Item 1. Security and Issuer
This statement on Schedule 13D (this “Schedule 13D”) relates to the common stock, par value $0.0001 (the “Common Stock” or “Shares”), of Harpoon Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”). The address of the principal executive offices of the Company is 611 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 400, South San Francisco, California 94080.
Item 2. Identity and Background
This Schedule is being filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), by Merck & Co., Inc., a New Jersey corporation (“Merck”), Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company (“Parent”) and Hawaii Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”, and together with Merck and Parent, the “Reporting Persons”). A Joint Filing Agreement among the Reporting Persons is attached as Exhibit 99.6 hereto.
The address of the principal business and the principal office of Merck, Parent and Merger Sub is 126 East Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, NJ, 07065.
Parent is a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck, which is a global health care company that delivers innovative health solutions through its prescription medicines, including biologic therapies, vaccines and animal health products. Merger Sub is a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent and has not conducted any business and has no assets, liabilities or obligations of any nature other than those incident to its formation and pursuant to the Merger Agreement (as defined below) and the transactions contemplated thereby.
The name, business address, present principal occupation or employment and citizenship of each director and executive officer (including a director and officer who may be a controlling person) of the Reporting Persons is set forth on Schedule A.
During the last five years, none of the Reporting Persons or, to the knowledge of the Reporting Persons, any of the persons listed on Schedule A have been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws.
Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration
The total amount of funds required by the Reporting Persons to purchase all of the outstanding Shares in the Merger (as defined below) is approximately $680 million, plus related fees and expenses. The Reporting Persons currently have available to them in cash on hand all funds necessary for these payments.
Item 4. Purpose of Transaction
On January 7, 2024, Parent and Merger Sub entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with the Company.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, Merger Sub will purchase all of the outstanding Shares at a price of $23.00 per Share (the “Common Stock Merger Consideration”), net to the seller in cash, without interest and less any applicable tax withholding.
The obligation of Merger Sub to purchase Shares is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of a number of conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, including (i) approval of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement by the Company’s stockholders; (ii) the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”); and (iii) those other conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company pursuant to the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) as provided in the Merger Agreement, with the Company being the surviving corporation (the “Merger”). At the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”), (i) each Share (other than (1) Shares held in the Company’s treasury or owned by Parent or Merger Sub or any of their respective direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries and (2) Shares held by stockholders who have properly demanded appraisal of such Shares in accordance with the DGCL (the “Appraisal Shares” and clauses (1) and (2) together, the “Excluded Shares”))