424B5
Table of Contents

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-241692

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus dated August 14, 2020)

27,428,572 Shares

Warrants to Purchase up to 20,571,429 Shares

 

 

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

We are offering 27,428,572 shares of our common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, and warrants to purchase up to 20,571,429 shares of our common stock (and the shares of common stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of such warrants). Each share of common stock sold in this offering will be accompanied by a warrant to purchase 0.75 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $1.55 per share. Each share of common stock and accompanying warrant to purchase 0.75 shares of common stock is being sold at a combined offering price of $1.41. The shares of common stock and warrants can only be purchased together in this offering but will be issued separately and will be immediately separable upon issuance. Subject to certain ownership limitations, the warrants will be exercisable immediately, and the warrants will expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of issuance. We refer to the shares of common stock and the accompanying warrants to purchase shares of common stock to be issued in this offering, collectively, as the “securities.”

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “SELB.” On April 6, 2022, the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq was $1.30 per share.

There is no established public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to list the warrants, nor do we expect the warrants to be quoted, on Nasdaq, or on any other national securities exchange or any other nationally recognized trading system. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT RISKS. SEE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE S-7 OF THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND IN THE DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR COMMON STOCK.

Neither the 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 prospectus supplement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

     PER SHARE AND
ACCOMPANYING
WARRANT
     TOTAL  

Offering price

   $ 1.4100      $ 38,674,286.52  

Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)

   $ 0.0846      $ 2,320,457.19  

Proceeds to us (before expenses)

   $ 1.3254      $ 36,353,829.33  

 

(1)

We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain offering-related expenses. See “Underwriting” for additional information regarding these expenses and the underwriting discounts and commissions payable in this offering.

TAS Partners LLC, an entity affiliated with Timothy A. Springer, Ph.D., a member of our Board of Directors, and an existing holder of our common stock, has agreed to purchase 6,681,600 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase 5,011,200 shares of our common stock at the offering price and on the same terms and conditions as the other purchasers in this offering, which is equal to the amount necessary to maintain its current beneficial ownership in our common stock on a fully diluted basis after the offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on the securities purchased by TAS Partners LLC as they will on any other securities sold in this offering.

Delivery of the securities is expected to be made on or about April 11, 2022.

Sole Bookrunning Manager

SVB Leerink

Lead Manager

Canaccord Genuity

The date of this prospectus supplement is April 6, 2022.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

     S-1  

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     S-2  

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

     S-4  

RISK FACTORS

     S-7  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     S-9  

DIVIDEND POLICY

     S-10  

DILUTION

     S-11  

MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     S-12  

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     S-18  

UNDERWRITING

     S-20  

LEGAL MATTERS

     S-24  

EXPERTS

     S-24  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     S-25  

PROSPECTUS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     2  

THE COMPANY

     4  

RISK FACTORS

     5  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     6  

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     7  

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

     11  

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     19  

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

     21  

GLOBAL SECURITIES

     22  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     26  

LEGAL MATTERS

     28  

EXPERTS

     28  

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process, and relates to the offering of our securities. Before buying any of the securities that we are offering, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and all of the information incorporated by reference herein and therein, as well as the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference.” These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.

We provide information to you about this offering of our securities in two separate documents that are bound together: (1) this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific details regarding this offering; and (2) the accompanying base prospectus, which provides general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer to this “prospectus,” we are referring to both documents combined. If information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the information contained in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date - for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement - the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.

Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any information that others may give. Neither we nor any of the underwriters are making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted or in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety before making an investment decision.

When we refer to “Selecta,” “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” and “our company” in this prospectus supplement, we mean Selecta Biosciences, Inc., unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the holders of the applicable series of securities.

We use our registered trademark, Selecta Biosciences, Inc., in this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement may also include trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are the property of other organizations. Solely for convenience, trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus supplement appear without the ® and symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or that the applicable owner will not assert its rights, to these trademarks and tradenames.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering may contain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free writing prospectus are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free writing prospectus may also contain estimates and other statistical data made by independent parties and by us relating to market size and growth and other data about our industry. This data involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the markets in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

   

our status as a development-stage company and our expectation to incur losses in the future;

 

   

our future capital needs and our need to raise additional funds;

 

   

our ability to build a pipeline of product candidates and develop and commercialize such pipeline;

 

   

our unproven approach to therapeutic intervention;

 

   

our ability to enroll patients in clinical trials, timely and successfully complete those trials and receive necessary regulatory approvals;

 

   

our ability to access manufacturing facilities and to receive or manufacture sufficient quantities of our product candidates;

 

   

our ability to maintain our existing or future collaborations or licenses;

 

   

the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, the continuity of our business, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials, and general economic conditions;

 

   

our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights;

 

   

federal, state, and foreign regulatory requirements, including FDA regulation of our product candidates;

 

   

our ability to obtain and retain key executives and attract and retain qualified personnel;

 

   

developments relating to our competitors and our industry, including the impact of government regulation;

 

   

our ability to successfully manage our growth; and

 

   

the use of proceeds from this offering.

The forward-looking statements in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free writing prospectus are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the respective dates of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free

 

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writing prospectus, as applicable, and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus supplement. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein and any free writing prospectus, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

 

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights selected information about us, this offering and information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus supplement, in the accompanying prospectus and in the documents we incorporate by reference. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Before making an investment decision, to fully understand this offering and its consequences to you, you should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-7 of this prospectus supplement, the financial statements and related notes, and the other information that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement, including the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The Company

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Our ImmTOR® platform encapsulates rapamycin, also known as sirolimus, an FDA-approved immunomodulator, in biodegradable nanoparticles, and ImmTOR is designed to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance.

By combining ImmTOR with antigens of interest, our precision immune tolerance platform has the potential to restore self-tolerance to auto-antigens in autoimmune diseases, amplify the efficacy of biologics (including gene therapies) and mitigate the formation of anti-drug antibodies, or ADAs, against biologic drugs. ADAs can start developing in the body with the first dose of a biologic therapy and can render subsequent doses ineffective or unsafe, potentially depriving patients of life-saving therapeutic options and limiting the likelihood of success for many otherwise promising novel biologic drugs and technologies.

