F-1
Table of Contents

As filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on September 24, 2020.

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM F-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

Opthea Limited

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Australia   2836   Not Applicable

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

Opthea Limited

Level 4

650 Chapel Street

South Yarra, Victoria 3141

Australia

+ 61 3 9826 0399

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

 

Corporation Service Company

1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 210

New York, New York 10036

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

Ferish Patel

John McKenna

Milson Yu

Cooley LLP

Ocean Financial Centre

10 Collyer Quay

Raffles Place

Singapore 049315

+65 6962 7500

 

Divakar Gupta

Brent Siler

Cooley LLP

55 Hudson Yards

New York, NY 10001

(212) 479-6000

 

Craig Semple

Gilbert + Tobin

Level 22, 101 Collins Street

Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Australia

+61 3 8656 3300

  

Edwin O’Connor

Seo Salimi

Goodwin Procter LLP

620 8th Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(212) 813-8800

  

Michael Ziegelaar

Herbert Smith Freehills

Level 42, 101 Collins Street

Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Australia

+61 3 9288 1234

 

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, check the following box:  ☐


Table of Contents

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

Emerging growth company  ☒

 

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☒

 

 

 

Calculation of Registration Fee

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to be Registered(1)

  Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(2)
  Amount of
Registration  Fee(3)

Ordinary shares, no par value

  $150,000,000   $19,470

 

 

(1)   All ordinary shares in the offering will be in the form of American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, with each ADS representing                  ordinary shares. ADSs issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby are being registered pursuant to a separate registration statement on Form F-6.
(2)   Includes ordinary shares (which may be in the form of ADSs) that the underwriters have an option to purchase. See “Underwriting.”
(3)   Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based on an estimate of the proposed maximum offering price.

 

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

  The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

 

            American Depositary Shares

representing                 Ordinary Shares

$                per American Depositary Share

 

 

 

This is the initial public offering of American depositary shares, or ADSs, in the United States, representing                 ordinary shares of Opthea Limited. Each ADS represents                 ordinary shares, no par value, deposited with The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary.

 

We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional                ADSs to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the ADSs. We have applied to list the ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “OPT.”

 

Our ordinary shares are listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the symbol “OPT.” On                 , 2020, the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the Australian Securities Exchange was A$                 per ordinary share, equivalent to a price of US$                 per ADS, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                  as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                -to-1.

 

The final offering price per ADS in U.S. dollars will be determined through negotiations between us and the representatives of the underwriters and will be based, in part, on prevailing market prices of our ordinary shares on the Australian Securities Exchange, after taking into account market conditions and other factors. For a discussion of the other factors considered in determining the final offering price per ADS, see “Underwriting.”

 

 

 

Investing in the ADSs involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 12 of this prospectus.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any U.S. state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

     Per ADS      Total  

Public offering price

   US$                    US$                

Underwriting discounts and commissions

   US$        US$    

Proceeds, before expenses, to Opthea Limited(1)

   US$        US$    

 

(1)   We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain expenses. See “Underwriting.”

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the ADSs to purchasers on or about                , 2020 through the book-entry facilities of The Depository Trust Company.

 

 

 

Joint Book-Running Managers

 

Citigroup   SVB Leerink

 

Lead Managers

 

Oppenheimer & Co.   Truist Securities  

 

 

            , 2020.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

Prospectus Summary

     1  

The Offering

     8  

Summary Consolidated Financial Data

     10  

Risk Factors

     12  

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

     71  

Industry and Market Data

     73  

Use of Proceeds

     74  

Dividend Policy

     76  

Capitalization

     77  

Dilution

     78  

Selected Consolidated Financial Data

     80  

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

     82  

Business

     98  

Management

     152  

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

     162  

Principal Shareholders

     164  

Description of Share Capital

     167  

Description of American Depositary Shares

     174  

Shares and American Depositary Shares Eligible for Future Sale

     182  

Material United States Federal Income and Australian Tax Considerations

     184  

Enforcement of Civil Liabilities

     194  

Underwriting

     195  

Expenses Relating to the Offering

     203  

Legal Matters

     203  

Experts

     203  

Where You Can Find More Information

     203  

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-1  

 

 

 

We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus and any free writing prospectus we prepare or authorize. We and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information others may give you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than its date.

 

For investors outside the United States: neither we nor any of the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus or any free writing prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus or any free writing prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the ADSs and the distribution of this prospectus and any free writing prospectus outside the United States.

 

We are incorporated under the laws of Australia, and a majority of our outstanding ordinary shares are owned by non-U.S. residents. Under the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, we are eligible for treatment as a “foreign private issuer.” As a foreign private issuer, we will not be required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as domestic registrants whose securities are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

 

i


Table of Contents

Our reporting and functional currency is the Australian dollar, and our financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus are presented in Australian dollars. The consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus have been prepared under the International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB, which differs in certain significant respects from U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP.

 

All references in this prospectus to “US$,” “U.S. dollars,” and “dollars” mean U.S. dollars and all references to “A$” mean Australian dollars, unless otherwise noted. Throughout this prospectus, all references to “ADSs” mean American depositary shares, each of which represents                of our ordinary shares, no par value, and all references to “ADRs” mean the American depositary receipts that evidence the ADSs.

 

This prospectus contains translations of some Australian dollar amounts into U.S. dollars. Except as otherwise stated in this prospectus, all translations from Australian dollars to U.S. dollars are based on the rate published by the Reserve Bank of Australia as of                 , 2020. No representation is made that the Australian dollar amounts referred to in this prospectus could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars at such rate.

 

“Opthea,” the Opthea logo and other trademarks or service marks of Opthea appearing in this prospectus are the property of Opthea or its subsidiary. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are listed without the ® and symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their right thereto. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.

 

ii


Table of Contents

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in the ADSs. You should read this entire prospectus, and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, including “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, “Opthea,” the “Company,” “our company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Opthea Limited and its consolidated subsidiary, taken as a whole.

 

Overview

 

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapy for the treatment of highly prevalent and progressive retinal diseases. We are developing our Phase 3-ready product candidate, OPT-302, a biologic designed to inhibit VEGF-C and VEGF-D, to complement VEGF-A inhibitors for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Anti-VEGF-A therapies represent the standard of care for wet age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, and other retinal diseases; however, there remains a significant unmet medical need as many patients do not adequately respond to these treatments. As the only biologic inhibitor of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in clinical development, OPT-302 differs from standard of care therapies and when administered in combination with a VEGF-A inhibitor, is designed to achieve broader inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, family and target a mechanism of clinical resistance to improve visual acuity. Our lead indication for OPT-302 combination therapy is wet AMD, a chronic, progressive disease and the leading cause of vision loss for individuals over the age of 50. In a 366-patient Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of wet AMD, 2.0 mg OPT-302, in combination with a standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapy, ranibizumab (Lucentis), met the primary endpoint of a statistically significant superior mean gain in visual acuity over ranibizumab monotherapy at week 24. We intend to initiate two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in treatment-naive patients with wet AMD to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapies compared to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy in the first half of 2021. We expect to report topline data from these Phase 3 clinical trials in 2023. In addition to our clinical trials in wet AMD, we have observed evidence of improved clinical outcomes in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with another standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapy, aflibercept (Eylea), in patients with treatment-refractory diabetic macular edema, or DME. We retain worldwide rights to develop and commercialize OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD and DME and believe that the novel treatment mechanism of OPT-302 has the potential to provide therapeutic benefit for other progressive eye diseases.

 

Wet AMD is a rapidly progressing disease with loss of central vision developing over a period of weeks to months in which abnormal new blood vessels form in the back of the eye in a process called choroidal neovascularization. These newly formed vessels are highly permeable, leaking exudate leading to fluid accumulation and retinal lesion formation. This, in turn, adversely affects sensory cells in the retina and if left untreated, results in rapid loss of visual acuity.

 

Wet AMD affects approximately one million people in the United States and 2.5 million people in Europe. The standard of care for wet AMD and other ocular neovascular diseases is the administration of monotherapies that primarily inhibit VEGF-A. These therapeutic agents, which include ranibizumab and aflibercept, prevent VEGF-A molecules from binding to, and activating, VEGF receptors and thereby inhibit the formation and permeability of blood vessels. As the risk of developing wet AMD increases with age, it is predicted that the overall aging of the population will result in a significant increase in the number of wet AMD cases, both in the United States and worldwide. Many wet AMD patients also experience suboptimal clinical responses despite

 

1


Table of Contents

receiving one or both of the leading standard of care treatments, ranibizumab and aflibercept, which had combined annual worldwide sales of over US$11.9 billion in 2019. In addition, nearly half of wet AMD patients are treated with off-label bevacizumab as a lower cost alternative anti-VEGF-A therapy. As a result, we believe there is a significant and expanding market opportunity for novel therapies that can improve vision in patients with wet AMD, which has the potential to lead to sales greater than the combined annual sales of ranibizumab and aflibercept.

 

OPT-302 is designed to address a deficiency in the treatment paradigm for wet AMD and other retinal diseases, such as DME, by targeting alternate members of the VEGF family, namely VEGF-C and VEGF-D, which are not targeted by current standard of care therapies. VEGF-C and VEGF-D function in parallel with VEGF-A to drive neovascularization and vascular leakage, which are key hallmarks of both wet AMD and DME. In addition, treatment with VEGF-A inhibitors leads to upregulation of VEGF-C and VEGF-D to compensate for VEGF-A inhibition, which may represent an important mechanism of clinical resistance to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. We are developing OPT-302 to be used in combination with standard of care anti-VEGF-A monotherapies to achieve broader inhibition of the VEGF family, with the goal of improving overall efficacy and demonstrating superior vision gains over that which can be achieved by inhibiting VEGF-A alone.

 

In our completed Phase 2b wet AMD clinical trial, 2.0 mg OPT-302 in combination with ranibizumab met the primary endpoint of a statistically significant superior mean gain in visual acuity at week 24 compared to patients treated with ranibizumab with a sham injection, which we refer to as ranibizumab monotherapy. The trial was an international, multi-center, double-masked trial in 366 treatment-naive patients with wet AMD. Patients were randomized into three groups and received intravitreal injections every four weeks of either 0.5 mg or 2.0 mg OPT-302 in combination with 0.5 mg ranibizumab or 0.5 mg ranibizumab monotherapy. Secondary endpoints in the trial included changes in retinal thickness and change in intraretinal and subretinal fluid. Results from such measures were generally consistent with the visual acuity gains observed in the trial. Our clinical experience to date, which includes administration of over 1,800 doses of OPT-302 to 399 patients with retinal disease for treatment periods of up to 24 weeks, indicates that OPT-302 intravitreal injections are well tolerated, with the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events, or TEAEs, comparable to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy in our clinical trials. In the Phase 2b wet AMD clinical trial, OPT-302 was well tolerated with a very low incidence of ocular inflammation and no safety issues identified with addition of OPT-302 to ranibizumab intravitreal therapy. The incidence of ocular TEAEs was similar in OPT-302 combination groups compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group. Three patients treated with OPT-302 combination therapy had potentially treatment-related serious adverse events, or SAEs: one case each of vitritis, endophthalmitis and myocardial infarction.

 

We are planning to initiate two concurrent pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of wet AMD. These double-masked, sham-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials will enroll treatment-naive patients and assess the efficacy and safety of 2.0 mg of OPT-302 in combination with ranibizumab (Lucentis) (referred to as the ShORe trial) or aflibercept (Eylea) (referred to as the COAST trial), compared to ranibizumab or aflibercept monotherapy in each respective trial. In addition, to understand the durability of OPT-302 treatment effect with less frequent dosing, each trial will compare the clinical efficacy of OPT-302 administered in combination with the applicable VEGF-A inhibitor on an every four-week and every eight-week dosing regimen. For consistency, the ShORe and COAST Phase 3 trials build upon and maintain key features of our Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, while evaluating the administration of OPT-302 combination therapy over a longer treatment period and in a greater number of patients. We expect to initiate the trials in the first half of 2021 and to report topline data in 2023. If the results at the completion of the primary efficacy phase at week 52 of the Phase 3 clinical trials are favorable, we intend to file for marketing approval for OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD in the United States, European Union and other territories.

 

In addition to our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, we plan to develop a co-formulation of OPT-302 with an approved and/or biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy designed to achieve VEGF-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D inhibition following the administration of a single intravitreal injection of the co-formulated product. OPT-302 is

 

2


Table of Contents

currently administered as a combination therapy consisting of a sequential injection of OPT-302 following intravitreal administration of a VEGF-A inhibitor. We believe that a co-formulated OPT-302 and VEGF-A inhibitor product could provide flexibility of treatment options for physicians and reduce the frequency and number of injections for patients. We expect to file an investigative new drug application, or IND, for the co-formulated product in the second half of 2021 and subsequently investigate the co-formulated product in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of wet AMD.

 

We are also investigating the therapeutic potential of OPT-302 for DME. DME is a progressive eye disease and a complication of diabetic retinopathy, or DR, a condition caused by chronically elevated glucose levels in diabetics that damages the retina. DME can cause blurred vision, severe vision loss and blindness. Wet AMD and DME share a similar underlying pathophysiology, including retinal neovascularization and increased vascular permeability, and as a result, VEGF-A inhibitors are also considered the standard of care treatment for DME. Based on its mechanism of action and clinical results to date, we believe that OPT-302 also has the potential to deliver therapeutic benefit in DME patients. In our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept in patients with treatment-refractory DME, we observed evidence of improved clinical outcomes following OPT-302 combination therapy in this indication, as OPT-302 combination therapy met the primary efficacy endpoint based on the proportion of patients achieving a ³5 letter gain in visual acuity at week 12 compared to baseline. OPT-302 combination therapy was also well tolerated in this trial. The most common TEAEs were mainly related to the intravitreal injection procedure, and TEAEs did not lead to discontinuation of the trial for any patient. There was only one potentially treatment-related SAE of cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, resulting in one patient discontinuing treatment but remaining in the trial.

 

We also believe that our novel treatment mechanism has the potential to provide therapeutic benefit for other progressive retinal diseases beyond wet AMD and DME. We may further investigate the efficacy of OPT-302 to improve clinical outcomes in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, a form of wet AMD that is highly prevalent in Asian populations and less responsive to anti-VEGF-A therapy than other wet AMD subtypes. Beyond wet AMD and DME, we may explore applications of OPT-302 in other retinal diseases in which a VEGF-C or VEGF-D inhibitor could have therapeutic potential, such as retinal vein occlusion.

 

3


Table of Contents

Our Pipeline

 

The following table summarizes the stage of clinical development and status of our product candidate, OPT-302.

 

LOGO

 

Our Strategy

 

Our goal is to become a leader in developing and commercializing therapeutics for the treatment of retinal diseases. The key elements of our strategy are to:

 

   

Advance OPT-302 through two concurrent Phase 3 trials for the treatment of wet AMD.

 

   

Optimize OPT-302 administration and develop a co-formulation to reduce injection burden for patients and provide treatment flexibility.

 

   

Expand clinical development of OPT-302 in wet AMD, DME and other retinal diseases.

 

   

Maximize the commercial potential of OPT-302 through commercialization independently and opportunistic collaborations with third parties.

 

Risks Associated with Our Business

 

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. You should carefully consider these risks before making an investment. These risks include, among others, the following:

 

   

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with no products approved for commercial sale. We have incurred net losses since our inception, we expect to incur significant losses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future, and we may never be profitable.

 

4


Table of Contents
   

We currently have no source of product revenue and may never become profitable.

 

   

We will require substantial additional capital to finance our operations, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. As a result, we may not complete the development and commercialization of OPT-302 or develop new product candidates.

 

   

Our business substantially depends on the success of OPT-302, our only product candidate under clinical development, which has not completed a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for and successfully commercialize OPT-302 or any future product candidates, or we experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be harmed.

 

   

Clinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain timelines and uncertain outcomes. Our clinical trials may fail to adequately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of OPT-302 or any future product candidates.

 

   

If we experience delays in clinical testing, our commercial prospects will be harmed, our costs may increase and our business may be harmed.

 

   

If we encounter difficulties in enrolling patients in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise negatively affected.

 

   

OPT-302 and any future product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval or limit the commercial profile of an approved label.

 

   

Even if we complete the necessary Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, the marketing approval process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us or any future collaboration partners from obtaining approvals for the commercialization of OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD or any other indication as well as for any other product candidate we develop.

 

   

OPT-302 and any future product candidates may not achieve adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success.

 

   

Lack of efficacy, adverse events or undesirable side effects may emerge in clinical trials conducted by third parties with product candidates for wet AMD or DME, which could negatively affect our stock price, our ability to attract additional capital and our development program.

 

   

The results of completed clinical trials may not be predictive of future results. Data from our clinical trials to date may not be indicative of results obtained when these trials are completed or in later stage trials.

 

   

Interim, topline and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

 

   

We may face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing competing products before or more successfully than us.

 

   

Our business could be negatively affected by the effects of health epidemics, including the evolving effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, in regions where we or third parties on which we rely have significant manufacturing facilities, concentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations.

 

   

We have relied on, and expect to continue to rely on, third-party manufacturers to produce OPT-302 or any future product candidates.

 

   

Our success depends upon our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our products and technologies.

 

   

There has been no prior market for the ADSs and an active and liquid market for our securities may fail to develop, which could harm the market price of the ADSs.

 

5


Table of Contents
   

If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls to remediate our material weaknesses over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations or prevent fraud, and investor confidence in our company and the market price of the ADSs may be negatively impacted.

 

If we are unable to adequately address these and other risks we face, our business may be harmed.

 

Corporate Information

 

We were incorporated under the laws of Australia in 1984 under the name Circadian Technologies Limited. In 1985, we completed an initial public offering of our ordinary shares and the listing of our ordinary shares on the Australian Securities Exchange, or the ASX. In December 2015, we changed the name of our company to Opthea Limited. Our headquarters and registered offices are located at Suite 0403, Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia. Our telephone number is +61 3 9826 0399. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Corporation Service Company, located at 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 210, New York, NY 10036. Our website address is www.opthea.com. The reference to our website is an inactive textual reference only and information contained in, or that can be assessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

 

As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include:

 

   

exemption from the auditor attestation requirement of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, in the assessment of our internal controls over financial reporting; and

 

   

to the extent that we no longer qualify as a foreign private issuer, (i) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and (ii) exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation, including golden parachute compensation.

 

We may take advantage of these exemptions until such time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. Accordingly, the information that we provide shareholders and holders of the ADSs may be different than you might obtain from other public companies. We will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest to occur of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we qualify as a “large accelerated filer”; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and (iv) the last day of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of this offering occurs.

 

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can use the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Given that we currently report and expect to continue to report under IFRS, as issued by the IASB, we have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required by the IASB.

 

6


Table of Contents

Implications of Being a Foreign Private Issuer

 

We are also considered a “foreign private issuer” under U.S. securities laws. In our capacity as a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from certain rules under the Exchange Act that impose certain disclosure obligations and procedural requirements for proxy solicitations under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. In addition, our senior management, the members of our board of directors and our principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules under the Exchange Act with respect to their purchases and sales of our securities. Moreover, we are not required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required to comply with Regulation FD, which restricts the selective disclosure of material information.

 

We may take advantage of these exemptions until such time as we are no longer a foreign private issuer. We will remain a foreign private issuer until such time that 50% or more of our outstanding voting securities are held by U.S. residents and any of the following three circumstances applies: (i) the majority of the members of board of directors or our senior management are U.S. citizens or residents; (ii) more than 50% of our assets are located in the United States; or (iii) our business is administered principally in the United States.

 

We have taken advantage of certain reduced reporting and other requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies.

 

7


Table of Contents

THE OFFERING

 

ADSs offered by us

                ADSs.

 

Option to purchase additional ADSs

The underwriters have an option for a period of 30 days from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to             additional ADSs.

 

Ordinary shares to be outstanding after this offering, including shares underlying ADSs

                shares (or                 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase                 additional ADSs in full).

 

American depositary shares

Each ADS represents                  ordinary shares, no par value. The ADSs are issued by the depositary. You will have the rights of an ADS holder as provided in the deposit agreement among us, the depositary and all owners and holders of ADSs issued thereunder. The depositary, through its custodian, will be the holder of the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs.

 

  You may surrender your ADSs to the depositary for cancellation to receive the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. The depositary will charge you a fee for such a cancellation.

 

  We may amend or terminate the deposit agreement for any reason without your consent. Any amendment that imposes or increases fees or charges or which materially prejudices any substantial existing right you have as an ADS holder will not become effective as to outstanding ADSs until 30 days after notice of the amendment is given to ADS holders. If an amendment becomes effective, you will be bound by the deposit agreement as amended if you continue to hold your ADSs.

 

  To better understand the terms of the ADSs, you should carefully read the section titled “Description of American Depositary Shares.” We also encourage you to read the deposit agreement, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Depositary

The Bank of New York Mellon.

 

Use of proceeds

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the ADSs that we are selling in this offering will be approximately US$                 million (or approximately US$                million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional ADSs is exercised in full), based upon an assumed initial public offering price of $                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                 as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

8


Table of Contents
  We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, to advance the clinical development of OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD, including the initiation of two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, to advance non-clinical studies for the co-formulation of OPT-302 with an approved and/or biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy, and to fund other research and development activities for OPT-302 in potential additional indications, including DME, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” for additional information.

 

Risk factors

See “Risk Factors” and the other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of the risks you should carefully consider before investing in the ADSs.

 

Proposed Nasdaq Global Market symbol for the ADSs

“OPT”

 

Australian Stock Exchange symbol for our ordinary shares

“OPT”

 

The number of ordinary shares (including ordinary shares underlying ADSs) that will be outstanding after this offering is based on 269,157,769 ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2020, and excludes:

 

   

18,044,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options as of June 30, 2020 with a weighted-average exercise price of A$0.68 per ordinary share under our equity incentive plans; and

 

   

12,446,777 ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our Long Term Incentive Plan.

 

In addition, unless we specifically state otherwise, all information in this prospectus assumes (i) no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to                 additional ADSs and (ii) no exercise of outstanding options to purchase ordinary shares.

 

9


Table of Contents

SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

 

The following tables summarize our consolidated financial and other data. The summary consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income data for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS, as issued by the IASB, as of and for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

You should read the consolidated financial and other data set forth below in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes, the information in “Selected Consolidated Financial and Other Data” and the information in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income Data

 

     Year Ended June 30,  
     2019     2020  
     (in thousands, except
per share data)
 

Revenue

   A$ 159     A$ 87  

Other income(1)

     837       784  

Research and development expenses

     (31,348     (17,954

Patent expenses

     (161     (429

Intellectual property costs

     (113     (114

Administrative expenses

     (5,175     (7,001

Occupancy expenses

     (109     (34

Net foreign exchange gain (loss)

     363       (401
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss before income tax

     (35,547     (25,062
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax benefit

     14,637       8,533  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss for the year

     (20,910     (16,529

Other comprehensive income:

    

Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:

    

Fair value gains on investments in financial assets

     260       59  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax

     260       59  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss for the year

   A$ (20,650   A$ (16,470
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss for the year is attributable to:

    

Owners of the Company

     (20,650     (16,470
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   A$ (20,650   A$ (16,470
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss per share attributable to Owners of the Company – basic and diluted (in cents)

   A$ (8.98   A$ (6.34

 

(1)   Other income primarily comprises finance income from interest on bank deposits, funding under a one-time Australian government grant from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization during the year ended June 30, 2019, and funding under a one-time government grant from the Australian Tax Office during the year ended June 30, 2020.

 

10


Table of Contents

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position Data

 

     As of June 30, 2020  
     Actual     As
Adjusted(1)(2)
 
     (in thousands)  

Cash and cash equivalents

   A$ 62,020     A$              

Working capital(3)

     64,398    

Total assets

     71,887    

Total liabilities

     7,079    

Accumulated losses

     (102,589  

Total equity

     64,808    

 

(1)   The as adjusted statement of financial position data give effect to our receipt of net proceeds from the issuance and sale of                ADSs at the assumed initial offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                 as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, after deducting underwriting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
(2)   Each $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                as of                , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                -to-1, would increase or decrease, respectively, the amount of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total equity by A$                million (or US$                million), assuming the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We may also increase or decrease the number of ADSs we are offering. An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 in the number of ADSs we are offering would increase or decrease the amount of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total equity by A$                million (or US$                million), assuming the assumed initial public offering price per ADS remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. The as adjusted information is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.
(3)   Working capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities.

 

11


Table of Contents

RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in the ADSs involves a high degree of risk. You should consider and read carefully all of the risks and uncertainties described below, as well as other information included in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. If any of the following risks actually occur, it could harm our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. In such event, the trading price of the ADSs could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment.

 

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Capital

 

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with no products approved for commercial sale. We have incurred net losses since our inception, we expect to incur significant losses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future, and we may never be profitable.

 

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with no products approved for commercial sale. To date, our operations have been limited to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, developing our product candidate, OPT-302, and licensing certain related technology, conducting research and development activities, including preclinical studies and clinical trials, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. Investment in biopharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any potential product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate effect and/or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval and become commercially viable. We have not generated any revenue from product sales to date, and we continue to incur significant research and development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations. We are not profitable and have incurred net losses since our inception. Our total comprehensive losses were $20.7 million and $16.5 million for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020. As of June 30, 2020, we had an accumulated loss of $102.6 million. We have spent, and expect to continue to spend, significant resources to fund research and development of, and seek regulatory approvals for, OPT-302 and any future product candidates. We expect to incur substantial and increasing operating losses over the next several years as our research, development, manufacturing and clinical trial activities increase. Additionally, if OPT-302 is approved for commercial sale, our commercialization expenses will increase significantly as we establish sales, marketing, distribution, manufacturing, supply chain and other commercial infrastructure. As a result, our accumulated losses will also increase significantly. We may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may negatively affect our business. The size of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate revenue. Our prior losses and expected future losses have had and will continue to have a negative impact on our total (deficit) equity and working capital. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance. Even if we eventually generate product revenue, we may never be profitable and, if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis.

 

We currently have no source of product revenue and may never become profitable.

 

OPT-302 has not been approved for commercial sale, and we expect it to be several years before OPT-302 is approved, if ever, and we are able to commence sales of OPT-302. To date, we have not generated any revenue from the licensing or commercialization of OPT-302 and do not expect to receive revenue from it for a number of years, if ever. We will not be able to generate product revenue unless and until OPT-302 or any future product candidate, alone or with future partners, successfully completes clinical trials, receives regulatory approval and is successfully commercialized. Although we may seek to obtain revenue from collaboration or licensing agreements with third parties, we currently have no such agreements that could provide us with material, ongoing future revenue and we may never enter into any such agreements. Our ability to generate future product revenue

 

12


Table of Contents

from OPT-302 or any future product candidates also depends on a number of additional factors, including our or our future partners’ ability to:

 

   

successfully complete research and clinical development of OPT-302 and any future product candidates and obtain regulatory approvals for commercialization;

 

   

maintain supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties, and ensure adequate and legally compliant manufacturing of bulk drug substances and drug products to maintain that supply, including any scale up of manufacturing processes for OPT-302 to support our planned Phase 3 clinical program of OPT-302 in combination with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor-A, or anti-VEGF-A, therapy for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration, or AMD;

 

   

launch and commercialize future product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval, if any, and, if launched independently, successfully establish a sales force, marketing and distribution infrastructure;

 

   

demonstrate the necessary safety data post-approval to ensure continued regulatory approval;

 

   

obtain coverage and adequate product reimbursement from third-party payors, including government payors;

 

   

achieve market acceptance for our or our future partners’ products, if any;

 

   

establish, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights; and

 

   

attract, hire and retain qualified personnel.

 

In addition, because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with biologic product development, including that OPT-302 may not advance through development, achieve the endpoints of applicable clinical trials or receive approval for use in combination with one or more approved therapies, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses, or if or when we will achieve or maintain profitability. In addition, our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we decide, or are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, including the European Medicines Agency, or the EMA, to perform studies or trials in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if we complete the development and regulatory processes described above, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with launching and commercializing these products.

 

Even if we generate revenue from the sale of any of our product candidates that may be approved, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations. If we fail to become profitable or do not sustain profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce our operations.

 

We will require substantial additional capital to finance our operations, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. As a result, we may not complete the development and commercialization of OPT-302 or develop new product candidates.

 

As a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, our operations have consumed significant amounts of cash since our inception. We expect our research and development expenses to increase substantially in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we prepare to initiate our planned Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD and continue clinical development of OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept for the treatment of persistent diabetic macular edema, or DME, and other retinal diseases. Even if we are able to obtain regulatory approval for OPT-302 and any future product candidates that we may develop, we will require substantial additional capital to commercialize such product candidates.

 

We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will fund our projected operating requirements until                . Our forecast of the period of time through which

 

13


Table of Contents

our financial resources will adequately support our operations is a forward-looking statement and involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors, including the factors discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future funding requirements, both short and long-term, will depend on many factors, including:

 

   

the initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of clinical trials for OPT-302 and any future product candidates we may develop, including whether the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities require additional clinical trials beyond our proposed Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD to support an approved label of OPT-302 in combination with multiple existing anti-VEGF-A therapies;

 

   

the initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of additional clinical trials and studies to evaluate the potential for co-formulation of OPT-302 with approved and/or biosimilar forms of VEGF-A inhibitors to provide flexibility of treatment options for physicians and to reduce the frequency and number of injections for patients;

 

   

the outcome, timing and cost of seeking and obtaining regulatory approvals from the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities;

 

   

if approved, the costs of commercialization activities for OPT-302, or any other product candidate that receives regulatory approval;

 

   

the cost to establish, maintain, expand, enforce and defend the scope of our intellectual property portfolio, including the amount and timing of any payments we may be required to make, or that we may receive, in connection with licensing, preparing, filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing of any patents or other intellectual property rights;

 

   

our headcount growth and associated costs as we expand our research and development capabilities and establish a commercial infrastructure;

 

   

market acceptance of any approved product candidates, including product pricing and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors;

 

   

the cost of acquiring, licensing or investing in additional businesses, products, product candidates and technologies;

 

   

the cost of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for OPT-302 and any future product candidates for which we may receive regulatory approval and that we determine to commercialize ourselves or in collaboration with our future partners; and

 

   

the costs of operating as a public company with securities listed in both Australia and the United States.

 

We will require additional capital to develop, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize OPT-302 and any future product candidates. In particular, we will require additional capital to progress our ongoing and future planned clinical trials without delays, including payments in connection with the achievement of certain regulatory milestones. We do not have any committed external source of funds. We expect to finance future cash needs through public or private equity or debt offerings or collaborations. We also intend to continue to apply for tax incentives under the Research and Development Tax Incentive scheme provided by the Australian government. See “—Risks Related to Development and Commercialization of Our Product Candidates—We have received tax credits under the Research and Development Tax Incentive scheme in Australia that may become repayable if we did not or do not comply with the rules of the scheme, or we may become ineligible for tax credits in our current or future tax years, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.” Additional capital may not be available in sufficient amounts or on reasonable terms, if at all. If we are not able to raise additional capital, we may not be able to expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities, and our business and financial condition will be negatively impacted.

 

14


Table of Contents

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to holders purchasing ADSs in this offering, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product candidates.

 

Holders purchasing ADSs in this offering could suffer dilution or be negatively affected by fixed payment obligations we may incur if we raise additional funds through the issuance of additional equity securities or debt. Further, these securities may have rights senior to those of our ordinary shares and could contain covenants or protective rights that would restrict our operations and potentially impair our competitiveness, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire, sell or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could negatively impact our ability to conduct our business. If we need to secure additional financing, such additional fundraising efforts may divert our management and research efforts from our day-to-day activities, which may negatively affect our ability to develop and commercialize OPT-302 and any future product candidates.

 

To the extent we obtain additional funding through product collaborations, these arrangements would generally require us to relinquish rights to some of our technologies, product candidates or products, and we may not be able to enter into such agreements, on acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain additional funding on a timely basis, we may be required to curtail or terminate some or all of our development programs or product candidates.

 

Risks Related to Development and Commercialization of Our Product Candidates

 

Our business substantially depends on the success of OPT-302, our only product candidate under clinical development, which has not completed a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for and successfully commercialize OPT-302 or any future product candidates, or we experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be harmed.

 

To date, the primary focus of our product development has been OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of patients with wet AMD and DME. Currently, OPT-302 is our only product candidate under clinical development. This may make an investment in our company riskier than similar companies that have multiple product candidates in active development and that therefore may be able to better sustain a failure of a lead candidate. Successful continued development and ultimate regulatory approval of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, DME or other indications is critical to the future success of our business. We have invested, and will continue to invest, a significant portion of our time and financial resources in the clinical development of OPT-302. If we cannot successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize OPT-302, we may not be able to continue our operations. The future regulatory and commercial success of OPT-302 is subject to a number of risks, including the following:

 

   

we may not have sufficient financial and other resources to complete the necessary clinical trials for OPT-302, including, but not limited to, the pivotal clinical trials needed to obtain drug approval;

 

   

we may not be able to obtain adequate evidence from clinical trials of efficacy and safety for OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, DME or other indications;

 

   

in our clinical trials for OPT-302, we may need to adjust our clinical trial procedures and may need additional clinical trial sites, which could delay our clinical trial progress;

 

   

the results of our clinical trials may not meet the level of statistical or clinical significance required by the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities for marketing approval;

 

   

the standards implemented by clinical or regulatory agencies may change at any time and we cannot be certain what regulatory agencies may require in pivotal clinical trials for the approval of OPT-302;

 

   

the results of later stage clinical trials may not be as favorable as the results we have observed to date in our preclinical studies and early clinical trials;

 

   

we cannot be certain of the number and type of clinical trials and non-clinical studies that the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory agencies will require in order to approve OPT-302 combination therapy

 

15


Table of Contents
 

for the treatment of wet AMD, DME or any other indication, including an approved label for use of OPT-302 in combination with multiple anti-VEGF-A therapies for the treatment of wet AMD;

 

   

establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities and launching commercial sales of our products, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others;

 

   

acceptance of our products, if and when approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors;

 

   

obtaining and maintaining third-party coverage and adequate reimbursement;

 

   

maintaining a continued acceptable safety profile of our products following approval, including when used in combination with existing therapies;

 

   

effectively competing with other therapies; and

 

   

enforcing and defending intellectual property rights and claims.

 

Many of these risks are beyond our control, including the risks related to clinical development, the regulatory submission process, potential threats to our intellectual property rights and the manufacturing, marketing and sales efforts of any future collaborator. Of the large number of drugs in development in the pharmaceutical industry, only a small percentage result in the submission of a new drug application or a biologics license application, or BLA, to the FDA and even fewer are approved for commercialization. Furthermore, even if we do receive regulatory approval to market OPT-302, any such approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses or patient populations for which we may market the products. Accordingly, even if we are able to obtain the requisite financing to continue to fund our development programs, we may be unable to successfully develop or commercialize OPT-302. If we or any of our future development collaborators are unable to develop, or obtain regulatory approval for, or, if approved, successfully commercialize OPT-302, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to continue our business.

 

Clinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain timelines and uncertain outcomes. Our clinical trials may fail to adequately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of OPT-302 or any future product candidates.

 

OPT-302 and any future product candidates will be subject to rigorous and extensive clinical trials and extensive regulatory approval processes implemented by the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities before obtaining marketing approval from these regulatory authorities. The drug development and approval process is lengthy and expensive, and approval is never certain. Investigational new drugs, such as OPT-302, may not prove to be safe and effective in clinical trials. We have no direct experience as a company in conducting pivotal stage clinical trials required to obtain regulatory approval. We may be unable to conduct clinical trials at preferred sites, enlist clinical investigators, enroll sufficient numbers of participants or begin or successfully complete clinical trials in a timely fashion, if at all. In addition, the design of a clinical trial can determine whether its results will support approval of a product, and flaws in the design of a clinical trial may not become apparent until the clinical trial is well advanced.

 

The protocols for our planned Phase 3 clinical trials for OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy are subject to review by the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities. The FDA is not obligated to comment on our protocols within any specified time period or at all or to affirmatively clear or approve our Phase 3 clinical program. We have submitted summaries of the protocols for our Phase 3 clinical trials to the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, including the EMA. The FDA or other regulatory authorities may request additional information, require us to conduct additional non-clinical trials or require us to modify our proposed Phase 3 clinical program, including its endpoints, patient enrollment criteria or selection of anti-VEGF-A therapies, to receive clearance to initiate such program or to continue such program once initiated. In addition, the FDA or other regulatory authorities may disagree with all or a portion of our proposed trial protocols, including whether our Phase 3 clinical trial protocol is sufficient for approval of OPT-302 in

 

16


Table of Contents

combination with two or more approved anti-VEGF-A therapies for the treatment of wet AMD. Any such limitations could reduce the market acceptance of OPT-302 and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

If we experience delays in clinical testing, our commercial prospects will be harmed, our costs may increase and our business may be harmed.

 

Conducting clinical studies for any product candidates in the United States requires filing an investigational new drug application, or IND, and reaching agreement with the FDA on clinical protocols, finding appropriate clinical sites and clinical investigators, securing approvals for such studies from the institutional review board at each such site, manufacturing clinical quantities of product candidates and supplying drug product to clinical sites. Currently, we have an active IND with the FDA in the United States for OPT-302. If any such future IND is not approved by the FDA, our clinical development timeline may be negatively impacted and any future clinical programs may be delayed or terminated.

 

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully accomplish required regulatory activities or all of the other activities necessary to initiate and complete clinical trials. As a result, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may be unable to obtain regulatory approvals or successfully commercialize our products. We do not know whether any other clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, or at all. Our product development costs will increase if we experience delays in clinical testing. Significant clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize OPT-302 and any future product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which would impair our ability to successfully commercialize OPT-302 or any future product candidates and may harm our business, results of operations and prospects. Events that may result in a delay or unsuccessful completion of clinical development include:

 

   

the unavailability of financial resources to commence and completed planned trials;

 

   

delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organizations, or CROs, and clinical trial sites;

 

   

revisions to labeling, including adding limitations on approved uses or the additions of additional warnings, contraindications or other safety information including boxed warnings;

 

   

ongoing discussions with the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities regarding the scope or design of our clinical trials, including our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD;

 

   

deviations from the trial protocol by clinical trial sites and investigators, or failures to conduct the trial in accordance with regulatory requirements;

 

   

the need to repeat clinical trials as a result of inconclusive or negative results or poorly executed testing or changes in required endpoints by the FDA or comparable non-U.S. authorities;

 

   

unfavorable FDA inspection and review of a clinical trial site or records of any clinical or preclinical investigation;

 

   

the placement of a clinical hold on a clinical trial by the FDA or comparable non-U.S. authorities;

 

   

delays in obtaining, or the inability to obtain, required approvals from institutional review boards or other governing entities at clinical sites selected for participation in our clinical trials;

 

   

failure of third parties, such as CROs, to satisfy their contractual duties to us or meet expected deadlines;

 

   

delays in the testing, validation, manufacturing and delivery of the product candidates to the clinical sites;

 

   

insufficient supply or deficient quality of product candidate materials or other materials necessary to conduct our clinical trials, including of drugs to be used in the proposed combination therapy with our product candidates;

 

17


Table of Contents
   

delays in enrolling participants into our clinical trials;

 

   

delays in patients completing a trial or returning for post-treatment follow-up;

 

   

delays caused by patients dropping out of a trial due to side effects, disease progression or otherwise;

 

   

serious and unexpected drug-related adverse effects experienced by participants in our clinical trials;

 

   

implementation of new, or changes to, guidance or interpretations from the FDA or comparable non-U.S. authorities with respect to approval pathways for any product candidates we are pursuing; and

 

   

changes in government regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trials.

 

Our or our future collaborators’ inability to timely complete clinical trials could result in additional costs to us as well as impair our ability to generate product revenue, continue development, commercialize OPT-302 and any future product candidates and receive royalties on product sales. In addition, if we make changes to a product candidate, we may need to conduct additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials to bridge or demonstrate the comparability of our modified product candidate to earlier versions, which could delay our clinical development plan or marketing approval for our current product candidate and any future product candidates.

 

If we encounter difficulties in enrolling patients in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise negatively affected.

 

The timely completion of clinical trials largely depends on patient enrollment. We may encounter delays in enrolling, or be unable to enroll, a sufficient number of patients to complete any of our clinical trials, and even once enrolled, we may be unable to retain a sufficient number of patients to complete any of our trials. Many factors affect patient enrollment, including:

 

   

the size and nature of the patient population, which may be limited due to eligibility requirements;

 

   

the number and location of clinical sites;

 

   

competition with other companies for clinical sites or patients;

 

   

the availability and amount of any patient stipend;

 

   

the eligibility and exclusion criteria for the trial;

 

   

the design of the clinical trial;

 

   

our ability to recruit clinical trial investigators with the appropriate competencies and experience;

 

   

inability to obtain and maintain patient consents;

 

   

significant adverse events or other side effects observed, if any;

 

   

risk that enrolled participants will drop out before completion; and

 

   

competing clinical trials and clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages of the drug being studied in relation to other available therapies.

 

In addition, other companies are conducting clinical trials for the same indications and seek to enroll patients in their trials that may otherwise be eligible for our clinical studies or trials, which could lead to slow recruitment and delays in our clinical programs. Further, since the number of qualified clinical investigators is limited, we expect to conduct some of our clinical trials at the same clinical trial sites that some of our competitors use, which could further reduce the number of patients who are available for our clinical trials in these sites.

 

Our inability to enroll a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials would result in significant delays or may require us to abandon one or more clinical trials altogether. If we are unable to enroll a sufficient number

 

18


Table of Contents

of patients that will complete clinical testing, we will be unable to seek or gain marketing approval for OPT-302 and any future product candidates and our business will be harmed. Even if we are able to enroll a sufficient number of patients in our clinical studies or trials, delays in patient enrollment may result in increased costs or may affect the timing or outcome of our clinical trials, which could prevent completion of these trials and negatively affect our ability to advance the development of OPT-302 and any future product candidates.

 

OPT-302 and any future product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval or limit the commercial profile of an approved label.

 

Undesirable side effects caused by OPT-302 combination therapy or any future product candidates could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities. Additional clinical studies may be required to evaluate the safety profile of OPT-302 combination therapy or any future product candidates. We have no clinical safety data on patient exposure to OPT-302 administered in combination with an anti-VEGF-A therapy for longer than 24 weeks.

 

Future results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects or unexpected characteristics, including, for example, immunogenicity. In such an event, we could suspend or terminate our trials or the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities could order us to cease clinical trials or deny approval of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy or any future product candidates for any or all targeted indications. Drug-related side effects could affect patient recruitment or the ability of enrolled subjects to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences could materially and negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. While OPT-302 has been well tolerated in our completed clinical trials, dosed patients have experienced certain adverse events, including potentially treatment-related serious adverse events, or SAEs, of myocardial infarction, endophthalmitis and vitritis in our Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, and a potentially treatment-related SAE of stroke for one patient in our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of DME.

 

It may be difficult to discern whether certain events or symptoms observed during our clinical trials or by patients using our approved products are related to OPT-302 or any future product candidates or approved products, including anti-VEGF-A therapies used in combination with OPT-302, or some other factor. As a result, we and our development programs may be negatively affected even if such events or symptoms are ultimately determined to be unlikely related to OPT-302 or any future product candidates or approved products. We are developing OPT-302 to complement existing VEGF-A inhibitors, including ranibizumab and aflibercept. There are some potential side effects associated with intravitreal anti-VEGF-A therapies such as intraocular hemorrhage, intraocular pressure elevation, retinal detachment, inflammation, vasculitis, artery occlusion or infection inside the eye and over-inhibition of VEGF, as well as the potential for potential systemic side effects such as heart attack, stroke, wound healing problems and high blood pressure. Further, OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapies for the treatment of wet AMD is administered as sequential intravitreal injections over several weeks. There are risks inherent in the intravitreal injection procedure of drugs such as existing anti-VEGF-A therapies in combination with OPT-302 which can cause injury to the eye and other complications including conjunctival hemorrhage, punctate keratitis, eye pain, conjunctival hyperemia, which results in a discharge, intra-ocular inflammation and inflammation of the interior of the eye. For example, in our completed clinical trials, patients dosed with OPT-302 have experienced potentially treatment-related ocular adverse events such as eye pain, vitreous floaters, eye irritation and raised intraocular pressure.

 

We cannot assure you that additional or more severe adverse side effects than those observed to date related to OPT-302 combination therapy or any future product candidates will not be observed in our clinical trials or in the commercial setting. If observed, such adverse side effects could delay or preclude regulatory approval of OPT-302 combination therapy or any future product candidates, limit commercial use or result in the withdrawal

 

19


Table of Contents

of previously granted marketing approvals. If we or others identify undesirable or unacceptable side effects caused by OPT-302 combination therapy or any future product candidates or products:

 

   

we may be required to modify, suspend or terminate our clinical trials;

 

   

we may be required to modify or include additional dosage and administration instructions, warnings and precautions, contraindications, boxed warnings, limitations, restrictions or other statements in the product label for our approved products, or issue field alerts to physicians and pharmacies;

 

   

we, or any future collaborators, may be required to create a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS, which could include a medication guide outlining the risks of such side effects for distribution to patients, a communication plan for healthcare providers, and/or other elements to assure safe use;

 

   

we may be required to conduct costly additional clinical trials;

 

   

we may be subject to limitations on how we may promote our approved products;

 

   

sales of our approved products may decrease significantly;

 

   

regulatory authorities may require us to take our approved products off the market;

 

   

we may be subject to regulatory investigations, government enforcement actions, litigation or product liability claims; and

 

   

our products may become less competitive or our reputation may suffer.

 

Any of these results could decrease or prevent any sales of our approved product or substantially increase the costs and expenses of commercializing and marketing our product.

 

Even if we complete the necessary Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, the marketing approval process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain and may prevent us or any future collaboration partners from obtaining approvals for the commercialization of OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD or any other indication as well as for any other product candidate we develop.

 

Any product candidate we may develop and the activities associated with their development and commercialization, including their design, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, recordkeeping, labeling, storage, approval, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution, are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory authorities in the United States and by comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities. Failure to obtain marketing approval for a product candidate will prevent us from commercializing the product candidate in a given jurisdiction. We have not received approval to market any product candidates from regulatory authorities in any jurisdiction and it is possible that none of the product candidates we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval. While we expect to expand our internal regulatory function to support the marketing approval process for OPT-302, we have no prior experience in filing and supporting the applications necessary to gain marketing approvals and expect to rely in part on third-party CROs or regulatory consultants to assist us in this process. Securing regulatory approval requires the submission of extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to the various regulatory authorities for each therapeutic indication to establish the biologic product candidate’s safety, purity, efficacy and potency. Securing regulatory approval also requires the submission of information about the product manufacturing process to, and inspection of manufacturing facilities by, the relevant regulatory authority. Any product candidates we develop may not be effective, may be only moderately effective or may prove to have undesirable or unintended side effects, toxicities or other characteristics that may preclude our obtaining marketing approval or prevent or limit commercial use.

 

The process of obtaining marketing approvals, both in the United States and in other jurisdictions, is expensive, may take many years if additional clinical trials are required, if approval is obtained at all, and can vary substantially based upon a variety of factors, including the type, complexity and novelty of the product

 

20


Table of Contents

candidates involved. Changes in marketing approval policies during the development period, changes in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or changes in regulatory review for each submitted product application, may cause delays in the approval or rejection of an application. The FDA and comparable authorities in other countries have substantial discretion in the approval process and may refuse to accept any application or may decide that our data are insufficient for approval and require additional preclinical, clinical or other studies. In addition, varying interpretations of the data obtained from preclinical and clinical testing could delay, limit, or prevent marketing approval of a product candidate. Any marketing approval we ultimately obtain may be limited or subject to restrictions or post-approval commitments that render the approved product not commercially viable.

 

If we experience delays in obtaining approval or if we fail to obtain approval of any product candidates we may develop, the commercial prospects for those product candidates, including for OPT-302 in other indications, may be harmed, and our ability to generate revenues will be materially impaired.

 

Lack of efficacy, adverse events or undesirable side effects may emerge in clinical trials conducted by third parties with product candidates for wet AMD or DME, which could negatively affect our stock price, our ability to attract additional capital and our development program.

 

Lack of efficacy, adverse events or undesirable side effects may emerge in clinical trials conducted by third parties developing product candidates for wet AMD or DME. In addition, other companies have developed products for wet AMD and DME, including product candidates administered in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapies, and have suffered setbacks and clinical trial failures in the past, including failures of primary endpoints in Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials following positive data from Phase 1 and 2 trials. Lack of efficacy, adverse events or undesirable side effects experienced by subjects in third party clinical trials currently being conducted or previously conducted could negatively affect our stock price, our ability to attract additional capital and our development of OPT-302 or even the viability of OPT-302 as a product candidate. In addition, any such adverse events or undesirable side effects may lead to increased regulatory requirements for, or additional regulatory review of, OPT-302, which may result in delays in development and commercialization of OPT-302 and harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

The results of completed clinical trials may not be predictive of future results. Data from our clinical trials to date may not be indicative of results obtained when these trials are completed or in later stage trials.

 

There is a high failure rate for drugs and biologic products proceeding through clinical trials. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of completed clinical trials of OPT-302 or any future product candidate may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials, including our planned Phase 3 trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, and the results of trials in certain patients may not be predictive of those obtained in another. In fact, many companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late stage clinical trials even after achieving promising results in earlier stage clinical trials. In addition, data obtained from clinical activities is subject to varying interpretations, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval.

 

The results of our Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy may not be predictive of the results of our Phase 3 clinical program due, in part, to the fact that we have no clinical data on OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy in any clinical trial longer than 24 weeks and that we plan to conduct our Phase 3 clinical trials at many clinical centers that were not included in our Phase 2b clinical trial. The number of patients exposed to product candidates and the average exposure time in prior clinical trials may be inadequate to detect rare adverse events or findings that may only be detected once a product candidate is administered to more patients and for greater periods of time. Any approved label for OPT-302 combination therapy may also be limited if our Phase 3 clinical trial results do not show long-term clinically significant efficacy results, including for over 12 months or in combination with either of the approved anti-VEGF-A therapies. In addition, if a combination of OPT-302 with an anti-VEGF-A therapy in our Phase 3 clinical program for the treatment of wet

 

21


Table of Contents

AMD does not achieve clinically significant superiority over anti-VEGF-A monotherapy with statistical significance on the primary endpoints of our Phase 3 clinical trials, or the FDA or a comparable non-U.S. regulatory authority requires additional clinical trials beyond our Phase 3 clinical program to support an approved label of OPT-302 used in combination with multiple anti-VEGF-A therapies, our ability to successfully commercialize OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD would be harmed.

 

Interim, topline and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

 

From time to time, we may publicly disclose preliminary or topline data from our clinical trials, which are based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the topline results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Topline data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, topline data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials. In addition, we may report interim analyses of only certain endpoints rather than all endpoints. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available.

 

In addition, adverse changes between interim data and final data could significantly harm our business and prospects. Additional disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors in the future could also result in volatility in the price of the ADSs and our ordinary shares after this offering. Further, others, including regulatory agencies, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of the particular program, the approvability or commercialization of the particular product candidate or product and our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is the material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure, and any information we determine not to disclose may ultimately be deemed significant with respect to future decisions, conclusions, views, activities or otherwise regarding a particular product candidate or our business. If the topline data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialize, OPT-302 or any future product candidates may be harmed, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We may face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing competing products before or more successfully than us.

 

The biopharmaceutical industry is intensely competitive and subject to rapid innovation and significant technological advancements. We believe the key competitive factors that will affect the development and commercial success of OPT-302 and any future product candidates are efficacy, safety and tolerability profile, reliability, convenience of dosing, price, the level of generic competition and reimbursement. Our competitors include multinational pharmaceutical companies, specialized biotechnology companies, universities and other research institutions. A number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are pursuing the development or marketing of pharmaceuticals that target the same diseases that we are targeting. Smaller or earlier-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large, established companies.

 

22


Table of Contents

There are a number of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that are currently pursuing the development of products for the treatment of wet AMD and DME, or have commercially approved products for the treatment of wet AMD or DME, including Roche, Regeneron and Novartis. The current standard of care for wet AMD is monotherapy administration of anti-VEGF-A therapies, including ranibizumab and aflibercept, as well as off-label use of bevacizumab. These drugs are well established therapies and are widely accepted by physicians, patients and third-party payors, which may make it difficult to convince these parties to switch to OPT-302 combination therapy. In addition to competition from other companies directly targeting wet AMD or DME, any products we may develop may also face competition from other types of therapies or patient and physician preferences. In addition, many companies are developing new therapeutics, and we cannot predict what the standard of care will be as OPT-302 or any future product candidates progress through clinical development.

 

If our competitors market products that are more effective, safer or cheaper than our products, that are more durable or have reduced injection burden compared to our products (including OPT-302), or that reach the market sooner than our products, we may not achieve commercial success. In addition, the biopharmaceutical industry is characterized by rapid technological change. If we fail to stay at the forefront of technological change, we may be unable to compete effectively. Technological advances or products developed by our competitors may render our technologies, products or product candidates obsolete, less competitive or not economical.

 

Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do and may be better equipped to develop, manufacture and market technologically superior products. In addition, many of these competitors have significantly longer operating histories and greater experience than we have in undertaking nonclinical studies and human clinical trials of new pharmaceutical products and in obtaining regulatory approvals of human therapeutic products. Clinical trials for the treatment of wet AMD and DME may be relatively costly and time consuming. The requirements for approval by the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities may change over time and this may require changes to ongoing or future clinical trial designs that could impact timelines and cost. Further, many of our competitors have established distribution channels for the commercialization of their products, whereas we have no such channel or capabilities. In addition, many competitors have greater name recognition and more extensive collaborative relationships.

 

As a result, our competitors may obtain regulatory approval of their products more rapidly than we do or may obtain patent protection or other intellectual property rights that limit our ability to develop or commercialize our product candidate or any future product candidates. Our competitors may also develop and succeed in obtaining approval for drugs that are more effective, more convenient, more widely used and less costly or have a better safety profile than our products and these competitors may also be more successful than we are in manufacturing and marketing their products. If we are unable to compete effectively against these companies, then we may not be able to commercialize our product candidate or any future product candidates or achieve a competitive position in the market. This would negatively affect our ability to generate revenue. Our competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, management and commercial personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and enrolling patients for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. Our inability to compete effectively in any of these aspects of our business could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could negatively impact our operations.

 

As we advance our clinical development programs for product candidates, seek regulatory approval in the United States and elsewhere and increase the number of ongoing product development programs, we anticipate that we will need to increase our product development, scientific and administrative headcount. In particular, as we progress our Phase 3 clinical trials for OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, we will require additional key staff for clinical development operations as well as additional key financial and administrative personnel. We will also need to establish commercial capabilities in order to commercialize any product candidates that may be approved. Such an evolution may impact our strategic focus and our deployment and allocation of resources.

 

23


Table of Contents

Our ability to manage our operations and growth effectively depends upon the continual improvement of our procedures, reporting systems and operational, financial and management controls. We may not be able to implement administrative and operational improvements in an efficient or timely manner and may discover deficiencies in existing systems and controls. If we do not meet these challenges, we may be unable to execute our business strategies and may be forced to expend more resources than anticipated addressing these issues.

 

We may acquire additional technology and complementary businesses in the future. Acquisitions involve many risks, any of which could materially harm our business, including the diversion of management’s attention from core business concerns, failure to effectively exploit acquired technologies, failure to successfully integrate the acquired business or realize expected synergies or the loss of key employees from either our business or the acquired businesses.

 

In addition, in order to continue to meet our obligations as a public listed company in both Australia and the United States and to support our anticipated long-term growth, we will need to increase our general and administrative capabilities. Our management, personnel and systems may not be adequate to support this future growth.

 

If we are unable to successfully manage our growth and the increased complexity of our operations, our business, financial position, results of operations and prospects may be harmed.

 

A fast track designation by the FDA, even if granted for OPT-302 or any other future product candidates, may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process and does not increase the likelihood that our product candidates will receive marketing approval.

 

If a drug or biologic is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition and the product demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for this condition, the sponsor may apply for FDA fast track designation for a particular indication. We may seek fast track designation for certain of our current or future product candidates, including OPT-302, but there is no assurance that the FDA will grant this status to any of our proposed product candidates. If granted, fast track designation makes a product eligible for more frequent interactions with FDA to discuss the development plan and clinical trial design, as well as rolling review of the application, which means that the company can submit completed sections of its marketing application for review prior to completion of the entire submission. Marketing applications of products candidates with fast track designation may qualify for priority review under the policies and procedures offered by the FDA, but the fast track designation does not assure any such qualification or ultimate marketing approval by the FDA. The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant fast track designation, so even if we believe a particular product candidate is eligible for this designation, there can be no assurance that the FDA would decide to grant it. Even if we do receive fast track designation, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures, and receiving a fast track designation does not provide any assurance of ultimate FDA approval. In addition, the FDA may withdraw fast track designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program. In addition, the FDA may withdraw any fast track designation at any time.

 

OPT-302 and any future product candidates may not achieve adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success.

 

Even if our product candidates receive regulatory approval, they may not gain adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community. Given the number of drugs in development or currently approved for the treatment of wet AMD and DME, if we are unsuccessful in achieving a differentiated profile with OPT-302, including in combination with existing therapies, based on efficacy, safety and tolerability, dosing and administration, market acceptance will be limited. For example, current treatments for wet AMD, including ranibizumab, aflibercept and low cost, off-label use of bevacizumab,

 

24


Table of Contents

are well established in the medical community and perceived as demonstrating meaningful clinical response in many cases. As a result, doctors may continue to rely on these treatments without OPT-302 or may continue to use such existing treatments as first-line therapies. The medical community may also resist adopting a combination therapy over monotherapy for any of our targeted indications. In particular, recent clinical development has focused on maintaining vision gains with a VEGF-A inhibitor while reducing the number of injections. While we plan to evaluate the potential for co-formulation of OPT-302 with approved and/or biosimilar forms of VEGF-A inhibitors to provide flexibility of treatment options for physicians and to reduce the frequency and number of injections for patients, there can be no assurance that we will be successful or that any co-formulated product will have a favorable safety profile. If we are unable to reduce the injection burden of OPT-302 combination therapy or demonstrate sufficient efficacy improvements with a comparatively higher frequency and number of injections over standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapies, develop a co-formulation of OPT-302 for patients or otherwise increase the duration of efficacy of OPT-302 doses, or if physicians determine that a more frequent regimen is necessary, the market acceptance of OPT-302 may be limited which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, the potential market opportunity for OPT-302 is difficult to estimate precisely. If OPT-302 receives marketing approval for the treatment of wet AMD, it will be approved solely for use in combination with one or more anti-VEGF-A therapies, and may be limited to use with only one anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD depending on the protocol for our planned Phase 3 clinical trials or whether the results from each of our Phase 3 clinical trials support an approved label for use of OPT-302 in combination with more than one anti-VEGF-A therapy. The market opportunity for OPT-302 will be dependent upon the continued use of anti-VEGF-A therapies in the treatment of wet AMD and the market share of such anti-VEGF-A therapies for which OPT-302 is approved as a combination therapy. The degree of market acceptance of any of our approved product candidates will depend on a number of factors, including:

 

   

the efficacy, safety and dosing profile of the product candidate as demonstrated in clinical trials;

 

   

the timing of market introduction of the product candidate as well as competitive products;

 

   

the clinical indications for which the product candidate is approved;

 

   

the imposition of a REMS which may include distribution or use restrictions;

 

   

any restrictions on the use of our products to a subgroup of patients;

 

   

acceptance of the product candidate as a safe and effective treatment by physicians and patients;

 

   

the potential and perceived advantages of the product candidate over alternative treatments, including any similar generic treatments;

 

   

the cost of treatment in relation to alternative treatments;

 

   

the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement and pricing by third parties and government authorities;

 

   

patients’ willingness to pay out-of-pocket in the absence of coverage and/or adequate reimbursement from third-party payors;

 

   

the relative convenience and ease of administration;

 

   

the frequency and severity of adverse events;

 

   

the effectiveness of sales and marketing efforts; and

 

   

unfavorable publicity relating to the product candidate.

 

Sales of medical products also depend on the willingness of physicians to prescribe the treatment, which is likely to be based on a determination by these physicians that the products are safe, therapeutically effective and cost effective. In addition, the inclusion or exclusion of products from treatment guidelines established by various physician groups and the viewpoints of influential physicians can affect the willingness of other

 

25


Table of Contents

physicians to prescribe the treatment. We cannot predict whether physicians, physicians’ organizations, hospitals, other healthcare providers, government agencies or private insurers will determine that our products are safe, therapeutically effective and cost effective as compared with competing treatments.

 

Efforts to educate the medical community and third-party payors on the benefits of OPT-302 combination therapy may require significant resources and may not be successful. Demonstrating the safety and efficacy of our product candidates and obtaining regulatory approvals will not guarantee future revenue. Our commercial success also depends on coverage and adequate reimbursement of our product candidates by third-party payors, including government payors, which may be difficult or time-consuming to obtain, may be limited in scope and may not be obtained in all jurisdictions in which we may seek to market our products.

 

If the market opportunities for any product that we or our strategic collaborators develop are smaller than we believe they are, our revenue may be negatively affected and our business may suffer.

 

We intend to focus our product candidate development on therapies for the treatment of wet AMD and additional retinal disease indications such as DME or retinal vein occlusion, or RVO. Our projections of addressable patient populations that have the potential to benefit from treatment with our product candidate are based on estimates. These estimates have been derived from a variety of sources, including the scientific literature, surveys of clinics, patient foundations or market research, and may prove to be incorrect. Further, new studies may change the estimated incidence or prevalence of these diseases. The number of patients may turn out to be lower than expected. Additionally, the potentially addressable patient population for our product candidates may not ultimately be amenable to treatment with our product candidates. Our market opportunity may also be limited by future competitor treatments that enter the market. If any of our estimates are inaccurate, the market opportunities for any of our product candidates could be significantly diminished and have an adverse impact on our business.

 

If OPT-302 is approved by the FDA as a combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, the approval will be limited to this specific indication and, unless we seek regulatory approval for additional indications, we will be prohibited from marketing OPT-302 for other indications. We may be subject to fines, penalties or injunctions if we are determined to have promoted or be promoting the use of OPT-302 for unapproved or “off-label” uses, resulting in damage to our reputation and business.

 

If OPT-302 receives marketing approval for the treatment of wet AMD, it will be approved solely for use in combination with one or more anti-VEGF-A therapies, and may be limited to only one anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD depending on the protocols for our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials. Although we are also developing OPT-302 for other retinal diseases, any regulatory approval of OPT-302 for wet AMD would not be cover the treatment of any other indication. As a result, we would be prohibited from promoting OPT-302 for the treatment of DME unless we are granted FDA approval for such indication.

 

The FDA strictly regulates the promotional claims that may be made about prescription products. While physicians may choose to prescribe products for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and for uses that differ from those tested in clinical trials and approved by the regulatory authorities, we are prohibited from marketing and promoting the products for indications that are not specifically approved by the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities. These “off-label” uses are common across medical specialties and may constitute an appropriate treatment for some patients in varied circumstances. Regulatory authorities in the United States generally do not restrict or regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatment within the practice of medicine. Regulatory authorities do, however, restrict communications by biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies on off-label use. If the FDA determines that our promotional activities constitute promotion of an off-label use, it could request that we modify our promotional materials and subject us to FDA regulatory or enforcement actions as well as actions by other agencies, including issuance of warning letters or untitled letters, suspension or withdrawal of an approved product from the market, mandatory or voluntary recalls, civil fines, disgorgement of money, operating restrictions, additional reporting requirements and/or

 

26


Table of Contents

oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement, injunctions or criminal prosecution, any of which could significantly harm our business.

 

OPT-302 is being developed to be used as a combination therapy for use with anti-VEGF-A therapies, which exposes us to additional risks.

 

We are developing OPT-302 to be used in combination with currently approved VEGF-A inhibitors. Even if OPT-302 were to receive marketing approval or be commercialized, we would continue to be subject to the risks that the FDA or similar regulatory authorities could revoke approval of some or all approved anti-VEGF-A therapies for safety, efficacy, manufacturing or supply issues. This could result in OPT-302 being restricted from commercialization or being less commercially successful.

 

We may also evaluate OPT-302 or any other future product candidates in combination with one or more other product candidates that have not yet been approved for marketing by the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities. We will not be able to market and sell OPT-302 or any product candidate we develop in combination with any such unapproved therapies that do not ultimately obtain marketing approval.

 

If the FDA or similar foreign regulatory authorities do not approve these other product candidates or revoke their approval of, or if safety, efficacy, manufacturing, or supply issues arise with, the drugs we choose to evaluate in combination with OPT-302 or any product candidate we develop, we may be unable to obtain approval of or market OPT-302 or any product candidate we develop.

 

If we fail to develop and commercialize additional product candidates, we may be unable to grow our business.

 

Although the development and commercialization of OPT-302 is currently our primary focus, as part of our longer-term growth strategy, we plan to evaluate the development and commercialization of other therapies related to retinal diseases. The success of this strategy depends primarily upon our ability to identify and validate new therapeutic candidates, and to identify, develop and commercialize new drugs and biologics. Our research efforts may initially show promise in discovering potential new drugs and biologics, yet fail to yield product candidates for clinical development for a number of reasons, including:

 

   

we may need to rely on third parties to generate molecules for some of our product candidate programs;

 

   

we may encounter product manufacturing difficulties that limit yield or produce undesirable characteristics that increase the cost of manufacturing our product candidates, cause delays or make our product candidates unmarketable;

 

   

product candidates may cause adverse effects in patients or subjects, even after successful initial toxicology studies, which may make the product candidates unmarketable;

 

   

product candidates may not demonstrate a meaningful benefit to patients or subjects; and

 

   

our future collaboration partners may change their development profiles or plans for potential product candidates or abandon a therapeutic area or the development of a partnered product.

 

If any of these events occur, we may be forced to abandon our development efforts for one or more programs, which could harm our business, operating results and prospects and could potentially cause us to cease operations. Future research programs to identify new product candidates may require substantial technical, financial and human resources. We may focus our efforts and resources on potential programs or product candidates that ultimately prove to be unsuccessful.

 

Product candidates may require additional, time-consuming development efforts prior to commercial sale, including preclinical studies, clinical trials and approval by the FDA and/or comparable non-U.S. regulatory

 

27


Table of Contents

authorities. All product candidates are prone to the risks of failure that are inherent in pharmaceutical product development, including the possibility that the product candidate will not be shown to be sufficiently safe and effective for approval by regulatory authorities. In addition, we cannot assure you that any such products that are approved will be manufactured or produced economically, be successfully commercialized, be widely accepted in the marketplace or be more effective than other commercially available alternatives.

 

We may expend our limited resources to pursue one or more particular indications and fail to capitalize on indications that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.

 

We have limited financial and management resources. As a result, we may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with other indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities. Our spending on current and future development programs for specific indications may not yield any commercially viable products. Any such failures would negatively affect our business and results of operations.

 

We must attract and retain highly skilled employees in order to succeed. If we are not able to retain our current senior management team and our scientific advisors or continue to attract and retain qualified scientific, technical and business personnel, our business will suffer.

 

We may not be able to attract or retain qualified personnel and consultants due to the intense competition for such individuals among in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. If we are not able to attract and retain necessary personnel and consultants to accomplish our business objectives, we may experience constraints that will significantly impede the achievement of our development and commercial objectives, our ability to raise additional capital and our ability to implement our business strategy.

 

Our industry has experienced a high rate of turnover of management personnel in recent years. We are highly dependent on the development, regulatory, commercialization and business development expertise of the members of our executive team, as well as other key employees and consultants. If we lose one or more of our executive officers or other key employees or consultants, our ability to implement our business strategy successfully could be seriously harmed. Any of our executive officers or other key employees or consultants may terminate their employment at any time with three months’ notice, subject to certain exceptions, and replacing such individuals may be difficult and time-consuming because of the limited number of individuals in our industry with the necessary breadth of skills and experience. Competition to hire and retain employees and consultants from this limited pool is intense, and we may be unable to hire, train, retain or motivate such individuals. Additionally, we do not currently maintain “key person” life insurance on the lives of our executives or any of our employees. This lack of insurance means that we may not receive adequate compensation for the loss of the services of these individuals. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high-quality personnel, the rate and success with which we can discover and develop product candidates and our business will be limited.

 

As we evolve from a company that is primarily involved in clinical development to a company that is also involved in preparing for commercialization, we may encounter difficulties in expanding our operations successfully.

 

As we advance our product candidates through clinical trials, we will need to expand our development, regulatory, manufacturing and marketing and sales capabilities and may need to further contract with third parties to provide these capabilities, such as collaborators, distributors, marketers and additional suppliers. We currently have no experience as a company in or infrastructure for sales, marketing and distribution, and our operations are currently limited to clinical development activities and as our operations expand, we likely will need to manage additional relationships with such third parties.

 

If OPT-302 or any future product candidate is approved, we intend either to establish a sales and organization with technical expertise and supporting distribution capabilities to commercialize OPT-302 or any

 

28


Table of Contents

future product candidate or to outsource such functions to one or more third parties. Either of these options would be expensive and time-consuming. Some or all of these costs may be incurred in advance of any approval of OPT-302 or any future product candidate. In addition, we may not be able to hire a sales force that is sufficient in size or has adequate expertise in the medical markets that we intend to target.

 

Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize our products on our own include:

 

   

our inability to recruit, train and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel;

 

   

the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to physicians or attain adequate numbers of physicians to prescribe any drugs;

 

   

the inability to obtain sufficient access and reimbursement for our product candidate, if approved; and

 

   

unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating a sales and marketing organization.

 

Any failure or delay in the development of our internal sales, marketing and distribution capabilities would negatively affect the commercialization of OPT-302 and other future product candidates.

 

Maintaining third-party relationships for these purposes will impose significant added responsibilities on members of our management and other personnel. We must be able to effectively manage our development efforts, recruit and train sales and marketing personnel, effectively manage our participation in the clinical trials in which our product candidates are involved and improve our managerial, development, operational and finance systems, all of which may impose a strain on our administrative and operational infrastructure.

 

If we enter into arrangements with third parties to perform sales, marketing or distribution services, any product revenues that we receive, or the profitability of these product revenues to us, are likely to be lower than if we were to market and sell any products that we develop without the involvement of these third parties. In addition, we may not be successful in entering into arrangements with third parties to sell and market our products and can provide no assurance that the terms of any such arrangements will remain favorable for us over time. We likely will have little control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to devote the necessary resources and attention to sell and market our products effectively. If we do not establish sales and marketing capabilities successfully, either on our own or in collaboration with third parties, we will not be successful in commercializing our products.

 

Our business could be negatively affected by the effects of health epidemics, including the evolving effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, in regions where we or third parties on which we rely have significant manufacturing facilities, concentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations.

 

Health epidemics in regions where we have concentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations could negatively affect our business, including by causing significant disruption in the operations of third-party manufacturers and CROs upon whom we rely. For example, the novel coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, pandemic has presented a substantial public health and economic challenge around the world and is affecting employees, patients, communities and business operations, as well as the U.S. economy and financial markets. Based on guidance issued by Australian federal and state governments, we transitioned to a remote work environment for all of our employees. In connection with these measures, we may be subject to claims based upon, arising out of, or related to COVID-19 and our actions and responses thereto, including any determinations that we may make to continue to operate or to re-open our facilities. Further, the effects of the shelter-in-place orders in Australia and across the world and our work-from-home policies may negatively impact productivity, disrupt our business and delay our clinical programs and timelines, the magnitude of which will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

 

29


Table of Contents

As the pandemic continues, we may experience a negative impact on our ability to initiate clinical trial sites, maintain patient enrollment and enroll new patients which may impact timelines in the future. Our ability to attract additional clinical trial sites and principal investigators to conduct our clinical trials and to conduct the necessary clinical trial site initiation procedures may be impacted by quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar restrictions imposed by federal, state and local governments. These restrictions may also prohibit patients from enrolling in, or continuing to participate in, our clinical trials. Principal investigators and clinical trial site staff, as healthcare providers, may have heightened exposure to COVID-19 and if their health is impacted by COVID-19 it could negatively impact the conduct of our clinical trials at their sites. Similarly, potential participants in our clinical trials, many of whom are medically vulnerable, may be unwilling to enroll in, and enrolled patients may be unwilling to continue to participate in, our clinical trials due to an unwillingness to travel to sites for required screening and clinical trial visits and procedures. Enrolled patients may be unable to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar restrictions continue to impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services. In addition, we may be required to develop and implement additional clinical study policies and procedures designed to help protect patients from the COVID-19 disease, which may include using telemedicine visits, remote monitoring of patients and clinical trial sites, and measures designed to ensure that data from clinical trials that may be disrupted as result of the pandemic are collected pursuant to the study protocol and consistent with cGCPs, with any significant protocol deviation reviewed and approved by the clinical trial site institutional review board, or IRB, all or any of which could materially and negatively affect our clinical development timelines and our ability to obtain regulatory approvals of our product candidates, and could significantly increase our costs. We could also see an impact on our ability to report clinical trial results, or interact with regulators, ethics committees or other important agencies due to limitations in regulatory authority employee resources or otherwise. In addition, the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities may refuse to accept data from clinical trials conducted in geographies experiencing heightened impact from COVID-19.

 

Moreover, we rely on third-party CROs and other third parties to assist us with clinical development activities, and we cannot guarantee that they will continue to perform their contractual duties in a timely and satisfactory manner as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar government orders could impact personnel at third-party manufacturing facilities in the United States and other countries, or the availability or cost of materials, which would disrupt our supply chain. In particular, some of our suppliers of certain materials used in the production of our drug products are located in Europe. In any event, if the COVID-19 pandemic continues and persists for an extended period of time or more acutely impacts geographies with particular impact on our business, we could experience significant disruptions to our clinical development timelines, which would harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

 

In addition, while the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, the pandemic could result in significant and prolonged disruption of global financial markets, reducing our ability to access capital, which could in the future negatively affect our liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 could harm our business and the value of our ordinary shares and ADSs offered hereby following this offering.

 

Disruptions at the FDA and other government agencies caused by funding shortages or global health concerns could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, otherwise prevent new products from being developed, approved or commercialized in a timely manner or at all, or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.

 

The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, statutory, regulatory and policy changes, and other events that may otherwise affect the FDA’s ability to perform routine functions. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a

 

30


Table of Contents

result. In addition, government funding of other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities, is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.

 

Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, in recent years, including in 2018 and 2019, the U.S. government shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. Separately, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020, the FDA announced its intention to postpone most inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities and products through April 2020. Also in March 2020, the FDA announced its intention to temporarily postpone routine surveillance inspections of domestic manufacturing facilities. Regulatory authorities outside the United States may adopt similar restrictions or other policy measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or issue guidance materially affecting the conduct of clinical trials. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, or if global health concerns continue to prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, upon completion of this offering and in our operations as a public company, future government shutdowns or delays could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.

 

Even if we commercialize OPT-302 or any future product candidate, we may face challenges to achieving profitability such as our products becoming subject to unfavorable pricing regulations, third-party reimbursement practices or healthcare reform initiatives, which could harm our business.

 

In the United States and in other countries, patients who are prescribed treatment for their conditions generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. The availability of coverage and adequacy of reimbursement for our products by third-party payors, including government health care programs (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE), managed care providers, private health insurers, health maintenance organizations and other organizations is essential for most patients to be able to afford medical services and pharmaceutical products such as OPT-302 or any our product candidates. Third-party payors decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. The availability of coverage and extent of reimbursement by governmental and other third-party payors is essential for most patients to be able to afford treatments such as OPT-302.

 

In the United States, the principal decisions about reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS. CMS decides whether and to what extent our products will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Factors payors consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is:

 

   

a covered benefit under its health plan;

 

   

safe, effective and medically necessary;

 

   

appropriate for the specific patient;

 

   

cost-effective; and

 

   

neither experimental nor investigational.

 

Our ability to commercialize any products successfully will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from third-party payors, including government health care programs and private health insurers. Moreover, a payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. If coverage

 

31


Table of Contents

and adequate reimbursement is not available, or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our product candidates. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow us to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realize a sufficient return on our investment.

 

In the United States, no uniform policy for coverage and reimbursement for products exists among third-party payors. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for our products can differ significantly from payor to payor. The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for setting the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product. One payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage and reimbursement for the product. Third-party payors may also limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved products for a particular indication.

 

Government authorities and other third-party payors in the United States and abroad have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications and for newly approved products, and as a result, they may not cover or provide adequate payment for OPT-302 and future product candidates. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we or our future collaborators commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, what the level of reimbursement will be. Coverage and reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any product candidate for which we or our future collaborators obtain marketing approval. If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we and our future collaborators may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidate for which marketing approval is obtained. A decision by a third-party payor not to cover or not to separately reimburse for our medical products or therapies using our products could reduce physician utilization of our products once approved. Assuming there is coverage for our product candidates, or therapies using our product candidates by a third-party payor, the resulting reimbursement payment rates may not be adequate or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement in the United States will be available for OPT-302 and any future product candidates and any reimbursement that may become available may not be adequate or may be decreased or eliminated in the future.

 

There may be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities. Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Interim reimbursement levels for new drugs, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may only be temporary. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. Net prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and profitable reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for any approved products that we develop could harm our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition.

 

The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new drug products vary widely from country to country. Current and future legislation may significantly change the approval requirements in ways that could involve additional costs and cause delays in obtaining approvals. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or product licensing approval is granted. In some non-U.S. markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. As a result, we might obtain marketing approval for a product in a particular country, but then be subject to price

 

32


Table of Contents

regulations that delay or limit our commercial launch of the product, possibly for lengthy time periods, which could negatively impact the revenue we generate from the sale of the product in that particular country. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recoup our investment in one or more product candidates, even if our product candidates obtain marketing approval.

 

To become and remain profitable, we or any potential future collaborator must develop and eventually commercialize OPT-302 or any future product candidates with significant market potential at an adequate profit margin after cost of goods sold and other expenses. Commercialization of OPT-302 or any future product candidates may entail a substantial cost of goods sold and there can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve a suitable gross margin with respect to sales of OPT-302 or any future product candidates.

 

Changes in U.S. healthcare law and implementing regulations, as well as changes in healthcare policy, may impact our business in ways that we cannot currently predict and may harm our business and results of operations.

 

There have been, and likely will continue to be, several executive, legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Among policy makers and payors in the United States there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality and/or expanding access and the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives.

 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, collectively referred to as the Affordable Care Act, substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both the government and private insurers, and significantly impacts the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The Affordable Care Act, among other things: (1) introduced a new average manufacturer price definition for drugs and biologics that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected and not generally dispensed through retail community pharmacies; (2) increased the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and expanded rebate liability from fee-for-service Medicaid utilization to include the utilization of Medicaid managed care organizations as well; (3) established a branded prescription drug fee that pharmaceutical manufacturers of branded prescription drugs must pay to the federal government; (4) expanded the list of covered entities eligible to participate in the 340B drug pricing program by adding new entities eligible for the program; (5) established a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or BBA, effective as of January 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable branded drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; (6) extended manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability to covered drugs dispensed to individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations; (7) expanded eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs by, among other things, allowing states to offer Medicaid coverage to additional individuals, including individuals with income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, thereby potentially increasing manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability; (8) created a licensure framework for follow-on biologic products; and (9) established a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at the CMS to test innovative payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid spending.

 

There remain judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act, as well as efforts by the Trump administration to repeal or replace certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or the TCJA, was enacted, which included a provision that repealed, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the Affordable Care Act on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” On December 14, 2018, a U.S. District Court Judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled that the individual mandate is a critical and inseverable feature of the Affordable Care Act, and

 

33


Table of Contents

therefore, because it was repealed as part of the TCJA, the remaining provisions of the Affordable Care Act are invalid as well. On December 18, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional but remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the Affordable Care Act are invalid as well. On March 2, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the petitions for writs of certiorari to review the case, although it is unclear when a decision will be made or how the Supreme Court will rule. In addition, there may be other efforts to challenge, repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act. We are continuing to monitor any changes to the Affordable Care Act that, in turn, may potentially impact our business in the future.

