Support Agreements
Simultaneously with the execution and delivery of the Merger Agreement, certain of the officers and directors of the Company who are stockholders of the Company, in their respective capacities as stockholders of the Company (together with certain of their respective affiliates), entered into support agreements with Mereo (the “Company Support Agreements”), pursuant to which such individuals have agreed, among other things, to (i) vote their respective shares of Company Common Stock in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement, against any alternative proposal and against any action or agreement that would reasonably be expected to frustrate the purposes, prevent, delay or otherwise adversely affect the consummation of, the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and (ii) grant an irrevocable proxy to Mereo to vote such individual’s shares in the manner contemplated in clause (i) of this paragraph.
The persons signing the Company Support Agreements currently beneficially own an aggregate of 11% of the outstanding Company Common Stock. The foregoing description of the Company Support Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of the Company Support Agreement, which is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.
Simultaneously with the execution and delivery of the Merger Agreement, each of the officers and directors of Mereo holding Mereo stock or options, in their respective capacities as shareholders of Mereo (together with certain of their respective affiliates, collectively, the “Mereo D&Os”), Novartis Pharma AG and certain funds under the management of Invesco Asset Management Limited have entered into support agreements with the Company (the “Mereo Support Agreements”), pursuant to which such individuals and entities have agreed, among other things, to (i) vote their respective shares of Mereo Ordinary Shares in favor of the approval of the issuance of Mereo Depositary Shares and the allotment and issuance of the Mereo Ordinary Shares underlying the Mereo Depositary Shares to be issued in the Merger and the grant of the CVRs pursuant to the Merger Agreement, against any alternative proposal and against any action or agreement that would reasonably be expected to frustrate the purposes, prevent, delay or otherwise adversely affect the consummation of, the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and (ii) solely with respect to the Mereo D&Os and the Mereo Support Agreement entered into by Novartis Pharma AG, execute any forms of an irrevocable proxy required to appoint the Company as such individual’s proxy to vote such individual’s shares in the manner contemplated in (i) of this paragraph.
The individuals and entities signing the Mereo Support Agreements currently hold legal title to an aggregate of approximately 52% of the outstanding Mereo Ordinary Shares. The foregoing description of the Mereo Support Agreements does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of Mereo Support Agreements, which is filed herewith as Exhibits 10.2. The Mereo Support Agreement entered into by (i) Novartis Pharma AG is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.3, (ii) Invesco Asset Management Limited, as agent for and on behalf of its discretionary managed client, Invesco High Income Fund, is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.4, (iii) Invesco Asset Management Limited, as agent for and on behalf of its discretionary managed client, Invesco Income Fund, is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.5, (iv) Invesco Asset Management Limited, as agent for and on behalf of its discretionary managed client, Invesco UK Strategic Income Fund, is filed herewith as Exhibit 10.6, and each is incorporated by reference herein.
Contingent Value Rights Agreement
At the Effective Time, Mereo and Computershare Inc., as rights agent, will enter into a Contingent Value Rights Agreement (the “CVR Agreement”). Pursuant to the CVR Agreement, the Company’s stockholders will receive one CVR for each outstanding share of Company Common Stock immediately prior to the Effective Time. Each CVR will represent the right to receive payments related to the Company’s etigilimab (anti-TIGIT,OMP-313M32) and navicixizumab (anti-DLL4/VEGF,OMP-305B83) products, whereby CVR holders will be entitled to receive (i) upon the exercise by Celgene Corporation or certain affiliates thereof (together, “Celgene”) of the exclusive option granted by the Company to Celgene in relation to the Company’s etigilimab product pursuant to the Master Research and Collaboration Agreement by and among Celgene and the Company, dated December 2, 2013 (the “Option Exercise”) and actual receipt by the Company of the cash payment payable by Celgene pursuant to such Option Exercise, a number of Mereo Depositary Shares equal to (x) the cash payment received by Mereo upon the Option Exercise, net of any tax and other reasonable expenses, divided by (y) the volume-weighted average price per Mereo Depositary Share for the ten (10) trading day period immediately following the date of the announcement by Mereo of such cash payment, and (ii) certain cash payments related to the navicixizumab products if, within 18 months of the closing of the Merger, Mereo or any of its subsidiaries enters into a definitive agreement with one or more third parties regarding such products and, within five years of the closing of the Merger, Mereo or any of its subsidiaries receives certain eligible cash milestone payments. In order to be eligible for the CVR, a stockholder of the Company must be a holder of record at the close of business on the last business day immediately prior to the Effective Time.