EXHIBIT 1.1
4,325,000 Shares
Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
January 31, 2024
Jefferies LLC
520 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
As Representative of the several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 4,325,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”). The 4,325,000 Shares to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm Shares.” In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 648,750 Shares as provided in Section 2. The additional 648,750 Shares to be sold by the Company are collectively called the “Optional Shares.” The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Offered Securities.”
Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) has agreed to act as representative of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities. To the extent there are no additional underwriters listed on Schedule A, the term “Representative” as used herein shall mean Jefferies, as Underwriter, and the term “Underwriters” shall mean either the singular or the plural, as the context requires.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, File No. 333‑272314, including a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Securities. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein and any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to 430B under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of any such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The preliminary prospectus supplement dated January 30, 2024 describing the Offered Securities and the offering thereof (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), together with the Base Prospectus, is called the “Preliminary Prospectus,” and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Offered Securities and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below), together with the Base Prospectus, is called a “preliminary prospectus.” As used herein, the term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Offered
Securities and the offering thereof (the “Final Prospectus Supplement”), together with the Base Prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Securities or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act. References herein to the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus shall refer to both the prospectus supplement and the Base Prospectus components of such prospectus. As used herein, “Applicable Time” is 8:10 a.m. (New York City time) on January 31, 2024. As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus, as amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B hereto. As used herein, “Road Show” means a “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the offering of the Offered Securities contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act). As used herein, “Marketing Materials” means any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Offered Securities, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically).
All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus shall include the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which are “contained,” “included” or “stated” in, or “part of” the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, and all other references of like import, shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus, any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, or any free writing prospectus, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities as contemplated by Section 3(n) of this Agreement.
In the event that the Company has only one subsidiary, then all references herein to “subsidiaries” of the Company shall be deemed to refer to such single subsidiary, mutatis mutandis.
The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as follows:
-2-
-3-
-4-
-5-
-6-
-7-
-8-
-9-
-10-
-11-
-12-
-13-
-14-
For purposes of this Agreement, (A) “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder
-15-
and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
-16-
-17-
The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
-18-
-19-
-20-
-21-
-22-
The Representative, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.
-23-
-24-
-25-
If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice from the Representative to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time on or prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
-26-
-27-
-28-
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 9(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(c) for purposes of indemnification.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 10.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’
-29-
obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 10, each affiliate, director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11. Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
-30-
If to the Representative: Jefferies LLC
520 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Facsimile: [***]
Attention: General Counsel
with a copy to: Covington & Burling LLP
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, New York 10018
Attention: Donald Murray
-31-
If to the Company: Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.
500 River Ridge Drive
Norwood, MA 02062
Email: smoran@corbuspharma.com
Attention: Sean Moran
Chief Financial Officer
with a copy to: Lowenstein Sandler LLP
1251 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Facsimile: [***]
Attention: Steven M. Skolnick
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
-32-
Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements to the foregoing), as contemplated by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
-33-
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
CORBUS PHARMACEUTICALS
HOLDINGS, INC.
By: /s/ Yuval Cohen
Name: Yuval Cohen
Title: Chief Executive Officer
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representative in New York, New York as of the date first above written.
JEFFERIES LLC
By: /s/ Dustin Tyner
Name: Dustin Tyner
Title: Managing Director
For itself and as Representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
Schedule A
Underwriters |
| Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased |
Jefferies LLC |
| 2,941,000 |
H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC |
| 692,000 |
Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. |
| 692,000 |
Total |
|
4,325,000 |
Schedule B
Free Writing Prospectuses Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus
None.
s
Exhibit A
Form of Lock-up Agreement
, 2024
Jefferies LLC
520 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
As Representative of the Underwriters
RE: Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”)
Ladies & Gentlemen:
The undersigned is an officer or director of the Company or a record or beneficial owner of shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (“Shares”) or of securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares. The Company proposes to conduct a public offering of Shares (the “Offering”) for which Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) will act as the representative of the underwriters. The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will benefit each of the Company and the undersigned. The undersigned acknowledges that the underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter agreement in conducting the Offering and, at a subsequent date, in entering into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) and other underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.