 

Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011 and subsequent laws, which began in 2013 and will remain in effect through 2030, unless additional Congressional action is taken. These Medicare sequester reductions will be suspended from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers, including hospitals, imaging centers and cancer treatment centers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. New laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which may materially negatively affect customer demand and affordability for our products and, accordingly, the results of our financial operations. Also, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny recently over the manner in which pharmaceutical companies set prices for their marketed products, which have resulted in several Congressional inquiries and proposed federal legislation, as well as state efforts, designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products. For example, at the federal level, the Trump administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 includes a $135 billion allowance to support legislative proposals seeking to reduce drug prices, increase competition, lower out-of-pocket drug costs for patients, and increase patient access to lower-cost generic and biosimilar drugs. On March 10, 2020, the Trump administration sent “principles” for drug pricing to Congress, calling for legislation that would, among other things, cap Medicare Part D beneficiary out-of-pocket pharmacy expenses, provide an option to cap Medicare Part D beneficiary monthly out-of-pocket expenses, and place limits on pharmaceutical price increases. Further, the Trump administration previously released a “Blueprint,” or plan, to lower drug prices and reduce out of pocket costs of drugs that contained proposals to increase drug manufacturer competition, increase the negotiating power of certain federal healthcare programs, incentivize manufacturers to lower the list price of their products, and reduce the out of pocket costs of drug products paid by consumers. HHS has solicited feedback on some of these measures and has implemented others under its existing authority. For example, in May 2019, CMS issued a final rule to allow Medicare Advantage plans the option to use step therapy for Part B drugs beginning January 1, 2020. This final rule codified CMS’s policy change that was effective January 1, 2019. While some of these and other measures may require additional authorization to become effective, Congress and the Trump administration have each indicated that it will continue to seek new legislative and/or administrative measures to control drug costs. At the state level, individual states in the United States are increasingly active in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Legally mandated price controls on payment amounts by third-party payors or other restrictions on coverage or access could harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. In addition, regional healthcare authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other healthcare programs. This could reduce the ultimate demand for our product candidates that we successfully commercialize or put pressure on our product pricing.

 

34


Table of Contents

We expect that these and other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and lower reimbursement, and put additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. It is possible that additional governmental action is taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government-funded programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability or commercialize our drugs, once marketing approval is obtained. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action in the United States. If we or any third parties we may engage are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we or such third parties are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, our product candidates may lose any regulatory approval that may have been obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability

 

As a company primarily based outside of the United States, our business is subject to economic, political, regulatory and other risks associated with international operations.

 

As a company with substantial operations in Australia and an international clinical trial program, our business is subject to risks associated with conducting business outside the United States. Many of our suppliers and clinical trial relationships are located outside the United States. Accordingly, our future results could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:

 

   

economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular non-U.S. economies and markets;

 

   

differing and changing regulatory requirements for product approvals;

 

   

differing jurisdictions could present different issues for securing, maintaining or obtaining freedom to operate in such jurisdictions;

 

   

potentially reduced protection for intellectual property rights;

 

   

difficulties in compliance with different, complex and changing laws, regulations and court systems of multiple jurisdictions and compliance with a wide variety of foreign laws, treaties and regulations;

 

   

changes in non-U.S. regulations and customs, tariffs and trade barriers;

 

   

changes in non-U.S. currency exchange rates, Australian dollar, U.S. dollar, euro and currency controls;

 

   

changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic environment;

 

   

trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements or other restrictive actions by governments;

 

   

differing reimbursement regimes and price controls in certain non-U.S. markets;

 

   

negative consequences from changes in tax laws;

 

   

workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States;

 

   

litigation or administrative actions resulting from claims against us by current or former employees or consultants individually or as part of class actions, including claims of wrongful terminations, discrimination, misclassification or other violations of labor law or other alleged conduct;

 

   

difficulties associated with staffing and managing international operations, including differing labor relations;

 

   

production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and

 

   

business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism, health epidemics, or natural disasters including earthquakes, typhoons, floods and fires.

 

35


Table of Contents

If we fail to comply with non-U.S. regulatory requirements governing human clinical trials and marketing approval for drugs, we could be prevented from selling our product candidates in non-U.S. markets, which may negatively affect our operating results and financial condition.

 

The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement for marketing our product candidates outside the United States vary greatly from country to country and may require additional testing. We expect that our future clinical development of our product candidates will involve a number of clinical trials in non-U.S. jurisdictions. We have no direct experience as a company in obtaining non-U.S. regulatory approvals. The time required to obtain approvals outside the United States may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. We may not obtain non-U.S. regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all. Approval by the FDA does not guarantee approval by comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, and approval by one non-U.S. regulatory authority does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or by the FDA. Failure to comply with these regulatory requirements or obtain required approvals could impair our ability to develop non-U.S. markets for our product candidates and may harm our results of operations and financial condition.

 

Price controls may be imposed in non-U.S. markets, which may negatively affect our future profitability.

 

In some countries, particularly EU member states, Japan, Australia and Canada, the pricing of prescription drugs is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after receipt of marketing approval for a product. In addition, there can be considerable pressure by governments and other stakeholders on prices and reimbursement levels, including as part of cost containment measures. Political, economic and regulatory developments may further complicate pricing negotiations, and pricing negotiations may continue after reimbursement has been obtained. Reference pricing used by various EU member states and parallel distribution, or arbitrage between low-priced and high-priced member states, can further reduce prices. In some countries, we or our collaborators may be required to conduct a clinical trial or other studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of our product candidates to other available therapies in order to obtain or maintain reimbursement or pricing approval. Publication of discounts by third-party payors or authorities may lead to further pressure on the prices or reimbursement levels within the country of publication and other countries. If reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our business, revenues or profitability could be harmed.

 

We have received tax incentives under the Research and Development Tax Incentive scheme in Australia that may become repayable if we did not or do not comply with the rules of the scheme, or we may become ineligible for tax incentives in our current or future tax years, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We have received cash incentives in the past under the Research and Development Tax Incentive scheme, or the R&D Scheme, to offset the costs of our clinical trials and other qualifying expenses incurred both in Australia and other jurisdictions. Certain research and development costs that we incur in the future may be ineligible for cash incentives under the R&D Scheme. For example, costs incurred outside Australia in connection with our future clinical trials are generally not eligible for cash incentives under the R&D Scheme. In addition, the federal government of Australia and the Australian Taxation Office, or ATO, could change the rules of the regulatory regime or amend past tax returns and, as a result, amounts paid to us may become repayable to the ATO including the amount of tax incentives in respect of our fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 included as current receivables in our consolidated financial statements. We have received an aggregate of A$35.1 million in cash tax incentives during the five fiscal years ended June 30, 2020 under the R&D Scheme. As at June 30, 2020, our current tax receivable under the R&D Scheme was A$14.6 million. This receivable amount as at June 30, 2020 is based on Australian legislation as enacted as at June 30, 2020. Any proposed changes to the legislation, such as the currently proposed rate change from 43.5% to 41%, may have a retrospective impact on our current tax receivable under the R&D Scheme. Any rule changes made to reduce the amount we are able to claim under the R&D Scheme currently or in the future and any retrospective changes made to the R&D Scheme that reduce the incentives that we have claimed in past tax years could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

36


Table of Contents

Legal, political and economic uncertainty surrounding the planned exit of the U.K. from the EU are a source of instability and uncertainty.

 

On June 23, 2016, the U.K. held a referendum in which a majority of the eligible members of the electorate voted for the U.K. to leave the EU. The U.K’s withdrawal from the EU is commonly referred to as “Brexit.” The U.K. and the EU have agreed to a withdrawal agreement, or the Withdrawal Agreement, which was approved by the U.K. Parliament on January 24, 2020. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, the U.K. is subject to a transition period until December 31, 2020, or the Transition Period, during which EU rules will continue to apply. Negotiations between the U.K. and the EU are expected to continue in relation to the customs and trading relationship between the U.K. and the EU following the expiration of the Transition Period.

 

The uncertainty concerning the U.K’s legal, political and economic relationship with the EU after the Transition Period may be a source of instability in the international markets, create significant currency fluctuations, and/or otherwise negatively affect trading agreements or similar cross-border cooperation arrangements (whether economic, tax, fiscal, legal, regulatory or otherwise). These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, have had, and may continue to have, a significant negative impact on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and could significantly reduce global market liquidity and limit the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets. In particular, it could also lead to a period of considerable uncertainty in relation to the regulatory process in Europe.

 

Brexit has created political and economic uncertainty, particularly in the U.K. and the EU, and this uncertainty may persist for years. A withdrawal could, among other outcomes, disrupt the free movement of goods, services and people between the U.K. and the EU, and result in increased legal and regulatory complexities, as well as potentially higher costs of conducting business in Europe. The U.K.’s vote to exit the EU could also result in similar referendums or votes in other European countries in which we do business. Given the lack of comparable precedent, it is unclear what financial, trade and legal implications the withdrawal of the U.K. from the EU would have and how such withdrawal would affect us.

 

Any new regulations could add time and expense to the conduct of our business, as well as the process by which our product candidate receives regulatory approval in the U.K., the EU and elsewhere. In addition, the announcement of Brexit and the withdrawal of the U.K. from the EU have had and may continue to negatively affect global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global market liquidity and restrict the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets. Any of these effects of Brexit, among others, could harm our business, our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

 

Product liability lawsuits against us could cause us to incur substantial liabilities and to limit commercialization of any products that we may develop.

 

We face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the testing of our product candidates in human clinical trials and will face an even greater risk if we commercialize any resulting products. Product liability claims may be brought against us by subjects enrolled in our clinical trials, patients, or others using our products. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our product candidates or products that we may develop caused injuries, we could incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

 

   

decreased demand for any product candidates or products that we may develop;

 

   

product recalls or a change in the indications for which products may be used;

 

   

termination of clinical trial sites or entire trial programs;

 

   

injury to our reputation and significant negative media attention;

 

   

withdrawal of clinical trial participants;

 

37


Table of Contents
   

significant costs to defend the related litigation;

 

   

substantial monetary awards to trial subjects or patients;

 

   

loss of revenue;

 

   

diversion of management and scientific resources from our business operations; and

 

   

the inability to commercialize any products that we may develop.

 

Our clinical trial liability insurance coverage may not adequately cover all liabilities that we may incur. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in an amount adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise. Our inability to obtain product liability insurance at an acceptable cost or to otherwise protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or delay the commercialization of any products or product candidates that we develop. We intend to expand our insurance coverage for products to include the sale of commercial products if we obtain marketing approval for our product candidates in development, but we may be unable to obtain commercially reasonable product liability insurance for any products approved for marketing. Large judgments have been awarded in class action lawsuits based on drugs that had unanticipated side effects. If we are sued for any injury caused by our products, product candidates or processes, our liability could exceed our product liability insurance coverage and our total assets. Claims against us, regardless of their merit or potential outcome, may also generate negative publicity or harm our ability to obtain physician endorsement of our products or expand our business.

 

Our employees, contractors, vendors, principal investigators, consultants and future partners may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading.

 

We are exposed to the risk of fraud or other misconduct by our employees, contractors, vendors, principal investigators, consultants or future partners. Misconduct by these parties could include failures to comply with FDA or comparable non-U.S. authority regulations, to provide accurate information to the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulators, to comply with U.S. federal and state and non-U.S. healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, to report financial information or data timely, completely or accurately, or to disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Third-party misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. Although we have adopted a Code of Conduct, it is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with these laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us resulting from this misconduct and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant fines or other sanctions. If we or our future partners market products in a manner that violates fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws, or if we or our future partners violate government price reporting laws, we or our future partners may be subject to administrative civil and/or criminal penalties, among other sanctions.

 

Most states also have statutes or regulations similar to these federal laws, which may apply to items such as pharmaceutical products and services reimbursed by private insurers. We and/or our future partners may be subject to administrative, civil and criminal sanctions for violations of any of these federal and state laws. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under these laws for a variety of promotional and marketing activities, such as: providing free trips, free goods, sham consulting fees and grants and other monetary benefits to prescribers; reporting to pricing services inflated average wholesale prices that

 

38


Table of Contents

were then used by federal programs to set reimbursement rates; engaging in off-label promotion; and submitting inflated best price information to the Medicaid Rebate Program to reduce liability for Medicaid rebates. Ensuring that our internal operations and future business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations, agency guidance or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations.

 

Our business operations and relationships with investigators, healthcare professionals, consultants, third-party payors, patient organizations and customers are subject to broadly applicable healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us civil to penalties, criminal sanctions, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.

 

Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any product candidate for which we obtain regulatory approval. Our current and future arrangements may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we would market, sell and distribute our products. In particular, the research of our product candidates, as well as the promotion, sales and marketing of healthcare items and services, as well as certain business arrangements in the healthcare industry, are subject to extensive laws designed to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and commission(s), certain customer incentive programs and other business or financial arrangements.

 

Such laws include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

   

the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, lease, order or recommendation of, any good, facility, item or service, for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value. Although there are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly. Practices that involve remuneration that may be alleged to be intended to induce prescribing, purchases or recommendations may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between biopharmaceutical manufacturers, on the one hand, and prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers, among others, on the other. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the False Claims Act;

 

   

the federal criminal and civil false claims laws, including the False Claims Act, which imposes criminal and civil penalties, including through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent, knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim, or knowingly making or causing to be made, a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the False Claims Act even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. When an entity is determined to have violated the False Claims Act, the government may impose civil fines and penalties for each false claim, plus treble damages, and exclude the entity from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs;

 

39


Table of Contents
   

the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, which imposes criminal and civil liability for, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false or fraudulent statements relating to healthcare matters; similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation;

 

   

HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their implementing regulations, which also impose obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security, and transmission of individually identifiable health information on health plans, health care clearing houses, and certain healthcare providers and their business associates, defined as independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, receive or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, there may be additional federal, state and non-U.S. laws which govern the privacy and security of health and other personally identifiable information, or personal information or personal data, in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts;

 

   

the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to the government information related to payments or other “transfers of value” made to physicians, as defined by law, and teaching hospitals, and requires applicable manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to report annually to the ownership and investment interests held by such physicians and their immediate family members and payments or other “transfers of value” to such physician owners (covered manufacturers are required to submit reports to CMS by the 90th day of each calendar year). Effective January 1, 2022, these reporting obligations will extend to include transfers of value made in the previous year to certain non-physician providers such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners; and

 

   

analogous state and non-U.S. laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to our business practices, including but not limited to, research, distribution, sales and marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers, or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; and state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, and state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers, marketing expenditures or drug pricing; and state and local laws require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; and state and non-U.S. laws governing the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.

 

Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under these laws for a variety of promotional and marketing activities, such as: providing free trips, free goods, sham consulting fees and grants and other monetary benefits to prescribers; reporting to pricing services inflated average wholesale prices that were then used by federal programs to set reimbursement rates; engaging in off-label promotion; and submitting inflated best price information to the Medicaid Rebate Program to reduce liability for Medicaid rebates. Ensuring that our internal operations and future business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations, agency guidance or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations.

 

40


Table of Contents

The global data protection landscape is rapidly evolving, and we may be affected by or subject to new, amended or existing laws and regulations in the future, including as our operations continue to expand or if we operate in non-U.S. jurisdictions. Several non-U.S. jurisdictions, including the European Union, or EU, its member states, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia, among others, have adopted legislation and regulations that increase or change the requirements governing the collection, use, disclosure and transfer of the personal information of individuals in these jurisdictions. Additionally, certain countries have passed or are considering passing laws that require local data residency and/or restrict the international transfer of data and/or impose data localization requirements with respect to certain personal information. These laws have the potential to increase costs of compliance, risks of noncompliance and penalties for noncompliance.

 

Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, disgorgement, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, additional oversight and reporting obligations, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found not to be in compliance with applicable laws, that person or entity may be subject to significant criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.

 

We depend on our information technology systems and those of our third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants. Our internal computer systems, or those of our third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security breaches, disruptions, or incidents, which could result in a material disruption of our development programs or loss of data or compromise the privacy, security, integrity or confidentiality of sensitive information related to our business and could harm our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

In the ordinary course of our business, we collect, store and transmit large amounts of confidential information, including intellectual property, proprietary business information and personal information. Our internal technology systems and infrastructure, and those of our current or future third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors and consultants are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access or use resulting from malware, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures, denial-of-service attacks, cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, hacking, phishing and other social engineering attacks, persons inside our organizations (including employees or contractors), loss or theft, or persons with access to systems inside our organization. Attacks on information technology systems are increasing in their frequency, levels of persistence, sophistication and intensity, and they are being conducted by increasingly sophisticated and organized non-U.S. governments, groups and individuals with a wide range of motives and expertise. For example, in June 2020, a coordinated cyber security attack targeted Australian government entities and companies. In addition to extracting or accessing sensitive information, such attacks could include the deployment of harmful malware, ransomware, denial-of-service attacks, social engineering and other means to affect service reliability and threaten the security, confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. The prevalent use of mobile devices that access sensitive information also increases the risk of data security incidents which could lead to such sensitive information (which may include confidential information, other intellectual property or personal information) being subject to unauthorized access or otherwise compromised. While to our knowledge we have not experienced any material system failure, accident or security breach to date, if such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations or the operations of third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors and consultants, it could result in a material disruption of our development programs and significant reputational, financial, legal, regulatory, business or operational harm. The costs to us to mitigate, investigate and respond to potential security incidents, breaches, disruptions, network security problems, bugs, viruses, worms, malicious software programs and security vulnerabilities could be significant, and while we have implemented security measures to protect our data security and information

 

41


Table of Contents

technology systems, our efforts to address these problems may not be successful, and these problems could result in unexpected interruptions, delays, cessation of service and other harm to our business and our competitive position.

 

For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed, ongoing or planned clinical trials for our product candidates could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. To the extent that any real or perceived security breach affects our systems (or those of our third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants), or results in the loss of or accidental, unlawful or unauthorized access to, use of, release of, or other processing of personal information or damage to our data or applications or other data or applications relating to our technology or product candidates, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liabilities and the further development of our product candidates could be delayed. Such a breach may require notification to governmental agencies, the media or individuals pursuant to various non-U.S. domestic (federal and state) privacy and security laws, if applicable, including HIPAA, as amended by HITECH, and its implementing rules and regulations, as well as regulations promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission and state breach notification laws. In addition, our liability insurance may not be sufficient in type or amount to cover us against all losses and claims related to security breaches, cyberattacks and other related incidents.

 

Any failure or perceived failure by us or any third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors or consultants to comply with our privacy, confidentiality, data security or similar obligations, or any data security incidents or other security breaches that result in the accidental, unlawful or unauthorized access to, use of, release of, processing of, or transfer of sensitive information, including personal information, may result in negative publicity, harm to our reputation, governmental investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory fines, litigation or public statements against us, could cause third parties to lose trust in us or could result in claims by third parties, including those that assert that we have breached our privacy, confidentiality, data security or similar obligations, any of which could harm our reputation, business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

To the extent we maintain individually identifiable health information, we could be subject to fines and penalties (including civil and criminal) under HIPAA for any failure by us or our business associates to comply with HIPAA’s requirements. Moreover, data security incidents and other security breaches can be difficult to detect, and any delay in identifying them may lead to increased harm. While we have implemented data security measures intended to protect our information, data, information technology systems, applications and infrastructure, there can be no assurance that such measures will successfully prevent service interruptions or data security incidents.

 

European data collection is governed by restrictive regulations governing the collection, use, processing and cross-border transfer of personal information.

 

We may collect, process, use or transfer personal information from individuals located in the European Economic Area in connection with our business, including in connection with conducting clinical trials in the European Economic Area, or the EEA. Additionally, if any of our product candidates are approved, we may seek to commercialize those products in the European Economic Area. The collection and use of personal health data in the European Economic Area is governed by the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation ((EU) 2016/679), or the GDPR, along with other European Union and country-specific laws and regulations. The United Kingdom and Switzerland have also adopted data protection laws and regulations. These legislative acts (together with regulations and guidelines) impose requirements relating to having legal bases for processing personal data relating to identifiable individuals and transferring such data outside of the European Economic Area, including to the United States, providing details to those individuals regarding the processing of their personal data, keeping personal data secure, having data processing agreements with third parties who process personal data, responding to individuals’ requests to exercise their rights in respect of their personal data, reporting security breaches involving personal data to the competent national data protection authority and affected individuals, appointing data protection officers or corporate representatives, conducting data protection impact assessments and record-keeping. The GDPR imposes additional responsibilities and liabilities in relation

 

42


Table of Contents

to personal data that we process and we may be required to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with the new data protection rules. Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and related national data protection laws of the member states of the European Economic Area and other states in the European Economic Area may result in substantial penalties, including potential fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual global revenues, whichever is greater, other administrative penalties and civil claims being brought against us, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. European data protection authorities may interpret the GDPR and national laws differently and may impose additional requirements, which adds to the complexity of processing personal data in or from the EEA or United Kingdom. Guidance on implementation and compliance practices are often updated or otherwise revised.

 

Our insurance policies are expensive and only protect us from some business risks, leaving us exposed to significant uninsured liabilities.

 

We do not carry insurance for all categories of risk that our business may encounter. We believe that we maintain insurance customary for businesses of our size and type, including clinical trial liability insurance. However, there are types of losses we may incur that cannot be insured against or that we believe are not economically reasonable to insure. Moreover, any loss incurred could exceed policy limits and policy payments made to us may not be made on a timely basis. Such losses could negatively affect our business prospects, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. We do not know if our current levels of coverage are adequate or if we will be able to obtain insurance with adequate levels of coverage in the future, if at all. Any significant uninsured liability may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could negatively impact our financial position and results of operations.

 

Disputes under key agreements or conflicts of interest with our scientific advisors or clinical investigators could delay or prevent development or commercialization of our product candidates.

 

Any agreements we have or may enter into with third parties, such as collaboration, license, formulation supplier, manufacturing, clinical research organization or clinical trial agreements, may give rise to disputes regarding the rights and obligations of the parties. Disagreements could develop over contract interpretation, rights to ownership or use of intellectual property, the scope and direction of research and development, the approach for regulatory approvals or commercialization strategy. We intend to conduct research programs in a range of therapeutic areas, but our pursuit of these opportunities could result in conflicts with the other parties to these agreements that may be developing or selling pharmaceuticals or conducting other activities in these same therapeutic areas. Any disputes or commercial conflicts could lead to the termination of our agreements, delay progress of our product development programs, compromise our ability to renew agreements or obtain future agreements, lead to the loss of intellectual property rights, result in increased financial obligations for us or result in costly litigation.

 

We work with outside scientific advisors and collaborators at academic and other institutions that assist us in our research and development efforts. Our scientific advisors are not our employees and may have other commitments that limit their availability to us. If a conflict of interest between their work for us and their work for another entity arises, we may lose their services.

 

Unstable market and economic conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business and financial condition.

 

Global credit and financial markets have experienced extreme disruptions at various points over the last few decades, characterized by diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates and uncertainty about economic stability. If another such disruption in credit and financial markets and deterioration of confidence in economic conditions occurs, our business may be harmed. If the equity and credit markets were to deteriorate significantly in the future, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult to complete, more costly and more dilutive. Failure to

 

43


Table of Contents

secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms could harm our growth strategy, financial performance and share price and could require us to delay or abandon development or commercialization plans. In addition, there is a risk that one or more of our service providers, manufacturers or other partners would not survive or be able to meet their commitments to us under such circumstances, which could directly affect our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule and on budget.

 

If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal controls to remediate our material weaknesses over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations or prevent fraud, and investor confidence in our company and the market price of the ADSs may be negatively impacted.

 

Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, requires that our management assess and report annually on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and identify any material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. During the audit of our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019, material weaknesses were identified in our internal control over financial reporting. Under standards established by the PCAOB, a “material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weaknesses that have been identified relate to our lack of (i) sufficient accounting and financial reporting personnel with requisite knowledge of and experience in application of SEC rules and regulations and (ii) adequate controls to address segregation of duties. We and our independent registered public accounting firm were not required to perform an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2019 and 2020 in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we have identified all, or that we will not in the future have additional, material weaknesses.

 

We are in the process of implementing a number of measures to address the material weaknesses that have been identified including: (i) hiring additional accounting and financial reporting personnel with SEC reporting experience, (ii) expanding the capabilities of existing accounting and financial reporting personnel through continuous training and education in the accounting and reporting requirements under International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, and SEC rules and regulations, (iii) establishing effective monitoring and oversight controls for non-recurring and complex transactions to ensure the accuracy and completeness of our company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and (iv) implementing formal processes and controls to identify, monitor and mitigate segregation of duties conflicts.

 

The presence of material weaknesses could result in financial statement errors which, in turn, could lead to errors in our financial reports or delays in our financial reporting, which could require us to restate our operating results or result in our auditors issuing a qualified audit report. In order to establish and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, we will need to expend significant resources and provide significant management oversight. Developing, implementing and testing changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training of our directors and employees, entail substantial costs in order to modify our existing accounting systems, take a significant period of time to complete and divert management’s attention from other business concerns. These changes may not, however, be effective in establishing and maintaining adequate internal controls.

 

If either we are unable to conclude that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting or our independent auditors are unwilling or unable to provide us with an unqualified report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting as required by Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, investors may lose confidence in our operating results, the price of the ADSs could decline and we may be subject to litigation or regulatory enforcement actions. In addition, if we are unable to meet the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we may not be able to remain listed on The Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq.

 

44


Table of Contents

Risks Related to Regulatory Approvals

 

If we are not able to obtain required regulatory approvals, we will not be able to commercialize OPT-302 or any future product candidate, and our ability to generate product revenue will be impaired.

 

OPT-302 and any future product candidate that we may develop, as well as the activities associated with their development and commercialization, including their design, research, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, recordkeeping, labeling, packaging, storage, approval, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory agencies in the United States and by similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Failure to obtain marketing approval for, and thus commercialize any product candidate, could negatively impact our ability to generate any revenue from product sales.

 

We have not received approval from regulatory authorities to market any product candidate in any jurisdiction, and it is possible that our product candidate will never obtain the appropriate regulatory approvals necessary for us to commence product sales. Neither we nor any collaborator is permitted to market our product candidate in the United States or any other jurisdiction until we receive regulatory approval of a BLA from the FDA or similar application from regulatory authorities outside of the United States.

 

The time required to obtain approval of a BLA by the FDA or similar application from regulatory authorities outside of the United States is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authority. Prior to submitting a BLA to the FDA or any comparable application to any other non-U.S. regulatory authorities for approval of any product candidate, we will need to complete pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials and demonstrate favorable results with respect to safety, tolerability and efficacy. In addition, approval policies, regulations or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions.

 

Securing marketing approvals requires the submission of extensive nonclinical and clinical data and supporting information to regulatory authorities for each therapeutic indication to establish the safety and efficacy of our product candidate for the specified indications. We expect to rely on third-party CROs, consultants and our collaborators to assist us in filing and supporting the applications necessary to gain marketing approvals. Securing marketing approval also requires the submission of information about the product manufacturing process to, and inspection of manufacturing facilities by, regulatory authorities. Errors in the submission of applications for marketing approval or issues, including those related to gathering the appropriate data and the inspection process, may ultimately delay or affect our ability to obtain regulatory approval, commercialize our product candidate and generate product revenue.

 

Our failure to obtain regulatory approval in international jurisdictions would prevent us from marketing our product candidates outside the United States.

 

If we succeed in developing any products, we intend to market them in non-U.S. jurisdictions in addition to the United States. In order to market and sell our products in other jurisdictions, we must obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. We may not obtain non-U.S. regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions. Approval by one regulatory authority outside the United States does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions or by the FDA. If we fail to obtain approval of any of our product candidates by regulatory authorities in another country we will be unable to commercialize our product in that country, and the commercial prospects of that product candidate and our business prospects could decline. The approval procedure varies among countries and can involve additional testing. The time required to obtain approval may differ substantially from that required to obtain FDA approval. The regulatory approval process outside the United States generally includes all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. In addition, in many countries outside the United States, we must secure product reimbursement approvals before regulatory authorities will approve the product for sale in that country.

 

45


Table of Contents

Obtaining non-U.S. regulatory approvals and compliance with non-U.S. regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our products in certain countries. Further, clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries and regulatory approval in one country does not ensure approval in any other country, while a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in others. Also, regulatory approval for any of our product candidates may be withdrawn if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements, if problems occur after the product candidate reaches the market or for other reasons. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets and fail to receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our product candidates will be harmed and our business will be negatively affected.

 

Even if OPT-302 combination therapy or any future product candidate receives regulatory approval, it may still face future development and regulatory difficulties.

 

Even if we obtained regulatory approval for a product candidate, it would be subject to ongoing requirements by the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities governing the manufacture, quality control, further development, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, safety surveillance, import, export, advertising, promotion, recordkeeping and reporting of safety and other post-market information. The FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities will continue to closely monitor the safety profile of any product even after approval. If the FDA, or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, become aware of new safety information after approval of any of our product candidates, it may require labeling changes or establishment of a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy or similar strategy, impose significant restrictions on a product’s indicated uses or marketing or impose ongoing requirements for potentially costly post-approval studies or post-market surveillance.

 

In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to continual review and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with current good manufacturing practices, or cGMP, regulations and standards. If we or a regulatory agency discover previously unknown problems with a product, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facility where the product is manufactured, a regulatory agency may impose restrictions on that product, the manufacturing facility or us, including requiring recall or withdrawal of the product from the market or suspension of manufacturing. If we, our product candidates or the manufacturing facilities for our product candidates fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, or undesirable side effects caused by such products are identified, a regulatory agency may:

 

   

issue safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases or other communications containing warnings about such product;

 

   

mandate modifications to promotional materials or require us to provide corrective information to healthcare practitioners;

 

   

revise labeling, including adding limitations on approved uses or the additions of additional warnings, contraindications or other safety information including boxed warnings;

 

   

impose a REMS which may include distribution on or use restrictions;

 

   

require that we conduct post-marketing studies;

 

   

require us to enter into a consent decree, which can include imposition of various fines, reimbursements for inspection costs, required due dates for specific actions and penalties for noncompliance;

 

   

seek an injunction or impose civil or criminal penalties or monetary fines;

 

   

suspend marketing of, withdraw regulatory approval of or recall such product;

 

   

suspend any ongoing clinical studies;

 

46


Table of Contents
   

refuse to approve pending applications or supplements to applications filed by us;

 

   

suspend or impose restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; or

 

   

seize or detain products, refuse to permit the import or export of products or require us to initiate a product recall.

 

The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize our products and generate product revenue.

 

Advertising and promotion of any product candidate that obtains approval in the United States will be heavily scrutinized by the FDA, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, state attorneys general, members of Congress and the public. Violations, including promotion of our products for unapproved (or off-label) uses, are subject to enforcement letters, inquiries and investigations and significant civil and criminal sanctions by the government. In the United States, engaging in the impermissible promotion of our products for off-label uses can also subject us to false claims litigation under federal and state statutes, which can lead to significant civil and criminal penalties. Additionally, comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities will heavily scrutinize advertising and promotion of any product candidate that obtains approval outside of the United States.

 

The FDA’s policies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our product candidates. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, which would negatively affect our business, prospects and ability to achieve or sustain profitability.

 

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

 

We have relied on, and expect to continue to rely on, third-party manufacturers to produce OPT-302 or any future product candidates. Any failure by a third-party manufacturer to produce acceptable product candidates for us pursuant to our specifications and regulatory standards may delay or impair our ability to initiate or complete our clinical trials, obtain and maintain regulatory approvals or commercialize approved products.

 

The manufacturing of biologic drugs such as OPT-302 is complex and the process of identifying the qualifying suppliers takes a significant investment of time and money. We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of clinical or commercial quantities of our product candidates, and we lack the resources and the capabilities to do so. As a result, we currently rely, and expect to rely for the foreseeable future, on third-party manufacturers to supply us with OPT-302 and any future product candidates.

 

We currently have a sole source relationship with Patheon N.V., a division of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., pursuant to which they supply us with OPT-302 drug substance and drug product. If there should be any disruption in our supply arrangement with Patheon, including any adverse events affecting Patheon or Thermo Fisher Scientific, it could have a negative effect on the clinical development of OPT-302 and other operations while we work to identify and qualify an alternate supply source. In addition, we do not have a long-term supply arrangement to purchase anti-VEGF-A therapy for use in combination with OPT-302 in our clinical trials and acquire such drug product on a purchase order basis. Any complications with our existing suppliers of anti-VEGF-A therapies could considerably delay our clinical trials for OPT-302, including our Phase 3 pivotal clinical program of OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD, or the regulatory approvals of OPT-302.

 

Reliance on third-party suppliers and manufacturers entails risks to which we would not be subject if we manufacture product candidates or products ourselves. For example, if we do not maintain our key manufacturing relationships, including with Patheon, we may fail to find replacement manufacturers or develop our own

 

47


Table of Contents

manufacturing capabilities in a timely manner or at all, which could delay or impair our ability to obtain regulatory approval for our products and substantially increase our costs or deplete profit margins, if any. If we do find replacement manufacturers, we may not be able to enter into agreements with them on terms and conditions favorable to us in a timely manner, if at all, and there could be a substantial delay before new facilities could be qualified and registered with or licensed by the FDA and other comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities.

 

Even if we are able to establish agreements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks, including:

 

   

failure of the third party to manufacture product candidates according to our schedule, or at all, including if our third-party contractors give greater priority to the supply of other products over our product candidates or otherwise do not satisfactorily perform according to the terms of the agreements between us and them;

 

   

breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party because of factors beyond our control (including a failure to manufacture product candidates in accordance with our product specifications);

 

   

the failure of the third-party manufacturer to comply with applicable regulatory requirements and reliance on third-parties for manufacturing process development, regulatory compliance and quality assurance;

 

   

mislabeling of clinical supplies, potentially resulting in the wrong dose amounts being supplied or active drug or placebo not being properly identified;

 

   

clinical supplies not being delivered to clinical sites on time, leading to clinical trial interruptions, or of drug supplies not being distributed to commercial vendors in a timely manner, resulting in lost sales;

 

   

misappropriation of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how;

 

   

termination or nonrenewal of the agreement by the third party at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us; and

 

   

reliance on the third party for regulatory compliance, quality assurance and safety and pharmacovigilance reporting.

 

The FDA and other comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities require manufacturers to register manufacturing facilities. The FDA and other comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities also inspect these facilities to confirm compliance with cGMP. Contract manufacturers may face manufacturing or quality control problems causing drug substance production and shipment delays or a situation where the contractor may not be able to maintain compliance with the applicable cGMP requirements. We may have little to no control regarding the occurrence of third-party manufacturer incidents. Failure by our third-party manufacturers and suppliers to pass such inspections and otherwise satisfactorily complete the FDA approval regimen with respect to our product candidate may result in regulatory actions such as the issuance of FDA Form 483 notices of observations, warning letters or injunctions or the loss of operating licenses. In addition, our third-party manufacturers and suppliers are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of waste products, and failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties for such third parties. Any failure to comply with cGMP requirements or other FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory requirements could negatively impact our clinical research activities and our ability to develop OPT-302 or any future product candidates and market our products following approval.

 

If OPT-302 or any future product candidates are approved by the FDA or other comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities for commercial sale, we may need to manufacture such product candidate in larger quantities. We intend to use third-party manufacturers for commercial quantities of OPT-302 to the extent we advance this product candidate and other product candidates. Our manufacturers may not be able to successfully increase the manufacturing capacity for any of our product candidates in a timely or efficient manner, or at all. If

 

48


Table of Contents

we are unable to successfully increase the manufacturing capacity for a product candidate, the regulatory approval or commercial launch of that product candidate may be delayed or there may be a shortage in the supply of the product candidate.

 

In addition, the operations of our third-party manufacturers may be subject to earthquakes, power shortages, telecommunications failures, failures or breaches of information technology systems, water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions, medical epidemics, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and other natural or man-made disasters or business interruptions. Damage or extended periods of interruption to our facilities due to fire, natural disaster, power loss, communications failure, unauthorized entry or other events could cause us to cease or delay development of some or all of our product candidates. Our ability to obtain clinical supplies of our product candidates could be disrupted if the operations of these suppliers are affected by a man-made or natural disaster or other business interruption.

 

Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our product candidates may negatively affect our future profit margins and our ability to develop our product candidates and commercialize any products that receive regulatory approval on a timely basis.

 

In some cases, the technical skills or technology required to manufacture our product candidates may be unique or proprietary to the original manufacturer, we may have difficulty transferring such skills or technology to another third party and a feasible alternative many not exist. These factors would increase our reliance on such manufacturer or require us to obtain a license from such manufacturer in order to have another third party manufacture our product candidates. If we are required to change manufacturers for any reason, we will be required to verify that the new manufacturer maintains facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable regulations and guidelines and the manufacturer may be required to obtain applicable licenses or approvals. The delays associated with the verification of a new manufacturer, if we are able to identify an alternative source, could negatively affect our ability to develop product candidates in a timely manner or within budget.

 

The manufacture of biologic products is complex and we are subject to many manufacturing risks, any of which could substantially increase our costs and limit supply of our products.

 

The manufacture of biologic products is complex and requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of advanced manufacturing techniques and process controls. Manufacturers of biologic products often encounter difficulties in production, particularly in scaling up and validating initial production and ensuring the avoidance of contamination. These problems include difficulties with production costs and yields, quality control, including stability of the product, quality assurance testing, operator error and shortages of qualified personnel, as well as compliance with strictly enforced federal, state and non-U.S. regulations. We cannot assure you that any stability or other issues relating to the manufacture of OPT-302 will not occur in the future.

 

The process of manufacturing OPT-302 is complex, highly regulated and subject to several risks, including:

 

   

the process of manufacturing biologics is susceptible to product loss due to contamination, equipment failure, improper installation or operation of equipment, vendor or operator error and improper storage conditions. Even minor deviations from normal manufacturing processes could result in reduced production yields, product defects and other supply disruptions. If microbial, viral or other contaminations are discovered in our product candidates or in the manufacturing facilities in which our product candidates are made, the manufacturing facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and eliminate the contamination;

 

   

the manufacturing facilities in which our products are made could be negatively affected by equipment failures, labor and raw material shortages, financial difficulties of our contract manufacturers, natural disasters, power failures, local political unrest and numerous other factors; and

 

49


Table of Contents
   

any adverse developments affecting manufacturing operations for our product candidates may result in shipment delays, inventory shortages, lot failures, and for any approved products, product withdrawals, or recalls or other interruptions in the supply of our products. We may also have to record inventory write-offs and incur other charges and expenses for products that fail to meet specifications, undertake costly remediation efforts or seek costlier manufacturing alternatives.

 

To date, OPT-302 has been manufactured by a single third-party manufacturer, Patheon, solely for preclinical studies and Phase 1 and 2 trials. This manufacturer may not be able to scale production to the larger quantities required for large clinical trials, including our planned Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, and to commercialize OPT-302, on a timely basis or at all. Any such failure will require us to seek alternative manufacturing sources, which may result in considerable additional expense and delays in our planned clinical trials. We have limited process development capabilities and have access only to external manufacturing capabilities. We do not have and we do not currently plan to acquire or develop the facilities or capabilities to manufacture bulk drug substance or filled drug product for use in human clinical trials or commercialization. Any delay or interruption in the supply of clinical trial materials, including as a result of breach by us or Patheon of our agreement with Patheon, or our inability to agree to the terms of supply or related services in any statement of work, could delay the completion of clinical trials, increase the costs associated with maintaining clinical trial programs and, depending upon the period of delay, require us to commence new clinical trials at additional expense or terminate clinical trials completely.

 

Changes in methods of product candidate manufacturing or formulation may result in additional costs or delay.

 

As product candidates proceed through nonclinical studies to late-stage clinical trials towards potential approval and commercialization, it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods and formulation, are altered along the way in an effort to optimize processes and results. Such changes carry the risk that they will not achieve these intended objectives. Any of these changes could cause OPT-302 or any future product candidate to perform differently and affect the results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials conducted with the altered materials. Such changes may also require additional testing, FDA notification or FDA approval. This could delay completion of clinical trials, require the conduct of bridging clinical trials or the repetition of one or more clinical trials, increase clinical trial costs, delay approval of OPT-302 or any future product candidate or jeopardize our ability to commence sales and generate revenue.

 

We rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and some aspects of our research and development activities, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet deadlines for the completion of such trials, research or testing.

 

We currently rely on, and expect to continue to rely on, third parties, such as CROs, clinical data management organizations, medical institutions, consultants and clinical investigators, to conduct our clinical trials and certain aspects of our research and development activities. Any of these third parties may terminate their engagements with us at any time. If we need to enter into alternative arrangements, it would delay our product development activities and such alternative arrangements may not be available on terms acceptable to us.

 

Our reliance on these third parties for research and development activities will reduce our control over these activities, but will not relieve us of our responsibilities. For example, we will remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and clinical trial protocols. Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as current Good Clinical Practices, for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial participants are protected. We are also required to register ongoing clinical trials and post the results of completed clinical trials on a government-sponsored database within certain timeframes. Failure to do so can result in fines, adverse publicity and civil and criminal sanctions.

 

50


Table of Contents

Furthermore, these third parties may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines or conduct our clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements, standard operating procedures or clinical trial protocols, we will not be able to obtain, or may be delayed in obtaining, marketing approvals for OPT-302 or any future product candidates and will not be able to, or may be delayed in our efforts to, successfully commercialize our product candidates.

 

We also expect to rely on other third parties to store and distribute drug supplies for our clinical trials. Any performance failure on the part of our distributors could delay clinical development, marketing approval and/or commercialization of OPT-302 or any future product candidates, producing additional losses and depriving us of potential revenue.

 

We may seek to establish commercial collaborations for our product candidates, and, if we are not able to establish them on commercially reasonable terms, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans.

 

Our drug development programs and the potential commercialization of our product candidates will require substantial additional cash to fund expenses. We may decide to collaborate with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for the development and potential commercialization of our product candidates.

 

We face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, the potential market for the product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the potential of competing products and the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of technology, which can exist if there is a challenge to such ownership without regard to the merits of the challenge and industry and market conditions generally. The collaborators may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such a collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our product candidate.

 

Collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document. In addition, there have been a significant number of business combinations among large pharmaceutical companies that have resulted in a reduced number of potential future collaborators.

 

We may not be able to negotiate collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of the product candidate for which we are seeking to collaborate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates or bring them to market and generate product revenue.

 

Risks Relating to Intellectual Property

 

Our success depends upon our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our products and technologies.

 

Our success will depend in significant part on our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ ability to establish and maintain adequate protection of our owned and licensed intellectual property covering the

 

51


Table of Contents

product candidates we plan to develop, and the ability to develop these product candidates and commercialize the products resulting therefrom, without infringing the intellectual property rights of others. In addition to taking other steps to protect our intellectual property, we hold issued patents, we have applied for patents, and we intend to continue to apply for, patents with claims covering our technologies, processes and product candidates when and where we deem it appropriate to do so. We have filed patent applications both in the United States and in certain non-U.S. jurisdictions to obtain patent rights to inventions we have developed, with claims directed to compositions of matter, methods of use and other technologies relating to our programs. There can be no assurance that any of these patent applications will issue as patents or, for those applications that do mature into patents, that the claims of the patents will exclude others from making, using or selling our product candidates or products that compete with or are similar to our product candidates. In countries where we have not sought and do not seek patent protection, third parties may be able to manufacture and sell our product candidates without our permission, and we may not be able to stop them from doing so.

 

With respect to patent rights, we do not know whether any of the pending patent applications for any of our product candidates will result in the issuance of patents that effectively protect our technologies, processes and product candidates, or if any of our issued patents or our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ issued patents will effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies, processes and products. Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing or in some cases not at all, until they are issued as a patent. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we or our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned or licensed patents or pending patent applications, or that we or our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions. For a description of our patent portfolio, see “Business—Intellectual Property.”

 

Any changes we make to OPT-302 or any future product candidates to cause them to have what we view as more advantageous properties may not be covered by our existing patents and patent applications, and we may be required to file new applications and/or seek other forms of protection for any such altered product candidates. The patent landscape surrounding the technology underlying our product candidates is potentially crowded, and there can be no assurance that we would be able to secure patent protection that would adequately cover an alternative to OPT-302 or any future product candidates.

 

The patent prosecution process is expensive and time-consuming, and we and our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators may not be able to prepare, file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we or our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators will fail to identify patentable aspects of inventions made in the course of development and commercialization activities before it is too late to obtain patent protection for them. Moreover, in some circumstances, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain or enforce the patents, covering technology that we license from or license to third parties and may be reliant on our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators to perform these activities, which means that these patent applications may not be prosecuted, and these patents enforced, in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. If our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators fail to establish, maintain, protect or enforce such patents and other intellectual property rights, such rights may be reduced or eliminated. If our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators are not fully cooperative or disagree with us as to the prosecution, maintenance or enforcement of any patent rights, such patent rights could be compromised.

 

Similar to the patent rights of other biotechnology companies, the scope, validity and enforceability of our owned and licensed patent rights generally are highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. In recent years, these areas have been the subject of much litigation in the industry. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability

 

52


Table of Contents

and commercial value of our and our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ patent rights are highly uncertain. Our and our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued that protect our technology or product candidates, or products resulting therefrom, in whole or in part, or that effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. The patent examination process may require us or our current or future licensors, licensees or collaborators to narrow the scope of the claims of pending and future patent applications, which would limit the scope of patent protection that is obtained, if any. Our and our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ patent applications cannot be enforced against third parties practicing the technology that is currently claimed in such applications unless and until a patent issues from such applications, and then only to the extent the claims that issue are broad enough to cover the technology being practiced by those third parties.

 

Furthermore, given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after the resulting products are commercialized. As a result, our owned and in-licensed patents may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours. We expect to seek extensions of patent terms for our issued patents, where available. This includes in the United States under the Hatch-Waxman Act, which permits a patent term extension of up to five years beyond the original expiration date of the patent as compensation for regulatory delays. However, such a patent term extension cannot lengthen the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. Only one patent applicable to each regulatory review period may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended, with extended rights limited to the approved product, its approved uses and/or its manufacture. During the period of patent term extension, the claims of a patent are not enforceable for their full scope, but are instead limited to the scope of the approved product. In addition, the applicable authorities, including the FDA in the United States, and any comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, may not agree with our assessment of whether such extensions are available, and may refuse to grant extensions to our patents, or may grant more limited extensions than we request. In addition, we may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to the expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. If this occurs, any period during which we have the right to exclusively market our product will be shorter than we would otherwise expect, and our competitors may obtain approval of and launch products earlier than might otherwise be the case.

 

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

 

The legal protection afforded to inventors and owners of intellectual property in countries outside of the United States may not be as protective or effective as that in the United States and we may, therefore, be unable to acquire and enforce intellectual property rights outside the United States to the same extent as in the United States. Whether filed in the United States or abroad, our patent applications may be challenged or may fail to result in issued patents.

 

In addition, our existing patents and any future patents we obtain may not be sufficiently broad to prevent others from practicing our technologies or from developing or commercializing competing products. Furthermore, others may independently develop or commercialize similar or alternative technologies or drugs, or design around our patents. Our patents may be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or narrowed, or fail to provide us with any competitive advantages. In many non-U.S. countries, patent applications and/or issued patents, or parts thereof, must be translated into the native language. If our patent applications or issued patents are translated incorrectly, they may not adequately cover our technologies; in some countries, it may not be possible to rectify an incorrect translation, which may result in patent protection that does not adequately cover our technologies in those countries.

 

Filing, prosecuting, enforcing and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United

 

53


Table of Contents

States may be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some non-U.S. countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and certain state laws in the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with OPT-302 or any future product candidates and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing.

 

Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in non-U.S. jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biopharmaceuticals. This could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or the marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights, generally. Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in non-U.S. jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could place our patent applications at risk of not issuing and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us or our collaborator. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful.

 

The requirements for patentability differ and certain countries have heightened requirements for patentability, requiring more disclosure in the patent application. In addition, certain countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In those countries, we may have limited remedies if patents are infringed or if we are compelled to grant a license to a third party, which could materially diminish the value of those patents. This could limit our potential revenue opportunities. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of such patent. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we own or license.

 

Changes in patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect OPT-302 and any future product candidates.

 

As is the case with other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property rights, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biopharmaceutical industry involves technological and legal complexity, and obtaining and enforcing biopharmaceutical patents is costly, time-consuming and inherently uncertain. The U.S. Supreme Court in recent years has issued rulings either narrowing the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances or weakening the rights of patent owners in certain situations or ruling that certain subject matter is not eligible for patent protection. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by Congress, the federal courts, the USPTO and equivalent bodies in non-U.S. jurisdictions, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce existing patents and patents we may obtain in the future.

 

Patent reform laws, such as the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the Leahy-Smith Act, as well as changes in how patent laws are interpreted, could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents. The Leahy-Smith Act made a number of significant changes to U.S. patent law. These include provisions that affect the filing and prosecution strategies associated with patent applications, including a change from a “first-to-invent” to a “first-inventor-to-file” patent system, and a change allowing third-party submission of prior art to the USPTO during

 

54


Table of Contents

patent prosecution and additional procedures to attack the validity of a patent by USPTO-administered post-grant proceedings, including post-grant review, inter partes review and derivation proceedings. The USPTO has developed regulations and procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act, and many of the substantive changes to patent law associated with the Leahy-Smith Act and, in particular, the “first-inventor-to-file” provisions, became effective in 2013. The Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation may increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We may be unable to obtain intellectual property rights or technology necessary to develop and commercialize OPT-302 and any future product candidates.

 

The patent landscape around our programs is complex, and there may be one or more third-party patents and patent applications containing subject matter that might be relevant to OPT-302. Depending on what claims may ultimately issue from these patent applications, and how courts construe the issued patent claims, as well as depending on the ultimate formulation and method of use of OPT-302 or any future product candidates, we may need to obtain a license to practice the technology claimed in such patents. There can be no assurance that such licenses will be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If a third party does not offer us a necessary license or offers a license only on terms that are unattractive or unacceptable to us, we might be unable to develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates, which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, even if we obtain licenses to such intellectual property, but subsequently fail to meet our obligations under the relevant license agreements, or such license agreements are terminated for any other reasons, we may lose our rights to the technologies licensed under those agreements.

 

The licensing or acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is an area in which many companies operate that have interests that are in conflict with ours, and several more established companies may pursue strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive or necessary. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, capital resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment, or at all. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third-party intellectual property rights or maintain the existing intellectual property rights we have, we may have to abandon development of the relevant program or product candidate, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

We may become involved in lawsuits or other proceedings to protect or enforce our intellectual property, which could be expensive, time-consuming and unsuccessful and have a negative effect on the success of our business.

 

Third parties may infringe our patents or misappropriate or otherwise violate our intellectual property rights. In the future, we may initiate legal proceedings to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets or to determine the validity or scope of intellectual property rights we own or control. Also, third parties may initiate legal proceedings against us to challenge the validity or scope of intellectual property rights we own, control or to which we have rights. For example, generic or biosimilar drug manufacturers or other competitors or third parties may challenge the scope, validity or enforceability of our patents, requiring us to engage in complex, lengthy and costly litigation or other proceedings. These proceedings can be expensive and time-consuming and many of our adversaries in these proceedings may have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to prosecuting these legal actions than we can. Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating intellectual property rights we own, control or have rights to, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States. Litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of management resources, which could harm our

 

55


Table of Contents

business and financial results. In addition, if we initiated legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering a product candidate, the defendant could counterclaim that such patent is invalid or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendants usually assert counterclaims alleging invalidity or unenforceability. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. In an infringement or declaratory judgment proceeding, a court may decide that a patent owned by or licensed to us is invalid or unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the subject matter alleged to be infringing on the grounds that our patents do not cover that subject matter. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated, narrowed, held unenforceable or interpreted in such a manner that would not preclude third parties from entering the market with competing products.

 

Third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the USPTO, or opposition, derivation, revocation, reexamination, inter partes review or interference proceedings, or other pre-issuance or post-grant proceedings or other patent office proceedings or litigation in the United States or other jurisdictions provoked by third parties or brought by us, may be necessary to determine the inventorship, priority, patentability or validity of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications. An unfavorable outcome could leave our technology or product candidates without patent protection, allow third parties to commercialize our technology or product candidates and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or could require us to obtain license rights from the prevailing party in order to be able to manufacture or commercialize our product candidates without infringing third-party patent rights. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party in such a case does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if we obtain a license, it may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize current or future product candidates. Even if we successfully defend such litigation or proceeding, we may incur substantial costs and our defense may distract our management and other employees.

 

Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. In addition, many non-U.S. jurisdictions have rules of discovery that are different than those in the United States and that may make defending or enforcing our patents extremely difficult. There could also be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could negatively affect the price of the ADSs and our ordinary shares.

 

Third parties may initiate legal proceedings against us alleging that we infringe their intellectual property rights or we may initiate legal proceedings against third parties to challenge the validity or scope of intellectual property rights controlled by third parties, the outcome of which would be uncertain and could harm our business.

 

Our commercial success depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell OPT-302 and any future product candidates that we may develop and use our proprietary technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property and proprietary rights of third parties. The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. Third parties may initiate legal proceedings against us alleging that we infringe their intellectual property rights or we may initiate legal proceedings against third parties to challenge the validity or scope of intellectual property rights controlled by third parties, including in oppositions, interferences, revocations, reexaminations, inter partes review or derivation proceedings before the USPTO or its counterparts in other jurisdictions. These proceedings can be expensive and time-consuming and many of our adversaries in these proceedings may have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to prosecuting these legal actions than we can.

 

56


Table of Contents

We could be found liable for monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees, if we are found to have willfully infringed a patent of a third party. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing OPT-302 or any future product candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could materially harm our business.

 

We may not be aware of all third-party intellectual property rights potentially relating to OPT-302 or any future product candidates and technologies. We are not aware of any facts that would lead us to conclude that the valid and enforceable claims of any third-party patents would reasonably be interpreted to cover our product candidates. As to pending third-party applications, we cannot predict with any certainty which claims will issue, if any, or the scope of such issued claims. Even if we believe third-party intellectual property claims are without merit, there is no assurance that a court would find in our favor on questions of infringement, validity, enforceability or priority. A court of competent jurisdiction could hold that these third-party patents are valid, enforceable and infringed, which could materially and negatively affect our ability to commercialize any product candidates we may develop and any other product candidates or technologies covered by the asserted third-party patents. In order to successfully challenge the validity of any such U.S. patent in federal court, we would need to overcome a presumption of validity. As this burden is a high one requiring us to present clear and convincing evidence as to the invalidity of any such U.S. patent claim, there is no assurance that a court of competent jurisdiction would invalidate the claims of any such U.S. patent. If any such third-party patents (including those that may issue from such applications) were successfully asserted against us or other commercialization partners and we were unable to successfully challenge the validity or enforceability of any such asserted patents, then we and other commercialization partners may be prevented from commercializing our product candidates, or may be required to pay significant damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to willfully infringe the asserted patents, or obtain a license to such patents, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors and other third parties access to the same technologies licensed to us, and it could require us to make substantial licensing and royalty payments. Any of the foregoing would harm our business, financial condition and operating results.

 

Although we have reviewed certain third-party patents and patent filings that we believe may be relevant to our therapeutic candidates or products, we have not conducted a freedom-to-operate search or analysis for any of our therapeutic candidates or products, and we may not be aware of patents or pending or future patent applications that, if issued, would block us from commercializing our therapeutic candidates or products. Thus, we cannot guarantee that our therapeutic candidates or products, or our commercialization thereof, do not and will not infringe any third party’s intellectual property.

 

We may be subject to claims by third parties asserting misappropriation of intellectual property, or claiming ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.

 

Although we seek to ensure that our employees do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or these employees have used or disclosed confidential information or intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such employee’s former employer, or that third parties have an interest in our patents as an inventor or co-inventor. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or the services of personnel or sustain other damages. Such intellectual property rights could be awarded to a third party, and we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to commercialize our technology or products. Such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if we successfully prosecute or defend against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and distract management.

 

In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees and contractors who may be involved in the conception or development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to

 

57


Table of Contents

us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who, in fact, conceives or develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. The assignment of intellectual property rights may not be self-executing, or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. Such claims could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

Our inability to protect our confidential information and trade secrets would harm our business and competitive position.

 

In addition to seeking patents for some of our technology and product candidates, we also rely substantially on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary materials and information, to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. However, these steps may be inadequate, we may fail to enter into agreements with all such parties or any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our trade secrets and there may be no adequate remedy available for such breach of an agreement. We cannot assure you that our trade secrets will not be disclosed or that we can meaningfully protect our trade secrets. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts both within and outside the United States may be less willing, or unwilling, to protect trade secrets. If a competitor lawfully obtained or independently developed any technology or information that we protect as trade secret, we would have no right to prevent such competitor from using that technology or information to compete with us, which could harm our competitive position.

 

Intellectual property rights do not necessarily address all potential threats.

 

The degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations and may not adequately protect our business or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage. For example:

 

   

others may be able to make products that are similar to OPT-302 and any future product candidates we may develop or utilize similar technology but that are not covered by the claims of the patents that we exclusively license or may own in the future;

 

   

we, our licensors or our future collaborators, might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by the issued patents and pending patent applications that we exclusively license or may own in the future;

 

   

we, our licensors or our future collaborators, might not have been the first to file patent applications covering certain of our or their inventions;

 

   

others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies without infringing our owned or exclusively licensed intellectual property rights;

 

   

it is possible that our pending patent applications or those that we may file in the future, including those that we have licensed, will not result in issued patents;

 

   

issued patents to which we hold rights may be held invalid or unenforceable, including as a result of legal challenges by our competitors;

 

   

our competitors might conduct research and development activities in countries where we do not have patent rights and then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for sale in major commercial markets in which we do not have sufficient patent rights to stop such sales;

 

   

we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable;

 

58


Table of Contents
   

the patents of others may be asserted against our product candidates and technologies in a manner that harms our business; and

 

   

we may choose not to file a patent application in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third party may subsequently file a patent covering such trade secrets or know-how.

 

Should any of these events occur, they could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

 

If our trademarks and trade names are not maintained and adequately protected, we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest, and our business may be negatively affected.

 

Failure to obtain trademark registrations in the future, could limit our ability to protect and enforce our trademarks and impede our marketing efforts in the countries in which we operate. We may not be able to protect our rights to trademarks and trade names which we may need to build name recognition with potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. As a means to enforce any future trademark rights and prevent infringement, we may be required to file trademark claims against third parties or initiate trademark opposition proceedings. This can be expensive and time consuming and can strain the financial resources of a company of our size, and we may not be successful in enforcing our trademark rights. In addition, our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented, declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks.

 

Future trademark applications in the United States and in other non-U.S. jurisdictions where we may file may not be allowed or may subsequently be opposed. Even if these applications result in registration of trademarks, third parties may challenge our use or registration of these trademarks in the future. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be negatively affected.

 

Our product candidates may face competition sooner than anticipated from biosimilar products.

 

Even if we are successful in achieving regulatory approval to commercialize a product candidate faster than our competitors, our product candidates may face competition from biosimilar products. In the United States, our product candidates are regulated by the FDA. The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, or BPCIA, created an abbreviated pathway for the approval of biosimilar and interchangeable biologic products. The abbreviated regulatory pathway establishes legal authority for the FDA to review and approve biosimilar biologics, including the possible designation of a biosimilar as “interchangeable” based on its similarity to an existing brand product. Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product cannot be approved by the FDA until 12 years after the original branded product was approved under a BLA. The law is complex and is still being interpreted and implemented by the FDA. As a result, its ultimate impact, implementation, and meaning are subject to uncertainty. While it is uncertain when such processes intended to implement BPCIA may be fully adopted by the FDA, any such processes could have a material adverse effect on the future commercial prospects for our product candidates.

 

There is a risk that any exclusivity we may be afforded if any of our product candidates are approved as a biologic product under a BLA could be shortened due to congressional action or otherwise, or that the FDA will not consider our product candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for generic or biosimilar competition sooner than anticipated. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar product, once approved, will be substituted for any one of our reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biologic products is not yet clear, and will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing. In addition, a competitor could decide to forego the biosimilar approval path and submit a full BLA after completing its own preclinical studies and clinical trials. In such cases, any exclusivity to which we may be eligible under the BPCIA would not prevent the competitor from marketing its product as soon as it is approved.

 

59


Table of Contents

In Europe, the European Commission has granted marketing authorizations for several biosimilar products pursuant to a set of general and product class-specific guidelines for biosimilar approvals issued over the past few years. In Europe, a competitor may reference data supporting approval of an innovative biological product, but will not be able to market it until 10 years after the time of approval of the innovative product. This 10-year marketing exclusivity period may be extended to 11 years if, during the first eight of those 10 years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an approval for one or more new therapeutic indications that bring significant clinical benefits compared with existing therapies. In addition, companies may be developing biosimilar products in other countries that could compete with our products, if approved.

 

If competitors are able to obtain marketing approval for biosimilars referencing our product candidates, if approved, such products may become subject to competition from such biosimilars, with the attendant competitive pressure and potential adverse consequences. Such competitive products may be able to immediately compete with us in each indication for which our product candidates may have received approval.

 

Risks Related to Ownership of the ADSs and this Offering

 

There has been no prior market for the ADSs and an active and liquid market for our securities may fail to develop, which could harm the market price of the ADSs.

 

While our ordinary shares have been listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, or ASX, since 1985, prior to this offering, there has been no public market on a U.S. national securities exchange for our ordinary shares or ADSs. Although we anticipate that the ADSs will be approved for listing on Nasdaq, an active trading market for the ADSs may never develop or be sustained following this offering. The initial offering price of the ADSs will be determined through negotiations between us and the underwriters. This offering price may not be indicative of the market price of the ADSs after this offering. In the absence of an active trading market for the ADSs, investors may not be able to sell their ADSs at or above the offering price or at the time that they would like to sell.

 

The trading price and volume of the ADSs may be volatile, and purchasers of the ADSs could incur substantial losses.

 

The price and trading volumes of our ordinary shares and ADSs may be significantly affected by events such as announcements regarding scientific and clinical results concerning product candidates currently being developed by us, our collaboration partners or our main competitors, changes in market conditions related to our sector of activity, announcements of new contracts, technological innovations and collaborations by us or our main competitors, developments concerning intellectual property rights, as well as the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products by us or our main competitors and changes in our financial results.

 

In addition, equity markets may be subject to considerable price and trading volume fluctuations, and often, these movements do not reflect the operational and financial performance of the listed companies concerned. In particular, biotechnology companies’ share prices have been highly volatile in the past and may continue to be highly volatile in the future. As we operate in a single industry, we are especially vulnerable to these factors to the extent that they affect our industry. Fluctuations in the stock market as well as the macroeconomic environment could significantly affect the price of the ADSs. As a result of this volatility, investors may not be able to sell their ADSs at or above the price originally paid for the security. The market price and trading volume for the ADSs may be influenced by many factors, including:

 

   

actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and operating results;

 

   

actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate relative to our competitors;

 

   

competition from existing products or new products that may emerge;

 

60


Table of Contents
   

announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, capital commitments or changes in business strategy;

 

   

adverse results of delays in our or any of our competitors’ preclinical studies or clinical trials;

 

   

adverse regulatory decisions, including failure to receive regulatory approval for any of our product candidates;

 

   

the termination of a strategic alliance or the inability to establish additional strategic alliances;

 

   

failure to meet or exceed financial estimates and projections of the investment community or that we provide to the public;

 

   

issuance of new or updated research or reports by securities analysts;

 

   

fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;

 

   

ADS price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of the ADSs;

 

   

price and volume fluctuations in trading of our ordinary shares on the ASX;

 

   

short selling or other market manipulation activities;

 

   

fluctuations of exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the Australian dollar;

 

   

additions or departures of key management or scientific personnel;

 

   

disruptions in our supply or manufacturing arrangements;

 

   

disputes or other developments related to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent and other intellectual property protection for our technologies;

 

   

changes to coverage policies or reimbursement levels by commercial third-party payors and government payors and any announcements relating to coverage policies or reimbursement levels;

 

   

litigation involving our company;

 

   

announcement or expectation of additional debt or equity financing efforts;

 

   

natural disasters or other calamities or disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic;

 

   

sales of the ADSs by us, our affiliates or our other shareholders; and

 

   

general economic and market conditions.

 

These and other market and industry factors may cause the market price and demand for the ADSs to fluctuate, regardless of our actual operating performance, which may limit or prevent investors from readily selling their ADSs and may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of the trading market for the ADSs.

 

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of the ADSs and their trading volume could decline.

 

The trading market for the ADSs depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. As a public listed company in Australia since 1985, our equity securities are currently subject to coverage by a number of analysts. If fewer securities or industry analysts cover our company, the trading price for the ADSs could be negatively impacted. If one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our equity securities or publishes incorrect or unfavorable research about our business, the price of the ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company or fails to publish reports on us regularly, or downgrades our securities, demand for the ADSs could decrease, which could cause the price of the ADSs or their trading volume to decline.

 

61


Table of Contents

We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our securities and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation in the price of the ADSs.

 

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our ordinary shares and do not currently intend to do so for the foreseeable future. We currently intend to invest our future earnings, if any, to fund our operations and growth. Therefore, you are not likely to receive any dividends on your ADSs for the foreseeable future and the success of an investment in the ADSs will depend upon any future appreciation in its value. Consequently, investors may need to sell all or part of their holdings of the ADSs after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment. There is no guarantee that the ADSs will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which our shareholders have purchased them. Investors seeking cash dividends should consider not purchasing the ADSs.

 

While we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future, if such a dividend is declared, the depositary for the ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on our ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of our ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, in accordance with the limitations set forth in the deposit agreement, it may be unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to holders of ADSs. We have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of the ADSs, ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of the ADSs. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our ordinary shares or any value from them if it is unlawful or impractical to make them available to you. These restrictions may negatively impact the value of your ADSs. In addition, exchange rate fluctuations may affect the amount of Australian dollars that we are able to distribute, and the amount in U.S. dollars that our shareholders receive upon the payment of cash dividends or other distributions we declare and pay in Australian dollars, if any. These factors could harm the value of the ADSs, and, in turn, the U.S. dollar proceeds that holders receive from the sale of the ADSs.

 

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the ADSs you purchase in this offering.

 

The assumed initial public offering price of the ADSs is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per ADS or per ordinary share immediately after this offering. If you purchase ADSs in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of US$                per ADS (or US$                per ordinary share), or US$                 per ADS (or US$                per ordinary share) if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, representing the difference between our as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS or per ordinary share after giving effect to the sale of ADSs in this offering and the assumed initial public offering price of $                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale of price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                  as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1. See “Dilution.” If outstanding options are exercised in the future, you will experience additional dilution.

 

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

 

We will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds that we receive from this offering as well as of our existing cash and cash equivalents and non-current financial assets, and we may spend or invest these funds in a way with which our shareholders or holders of the ADSs disagree. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could harm our business and financial condition. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from the offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. These investments may not yield a favorable return to our investors.

 

Future sales of ordinary shares or ADSs by existing holders could depress the market price of the ordinary shares or ADSs.

 

Based on 269,157,769 ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2020, upon the closing of this offering, we will have outstanding a total of                 ordinary shares (including ordinary shares represented by ADSs),

 

62


Table of Contents

assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional ADSs and no exercise of outstanding options. Each member of our senior management and board of directors and their affiliates are subject to lock-up agreements with the underwriters that restrict their ability to transfer ordinary shares, options and other securities convertible into, exchangeable for, or exercisable for ordinary shares during the period ending on, and including, the 90th day after the date of this prospectus, subject to specified exceptions. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and SVB Leerink LLC may, in their discretion, permit our shareholders who are subject to these lock-up agreements to sell securities prior to the expiration of the lock-up agreements. As of the date of this prospectus, the exercise of all outstanding options exercisable for ordinary shares would enable the subscription of new ordinary shares representing approximately                 % of the diluted share capital.

 

After the lock-up agreements pertaining to this offering expire, and based on the number of ordinary shares outstanding upon the closing of this offering, including ordinary shares represented by ADSs,                  additional ordinary shares will be eligible for sale in the public market, all of which ordinary shares are held by members of our senior management and board of directors and will be subject to volume limitations under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. In addition, the ordinary shares subject to subscription under outstanding options exercisable for ordinary shares will become eligible for sale in the public market in the future, subject to certain legal and contractual limitations. Sales of a large number of the ordinary shares in the public market could depress the market price of the ADSs. See “Shares and American Depository Shares Eligible for Future Sale” for a more detailed description of sales that may occur in the future. If these additional ordinary shares are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of the ordinary shares and ADSs could decline substantially, which could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the issuance of ordinary shares, ADSs or other securities in the future.

 

The dual listing of our ordinary shares and the ADSs following this offering may negatively impact the liquidity and value of the ADSs.

 

Following this offering and after the ADSs are listed on Nasdaq, our ordinary shares will continue to be listed on the ASX. We cannot predict the effect of this dual listing on the value of our ordinary shares and ADSs. However, the dual listing of our ordinary shares and ADSs may dilute the liquidity of these securities in one or both markets and may negatively impact the development of an active trading market for the ADSs in the United States. The price of the ADSs could also be negatively impacted by trading in our ordinary shares on the ASX.

 

We are subject to risks associated with currency fluctuations, and changes in foreign currency exchange rates could impact our results of operations.

 

Our ordinary shares are quoted in Australian dollars on the ASX and the ADSs will be quoted in U.S. dollars. In the past year, the Australian dollar has generally weakened against the U.S. dollar; however, this trend may not continue and may be reversed. As such, any significant change in the value of the Australian dollar may have a negative effect on the value of the ADSs in U.S. dollars. In addition, if the Australian dollar weakens against the U.S. dollar, then, if we decide to convert our Australian dollars into U.S. dollars for any business purpose, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Australian dollar would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. While we engage in limited hedging transactions to manage our foreign exchange risk, these activities may not be effective in limiting or eliminating foreign exchange losses. To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from this offering into Australian dollars for our operations, appreciation of the Australian dollar against the U.S. dollar would have a negative effect on the Australian dollar amount we would receive from the conversion. Consequently, appreciation or depreciation in the value of the Australian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar would affect our financial results reported in U.S. dollar terms without giving effect to any underlying change in our business or results of operations. As a result of such foreign currency fluctuations, it could be more difficult to detect underlying trends in our business and results of operations.

 

63


Table of Contents

We will incur significant increased costs as a result of operating as a company with ADSs that are publicly traded in the United States, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

 

As a company whose ADSs will be publicly traded in the United States, we will incur significant legal, accounting, insurance and other expenses that we did not previously incur. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and related rules implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq have imposed various requirements on public companies listed in the United States including requiring establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives, and we will need to add additional personnel and build our internal compliance infrastructure. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. These laws and regulations could also make it more difficult and expensive for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as our senior management. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our obligations as a public company listed in the United States, we could be subject to delisting of the ADSs, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.

 

U.S. investors may have difficulty enforcing civil liabilities against our company, our directors or members of senior management and the experts named in this prospectus.

 

Certain members of our senior management and board of directors named in this prospectus are non-residents of the United States, and a substantial portion of the assets of such persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be impracticable to serve process on such persons in the United States or to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against them based on civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States. Even if you are successful in bringing such an action, there is doubt as to whether Australian courts would enforce certain civil liabilities under U.S. securities laws in original actions or judgments of U.S. courts based upon these civil liability provisions. In addition, awards of punitive damages in actions brought in the United States or elsewhere may be unenforceable in Australia or elsewhere outside the United States. An award for monetary damages under U.S. securities laws would be considered punitive if it does not seek to compensate the claimant for loss or damage suffered and is intended to punish the defendant. The enforceability of any judgment in Australia will depend on the particular facts of the case as well as the laws and treaties in effect at the time. The United States and Australia do not currently have a treaty or statute providing for recognition and enforcement of the judgments of the other country (other than arbitration awards) in civil and commercial matters.

 

As a result, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against us, our management or our directors than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States. In addition, as a company incorporated in Australia, the provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), or the Corporations Act, regulate the circumstances in which shareholder derivative actions may be commenced which may be different, and in many ways less permissive, than for companies incorporated in the United States.

 

Australian takeover laws may discourage takeover offers being made for us or may discourage the acquisition of a significant position in our ordinary shares or ADSs.

 

We are incorporated in Australia and are subject to the takeover laws of Australia. Among other things, we are subject to the Corporations Act. Subject to a range of exceptions, the Corporations Act prohibits the acquisition of a direct or indirect interest in our issued voting shares if the acquisition of that interest will lead to a person’s voting power in us increasing to more than 20%, or increasing from a starting point that is above 20% and below 90%. Australian takeover laws may discourage takeover offers being made for us or may discourage the acquisition of a significant position in our ordinary shares. This may have the ancillary effect of entrenching our board of directors and may deprive or limit our shareholders’ opportunity to sell their ordinary shares and

 

64


Table of Contents

may further restrict the ability of our shareholders to obtain a premium from such transactions. See “Description of Share Capital—Change of Control.”

 

Our Constitution and Australian laws and regulations applicable to us may adversely affect our ability to take actions that could be beneficial to our shareholders.

 

As an Australian company we are subject to different corporate requirements than a corporation organized under the laws of the United States. Our Constitution, as well as the Corporations Act, sets forth various rights and obligations that apply to us as an Australian company and which may not apply to a U.S. corporation. These requirements may operate differently than those of many U.S. companies. You should carefully review the summary of these matters set forth under “Description of Share Capital” as well as our Constitution, which is included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, prior to investing in the ADSs.

 

Purchasers of ADSs in this offering will not be directly holding our ordinary shares.

 

A holder of ADSs will not be treated as one of our shareholders and will not have direct shareholder rights. Our Constitution and Australian law govern our shareholder rights. The depositary, through the custodian or the custodian’s nominee, will be the holder of the ordinary shares underlying ADSs held by purchasers of ADSs in this offering. Purchasers of ADSs in this offering will have ADS holder rights. The deposit agreement among us, the depositary and purchasers of ADSs in this offering, as an ADS holder, and all other persons directly and indirectly holding ADSs, sets out ADS holder rights, as well as the rights and obligations of us and the depositary.

 

Your right as a holder of ADSs to participate in any future preferential subscription rights offering or to elect to receive dividends in ordinary shares may be limited, which may cause dilution to your holdings.

 

The deposit agreement provides that the depositary will not make rights available to you unless the distribution to ADS holders of both the rights and any related securities are either registered under the Securities Act or exempted from registration under the Securities Act. If we offer holders of our ordinary shares the option to receive dividends in either cash or shares, under the deposit agreement the depositary may require satisfactory assurances from us that extending the offer to holders of ADSs does not require registration of any securities under the Securities Act before making the option available to holders of ADSs. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. Moreover, we may not be able to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, ADS holders may be unable to participate in our rights offerings or to elect to receive dividends in shares and may experience dilution in their holdings. In addition, if the depositary is unable to sell rights that are not exercised or not distributed or if the sale is not lawful or reasonably practicable, it will allow the rights to lapse, in which case you will receive no value for these rights.

 

You may not be able to exercise your right to vote the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs.

 

Holders of ADSs may exercise voting rights with respect to the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs only in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. The deposit agreement provides that, upon receipt of notice of any meeting of holders of our ordinary shares, the depositary will fix a record date for the determination of ADS holders who shall be entitled to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights. Upon timely receipt of notice from us, if we so request, the depositary shall distribute to the holders as of the record date (i) the notice of the meeting or solicitation of consent or proxy sent by us and (ii) a statement as to the manner in which instructions may be given by the holders.

 

You may instruct the depositary to vote the ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. Otherwise, you will not be able to exercise your right to vote, unless you withdraw the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs you hold. However, you may not know about the meeting far enough in advance to withdraw those ordinary shares. If we

 

65


Table of Contents

ask for your instructions, the depositary, upon timely notice from us, will notify you of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to you and will try to vote ordinary shares as you instruct. We cannot guarantee you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote your ordinary shares or to withdraw your ordinary shares so that you can vote them yourself. If we do not ask for your instructions, you can still send voting instructions to the depository and the depository may try to carry out those instructions, but it is not required to do so.

 

Under our Constitution, any resolution to be considered at a meeting of the shareholders shall be decided on a show of hands unless a poll is demanded in accordance with the terms of our Constitution. A poll may be demanded before a vote is taken, or, in the case of a vote taken on a show of hands, immediately before or immediately after, the declaration of the result of the show of hands. Under voting by a show of hands, multiple “yes” votes by ADS holders will only count as one “yes” vote and will be negated by a single “no” vote, unless a poll is demanded.

 

You may be subject to limitations on the transfer of your ADSs and the withdrawal of the underlying ordinary shares.

 

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of your ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary think it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law, government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason subject to your right to surrender your ADSs and receive the underlying ordinary shares. Temporary delays in the surrendering of your ADSs and receipt of the underlying ordinary shares may arise because the depositary has closed its transfer books or we have closed our transfer books, the transfer of ordinary shares is blocked to permit voting at a shareholders’ meeting or we are paying a dividend on our ordinary shares. In addition, you may not be able to surrender your ADSs and receive the underlying ordinary shares when you owe money for fees, taxes and similar charges and when it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals in order to comply with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADSs or to the withdrawal of ordinary shares or other deposited securities. See “Description of American Depositary Shares.”

 

Holders of ADSs are not treated as holders of our ordinary shares.

 

By participating in this offering you will become a holder of ADSs with underlying ordinary shares in an Australian public listed company. Holders of ADSs are not treated as holders of our ordinary shares, unless they surrender the ADSs to receive the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs in accordance with the deposit agreement and applicable laws and regulations. The depositary is the holder of the ordinary shares underlying the ADSs. Holders of ADSs therefore do not have any rights as holders of our ordinary shares, other than the rights that they have pursuant to the deposit agreement. See “Description of American Depositary Shares.”

 

ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

 

The deposit agreement governing the ADSs provides that holders and beneficial owners of ADSs, including those holders and owners who acquired ADSs in secondary transactions, irrevocably waive the right to a trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including in respect of claims under federal securities laws, against us or the depositary to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. If this jury trial waiver provision is prohibited by applicable law, an action could nevertheless proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a jury trial waiver under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by a federal court. However, we believe that a jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement, by a court of the State of New York or a federal court, which have non-exclusive jurisdiction over matters arising under the deposit agreement, applying such law. In determining whether to enforce a jury

 

66


Table of Contents

trial waiver provision, New York courts and federal courts will consider whether the visibility of the jury trial waiver provision within the agreement is sufficiently prominent such that a party has knowingly waived any right to trial by jury. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. In addition, New York courts will not enforce a jury trial waiver provision in order to bar a viable setoff or counterclaim sounding in fraud or one which is based upon a creditor’s negligence in failing to liquidate collateral upon a guarantor’s demand, or in the case of an intentional tort claim (as opposed to a contract dispute), none of which we believe are applicable in the case of the deposit agreement or the ADSs.

 

No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs serves as a waiver by any holder or beneficial owner of ADSs or by us or the depositary of compliance with any provision of the federal securities laws. If you or any other holder or beneficial owner of ADSs brings a claim against us or the depositary in connection with such matters, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and/or the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against us and/or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action, depending on, among other things, the nature of the claims, the judge or justice hearing such claims, and the venue of the hearing.

 

As the jury trial waiver relates to claims arising out of or relating to the ADSs or the deposit agreement, we believe that the waiver would likely continue to apply to ADS holders or beneficial owners who withdraw the ordinary shares from the ADS facility with respect to claims arising before the cancellation of the ADSs and the withdrawal of the ordinary shares, and the waiver would likely not apply to ADS holders or beneficial owners who subsequently withdraw the ordinary shares represented by ADSs from the ADS facility with respect to claims arising after the withdrawal. However, to our knowledge, there has been no case law on the applicability of the jury trial waiver to ADS holders or beneficial owners who withdraw the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs from the ADS facility.

 

We currently report our financial results under IFRS, which differs in certain significant respect from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP.

 

Currently we report our financial statements under IFRS. There have been and there may in the future be certain significant differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP, including differences related to revenue recognition, intangible assets, share-based compensation expense, income tax and earnings per share. As a result, our financial information and reported earnings for historical or future periods could be significantly different if they were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, we do not intend to provide a reconciliation between IFRS and U.S. GAAP unless it is required under applicable law. As a result, you may not be able to meaningfully compare our financial statements under IFRS with those companies that prepare financial statements under U.S. GAAP.

 

As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from a number of rules under the U.S. securities laws and are permitted to file less information with the SEC than a U.S. company.