We filed our certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware on December 10, 2007. Our principal executive offices are located at 65 Grove Street, Watertown, MA 02472, and our telephone number is (617) 923-1400.

Implications of Being a Smaller Reporting Company

We qualify as a “smaller reporting company” under the rules of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a result, we may choose to take advantage of certain scaled disclosure requirements available specifically to smaller reporting companies. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliated persons and entities, or our public float, is greater than $250 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or the last day of the fiscal year in which we have at least $100 million in revenue and at least $700 million in public float as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

 

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THE OFFERING

 

Common stock offered by us

27,428,572 shares

 

Warrants offered by us

We are offering warrants to purchase an aggregate of 20,571,429 shares of our common stock. Each share of our common stock is being sold together with a warrant to purchase 0.75 shares of our common stock. Each share of common stock and accompanying warrant to purchase 0.75 shares of common stock is being sold at a combined offering price of $1.41. Each warrant has an exercise price of $1.55 per share, is immediately exercisable and will expire on the five year anniversary of the date of issuance. This prospectus supplement also relates to the offering of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. There is no established public trading market for the warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for a listing of the warrants on any securities exchange. Without an active market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited. For additional information regarding the warrants, see “Description of Capital Stock—Warrants” below.

 

Shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering

151,051,537 shares, assuming no exercise of any warrants issued in this offering.

 

Use of proceeds

We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include research and development expenditures, acquisitions or in-licenses of complementary companies, medicines or technologies, expenditures to build our initial development, manufacturing and commercial capabilities, working capital and capital expenditures. See the section entitled “Use of Proceeds” on page S-9 of this prospectus supplement.

 

Risk factors

See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-7 of this prospectus supplement and the other information included in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement for a discussion of certain factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our securities.

 

Nasdaq symbol

Our common stock currently is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “SELB.” We do not intend to list the warrants, nor do we expect the warrants to be quoted, on Nasdaq or on any other national securities exchange or any other nationally recognized trading system.

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 123,622,965 shares of our common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2021. The number of shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021 excludes:

 

   

11,039,873 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $4.08 per share;

 

   

394,450 shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units outstanding as of December 31, 2021;

 

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1,925,537 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2016 Incentive Award Plan as of December 31, 2021;

 

   

2,522,366 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of December 31, 2021;

 

   

1,591,661 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2018 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan as of December 31, 2021; and

 

   

10,735,980 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $1.62 per share.

Unless otherwise indicated, this prospectus supplement reflects and assumes:

 

   

no exercise of the outstanding options and warrants described above subsequent to December 31, 2021;

 

   

no vesting of the outstanding restricted stock units described above subsequent to December 31, 2021; and

 

   

no exercise of the warrants issued in this offering.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors described below and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, any amendment or update thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

Risks Relating to this Offering

If you purchase securities sold in this offering, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of your shares of common stock. In addition, we may issue additional equity or convertible debt securities in the future, which may result in additional dilution to you.

The combined price per share of our common stock and accompanying warrant being offered is higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding common stock prior to this offering. Accordingly, if you purchase securities in this offering, you will incur immediate dilution of approximately $1.02 per share of common stock, representing the difference between the offering price of $1.41 per common stock and accompanying warrant to purchase 0.75 shares of our common stock, and our as adjusted net tangible book value as of December 31, 2021. Furthermore, if outstanding options are exercised or restricted stock units vest, you could experience further dilution. For a more detailed discussion of the foregoing, see the section entitled “Dilution” below. To the extent outstanding stock options or warrants are exercised, there will be further dilution to investors in this offering. In addition, to the extent we need to raise additional capital in the future and we issue additional shares of common stock or securities convertible or exchangeable for our common stock, our then existing stockholders may experience dilution and the new securities may have rights senior to those of our common stock offered in this offering. We also plan to propose to our stockholders an increase in our authorized share capital in the proxy statement for our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed with the SEC, which, if approved by our stockholders, would permit us to issue additional securities.

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares of common stock may be sold into the market at any time, which could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time. Such sales, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of such shares intend to sell, could reduce the market price of our common stock significantly. In connection with this offering, we and our executive officers and directors have entered into lock-up agreements with SVB Securities LLC, or SVB Leerink, as representative of the several underwriters, that prohibit us and our executive officers and directors, subject to certain exceptions or receipt of the prior written consent of SVB Leerink, from disposing or pledging, or hedging against, our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common stock for periods of up to 90 days after the date of this prospectus supplement. However, all of the shares of common stock and accompanying warrants sold in this offering and the remaining shares of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to this offering will not be subject to lock-up agreements and, except to the extent such shares are held by our affiliates, will be freely tradable without restriction. In addition, SVB Leerink may, in its discretion, release the lock-up restrictions described above at any time without notice.

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section entitled “Use of Proceeds,” and you will not have the

 

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opportunity as part of your investment decision to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds from this offering, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. Our management might not apply our net proceeds in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include research and development expenditures, acquisitions or in-licenses of complementary companies, medicines or technologies, expenditures to build our initial development, manufacturing and commercial capabilities, working capital and capital expenditures. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government. These investments may not yield a favorable return to our stockholders. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance stockholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline.

There is no public market for the warrants to purchase shares of our common stock being offered in this offering.

There is no established public trading market for the warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, including Nasdaq. Without an active market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.

Holders of our warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until they acquire our common stock.

Until you acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of the warrants, you will have no rights with respect to shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants. Upon exercise of your warrants, you will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.

The warrants are speculative in nature.

The warrants offered hereby do not confer any rights of common stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of common stock at a fixed price. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the warrants may acquire the common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants at an exercise price of $1.55 per share. Moreover, following this offering, the market value of the warrants is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the warrants will equal or exceed their offering price. There can be no assurance that the market price of the common stock will ever equal or exceed the exercise price of the warrants and consequently, whether it will ever be profitable for holders of the warrants to exercise the warrants.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds from this offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, will be approximately $36.0 million. If all the warrants are exercised for cash at an exercise price of $1.55 per share, then our net proceeds will be approximately $67.9 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We cannot predict when or if the warrants will be exercised. It is possible that the warrants may expire and may never be exercised.

