S-8 1 tv527170_s8.htm FORM S-8

 

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 8, 2019

 

Registration No. 333-

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

NOVAVAX, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

(State of incorporation)

21 Firstfield Road

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878

(Address of principal executive offices)

22-2816046

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

 

 

 

Novavax, Inc. Amended and Restated 2015 Stock Incentive Plan

Novavax, Inc. Amended and Restated 2013 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

(Full Title of the Plan)

 

JOHN A. HERRMANN III

Senior Vice President, General Counsel &

Corporate Secretary

Novavax, Inc.

21 Firstfield Road

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878

(240) 268-2000

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

 

with copies to:

PAUL M. KINSELLA

Ropes & Gray LLP

800 Boylston Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02199-3600

(617) 951-7000

 

 

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer ¨   Accelerated filer þ   Non-accelerated filer ¨   Smaller reporting company þ
             
            Emerging growth company ¨

 

 

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

       Proposed   Proposed     
       maximum   maximum     
Title of  Amount to be   offering price   aggregate   Amount of 
securities to be registered  registered(1)   per share(2)   offering price   registration fee 
Novavax, Inc. Amended and Restated 2015 Stock Incentive Plan, Common Stock, $0.01 par value   1,000,000   $4.64   $4,640,000.00   $562.37 
Novavax, Inc. Amended and Restated 2013 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Common Stock, $0.01 par value   200,000   $4.64   $928,000.00   $112.47 

TOTALS

   1,200,000   $4.64   $5,568,000.00   $674.84 

 

(1) Plus, pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), such additional number of shares of Novavax, Inc. common stock as may be issued upon a stock split, stock dividend, or similar transaction.
(2) Pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum offering price per share and the maximum aggregate offering price for the shares have been calculated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee on the basis of the average of the high and low prices of Novavax, Inc. common stock as reported by the Nasdaq Global Select Market on August 7, 2019, which were $4.73 and $4.55, respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

  

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this “Registration Statement”) registers 200,000 additional shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”) of Novavax, Inc. (the “Registrant”) that may be issued and sold pursuant to the Registrant’s Amended and Restated 2013 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended (the “2013 Plan”) and 1,000,000 additional shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to awards under the Registrant’s Amended and Restated 2015 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2015 Plan”).

 

PART I

 

As permitted by Rule 428 under the Securities Act, this Registration Statement omits the information specified in Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I will be delivered to the participants of the Novavax, Inc. 2015 Plan and the Novavax, Inc. 2013 Plan, as applicable, as required by Rule 428(b).

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission are hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8:

 

  1. The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed on March 18, 2019, and Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on April 30, 2019;
     
  2. The Registrant’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2019, filed on May 2, 2019, and for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2019, filed on August 7, 2019;
     
  3. The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on July 2, 2019, July 1, 2019 (with respect to Item 1.01 only), May 9, 2019, May 2, 2019, and April 12, 2019.
     
  4. The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock ($0.01 par value) contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement No. 0-26770 on Form 10 filed on September 14, 1995 pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All documents filed after the date of this registration statement by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all shares of Novavax, Inc.’s common stock offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all shares of Novavax, Inc. common stock remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

 

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any other subsequently filed document that also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

 

 

 

 

 

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

 

On May 10, 2019, the Company effected a 1-for-20 reverse stock split (the “Reverse Stock Split”). As a result of the Reverse Stock Split every 20 outstanding shares of Common Stock became one share of Common Stock. On a pre-split basis, we had 384,450,607 shares outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 323,229,390 shares outstanding at December 31, 2017. On a post-split basis, we had 19,222,410 shares outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 16,161,350 shares outstanding at December 31, 2017. The following selected financial data is based on Common Stock and per share data from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, and Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on April 30, 2019; as retrospectively adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split. Our latest interim financial information, which was contained in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, reflects the effects of the Reverse Stock Split and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

 

Select Data from Consolidated Statements of Operations

 

   Year Ended December 31, 
   2018   2017   2016 
             
   (In thousands, except per share data) 
Statement of Operations Data:            
Revenue  $34,288   $31,176   $15,353 
Net loss   (184,748)   (183,769)   (279,966)
Basic and diluted net loss per share   (9.99)   (12.56)   (20.68)
Weighted average shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share   18,488    14,633    13,540 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 4. Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides as follows:

 

“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, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interest of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the 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 reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

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 or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.”

 

The Registrant’s second amended and restated certificate of incorporation (as amended) provides that it will indemnify each person who was or is a party or 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 us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, our director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the Registrant’s request as a director, officer or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

 

 

 

 

 

The Registrant’s second amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that it will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of the Registrant to procure a judgment in the Registrant’s favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the Registrant’s request as a director, officer or trustee or, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the Registrant’s best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Registrant, unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of Delaware determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by the Registrant against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection therewith. If the Registrant does not assume the defense, expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.

 

The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and certain of its officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for in its second amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws, and intends to enter into indemnification agreements with any new directors and executive officers in the future. The Registrant has purchased and intends to maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer against any loss arising from any claim asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, subject to certain exclusions.

 

Item 8. Exhibits.

 

INDEX OF EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit    
Number   Description
     
4.1   Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, filed on August 10, 2015)
     

4.2

 

Certificate of Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Novavax, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on May 9, 2019)

     
4.3   Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Registrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, filed on March 12, 2013)
     
5*   Opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP
     
10.1   Novavax, Inc. Amended and Restated 2015 Stock Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Appendix A of the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed April 30, 2018 in connection with the Annual Meeting held on June 14, 2018)
     
10.2   Novavax, Inc.’s Amended and Restated 2013 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B of the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement filed April 30, 2018 in connection with the Annual Meeting held on June 14, 2018)
     
23.1*   Consent of Ropes & Gray LLP (included in Exhibit 5)
     
23.2*   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
     
24*   Power of Attorney to file future amendments. Set forth on the signature page of this Registration Statement

 

 
  * Filed herewith

 

 

 

 

 

Item 9. Undertakings.

 

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

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

 

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement.

 

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

 

Provided however, that:

 

A. Paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and 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 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; and

 

B. Paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form F-3 and 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 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the 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.

 

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Gaithersburg, state of Maryland on August 8, 2019.

 

  NOVAVAX, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Stanley C. Erck
    Stanley C. Erck
    President and Chief Executive Officer and Director

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Stanley C. Erck, John J. Trizzino and John A. Herrmann III, and each of them singly, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution in each of them singly, for him and in his name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Novavax, Inc., and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting to the attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in or about the premises, as full to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that the attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of each of them or their substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature    Title    Date 
         
/s/ Stanley C. Erck   President and Chief Executive Officer   August 8, 2019
Stanley C. Erck   and Director (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ John J. Trizzino   Senior Vice President, Chief Business Officer, Chief Financial Officer   August 8, 2019
John J. Trizzino   and Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)    
         
/s/ James F. Young   Director   August 8, 2019
James F. Young        
         
/s/ Richard H. Douglas   Director   August 8, 2019
Richard H. Douglas        
         
/s/ Gary C. Evans   Director   August 8, 2019
Gary C. Evans        
         
/s/ Rachel K. King   Director   August 8, 2019
Rachel K. King        
         
/s/ Michael A. McManus, Jr., J.D.   Director   August 8, 2019
Michael A. McManus, Jr., J.D.        
         
/s/ Rajiv I. Modi   Director   August 8, 2019
Rajiv I. Modi