Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

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(g) Subject to the additional limitations set forth in Section 7 of this Agreement, in the event of termination of this Agreement prior to the sale of any Placement Shares, Cowen shall be entitled only to reimbursement of its out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred.

12. Notices. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, and if sent to Cowen, shall be delivered to Cowen at Cowen and Company, LLC, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, fax no. 646-562-1124, Attention: General Counsel; with a copy to LeClairRyan, A Professional Corporation, 885 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Attention: James T. Seery, fax no: 973-491-3415, email: [email protected], or if sent to the Company, shall be delivered to Curis, Inc., 4 Maguire Road, Lexington, MA 02421, fax no. 617-503-6500, Attention: Chief Financial and Chief Business Officer and General Counsel, with a copy to Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02108, Attention: Steven D. Singer, Esq. and Cynthia Mazareas, Esq. email [email protected] and [email protected], fax no: 617-526-5000. Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally or by verifiable facsimile transmission (with an original to follow) on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day (as defined below), or, if such day is not a Business Day on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier, (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid), and (iv) if sent by email, on the Business Day on which receipt is confirmed by the individual to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply. For purposes of this Agreement, “Business Day” shall mean any day on which Nasdaq and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.

An electronic communication (“Electronic Notice”) shall be deemed written notice for purposes of this Section 12 if sent to the electronic mail address specified by the receiving party under separate cover. Any party receiving Electronic Notice may request and shall be entitled to receive the notice on paper, in a nonelectronic form (“Nonelectronic Notice”) which shall be sent to the requesting party within ten (10) days of receipt of the written request for Nonelectronic Notice.

13. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and Cowen and their respective successors and the affiliates, controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 9 hereof. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, however, that Cowen may assign its rights and obligations hereunder to an affiliate of Cowen without obtaining the Company’s consent, so long as such affiliate is a registered broker-dealer.

 

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14. Adjustments for Share Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any share split, share dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Common Stock.

15. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and Cowen. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement.

16. Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the non-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 with any transaction contemplated hereby, 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 brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. 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 (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law.

17. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and Cowen each hereby irrevocably waives any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby.

18. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) Cowen has been retained solely to act as sales agent in connection with the sale of the Common Stock and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and Cowen has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether Cowen has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;

(b) the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

26


(c) the Company has been advised that Cowen and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that Cowen has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

(d) the Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against Cowen, for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the sale of Placement Shares under this Agreement and agrees that Cowen shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, partners, employees or creditors of the Company.

19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile or other electronic transmission.

20. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following term has the meaning set forth below:

(a) “Applicable Time” means the date of this Agreement, each Representation Date, the date on which a Placement Notice is given, and any date on which Placement Shares are sold hereunder.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]

 

27


If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and Cowen, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and Cowen.

 

Very truly yours,
COWEN AND COMPANY, LLC
By:

/s/ Grant Miller

Name: Grant Miller
Title: Managing Director

ACCEPTED as of the date

first-above written:

CURIS, INC.
By:

/s/ Michael P. Gray

Name: Michael P. Gray
Title:

Chief Financial Officer and

Chief Business Officer

[Signature Page to Sales Agreement]


SCHEDULE 1

FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE

 

From: [                                         ]
Cc: [                                         ]
To: [                                         ]
Subject: Cowen at the Market Offering—Placement Notice

Gentlemen:

Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Sales Agreement between Curis, Inc. (the “Company”), and Cowen and Company, LLC (“Cowen”) dated July 2, 2015 (the “Agreement”), I hereby request on behalf of the Company that Cowen sell up to [                ] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value 0.01 per share, at a minimum market price of $         per share. Sales should begin on the date of this Notice and shall continue until [DATE] [all shares are sold].


SCHEDULE 2

 

The Company
Dr. Ali Fattaey President and Chief Executive Officer
Michael P. Gray Chief Financial and Chief Business Officer
Cowen
Robert Sine Director
William Follis Director


SCHEDULE 3

Compensation

Cowen shall be paid compensation equal to 3% of the gross proceeds from the sales of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.


Exhibit 7(m)

OFFICER CERTIFICATE

The undersigned, the duly qualified and elected                                         , of Curis, Inc. (“Company”), a Delaware corporation, does hereby certify in such capacity and on behalf of the Company, pursuant to Section 7(m) of the Sales Agreement dated July 2, 2015 (the “Sales Agreement”) between the Company and Cowen and Company, LLC, that to the best of the knowledge of the undersigned.

(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in Section 6 of the Sales Agreement (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are subject to qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality or Material Adverse Change, are true and correct on and as of the date hereof with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof, except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were true and correct as of such date, and (B) to the extent such representations and warranties are not subject to any qualifications or exceptions, are true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof as if made on and as of the date hereof with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were true and correct as of such date; and

(ii) The Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied pursuant to the Sales Agreement at or prior to the date hereof.

 

CURIS, INC.
By:

 

Name:
Title:

 

Date:  

Exhibit 5.1

 

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+1 212 230 8800 (t)

+1 212 230 8888 (f)

wilmerhale.com

July 2, 2015

Curis, Inc.