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include research and development expenditures, acquisitions or in-licenses of complementary companies, medicines or technologies, expenditures to build our initial development, manufacturing and commercial capabilities, working capital and capital expenditures.

This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the completion of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures and the extent of clinical development may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including the progress of our development efforts, the status of and results from pre-clinical studies and any ongoing clinical trials or clinical trials we may commence in the future, as well as any collaborations that we may enter into with third parties for our product candidates and any unforeseen cash needs. As a result, our management will have broad discretion to allocate the net proceeds to us from this offering, and investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the net proceeds from this offering. We reserve the right to change the use of these proceeds as a result of certain contingencies such as competitive developments, the results of our commercialization efforts, acquisition and investment opportunities and other factors.

Pending the uses described above, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to in-license, acquire or invest in complementary technologies, products or assets. However, we have no current plans, commitments or obligations to do so.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We intend to retain future earnings, if any, to finance the operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors after considering our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business prospects and other factors the board of directors deems relevant, and subject to the restrictions contained in any future financing instruments. In addition, our ability to pay cash dividends is currently prohibited by the terms of our credit facility with Oxford Finance LLC and Silicon Valley Bank.

 

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DILUTION

If you invest in our common stock, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the price per share you pay in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

Our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2021 was approximately $22.5 million, or approximately $0.18 per share of common stock, based upon 123,622,965 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021. Net tangible book value per share is equal to our total tangible assets, less our total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021.

After giving effect to the sale by us of 27,428,572 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants to purchase an aggregate of 20,571,429 shares of common stock in this offering at the offering price of $1.41 per share of common stock and accompanying warrant to purchase 0.75 shares, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of December 31, 2021 would have been approximately $58.5 million, or approximately $0.39 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.21 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of approximately $1.02 per share to investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering.

The following table illustrates this calculation on a per share basis:

 

Offering price per share and accompanying warrant

      $ 1.41  

Net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2021

   $ 0.18     

Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to the offering

     0.21     
  

 

 

    

As adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to the offering

        0.39  
     

 

 

 

Dilution per share to investors participating in this offering

      $ 1.02  
     

 

 

 

The foregoing discussion and table assume no exercise of the warrants sold in this offering. If any of the warrants being sold in this offering are exercised, you will experience further dilution.

The foregoing table also does not give effect to the exercise of any outstanding options or warrants or the vesting of any restricted stock units. To the extent outstanding options and warrants are exercised, or restricted stock units vest, there may be further dilution to investors in this offering.

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 123,622,965 shares of our common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2021. The number of shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021 excludes:

 

   

11,039,873 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $4.08 per share;

 

   

394,450 shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units outstanding as of December 31, 2021;

 

   

1,925,537 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2016 Incentive Award Plan as of December 31, 2021;

 

   

2,522,366 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of December 31, 2021;

 

   

1,591,661 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2018 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan as of December 31, 2021; and

 

   

10,735,980 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $1.62 per share.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock and warrants acquired in this offering by non-U.S. holders (as defined below) and the acquisition, ownership and disposition of warrants acquired in this offering by U.S. holders (as defined below) that, in each case, hold such shares or warrants as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment).

This section is based on current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus supplement and all of which are subject to change or to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any such change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to holders described in this prospectus supplement. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described herein.

This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to a particular holder in light of that holder’s individual circumstances nor does it address U.S. state, local or non-U.S. taxes, U.S. federal estate or gift tax laws, the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on net investment income or any other aspect of any U.S. federal tax other than the income tax. This discussion also does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a holder and does not address the special tax rules applicable to certain holders, such as:

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

regulated investment companies and real estate investment trusts;

 

   

tax-exempt or governmental organizations;

 

   

financial institutions;

 

   

brokers or dealers in securities;

 

   

traders that have elected to mark securities to market;

 

   

regulated investment companies;

 

   

pension plans;

 

   

corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;

 

   

“qualified foreign pension funds” as defined in Section 897(l)(2) of the Code and entities all of the interests of which are held by qualified foreign pension funds;

 

   

persons deemed to sell our common stock or warrants under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;

 

   

persons that hold our common stock or warrants as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security or other integrated investment;

 

   

persons who hold or receive our common stock or warrants pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation;

 

   

U.S. holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar; and

 

   

certain U.S. expatriates.

This discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships (including any entity or arrangements treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or persons that hold their common stock through such a partnerships. If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes

 

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holds our common stock or warrants, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. A partner in a partnership or other pass-through entity (including an entity or arrangement that is treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that will hold our common stock should consult his, her or its tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of acquiring, holding and disposing of our common stock through a partnership or other pass-through entity, as applicable.

This discussion is for general information only and is not intended to be, and may not be construed as, tax advice. Accordingly, all prospective holders of our common stock or warrants should consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock or warrants.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations of Owning and Disposing of Warrants for U.S. Holders

The following discusses the material U.S. federal income tax consideration of owning and disposing of our warrants for a U.S. holder. This section does not address the U.S. federal income tax considerations for U.S. holders of owning or disposing of shares of our common stock or of backup withholding and information reporting.

For purposes of this discussion, a U.S. holder is any beneficial owner of our common stock or warrants that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:

 

   

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a domestic corporation;

 

   

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust, if (A) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all of the trust’s substantial decisions or (B) the trust has validly elected to be treated as a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Allocation of Purchase Price Between Shares and Warrants

Because our common stock and accompanying warrants are sold together, a purchaser of shares of our common stock and accompanying warrants must allocate its purchase price between each share and the accompanying warrant based on their respective relative fair market values at the time of issuance. This allocation of the purchase price will establish the holder’s initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes for each share and warrant. A holder’s allocation of the purchase price among the shares and warrants is not binding on the IRS or the courts, and no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with a holder’s allocation. Each holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the allocation of the purchase price among the shares and warrants.

Exercise of Warrants

A U.S. holder generally will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes on the exercise of a common warrant and the related receipt of common stock. A U.S. holder’s tax basis in the common stock received upon exercise of the common warrant generally will equal the sum of the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the warrant and the exercise price. A U.S. holder’s holding period for shares of common stock acquired pursuant to an exercise of warrants will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant and will not include the period during which the U.S. holder held the warrant.

