UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 21, 2018
Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 001-38137 | 47-2608175 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
22 Boston Wharf Road 9th Floor Boston, Massachusetts | 02210 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617)207-0202
Check the appropriate box below if the Form8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR240.13e-4(c) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934(§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒
Item 5.02 | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
Adoption of Amendment to Equity Incentive Plan
On September 28, 2018, the Board of Directors of Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) adopted an amendment to the Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2015 Plan”), to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance thereunder by 5,000,000 shares (the “2015 Plan Amendment”). The 2015 Plan Amendment was subsequently approved by written consent on November 21, 2018 (the “Written Consent”) by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Majority Stockholder”), the holder of 67,383,965 shares of common stock representing approximately 75% of the Company’s issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote on November 21, 2018 (the “Record Date”). The Written Consent is described in more detail in Item 5.07 below.
The actions taken pursuant to the Written Consent will become effective on the twentieth calendar day following the date the Company makes available its Information Statement on Schedule 14C (the “Information Statement”) to the Company’s stockholders holding issued and outstanding common stock as of the Record Date. The Company expects to file the Information Statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on or about November 28, 2018.
A summary of the material terms of the 2015 Plan, as amended by the 2015 Plan Amendment, is set forth in the Information Statement. Those summaries are qualified in their entirety to the text of the 2015 Plan as amended by the 2015 Plan Amendment, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form8-K and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 5.07 | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
On November 21, 2018, the Majority Stockholder adopted the following proposal via the Written Consent. The Written Consent will become effective on the twentieth calendar day following the date the Company makes available the Information Statement to the Company’s stockholders holding issued and outstanding stock as of the Record Date. The Company expects to file the Information Statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on or about November 28, 2018.
Proposal 1: Approval of an Amendment to the Company’s 2015 Equity Incentive Plan
The Majority Stockholder approved the 2015 Plan Amendment to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance thereunder by 5,000,000.
Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No. | Description | |
10.1 | Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
AKCEA THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||||
Date: November 23, 2018 | By: | /s/ Paula Soteropoulos | ||
Paula Soteropoulos Chief Executive Officer |