UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-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): March 4, 2010
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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| Delaware | | 33-17264-NY | | 93-1301885 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | | (Commission File Number) | | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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21900 Burbank, 3rd Floor Woodland Hills, California | | 91367 |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (818) 992-2907
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation 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 Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
| ITEM 5.02 | DEPARTURE OF DIRECTORS OR CERTAIN OFFICERS; ELECTION OF DIRECTORS; APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN OFFICERS; COMPENSATORY ARRANGEMENTS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS |
Employment Agreement with Dr. Manish Singh
On March 4, 2010, ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. (the “Company”) entered into an Employment Agreement, effective as of February 18, 2010, with Dr. Manish Singh pursuant to which Dr. Singh will continue to serve on a full-time basis as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer for a one-year term commencing February 18, 2010. The Company is required under the Employment Agreement to use its commercially reasonable efforts to have Dr. Singh continue to serve as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors during the term of the Employment Agreement. The Employment Agreement may be extended for an additional one-year period upon the mutual agreement of the Company and Dr. Singh.
The Employment Agreement provides for an annual base salary of $300,000. In addition, provided that Dr. Singh continues to serve as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer for the entire one-year term of the Employment Agreement, the Company will pay Dr. Singh a discretionary cash bonus of up to $50,000 upon completion of the one-year term.
The Employment Agreement dated as of February 18, 2009 between the Company and Dr. Singh (the “Prior Agreement”) provides that Dr. Singh is entitled to receive cash milestone bonuses, not to exceed an aggregate amount of $200,000, of (1) $50,000 upon the Company’s completion of a financing, a strategic alliance or a merger or acquisition generating at least $2,500,000 of net proceeds (after commissions) during the term of the Prior Agreement, (2) $100,000 upon the Company’s completion of a financing, a strategic alliance or a merger or acquisition generating at least $5,000,000 of net proceeds (after commissions) during the term of the Prior Agreement, or (3) $200,000 upon the Company’s completion of a financing, a strategic alliance or a merger or acquisition generating at least $10,000,000 of net proceeds (after commissions) during the term of the Prior Agreement. The Prior Agreement also provides that an option granted to Dr. Singh to purchase 200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock will vest if the Company’s working capital is at least $8,000,000 at the end of the term of the Prior Agreement.
The Employment Agreement amends the Prior Agreement to provide that the milestones described in the preceding paragraph may be satisfied by including the net proceeds received by the Company at any time prior to August 17, 2010 from (1) a financing by the Socius Capital Group or (2) any private placement financing that is covered by a signed term sheet that was entered into by the Company prior to February 18, 2010 or from another source at the same or better terms as contemplated by such signed term sheet. Also, for purposes of determining whether the $8,000,000 working capital milestone in the preceding paragraph has been satisfied, the Employment Agreement provides that working capital will be calculated as of the date of the Company’s receipt of the proceeds that are being included to satisfy the milestone.
Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, the Company granted to Dr. Singh a 7-year incentive stock option under the Company’s 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), or a new qualified option plan, to purchase 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price equal to $0.90 per share, which was the closing market price of the common stock on the option grant date. The option grant is subject to the approval by the Company’s stockholders of an increase in the authorized number of shares under the Plan and an increase in the number of shares that may be granted to any individual during a 12-month period. The option may be exercised during the period that Dr. Singh provides services to the Company and for 24 months after termination for any reason except termination for cause by the Company, provided that such exercise is within the 7-year term of the option.
The option granted to Dr. Singh under the Employment Agreement will vest (1) as to 360,000 shares, in 12 equal monthly installments of 30,000 shares each over the 12-month period from and immediately following the grant date, (2) as to 30,000 shares, if the Company achieves during the term of the Employment Agreement
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a volume-weighted average trading price for its common stock of greater than $1.60 for any consecutive 15-day trading period during the term of the agreement on average daily trading volume of at least 20,000 shares, (3) as to 90,000 shares, if the Company achieves during the term of the Employment Agreement a volume-weighted average trading price for its common stock of greater than $2.00 for any consecutive 15-day trading period during the term of the agreement on average daily trading volume of at least 20,000 shares, (4) as to 30,000 shares, upon treating the first patient in a Phase II clinical trial, and (5) as to 90,000 shares, if during the term of the Employment Agreement the Company completes a financing, a strategic alliance or a licensing agreement with upfront licensing payments to the Company or a merger or acquisition that generates at least $5,000,000 of net proceeds (after commissions) for the Company beyond the $10,000,000 achieved by August 17, 2010, with any financing proceeds received by the Company during the first 6 months of the Employment Agreement that are used to satisfy milestones under the Prior Agreement not being included as proceeds to satisfy the milestones described in this paragraph.