In certain circumstances, the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of an exercise of a warrant on a cashless basis is not clear, and could differ from the consequences

 

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described above. It is possible that a cashless exercise is a non-taxable transaction, either because the exercise is not treated as a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a tax-free recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under either characterization, a U.S. holder’s tax basis in the common stock received generally would equal the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the warrants. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the shares of common stock acquired pursuant to the cashless exercise will commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the shares of common stock acquired pursuant to it would include the holding period of the warrants.

It is also possible that a cashless exercise is treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. holder may be deemed to have surrendered warrants with an aggregate fair market value equal to the exercise price for the total number of warrants to be exercised. The U.S. holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. holder’s tax basis in such warrants. In this case, a U.S. holder’s tax basis in the shares of common stock received pursuant to the cashless exercise would equal the sum of the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the warrants exercised and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the common stock would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant.

Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of an exercise of a common warrant on a cashless basis, including with respect to their holding period and tax basis in the common stock received.

Lapse of Warrants

If U.S. holder allows a common warrant to expire unexercised, such holder will recognize a capital loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to such holder’s tax basis in the common warrant. Any such loss generally will be a capital loss and will be long-term capital loss if the common warrant is held for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

Contingent Payments on the Warrants

The warrants entitle a holder to receive payments upon the occurrence of certain contingencies, including a distribution on shares of our common stock or our failure to deliver shares of common stock upon exercise of a common warrant. The tax treatment of such payments, if made, is subject to substantial uncertainty. Holders should consult their own tax advisors as to the appropriate U.S. federal income tax treatment of any such contingent payments that may be made to them in respect of the warrants.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders

The following discusses the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of shares of our common stock and warrants to a non-U.S. holder. For purposes of this discussion, a U.S. holder is any beneficial owner of our common stock or warrants that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:

 

   

a non-resident alien individual;

 

   

a foreign corporation or any other foreign association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or

 

   

a foreign estate or trust the income of which is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis.

 

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Allocation of Purchase Price Between Shares and Warrants

If it is relevant for a non-U.S. holder to determine its tax basis in shares of common stock or warrants for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. holder will determined such tax basis based on the allocation of the purchase price as described above under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations of Owning and Disposing of Warrants to U.S. Holders—Allocation of Purchase Price Between Shares and Warrants”.

Warrants

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a non-U.S. holder’s exercise of a warrant, or the lapse of a warrant held by a non-U.S. holder, generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. holder, as described under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations of Owning and Disposing of Warrants to U.S. Holders” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the rules described below under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders—Gains on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Common Stock or Warrants” would apply.

If contingent payments are made with respect to a common warrant, as described above under “Treatment of Warrants—U.S. Holders—Contingent Payments on the Warrants”, such payments may be subject to a U.S. dividend or other withholding tax. Any U.S. federal income tax required to be withheld on any portion of such contingent payment may be withheld from common stock delivered, sales proceeds subsequently paid or credited, or other amounts payable or distributable to a non-U.S. holder.

Distributions on Our Common Stock and Warrants

As described in the section titled “Dividend Policy,” we do not anticipate paying any future distributions on our shares. However, if we do make distributions on our shares or warrants, such distributions will constitute dividends to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holder’s investment, up to such holder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain from the sale or exchange of such shares, subject to the tax treatment described below in “—Gain on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Common Stock.” Any such distributions will also be subject to the discussions below in the sections titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “FATCA.”

Subject to the discussion in the remainder of this section, dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence. Dividends that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder within the United States, are generally exempt from the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies applicable certification and disclosure requirements. However, such U.S. effectively connected income, net of specified deductions and credits, is generally taxed in the same manner and at the same regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence.

A non-U.S. holder of our common stock who claims the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence generally will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) to the applicable withholding agent and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors

 

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regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing a U.S. tax return with the IRS.

Gains on Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Our Common Stock or Warrants

Subject to the discussions below under “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—FATCA,” a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to any U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain realized upon such holder’s sale or other taxable disposition of shares of our common stock or warrants unless:

 

   

the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, is attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by such non-U.S. holder in the United States, in which case the non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed on a net income basis at the regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code) and, if the non-U.S. holder is a foreign corporation, the branch profits tax described above in “Distributions on Our Common Stock” also may apply;

 

   

the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other conditions are met, in which case the non-U.S. holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence) on the net gain derived from the sale or other taxable disposition of the shares of common stock or warrants, as applicable, which may be offset by certain U.S. source capital losses of the non-U.S. holder, if any (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States), provided that the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses; or

 

   

we are, or have been, at any time during the five-year period preceding such sale or other taxable disposition (or the non-U.S. holder’s holding period, if shorter) of such shares of common stock or warrants, as applicable, a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and the non-U.S. holder holds no more than 5% (by value) of our outstanding common stock or warrants, as applicable, directly or indirectly, actually or constructively, during the shorter of the 5-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the non-U.S. holder held our common stock or warrants. If we are or were a U.S. real property holding corporation during the relevant period and the foregoing exception does not apply, the non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed on its net gain derived from the disposition at the regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Generally, a corporation is a U.S. real property holding corporation only if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. Although there can be no assurance, we do not believe that we are, or have been, a U.S. real property holding corporation, or that we are likely to become one in the future. No assurance can be provided that our common stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market for purposes of the rules described above.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the gross amount of the distributions on our securities paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. holders may have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a United States person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate with respect to dividends on our securities. Dividends paid to non-U.S. holders subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, as described above in “—Distributions on Our Common Stock and Warrants,” generally will be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.

 

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Information reporting and backup withholding will generally apply to the proceeds of a disposition of our securities by a non-U.S. holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S. holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker.

Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them. Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder can be refunded or credited against the non-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that an appropriate claim is filed with the IRS in a timely manner.