 

We are a foreign private issuer, as defined in the SEC’s rules and regulations and, consequently, we are not subject to all of the disclosure requirements applicable to public companies organized within the United States. For example, we are exempt from certain rules under the Exchange Act that regulate disclosure obligations and procedural requirements related to the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations applicable to a security registered under the Exchange Act, including the U.S. proxy rules under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. In addition, our senior management and directors are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related rules with respect to their purchases and sales of our securities. Moreover, while we currently make annual and semi-annual filings with respect to our listing on the ASX and expect to file financial reports on an annual and semi-annual basis, we will not be required to file

 

67


Table of Contents

periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. public companies and will not be required to file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K under the Exchange Act. In addition, foreign private issuers are not required to file their annual report on Form 20-F until four months after the end of each fiscal year. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information concerning our company than there would be if we were not a foreign private issuer.

 

As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards and these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards.

 

As a foreign private issuer listed on Nasdaq, we will be subject to their corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit foreign private issuers to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Some corporate governance practices in Australia may differ from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. For example, we could include non-independent directors as members of our Remuneration and Nomination committees, and our independent directors may not necessarily hold regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent members of the board of directors are present. Currently, we intend to follow home country practice to the maximum extent possible. Therefore, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would have under corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. For an overview of our corporate governance practices, see “Management.”

 

We may lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional cost and expense.

 

While we currently qualify as a foreign private issuer, the determination of foreign private issuer status is made annually on the last business day of an issuer’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter and, accordingly, our next determination will be made on June 30, 2021. In the future, we would lose our foreign private issuer status if we to fail to meet the requirements necessary to maintain our foreign private issuer status as of the relevant determination date. For example, if 50% or more of our securities are held by U.S. residents and more than 50% of our senior management or directors are residents or citizens of the United States, we could lose our foreign private issuer status. Immediately following the closing of this offering, approximately                 % of our outstanding ordinary shares (including ordinary shares in the form of ADSs) will likely be held by U.S. residents (assuming that all purchasers in this offering are residents of the United States).

 

The regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. securities laws as a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly more than costs we incur as a foreign private issuer. If we are not a foreign private issuer, we will be required to file periodic reports and registration statements on U.S. domestic issuer forms with the SEC, which are more detailed and extensive in certain respects than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. We would be required under current SEC rules to prepare our financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP rather than IFRS, and modify certain of our policies to comply with corporate governance practices required of U.S. domestic issuers. Such conversion of our financial statements to U.S. GAAP would involve significant time and cost. In addition, we may lose our ability to rely upon exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements on U.S. stock exchanges that are available to foreign private issuers such as the ones described above and exemptions from procedural requirements related to the solicitation of proxies.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act and will be able to avail ourselves of reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, which could make our ordinary shares ADSs less attractive to investors.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements

 

68


Table of Contents

of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We will not take advantage of the extended transition period provided under Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards.

 

We cannot predict if investors will find the ordinary shares or ADSs less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find the ordinary shares or ADSs less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for the ordinary shares or ADSs and the price of the ordinary shares or ADSs may be more volatile. We may take advantage of these exemptions until such time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest to occur of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we qualify as a “large accelerated filer”; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and (iv) the last day of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of this offering occurs.

 

If we are a passive foreign investment company, there could be adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. holders.

 

Based on the nature and composition of our income, assets, activities and market capitalization for our taxable year ended June 30, 2019, we believe that we were not classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for the taxable year ended June 30, 2019. Based on the nature and composition of our income, assets, activities and market capitalization for our taxable year ended June 30, 2020, we believe that we would not be classified as a PFIC for the taxable year ended June 30, 2020. However, there can be no assurance that we will not be considered a PFIC in any past, current or future taxable year. A separate determination must be made after the close of each taxable year as to whether we are a PFIC for that year. As a result, our PFIC status may change from year to year. Our status as a PFIC will depend on the composition of our income (including whether we receive certain grants or subsidies and whether such amounts will constitute gross income for purposes of the PFIC income test) and the composition and value of our assets, which may be determined in large part by reference to the market value of the ADSs and our ordinary shares, which may be volatile, from time to time. Our status may also depend, in part, on how quickly we utilize the cash proceeds from this offering in our business. Our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion regarding our conclusions or our expectations regarding our PFIC status.

 

Under the Code, a non-U.S. company will be considered a PFIC for any taxable year in which (1) 75% or more of its gross income consists of passive income or (2) 50% or more of the average quarterly value of its assets consists of assets that produce, or are held for the production of, passive income. For purposes of these tests, passive income includes dividends, interest, gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and certain rents and royalties. In addition, for purposes of the above calculations, a non-U.S. corporation that directly or indirectly owns at least 25% by value of the shares of another corporation is treated as if it held its proportionate share of the assets and received directly its proportionate share of the income of such other corporation. If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. holder (as defined in the section titled “Material United States Federal Income Tax and Australian Tax Considerations—Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) holds our ordinary shares or ADSs, we will continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to such U.S. holder in all succeeding years during which the U.S. holder owns the ordinary shares or ADSs, regardless of whether we continue to meet the PFIC test described above, unless the U.S. holder is eligible to make and makes a mark-to-market election or makes a specified election once we cease to be a PFIC. If we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. holder holds our ordinary shares or ADSs, the U.S. holder may be subject to adverse tax consequences regardless of whether we continue to qualify as a PFIC, including ineligibility for any preferred tax rates on capital gains or on actual or deemed dividends, interest charges on certain taxes treated as deferred, and additional reporting requirements. For further discussion of the

 

69


Table of Contents

PFIC rules and the adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences in the event we are classified as a PFIC, see “Material United States Federal Income Tax and Australian Tax Considerations—Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

 

If a United States person is treated as owning at least 10% of our ordinary shares, such holder may be subject to adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.

 

If a U.S. holder is treated as owning, directly, indirectly or constructively, at least 10% of the value or voting power of our ordinary shares or ADSs, such U.S. holder may be treated as a “United States shareholder” with respect to each “controlled foreign corporation” in our group, if any. While our group does not currently include any U.S. subsidiaries, if we form or acquire any U.S. subsidiaries in the future any of our current non-U.S. subsidiaries and any future newly formed or acquired non-U.S. subsidiaries will be treated as controlled foreign corporations, regardless of whether we are treated as a controlled foreign corporation. A United States shareholder of a controlled foreign corporation may be required to annually report and include in its U.S. taxable income its pro rata share of “Subpart F income,” “global intangible low-taxed income” and investments in U.S. property by controlled foreign corporations, regardless of whether we make any distributions. An individual that is a United States shareholder with respect to a controlled foreign corporation generally would not be allowed certain tax deductions or foreign tax credits that would be allowed to a United States shareholder that is a U.S. corporation. Failure to comply with controlled foreign corporation reporting obligations may subject a United States shareholder to significant monetary penalties. We cannot provide any assurances that we will furnish to any United States shareholder information that may be necessary to comply with the reporting and tax paying obligations applicable under the controlled foreign corporation rules of the Code. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of these rules to their investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs.

 

Future changes to tax laws could materially adversely affect our company and reduce net returns to our shareholders.

 

Our tax treatment is subject to the enactment of, or changes in, tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof, tax policy initiatives and reforms under consideration and the practices of tax authorities in jurisdictions in which we operate, including those related to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting Project, the European Commission’s state aid investigations and other initiatives. Such changes may include (but are not limited to) the taxation of operating income, investment income, dividends received or (in the specific context of withholding tax) dividends paid. We are unable to predict what tax reform may be proposed or enacted in the future or what effect such changes would have on our business, but such changes, to the extent they are brought into tax legislation, regulations, policies or practices, could affect our financial position and overall or effective tax rates in the future in countries where we have operations, reduce post-tax returns to our shareholders, and increase the complexity, burden and cost of tax compliance.

 

70


Table of Contents

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements about us and our industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations, financial condition, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions.

 

We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, other factors and assumptions, including the risks described in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus, regarding, among other things:

 

   

the success, cost and timing of our product development activities and clinical trials;

 

   

our expectations about the timing or likelihood of achieving regulatory approval and the cost of our development programs;

 

   

our reliance on the success of OPT-302 as our only product candidate;

 

   

our ability to obtain funding for our operations, including funding necessary to complete further development and commercialization of our product candidates;

 

   

the commercialization of our product candidates, if approved;

 

   

our plans to research, develop and commercialize our product candidates;

 

   

our ability to maintain, expand, protect and enforce our intellectual property portfolio;

 

   

our ability to operate our business without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property rights of third parties;

 

   

our ability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise;

 

   

business disruptions affecting the initiation, patient enrollment, development and operation of our clinical trials, including as a result of a public health emergency, such as the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic;

 

   

our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidate;

 

   

future agreements with third parties in connection with the commercialization of our product candidates;

 

   

the size and growth potential of the markets for our product candidates, and our ability to serve those markets;

 

   

the rate and degree of market acceptance of our product candidates;

 

   

regulatory developments in the United States, Australia and other jurisdictions;

 

   

our ability to contract with third-party suppliers and manufacturers and their ability to perform adequately;

 

   

the success of competing therapies that are or may become available;

 

   

our ability to attract and retain key scientific or management personnel;

 

   

the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing;

 

71


Table of Contents
   

our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act;

 

   

our use of the proceeds from this offering;

 

   

the future trading price of the ADSs and impact of securities analysts’ reports on these prices; and

 

   

other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under “Risk Factors.”

 

These risks are not exhaustive. Other sections of this prospectus may include additional factors that could harm our business and financial performance. New risk factors may emerge from time to time and it is not possible for our management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements.

 

You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and operating results. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this prospectus to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments.

 

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this prospectus. While we believe that information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, that information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements.

 

You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance and achievements may be different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

 

72


Table of Contents

INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

 

This prospectus contains estimates and information concerning our industry and our business, including estimated market size and projected growth rates of the markets for our product candidates. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market, medical and other information from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources.

 

This information involves a number of assumptions and limitations. Although we are responsible for all of the disclosure contained in this prospectus and we believe the third-party market position, market opportunity and market size data included in this prospectus are reliable, we have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of this third-party data. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the industry in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications and reports.

 

73


Table of Contents

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of                 ADSs in this offering will be approximately US$                million (or approximately US$                million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase                 additional ADSs in full), based on the assumed initial public offering price of US$                 per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                 as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

Each US$1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                 as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately US$                million, assuming the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, an increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 ADSs offered by us would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us by US$                million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of US$                 per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, as follows:

 

   

approximately US$                million to US$                million to advance the clinical development of OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD, including the initiation of two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials;

 

   

approximately US$                 million to US$                 million to advance non-clinical studies for the co-formulation of OPT-302 with an approved and/or biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy; and

 

   

the remaining proceeds for other research and development activities for OPT-302 in potential additional indications, including persistent DME, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

 

However, due to the uncertainties inherent in the product development process, it is difficult to estimate with certainty the exact amounts of the net proceeds from this offering that may be used for the above purposes. Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering. The amounts and timing of our expenditures will depend upon numerous factors including the results of our research and development efforts, the timing and success of preclinical studies and any ongoing clinical trials or clinical trials we may commence in the future, the timing of regulatory submissions and the amount of cash obtained through future collaborations, if any.

 

We believe opportunities may exist from time to time to expand our current business through acquisitions or in-licensing of complementary companies, medicines or technologies. While we have no current agreements, commitments or understandings for any specific acquisitions or in-licensing at this time, we may use a portion of the net proceeds for these purposes.

 

As of June 30, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of A$62 million (or US$                million). We believe our cash and cash equivalents, together with the net proceeds of this offering, will be sufficient to fund our operations until                 . In particular, we estimate that such funds, together with such existing cash and cash equivalents, will be sufficient to enable us to advance the clinical development of OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD through                  and to advance non-clinical studies for the co-formulation of OPT-302 with an approval and/or biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy through                 . In the event the net proceeds are insufficient for each of the uses set forth above, we intend to prioritize the allocation of the use of proceeds to the clinical

 

74


Table of Contents

development of OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD. We have based these estimates on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Following this offering, we will require additional funding to complete clinical development and commercialize OPT-302 in any indication, including wet AMD.

 

Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments.

 

75


Table of Contents

DIVIDEND POLICY

 

We have never declared or paid any dividends on our ordinary shares. We intend to retain any earnings for use in our business and do not currently intend to pay cash dividends on our ordinary shares. Dividends, if any, on our outstanding ordinary shares will be declared by and subject to the discretion of our board of directors, and subject to Australian law.

 

Any dividend we declare will be paid to the holders of ADSs, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, to the same extent as holders of our ordinary shares, to the extent permitted by applicable law and regulations, less the fees and expenses payable under the deposit agreement. Any dividend we declare will be distributed by the depositary bank to the holders of the ADSs, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement. See “Description of American Depositary Shares—Dividends and Distributions.”

 

76


Table of Contents

CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth our cash and our capitalization as of June 30, 2020, on:

 

   

an actual basis; and

 

   

an as adjusted basis to give effect to the issuance and sale of                 ADSs in this offering at the assumed initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                 as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

You should read this information in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, the information set forth in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and other financial information contained elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

     As of June 30, 2020  
     Actual(1)      As  Adjusted(1)(2)  
     (in thousands, except share data)  

Total cash and cash equivalents

   A$ 62,020      US$                    A$                US$                
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Contributed equity: 269,157,769 ordinary shares, no par value, outstanding, actual;                  ordinary shares, no par value, outstanding, as adjusted

   A$ 162,103      US$        A$        US$    

Accumulated losses

     (102,589         

Reserves

     5,295           
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total equity

     64,809           
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total capitalization

   A$ 64,809      US$        A$        US$    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)   Amounts have been translated from Australian dollars to U.S. dollars at an assumed exchange rate of A$                per US1.00, which was the official exchange rate published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on                , 2020.

 

(2)   Each US$1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                as of                , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                -to-1, would increase (decrease) each of cash and cash equivalents, contributed equity, total equity and total capitalization by A$                million (or US$                million), assuming the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, an increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 ADSs offered by us would increase (decrease) each of cash and cash equivalents, contributed equity, total equity and total capitalization by A$                million (or US$                million), assuming the assumed initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                -to-1, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. The as adjusted information is illustrative only and will depend on the actual initial public offering price, number of ADSs offered and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

 

The outstanding ordinary share information in the table above is based on 269,157,769 ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2020, and excludes:

 

   

18,044,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options as of June 30, 2020 with a weighted-average exercise price of A$0.68 per ordinary share under our equity incentive plans; and

 

   

12,446,777 ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our Long Term Incentive Plan.

 

77


Table of Contents

DILUTION

 

If you invest in the ADSs in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per ADS and the as adjusted net tangible book value per ordinary share or ADS immediately after this offering.

 

As of June 30, 2020, our historical net tangible book value was A$64.8 million (or US$                million), or A$                 (or US$                 ) per ADS. Historical net tangible book value per ADS represents our total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the number of ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2020, converted to ADSs at an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                  -to-1.

 

After giving effect to the receipt of the net proceeds from our sale of                 ADSs in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                 as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2020 was A$                million (or US$                million), or A$                (or US$                ) per ADS, equivalent to A$                (or US$                ) per ordinary share, in each case based on an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of A$                (or US$                ) per ADS, equivalent to A$                or (US$                ) per ordinary share, to our existing shareholders and immediate dilution of A$                (or US$                ) per ADS, equivalent to A$                (US$                ) per ordinary share, to investors purchasing ADSs in this offering, in each case based on an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1.

 

The following table illustrates this dilution on a per ADS basis, assuming all ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2020 converted to ADSs at an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                  -to-1:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per ADS

      US$                

Historical net tangible book value per ADS as of June 30, 2020

   US$                   
     

Increase in net tangible book value per ADS attributed to investors purchasing ADSs in this offering

     
  

 

 

    

As adjusted net tangible book value per ADS after this offering

     
     

 

 

 

Dilution in net tangible book value per ADS to investors in this offering

      US$    
     

 

 

 

 

Each US$1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar exchange rate of                 as of                 , 2020, and an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, would increase (decrease) the as adjusted net tangible book value per ADS after this offering by US$                 and dilution to investors in this offering by US$                 per ADS, assuming that the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. An increase of 1,000,000 ADSs offered by us would increase the as adjusted net tangible book value by US$                 per ADS and the dilution to investors in this offering would decrease by US$                per ADS, assuming the assumed initial public offering price remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions. A decrease of 1,000,000 ADSs offered by us would decrease the as adjusted net tangible book value by US$                per ADS and the dilution to investors in this offering would increase by US$                per ADS, assuming the assumed initial public offering price remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase                  additional ADSs in full, the as adjusted net tangible book value after the offering would be US$                per ADS, the increase in net tangible book value per ADS to existing shareholders would be US$                per ADS and the dilution per ADS to new investors in

 

78


Table of Contents

this offering would be US$                per ADS, in each case assuming an initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1.

 

The dilution information above is for illustration purposes only. Our as adjusted net tangible book value following the closing of this offering will depend on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

 

The following table summarizes, as of June 30, 2020:

 

   

the total number of ordinary shares purchased from us by existing shareholders and the equivalent number of ordinary shares underlying ADSs purchased by investors in this offering;

 

   

the total consideration paid to us by our existing shareholders and by investors purchasing ADSs in this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us in connection with this offering; and

 

   

the average price per ordinary share paid by existing shareholders and the average price per ADS or equivalent number of ordinary shares.

 

     Ordinary Shares
(Directly or in the
Form of ADSs)
    Total Consideration     Average
Price
Per Share
     Average
Price per
ADS
 
     Number      Percent     Amount      Percent  

Existing shareholders

                                    US$                             US$                    US$                
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

      

Purchasers of ADSs

               
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

      

Total

        100   US$          100   US$        US$    
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

      

 

If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase                 additional ADSs in full, our existing shareholders would own                % and investors in this offering would own                % of the total number of ordinary shares outstanding (including shares underlying ADSs) upon the closing of this offering.

 

Each US$1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of US$                per ADS, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the last reported sale price of our ordinary shares on the ASX on                 , 2020, after giving effect to the ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by investors in this offering by US$                million and increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by investors in this offering by                %, assuming that the number of ADSs offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

The outstanding ordinary share information in the tables above is based on 269,157,769 ordinary shares as of June 30, 2020, and excludes:

 

   

18,044,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options as of June 30, 2020, with a weighted-average exercise price of A$0.68 per ordinary share under our equity incentive plans; and

 

   

12,446,777 ordinary shares reserved for future issuance under our Long Term Incentive Plan.

 

To the extent any outstanding options are exercised, there will be further dilution to investors purchasing in this offering.

 

79


Table of Contents

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

 

The following tables summarize our consolidated financial and other data. The summary consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income data for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS, as issued by the IASB, as of and for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

You should read the consolidated financial and other data set forth below in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes and the information in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income Data

 

     Year Ended June 30,  
     2019      2020  
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Revenue

   A$ 159      A$ 87  

Other income(1)

     837        784  

Research and development expenses

     (31,348      (17,954

Patent expenses

     (161      (429

Intellectual property costs

     (113      (114

Administrative expenses

     (5,175      (7,001

Occupancy expenses

     (109      (34

Net foreign exchange gain (loss)

     363        (401
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss before income tax

     (35,547      (25,062
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income tax benefit

     14,637        8,533  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss for the year

     (20,910      (16,529

Other comprehensive income:

     

Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:

     

Fair value gains on investments in financial assets

     260        59  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax

     260        59  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss for the year

   A$ (20,650    A$ (16,470
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss for the year is attributable to:

     

Owners of the Company

     (20,650      (16,470
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   A$ (20,650    A$ (16,470
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss per share attributable to Owners of the Company—basic and diluted (in cents)

   A$ (8.98    A$ (6.34

 

(1)   Other income primarily comprises finance income from interest on bank deposits, funding under a one-time Australian government grant from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization during the year ended June 30, 2019, and funding under a one-time government grant from the ATO during the year ended June 30, 2020.

 

80


Table of Contents

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position Data

 

     As of June 30,  
     2019     2020  
     (in thousands)  

Cash and cash equivalents

   A$ 21,535   A$ 62,020  

Working capital(1)

     30,376       64,398  

Total assets

     37,660       71,887  

Total liabilities

     6,541       7,079  

Accumulated losses

     (86,060     (102,589

Total equity

     31,120       64,808  

 

(1)   Working capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities.

 

81


Table of Contents

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

The following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” should be read together the section titled “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” and our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion includes both historical information and forward-looking information based upon current expectations that involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from management’s expectations as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Overview

 

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapy for the treatment of highly prevalent and progressive retinal diseases. We are developing our Phase 3-ready product candidate, OPT-302, a biologic designed to inhibit VEGF-C and VEGF-D, to complement VEGF-A inhibitors for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Anti-VEGF-A therapies represent the standard of care for wet age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, and other retinal diseases; however, there remains a significant unmet medical need as many patients do not adequately respond to these treatments. As the only biologic inhibitor of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in clinical development, OPT-302 differs from standard of care therapies and when administered in combination with a VEGF-A inhibitor, is designed to achieve broader inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, family and target a mechanism of clinical resistance to improve visual acuity. Our lead indication for OPT-302 combination therapy is wet AMD, a chronic, progressive disease and the leading cause of vision loss for individuals over the age of 50. In a 366-patient Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of wet AMD, 2.0 mg OPT-302, in combination with a standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapy, ranibizumab (Lucentis), met the primary endpoint of a statistically significant superior mean gain in visual acuity over ranibizumab monotherapy at week 24. We intend to initiate two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in treatment-naive patients with wet AMD to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapies compared to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy in the first half of 2021. We expect to report topline data from these Phase 3 clinical trials in 2023. In addition to our clinical trials in wet AMD, we have observed evidence of improved clinical outcomes in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with another standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapy, aflibercept (Eylea), in patients with treatment-refractory diabetic macular edema, or DME. We retain worldwide rights to develop and commercialize OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD and DME and believe that the novel treatment mechanism of OPT-302 has the potential to provide therapeutic benefit for other progressive eye diseases.

 

We were founded in 1984 and completed our initial public offering and listing of ordinary shares on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1985. In April 2007, we acquired intellectual property relating to VEGF receptor 3 and subsequently developed the intellectual property for our lead product candidate, OPT-302. Our development focus on the treatment of retinal diseases began in 2013. Since then, we have devoted substantially all of our efforts to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, developing and manufacturing our lead product candidate, OPT-302, conducting research and development activities, including preclinical studies and clinical trials, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. Our operations relating to the development of OPT-302 have been financed primarily through the issuance and sale of new ordinary shares totaling A$112.7 million through June 30, 2020. We have also received an aggregate of A$35.1 million in cash tax incentives for the five fiscal years ended June 30, 2020 under the Research and Development, or R&D, Tax Incentive Scheme for the funding of the development of and clinical trials for OPT-302.

 

We have incurred operating losses since 2013. Our ability to generate product revenue sufficient to achieve profitability will be dependent on the successful development and eventual commercialization of OPT-302 and any future product candidates. Our total comprehensive loss was A$20.7 million and A$16.5 million for the years

 

82


Table of Contents

ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, respectively. As of June 30, 2020, we had an accumulated loss of A$102.6 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses for at least the next several years as we advance OPT-302 through late-stage clinical development, including our planned pivotal Phase 3 trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, and, if these results are favorable, seek regulatory approval for OPT-302. In addition, we may also pursue development of OPT-302 for the treatment of additional indications, including DME, retinal vein occlusion and other indications in which OPT-302 has the potential to provide therapeutic benefit. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for OPT-302, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. Upon the completion of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company in the United States, including significant additional legal, accounting, investor relations, compliance and other expenses.

 

As a result, we will need substantial additional funding to support our continuing operations and pursue our growth strategy. Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through the sale of equity, debt financings, or other capital sources, which may include collaborations with other companies or other strategic transactions as well as Australian research and development tax incentives. We may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other agreements or arrangements when needed on favorable terms, or at all. If we fail to raise capital or enter into such agreements as and when needed, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of OPT-302.

 

Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development of biopharmaceutical product candidates, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when or if we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability. Even if we are able to generate product sales, we may never become profitable. If we fail to become profitable or are unable to sustain profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to scale back or discontinue our operations.

 

As of June 30, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of A$62.0 million. We believe that the anticipated net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2020, will enable us to fund our operating and research and development expenses through                 . We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could exhaust our available capital resources sooner than we expect. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

 

Impact of COVID-19

 

We are closely monitoring how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our employees, business, preclinical studies and clinical trials. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of our employees have transitioned to working remotely and travel has been restricted. Although operations to date have not been materially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, at this time, there is significant uncertainty relating to the trajectory of the pandemic. The impact of related responses and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may result in difficulties or delays in initiating, enrolling, conducting or completing our planned clinical trials and the incurrence of unforeseen costs as a result of disruptions in clinical supply or clinical trial delays. The impact of COVID-19 on our future results will largely depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the ultimate geographic spread of the disease, the duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions and social distancing in Australia, the United States and other countries, business closures or business disruptions, the ultimate impact on financial markets and the global economy and the effectiveness of actions taken in Australia, the United States and other countries to contain and treat the disease.

 

Components of Our Results of Operations

 

Revenue

 

Revenue consists of sales-based royalties in connection with the out-licensing of certain intellectual property assets that are unrelated to our core business and the development of OPT-302 and are not currently

 

83


Table of Contents

under development. These licenses are primarily used by third-party licensees for research purposes, and we expect revenue from these out-licensing arrangements to be nominal in future periods. These are variable consideration amounts and are recognized when the sales by our license partners to third parties occur, as the performance obligation to transfer the intellectual property to the license partner is already satisfied.

 

To date, we have not generated any revenue from sales of approved products. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development and regulatory approval, we are unable to predict the amount, timing or whether we will be able to obtain revenue from sales of approved products, and we may never succeed in obtaining regulatory approval for OPT-302 or any other product candidate. If our development efforts for OPT-302 are successful and result in an approved and marketed product, or if we enter into additional collaboration or license agreements with third parties, we may generate revenue in the future from a combination of product sales or payments from such collaboration or license agreements.

 

Other Income

 

Other income primarily comprises finance income from interest on bank deposits and funding under a one-time Australian government grant from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, or the CSIRO, and the Australian Tax Office.

 

Operating Expenses

 

Research and Development Expenses.    Research and development expenses comprise the research project costs related to the development programs, including clinical trials, for OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD and DME. R&D expenses also include:

 

   

expenses incurred in connection with the clinical development of our product candidates, including under agreements with third parties, such as consultants and contract research organizations, or CROs;

 

   

the cost of manufacturing and purchasing drug products for use in our clinical trials, including under agreements with third parties, such as consultants and contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs;

 

   

facilities, depreciation and other expenses, which include direct or allocated expenses for rent, maintenance of facilities and insurance;

 

   

costs related to compliance with regulatory requirements; and

 

   

clinical trial insurance.

 

We expense R&D costs as incurred and have not capitalized any amounts of R&D costs as of June 30, 2020. For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, we did not make any advance payments for goods or services to be received in future periods for use in R&D activities.

 

Our direct R&D expenses are tracked on a program-by-program basis for our product candidate and consist primarily of external costs, such as fees paid to CROs, CMOs, research laboratories and outside consultants in connection with our process development, manufacturing and clinical development activities. We do not allocate employee costs associated with our research efforts, laboratory supplies and facilities, including depreciation and other indirect costs, to specific programs because these costs are deployed across multiple development activities and indications for OPT-302 and, as such, are not separately classified. We use internal resources primarily to conduct our research activities as well as for managing our process development, manufacturing and clinical development activities. These employees work across multiple development programs and, therefore, we do not track these costs by program.

 

R&D expenses in fiscal years after June 30, 2020 are expected to comprise costs of a similar nature to that recorded to date. Product candidates in later stages of clinical development, such as OPT-302, generally have

 

84


Table of Contents

higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials. We expect that our R&D expenses will increase in connection with our planned clinical development, manufacturing and regulatory approval activities in the near term and in the future, including as we initiate our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD.

 

At this time, we cannot accurately estimate or know the nature, timing and costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the clinical development of OPT-302 and any future product candidates. We may never succeed in achieving regulatory approval for any of our product candidates. The duration, costs and timing of clinical trials and development of our product candidates will depend on a variety of factors, including:

 

   

the scope, rate of progress and expense of our planned clinical trials as well as other R&D activities;

 

   

clinical trial results;

 

   

the terms and timing of regulatory approvals;

 

   

the expense of filing, maintaining, prosecuting, defending and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights;

 

   

the ability to raise necessary additional funds;

 

   

the ability to obtain and maintain third-party insurance coverage and adequate reimbursement;

 

   

the ability to market, commercialize and achieve market acceptance for any products that receive regulatory approval;

 

   

a continued acceptable safety profile of OPT-302 combination therapy following approval in any indication; and

 

   

establishing and maintaining agreements with third-party suppliers and manufacturers for clinical supply and commercial manufacturing of OPT-302, or any other product candidate, if approved.

 

A change in the outcome of any of these factors with respect to the development of OPT-302 could significantly change the duration, costs and timing associated with clinical trials and development of OPT-302.

 

Patent Expenses.    Patent expenses comprise the cost of outside patent attorneys to manage and prosecute our patent portfolio.

 

Intellectual Property Costs.    Intellectual property costs relate to the license and patent assignment costs in respect of our in-license agreements for certain technologies not currently under development and unrelated to our out-licensing arrangements under which we receive sales-based royalties.

 

Administrative Expenses.    Administrative expenses comprise employee benefit expenses, including share-based payment expenses; investor relations expenses; insurance costs; audit, accountancy and legal fees; other personnel-related expenses; and depreciation expense. We anticipate that our administrative expenses will increase in the future as we increase our headcount to support development of OPT-302 and our continued research activities. We also anticipate that we will incur increased accounting, audit, legal, regulatory, compliance and director and officer insurance costs as well as investor and public relations expenses associated with being a public company in the United States.

 

Occupancy Expenses.    Occupancy expenses represent the costs relating to our headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, including lease maintenance and incidental costs.

 

Net Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss)

 

Net foreign exchange gain (loss) represents the impact of the variance in exchange rates between the Australian dollar and the U.S. dollar, Euro, British Pound and Canadian dollar on our cash and cash equivalents, financial assets, financial liabilities and foreign currency denominated transactions.

 

85


Table of Contents

Income Tax Benefit

 

Income tax benefit represents the cash incentive amount receivable under the R&D Tax Incentive Scheme, an Australian Federal Government program under which eligible companies with annual aggregated revenue of less than A$20.0 million can receive cash amounts equal to 43.5% of eligible R&D expenditures from the Australian Taxation Office, or the ATO. The ATO may reduce this rate to 41% for the year ended June 30, 2020 if the Australian Federal Government enacts changes to the legislation that governs the scheme in October 2020. The ATO may also make other changes to the eligibility of R&D expenditures, including placing a cap on the amount of non-clinical trial R&D expenses claimed under the scheme. If the rate were to reduce to 41%, the current tax receivable recorded in our consolidated statement of financial position as at June 30, 2020 would be reduced by A$490 thousand, with no change as at June 30, 2019. In addition, if a cap on non-clinical trial R&D expenses were introduced, any effect on our amount claimed under the scheme in respect of the fiscal years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020 would be de minimis.

 

The R&D Tax Incentive Scheme incentive relates to eligible expenditures incurred in Australia and, under certain circumstances, in other countries in connection with the development of OPT-302. The R&D tax incentive is applied annually to eligible expenditures incurred during the fiscal year following an annual application and subsequent filing of our income tax return subsequent to fiscal year end. We estimate the amount of R&D tax incentive after the completion of a fiscal year based on eligible Australia and overseas expenditures incurred during that year. We expect to continue applying for the R&D tax incentive as we further develop OPT-302. In particular, we intend to apply for the costs expected to be incurred in Australia related to our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD to be eligible for the R&D tax incentive for future fiscal years once incurred. However, there can be no assurance that the ATO will allow these costs to be eligible for the tax incentive.

 

Results of Operations for the Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2019 and 2020

 

The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the periods presented.

 

     Year Ended June 30,  
     2019(1)     2020(2)  
     (in thousands)  

Revenue

   A$ 159     A$ 87  

Other income

     837       784  

Research and development expenses

     (31,348     (17,954

Patent expenses

     (161     (429

Intellectual property costs

     (113     (114

Administrative expenses

     (5,175     (7,001

Occupancy expenses

     (109     (34

Net foreign exchange gain (loss)

     363       (401
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss before income tax

     (35,547     (25,062
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax benefit

     14,637       8,533  

Loss for the year

     (20,910     (16,529

Other comprehensive income:

    

Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:

    

Fair value gains on investments in financial assets

     260       59  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax

     260       59  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss for the year

   A$ (20,650   A$ (16,470
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)  

The consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the year ended June 30, 2019 reflects the impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” and IFRS 9

 

86


Table of Contents
 

“Financial Instruments,” which became applicable on January 1, 2018. The impact of the adoption of IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 was not material to the consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income.

(2)   The consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the year ended June 30, 2020 reflects the impact of the adoption of IFRS 16 “Leases” which became applicable on January 1, 2019. The details on the impact of the transition are presented in note 5 to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Revenue

 

Revenue was A$159 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$87 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2020. This decrease was due to lower sales-based royalties received under our out-licensing arrangements. Revenue for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020 consisted of sales-based royalties in connection with the out-licensing of certain intellectual property assets that are unrelated to our core business and the development of OPT-302 and are not currently under development.

 

Other Income

 

Other income was A$837 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$784 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2020. This decrease was primarily due to lower finance income from interest on bank deposits and receipt of a A$78 thousand one-time Australian government grant from the CSIRO during the year ended June 30, 2019, partially offset by receipt of a A$63 thousand one-time ATO grant during the year ended June 20, 2020.

 

Research and Development Expenses

 

Research and development expenses were A$31.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$18.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2020. This decrease was primarily due to costs related to our Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 in wet AMD completed during the year ended June 30, 2019, partially offset by increased chemistry manufacturing and controls costs incurred during the year ended June 30, 2020 related to manufacturing activities in preparation for our planned Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD. Our research and development expenses are broken down as set forth in the table below:

 

     Year Ended June 30,  
     2019      2020  
     (in thousands)  

Costs related to the Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 in wet AMD

   A$ 20,718      A$ 3,197  

Costs related to the Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in DME

     9,646        8,022  

Chemistry manufacturing and controls

     675        5,890  

Other direct non-clinical expenses

     309        845  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total research and development expenses

   A$ 31,348      A$ 17,954  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Patent Expenses

 

Patent expenses were A$161 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$429 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2020. This increase was primarily due to validation work carried out on our European patent application across multiple jurisdictions.

 

Intellectual Property Costs

 

Intellectual property costs were A$113 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$114 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2020. This increase was due to fluctuations in exchange rates.

 

87


Table of Contents

Intellectual property costs for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020 consisted of the license and patent assignment costs in respect of our in-license agreements for certain technologies not currently under development and unrelated to our out-licensing arrangements under which we receive sales-based royalties.

 

Administrative Expenses

 

Administrative expenses were A$5.2 million for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$7.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2020. This increase was primarily due to a A$0.1 million increase in share-based payments, a A$1.3 million increase in professional fees and expenses and a A$0.2 million increase in personnel-related expenses, each resulting from expansion of supporting administrative functions to aid continued research and development and capital raising activities in the year ended June 30, 2020, as well as a A$0.1 million increase in depreciation expense and a A$0.1 million increase in insurance costs.

 

Occupancy Expenses

 

Occupancy expenses were A$109 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$34 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2020. This decrease was primarily due to a reduction in lease rental costs under the lease for our headquarters in Melbourne, Australia of A$77 thousand resulting from the reclassification of lease rental expenses into depreciation of right-of-use assets. This reclassification followed our adoption of accounting treatments required by IFRS 16 “Leases” during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.

 

Net Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss)

 

Net foreign exchange differences were a gain of A$363 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to a loss of A$401 thousand for the year ended June 30, 2020, primarily as a result of net variances of the exchange rate between the Australian dollar and U.S. dollar on U.S. dollar-denominated cash and cash equivalents, financial assets, financial liabilities and foreign currency denominated transactions.

 

Income Tax Benefit

 

Income tax benefit was A$14.6 million for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to A$8.5 million for the years ended June 30, 2020. This decrease was due to lower R&D tax incentive receivable recognized during the year ended June 30, 2020.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

The liquidity and capital resources discussion that follows contains certain estimates as of the date of this prospectus of our estimated future sources and uses of liquidity (including estimated future capital resources and capital expenditures) and future financial and operating results. These estimates reflect numerous assumptions made by us with respect to industry performance, general business, economic, regulatory, market and financial conditions and other future events, and matters specific to our businesses, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict and many of which are beyond our control.

 

Sources and Uses of Liquidity

 

Our operations relating to the development of OPT-302 have been financed primarily through the issuance and sale of new ordinary shares totaling A$112.7 million through June 30, 2020. We have also received an aggregate of A$35.1 million in the five fiscal years ended June 30, 2020 under the R&D Tax Incentive Scheme for the funding of the development and clinical trials of OPT-302.

 

As of June 30, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of A$62.0 million to fund the manufacturing of sufficient clinical grade OPT-302 drug product and complete the regulatory and clinical preparation activities to initiate our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for the treatment of wet AMD. As of June 30, 2020, we had an accumulated loss of A$102.6 million.

 

88


Table of Contents

Funding Requirements

 

We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will enable us to fund our operating and research and development expenses through                 . We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect.

 

We expect our expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we continue the research and development of, continue or initiate clinical trials of, and seek marketing approval for, OPT-302 and any future product candidates. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for OPT-302 or any future product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution to the extent that such sales, marketing and distribution are not the responsibility of any future collaborators. Further, following the completion of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company in the United States. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations.

 

Until we can generate a sufficient amount of revenue from the sale of approved products, if ever, we expect to finance our operating activities through our existing liquidity, the net proceeds from this offering and future financing activities, including a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a holder of ADSs. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, intellectual property, future revenue streams or product candidates. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.

 

Our present and future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, among other things:

 

   

the initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of our clinical trials for OPT-302, including our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapies for the treatment of wet AMD, and any future product candidates we may develop;

 

   

costs associated with expanding our organization, including our management infrastructure;

 

   

the costs involved in filing patent applications and maintaining and enforcing patents or defending against claims of infringement raised by third parties;

 

   

the time and costs involved in obtaining regulatory approval for our product candidates and any delays we may encounter as a result of evolving regulatory requirements or adverse results with respect to any of these product candidates;

 

   

selling and marketing activities undertaken in connection with the commercialization of OPT-302, together with the costs involved in the creation of a sales and marketing organization; and

 

   

the costs of operating as a public listed company in both Australia and the United States.

 

Conducting clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes many years to complete, and we may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In addition, OPT-302 or any future product candidate, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Our commercial revenues, if any, will be derived from sales of OPT-302 and any future product candidate that we do not expect to be commercially available for many years, if at all. Accordingly, we

 

89


Table of Contents

will need to continue to rely on additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. For more information as to the risks associated with our future funding needs, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Capital.”

 

Cash Flows

 

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented:

 

     Year Ended June 30,  
     2019     2020  
     (in thousands)  

Net cash used in operating activities

   A$ (24,185   A$ (8,782

Net cash provided by investing activities

     321       476  

Net cash provided by financing activities

     12,630       48,980  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

   A$ (11,234   A$ 40,674  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

Operating Activities

 

For the year ended June 30, 2019, net cash used in operating activities was A$24.2 million, attributable to a net loss of A$20.9 million adjusted for A$13.9 million in non-cash items as well as a net cash outflow from changes in operating assets and liabilities of A$1.4 million, partially offset by a R&D tax incentive of A$12.0 million. Non-cash adjustments of A$13.9 million consisted of A$14.6 million in income tax benefit recognized in profit or loss and A$259 thousand in net exchange differences, partially offset by A$967 thousand in share-based payments and A$33 thousand in depreciation expense.

 

For the year ended June 30, 2020, net cash used in operating activities was A$8.8 million, attributable to a net loss of A$16.5 million adjusted for A$6.9 million in non-cash items as well as a net cash flow from changes in operating assets and liabilities of A$18 thousand, partially offset by a R&D tax incentive of A$14.6 million. Non-cash adjustments of A$6.9 million consisted of A$8.5 million in income tax benefit recognized in profit or loss and A$401 thousand in net exchange differences, partially offset by A$1.1 million in share-based payments and A$144 thousand in depreciation expense.

 

Investing Activities

 

For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, net cash provided by investing activities was A$321 thousand and A$476 thousand, respectively, attributable to A$339 thousand and A$482 thousand, respectively, in cash received on disposal of our financial asset of shares and options in Antisense Therapeutics Ltd., an ASX-listed company, offset by cash payments of A$18 thousand and A$7 thousand, respectively, for the purchase of computer equipment.

 

Financing Activities

 

For the year ended June 30, 2019, net cash provided by financing activities was A$12.6 million from the issuance of new ordinary shares on the exercise of options previously issued in connection with a capital raise.

 

For the year ended June 30, 2020, net cash provided by financing activities was A$49.0 million, attributable to A$420 thousand received on the exercise of options granted to employees and A$48.7 million from the issuance of new ordinary shares in a private placement to institutional investors in Australia and the United Kingdom. Net cash provided by financing activities also included A$100 thousand in respect of the payment of lease liabilities.

 

90


Table of Contents

Contractual Obligations

 

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of June 30, 2020:

 

     Payments Due By Period  
     Total      Less than 1
Year
     1-3 Years      3-5 Years      More than
5 Years
 
     (in thousands)  

June 30, 2020

              

Operating lease commitments(1)

     24        7        17        —          —    

Purchase obligations(2)

     8,625        8,285        340        —          —    

License agreements(3)

     218        22        87        —          109  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   A$ 8,867      A$ 8,314      A$ 444      A$ —        A$ 109  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)   Amounts represent payments due for low value leases of office equipment not included in our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
(2)   Amounts consist of purchase obligations of OPT-302 drug product under our manufacturing services agreement with Patheon Biologics Company Australia Pty Ltd. and Patheon Biologics Company B.V.
(3)   Amounts represent payments due under in-license agreements with the Schepens Eye Research Institute and the University of Siena for technologies not currently under development and unrelated to our out-licensing arrangements under which we receive sales-based royalties.

 

The commitment amounts in the table above are associated with contracts that are enforceable and legally binding and that specify all significant terms, including fixed or minimum services to be used, fixed, minimum or variable price provisions, and the approximate timing of the actions under the contracts. The table does not include obligations under agreements that we can cancel without a significant penalty.

 

We enter into agreements in the normal course of business with contract research organizations for clinical trials and with vendors for other services and products for operating purposes which are cancelable at any time by us. These payments are not included in this table of contractual obligations.

 

Commercial License Agreement with Selexis SA

 

In October 2013, we entered into a commercial license agreement, or the Selexis Agreement, with Selexis SA, or Selexis, under which Selexis granted us a non-exclusive, worldwide, sublicensable license under certain patents, know-how and other intellectual property controlled by Selexis to use certain cell lines, deliverables and materials provided by Selexis to manufacture OPT-302 and related products and to use, sell and otherwise exploit such products.

 

We paid Selexis a nominal upfront payment upon entering into the Selexis Agreement. We are also required to make certain payments under the Selexis Agreement totaling approximately US$1.3 million upon the achievement of certain development and commercial milestones. We are also obligated to pay a low single-digit running royalty on worldwide net sales of the licensed products. Our royalty obligations will continue, on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis, until the expiration of the relevant patents, but will not extend beyond October 2024 in any event. After the expiration of the royalty term, our license will continue and become full paid, perpetual and irrevocable.

 

The Selexis Agreement will expire on the date of expiration of the last-to-expire of the license patents. Either party may terminate the Selexis Agreement for the other party’s uncured material breach or bankruptcy. We may also terminate the Selexis Agreement at any time upon prior notice to Selexis.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

During the periods presented, we did not, and we do not currently, engage in off-balance sheet financing arrangements as defined under SEC rules, such as relationships with other entities or financial partnerships,

 

91


Table of Contents

which are often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, established for the purpose of facilitating financing transactions that are not required to be reflected on our consolidated statement of financial position. In addition, we do not engage in trading activities involving non-exchange traded contracts.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

We believe that the following accounting policies involve a high degree of judgment and complexity. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial condition and results of our operations. See note 3 to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus for a description of our other significant accounting policies. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in those financial statements and accompanying notes. Although we believe that the estimates we use are reasonable, due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making those estimates, actual results reported in future periods could differ from those estimates.

 

Research and Development Costs

 

The majority of our expenditures is incurred as a result of our clinical trials for OPT-302. During the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, we completed a Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD. During the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, we progressed a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of DME. A key measure of our performance is the level of expenditures incurred on the research and development of OPT-302.

 

Judgement is required in relation to:

 

   

the classification of expenses in the income statement between research and development costs and operating expenses; and

 

   

whether costs relate to research or development, and consequently if they meet the capitalization criteria under International Accounting Standards, or IAS, 38 “Intangible Assets.”

 

We have determined that we are still in a research phase, and accordingly, no development costs have been capitalized as of June 30, 2019 or June 30, 2020.

 

Share-based Payment Transactions

 

We provide benefits to our directors and employees (including key management personnel) in the form of share-based payments, whereby employees render services in exchange for ordinary shares or rights over ordinary shares (equity-settled transactions). The cost of these equity-settled transactions with employees is measured by reference to the fair value at the date at which they are granted. Binomial models are used to value the options issued, with key assumptions being the listed price per ordinary share on the grant date, the option exercise price, expected volatility of the underlying ordinary shares based on the historical share price volatility and the risk-free interest rate.

 

The cost of the equity-settled transactions is recognized, together with a corresponding increase in equity, over the period in which the performance conditions are fulfilled (the vesting period), ending on the date on which the relevant employees become fully entitled to the award (the vesting date). The charge to profit or loss for the period is the cumulative amount less the amounts already charged in previous periods. There is a corresponding credit to equity.

 

Until an award has vested, any amounts recorded are contingent and will be adjusted if more or fewer awards vest than were originally anticipated to do so.

 

92


Table of Contents

Income Tax—Research and Development Tax Incentive

 

The R&D Tax Incentive Scheme is an Australian Federal Government program under which eligible companies with annual aggregated revenue of less than A$20 million can receive cash amounts equal to 43.5% of eligible research and development expenditures from the ATO. The R&D Tax Incentive Scheme incentive relates to eligible expenditures incurred in Australia and, under certain circumstances, overseas on the development of our lead candidate OPT-302. The R&D tax incentive is applied annually to eligible expenditures incurred during our financial year following an annual application and subsequent filing of our income tax return after the financial year end.

 

We estimate the amount of R&D tax incentive after the completion of the financial year based on eligible Australia and overseas expenditures incurred during that year.

 

We have presented incentives in respect of the R&D Tax Incentive Scheme within income tax benefit in the Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income by analogizing with IAS 12 “Income Taxes.”

 

Judgment is required as to the eligibility for the R&D tax incentive in respect of:

 

   

our ability to make claims and its continued compliance under the scheme;

 

   

research and development and other supporting costs previously approved by Australian tax authorities;

 

   

estimated amounts, timing and geographical location of future costs related to the projects for which applications have been approved to date; and

 

   

assessment of whether expenditure on projects for which approval has been given by Australian tax authorities relate to Australian or overseas expenditure.

 

For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, we have recognized an R&D tax incentive receivable of A$14.6 million and $8.5 million, respectively within our consolidated statement of financial position with a corresponding amount recognized within income tax benefit within the consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income. The R&D tax incentive receivable as at June 30, 2020 is based on the legislation as currently enacted as at June 30, 2020. Any proposed changes to the legislation, such as rate changes to the eligibility requirements, may have a retrospective impact if the legislation is passed in its currently proposed form.

 

Investment tax credits such as the R&D tax incentive are outside of the scope of IAS 12 “Income Taxes” and IAS 20 “Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance.” Based on the guidance in IAS 8 “Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors,” companies need to make an accounting policy choice on how to present these incentives, which in practice is done by either analogizing with IAS 12 or with IAS 20. We have determined that the R&D tax incentive should be presented by analogizing to IAS 12 because the nature of the incentive is considered to be more closely aligned to income taxes, based on the following considerations:

 

   

The R&D tax incentive is considered an income tax offset which will be offset against our tax obligation if and when we return to a net tax payable position. In addition, while we are currently eligible to receive cash payments under the Scheme since our consolidated revenue is currently below A$20 million, if and when we generate revenue in excess of A$20 million, the R&D tax incentive will become non-refundable and can only be offset against any future income tax payable by us.

 

   

The ATO, which is the tax authority in Australia, manages the annual claims process as the R&D tax incentive is included in our annual income tax return.

 

   

The ATO is also responsible for making the R&D tax incentive cash payment if a company is eligible for a cash refund under the program, oversees compliance with the requirements of the R&D tax incentive scheme and performs pre-issuance reviews.

 

93


Table of Contents

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

 

Amendments to Accounting Standards that are Mandatorily Effective for the Current Year

 

We have adopted all of the new and revised Standards and Interpretations issued by the IASB that are relevant to our operations and effective for the current year.

 

New and revised Standards and amendments thereof and Interpretations effective for the current year that are relevant to us include:

 

   

IFRS 16 “Leases”;

 

   

Annual Improvements to IFRS Standards 2015–2017 Cycle Amendments to IFRS 3 “Business Combinations”, IFRS 11 “Joint Arrangements”, IAS 12 “Income Taxes” and IAS 23 “Borrowing Costs”; and

 

   

IFRIC 23 “Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments”.

 

IFRS 16 Leases

 

In the current year, we applied IFRS 16 Leases, which is effective for annual periods that begin on or after January 1, 2019.

 

IFRS 16 introduces new or amended requirements with respect to lease accounting. It introduces significant changes to lessee accounting by removing the distinction between operating and finance leases and requiring the recognition of a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at commencement for all leases, except for short-term leases and leases of low value assets. Details of these new requirements are described in note 3 to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

The date of initial application of IFRS 16 for us is July 1, 2019. We have applied IFRS 16 using the cumulative catch-up approach which:

 

   

requires us to recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying IFRS 16 as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at the date of initial application; and

 

   

does not permit restatement of comparatives, which continue to be presented under IAS 17 “Leases” and IFRIC 4 “Determining whether an Arrangement Contains a Lease.”

 

We have made use of the practical expedient available on transition to IFRS 16 to not reassess whether a contract is or contains a lease. Accordingly, the definition of a lease in accordance with IAS 17 and IFRIC 4 will continue to be applied to those leases entered or changed before July 1, 2019.

 

The change in definition of a lease mainly relates to the concept of control. IFRS 16 determines whether a contract contains a lease on the basis of whether the customer has the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. This is in contrast to the focus on “risks and rewards” in IAS 17 and IFRIC 4.

 

Impact on Lease Accounting

 

Former Operating Leases

 

IFRS 16 changes how we account for leases previously classified as operating leases under IAS 17, which operating lease payments were recognized as an expense in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

 

94


Table of Contents

Applying IFRS 16, for all leases (except as noted below), we have:

 

   

Recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities in the consolidated statement of financial position, initially measured at the present value of the future lease payments;

 

   

Recognize depreciation of right-of-use assets and interest on lease liabilities in profit or loss; and

 

   

Separate the total amount of cash paid into a principal portion (presented within financing activities) and interest (presented within operating activities) in the consolidated statement of cash flows.

 

Lease incentives (e.g. rent-free period) are recognized as part of the measurement of the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities whereas under IAS 17 they resulted in the recognition of a lease incentive, amortized as a reduction of rental expenses generally on a straight-line basis. Under IFRS 16, right-of-use assets are tested for impairment in accordance with IAS 36 “Impairment of Assets”.

 

For short-term leases (lease term of 12 months or less) and leases of low-value assets (such as photo copiers and telephones), we have opted to recognize a lease expense on a straight-line basis as permitted by IFRS 16. This expense is presented within “administrative expenses” in profit or loss.

 

Financial Impact of the Initial Application of IFRS 16

 

The previous lease for our headquarters expired on July 14, 2019. The adoption of IFRS 16 did not have a material impact on our results on the date of transition. Following the renewal of the leased office premises on July 15, 2019, we recognized a right-of-use asset of A$365,264 and a corresponding lease liability of $365,264 in respect of this lease. The impact on profit or loss during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 was to decrease occupancy expenses by A$110,800; increase depreciation by A$121,754; and increase finance interest expense by A$7,680.

 

Under IAS 17, all lease payments on operating leases are presented as part of cash flows from operating activities. During the year ended June 30, 2020, the impact of the changes under IFRS 16 reduced the cash used in operating activities by A$100,189 and decreased net cash generated from financing activities by the same amount.

 

Other Pronouncements Adopted for the First Time in the Year Ended June 30, 2020

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, we applied a number of amendments to IFRS and Interpretations issued by the IASB that are effective for an annual period that begins on or after January 1, 2019. Their adoption has not had any material impact on the disclosures or on the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements.

 

New and Revised International Financial Reporting Standards and Interpretations on Issue But not Yet Effective

 

The new and revised International Financial Reporting Standards, Interpretations and amendments that have been issued but are not yet effective, are not expected to have a material impact on the amounts recognized or disclosures included in our consolidated financial statements.

 

Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures about Market Risk

 

We are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our business. Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our financial position due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. Our market risk exposure is primarily the result of fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rate risk.

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

As of June 30, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of A$62.0 million. We have limited exposure to interest rate risk. Our exposure to market interest rates relates primarily to the short-term deposits. The deposits

 

95


Table of Contents

are held with two of Australia’s largest banks. Our cash and cash equivalents are not locked into long-term deposits at fixed rates so as to mitigate the risk of earning interest below the current floating rate. We do not have any credit facilities bearing variable interest rates.

 

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

 

As a result of services provided by non-related entities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Europe, part of our financial assets and liabilities and foreign currency denominated transactions are affected by movements in the applicable exchange rate. We do not enter into any hedging transactions. We enter into forward rate foreign exchange rate contracts in respect of the settlement of supplier invoices denominated in U.S. dollars to mitigate the risk of movements in the U.S. dollar and Australian dollar exchange rates. We are primarily exposed to foreign exchange risk inherent in U.S. dollar-denominated contracts related to our clinical development activities. As of June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2020, we had A$4.5 million and A$5.0 million, respectively, in net exposure to the U.S. dollar, primarily in payables. An increase or decrease of the Australian dollar to U.S. dollar exchange rate by 10% would increase our after tax loss by A$319 thousand (2019: A$285 thousand) or decrease our after tax loss by A$390 thousand (2019: A$349 thousand), respectively. As we continue our clinical development activities, we expect to face continued exposure to exchange rate risk from the U.S. dollar. There was minimal or insignificant exposure to the British Pound, Euro and Canadian dollar during the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

Emerging Growth Company Status

 

As a company with less than $1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include:

 

   

exemption from the auditor attestation requirement of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, in the assessment of our internal controls over financial reporting; and

 

   

to the extent that we no longer qualify as a foreign private issuer, (i) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and (ii) exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation, including golden parachute compensation.

 

We may take advantage of these exemptions until such time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. Accordingly, the information that we provide shareholders and holders of the ADSs may be different than you might obtain from other public companies. We will cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest to occur of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we qualify as a “large accelerated filer”; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and (iv) the last day of the fiscal year in which the fifth anniversary of this offering occurs.

 

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can use the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Given that we currently report and expect to continue to report under IFRS, as issued by the IASB, we have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required by the IASB.

 

Foreign Private Issuer Status

 

We are also considered a “foreign private issuer” under U.S. securities laws. In our capacity as a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from certain rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that

 

96


Table of Contents

impose certain disclosure obligations and procedural requirements for proxy solicitations under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. In addition, our senior management, the members of our board of directors and our principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules under the Exchange Act with respect to their purchases and sales of our securities. Moreover, we are not required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. In addition, we are not required to comply with Regulation FD, which restricts the selective disclosure of material information.

 

We may take advantage of these exemptions until such time as we are no longer a foreign private issuer. We will remain a foreign private issuer until such time that 50% or more of our outstanding voting securities are held by U.S. residents and any of the following three circumstances applies: (i) the majority of the members of board of directors or our senior management are U.S. citizens or residents; (ii) more than 50% of our assets are located in the United States; or (iii) our business is administered principally in the United States.

 

We have taken advantage of certain reduced reporting and other requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies.

 

97


Table of Contents

BUSINESS

 

Overview

 

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapy for the treatment of highly prevalent and progressive retinal diseases. We are developing our Phase 3-ready product candidate, OPT-302, a biologic designed to inhibit VEGF-C and VEGF-D, to complement VEGF-A inhibitors for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Anti-VEGF-A therapies represent the standard of care for wet age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, and other retinal diseases; however, there remains a significant unmet medical need as many patients do not adequately respond to these treatments. As the only biologic inhibitor of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in clinical development, OPT-302 differs from standard of care therapies and when administered in combination with a VEGF-A inhibitor, is designed to achieve broader inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, family and target a mechanism of clinical resistance to improve visual acuity. Our lead indication for OPT-302 combination therapy is wet AMD, a chronic, progressive disease and the leading cause of vision loss for individuals over the age of 50. In a 366-patient Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of wet AMD, 2.0 mg OPT-302, in combination with a standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapy, ranibizumab (Lucentis), met the primary endpoint of a statistically significant superior mean gain in visual acuity over ranibizumab monotherapy at week 24. We intend to initiate two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in treatment-naive patients with wet AMD to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapies compared to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy in the first half of 2021. We expect to report topline data from these Phase 3 clinical trials in 2023. In addition to our clinical trials in wet AMD, we have observed evidence of improved clinical outcomes in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with another standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapy, aflibercept (Eylea), in patients with treatment-refractory diabetic macular edema, or DME. We retain worldwide rights to develop and commercialize OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD and DME and believe that the novel treatment mechanism of OPT-302 has the potential to provide therapeutic benefit for other progressive eye diseases.

 

Wet AMD is a rapidly progressing disease with loss of central vision developing over a period of weeks to months in which abnormal new blood vessels form in the back of the eye in a process called choroidal neovascularization, or CNV. These newly formed vessels are highly permeable, leaking exudate leading to fluid accumulation and retinal lesion formation. This, in turn, adversely affects sensory cells in the retina and if left untreated, results in rapid loss of visual acuity.

 

Wet AMD affects approximately one million people in the United States and 2.5 million people in Europe. The standard of care for wet AMD and other ocular neovascular diseases is the administration of monotherapies that primarily inhibit VEGF-A. These therapeutic agents, which include ranibizumab and aflibercept, prevent VEGF-A molecules from binding to, and activating, VEGF receptors and thereby inhibit the formation and permeability of blood vessels. As the risk of developing wet AMD increases with age, it is predicted that the overall aging of the population will result in a significant increase in the number of wet AMD cases, both in the United States and worldwide. Many wet AMD patients also experience suboptimal clinical responses despite receiving one or both of the leading standard of care treatments ranibizumab and aflibercept, which had combined annual worldwide sales of over US$11.9 billion in 2019. In addition, nearly half of wet AMD patients are treated with off-label bevacizumab as a lower cost alternative anti-VEGF-A therapy. As a result, we believe there is a significant and expanding market opportunity for novel therapies that can improve vision in patients with wet AMD, which has the potential to lead to sales greater than the combined annual sales of ranibizumab and aflibercept.

 

Despite the widespread use and commercial success of VEGF-A inhibitors, at least 45% of wet AMD patients treated with a VEGF-A inhibitor experience some degree of suboptimal clinical response, with a majority of patients failing to achieve 20/40 vision after 12 months of treatment, providing further opportunity for visual acuity improvement. Furthermore, many patients have persistent retinal fluid and insufficient gains in visual acuity to resume routine daily activities such as driving and reading following regular treatment with a

 

98


Table of Contents

VEGF-A inhibitor. In addition, improvements in visual acuity following regular administration of VEGF-A monotherapy are often not sustained with long-term use.

 

OPT-302 is designed to address a deficiency in the treatment paradigm for wet AMD and other retinal diseases, such as DME, by targeting alternate members of the VEGF family, namely VEGF-C and VEGF-D, which are not targeted by current standard of care therapies. VEGF-C and VEGF-D function in parallel with VEGF-A to drive neovascularization and vascular leakage, which are key hallmarks of both wet AMD and DME. In addition, treatment with VEGF-A inhibitors leads to upregulation of VEGF-C and VEGF-D to compensate for VEGF-A inhibition, which may represent an important mechanism of clinical resistance to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. We are developing OPT-302 to be used in combination with standard of care anti-VEGF-A monotherapies to achieve broader inhibition of the VEGF family, with the goal of improving overall efficacy and demonstrating superior vision gains over that which can be achieved by inhibiting VEGF-A alone.

 

In our completed Phase 2b wet AMD clinical trial, 2.0 mg OPT-302 in combination with ranibizumab demonstrated a statistically significant superior mean gain in visual acuity at week 24 compared to patients treated with ranibizumab with a sham injection, which we refer to as ranibizumab monotherapy. The trial was an international, multi-center, double-masked trial in 366 treatment-naive patients with wet AMD. Patients were randomized into three groups and received intravitreal injections every four weeks of either 0.5 mg or 2.0 mg OPT-302 in combination with 0.5 mg ranibizumab or 0.5 mg ranibizumab monotherapy. Treatments were administered by intravitreal injections once every four weeks for 20 weeks (six treatments in total). The primary endpoint was the mean change at week 24 in best corrected visual acuity, or BCVA, from baseline on the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study, or ETDRS, standardized eye chart, which we refer to as visual acuity. Patients treated with 2.0 mg OPT-302 combination therapy demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in visual acuity compared to patients treated with ranibizumab monotherapy. In the patients that received 2.0 mg OPT-302 combination therapy, visual acuity improved at week 24 from baseline by a mean of +14.2 letters compared to +10.8 letters for those treated with ranibizumab monotherapy, a statistically significant benefit of +3.4 letters. Patients that received 2.0 mg OPT-302 combination therapy also demonstrated improvements in retinal anatomy which were consistent with the visual acuity gains observed in the trial, including reductions in retinal fluid and lesion size by week 24. In a pre-specified subgroup analysis, greater activity of OPT-302 was observed in lesion types that are considered more difficult to treat with anti-VEGF-A therapy. Our clinical experience to date, which includes administration of over 1,800 doses of OPT-302 to 399 patients with retinal disease, indicates that OPT-302 intravitreal injections are well tolerated, with the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events, or TEAEs, comparable to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy in our clinical trials.

 

We are planning to initiate two concurrent pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of wet AMD. These double-masked, sham-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials will enroll treatment-naive patients and assess the efficacy and safety of 2.0 mg of OPT-302 in combination with ranibizumab (Lucentis) (referred to as the ShORe trial) or aflibercept (Eylea) (referred to as the COAST trial), compared to ranibizumab or aflibercept monotherapy in each respective trial. In addition, to understand the durability of OPT-302 treatment effect with less frequent dosing, each trial will compare the clinical efficacy of OPT-302 administered in combination with the applicable VEGF-A inhibitor on an every four-week and every eight-week dosing regimen. For consistency, the ShORe and COAST Phase 3 trials build upon and maintain key features of our Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, while evaluating the administration of OPT-302 combination therapy over a longer treatment period and in a greater number of patients. The primary endpoint of both trials will be the mean change in visual acuity from baseline at week 52. Patients will continue to be dosed until week 96 to further assess long-term safety at week 100. We expect to initiate the trials in the first half of 2021 and to report topline data in 2023. If the results at the completion of the primary efficacy phase at week 52 of the Phase 3 clinical trials are favorable, we intend to file for marketing approval for OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD in the United States, European Union and other territories.

 

In addition to our planned pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, we plan to develop a co-formulation of OPT-302 with an approved and/or biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy designed to achieve VEGF-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D inhibition following the administration of a single intravitreal injection of the co-formulated product. OPT-302 is

 

99


Table of Contents

currently administered as a combination therapy consisting of a sequential injection of OPT-302 following intravitreal administration of a VEGF-A inhibitor. We believe that a co-formulated OPT-302 and VEGF-A inhibitor product could provide flexibility of treatment options for physicians and reduce the frequency and number of injections for patients. We expect to file an investigative new drug application, or IND, for the co-formulated product in the second half of 2021 and subsequently investigate the co-formulated product in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of wet AMD.

 

We are also investigating the therapeutic potential of OPT-302 for DME. DME is a progressive eye disease and a complication of diabetic retinopathy, or DR, a condition caused by chronically elevated glucose levels in diabetics that damages the retina. DME can cause blurred vision, severe vision loss and blindness. Wet AMD and DME share a similar underlying pathophysiology, including retinal neovascularization and increased vascular permeability, and as a result, VEGF-A inhibitors are also considered the standard of care treatment for DME. Based on its mechanism of action and clinical results to date, we believe that OPT-302 also has the potential to deliver therapeutic benefit in DME patients. In our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept in patients with treatment-refractory DME, we observed evidence of improved clinical outcomes following OPT-302 combination therapy in this indication.

 

We also believe that our novel treatment mechanism has the potential to provide therapeutic benefit for other progressive retinal diseases beyond wet AMD and DME. We may further investigate the efficacy of OPT-302 to improve clinical outcomes in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, or PCV, a form of wet AMD that is highly prevalent in Asian populations and less responsive to anti-VEGF-A therapy than other wet AMD subtypes. Beyond wet AMD and DME, we may explore applications of OPT-302 in other retinal diseases in which a VEGF-C or VEGF-D inhibitor could have therapeutic potential, such as retinal vein occlusion, or RVO.

 

Our Company

 

We are a public company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. We have assembled a team of experts with deep scientific, clinical and business expertise in biotechnology and specifically in neovascular disease. Megan Baldwin, Ph.D., our Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, has over 20 years of research and development and biopharmaceutical industry experience on neovascularization and therapeutic strategies in ophthalmic indications and cancer. Prior to joining our company, she was a postdoctoral research fellow and an associate market planning manager at Genentech, where she conducted angiogenesis research before joining the anti-angiogenic therapy commercial group. Mike Tonroe, our Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary, was previously Chief Financial Officer of the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne and has over 20 years of experience in financial management, including as Chief Financial Officer to other companies as well as board-level positions for private and listed companies in Australia, United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. We believe that the breadth of experience and successful track record of our senior management, combined with our established relationships with leaders in the industry and medical community, provide us with unique insights into biologic drug development for the treatment of neovascular disease.

 

Our Strategy

 

Our goal is to become a leader in developing and commercializing therapeutics for the treatment of retinal diseases. The key elements of our strategy are to:

 

   

Advance OPT-302 through two concurrent Phase 3 trials for the treatment of wet AMD.    Based on the positive results of our Phase 2b trial in wet AMD, we plan to initiate two concurrent pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in treatment-naive patients with wet AMD to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy. We expect to initiate these trials in the first half of 2021 with top-line results in 2023. If these results are favorable, we plan to file for marketing approval for OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD in the United States, European Union and other territories.

 

   

Optimize OPT-302 administration and develop a co-formulation to reduce injection burden for patients and provide treatment flexibility.    Currently, OPT-302 is administered as an injection

 

100


Table of Contents
 

following intravitreal administration of a VEGF-A inhibitor. We plan to investigate the efficacy and durability of less frequent administration of OPT-302 in clinical trials based on OPT-302’s pharmacokinetic profile, structural similarity to aflibercept and potential for improved and prolonged clinical efficacy over time. In addition, we plan to develop a co-formulation of OPT-302 with an approved and/or biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy to provide flexibility of treatment options for physicians and to reduce the frequency and number of injections for patients.

 

   

Expand clinical development of OPT-302 in wet AMD, DME and other retinal diseases.    Due to similarities in the underlying pathophysiology, we anticipate that OPT-302 in combination with VEGF-A inhibitors may provide therapeutic benefit to patients with other neovascular ophthalmic diseases, such as DME. We reported positive data from a Phase 1b/2a trial of OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept for the treatment of DME, and we plan to continue further development in this indication. We also continue to explore the potential benefit of OPT-302 in PCV and other ocular diseases, such as RVO and DR, in which there is a strong scientific and clinical rationale.

 

   

Maximize the commercial potential of OPT-302.    We retain worldwide rights for the development and commercialization of OPT-302. If OPT-302 receives marketing approval in the United States and European Union for wet AMD or any other retinal indications we are pursuing, we intend to establish our own commercial organization in these key territories. We may also enter into collaborations where we believe there is an opportunity to accelerate the development and commercialization of OPT-302 in select territories.

 

Our Pipeline

 

The following table summarizes the stage of clinical development and status of our product candidate, OPT-302.

 

LOGO

 

VEGFs in Ocular Diseases

 

Multiple ophthalmic diseases and conditions, including wet AMD and DME, involve aberrant blood vessel formation and growth, as well as vascular permeability and resulting leakage that contributes to disease

 

101


Table of Contents

progression. In wet AMD, lesions consist of newly formed blood vessels that are typically fragile and leak, leading to the accumulation of fluid in the retinal tissue at the back of the eye. As shown in the figure below, if left untreated, this fluid can cause retinal swelling that disrupts the local architecture and function of sensory cells and neurons in the eye, resulting in vision loss. In patients with DME, high blood glucose levels drive physiological changes resulting in vascular permeability that also result in fluid accumulation, or edema, in the macula, the central region of the retina, and loss of visual acuity.

 

Neovascularization and Vascular Permeability are Key Hallmarks of a Number of Retinal Diseases, Leading to Lesion Formation, Edema and Distortion of the Retina Photoreceptor Layer Causing Loss of Vision

 

LOGO

 

Neovascularization and vascular permeability associated with retinal disease progression are driven by a family of related growth factors known as VEGFs. Members of the VEGF family, including VEGF-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D, exert their activity by binding and activating VEGF receptors referred to as VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3. Receptor activation triggers signaling pathways that lead to the development of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis, as well as vascular permeability.

 

102


Table of Contents

Members of the VEGF Family of Growth Factors Have Overlapping but Distinct Specificities for VEGFRs

 

LOGO

 

*   Lymphangiogenesis refers to the proliferation of lymphatic vessels from pre-existing lymphatic vessels.

 

VEGF-A

 

VEGF-A is the most well-characterized member of the VEGF family of growth factors and was the first to be targeted for therapeutic intervention. VEGF-A is a potent growth factor and its relevance in ophthalmic neovascularization has been well-established. Overexpression of VEGF-A in animal models has shown VEGF-A to be a causal factor in the development of neovascularization and vascular permeability, which are key hallmarks in the progression of wet AMD. In wet AMD patients, VEGF-A levels are shown to be elevated in the aqueous humor fluid of the eye. VEGF-A binds to VEGFR-1, which acts to regulate VEGF-A activity, and VEGFR-2, which is a key driver of neovascularization and vascular permeability. Several inhibitors of VEGF-A have been approved to treat a number of neovascular ocular diseases. The two leading ocular VEGF-A inhibitors by revenue, ranibizumab and aflibercept, had combined annual worldwide sales of over US$11.9 billion in 2019.

 

VEGF-C and VEGF-D

 

VEGF-C and VEGF-D contribute to the development and persistence of neovascular diseases, as evidenced by their elevated levels in multiple pathological conditions. Both VEGF-C and VEGF-D can stimulate neovascularization and VEGF-C can induce permeability by binding to VEGFR-2, independent of VEGF-A activity. Additionally, VEGF-C and VEGF-D bind to VEGFR-3, a receptor that is not activated by VEGF-A, which confers biological activities to both VEGF-C and VEGF-D that are distinct from those of VEGF-A. Activation of VEGFR-3 can stimulate vascular proliferation and modulate vascular permeability, vascular leakage and edema formation. The receptor binding profiles and the distinct biological activities of VEGF-C and VEGF-D suggest that inhibiting VEGF-C and VEGF-D may have therapeutic potential in ocular diseases by acting independently of, and in tandem with, the activity of VEGF-A inhibitors. There are currently no other therapies either approved or in clinical development that are designed to specifically target VEGF-C or VEGF-D.

 

103


Table of Contents

Resistance to VEGF-A Therapies May be Driven by VEGF-C and VEGF-D

 

Standard of care treatments for wet AMD and DME inhibit VEGF-A activation of its receptors that are typically expressed on vascular endothelium. This can lead to inhibition of blood vessel growth and leakage which can stabilize disease and improve clinical outcomes, including visual acuity, in patients with retinal eye conditions. However, not all patients fully respond to VEGF-A inhibition. A substantial proportion of patients with wet AMD and DME have further opportunity for visual acuity gain and/or a need for resolution of persistent retinal fluid following anti-VEGF-A treatment. Furthermore, gains in visual acuity are often not sustained over the long term, even when anti-VEGF-A therapies are administered regularly. This resistance may occur as anti-VEGF-A monotherapies do not fully address the multifactorial pathogenesis of wet AMD and DME, including having no activity to block VEGF-C and VEGF-D.

 

VEGF-C and VEGF-D are implicated in the development of resistance to clinical use of anti-VEGF-A therapies. Levels of VEGF-C and/or VEGF-D have been observed to be upregulated in response to anti-VEGF-A therapies, most notably in patients with wet AMD. In a study conducted by third-party researchers in wet AMD patients, a 66% increase in the level of VEGF-C in the aqueous humor fluid in eyes was observed following two monthly doses of the VEGF-A inhibitor, bevacizumab (Avastin). This is illustrated in the figure below.

 

VEGF-C Levels are Increased in Aqueous Fluid of the Eye in Wet AMD Patients Treated with Monthly Intravitreal Bevacizumab

 

LOGO

 

Study conducted by Cabral et al. (2018)

 

Upregulation of VEGF-C and VEGF-D can continue to drive signaling through VEGFR-2, even in the presence of a VEGF-A inhibitor, as well as signal through VEGFR-3, both of which may contribute to ongoing angiogenesis and vascular permeability associated with persistent wet AMD. VEGF-C and VEGF-D mediated activation of VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3, as well as their compensatory elevation following VEGF-A inhibition, may contribute to sub-optimal clinical response to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. We believe OPT-302 in combination with a VEGF-A inhibitor can address a key mechanism of clinical sub-responsiveness to standard of care treatments for serious retinal eye diseases by broad blockade of the VEGF family of growth factors which is not achieved by anti-VEGF-A monotherapies.

 

OPT-302

 

We are developing our Phase 3-ready product candidate, OPT-302, a biologic designed to inhibit VEGF-C and VEGF-D, to complement existing VEGF-A inhibitors, for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases, including wet AMD and DME. Anti-VEGF-A therapies represent the standard of care for wet AMD and other retinal

 

104


Table of Contents

diseases. However, there remains a significant unmet need as many patients do not adequately respond to these treatments. As the only biologic inhibitor of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in clinical development, OPT-302 differs from standard of care VEGF-A inhibitors, and in combination with a VEGF-A inhibitor, is designed to address the sub-optimal clinical responses of anti-VEGF-A monotherapies by achieving broader inhibition of the VEGF family to improve visual acuity over standard of care anti-VEGF-A monotherapies.

 

In 2019, we completed a 366-patient Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with ranibizumab for the treatment of wet AMD, which met the primary endpoint of a statistically significant superior mean gain in visual acuity over ranibizumab monotherapy at week 24. We intend to initiate two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in treatment-naive patients with wet AMD to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy compared to a standard of care monotherapy. We intend to initiate two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in treatment-naive patients with wet AMD to evaluate the efficacy and safety of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy compared to anti-VEGF-A monotherapy in the first half of 2021. We expect to report topline data from these Phase 3 clinical trials in 2023. In addition, in our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept for the treatment of persistent DME, we observed evidence of clinical activity and improvements in visual acuity outcomes compared to aflibercept monotherapy. OPT-302 was observed to be well tolerated across Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical studies in two disease indications following intravitreal administration of over 1,800 doses of OPT-302 to 399 patients either as monotherapy or in combination with standard of care VEGF-A inhibitors.

 

OPT-302 Mechanism of Action

 

We have designed OPT-302 to function as a ligand trap, capable of binding and sequestering VEGF-C and VEGF-D, thereby preventing these growth factors from activating VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3. OPT-302 is comprised of the first three extracellular domains of human VEGFR-3, fused to the Fc domain, or the constant fragment of human immunoglobulin G1, or IgG1, as illustrated in the figure below. VEGF-C and VEGF-D function independent of, but in parallel with, VEGF-A to drive neovascularization and vascular leakage, key hallmarks of both wet AMD and DME. In addition, treatment with VEGF-A inhibitors leads to upregulation of VEGF-C and VEGF-D to compensate for VEGF-A inhibition, which may represent an important mechanism of clinical resistance to VEGF-A monotherapy.

 

Structure of OPT-302

 

LOGO

 

Ligand trap therapeutics that include the receptor-binding domains for other ligands have been approved for a number of indications. One such agent is aflibercept, marketed as Eylea, a ligand trap consisting of extracellular domains of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, which primarily mediates its activity by binding and inhibiting VEGF-A. Aflibercept has marketing approval for the treatment of wet AMD, DME, macular edema

 

105


Table of Contents

secondary to RVO and DR. In rabbits, OPT-302 has been shown to have a comparable ocular biodistribution and intravitreal pharmacokinetic profile as aflibercept, with low systemic exposure.

 

Wet AMD

 

AMD is a chronic, progressive disease of the macula, a part of the retina containing the greatest concentration of light-sensing cells responsible for detailed, high visual acuity and central vision. The development of AMD is strongly associated with age, affecting up to 40% of individuals over the age of 75. There are two forms of AMD, dry AMD and wet AMD. Dry AMD is the most common form, representing approximately 85% to 90% of all AMD cases. However, dry AMD can develop into wet AMD, and wet AMD accounts for 90% of the severe vision loss associated with the disease.

 

Wet AMD is a rapidly progressing disease with loss of central vision developing over a period of weeks to months, and is the leading cause of vision loss for individuals over the age of 50. The most common symptoms of wet AMD are loss of central vision, distortion of objects or blurred vision. Peripheral vision usually remains intact. The disease typically affects patients initially in one eye, with a high likelihood of it occurring in the second eye over time. If left untreated, wet AMD can lead to rapid loss of visual acuity and blindness, adversely impacting the patient’s ability to conduct daily activities, such as driving and reading.

 

Wet AMD occurs when new blood vessels in the choroid, or the vascular layer in the eye just under the retina, intrude into the retinal layers and leak fluid. The formation of these new blood vessels is referred to as CNV. These newly formed vessels are highly permeable, which can lead to fluid accumulation and adversely affect sensory cells in the retina.

 

Wet AMD can be classified as occult or classic, based on the neovascular pattern within lesions. In occult lesions, all of the blood vessels are below the retinal pigment epithelium, or RPE, and the areas on angiograms have a stippled appearance. Classic lesions, by contrast, appear as well-demarcated areas on angiograms due to neovascular blood vessels being located above the RPE. Classic lesions are further subdivided into predominantly classic if 50% or more of the blood vessels are above the RPE, and minimally classic, if greater than 0% and less than 50% of the blood vessels are above the RPE. Classic-containing lesions tend to be the most responsive to anti-VEGF-A therapies.

 

Classifications of Wet AMD Based on Neovascular Lesion Pattern

 

LOGO

 

There is a further sub-type of wet AMD lesion referred to as retinal angiomatous proliferation, or RAP. RAP lesions are a type of CNV in which neovascularization in the retina protrudes into the sub-retinal space and connects to the choroidal circulation. Between 10% and 21% of wet AMD patients have RAP lesions which are more commonly found in older Caucasian patients. Although there are no therapies specifically approved to treat RAP lesions, patients are typically treated with VEGF-A inhibitors.

 

106


Table of Contents

PCV is a further sub-type of wet AMD. PCV is an abnormality of inner choroidal vessels that causes dilations in the blood vessels in the retina that resemble polyps, known as polypoidal protrusions. PCV typically does not respond well to VEGF-A inhibitor therapies and many patients are diagnosed with PCV only after they fail to respond to these therapies. There is a high prevalence of PCV in Asian countries, with between 23% and 54% of patients with presumed cases of wet AMD in Japan having PCV. Prevalence rates of between 4% and 10% have been reported in Caucasian patients with presumed cases of wet AMD.

 

Current Treatments for Wet AMD and Their Limitations

 

There are four VEGF-A inhibitors approved by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for the treatment of wet AMD, all of which are administered by regular intravitreal injections as monotherapy. These VEGF-A inhibitors include: the VEGF-A specific antibody ranibizumab, the antibody fragment brolucizumab (Beovu) and the VEGFR-based ligand trap aflibercept. The VEGF-A antibody, bevacizumab, an FDA approved therapy for colorectal and other cancers, is also used off-label by many physicians to treat wet AMD, comprising approximately 46% of anti-VEGF-A injections administered globally. In addition, pegaptanib sodium (Macugen) is an aptamer or antibody-like RNA construct that inhibits VEGF-A but is now infrequently administered following the approval of biologic VEGF-A inhibitors. Recent clinical development has focused on maintaining vision gains with a VEGF-A inhibitor whilst reducing the number of injections.