4 Maguire Road

Lexington, MA 02421

 

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”) filed by Curis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) for the purpose of registering with the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the following securities of the Company (the “Securities”):

 

  1. common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”);

 

  2. preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”); and

 

  3. warrants to purchase Common Stock or Preferred Stock (the “Warrants”)

all of which may be issued from time to time on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act as set forth in the Registration Statement, the base prospectus contained therein (the “Prospectus”) and any amendments or supplements thereto at an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $200,000,000.

We are acting as counsel for the Company in connection with the registration for sale of the Securities, including in connection with an offering of shares of Common Stock as set forth in the Registration Statement and the sales agreement prospectus contained therein (the “Sales Agreement Prospectus”) having an aggregate offering price of up to $30,000,000 of shares of Common Stock that may be issued and sold (the “Sales Agreement Shares”) under a Sales Agreement, dated July 2, 2015, between the Company and Cowen and Company, LLC (the “Sales Agreement”).

We are also acting as counsel for the Company in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement. The preferences, limitations and relative rights of shares of any series of Preferred Stock will be set forth in a Certificate of Designation (a “Certificate of Designation”) with respect thereto. The Warrants may be issued pursuant to a warrant agreement (the “Warrant Agreement”) between the Company and a bank or trust company as warrant agent.

We have examined and relied upon signed copies of the Registration Statement as filed with the Commission, including the exhibits thereto. We have also examined and relied upon the Sales

 

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Curis, Inc.

July 2, 2015

Page 2

 

Agreement, the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (as amended or restated from time to time, the “Certificate of Incorporation”), the Bylaws of the Company (as amended or restated from time to time, the “Bylaws”) and minutes of meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors of the Company as provided to us by the Company.

In our examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents and the legal capacity of all signatories to such documents.

We have relied as to certain matters on information obtained from public officials and officers of the Company, and we have assumed that (i) other than for the Sales Agreement Shares, one or more prospectus supplements will have been prepared and filed with the Commission describing the Securities offered thereby; (ii) all Securities will be issued and sold in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and in the manner stated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Sales Agreement Prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement; (iii) any Warrant Agreement will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by all parties thereto other than the Company; (iv) other than for the Sales Agreement Shares, a definitive purchase, underwriting or similar agreement with respect to any Securities offered will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by all parties thereto other than the Company; (v) any Securities issuable upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any Security being offered will be duly authorized, created and, if appropriate, reserved for issuance upon such conversion, exchange or exercise; (vi) with respect to shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock offered, there will be sufficient shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock authorized under the Certificate of Incorporation and not otherwise reserved for issuance; and (vii) the Company will be validly existing as a corporation and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

We are expressing no opinion herein as to the application of any federal or state law or regulation to the power, authority or competence of any party to any agreement with respect to any of the Securities other than the Company. We have assumed that such agreements are, or will be, the valid and binding obligations of each party thereto other than the Company, and enforceable against each such other party in accordance with their respective terms.

We have assumed for purposes of our opinions below that no authorization, approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing with, any governmental authority or regulatory body or any other third party is required for the due execution, delivery or performance by the Company or, if any such authorization, approval, consent, action, notice or filing is required, it will have been duly obtained, taken, given or made and will be in full force and effect. We have also assumed that the execution and delivery by the Company of the Warrant Agreement and the Securities and the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder do not and will not violate, conflict with or constitute a default under (i) any agreement or instrument to which the Company


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Curis, Inc.

July 2, 2015

Page 3

 

or any of its properties is subject, (ii) any law, rule, or regulation to which the Company or any of its properties is subject or (iii) any judicial or regulatory order or decree of any governmental authority.

We have also assumed that there will not have occurred, prior to the date of issuance of the Securities, any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of such Securities and that at the time of the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Board of Directors of the Company (or any committee thereof acting pursuant to authority properly delegated to such committee by the Board of Directors) shall not have taken any action to rescind or otherwise reduce its prior authorization of the issuance of the Securities.

Our opinions below are qualified to the extent that they may be subject to or affected by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, usury, fraudulent conveyance or similar laws relating to or affecting the rights or remedies of creditors generally, (ii) duties and standards imposed on creditors and parties to contracts, including, without limitation, requirements of materiality, good faith, reasonableness and fair dealing and (iii) general equitable principles. Furthermore, we express no opinion as to the availability of any equitable or specific remedy upon any breach of any of the agreements as to which we are opining herein, or any of the agreements, documents or obligations referred to therein, or to the successful assertion of any equitable defenses, inasmuch as the availability of such remedies or the success of any equitable defenses may be subject to the discretion of a court. We express no opinion herein as to the laws of any state or jurisdiction other than the state laws of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States of America. We also express no opinion herein with respect to compliance by the Company with the securities or “blue sky” laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States or of any foreign jurisdiction. In addition, we express no opinion and make no statement herein with respect to the antifraud laws of any jurisdiction.