FATCA

Provisions of the Code commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally impose a U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% on payments of dividends on our common stock paid to a foreign entity unless (i) if the foreign entity is a “foreign financial institution,” such foreign entity undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) if the foreign entity is not a “foreign financial institution,” such foreign entity either certifies it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial U.S. owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements, or (iii) the foreign entity is otherwise exempt under FATCA. Such withholding may also apply to gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our common stock, although under proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations, no withholding would apply to such gross proceeds. The preamble to the proposed regulations specifies that taxpayers (including withholding agents) are permitted to rely on the proposed regulations pending finalization. Under certain circumstances, a non-U.S. holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of this withholding tax. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this paragraph. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this legislation on their investment in our common stock and the entities through which they hold our common stock, including, without limitation, the process and deadlines for meeting the applicable requirements to prevent the imposition of the 30% withholding tax under FATCA.

The preceding discussion of U.S. federal income tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax advice. Each prospective investor should consult its tax advisor regarding the particular U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed change in applicable laws.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

The following is a summary of the material terms and provisions of the warrants that are being offered hereby. This summary is subject to and qualified in its entirety by the form of warrant, which will be filed with the SEC as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K in connection with this offering and incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the warrants.

Duration and Exercise Price. The warrants offered hereby will have an exercise price of $1.55 per share and will expire on the five-year anniversary of the date of issuance. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock.

Exercisability. The warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of our common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of such holder’s common warrants to the extent that the holder would own more than 9.99% of our outstanding common stock immediately after exercise.

Exercise Limitations. Except in the case of warrants issued to TAS Partners LLC, we may not effect the exercise of any warrant, and a holder will not be entitled to exercise any portion of any common warrant that, upon giving effect to such exercise, would cause the aggregate number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by such holder (together with its affiliates) to exceed 4.99% or 9.99% (at the election of the holder) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise. However, any holder of a warrant may increase or decrease such percentage upon at least 61 days’ prior written notice from the holder to us, provided that such percentage in no event exceeds 9.99%.

Cashless Exercise. If, at the time a holder exercises its warrants a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of common stock underlying such warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such shares, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of such shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the warrant.

Transferability. Subject to applicable laws, the warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without our consent.

Trading Market. There is no established trading market for any of the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not intend to apply for a listing for any of the warrants on any securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.

Rights as a Shareholder. Except as otherwise provided in the warrants or by virtue of the holders’ ownership of shares of our common stock, the holders of warrants do not have the rights or privileges of the holders of our common stock, including any voting rights, until such warrant holders exercise their warrants.

Fundamental Transaction. In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the common warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding common stock, or any person or group becoming the beneficial owner of 50% of the voting power represented by our outstanding common stock,

 

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the holders of the warrants will be entitled to receive, upon exercise of the warrants, the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that such holders would have received had they exercised the warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction, without regard to any limitations on exercise contained in the warrants. In the event of a change of control that is approved by the Company’s board of directors, the holders of the warrants shall be entitled to receive from the Company or any successor entity, as of the date of consummation of the change of control the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of the common warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of common stock of the Company in connection with the change of control, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock, or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of common stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the change of control.

 

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UNDERWRITING

SVB Securities LLC is acting as representative of each of the underwriters named below and as sole bookrunning manager for this offering. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement between us and the underwriters, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and the underwriters have agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase from us, the number of securities set forth opposite its name below.

 

Underwriter

   Number of
Shares of
Common Stock
     Number of
Warrants
 

SVB Securities LLC

     21,942,858        16,457,144  

Canaccord Genuity LLC

     5,485,714        4,114,285  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     27,428,572        20,571,429  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, the underwriters have agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase all of the securities sold under the underwriting agreement if any of the securities are purchased. If an underwriter defaults, the underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of the non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the underwriting agreement may be terminated.

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

The underwriters are offering the securities, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them, subject to approval of legal matters by their counsel, including the validity of the securities, and subject to other conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, such as the receipt by the underwriters of officers’ certificates and legal opinions. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.

Discounts and Commissions

The representative has advised us that the underwriters propose initially to offer the securities to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement and to dealers at that price less a concession not in excess of $0.05076 per share of common stock and warrant to purchase 0.75 shares. After the initial offering of the securities, the offering price, concession or any other term of this offering may be changed by the representative.

The following table shows the offering price, underwriting discounts and commissions and proceeds, before expenses, to us.

 

     Per Share and
Accompanying
Warrant
     Total  

Initial public offering price

   $ 1.4100      $ 38,674,286.52  

Underwriting discounts and commissions

   $ 0.0846      $ 2,320,457.19  

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $ 1.3254      $ 36,353,829.33  

We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $375,000. We also have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for up to $20,000 for their FINRA counsel fee. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110, this reimbursed fee is deemed underwriting compensation for this offering.

No Sales of Similar Securities

We and our executive officers and directors have agreed not to sell or transfer any common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock, for 90 days after the date of this

 

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prospectus supplement without first obtaining the written consent of SVB Securities LLC on behalf of the underwriters. Specifically, we and these other persons have agreed, with certain limited exceptions, not to directly or indirectly:

 

   

offer, pledge, sell or contract to sell any common stock;

 

   

sell any option or contract to purchase any common stock;

 

   

purchase any option or contract to sell any common stock;

 

   

grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of any common stock;

 

   

otherwise dispose of or transfer any common stock;

 

   

request or demand that we file a registration statement related to the common stock; or

 

   

enter into any swap or other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequence of ownership of any common stock, whether any such swap, agreement or transaction is to be settled by delivery of shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise.

The lock-up provisions apply to common stock and to securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock. They also apply to common stock owned now or acquired later by the person executing the lock-up agreement or for which the person executing the lock-up agreement later acquires the power of disposition.

Nasdaq Global Market Listing

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SELB.” There is no established public market for the warrants, and we do not intend to list the warrants on the Nasdaq Global Market, any other national securities exchange or any other nationally recognized trading system.

Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

Until the distribution of the securities is completed, SEC rules may limit the underwriters and selling group members from bidding for and purchasing our common stock. However, the representative may engage in transactions that stabilize the price of the common stock, such as bids or purchases to peg, fix or maintain that price.

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell our common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, purchases on the open market to cover positions created by short sales and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve the sale by an underwriter of a greater number of shares than it is required to purchase in this offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of shares of common stock made by an underwriter in the open market prior to the closing of this offering.

The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representative has repurchased shares sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriters’ purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the Nasdaq Global Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. In addition, neither we nor the underwriters make any representation that the representative will engage in these transactions or that these transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

 

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The underwriters may also engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on Nasdaq in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of shares of our common stock and accompanying warrants in this offering and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.