 

VEGF-A inhibitors stabilize loss vision in over 90% of wet AMD patients. However, the effectiveness of these therapies in many patients is limited. Improvements of ³15 letters of visual acuity typically occur in less than 40% of treated patients. In addition, despite regular treatment with a VEGF-A inhibitor, many patients have insufficient gains in visual acuity to resume routine daily activities such as driving and reading. Chronic vision loss can also occur despite ongoing treatment with an anti-VEGF-A inhibitor. Retrospective and prospective analyses of patients treated with VEGF-A inhibitor therapies for five years have found that, after initial gains in visual function following one year of treatment, many patients then had a gradual decline in visual acuity in subsequent years, resulting in the eventual reversal of the majority of gains. In addition, in clinical settings, up to two-thirds of patients treated with VEGF-A inhibitor therapies continue to have retinal fluid following treatment and approximately 25% experience further vision loss 12 months following treatment. Treatment options are limited for patients who do not respond adequately or experience visual decline despite ongoing therapy with standard of care VEGF-A inhibitors, and typically involve switching treatment from one anti-VEGF-A monotherapy to another with minimal additional visual benefit achieved.

 

Market Opportunity for the Treatment of Wet AMD

 

Wet AMD affects approximately 1 million people in the United States and 2.5 million in Europe. As the risk of developing wet AMD increases with age, it is predicted that the overall aging of the population will result in a significant increase in the number of wet AMD cases, both in the United States and worldwide. Many wet AMD patients also experience suboptimal clinical responses despite receiving one or both of the leading standard of care treatments ranibizumab and aflibercept, which had combined annual worldwide sales of over US$11.9 billion in 2019. In addition, nearly half of wet AMD patients are treated with off-label bevacizumab as a lower cost alternative anti-VEGF-A therapy. As a result, we believe there is a significant and expanding market opportunity for novel therapies that can improve vision in patients with wet AMD, which has the potential to lead to sales greater than the combined annual sales of ranibizumab and aflibercept.

 

We believe that OPT-302, used in combination with standard of care VEGF-A inhibitors, can address the significant unmet need for wet AMD patients by providing improved outcomes over that which can be achieved by inhibiting VEGF-A alone.

 

Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial Results in Wet AMD

 

In 2017, we completed a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of OPT-302 in wet AMD patients under an investigational new drug, or IND, application accepted by the FDA in 2015. The trial was divided into two parts. Part 1 was a Phase 1 first-in-human 20-patient dose-escalation study in which OPT-302 was administered at three escalating

 

107


Table of Contents

doses (0.3 mg, 1.0 mg or 2.0 mg), either in combination with 0.5 mg ranibizumab or alone as a 2.0 mg monotherapy, once every four weeks for a total of three doses, with a follow-up visit at week 12. Part 2 was a Phase 2a 31-patient dose-expansion trial in which 2.0 mg OPT-302 was administered in combination with ranibizumab or as a monotherapy once every four weeks for a total of three doses, with a follow-up visit at week 12. Of the 51 patients dosed, 49% were treatment naive and 51% were previously treated with anti-VEGF-A therapy. The previously-treated patients had received an average of 17 prior treatments, equating to prior treatment over an average of 1.3 years, of an intravitreal VEGF-A inhibitor prior to enrolling in the trial. The Phase 1/2a trial was conducted at 14 trial sites in the United States.

 

OPT-302 was well tolerated up to the highest dose tested both in combination with ranibizumab and as a monotherapy. No dose-limiting toxicities, or DLTs, were observed and the maximum tolerated dose, or MTD, was not reached. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events, or SAEs. The most common TEAEs were conjunctival hemorrhage, eye pain and corneal inflammation mainly related to the intravitreal injection procedure. TEAEs did not lead to permanent discontinuation of the study for any patient. The pharmacokinetic profile of OPT-302 was similar in the absence or presence of ranibizumab, and there was no evidence of OPT-302 immunogenicity in this clinical trial.

 

Although the focus of this trial was safety, we also observed preliminary signals of clinical benefit. Improvements in visual acuity were observed in treatment-naive patients as well as patients previously treated with anti-VEGF-A therapy, as measured by the number of letters that could be read on a standard eye chart following OPT-302 monotherapy and OPT-302 combination therapy. As illustrated in the figure below, after 12 weeks, in patients across all dose groups, the mean change in visual acuity from baseline increased by +10.8 letters in treatment-naive patients and +4.9 letters in previously treated patients who received OPT-302 combination therapy.

 

Mean Change in Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 12 in Treatment-Naive and Previously-Treated Wet AMD Patients Administered OPT-302 in Combination with Ranibizumab

 

LOGO

 

In addition, improvements in visual acuity following treatment with OPT-302 combination therapy were consistent with anatomical outcomes, such as reductions in intraretinal and subretinal fluid. Retinal thickness, which is assessed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography, or SD-OCT, using a standard criterion called central subfield thickness, or CST, was also reduced following OPT-302 combination therapy.

 

108


Table of Contents

Phase 2b Clinical Trial Results in Wet AMD

 

Based on the positive results of the Phase 1/2a trial, we completed an international, multi-center, double-masked Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with ranibizumab in a total of 366 treatment-naive patients in August 2019. As illustrated in the figure below, patients were randomized into three groups to receive either 0.5 mg or 2.0 mg OPT-302 with 0.5 mg ranibizumab or ranibizumab monotherapy, which included a sham injection. A sham intravitreal injection involves pressing a syringe hub against the surface of the eye to mimic an intravitreal injection so that the patient remains masked to the treatment group to which they have been randomized. Administration was by intravitreal injection once every four weeks for 20 weeks (six treatments in total). The primary endpoint of the clinical trial was the mean change in BCVA from baseline on the ETDRS standardized eye chart at week 24. Secondary outcome measures included the proportion of patients gaining ³15 letters in BCVA, changes in retinal thickness, change in intraretinal and subretinal fluid and proportion of patients losing ³15 letters in BCVA.

 

Design of the Phase 2b Clinical Trial of OPT-302 with Ranibizumab in Wet AMD

 

LOGO

 

109


Table of Contents

As illustrated in the figure below, 366 treatment-naive patients were randomized 1:1:1 to each of the three treatment groups. We used data from the 362 patients who had a baseline assessment of their visual acuity and completed at least one post-dose visit as the modified intent to treat population, or mITT, in all analyses. Key inclusion criteria for patients in the trial included CNV classified as either occult, minimally classic or predominantly classic, and BCVA on the ETDRS standardized eye chart of ³25 and £60 letters. The Phase 2b trial was conducted at 109 trial sites in the United States, Europe, Israel and the United Kingdom.

 

Patient Distribution in the Phase 2b Clinical Trial in Wet AMD

 

LOGO

 

Q4W refers to administration every four weeks. IVT refers to administration by intravitreal injection.

 

In presentations of statistical results in this prospectus, a p-value is a measure of statistical significance of the observed results, or the probability that the observed results were achieved purely by chance. By convention, a p-value of 0.05 or lower is commonly considered statistically significant. The FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities utilize the reported statistical measures when evaluating the results of a clinical trial, including statistical significance as measured by p-value, to evaluate the reported evidence of a drug product’s safety and efficacy.

 

Improvements in Visual Acuity

 

The Phase 2b clinical trial met the primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant superior mean gain in visual acuity at week 24 compared to baseline in the 2.0 mg OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group. The figure below illustrates patients in the 2.0 mg OPT-302 combination therapy group had a mean visual acuity improvement of +14.22 letters relative to baseline, compared to +10.84 letters for those treated with ranibizumab monotherapy at week 24 (p=0.0107). This represents a statistically significant benefit of +3.4 letters and a greater than 30% relative improvement in vision outcomes in the OPT-302 combination group compared to ranibizumab monotherapy. Evidence of improved visual acuity was observed beginning as early as week 8 and continued throughout the course of the trial to week 24. Mean visual acuity in the lower dose 0.5 mg OPT-302 combination therapy group was not significantly

 

110


Table of Contents

different from the ranibizumab monotherapy group. However, evidence of a dose response was observed between the 2.0 mg and 0.5 mg OPT-302 combination therapy groups on several anatomical outcomes, such as retinal thickness and the proportion of patients with intraretinal and subretinal fluid at week 24.

 

Mean Change in Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 24 in Treatment-Naive Wet AMD Patients Administered Ranibizumab Monotherapy or OPT-302 Combination Therapy

 

LOGO

 

Error bars shown in all figures represent the SEM, or the standard error of the mean.

 

111


Table of Contents

Secondary outcome measurements from the trial were also supportive of the primary endpoint. As illustrated in the figure below, we observed a greater proportion of patients gaining ³15, ³10 and ³5 letters in the 2.0 mg OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group. In addition, the proportion of patients losing ³15, ³10 and ³5 letters was lower in the 2.0 mg OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group. The Phase 2b trial was not designed for statistical significance on secondary and exploratory endpoints and was not powered to detect statistically significant differences in secondary outcome measurements.

 

Greater Proportion of Patients Gaining, and Fewer Patients Losing, ³15, ³10 and ³5 Letters with OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

112


Table of Contents

Reductions in Retinal Thickness and Fluid

 

In addition to the statistically significant improvement in visual acuity, treatment with OPT-302 combination therapy led to greater reductions in retinal thickness. The reductions in retinal thickness in patients is consistent with less fluid accumulation in the retina and reduced disease severity as increased fluid accumulation in the retina is associated with the loss of visual acuity in wet AMD patients. The figure below depicts the greater mean reduction in retinal thickness in the OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group at week 24.

 

Greater Reduction in Retinal Thickness from Baseline to Week 24 following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

113


Table of Contents

Fewer patients in the OPT-302 combination therapy group had subretinal fluid and intraretinal fluid present compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group. The presence of subretinal fluid is a hallmark of wet AMD and its resolution is referred to as “drying” of the retina while intraretinal fluid is a prognostic biomarker for poor visual acuity and sub-optimal response to anti-VEGF-A therapies. As illustrated in the figure below, there were approximately 10% fewer patients with subretinal fluid and 5% fewer patients with intraretinal fluid following administration of OPT-302 combination therapy compared to ranibizumab monotherapy.

 

Fewer Patients with Subretinal and Intraretinal Fluid Present at Week 24 Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

114


Table of Contents

Greater improvements in anatomical indicators of disease severity, including on exploratory endpoints of mean reduction in total lesion area and CNV area, were observed in the OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to ranibizumab monotherapy. As illustrated in the figure below, the patients treated with OPT-302 combination therapy had an approximately 39% further reduction in both total lesion area and CNV area compared to ranibizumab monotherapy.

 

Greater Reduction in Total Lesion Area and CNV Area from Baseline to Week 24 following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

Improved Therapeutic Outcomes in Wet AMD Lesion Subtypes

 

A number of pre-specified subgroup and exploratory analyses were incorporated into the Phase 2b trial design in order to identify those wet AMD patients who may respond best to OPT-302. The Phase 2b trial randomized patients with a broad range of lesion morphologies including occult, minimally classic and predominantly classic lesions. In addition, the Phase 2b trial investigated efficacy in post-hoc analyses in other wet AMD subtypes, including PCV and RAP. This trial was not designed for statistical significance on these subgroup and exploratory analyses and was not powered to detect statistically significant differences in related measurements.

 

115


Table of Contents

Patients enrolled in our Phase 2b trial consisted of 44% occult, 43% minimally classic and 13% predominantly classic lesion types, which is similar to the distribution reported in treatment-naive wet AMD patients. Predominantly classic patients typically respond well to VEGF-A inhibitor therapy and an additive benefit of OPT-302 combination therapy could not be discerned in this small patient group of only 15 patients per treatment arm. The majority of patients randomized in the Phase 2b trial had occult or minimally classic lesions. These patients did not respond as well to ranibizumab monotherapy as those with predominantly classic lesions. Patients with occult and minimally classic lesions treated with OPT-302 combination therapy experienced improvement in visual acuity beginning at week 8 and persisting through week 24 compared to ranibizumab monotherapy. The figure below illustrates the mean change in visual acuity over 24 weeks in each of the lesion classifications treated with OPT-302 combination therapy compared to ranibizumab monotherapy.

 

Mean Change in Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 24 in Wet AMD Lesion Types Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

In a post-hoc analysis, in the occult lesion subgroup, the mean visual acuity gain from baseline to week 24 in the OPT-302 combination therapy group was +16.2 letters (n=53), compared to +10.2 letters in the ranibizumab monotherapy group (n=51), a benefit of +6.0 letters. In addition, in the minimally classic subgroup, the mean visual acuity gain from baseline to week 24 in the OPT-302 combination therapy group was +13.7 letters (n=53), compared to +11.1 letters in the ranibizumab monotherapy group (n=53), a benefit of +2.7 letters.

 

116


Table of Contents

Gains in Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 24 in Patients with Occult and Minimally Classic Lesions Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

In particular, in the occult lesion subgroup, we observed a greater proportion of patients gaining ³15 and

³10 letters in the OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group

(approximately 22% and 19% over ranibizumab monotherapy, respectively). In the minimally classic subgroup,

we observed a greater proportion of patients (approximately 10% over ranibizumab monotherapy) gaining ³10 letters in the OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group.

 

In patients with occult lesions, treatment with OPT-302 combination therapy also led to a greater mean reduction in retinal thickness of -134.6 µm from baseline compared to -103.5 µm for ranibizumab monotherapy. OPT-302 combination therapy did not have greater clinical benefit in the reduction of retinal thickness in minimally classic lesions, compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group.

 

In patients with occult lesions, approximately 13% and 12% fewer patients in the OPT-302 combination group had subretinal fluid and intraretinal fluid, respectively, as compared to ranibizumab monotherapy at week 24. In patients with minimally classic lesions, approximately 2% fewer patients treated with OPT-302 combination therapy had subretinal fluid and intraretinal fluid compared to patients treated with ranibizumab monotherapy at week 24.

 

117


Table of Contents

As shown in the figures below, by week 24, patients with occult and minimally classic lesions also had greater reductions in both wet AMD total lesion area and CNV area following OPT-302 combination therapy compared to patients receiving ranibizumab monotherapy.

 

Greater Reduction in Total Lesion Area from Baseline to Week 24 in Patients with Occult and Minimally Classic Lesions Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

Greater Reduction in CNV Area from Baseline to Week 24 in Patients with Occult and Minimally Classic Lesions Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

OPT-302 combination therapy improved visual acuity to the greatest extent in occult lesions compared to minimally classic or predominantly classic lesions, in each case compared to ranibizumab monotherapy. While these results were generated in treatment-naive wet AMD patients, classification of lesions following treatment with either OPT-302 combination therapy or ranibizumab monotherapy suggests that virtually all lesions shifted

 

118


Table of Contents

toward an occult morphology. This suggests that OPT-302 combination therapy also has the potential to provide benefit to patients who have been previously treated with anti-VEGF-A monotherapy, given the predominantly occult morphology of their lesions following treatment.

 

RAP and PCV Lesion Subtypes

 

In our Phase 2b clinical trial, over 85% of patients enrolled did not have RAP lesions detected at randomization and these patients responded better to OPT-302 than patients with RAP lesions. In patients without RAP lesions, the mean visual acuity gain from baseline to week 24 was +15.0 letters (n=103) with OPT-302 combination therapy, compared to +10.6 letters for those treated with ranibizumab monotherapy (n=102), a benefit of +4.4 letters.

 

Mean Change in Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 24 in Patients Without RAP Lesions Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

In patients without RAP lesions who had occult or minimally classic lesions, representing the majority of wet AMD patients, the mean visual acuity gain from baseline to week 24 was +16.1 letters with OPT-302 combination therapy (n=88) compared to +10.3 letters for those treated with ranibizumab monotherapy (n=87), a benefit of +5.7 letters. This represents the patient population for which the primary analysis of the primary endpoint of the planned Phase 3 trials of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD will be first conducted, followed by analysis of the total patient population and the every-eight week dosing groups.

 

119


Table of Contents

Mean Change in Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 24 in the combined group of RAP Absent Occult and Minimally Classic Lesions Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

Patients with RAP absent occult lesions demonstrated a mean visual acuity gain at week 24 of +16.8 letters with OPT-302 combination therapy (n=49) compared to +10.2 letters for those treated with ranibizumab monotherapy (n=47), a gain of +6.5 letters. Patients with RAP absent minimally classic lesions demonstrated a mean visual acuity gain at week 24 of +14.9 letters with OPT-302 combination therapy (n=39) compared to +10.0 letters for those treated with ranibizumab monotherapy (n=40), a gain of +4.7 letters.

 

Mean Change in Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 24 in RAP Absent Occult and Minimally Classic Lesions Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Ranibizumab Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

120


Table of Contents

Improved Therapeutic Outcomes of OPT-302 in PCV Lesions

 

In patients with PCV lesions, the mean visual acuity gain from baseline to week 24 in the OPT-302 combination therapy group was +13.5 letters (n=22), compared to +6.9 letters in the ranibizumab monotherapy group (n=20). This equates to a benefit of +6.7 letters and is almost a two-fold improvement in visual acuity gain observed from baseline following OPT-302 combination therapy. Ranibizumab monotherapy was not observed to be as effective in patients with PCV compared to other wet AMD subtypes.

 

Safety and Tolerability

 

OPT-302 was well tolerated in this Phase 2b trial with a very low incidence of ocular inflammation and no safety issues identified with addition of OPT-302 to ranibizumab intravitreal therapy. The incidence of ocular TEAEs was similar in OPT-302 combination groups compared to the ranibizumab monotherapy group. TEAEs were considered potentially treatment related in approximately 15% of patients. The most common treatment-related TEAEs were eye pain, vitreous floaters, eye irritation and raised intraocular pressure. One patient discontinued from the trial due to a TEAE, which was not considered treatment related. Three patients treated with OPT-302 combination therapy had potentially treatment-related SAEs: one case each of vitritis, endophthalmitis and myocardial infarction.

 

Planned Pivotal Phase 3 Clinical Trials in Wet AMD

 

We are planning to initiate two concurrent pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of wet AMD. These double-masked, sham-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials will enroll treatment-naive patients and assess the efficacy and safety of 2.0 mg of OPT-302 in combination with anti-VEGF-A therapy for treatment-naive patients with wet AMD compared to a standard of care anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. In addition, to understand the durability of OPT-302 treatment effect with less frequent dosing, each trial will compare the clinical efficacy of OPT-302 administered in combination with the applicable VEGF-A inhibitor on an every 4-week and every 8-week dosing regimen. The primary endpoint of both trials will be the mean change in visual acuity from baseline at week 52. Patients will continue to be dosed until week 96 to further assess long-term safety at week 100. We expect to initiate the trials in the first half of 2021 and to report topline data in 2023. If the results at the completion of the primary efficacy phase at week 52 of the Phase 3 clinical trials are favorable, we intend to file for marketing approval for OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD in the United States, European Union and certain other territories.

 

121


Table of Contents

Study of OPT-302 in Combination with Ranibizumab (ShORe) Phase 3 Trial

 

In the Study of OPT-302 in combination with Ranibizumab, or ShORe, Phase 3 trial, treatment-naive patients with wet AMD will be randomized to one of three treatment groups. Patients randomized to the standard dosing arm will receive standard of care 0.5 mg ranibizumab every four weeks in combination with 2.0 mg OPT-302 on a standard every four weeks dosing regimen. In the extended dosing arm, 0.5 mg ranibizumab will be administered every four weeks to week 52, in combination with 2.0 mg OPT-302 administered every four weeks for three total doses over 12 weeks, followed by OPT-302 dosing every eight weeks to week 52, with a sham injection administered at visits where OPT-302 is not administered. Patients randomized to the control arm will receive 0.5 mg ranibizumab administered in combination with sham intravitreal injections administered every four weeks to week 52. The primary and secondary efficacy outcomes will be determined at the end of the efficacy phase at week 52. Each patient will then continue to be treated for an additional year in the safety phase to reach week 100 to evaluate safety and tolerability over a total two-year period.

 

LOGO

 

Combination of OPT-302 with Aflibercept STudy (COAST) Phase 3 Trial

 

In the Combination OPT-302 with Aflibercept STudy, or COAST, Phase 3 trial, treatment-naive wet AMD patients will be randomized to one of three treatment groups. Patients randomized to the standard dosing arm will receive 2.0 mg aflibercept administered every four weeks for three total doses over 12 weeks, followed by aflibercept dosing every eight weeks to week 52, in combination with 2.0 mg OPT-302 administered every four weeks to week 52. In the extended dosing arm, 2.0 mg aflibercept in combination with 2.0 mg OPT-302 will be administered every four weeks for three total doses over 12 weeks, followed by dosing every eight weeks to week 52, with a sham injection administered at visits where OPT-302 and aflibercept are not administered. Patients randomized to the control arm, will receive 2.0 mg aflibercept administered every four weeks for three total doses over 12 weeks, followed by dosing every eight weeks to week 52, in combination with sham intravitreal injections administered every four weeks to week 52. Similar to the ShORe trial, the primary and secondary efficacy outcomes of the COAST trial will be assessed at the end of the efficacy phase at week 52. Each patient will then continue to be treated for an additional year in the safety phase to reach week 100 to evaluate the safety and tolerability over a total two-year period.

 

LOGO

 

122


Table of Contents

For consistency, the ShORe and COAST Phase 3 trials build upon and maintain key features of our Phase 2b clinical trial of OPT-302 combination therapy for the treatment of wet AMD, while evaluating the administration of OPT-302 combination therapy over a longer treatment period and in a greater number of patients. In addition, the results of our Phase 2b clinical trial has informed the design of the Phase 3 trials. Analysis of the Phase 2b trial demonstrated that OPT-302 combination therapy increased visual acuity by a further +5.7 letters over ranibizumab monotherapy in wet AMD patients with minimally classic and occult lesions, representing the majority of wet AMD patients. Based on these positive data, primary analysis of the primary endpoint of the Phase 3 trials will be first conducted in patients with minimally classic and occult lesions administered OPT-302 every four weeks, followed by analysis on the total patient population and the every-eight week dosing groups.

 

Development of Co-Formulation

 

OPT-302 is currently administered as a combination therapy consisting of a sequential injection of OPT-302 following intravitreal administration of a VEGF-A inhibitor. We plan to develop a co-formulation of OPT-302 with an approved and/or biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy to achieve VEGF-A, VEGF-C and VEGF-D inhibition following the administration of a single intravitreal injection of the co-formulated product. We believe that a co-formulated OPT-302 and VEGF-A inhibitor product could provide flexibility of treatment options for physicians and reduce the frequency and number of injections for patients.

 

We are currently assessing opportunities with multiple third parties to in-license and/or generate a biosimilar anti-VEGF-A therapy, which we intend to co-formulate with OPT-302 and advance through non-clinical studies, including IND-enabling safety and tolerability studies. We expect to file an IND for the co-formulated product in the second half of 2021 and subsequently investigate the co-formulated product in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of wet AMD.

 

Diabetic Macular Edema

 

Diabetic macular edema is a complication of DR, a disease affecting the blood vessels of the retina in diabetics. Chronically elevated blood glucose levels, or hyperglycemia, causes damage to the small blood vessels or capillaries in the retina in patients with diabetes. The consequent chronic decrease in oxygen supply to retinal cells results in tissue damage that is referred to as DR. Approximately one-third of patients with DR or up to 10% of diabetics develop DME, which is characterized by accumulation of fluid and retinal thickening within the macula and is responsible for most of the central visual loss experienced in the diabetic population. Central-involved DME is diagnosed when swelling or edema occurs from fluid leaking into the central fovea region of the macula.

 

Current Treatments for DME and Their Limitations

 

VEGF-A inhibitor therapy is the first-line standard of care therapy for DME. Both ranibizumab and aflibercept are approved for the treatment of DME, and similarly to wet AMD, many patients receive bevacizumab as an off-label, lower cost alternative VEGF-A inhibitor therapy. Many patients with central-involved DME require near-monthly administration of intravitreal VEGF-A inhibitors during the first 12 months of treatment, with fewer injections needed in subsequent years to maintain clinical benefit. VEGF-A inhibitors have largely replaced the use of laser photocoagulation as a treatment for DME.

 

The anti-inflammatory corticosteroid therapies dexamethasone (Ozurdex) and fluocinolone acetonide (Illuvian) are also approved for use in central-involved DME. These agents however, are rarely used as first-line therapy due to inferior visual acuity outcomes compared to anti-VEGF-A therapy. Patients with persistent DME and who are insufficiently responsive to anti-VEGF-A therapy have shown some treatment benefit with intravitreal corticosteroids. However, as intravitreal corticosteroids are associated with high rates of ocular adverse events including cataract progression and intraocular pressure elevation, switching to corticosteroids from an anti-VEGF-A therapy with a sub-optimal response needs to be carefully considered.

 

123


Table of Contents

Despite the widespread use of treatments targeting VEGF-A in the management of DME, there is still a significant unmet need as many patients demonstrate a sub-optimal response, remain treatment refractory or require frequent injections for persistent leakage in the macula. Up to two-thirds of patients with central-involved DME treated with VEGF-A inhibitors do not show reductions in the fluid or clinically meaningful improvement in visual acuity. In addition, approximately 25% of DME patients treated with VEGF-A inhibitors continue to have macula thickening and swelling following treatment. This resistance may occur as treatment selective anti-VEGF-A monotherapies do not fully address all of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of DME. As such, combination therapies targeting alternative factors and pathways have the potential for improved clinical outcomes in DME patients.

 

Market Opportunity for the Treatment of DME

 

It is estimated that between 1.3 million and 2.0 million people worldwide, including 14% of Type 1 diabetics and 6% of Type 2 diabetics, have DME . The risk of developing DME increases with time. According to the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy, after 10 years of follow-up, 20% of patients with Type 1 diabetes and 25% of those with Type 2 diabetes will have developed DME. Ranibizumab and aflibercept, two VEGF-A inhibitors approved for the treatment of DME, generated combined annual worldwide sales of over $11.9 billion in 2019. Approximately 22% of these sales are attributable to the treatment of DME.

 

Potential for OPT-302 in DME

 

We believe that as a potent inhibitor of VEGF-C and VEGF-D, OPT-302 has the potential to provide significant therapeutic benefit to patients affected by DME. Although the underlying causes of wet AMD and DME differ, members of the VEGF family play a role in the progression of both diseases. VEGF-C and VEGF-D and their receptors are specifically implicated in the progression of diabetes. For example, patients with diabetes have higher levels of VEGF-C and VEGF-A and increased expression of both VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 in the retina compared to non-diabetics. The VEGF-A inhibitors ranibizumab and aflibercept, originally approved for treatment of wet AMD patients, have also been approved for treatment of DME patients. Similar to wet AMD, bevacizumab is also frequently used off-label as a treatment for DME.

 

In our completed Phase 1b dose escalation clinical trial in patients with persistent DME, we observed promising evidence of a dose response of OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept, including further improvements in visual acuity despite patients’ having been previously treated with anti-VEGF-A therapy. In our completed Phase 2a clinical trial, we observed improved visual acuity outcomes and evidence of a reduction in retinal thickness in treatment-refractory DME patients following OPT-302 combination therapy.

 

Phase 1b Clinical Trial of OPT-302 in DME

 

In 2018, we completed a Phase 1b dose-escalation clinical trial of OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept in nine patients with persistent DME that were previously treated with anti-VEGF-A therapies. Patients were administered three escalating doses (0.3 mg, 1.0 mg or 2.0 mg) of OPT-302 in combination with 2.0 mg aflibercept by intravitreal injections once every four weeks for a total of three doses. The primary analysis was conducted at week 12, four weeks after the final dose.

 

Across all nine patients in the Phase 1b trial, a mean gain in visual acuity of +7.7 letters from baseline to week 12 was observed across all dose groups, with a clear dose response of improved visual acuity with increasing doses of OPT-302. There was a corresponding mean decrease in retinal thickness at week 12 of -71 µm from baseline and six of nine (67%) patients had a ³50% reduction in excess foveal thickness.

 

124


Table of Contents

Dose-dependent Increases in Visual Acuity and Reduction in Retinal Thickness at Week 12 Following Treatment with OPT-302 in Combination with Aflibercept

 

LOGO

 

Five of the nine patients in the Phase 1b trial had bilateral, persistent treatment-refractory DME. In these patients, study eyes received OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept, and fellow eyes received standard of care anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. In these bilateral disease patients, the mean change in visual acuity from baseline to week 12 was +10.0 letters in the study eye and +2.6 letters in the fellow eye. The corresponding reduction in retinal thickness from baseline to week 12 was -80 µm for OPT-302 combination treated study eyes, compared to -6 µm in fellow eyes that received anti-VEGF-A monotherapy.

 

125


Table of Contents

In Patients with Bilateral DME, OPT-302 Combination Therapy Improved Visual Acuity and Reduced Retinal Thickness Compared to Fellow Eyes Treated with Anti-VEGF-A Monotherapy

 

LOGO

* Patients with bilateral disease and persistent DME in the fellow eye receiving anti-VEGF-A (ranibizumab or aflibercept) monotherapy. Prior anti-VEGF-A therapy in Fellow Eyes BL to Week 12 (5 patients): 3x Aflibercept, 3x Ranibizumab, 1x Ranibizumab, 4x Ranibizumab, 3x Aflibercept.

 

OPT-302 in combination with aflibercept was well tolerated at all dose levels, with no DLTs and the MTD was not reached. There were no treatment-related clinically significant changes in intraocular pressure, electrocardiograms or vital signs. The most common AEs were related to the intravitreal injection procedure.

 

Phase 2a Clinical Trial of OPT-302 in DME

 

Based on the positive results of our Phase 1b trial, we reported outcomes from a Phase 2a trial in persistent DME patients refractory to anti-VEGF-A therapy in June 2020. Similar to the Phase 1b trial, this proof-of-concept trial was designed to investigate the ability of OPT-302 to improve outcomes in persistent DME patients. The primary endpoints were clinical response rate in visual acuity as well as safety and tolerability.

 

Clinical Trial Design

 

This Phase 2a trial was a randomized, double-masked, dose expansion trial that enrolled patients diagnosed with persistent center-involved DME despite regular administration of prior anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. These patients are considered to be a difficult-to-treat patient population since they have received prior anti-VEGF-A therapy and experienced a suboptimal clinical response. In our trial, these patients were defined as having visual acuity between 20/40 and 20/320 Snellen equivalent, or £73 and ³24 BCVA letters on the ETDRS standardized eye chart, and retinal thickness of ³320 µm on SD-OCT. In this Phase 2a trial, the mean number of prior intravitreal anti-VEGF-A injections was eight in each of the treatment groups, reflecting that the patients recruited into this trial were heavily pre-treated, with a mean of 39 days since the immediate prior injection to the start of the trial.

 

The Phase 2a trial was conducted at 53 trial sites in the United States, Israel, Australia and Latvia. Of the 144 patients randomized in the trial, 115 patients conformed sufficiently with the trial protocol and were included in our analyses of clinical efficacy. Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive either 2.0 mg OPT-302 in

 

126


Table of Contents

combination with 2.0 mg aflibercept or a sham injection and 2.0 mg aflibercept. Patients received intravitreal injections once every four weeks for a total of three doses. The primary analysis was conducted at week 12, four weeks after the final dose.

 

Design of the Phase 2a Clinical Trial of OPT-302 in Combination with Aflibercept in Persistent Diabetic Macular Edema

 

LOGO

 

PRN refers to pro re nata, or treatment on an as needed basis.

 

Improvements in Visual Acuity

 

The primary efficacy endpoint of the trial was the clinical response rate, defined as the proportion of patients receiving OPT-302 combination therapy that achieved a ³5 letter gain in visual acuity at week 12 compared to baseline. Our predefined measure of success was a response rate of greater than or equal to 38%, based on historical observations that show limited ability to achieve a ³5 letter improvement in DME patients on long-term anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. As an exploratory trial, this Phase 2a was not powered to detect statistical significance of OPT-302 combination therapy compared to aflibercept monotherapy.

 

We observed that 52.8% of patients treated with OPT-302 combination therapy achieved a ³5 letter improvement in visual acuity at week 12 compared to baseline, meeting the pre-specified primary efficacy endpoint for this trial.

 

The mean change in visual acuity at week 12 compared to baseline was +5.9 letters in patients receiving OPT-302 combination therapy and +6.1 letters in the aflibercept monotherapy group. In the OPT-302 combination therapy group, the percentage of patients with visual acuity gains of ³10 and ³15 letters was higher, and the percentage of patients who lost ³5 letters was lower than that in the aflibercept monotherapy group. These measures of visual function are shown in the figure below.

 

Measures of Visual Acuity at Week 12 Following OPT-302 Combination Therapy and Aflibercept Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

127


Table of Contents

Patients treated with OPT-302 combination therapy also had decreased retinal thickness compared to aflibercept monotherapy, as shown in the figure below.

 

Greater Reduction in Retinal Thickness from Baseline to Week 12 following OPT-302 Combination Therapy Compared to Aflibercept Monotherapy

 

LOGO

 

Prior Treatment History in Persistent DME Patients

 

Prior studies have shown that DME patients with mild visual acuity loss of 20/40 or better at baseline, show similar outcomes to any of the VEGF-A therapies: ranibizumab, aflibercept and bevacizumab. However, in patients with poorer baseline vision of 20/50 or worse, aflibercept has better outcomes compared to ranibizumab and bevacizumab over the first 12 months of treatment. It has also been shown that DME patients who experience inadequate responses to ranibizumab have achieved further anatomical and functional improvements upon switching to aflibercept.

 

Due to the challenge of enrolling a large group of patients with identical prior treatment histories, we designed our Phase 2a trial to accelerate enrollment by randomizing patients with variable prior treatment histories. This strategy allowed us to more broadly understand the prior treatment history in persistent DME patients, which will inform the design of our future trials in DME.

 

In order to explore the importance of differences in prior treatment history, we collected detailed anti-VEGF-A treatment histories for patients enrolled in our Phase 2a DME trial. Patients randomized into our Phase 2a trial had variable prior treatment histories which included infrequent or irregular dosing and/or therapy with aflibercept, ranibizumab and bevacizumab. Approximately one third of patients had a prior treatment history of having received only aflibercept, or aflibercept for their three anti-VEGF-A treatments immediately before trial enrollment. Approximately 11% of patients had a prior treatment history of having received only ranibizumab, or ranibizumab for their three anti-VEGF-A treatments immediately before trial enrolment, whereas approximately 44% of patients had received only bevacizumab prior to trial enrollment. Patients with a prior treatment history of bevacizumab were required to receive at least one injection of either aflibercept or ranibizumab immediately prior to randomization in to the trial. Post-hoc analyses of the results from our Phase 2a trial suggest that some patients may have benefitted from the increased efficacy of aflibercept and/or from the switch to aflibercept therapy as administered in our trial on an every four-week dosing cycle. In the subset of

 

128


Table of Contents

patients who had only received aflibercept, or received aflibercept for their three anti-VEGF-A treatments immediately before trial enrollment, referred to as treatment history of prior aflibercept, the mean improvement in visual acuity observed for the aflibercept monotherapy group was +3.4 letters (n=13), compared to a mean improvement of +7.4 letters for those patients with more variable prior treatment history who received aflibercept monotherapy (n=27) following randomization into the trial. This suggests that the majority of patients enrolled in the trial had not achieved a maximal response to all anti-VEGF-A therapies prior to enrolling in the trial.

 

Due to the observed increase in treatment benefit for patients with a variable treatment history who then received aflibercept every four weeks in the trial, the subset of patients with a treatment history of prior aflibercept may represent the most stringent and least variable patient population in which to test the ability of OPT-302 to provide additional benefit. In this more homogeneous patient population, as shown in the figure below, patients administered OPT-302 combination therapy demonstrated a mean improvement in visual acuity of +6.6 letters (n=22) from baseline to week 12, compared to +3.4 letters (n=13) in the aflibercept monotherapy group.

 

Greater Gains in Visual Acuity following OPT-302 Combination Therapy in Patients with a Treatment History of Prior Aflibercept

 

LOGO

 

In addition, 27.3% of patients gained ³10 letters and 9.1% gained ³15 letters of visual acuity from baseline to week 12 following OPT-302 combination therapy. There were no patients with a treatment history of prior aflibercept that gained ³10 letters of visual acuity in the aflibercept monotherapy group. Furthermore, the proportion of patients who lost ³1 letters was 9.1% in the OPT-302 combination therapy group and 23.1% in the aflibercept monotherapy group. We believe that these results, as shown in the figures below, strongly support the potential of OPT-302 to improve the visual acuity in patients with persistent DME despite prior treatment with anti-VEGF-A monotherapy.

 

129


Table of Contents

Proportion of Patients with a Treatment History of Prior Aflibercept Who Gained and Lost Visual Acuity from Baseline to Week 12

 

LOGO

 

In this subgroup of patients with a treatment history of prior aflibercept, anatomical changes were consistent with functional visual acuity outcomes. As shown in the figure below, a greater mean reduction in retinal thickness was observed in the OPT-302 combination therapy group compared to the aflibercept monotherapy group at week 12. In particular, 22.7% of patients in the OPT-302 combination therapy group experienced at least a 300 µm reduction in retinal thickness at week 12, compared to 7.7% of patients in the aflibercept monotherapy group.

 

Greater Mean Reduction in Retinal Thickness following OPT-302 Combination Therapy in Patients with a Treatment History of Prior Aflibercept

 

LOGO

 

130


Table of Contents

Safety and Tolerability

 

OPT-302 combination therapy was well tolerated. There was one potentially treatment-related SAE of cerebrovascular accident, or stroke, resulting in one patient discontinuing treatment but remaining in the trial. The most common TEAEs were conjunctival hemorrhage and increased intraocular pressure and were mainly related to the intravitreal injection procedure. TEAEs did not lead to discontinuation of the trial for any patient. The incidence of intra-ocular inflammation was low, occurring in one patient for each treatment group, and the observed events were manageable and able to be resolved.

 

We now have extensive global clinical dosing experience demonstrating a favorable tolerability profile following repeated intravitreal administration of OPT-302 in 399 patients, with over 1,800 doses of OPT-302 administered across three international clinical studies in two disease indications and in combination with the two leading standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapies, ranibizumab and aflibercept. In particular, across our clinical trials, the incidence of intra-ocular inflammation was similar across all treatment groups.

 

Retinal Vein Occlusion

 

Based on the positive clinical data from our clinical trials of OPT-302 in wet AMD and DME, we intend to prioritize future development in these two indications while exploring potential opportunities to develop OPT-302 in other ophthalmic indications such as RVO, DR and other diseases involving aberrant CNV.

 

RVO is a sight-threatening visual disorder resulting from blockage of one of the veins carrying blood out of the retina. This blocked vein can leak blood and fluid resulting in swelling that can cause macular edema. Persistent, inadequately-treated macular edema associated with RVO can blur vision, cause significant loss in visual acuity and eventually lead to blindness. Macular edema is the most common cause of vision loss in people who suffer from RVO.

 

Similar to wet AMD and DME, the first-line standard of care to treat macular edema associated with RVO is intravitreal anti-VEGF-A monotherapy. VEGF-A inhibitors however, are only effective in significantly improving vision in approximately 30% to 40% of patients with macular edema associated with RVO above sham control. The prevalence of RVO in people over the age of 50 has been reported to be 0.7%, or approximately 1.8 million people in the United States and Europe. Over 500,000 individuals in the United States and Europe have macular edema associated with RVO. We believe that OPT-302 has the potential to bring therapeutic benefit to patients suffering from macular edema secondary to RVO.

 

Competition

 

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and the ophthalmic disease subsector, are characterized by rapidly advancing technologies, evolving understanding of disease etiology, intense competition and a strong emphasis on intellectual property. While we believe that OPT-302 and our knowledge and experience provide us with certain competitive advantages, we face substantial potential competition from many different sources, including large and specialty pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic research institutions and governmental agencies and public and private research institutions. Many of our current or potential competitors, either alone or with their collaboration partners, have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, pre-clinical studies, conducting clinical trials and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. Accordingly, our competitors may be more successful than we may be in developing, commercializing and achieving widespread

 

131


Table of Contents

market acceptance. In addition, our competitors’ products may be more effective or more effectively marketed and sold than any treatment we or our development partners may commercialize and may render our product candidates obsolete or noncompetitive before we can recover the expenses related to developing and commercializing our product candidates.

 

We are developing OPT-302 for the treatment of wet AMD and additional retinal disease indications, such as DME and RVO, together with certain combination agents. Companies that have products that may compete with OPT-302 include Roche Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Novartis AG, which have marketed anti-VEGF-A therapies including ranibizumab (Lucentis) and aflibercept (Eylea), each a standard of care treatment for wet AMD, and brolucizumab (Beovu), as well as Ocugen, Inc., Kodiak Sciences Inc. and Graybug Vision, Inc., which have product candidates in development for the treatment of wet AMD and DME. We are also aware of other companies that are working on therapies for the whole eye, including Santen, Inc. and Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. In addition, bevacizumab (Avastin), marketed by Genentech, Inc., is used off-label to treat wet AMD.

 

It is possible that our competitors will succeed in developing technologies that are more effective than our product candidates or that would render our technology obsolete or noncompetitive, or will succeed in developing biosimilar or interchangeable products for our product candidates. We anticipate that we will continue to face increasing competition in the future as new companies enter our market and scientific developments surrounding biosimilars and other retinal therapies continue to accelerate, particularly once ranibizumab and aflibercept approach loss of exclusivity. We cannot predict to what extent the entry of biosimilars or other competing products will impact potential future sales of our products or our product candidates.

 

With respect to our current and potential future product candidates, we believe that our ability to compete effectively and develop products that can be manufactured cost-effectively and marketed successfully will depend on our ability to:

 

   

advance the development of OPT-302 and any other product candidates;

 

   

license additional technology;

 

   

complete clinical trials which position our products for regulatory and commercial success;

 

   

maintain a proprietary position in our products;

 

   

obtain required government and other public and private approvals on a timely basis;

 

   

attract and retain key personnel;

 

   

commercialize effectively;

 

   

obtain reimbursement for our products in approved indications;

 

   

establish efficient manufacturing processes and supply chain;

 

   

comply with applicable laws, regulations and regulatory requirements and restrictions with respect to our business, including the commercialization of our products, including with respect to any changed or increased regulatory restrictions; and

 

   

enter into additional collaborations to advance the development and commercialization of our product candidates.

 

Our Commercial License Arrangement with Selexis SA

 

In October 2013, we entered into a commercial license agreement, or the Selexis Agreement, with Selexis SA, or Selexis, under which Selexis granted us a non-exclusive, worldwide, sublicensable license under certain patents, know-how and other intellectual property controlled by Selexis to use certain cell lines, deliverables and

 

132


Table of Contents

materials provide by Selexis to manufacture OPT-302 and related products and to use, sale and otherwise exploit such products.

 

We paid Selexis a nominal upfront payment upon entering into the Selexis Agreement. We are also required to make certain payments under the Selexis Agreement totaling approximately US$1.3 million upon the achievement of certain development and commercial milestones. We are also obligated to pay a low single-digit running royalty on worldwide net sales of the licensed products. Our royalty obligations will continue, on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis, until the expiration of the relevant patents, but will not extend beyond October 2024 in any event. After the expiration of the royalty term, our license will continue and become full paid, perpetual and irrevocable.

 

The Selexis Agreement will expire on the date of expiration of the last-to-expire of the license patents. Either party may terminate the Selexis Agreement for the other party’s uncured material breach or bankruptcy. We may also terminate the Selexis Agreement at any time upon prior notice to Selexis.

 

Intellectual Property

 

As of June 30, 2020, we have rights to over 22 issued U.S. patents, over four U.S. patent applications, over 75 issued non-U.S. patents and over eight pending non-U.S. applications. All of our current issued patents and patent applications are projected to expire between August 2021 and February 2034.

 

With respect to soluble forms of VEGFR-3, we own and have licensed rights to patent families including issued patents in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia, which are expected to expire between 2022 and 2031. These patents cover composition of matter and/or method of use claims, including claims directed at the treatment of eye diseases associated with abnormal blood vessel growth, such as wet AMD.

 

With respect to OPT-302, we own a patent family with two issued U.S. patents, an issued European patent validated in 38 countries and over eight issued non-U.S. patents granted in jurisdictions such as Japan, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Colombia, Singapore and Russia. Patent applications are pending in the United States and in over eight other non-U.S. jurisdictions, including Europe, China, Brazil, South Korea and India. The two issued U.S. patents have claims covering the composition of matter of OPT-302 and its use and/or nucleic acids, vectors, and host cells for producing it. These issued patents and pending patent applications, if issued, are expected to expire in 2034, without taking into account any patent term extension.

 

The actual protection afforded by a patent, which can vary from country to country, depends on the type of patent, the scope of its coverage as determined by the patent office or courts in the country, and the availability of legal remedies in the country. The information in the above list is based on our current assessment of patents that we own or control or have exclusively licensed. The information is subject to revision, for example, in the event of changes in the law or legal rulings affecting our patents or if we become aware of new information. Significant legal issues remain unresolved as to the extent and scope of available patent protection for biotechnology products and processes in the United States and other important markets outside the United States. We expect that litigation will likely be necessary to determine the term, validity, enforceability and/or scope of certain of our patents and other proprietary rights. An adverse decision or ruling with respect to one or more of our patents could result in the loss of patent protection for a product and, in turn, the introduction of competitor products or follow-on biologics to the market earlier than anticipated.

 

Patents expire, on a country by country basis, at various times depending on various factors, including the filing date of the corresponding patent application(s), the availability of patent term adjustment, patent term extension and supplemental protection certificates and requirements for terminal disclaimers. In most countries, including the United States, the patent term is 20 years from the earliest claimed filing date of a non-provisional

 

133


Table of Contents

patent application or its foreign equivalent in the applicable country. In the United States, a patent’s term may, in certain cases, be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the USPTO in examining and granting a patent, or may be shortened if a patent is terminally disclaimed over a commonly owned patent or a patent naming a common inventor and having an earlier expiration date. In the United States, a patent may also be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, or Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent extension term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent applicable to each regulatory review period may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended, with extended rights limited to the approved product, its approved uses, and/or its manufacture.

 

Although we believe our owned and licensed patents and patent applications provide us with a competitive advantage, the patent positions of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies can be uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. We may not be able to develop patentable products or processes or obtain patents from pending patent applications. In the event of patent issuance, the patents may not be sufficient to protect the proprietary technology owned by or licensed to us or our partners. Our current patents, or patents that issue on pending applications, may be challenged, invalidated, infringed or circumvented. In addition, changes to patent laws in the United States or in other countries may limit our ability to defend or enforce our patents, or may apply retroactively to affect the term and/or scope of our patents. Our patents have been and may in the future be challenged by third parties in post-issuance administrative proceedings or in litigation as invalid, not infringed or unenforceable under U.S. or foreign laws, or they may be infringed by third parties. As a result, we are or may be from time to time involved in the defense and enforcement of our patent or other intellectual property rights in a court of law and administrative tribunals, such as in USPTO inter partes review or reexamination proceedings, foreign opposition proceedings or related legal and administrative proceedings in the United States and elsewhere. The costs of defending our patents or enforcing our proprietary rights in post-issuance administrative proceedings or litigation may be substantial and the outcome can be uncertain. An adverse outcome may allow third parties to use our proprietary technologies without a license from us.

 

Furthermore, we rely upon trade secrets and know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect our proprietary information, in part, by using confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with its commercial partners, collaborators, employees and consultants. These agreements are designed to protect our proprietary information and, in the case of the invention assignment agreements, to grant it ownership of technologies that are developed through a relationship with a third party. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors. To the extent that our commercial partners, collaborators, employees and consultants use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions.

 

Our commercial success will also depend in part on not infringing upon the proprietary rights of third parties. It is uncertain whether the issuance of any third-party patent would require us to alter its development or commercial strategies for our product candidates or processes, or to obtain licenses or cease certain activities. Our breach of any license agreements or failure to obtain a license to proprietary rights that it may require to develop or commercialize its future products may have an adverse impact on us. If third parties prepare and file patent applications in the United States that also claim technology to which we have rights, we may have to participate in interference or derivation proceedings in the USPTO to determine priority of invention.

 

As of June 30, 2020, we or our subsidiary have registered and own “Opthea” as a trademark in nine jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe. Other than the registered trademark listed above, we currently rely on our unregistered trademarks, trade names and service marks, as well as our domain names and logos, as appropriate, to market our brands and to build and maintain brand recognition.

 

134


Table of Contents

Government Regulation

 

The FDA and other regulatory authorities at federal, state, and local levels, as well as in non-U.S. countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, import, export, safety, effectiveness, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, record keeping, approval, advertising, promotion, marketing, post-approval monitoring, and post-approval reporting of biologics such as those we are developing. We, along with third-party contractors, will be required to navigate the various nonclinical, clinical and commercial approval requirements of the governing regulatory agencies of the countries in which we wish to conduct studies or seek approval or licensure of OPT-302 or any future product candidate.

 

U.S. Biological Product Development

 

In the United States, the FDA regulates biologics under both the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Services Act and their implementing regulations. Both drugs and biologics also are subject to other federal, state and local statutes and regulations. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state and local statutes and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or post-market may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include, among other actions, the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, license revocation, a clinical hold, untitled or warning letters, product recalls or market withdrawals, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement and civil or criminal penalties. Any agency or judicial enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our product candidates and any future biological product candidates we develop must be approved by the FDA through a biologics license application, or BLA, process before they may be legally marketed in the United States. The BLA is a request for approval to market the biologic for one or more specified indications and must contain proof of safety, purity and potency. The FDA review and approval process generally involves the following:

 

   

completion of preclinical laboratory tests and animal studies performed in accordance with the FDA’s current Good Laboratory Practices regulations;

 

   

submission to the FDA of an IND, which must become effective before clinical trials may begin and must be updated annually or when significant changes are made;

 

   

approval by an institutional review board, or IRB, or ethics committee at each clinical site before the trial is commenced;

 

   

performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety, purity and potency of the proposed biologic product candidate for its intended purpose;

 

   

preparation of and submission to the FDA of a BLA after completion of all pivotal clinical trials that includes substantial evidence of safety, purity and potency from results of nonclinical testing and clinical trials; satisfactory completion of an FDA advisory committee review, if applicable;

 

   

a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of a BLA to file the application for review;

 

   

satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the proposed product is produced to assess compliance with current good manufacturing practices, or cGMP, and to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the biological product’s continued safety, purity and potency, and of selected clinical investigation sites to assess compliance with GCP; and

 

   

FDA review and approval, or licensure, of the BLA to permit commercial marketing of the product for particular indications for use in the United States.

 

135


Table of Contents

Nonclinical Studies and IND

 

Preclinical studies include laboratory evaluation of product chemistry and formulation, as well as in vitro and animal studies to assess the potential for adverse events and in some cases to establish a rationale for therapeutic use. The conduct of preclinical studies is subject to federal regulations and requirements, including GLP regulations for safety/toxicology studies.

 

Prior to beginning the first clinical trial with a product candidate in the United States, we must submit an IND to the FDA. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans. The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for clinical studies. The IND also includes results of animal and in vitro studies assessing the toxicology, PK, pharmacology, and PD characteristics of the product candidate; chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information; and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational product. An IND must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, raises safety concerns or questions about the proposed clinical trial. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold until the IND sponsor and the FDA resolve the outstanding concerns or questions. Submission of an IND therefore may or may not result in FDA authorization to begin a clinical trial.

 

Clinical Trials

 

Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCPs, which include the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical study. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. A separate submission to the existing IND must be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development and for any subsequent protocol amendments. For new indications, a separate new IND may be required. Furthermore, an independent IRB for each site proposing to conduct the clinical trial must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial and its informed consent form before the clinical trial begins at that site, and must monitor the study until completed. Regulatory authorities, the IRB or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk or that the trial is unlikely to meet its stated objectives. Some studies also include oversight by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical study sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board, which provides authorization for whether or not a study may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the study and may halt the clinical trial if it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk for subjects or other grounds, such as no demonstration of efficacy. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical studies and clinical study results to public registries. For purposes of BLA approval, human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap.

 

A sponsor who wishes to conduct a clinical trial outside of the United States may, but need not, obtain FDA authorization to conduct the clinical trial under an IND. If a foreign clinical trial is not conducted under an IND, the sponsor may submit data from the clinical trial to the FDA in support of a BLA. The FDA will accept a well-designed and well-conducted foreign clinical study not conducted under an IND if the study was conducted in accordance with GCP requirements, and the FDA is able to validate the data through an onsite inspection if deemed necessary.

 

   

Phase 1 — The investigational product is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution and elimination of the investigational product in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness.

 

   

Phase 2 — The investigational product is administered to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages and dosing schedule and to

 

136


Table of Contents
 

identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive Phase 3 clinical trials.

 

   

Phase 3 — The investigational product is administered to an expanded patient population to further evaluate dosage, to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval and product labeling.

 

In some cases, the FDA may require, or companies may voluntarily pursue, additional clinical trials after a product is approved to gain more information about the product. These so-called Phase 4 studies may be made a condition to approval of the BLA. Concurrent with clinical trials, companies may complete additional animal studies and develop additional information about the biological characteristics of the product candidate, and must finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among other things, must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product, or for biologics, the safety, purity and potency. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.

 

BLA Submission, Review and Approval

 

Assuming successful completion of the clinical trials, the results of product development, nonclinical studies and clinical trials are submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. The BLA must include all relevant data available from pertinent preclinical and clinical studies, including negative or ambiguous results as well as positive findings, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacturing, controls, and proposed labeling, among other things. The submission of a BLA requires payment of a substantial application user fee to FDA, unless a waiver or exemption applies.

 

Once a BLA has been submitted, the FDA’s goal is to review standard applications within ten months after it accepts the application for filing (a 60-day process), or, if the application qualifies for priority review, six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing. In both standard and priority reviews, the review process can be significantly extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA reviews a BLA to determine, among other things, whether a product is safe, pure and potent and the facility in which it is manufactured, processed, packed, or held meets standards designed to assure the product’s continued safety, purity and potency. The FDA may convene an advisory committee to provide clinical insight on application review questions. Before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP. If the FDA determines that the application, manufacturing process or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it will outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.

 

After the FDA evaluates a BLA and conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities where the investigational product and/or its drug substance will be produced, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a Complete Response letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response letter will describe all of the deficiencies that the FDA has identified in the BLA, except that where the FDA determines that the data supporting the

 

137


Table of Contents

application are inadequate to support approval, the FDA may issue the Complete Response letter without first conducting required inspections, testing submitted product lots, and/or reviewing proposed labeling. In issuing the Complete Response letter, the FDA may recommend actions that the applicant might take to place the BLA in condition for approval, including requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA may delay or refuse approval of a BLA if applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied, require additional testing or information and/or require post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor safety or efficacy of a product.

 

If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may entail limitations on the indicated uses for which such product may be marketed. For example, the FDA may approve the BLA with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, to ensure the benefits of the product outweigh its risks. A REMS is a safety strategy to manage a known or potential serious risk associated with a product and to enable patients to have continued access to such medicines by managing their safe use, and could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. The FDA also may condition approval on, among other things, changes to proposed labeling or the development of adequate controls and specifications. Once approved, the FDA may withdraw the product approval if compliance with pre- and post-marketing requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the marketplace. The FDA may require one or more Phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization, and may limit further marketing of the product based on the results of these post-marketing studies.

 

Expedited Development and Review Programs

 

Any marketing application for a biologic submitted to the FDA for approval may be eligible for FDA programs intended to expedite the FDA review and approval process, such as priority review, fast track designation, breakthrough therapy and accelerated approval.

 

A product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide safe and effective therapy where no satisfactory alternative therapy exists or to provide a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition compared to marketed products. For products containing new molecular entities, priority review designation means the FDA’s goal is to take action on the marketing application within six months of the 60-day filing date (compared with ten months under standard review).

 

To be eligible for a fast track designation, the FDA must determine, based on the request of a sponsor, that a product is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrates the potential to address an unmet medical need by providing a therapy where none exists or a therapy that may be potentially superior to existing therapy based on efficacy or safety factors. Fast track designation provides opportunities for frequent interactions with the FDA review team to expedite development and review of the product. The FDA may also review sections of the BLA for a fast track product on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor and FDA agree on a schedule for the submission of the application sections, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the BLA. The review clock does not begin until the final section of the BLA is submitted.

 

In addition, a sponsor can request designation of a product candidate as a “breakthrough therapy.” A breakthrough therapy is defined as a drug or biologic that is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs or biologics, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug or biologic may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Drugs or biologics designated as breakthrough therapies are also eligible for accelerated approval. The FDA must take certain actions, such as holding timely meetings and providing advice, intended to expedite the development and review of an application for approval of a breakthrough therapy. The benefits of breakthrough therapy designation include the same benefits as fast track designation, plus intensive guidance from the FDA to ensure an efficient drug development program.

 

138


Table of Contents

Additionally, products studied for their safety and effectiveness in treating serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions may receive accelerated approval upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of accelerated approval, the FDA will generally require the sponsor to perform adequate and well-controlled post-marketing clinical studies to verify and describe the anticipated effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. In addition, the FDA currently requires as a condition for accelerated approval pre-approval of promotional materials, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product.

 

Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review and approval will not be shortened. Furthermore, priority review, fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, and accelerated approval do not change the standards for approval but may expedite the development or approval process.

 

Orphan Drug Designation

 

Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug or biologic intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or 200,000 or more individuals in the United States for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug or biologic for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the United States for that drug or biologic. Orphan designation must be requested before submitting a BLA. After the FDA grants orphan designation, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. The orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or automatically shorten the duration of, the regulatory review or approval process.

 

If a product that has orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full BLA, to market the same product for the same indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity. Orphan exclusivity does not prevent FDA from approving a different drug or biologic for the same disease or condition, or the same drug or biologic for a different disease or condition. Among the other benefits of orphan drug designation are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the BLA application fee. A designated orphan product may not receive orphan exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.

 

Post-Approval Requirements

 

Any products manufactured or distributed by us pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to quality control and quality assurance, record-keeping, reporting of adverse experiences, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, and advertising and promotion of the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There also are continuing user fee requirements, under which FDA assesses an annual program fee for each product identified in an approved BLA. Biologic manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by

 

139


Table of Contents

the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP, which impose certain procedural and documentation requirements upon us and our third-party manufacturers. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting requirements upon us and any third-party manufacturers that we may decide to use. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP and other aspects of regulatory compliance.

 

The FDA may withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including AEs of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:

 

   

restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of a product, mandated modification of promotional materials or issuance of corrective information, issuance by FDA or other regulatory authorities of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases or other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product, or complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;

 

   

fines, warning or untitled letters or holds on post-approval clinical studies;

 

   

refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product approvals;

 

   

product seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA to permit the import or export of products; or

 

   

injunctions, consent decrees or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

 

The FDA closely regulates the marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of biologics. A company can make only those claims relating to safety and efficacy, purity and potency that are approved by the FDA and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in, among other things, adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential civil and criminal penalties. Physicians may prescribe legally available products for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and that differ from those tested by us and approved by the FDA. The FDA does not regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments. The FDA does, however, restrict manufacturer’s communications on the subject of off-label use of their products.

 

Biosimilars and Reference Product Exclusivity

 

The Affordable Care Act signed into law in 2010, includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are biosimilar to or interchangeable with an FDA-approved reference biological product. To date, a number of biosimilars have been licensed under the BPCIA, and numerous biosimilars have been approved in Europe. The FDA has issued several guidance documents outlining its approach to the review and approval of biosimilars.

 

Biosimilarity, which requires that there be no clinically meaningful differences between the biological product and the reference product in terms of safety, purity, and potency, can be shown through analytical studies, animal studies, and a clinical study or studies. Interchangeability requires that a product is biosimilar to the reference product and the product must demonstrate that it can be expected to produce the same clinical results as the reference product in any given patient and, for products that are administered multiple times to an

 

140


Table of Contents

individual, the biologic and the reference biologic may be alternated or switched after one has been previously administered without increasing safety risks or risks of diminished efficacy relative to exclusive use of the reference biologic. Complexities associated with the larger, and often more complex, structures of biological products, as well as the processes by which such products are manufactured, pose significant hurdles to implementation of the abbreviated approval pathway that are still being worked out by the FDA.

 

Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product may not be submitted to the FDA until four years following the date that the reference product was first licensed by the FDA. In addition, the approval of a biosimilar product may not be made effective by the FDA until 12 years from the date on which the reference product was first licensed. During this 12-year period of exclusivity, another company may still market a competing version of the reference product if the FDA approves a full BLA for the competing product containing that applicant’s own preclinical data and data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity and potency of its product. The BPCIA also created certain exclusivity periods for biosimilars approved as interchangeable products. At this juncture, it is unclear whether products deemed “interchangeable” by the FDA will, in fact, be readily substituted by pharmacies, which are governed by state pharmacy law.

 

The BPCIA is complex and continues to be interpreted and implemented by the FDA. In addition, government proposals have sought to reduce the 12-year reference product exclusivity period. Other aspects of the BPCIA, some of which may impact the BPCIA exclusivity provisions, have also been the subject of recent litigation. As a result, the ultimate impact, implementation, and impact of the BPCIA is subject to significant uncertainty.

 

Other U.S. Healthcare Laws and Compliance Requirements

 

In the United States, our current and future operations are subject to regulation by various federal, state and local authorities in addition to the FDA, including but not limited to, CMS other divisions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS (such as the Office of Inspector General, Office for Civil Rights and the Health Resources and Service Administration), the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, and individual U.S. Attorney offices within the DOJ, and state and local governments. For example, our clinical research, sales, marketing and scientific/educational grant programs may have to comply with the anti-fraud and abuse provisions of the Social Security Act, the false claims laws, the privacy and security provisions of HIPAA and similar state laws, each as amended, as applicable. Our business operations and current and future arrangements with investigators, healthcare professionals, consultants, third-party payors and customers may be subject to healthcare laws, regulations and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. Such laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, false claims, privacy and security, price reporting, and physician sunshine laws. Some of our pre-commercial activities are subject to some of these laws.

 

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, any person or entity, from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving any remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for the purchase, lease or order of any item or service reimbursable, in whole or in part, under Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. The term remuneration has been interpreted broadly to include anything of value. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between therapeutic product manufacturers on one hand and prescribers, purchasers, and formulary managers on the other. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution. The exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and practices that involve remuneration that may be alleged to be intended to induce prescribing, purchasing or recommending may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor. Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the Anti-Kickback Statute. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a cumulative review of all of its facts and circumstances. Our practices may not in all cases meet all of the criteria for protection under a statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor.

 

141


Table of Contents

Additionally, the intent standard under the Anti-Kickback Statute was amended by the Affordable Care Act to a stricter standard such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. Further, courts have found that if “one purpose” of remuneration is to induce referrals, the federal Anti-Kickback statute is violated. Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute can result in significant civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, imprisonment, and exclusion from federal healthcare programs. In addition, the Affordable Care Act codified case law that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal False Claims Act, or the FCA, as discussed below.

 

The federal false claims laws, including the FCA, which can be enforced by private citizens through civil qui tam actions, and civil monetary penalty laws, prohibit any person or entity from, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment to, or approval by, the federal government, including federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, knowingly making, using, or causing to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to the federal government, or knowingly making a false statement to improperly avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. A claim includes “any request or demand” for money or property presented to the U.S. government. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been, and continue to be, prosecuted under these laws, among other things, for allegedly providing free product to customers with the expectation that the customers would bill federal programs for the product and for causing false claims to be submitted because of the companies’ marketing of the product for unapproved, off-label, and thus generally non-reimbursable, uses.

 

HIPAA created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud or to obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any money or property owned by, or under the control or custody of, any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by trick, scheme or device, a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Like the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Affordable Care Act amended the intent standard for certain healthcare fraud statutes under HIPAA such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. When an entity is determined to have violated the FCA, the government may impose civil fines and penalties for each false claim, plus treble damages, and exclude the entity from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs.

 

We may be subject to data privacy and security regulations by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. HIPAA, as amended by HITECH, and its implementing regulations, imposes requirements on certain covered healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business associates relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, which are independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, maintain, transmit, receive or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce HIPAA and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, many state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in specified circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways, are often not pre-empted by HIPAA, and may have a more prohibitive effect than HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.

 

142


Table of Contents

Additionally, the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, or the Sunshine Act, within the Affordable Care Act, and its implementing regulations, require that certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biological and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) report annually to CMS information related to certain payments or other transfers of value made or distributed to physicians, as defined by such law, and teaching hospitals, or to entities or individuals at the request of, or designated on behalf of, the physicians and teaching hospitals and to report annually certain ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Failure to report accurately could result in penalties. Effective January 1, 2022, these reporting obligations will extend to include transfers of value made in the previous year to certain non-physician providers such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

 

Many states have similar statutes or regulations to the above federal laws that may be broader in scope and may apply regardless of payor. We may also be subject to state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, and/or state laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers, drug pricing or marketing expenditures. We may be subject to state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information, some of which may be more stringent than those in the United States (such as the GDPR, which was adopted by the EU and subsequently became effective in May 2018). These laws may differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, further complicating compliance efforts.

 

In order to distribute products commercially, we must comply with state laws that require the registration of manufacturers and wholesale distributors of drug and biological products in a state, including, in certain states, manufacturers and distributors who ship products into the state even if such manufacturers or distributors have no place of business within the state. Some states also impose requirements on manufacturers and distributors to establish the pedigree of product in the chain of distribution, including some states that require manufacturers and others to adopt new technology capable of tracking and tracing product as it moves through the distribution chain. Several states have enacted legislation requiring pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to establish marketing compliance programs, file periodic reports with the state, make periodic public disclosures on sales, marketing, pricing, clinical trials and other activities, and/or register their sales representatives, as well as to prohibit pharmacies and other healthcare entities from providing certain physician prescribing data to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for use in sales and marketing, and to prohibit certain other sales and marketing practices. All of our activities are potentially subject to federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws. Additionally, to the extent that we have business operations in foreign countries or sell any of our products in foreign countries and jurisdictions, including Canada or the EU, we may be subject to additional regulation.

 

Ensuring business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations is a costly endeavor. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the federal and state healthcare laws described above or any other current or future governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including without limitation, significant civil, criminal and/or administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, injunctions, private “qui tam” actions brought by individual whistleblowers in the name of the government, or refusal to allow us to enter into government contracts, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens, diminished profits and future earnings, additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect its ability to operate our business and results of operations. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust and expandable systems to comply with multiple jurisdictions with different compliance or reporting requirements increases the possibility that a healthcare company may run afoul of one or more of the requirements.

 

143


Table of Contents

Coverage, Pricing and Reimbursement

 

Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval. In the United States and in foreign markets, sales of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend, in part, on the extent to which third-party payors provide coverage and establish adequate reimbursement levels for such products. In the United States, third-party payors include federal and state healthcare programs, private managed care providers, health insurers and other organizations. Third-party payors decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. Adequate coverage and reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, and commercial payors are critical to new product acceptance.

 

Our ability to commercialize any products successfully also will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from third-party payors, which decide which therapeutics they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. In the United States, the principal decisions about reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by CMS, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS. CMS decides whether and to what extent our products will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Coverage and reimbursement by a third-party payor may depend upon a number of factors, including the third-party payor’s determination that use of a therapeutic is:

 

   

a covered benefit under its health plan;

 

   

safe, effective and medically necessary;

 

   

appropriate for the specific patient;

 

   

cost-effective; and

 

   

neither experimental nor investigational.

 

We cannot be sure that coverage or reimbursement will be available for any product that we commercialize and, if coverage and reimbursement are available, what the level of reimbursement will be. Coverage may also be more limited than the purposes for which the product is approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any product for which we obtain regulatory approval.

 

We may develop products that, once approved, may be administered by a physician. For products administered under the supervision of a physician, obtaining coverage and adequate reimbursement may be particularly difficult because of the higher prices often associated with such drugs. Additionally, separate reimbursement for the product itself or the treatment or procedure in which the product is used may not be available, which may impact physician utilization.

 

Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price, examining the medical necessity, and reviewing the cost-effectiveness of medical products, therapies and services, in addition to questioning their safety and efficacy. Obtaining reimbursement for our products may be particularly difficult because of the higher prices often associated with branded drugs and drugs administered under the supervision of a physician. We may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of our products, in addition to the costs required to obtain FDA approvals. Our product candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective. Obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval of a product from a government or other third-party payor is a time-consuming and costly process that could require us to provide to each payor supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data for the use of our product on a payor-by-payor basis, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained. A payor’s decision to provide coverage for a product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Further, one payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to

 

144


Table of Contents

maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on its investment in product development. If reimbursement is not available or is available only at limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidate that we successfully develops.

 

Different pricing and reimbursement schemes exist in other countries. In the EU, governments influence the price of biopharmaceutical products through their pricing and reimbursement rules and control of national health care systems that fund a large part of the cost of those products to consumers. Some jurisdictions operate positive and negative list systems under which products may only be marketed once a reimbursement price has been agreed. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies. Other member states allow companies to establish their own prices for medicines, but monitor and control company profits. The downward pressure on health care costs has become intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products. In addition, in some countries, cross-border imports from low-priced markets exert a commercial pressure on pricing within a country.

 

The marketability of any product candidates for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third-party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement. In addition, emphasis on managed care, the increasing influence of health maintenance organizations, and additional legislative changes in the United States has increased, and we expect will continue to increase, the pressure on healthcare pricing. The downward pressure on the rise in healthcare costs in general, particularly prescription medicines, medical devices and surgical procedures and other treatments, has become very intense. Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.

 

Healthcare Reform

 

In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and continue to be, several legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities, and affect the ability to profitably sell product candidates for which marketing approval is obtained. Among policy makers and payors in the United States and elsewhere, there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality and/or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives.

 

For example, the Affordable Care Act has substantially changed healthcare financing and delivery by both governmental and private insurers. Among the Affordable Care Act provisions of importance to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, in addition to those otherwise described above, are the following:

 

   

an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports certain specified branded prescription drugs and biologic agents apportioned among these entities according to their market share in some government healthcare programs;

 

   

an increase in the statutory minimum rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to 23% and 13% of the average manufacturer price for most branded and generic drugs, respectively, and capped the total rebate amount for innovator drugs at 100% of the Average Manufacturer Price;

 

   

a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, or BBA, effective as of January 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable branded drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturers’ outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D;

 

145


Table of Contents
   

extension of manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability to covered drugs dispensed to individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations;

 

   

expansion of eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs by, among other things, allowing states to offer Medicaid coverage to additional individuals and by adding new mandatory eligibility categories for individuals with income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, thereby potentially increasing manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability;

 

   

expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the 340B Drug Discount Program;

 

   

a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research;

 

   

expansion of healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the FCA and the Anti-Kickback Statute, new government investigative powers, and enhanced penalties for noncompliance;

 

   

a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted, or injected;

 

   

requirements to report certain financial arrangements with certain healthcare providers and teaching hospitals;

 

   

a requirement to annually report certain information regarding drug samples that manufacturers and distributors provide to physicians;

 

   

establishment of a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at CMS to test innovative payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid spending; and

 

   

a licensure framework for follow on biologic products.

 

Since its enactment, there have been legal and political challenges to certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act. By way of example, the TCJA included a provision that repealed, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the Affordable Care Act on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” On December 14, 2018, a U.S. District Court Judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled that the individual mandate is a critical and inseverable feature of the Affordable Care Act, and therefore, because it was repealed as part of the TCJA, the remaining provisions of the Affordable Care Act are invalid as well. On December 18, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional but remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the Affordable Care Act are invalid as well. On March 2, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the petitions for writs of certiorari to review the case, although it is unclear when a decision will be made or how the Supreme Court will rule. In addition, there may be other efforts to challenge, repeal or replace the Affordable Care Act.

 

Further legislation or regulation could be passed that could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. For example, in August 2011, President Obama signed into law the Budget Control Act of 2011, which, among other things, included aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect beginning on April 1, 2013 and will stay in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. These Medicare sequester reductions have been suspended from May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers, including hospitals, imaging centers and cancer treatment centers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. In addition, the BBA amended the Affordable Care Act, effective January 1, 2019, by increasing the point-of-sale discount that is owed by pharmaceutical manufacturers who participate in Medicare Part D and closing the coverage gap in most Medicare drug plans, commonly referred to as the “donut hole.”

 

146


Table of Contents

Additionally, there has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed federal legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. At the federal level, the Trump administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 includes a $135 billion allowance to support legislative proposals seeking to reduce drug prices, increase competition, lower out-of-pocket drug costs for patients, and increase patient access to lower-cost generic and biosimilar drugs. On March 10, 2020, the Trump administration sent “principles” for drug pricing to Congress, calling for legislation that would, among other things, cap Medicare Part D beneficiary out-of-pocket pharmacy expenses, provide an option to cap Medicare Part D beneficiary monthly out-of-pocket expenses, and place limits on pharmaceutical price increases. Further, the Trump administration previously released a “Blueprint,” or plan, to lower drug prices and reduce out of pocket costs of drugs that contained proposals to increase drug manufacturer competition, increase the negotiating power of certain federal healthcare programs, incentivize manufacturers to lower the list price of their products, and reduce the out of pocket costs of drug products paid by consumers. HHS has solicited feedback on some of these measures and has implemented others under its existing authority. For example, in May 2019, CMS issued a final rule to allow Medicare Advantage Plans the option of using step therapy for Part B drugs beginning January 1, 2020. This final rule codified CMS’s policy change that was effective January 1, 2019.

 

While some of these and other measures may require additional authorization to become effective, Congress and the Trump administration have each indicated that it will continue to seek new legislative or administrative measures to control drug costs. Individual states in the United States have also become increasingly active in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control biopharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Legally mandated price controls on payment amounts by third-party payors or other restrictions on coverage or access could harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. In addition, regional healthcare authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other healthcare programs. This could reduce the ultimate demand for our product candidates that we successfully commercialize or put pressure on our product pricing.

 

We expect that these and other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and lower reimbursement, and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. It is possible that additional governmental action is taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare and other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability, or commercialize our products. Such reforms could have an adverse effect on anticipated revenue from product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval and may affect our overall financial condition and ability to develop product candidates.

 

European Union Regulation

 

In the European Union, a clinical trial application must be submitted to each country’s national regulatory authority in which the clinical trial is to take place, together with an independent ethics committee, much like the FDA and IRB, respectively. It is expected, however, that the Clinical Trials Regulation 536/2014 shall start to apply during the course of 2020. This new Regulation takes direct effect in each European Union Member State and seeks to simplify and streamline the approval of clinical trials in the European Union, for example, by allowing the clinical trial sponsor to submit a single application for approval of a clinical trial across the EU via a new EU Portal. The new Regulation also aims to streamline and simplify the rules on safety reporting, and introduces enhanced transparency requirements such as mandatory submission of a summary of the clinical trial results to a new EU Database.

 

147


Table of Contents

Medicinal products can only be commercialized in the European Economic Area after a marketing authorization, or MA, has been obtained. There are two types of marketing authorizations:

 

   

The centralized MA, which is issued by the European Commission through the Centralised Procedure, based on the opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, and which is valid throughout the entirety of the EEA. The Centralised Procedure is mandatory for certain types of products, such as biotechnology medicinal products, orphan medicinal products, and medicinal products indicated for the treatment of AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, auto immune and viral diseases. The Centralised Procedure is optional for products containing an active substance not authorized in the EEA before 20 May 2004, for products that constitute a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation or for which a centralized authorization would be in the interest of patients.

 

   

National MAs, which are issued by the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA and only cover their respective territory, are available for products not falling within the mandatory scope of the Centralised Procedure. Where a product has already been authorized for marketing in a Member State of the EEA, this National MA can be recognized in another Member State through the Mutual Recognition Procedure. If the product has not received a National MA in any Member State at the time of application, it can be approved simultaneously in various Member States through the Decentralized Procedure.

 

Under the above described procedures, before granting the MA, the EMA or the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA make an assessment of the risk benefit balance of the product on the basis of scientific criteria concerning its quality, safety and efficacy.

 

The European Union also provides opportunities for market exclusivity. For example, in the European Union, upon receiving marketing authorization, innovative medicinal products generally receive eight years of data exclusivity and an additional two years of market exclusivity. If granted, data exclusivity prevents regulatory authorities in the European Union from referencing the innovator’s data to assess a generic or biosimilar application. During the additional two-year period of market exclusivity, a generic or biosimilar marketing authorization can be submitted, and the innovator’s data may be referenced, but no generic or biosimilar product can be marketed until the expiration of the market exclusivity. Products receiving orphan designation, can receive ten years of market exclusivity, during which time no similar medicinal product for the same indication may be placed on the market. An orphan product’s market exclusivity may be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, it is established that the criteria for orphan drug designation are no longer met, in other words, when it is shown on the basis of available evidence that the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity. Additionally, marketing authorization may be granted to a similar product for the same indication at any time if:

 

   

the second applicant can establish that its product, although similar, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior;

 

   

the applicant consents to a second orphan medicinal product application; or

 

   

the applicant cannot supply sufficient quantities of the orphan medicinal product.

 

In the EU, companies developing a new medicinal product must agree to a Paediatric Investigation Plan, or a PIP, with the EMA and must conduct pediatric clinical trials in accordance with that PIP, unless a deferral or waiver applies (for example, because the relevant disease or condition occurs only in adults). The MA application for the product must include the results of pediatric clinical trials conducted in accordance with the PIP, unless a waiver applies, or a deferral has been granted, in which case the pediatric clinical trials must be completed at a later date. Products that are granted a marketing authorization on the basis of the pediatric clinical trials conducted in accordance with the PIP are eligible for a six month extension of the protection under a supplementary protection certificate (if any is in effect at the time of approval) or, in the case of orphan medicinal products, a two year extension of the orphan market exclusivity. This pediatric reward is subject to

 

148


Table of Contents

specific conditions and is not automatically available when data in compliance with the PIP are developed and submitted.

 

Coverage, Pricing and Reimbursement

 

In the European Union, pricing and reimbursement schemes vary widely from country to country. Some countries provide that drug products may be marketed only after a reimbursement price has been agreed. Some countries may require the completion of additional studies that compare the cost effectiveness of a particular drug candidate to currently available therapies. For example, the European Union provides options for its member states to restrict the range of drug products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. European Union member states may approve a specific price for a drug product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the drug product on the market. Other member states allow companies to fix their own prices for drug products, but monitor and control company profits. The downward pressure on health care costs in general, particularly prescription drugs, has become intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products. In addition, in some countries, cross border imports from low priced markets exert competitive pressure that may reduce pricing within a country. Any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for drug products may not allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements.

 

Advertising Regulation

 

All advertising and promotional activities for the product must be consistent with the approved summary of product characteristics, and therefore all off-label promotion is prohibited. Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines is also prohibited in the European Union. Although general requirements for advertising and promotion of medicinal products are established under European Union directives, the details are governed by regulations in each European Union Member State and can differ from one country to another.

 

If we fail to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements, we may be subject to, among other things, fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.

 

Pharmacovigilance System

 

The holder of a European MA must establish and maintain a pharmacovigilance system and appoint an individual qualified person for pharmacovigilance, or QPPV, who is responsible for oversight of that system. Key obligations include expedited reporting of suspected serious adverse reactions and submission of periodic safety update reports, or PSURs.

 

All new European MA applications must include a risk management plan, or RMP, describing the risk management system that the company will put in place and documenting measures to prevent or minimize the risks associated with the product. The regulatory authorities may also impose specific obligations as a condition of the MA. Such risk-minimization measures or post-authorization obligations may include additional safety monitoring, more frequent submission of PSURs, or the conduct of additional clinical trials or post-authorization safety studies. RMPs and PSURs are routinely available to third parties requesting access, subject to limited redactions.

 

Rest of the World Regulation

 

For other countries outside of the EU and the United States, such as countries in Eastern Europe, Latin America or Asia, the requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country. Additionally, the clinical trials must be conducted in accordance

 

149


Table of Contents

with GCP requirements and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki.

 

If we fail to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements, we may be subject to, among other things, fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.

 

Brexit and the Regulatory Framework in the United Kingdom

 

On June 23, 2016, the electorate in the United Kingdom, or UK, voted in favor of leaving the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit” and the United Kingdom officially withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. The United Kingdom and the EU are currently in a transition period during which the United Kingdom and the EU are negotiating additional arrangements, including their future trading arrangement. The United Kingdom has stated that it wants the transition period to expire, and the future trading terms to be agreed, by December 31, 2020.

 

Since the regulatory framework for pharmaceutical products in the United Kingdom covering quality, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products, clinical trials, marketing authorization, commercial sales and distribution of pharmaceutical products is derived from EU directives and regulations, immediately following Brexit, it is expected that the United Kingdom’s regulatory regime will remain aligned with EU regulations. It remains to be seen how, if at all, Brexit will impact regulatory requirements for product candidates and products in the United Kingdom. In the longer term, Brexit could materially impact the future regulatory regime which applies to products and the approval of product candidates in the United Kingdom.

