PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JANUARY 21, 2025
PROXY STATEMENT FOR EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
OF BEIGENE, LTD.
PROSPECTUS FOR ORDINARY SHARES
CONTINUATION TO SWITZERLAND
BeiGene, Ltd. (the “Company” or “we”) is an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability. We are proposing to change our jurisdiction of incorporation from the Cayman Islands to Switzerland through a transaction known as a continuation under Section 206 of the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Companies Act”) and Article 161 of the Swiss Federal Code on Private International Law (the “Continuation”). The Continuation will be effective upon the Company’s registration with the Commercial Register of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, Switzerland. Thereafter, the continued Company will be subject to Swiss law, the Proposed Swiss Articles (as defined herein) and the organizational regulations (analogous to bylaws under Delaware law). We will be deregistered in the Cayman Islands as of the date shown on the certificate of de-registration issued by the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies. The de-registration in the Cayman Islands and the Continuation under Swiss law will occur on the same date. Our board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) has unanimously approved our Continuation, believes it to be in the best interests of our shareholders and unanimously recommends approval of our Continuation to our shareholders. In this proxy statement/prospectus we sometimes refer to the Company as “BeiGene (Cayman)” prior to the Continuation and as “BeiGene (Switzerland)” after the Continuation. Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “BeiGene,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” in this proxy statement/prospectus refer to BeiGene (Cayman) prior to the Continuation and BeiGene (Switzerland) after the Continuation, and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis. Upon completion of the Continuation, in accordance with the Proposed Swiss Articles, the Company’s English name will be changed to “BeOne Medicines Ltd.” (the “Name Change”).
The Continuation will change the governing law that applies to our shareholders from Cayman law to Swiss law. There are material differences between Cayman law and Swiss law. Our shareholders may have more or less rights under Swiss law depending on the specific set of circumstances. See “Proposal No. 1: Approval of the Continuation — Comparison of Shareholder Rights” for a summary of the significant differences between Cayman law, Swiss law, and for comparative purposes, Delaware law.
The Continuation will not interrupt the corporate existence or operations of the Company or the listing of our American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”), each representing 13 ordinary shares of BeiGene (Cayman), each having a par value of US$0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), our Ordinary Shares listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “HKEx”), and our Ordinary Shares traded in Renminbi (the “RMB Shares”) listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (“STAR Market”). Each outstanding Ordinary Share at the time of the effectiveness of the Continuation will remain issued and outstanding as a registered share (the “Registered Shares”) of BeiGene (Switzerland). Following the completion of our Continuation, our ADSs, each representing 13 Registered Shares, will continue to be listed and traded on Nasdaq under the trading symbol “ONC”. Our Registered Shares will continued to be listed and traded on the HKEx under the stock code of “06160,” and the RMB Shares will be listed and traded on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange under the stock code of “688235.”
BeiGene, Ltd. is an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, which is structured as a holding company with global operations conducted through our subsidiaries. Our China operations are conducted by our Chinese subsidiaries owned by BeiGene (Hong Kong) Co., Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. As a result of our operations in China, the Chinese regulatory authorities have significant influence over our conduct of business and may influence our operations as they deem appropriate to further economic, regulatory, political and societal goals.
Furthermore, the Chinese regulatory authorities have already issued statements and taken regulatory actions and may further promulgate relevant laws, rules and regulations to exert more oversight and control, including on those related to data security or anti-monopoly concerns that could affect the ability of companies that operate in China to accept foreign investments, or conduct securities offerings and other capital markets activities outside of China. Such actions could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors in the United States, Hong Kong or other markets and obtain external financing, and as a result, the trading prices of our ordinary shares could significantly decline or become worthless. For a detailed description of risks related to our doing business in China, please refer to the “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part II of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024.
The intercompany flow of funds within the organization is effected through capital contributions, intercompany loans, intercompany transfers of products and intellectual property, and cost reimbursements. Since our formation in 2010, BeiGene, Ltd. has raised over $10.8 billion in various public and private stock offerings or from lenders as of September 30, 2024. Of this amount, $2.0 billion and RMB18.4 billion have been transferred as capital contributions to its operating subsidiaries. As of September 30, 2024, BeiGene, Ltd. had intercompany loans outstanding of $2.2 billion to its operating subsidiaries. All biopharmaceutical patents previously owned by BeiGene, Ltd. have been transferred to operating subsidiaries for further development and commercialization. As of September 30, 2024, BeiGene, Ltd. held $447.8 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments which are available for future investment in its programs and in our operating subsidiaries. To date, BeiGene, Ltd., has not received any dividends or distributions from its operating subsidiaries.
We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our Chinese subsidiaries for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders or to service any debt we may incur. Under Chinese laws and regulations, our Chinese subsidiaries may pay dividends only out of their respective accumulated profits as determined in accordance with China’s accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a certain statutory reserve fund, until the aggregate amount of such fund reaches 50% of its registered capital. Such statutory reserve funds cannot be distributed to us as dividends. To date, BeiGene, Ltd. has not received any dividends or distributions from its operating subsidiaries.
This proxy statement/prospectus incorporates important business and financial information about us from reports we file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This incorporated information is not printed in or attached to this proxy statement/prospectus. We explain how you can find this information in “Where You Can Find More Information”. We urge you to review this proxy statement/prospectus, together with the incorporated information, carefully.
Investing in the ADSs, Ordinary Shares, or RMB Shares of the Company involves risks. See “RISK FACTORS” beginning on page 13 of this proxy statement/
prospectus. Neither the U.S. 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 proxy statement/prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and the HKEx take no responsibility for the contents of this document, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this document.
This document appears for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for securities of the Company in Hong Kong. Although this document is a prospectus as defined in Section 2(a)(10) of the Securities Act, it is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a “prospectus” (as defined in Section 342C of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, Cap. 32 of Laws of Hong Kong)(“C(WUMP)O”) to be used in Hong Kong, and the publication of this document shall not be deemed to be an offer of securities made pursuant to a “prospectus” issued by or on behalf of the issuer for the purposes of the C(WUMP)O nor shall it constitute an advertisement, invitation or document containing an invitation to the public to enter into or offer to enter into an agreement to acquire, dispose of, subscribe for or underwrite securities for the purposes of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong). Therefore, this document has not been and will not be registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong pursuant to Section 342C of the C(WUMP)O.
This proxy statement/prospectus dated , 2025, and is first being made available/mailed to shareholder/ADS holders of BeiGene on or about , 2025.