Electronic Distribution

In connection with this offering, the underwriters or certain securities dealers may distribute prospectuses by electronic means, such as e-mail.

Other Relationships

The underwriters and certain of their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and certain of their respective affiliates may in the future engage in investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us and our affiliates, for which they may in the future receive customary fees, commissions and expenses. For example, we entered into an at-the-market offering program sales agreement with SVB Securities LLC on October 25, 2021, under which we may offer and sell, from time to time at our discretion, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $75.0 million through SVB Securities LLC, acting as our sales agent, for which SVB Securities LLC has received customary fees and expenses. Additionally, Silicon Valley Bank, an affiliate of SVB Securities LLC, is a lender under our credit facility.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Selling Restrictions

Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each, a “Relevant State”), no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that securities may be offered to the public in that Relevant State at any time:

 

  A.

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;

 

  B.

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representative for any such offer; or

 

  C.

in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,

provided that no such offer of securities shall require us or any of the representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.

 

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For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any securities, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

No securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority, except that the securities may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:

 

  A.

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;

 

  B.

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representative for any such offer; or

 

  C.

in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the “FMSA”),

provided that no such offer of the securities shall require us or any representative to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation. For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to the securities in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any securities and the expression “UK Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada

The securities may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Covington & Burling LLP, New York, New York. The underwriters are being represented in connection with this offering by Goodwin Procter LLP, New York, New York.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Selecta Biosciences, Inc. appearing in Selecta Biosciences, Inc.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2021, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are, and audited consolidated financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the report of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such consolidated financial statements (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Available Information

We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.

Our web site address is www.selectabiosciences.com. The information on our web site, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus supplement.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement through the SEC’s website, as provided above.

Incorporation by Reference

The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus supplement, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in this prospectus supplement or a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference modifies or replaces that statement.

This prospectus supplement incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:

 

   

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2022.

 

   

Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 29, 2021.

 

   

Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 10, 2022, February  10, 2022, March  22, 2022 and April 6, 2022.

 

   

The description of our Common Stock contained in Exhibit 4.10 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2022, and any amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating the description.

All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of this offering, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.

 

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You may request a free copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Selecta Biosciences, Inc.

65 Grove Street

Watertown, MA 02472

(617) 923-1400

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.

 

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PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

Selecta Biosciences, Inc.

$200,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Units

 

 

We may offer and sell up to $200,000,000 in the aggregate of the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.

Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in any of our securities.

We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.

 

 

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 5 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SELB.” On August 5, 2020, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market was $2.78 per share.

Neither the 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 prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is August 14, 2020.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     2  

THE COMPANY

     4  

RISK FACTORS

     5  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     6  

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     7  

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

     11  

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     19  

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

     21  

GLOBAL SECURITIES

     22  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     26  

LEGAL MATTERS

     28  

EXPERTS

     28  

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell securities from time to time and in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $200,000,000 as described in this prospectus. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you should rely on the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as applicable. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement (and any applicable free writing prospectuses), together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference.”

We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, that the information appearing in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of that free writing prospectus, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus incorporates by reference, and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may contain and incorporate by reference, market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently verified this information. In addition, the market and industry data and forecasts that may be included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any applicable free writing prospectus may involve estimates, assumptions and other risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.

When we refer to “Selecta,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, we mean Selecta Biosciences, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.

We use our registered trademark, Selecta Biosciences, Inc. in this prospectus. This prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, also includes trademarks, tradenames and service marks that are the property of other organizations. Solely for convenience, trademarks and tradenames referred to in this prospectus appear without the® and symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or that the applicable owner will not assert its rights, to these trademarks and tradenames.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Available Information

We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a web site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information about issuers, such as us, who file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is http://www.sec.gov.

Our web site address is www.selectabiosciences.com. The information on our web site, however, is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus.

This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the indenture and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement or documents incorporated by reference in the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement through the SEC’s website, as provided above.

Incorporation by Reference

The SEC’s rules allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in this prospectus or a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or a subsequently filed document incorporated by reference modifies or replaces that statement.

This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:

 

   

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 12, 2020.

 

   

The information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 28, 2020.

 

   

Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020, filed with the SEC on May 7, 2020 and August 6, 2020, respectively.

 

   

Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March  31, 2020, April  27, 2020, June  12, 2020, June  18, 2020 (with respect to Items 1.01 and 8.01), June  22, 2020 and June 25, 2020.

 

   

The description of our Common Stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on June 8, 2016 and any amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating the description.

All reports and other documents we subsequently file pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which we refer to as the “Exchange Act” in this prospectus, prior to the termination of this offering, including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, but excluding any information furnished to, rather than filed with, the SEC, will also be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and deemed to be part of this prospectus from the date of the filing of such reports and documents.

 

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You may request a free copy of any of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Selecta Biosciences, Inc.

65 Grove Street

Watertown, MA 02472

(617) 923-1400

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

 

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THE COMPANY

We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using our ImmTOR platform with the goal to effectively and safely treat rare and serious diseases by enabling the development of novel biologic therapies that would otherwise be limited by their immunogenicity. Many such diseases are treated with biologic therapies that are foreign to the patient’s immune system and therefore elicit an undesired immune response.

Our proprietary tolerogenic ImmTOR platform encapsulates an immunomodulator in biodegradable nanoparticles and is designed to mitigate the formation of anti-drug antibodies by inducing antigen-specific immune tolerance to biologic drugs. We believe ImmTOR has potential to enhance the efficacy without compromising the safety of existing approved biologic drugs, improve product candidates under development and enable novel therapeutic modalities, such as re-administration of systemic gene therapy.

We filed our certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of Delaware on December 10, 2007.

Our principal executive offices are located at 65 Grove Street, Watertown, MA 02472, and our telephone number is (617) 923-1400.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any applicable free writing prospectus before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our capital stock. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, each of which has been publicly filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information; Incorporation by Reference.”

Our authorized capital stock consists of:

 

   

200,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value; and

 

   

10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value.

Common Stock

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SELB.”