 

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

 

The FCPA prohibits any U.S. individual or business from paying, offering, or authorizing payment or offering of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of the foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with accounting provisions requiring us to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations.

 

Additional Regulation

 

In addition to the foregoing, state and federal laws regarding environmental protection and hazardous substances, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Resource Conservancy and Recovery Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act, affect our business. These and other laws govern our use, handling and disposal of various biological, chemical and radioactive substances used in, and wastes generated by, our operations. If our operations result in contamination of the environment or expose individuals to hazardous substances, we could be liable for damages and governmental fines. We believe that we are in material compliance with applicable environmental laws and that continued compliance therewith will not have a material adverse effect on our business. We cannot predict, however, how changes in these laws may affect our future operations.

 

Other Regulations

 

We are also subject to numerous federal, state and local laws relating to such matters as safe working conditions, manufacturing practices, environmental protection, fire hazard control, and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. We may incur significant costs to comply with such laws and regulations now or in the future.

 

150


Table of Contents

In addition to regulation in the United States and Europe, a variety of foreign regulations govern clinical trials, commercial sales and distribution of drugs. Pharmaceutical firms who wish to market their medicinal drugs outside the European Union and the United States must submit marketing authorization application to the national authorities of the concerned countries, such as the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency, or PMDA in Japan. The approval process varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and the time to approval may be longer or shorter than that required by the FDA or European Commission.

 

Manufacturing and Supply

 

We are dependent on specialized third parties, who are subject to cGMP requirements and regulations, for the supply and manufacture of OPT-302 drug substance and drug product. We do not have any internal manufacturing and control capabilities. We source the drug substance for OPT-302 and our clinical trials on a purchase order basis. However, we believe that competitive pricing is achieved because there are a number of potential long-term replacements for our suppliers of drug substance.

 

In October 2013, we entered into a biopharmaceutical manufacturing agreement, or the Patheon Agreement, with Patheon Biologics Company, Austria Pty Ltd. and Patheon Biologics Company B.V., or collectively Patheon. The Patheon Agreement establishes the general terms and conditions pursuant to which Patheon or its affiliates will manufacture OPT-302 drug product for us in accordance with cGMP requirements. Under the Patheon Agreement, Patheon granted us a perpetual, royalty-free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive, worldwide, transferable and sublicensable license, under all of Patheon’s intellectual property rights embedded in the development and manufacture process to the extent necessary for developing, making, using and selling OPT-302.

 

The Patheon Agreement will expire on the date that all of the manufacturing services to be performed by Patheon are completed. We may terminate the Patheon Agreement for any reason upon prior written notice. Patheon may terminate the Patheon Agreement upon prior written notice if Patheon has not performed any activities under the Patheon Agreement for certain period of time or if, despite Patheon’s commercially reasonably best efforts, Patheon determines that the services cannot be completed according to specifications approved by us or within a reasonable time after the originally planned timeframe. Either party may terminate the Patheon Agreement for the other party’s uncured material breach or bankruptcy. In addition, the Patheon Agreement will terminate if the parties are unable to reach agreement regarding necessary changes to the services based on the results of individual stage of development work. Upon termination of the Patheon Agreement, we are required to pay Patheon for services properly performed, including non-cancelable costs. Based upon the timing of the termination, we may also be required to pay Patheon certain close out cost for canceled services

 

Employees

 

As of June 30, 2020, we had eight full-time employees, four of whom had an M.D. or Ph.D. degree. None of our employees are represented by collective bargaining agreements. We believe that our management maintains good relations with our employees. As of June 30, 2020, all of our employees were based in Australia, with four employees in our research and development department and four employees in our general and administrative department.

 

Facilities

 

We occupy approximately 591 square feet of office space in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia under a lease that expires in July 2022. We believe that our existing facilities are adequate to meet our current needs and that suitable additional alternative facilities will be available in the future on commercially reasonable terms to meet our future needs.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we may become involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are currently not a party to any material legal proceedings.

 

151


Table of Contents

MANAGEMENT

 

Directors and Senior Management

 

The following table sets forth information relating to our directors, senior management and key employees as of July 31, 2020.

 

Name

   Age     

Position

Senior Management and Key Employees

     

Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.

     45     

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Michael Tonroe

     53     

Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary

Richard Chadwick, Ph.D.

     54     

Head of Intellectual Property

Michael Gerometta, Ph.D.

     56     

Head of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls Development

Clare Price

     51     

Director of Clinical Development

Annette Leahy

     45     

Director of Clinical Research

Ian Leitch, Ph.D.

     56     

Director of Clinical Research

Non-Employee Directors

     

Geoffrey Kempler

     64     

Chairperson

Lawrence Gozlan

     41     

Director

Michael Sistenich

     45     

Director

Daniel Spiegelman

     62     

Director

 

The business addresses for our senior management and board of directors is Opthea Limited, Suite 0403, Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia.

 

Senior Management and Key Employees

 

Megan Baldwin, Ph.D., has served as our Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director since February 2014. Since joining our company in 2008, Dr. Baldwin has held various positions, including Head of Preclinical R&D from February 2009 to November 2012 and Chief Executive Officer of Opthea Pty Ltd., previously a wholly-owned subsidiary, from November 2012 to December 2015. Dr. Baldwin has over 20 years of experience focusing on angiogenesis and therapeutic strategies for ophthalmic and cancer indications. Prior to joining our company, Dr. Baldwin was employed at Genentech, Inc. (now a subsidiary of the Roche Group), a leader in the field of angiogenesis-based therapies for cancer and other diseases. Dr. Baldwin earned a Bachelor of Science Honours and Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Melbourne. We believe that Dr. Baldwin’s business expertise and her daily insight into corporate matters as our Chief Executive Officer qualify her to serve on our board of directors.

 

Michael Tonroe has served as our Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary since May 2014. From March 2011 to April 2014, Mr. Tonroe served as the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of the Australian Synchrotron Co. Ltd. in Melbourne. Mr. Tonroe has over 20 years of experience in financial management serving in board-level positions for private and listed companies in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. Mr. Tonroe is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies from Buckingham University.

 

Richard Chadwick, Ph.D., has served as our Head of Intellectual Property since February 2008. From April 2003 to December 2007, Dr. Chadwick was a patent attorney at FB Rice & Co., a private law firm. Prior to FB

 

152


Table of Contents

Rice & Co., Dr. Chadwick was a patent attorney at Wynne-Jones, Laine & James, a private law firm, and also worked as an in-house attorney at Dow Corning Limited, a materials science company, and Unilever plc, a consumer goods company. Dr. Chadwick earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with Microbiology from the University of St. Andrews and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Manchester.

 

Michael Gerometta, Ph.D., has served as our Head of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls Development since December 2008. Dr. Gerometta has over 30 years of experience in the Australian biotechnology industry, working with numerous contract manufacturing organizations overseas and locally in all facets of translational CMC from concept through to Phase 2 studies. Dr. Gerometta earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the Queensland University of Technology.

 

Clare Price has served as our Director of Clinical Development since July 2016. From February 2016 to July 2016, Ms. Price served as the Director of Clinical Development at Commercial Eyes Pty Ltd., a pharmaceutical consulting firm. From January 2007 to January 2016, Ms. Price served in various roles, most recently as the Clinical Programme Director, at Starpharma Holdings Ltd, an Australian biotechnology company. Ms. Price earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Bath Spa University.

 

Annette Leahy has served as one of our Directors of Clinical Research since August 2017. From May 2016 to August 2017, she was the Clinical Trials Manager at Swisse Wellness Pty Ltd., an Australian wellness company. From September 2014 to May 2016, she served in various roles, most recently as Senior Manager, Learning and Development, at Novotech (Australia) Pty Ltd., an Australian clinical research organization. Ms Leahy earned a Bachelor of Health Information Management from La Trobe University.

 

Ian Leitch has served as one of our Directors of Clinical Research since September 2011. From September 2006 to September 2011, Mr. Leitch was a member of the Medical Sciences group at Amgen Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, and served as a Senior Manager, responsible for the oversight, design, management and execution of Phase 1-2 clinical studies in oncology. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, at Monash University and completed part of the doctoral studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

 

Non-Employee Directors

 

Geoffrey Kempler has served as the Chairperson of our board of directors since November 2015. Mr. Kempler has also served as the Chairman of the board of directors since 1997 and as Chief Executive Officer since June 2005 of Alterity Therapeutics Ltd., a pharmaceutical development company listed on both the Nasdaq Capital Market and the Australian Securities Exchange. Mr. Kempler earned a Bachelor of Science from Monash University and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Social Psychology from Swinburne University of Technology. We believe Mr. Kempler’s extensive experience in investment and business development qualify him to serve on our board of directors.

 

Lawrence Gozlan has served as a member of our board of directors since July 2020. Since 2007, Mr. Gozlan has served as the Life Sciences Investment Manager of Jagen Pty Ltd., an international investment organization. Mr. Gozlan has also served as a member of the board of directors of Alterity Therapeutics Ltd., a drug development company, since 2011. Mr. Gozlan earned a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Melbourne. We believe Mr. Gozlan’s extensive investment experience in biotechnology and life sciences companies qualify him to serve on our board of directors.

 

Michael Sistenich has served as a member of our board of directors since November 2015. Since May 2017, Mr. Sistenich has served as a co-founder and partner of Aurenda Partners Pty Ltd., an investment firm. From August 2016 to February 2017, Mr. Sistenich served as the interim Chief Executive Officer of Nohla

 

153


Table of Contents

Therapeutics, Inc., a cellular therapy company, and has also served as a member of the board of directors of Nohla Therapeutics, Inc. from March 2017 to June 2019. Mr. Sistenich has advised a wide range of global institutions, high net worth individuals and companies on healthcare investments over the past 20 years. He is a healthcare specialist in international investment management and investment banking. Mr. Sistenich earned a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford. We believe Mr. Sistenich’s financial experience and his service on the boards of directors of several biotechnology companies qualify him to serve on our board of directors.

 

Daniel Spiegelman has served as a member of our board of directors since September 2020. Since July 2020, Mr. Spiegelman has served as interim President of Recardia Therapeutics Inc., a pharmaceutical development company. From May 2012 to January 2020, Mr. Spiegelman served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and a member of the board of directors of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., a biotechnology company. From May 2009 to May 2012, Mr. Spiegelman served as a consultant to provide strategic financial management support to a portfolio of public and private life science companies. Mr. Spiegelman has also served as a member of the board of directors of Myriad Genetics, a molecular diagnostic company, since May 2020. Mr. Spiegelman earned a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. We believe Mr. Spiegelman’s extensive leadership experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies qualify him to serve on our board of directors.

 

Board of Directors

 

Our board of directors currently consists of five members, including Dr. Baldwin, our Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. Directors are elected at our annual general meeting of shareholders. Under our Constitution, at the close of each annual general meeting one-third of the directors, other than the Managing Director, or if their number is not a multiple of three, then the number nearest to but not more than one-third of the directors must retire. In addition, a director, other than the managing director, must retire from office at the conclusion of the third annual general meeting of shareholders after the director was last elected, even if his or her retirement results in more than one-third of all directors retiring from office. A retiring director remains in office until the end of such shareholder meeting and will be eligible for re-election at that meeting.

 

The membership of our board of directors is directed by the following requirements as set forth in our Constitution and our Board Charter, as applicable:

 

   

there will be a minimum of three directors and a maximum of 10, and our board of directors may determine the number of directors within those limits;

 

   

the majority of our board of directors should be independent;

 

   

our board of directors has the power to appoint any person to be a director, either to fill a vacancy or as an additional director (provided that the total number of directors does not exceed the maximum number of directors permitted), and any director so appointed will hold office until the end of the next annual general meeting when he or she may be re-elected; and

 

   

our board of directors should, collectively, have the appropriate level of personal qualities, skills, experience and time commitment to properly fulfill its responsibilities.

 

Our board of directors has delegated responsibility for the management of our businesses to the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director but remains responsible for overseeing the performance of management. The principal roles and responsibilities of our board of directors include the following:

 

   

review, evaluate, provide input into and approve our business plan;

 

   

monitor senior management’s performance and implementation of strategy, and ensure appropriate resources are available;

 

154


Table of Contents
   

review, evaluate and approve and monitor major resource allocations and capital investments, and acquisitions and divestitures;

 

   

review, evaluate, approve and monitor major resource allocations and capital investments, and acquisitions and divestitures;

 

   

review and monitor our financial and operating results;

 

   

review, evaluate and approve the overall corporate organizational structure, the assignment of senior management responsibilities and plans for senior management development and succession;

 

   

review, evaluate and approve compensation strategy as it relates to our senior management; and

 

   

review and ratify systems of risk management and internal compliance and control, codes of conduct and legal compliance.

 

Our board of directors has established delegated limits of authority, which define the matters that are delegated to management and those that require board of director approval. Under the Corporations Act, at least two of our directors must be resident Australians. None of our non-employee directors have any service contracts with us that provide for benefits upon termination of employment. Under our Board Charter, the board of directors is required to meet at least six times per year.

 

Board Committees

 

To assist with the effective discharge of its duties, the board of directors has established an Audit and Risk Committee, a Remuneration Committee and a Nomination Committee. Each committee operates under a charter approved by our board of directors, which sets forth the purposes and responsibilities of the committees as well as qualifications for committee membership, committee structure and operations and committee reporting to the board of directors.

 

Audit and Risk Committee

 

The members of our Audit and Risk Committee are Messrs. Lawrence Gozlan, Michael Sistenich and Daniel Spiegelman. Our board of directors has determined that each of Messrs. Gozlan, Sistenich and Spiegelman satisfies the independence requirements under Nasdaq listing standards and Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act. The chairperson of our Audit and Risk Committee is Mr. Spiegelman. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Spiegelman is an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of SEC regulations. Each member of our Audit and Risk Committee can read and understand fundamental financial statements in accordance with applicable requirements. In arriving at these determinations, our board of directors has examined each member’s scope of experience and the nature of his or her employment.

 

The charter for our Audit and Risk Committee requires the committee to consist of at least three directors, each of whom must be non-employee directors and a majority of which must be independent directors. The chairperson of our Audit and Risk Committee must be an independent director and cannot be the chairperson of our board of directors. The Audit and Risk Committee is required to hold at least two regular meetings each year and must review its charter at least annually.

 

The role of the Audit and Risk Committee is to advise our board of directors in discharging responsibilities of our board of directors with respect to our financial reporting including accounting standards, internal control integrity and compliance, external audit activities including auditor appointment, independence, terms of engagement and fees and business risk management. Specific responsibilities of our Audit and Risk Committee include:

 

   

reviewing accounting standards and half-year and annual financial statements prior to referral to the board of directors;

 

155


Table of Contents
   

monitor developments likely to affect financial reporting including legislative pronouncements or disclosure requirements, as they affect both current and future years;

 

   

review any unusual transactions, pending litigation, outstanding claims or contingencies which the management, auditors or legal counsel believe may have a material effect on the financial position or operations and the manner in which these matters are disclosed in financial statements;

 

   

evaluating internal control policies and procedures;

 

   

making recommendations to the board of directors on the appointment, reappointment or replacement of external auditors;

 

   

evaluating the independence and effectiveness of external auditors and preapprove all audit and material non-audit services provided by external auditors;

 

   

reviewing the results of the external audit and assess remedial action taken or proposed in audit reports;

 

   

reviewing all representation letters signed by management to ensure that the information presented is complete and appropriate;

 

   

monitoring risks and establish risk management policies;

 

   

making recommendations to the board of directors regarding proposed changes to our risk management framework; and

 

   

reviewing the schedule of insurance annually.

 

Remuneration Committee

 

The members of our Remuneration Committee are Messrs. Gozlan, Sistenich and Spiegelman. The chairperson of our Remuneration Committee is Mr. Sistenich. The objectives of the Remuneration Committee are to link remuneration to the creation of shareholder value, to offer competitive and appropriate remuneration for the business performance delivered and to put into place a remuneration framework that reflects the responsibilities of senior management while being sufficiently competitive to attract and retain high caliber performers. The charter of our Remuneration Committee requires the committee to consist of at least three directors, a majority of whom must be independent. The chairperson of our Remuneration Committee must be an independent director. The Remuneration Committee is required to hold at least one regular meeting each year. Specific responsibilities of our Remuneration Committee include:

 

   

overseeing our remuneration strategy;

 

   

ensuring remuneration policies and practices enable us to attract, motivate and retain a diverse mix of directors and senior management;

 

   

fairly and responsibly remunerating directors and senior management;

 

   

at least annually, reviewing and reporting on diversity of our employee base; and

 

   

seeking information it considers necessary to fulfill its duties, including external advice.

 

Nomination Committee

 

The members of our Nomination Committee are Messrs. Gozlan, Sistenich and Spiegelman. The chairperson of our Nomination Committee is Mr. Gozlan. The role of the Nomination Committee is to assist our board of directors by identifying, reviewing and evaluating individuals qualified to become members of our board of directors, reviewing and recommending the nomination of directors and assisting the board of directors with other related tasks. The charter of our Nomination Committee requires the committee to consist of at least three directors, the majority of whom must meet the independence recommendations of the ASX Corporate Governance Council (as well as all applicable laws and regulations) and each of whom must be free of any

 

156


Table of Contents

relationship that, in the opinion of the board of directors, would interfere with his or her exercise of independent judgment. The members of the Nomination Committee will be appointed annually by the board of directors. The Nomination Committee is required to hold at least one regular meeting each year. Specific responsibilities of our Nomination Committee include:

 

   

assisting in identifying, interviewing and recruiting candidates for the board of directors;

 

   

reviewing potential director qualifications;

 

   

preparing a description of the role and capabilities required for a particular role;

 

   

at least annually, presenting to the board of directors a list of individuals recommended for nomination for election to the board of directors at the annual meeting of shareholders;

 

   

planning succession of our directors;

 

   

inducting and coordinating professional development programs for our directors;

 

   

developing and implementing a process for evaluating the performance of the board of directors and its committees;

 

   

managing the succession of our senior management;

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations about changes to the charter of the Nomination Committee as required in the Committee’s opinion; and

 

   

annually review its own performance.

 

Foreign Private Issuer Exemption

 

We qualify as a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Section 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from certain rules under the Exchange Act that impose disclosure requirements as well as procedural requirements for proxy solicitations under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. In addition, the members of our board of directors and senior management are not subject to short-swing profit and insider trading reporting obligations under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. They will, however, be subject to the obligations to report changes in share ownership under Section 13 of the Exchange Act and related SEC rules, to the extent applicable.

 

The foreign private issuer exemption will also permit us to follow home country corporate governance practices or requirements instead of certain Nasdaq listing requirements, including the following:

 

   

We expect to rely on an exemption from the requirement that our independent directors meet regularly in executive sessions under Nasdaq listing rules. The ASX Listing Rules and the Corporations Act do not require the independent directors of an Australian company to have such executive sessions.

 

   

We expect to rely on an exemption from the quorum requirements applicable to meetings of shareholders under Nasdaq listing rules. In compliance with Australian law, our Constitution provides that three shareholders present, in person or by proxy, attorney or a representative, shall constitute a quorum for a general meeting. Nasdaq listing rules require that an issuer provide for a quorum as specified in its by-laws for any meeting of the holders of ordinary shares, which quorum may not be less than 33 1/3% of the outstanding voting ordinary shares.

 

   

We expect to follow applicable Australian law and the ASX Listing Rules regarding prior shareholder approval in lieu of the requirement prescribed by Nasdaq listing rules that issuers obtain shareholder approval prior to the issuance of securities in connection with certain acquisitions, private placements of securities, or the establishment or amendment of certain stock option, purchase or other compensation plans. Applicable Australian law and the ASX Listing Rules differ from Nasdaq requirements, with the ASX Listing Rules requiring prior shareholder approval for issuance of equity securities in a number of

 

157


Table of Contents
 

circumstances, including (i) issuance of equity securities exceeding 15% of our issued share capital in any 12-month period (but, in determining the 15% limit, securities issued under certain exceptions to the rule or with shareholder approval are not counted), (ii) subject to certain exceptions, issuance of equity securities to related parties (as defined in the ASX Listing Rules) and (iii) issuances of securities to directors or their associates under an employee incentive plan.

 

   

We expect to rely on an exemption from the requirement to disclose third-party director and director nominee compensation under Nasdaq listing rules. The ASX Listing Rules and the Corporations Act do not have a similar requirement.

 

These exemptions do not modify the independence requirements for our Audit and Risk Committee, and we intend to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Nasdaq listing rules, which require that our Audit and Risk Committee be composed of at least three independent members. Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act provides that the Audit and Risk Committee must have direct responsibility for the nomination, compensation and choice of our auditors, as well as control over the performance of their duties, management of complaints made, and selection of consultants. Under Rule 10A-3, if the laws of a foreign private issuer’s home country require that any such matter be approved by the board of directors or the shareholders of the Company, the Audit and Risk Committee’s responsibilities or powers with respect to such matter may instead be advisory.

 

We intend to take all actions necessary for us to maintain compliance as a foreign private issuer under the applicable corporate governance requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the rules adopted by the SEC and the listing rules of Nasdaq.

 

Code of Conduct

 

We have adopted a Code of Conduct applicable to all of our directors, officers and employees. Our Code of Conduct is available on our website at www.opthea.com. We post on our website all disclosures that are required by law or the listing standards of Nasdaq concerning any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the Code of Conduct. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained at or available through our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of, this prospectus.

 

Family Relationships

 

There are no family relationships among any of the members of our board of directors and our senior management.

 

Remuneration

 

Overview

 

Our remuneration policy is to align director and senior management objectives with shareholder and business objectives by providing a fixed remuneration component and typically offering long-term incentives based on key performance areas. Our board of directors believes the remuneration policy to be appropriate and effective in its ability to attract and retain the best executives and directors to run and manage the consolidated entity, as well as create goal congruence between directors, executives and shareholders. Our board of directors and the Remuneration Committee are responsible for determining the appropriate remuneration package for our senior management, including our Chief Executive Officer.

 

Australian executives and directors receive a superannuation guarantee contribution required under Australian law and do not receive any other retirement benefits.

 

158


Table of Contents

Remuneration of Senior Management

 

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the aggregate cash remuneration paid to our senior management was A$942,855.

 

Our senior management receive fixed compensation and performance-linked remuneration. The level of fixed remuneration is set to provide a base level of compensation which is both appropriate to the applicable position and is competitive in the marketplace. The Remuneration Committee accesses external advice independent of senior management if required. Fixed compensation is comprised of base salary and superannuation contribution and is reviewed every 12 months by the Remuneration Committee.

 

Performance-linked remuneration consists of short-term and long-term incentives. The objective of short-term incentives is to link the achievement of our operational targets with the remuneration received by our senior management charged with meeting those targets. Total potential short-term incentives are set at a level that we believe provides sufficient incentive to our senior management to achieve the operational targets at a cost to us that is reasonable under the circumstances. Short-term incentives may include cash bonuses based on the extent to which specific targets set at the beginning of each fiscal year are met. The targets consist of a number of key performance indicators covering corporate objectives and individual measures of performance. Individual performance indicators are linked to our development plans. Our Remuneration Committee determines, on an annual basis and after consideration of performance against the key performance indicators, the amount, if any, of short-term incentives payable to our senior management. Payments of short-term incentive bonuses are made in the following reporting period.

 

We also provide long-term incentives through option grants under our Long Term Incentive Plan. The objective of the Long Term Incentive Plan is to reward our management and key employees in a manner that aligns this element of compensation with the creation of shareholder wealth. Long Term Incentive Plan grants are made to senior management and employees who are able to influence the generation of shareholder wealth and have a direct impact on our performance and development. Option vesting conditions are based on continued service to us.

 

In making remuneration determinations for our senior management, the Remuneration Committee considers operational contributions by our senior management as well as the following performance indicators: revenue, loss before tax, tax benefit, loss after tax, basic loss per ordinary share, net tangible assets per share and changes in prevailing trading prices of our ordinary shares on the ASX.

 

Remuneration of Non-Employee Directors

 

Our non-employee directors receive a fixed fee annually, which is reviewed by our board of directors on an annual basis. Mr. Kempler is entitled to an annual fixed fee of A$99,000 (inclusive of superannuation contributions and fees for his service as chairperson of the board of directors). Messrs. Sistenich and Gozlan are each entitled to an annual fixed fee of A$65,700 (inclusive of superannuation contributions). Mr. Spiegelman is entitled to an annual fixed fee of US$70,000 (inclusive of superannuation contributions and fees for his service as chairperson of the audit and risk committee). The fixed fees cover both service on the board of directors and committees of the board of directors. The remuneration of our non-employee directors is reviewed by our board of directors on an annual basis. Non-employee directors are not provided with retirement benefits apart from statutory superannuation, which is only applicable to Australian resident directors. Non-employee directors are reimbursed for costs directly related to conducting business related to their service on our board of directors.

 

We implemented a non-executive director share and option plan, or the NED Plan, in 2014. Under the NED Plan, present and future non-executive directors may:

 

   

elect to receive ordinary shares or options to purchase ordinary shares in lieu of receiving some or all of their annual fixed fee;

 

159


Table of Contents
   

be awarded ordinary shares or options to purchase ordinary shares in lieu of additional cash remuneration in respect of services provided to the Company which in the opinion of the board of directors are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of the relevant director; and

 

   

otherwise be awarded ordinary shares or options to purchase ordinary shares as part of the directors’ remuneration in addition to any existing cash remuneration paid to directors (if any).

 

The NED Plan is designed to assist us in preserving our cash for use toward advancing the clinical development of our product candidate and provide our non-employee directors an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment and support for us through sacrificing some or all of their cash fees for ordinary shares or options. The NED Plan also provides us with further flexibility in the design of the directors’ remuneration packages and in turn assists us with retaining existing directors and attracting new additional directors with the relevant experience and expertise.

 

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, the aggregate cash remuneration paid to our non-employee directors was A$167,441, including A$2,747 in cash reimbursements.

 

Employment Agreements with Senior Management

 

The key provisions of the employment agreements are set out below for each member of our senior management. None of these employment agreements have termination dates. The base salary under the employment agreements may be increased by the board of directors from time to time, including by 3% for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.

 

Officer

  Date of
Agreement
  

Base Salary

 

Termination without Cause

 

Benefits upon Termination without
Cause

Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

  April 23,
2014
   A$440,000 per year  

Not less than three months’ notice (if by employee)

 

Not less than three months’ notice or payment in lieu of notice period (if by us)

  Upon notice of termination by us, any options that have vested or will vest during the notice period will be released; all other options will lapse at the discretion of our board of directors.

Michael Tonroe
Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary

  May 8,
2014
   A$256,844 per year  

Not less than three months’ notice (if by employee)

 

Not less than three months’ notice or payment in lieu of notice period (if by us)

  Not applicable.

 

Upon termination of employment, our senior management are entitled to receive their statutory entitlements of accrued annual and long service leave, together with any superannuation benefits.

 

Remuneration of Members of Our Board of Directors and Senior Management

 

Details of the remuneration of our non-employee directors and senior management for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020 are set forth below. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, no options to purchase ordinary shares were granted to any of our non-employee directors or senior management.

 

            Short-Term
Incentive
     Post-Employment         
     Salary/Fees(1)      Cash  Bonus(2)      Superannuation      Total  

Non-Employee Directors(3)

           

Geoffrey Kempler

   A$ 90,405      A$ —        A$ 8,589      A$ 98,994  

Michael Sistenich

     60,000        —          5,700        65,700  

Senior Management

        

Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.

     440,000        100,000        51,300        591,300  

Michael Tonroe

     256,844        64,211        30,500        351,555  

 

160


Table of Contents

 

(1)   For our non-employee directors, amounts set forth in this column include our reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with performance of services relating to board service.
(2)   Bonuses are paid in the fiscal year following the year in which they were earned.
(3)   Messrs. Gozlan and Spiegelman joined our board of directors in July 2020 and September 2020, respectively, and are not presented in the table.

 

Details of options held by our non-employee directors and senior management as of June 30, 2020 are set forth below. None of our non-employee directors or senior management exercised any options to purchase ordinary shares during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.

 

      Number of
Options
   Grant Date    Exercise
Price
  

Percentage
Vested(1)

  

Last Vesting
Date

  

Expiration
Date

Non-Employee Directors(2)

                 

Geoffrey Kempler

   2,000,000    3/7/16    A$0.480    100%    3/7/18    3/7/21
   1,500,000    11/29/18    0.855    100    11/29/19    11/29/22

Michael Sistenich

   1,000,000    3/7/16    0.480    100    3/7/18    3/7/21
   1,500,000    11/29/18    0.855    100    11/29/19    11/29/22

Senior Management

                 

Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.

   4,000,000    3/7/16    0.480    100    3/7/18    3/7/21
   3,000,000    11/29/18    0.855    100    11/29/19    11/29/22

Michael Tonroe

   800,000    3/7/16    0.480    100    1/1/19    1/1/22
   600,000    4/3/19    0.855    100    4/3/20    4/3/23

 

(1)   No options lapsed or were forfeited during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.
(2)   Messrs. Gozlan and Spiegelman joined our board of directors in July 2020 and September 2020, respectively, and are not presented in the table.

 

161


Table of Contents

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Other than compensation arrangements which are described under “Management—Remuneration” or as disclosed below, from July 1, 2017 through the date of this prospectus, we did not enter into any transactions or loans with any: (i) enterprises that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, control, are controlled by or are under common control with us; (ii) associates; (iii) individuals owning, directly or indirectly, an interest in our voting power that gives them significant influence over us, and close members of any such individual’s family; (iv) key management personnel and close members of such individuals’ families; or (v) enterprises in which a substantial interest in our voting power is owned, directly or indirectly, by any person described in (iii) or (iv) or over which such person is able to exercise significant influence.

 

Ordinary Share Private Financing

 

In December 2019, we issued and sold to certain institutional investors, including Regal Funds Management Pty Ltd., approximately 18.9 million ordinary shares at a purchase price of A$2.65 per share for an aggregate purchase price of A$50.0 million. Regal Funds Management Pty Ltd., a holder of over 10% of our outstanding ordinary shares as of June 30, 2020, purchased approximately 2.8 million shares for A$7.5 million.

 

Director and Senior Management Compensation

 

See “Management—Remuneration” for information regarding compensation of our senior management and directors.

 

Indemnification Agreements

 

Our Constitution provides that, except to the extent prohibited by law including under the Corporations Act and, to the extent that an officer is not otherwise indemnified by us pursuant to an indemnity, we will indemnify every person who is or has been an officer of the company against any liability (other than legal costs that are unreasonable) incurred by that person as an officer. This includes any liability incurred by that person in their capacity as an officer of our subsidiary where we requested that person to accept that appointment.

 

We have entered into Deeds of Indemnity, Insurance and Access, or Indemnity Deeds, with Megan Baldwin, Ph.D., Michael Tonroe, Lawrence Gozlan, Geoffrey Kempler, Michael Sistenich and Daniel Spiegelman, each a non-employee director or executive officer. Under the Indemnity Deeds, we have agreed to indemnify (to the maximum extent permitted under Australian law and our Constitution, subject to certain specified exceptions) each director and executive officer against all liabilities incurred in their capacity as our or our subsidiaries’ director or officer and any and all costs and expenses relating to such a claim or to any notified event incurred by such director or executive officer, including costs and expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred to mitigate any liability for such a claim or any claim which may arise from such a notified event. The Indemnity Deeds provide that the indemnities are unlimited as to amount, continuous and irrevocable.

 

Separately, we have obtained insurance for our directors and executive officers, as required by the Indemnity Deeds.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Related Person Transaction Policy

 

We comply with Australian law and the rules and regulations of the ASX regarding approval of transactions with related parties. Prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to adopt a related person transaction policy

 

162


Table of Contents

that sets forth our procedures for the identification, review, consideration and approval or ratification of related person transactions. The policy will become effective upon the execution of the underwriting agreement for this offering. For purposes of our policy, a related person transaction is a transaction, arrangement or similar contractual relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, in which we and any related person are, were or will be participants and the amount involved in the transaction exceeds $120,000, with the exception of usual transactions concluded under normal conditions. A related person is any member of our board of directors, our senior management or any beneficial owner of more than 5% of any class of our ordinary shares, including any of their immediate family members and any entity owned or controlled by such persons.

 

Under the policy, if a transaction has been identified as a related person transaction, including any transaction that was not a related person transaction when originally consummated or any transaction that was not initially identified as a related person transaction prior to consummation, our senior management must present information regarding the related person transaction to the board of directors for review, consideration and approval or ratification. The presentation must include a description of, among other things, the material facts, the interests, direct and indirect, of the related persons, the benefits to us of the transaction and whether the transaction is on terms that are comparable to the terms available to or from, as the case may be, an unrelated third party or to or from employees generally. Under the policy, we will collect information that we deem reasonably necessary from each member of our board of directors and, to the extent feasible, significant shareholder to enable us to identify any existing or potential related-person transactions and to effectuate the terms of the policy.

 

All of the transactions described above were entered into prior to the adoption of the written policy, but our board of directors evaluated and approved all transactions that were considered to be related party transactions under Australian law and the rules and regulations of the ASX at the time at which they were consummated.

 

163


Table of Contents

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

 

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of June 30, 2020, for:

 

   

each person or group of affiliated persons known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our ordinary shares;

 

   

each member of our senior management;

 

   

each of our directors; and

 

   

all of our directors and senior management as a group.

 

To our knowledge, as of June 30, 2020, approximately 374,934 ordinary shares, or 0.1% of our ordinary shares, were held of record by six residents of the United States.

 

We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, and the information is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on information furnished to us, that the persons and entities named in the table below have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares that they beneficially own.

 

Applicable percentage ownership before the offering is based on 269,157,769 ordinary shares outstanding as of June 30, 2020. Applicable percentage ownership after the offering is based on ordinary shares outstanding immediately after the closing of this offering (after giving effect to the sale and issuance of                 ADSs representing                 ordinary shares at an ADS-to-ordinary share ratio of                 -to-1), assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional ADSs. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person or entity and the percentage ownership of such person or entity, we deemed to be outstanding all shares subject to options held by the person or entity that are currently exercisable, or exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2020. However, except as described above, we did not deem such shares outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person or entity. The information contained in the following table is not necessarily indicative of beneficial ownership for any other purpose, and the inclusion of any shares in the table does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership of those shares. Each of our shareholders is entitled to one vote per ordinary share. None of the holders of our shares will have different voting rights from other holders of shares after the closing of this offering. We are not aware of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in a change of control of our company. For further information regarding options to purchase ordinary shares held by our directors and senior management, see “Management—Remuneration.”

 

164


Table of Contents

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed below is c/o Opthea Limited, Suite 0403, Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia.

 

            Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned  

Name of Beneficial Owner

   Number of
Ordinary Shares
Beneficially
Owned
     Before Offering     After Offering  

Principal Shareholders

       

Funds affiliated with Regal Funds Management Pty Ltd.(1)

     28,726,324        10.7     %  

Baker Brothers Advisors L.P.(2)

     26,526,759        9.9    

Entities affiliated with the Liberman Family(3)

     19,228,128        7.1    

KiFin Ltd.(4)

     16,275,227        6.0    

Directors and Senior Management

       

Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.(5)

     7,987,723        2.9    

Michael Tonroe(6)

     1,400,000        *    

Geoffrey Kempler(7)

     4,400,960        1.6    

Lawrence Gozlan(8)

            *    

Michael Sistenich(9)

     3,020,178        1.1    

Daniel Spiegelman(10)

            *    

All directors and senior management as a group (six persons)(11)

     16,808,861        5.4  

 

*   Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%.
(1)   Consists of 28,726,324 ordinary shares held by funds affiliated with Regal Funds Management Pty Ltd., referred to together as the Regal Funds. Regal Funds Management Pty Ltd. is the investment manager for each of such funds holding our ordinary shares. Philip King and Craig Collie are the Chief Investment Officer and portfolio manager, respectively, of Regal Funds Management Pty Ltd. and, as such, they may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power with respect to the ordinary shares held by the affiliated funds. Philip King and Craig Collie disclaim beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held by the Regal Funds except to the extent of their pecuniary interest. The address for Regal Funds Management Pty Ltd. is Level 47, Gateway, 1 Macquarie Place, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia.
(2)   Consists of (i) 2,166,666 ordinary shares held by 667, L.P. and (ii) 24,360,093 ordinary shares held by Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P. We refer to 667, L.P. and Baker Brothers Life Sciences, L.P. together as the Baker Entities. Baker Bros. Advisors LP is the investment advisor of the Baker Entities and has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to the ordinary shares held by the Baker Entities. Baker Bros. Advisors (GP) LLC is the sole general partner of Baker Bros. Advisors LP. The managing members of Baker Bros. Advisors (GP) LLC are Julian C. Baker and Felix J. Baker and, as such, they may be deemed to have voting and dispositive power with respect to the ordinary shares held by the Baker Entities. Julian C. Baker and Felix J. Baker disclaim beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held by the Baker Entities except to the extent of their pecuniary interest. The address for the Baker Entities is 880 Washington Street, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10014.
(3)   Consists of 19,228,128 ordinary shares held by entities affiliated with the Liberman Family, including 13,520,540 ordinary shares held by Jagen Pty Ltd., for which Lawrence Gozlan, a member of our board of directors, serves as founder and Chief Investment Officer. Bori Liberman, Helen Liberman, Laini Liberman, Justin Liberman and Nic Liberman share voting and dispositive power with respect to the ordinary shares held by the entities affiliated with the Liberman Family. The address for the entities affiliated with the Liberman Family is 8 Oxford Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia.
(4)  

Consists of 16,275,227 ordinary shares held by KiFin Ltd. KiFin Ltd. is managed by its sole director, Guardian Corporate Services Limited, or GCSL. The directors of GCSL are Ritchie Linden, Conrad Rademeyer, Gregoire Lartigue, Abacus Managers Limited, Abacus Management Limited and Abacus

 

165


Table of Contents
 

Corporate Services Limited. Meade Malone and Rajiv Balleram are the two directors of the three Abacus entities acting as corporate directors of GCSL. The directors of GCSL have shared and equal voting rights with respect to decisions of GCSL, as sole director of KiFin Ltd., and as such may be deemed to have shared voting and dispositive power with respect to the ordinary shares held by KiFin Ltd. Each director of GCSL disclaims beneficial ownership of the ordinary shares held by KiFin Ltd. except to the extent of their pecuniary interest. The address for KiFin Ltd. is Geneva Place, 333 Waterfront Drive, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

(5)   Consists of (i) 987,723 ordinary shares beneficially owned and (ii) 7,000,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2020.
(6)   Consists of 1,400,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2020.
(7)   Consists of (i) 900,960 ordinary shares directly held by Mr. Kempler and (ii) 3,500,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2020.
(8)   Mr. Gozlan joined our board of directors in July 2020.
(9)   Consists of (i) 520,178 ordinary shares directly held by Mr. Sistenich and (ii) 2,500,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2020.
(10)   Mr. Spiegelman joined our board of directors in September 2020.
(11)   Consists of (i) 2,418,861 ordinary shares beneficially owned and (ii) 14,400,000 ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of options that are exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2020.

 

166


Table of Contents

DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

 

General

 

The following description of our ordinary shares is only a summary. We encourage you to read our Constitution, which is included as an exhibit to this registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

We are a public company limited by shares incorporated under the Corporations Act by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or ASIC. Our corporate affairs are principally governed by our Constitution, the Corporations Act and the Australian Securities Exchange, or ASX, Listing Rules. Our ordinary shares trade on the ASX.

 

The Australian law applicable to our Constitution is not significantly different than a U.S. company’s charter documents except we do not have a limit on our authorized share capital, the concept of par value is not recognized under Australian law and as further discussed under “—Our Constitution.”

 

Subject to any restrictions on the issue of securities in our Constitution, the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, we may from time to time issue shares and grant options on any terms, with the rights and restrictions and for the consideration that our board of directors determine. The rights and restrictions attaching to ordinary shares are derived through a combination of our Constitution, the common law applicable in Australia, the ASX Listing Rules, the Corporations Act and other applicable law. A general summary of some of the rights and restrictions attaching to our ordinary shares are summarized below. Each ordinary shareholder is entitled to receive notice of, and to be present, vote and speak at, general meetings.

 

Changes to Our Share Capital

 

As of June 30, 2020, we had (i) 269,157,769 ordinary shares outstanding and (ii) outstanding options to purchase 18,044,000 ordinary shares at a weighted-average exercise price of A$0.68 per share.

 

From July 1, 2017, through the date of this prospectus, the following events have changed the number of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares:

 

   

In December 2019, we issued 18,867,930 ordinary shares to institutional shareholders at an issue price of A$2.65 per share.

 

   

We issued the following ordinary shares upon the exercise of options over the following periods:

 

   

from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, 2,063,518 ordinary shares upon the exercise of options granted in connection with capital raise transactions;

 

   

from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, 46,776,951 ordinary shares upon the exercise of options granted in connection with capital raise transactions; and

 

   

from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, 875,000 ordinary shares upon the exercise of options granted to officers and employees.

 

Our Constitution

 

Our Constitution is similar in nature to the bylaws of a U.S. corporation. It does not provide for or prescribe any specific objectives or purposes of our company. Our Constitution is subject to the terms of the Corporations Act. It may be amended or repealed and replaced by special resolution of shareholders, which is a resolution passed by at least 75% of the votes cast by shareholders (in person or by proxy) entitled to vote on the resolution.

 

Under Australian law, a company has the legal capacity and powers of an individual both within and outside Australia. The material provisions of our Constitution are summarized below. This summary is not intended to be

 

167


Table of Contents

complete nor to constitute a definitive statement of the rights and liabilities of our shareholders, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of our Constitution, a copy of which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Interested Directors

 

A director or that director’s alternate who has a material personal interest in a matter that is being considered at a directors’ meeting must not be present while the matter is being considered at the meeting or vote in respect of that matter according to our Constitution unless permitted to do so by the Corporations Act, in which case such director may (i) be counted in determining whether or not a quorum is present at any meeting of directors considering that contract or arrangement or proposed contract or arrangement; (ii) sign or countersign any document relating to that contract or arrangement or proposed contract or arrangement; and (iii) vote in respect of, or in respect of any matter arising out of, the contract or arrangement or proposed contract or arrangement.

 

Unless a relevant exception applies, the Corporations Act requires our directors to provide disclosure of any material personal interest, and prohibits directors from voting on matters in which they have a material personal interest and from being present at the meeting while the matter is being considered, unless directors who do not have a material personal interest in the relevant matter have passed a resolution that identifies the director, the nature and extent of the director’s interest in the matter and its relation to our affairs and states that those directors are satisfied that the interest should not disqualify the director from voting or being present. In addition, the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules may require shareholder approval of any provision of related party benefits to our directors, unless a relevant exception applies.

 

Directors’ Compensation

 

Our non-employee directors are paid remuneration for their services as directors. Subject to the ASX Listing Rules, non-employee directors as a whole may be paid or provided remuneration for their services a total amount or value not to exceed $500,000 per annum. Subject to the ASX Listing Rules, the aggregate, capped sum for non-employee directors’ remuneration is to be divided among the directors in such proportion as the directors themselves agree and in accordance with our Constitution. The capped sum remuneration for non-employee directors may not be increased except at a general meeting of shareholders and the particulars of the proposed increase are required to have been provided to shareholders in the notice convening the meeting. In addition, our board of directors may fix the remuneration of each executive director, which may comprise salary or commission on or participation in our profits (or comprising a combination of each) as our directors determine.

 

Fees payable to our non-employee directors must be by way of a fixed sum and not by way of a commission on or a percentage of profits or operating revenue. Remuneration paid to our executive directors must also not include a commission or percentage of operating revenue.

 

Pursuant to our Constitution, any director who performs extra services or makes any special exertions, whether in going or residing abroad or otherwise for any of the purposes of the Company, that director may be paid an additional sum for those services and exertions.

 

In addition to other remuneration provided in our Constitution, all of our directors are entitled to be paid by us for all travelling and other expenses properly incurred by the directors in attending general meetings, board meetings, committee meetings or otherwise in connection with our business.

 

In addition, in accordance with our Constitution, a director may be paid a retirement benefit as determined by our board of directors subject to the requirements of the Corporations Act.

 

168


Table of Contents

Borrowing Powers Exercisable by Directors

 

Pursuant to our Constitution, the management and control of our business affairs are vested in our board of directors. Our board of directors has the power to raise or borrow money or obtain other financial accommodation for the purposes of the Company, and may grant security for the repayment of that sum or sums or the payment, performance or fulfilment of any debts, liabilities, contracts or obligations incurred or undertaken by the Company in any manner and upon any terms and conditions as our board of directors deems appropriate.

 

Retirement of Directors

 

Pursuant to our Constitution, one-third of our directors, other than the managing director, must retire from office at every annual general meeting. If the number of directors is not a multiple of three, then the number nearest, to but not exceeding, one-third must retire from office. The directors who retire in this manner are required to be the directors or director longest in office since last being elected. A director, other than the managing director, must retire from office at the conclusion of the third annual general meeting after which the director was elected. A retiring director remains in office until the end of the meeting and will be eligible for re-election at the meeting.

 

Rights and Restrictions on Classes of Shares

 

The rights attaching to our ordinary shares are detailed in our Constitution. Our Constitution provides that, subject to the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and our Constitution, our directors may issue shares with preferential, deferred or special rights, privileges or conditions or with any restrictions, whether in relation to dividends, voting, return of share capital, or otherwise as our board of directors may determine. Subject to the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and our Constitution (see “—Change of Control”), we may issue further shares on such terms and conditions as our board of directors resolve. We may only issue preference shares if the rights attaching to the preference shares relating to repayment of capital, participation in surplus assets and profits, cumulative and non-cumulative dividends, voting and priority of payment of capital and dividends in respect of other shares (including ordinary shares) are set out in our constitution or otherwise approved by special resolution passed at a general meeting. Our outstanding share capital consists of only one class of ordinary shares.

 

Dividend Rights

 

Under the Corporations Act, a company must not pay a dividend unless (a) the company’s assets exceed its liabilities immediately before the dividend is declared and the excess is sufficient for the payment of the dividend; (b) the payment of the dividend is fair and reasonable to the company’s shareholders as a whole; and (c) the payment of the dividend does not materially prejudice the company’s ability to pay its creditors. Subject to this requirement, our board of directors may from time to time determine to pay and declare dividends to shareholders. All dividends unclaimed for one year after the time for payment has passed may be invested or otherwise made use of by our board of directors for our benefit until claimed or until dealt with under any law relating to unclaimed moneys.

 

Voting Rights

 

Under our Constitution, and subject to any voting exclusions imposed under the ASX Listing Rules (which typically exclude parties from voting on resolutions in which they have an interest), the rights and restrictions attaching to a class of shares, each shareholder has one vote on a show of hands at a meeting of the shareholders unless a poll is demanded under the Constitution or the Corporations Act. On a poll vote, each shareholder shall have one vote for each fully paid share and a fractional vote for each share held by that shareholder that is not fully paid, such fraction being equivalent to the proportion of the amount that has been paid to such date on that share. Shareholders may vote in person or by proxy, attorney or representative. Under Australian law, shareholders of a public company are generally not permitted to approve corporate matters by written consent. Our Constitution does not provide for cumulative voting.

 

169


Table of Contents

Under Australian law, an ordinary resolution is passed if a majority of the votes cast on the resolution (in person or by proxy) by members entitled to vote on the resolution are in favor of the resolution. Under Australian law, a special resolution is passed if at least 75% of the votes cast on the resolution (in person or by proxy) are in favor of the resolution.

 

ADS holders may not directly vote at a meeting of the shareholders but may instruct the depositary to vote the number of deposited ordinary shares their ADSs represent.

 

Right to Share in Our Profits

 

Pursuant to our Constitution, our shareholders are entitled to participate in our profits only by payment of dividends. Our board of directors may from time to time determine to pay dividends to the shareholders. However, any such dividend may only be payable in accordance with the requirements set out in the Corporations Act described above.

 

Rights to Share in the Surplus in the Event of Winding Up

 

Our Constitution provides for the right of shareholders to participate in a surplus in the event of our winding up, subject to the rights attaching to a class of shares,.

 

No Redemption Provision for Ordinary Shares

 

There are no redemption provisions in our Constitution in relation to ordinary shares. Under our Constitution, shares may be issued and allotted, which are liable to be redeemed. Under the Corporations Act, redeemable preference shares may only be redeemed if those preference shares are fully paid-up and payment in satisfaction of redemption is out of profits or the proceeds of a new issue of shares made for the purposes of the redemption.

 

Variation or Cancellation of Share Rights

 

Subject to the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and the terms of issue of shares of that class, the rights and privileges attached to shares in a class of shares may only be varied or cancelled by a special resolution, together with either:

 

   

a special resolution passed at a meeting of members holding shares in the class; or

 

   

the written consent of members with at least 75% of the shares in the class.

 

Directors May Make Calls

 

Our Constitution provides that subject to compliance with the Corporations Act and the terms on which partly paid shares are issued, directors may make calls on the holders of the shares for any money unpaid on them.

 

General Meetings of Shareholders

 

General meetings of shareholders may be called by our board of directors. Except as permitted under the Corporations Act, shareholders may not convene a meeting. The Corporations Act requires the directors to call and arrange to hold a general meeting on the request of shareholders with at least 5% of the votes that may be cast at a general meeting. Notice of the proposed meeting of our shareholders is required at least 28 days prior to such meeting under the Corporations Act.

 

170


Table of Contents

Foreign Ownership Regulation

 

Our Constitution does not impose specific limitations on the rights of non-residents to own securities. However, acquisitions and proposed acquisitions of securities in Australian companies may be subject to review and approval by the Australian Federal Treasurer under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 (Cth), or the FATA, which generally applies to acquisitions or proposed acquisitions:

 

   

by a foreign person (as defined in the FATA) or associated foreign persons that would result in such persons having an interest in 20% or more of the issued shares of, or control of 20% or more of the voting power in, an Australian company; and

 

   

by non-associated foreign persons that would result in such foreign persons having an aggregate interest in 40% or more of the issued shares of, or control of 40% or more of the voting power in, an Australian company, where the Australian company is valued above the monetary threshold prescribed by FATA.

 

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the monetary thresholds for foreign investment proposals covered by the FATA and its associated regulations have been reduced to zero. This regime may revert in the future to the previous regime, which, in general terms, provided that in respect of proposals for investment in non-sensitive sectors, no such review or approval under the FATA is required if the foreign acquirer is a U.S. entity or an entity from certain other countries and the value of the Australian target is less than A$1,192 million.

 

The Australian Federal Treasurer may prevent a proposed acquisition in the above categories or impose conditions on such acquisition if the Treasurer is satisfied that the acquisition would be contrary to the national interest. If a foreign person acquires shares or an interest in shares in an Australian company in contravention of the FATA, the Australian Federal Treasurer may make a range of orders including an order the divestiture of such person’s shares or interest in shares in that Australian company.

 

Ownership Threshold

 

There are no specific provisions in our Constitution that require a shareholder to disclose ownership above a certain threshold. The Corporations Act, however, requires a shareholder to notify us and the ASX once it, together with its associates, acquires a 5% interest in our ordinary shares, at which point the shareholder will be considered to be a “substantial” shareholder. Further, once a shareholder owns (alone or together with associates) a 5% interest in us, such shareholder must notify us and the ASX of any increase or decrease of 1% or more in its holding of our ordinary shares, and must also notify us and the ASX on its ceasing to be a “substantial” shareholder.

 

Issues of Shares and Change in Capital

 

Subject to our Constitution, the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, we may at any time issue shares and give any person a call or option over any shares on any terms, with preferential, deferred or other special rights, privileges or conditions or with restrictions and for the consideration and other terms that the directors determine. We may only issue preference shares if the rights attaching to the preference shares relating to repayment of capital, participation in surplus assets and profits, cumulative and non-cumulative dividends, voting and priority of payment of capital and dividends in respect of other shares (including ordinary shares) are set out in our Constitution or otherwise approved by special resolution passed at a general meeting of shareholders.

 

Subject to the requirements of our Constitution, the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and any other applicable law, including relevant shareholder approvals, we may consolidate or divide our share capital into a larger or smaller number by resolution, reduce our share capital in any manner (provided that the reduction is fair and reasonable to our shareholders as a whole, does not materially prejudice our ability to pay creditors and obtains the necessary shareholder approval) or buy back our ordinary shares whether under an equal access buy-back or on a selective basis.

 

171


Table of Contents

Change of Control

 

Takeovers of listed Australian public companies, including us, are regulated by the Corporations Act, which prohibits the acquisition of a “relevant interest” in issued voting shares in a listed company if the acquisition will lead to that person’s or someone else’s voting power in our company increasing from 20% or below to more than 20% or increasing from a starting point that is above 20% and below 90%, which we refer to as the Takeovers Prohibition, subject to a range of exceptions.

 

Generally, a person will have a relevant interest in securities if the person:

 

   

is the holder of the securities (other than if the person holds those securities as a bare trustee);

 

   

has power to exercise, or control the exercise of, a right to vote attached to the securities; or

 

   

has the power to dispose of, or control the exercise of a power to dispose of, the securities.

 

If, at a particular time,

 

   

a person has a relevant interest in issued securities; and

 

   

the person (whether before or after acquiring the relevant interest) has:

 

   

entered or enters into an agreement with another person with respect to the securities;

 

   

given or gives another person an enforceable right, or has been or is given an enforceable right by another person, in relation to the securities (whether the right is enforceable presently or in the future and whether or not on the fulfillment of a condition); or

 

   

granted or grants an option to, or has been or is granted an option by, another person with respect to the securities; and

 

   

the other person would have a relevant interest in the securities if the agreement were performed, the right enforced or the option exercised,

 

then the other person is taken to have a relevant interest in the relevant securities.

 

There are a number of exceptions to the Takeover Prohibition. In general terms, some of the more significant exceptions include:

 

   

when the acquisition results from the acceptance of an offer under a formal takeover bid;

 

   

when the acquisition is conducted on market by or on behalf of the bidder during the bid period for a full takeover bid that is unconditional or only conditional on certain ‘prescribed’ matters set out in the Corporations Act;

 

   

when the acquisition has been previously approved by our shareholders by resolution passed at general meeting;

 

   

an acquisition by a person if, throughout the six months before the acquisition, that person or any other person has had voting power in our company of at least 19% and, as a result of the acquisition, none of the relevant persons would have voting power in our company more than three percentage points higher than they had six months before the acquisition;

 

   

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities under a rights issue;

 

   

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities under a dividend reinvestment scheme or bonus share plan;

 

   

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities under certain underwriting arrangements;

 

   

when the acquisition results from the issue of securities through a will or through operation of law;

 

172


Table of Contents
   

an acquisition that arises through the acquisition of a relevant interest in another listed company which is listed on a prescribed financial market or a financial market approved by ASIC;

 

   

an acquisition arising from an auction of forfeited shares conducted on-market; or

 

   

an acquisition arising through a compromise, arrangement, liquidation or buy-back.

 

Breaches of the takeovers provisions of the Corporations Act are criminal offenses. ASIC and the Australian Takeover Panel have a wide range of powers relating to breaches of takeover provisions, including the ability to make orders, canceling contracts, freezing transfers of, and rights attached to, securities and forcing a party to dispose of securities. There are certain defenses to breaches of the Takeover Prohibition provided in the Corporations Act.

 

Access to and Inspection of Documents

 

Inspection of our records is governed by our Constitution and the Corporations Act. Any member of the Company has the right to inspect or obtain copies of our share register on the payment of a prescribed fee. Our books containing the minutes of general meetings will be kept at our registered office and will be open to inspection of members at all times when the office is required to be open to the public. Other corporate records, including minutes of directors’ meetings, financial records and other documents, are not open for inspection by shareholders (who are not directors). Where a shareholder is acting in good faith and an inspection is deemed to be made for a proper purpose, a shareholder may apply to the court to make an order for inspection of our books.

 

Legal Name; Formation; Registered Office

 

We were incorporated under the laws of Australia in 1984 under the name Circadian Technologies Limited. In 1985, we completed an initial public offering of our ordinary shares and the listing of our ordinary shares on the Australian Securities Exchange, or the ASX. In December 2015, we changed the name of our company to Opthea Limited. Our headquarters and registered offices are located at Suite 0403, Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC 3141, Australia. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Corporation Service Company, located at 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 210, New York, New York 10036. Our website address is www.opthea.com. The reference to our website is an inactive textual reference only and information contained in, or that can be assessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

Listing

 

We have applied to have the ADSs listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “OPT.” Our ordinary shares are listed on the ASX under the symbol “OPT.”

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

Upon the closing of this offering, the transfer agent and registrar for the ADSs will be National Australia Bank Ltd. Computershare Investor Services Pty Limited is our transfer agent and registrar for our ordinary shares and currently maintains our share register for our ordinary shares. The share register reflects only record owners of our ordinary shares. Holders of the ADSs will not be treated as one of our shareholders and their names will therefore not be entered in our share register. The depositary, the custodian or their nominees will be the holder of the shares underlying the ADSs. Holders of the ADSs have a right to receive the ordinary shares underlying their ADSs. See “Description of American Depositary Shares.”

 

173


Table of Contents

DESCRIPTION OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

 

American Depositary Shares

 

The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary, will register and deliver American Depositary Shares, or ADSs. Each ADS will represent                 ordinary Shares (or a right to receive                 ordinary shares) deposited with HSBC Bank Australia Limited, as custodian for the depositary in Australia. Each ADS will also represent any other securities, cash or other property that may be held by the depositary. The deposited shares together with any other securities, cash or other property held by the depositary are referred to as the deposited securities. The depositary’s office at which the ADSs will be administered and its principal executive office are located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286.

 

You may hold ADSs either (A) directly (i) by having an American Depositary Receipt, or an ADR, which is a certificate evidencing a specific number of ADSs, registered in your name, or (ii) by having uncertificated ADSs registered in your name, or (B) indirectly by holding a security entitlement in ADSs through your broker or other financial institution that is a direct or indirect participant in The Depository Trust Company, or DTC. If you hold ADSs directly, you are a registered ADS holder, or an ADS holder. This description assumes you are an ADS holder. If you hold the ADSs indirectly, you must rely on the procedures of your broker or other financial institution to assert the rights of ADS holders described in this section. You should consult with your broker or financial institution to find out what those procedures are.

 

Registered holders of uncertificated ADSs will receive statements from the depositary confirming their holdings.

 

As an ADS holder, we will not treat you as one of our shareholders and you will not have shareholder rights. Australian law governs shareholder rights. The depositary will be the holder of the shares underlying your ADSs. As a registered holder of ADSs, you will have ADS holder rights. A deposit agreement among us, the depositary, ADS holders and all other persons indirectly or beneficially holding ADSs sets out ADS holder rights as well as the rights and obligations of the depositary. New York law governs the deposit agreement and the ADSs.

 

The following is a summary of the material provisions of the deposit agreement. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit agreement and the form of ADR. For directions on how to obtain copies of those documents, see “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

Dividends and Other Distributions

 

How will you receive dividends and other distributions on the shares?

 

The depositary has agreed to pay or distribute to ADS holders the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on shares or other deposited securities, upon payment or deduction of its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of shares your ADSs represent.

 

Cash. After completion of this offering, we do not expect to declare or pay any cash dividends or cash distributions on our ordinary shares for the foreseeable future. The depositary will convert any cash dividend or other cash distribution we pay on the shares into U.S. dollars, if it can do so on a reasonable basis and can transfer the U.S. dollars to the United States. If that is not possible or if any government approval is needed and cannot be obtained, the deposit agreement allows the depositary to distribute the foreign currency only to those ADS holders to whom it is possible to do so. It will hold the foreign currency it cannot convert for the account of the ADS holders who have not been paid. It will not invest the foreign currency and it will not be liable for any interest.

 

Before making a distribution, any withholding taxes, or other governmental charges that must be paid will be deducted. See “Material United States Federal Income and Australian Tax Considerations.” The depositary

 

174


Table of Contents

will distribute only whole U.S. dollars and cents and will round fractional cents to the nearest whole cent. If the exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary cannot convert the foreign currency, you may lose some of the value of the distribution.

 

Shares. The depositary may distribute additional ADSs representing any shares we distribute as a dividend or free distribution. The depositary will only distribute whole ADSs. It will sell shares which would require it to deliver a fraction of an ADS (or ADSs representing those shares) and distribute the net proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. If the depositary does not distribute additional ADSs, the outstanding ADSs will also represent the new shares. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed shares (or ADSs representing those shares) sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution.

 

Rights to purchase additional shares. If we offer holders of our securities any rights to subscribe for additional shares or any other rights, the depositary may (i) exercise those rights on behalf of ADS holders, (ii) distribute those rights to ADS holders or (iii) sell those rights and distribute the net proceeds to ADS holders, in each case after deduction or upon payment of its fees and expenses. To the extent the depositary does not do any of those things, it will allow the rights to lapse unexercised. In that case, you will receive no value for them. The depositary will exercise or distribute rights only if we ask it to and provide satisfactory assurances to the depositary that it is legal to do so. If the depositary will exercise rights, it will purchase the securities to which the rights relate and distribute those securities or, in the case of shares, new ADSs representing the new shares, to subscribing ADS holders, but only if ADS holders have paid the exercise price to the depositary. U.S. securities laws may restrict the ability of the depositary to distribute rights or ADSs or other securities issued on exercise of rights to all or certain ADS holders, and the securities distributed may be subject to restrictions on transfer.

 

Other Distributions. The depositary will send to ADS holders anything else we distribute on deposited securities by any means it thinks is legal, fair and practical. If it cannot make the distribution in that way, the depositary has a choice. It may decide to sell what we distributed and distribute the net proceeds, in the same way as it does with cash. Or, it may decide to hold what we distributed, in which case ADSs will also represent the newly distributed property. However, the depositary is not required to distribute any securities (other than ADSs) to ADS holders unless it receives satisfactory evidence from us that it is legal to make that distribution. The depositary may sell a portion of the distributed securities or property sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in connection with that distribution. U.S. securities laws may restrict the ability of the depositary to distribute securities to all or certain ADS holders, and the securities distributed may be subject to restrictions on transfer.

 

The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADS holders. We have no obligation to register ADSs, shares, rights or other securities under the Securities Act. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, shares, rights or anything else to ADS holders. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you.

 

Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation

 

How are ADSs issued?

 

The depositary will deliver ADSs if you or your broker deposits shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the custodian. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will register the appropriate number of ADSs in the names you request and will deliver the ADSs to or upon the order of the person or persons that made the deposit.

 

How can ADS holders withdraw the deposited securities?

 

You may surrender your ADSs to the depositary for the purpose of withdrawal. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will

 

175


Table of Contents

deliver the shares and any other deposited securities underlying the ADSs to the ADS holder or a person the ADS holder designates at the office of the custodian. Or, at your request, risk and expense, the depositary will deliver the deposited securities at its office, if feasible. However, the depositary is not required to accept surrender of ADSs to the extent it would require delivery of a fraction of a deposited share or other security. The depositary may charge you a fee and its expenses for instructing the custodian regarding delivery of deposited securities.

 

How do ADS holders interchange between certificated ADSs and uncertificated ADSs?

 

You may surrender your ADR to the depositary for the purpose of exchanging your ADR for uncertificated ADSs. The depositary will cancel that ADR and will send to the ADS holder a statement confirming that the ADS holder is the registered holder of uncertificated ADSs. Upon receipt by the depositary of a proper instruction from a registered holder of uncertificated ADSs requesting the exchange of uncertificated ADSs for certificated ADSs, the depositary will execute and deliver to the ADS holder an ADR evidencing those ADSs.

 

Voting Rights

 

How do you vote?

 

ADS holders may instruct the depositary how to vote the number of deposited shares their ADSs represent. If we request the depositary to solicit your voting instructions (and we are not required to do so), the depositary will notify you of a shareholders’ meeting and send or make voting materials available to you. Those materials will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how ADS holders may instruct the depositary how to vote. For instructions to be valid, they must reach the depositary by a date set by the depositary. The depositary will try, as far as practical, subject to the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the provisions of our articles of association or similar documents, to vote or to have its agents vote the shares or other deposited securities as instructed by ADS holders. If we do not request the depositary to solicit your voting instructions, you can still send voting instructions, and, in that case, the depositary may try to vote as you instruct, but it is not required to do so.

 

In any event, the depositary will not exercise any discretion in voting deposited securities and it will only vote or attempt to vote as instructed or as described in the following sentence. If we asked the depositary to solicit your instructions at least 30 days before the meeting date but the depositary does not receive voting instructions from you by the specified date and we confirm to the depositary that:

 

   

we wish to receive a discretionary proxy;

 

   

as of the instruction cutoff date we reasonably do not know of any substantial shareholder opposition to the particular question; and

 

   

the particular question would not be materially adverse to the interests of our shareholders, then the depositary will consider you to have authorized and directed it to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us to vote the number of deposited securities represented by your ADSs as to that question.

 

We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote your shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise voting rights and there may be nothing you can do if your shares are not voted as you requested.

 

In order to give you a reasonable opportunity to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of voting rights relating to Deposited Securities, if we request the Depositary to act, we agree to give the depositary notice of any such meeting and details concerning the matters to be voted upon at least 45 days in advance of the meeting date.

 

Except by instructing the depositary as described above, you won’t be able to exercise voting rights unless you surrender your ADSs and withdraw the shares. However, you may not know about the meeting enough in advance to withdraw the shares.

 

176


Table of Contents

Fees and Expenses

 

Pursuant to the terms of the deposit agreement, the persons depositing or withdrawing ordinary shares or holders of ADSs will be required to pay the following fees:

 

Persons depositing or withdrawing shares or ADS holders must pay:

  

For:

$5.00 (or less) per 100 ADSs (or portion of 100 ADSs)   

Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting from a distribution of shares or rights or other property

Cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if the deposit agreement terminates

$.05 (or less) per ADS    Any cash distribution to ADS holders
A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed to you had been shares and the shares had been deposited for issuance of ADSs    Distribution of securities distributed to holders of deposited securities (including rights) that are distributed by the depositary to ADS holders
$.05 (or less) per ADS per calendar year    Depositary services
Registration or transfer fees    Transfer and registration of shares on our share register to or from the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or withdraw shares
Expenses of the depositary   

Cable (including SWIFT) and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided in the deposit agreement)

Converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars

Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian has to pay on any ADSs or shares underlying ADSs, such as stock transfer taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes    As necessary
Any charges incurred by the depositary or its agents for servicing the deposited securities    As necessary

 

The depositary collects its fees for delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from investors depositing shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to investors by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a portion of distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deduction from cash distributions or by directly billing investors or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary may collect any of its fees by deduction from any cash distribution payable (or by selling a portion of securities or other property distributable) to ADS holders that are obligated to pay those fees. The depositary may generally refuse to provide fee-attracting services until its fees for those services are paid.

 

From time to time, the depositary may make payments to us to reimburse us for costs and expenses generally arising out of establishment and maintenance of the ADS program, waive fees and expenses for services provided to us by the depositary or share revenue from the fees collected from ADS holders. In

 

177


Table of Contents

performing its duties under the deposit agreement, the depositary may use brokers, dealers, foreign currency dealers or other service providers that are owned by or affiliated with the depositary and that may earn or share fees, spreads or commissions.

 

The depositary may convert currency itself or through any of its affiliates, or the custodian or we may convert currency and pay U.S. dollars to the depositary. Where the depositary converts currency itself or through any of its affiliates, the depositary acts as principal for its own account and not as agent, advisor, broker or fiduciary on behalf of any other person and earns revenue, including, without limitation, transaction spreads, that it will retain for its own account. The revenue is based on, among other things, the difference between the exchange rate assigned to the currency conversion made under the deposit agreement and the rate that the depositary or its affiliate receives when buying or selling foreign currency for its own account. The depositary makes no representation that the exchange rate used or obtained by it or its affiliate in any currency conversion under the deposit agreement will be the most favorable rate that could be obtained at the time or that the method by which that rate will be determined will be the most favorable to ADS holders, subject to the depositary’s obligation to act without negligence or bad faith. The methodology used to determine exchange rates used in currency conversions made by the depositary is available upon request. Where the custodian converts currency, the custodian has no obligation to obtain the most favorable rate that could be obtained at the time or to ensure that the method by which that rate will be determined will be the most favorable to ADS holders, and the depositary makes no representation that the rate is the most favorable rate and will not be liable for any direct or indirect losses associated with the rate. In certain instances, the depositary may receive dividends or other distributions from the United States in U.S. dollars that represent the proceeds of a conversion of foreign currency or translation from foreign currency at a rate that was obtained or determined by us and, in such cases, the depositary will not engage in, or be responsible for, any foreign currency transactions and neither it nor we make any representation that the rate obtained or determined by us is the most favorable rate and neither it nor we will be liable for any direct or indirect losses associated with the rate.

 

Payment of Taxes

 

You will be responsible for any taxes or other governmental charges payable on your ADSs or on the deposited securities represented by any of your ADSs. The depositary may refuse to register any transfer of your ADSs or allow you to withdraw the deposited securities represented by your ADSs until those taxes or other charges are paid. It may apply payments owed to you or sell deposited securities represented by your ADSs to pay any taxes owed and you will remain liable for any deficiency. If the depositary sells deposited securities, it will, if appropriate, reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to ADS holders any proceeds, or send to ADS holders any property, remaining after it has paid the taxes. Your obligation to pay taxes and indemnify us and the depository against any tax claims will survive the transfer or surrender of your ADSs, the withdrawal of the deposited ordinary shares as well as the termination of the deposit agreement.

 

Tender and Exchange Offers; Redemption, Replacement or Cancellation of Deposited Securities

 

The depositary will not tender deposited securities in any voluntary tender or exchange offer unless instructed to do so by an ADS holder surrendering ADSs and subject to any conditions or procedures the depositary may establish.

 

If deposited securities are redeemed for cash in a transaction that is mandatory for the depositary as a holder of deposited securities, the depositary will call for surrender of a corresponding number of ADSs and distribute the net redemption money to the holders of called ADSs upon surrender of those ADSs.

 

If there is any change in the deposited securities such as a sub-division, combination or other reclassification, or any merger, consolidation, recapitalization or reorganization affecting the issuer of deposited securities in which the depositary receives new securities in exchange for or in lieu of the old deposited securities, the depositary will hold those replacement securities as deposited securities under the deposit agreement. However, if the depositary decides it would not be lawful and practical to hold the replacement

 

178


Table of Contents

securities because those securities could not be distributed to ADS holders or for any other reason, the depositary may instead sell the replacement securities and distribute the net proceeds upon surrender of the ADSs.

 

If there is a replacement of the deposited securities and the depositary will continue to hold the replacement securities, the depositary may distribute new ADSs representing the new deposited securities or ask you to surrender your outstanding ADRs in exchange for new ADRs identifying the new deposited securities.

 

If there are no deposited securities underlying ADSs, including if the deposited securities are cancelled, or if the deposited securities underlying ADSs have become apparently worthless, the depositary may call for surrender of those ADSs or cancel those ADSs upon notice to the ADS holders.

 

Amendment and Termination

 

How may the deposit agreement be amended?

 

We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADRs without your consent for any reason. If an amendment adds or increases fees or charges, except for taxes and other governmental charges or expenses of the depositary for registration fees, facsimile costs, delivery charges or similar items, or prejudices a substantial right of ADS holders, it will not become effective for outstanding ADSs until 30 days after the depositary notifies ADS holders of the amendment. At the time an amendment becomes effective, you are considered, by continuing to hold your ADSs, to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the ADRs and the deposit agreement as amended.

 

How may the deposit agreement be terminated?

 

The depositary will initiate termination of the deposit agreement if we instruct it to do so. The depositary may initiate termination of the deposit agreement if

 

   

60 days have passed since the depositary told us it wants to resign but a successor depositary has not been appointed and accepted its appointment;

 

   

we delist the ADSs from an exchange in the United States on which they were listed and do not list the ADSs on another exchange in the United States or make arrangements for trading of ADSs on the U.S. over-the-counter market;

 

   

we delist our shares from an exchange outside the United States on which they were listed and do not list the shares on another exchange outside the United States;

 

   

the depositary has reason to believe the ADSs have become, or will become, ineligible for registration on Form F-6 under the Securities Act;

 

   

we appear to be insolvent or enter insolvency proceedings;

 

   

all or substantially all the value of the deposited securities has been distributed either in cash or in the form of securities;

 

   

there are no deposited securities underlying the ADSs or the underlying deposited securities have become apparently worthless; or

 

   

there has been a replacement of deposited securities.

 

If the deposit agreement will terminate, the depositary will notify ADS holders at least 90 days before the termination date. At any time after the termination date, the depositary may sell the deposited securities. After that, the depositary will hold the money it received on the sale, as well as any other cash it is holding under the deposit agreement, unsegregated and without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the ADS holders that have not surrendered their ADSs. Normally, the depositary will sell as soon as practicable after the termination date.

 

After the termination date and before the depositary sells, ADS holders can still surrender their ADSs and receive delivery of deposited securities, except that the depositary may refuse to accept a surrender for the

 

179


Table of Contents

purpose of withdrawing deposited securities or reverse previously accepted surrenders of that kind that have not settled if it would interfere with the selling process. The depositary may refuse to accept a surrender for the purpose of withdrawing sale proceeds until all the deposited securities have been sold. The depositary will continue to collect distributions on deposited securities, but, after the termination date, the depositary is not required to register any transfer of ADSs or distribute any dividends or other distributions on deposited securities to the ADSs holder (until they surrender their ADSs) or give any notices or perform any other duties under the deposit agreement except as described in this paragraph.

 

Limitations on Obligations and Liability

 

Limits on our Obligations and the Obligations of the Depositary; Limits on Liability to Holders of ADSs

 

The deposit agreement expressly limits our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It also limits our liability and the liability of the depositary. We and the depositary:

 

   

are only obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith, and the depositary will not be a fiduciary or have any fiduciary duty to holders of ADSs;

 

   

are not liable if we are or it is prevented or delayed by law or by events or circumstances beyond our or its ability to prevent or counteract with reasonable care or effort from performing our or its obligations under the deposit agreement;

 

   

are not liable if we or it exercises discretion permitted under the deposit agreement;

 

   

are not liable for the inability of any holder of ADSs to benefit from any distribution on deposited securities that is not made available to holders of ADSs under the terms of the deposit agreement, or for any special, consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the deposit agreement;

 

   

have no obligation to become involved in a lawsuit or other proceeding related to the ADSs or the deposit agreement on your behalf or on behalf of any other person;

 

   

may rely upon any documents we believe or it believes in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person;

 

   

are not liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system; and

 

   

the depositary has no duty to make any determination or provide any information as to our tax status, or any liability for any tax consequences that may be incurred by ADS holders as a result of owning or holding ADSs or be liable for the inability or failure of an ADS holder to obtain the benefit of a foreign tax credit, reduced rate of withholding or refund of amounts withheld in respect of tax or any other tax benefit.

 

In the deposit agreement, we and the depositary agree to indemnify each other under certain circumstances.

 

Requirements for Depositary Actions

 

Before the depositary will deliver or register a transfer of ADSs, make a distribution on ADSs, or permit withdrawal of shares, the depositary may require:

 

   

payment of stock transfer or other taxes or other governmental charges and transfer or registration fees charged by third parties for the transfer of any shares or other deposited securities;

 

   

satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and

 

   

compliance with regulations it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including presentation of transfer documents.

 

The depositary may refuse to deliver ADSs or register transfers of ADSs when the transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books are closed or at any time if the depositary or we think it advisable to do so.

 

180


Table of Contents

Your Right to Receive the Shares Underlying your ADSs

 

ADS holders have the right to cancel their ADSs and withdraw the underlying shares at any time except:

 

   

when temporary delays arise because: (i) the depositary has closed its transfer books or we have closed our transfer books; (ii) the transfer of shares is blocked to permit voting at a shareholders’ meeting; or (iii) we are paying a dividend on our shares;

 

   

when you owe money to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; or

 

   

when it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals in order to comply with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADSs or to the withdrawal of shares or other deposited securities.

 

This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.

 

Direct Registration System

 

In the deposit agreement, all parties to the deposit agreement acknowledge that the Direct Registration System, also referred to as DRS, and Profile Modification System, also referred to as Profile, will apply to the ADSs. DRS is a system administered by DTC that facilitates interchange between registered holding of uncertificated ADSs and holding of security entitlements in ADSs through DTC and a DTC participant. Profile is a feature of DRS that allows a DTC participant, claiming to act on behalf of a registered holder of uncertificated ADSs, to direct the depositary to register a transfer of those ADSs to DTC or its nominee and to deliver those ADSs to the DTC account of that DTC participant without receipt by the depositary of prior authorization from the ADS holder to register that transfer.

 

In connection with and in accordance with the arrangements and procedures relating to DRS/Profile, the parties to the deposit agreement understand that the depositary will not determine whether the DTC participant that is claiming to be acting on behalf of an ADS holder in requesting registration of transfer and delivery as described in the paragraph above has the actual authority to act on behalf of the ADS holder (notwithstanding any requirements under the Uniform Commercial Code). In the deposit agreement, the parties agree that the depositary’s reliance on and compliance with instructions received by the depositary through the DRS/Profile system and in accordance with the deposit agreement will not constitute negligence or bad faith on the part of the depositary.

 

Shareholder communications; inspection of register of holders of ADSs

 

The depositary will make available for your inspection at its office all communications that it receives from us as a holder of deposited securities that we make generally available to holders of deposited securities. The depositary will send you copies of those communications or otherwise make those communications available to you if we ask it to. You have a right to inspect the register of holders of ADSs, but not for the purpose of contacting those holders about a matter unrelated to our business or the ADSs.

 

Each holder of ADSs may be required from time to time to provide certain information, including proof of taxpayer status, residence and beneficial ownership (as applicable), from time to time and in a timely manner as we, the depositary or the custodian may deem necessary or proper to fulfill obligations under applicable law.

 

Jury Trial Waiver

 

The deposit agreement provides that, to the extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws. If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable in the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with applicable case law. You will not, by agreeing to the terms of the deposit agreement, be deemed to have waived our or the depositary’s compliance with U.S. federal securities laws or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

181


Table of Contents

SHARES AND AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

 

Our ordinary shares have been trading on the ASX since 1985. While we intend to apply to list the ADSs on Nasdaq, we cannot assure you that an active trading market for the ADSs will develop.

 

Upon completion of the offering, we will have                 ADSs outstanding representing                 ordinary shares, or approximately     % of our ordinary shares in issue and outstanding. In addition, we will have                 ordinary shares not represented by ADSs in issue and outstanding. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase                  additional ADSs in full, we will have                 ADSs outstanding, representing                 ordinary shares, or approximately     % of our ordinary shares in issue and outstanding. All of the ADSs sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restrictions or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any ADSs sold to our “affiliates,” as that term is defined under Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The ordinary shares held by existing shareholders are “restricted securities,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. Restricted securities may be sold in the United States only if registered with the SEC or if their resale qualifies for exemption from registration described below under Rule 144 or Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

Future sales of ADSs in the U.S. public market after this offering, and the availability of ADSs for future sale, could adversely affect the market price of the ADSs prevailing from time to time. As described below, a significant number of currently outstanding ordinary shares will not be available for sale shortly after this offering due to contractual restrictions on transfers of ordinary shares and ADSs. However, sales of substantial amounts of ADSs or ordinary shares, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect prevailing market prices for the ADSs and could impair our future ability to raise equity capital.

 

Rule 144

 

In general, a person who has beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act provided that (1) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the 90 days preceding, a sale and (2) we have been subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the sale. Persons who have beneficially owned restricted ordinary shares for at least six months, but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the 90 days preceding a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of either of the following:

 

   

1.0% of the number of ordinary shares (including ordinary shares in the form of ADSs) then outstanding, which will equal approximately                  ordinary shares immediately after the closing of this offering; and

 

   

the average weekly trading volume of the ADSs on                 during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale;

 

provided, in each case, that we have been subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the sale. Such sales both by affiliates and by non-affiliates must also comply with the manner of sale, current public information and notice provisions of Rule 144. Non-affiliate resales of restricted shares under Rule 144 also are subject to the availability of current public information about us until a period of one year has elapsed since the securities were acquired from the issuer or an affiliate of the issuer.

 

Rule 701

 

Rule 701 under the Securities Act permits resales of shares in reliance upon Rule 144 but without compliance with certain restrictions of Rule 144, including the holding period requirement. Most of our employees, senior management or directors who purchased shares under a written compensatory plan or contract

 

182


Table of Contents

may be entitled to rely on the resale provisions of Rule 701, but all holders of Rule 701 shares are required to wait until 90 days after the date of this prospectus before selling their shares subject also to Australian law.

