The information in this preliminary proxy statement/prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The registrant may not sell the securities described in this preliminary proxy statement/prospectus until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is declared effective. This preliminary proxy statement/prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY—SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED AUGUST 7, 2020
PROXY STATEMENT FOR
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF ARYA SCIENCES ACQUISITION CORP II
PROSPECTUS FOR
102,336,166 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK AND 5,149,666 WARRANTS OF ARYA SCIENCES ACQUISITION CORP II
(AFTER ITS DOMESTICATION AS A CORPORATION INCORPORATED IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE,
WHICH WILL BE RENAMED CEREVEL THERAPEUTICS HOLDINGS, INC. IN CONNECTION WITH THE
DOMESTICATION DESCRIBED HEREIN)
The board of directors of ARYA Sciences Acquisition Corp II, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“ARYA”), has unanimously approved the transactions (collectively, the “Business Combination”) contemplated by that certain Business Combination Agreement, dated July 29, 2020 (as may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among ARYA, Cassidy Merger Sub 1, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Cassidy Merger Sub”), and Cerevel Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Cerevel”), a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A, including the domestication of ARYA as a Delaware corporation (the “Domestication”). As described in this proxy statement/prospectus, ARYA’s shareholders are being asked to consider a vote upon each of the Domestication and the Business Combination, among other items. As used in this proxy statement/prospectus, “New Cerevel” refers to ARYA after giving effect to the consummation of the Domestication and the Business Combination.
In connection with the Domestication, on the Closing Date prior to the Effective Time (as defined below): (i) each issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A ordinary shares”), and each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class B ordinary shares”), of ARYA will be converted into one share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of New Cerevel (the “New Cerevel Common Stock”); (ii) each issued and outstanding whole warrant to purchase Class A ordinary shares of ARYA will automatically represent the right to purchase one share of New Cerevel Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and conditions set forth in the ARYA warrant agreement; (iii) the governing documents of ARYA will be amended and restated and become the certificate of incorporation and the bylaws of New Cerevel as described in this proxy statement/prospectus; and (iv) ARYA’s name will change to “Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.” In connection with clauses (i) and (ii) of this paragraph, each issued and outstanding unit of ARYA that has not been previously separated into the underlying Class A ordinary shares of ARYA and the underlying warrants of ARYA prior to the Domestication will, be cancelled and will entitle the holder thereof to one share of New Cerevel Common Stock and one-third of one warrant representing the right to purchase one share of New Cerevel Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the ARYA warrant agreement.
On the date of Closing, promptly following the consummation of the Domestication, Cassidy Merger Sub will merge with and into Cerevel (the “Merger”), with Cerevel as the surviving company in the Merger and, after giving effect to the Merger, Cerevel will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of ARYA (the time that the Merger becomes effective being referred to as the “Effective Time”).
In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Business Combination Agreement, at the Effective Time, (i) each share and vested equity award of Cerevel outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time will be exchanged for shares of New Cerevel Common Stock or comparable vested equity awards that are settled or are exercisable for shares of New Cerevel Common Stock, as applicable, based on an implied Cerevel vested equity value of $780,000,000 and (ii) all unvested equity awards of Cerevel will be exchanged for comparable unvested equity awards that are settled or exercisable for shares of New Cerevel Common Stock, as applicable, determined based on the same implied Cerevel vested equity value described in clause (i) of this paragraph.
This prospectus covers 102,336,166 shares of New Cerevel Common Stock (including shares issuable upon exercise of the vested equity awards (excluding vested options) and warrants described above) and 5,149,666 warrants to acquire shares of New Cerevel Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Domestication. The number of shares of New Cerevel Common Stock that this prospectus covers represents the maximum number of shares that may be issued to holders of shares and vested equity awards of Cerevel in connection with the Business Combination (as more fully described in this proxy statement/prospectus), together with the shares issued or issuable to the existing shareholders and warrant holders of ARYA in connection with the Business Combination.
ARYA’s units, public shares and public warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “ARYBU,” “ARYB” and “ARYBW,” respectively. ARYA will apply for listing, to be effective at the time of the Business Combination, of New Cerevel Common Stock and warrants on Nasdaq under the proposed symbols “CERE” and “ ,” respectively. It is a condition of the consummation of the Business Combination that ARYA receive confirmation from Nasdaq that New Cerevel has been conditionally approved for listing on Nasdaq, but there can be no assurance such listing condition will be met or that ARYA will obtain such confirmation from Nasdaq. If such listing condition is not met or if such confirmation is not obtained, the Business Combination will not be consummated unless the Nasdaq condition set forth in the Business Combination Agreement is waived by the applicable parties.
The accompanying proxy statement/prospectus provides shareholders of ARYA with detailed information about the Business Combination and other matters to be considered at the extraordinary general meeting of ARYA. We encourage you to read the entire accompanying proxy statement/prospectus, including the Annexes and other documents referred to therein, carefully and in their entirety. You should also carefully consider the risk factors described in “Risk Factors ” beginning on page 33 of the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus.
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The accompanying proxy statement/prospectus is dated , 2020, and
is first being mailed to ARYA’s shareholders on or about , 2020.