Voting Rights. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. An election of directors by our stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election. Subject to the supermajority votes for some matters, other matters shall be decided by the affirmative vote of our stockholders having a majority in voting power of the votes cast by the stockholders present or represented and voting on such matter. Our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws also provide that our directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote thereon. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote thereon is required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, several of the provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately any dividends as may be declared by our board of directors, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.

Rights upon Liquidation. In the event of our liquidation or dissolution, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately our net assets available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any outstanding preferred stock.

Other Rights. Holders of common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.

Transfer Agent

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.

Dividend

Holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately any dividends as may be declared by our board of directors, subject to any preferential dividend rights of outstanding preferred stock. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock. We do not intend to pay cash dividends for the foreseeable future. We currently expect to retain all future earnings, if any, for use in the development, operation and expansion of our business. Any determination to pay cash dividends in the future will depend upon, among other things, our results of operations, plans for expansion, tax considerations, available net profits and reserves, limitations under law, financial condition, capital requirements and other factors that our board of directors considers to be relevant.

 

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Preferred Stock

Under the terms of our restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors is authorized to direct us to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.

The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock. There are no shares of preferred stock outstanding, and we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Registration Rights

Certain holders our common stock or their transferees are entitled to the following rights with respect to the registration of such shares for public resale under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

These registration rights are granted pursuant to the (i) amended and restated investors’ rights agreement by and among us and certain of our stockholders, or the investors’ rights agreement and (ii) a registration rights agreement we entered into in connection with the private placement of 37,634,883 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase 31,330,629 shares of our common stock, or the 2019 Private Placement, which closed on December 23, 2019.

Investors’ Rights Agreement

Holders of registrable securities under the investors’ rights agreement have registration rights until such shares can otherwise be sold without restriction under Rule 144, or until the rights otherwise terminate pursuant to the terms of the investors’ rights agreement. The registration of shares of common stock as a result of the following rights being exercised would enable holders to trade these shares without restriction under the Securities Act when the applicable registration statement is declared effective.

Piggyback Registration Rights. Any time we propose to register any shares of our common stock under the Securities Act, subject to certain exceptions, the holders of registrable securities are entitled to notice of the registration and to include their shares of registrable securities in the registration. If our proposed registration involves an underwriting, the managing underwriter of such offering will have the right to limit the number of shares to be underwritten for reasons related to the marketing of the shares.

Form S-3 Registration Rights. If the holders of registrable securities request in writing that we effect a registration with respect to registrable securities at an aggregate price to the public in the offering of at least $2,000,000, and we are entitled under the Securities Act to register our shares on a registration statement on Form S-3, we will be required to effect such registration. We will not be required to effect a registration pursuant to these Form S-3 registration rights if, within a given calendar year, we have already effected two registrations on Form S-3 for the holders of registrable securities.

Expenses. Ordinarily, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, we will be required to pay all expenses incurred by us related to any registration effected pursuant to the exercise of these registration rights. These expenses may include all registration and filing fees, printing expenses, fees and disbursements of our counsel, reasonable fees and disbursements of a counsel for the selling security holders and blue sky fees and expenses.

Termination of Registration Rights. The registration rights terminate upon the earlier of June 27, 2021, or, with respect to the registration rights of an individual holder, when the holder can sell all of such holder’s registrable securities in a three-month period without restriction under Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

 

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2019 Registration Rights Agreement

The shares of common stock underlying the warrants and the shares of common stock issued in connection with our 2019 Private Placement are currently registered under a registration statement that has been declared effective by the SEC, pursuant to a registration rights agreement entered into between us and the investors in the private placement. Subject to certain exceptions, pursuant to the related registration rights agreement, we have agreed to use reasonable best efforts to keep the registration statement registering the resale of these shares of common effective under the Securities Act until the earlier of (i) such time as all of the securities registered for resale have been disposed of pursuant to and in accordance with the registration statement, (ii) such time as all of the securities registered for resale have been sold in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act, (iii) the date on which the shares of common stock registered for resale become eligible for resale without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions and without current public information pursuant to Rule 144; and (iv) December 23, 2024.

We have also agreed, among other things, to indemnify the investors under the registration statement from certain liabilities and to pay all fees and expenses (excluding any legal fees of the selling holder(s), and any underwriting discounts and selling commissions) incident to our obligations under the registration rights agreement.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Some provisions of Delaware law, our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws could make the following transactions more difficult: an acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; an acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or the removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interest, including transactions which provide for payment of a premium over the market price for our shares.

These provisions, summarized below, are intended to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of the increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Undesignated Preferred Stock. The ability of our board of directors, without action by the stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences as designated by our board of directors could impede the success of any attempt to effect a change in control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.

Stockholder Meetings. Our amended and restated bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by our chairman of the board, chief executive officer or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer), or by a resolution adopted by a majority of our board of directors.

Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals. Our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals to be brought before a stockholder meeting and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the board of directors or a committee of the board of directors.

Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Our restated certificate of incorporation eliminates the right of stockholders to act by written consent without a meeting.

 

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Staggered Board. Our board of directors is divided into three classes. The directors in each class will serve for a three-year term, one class being elected each year by our stockholders. This system of electing and removing directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.

Removal of Directors. Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that no member of our board of directors may be removed from office by our stockholders except for cause and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote in the election of directors.

Stockholders Not Entitled to Cumulative Voting. Our restated certificate of incorporation does not permit stockholders to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they choose, other than any directors that holders of our preferred stock may be entitled to elect.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute. We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which prohibits persons deemed to be “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this law may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors.

Choice of Forum. Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative form, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty or other wrongdoing by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (3) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or our restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws; or (4) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our restated certificate of incorporation also provides that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this choice of forum provision. It is possible that a court of law could rule that the choice of forum provision contained in our restated certificate of incorporation is inapplicable or unenforceable if it is challenged in a proceeding or otherwise.

Amendment of Restated Certificate of Incorporation. The amendment of any of the above provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation, except for the provision making it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock and the provision prohibiting cumulative voting, would require approval by holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote thereon.

The provisions of Delaware law, our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in the composition of our board and management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interest.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.

We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.

The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee to be named in the applicable indenture. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.

As used in this section only, “Selecta,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to Selecta Biosciences, Inc. excluding our subsidiaries, unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.