 

The SEC has indicated that Rule 701 will apply to typical options granted by an issuer before it becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, along with the shares acquired upon exercise of such options, including exercises after an issuer becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

Lock-up Agreements

 

We and our officers and directors have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and SVB Leerink LLC, or, collectively, the Representatives, on behalf of the underwriters, we and they will not, during the period ending 90 days after the date of this prospectus (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any ordinary shares, ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our ordinary shares or ADSs or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the ordinary shares or ADSs. In addition, we have agreed that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the underwriters, we will not, during the restricted period, file any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any ordinary shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ordinary shares or ADSs. The restrictions described in this paragraph are subject to certain exceptions. See “Underwriting.”

 

The Representatives, in their sole discretion, may release the ordinary shares, ADSs and other securities subject to the lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time.

 

We do not currently expect any release of ordinary shares or ADSs subject to lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the applicable lock-up periods. Upon the expiration of the applicable lock-up periods, substantially all of the ordinary shares and ADSs subject to such lock-up restrictions will become eligible for sale, subject to the limitations described above.

 

183


Table of Contents

MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME AND AUSTRALIAN TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

The following summary of the material Australian and U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the ADSs or ordinary shares is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this prospectus, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in the ADSs or ordinary shares, such as the tax consequences under U.S. state, local and other tax laws other than U.S. federal income tax laws and certain Australian tax laws.

 

Material United States Federal Income Tax Considerations

 

The following describes material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs by a U.S. holder (as defined below). This summary addresses these tax considerations only for U.S. holders that are initial purchasers of our ordinary shares or ADSs pursuant to this offering and that will hold such ordinary shares or ADSs as capital assets (generally, property held for investment). This summary does not address all U.S. federal income tax matters that may be relevant to a particular U.S. holder. This summary does not address tax considerations applicable to a holder of our ordinary shares or ADSs that may be subject to special tax rules including, without limitation, the following:

 

   

banks, financial institutions or insurance companies;

 

   

brokers, dealers or traders in securities, currencies, commodities, or notional principal contracts;

 

   

tax-exempt entities or organizations, including an “individual retirement account” or “Roth IRA” as defined in Section 408 or 408A of the Code (as defined below), respectively;

 

   

real estate investment trusts, regulated investment companies or grantor trusts;

 

   

persons that hold our ordinary shares or ADSs as part of a “hedging,” “integrated,” “wash sale” or “conversion” transaction or as a position in a “straddle” for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

   

S corporations, partnerships, or other entities or arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

 

   

certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;

 

   

persons that received our ordinary shares or ADSs as compensation;

 

   

persons subject to Section 451(b) of the Code;

 

   

persons acquiring our ordinary shares or ADSs in connection with a trade or business conducted outside of the United States, including a permanent establishment or a fixed base in Australia;

 

   

holders that own directly, indirectly, or through attribution 10% or more of the voting power or value of our ordinary shares or ADSs; and

 

   

holders that have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar.

 

Holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs who fall within one of the categories above are advised to consult their tax advisor regarding the specific tax consequences which may apply to their particular situation.

 

For the purposes of this description, a “U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our ordinary shares or ADSs that is (or is treated as), for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

   

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

 

   

a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia;

 

   

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

 

184


Table of Contents
   

a trust, if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of the substantial decisions of such trust, or if such trust has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

If a partnership (or any other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our ordinary shares or ADSs, the tax consequences relating to an investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs will depend in part upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Such a partner or partnership should consult its tax advisor regarding the specific tax considerations of acquiring, owning and disposing of our ordinary shares or ADSs in its particular circumstances.

 

Persons considering an investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs should consult their own tax advisors as to the particular tax consequences applicable to them relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs, including the applicability of U.S. federal, state and local tax laws, Australian tax laws and other non-U.S. tax laws.

 

This description does not address the U.S. federal estate, gift, or alternative minimum tax considerations, or any U.S. state, local, or non-U.S. tax considerations of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs.

 

This description is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, existing, proposed and temporary U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, in each case as in effect and available on the date hereof. All the foregoing is subject to change, which change could apply retroactively, and to differing interpretations, all of which could affect the tax considerations described below. There can be no assurances that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, will not take a position concerning the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs or that such a position would not be sustained by a court. We have not obtained, nor do we intend to obtain, a ruling with respect to the U.S. federal income tax considerations in the purchase, ownership or disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs. Accordingly, holders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of acquiring, owning and disposing of our ordinary shares or ADSs in their particular circumstances.

 

In general, and taking into account the earlier assumptions, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. holder holding ADSs will be treated as the owner of the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs. Exchanges of ordinary shares for ADSs, and ADSs for ordinary shares, generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax.

 

United States Federal Income Tax Consequences If We Are Not a PFIC.    The description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the receipt of distributions and the sale or other taxable exchange of our ordinary shares or ADSs, described in the following two sections “—Distributions” and “—Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition,” apply only if we are not a PFIC in the relevant year and our stock is not subject to the rules described above under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations.”

 

Distributions.    As described above under the heading “—Dividend Policy,” we do not expect to make any distributions in respect of our ordinary shares or ADSs. Subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations,” below, the gross amount of any distribution (including any amounts withheld in respect of foreign tax) actually or constructively received by a U.S. holder with respect to our ordinary shares or ADSs will generally be taxable to the U.S. holder as a dividend to the extent of the U.S. holder’s pro rata share of our current or accumulated earnings and profits as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of earnings and profits will generally be non-taxable to the U.S. holder to the extent of, and will be applied against and reduce, the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in our ordinary shares or ADSs. Distributions in excess of earnings and profits and such adjusted tax basis will generally be taxable to the U.S. holder as either long-term or short-term capital gain depending upon whether the U.S. holder

 

185


Table of Contents

has held our ordinary shares or ADSs for more than one year as of the time such distribution is received. However, since we do not calculate our earnings and profits under U.S. federal income tax principles, it is expected that any distribution will be reported as a dividend, even if that distribution would otherwise be treated as a non-taxable return of capital or as capital gain under the rules described above. Non-corporate U.S. holders may qualify for the preferential rates of taxation with respect to dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs applicable to long-term capital gains (i.e., gains from the sale of capital assets held for more than one year) and qualified dividend income (as discussed below) if we are a “qualified foreign corporation” and certain other requirements (discussed below) are met. A non-U.S. corporation (other than a corporation that is classified as a PFIC for the taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year) generally will be considered to be a qualified foreign corporation (a) if it is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States which the Secretary of Treasury of the United States determines is satisfactory for purposes of this provision and which includes an exchange of information provision, or (b) with respect to any dividend it pays on ADSs which are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. We have applied to list the ADSs on Nasdaq, which is an established securities market in the United States, and we expect the ADSs to be readily tradable on Nasdaq. There can be no assurance that the ADSs will be considered readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States in later years. In addition, the Company, which is incorporated under the laws of Australia, believes that it qualifies as a resident of Australia for purposes of, and is eligible for the benefits of, the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Australia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, signed on August 6, 1982, as amended and currently in force, or the U.S.-Australia Tax Treaty, although there can be no assurance in this regard. Further, the IRS has determined that the U.S.-Australia Tax Treaty is satisfactory for purposes of the qualified dividend rules and that it includes an exchange-of-information program. Therefore, subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations,” below, such dividends will generally be “qualified dividend income” in the hands of individual U.S. holders, provided that a holding period requirement (more than 60 days of ownership, without protection from the risk of loss, during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the ex-dividend date) and certain other requirements are met. The dividends will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to corporate U.S. holders.

 

A U.S. holder generally may claim the amount of any Australian withholding tax as either a deduction from gross income or a credit against its U.S. federal income tax liability. The foreign tax credit is subject to numerous complex limitations that must be determined and applied on an individual basis. Generally, the credit cannot exceed the proportionate share of a U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability that such U.S. holder’s taxable income from foreign sources bears to such U.S. holder’s worldwide taxable income. In applying this limitation, a U.S. holder’s various items of income and deduction must be classified, under complex rules, as either “foreign source” or “U.S. source.” This limitation is calculated separately with respect to specific categories of income. The amount of a distribution with respect to the ADSs that is treated as a “dividend” may be lower for U.S. federal income tax purposes than it is for Australian income tax purposes, potentially resulting in a reduced foreign tax credit for the U.S. holder. In addition, the creditability of foreign taxes could be affected by actions taken by intermediaries in the chain of ownership between the holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs and our company if, as a result of such actions, the holders of our ordinary shares or ADSs are not properly treated as beneficial owners of the underlying ordinary shares. Each U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisors regarding the foreign tax credit rules.

 

In general, the amount of a distribution paid to a U.S. holder in a foreign currency will be the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency calculated by reference to the spot exchange rate on the day the depositary receives the distribution, in the case of the ADSs, or on the day the distribution is received by the U.S. holder, in the case of ordinary shares, regardless of whether the foreign currency is converted into U.S. dollars at that time. Any foreign currency gain or loss a U.S. holder realizes on a subsequent conversion of foreign currency into U.S. dollars will be U.S. source ordinary income or loss. If dividends received in a foreign currency are converted into U.S. dollars on the day they are received, a U.S. holder should not be required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss in respect of the dividend.

 

186


Table of Contents

Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition.    A U.S. holder will generally recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs in an amount equal to the difference between the U.S. dollar value of the amount realized from such sale or exchange and the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in those ordinary shares or ADSs, determined in U.S. dollars. Subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations” below, this gain or loss will generally be a capital gain or loss. The adjusted tax basis in our ordinary shares or ADSs generally will be equal to the cost of such ordinary shares or ADSs. Capital gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs by a non-corporate U.S. holder is generally eligible for a preferential rate of taxation applicable to capital gains, if the non-corporate U.S. holder’s holding period determined at the time of such sale, exchange or other taxable disposition for such ordinary shares or ADSs exceeds one year (i.e., such gain is long-term taxable gain). The deductibility of capital losses for U.S. federal income tax purposes is subject to limitations. Any such gain or loss that a U.S. holder recognizes generally will be treated as U.S. source gain or loss for foreign tax credit limitation purposes.

 

For a cash basis taxpayer, units of foreign currency paid or received are translated into U.S. dollars at the spot rate on the settlement date of the purchase or sale. In that case, no foreign currency exchange gain or loss will result from currency fluctuations between the trade date and the settlement date of such a purchase or sale.

 

An accrual basis taxpayer, however, may elect the same treatment required of cash basis taxpayers with respect to purchases and sales of our ordinary shares or ADSs that are traded on an established securities market, provided the election is applied consistently from year to year. Such election may not be changed without the consent of the IRS. For an accrual basis taxpayer who does not make such election, units of foreign currency paid or received are translated into U.S. dollars at the spot rate on the trade date of the purchase or sale. Such an accrual basis taxpayer may recognize exchange gain or loss based on currency fluctuations between the trade date and the settlement date. Any foreign currency gain or loss a U.S. holder realizes will be U.S. source ordinary income or loss.

 

Medicare Tax.    Certain U.S. holders that are individuals, estates or trusts are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which may include all or a portion of their dividend income and net gains from the disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs. Each U.S. holder that is an individual, estate or trust is urged to consult its tax advisors regarding the applicability of the Medicare tax to its income and gains in respect of its investment in our ordinary shares or ADSs.

 

Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations.    If we are classified as a PFIC in any taxable year, a U.S. holder will be subject to special rules generally intended to reduce or eliminate any benefits from the deferral of U.S. federal income tax that a U.S. holder could derive from investing in a non-U.S. company that does not distribute all of its earnings on a current basis.

 

We will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in any taxable year in which, after applying certain look-through rules with respect to the income and assets of our subsidiaries, either: (1) at least 75% of the gross income is “passive income” or (2) at least 50% of the average quarterly value of our total gross assets (which would generally be measured by fair market value of our assets, and for which purpose the total value of our assets may be determined in part by the market value of the ADSs and our ordinary shares, which are subject to change) is attributable to assets that produce “passive income” or are held for the production of “passive income.”

 

Passive income for this purpose generally includes dividends, interest, royalties, rents, gains from commodities and securities transactions, the excess of gains over losses from the disposition of assets which produce passive income, and includes amounts derived by reason of the temporary investment of funds raised in offerings of our ordinary shares or ADSs. If a non-U.S. corporation owns directly or indirectly at least 25% by value of the stock of another corporation or the partnership interests in a partnership, the non-U.S. corporation is treated for purposes of the PFIC tests as owning its proportionate share of the assets of the other corporation or

 

187


Table of Contents

partnership and as receiving directly its proportionate share of the other corporation’s or partnership’s income. The determination of whether we are a PFIC is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis and the applicable law is subject to varying interpretation. If we are classified as a PFIC in any taxable year during which a U.S. holder owns our ordinary shares or ADSs, such U.S. holder will be subject to special tax rules discussed below and could suffer adverse tax consequences.

 

The market value of our assets may be determined in large part by reference to the market price of the ADSs and our ordinary shares, which is likely to fluctuate after this offering. Therefore, fluctuations in the market price of our ordinary shares or ADSs may result in our being a PFIC for any taxable year. In addition, the composition of our income and assets will be affected by how, and how quickly, we use the cash proceeds from this offering in our business. Whether we are a PFIC for any taxable year will depend on the nature and composition of our income, assets, activities and market capitalization in each year, and because this is a factual determination made annually after the end of each taxable year, there can be no assurance that we will not be considered a PFIC in any taxable year. We believe that we were not characterized as a PFIC in our taxable year ended June 30, 2019. Based on the nature and composition of our income, assets, activities and market capitalization for our taxable year ended June 30, 2020, we believe that we would not be classified as a PFIC for our taxable year ended June 30, 2020; however, there can be no assurance that we will not be considered a PFIC in any past, current or future taxable year. As a result, our PFIC status may change from year to year. Our status as a PFIC will depend on the composition of our income (including whether we receive certain grants or subsidies and whether such amounts will constitute gross income for purposes of the PFIC income test) and the composition and value of our assets, which may be determined in large part by reference to the market value of the ADSs and our ordinary shares, which may be volatile, from time to time. Our status may also depend, in part, on how quickly we utilize the cash proceeds from this offering in our business. Our U.S. counsel expresses no opinion regarding our conclusions or our expectations regarding our PFIC status.

 

If we are classified as a PFIC in any year with respect to which a U.S. holder owns our ordinary shares or ADSs, we will continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to such U.S. holder in all succeeding years during which the U.S. holder owns the ordinary shares or ADSs, regardless of whether we continue to meet the tests described above unless we cease to be a PFIC and the U.S. holder has made a “deemed sale” election under the PFIC rules or is eligible to make and makes a mark-to-market election (as described below), with respect to all taxable years during such U.S. holder’s holding period in which we are a PFIC. If the “deemed sale” election is made, a U.S. holder will be deemed to have sold the ordinary shares or ADSs the U.S. holder holds at their fair market value as of the date of such deemed sale and any gain from such deemed sale would be subject to the rules described below. After the deemed sale election, so long as we do not become a PFIC in a subsequent taxable year, the U.S. holder’s ordinary shares or ADSs with respect to which such election was made will not be treated as shares in a PFIC and the U.S. holder will not be subject to the rules described below with respect to any “excess distribution” the U.S. holder receives from us or any gain from an actual sale or other disposition of the ordinary shares or ADSs. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors as to the possibility and consequences of making a deemed sale election if such election becomes available.

 

If we are a PFIC, and you are a U.S. holder that does not make one of the elections described above (and below in further detail), a special tax regime will apply to both (a) any “excess distribution” by us to you (generally, your ratable portion of distributions in any year, other than the taxable year in which your holding period in the shares or ADSs begins, which are greater than 125% of the average annual distribution received by you in the shorter of the three preceding years or the portion of your holding period for our ordinary shares or ADSs that preceded the year of the distribution) and (b) any gain realized on the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs. Under this regime, any excess distribution and realized gain will be treated as ordinary income and will be subject to tax as if (a) the excess distribution or gain had been realized ratably over your holding period, (b) the amount deemed realized in each year had been subject to tax in each year of that holding period at the highest marginal rate for such year (other than income allocated to the current period or any taxable period before we became a PFIC, which would be subject to tax at the U.S. holder’s regular ordinary income rate for the current year and would not be subject to the interest charge discussed below) and (c) the interest charge

 

188


Table of Contents

generally applicable to underpayments of tax had been imposed on the taxes deemed to have been payable in those years. In addition, dividend distributions made to you will not qualify for the lower rates of taxation applicable to qualified dividends discussed above under “Distributions.”

 

Certain elections may alleviate some of the adverse consequences of PFIC status and would result in an alternative treatment of our ordinary shares or ADSs. If a U.S. holder makes a mark-to-market election, the U.S. holder generally will recognize as ordinary income any excess of the fair market value of our ordinary shares or ADSs at the end of each taxable year over their adjusted tax basis, and will recognize an ordinary loss in respect of any excess of the adjusted tax basis of our ordinary shares or ADSs over their fair market value at the end of the taxable year (but only to the extent of the net amount of income previously included as a result of the mark-to-market election). If a U.S. holder makes the election, the U.S. holder’s tax basis in our ordinary shares or ADSs will be adjusted to reflect these income or loss amounts. Any gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs in a year in which we are a PFIC will be treated as ordinary income and any loss will be treated as an ordinary loss (but only to the extent of the net amount of income previously included as a result of the mark-to-market election). The mark-to-market election is available only if we are a PFIC and our ordinary shares or ADSs are “regularly traded” on a “qualified exchange.” Our ordinary shares or ADSs will be treated as “regularly traded” in any calendar year in which more than a de minimis quantity of our ordinary shares or ADSs are traded on a qualified exchange on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter (subject to the rule that trades that have as one of their principal purposes the meeting of the trading requirement are disregarded). Nasdaq is a qualified exchange for this purpose and, consequently, if the ADSs are regularly traded, the mark-to-market election will be available to a U.S. holder. It should be noted that it is intended that only the ADSs and not our ordinary shares will be listed on Nasdaq. Consequently, our ordinary shares may not be marketable if the ASX (where our ordinary shares are currently listed) does not meet the applicable requirements. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of the mark-to-market election for ordinary shares that are not represented by ADSs.

 

However, a mark-to-market election generally cannot be made for equity interests in any lower-tier PFICs that we own, unless shares of such lower-tier PFIC are themselves “marketable.” As a result, even if a U.S. holder validly makes a mark-to-market election with respect to our ordinary shares or ADSs, the U.S. holder may continue to be subject to the PFIC rules (described above) with respect to its indirect interest in any of our investments that are treated as an equity interest in a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors as to the availability and desirability of a mark-to-market election, as well as the impact of such election on interests in any lower-tier PFICs.

 

We do not currently intend to provide the information necessary for U.S. holders to make qualified electing fund elections if we were treated as a PFIC for any taxable year. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors to determine whether any of the other elections described above would be available and if so, what the consequences of the alternative treatments would be in their particular circumstances.

 

If we are determined to be a PFIC, the general tax treatment for U.S. holders described in this section would apply to indirect distributions and gains deemed to be realized by U.S. holders in respect of any of our subsidiaries that also may be determined to be PFICs. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to our subsidiaries.

 

If a U.S. holder owns our ordinary shares or ADSs during any taxable year in which we are a PFIC, the U.S. holder generally will be required to file an IRS Form 8621 (Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund) with respect to the company, generally with the U.S. holder’s federal income tax return for that year. If our company were a PFIC for a given taxable year, then you should consult your tax advisor concerning your annual filing requirements.

 

The U.S. federal income tax rules relating to PFICs are complex. Prospective U.S. investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary

 

189


Table of Contents

shares or ADSs, the consequences to them of an investment in a PFIC, any elections available with respect to our ordinary shares or ADSs and the IRS information reporting obligations with respect to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs.

 

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting.    U.S. holders generally will be subject to information reporting requirements with respect to dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs and on the proceeds from the sale, exchange or disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs that are paid within the United States or through U.S.-related financial intermediaries, unless the U.S. holder is an “exempt recipient.” In addition, U.S. holders may be subject to backup withholding on such payments, unless the U.S. holder provides a taxpayer identification number and a duly executed IRS Form W-9 or otherwise establishes an exemption. Backup withholding is not an additional tax, and the amount of any backup withholding will be allowed as a credit against a U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

 

Certain Reporting Requirements With Respect to Payments of Offer Price.    U.S. holders paying more than $100,000 for our ordinary shares or ADSs generally may be required to file IRS Form 926 reporting the payment of the offer price for our ordinary shares or ADSs to us. Substantial penalties may be imposed upon a U.S. holder that fails to comply. Each U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor as to the possible obligation to file IRS Form 926.

 

Foreign Asset Reporting.    Certain individual U.S. holders are required to report information relating to an interest in our ordinary shares or ADSs, subject to certain exceptions (including an exception for shares held in accounts maintained by U.S. financial institutions) by filing IRS Form 8938 (Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets) with their federal income tax return. U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding their information reporting obligations, if any, with respect to their ownership and disposition of our ordinary shares or ADSs.

 

THE DISCUSSION ABOVE IS A SUMMARY OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN OUR ORDINARY SHARES OR ADSs AND IS BASED UPON LAWS AND RELEVANT INTERPRETATIONS THEREOF IN EFFECT AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS, ALL OF WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, POSSIBLY WITH RETROACTIVE EFFECT. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO IT OF AN INVESTMENT IN OUR ORDINARY SHARES OR ADSs IN LIGHT OF THE INVESTOR’S OWN CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

Material Australian Tax Considerations

 

In this section, we discuss the material Australian income tax, stamp duty and goods and services tax considerations related to the acquisition, ownership and disposal by the absolute beneficial owners of the ADSs or ordinary shares. It is based upon existing Australian tax law as of the date of this registration statement, which is subject to change, possibly retrospectively. This discussion does not address all aspects of Australian tax law which may be important to particular investors in light of their individual investment circumstances, such as ADSs or shares held by investors subject to special tax rules (for example, financial institutions, insurance companies or tax exempt organizations). In addition, this summary does not discuss any non-Australian or state tax considerations, other than stamp duty and goods and services tax.

 

Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the Australian and non-Australian income and other tax considerations of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the ADSs or shares. This summary is based upon the premise that the holder is not an Australian tax resident and is not carrying on business in Australia through a permanent establishment (referred to as a “Non-Australian Holder” in this summary).

 

190


Table of Contents

Nature of ADSs for Australian Taxation Purposes

 

Non-Australian Holders of ADSs should obtain specialist Australian tax advice regarding their rights and obligations under the deposit agreement with the depositary, including whether the deposit arrangement constitutes a ‘bare trust’ for Australian taxation purposes. Apart from certain aspects of the Australian tax legislation (for example, the Australian capital gains tax and withholding tax provisions, which are discussed below), there is no express legislative basis for disregarding “bare trusts” for Australian tax purposes generally. This summary proceeds on the assumption that the deposit arrangement constitutes a bare trust.

 

Holders of ADSs can be treated as the owners of the underlying ordinary shares for Australian capital gains tax purposes on the basis that they are ‘absolutely entitled’ to those shares. Dividends paid on the underlying ordinary shares will also be treated as dividends derived by the holders of ADSs as the persons presently entitled to those dividends.

 

Taxation of Dividends

 

Australia operates a dividend imputation system under which dividends may be declared to be “franked” to the extent they are paid out of company profits that have been subject to income tax. Fully franked dividends are not subject to dividend withholding tax. To the extent that they are unfranked, dividends payable to Non-Australian Holders will be subject to dividend withholding tax except to the extent they are declared to be conduit foreign income, or CFI. Dividend withholding tax will be imposed at 30%, unless a shareholder is a resident of a country with which Australia has a double taxation treaty and qualifies for the benefits of the treaty. Under the provisions of the current Double Taxation Convention between Australia and the United States, the Australian tax withheld on unfranked dividends that are not declared to be CFI paid by us to which a resident of the United States is beneficially entitled is limited to 15%.

 

Under the Double Taxation Convention between Australia and the United States, if a company that is a Non-Australian Holder directly owns a 10% or more interest, the Australian tax withheld on unfranked dividends that are not declared to be CFI paid by us to which a resident of the United States is beneficially entitled is limited to 5%.

 

Character of ADSs for Australian Taxation Purposes

 

The Australian tax treatment of a sale or disposal of the ADSs will depend on whether they are held on revenue or capital account. ADSs may be held on revenue rather than capital account, for example, where they are held by share traders or any profit arises from a profit-making undertaking or scheme entered into by the holder. Non-Australian Holders of ADSs should obtain specialist Australian tax advice regarding the characterization of any gain or loss on a sale or disposal of the ADSs as revenue or capital in nature.

 

Tax on Sales or other Dispositions of Shares—Capital Gains Tax

 

Non-Australian Holders who are treated as the owners of the underlying shares on the basis that they are absolutely entitled to those shares will not be subject to Australian capital gains tax on the gain made on a sale or other disposal of ordinary shares unless:

 

   

they, together with associates, hold 10% or more of our issued capital, at the time of disposal or for a 12 month period during the two years prior to disposal; and

 

   

more than 50% of our assets held directly or indirectly, determined by reference to market value, consists of Australian real property (which includes land and leasehold interests) or Australian mining, quarrying or prospecting rights at the time of disposal. Australian capital gains tax applies to net capital gains at a taxpayer’s marginal tax rates. Net capital gains are calculated after reduction for capital losses, which may only be offset against capital gains.

 

191


Table of Contents

The 50% capital gains tax discount is not available to Non-Australian Holders on gains from assets acquired accrued after May 8, 2012 where they were non-Australian residents during the entire holding period. Companies are not entitled to a capital gains tax discount.

 

Broadly, where there is a disposal of certain taxable Australian property, the purchaser will be required to withhold and remit to the Australian Taxation Office, or the ATO, 12.5% of the proceeds from the sale. A transaction is excluded from the withholding requirements in certain circumstances, including where the transaction is an on-market transaction conducted on an approved stock exchange, a securities lending, or the transaction is conducted using a broker operated crossing system. There may also be an exception to the requirement to withhold where a Non-Australian Holder provides a declaration that their ordinary shares are not ‘indirect Australian real property interests’. The Non-Australian Holder may be entitled to receive a tax credit for the tax withheld by the purchaser which they may claim in their Australian income tax return.

 

Tax on Sales or other Dispositions of ADSs—Revenue Account

 

Non-Australian Holders who hold their ADSs on revenue account may have the gains made on the sale or other disposal of the ADSs included in their assessable income under the ordinary income provisions of the income tax law, if the gains are sourced in Australia. There are no express provisions which treat holders of ADSs as the owners of the underlying shares where there is a bare trust.

 

Non-Australian Holders assessable under these ordinary income provisions in respect of gains made on ADSs held on revenue account would be assessed for such gains at the Australian tax rates for non-Australian residents, which start at a marginal rate of 32.5% for individuals and would be required to file an Australian tax return. Some relief from Australian income tax may be available to a Non-Australian Holder who is resident of a country with which Australia has a double taxation treaty, qualifies for the benefits of the treaty and does not, for example, derive the gain in carrying on business through a permanent establishment in Australia.

 

To the extent an amount would be included in a Non-Australian Holder’s assessable income under both the capital gains tax provisions and the ordinary income provisions, the capital gain amount may be reduced, so that the holder may not be subject to double Australian tax on any part of the gain.

 

The statements under “—Tax on Sales or Other Dispositions of Shares—Capital Gains Tax” regarding a purchaser being required to withhold 12.5% tax on the acquisition of certain taxable Australian property should apply where the disposal of the ADSs by a Non-Australian Holder is likely to generate gains on revenue account, rather than a capital gain.

 

Dual Residency

 

If a holder of ADSs is a resident of both Australia and the United States under those countries’ domestic taxation laws, that holder may be subject to tax as an Australian resident. If, however, the holder is determined to be a U.S. resident for the purposes of the Double Taxation Convention between the United States and Australia, the Australian tax would be subject to limitation by the Double Taxation Convention. Holders should obtain specialist taxation advice in these circumstances.

 

Stamp Duty

 

No Australian stamp duty is payable by Australian residents or non-Australian residents on the issue, transfer and/or surrender of the ADSs or ordinary shares, provided that the securities issued, transferred and/or surrendered do not represent 90% or more of our issued shares.

 

192


Table of Contents

Australian Death Duty

 

Australia does not have estate or death duties. As a general rule, no capital gains tax liability is realized upon the inheritance of a deceased person’s shares. The disposal of inherited shares by beneficiaries may, however, give rise to a capital gains tax liability if the gain falls within the scope of Australia’s jurisdiction to tax.

 

Goods and Services Tax

 

No Australian goods and services tax will be payable on the supply of the ADSs or ordinary shares.

 

THE DISCUSSION ABOVE IS A SUMMARY OF THE AUSTRALIAN TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN OUR ORDINARY SHARES OR ADSs AND IS BASED UPON LAWS AND RELEVANT INTERPRETATIONS THEREOF IN EFFECT AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS, ALL OF WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, POSSIBLY WITH RETROACTIVE EFFECT. EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR IS URGED TO CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR ABOUT THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO IT OF AN INVESTMENT IN OUR ORDINARY SHARES OR ADSs IN LIGHT OF THE INVESTOR’S OWN CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

193


Table of Contents

ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

 

We are a public limited company incorporated under the laws of Australia. Certain of our directors are non-residents of the United States and substantially all of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible or practicable for you to:

 

   

effect service of process within the United States upon our non-U.S. resident directors or on us;

 

   

enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained against our non-U.S. resident directors or us in the United States courts in any action, including actions under the civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws;

 

   

enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained against our non-U.S. resident directors or us in courts of jurisdictions outside the United States in any action, including actions under the civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws; or

 

   

bring an original action in an Australian court to enforce liabilities against our non-U.S. resident directors or us based solely upon U.S. securities laws.

 

You may also have difficulties enforcing in courts outside the United States judgments that are obtained in U.S. courts against any of our non-U.S. resident directors or us, including actions under the civil liability provisions of the U.S. securities laws.

 

With that noted, there are no treaties between Australia and the United States that would affect the recognition or enforcement of foreign judgments in Australia. We also note that investors may be able to bring an original action in an Australian court against us to enforce liabilities based in part upon U.S. federal securities laws. The disclosure in this section is not based on the opinion of counsel.

 

We have appointed Corporation Service Company as our agent to receive service of process with respect to any action brought against us under the federal securities laws of the United States.

 

194


Table of Contents

UNDERWRITING

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and SVB Leerink LLC are acting as book-running managers of this offering and as representatives of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, the underwriters named below have severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to them, the number of ADSs indicated below:

 

Underwriter

   Number of
ADSs
 
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.                    
SVB Leerink LLC   
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.   
Truist Securities, Inc.   
  

 

 

 

Total

  
  

 

 

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the ADSs included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all of the ADSs (other than those covered by the over-allotment option described below) if they purchase any.

 

ADSs sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any ADSs sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount from the initial public offering price not to exceed $                 per ADS. After the initial public offering of the ADSs, if all the ADSs are not sold at the initial public offering price, the underwriters may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The representatives have advised us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.

 

The address of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is 390 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, the address of SVB Leerink LLC is One Federal Street, 37th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, the address of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is 85 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, New York 10004, and the address of Truist Securities, Inc. is 3333 Peachtree Road NE, 9th floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30326.

 

If the underwriters sell more ADSs than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to                  additional ADSs at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discount. The underwriters may exercise the option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter must purchase a number of additional ADSs approximately proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment set forth in the table above. Any ADSs issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other ADSs that are the subject of this offering.

 

We and our officers and directors have agreed that, subject to specified limited exceptions, for a period of 90 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and SVB Leerink LLC, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, including the filing of a registration statement in respect of, or hedge any ordinary shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our ordinary shares or ADSs, collectively referred to as lock-up securities. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and SVB Leerink LLC in their sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time, which, in the case of officers and directors, shall be with notice.

 

195


Table of Contents

The lock-up restrictions relating to our officers and directors described in the immediately preceding paragraph are subject to specified exceptions, including the following:

 

  a.   transfers of lock-up securities (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, (ii) by will, other testamentary document or intestacy or (iii) to any immediate family member of the lock-up party or to any trust or other legal entity for the benefit of the lock-up party or immediate family of the lock-up party, or if the lock-up party is a trust, to a trustor or beneficiary of the trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust,

 

  b.   transfers of lock-up securities to a partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which lock-up party and the lock-up party’s immediate family are the legal and beneficial owner of all of the outstanding equity securities or similar interests;

 

  c.   transfers of lock-up securities to a corporation, member, partner, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity that is an affiliate of the lock-up party;

 

  d.   transfers of lock-up securities to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the lock-up party or its affiliates (including where the lock-up party is a partnership, to a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership);

 

  e.   transfers of lock-up securities to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible above;

 

  f.   transfers of lock-up securities by operation of law, pursuant to a qualified domestic order, divorce settlement, divorce decree or separation agreement or other final court order;

 

  g.   transfers of lock-up securities to us upon death, disability, termination of employment or cessation of services;

 

  h.   transfers of lock-up securities acquired in open market transactions after the closing of this offering;

 

  i.   transfers of ordinary shares or ADSs to us in connection with the vesting, settlement, or exercise of options and other equity awards to purchase ordinary shares or ADSs (including, in each case, by way of “net” or “cashless” exercise), including for the payment of exercise price and tax withholdings or remittance payments due as a result of the vesting, settlement, or exercise of such equity awards;

 

  j.   transfers of lock-up securities pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction (including a takeover bid under Chapter 6 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and a scheme of arrangement implemented under Part 5.1 of the scheme of arrangement under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)) that is approved by our board of directors and made to all holders of our share capital involving a change of control;

 

  k.   the receipt from us of shares of common stock in connection with the exercise of options or other rights granted under an equity incentive plan or other equity award plan or program or pursuant to an individual award agreement between us and the lock-up party; or

 

  l.   the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act or to a similar effect permitted under the rules and regulations of the Australian Securities Exchange for the transfer of shares of common stock, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of common stock,

 

provided that:

 

   

in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (a) through (f) above, each donee, trustee, distributee or transferee shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement;

 

   

in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (h) above, no filing under the Exchange Act or other public announcement would be required or be voluntarily made;

 

196


Table of Contents
   

in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (a) through (k), any filing under the Exchange Act or other public report or announcement would clearly indicate the nature and conditions of the transfer or distribution; and

 

   

in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (a) through (e) above, such transfer or distribution would not involve a disposition for value.

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the ADSs in the United States. Our ordinary shares have been trading on the Australian Securities Exchange, or the ASX, since April 1985 under the symbol “OPT.” The initial public offering price for the ADSs will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives and will be based, in part, on the prevailing price of our ordinary shares on the ASX. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price will be our stage of development, our current financial condition, our future prospects, our markets, the economic conditions in and future prospects for the industry in which we compete, our management, and currently prevailing general conditions in the equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the ADSs will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our shares of ADSs will develop and continue after this offering.

 

We have applied for listing of the ADSs listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “OPT.”

 

The following table shows the per ADS and total underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters and proceeds to us, before estimated offering expenses, in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option:

 

            Total  
     Per ADS      No
exercise
     Full
exercise
 

Public offering price

   $                    $                    $                

Underwriting discounts paid by us

   $        $        $    

Proceeds to us, before expenses

   $        $        $    

 

We estimate that expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, exclusive of underwriting discounts, will be approximately $        . We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriters for expenses in an amount up to $         relating to the clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

 

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell ADSs in the open market. Purchases and sales in the open market may include short sales, purchases to cover short positions, which may include purchases pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option, and other transactions that would stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the ADSs.

 

   

Short sales involve secondary market sales by the underwriters of a greater number of ADSs than they are required to purchase in this offering:

 

   

“Covered” short sales are sales of ADSs in an amount up to the number of ADSs represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

   

“Naked” short sales are sales of ADSs in an amount in excess of the number of ADSs represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

   

The underwriters can close out a short position by purchasing additional ADSs, either pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option or in the open market.

 

197


Table of Contents
   

To close a naked short position, the underwriters must purchase ADSs in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the ADSs in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

 

   

To close a covered short position, the underwriters must purchase ADSs in the open market or exercise their over-allotment option. In determining the source of ADSs to close the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of ADSs available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase ADSs through their over-allotment option.

 

   

As an additional means of facilitating this offering, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, ADSs on the Nasdaq Global Market, as long as such bids do not exceed a specified maximum, to stabilize the price of the ADSs.

 

Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the shares. They may also cause the price of the ADSs to be higher than the price that would otherwise prevail in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the Nasdaq Global Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. The underwriters are not required to engage in any of these transactions and may discontinue them at any time.

 

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 because of any of those liabilities.

 

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites maintained by one or more of the underwriters or their respective affiliates. The representatives may agree with us to allocate a number of ADSs to underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ or their respective affiliates’ websites and any information contained in any other website maintained by any of the underwriters or their respective affiliates is not part of this prospectus, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriters and should not be relied upon by investors in this offering.

 

Other Relationships

 

The underwriters are full-service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they may receive customary fees and reimbursement of expenses. In the ordinary course of their various 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 (which may include bank loans or credit default swaps) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their 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 or short positions in such securities and instruments.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

 

In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a relevant member state), with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus

 

198


Table of Contents

Directive is implemented in that relevant member state (the relevant implementation date), an offer of ADSs described in this prospectus may not be made to the public in that relevant member state other than:

 

   

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive;

 

   

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by us for any such offer; or

 

   

in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive;

 

provided that no such offer of ADSs shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

 

For purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of securities to the public” in any relevant member state means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the ADSs to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any ADSs, as the expression may be varied in that member state by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that member state, the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive) and includes any relevant implementing measure in the relevant member state, and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EU.

 

The sellers of the ADSs have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of ADSs through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the ADSs as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the ADSs, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the ADSs on behalf of the sellers or the underwriters.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

 

This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive that are also (1) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, or the Order, or (2) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (each such person being referred to as a relevant person).

 

This prospectus and its contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia

 

No prospectus or other disclosure document (as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of Australia, or Corporations Act) in relation to the ADSs has been or will be lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, or ASIC. This document has not been lodged with ASIC and is only directed to certain categories of exempt persons. Accordingly, if you receive this document in Australia:

 

   

you confirm and warrant that you are either:

 

   

a “sophisticated investor” under Section 708(8)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act;

 

   

a “sophisticated investor” under Section 708(8)(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act and that you have provided an accountant’s certificate to us which complies with the requirements of Section 708(8)(c)(i) or (ii) of the Corporations Act and related regulations before the offer has been made;

 

199


Table of Contents
   

a person associated with the company under Section 708(12) of the Corporations Act; or

 

   

a “professional investor” within the meaning of Section 708(11)(a) or (b) of the Corporations Act, and to the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor, associated person or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this document is void and incapable of acceptance; and

 

   

you warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the ADSs for resale in Australia within 12 months of that ADSs being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under Section 708 of the Corporations Act.

 

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 (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.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in France

 

Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the ADSs described in this prospectus has been submitted to the clearance procedures of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers or of the competent authority of another member state of the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The ADSs have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France.

 

Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the ADSs has been or will be:

 

   

released, issued, distributed or caused to be released, issued or distributed to the public in France; or

 

   

used in connection with any offer for subscription or sale of the ADSs to the public in France.

 

Such offers, sales and distributions will be made in France only:

 

   

to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) and/or to a restricted circle of investors (cercle restreint d’investisseurs), in each case investing for their own account, all as defined in and in accordance with articles L.411-2, D.411-1, D.411-2, D.734-1, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier;

 

   

to investment services providers authorized to engage in portfolio management on behalf of third parties; or

 

200


Table of Contents
   

in a transaction that, in accordance with article L.411-2-II-1° -or-2° -or 3° of the French Code monétaire et financier and article 211-2 of the General Regulations (Règlement Général) of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, does not constitute a public offer (appel public à l’épargne).

 

The ADSs may be resold directly or indirectly, only in compliance with articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 through L.621-8-3 of the French Code monétaire et financier.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong

 

The ADSs may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (1) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (2) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (3) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the ADSs may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to ADSs which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in the State of Israel

 

In the State of Israel, this prospectus shall not be regarded as an offer to the public to purchase shares of ADSs under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968, which requires a prospectus to be published and authorized by the Israel Securities Authority, if it complies with certain provisions of Section 15 of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968, including, inter alia, if: (1) the offer is made, distributed or directed to not more than 35 investors, subject to certain conditions, or the Addressed Investors; or (2) the offer is made, distributed or directed to certain qualified investors defined in the First Addendum of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968, subject to certain conditions, or Qualified Investors. The Qualified Investors shall not be taken into account in the count of the Addressed Investors and may be offered to purchase securities in addition to the 35 Addressed Investors. We have not and will not take any action that would require us to publish a prospectus in accordance with and subject to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968. We have not and will not distribute this prospectus or make, distribute or direct an offer to subscribe for the ADSs to any person within the State of Israel, other than to Qualified Investors and up to 35 Addressed Investors.

 

Qualified Investors may have to submit written evidence that they meet the definitions set out in of the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728—1968. In particular, we may request that Qualified Investors will each represent, warrant and certify to us and/or to anyone acting on our behalf: (1) that it is an investor falling within one of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968; (2) which of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968 regarding Qualified Investors is applicable to it; (3) that it will abide by all provisions set forth in the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968 and the regulations promulgated thereunder in connection with this offering; (4) that the shares of ADSs that it will be issued are, subject to exemptions available under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 -1968: (a) for its own account; (b) for investment purposes only; and (c) not issued with a view to resale within the State of Israel, other than in accordance with the provisions of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 -1968; and (5) that it is willing to provide further evidence of its Qualified Investor status. Addressed Investors may have to submit written evidence in respect of their identity and may have to sign and submit a declaration containing, inter alia, the Addressed Investor’s name, address and passport number or Israeli identification number.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan

 

The ADSs offered in this prospectus have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan. The ADSs have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold,

 

201


Table of Contents

directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the account of any resident of Japan (including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), except (1) pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and (2) in compliance with any other applicable requirements of Japanese law.

 

Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore

 

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the ADSs may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the ADSs be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, or the SFA, (2) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (3) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.

 

Where the ADSs are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant party which is:

 

   

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

 

   

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of ADSs and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the ADSs pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

   

to an institutional investor (for corporations, under Section 274 of the SFA) or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of ADSs and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than $200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA;

 

   

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or

 

   

where the transfer is by operation of law.

 

202


Table of Contents

EXPENSES RELATING TO THE OFFERING

 

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable in connection with the sale of ADSs in the offering. All amounts are estimated except the SEC registration fee, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, filing fee and the Nasdaq initial listing fee. Except as otherwise noted, all the expenses below will be paid by us.

 

Expense

   Amount  

SEC registration fee

   US$ 19,470  

FINRA filing fee

     23,000  

Nasdaq initial listing fee

     150,000  

Legal fees and expenses

                 *  

Accounting fees and expenses

                 *  

Printing expenses

                 *  

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

                 *  
  

 

 

 

Total

   US$             *  
  

 

 

 

 

*   To be completed by amendment.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the ordinary shares represented by the ADSs and certain other matters of Australian law will be passed upon for us by Gilbert + Tobin. Certain matters as to U.S. federal law and New York state law will be passed upon for us by Cooley LLP, New York, New York and Cooley LLP, Singapore. Legal counsel to the underwriters in connection with this offering are Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, with respect to U.S. federal law, and Herbert Smith Freehills, Melbourne, Australia, with respect to Australian law.

 

EXPERTS

 

The financial statements included in this prospectus have been audited by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report appearing herein. Such financial statements are included in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

The offices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu are located at Tower 2, Brookfield Place, 123 St. Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We have filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form F-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the ADSs offered in this prospectus. A related registration statement on Form F-6 has been filed with the SEC to register the ADSs. This prospectus, which forms a part of the Registration Statement, does not contain all of the information included in the Registration Statement. Certain information is omitted and you should refer to the Registration Statement and its exhibits for that information. With respect to references made in this prospectus to any contract or other document of Opthea, such references are not necessarily complete and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the Registration Statement for copies of the actual contract or document.

 

Upon the closing of this offering, we will become subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to foreign private issuers. Accordingly, we will be required to file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F, periodic reports and other information, with the SEC.

 

203


Table of Contents

We are allowed four months after the end of our fiscal year to file our annual report with the SEC, and we are not required to disclose certain detailed information regarding executive compensation that is required from U.S. domestic issuers. Also, as a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules of the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing of proxy statements to shareholders, and the members of our board of directors, our senior management and our principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

As a foreign private issuer, we are also exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors. We are, however, still subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5. Since many of the disclosure obligations required of us as a foreign private issuer are different than those required of U.S. domestic reporting companies, our shareholders, potential shareholders and the investing public in general should not expect to receive information about us in the same amount, or at the same time, as information is received from, or provided by, other U.S. domestic reporting companies. We are only liable for violations of the rules and regulations of the SEC that apply to us as a foreign private issuer.

 

The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. You also can inspect our registration statement, as well as any other information we file with or furnish to the SEC, on this website. This reference to the SEC’s website is an inactive textual reference only and is not a hyperlink.

 

We expect to make our annual reports and other information filed with or furnished to the SEC available, free of charge, through our website at www.opthea.com as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports and other information are filed with or furnished to the SEC. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus.

 

204


Table of Contents

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

     Page  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2  

Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income

     F-3  

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

     F-4  

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

     F-5  

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

     F-6  

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-7  

 

F-1


Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Opthea Limited

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Opthea Limited and subsidiary (the “Company”) as of June 30, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended June 30, 2020 and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”).

 

In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of June 30, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended June 30, 2020, in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

 

DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU

 

Perth, Australia

 

1 September 2020

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2012.

 

F-2


Table of Contents

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

     Note      2019
A$
    2020
A$
 

Revenue

     7        159,064       87,075  

Other income

     8        836,821       783,830  

Research and development expenses

     9        (31,347,891     (17,954,073

Patent expenses

        (161,148     (429,229

Intellectual property costs

        (112,795     (114,046

Administrative expenses

     10        (5,174,755     (7,001,507

Occupancy expenses

     10        (108,904     (33,846

Net foreign exchange gain / (loss)

        362,574       (400,608
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss before income tax

        (35,547,034     (25,062,404

Income tax benefit

     11        14,636,973       8,533,123  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss for the year

     21        (20,910,061     (16,529,281
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other Comprehensive income

       

Items that will not be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:

       

Fair value gains on investments in financial assets

        259,864       58,840  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income for the period, net of tax

        259,864       58,840  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss for the year

        (20,650,197     (16,470,441
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss for the year is attributable to:

       

Owners of the Company

     21        (20,910,061     (16,529,281
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        (20,910,061     (16,529,281
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss for the year is attributable to:

       

Owners of the Company

        (20,650,197     (16,470,441
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        (20,650,197     (16,470,441
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss per share attributable to Owners of the Company—basic and diluted (in cents)

     12        (8.98     (6.34

 

The above consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

 

F-3


Table of Contents

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

     Note      2019
A$
    2020
A$
 

ASSETS

       

Current Assets

       

Cash and cash equivalents

     13        21,534,919       62,020,382  

Current tax receivable

     11        14,636,973       8,533,123  

Receivables

     14        295,786       284,391  

Prepayments

        424,603       478,632  

Total Current Assets

        36,892,281       71,316,528  

Non-current Assets

       

Investments in financial assets

     15        714,118       289,980  

Plant and equipment

        54,063       37,180  

Right-of-use asset

     16        —         243,510  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Non-Current Assets

        768,181       570,670  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

        37,660,462       71,887,198  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

       

Current Liabilities

       

Payables

     17        5,951,942       5,895,034  

Lease liabilities

     16        —         145,043  

Other financial liabilities

        25,592       237,820  

Provisions

     18        538,547       640,934  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Current Liabilities

        6,516,081       6,918,831  

Non-Current Liabilities

       

Lease liabilities

     16        —         120,033  

Provisions

     19        24,844       40,197  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Non-Current Liabilities

        24,844       160,230  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES

        6,540,925       7,079,061  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

EQUITY

       

Contributed equity

     20        113,021,993       162,102,553  

Accumulated losses

     21        (86,060,060     (102,589,341

Reserves

     21        4,157,604       5,294,925  

TOTAL EQUITY

        31,119,537       64,808,137  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

        37,660,462       71,887,198  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

The above consolidated statement of financial position should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

 

F-4


Table of Contents

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

     Note     Contributed
equity

A$
    Options
reserve

A$
    Share-
based
payments
reserve

A$
    Fair value
of investments
reserve

A$
    Accumulated
losses

A$
    Total equity
A$
 

As July 1, 2018

       98,403,149       1,989,067       2,452,838       477,391       (65,149,999     38,172,446  

Fair value gains on investments in financial assets(1)

     21       —         —         —         259,864       —         259,864  

Loss for the year(1)

       —         —         —         —         (20,910,061     (20,910,061
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income and expense for the period

       —         —         —         259,864       (20,910,061     (20,650,197

Recognition of share-based payment

     21       —         —         967,511       —         —         967,511  

Transfer from option reserve on exercise of options

     20       1,989,067       (1,989,067     —         —         —         —    

Issue of ordinary shares on exercise of options

     20       12,629,777       —         —         —         —         12,629,777  
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

As June 30, 2019

       113,021,993       –         3,420,349       737,255       (86,060,060     31,119,537  
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Fair value gains on investments in financial assets(1)

     21       —         —         —         58,840       —         58,840  

Loss for the year(1)

       —         —         —         —         (16,529,281     (16,529,281
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income and expense for the period

       —         —         —         58,840       (16,529,281     (16,470,441

Recognition of share-based payment

     21       —         —         1,078,481       —         —         1,078,481  

Issue of ordinary shares on exercise of options

     20       420,000       —         —         —         —         420,000  

Issue of ordinary shares

     20       48,660,560       —         —         —         —         48,660,560  
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

As June 30, 2020

       162,102,553       —         4,498,830       796,095       (102,589,341     64,808,137  
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)   Amounts are after tax.

 

The above consolidated statement of changes in equity should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

 

F-5


Table of Contents

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

     Note      2019
A$
    2020
A$
 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

       

Interest received

        817,314       742,014  

Royalty and license income received

        170,750       138,916  

Grant income received

        77,745       62,500  

Payment of lease interest

        —         (7,680

Payments to suppliers and employees and for research and development and intellectual property costs (inclusive of Goods and Service Tax)

        (37,268,212     (24,354,991

Research and development tax incentive scheme credit received

        12,017,247       14,636,973  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash flows used in operating activities

     24        (24,185,156     (8,782,268
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

       

Cash received on disposal of financial assets

        339,046       482,978  

Purchase of plant and equipment

        (18,070     (7,238
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash flows provided by investing activities

        320,976       475,740  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

       

Payment of lease liabilities

        —         (100,189

Net proceeds on issue of ordinary shares

     20        —         48,660,560  

Cash received for ordinary shares issued on exercise of options

     20        12,629,777       420,000  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash flows provided by financing activities

        12,629,777       48,980,371  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

        (11,234,403     40,673,843  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

        32,510,230       21,534,919  

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash held in foreign currencies

        259,092       (188,380
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

     13        21,534,919       62,020,382  
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

The above consolidated statement of cash flows should be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes.

 

F-6


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

1.

Reporting entity

 

The significant accounting policies adopted in preparing the consolidated financial statements of Opthea Limited (“Opthea” or the “Company”) and its subsidiary (the “Consolidated Entity” or “Group”) for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, are stated to assist in a general understanding of the consolidated financial statements.

 

Opthea is a company limited by shares, incorporated and domiciled in Australia and has its registered office on Suite 403, Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria. The Company’s ordinary shares are listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (the “ASX”) under the symbol “OPT.”

 

The Group’s principal activity is the research and development of OPT-302 for the treatment of retinal diseases.

 

The financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2020 were authorized for issue by the directors on September 1, 2020.

 

2.

Basis of accounting

 

These financial statements are general purpose financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (the “IASB”).

 

The financial statements comprise the consolidated financial statements of the Group. For the purposes of preparing the consolidated financial statements, the Company is a for-profit entity.

 

3.

Summary of accounting policies

 

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared using the significant accounting policies and measurement bases summarized below.

 

Basis of measurement

 

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a historical cost basis, except for investments classified as financial assets, which have been measured at fair value. All amounts are presented in Australian dollars.

 

Basis of consolidation

 

The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiary. Control is achieved when the Company:

 

   

has power over the investee;

 

   

is exposed, or has rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the investee; and

 

   

has the ability to use its power to affect its returns.

 

Consolidation of a subsidiary begins when the Company obtains control over the subsidiary and ceases when the Company loses control of the subsidiary.

 

All intragroup assets and liabilities, equity, income, expenses and cash flows relating to transactions between members of the Group are eliminated in full on consolidation.

 

F-7


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Foreign currency translation

 

Functional and presentation currency

 

Both the functional and presentation currency of the Group is Australian dollars (A$).

 

Transactions and balances

 

Transactions in foreign currencies are initially recorded in the functional currency by applying the exchange rates ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rate of exchange ruling at the reporting date.

 

Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rate as at the date of the initial transaction. Non-monetary items measured at fair value in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates at the date when the fair value was determined.

 

Financial assets and liabilities

 

Recognition and derecognition of financial assets

 

Purchases and sales of financial assets that require delivery of assets within the time frame generally established by regulation or convention in the market place are recognized on the trade date, i.e., the date that the Group commits to purchase the asset. Financial assets are derecognized when the right to receive cash flows from the financial assets has expired or when the entity transfers substantially all the risks and rewards of the financial assets. If the entity neither retains nor transfers substantially all of the risks and rewards, it derecognizes the asset if it has transferred control of the assets.

 

When financial assets are recognized initially, they are measured at fair value, plus directly attributable transaction costs.

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents in the statement of financial position comprise cash at bank and in hand and short-term deposits with an original maturity of three months or less that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

 

For the purposes of the statement of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and cash equivalents as defined above.

 

Other receivables

 

Other receivables generally comprise bank interest receivable, other receivables from external parties and Goods and Services Tax (“GST”) credits receivable and are recognized and carried at original invoice amount less an allowance for any uncollectible amounts. The amounts are usually received within 30 to 60 days of recognition.

 

The Group measures the loss allowance for receivables at an amount equal to lifetime expected credit losses (“ECL”). The ECL on receivables are estimated under the simplified approach as permitted under IFRS 9 “Financial Instruments.” This uses a provision matrix by reference to past experience of the debtor and an analysis of the debtor’s current financial position, adjusted for factors that are specific to the debtors and general economic conditions of the industry in which the debtors operate.

 

F-8


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

The Group writes off a receivable when there is information indicating that the debtor is in severe financial difficulty and there is no realistic prospect of recovery.

 

Investments

 

Investments in financial assets comprise of the Group’s non-current investments in listed companies.

 

On initial recognition, the Group may make an irrevocable election (on an instrument-by-instrument basis) to designate investments in equity instruments as fair value through other comprehensive income (“FVTOCI”). Designation at FVTOCI is not permitted if the equity instrument is held for trading.

 

Investments in equity instruments at FVTOCI are initially measured at fair value plus transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at fair value with gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value recognized in other comprehensive income and accumulated in the fair value of investments reserve. The fair values of investments in financial assets that are actively traded in organized financial markets is determined by reference to quoted market bid prices at the close of business on the reporting date. The cumulative gain or loss is not reclassified to profit or loss on disposal of the equity instruments.

 

Dividends on these investments in equity instruments are recognized in profit or loss in accordance with IFRS.

 

Finance income

 

Almost all of the Group’s finance income is earned on short-term bank deposits, and as such, finance income is recognized when the Group’s right to receive the payment is established.

 

Payables

 

Payables are carried at amortized cost and due to their short-term nature, they are not discounted. They represent liabilities for goods and services provided to the Group prior to the end of the financial year that are unpaid and arise when the Group becomes obliged to make future payments in respect of the purchase of these goods and services.

 

The amounts are unsecured and are usually paid within 30 days of recognition.

 

Other financial liabilities

 

Other financial liabilities in the statement of financial position represent the year end marked-to-market value of forward rate foreign exchange contracts to purchase US dollars (“Contracts”). These Contracts are used to settle US dollar denominated payables and expire within one year.

 

The foreign exchange loss on recognition of the Contracts is included in “net foreign exchange gain/(loss)” in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income.

 

Plant and equipment

 

Plant and equipment is stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. Depreciation on plant and equipment is calculated on a straight-line basis over their useful economic lives as follows:

 

   

Equipment and furniture—3 to 10 years

 

   

Leasehold improvements—8 years or the term of the lease if shorter

 

F-9


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

The assets’ residual values, useful lives and amortization methods are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at each financial year end.

 

An item of plant and equipment is derecognized upon disposal or when no further economic benefits are expected from its use or disposal.

 

Leases

 

The Group has applied IFRS 16 “Leases” using the cumulative catch-up approach and therefore comparative information has not been restated and is presented under International Accounting Standard (“IAS”) 17 “Leases”. The details of accounting policies under both IAS 17 and IFRS 16 are presented separately below.

 

Policies applicable from July 1, 2019

 

The Group assesses at contract inception whether a contract is, or contains, a lease. A contract is, or contains, a lease if the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration.

 

The Group applies a single recognition and measurement approach for all leases, except for short-term leases and leases of low-value assets. The Group recognizes lease liabilities to make lease payments and right-of-use assets representing the right to use the underlying assets.

 

Right-of-use assets

 

Right-of-use assets are recognized at the commencement date of the lease (that is the date the underlying asset is available for use). Right-of-use assets are measured at cost, less any accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses, and adjusted for any remeasurement of lease liabilities. The cost of right-of-use assets includes the amount of lease liabilities recognized, initial direct costs incurred, and lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received. Right-of-use assets are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the lease terms and the estimated useful lives of the assets.

 

Lease liabilities

 

Lease liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of the lease at the present value of lease payments to be made over the lease term. The lease payments include fixed payments (including in-substance fixed payments) less any lease incentives receivable.

 

In calculating the present value of lease payments, the Group uses its incremental borrowing rate at the lease commencement date because the interest rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable. The incremental borrowing rate is determined using market yields on bonds with similar terms to maturity. After the commencement date, the amount of lease liabilities is increased to reflect the accretion of interest and reduced for the lease payments made. In addition, the carrying amount of lease liabilities is remeasured if there is a modification, a change in the lease term, a change in lease payments (e.g., a change to future lease payments resulting from a change in an index or rate).

 

Leases of low-value assets

 

For short-term leases (lease term of 12 months or less) and leases of low-value assets (such as photo copiers and telephones), the Group has opted to recognize a lease expense on a straight-line basis as permitted by IFRS 16. This expense is presented within “administrative expenses” in the Consolidated Statement for Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income.

 

F-10


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Policies applicable prior to July 1, 2019

 

The determination of whether an arrangement is or contains a lease is based on the substance of the arrangement and requires an assessment of whether the fulfilment of the arrangement is dependent on the use of a specific asset or assets and the arrangement conveys a right to use the asset, even if that right is not explicitly specified in an arrangement.

 

Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessee. All other leases are classified as operating leases.

 

Operating lease payments are recognized as an expense in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Operating lease incentives are recognized in the statement of comprehensive income as an integral part of the total lease expense.

 

The Group held no finance leases during the 2019 or 2020 financial years.

 

Research and development costs

 

Research costs are expensed as incurred. An intangible asset arising from the development expenditure on an internal project will only be recognized when the Group can demonstrate the technical feasibility of completing the intangible asset so that it will be available for use or sale, its intention to complete and its ability to use or sell the asset, how the asset will generate future economic benefits, the availability of resources to complete the development and the ability to measure reliably the expenditure attributable to the intangible asset during its development.

 

As of June 30, 2019 and 2020, the Group is in the research phase and has not capitalized any development costs to date.

 

Provisions and employee benefits

 

Wages, salaries, annual leave and sick leave

 

Liabilities for wages and salaries, including non-monetary benefits and annual leave expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date, are recognized in current provisions in respect of employees’ services up to the reporting date. They are measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled. Expenses for non-accumulating sick leave are recognized when the leave is taken and are measured at the rate paid or payable.

 

Long service leave

 

The liability for long service leave is recognized in the provision for employee benefits and measured as the present value of expected future payments to be made in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date. Consideration is given to expected future wage and salary levels, experience of employee departures, and periods of service. Expected future payments are discounted using market yields at the reporting date on bonds with terms to maturity that match, as closely as possible, the estimated future cash outflows.

 

F-11


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Share-based payment transactions

 

The Group provides benefits to directors and employees (including key management personnel) of the Group in the form of share-based payments, whereby employees render services in exchange for shares or rights over shares (equity-settled transactions).

 

The cost of these equity-settled transactions with employees is measured by reference to the fair value at the date at which they are granted. Binomial models are used to value the options issued.

 

The cost of the equity-settled transactions is recognized, together with a corresponding increase in equity, over the period in which the performance conditions are fulfilled (the vesting period), ending on the date on which the relevant employees become fully entitled to the award (the vesting date).

 

The charge to profit or loss for the period is the cumulative amount less the amounts already charged in previous periods. There is a corresponding credit to equity.

 

Until an award has vested, any amounts recorded are contingent and will be adjusted if more or fewer awards vest than were originally anticipated to do so.

 

Contributed equity

 

Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in equity as a deduction, net of tax, from the proceeds.

 

Revenue recognition

 

License revenue in connection with licensing of the Group’s intellectual property (including patents) to customers is recognized as a right to use the Group’s intellectual property as it exists at the point in time in which the license is granted. This is because the contracts for the license of intellectual property are distinct and do not require, nor does the customer reasonably expect, that the Group will undertake further activities that significantly affect the intellectual property to which the customer has the rights. Although the Group is entitled to sales-based royalties from the eventual sales of goods and services to third parties using the intellectual property licensed, these royalty arrangements do not in themselves indicate that the customer would reasonably expect the Group to undertake such activities, and no such activities are undertaken or contracted in practice. Accordingly, the promise to provide rights to the Group’s intellectual property is accounted for as a performance obligation satisfied at a point in time.

 

The following consideration is received in exchange for licenses of intellectual property:

 

   

Up-front license fees—these are fixed amounts and are recognized at the point in time when the Group transfers the intellectual property to the customer.

 

   

Sales-based royalties—these are variable consideration amounts promised in exchange for the license of intellectual property and are recognized when the sales to third parties occur given the performance obligation to transfer the intellectual property to the customer is already satisfied.

 

During the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, the Group’s only revenue related to sales-based royalties.

 

Income tax

 

Current tax

 

Current tax assets and liabilities for the current and prior periods are measured at the amount expected to be recovered from or paid to the taxation authorities based on the current period’s taxable income.

 

F-12


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

The tax rates and tax laws used to compute the amount are those that are enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date.

 

Research and development tax incentive

 

The Research and Development (“R&D”) Tax Incentive Scheme is an Australian Federal Government program under which eligible companies with annual aggregated revenue of less than A$20 million can receive cash amounts equal to 43.5% of eligible research and development expenditures from the Australian Taxation Office (“ATO”). The R&D Tax Incentive Scheme incentive relates to eligible expenditure incurred in Australia and, under certain circumstances, overseas on the development of the Group’s lead candidate, OPT-302. The R&D tax incentive is applied annually to eligible expenditure incurred during the Group’s financial year following annual application to AusIndustry, an Australian governmental agency, and subsequent filing of its Income Tax Return with the ATO after the financial year end.

 

The Group estimates the amount of R&D tax incentive after the completion of the financial year based on eligible Australia and overseas expenditures incurred during that year.

 

The Group has presented incentives in respect of the R&D Tax Incentive Scheme within income tax benefit in the Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income by analogizing with IAS 12 “Income Taxes”.

 

Deferred tax

 

Deferred income tax is provided on all temporary differences at the reporting date between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts for financial reporting purposes.

 

Deferred income tax liabilities are recognized for all taxable temporary differences except when the deferred income tax liability arises from the initial recognition of goodwill or of an asset or liability in a transaction that is not a business combination and that, at the time of the transaction, affects neither the accounting profit nor taxable profit or loss.

 

Deferred income tax assets are recognized for all deductible temporary differences, carry forward of unused tax assets (or credits) and unused tax losses, to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available against which the deductible temporary differences, and the carry forward of unused tax credits and unused tax losses can be utilized, except when the deferred income tax asset relating to the deductible temporary differences arises from the initial recognition of an asset or liability in a transaction that is not a business combination and, at the time of the transaction, affects neither the accounting profit or taxable profit or loss.

 

The carrying amount of deferred income tax assets is reviewed at each reporting date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profit will be available to allow all or part of the deferred income tax asset to be utilized.

 

Unrecognized deferred income tax assets are reassessed at each reporting date and are recognized to the extent that it has become probable that future taxable profit will allow the deferred tax asset to be recovered.

 

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the year when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, based on tax rates (and tax laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted at balance date.

 

Income taxes relating to items recognized directly in equity are recognized directly in equity and not in profit or loss.

 

F-13


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Tax consolidation legislation

 

Tax consolidation is a system adopted by the ATO that treats a group of entities as a single entity for tax purposes. Opthea Limited and its 100% owned subsidiary formed a tax consolidated group effective July 1, 2003. The head entity, Opthea Limited, and its controlled entity, Vegenics Pty Ltd, are current members of the tax consolidated group and account for their own current and deferred tax amounts. Members of the tax consolidated group have adopted the “separate taxpayer within group” method to allocate the current and deferred tax amounts to each entity within the Group. This method requires adjustments for transactions and events occurring within the tax consolidated group that do not give rise to a tax consequence for the Group or that have a different tax consequence at the level of the Group.

 

Other taxes

 

Revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities are recognized net of the amount of GST except:

 

   

when the GST incurred on a purchase of goods and services is not recoverable from the taxation authority, in which case the GST is recognized as part of the cost of acquisition of the asset or as part of the expense item as applicable; and

 

   

receivables and payables are stated with the amount of GST included.

 

The net amount of GST recoverable from, or payable to the taxation authority is included as part of receivables or payables in the statement of financial position.

 

Cash flows are included in the statement of cash flows on a gross basis and the GST component of cash flows arising from investing and financing activities, which is recoverable from, or payable to, the taxation authority is classified as part of operating cash flows.

 

Commitments and contingencies are disclosed net of the amount of GST recoverable from, or payable to, the taxation authority.

 

Reclassification

 

Certain amounts previously reported in the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. Such reclassifications did not affect net loss, shareholders’ equity or cash flows.

 

Immaterial error correction

 

During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Group corrected a prior period immaterial error to the consolidated statement of changes in equity for the year ended June 30, 2019. Specifically, the Group corrected the subtotaled consolidated total comprehensive income and expense for the period included in the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity for the year ended June 30, 2019, which had previously included opening amounts for those categories in the subtotals as well. The update of the subtotals had no impact on shareholders’ equity, net loss, total other comprehensive losses included in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income or Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the periods ended June 30, 2019 as well as June 30, 2020.

 

4.

Critical accounting judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty

 

In applying the Group’s accounting policies, management continually evaluates judgments, estimates and assumptions based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that may have an

 

F-14


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

impact on the Group. All judgments, estimates and assumptions made are believed to be reasonable based on the most current set of circumstances available to management. Actual results may differ from the judgments, estimates and assumptions.

 

Significant judgments, estimates and assumptions made by management in the preparation of these financial statements are outlined below:

 

4.1

Critical judgments in applying accounting policies Research and development costs

 

The majority of Opthea’s expenditure is incurred as a result of clinical trials for OPT-302. During the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, Opthea progressed Phase 2b wet age-related macular degeneration (“wet AMD”) and Phase 1b/2a diabetic macular edema (“DME”) trials. A key measure of the Company’s performance is the level of expenditure incurred on the research of OPT-302.

 

Judgment is required in relation to:

 

   

the classification of expenses in the income statement between research and development costs and operating expenses; and

 

   

whether costs relate to R&D, and consequently if they meet the capitalization criteria under International Accounting Standards 38 “Intangible Assets.”

 

The directors have determined that the Group is still in a research phase and accordingly, no development costs have been capitalized as of June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

Taxation

 

Research and development tax incentive

 

The R&D Tax Incentive Scheme is an Australian Federal Government program under which eligible companies can receive cash refunds of 43.5% of eligible R&D expenditure. Judgments are required as to the R&D tax incentive refundable offset eligibility in respect of:

 

   

the Group’s ability to make claims and its continued compliance under the scheme;

 

   

R&D and other supporting costs previously approved by Australian tax authorities;

 

   

estimated amounts, timing and geographical location of future costs related to the projects for which applications have been approved to date; and

 

   

assessment of whether expenditure on projects for which approval has been given by Australian tax authorities relate to Australian or overseas expenditure.

 

For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, the Group has recognized an R&D tax incentive receivable of A$14.6 million and A$8.5 million respectively within the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, with a corresponding amount recognized within income tax benefit within the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income. The R&D tax incentive receivable as at June 30, 2020 is based on the legislation as currently enacted as at June 30, 2020. Any proposed changes to the legislation may have a retrospective impact if the legislation is passed in its currently proposed form.

 

Investment tax credits such as the R&D tax incentive are outside of the scope of IAS 12 “Income Taxes” and IAS 20 “Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance.” Based on the guidance in IAS 8 “Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors,” companies need to make an accounting policy choice on how to present these incentives, which in practice is done by either analogizing with IAS 12 or with IAS 20. In the Group’s opinion, the R&D tax incentive should be presented by analogizing

 

F-15


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

to IAS 12 because the nature of the incentive is considered to be more closely aligned to income taxes, based on the following considerations:

 

   

The R&D tax incentive is considered an income tax offset which will be offset against the Group’s tax obligation if and when the Group returns to a net tax payable position. In addition, whilst the Group is currently eligible to receive cash payments under the scheme since its consolidated revenue is currently below A$20 million, if and when the Group generates revenue in excess of A$20 million the R&D tax incentive will become non-refundable and can only be offset against any future income tax payable by the Group.

 

   

The ATO, which is the tax authority in Australia, manages the annual claims process as the R&D tax incentive is included in the Group’s annual income tax return.

 

   

The ATO is also responsible for making the R&D tax incentive cash payment if a company is eligible for a cash refund under the program, oversees compliance with the requirements of the R&D tax incentive scheme and performs pre-issuance reviews.

 

Income tax

 

The Group’s accounting policy for taxation requires judgments as to the differences between tax and accounting treatments of income and costs recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income. Judgment is also required in assessing whether deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized in the statement of financial position and if accumulated income tax losses can be used to offset potential future tax profits.

 

4.2

Key sources of estimation uncertainty

 

Share-based payment transactions

 

The Group measures the cost of equity-settled transactions with employees by reference to the fair value of the equity instruments at the date at which they are granted. Fair values are determined internally using Binomial models. The related assumptions are detailed in note 28. The accounting estimates and assumptions relating to equity-settled share-based payments have no impact on the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in future reporting periods but may impact expenses and equity. Should one or more of the assumptions and estimates used in estimating the fair value of share-based payments change, this could have a material impact on the amounts recognized in equity and employee-related expenses.

 

5.

Application of new and revised Accounting Standards

 

Amendments to Accounting Standards that are mandatorily effective for the current year

 

The Group has adopted all of the new and revised Standards and Interpretations issued by the IASB that are relevant to its operations and effective for the current year.

 

New and revised Standards and amendments thereof and Interpretations effective for the current year that are relevant to the Group include:

 

   

IFRS 16 “Leases”;

 

   

Annual Improvements to IFRS Standards 2015–2017 Cycle Amendments to IFRS 3 “Business Combinations”, IFRS 11 “Joint Arrangements”, IAS 12 “Income Taxes” and IAS 23 “Borrowing Costs”; and

 

   

International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (“IFRIC”) 23 “Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments”.

 

F-16


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

IFRS 16 Leases

 

In the current year, the Group has adopted IFRS 16, which is effective for annual periods that begin on or after January 1, 2019.

 

IFRS 16 introduces new or amended requirements with respect to lease accounting. It introduces significant changes to lessee accounting by removing the distinction between operating and finance lease and requiring the recognition of a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at commencement for all leases, except for short-term leases and leases of low value assets. Details of these new requirements are described in note 3.

 

The date of initial application of IFRS 16 for the Group is July 1, 2019. The Group has applied IFRS 16 using the cumulative catch-up approach which:

 

   

requires the Group to recognize the cumulative effect of initially applying IFRS 16 as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings at the date of initial application; and

 

   

does not permit restatement of comparatives, which continue to be presented under IAS 17 and IFRIC 4 “Determining whether an Arrangement Contains a Lease”.

 

The Group has made use of the practical expedient available on transition to IFRS 16 not to reassess whether a contract is or contains a lease. Accordingly, the definition of a lease in accordance with IAS 17 and IFRIC 4 will continue to be applied to those leases entered or changed before 1 July 2019.

 

The change in definition of a lease mainly relates to the concept of control. IFRS 16 determines whether a contract contains a lease based on whether the customer has the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. This is in contrast to the focus on “risks and rewards” in IAS 17 and IFRIC 4.

 

Impact on lease accounting

 

Former operating leases

 

IFRS 16 changes how the Group accounts for leases previously classified as operating leases under IAS 17, which operating lease payments were recognized as an expense in profit or loss on a straight line basis over the lease term.

 

Applying IFRS 16, for all leases (except as noted below), the Group:

 

   

Recognizes right-of-use assets and lease liabilities in the consolidated statement of financial position, initially measured at the present value of the future lease payments;

 

   

Recognizes depreciation of right-of-use assets and interest on lease liabilities in profit or loss; and

 

   

Separates the total amount of cash paid into a principal portion (presented within financing activities) and interest (presented within operating activities) in the consolidated statement of cash flows.

 

Lease incentives (e.g. rent-free period) are recognized as part of the measurement of the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities whereas under IAS 17 they resulted in the recognition of a lease incentive, amortized as a reduction of rental expenses generally on a straight-line basis. Under IFRS 16, right-of-use assets are tested for impairment in accordance with IAS 36 Impairment of Assets.

 

For short-term leases (lease term of 12 months or less) and leases of low-value assets (such as photo copier and telephones), the Group has opted to recognize a lease expense on a straight-line basis as permitted by IFRS 16. This expense is presented within ‘administrative expenses’ in profit or loss.

 

F-17


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Financial impact of the initial application of IFRS 16

 

The Group’s previous lease for Opthea’s headquarters expired on July 14, 2019: the adoption of IFRS 16 did not have a material impact on the Group’s results on the date of transition. Following the renewal of the leased office premises on July 15, 2019, the Group recognized a right-of-use asset of A$365,264 and a corresponding lease liability of A$365,264 in respect of this lease during the year ended June 30, 2020. The impact on profit or loss in the year ended June 30, 2020 was to decrease occupancy expenses by A$110,800; increase depreciation by A$121,754; and increase finance interest expense by A$7,680.

 

Under IAS 17, all lease payments on operating leases are presented as part of cash flows from operating activities. During the year ended June 30, 2020, the impact of the changes under IFRS 16 reduced the cash used in operating activities by A$100,189 and increased net cash generated from financing activities by the same amount.

 

Other pronouncements adopted for the first time in the year ended June 30, 2020

 

In the year ended June 30, 2020, the Group applied a number of amendments to International Financial Reporting Standards and Interpretations issued by the IASB that are effective for an annual period that begins on or after January 1, 2019. Their adoption has not had any material impact on the disclosures or on the amounts reported in these financial statements.

 

New and revised International Financial Reporting Standards and Interpretations on issue but not yet effective

 

At the date of authorization of the financial statements, the Group has not applied the following new and revised International Financial Reporting Standards, Interpretations and amendments that have been issued but are not yet effective:

 

Standard amendment

   Effective for
annual reporting
periods beginning
on or after

Amendments to IAS—Sale or Contribution of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture (IFRS 10 and IAS 28) Amendments to IFRS and IAS—Effective Date of Amendments to IFRS 10 and IAS 28 Amendments to IFRS and IAS—Effective Date of Amendments to IFRS 10 and IAS 28 and Editorial Corrections

   January 1, 2022

IFRS 17 “Insurance Contracts”

   January 1, 2023

Amendments to IFRS 3 “Business Combinations—Definition of a Business”

   January 1, 2020

Amendments to IFRS 17, and amendments to the basis for conclusions on IAS 1, IAS 8 and Conceptual Framework—Definition of Material

   January 1, 2020

 

The new and revised International Financial Reporting Standards, Interpretations and amendments listed above are not expected to have a material impact on the amounts recognized or disclosures included in the Group’s financial statements.

 

F-18


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

6.

Segment information

 

The Group operates in one industry and one geographical area, those being the biotechnology and healthcare industry and Australia, respectively.

 

The Group is focused primarily on developing a novel therapy for the treatment of highly prevalent and progressive retinal diseases.

 

The chief executive officer regularly reviews entity wide information that is compliant with IFRS. There is only one segment for segment reporting purposes, and the information reviewed by the chief executive officer for the purpose of resources allocation and performance assessment is the same as the information presented in the consolidated financial statements.

 

The Group’s only revenue stream in the current financial year is royalty income generated from licenses granted in respect of the Group’s intellectual property that are unrelated to the Group’s core business and the development of OPT-302 and that are not under development. These licenses are primarily used by third-party licensees for research purposes. All of the royalty income of A$159,064 and A$87,075 for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020, respectively, was generated from customers based outside Australia. The Group does not have any major customers. All property, plant and equipment is located in Australia.

 

7.

Revenue

 

     2019
A$
     2020
A$
 

Sales based royalties

     159,064        87,075  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total revenue

     159,064        87,075  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

8.

Other income

 

     2019
A$
     2020
A$
 

Finance income

     755,776        721,330  

Grant income

     77,745        62,500  

Other

     3,300        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total other income

     836,821        783,830  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

9.

Research and development expenses

 

     2019
A$
     2020
A$
 

Research project costs(1)

     31,347,891        17,954,073  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total research and development expenses

     31,347,891        17,954,073  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)   The research project costs relate to the research programs for the treatment of retinal diseases by OPT-302.

 

F-19


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

10.

Expenses

 

     2019
A$
     2020
A$
 

(A) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

     

Employee benefits expenses:

     

Salaries and fees

     2,020,795        2,124,792  

Cash bonuses

     414,423        288,811  

Superannuation/pensions

     217,592        210,383  

Share-based payments expense

     967,511        1,078,481  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total employee benefits expense

     3,620,321        3,702,467  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other expenses:

     

Insurance

     377,181        500,953  

Investor relations costs

     411,181        379,255  

Audit and accounting

     138,156        330,318  

Travel expenses

     84,103        66,420  

Payroll tax

     87,247        201,172  

Legal fees

     22,464        555,622  

Advisory fees

     —          620,745  

Other expenses

     401,009        498,680  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total other expenses

     1,521,341        3,153,165  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Depreciation of:

     

Equipment and furniture

     19,898        21,754  

Leasehold improvements

     13,195        513  

Right-of-use asset

     —          121,754  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total depreciation expense

     33,093        144,021  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loss on disposal of non-current assets

     —          1,854  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Administrative Expenses

     5,174,755        7,001,507  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(B) OCCUPANCY EXPENSES

     

Operating lease rentals

     78,883        —    

Short term and low value lease expenses

     —          2,239  

Lease incidental costs

     30,021        31,607  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Occupancy Expenses

     108,904        33,846  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-20


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

11.

Income tax

 

     2019
A$
     2020
A$
 
(a) Income tax benefit      

The major components of income tax benefit are:

     

Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income

     

CURRENT TAX

     

Current income tax incentive

     14,636,973        8,533,123  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     14,636,973        8,533,123  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

DEFERRED TAX

     

In respect of the current year

     —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total income tax benefit recognized in the Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income

     14,636,973        8,533,123  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     June 30,
2019

A$
     June 30,
2020

A$
 

(b) Current tax receivable

     

Research and Development Tax Incentive receivable

     14,636,973        8,533,123  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(c) Numerical reconciliation between aggregate income tax benefit recognized in the statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income and benefit calculated per the statutory income tax rate

 

A reconciliation between income tax benefit and the product of accounting loss before income tax multiplied by the Group’s applicable income tax rate is as follows:

 

     2019
A$
     2020
A$
 

Accounting loss before tax

     (35,547,034      (25,062,404
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

At the Company’s statutory income tax rate of 27.5%

     9,775,434        6,892,161  

R&D tax incentive on eligible expenses

     14,636,973        8,533,123  

Non-deductible R&D expenditure

     (9,261,833      (5,394,503

Other non-deductible expenses—share-based payment expense

     (266,066      (296,582

Amount of temporary differences and carried forward tax losses not recognized

     (247,535      (1,201,076
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income tax benefit reported in the Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive income

     14,636,973        8,533,123  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-21


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

     2019
A$
     2020
A$
 

(d) Recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities in statement of financial position

     

Deferred income tax relates to the following:

     

DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES:

     

Interest and royalty income receivable (future assessable income)

     (56,114      (103,135
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     (56,114      (103,135
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

DEFERRED TAX ASSETS RELATED TO TEMPORARY DIFFERENCES:

     

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     151,821        441,162  

Employee provisions

     154,933        187,311  

Other miscellaneous items

     276,942        546,964  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     583,696        1,175,437  

Less: temporary differences not recognized

     (527,582      (1,072,302
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net deferred tax recognized in the statement of financial position

     —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(e) Unrecognized temporary differences

 

Temporary differences with respect to deferred tax assets associated with intellectual property and other miscellaneous items which have a low probability of realization are unrecognized. These amounted to A$1,072,302 as of June 30, 2020 (2019: A$527,582).