In the event that the Company terminates the Employment Agreement without cause or does not extend the Employment Agreement upon its expiration for an additional one-year term, then (1) the Company upon such termination will be required to make a lump sum payment to Dr. Singh equal to 6 months of his base annual salary, (2) any stock options granted to Dr. Singh, to the extent vested, will be retained by Dr. Singh and will be exercisable on the terms described above, and (3) the vesting of an additional number of shares subject to all options granted to Dr. Singh equal to 50% of all shares subject to such options that have not already vested will immediately accelerate and will be exercisable on the terms described above. If Dr. Singh terminates his employment for “good reason” as defined in the Employment Agreement, he will receive the severance benefits described in the preceding sentence, except that 100% of his options will vest if his employment terminates for good reason following a merger or similar corporate transaction in which the Company is not the surviving entity.
Employment Agreement with Dr. James Bender
On March 4, 2010, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement, effective as of February 1, 2010, with Dr. James Bender pursuant to which Dr. Bender will serve on a full-time basis as the Company’s Vice President – Product Development and Manufacturing for a one-year term commencing February 18, 2010. Prior to February 1, 2010, Dr. Bender had been serving on a part-time basis as the Company’s Vice President – Clinical Development pursuant to an Agreement dated as of September 1, 2009, as amended on September 14, 2009 (the “Prior Agreement”).
The Employment Agreement provides for an annual base salary of $170,000. Pursuant to the Employment Agreement, the Company granted to Dr. Bender a 7-year incentive stock option under the Company’s Plan to purchase 150,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price equal to $0.90 per share, which was the closing market price of the common stock on the option grant date. The option grant is subject to the approval by the Company’s stockholders of an increase in the authorized number of shares under the Plan.
The option granted to Dr. Bender under the Employment Agreement will vest at the rate of 6,250 shares per month over the term of the Employment Agreement as to 75,000 shares. The option will vest as to the remaining 75,000 shares upon the Company’s attainment of the following development milestones, and Dr. Bender will also be entitled to receive the following cash bonuses upon attainment of these milestones: (1) completion by September 30, 2010 of the technology transfer to a contract manufacturer for the Company’s ICT-107 product will result in a $10,000 cash bonus and the vesting of 25,000 option shares; (2) completion by December 31, 2010 of FDA acceptance of a Phase II clinical trial plan for ICT-107 will result in a $10,000 cash bonus and the vesting of 25,000 option shares; and (3) completion by December 31, 2010 of the enrollment of the first patient into the Phase II clinical trial for ICT-107 will result in a $10,000 bonus and the vesting of 25,000 option shares.
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The Employment Agreement provides that all of the rights and obligations of the Company and Dr. Bender under the Prior Agreement (including Dr. Bender’s right to work for another organization) terminated as of January 31, 2010, except that Dr. Bender’s right under the Prior Agreement to receive cash bonuses and the vesting of options upon the Company’s achievement of specified development milestones will remain in effect.
The Employment Agreement provides that, except as described in the following sentence, if Dr. Bender’s employment terminates prior to the expiration of the one-year term, Dr. Bender will not have any right to receive further compensation under the Employment Agreement other than compensation that was accrued as of his employment termination date. If the Company terminates Dr. Bender’s employment without “cause” as defined in the Employment Agreement, 50% of any unvested options held by Dr. Bender as of the employment termination date will vest, and he will also have the right to receive any compensation that was accrued as of the employment termination date.
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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.
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| | | | | ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. |
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| March 10, 2010 | | | | By: | | /s/ MANISH SINGH, PH.D. |
| | | | Name: | | Manish Singh, Ph.D. |
| | | | Title: | | President and Chief Executive Officer |
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