We also express no opinion herein as to any provision of any agreement (i) that may be deemed to or construed to waive any right of the Company, (ii) to the effect that rights and remedies are not exclusive, that every right or remedy is cumulative and may be exercised in addition to or with any other right or remedy and does not preclude recourse to one or more other rights or remedies, (iii) relating to the effect of invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of any agreement on the validity or enforceability of any other provision thereof, (iv) that is in violation of public policy, (v) relating to indemnification and contribution with respect to securities law matters, (vi) which provides that the terms of any agreement may not be waived or modified except in writing, (vii) purporting to indemnify any person against his, her or its own negligence or intentional misconduct, (viii) requiring the payment of penalties, consequential damages or liquidated damages or (ix) relating to choice of law or consent to jurisdiction.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:


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Curis, Inc.

July 2, 2015

Page 4

 

  1. With respect to the Common Stock (other than the Sales Agreement Shares), when (i) specifically authorized for issuance by proper action of the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee thereof (the “Authorizing Resolutions”), (ii) the terms of the issuance and sale of the Common Stock have been duly established in conformity with the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, (iii) the shares of Common Stock have been issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and (iv) the Company has received the consideration provided for in the Authorizing Resolutions and such consideration per share is not less than the par value per share of the Common Stock, the Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

  2. With respect to shares of any series of the Preferred Stock, when (i) the Authorizing Resolutions have specifically authorized the issuance and terms of the shares of the series, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters, including resolutions establishing and designating the series and fixing and determining the preferences, limitations and relative rights thereof and the filing of a Certificate of Designation with respect to the series with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and such Certificate of Designation has been duly filed, (ii) the terms of the issuance and sale of the series of Preferred Stock have been duly established in conformity with the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, (iii) the shares of the series of Preferred Stock have been issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and (iv) the Company has received the consideration provided for in the Authorizing Resolutions and such consideration per share is not less than the par value per share of the Preferred Stock, the shares of such series of Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

  3. With respect to the Warrants, when (i) specifically authorized for issuance by the Authorizing Resolutions, (ii) the applicable Warrant Agreement relating to the Warrants has been duly authorized, executed and delivered, (iii) the terms of the Warrants and of their issuance and sale have been duly established in conformity with the applicable Warrant Agreement and the Authorizing Resolutions, (iv) the Warrants have been duly executed and countersigned in accordance with the applicable Warrant Agreement and issued and sold as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement and (v) the Company has received the consideration provided for in the Authorizing Resolutions, such Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.


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Curis, Inc.

July 2, 2015

Page 5

 

  4. With respect to the Sales Agreement Shares, such Sales Agreement Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and, when (a) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act, and (b) when the Sales Agreement Shares have been issued and paid for in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement, the Sales Agreement Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

It is understood that this opinion is to be used only in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities while the Registration Statement is in effect.

Please note that we are opining only as to the matters expressly set forth herein, and no opinion should be inferred as to any other matters. This opinion is based upon currently existing statutes, rules, regulations and judicial decisions, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change in any of these sources of law or subsequent legal or factual developments which might affect any matters or opinions set forth herein.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act and to the use of our name therein and in the related Prospectus, Sales Agreement Prospectus and in any prospectus supplement under the caption “Legal Matters.” In giving such consent, we do not hereby 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,

WILMER CUTLER PICKERING

HALE AND DORR LLP

By:

/s/ Steven D. Singer

Steven D. Singer, a Partner

EXHIBIT 12.1

Curis, Inc.

Calculation of Consolidated Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends

(Amounts in Thousands)

 

     Three Months
Ended
March 31,
    2015    
   

 

Year Ended December 31,

 
           2014             2013             2012             2011             2010      

Earnings:

            

Net loss before income taxes

   $ (31,848   $ (18,729   $ (12,322   $ (16,417   $ (9,859   $ (4,435

Add back fixed charges:

            

Interest portion of rental expense

     51        203        203        203        203        273   

Interest expense

     867        3,748        3,842        204        —          —     

Amortized premiums related to indebtedness

     19        89        105        6        —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total adjusted earnings

$ (30,911 $ (14,689 $ (8,172 $ (16,004 $ (9,656 $ (4,162

Fixed Charges:

Interest portion of rental expense

$ 51    $ 203    $ 203    $ 203    $ 203    $ 273   

Interest expense

  867      3,748      3,842      204      —        —     

Amortized premiums related to indebtedness

  19      89      105      6      —        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Fixed Charges

$ 937    $ 4,040    $ 4,150    $ 413    $ 203    $ 273   

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (1)

  N/A      N/A      N/A      N/A      N/A      N/A   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Coverage deficiency (2)

$ (31,848 $ (18,729 $ (12,322 $ (16,417 $ (9,859 $ (4,435
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1) - Because we had no earnings in each period, it is not possible to calculate the ratio of fixed charges and preference dividends to earnings.

 

(2) - For purposes of this calculations, “earnings” consist of loss before income taxes and fixed charges. “Fixed charges” consist of interest, amortization of premiums related to indebtedness, and the component of rental expense believed by management to be representative of the interest factor for those amounts.

EXHIBIT 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report dated February 24, 2015 relating to the financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Curis, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. We also consent to the references to us under the headings “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

July 2, 2015



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