Annex A sets forth definitions for capitalized terms used in this letter agreement that are not defined in the body of this agreement. Those definitions are a part of this agreement.
In consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, during the Lock-up Period, the undersigned will not (and will cause any Family Member not to), without the prior written consent of Jefferies, which may withhold their consent in their sole discretion:
The foregoing will not apply to the registration of the offer and sale of the Shares, and the sale of the Shares to the underwriters, in each case as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement. In addition, the foregoing will not apply to (i) sales or transfers of Shares solely in connection with the “cashless” exercise of Company stock options outstanding on the date hereof for the purpose of exercising such stock options (provided that
A-1
in connection therewith Shares are not sold into the public market by a facilitating broker-dealer or otherwise and provided that any remaining Shares received upon such exercise will be subject to the terms hereof), (ii) the disposition of Shares to the Company in a transaction exempt from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act solely in connection with the payment of taxes due, (iii) distributions of Shares or Related Securities to general or limited partners, members, shareholders, affiliates or wholly owned subsidiaries of the undersigned or any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned, (iv) transfers or dispositions of Shares or Related Securities to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity all of the beneficial ownership interests of which are held by the undersigned or a Family Member of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value, (v) transfers to the Company of Shares or any Related Security in connection with (A) termination of employment or other termination of a service provider and pursuant to agreements wherein the Company has the option to repurchase such Shares or Related Securities, or (B) agreements wherein the Company has a right of first refusal with respect to transfers of such Shares, (vi) the establishment of any contract, instruction or plan (a “Plan”) that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B) under the Exchange Act provided that no sales of the undersigned’s Shares or Related Securities shall be made pursuant to such a Plan prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, (vii) the transfer of Shares or Related Securities by gift or intestate succession to a Family Member or to a trust whose beneficiaries consist exclusively of one or more of the undersigned and/or a Family Member and (viii) Shares or Related Securities to be transferred as a gift or gifts or charitable contributions; and provided, however, that (A) in any such case, it shall be a condition to a transfer pursuant to subparagraphs (iii), (iv), (vii) and (viii) that each transferee executes and delivers to Jefferies an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Jefferies stating that such transferee is receiving and holding such Shares and/or Related Securities subject to the provisions of this letter agreement and agrees not to Sell or Offer to Sell such Shares and/or Related Securities, engage in any Swap or engage in any other activities restricted under this letter agreement except in accordance with this letter agreement (as if such transferee had been an original signatory hereto), and (B) in any such case it shall be a condition to a transfer that prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, no public disclosure or filing under the Exchange Act by any party to the transfer (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall be required, or made voluntarily, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Shares or Related Securities in connection with such transfer.
The undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Company-directed Shares the undersigned may purchase or otherwise receive in the Offering (including pursuant to a directed share program).
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of Shares and/or Related Securities held by the undersigned and the undersigned’s Family Members, if any, except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares and/or any Related Securities owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.
The undersigned confirms that the undersigned has not, and has no knowledge that any Family Member has, directly or indirectly, taken any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Shares. The undersigned will not, and will cause any Family Member not to take, directly or indirectly, any such action.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the
A-2
Offering and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate.
Whether or not the Offering occurs as currently contemplated or at all depends on market conditions and other factors. The Offering will only be made pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the underwriters.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power, capacity and authority to enter into this letter agreement. This letter agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned.
This letter agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
A-3
Signature
Printed Name of Person Signing
(Indicate capacity of person signing if
signing as custodian or trustee, or on behalf
of an entity)
A-4
Certain Defined Terms
Used in Lock-up Agreement
For purposes of the letter agreement to which this Annex A is attached and of which it is made a part:
– sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend,
– effect any short sale or establish or increase a Put Equivalent Position or liquidate or decrease any Call Equivalent Position
– pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in, or
– in any other way transfer or dispose of,
in each case whether effected directly or indirectly.
Capitalized terms not defined in this Annex A shall have the meanings given to them in the body of this lock-up agreement.
A-5
Exhibit B
Directors and Officers