 

(f) Carry forward unrecognized tax losses

 

The Group had income tax losses of A$17,287,687 as at June 30, 2020 (2019: A$15,819,190) and capital losses of A$877,704 at June 30, 2020 (2019: A$877,704) for which no deferred tax asset is recognized on the statement of financial position as they are currently not considered probable of realization. These tax losses are available indefinitely for offset against future assessable income subject to continuing to meet relevant statutory tests.

 

(g) Franking credit balance

 

Franking credits are a type of tax credit in Australia that is available to the Group’s shareholders to reduce double taxation on any dividends paid by the Group. The franking credit balance at the end of the financial year at 30% is A$330,630 (2019: A$330,630), which represents the amount of franking credits available for the subsequent financial year. Franking credits are not recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position.

 

F-22


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

12.

Earnings per share

 

     2019
A$
    2020
A$
 

The following reflects the income used in the basic and diluted earnings per share computations:

    

(A) EARNINGS USED IN CALCULATING EARNINGS PER SHARE

    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to Owners of the Company

     (20,910,061     (16,529,281
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(B) WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES

    

Weighted average number of ordinary shares on issue for basic earnings per share

     232,795,371       260,795,745  

Dilutive share options

     —         —    
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average number of ordinary shares adjusted for the effect of dilution

     232,795,371       260,795,745  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loss per share (basic and diluted, in cents)

     8.98       6.34  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share is calculated as net loss divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares and dilutive potential ordinary shares. Options granted under the Long Term Incentive (“LTIP”) and Non-Executive Director Share and Option (“NED Plan”) plans would generally be included in the calculation due to the conditions of the issuance being satisfied.

 

As the Group is in a loss position, the options are anti-dilutive and, accordingly, the basic loss per share is the same as the diluted loss per share.

 

A total number of 18,044,000 options outstanding as of June 30, 2020 (2019: 18,919,000) were anti-dilutive and were therefore excluded from the weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of diluted earnings per share. These options related to the following option plans:

 

     June 30,
2019
     June 30,
2020
 

NED Plan

     6,000,000        6,000,000  

LTIP

     12,919,000        12,044,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     18,919,000        18,044,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

All 18,044,000 outstanding options as of June 30, 2020 were exercisable as of that date (2019: 9,905,000).

 

13.

Current assets—cash and cash equivalents

 

     June 30,
2019

A$
     June 30,
2020

A$
 

Cash at bank and in hand

     1,034,919        3,020,382  

Short-term deposits

     20,500,000        59,000,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total cash and cash equivalents

     21,534,919        62,020,382  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Cash at bank earns interest at floating rates based on daily bank deposit rates. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents represent fair value.

 

F-23


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Short term-deposits are with two major Australian banks and are made for varying periods of between 30 and 90 days, depending on the immediate cash requirements of the Group, and earn interest at a fixed rate for the respective short-term deposit periods. At year end, the average rate was 1.01% (2019: 2.36%).

 

14.

Current assets—other receivables

 

     June 30,
2019

A$
     June 30,
2020

A$
 

Interest receivable

     102,162        81,478  

GST receivable(1)

     91,736        152,866  

Royalties receivable(1)

     101,888        50,047  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current receivables

     295,786        284,391  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)   The GST and Royalties receivables are non-interest bearing. There were no receivables with a material expected credit loss recorded during the financial year (2019: nil).

 

15.

Non-current assets—Investments in financial assets

 

     June 30,
2019

A$
     June 30,
2020

A$
 

Listed Australian shares—at fair value(1)

     714,118        289,980  

 

     Ownership
Interest
    Fair value
at June 30 (2)
     Disposal
in the
financial
year (3)
    Fair value
gain/(loss)
recognized
in OCI (4)
    Opening
fair
value
 

Listed investments

   %     A$      A$     A$     A$  

June 30, 2019

           

Non-current investments:

           

Antisense Therapeutics Ltd

     1.24     233,579        (339,047     317,860       254,766  

Optiscan Imaging Limited

     1.76     480,539        —         (57,996     538,535  
    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total listed investments

       714,118        (339,047     259,864       793,301  
    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

June 30, 2020

           

Non-current investments:

           

Antisense Therapeutics Ltd

     —         —          (482,978     249,399       233,579  

Optiscan Imaging Limited

     1.73     289,980        —         (190,559     480,539  
    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total listed investments

       289,980        (482,978     58,840       714,118  

 

(1)   These financial assets are investments in equity instruments and are not held for trading; they are held for medium to long-term strategic purposes. Accordingly, the Group has elected to designate these investments in equity instruments as at FVTOCI as recognizing short-term fluctuations in these investments’ fair value in profit or loss would not be consistent with the Group’s strategy of holding these investments for long-term purposes and realizing their performance potential in the long run.
(2)   The fair value represents the share (bid) price at year end and does not include any capital gains tax or selling costs that may be applicable on the disposal of these investments. These non-current investments in listed shares consist of investments in ordinary shares, and therefore have no fixed maturity date or coupon rate.

 

F-24


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

(3)   During the year ended June 30, 2019, 49% of the Group’s investment in Antisense Therapeutics Ltd. was sold for net proceeds of A$339,047. As a result, A$214,046 of the previously unrealized net fair value gains recorded in the fair value of investments reserve was realized at this date. Subsequently, during the year ended June 30, 2020, the Group disposed of its remaining 51% investment for net proceeds of A$482,978. As a result, A$249,399 of the previously unrealized net fair value gains recorded in the fair value of investments reserve was realized at this date. In accordance with the Group’s accounting policy, the realized gain remains within the fair value of investments reserve. The Group disposed of the investment in line with its Treasury and Investments Policy.

 

(4)   A fair value increase of A$58,840 (2019: A$259,864) in the carrying value of investments has been made through other comprehensive income in the year due to a net increase in their market value in the year.

 

16.

Leases

 

Right-of-use asset

 

The Group has a three-year lease contract for its head office premises in Melbourne, Australia which commenced on July 15, 2019. The agreement does not contain any extension options. The carrying amount of the lease at June 30, 2020 is as follows:

 

     2020
A$
 

Right-of-Use Asset cost

  

Opening balance as at July 1

     —    

Additions

     365,264  
  

 

 

 
     365,264  
  

 

 

 

Right-of-Use Asset Depreciation

  

Opening balance as at July 1

     —    

Depreciation of right-of-use asset

     (121,754
  

 

 

 
     (121,754
  

 

 

 

Net carrying amount as at June 30

     243,510  
  

 

 

 

 

F-25


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Lease liabilities

 

Lease liabilities are as indicated below:

 

At the commencement date of the lease of its office premises, the Group recognizes lease liabilities measured at the present value of lease payments to be made over the lease term ending on July 14, 2022, using an incremental borrowing rate of 3%.

 

     2020
A$
 

Carrying amount at July 1

     —    

New lease

     365,264  

Payments

     (100,189
  

 

 

 

Carrying amount at June 30

     265,076  
  

 

 

 

Maturity analysis:

  

Year 1

     152,723  

Year 2

     127,713  
  

 

 

 
     280,436  

Less: unearned interest

     (15,360
  

 

 

 
     265,076  
  

 

 

 

Analyzed into:

  

Current portion

     145,043  

Non-current portion

     120,033  
  

 

 

 
     265,076  
  

 

 

 

The amounts recognized in profit or loss in relation to leases is as follows:

  

Depreciation expense on right-of-use asset

     121,754  

Interest on lease liabilities

     7,680  

Expense relating to leases of low value assets

     9,669  
  

 

 

 
     139,103  
  

 

 

 

 

The Group did not have any short-term leases during the year ended June 30, 2020.

 

17.

Current liabilities—payables and accrued expenses

 

     June 30,
2019

A$
     June 30,
2020

A$
 

Accounts payable (unsecured)(1)

     5,895,925        5,838,115  

Payroll related tax liability

     56,017        56,919  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current payables

     5,951,942        5,895,034  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)   Accounts payable are non-interest bearing and are normally settled on 30-day terms.

 

F-26


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

18.

Current liabilities—provisions

 

     June 30,
2019

A$
     June 30,
2020

A$
 

Annual leave

     320,132        403,479  

Long service leave

     218,415        237,455  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total current provisions

     538,547        640,934  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

19.

Non-current liabilities—provisions

 

     June 30,
2019

A$
     June 30,
2020

A$
 

Long service leave

     24,844        40,197  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

20.

Contributed equity

 

     June 30,
2019
A$
     June 30,
2020
A$
 

(a) Ordinary shares

     

Issued and fully paid as of June 30, 2019 and 2020

     113,021,993        162,102,553  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Movement in ordinary shares:

     

Opening balance

     98,403,149        113,021,993  

Issue of shares on exercise of options

     12,629,777        420,000  

Issue of shares

     —          48,660,560  

Transfer from option reserve

     1,989,067        —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total issued and fully paid ordinary shares

     113,021,993        162,102,553  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ordinary shares on issue:

   No. of
Shares
     No. of
Shares
 
     2019      2020  

Opening balance

     202,637,888        249,414,839  

Issue of shares

     46,776,951        19,742,930  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     249,414,839        269,157,769  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Fully paid ordinary shares carry one vote per share and carry the right to dividends.

 

Issued capital at June 30, 2020 amounted to A$162,102,553 (269,157,769 fully paid ordinary shares) net of share issue costs and tax. During the year ended June 30, 2020, the Company issued 18,867,930 ordinary shares in a private placement to institutional investors and 875,000 on the exercise of options for A$49,080,560. At June 30, 2020, the Company had no options outstanding, other than options granted to directors and employees and described in note 28, as all options had been exercised or expired by November 25, 2018. The fair value of the options at their issue date of A$1,989,067, originally recognized in the options reserve (note 21) was transferred to contributed equity during the year ended June 30, 2019.

 

F-27


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

(b) Options granted to directors and employees

 

The Company has two share based-payment schemes, the Long Term Incentive Plan and Non-Executive Director Share and Option Plan. Options to subscribe for the Company’s shares have been granted under these plans to certain employees and directors. The Company granted 8,844,000 options over ordinary shares under these plans during the year ended June 30, 2019 (note 28). These options had a weighted average fair value at their grant date of A$0.22 per option. During the year ended June 30, 2020, 875,000 options granted under the LTIP were exercised for A$420,000. No options were granted during the year ended June 30, 2020.

 

(c) Capital management

 

The Group is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements. When managing share capital, management’s objective is to ensure the entity continues as a going concern as well as to provide benefits to shareholders and for other stakeholders. In order to maintain or achieve an appropriate capital structure, the Company may issue new shares or reduce its share capital, subject to the provisions of the Company’s constitution. The Group only commits to significant R&D expenditure when this is fully funded either by existing funds or further equity raises.

 

21.

Accumulated Losses and Reserves

 

     June 30, 2019
A$
     June 30, 2020
A$
 

(a) Movements in accumulated losses were as follows:

     

Balance at July 1

     (65,149,999      (86,060,060

Net loss for the period

     (20,910,061      (16,529,281
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Balance at June 30

     (86,060,060      (102,589,341
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(b) Reserves

     

Fair value of investments reserve (i)

     737,255        796,095  

Share-based payments reserve (ii)

     3,420,349        4,498,830  

Option reserve (iii)

     —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total reserves

     4,157,604        5,294,925  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(i) Movement in fair value of investments reserve:

     

Opening balance

     477,391        737,255  

Fair value gains on investments in financial assets

     259,864        58,840  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Closing balance

     737,255        796,095  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(ii) Movement in share-based payments reserve:

     

Opening balance

     2,452,838        3,420,349  

Share based payments expense

     967,511        1,078,481  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Closing balance

     3,420,349        4,498,830  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(iii) Movement in option reserve:

     

Opening balance

     1,989,067        —    

Transferred to contributed equity

     (1,989,067      —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Closing balance

     —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-28


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

(c) Nature and purpose of reserves

 

Fair value of investments reserve

 

This reserve records fair value changes on listed investments.

 

Share-based payment reserve

 

This reserve is used to record the value of equity benefits provided to executives and employees as part of their remuneration.

 

Option reserve

 

On November 25, 2014, the Company issued options to purchase 49,726,672 ordinary shares with an exercise price of A$0.27 expiring on November 25, 2018. The fair value of the options at their issue date of A$1,989,067 was recognized in the option reserve. The same amount, A$1,989,067, was transferred to contributed equity on November 25, 2018 following the exercise and expiry of all quoted options. The balance on the option reserve at June 30, 2020 was nil (2019: nil).

 

22.

Financial risk management objectives and policies

 

The Group’s principal financial assets comprise cash, receivables, short-term deposits and investments in listed shares.

 

The Group manages its exposure to key financial risks, including interest rate and currency risk in accordance with the Group’s financial risk management practices. The objective is to support the delivery of the Group’s financial targets while protecting future financial security.

 

The Group’s other various financial assets and liabilities, such as receivables and payables, arise directly from its operations. The main risks arising from the Group’s financial assets and liabilities are interest rate risk, foreign currency risk, equity securities price risk and liquidity risk.

 

The Group uses different methods to measure and manage different types of risks to which it is exposed. These include monitoring levels of exposure to interest rate and foreign exchange risk and assessments of market forecasts for interest rates and foreign exchange rates. Liquidity risk is monitored through future rolling cash flow forecasts.

 

The board reviews and agrees policies for managing each of these risks as summarized below.

 

Risk exposures and responses

 

The Group has investigated the main financial risk areas which could impact its financial assets and determined the impact on post tax (losses) or profits for a range of sensitivities. These can be seen in the post-tax (loss)/profit impact for each risk area.

 

For each risk area, the equity impact relates solely to reserve movements and excludes movements in accumulated losses as the impact of these can be seen within the post-tax (loss)/profit impact.

 

(i) Interest rate risk

 

The Group’s exposure to market interest rates relates primarily to the short-term deposits. The deposits are held with two of Australia’s largest banks.

 

F-29


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

The objective of managing interest rate risk is to minimize the Group’s exposure to fluctuations in interest rates that might impact its interest income and cash flow. To manage interest rate risk, the Group invests the majority of its cash in short-term deposits for varying periods of between 30 days and 90 days, depending on the short and long-term cash requirements of the Group which is determined based on the Group’s cash flow forecast. This consideration also takes into account the costs associated with recalling a term deposit should early access to cash and cash equivalents be required. Cash is not locked into long-term deposits at fixed rates so as to mitigate the risk of earning interest below the current floating rate.

 

The Group does not have any borrowings at June 30, 2019 or June 30, 2020. The following sensitivity analysis (an annual effect) is based on the interest rate risk exposures at June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

At June 30, 2020, if interest rates moved, with all variables held constant, post tax (loss)/profit and equity would have been affected as illustrated in the following table:

 

     Post tax
(loss)/profit
impact
     Cost of
investment
 
     2019 A$      2020 A$      2019 A$      2020 A$  

Judgments of reasonably possible movements

           

+ 0.50% (50 basis points)

     71,903        206,700        —          —    

– 0.50% (50 basis points)

     (71,903      (206,700      —          —    

 

The post-tax figures include an offset for unrecognized tax losses (bringing the tax effect to nil) for the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

Significant assumptions used in the interest rate sensitivity analysis include:

 

   

The reasonably possible movement of 0.5% was calculated by taking the interest rates as at balance date, moving these by plus and minus 0.5% and then re-calculating the interest on term deposits with the ‘new-interest-rate’.

 

   

The net exposure at balance date is representative of what the Group was and is expecting to be exposed to in the next twelve months from balance date.

 

(ii) Price risk

 

The Group’s investment in listed shares is exposed to equity securities price risk and as such their fair values are exposed to fluctuations as a result of changes in market prices.

 

Equity price risk is the risk that the fair value of equities will decrease as a result of share price movements. The Group’s equity investments are publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and are designated and accounted for as investments in financial assets.

 

The investments in listed shares are not held for short-term trading. Their values are reviewed regularly by management and the board. The strategy for realizing any part of these investments is determined based on the liquidity of the respective stocks, potential off-market acquirers and likely developments in their values based on publicly available information.

 

F-30


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

At June 30, 2019 and 2020, had the share price moved with all other variables held constant, post tax (loss)/profit and equity would have been affected as illustrated in the table below:

 

     Impact of loss
after tax
    Impact on equity
after tax
    Impact of loss
after tax
    Impact on equity
after tax
 
     2019 A$     2019 A$     2020 A$     2020 A$  

Judgments of reasonably possible movements

        

Change in variables 10% increase in listed share price

     49,988       49,988       20,299       20,299  

10% decrease in listed share price

     (49,988     (49,988     (20,299     (20,299

 

(iii) Foreign currency risk

 

As a result of services provided by non-related entities in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Europe, part of the Group’s financial assets and liabilities are affected by movements in the exchange rate.

 

The Group does not enter into any hedging transactions.

 

At the reporting date, the Group has the following exposure to foreign currencies:

 

     As of June 30, 2019  

2019

   USD
A$
     EUR A$      GBP
A$
     CAD
A$
 

Financial assets

           

Cash

     551,719        —          —          —    

Receivables

     101,888        —          —          —    

Financial liabilities

           

Payables

     (5,135,089      —          (51,269      (4,351
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net exposure

     (4,481,482      —          (51,269      (4,351
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     As of June 30, 2020  

2020

   USD
A$
     EUR A$      GBP
A$
     CAD
A$
 

Financial assets

           

Cash

     61,680        —          —          —    

Receivables

     37,547        —          —          —    

Financial liabilities

           

Payables

     (4,878,718      (14,887      (34,144      —    

Other financial liabilities

     (237,820      —          —          —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net exposure

     (5,017,313      (14,887      (34,144      —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-31


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

The following sensitivity is based on the foreign currency risk exposures in existence at June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

As of June 30, 2019 and 2020, had the Australian dollar moved with all other variables held constant, post tax (loss) profit and equity would have been affected as illustrated in the table below:

 

     Post tax
(loss)/profit
impact
     Cost of
investment
 
     June 30,
2019 A$
     June 30,
2020 A$
     June 30,
2019 A$
     June 30,
2020 A$
 

Judgments of reasonably possible movements

           

AUD/USD +10%

     285,185        319,284        —          —    

AUD/USD –10%

     (348,560      (390,235      —          —    

 

There was minimal or insignificant exposure to the GBP, EUR and CAD during the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

Significant assumptions used in the foreign currency exposure sensitivity analysis include:

 

The reasonably possible movement of 10% was calculated by taking the currency spot rates as at balance date, moving these up and down by 10% and then re-converting the currencies into AUD with the new spot rate. This methodology reflects the translation methodology undertaken by the Group.

 

The net exposure at balance date is representative of what the Group was and is expecting to be exposed to in the next 12 months from the balance date.

 

Management believes the balance date risk exposures are representative of the risk exposure inherent in the financial instruments.

 

(iv) Credit risk

 

Credit risk is associated with those financial assets of the Group which comprise cash and cash equivalents, receivables and listed investments. The Group’s exposure to credit risk arises from default of the counterparty, with a maximum exposure equal to the carrying amount of these investments. Credit risk is considered minimal as the Group transacts with reputable recognized Australian banks.

 

(v) Liquidity risk

 

Liquidity risk arises from the financial liabilities of the Group and the Group’s subsequent ability to meet their obligations to repay their financial liabilities as and when they fall due. The Group has minimal liquidity risk because of the high balances of cash and cash equivalents; however, the Group manages liquidity risk by maintaining reserves and by monitoring forecast and actual cash flows and by matching the maturity profiles of financial assets and liabilities. The financial liabilities of the Group relate to trade payables that are all expected to be paid within 12 months.

 

The Group’s objective is to maintain an appropriate cash asset balance to fund its operations.

 

(vi) Fair value

 

The Group has investments in listed equities which are calculated using the quoted prices in an active market and are considered level 1 fair value measurements. The Group does not have any derivative investments where the fair value is estimated using inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or

 

F-32


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

liability, either directly (as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices). The Group also does not hold any financial instruments where fair value measurement uses observable inputs that require significant adjustments based on observable inputs to estimate its value.

 

Details of the fair value of the investment in financial assets are disclosed in note 15 of the financial statements.

 

The fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities in the consolidated statement of financial position at June 30, 2019 and 2020 is the same as their carrying amounts.

 

The methods for estimating fair value are also outlined in the relevant notes to the financial statements.

 

23.

Subsidiary

 

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Opthea Limited and the subsidiary in the following table:

 

     Company %
equity

interest
 

Name of company

     2019     2020

Vegenics Pty Ltd (1)

     100       100  

 

(1)   Opthea Limited is the ultimate parent entity. Vegenics Pty Ltd. is incorporated in Australia and has the same financial year as Opthea Limited.

 

Balances and transactions between the Company and its subsidiary, which is a related party of the Company, have been eliminated on consolidation and are not disclosed in this note.

 

F-33


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

24.

Cash flow statement reconciliation

 

(a) Reconciliation to cash at the end of the year

 

     June 30, 2019
A$
    June 30, 2020
A$
 

Cash at bank and in hand (note 13)

     21,534,919       62,020,382  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     21,534,919       62,020,382  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(b) Reconciliation of net loss after tax to net cash flows from operations

    

Net loss for the year

     (20,910,061     (16,529,281

Adjustments for:

    

Income tax benefit recognized in profit or loss

     (14,636,973     (8,533,123

Depreciation of non-current assets

     33,093       22,267  

Net loss on disposal of non-current assets

     —         1,854  

Depreciation of right-of-use assets

     —         121,754  

Share-based payments

     967,511       1,078,481  

Net exchange differences

     (259,092     400,608  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (13,895,461     (6,908,159

Changes in working capital:

    

Payables

     (1,427,978     (56,907

Receivables

     97,946       11,395  

Prepayments

     (132,346     (54,029

Provisions

     65,497       117,740  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in operating activities

     (36,202,403     (23,419,241

R&D tax incentive received

     12,017,247       14,636,973  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash generated by operating activities

     (24,185,156     (8,782,268
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(c) Reconciliation of borrowings arising from financing activities

    

Balance at July 1

     —         —    

Non-cash additions(1)

     —         365,265  

Payment of lease liabilities

     —         (100,189
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at June 30

     —         265,076  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1)   Non-cash addition represents the new lease on the Company’s office premises in Melbourne, Australia that commenced on July 15, 2019.

 

25.

Commitments

 

Lease commitments—Group as lessee

 

Lease commitments are in respect of low value leases which have not been recognized in the Statement of Financial Position. These leases are expensed on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

 

     June 30,  2019
A$
     June 30,  2020
A$
 

Within one year

     7,029        6,540  

After one year but not more than five years

     —          16,895  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     7,029        23,435  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-34


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

Research projects and license commitments

 

The Group has entered into R&D contracts and intellectual property license agreements with various third parties in respect of services for the Phase 2a DME clinical trial and the clinical grade manufacture of OPT-302. Expenditure commitments relating to these and intellectual property license agreements are payable as follows:

 

     June 30,  2019
A$
     June 30,  2020
A$
 

Within one year

     7,776,947        11,139,196  

After one year but not more than five years

     85,446        427,248  

After more than five years

     128,169        109,061  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     7,990,562        11,675,505  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

26.

Contingencies

 

The Group is party to research license/collaboration agreements with three third parties with respect to which a commitment to pay is contingent on the achievement of research milestones. Assuming all milestones are achieved within the timeframes stipulated in the contracts, those which could become payable in less than one year total A$382,790 (2019: nil) and those which could become payable in more than one year total A$16,749,885 (2019: A$16,728,122).

 

Under these license/collaboration agreements, payments are to be made only if certain research and clinical development milestones are achieved and royalties may become payable on any eventual sales of products developed under these agreements.

 

The Group had a bank guarantee outstanding at June 30, 2020 in respect of a rental deposit for its office premises of A$57,281 (2019: A$43,841).

 

27.

Key management personnel

 

(a) Compensation of Key Management Personnel

 

     June 30,  2019
A$
     June 30,  2020
A$
 

Short-term employee benefits

     1,002,359        1,011,460  

Post-employment benefits

     95,225        96,089  

Share-based payments expense

     752,306        619,325  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total compensation

     1,849,890        1,726,874  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(b) Other transactions and balances with director and key management personnel and their related parties

 

There were no other director and key management personnel related party transactions during the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2020.

 

F-35


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

28.

Share-based payments

 

Recognized share-based payment expenses

 

The expense recognized for share-based payments during the year is shown in the table below:

 

     June 30, 2019
A$
     June 30, 2020
A$
 

Expense arising from equity-settled share-based payment transactions:

     

Director and employee services received

     967,511        1,078,481  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

Non-executive director and employee share option plans

 

During the 2015 financial year, the Group introduced an ownership-based compensation scheme for non-executive directors, executives and senior employees, the Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) and Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan (NED Plan). In accordance with the terms of the plans, as approved by shareholders at the 2014 annual general meeting, eligible non-executive directors, executives and senior employees with the Group may be granted options to purchase ordinary shares.

 

Each director and employee option converts into one ordinary share of Opthea on exercise. No amounts are paid or payable by the recipient on receipt of the option. The options carry neither rights to dividends nor voting rights and are not transferable. Options may be exercised at any time from the date of vesting to the date of their expiration.

 

The number of options granted is subject to approval by the board and rewards executives and senior employees to the extent of the Group’s and the individual’s achievement judged against both qualitative and quantitative criteria as determined by the board on a case by case basis.

 

The vesting condition of options granted under the LTIP and NED Plan is continuous service.

 

Options/Rights series

  Grant date     Grant date
fair value
A$
    Exercise
price
A$
    Expiry date     Vesting date  

LTIP—director

    March 7, 2016       0.19       0.48       March 7, 2021       June 30, 2016  

LTIP—director FY2019

    November 29, 2018       0.20       0.855       November 29, 2022       November 29, 2019  

LTIP—employees

    March 31, 2016       0.24       0.48       January 1, 2022       January 1, 2017  

LTIP—employees FY2018

    August 23, 2017       0.33       1.16       January 1, 2023       June 30, 2018  

LTIP—employees FY2019

    April 3, 2019       0.26       0.855       April 3, 2023       April 3, 2020  

NED Plan

    March 7, 2016       0.19       0.48       March 7, 2021       June 30, 2016  

NED Plan FY2019

    November 29, 2018       0.20       0.855       November 29, 2022       November 29, 2019  

 

There has been no modification of the terms and conditions of the above share-based payment arrangements since the grant date.

 

Fair value of options granted

 

A binomial model has been used to determine the fair value of all options granted. Where relevant, the expected life used in the model has been adjusted based on management’s best estimate for the effects of non-transferability, exercise restrictions (including the probability of meeting market conditions attached to the option), and behavioral considerations. Expected volatility is based on the historical share price volatility over the past four or five years.

 

F-36


Table of Contents

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 AND 2020

 

     Grant date
share price
A$
     Exercise
price
A$
     Fair value
per option
A$
     Expected
volatility
%
     Option
life
years
     Dividend
yield %
     Risk free
interest rate
%
 

LTIP—director

     0.38        0.48        0.19        65        5        0        2.09  

LTIP—director FY2019

     0.57        0.855        0.20        58        4        0        2.04  

LTIP—employees

     0.70        0.48        0.24        65        5        0        2.09  

LTIP—employees FY2018

     0.43        1.16        0.32        66        5        0        2.09  

LTIP—employees FY2019

     0.67        0.855        0.26        57        4        0        2.04  

NED Plan

     0.38        0.48        0.19        65        5        0        2.09  

NED Plan FY2019

     0.57        0.855        0.20        58        4        0        2.04  

 

Movements in options during the year

 

The following reconciles the options outstanding at the beginning and end of the year:

 

     June 30, 2019      June 30, 2020  
     Number of
options
     Weighted
average
exercise price
A$
     Number of
options
    Weighted
average
exercise price
A$
 

Balance at beginning of year

     10,075,000        0.46        18,919,000       0.67  

Granted during the year:

          

To employees and directors under the LTIP and NED Plan

     8,844,000        0.855               

Exercised during the year

     —          —          (875,000     0.48  

Expired during the year

     —          —          —         —    
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of year

     18,919,000        0.67        18,044,000       0.68  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Exercisable at end of year

     9,905,000        0.50        18,044,000       0.68  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

The options outstanding at June 30, 2020 had a weighted average exercise price of A$0.68 (2019: A$0.67) and a weighted average remaining contractual life of 626 days (2019: 716 days).

 

29.

Events after the balance sheet date

 

On August 21, 2020, the Company announced it had completed End-of-Phase 2 meetings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a Scientific Advice meeting with the European Medicines Agency to obtain guidance on the Company’s Phase 3 clinical development plans. The outcome of the meetings support the progression of OPT-302 into Phase 3 and pre-commercial development. No other matters or circumstances have arisen since the end of the reporting period which significantly affected, or may significantly affect, the operations of the Group, the results of those operations, or the state of affairs of the Group in future financial years.

 

F-37


Table of Contents

 

 

 

LOGO

 

                 American Depositary Shares

 

Representing                 Ordinary Shares

 

 

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

                    , 2020

 

 

 

Joint Book-Running Managers

 

Citigroup    SVB Leerink

 

Lead Managers

 

Oppenheimer & Co.    Truist Securities

 

Through and including                 , 2020 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in the ADSs, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM 6.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Australian law. Australian law provides that a company or a related body corporate of the company may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent of any of the following liabilities incurred as an officer or director of the company:

 

   

a liability owed to the company or a related body corporate of the company;

 

   

a liability for a pecuniary penalty order made under section 1317G or a compensation order under section 961M, 1317H, 1317HA, 1317HB 1317HC or 1317HE of the Corporations Act;

 

   

a liability that is owed to someone other than the company or a related body corporate of the company and did not arise out of conduct in good faith; or

 

   

legal costs incurred in defending an action for a liability incurred as an officer or auditor of the company if the costs are incurred:

 

   

in defending or resisting proceedings in which the person is found to have a liability for which they cannot be indemnified as set out above;

 

   

in defending or resisting criminal proceedings in which the person is found guilty;

 

   

in defending or resisting proceedings brought by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission or a liquidator for a court order if the grounds for making the order are found by the court to have been established (except costs incurred in responding to actions taken by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission or a liquidator as part of an investigation before commencing proceedings for a court order); or

 

   

in connection with proceedings for relief to the person under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), or the Corporations Act, in which the court denies the relief.

 

Constitution.    Our Constitution provides, except to the extent prohibited by the law and the Corporations Act and, to the extent that the officer is not otherwise indemnified by us pursuant to an indemnity, we indemnify every person who is or has been an officer of the company against any liability or claim (other than legal costs that are unreasonable) incurred by that person as an officer. This includes any liability or claim incurred by that person in their capacity as an officer of a subsidiary of the company where the company requested that person to accept that appointment.

 

Indemnification Agreements.    Pursuant to Deeds of Access, Insurance and Indemnity, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to this registration statement, we have agreed to indemnify our executive officers and non-employee directors against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being such a director or officer.

 

SEC Position.    Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

ITEM 7.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

Set forth below is information regarding share capital issued and options granted by us since July 1, 2017.

 

   

From July 1, 2017 through the date of this registration statement, we granted to certain of our directors, officers and employees options to purchase 8,844,000 ordinary shares under our equity incentive plans at

 

II-1


Table of Contents
 

an exercise price per share of A$0.86 and an additional 4,000,000 ordinary shares under our equity incentive plan subject to shareholder approval at our annual general meeting for calendar year 2020, upon which time an exercise price per ordinary share will be determined;

 

   

From July 1, 2017 through the date of this registration statement, we issued an aggregate of 48,840,469 ordinary shares upon the exercise of options previously granted in connection with capital raise transactions at a weighted-average exercise price per share of A$0.27, for an aggregate exercise price of approximately A$13.2 million;

 

   

From July 1, 2017 through the date of this registration statement, we issued an aggregate of 875,000 ordinary shares upon the exercise of options by certain of our officers and employees at an exercise price per share of A$0.48, for an aggregate exercise price of A$420,000; and

 

   

From July 1, 2017 through the date of this registration statement, we issued and sold an aggregate of 18,867,930 shares of common stock to certain institutional shareholders at a price per share of A$2.65, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately A$181.7 million.

 

None of the foregoing transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions, or any public offering. Unless otherwise specified above, we believe these transactions were exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on (i) Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act (and Regulation D promulgated thereunder), (ii) Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act as transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering or under benefit plans and contracts relating to compensation as provided under Rule 701 or (iii) Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act as transactions not made to persons in the United States with no directed selling efforts made in the United States. The recipients of the securities in each of these transactions represented their intentions to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof, and appropriate legends were placed on the share certificates issued in these transactions. All recipients had adequate access, through their relationships with us, to information about us. The sales of these securities were made without any general solicitation or advertising.

 

II-2


Table of Contents
ITEM 8.

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

(a) Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number
    

Description of Exhibit

  1.1*      Form of Underwriting Agreement.
  3.1      Certificate of Registration of the Registrant.
  3.2      Constitution of the Registrant.
  4.1*      Form of Deposit Agreement.
  4.2*      Form of American Depositary Receipt evidencing American Depositary Shares (included in Exhibit 4.1).
  5.1      Form of Opinion of Gilbert + Tobin.
  10.1†      Commercial License Agreement, dated as of October 28, 2013, between the Registrant and Selexis SA.
  10.2†      Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Agreement, dated as of October  28, 2013, between the Registrant, Patheon Biologics Company Australia Pty Ltd. and Patheon Biologics Company B.V.
  10.3+      Form of Deed of Indemnity, Insurance and Access.
  10.4      Lease Agreement, dated November  12, 2019, between the Registrant and The Trust Company (Australia) Limited, as custodian for the Newmark Como Property Trust.
  10.5+      Long Term Incentive Plan Rules.
  10.6+      Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan Rules.
  10.7+      Executive Employment Contract, dated April 23, 2014, between the Registrant and Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.
  10.8+      Executive Employment Contract, dated May 8, 2014, between the Registrant and Michael Tonroe.
  21.1      List of subsidiaries.
  23.1      Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, independent registered public accounting firm.
  23.2      Consent of Gilbert + Tobin (included in Exhibit 5.1).
  24.1      Power of Attorney (included on signature page to this registration statement).

 

*   To be filed by amendment.
+   Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
  Portions of this exhibit have been omitted as the Registrant has determined that the omitted information (i) is not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

(b) Financial Statement Schedules

 

All schedules have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or has been included in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.

 

II-3


Table of Contents
ITEM 9.

Undertakings.

 

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

II-4


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in Melbourne, Australia on this 24th day of September, 2020.

 

  OPTHEA LIMITED
By:   

/s/ Megan Baldwin

  Name:   Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.
  Title:  

Chief Executive Officer and

Managing Director

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Megan Baldwin, Ph.D., and Michael Tonroe, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys in fact and agents with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this registration statement that is to be effective on filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all post effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys in fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys in fact and agents or any of them, or his, her or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Megan Baldwin

Megan Baldwin, Ph.D.

  

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

  September 24, 2020

/s/ Michael Tonroe

Michael Tonroe

  

Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

  September 24, 2020

/s/ Geoffrey Kempler

Geoffrey Kempler

   Chairperson of the Board of Directors   September 24, 2020

/s/ Lawrence Gozlan

Lawrence Gozlan

   Director   September 24, 2020

/s/ Michael Sistenich

Michael Sistenich

   Director   September 24, 2020

/s/ Daniel Spiegelman

Daniel Spiegelman

   Director   September 24, 2020

 

II-5


Table of Contents

Signature of Authorized U.S. Representative of the Registrant

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Opthea Limited, has signed this Registration Statement on September 24, 2020.

 

By: 

 

/s/ Donald J. Puglisi

Name: 

 

Donald J. Puglisi

Title:

 

Managing Director

 

II-6

EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

CIRCADIAN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

MIKE TONROE

Level 4

650 Chapel Street

SOUTH YARRA VIC 3141

 

Certificate of the Registration

of a Company

   LOGO

This is to certify that

CIRCADIAN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Australian Company Number 006 340 567

Did on the third day of December 2015 change its name to

OPTHEA LIMITED

Australian Company Number 006340567

The company is a public company.

The company is limited by shares.

The company is taken to be registered under the Corporations

Act 2001 in Victoria and the date of commencement of

registration is the seventeenth day of October 1984.

 

Issued by the

Australian Securities and Investments Commission

on this eighth day of December, 2008.

/s/ Greg Medcraft

Greg Medcraft

Chairman


CIRCADIAN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Level 1

10 Wallace Avenue

TOORAK VIC 3142

Certificate of the Registration

of a Company

Corporations Act 2001 Paragraph 1274 (2) (b)

This is to certify that

CIRCADIAN PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED

Australian Company Number 006 340 567

is taken to be registered as a company under the

Corporations Act 2001 in Victoria.

On the eleventh day of March 1987 the company changed its name to

CIRCADIAN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

The company is limited by shares.

The company is a public company.

The day of commencement of registration is

the seventeenth day of October 1984.

 

Issued by the

Australian Securities and Investments Commission

on this eighth day of December, 2008.

/s/ E. Armistead
A delegate of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission


CIRCADIAN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Level 1

10 Wallace Avenue

TOORAK VIC 3142

Certificate of the Registration

of a Company

Corporations Act 2001 Paragraph 1274 (2) (b)

This is to certify that

CIRCADIAN PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED

Australian Company Number 006 340 567

is taken to be registered as a company under the

Corporations Act 2001 in Victoria.

On the eleventh day of March 1987 the company changed its name to

CIRCADIAN TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

The company is limited by shares.

The company is a public company.

The day of commencement of registration is

the seventeenth day of October 1984.

 

Issued by the

Australian Securities and Investments Commission

on this twenty-sixth day of October, 2004.

/s/ W. Squires
A delegate of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
EX-3.2

Exhibit 3.2

 

Date: 23 August 2007

  
  
  

Constitution

 

  

 

Circadian Technologies Limited ACN 006 340 567

 

/s/ Dominique Fisher

Signed for the purposes of identification by the Chairman

 

  

LOGO

  RIALTO TOWERS, 525 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE VIC 3000, DX 204 MELBOURNE

  TEL: +61 3 8608 2000 FAX: +61 3 8608 1000

  www.minterellison.com


Constitution of Circadian Technologies Limited

 

 

Preliminary

     7  

1.

   Defined terms      7  

2.

   Interpretation      8  

3.

   Replaceable rules      9  

Shares

     9  

4.

   Rights      9  

5.

   Issue of Shares      9  

6.

   Commission and brokerage      9  

7.

   Trusts not recognised      10  

8.

   Joint holders      10  

9.

   Share certificates      10  

10.

   Class meetings      10  

11.

   Non —marketable parcels      11  

Calls

     12  

12.

   General      12  

13.

   Instalments and amounts which become payable      13  

14.

   Interest and expenses      13  

15.

   Recovery of amounts due      13  

16.

   Differentiation      13  

17.

   Payment of calls in advance      13  

Lien and forfeiture

     14  

18.

   Lien      14  

19.

   Lien sale      15  

20.

   Forfeiture notice      15  

21.

   Forfeiture      15  

22.

   Liability of former Member      16  

23.

   Disposal of Shares      16  

Transfer of Shares

     17  

24.

   General      17  

25.

   Transfer procedure      18  

26.

   Right to refuse registration      18  

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

   Constitution | page 2


Transmission of Shares

     19  

27.

   Title on death      19  

28.

   Entitlement to transmission      19  

Changes to Share capital

     20  

29.

   Consolidation or division      20  

Powers of attorney

     20  

30.

   Powers of attorney      20  

General meetings

     20  

31.

   Calling general meeting      20  

32.

   Notice      20  

33.

   Business      21  

Proceedings at general meetings

     22  

34.

   Member      22  

35.

   Quorum      22  

36.

   Chairperson      22  

37.

   General conduct      23  

38.

   Adjournment      23  

39.

   Decisions      23  

40.

   Taking a poll      24  

41.

   Casting vote of chairperson      24  

42.

   Admission to general meetings      24  

43.

   Auditor’s right to be heard      25  

Votes of Members

     25  

44.

   Entitlement to vote      25  

45.

   Unpaid calls      25  

46.

   Joint holders      26  

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

   Constitution | page 3


47.

   Objections      26  

48.

   Votes by proxy      26  

49.

   Document appointing proxy      27  

50.

   Proxy in blank      27  

51.

   Lodgment of proxy      27  

52.

   Validity      28  

53.

   Representatives of bodies corporate      28  

Appointment and removal of Directors

     28  

54.

   Number of Directors      28  

55.

   Qualification      29  

56.

   Power to remove and appoint      29  

57.

   Additional and casual Directors      30  

58.

   Retirement by rotation      30  

59.

   Nomination of Director      30  

60.

   Vacation of office      30  

Remuneration of Directors

     31  

61.

   Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors      31  

62.

   Remuneration of Executive Directors      32  

63.

   Retirement benefits      32  

Powers and duties of Directors

     32  

64.

   Directors to manage Company      32  

Proceedings of Directors

     32  

65.

   Directors’ meetings      32  

66.

   Decisions      33  

67.

   Directors’ interests      33  

68.

   Alternate Directors      34  

69.

   Remaining Directors      35  

70.

   Chairperson      35  

71.

   Delegation      35  

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

   Constitution | page 4


72.

   Written resolutions      36  

73.

   Validity of acts of Directors      36  

74.

   Minutes      36  

Executive Directors

     37  

75.

   Appointment      37  

76.

   Powers of Executive Directors      37  

Local management

     37  

77.

   General      37  

78.

   Appointment of attorneys and agents      38  

Secretary

     38  

79.

   Secretary      38  

Seals

     39  

80.

   Common Seal      39  

81.

   Duplicate Seal      39  

82.

   Share Seal      39  

Inspection of records

     39  

83.

   Times for inspection      39  

Dividends and reserves

     40  

84.

   Dividends      40  

85.

   Amend resolution to pay dividend      40  

86.

   No interest      40  

87.

   Reserves      40  

88.

   Dividend entitlement      40  

89.

   Restricted securities      41  

90.

   Deductions from dividends      41  

91.

   Distribution of assets      41  

92.

   Payment      41  

93.

   Election to reinvest dividend      42  

94.

   Election to accept Shares in lieu of dividend      42  

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

   Constitution | page 5


95.

   Unclaimed dividends      42  

96.

   Capitalisation of profits      43  

Notices

     43  

97.

   Service of notices      43  

98.

   Persons entitled to notice      44  

Audit and financial records

     45  

99.

   Company to keep financial records      45  

Winding up

     45  

100.

   Winding up      45  

Indemnity

     45  

101.

   Indemnity      45  

102.

   Shareholder disclosure      46  

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

   Constitution | page 6


Preliminary

 

1.

Defined terms

 

1.1

In this Constitution:

Alternate Director means a person appointed as an alternate director under clause 68.

Approving Resolution means a resolution passed in accordance with clause Error! Reference source not found..

Approving Resolution Deadline in relation to a proportional takeover bid means the day that is the 14th day before the last day of the bid period.

ASTC means ASX Settlement and Transfer Corporation Pty Limited ABN 49 008 504 532.

ASTC Settlement Rules means the operating rules of ASTC.

ASX means ASX Limited ABN 98 008 624 691.

ASX Listing Rules means the listing rules of ASX and any other rules of ASX applicable to the Company or the Shares while the Company is admitted to the Official List, each as amended or replaced from time to time, except to the extent of any express written waiver by ASX.

Auditor means the Company’s auditor.

Business Day has the same meaning as in the ASX Listing Rules.

CHESS Holding has the same meaning as in the ASTC Settlement Rules.

Claim includes any allegation, cause of action, claim, proceeding (including civil, criminal, administrative or judicial), action, suit or demand of any nature whatsoever, and whether present, unascertained, immediate, future or contingent.

Company means Circadian Technologies Limited ACN 006 340 567.

Constitution means the constitution of the Company as amended from time to time.

Corporations Act means the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) as amended or replaced from time to time and includes any regulations made under that Act and any exemption or modification to that Act applying to the Company.

CS Facility Rules means the operating rules of an applicable CS facility licensee.

Director means a person appointed to the position of a director of the Company and where appropriate, includes an Alternate Director.

Directors means all or some of the Directors acting as a board.

Dividend includes bonus.

Executive Director has the meaning given by clause 75.2.

Issuer Sponsored Holding has the same meaning as in the ASTC Settlement Rules.

Liability includes any Claim, liability, debt, obligation, cost, expense, loss, damage, compensation or charge of any nature whatsoever and including those which are prospective or contingent.

Managing Director means a Director appointed as managing director under clause 75.1.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 7


Marketable Parcel has the same meaning as in the business rules of ASX in force from time to time.

Member means a person who is a member of the Company under the Corporations Act.

Non-Executive Director means a Director who is not an Executive Director.

Non-Marketable Parcel means a parcel of securities that is less than a Marketable Parcel.

Option means an entitlement to a Share.

Register means the register of Members of the Company.

Representative means a person appointed by a Member to act as its representative under clause 53.1.

Restricted Securities has the same meaning as in the ASX Listing Rules.

Seal means the Company’s common seal.

Secretary means any person appointed by the Directors to perform any of the duties of a secretary of the Company and if more than one person is appointed, any one or more of such persons.

Shares means shares in the share capital of the Company.

 

1.2

In this Constitution, except where the context otherwise requires, an expression in a clause of this Constitution has the same meaning as in the Corporations Act. Where the expression has more than one meaning in the Corporations Act and a provision of the Corporations Act deals with the same matter as a clause of this Constitution, that expression has the same meaning as in that provision.

 

2.

Interpretation

 

2.1

In this Constitution, except where the context otherwise requires:

 

  (a)

the singular includes the plural and vice versa, and a gender includes other genders;

 

  (b)

another grammatical form of a defined word or expression has a corresponding meaning;

 

  (c)

a reference to a clause, paragraph, schedule or annexure is to a clause or paragraph of, or schedule or annexure to, this Constitution, and a reference to this Constitution includes any schedule or annexure;

 

  (d)

a reference to a document or instrument includes the document or instrument as novated, altered, supplemented or replaced from time to time;

 

  (e)

a reference to A$, $A, dollar or $ is to Australian currency; and

 

  (f)

the meaning of general words is not limited by specific examples introduced by including, for example or similar expressions.

 

2.2

Headings are for ease of reference only and do not affect interpretation.

 

2.3

The Corporations Act prevails over any inconsistency with:

 

  (a)

this Constitution;

 

  (b)

the ASX Listing Rules; and

 

  (c)

the CS Facility Rules.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 8


3.

Replaceable rules

The provisions of the Corporations Act that apply to certain companies as replaceable rules are displaced by this Constitution in their entirety and do not apply to the Company.

Shares

 

4.

Rights

Subject to this Constitution and to the terms of issue of Shares, all Shares attract the following rights:

 

  (a)

the right to receive notice of and to attend and vote at all general meetings of the Company;

 

  (b)

the right to receive dividends; and

 

  (c)

in a winding up or a reduction of capital, the right to participate equally in the distribution of the assets of the Company (both capital and surplus), subject to any amounts unpaid on the Share and, in the case of a reduction, to the terms of the reduction.

 

5.

Issue of Shares

 

5.1

Subject to the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and this Constitution, the Directors may issue and allot, or dispose of, Shares:

 

  (a)

on terms determined by the Directors;

 

  (b)

at the issue price that the Directors determine; and

 

  (c)

to Members whether in proportion to their existing shareholdings or otherwise, and to such other persons as the Directors may determine.

 

5.2

The Directors’ power under clause 5.1 includes the power to:

 

  (a)

grant options over unissued Shares;

 

  (b)

issue and allot Shares:

 

  (i)

with any preferential, deferred or special rights, privileges or conditions;

 

  (ii)

with any restrictions in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise;

 

  (iii)

which are liable to be redeemed;

 

  (iv)

which are bonus Shares for whose issue no consideration is payable to the Company; or

 

  (v)

which have any combination of the characteristics described in clauses 5.2(b)(i) to 5.2(b)(iv) inclusive.

 

6.

Commission and brokerage

Any brokerage or commission which may be paid by the Company may be made in cash, by the issue and allotment of Shares, or the issue of debentures, or by a combination of any of those methods.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 9


7.

Trusts not recognised

 

7.1

Except as required by law, the CS Facility Rules or as otherwise provided by this Constitution, the Company will not recognise any person as holding a Share on trust and the Company will not be bound to recognise any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest or any other right in respect of a Share except the registered holder’s absolute right of ownership.

 

7.2

This clause 7 applies even if the Company has notice of the relevant trust, interest or right.

 

8.

Joint holders

 

8.1

If two or more persons are registered as the holders of a Share, they are taken to hold the Share as joint tenants with benefit of survivorship and the person whose name appears first on the Register is the only joint holder entitled to receive notices from the Company.

 

8.2

Any one of the joint holders of a Share may give an effective receipt for any dividend or return of capital payable to the joint holders.

 

8.3

The Company is entitled to and in respect of CHESS Holdings, must:

 

  (a)

record the names of only the first three joint holders of a Share on the Register;

 

  (b)

regard the three joint holders of a Share appearing first on the Register as the registered holders of that Share to the exclusion of any other holders; and

 

  (c)

disregard the entitlement of any person to be registered on the Register as a holder if the name of the person would appear on the Register after the first three holders for that Share.

 

9.

Share certificates

 

9.1

The Directors will not, unless they determine otherwise or the ASX Listing Rules require, issue a certificate to a Member for any Shares registered in the Member’s name or record any holding as held on a certificated subregister.

 

9.2

Any certificate for Shares must be issued and despatched in accordance with the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and the CS Facility Rules.

 

9.3

Subject to the ASX Listing Rules, the Directors may in their absolute discretion elect whether to maintain a certificated subregister for any class of Shares.

 

9.4

Subject to the ASX Listing Rules and the CS Facility Rules, Shares may be held on any subregister maintained by or on behalf of the Company or on any branch register kept by the Company.

 

9.5

The Directors may order worn out or defaced certificates to be cancelled and, if necessary, replaced by new certificates.

 

10.

Class meetings

 

10.1

The rights attached to any class of Shares may be varied in accordance with the Corporations Act.

 

10.2

The provisions of this Constitution relating to general meetings apply, with necessary changes, to a meeting of a class of Members holding Shares in that class as if it was a general meeting except that:

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 10


  (a)

a quorum is two persons holding or representing by proxy, attorney or Representative not less than 5% of the Shares of the class or, if there is one holder of Shares in the class, that holder or a proxy, attorney or representative of that holder; and

 

  (b)

any five holders, or holders of Shares of the class present in person or by proxy, attorney or Representative who can vote not less than 5% of all votes held by Members of that class, may demand a poll.

 

11.

Non-marketable parcels

 

11.1

If one or more Members hold less than a Marketable Parcel of Shares, the Directors may invoke the procedure for the sale of Shares under this clause 11 (Procedure).

 

11.2

To invoke the Procedure, the Directors must give each Member (or each Member whose Shares are not held in a CHESS Holding) who holds less than a Marketable Parcel of Shares (Eligible Member) written notice (Notice of Divestiture) that complies with this clause 11.

 

11.3

A Notice of Divestiture given to a Member must:

 

  (a)

state that the Shares referred to in the Notice of Divestiture are liable to be sold in accordance with the Procedure if the Member does not advise the Company before a specified date (Relevant Date) that the Member wishes to keep those Shares; and

 

  (b)

if the Member holds Shares in a CHESS Holding, contain a statement to the effect that if those Shares remain in a CHESS Holding after the Relevant Date, the Company may, without further notice, move those Shares from the CHESS Holding to an Issuer Sponsored Holding or a Certificated Holding for the purposes of divestment by the Company in accordance with the Procedure.

 

11.4

The Relevant Date must be six weeks or more after the date that the Notice of Divestiture is sent.

 

11.5

A copy of a Notice of Divestiture must be given to any other person required by the CS Facility Rules.

 

11.6

If an Eligible Member on whom a Notice of Divestiture has been served, wants to keep the Shares referred to in the Notice of Divestiture, the Eligible Member must give the Company written notice before the Relevant Date, advising the Company that the Member wants to keep those Shares in which event the Company will not sell the Shares.

 

11.7

If an Eligible Member on whom a Notice of Divestiture has been served does not give the Company written notice before the Relevant Date advising the Company that the Eligible Member wants to keep the Shares referred in the Notice of Divestiture, the Company may:

 

  (a)

if the Member holds those Shares in a CHESS Holding, move those Shares from the CHESS Holding to an Issuer Sponsored Holding or a Certificated Holding; and

 

  (b)

in any case, sell those Shares in accordance with the Procedure,

but only if the Shares held by the Eligible Member on the Relevant Date is less than a Marketable Parcel.

 

11.8

Any Shares which may be sold under this clause 11 may be sold on the terms, in the manner (whether on-market, by private treaty, through a share sale facility established by, on behalf or, or at the request of the Company, or otherwise) and at the time or times determined by the Directors and, for the purposes of a sale under this clause 11, each Eligible Member:

 

  (a)

appoints the Company as the Eligible Member’s agent for sale;

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 11


  (b)

authorises the Company to effect on the Eligible Member’s behalf a transfer of the Shares sold and to deal with the proceeds of the sale of the Shares in accordance with clause 11.10;

 

  (c)

appoints the Company, it’s Directors and the Secretary jointly and severally as the Eligible Member’s attorneys to execute an instrument or take other steps, in the Eligible Member’s name and on the Eligible Member’s behalf, as they or any of them may consider appropriate to transfer the Shares sold; and

 

  (d)

authorises each of the attorneys appointed under clause 11.8(c) to appoint an agent to do a thing referred to in clause 11.8(c).

 

11.9

The title of the transferee to Shares acquired under this clause 11 is not affected by an irregularity or invalidity in connection with the sale of Shares to the Transferee.

 

11.10

The proceeds of any sale of Shares under this clause 11 less any unpaid calls and interest (Sale Consideration) will be paid to the relevant Member or as that Member may direct.

 

11.11

The Company will hold the Sale Consideration in trust for the Member whose Shares are sold under this clause and will forthwith notify the Member in writing that the Sale Consideration in respect of the Member’s Shares has been received by the Company and is being held by the Company pending instructions from the Member as to how it is to be dealt with. If the Member has been issued with a share certificate or certificates, the Member’s instructions, to be effective, must be accompanied by the share certificate or certificates to which the Sale Consideration relates or, if the certificate or certificates has or have been lost or destroyed, by a statement and undertaking under subsection 1070D(5) of the Corporations Act.

 

11.12

Subject to the Corporations Act, the Company or the purchaser will bear all costs, including brokerage and stamp duty, associated with the sale of any Shares under this clause.

 

11.13

The Procedure may only be invoked once in any 12 month period after its adoption or renewal.

 

11.14

If the Procedure has been invoked and there is an announcement of a takeover bid for Shares, no more sales of Shares may be made under this clause 11 until after the close of the offers made under the takeover. The Procedure may then be invoked again.

Calls

 

12.

General

 

12.1

Subject to the Corporations Act and the terms on which partly paid Shares are issued, the Directors may make calls on the holders of the Shares for any money unpaid on them.

 

12.2

A call is made when the resolution of the Directors authorising it is passed.

 

12.3

The Directors may revoke or postpone a call before its due date for payment.

 

12.4

The Directors may require a call to be paid by instalments.

 

12.5

The Company must comply with the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules in relation to the dispatch and content of notices to Members on whom a call is made.

 

12.6

A Member to whom notice of a call is given in accordance with this clause 12 must pay to the Company the amount called in accordance with the notice.

 

12.7

Failure to send a notice of a call to any Member or the non-receipt of a notice by any Member does not invalidate the call.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 12


12.8

Joint holders of Shares are jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of their Shares.

 

13.

Instalments and amounts which become payable

If:

 

  (a)

the Directors require a call to be paid by instalments; or

 

  (b)

an amount becomes payable by the terms of issue of Shares on allotment, or at a time or in circumstances specified in the terms of issue,

then:

 

  (c)

every instalment or the amount payable under the terms of issue is payable as if it were a call made by the Directors and as if they had given notice of it; and

 

  (d)

the consequences of late payment or non-payment of an instalment or the amount payable under the terms of issue are the same as the consequences of late payment or non-payment of a call.

 

14.

Interest and expenses

If an amount called is not paid on or before the due date, the person liable to pay the amount must also pay:

 

  (a)

interest on the amount from the due date to the time of actual payment at a rate determined by the Directors (not exceeding 20% per annum); and

 

  (b)

all expenses incurred by the Company as a consequence of the non-payment,

but the Directors may waive payment of the interest and expenses in whole or in part.

 

15.

Recovery of amounts due

On the hearing of any action for the recovery of money due for any call, proof that:

 

  (a)

the name of the person sued was, when the call was made, entered in the Register as a holder or the holder of Shares in respect of which the call was made;

 

  (b)

the resolution making the call is duly recorded in the Directors’ minute book; and

 

  (c)

notice of the call was given to the person sued,

will be conclusive evidence of the debt.

 

16.

Differentiation

The Directors may, on the issue of Shares, differentiate between the holders as to the amount of calls to be paid and the times of payment.

 

17.

Payment of calls in advance

 

17.1

The Directors may accept from a Member the whole or part of the amount unpaid on a Share before the amount accepted has been called.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 13


17.2

The Company may:

 

  (a)

pay interest on any amount accepted, until the amount is payable under a call and at a rate (not exceeding 20% per annum) agreed between the Member and the Directors; and

 

  (b)

subject to any contract between the Company and the Member, repay all or any of the amount accepted in excess of the amount called on the Share.

 

17.3

Payment of an amount in advance of a call does not entitle the paying Member to any:

 

  (a)

dividend, benefit or advantage, other than the payment of interest under this clause 17; or

 

  (b)

voting right,

to which the Member would not have been entitled if it had paid the amount when it became due.

Lien and forfeiture

 

18.

Lien

 

18.1

To the extent permitted by the ASX Listing Rules, the Company has a first and paramount lien on every partly paid Share and dividends payable in respect of the Share for all money:

 

  (a)

due and unpaid to the Company at a fixed time, in respect of the Share;

 

  (b)

presently payable by a holder or the holder of the Share, or the holder’s estate, to the Company in respect of the Share; or

 

  (c)

which the Company is required by law to pay (and has paid) in respect of the Share.

 

18.2

The lien extends to reasonable interest and expenses incurred because the amount is not paid.

 

18.3

If any law for the time being of any country, state or place imposes or purports to impose an immediate or contingent liability on the Company to make any payment or authorises a taxing authority or Government official to require the Company to make payment in respect of Shares or dividends or other moneys accruing due to the Member who holds the Shares:

 

  (a)

the Member or, if the Member is deceased, the Member’s legal personal representative, indemnifies the Company in respect of any such payment or liability; and

 

  (b)

subject to the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules, the Company:

 

  (i)

has a lien on the Shares and dividends and other moneys payable in respect of the Shares, whether the Shares are held by the Member solely or jointly with another person in respect of any payment made or liability incurred by the Company, together with reasonable expenses and interest on any payment made by the Company at a rate to be fixed by the Directors not exceeding 20% per annum from the date of payment by the Company to the date of repayment by the Member;

 

  (ii)

may set off amounts so paid by the Company against amounts payable by the Company to the Member as dividends or otherwise; and

 

  (iii)

may recover as a debt due from the Member or its legal personal representative the amount of all payments made by the Company together with reasonable expenses and interest at the rate and for the period referred to in clause 18.3(b)(i).

 

18.4

The Company may do all things which the Directors think necessary or appropriate to do under the ASX Listing Rules and the CS Facility Rules to enforce or protect the Company’s lien.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 14


18.5

Unless the Directors determine otherwise, the registration of a transfer of a Share operates as a waiver of the Company’s lien on the Share.

 

18.6

The Directors may declare a Share to be wholly or partly exempt from a lien.

 

19.

Lien sale

If:

 

  (a)

the Company has a lien on a Share for money presently payable;

 

  (b)

the Company has given the Member or the Member’s executors or administrators (as the case may be) holding the Share written notice demanding payment of the money; and

 

  (c)

that Member fails to pay all of the money demanded,

then 14 or more days after giving the notice, the Directors may, if the ASX Listing Rules permit, sell the Share in any manner determined by them.

 

20.

Forfeiture notice

 

20.1

The Directors may at any time after a call or instalment becomes payable and remains unpaid by a Member, serve a notice on the Member requiring the Member to pay all or any of the following:

 

  (a)

the unpaid amount;

 

  (b)

any interest that has accrued; and

 

  (c)

all expenses incurred by the Company as a consequence of the non-payment.

 

20.2

The notice under clause 20.1 must:

 

  (a)

specify a day (not earlier than 14 days after the date of the notice) on or before which the payment required by the notice must be made; and

 

  (b)

state that if a Member does not comply with the notice, the Shares in respect of which the call was made or instalment is payable will be liable to be forfeited.

21. Forfeiture

 

21.1

If a Member does not comply with a notice served under clause 20, then any or all of the Shares in respect of which the notice was given may be forfeited under a resolution of the Directors.

 

21.2

Unpaid dividends in respect of forfeited Shares will also be forfeited.

 

21.3

On forfeiture, Shares become the property of the Company and forfeited Shares must be:

 

  (a)

if the ASX Listing Rules permit, sold, disposed of, or cancelled on terms determined by the Directors; or

 

  (b)

offered by public auction in accordance with any requirements of the ASX Listing Rules.

 

21.4

The Directors may, at any time before a forfeited Share is sold, disposed of or cancelled, annul the forfeiture of the Share on conditions determined by them.

 

21.5

Promptly after a Share has been forfeited:

 

  (a)

notice of the forfeiture must be given to the Member in whose name the Share was registered immediately before its forfeiture; and

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 15


  (b)

the forfeiture and its date must be noted in the Register.

 

21.6

Omission or neglect to give notice of or to note the forfeiture as specified in clause 21.5 will not invalidate a forfeiture.

 

22.

Liability of former Member

 

22.1

The interest of a person who held Shares which are forfeited is extinguished but subject to the ASX Listing Rules, the former Member remains liable to pay:

 

  (a)

all money (including interest and expenses) that was payable by the Member to the Company at the date of forfeiture in respect of the forfeited Shares; and

 

  (b)

interest from the date of forfeiture until payment of the money referred to in clause 22.1(a), of this clause at a rate determined by the Directors (not exceeding 20% per annum).

 

22.2

A former Member’s liability to the Company ceases if and when the Company receives payment in full of all money (including interest and expenses) payable by the former Member in respect of the Shares. The liability may only be released or waived in accordance with the ASX Listing Rules.

 

23.

Disposal of Shares

 

23.1

The Company may:

 

  (a)

receive the consideration (if any) given for a forfeited Share on any sale or disposition of the Share, or a Share sold under a lien sale; and

 

  (b)

effect a transfer of the Share in favour of a person to whom the Share is sold or disposed of.

 

23.2

The purchaser of the Share:

 

  (a)

is not bound to check the regularity of the sale or the application of the purchase price;

 

  (b)

obtains title to the Share despite any irregularity in the sale; and

 

  (c)

will not be subject to complaint or remedy by the former holder of the Share in respect of the purchase.

 

23.3

A statement signed by a Director and the Secretary that the Share has been regularly forfeited and sold or reissued or regularly sold without forfeiture to enforce a lien, is conclusive evidence of the matters stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share.

 

23.4

Subject to the terms on which a Share is on issue, the net proceeds of any sale made to enforce a lien or on forfeiture must be applied by the Company in the following order:

 

  (a)

in payment of the costs of the sale;

 

  (b)

in payment of all amounts (if any) secured by the lien or all money (if any) that was payable in respect of the forfeited Share; and

 

  (c)

where the Share was forfeited under clause 21.1, in payment of any surplus to the former Member whose Share was sold.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 16


Transfer of Shares

 

24.

General

 

24.1

Subject to this Constitution, a Member may transfer Shares held by that Member.

 

24.2

Subject to clause 24.3, Shares may be transferred by:

 

  (a)

a written transfer instrument in any usual or common form; or

 

  (b)

any other form approved by the Directors.

 

24.3

The Company may participate in any computerised or electronic system for market settlement, securities transfer and registration conducted in accordance with the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and the CS Facility Rules, or corresponding laws or securities exchange rules in any other country.

 

24.4

If the Company participates in a system of the kind described in clause 24.3, then despite any other provision of this Constitution:

 

  (a)

Shares may be transferred, and transfers may be registered, in any manner required or permitted by the ASX Listing Rules or the CS Facility Rules (or corresponding laws or securities exchange rules in any other country) applying in relation to the system;

 

  (b)

the Company must comply with and give effect to those rules; and

 

  (c)

the Company may, in accordance with those rules, decline to issue certificates for holdings of Shares.

 

24.5

A written transfer instrument must be:

 

  (a)

executed by the transferor or (where the Corporations Act permits) stamped by the transferor’s broker;

 

  (b)

unless the Directors decide otherwise in the case of a fully paid Share, executed by the transferee or (where the Corporations Act permits) stamped by the transferee’s broker; and

 

  (c)

in the case of a transfer of partly paid Shares, endorsed or accompanied by an instrument executed by the transferee or by the transferee’s broker to the effect that the transferee agrees to accept the Shares subject to the terms and conditions on which the transferor held them, to become a Member and to be bound by the Constitution.

Subject to the Corporation Act, the written transfer instrument may comprise more than one document.

 

24.6

Except as required by the CS Facility Rules:

 

  (a)

a transferor of Shares remains the holder of the Shares transferred until the transfer is registered and the name of the transferee is entered in the Register in respect of the Shares; and

 

  (b)

a transfer of Shares does not pass the right to any dividends on the Shares until such registration.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 17


25.

Transfer procedure

 

25.1

Except where the Directors determine (to comply with laws or securities exchange rules of a foreign country or the CS Facility Rules), for a transfer of Shares that is not an ASTC-regulated transfer:

 

  (a)

the written transfer instrument must be left at the Company’s registered office or another place acceptable to the Company;

 

  (b)

the instrument must be accompanied by a certificate for the Shares dealt with in the transfer where a certificate has been issued, unless the Directors waive production of the certificate on receiving satisfactory evidence of the loss or destruction of the certificate; and

 

  (c)

the Directors may, if the ASX Listing Rules permit, require other evidence of the transferor’s right to transfer the Shares.

 

25.2

For a transfer of Shares that is an ASTC-regulated transfer, a Share transfer must be effected in accordance with the ASX Listing Rules and the ASTC Settlement Rules.

 

26.

Right to refuse registration

 

26.1

The Directors may in their absolute discretion refuse to register any transfer of Shares or other securities where the Shares or other securities are not quoted by ASX. Where the Shares or other securities are quoted by ASX, the Directors may in their absolute discretion refuse to register any transfer in any of the circumstances permitted by the ASX Listing Rules.

 

26.2

The Directors must:

 

  (a)

except as permitted by ASX, refuse to register any transfer of Shares or other securities which are Restricted Securities if that transfer is or might be in breach of the ASX Listing Rules or any restriction agreement entered into by the Company under the ASX Listing Rules in relation to the Shares; and

 

  (b)

refuse to register any transfer where the Company is, or the Directors are, required to do so by the ASX Listing Rules.

 

26.3

Despite clauses 26.1 and 26.2, the Company must not refuse or fail to register or give effect to, or delay or in any way interfere with, a proper ASTC transfer of Shares or other securities quoted by ASX.

 

26.4

If a person has lodged a transfer which the Directors have refused to register, the Company must, within five Business Days after the date of lodgment, give to the lodging person written notice of the refusal and the reasons for it.

 

26.5

Subject to clause 26.3, Restricted Securities cannot be disposed of during the escrow period except as permitted by the ASX Listing Rules or ASX. The Company will refuse to acknowledge a disposal of Restricted Securities to the extent required under the ASX Listing Rules.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 18


Transmission of Shares

 

27.

Title on death

 

27.1

The legal personal representative of a deceased Member who was the sole holder of Shares is the only person whom the Company will recognise as having any title to the deceased Member’s Shares.

 

27.2

If a deceased Member was a joint holder of Shares, the other joint holder is the only person whom the Company will recognise as having any title to the deceased Member’s Shares.

 

27.3

The estate of the deceased Member will not be released from any liability to the Company in respect of the Shares.

 

27.4

The Company may register or give effect to a transfer to a transferee who dies before the transfer is registered.

 

28.

Entitlement to transmission

 

28.1

A person who becomes entitled to a Share in consequence of the death, mental incapacity or bankruptcy of a Member may, subject to clause 26 and to producing to the Company evidence of its entitlement which is satisfactory to the Directors, elect to:

 

  (a)

be registered as the holder of the Share; or

 

  (b)

transfer the Share to some other person nominated by it.

 

28.2

If the person who has become entitled to a Share:

 

  (a)

elects to be registered as the holder, then the person must deliver or send to the Company a written notice of election signed by him or her; or

 

  (b)

elects to transfer the Share, then the person must effect a transfer of the Share.

 

28.3

An election to be registered as a holder of a Share under clause 28.1(a) or a transfer of a Share from a Member or deceased Member under this clause 28 is subject to the same limitations, restrictions and provisions of this Constitution as would apply if the election were a transfer or the transfer were made by the Member or deceased Member himself or herself.

 

28.4

A person who:

 

  (a)

has become entitled to a Share by operation of law; and

 

  (b)

has produced evidence of that person’s entitlement which is satisfactory to the Directors,

is entitled to the dividends and other rights of the registered holder of the Share.

 

28.5

Where two or more persons are jointly entitled to any Share in consequence of the death of the registered holder, they will be considered to be joint holders of the Share.

 

28.6

Any person who is registered under this clause must indemnify the Company against all liabilities, costs, losses and expenses incurred by the Company as a result of registering the person.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 19


Changes to Share capital

 

29.

Consolidation or division

For the purpose of giving effect to any consolidation or division of Shares, the Directors may, subject to the CS Facility Rules, settle any difficulty which arises with respect to fractions of Shares in any manner that they think expedient.

Powers of attorney

 

30.

Powers of attorney

 

30.1

If a Member executes or proposes to execute any document or do any act by or through an attorney which is relevant to the Company or the Member’s shareholding in the Company, that Member must deliver the instrument appointing the attorney to the Company for notation.

 

30.2

The Company may require the Member to lodge a certified copy of the instrument for retention by the Company, and ask for whatever evidence it thinks appropriate that the power of attorney is effective and continues to be in force.

 

30.3

Any power of attorney granted by a Member will, as between the Company and the Member who granted the power of attorney:

 

  (a)

continue in force; and

 

  (b)

may be acted on,

unless express notice in writing of its revocation or of the death of the Member who granted it is lodged with the Company.

 

30.4

Where a Member proposes that an attorney represent the Member at a general meeting or adjourned meeting, the Member must comply with clause 51.1 of this Constitution.

General meetings

 

31.

Calling general meeting

 

31.1

A Director may call a meeting of Members.

 

31.2

The Directors must call annual general meetings in accordance with the Corporations Act, to be held by the Company at times to be determined by the Directors.

 

31.3

Members may also request or call and arrange to hold general meetings in accordance with the procedures and requirements set out in the Corporations Act.

 

31.4

A general meeting may be held at two or more venues simultaneously using any technology that gives the Members as a whole a reasonable opportunity to participate.

 

32.

Notice

 

32.1

Notice of a general meeting must be given in accordance with the Corporations Act to the persons referred to in clause 98.1.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 20


32.2

Except as permitted by the Corporations Act, general meetings must be called on at least the minimum number of days notice required by the Corporations Act (which at the date of adoption of this Constitution is 28 days) and otherwise in accordance with the procedures set out in the Corporations Act.

 

32.3

Subject to the requirements of the Corporations Act, a notice calling a general meeting must:

 

  (a)

specify the place, date and time of the meeting (and if the meeting is to be held in two or more places, the technology that will be used to facilitate this);

 

  (b)

state the general nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting;

 

  (c)

if a special resolution is to be proposed at the meeting, set out an intention to propose the special resolution and state the resolution;

 

  (d)

include such statements about the appointment of proxies as are required by the Corporations Act;

 

  (e)

specify a place and facsimile number and may specify an electronic address for the purposes of proxy appointments;

 

  (f)

subject to the CS Facility Rules, specify particulars of any determination made under regulation 7.11.37 of the Corporations Regulations 2001 (Cth); and

 

  (g)

comply with any other requirements of the Corporations Act.

 

33.

Business

 

33.1

The business of an annual general meeting may include:

 

  (a)

any of the following matters, even if not referred to in the notice of meeting:

 

  (i)

consideration of the annual financial report, directors’ report and auditor’s report;

 

  (ii)

election of directors;

 

  (iii)

appointment of the auditor;

 

  (iv)

fixing the auditor’s remuneration;

 

  (b)

any business which under this Constitution or the Corporations Act is required to be transacted at an annual general meeting; and

 

  (c)

any other business which may lawfully be transacted at a general meeting.

 

33.2

The chairperson of an annual general meeting must allow a reasonable opportunity for the Members as a whole at the meeting to:

 

  (a)

ask questions about or make comments on the management of the Company; and

 

  (b)

ask the Auditor or their representative questions relevant to the conduct of the audit and the preparation and content of the Auditor’s report for the Company.

 

33.3

The Directors may postpone or cancel any general meeting (other than a meeting requested or called by Members under clause 31.3) at any time before the day of the meeting. The Directors must give notice of the postponement or cancellation to all persons entitled to receive notices of a general meeting.

 

33.4

An accidental omission to send a notice of a general meeting (including a proxy appointment form) or the postponement of a general meeting to any Member or the non-receipt of a notice (or form) by any Member does not invalidate the proceedings at or any resolution passed at the general meeting.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 21


Proceedings at general meetings

 

34.

Member

In clauses 35, 36, 39 and 44, Member includes a Member present in person or by proxy, attorney or Representative.

 

35.

Quorum

 

35.1

No business may be transacted at a general meeting unless a quorum of Members is present at the commencement of business.

 

35.2

A quorum of Members is three Members unless there is only one Member, when a quorum is that Member.

 

35.3

If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes after the time appointed for a general meeting:

 

  (a)

the general meeting is automatically dissolved if it was requested or called by Members under clause 31.3; or

 

  (b)

in any other case:

 

  (i)

it will stand adjourned to the same time and place seven days after the meeting, or to another day, time and place determined by the Directors; and

 

  (ii)

if at the adjourned general meeting a quorum is not present within 30 minutes after the time appointed for the general meeting two Members will be a quorum.

 

36.

Chairperson

 

36.1

The chairperson, or in the chairperson’s absence the deputy chairperson, of Directors’ meetings will be the chairperson at every general meeting.

 

36.2

If:

 

  (a)

there is no chairperson or deputy chairperson; or

 

  (b)

neither the chairperson nor deputy chairperson is present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the general meeting; or

 

  (c)

the chairperson and deputy chairperson are unwilling to act as chairperson of the general meeting,

the Directors present may elect a chairperson of the general meeting of the Members.

 

36.3

If no chairperson is elected in accordance with clause 36.2, then:

 

  (a)

the Members may elect one of the Directors present as chairperson; or

 

  (b)

if no Director is present or is willing to take the chair, the Members may elect one of the Members present as chairperson.

 

36.4

At any time during a meeting and in respect of any specific item or items of business, the chairperson may elect to vacate the chair in favour of another person nominated by the

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 22


  chairperson (which person must be a Director unless no Director is present or is willing to act). That person is to be taken to be the chairperson and will have all the powers of the chairperson (other than the power to adjourn the meeting), during the consideration of that item of business or those items of business.

 

36.5

If there is a dispute at a general meeting about a question of procedure, the chairperson may determine the question.

 

37.

General conduct

The general conduct of each general meeting of the Company and the procedures to be adopted at the meeting will be determined by the chairperson, including the procedure for the conduct of the election of Directors.

 

38.

Adjournment

 

38.1

The chairperson of a general meeting at which a quorum is present:

 

  (a)

in his or her discretion may adjourn the general meeting; and

 

  (b)

must adjourn the general meeting if the meeting directs him or her to do so.

 

38.2

An adjourned general meeting may take place at a different venue from the initial general meeting.

 

38.3

The only business that can be transacted at an adjourned general meeting is the unfinished business of the initial general meeting.

 

38.4

If a general meeting has been adjourned for more than 30 days, notice of the adjourned general meeting must be given to Members as if it were an original general meeting, but otherwise it is not necessary to give notice of an adjourned general meeting or the business of the adjourned general meeting.

 

38.5

A poll cannot be demanded on any resolution concerning the adjournment of a general meeting except by the chairperson.

 

39.

Decisions

 

39.1

Subject to the Corporations Act in relation to special resolutions, a resolution is carried if a majority of the votes cast on the resolution are in favour of the resolution.

 

39.2

A resolution put to the vote of a meeting is decided on a show of hands unless a poll is demanded by:

 

  (a)

at least 5 Members entitled to vote on the resolution;

 

  (b)

Members with at least 5% of the votes that may be cast on the resolution on a poll; or

 

  (c)

the chairperson.

 

39.3

A poll may be demanded:

 

  (a)

before a vote is taken; or

 

  (b)

in the case of a vote taken on a show of hands, immediately before or immediately after, the results of the vote are declared.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 23


39.4

Unless a poll is demanded:

 

  (a)

a declaration by the chairperson that a resolution has been carried, carried by a specified majority, or lost; and

 

  (b)

an entry to that effect in the minutes of the meeting,

are conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes in favour of or against the resolution.

 

39.5

The demand for a poll may be withdrawn.

 

39.6

A decision of a general meeting may not be impeached or invalidated on the ground that a person voting at the meeting was not entitled to do so.

 

40.

Taking a poll

 

40.1

Subject to clause 40.5, a poll will be taken when and in the manner that the chairperson directs. No notice need be given of any poll.

 

40.2

The result of the poll will determine whether the resolution on which the poll was demanded is carried or lost.

 

40.3

The chairperson may determine any dispute about the admission or rejection of a vote, and such determination, if made in good faith, will be final and conclusive.

 

40.4

A poll cannot be demanded on any resolution concerning the election of the chairperson of a general meeting.

 

40.5

A poll demanded by the chairperson on any resolution concerning the adjournment of a general meeting must be taken immediately.

 

40.6

After a poll has been demanded at a general meeting, the general meeting may continue for the transaction of business other than the question on which the poll was demanded.

 

41.

Casting vote of chairperson

The chairperson does not have a casting vote (in addition to the chairperson’s votes as a Member, proxy, attorney or Representative) on a show of hands or on a poll.

 

42.

Admission to general meetings

The chairperson of a general meeting may refuse admission to a person, or require a person to leave and not return to, a meeting if the person:

 

  (a)

refuses to permit examination of any article in the person’s possession; or

 

  (b)

is in possession of any:

 

  (i)

electronic or recording device;

 

  (ii)

placard or banner; or

 

  (iii)

other article,

which the chairperson considers to be dangerous, offensive or liable to cause disruption; or

 

  (c)

causes any disruption to the meeting.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 24


43.

Auditor’s right to be heard

The Auditor is entitled to:

 

  (a)

attend any general meeting of the Company;

 

  (b)

be heard at any general meeting of the Company on any part of the business of the meeting that concerns the Auditor in their capacity as auditor, even if:

 

  (i)

the Auditor retires at the general meeting; or

 

  (ii)

Members pass a resolution to remove the Auditor from office; and

 

  (c)

authorise a person in writing to attend and speak at any general meeting as the Auditor’s representative.

Votes of Members

 

44.

Entitlement to vote

 

44.1

Subject to this Constitution and to any rights or restrictions attaching to any class of Shares:

 

  (a)

every Member may vote;

 

  (b)

subject to clause 48.4 and the Corporations Act, on a show of hands every Member has one vote; and

 

  (c)

on a poll every Member has:

 

  (i)

for each fully paid Share held by the Member, one vote; and

 

  (ii)

for each partly paid Share held by the Member, a fraction of a vote equivalent to the proportion which the amount paid (not credited) is of the total amounts paid and payable, whether or not called (excluding amounts credited), on the Share. Without limiting the generality of clause 17.3, an amount paid on a Share in advance of a call is not to be taken as paid for the purposes of this clause.

 

44.2

During a breach of the ASX Listing Rules relating to Shares which are Restricted Securities, or a breach of a restriction agreement, the holder of the relevant Restricted Securities is not entitled to any voting rights in respect of those Restricted Securities.

