As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2020
RegistrationNo. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORMS-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
AVIDITY BIOSCIENCES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 46-1336960 | |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
10975 N. Torrey Pines Road, Suite 150
La Jolla, California 92037
(858)401-7900
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
AVIDITY BIOSCIENCES, INC. 2013 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
AVIDITY BIOSCIENCES, INC. 2020 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN
AVIDITY BIOSCIENCES, INC. 2020 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
(Full Title of the Plans)
Sarah Boyce
President and Chief Executive Officer
Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
10975 N. Torrey Pines Road, Suite 150
La Jolla, California 92037
(858)401-7900
(Name, Address and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
Copies to:
Cheston J. Larson
Matthew T. Bush
Alaina P. Ellis
Latham & Watkins LLP
12670 High Bluff Drive
San Diego, California 92130
(858)523-5400
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, anon-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☒ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| ||||||||
Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered | Amount to be Registered(1) | Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share | Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price | Amount of Registration Fee | ||||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value | 5,790,970 shares (2) | $18.00 (3) | $104,237,460 | $13,530.02 | ||||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value | 109,030 shares (4) | $18.00 (5) | $1,962,540 | $254.74 | ||||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value | 2,759,289 shares (6) | $1.17 (7) | $3,228,369 | $419.04 | ||||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value | 825,000 shares (8) | $18.00 (3) | $14,850,000 | $1,927.53 | ||||
Total | 9,484,289 shares | — | $124,278,369 | $16,131.33 | ||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
| (1) | Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also registers an indeterminate number of additional shares that may be issued pursuant to the above-named plans as the result of any future stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number of our outstanding shares of common stock. |
| (2) | Represents 5,790,970 shares of common stock available for future issuance under the Avidity Biosciences, Inc. 2020 Incentive Award Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which number consists of (a) 3,790,970 shares of common stock initially available for future grants under the 2020 Plan, and (b) up to an additional 2,000,000 shares of common stock that may become issuable under the 2020 Plan pursuant to its terms. To the extent outstanding awards under the 2020 Plan or the Avidity Biosciences, Inc. 2013 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”) are forfeited or lapse unexercised, the shares of common stock subject to such awards will be available for future issuance under the 2020 Plan. See footnote 6 below. |
| (3) | This estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457 of the Securities Act solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee. The computation is based upon the initial public offering price of the registrant’s common stock set forth on the cover page of the registrant’s prospectus dated June 12, 2020 relating to its initial public offering. |
| (4) | Represents 109,030 shares of common stock subject to outstanding options under the 2020 Plan. To the extent outstanding options under the 2020 Plan are forfeited or lapse unexercised, the shares of common stock subject to such awards will be available for future issuance under the 2020 Plan. |
| (5) | This estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457 of the Securities Act solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee. The Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share is $18.00 per share, which is the weighted average exercise price of outstanding options granted under the 2020 Plan being registered. |
| (6) | Represents 2,759,289 shares of common stock subject to outstanding options under the 2013 Plan. To the extent outstanding options under the 2013 Plan are forfeited or lapse unexercised, the shares of common stock subject to such awards will be available for future issuance under the 2020 Plan. See footnote 2 above. |
| (7) | This estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457 of the Securities Act solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee. The Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share is $1.17 per share, which is the weighted average exercise price of outstanding options granted under the 2013 Plan being registered. |
| (8) | Represents 825,000 shares of common stock available for future issuance under the Avidity Biosciences, Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), which number consists of (a) 325,000 shares of common stock initially available for future grants under the ESPP, and (b) up to an additional 500,000 shares of common stock that may become issuable under the ESPP pursuant to its terms. |
Proposed sales to take place as soon after the effective date of the registration statement as awards granted under the above-named plans are granted, exercised and/or distributed.
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
The documents containing the information specified in Part I of FormS-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference into this registration statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this registration statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
In this registration statement, Avidity Biosciences, Inc. is sometimes referred to as “Registrant,” “we,” “us” or “our.”
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this registration statement, and later information filed with the SEC will update and supersede this information. We hereby incorporate by reference into this registration statement the following documents previously filed with the SEC:
| (a) | The prospectus filed by the Registrant with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, on June 12, 2020 relating to the registration statement on FormS-1, as amended (Registration No. 333-238612), which contains the Registrant’s audited financial statements for the latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed; and |
| (b) | The description of the Registrant’s common stock set forth in the Registrant’s registration statement on Form8-A12B (RegistrationNo. 001-39321), filed by the Registrant with the SEC under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on June 9, 2020, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
In addition, all documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the filing of this registration statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or whichde-registers all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this registration statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents, except as to specific sections of such statements as set forth therein. 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 which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement contained herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.
Under no circumstances shall any information furnished under Item 2.02 or 7.01 of Form8-K be deemed incorporated herein by reference unless such Form8-K expressly provides to the contrary.
Item 4. Description of Securities.
Not applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
Not applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits our amended and restated certificate of incorporation from limiting the liability of our directors for the following:
| • | any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders; |
| • | acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; |
| • | unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; or |
| • | any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. |
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws also provide that if Delaware law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as so amended. This limitation of liability does not apply to liabilities arising under the federal securities laws and does not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws also provide that we shall have the power to indemnify our employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by law. Our amended and restated bylaws also permit us to secure insurance on behalf of any officer, director, employee or other agent for any liability arising out of his or her actions in this capacity, regardless of whether our amended and restated bylaws would permit indemnification. We have obtained directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.
We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, in addition to indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws. These agreements, among other things, provide for indemnification of our directors and executive officers for expenses, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by this person in any action or proceeding arising out of this person’s services as a director or executive officer or at our request. We believe that these provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and executive officers.
The above description of the indemnification provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and our indemnification agreements is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to these documents, each of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. A stockholder’s investment may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable. There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is being sought, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits.
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 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 SEC 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; 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) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if this registration statement is on FormS-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 SEC by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this 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 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.
(h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing onForm 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 San Diego, State of California, on June 12, 2020.
| AVIDITY BIOSCIENCES, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Sarah Boyce | |
| Sarah Boyce | ||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Sarah Boyce and Michael F. MacLean, and each of them singly (with full power to each of them to act alone), his or herattorneys-in-fact, each with the full power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign this registration statement, and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of saidattorneys-in-fact, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | Title | Date | ||
/s/ Sarah Boyce | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (principal executive officer) | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Sarah Boyce | ||||
/s/ Michael F. MacLean | Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Michael F. MacLean | ||||
/s/ Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D. | Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D. | ||||
/s/ Carsten Boess | Director | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Carsten Boess | ||||
/s/ Todd Brady | Director | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Todd Brady | ||||
/s/ Noreen Henig, M.D. | Director | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Noreen Henig, M.D. | ||||
/s/ Edward Kaye, M.D. | Director | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Edward Kaye, M.D. | ||||
/s/ Michael Martin, Ph.D. | Director | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Michael Martin, Ph.D. | ||||
/s/ Roderick Wong, M.D. | Director | June 12, 2020 | ||
| Roderick Wong, M.D. | ||||