General

The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. (Section 2.2) The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).

We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. (Section 2.1) We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:

 

   

the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions);

 

   

the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities;

 

   

any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;

 

   

the date or dates on which the principal of the securities of the series is payable;

 

   

the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;

 

   

the place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered;

 

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the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities;

 

   

any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and in the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;

 

   

the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations;

 

   

the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

 

   

whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities;

 

   

the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount;

 

   

the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be United States Dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;

 

   

the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made;

 

   

if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined;

 

   

the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;

 

   

any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;

 

   

any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;

 

   

any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;

 

   

any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities;

 

   

the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of such series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price and period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange;

 

   

any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities; and

 

   

whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities of that series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees. (Section 2.2)

 

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We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.

If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Transfer and Exchange

Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.

Certificated Debt Securities. You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. (Section 2.4) No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange. (Section 2.7)

You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.

Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System. Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the Depositary, and registered in the name of the Depositary or a nominee of the Depositary. Please see “Global Securities.”

Covenants

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities. (Article IV)

No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control

Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person (a “successor person”) unless:

 

   

we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than Selecta) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and

 

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immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.

Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us. (Section 5.1)

Events of Default

“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:

 

   

default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period);

 

   

default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity;

 

   

default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or Selecta and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture;

 

   

certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of Selecta;

 

   

any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement. (Section 6.1)

No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. (Section 6.1) The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.

We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof. (Section 6.1)

If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of

 

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that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. (Section 6.2) We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.

The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. (Section 7.1(e)) Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series. (Section 6.12)

No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:

 

   

that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and

 

   

the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days. (Section 6.7)

Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment. (Section 6.8)

The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. (Section 4.3) If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall mail to each Securityholder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities. (Section 7.5)

Modification and Waiver

We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:

 

   

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

 

   

to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets”;

 

   

to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities;

 

   

to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series;

 

   

to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture;

 

   

to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series;

 

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to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;

 

   

to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities;

 

   

to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture;

 

   

to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or

 

   

to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act. (Section 9.1)

We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:

 

   

reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

 

   

reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security;

 

   

reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities;

 

   

reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity;

 

   

waive a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);

 

   

make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security;

 

   

make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or

 

   

waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security. (Section 9.3)

Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. (Section 9.2) The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration. (Section 6.13)

Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances

Legal Defeasance. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of

 

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any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.

This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred. (Section 8.3)

Defeasance of Certain Covenants. The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:

 

   

we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and

 

   

any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series (“covenant defeasance”).

The conditions include:

 

   

depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. Dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; and

 

   

delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred. (Section 8.4)

No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Securityholders

None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or securityholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.

 

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Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities or the transactions contemplated thereby.

The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum. (Section 10.10)

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock or preferred stock or of debt securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. The following summary of material provisions of the warrants and warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.

The particular terms of any issue of warrants will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the issue. Those terms may include:

 

   

the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase such shares and the price at which such number of shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

 

   

the designation, stated value and terms (including, without limitation, liquidation, dividend, conversion and voting rights) of the series of preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of warrants to purchase preferred stock;

 

   

the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a debt warrant and the exercise price for the warrants, which may be payable in cash, securities or other property;

 

   

the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related debt securities, preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable;

 

   

the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

 

   

the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire;

 

   

United States Federal income tax consequences applicable to the warrants; and

 

   

any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures, and limitations relating to the exchange, exercise and settlement of the warrants.

Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled:

 

   

to vote, consent or receive dividends;

 

   

receive notice as shareholders with respect to any meeting of shareholders for the election of our directors or any other matter; or

 

   

exercise any rights as shareholders of Selecta.

Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase the principal amount of debt securities or the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock at the exercise price set forth in, or calculable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase debt securities are

 

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exercised, the holder of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the debt securities that can be purchased upon exercise, including any rights to receive payments of principal, premium or interest on the underlying debt securities or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture. Until any warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock are exercised, the holders of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the underlying common stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or payments upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the common stock or preferred stock, if any.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.

The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.

If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:

 

   

the title of the series of units;

 

   

identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units;

 

   

the price or prices at which the units will be issued;

 

   

the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable;

 

   

a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and

 

   

any other terms of the units and their constituent securities.

 

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GLOBAL SECURITIES

Book-Entry, Delivery and Form

Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities, or, collectively, global securities. The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.

DTC has advised us that it is:

 

   

a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law;

 

   

a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law;

 

   

a member of the Federal Reserve System;

 

   

a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and

 

   

a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Exchange Act.

DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC. DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.

Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.

To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

 

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So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.

Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.

Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.

Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.

So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and unless if otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.

Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.

Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.

The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.

DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.

 

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As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:

 

   

DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the global security or securities representing such series of securities or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when it is required to be registered and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days of the notification to us or of our becoming aware of DTC’s ceasing to be so registered, as the case may be;

 

   

we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities; or

 

   

an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to such series of securities,

we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.

Euroclear and Clearstream

If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking S.A., which we refer to as “Clearstream,” or Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as “Euroclear,” either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.

Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.

Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.

Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.

Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with the DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the global securities through DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.

 

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Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.

Other

The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor the trustee nor any agent of ours or of the trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods or through underwriters or dealers, through agents and/or directly to one or more purchasers. The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:

 

   

at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

 

   

at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

   

at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or

 

   

at negotiated prices.

Each time that we sell securities covered by this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or supplements that will describe the method of distribution and set forth the terms and conditions of the offering of such securities, including the offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us, if applicable.

Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in a prospectus supplement.

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.

If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for which they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.

Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.

Any common stock will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, but any other securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. To facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment

 

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option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Latham & Watkins LLP will pass upon certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the securities offered hereby on behalf of Selecta Biosciences, Inc. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Selecta Biosciences, Inc. appearing in Selecta Biosciences, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon (which contains an explanatory paragraph describing conditions that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going conern as described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements) included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are, and audited consolidated financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the report of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such consolidated financial statements (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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27,428,572 Shares

Warrants to Purchase up to 20,571,429 Shares

 

 

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

Sole Bookrunning Manager

SVB Leerink

Lead Manager

Canaccord Genuity

April 6, 2022