 

44.3

If a Member:

 

  (a)

dies; or

 

  (b)

through mental or physical infirmity, is incapable of managing the Member’s affairs,

and a personal representative, trustee or other person is appointed under law to administer the Member’s estate or property, the personal representative, trustee or person so appointed may exercise any rights of the Member in relation to a general meeting as if the personal representative, trustee or person (as the case may be) was a Member.

 

45.

Unpaid calls

A Member is entitled to:

 

  (a)

vote; or

 

  (b)

be counted in a quorum,

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 25


only in respect of Shares on which all calls due and payable have been paid.

 

46.

Joint holders

 

46.1

If two or more joint holders purport to vote, the vote of the joint holder whose name appears first in the Register will be accepted, to the exclusion of the other joint holder or holders.

 

46.2

For the purposes of this clause 46, several executors or administrators of a deceased Member in whose sole name any Shares are registered will be taken to be joint holders of those Shares.

 

47.

Objections

 

47.1

An objection to the qualification of a voter may only be raised at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the voter tendered its vote.

 

47.2

An objection must be referred to the chairperson of the general meeting, whose decision made in good faith is final.

47.3 Subject to clause 47.4, a vote which the chairperson does not disallow under an objection is valid for all purposes.

 

47.4

A vote which the ASX Listing Rules require the Company to disregard is not valid.

 

48.

Votes by proxy

 

48.1

A Member who is entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company may appoint not more than two proxies to attend and vote at the general meeting on that Member’s behalf.

 

48.2

A proxy need not be a Member.

 

48.3

If a Member appoints one proxy, that proxy may, subject to the Corporations Act, vote on a show of hands.

 

48.4

If a Member appoints two proxies and the appointment does not specify the proportion or number of the Member’s votes each proxy may exercise, each proxy may exercise half the votes. However, neither proxy may vote on a show of hands.

 

48.5

A proxy may demand or join in demanding a poll.

 

48.6

A proxy may vote or abstain as he or she chooses except where the appointment of the proxy directs the way the proxy is to vote on a particular resolution. If an appointment directs the way the proxy is to vote on a particular resolution:

 

  (a)

the proxy need not vote on a show of hands, but if the proxy does so, the proxy must vote that way;

 

  (b)

if the proxy has two or more appointments that specify different ways to vote on the resolution—the proxy must not vote on a show of hands;

 

  (c)

if the proxy is the chair—the proxy must vote on a poll and must vote that way; and

 

  (d)

if the proxy is not the chair—the proxy need not vote on a poll, but if the proxy does so, the proxy must vote that way.

 

48.7

If:

 

  (a)

a Member nominates the chairperson of the meeting as the Member’s proxy; or

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 26


  (b)

the chairperson is to act as proxy under clause 50 or otherwise under a default appointment according to the terms of the proxy form,

then the person acting as chairperson in respect of an item of business at the meeting must act as proxy under the appointment in respect of that item of business.

 

49.

Document appointing proxy

 

49.1

An appointment of a proxy is valid if it is signed by the Member making the appointment and contains the information required by subsection 250A(1) of the Corporations Act.

 

49.2

For the purposes of clause 49.1, an appointment received at an electronic address will be taken to be signed by the Member if:

 

  (a)

a personal identification code allocated by the Company to the Member has been input into the appointment; or

 

  (b)

the appointment has been verified in another manner approved by the Directors.

 

49.3

The Company may send a proxy appointment form to Members in a form which has been approved by the Directors or by the chairperson and the Managing Director.

 

49.4

A proxy’s appointment is valid at an adjourned general meeting.

 

49.5

A proxy or attorney may be appointed for all meetings or for any number of general meetings or for a particular purpose.

 

49.6

Unless otherwise provided for in the proxy’s appointment or in any instrument appointing an attorney, the appointment of the proxy or the attorney will be taken to confer authority:

 

  (a)

to vote on:

 

  (i)

any amendment moved to the proposed resolutions and on any motion that the proposed resolutions not be put or any similar motion; and

 

  (ii)

any procedural motion, including any motion to elect the chairperson, to vacate the chair or to adjourn the general meeting,

even though the appointment may specify the way the proxy or attorney is to vote on a particular resolution; and

 

  (b)

to vote on any motion before the general meeting whether or not the motion is referred to in the appointment.

 

50.

Proxy in blank

If a proxy appointment is signed by the Member but does not name the proxy or proxies in whose favour it is given, the chairperson may either act as proxy or complete the proxy appointment by inserting the name or names of one or more Directors or the Secretary.

 

51.

Lodgment of proxy

 

51.1

Subject to clause 51.3, the appointment of a proxy or attorney must be received by the Company, at least 48 hours (unless reduced in the notice of meeting to which the appointment relates) before the general meeting (or the resumption of an adjourned general meeting) at which the appointee is to attend and vote.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 27


51.2

If the appointment purports to be executed under a power of attorney or other authority, the original document or a certified copy of it must be received by the Company at least 48 hours (unless reduced in the notice of meeting to which the appointment relates) before the general meeting (or the resumption of an adjourned general meeting).

 

51.3

The Company receives an appointment of a proxy or attorney or other authority under which it was signed when they are received at:

 

  (a)

the Company’s registered office;

 

  (b)

a facsimile number at the Company’s registered office; or

 

  (c)

a place, facsimile number or electronic address specified for that purpose in the notice of general meeting.

 

52.

Validity

A vote cast in accordance with an appointment of proxy or power of attorney is valid even if before the vote was cast the appointor:

 

  (a)

died;

 

  (b)

became mentally incapacitated;

 

  (c)

revoked the proxy or power; or

 

  (d)

transferred the Shares in respect of which the vote was cast,

unless the Company received written notification of the death, mental incapacity, revocation or transfer before the relevant general meeting or adjourned general meeting.

 

53.

Representatives of bodies corporate

 

53.1

Any Member that is a body corporate may appoint an individual as its representative as provided by the Corporations Act.

 

53.2

The appointment of a Representative may set out restrictions on the Representative’s powers.

 

53.3

The original form of appointment of a Representative, a certified copy of the appointment, or a certificate of the body corporate evidencing the appointment of a Representative is prima facie evidence of a Representative having been appointed.

 

53.4

The chairperson of a general meeting may permit a person claiming to be a Representative to exercise the body’s powers even if he or she has not produced a certificate or other satisfactory evidence of his or her appointment.

Appointment and removal of Directors

 

54.

Number of Directors

 

54.1

Subject to the Corporations Act, the Company may by resolution passed at a general meeting increase the minimum number of Directors or increase or reduce the maximum number of Directors.

 

54.2

Until the Company resolves otherwise in accordance with clause 54.1 there will be:

 

  (a)

a minimum of three Directors; and

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 28


  (b)

a maximum of 10 Directors.

 

54.3

Subject to any resolution of the Members determining the maximum and minimum numbers of Directors, the Directors may from time to time determine the respective numbers of Executive and Non-Executive Directors.

 

54.4

The Directors and Secretary in office on the date this Constitution becomes effective, continue in office subject to this Constitution.

 

55.

Qualification

 

55.1

Neither a Director nor an Alternate Director has to hold any Shares.

 

55.2

In addition to the circumstances which disqualify a person from managing a corporation according to the Corporations Act, no person who has been an insolvent under administration within the previous five years is eligible to become a Director.

 

55.3

A Director (and an Alternate Director when acting as a Director) is entitled to notice of all general meetings and meetings of the holders of any class of Shares.

 

56.

Power to remove and appoint

 

56.1

The Company may, subject to the Corporations Act, by resolution passed in general meeting:

 

  (a)

remove any Director before the end of the Director’s term of office; and

 

  (b)

if the outgoing Director is a Non-Executive Director, elect another person to replace the Director.

 

56.2

A person appointed under clause 56.1 will hold office for the remainder of the term for which the Director replaced would have held office if the Director had not been removed.

 

56.3

Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Company may appoint a person as a Director by resolution passed in general meeting.

 

56.4

A Director appointed or elected at a general meeting is taken to have been appointed or elected with effect from immediately after the end of that general meeting unless the resolution by which the Director was appointed or elected specifies a different time.

 

56.5

If the conduct or position of any Director is such that continuance in office appears to the majority of the Directors to be prejudicial to the interests of the Company, a majority of Directors at a meeting of the Directors specifically called for that purpose may suspend that Director.

 

56.6

A suspended Director may not take any part in the business or affairs of the Company until the suspension has been terminated.

 

56.7

Within 14 days of suspension of Director, the Directors must call a general meeting, at which the Members may consider a motion to remove the Director from office in accordance with clause 56.1(a).

 

56.8

If a motion to remove a suspended Director from office is not carried at the general meeting called to consider the matter, the suspension of the Director is terminated and the Director is reinstated in his or her office.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 29


57.

Additional and casual Directors

 

57.1

Subject to clause 54, only the Directors may appoint any person as a Director to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing Directors.

 

57.2

Unless the Director is an Executive Director and the ASX Listing Rules do not require that Director to be subject to retirement as set out in this clause, a Director appointed under clause 57.1 will hold office until the end of the next annual general meeting of the Company, at which the Director may be re-elected but he or she will not be taken into account in determining the number of Directors who must retire by rotation at the meeting in accordance with clause 58.1.

 

58.

Retirement by rotation

 

58.1

At the close of each annual general meeting one-third of the Directors or, if their number is not a multiple of three, then the number nearest to but not more than one-third of the Directors, must retire.

 

58.2

The Directors to retire by rotation at an annual general meeting are those Directors who have been longest in office since their last election.

 

58.3

Directors elected on the same day may agree among themselves or determine by lot which of them must retire.

 

58.4

Subject to clause 75.8, a Director must retire from office at the conclusion of the third annual general meeting after the Director was last elected, even if his or her retirement results in more than one-third of all Directors retiring from office.

 

58.5

A retiring Director remains in office until the end of the meeting and will be eligible for re-election at the meeting.

 

59.

Nomination of Director

 

59.1

A person, other than a Director retiring under clause 57.2 or under clause 58.1 who seeks re-election, is not eligible for election as a Director at a general meeting unless:

 

  (a)

the person is proposed as a candidate by at least 50 Members or Members holding between them at least 5% of the votes that may be cast at a general meeting of the Company; and

 

  (b)

the proposing Member leaves a notice at the Company’s registered office which nominates the candidate for the office of Director and includes the signed consent of the candidate.

 

59.2

A notice given in accordance with clause 59.1 must be left at the Company’s registered office not less than 35 Business Days before the relevant general meeting.

 

60.

Vacation of office

The office of a Director immediately becomes vacant if the Director:

 

  (a)

ceases to be a Director by virtue of the Corporations Act;

 

  (b)

is prohibited by the Corporations Act from holding office or continuing as a Director;

 

  (c)

is liable to pay a call but does not pay the call within 21days after the date on which it is payable;

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 30


  (d)

is prohibited from holding or is removed from the office of Director by an order made under the Corporations Act;

 

  (e)

becomes bankrupt or makes any general arrangement or composition with his or her creditors;

 

  (f)

cannot fully participate in the management of the Company because of his or her mental incapacity or is a person whose estate is liable to have a person appointed, under the law relating to the administration of estates of persons who through mental or physical infirmity are incapable of managing their affairs, to administer it, or becomes in the opinion of the Directors incapable of performing his or her duties;

 

  (g)

resigns from his or her office of Director by notice in writing to the Company;

 

  (h)

is removed by a resolution of the Company; or

 

  (i)

is resident in Australia and not being engaged abroad on the business of the Company, is absent from Directors’ meetings for three consecutive months without leave of absence from the Directors.

Remuneration of Directors

 

61.

Remuneration of Non-Executive Directors

 

61.1

Subject to the ASX Listing Rules, the Directors as a whole (other than Executive Directors) may be paid or provided remuneration for their services the total amount or value of which must not exceed an aggregate maximum of $500,000 per annum or such other maximum amount determined from time to time by the Company in general meeting.

 

61.2

The notice calling a general meeting at which it is proposed that Members approve an increase of the aggregate maximum sum must state the amount of the increase and the aggregate maximum sum, and any other matters required by the ASX Listing Rules.

 

61.3

Subject to the ASX Listing Rules, the aggregate maximum sum will be divided among the Non-Executive Directors in such proportion and manner as the Directors agree and, in default of agreement, equally and shall be deemed to accrue from day to day.

 

61.4

Non-Executive Directors may not be paid a commission on or a percentage of profits or operating revenue.

 

61.5

If a Non-Executive Director is required to perform services for the Company which in the opinion of the Directors, are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a Director, the Company may pay or provide the Director remuneration determined by the Directors which may be either in addition to or instead of the Director’s remuneration under clause 61.1. No remuneration may be paid or provided under this clause 61.5 if the effect would be to exceed the aggregate maximum sum of Directors’ remuneration determined by the Company in general meeting.

 

61.6

Non-Executive Directors may also be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in attending and returning from meetings of the Directors or any committee of the Directors or general meetings of the Company or otherwise in connection with the Company’s business.

 

61.7

The Company may also pay a premium for a contract insuring a person who is or has been a Non-Executive Director against liability incurred by the person as a Director, except in circumstances prohibited by the Corporations Act.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 31


61.8

Shares and/or Options may be provided to Non-Executive Directors as part of or in lieu of their remuneration under clauses 61.3 and 61.4 according to the rules of any share/option plan for the remuneration of Non-Executive Directors that may be introduced by the Company. For the purposes of clause 61.1, the value of any Shares or Options provided will be determined according to the rules of the share/option plan.

 

62.

Remuneration of Executive Directors

 

62.1

The remuneration of an Executive Director may from time to time be fixed by the Directors. The remuneration may be by way of salary or commission or participation in profits or by all or any of these modes but may not be by commission on, or a percentage of, operating revenue.

 

62.2

The Company may reimburse an Executive Director for his or her expenses properly incurred as a Director or in the course of his or her office.

 

62.3

Except in circumstances prohibited by the Corporations Act, the Company may pay a premium for a contract insuring a person who is or has been an Executive Director against liability incurred by the person as a Director.

 

63.

Retirement benefits

Subject to the Corporations Act, the Company may give a person a benefit in connection with a Director’s retirement from a Board or managerial office in the Company.

Powers and duties of Directors

 

64.

Directors to manage Company

 

64.1

The business of the Company is managed by or under the direction of the Directors who may exercise all powers of the Company that this Constitution, the Corporations Act or the ASX Listing Rules do not require to be exercised by the Company in general meeting.

 

64.2

Without limiting the generality of clause 64.1, the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to:

 

  (a)

borrow money;

 

  (b)

charge any property or business of the Company or all or any of its uncalled capital;

 

  (c)

issue debentures or give any other security for a debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any other person; and

 

  (d)

guarantee or to become liable for the payment of money or the performance of any obligation by or of any other person.

Proceedings of Directors

 

65.

Directors’ meetings

 

65.1

Any Director may call a meeting of the Directors.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 32


65.2

A Directors’ meeting must be called by not less than 48 hours notice of a meeting to each Director, unless the Directors unanimously agree otherwise. The notice may be in writing or given using any technology consented to by all the Directors.

 

65.3

An accidental omission to send a notice of a meeting of Directors to any Director or the non-receipt of such a notice by any Director does not invalidate the proceedings, or any resolution passed, at the meeting.

 

65.4

Subject to the Corporations Act, a Directors’ meeting may be held by the Directors communicating with each other by any technological means consented to by all the Directors. The consent may be a standing one.

 

65.5

The Directors need not all be physically present in the same place for a Directors’ meeting to be held.

 

65.6

A Director who participates in a meeting held in accordance with clause 65.4 is taken to be present and entitled to vote at the meeting.

 

65.7

A Director can only withdraw his or her consent under clause 65.4 to the means of communication between Directors proposed for a Directors’ meeting if the Director does so at least 48 hours before the meeting.

 

65.8

Clause 65.4 applies to meetings of Directors’ committees as if all committee members were Directors.

 

65.9

The Directors may meet together, adjourn and regulate their meetings as they think fit.

 

65.10

A quorum for meetings of Directors may be fixed by the Directors and unless so fixed, is three Directors present. The quorum must be present at all times during the meeting.

 

65.11

Where a quorum cannot be established for the consideration of a particular matter at a meeting of Directors, one or more of the Directors may call a general meeting of Members to deal with the matter.

 

66.

Decisions

 

66.1

Questions arising at a meeting of Directors are to be decided by a majority of votes of the Directors present and voting and, subject to the Corporations Act, each Director has one vote.

 

66.2

In the case of an equality of votes, the chairperson does not have a second or casting vote in addition to his or her deliberative vote.

 

66.3

An Alternate Director has one vote for each Director for whom he or she is an alternate. If an Alternate Director is a Director, he or she also has a vote as a Director.

 

67.

Directors’ interests

 

67.1

As required by the Corporations Act, a Director must give the Directors notice of any material personal interest in a matter that relates to the affairs of the Company.

 

67.2

Subject to the provisions of this clause 67, a Director or a body or entity in which a Director has a direct or indirect interest may:

 

  (a)

enter into any agreement or arrangement with the Company;

 

  (b)

hold any office or place of profit other than as auditor in the Company; and

 

  (c)

act in a professional capacity other than as auditor for the Company,

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 33


and the Director or the body or entity can receive and keep beneficially any remuneration, profits or benefits under any agreement or arrangement with the Company or from holding an office or place of profit in or acting in a professional capacity with the Company.

 

67.3

The fact that a Director holds office as a director, and has fiduciary obligations arising out of that office:

 

  (a)

will not void or render voidable a contract made by a Director with the Company;

 

  (b)

will not void or render voidable a contract or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the Company and in which the Director may have any interest; and

 

  (c)

will not require the Director to account to the Company for any profit realised by or under any contract or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the Company and in which the Director may have any interest.

 

67.4

A Director may be or become a director or other officer of, or otherwise be interested in:

 

  (a)

any related body corporate of the company; or

 

  (b)

any other body corporate promoted by the Company or in which the Company may be interested as a vendor, shareholder or otherwise,

and is not accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by the Director as a director or officer of, or from having an interest in, that body corporate.

 

67.5

A Director who has a material personal interest in a matter that is being considered at a Directors’ meeting must not:

 

  (a)

be present while the matter is being considered at the meeting; or

 

  (b)

vote on the matter,

unless permitted to do so by the Corporations Act, in which case the Director may:

 

  (c)

be counted in determining whether or not a quorum is present at any meeting of Directors considering that contract or arrangement or proposed contract or arrangement;

 

  (d)

sign or countersign any document relating to that contract or arrangement or proposed contract or arrangement; and

 

  (e)

vote in respect of, or in respect of any matter arising out of, the contract or arrangement or proposed contract or arrangement.

 

67.6

A Director must give to the Company such information about the Shares or other securities in the Company in which the Director has a relevant interest and at the times that the Secretary requires, to enable the Company to comply with any disclosure obligations it has under the Corporations Act or the ASX Listing Rules.

 

68.

Alternate Directors

 

68.1

A Director may, with the approval of the Directors, appoint any person as his or her alternate.

 

68.2

An Alternate Director is entitled to notice of Directors’ meetings while he or she is acting in that capacity and, if the appointor is not present at a meeting, is entitled to attend, be counted in a quorum and vote as a Director.

 

68.3

An Alternate Director is an officer of the Company and is not an agent of the appointor.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 34


68.4

The provisions of this Constitution which apply to Directors also apply to Alternate Directors, except that Alternate Directors are not entitled in that capacity to any remuneration from the Company.

 

68.5

The appointment of an Alternate Director may be revoked at any time by the appointor or by the other Directors.

 

68.6

An Alternate Director’s appointment ends automatically when his or her appointor ceases to be a Director.

 

68.7

Any appointment or revocation under this clause must be effected by written notice delivered to the Secretary.

 

68.8

An Alternate Director does not have an interest in a contract or arrangement or a material personal interest in a matter by reason only of the fact that his or her appointor has such an interest.

 

69.

Remaining Directors

 

69.1

The Directors may act even if there are vacancies on the board.

 

69.2

If the number of Directors is not sufficient to constitute a quorum at a Directors’ meeting, the Director or Directors may act only to:

 

  (a)

appoint a Director or Directors; or

 

  (b)

call a general meeting.

 

70.

Chairperson

 

70.1

The Directors may elect a Director as chairperson of Directors’ meetings and may determine the period for which the chairperson will hold office.

 

70.2

If no chairperson is elected or if the chairperson is not present at any Directors’ meeting within 10 minutes after the time appointed for the meeting to begin, the Directors present must elect a Director to be chairperson of the meeting.

 

70.3

The Directors may elect a Director as deputy chairperson to act as chairperson in the chairperson’s absence.

 

71.

Delegation

 

71.1

The Directors may delegate any of their powers, other than those which by law must be dealt with by the Directors as a board, to a committee or committees.

 

71.2

The Directors may at any time revoke any delegation of power under clause 71.1.

 

71.3

At least one member of each committee of Directors must be a Director.

 

71.4

A committee may be authorised by the Directors to sub-delegate all or any of the powers for the time being vested in it.

 

71.5

Meetings of any committee of Directors will be governed by the provisions of this Constitution which deal with Directors’ meetings so far as they are applicable and are not inconsistent with any directions of the Directors, except that a quorum for committee meetings is two committee members. The provisions apply as if each member was a Director.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 35


72.

Written resolutions

 

72.1

If all the Directors who are eligible to vote on a resolution have signed a document containing a statement that they are in favour of a resolution set out in the document, then a resolution in those terms is taken to have been passed by the Directors without a meeting. The resolution is passed when the last Director signs.

 

72.2

For the purposes of clause 72.1, separate copies of a document may be used for signing by the Directors if the wording of the resolution and statement is identical in each copy.

 

72.3

Any document referred to in this clause may be in the form of a facsimile transmission or electronic notification.

 

72.4

If a resolution is taken to have been passed in accordance with this clause 72, the minutes must record that fact.

 

72.5

This clause 72 applies to meetings of Directors’ committees as if all members of the committee were Directors.

 

72.6

Any document referred to in this clause 72 must be sent to every Director who is entitled to vote on the resolution.

 

73.

Validity of acts of Directors

 

73.1

An act done by a Director is effective even if their appointment, or the continuance of their appointment, is invalid because the Company or Director did not comply with this Constitution or any provision of the Corporations Act.

 

73.2

Clause 73.1 does not deal with the question whether an effective act by a director:

 

  (a)

binds the company in its dealings with other people; or

 

  (b)

makes the company liable to another person.

 

74.

Minutes

 

74.1

The Directors must cause minutes to be made of:

 

  (a)

the names of the Directors present at all Directors’ meetings and meetings of Directors’ committees;

 

  (b)

all proceedings and resolutions of general meetings, Directors’ meetings and meetings of Directors’ committees;

 

  (c)

all resolutions passed in accordance with clause 72;

 

  (d)

appointments of officers, but only if the Directors resolve that a minute of the appointment should be made; and

 

  (e)

all disclosures of interests made in accordance with the Corporations Act.

 

74.2

Minutes must be signed by the chairperson of the meeting or by the chairperson of the next meeting, and if so signed will be conclusive evidence of the matters stated in such minutes.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 36


Executive Directors

 

75.

Appointment

 

75.1

The Directors may appoint a Director to the office of Managing Director on such terms as they think fit.

 

75.2

The Directors may appoint a Director to any other full-time or substantially full-time executive position in the Company on such terms as they think fit.

 

75.3

A Director appointed under clauses 75.1 or 75.2, and a Director (however appointed) occupying for the time being a full-time or substantially full-time executive position in the Company or a related body corporate of the Company, is referred to in this Constitution as an Executive Director.

 

75.4

The Directors may, subject to the terms of the Executive Director’s employment contract, suspend, remove or dismiss him or her from executive office and appoint another Director in that place.

 

75.5

If an Executive Director ceases to be a Director, his or her appointment as an Executive Director terminates automatically.

 

75.6

If an Executive Director ceases to hold an executive office in the Company, then, unless the Directors resolve otherwise, he or she also ceases to be a Director from the same date.

 

75.7

If an Executive Director is suspended from executive office of the Company or of a related body corporate of the Company, his or her duties and obligations as Director are suspended for the same period.

 

75.8

A Managing Director is not subject to retirement by rotation and is not to be taken into account in determining the rotation of retirement of Directors. Any other Executive Directors are subject to retirement by rotation.

 

76.

Powers of Executive Directors

 

76.1

The Directors may confer on an Executive Director any powers exercisable by the Directors, subject to any terms and restrictions determined by the Directors.

 

76.2

The Directors may authorise an Executive Director to sub-delegate all or any of the powers vested in him or her.

 

76.3

Any power conferred under this clause may be concurrent with but not to the exclusion of the Directors’ powers.

 

76.4

The Directors may at any time withdraw or vary any of the powers conferred on an Executive Director.

Local management

 

77.

General

 

77.1

The Directors may provide for the management and transaction of the affairs of the Company in any place and in such manner as they think fit.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 37


77.2

Without limiting clause 77.1, the Directors may:

 

  (a)

establish local boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company in a specified place and appoint any persons to be members of those local boards or agencies; and

 

  (b)

delegate to any person appointed under clause 77.2(a) any of the powers, authorities and discretions which may be exercised by the Directors under this Constitution,

on any terms and subject to any conditions determined by the Directors.

 

77.3

The Directors may at any time revoke or vary any delegation under this clause 77.

 

78.

Appointment of attorneys and agents

 

78.1

The Directors may from time to time by resolution or power of attorney appoint any person to be the attorney or agent of the Company:

 

  (a)

for the purposes;

 

  (b)

with the powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those exercisable by the Directors under this Constitution);

 

  (c)

for the period; and

 

  (d)

subject to the conditions,

determined by the Directors.

 

78.2

An appointment by the Directors of an attorney or agent of the Company may be made in favour of:

 

  (a)

any member of any local board established under this Constitution;

 

  (b)

any company;

 

  (c)

the members, directors, nominees or managers of any company or firm; or

 

  (d)

any fluctuating body of persons whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors.

 

78.3

A power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with an attorney as the Directors think fit.

 

78.4

An attorney or agent appointed under this clause 78 may be authorised by the Directors to sub-delegate all or any of the powers authorities and discretions for the time being vested in it.

Secretary

 

79.

Secretary

 

79.1

There must be at least one Secretary of the Company appointed by the Directors on conditions determined by them.

 

79.2

The Secretary is entitled to attend all Directors’ and general meetings.

 

79.3

The Directors may, subject to the terms of the Secretary’s employment contract, suspend, remove or dismiss the Secretary.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 38


Seals

 

80.

Common Seal

If the Company has a Seal:

 

  (a)

the Directors must provide for the safe custody of the Seal;

 

  (b)

it must not be used except with the authority of the Directors or a Directors’ committee authorised to permit use of the Seal;

 

  (c)

every document to which the Seal is affixed must be signed by a Director and be countersigned by another Director, the Secretary or another person appointed by the Directors to countersign the document; and

 

  (d)

the Directors may determine by resolution either generally or in any particular case that the signature of any Director or the Secretary to a document to which the Seal or a duplicate seal or certificate seal is affixed may be a facsimile applied to the document by specified mechanical means.

 

81.

Duplicate Seal

If the Company has a Seal, the Company may have one or more duplicate seals of the Seal each of which:

 

  (a)

must be a facsimile of the Seal with the addition on its face of the words Duplicate Seal; and

 

  (b)

must only be used with the authority of the Directors or a Directors’ committee.

 

82.

Share Seal

If the Company has a Seal, the Company may have a certificate seal which:

 

  (a)

may be affixed to Share, option or other certificates;

 

  (b)

must be a facsimile of the Seal with the addition on its face of the words Share Seal; and

 

  (c)

must only be used with the general or specific authority of the Directors or a Directors’ committee.

Inspection of records

 

83.

Times for inspection

 

83.1

Except as otherwise required by the Corporations Act, the Directors may determine whether and to what extent, and at what times and places and under what conditions, the financial records and other documents of the Company or any of them will be open for inspection by Members other than Directors.

 

83.2

A Member other than a Director does not have the right to inspect any financial records or other documents of the Company unless the Member is authorised to do so by a court order or a resolution of the Directors.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 39


83.3

Notwithstanding clauses 83.1 and 83.2, the books of the Company containing the minutes of general meetings will be kept at the Company’s registered office and will be open to inspection of Members at all times when the office is required to be open to the public.

Dividends and reserves

 

84.

Dividends

The Directors may by resolution either:

 

  (a)

declare a dividend and may fix the amount, the time for and method of payment; or

 

  (b)

determine a dividend is payable and fix the amount and the time for and method of payment.

 

85.

Amend resolution to pay dividend

If the Directors determine that a dividend is payable under clause 84(b), they may, if permitted by the ASX Listing Rules, amend or revoke the resolution to pay the dividend before the record date notified to ASX for determining entitlements to that dividend.

 

86.

No interest

Interest is not payable by the Company on a dividend.

 

87.

Reserves

 

87.1

The Directors may set aside out of profits such amounts by way of reserves as they think appropriate before declaring a dividend or determining to pay a dividend.

 

87.2

The Directors may apply the reserves for any purpose for which profits may be properly applied.

 

87.3

Pending any application of the reserves, the Directors may invest or use the reserves in the business of the Company or in other investments as they think fit.

 

87.4

The Directors may carry forward any undistributed profits without transferring them to a reserve.

 

88.

Dividend entitlement

 

88.1

Subject to the rights of persons (if any) entitled to Shares with special rights as to dividends:

 

  (a)

all fully paid Shares on which any dividend is declared or paid, are entitled to participate in that dividend equally; and

 

  (b)

each partly paid Shares is entitled to a fraction of the dividend declared or paid on a fully paid Share of the same class, equivalent to the proportion which the amount paid (not credited) on the Share bears to the total amounts paid and payable, whether or not called, (excluding amounts credited) on the Share.

 

88.2

An amount paid on a Share in advance of a call is not to be taken as paid for the purposes of clause 88.1.

 

88.3

Unless otherwise determined by the Directors, Shares rank for dividends from their date of allotment.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 40


88.4

Subject to the Corporations Act and the CS Facility Rules, a transfer of Shares registered after the record date notified to ASX for determining entitlements to a dividend paid or payable in respect of the transferred Shares, does not pass the right to that dividend.

 

89.

Restricted securities

During a breach of the ASX Listing Rules relating to Shares which are Restricted Securities, or a breach of a restriction agreement, the holder of the relevant Restricted Securities is not entitled to any dividend in respect of those Restricted Securities.

 

90.

Deductions from dividends

The Directors may deduct from a dividend payable to a Member all sums presently payable by the Member to the Company on account of calls or otherwise in relation to Shares in the Company.

 

91.

Distribution of assets

 

91.1

The Directors may resolve that a dividend (interim or final) will be paid wholly or partly by the transfer or distribution of specific assets, including fully paid shares in, or debentures of, any other corporation.

 

91.2

If a difficulty arises in making a transfer or distribution of specific assets, the Directors may:

 

  (a)

deal with the difficulty as they consider expedient;

 

  (b)

fix the value of all or any part of the specific assets for the purposes of the distribution;

 

  (c)

determine that cash will be paid to any Members on the basis of the fixed value in order to adjust the rights of all the Members; and

 

  (d)

vest any such specific assets in trustees as the Directors consider expedient.

 

91.3

If a transfer or distribution of specific assets to a particular Member or Members is illegal or, in the Directors’ opinion, impracticable, the Directors may make a cash payment to the Member or Members on the basis of the cash amount of the dividend instead of the transfer or distribution of specific assets.

 

92.

Payment

 

92.1

Any dividend or other money payable in respect of Shares may be paid:

 

  (a)

by cheque sent through the mail directed to:

 

  (i)

by the address of the Member shown in the Register or to the address of the joint holder of Shares shown first in the Register; or

 

  (ii)

by an address which the Member has, or joint holders have, in writing notified the Company as the address to which dividends should be sent;

 

  (b)

by electronic funds transfer to an account with a bank or other financial institution nominated by the Member and acceptable to the Company; or

 

  (c)

by any other means determined by the Directors.

 

92.2

Any joint holder may give an effectual receipt for any dividend or other money paid in respect of Shares held by holders jointly.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 41


93.

Election to reinvest dividend

The Directors may:

 

  (a)

establish a plan under which Members or any class of Members may elect to reinvest cash dividends paid by the Company by subscribing for Shares;

 

  (b)

vary, suspend or terminate the arrangements established under clause 93(a).

 

94.

Election to accept Shares in lieu of dividend

 

94.1

The Directors may resolve, in respect of any dividend which it is proposed to pay on any Shares, that holders of those Shares may elect to:

 

  (a)

forego their right to share in the proposed dividend or part of the proposed dividend; and

 

  (b)

instead receive an issue of Shares credited as fully paid.

 

94.2

If the Directors resolve to allow the election provided for in clause 94.1, each holder of Shares conferring a right to share in the proposed dividend may, by notice in writing to the Company given in such form and within such period as the Directors may decide, elect to:

 

  (a)

forego the dividend which otherwise would have been paid to the holder on such of the holder’s Shares conferring a right to share in the proposed dividend as the holder specifies in the notice of election; and

 

  (b)

receive instead Shares to be issued to the holder credited as fully paid, on and subject to such terms and conditions as the Directors may determine.

 

94.3

Following the receipt of duly completed notices of election under clause 94.1(b), the Directors must:

 

  (a)

appropriate from the Company’s profits or any reserve available for distribution to Members an amount equal to the aggregate issue price (if any) of the Shares to be issued credited as fully paid to those holders of Shares who have given such notices of election; and

 

  (b)

apply the amount (if any) in paying up in full the number of Shares required to be so issued.

 

94.4

The Directors may rescind, vary or suspend a resolution of the Directors made under clause 94.1 and the arrangements implemented under the resolution.

 

94.5

The powers given to the Directors by this clause 94 are additional to the provisions for capitalisation of profits provided for by this Constitution. If the Directors exercise their power to capitalise profits under clause 96 then any Member who has elected to participate in arrangements established under this clause 94 is deemed, for the purpose of determining the Member’s entitlement to share in the capitalised sum, not to have so elected.

 

95.

Unclaimed dividends

All dividends unclaimed for one year after the time for payment has passed may be invested by the Directors as they think fit for the benefit of the Company until claimed or until required to be dealt with in accordance with any law relating to unclaimed money.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 42


96.

Capitalisation of profits

 

96.1

The Directors may resolve:

 

  (a)

to capitalise any sum being the Company’s profits or any reserve available for distribution to Members; and

 

  (b)

that:

 

  (i)

no Shares be issued and no amounts unpaid on Shares be paid up on capitalisation of the sum; or

 

  (ii)

the sum be applied in any of the ways mentioned in clause 96.2 for the benefit of Members in the proportions in which the members would have been entitled if the sum had been distributed by way of Dividend.

 

96.2

The ways in which a sum may be applied for the benefit of Members under clause 96.1(b)(ii) are:

 

  (a)

in paying up any amounts unpaid on Shares held or to be held by Members;

 

  (b)

in paying up in full unissued Shares or debentures to be issued to Members as fully paid; or

 

  (c)

partly as mentioned in clause 96.2(a) and partly as mentioned in clause 96.2(b).

 

96.3

To the extent necessary to adjust the rights of the Members among themselves, the Directors may:

 

  (a)

make cash payments in cases where Shares or debentures become issuable in fractions; and

 

  (b)

authorise any person to make, on behalf of all the Members entitled to a benefit on the capitalisation, an agreement with the Company providing for:

 

  (i)

the issue to them, credited as fully paid up, of any such further Shares or debentures; or

 

  (ii)

the payment by the Company on their behalf of the amount or any part of the amount remaining unpaid on their existing Shares by the application of their respective proportions of the sum resolved to be capitalised,

and any agreement made under the authority of clause 96.3(b) is effective and binding on all the Members concerned.

Notices

 

97.

Service of notices

 

97.1

Notice may be given by the Company to any person who is entitled to notice under this Constitution by:

 

  (a)

serving it on the person;

 

  (b)

sending it by post, courier, facsimile transmission or electronic notification to the person at the person’s address shown in the Register or the address supplied by the person to the Company for sending notices to the person; or

 

  (c)

(except in the case of a notice of meeting of Members which is required to be given individually to each Member entitled to vote at the meeting and to each Director), advertising in one or more newspapers published in the city of Melbourne as determined by the Directors.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 43


97.2

A notice sent by post or courier is taken to be served:

 

  (a)

by properly addressing, prepaying and posting or directing the delivery of the notice; and

 

  (b)

on the day after the day on which it was posted or given to the courier for delivery.

 

97.3

A notice sent by facsimile transmission or electronic notification is taken to be served:

 

  (a)

by properly addressing the facsimile transmission or electronic notification and transmitting it; and

 

  (b)

on the day of its transmission except if transmitted after 5.00pm in which case is taken to be served on the next day.

 

97.4

A notice given by advertisement is taken to be served on the date on which the advertisement first appears in a newspaper.

 

97.5

A notice may be served by the Company on joint holders under clause 97.1(a) or 97.1(b) by giving the notice to the joint holder whose name appears first in the Register.

 

97.6

Every person who is entitled to a Share by operation of law and who is not registered as the holder of the Share is taken to receive any notice served in accordance with this clause by advertisement or on that person from whom the first person derives title.

 

97.7

A Share certificate, cheque, warrant or other document may be delivered by the Company either personally or by sending it:

(a) in the case of a Member whose address recorded in the Register is not in Australia, by airmail post, facsimile transmission, electronic notification or in another way that ensures that it will be received quickly, as appropriate; and

 

  (b)

in any other case by ordinary post,

and is at the risk of the addressee as soon as it is given or posted.

A Member whose address recorded in the Register is not in Australia may specify in writing an address in Australia for the purposes of clause 97.

 

97.8

A certificate in writing signed by a Director, Secretary or other officer of the Company, or by any person that the Company has engaged to maintain the Register, that a document or its envelope or wrapper was addressed and stamped and was posted or given to a courier is conclusive evidence of posting or delivery by courier.

 

97.9

Subject to the Corporations Act the signature to a written notice given by the Company may be written or printed.

 

97.10

All notices sent by post outside Australia must be sent by prepaid airmail post.

 

97.11

A notice sent by post, courier, facsimile transmission or electronic notification to a Member’s address shown in the Register or the address supplied by the Member to the Company for the purpose of sending notices to the Member is deemed to have been served notwithstanding that the Member has died, whether or not the Company has notice of his or her death.

 

98.

Persons entitled to notice

 

98.1

Notice of every general meeting must be given to:

 

  (a)

every Member;

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 44


  (b)

every Director and Alternate Director;

 

  (c)

ASX; and

 

  (d)

the Auditor.

 

98.2

No other person is entitled to receive notice of a general meeting.

Audit and financial records

 

99.

Company to keep financial records

 

99.1

The Directors must cause the Company to keep written financial records and to prepare financial documents and reports in accordance with the requirements of the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules.

 

99.2

The Directors must cause the financial records and financial documents of the Company to be audited in accordance with the requirements of the Corporations Act and the ASX Listing Rules.

Winding up

 

100.

Winding up

 

100.1

Nothing in this clause prejudices the rights of the holders of Shares issued on special terms and conditions.

 

100.2

If the Company is wound up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution of the Company:

 

  (a)

divide among the Members in kind all or any of the Company’s assets; and

 

  (b)

for that purpose, determine how he or she will carry out the division between the different classes of Members,

but may not require a Member to accept any Shares or other securities in respect of which there is any liability.

 

100.3

The liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution of the Company, vest all or any of the Company’s assets in a trustee on trusts determined by the liquidator for the benefit of the contributories.

Indemnity

 

101.

Indemnity

 

101.1

To the extent:

 

  (a)

permitted by law and subject to the restrictions in section 199A of the Corporations Act; and

 

  (b)

that the officer is not otherwise indemnified by thee Company pursuant to an indemnity contemplated under clause 101.6,

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 45


the Company indemnifies every person who is or has been an officer of the Company against any Liability (other than for legal costs) incurred by that person as an officer of the Company or on behalf of or bona fide in the interests of the Company (including Liabilities incurred by the officer as an officer of a subsidiary of the Company where the Company requested the officer to accept that appointment).

 

101.2

To the extent:

 

  (a)

permitted by law and subject to the restrictions in section 199A of the Corporations Act; and

 

  (b)

that the officer is not otherwise indemnified by the Company pursuant to an indemnity contemplated under clause 101.6,

the Company indemnifies every person who is or has been an officer of the Company against reasonable legal costs incurred in respect of any Claim or Liability incurred or allegedly incurred by that person as an officer of the Company or on behalf of or bona fide in the interests of the Company (including such legal costs incurred by the officer as an officer of a subsidiary of the Company where the Company requested the officer to accept that appointment).

 

101.3

The amount of any indemnity payable under clauses 101.1 or 101.2 will include an additional amount (GST Amount) equal to any GST payable by the officer being indemnified (Indemnified Officer) in connection with the indemnity (less the amount of any input tax credit claimable by the Indemnified Officer in connection with the indemnity). Payment of any indemnity which includes a GST Amount is conditional upon the Indemnified Officer providing the Company with a GST tax invoice for the GST Amount.

 

101.4

The Directors may agree to advance to an officer an amount which it might otherwise be liable to pay to the officer under this clause 101 on such terms as the Directors’ think fit but which are consistent with this clause, pending the outcome of any findings of a relevant court or tribunal which would have a bearing on whether the Company is in fact liable to indemnify the officer under this clause 101. If after the Company makes the advance, the Directors form the view that the Company is not liable to indemnify the officer, the Company may recover any advance from the officer as a debt due by the officer to the Company.

 

101.5

For the purposes of this clause 101, officer has the same meaning as in section 9 of the Corporations Act.

 

101.6

Nothing in this clause 101 precludes the Company from executing an indemnity in any form in favour of an officer of the Company or effecting insurance on behalf of or in respect of an officer of the Company against any Claim or Liability incurred or allegedly incurred by the officer and referred to in clauses 101.1 or 101.2 of this Constitution.

 

102.

Shareholder disclosure

If a Member has entered into any arrangement restricting the transfer or other disposal of Shares and those arrangements are of the nature of arrangements which the Company is required to disclose under the ASX Listing Rules, then the Member must provide to the Company such information that the Company requires and within the time that the Company requires, to comply with the Company’s disclosure obligations.

 

 

Minter Ellison | Ref: JDH 30-5499810

ME_72010793_1 (W2003)

  

 

Constitution | page 46

EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

 

Contact    Craig Semple    LOGO
   T +61 3 8656 3349
   csemple@gtlaw.com.au
Our ref    CXS:1041902
      101 Collins Street
      Melbourne VIC 3000
     

T: +61 3 8656 3300 F: +61 3 8656 3400

www.gtlaw.com.au

                     2020

The Directors

Opthea Limited

Level 4, 650 Chapel Street

South Yarra VIC 3141

Dear Directors

Opthea Limited – Registration Statement on Form F-1

We have acted as Australian legal counsel to Opthea Limited (Company), a company incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia, in connection with its filing of a registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration Statement) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission).

The Registration Statement relates to the public offering by the Company, as set out in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement (Prospectus) of up to              American Depositary Shares (ADS) to be issued and sold by the Company. Each of the ADS represent              fully paid ordinary shares in the Company (Shares).

The Registration Statement, including the Prospectus, is referred to in this letter collectively (and unless the context requires otherwise) as the Documents.

 

1

Documents examined and searches conducted and relied on by us

For the purposes of this opinion, we have examined and relied on copies of the following documents:

 

(a)

the Registration Statement;

 

(b)

a draft of the Prospectus;

 

(c)

the Company’s Constitution;

 

(d)

draft minutes of meeting and resolutions of the Board of Directors dated                      and

 

(e)

a search obtained from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as at                     .

 

LOGO


LOGO

 

2

Assumptions in providing this letter

For the purposes of this opinion, we have assumed:

 

(a)

the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents, instruments and certificates submitted to us as originals and the exact conformity with the authentic originals of all documents, instruments and certificates submitted to us as copies or forms or originals;

 

(b)

all relevant original documents continue in full force and effect and all signatures, seals, dates, duty stamps and markings appearing on all documents and copy documents submitted to us are genuine;

 

(c)

that each party to each document has all the requisite power and authority (corporate and otherwise) to execute and deliver and perform its obligations there under;

 

(d)

all matters of internal management required by the constitution of each of the parties to the relevant documents (other than the Company) have been duly attended to (including, without limitation, the holding of properly constituted meetings of the boards of directors of each of those parties and the passing at those meetings of appropriate resolutions);

 

(e)

any documents which purport to be governed by the law of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia are legal, valid and binding obligations of all parties to those documents and none of the execution, delivery or performance of any document by any party to the document violates or contravenes or is rendered invalid, not binding or unenforceable under any applicable law under any jurisdiction other than the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia;

 

(f)

the Company will not engage in fraudulent or unconscionable conduct or conduct which is misleading or deceptive or which is likely to mislead or deceive in relation to the issuance or sale of Shares or ADS;

 

(g)

there is no bad faith, fraud, undue influence, coercion or duress or similar conduct on the part of the Company in relation to the issuance or sale of Shares or ADS under the Registration Statement;

 

(h)

all information provided to us by or on behalf of officers of the Company was true, correct and complete when provided and remains so at the date of this letter, containing all information required, without us making any separate enquiry or investigation other than viewing the ASIC search, in order for us to provide this opinion;

 

(i)

no party has contravened or will contravene any provision of the Australian Corporations Act 2001 (including Chapters 2E, 2J, 6 or generally sections 1041H or 1043A) (Corporations Act) by the issue of the Registration Statement or giving effect to any transaction in connection with a Registration Statement or undertaking or being involved in a transaction related to or connected with the Registration Statement or generally in any subsequent dealing in the Shares or ADS issued under the Registration Statement;

 

(j)

the Company will at all times duly comply with all its obligations under the Corporations Act, the ASX Listing Rules and otherwise required by law;

 

(k)

the Company is and will be able to pay its debts as and when they fall due and is otherwise solvent as at the time the Shares or ADS are issued or sold; and

 

page | 2


LOGO

 

(l)

all public records and searches which we have examined are accurate and the information disclosed by the searches conducted by us is true and complete and such information has not since been altered and the searches did not fail to disclose any information which had been delivered for registration, lodgement or filing against the Company’s records but which did not appear on the public records at the date of our search.

 

3

Opinion

Based on and subject to the above, in our opinion:

 

(a)

the Company is duly incorporated and validly existing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia in good standing (as such term is not defined under the Corporations Act, meaning solely that there are no current orders for the winding up of, or appointment of a receiver or liquidator for the Company or any notice of its proposed deregistration);

 

(b)

the issue of the Shares has been duly authorized; and

 

(c)

on issue of the Shares against payment for the Shares offered under the Documents, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and ‘non-assessable’ (for the purposes of this opinion, the term ‘non-assessable’ when used to describe the liability of a person as the registered holder of shares is not a concept known under the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia, so we have assumed those words to mean that holders of such Shares, having fully paid all amounts due on the issue of such Shares, are under no personal liability under the Corporations Act to contribute to the assets and liabilities of the Company on a winding up of the Company or subject to any call for payment of further capital in their capacity solely as holders of such Shares).

 

4

Limitations

This opinion is subject to:

 

(a)

the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto (including all necessary post-effective amendments), becoming effective under the Securities Act (and on the assumption that it will remain effective at the time of issuance of any ADS thereunder); and

 

(b)

the agreed upon consideration being received for the issue of the ADS.

 

5

Applicability

The opinion expressed above, which is governed by and to be interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia, is given only with respect to the laws of that State and of the Commonwealth of Australia that are in effect on the date of this opinion. We have not investigated and do not express any view about, any law other than that of Australia.

This opinion is limited to the matters stated in this letter, and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated.

This opinion is deemed to be given as of the date hereof and will speak as at such date. We do not undertake any obligation to advise you of any changes (including but not limited to any subsequently enacted, published or reported laws, regulations or binding authority) that may occur or come to our attention after the date of this letter which may affect our opinion.

 

page | 3


LOGO

 

6

Consent

We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption ‘Legal Matters’ in the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated under that Act.

Yours faithfully

Gilbert + Tobin

Craig Semple

Partner

+61 3 8656 3349

csemple@gtlaw.com.au

 

page | 4

EX-10.1

Exhibit 10.1

Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

 

LOGO

AND

OPTHEA

Commercial License Agreement

Date: October 28, 2013

 

Selexis 2013


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

This Commercial License Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made effective on October 28, 2013 (the “Effective Date”)

by and between

Selexis SA, a company incorporated under the laws of Switzerland, with its registered office at [***], Geneva, Switzerland (“SELEXIS”)

and

OPTHEA PTY LTD, a company incorporated under the laws of Australia, with its registered office at Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria 3141, Australia (“COMPANY”)

(SELEXIS and COMPANY, collectively the “PARTIES” and, individually, a “PARTY”)

Preamble

 

A.

WHEREAS, COMPANY is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and sale of biopharmaceutical products;

 

B.

WHEREAS, SELEXIS is a biotechnology company engaged in the development and sale of recombinant cell lines based on the SELEXIS Technology;

 

C.

WHEREAS, SELEXIS is the owner of certain Confidential Information, the SELEXIS Know-How and the SELEXIS Patent Rights;

 

D.

WHEREAS, pursuant to a services agreement between the PARTIES dated November 26, 2012 (the “Services Agreement”) SELEXIS has developed certain recombinant cell line(s) for COMPANY using the SELEXIS Technology and COMPANY has evaluated such cell Line(s); and

 

E.

WHEREAS, SELEXIS is willing to grant COMPANY, and COMPANY is willing to receive from SELEXIS, a license to the SELEXIS Know-How and the SELEXIS Patent Rights with respect to the recombinant cell lines, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, the PARTIES agree as follows:

 

Date: October 28, 2013   2 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

1.

Definitions

In addition to the terms defined above, the following terms, whether used in the singular or plural, shall have the following meanings as used in this Agreement, unless otherwise specifically indicated:

 

1.1.

Affiliate” shall mean any Person that, as of the Effective Date, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the relevant Person. For the purposes of this definition only, “control” shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities of such Person, by contract or otherwise. A Person shall only be considered an Affiliate for so long as such Control exists.

 

1.2.

BLA” shall mean a Biologic License Application for the Final Product filed with the FDA or any comparable filing made with a Regulatory Authority in another country.

 

1.3.

Calendar Quarter” shall mean, for each Calendar Year, each of the three month periods ending March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 respectively.

 

1.4.

Calendar Year” shall mean the period commencing on January 1 and ending twelve (12) consecutive calendar months later on December 31.

 

1.5.

Cell Line” shall mean a mammalian cell line that is developed using the SELEXIS Technology. Cell Line shall include, without limitation, any COMPANY Cell Line(s).

 

1.6.

Clinical Trials” shall mean human studies designed to measure the safety and/or efficacy of the Product. Clinical Studies include Phase I Clinical Trials, Phase II Clinical Trials, and Phase III Clinical Trials.

 

1.7.

Collaboration Partner” shall mean a Third Party with which COMPANY collaborates on the development of the production process and/or commercialization of a Licensed Product or Final Product or to which COMPANY has granted a license for the development of the production process and/or commercialization of a Product.

 

1.8.

Combination Product Adjustment” shall mean the adjustment of: Net Sales for any combination product done by multiplying actual Net Sales of such combination product by the fraction A/(A + B) where [***], if sold separately, and [***], if sold separately. If, on a country-by-country basis, the other active ingredient, device or component in the combination is not sold separately, Net Sales shall be calculated by multiplying actual Net Sales of the combination product in such country by the fraction A/C where [***], if sold separately, in such country and [***].

 

1.9.

Commercial License” shall have the meaning set out in Article 2.1.

 

1.10.

Commercial License Option” shall mean the option granted to Company in the Services Agreement to obtain a non-exclusive commercial license.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   3 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

1.11.

COMPANY Technology” shall mean any Technology owned or controlled by COMPANY, including, without limitation, any such Technology related to Licensed or Final Product, but excluding any SELEXIS Technology related thereto.

 

1.12.

COMPANY Cell Line” shall mean the mammalian cell line developed by SELEXIS and provided to COMPANY pursuant to the Services Agreement and any progeny or derivatives thereof. A Cell Line which has been [***] shall be described as such in this Agreement.

 

1.13.

Confidential Information” shall mean any technical and business information pertaining to materials and production techniques, products, processes and services, including without limitation physical working models and samples of the products, research, development, patentable and unpatentable inventions, manufacturing, purchasing and product development plans, forecasts, strategies and information, engineering, marketing, merchandising, selling, customer lists, customer prospects, software codes, algorithms, names and expertise of employees and consultants, blueprints, technical information, trade secrets or know-how or other related proprietary business information and data, in any case whether such information is provided in tangible or intangible form, written, oral, graphic, pictorial or recorded form or stored on computer discs, hard drives, magnetic tape or digital or any other electronic medium. Confidential Information disclosed in any tangible format will be labeled “Confidential” or words to similar effect, and all non-tangible disclosures will be declared to be “Confidential” or words to similar effect at the time of disclosure. Confidential Information shall include any and all material and data created by the receiving party based on, containing or otherwise reflecting Confidential Information. Confidential Information shall also include any such information or documents which may be disclosed hereunder which the disclosing party received in confidence from a Third Party.

 

1.14.

Contract Manufacturing Organization” shall mean an entity of which at least fifty percent (50%) of the business is directed toward the provision of services or products for non-affiliate third parties.

 

1.15.

Contractor” shall mean a Third Party contractor who: (i) develops the production process for Licensed Products or Final Products by or on behalf of COMPANY or (ii) manufactures and supplies Licensed Products or Final Products by using such production process by or on behalf of Company.

 

1.16.

Default” shall have the meaning set out in Article 9.2.

 

1.17.

Defaulting Party” shall have the meaning set out in Article 9.2.

 

1.18.

Deliverables shall mean the reports and other data delivered to COMPANY pursuant to the Services Agreement, excluding the COMPANY Cell Line.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   4 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

1.19.

FDA” shall mean the United States Food and Drug Administration, or any successor agency.

 

1.20.

Final Product” shall mean any pharmaceutical preparation in final form containing any Licensed Products for sale by prescription, over-the-counter or any other method, in any dosage form, formulation, presentation, line extension or package configurations, including without limitation such Product in development where the context so requires in this Agreement.

 

1.21.

First Commercial Sale” shall mean, with respect to any Final Product in any country, the first sale of such Final Product for use or consumption by the general public in such country after Regulatory Approval as well as Pricing and Reimbursement Approval for such Final Product has been obtained in such country. For the avoidance of doubt, sales prior to receipt of all Regulatory Approvals and Pricing and Reimbursement Approvals necessary to commence regular commercial sales, such as so-called “treatment IND sales”, “named patient sales” and “compassionate use sales”, shall not be construed as a First Commercial Sale.

 

1.22.

Force Majeure” shall mean conditions beyond the control of a PARTY, including without limitation, an act of God, war, civil commotion, terrorist act, labor strike or lock-out, epidemic, failure or default of public utilities or common carriers, destruction of facilities or materials by fire, earthquake, storm or the like catastrophe, and failure of plant or machinery (provided that such failure could not have been prevented by the exercise of skill, diligence and prudence that would be reasonably and ordinarily expected from a skilled and experienced person engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar circumstances).

 

1.23.

IND” shall mean an Investigational New Drug Application for the Product filed with the FDA or any comparable filing made with a Regulatory Authority in another country.

 

1.24.

Insolvent Party” shall have the meaning set out in Article 9.3.

 

1.25.

Invention” shall mean any invention, idea, innovation, enhancement, improvement or feature, whether or not patentable or registrable, together with any intellectual property rights relating thereto (including without limitation the Patent Rights and rights to confidentiality and proprietary information).

 

1.26.

Know-How” shall mean information in whatever form, tangible or intangible and on whatever medium, including without limitation, information and materials relating to Inventions and other know-how, trade secrets, data (including without limitation all data from pre-clinical and clinical studies and other studies intended for regulatory submission), results, formulae, DNA and amino acid sequence information and developments.

 

1.27.

Licensed Field of Use” shall mean all uses of a Licensed and/or Final Product.

 

1.28.

Licensed Product” shall mean the recombinant protein listed in Exhibit 2.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   5 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

1.29.

Losses” shall mean all and any liability, damage, loss or expense.

 

1.30.

Net Sales” shall mean the amount collected by COMPANY, its Affiliates and/or its sublicensees on account of sales of Final Product to Third Parties in the Territory, less the following deductions:

 

  (i)

[***];

 

  (ii)

[***];

 

  (iii)

[***];

 

  (iv)

[***];

 

  (v)

[***]; and

 

  (vi)

in the event that a Final Product is sold in any country in the form of a combination product containing one or more other therapeutically active ingredients, the Net Sales for any such Final Product shall be computed using the Combination Product Adjustment for such country.

 

1.31.

Non-Defaulting Party” shall have the meaning set out in Article 9.2.

 

1.32.

Notice of Default” shall have the meaning set out in Article 9.2.

 

1.33.

Patent Rights” shall mean any and all of the following: (i) patent applications (including without limitation provisional patent applications) and patents (including without limitation the inventor’s certificates); (ii) any substitution, extension (including without limitation patent term extensions and supplementary protection certificates), registration, confirmation, reissue, continuation, divisional, continuation-in-part, re-examination, renewal, patent of addition or the like thereof or thereto; (iii) any foreign counterparts of any of the foregoing; and (iv) any utility model applications and utility models (whether or not corresponding to any of the foregoing).

 

1.34.

Person” shall mean an individual, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a limited liability company, a trust, an estate, an unincorporated organization, or any other entity, or a government or any department or agency thereof, whether acting in an individual, fiduciary or other capacity.

 

1.35.

Phase I Clinical Trial” shall mean a Clinical Trial conducted in humans which is principally intended to obtain data on the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic properties of a product. Phase I shall be deemed to have commenced when the first patient in the study has been treated. Phase I shall be deemed to have completed when the last patient has completed his or her treatment being investigated by that Clinical Trial as described in its protocol, the database is locked, and data from all patients, according to protocol, has been analyzed for the primary endpoint.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   6 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

1.36.

Phase II Clinical Trial” shall mean a Clinical Trial conducted in humans in which the primary objective is a preliminary determination of therapeutic efficiency and/or to find an optimal dose range in patients with the disease target being studied. Phase II shall be deemed to have commenced when the first patient in the study has been treated. Phase II shall be deemed to have completed when the last patient has completed his or her treatment being investigated by that Clinical Trial as described in its protocol, the database is locked, and data from all patients, according to protocol, has been analyzed for the primary endpoint.

 

1.37.

Phase III Clinical Trial” shall mean a Clinical Trial conducted in humans in which the primary objective is a determination of therapeutic efficiency in patients with the disease target being studied. Phase III shall be deemed to have commenced when the first patient in the study has been treated. Phase III shall be deemed to have completed when the last patient has completed his or her treatment being investigated by that Clinical Trial as described in its protocol, the database is locked, and data from all patients, according to protocol, has been analyzed for the primary endpoint.

 

1.38.

Price and Reimbursement Approval” shall mean any approvals, licenses, registrations or authorizations of any supranational, national, regional, state or local Regulatory Authority or other regulatory agency, department, bureau or governmental entity, necessary to determine or set the pricing of a Product, and/or its reimbursement level by the relevant health authorities, providers or other funding institutions, at supranational, national, regional, state or local level.

 

1.39.

Regulatory Approval” shall mean any approvals, licenses, registrations or authorizations of any supranational, national, regional, state or local Regulatory Authority or other regulatory agency, department, bureau or governmental entity, necessary for the manufacture, marketing or sale of a Product or conduct of Clinical Trials in a regulatory jurisdiction, excluding Price and Reimbursement Approval.

 

1.40.

Regulatory Authority” shall mean (i) the FDA or (ii) any and all governmental or supranational agencies, ministries, authorities or other bodies with similar regulatory authority with respect to approval or registration of pharmaceutical or biologic products in any other jurisdiction anywhere in the world.

 

1.41.

Royalty Term” shall mean with respect to each Final Product sold in a particular country, the period beginning on the date of the First Commercial Sale in such country and terminating on the expiration of the last-to-expire or lapse of any Valid Claims in such country covering the Licensed Product, the Final Product, the Company Cell Line, or any other Cell Line used to produce Licensed Product, or the development, use, or manufacture of any of the foregoing. In no event shall the Royalty Term exceed the 22nd of October 2024.

 

1.42.

SELEXIS Know-How” shall mean SELEXIS’ Confidential Information and Know-How owned, controlled by SELEXIS, or to which SELEXIS has received a license which includes a right to grant sublicenses consistent with the Commercial License relating to, without limitation, the construction and development of recombinant cell lines for the manufacture of biopharmaceutical products and existing as of the Effective Date or obtained thereafter during the Term.

 

1.43.

SELEXIS Materials” shall mean the materials provided by SELEXIS to COMPANY under this Agreement and all modifications and improvements thereof made by SELEXIS during the Term, if any. SELEXIS Materials excludes the Cell Lines.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   7 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

1.44.

SELEXIS Patent Rights” shall mean Patent Rights which: (i) are owned or controlled by SELEXIS, or to which SELEXIS has received a license which includes a right to grant sublicenses consistent with the Commercial License (ii) are necessary or useful for the use of SELEXIS Materials or the construction, development and use of Cell Lines and (iii) are existing as of the Effective Date or obtained thereafter during the Term. Without limiting the generality this Article, the SELEXIS Patent Rights as of the Effective Date are listed in Exhibit 1 hereto.

 

1.45.

SELEXIS Technology” shall mean the SELEXIS Patent Rights, the SELEXIS Know-How and the SELEXIS Materials.

 

1.46.

Tax Authority” shall mean the relevant governing tax authority as defined in Article 4.2.

 

1.47.

Taxes” shall mean all excises, taxes and duties with the exception of VAT.

 

1.48.

Technology” shall mean all inventions (whether or not patentable or patented) and intellectual property rights therein, including without limitation, patents, patent applications, know-how, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, designs, concepts, registered and unregistered design rights, data, work product, results, reports, improvements, business and research plans, analytic methods and results, experimental methods and results, manufacturing processes, developments, technologies, technical information, composites of genes and gene constructs, cell lines, manuals, standard operating procedures, instructions and specifications.

 

1.49.

Term” shall have the meaning set out in Article 9.1.

 

1.50.

Territory” shall mean the entire world.

 

1.51.

Third Party” shall mean a Person other than SELEXIS, COMPANY or an Affiliate of SELEXIS or COMPANY.

 

1.52.

Transferee” shall have the meaning set out in Article 2.3.

 

1.53.

Valid Claim” shall mean any issued or granted claim of the SELEXIS Patent Rights that has not been revoked or held unenforceable or invalid by a decision of a court or other governmental agency of competent jurisdiction, that is unappealable or remains unappealed at the end of the time allowed for appeal, or that has not been disclaimed, denied or admitted to be invalid or unenforceable through reissue, re-examination, disclaimer or otherwise.

 

1.54.

VAT” shall mean value added tax and any other similar turnover, sales or purchase, tax or duty levied by any other jurisdiction whether central, regional or local.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   8 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

2.

Commercial Licenses

 

2.1.

Commercial Licenses. Subject to COMPANY’s compliance with the other terms and conditions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, payment by COMPANY of the amounts provided for below in accordance with the payment schedule and terms provided for below), SELEXIS hereby grants to COMPANY a non-exclusive worldwide license under the SELEXIS Patent Rights and SELEXIS Know-How, in the Territory, with the limited right to sublicense in accordance with Article 2.2, to use Cell Lines, Deliverables and SELEXIS Materials for the manufacture of Licensed and/or Final Products, and to make, have made, use, offer for sale, sell, import and otherwise exploit Licensed and/or Final Products in the Licensed Field of Use, including, without limitation, the use of Licensed and/or Final Products in Clinical Trials (the “Commercial License”).

 

2.2.

Sublicenses. Subject to the provisions of this Article 2.2, COMPANY shall be entitled to grant sublicenses to the rights granted under the Commercial License to any one or more third parties (the “Sublicensees”) provided always:

 

  2.2.1.

Any sublicense granted under this Agreement shall be expressly subject and subordinate to the terms of this Agreement and it shall be COMPANY’s responsibility to ensure strict adherence by any Sublicensee to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

  2.2.2.

Any Sublicensee shall not, by virtue of this Agreement, be granted any right or licence, either express or implied, under any SELEXIS Know-how and/or SELEXIS Patent Rights to use COMPANY Cell Lines, SELEXIS Materials and/or SELEXIS Patent Rights other than for the purposes of the manufacture, use, offer for sale, sale, import and other exploitation of Licensed and/or Final Products in the Field.

 

  2.2.3.

COMPANY will notify SELEXIS in writing of any such sublicense within [***] following the grant thereof, and [***].

 

  2.2.4.

Notwithstanding the above, COMPANY is and remains fully liable and responsible for any breach of this Agreement committed or any Losses caused by any Sublicensee, or any other Third Party or Affiliate to whom the Cell Lines, Deliverables, SELEXIS Materials and the SELEXIS Know-How or parts thereof are made available under any such sublicense.

 

2.3.

Transfer of SELEXIS Materials. COMPANY shall not transfer the Cell Lines, Deliverables, SELEXIS Materials or SELEXIS Know-How to any Third Party, except that during and for the Term only, COMPANY may transfer Cell Lines, Deliverables, SELEXIS Materials and SELEXIS Know-How to Contractors or

 

Date: October 28, 2013   9 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

  Collaboration Partners (the “Transferees”) solely for their use in connection with the development of a production process for Licensed and/or Final Product, the manufacturing of Licensed and/or Final Product for sale or distribution of Final Product in the Licensed Field of Use, or, the commercialization of Licensed and/or Final Product in the Licensed Field of Use, with, for or on behalf of, COMPANY. If COMPANY makes any such transfer, it shall notify SELEXIS within [***] of any such transfer and report the name and address of any Transferee together with confirmation that the Transferee has agreed in writing to adhere to the confidentiality obligations and use restrictions set out in this Agreement.

For the avoidance of doubt, upon expiration of the last Royalty Term, the Commercial License granted to COMPANY in Article 2.1 (and the sublicense and transfer rights as set forth in Articles 2.2 and 2.3) shall become perpetual and royalty-free.

 

2.4.

Sale of Licensed Product. If COMPANY (itself or in cooperation with one or more Third Parties) wishes to sell or otherwise transfer Licensed Product to any Third Party in a form other than as a Final Product, it may do so subject to the following. (a) Such Licensed Product may only be sold or transferred to one or more Third Party(ies) for use in Clinical Trials, for further research and/or development and/or for formulation for ultimate sale in the Licensed Field of Use as Final Product; (b) Any sale for financial consideration of Licensed Product in a form other than as a Final Product will be deemed a “Net Sale” of Final Product and Royalty Payments will be due on such sale of Licensed Product in accordance with Article 3.1.3 as if the Licensed Product were Final Product; and (c) All sales of Final Product incorporating such Licensed Product will be deemed “Net Sales” of a Sublicensee for purposes of this Agreement and will be subject to payment by COMPANY of the royalties set forth in Article 3.1.3, and will trigger payment of the milestones set forth in Article 3.1.2 if a Final Product produced by such a Third Party is the first Final Product to reach the appropriate milestone trigger point. COMPANY will ensure that sufficient records are kept by COMPANY or available to it to document the Net Sales of Licensed and/or Final Products to determine the amounts due to SELEXIS under Article 3.

 

3.

Consideration

 

3.1.

Payments. In consideration of the Commercial License granted to COMPANY pursuant to Article 2.1, and in consideration of the right to sublicense the rights granted in Article 2.1 pursuant to Article 2.2, COMPANY shall pay SELEXIS as follows:

 

  3.1.1.

Commercial License Execution Payment. COMPANY shall pay SELEXIS a one-time fee of thirty five thousand Swiss Francs (CHF 35,000), due upon execution of this Agreement.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   10 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

  3.1.2.

Commercial License Milestone Payments. COMPANY shall make the following milestone payments to SELEXIS with respect to the first occurrence of each such milestone event for each Licensed Product:

 

  3.1.2.1    [***];

 

  3.1.2.2    [***];

 

  3.1.2.3    [***];  and

 

  3.1.2.4    [***].

 

  3.1.3.

Commercial License Royalty Payments: In addition to the milestone payments under Article 3.1.2, during the Royalty Term COMPANY shall pay SELEXIS on a Final Product-by-Final Product (including Products deemed Final Products in accordance with Article 2.4, parts (b) and (c)) and country-by-country basis a royalty of [***] of Net Sales of all Final Products sold worldwide, where said Final Products have been produced from a Cell Line [***]. If Final Products have been produced from a Cell Line [***], then the royalty rate shall be [***]. Where royalties are due for the sale of Final Products directly by COMPANY such royalties shall be paid for each Calendar Quarter within [***] of the end of that Calendar Quarter. Where royalties are due for the sales of Final Product by a Sublicensee, payment shall be made within [***] of the end of that Calendar Quarter. For the avoidance of doubt, no royalty payments shall be due for a Final Product in a specific country after the Royalty Term has expired for such Final Product in such country. Where royalties are no longer due in accordance with the foregoing, the Commercial License granted to COMPANY under this Agreement shall become perpetual, irrevocable, fully paid up and royalty free with respect to such Licensed and Final Product in such country. At any time during the Term, SELEXIS and COMPANY may agree to remove the royalty in its entirety or in part in exchange for payment(s) as negotiated.

 

3.2.

Mechanism of Payment. The payments due to SELEXIS under this Agreement shall be made by wire transfer or electronic fund transfer to the credit and account of SELEXIS as follows:

Bank Name :    [***]

Account:           [***]

To:                    Selexis S.A.

                           [***]

 

3.3.

Payment Terms. Except with respect to royalties due pursuant to Article 3.1.3, COMPANY shall make payments due to SELEXIS under this Agreement at the latest [***] after receipt of invoice. All fees and payments, including without limitation under Article 3.1.3, do not include any applicable VAT or Taxes.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   11 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

3.4.

Records. COMPANY and its Affiliates and Sublicensees shall keep true accounts of Net Sales of Final Products and COMPANY shall deliver to SELEXIS at the same time as the payments due under Article 3.1.3. a written account, including quantities of Net Sales of each such Final Product, broken down on a country-by-country basis with respect to those payments. SELEXIS is entitled to have such accounts audited by an independent expert of its choice. Such independent expert shall be bound by confidentiality terms at least as restrictive as the terms of Article 8 and shall be authorized to disclose to SELEXIS only the results of its audit. COMPANY shall provide access to all information reasonably requested by such expert. The cost of any audit shall be borne by SELEXIS unless the audit shows that COMPANY underpaid SELEXIS by [***] of the amounts due in which case the cost of the audit shall be borne by COMPANY.

 

3.5.

Single Royalty and Milestone. For Final Products covered by more than one SELEXIS Patent Rights, COMPANY will make one payment to SELEXIS for royalties on any unit of Final Product sold by COMPANY or Sublicensees, irrespective of how many SELEXIS Patent Rights may cover such Final Product. Each milestone described in Article 3 shall be payable only once in relation to each Licensed Product, irrespective of the number of Final Products which incorporate that Licensed Product and undergo the events triggering the payment. All fees and payments, including without limitation under Article 3.1, do not include any applicable VAT or Taxes.

 

4.

Taxes

 

4.1.

General. All Taxes levied on account of any payment made by COMPANY to SELEXIS pursuant to this Agreement (other than Taxes on income, gains or profits levied against SELEXIS by any competent Swiss tax authority) will be the responsibility of, and shall be paid by, COMPANY pursuant to Article 3.

 

4.2.

Character of Payments. The PARTIES agree that, for purposes of determining the applicability of any Taxes, the payments to be made under this Agreement constitute payments for tangible property and license of intellectual property. However, in the event that the governing tax authority (the “Tax Authority”) qualifies differently such payment, any additional taxes that may be applied (including without limitation any interest and penalties that may be unpaid) shall be paid by COMPANY.

 

4.3.

Withholding by COMPANY.

 

  4.3.1.

All payments by COMPANY hereunder shall be made in full without any deduction or withholding whatsoever and free and clear of and without any deduction or withholding for or on account of any Taxes, except to the extent that any such deduction or withholding is required by law in effect at the time of payment. If any such deductions or withholdings must be made from any amounts payable or paid by COMPANY, COMPANY shall [***].

 

Date: October 28, 2013   12 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

  4.3.2.

Each PARTY shall execute and deliver such documents, deeds and other papers and take such further actions as may be reasonably required to lawfully enable SELEXIS and COMPANY or their respective Affiliates or Sublicensees to mitigate withholding taxes, such as take advantage of any applicable legal provision or any double taxation treaties, for the purpose of assigning to SELEXIS full tax credit for amounts deducted or withheld by COMPANY pursuant to Article 4.3.1.

 

5.

Intellectual Property

 

5.1.

Ownership. Each PARTY shall retain all right, title and interest in and to its Inventions and Know-How which exist on the Effective Date or which are thereafter developed independently of the performance of this Agreement.

 

5.2.

COMPANY and SELEXIS Inventions. Any Invention developed hereunder by or for either Party, solely or jointly with the other PARTY or any Affiliate or agent thereof, shall belong exclusively (i) to COMPANY, to the extent [***] (“COMPANY Invention”); or (ii) to SELEXIS, to the extent [***] (“SELEXIS Invention”). Any SELEXIS Inventions shall be included within the scope of the SELEXIS Technology licensed to COMPANY under this Agreement as provided for in Article 5.5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such ownership shall not be construed to transfer to either PARTY ownership of or any license or other rights in or to any of such PARTY’s underlying Technology which may be included or embodied therein, or useful or necessary to use in connection with exploiting such Invention.

 

5.3.

Other Inventions. Except as set forth in Article 5.2, any other Invention developed hereunder solely by COMPANY shall be COMPANY’s sole property and any other Invention developed hereunder solely by SELEXIS shall be SELEXIS’ sole property. The PARTIES do not anticipate that there will be any jointly developed Inventions hereunder, but if there are any other such jointly developed Inventions which do not relate to either the SELEXIS Technology or the COMPANY Technology, such Inventions shall be owned jointly by COMPANY and SELEXIS (“Joint Inventions”). In the event any such Joint Inventions arise, the PARTIES will use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate to protect and/or exploit such Joint Inventions, including, without limitation, by sharing in costs incurred with protection of such Joint Inventions and sharing in revenues generated by the use or sublicense of the Joint Inventions.

 

5.4.

Notification. Each PARTY shall promptly notify the other PARTY of any Invention arising in connection with this Agreement provided that COMPANY has no obligation to notify SELEXIS with respect to any COMPANY Inventions developed solely by COMPANY.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   13 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

5.5.

Improvements. In the event SELEXIS possesses, acquires, creates or is licensed (with the right to grant a sublicense consistent with the terms of the Commercial License) any improvements to the SELEXIS Technology which are necessary or useful for COMPANY to use in connection with the use of the Cell Lines as licensed hereunder, such improvements shall automatically be included in the SELEXIS Patent Rights and/or the SELEXIS Know-How and thereby disclosed and licensed at no extra cost to COMPANY in accordance with this Agreement; provided, however, that any rights granted by the foregoing will be subject to COMPANY’s compliance with any bona fide obligations owed to Third Parties (with respect to which SELEXIS has notified COMPANY), including, without limitation, and royalty obligations owed to Third Parties.

 

5.6.

Third Party Patent Rights. SELEXIS covenants that if SELEXIS becomes aware that COMPANY’s use of the SELEXIS Technology in accordance with the terms hereunder would or would likely infringe any Third Party proprietary rights, SELEXIS shall use its reasonable commercial efforts to resolve such potential infringement at SELEXIS’ cost to ensure COMPANY’s freedom to continue to exercise the licenses granted under this Agreement, including without limitation by using its reasonable commercial efforts to obtain a license from the Third Party owner of the proprietary rights which entitles SELEXIS to continue to grant the rights to COMPANY as provided for herein. Should such efforts not be successful, SELEXIS shall inform COMPANY in writing and thereafter the Parties will discuss the matter in good faith for a period not to exceed [***]. Thereafter [***], save that SELEXIS shall not have such right if COMPANY agrees to [***]. If COMPANY [***] and if COMPANY [***] relating to COMPANY’s permitted use of the SELEXIS Technology hereunder, then COMPANY may deduct any royalties actually paid to such Third Party to the extent related to the use of the SELEXIS Technology [***]; provided that in no event shall the [***] of the royalty amount that would have otherwise been payable for such Final Product. The obligations set forth in this Article relate solely to Third Party rights related specifically and solely to the SELEXIS Technology licensed hereunder, and do not apply with respect to any other technology or materials used by COMPANY at its discretion in connection with its exercise of the license rights granted hereunder, and specifically exclude any such Third Party rights to the extent relating to the Licensed Product(s) produced by any Cell Lines hereunder.

 

5.7.

Enforcement of SELEXIS Patent Rights. If, during the Term, either PARTY becomes aware of any infringement or potential infringement of the SELEXIS Technology it shall promptly notify the other PARTY in writing and the PARTIES shall consult with each other to decide the best way to respond to such infringement or misuse, provided that SELEXIS shall remain free to take any action as it deems fit in its sole discretion.

 

5.8.

COMPANY Publications. COMPANY shall have the unrestricted right to publish or otherwise disclose the results and data obtained by the practice of the SELEXIS Technology in accordance with the terms hereof, provided such publication or disclosure does not include any Confidential Information of SELEXIS. The name of SELEXIS shall be given proper recognition in such publication(s) as scientifically appropriate.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   14 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

5.9.

Further Assurance. Each PARTY agrees to execute and do all things at the cost of the other PARTY (if not specifically agreed otherwise) as the other PARTY may reasonably require to give that other PARTY the full benefit of the provisions of this Article 5.

 

6.

Representations, Warranties, and Covenants

 

6.1.

General. Except for the representations, warranties and covenants contained in Article 5.6 or this Article 6, the PARTIES do not make any other representations, nor give any other warranties, express or implied, nor undertake to any other covenants. The PARTIES expressly exclude any and all other representations, warranties and covenants.

 

6.2.

Representations and Warranties by the PARTIES. Each PARTY hereby represents and warrants to the other PARTY that:

 

  6.2.1.

Corporate Power. It is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the state (or country or other jurisdiction, as the case may be) of its incorporation and has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to carry out the provisions hereof.

 

  6.2.2.

Due Authorization. It is duly authorized to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder and the persons executing this Agreement on its behalf have been duly authorized to do so by all requisite corporate actions.

 

  6.2.3.

Binding Agreement. This Agreement is a legal and valid obligation binding upon it and is enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles and public policy.

 

  6.2.4.

No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by it does not conflict with any agreement, instrument or understanding, oral or written, to which it is a PARTY or by which it may be bound.

 

  6.2.5.

Intellectual Property Rights. Each PARTY represents that it has valid and sufficient arrangements and agreements with its directors, officers and employees (which term shall include agents, consultants and subcontractors) such that ownership of intellectual property rights in and to any Inventions made by its directors, officers and employees vests in such PARTY.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   15 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

6.3.

Additional Representations and Warranties by SELEXIS. SELEXIS hereby represents and warrants that, to the best of its knowledge, as of the Effective Date:

 

  6.3.1.

There is no pending litigation asserting that the use of the SELEXIS Technology or the SELEXIS Know-How constitutes an infringement or misappropriation of any intellectual property rights of a Third Party; and

 

  6.3.2.

SELEXIS has the right in and to the SELEXIS Technology, SELEXIS Know-How and the SELEXIS Patents to grant COMPANY the rights which are granted to COMPANY under this Agreement.

 

6.4.

Additional Warranties by COMPANY. COMPANY hereby represents and warrants to SELEXIS that:

 

  6.4.1.

To the best of its knowledge, there are no Third Party intellectual property rights or any other rights that may be asserted against SELEXIS claiming that SELEXIS was or is directly infringing or is helping or assisting COMPANY in infringing such Third Party’s rights in connection with COMPANY’s exercise of the Commercial License granted by SELEXIS hereunder (except to the extent that any such Third Party rights relate solely and specifically to the SELEXIS Technology and/or SELEXIS Materials), including, without limitation, the development, manufacture and commercialization of Licensed Products and/or Final Products as permitted hereunder; and

 

  6.4.2.

As of the Effective Date, to the best of its knowledge, there is no litigation pending against COMPANY in connection with the use or ownership of the Licensed Product, including, without limitation, the infringement or misappropriation of any intellectual property rights of a Third Party relating to the Licensed Product, and COMPANY has not received any written claim that the use thereof infringes on any intellectual property rights of a Third Party or a request or demand from any Third Party for the licensing of any intellectual property rights to such Third Party in connection with the use of the Licensed Product.

 

  6.4.3.

COMPANY will use commercially reasonable endeavours to not knowingly misappropriate or infringe the intellectual property or other rights of any Third Party in connection with its exercise of its licensed rights hereunder, including, without limitation, use of any SELEXIS Technology, Cell Line, or Deliverables, or development, manufacture or sale of Licensed and/or Final Product hereunder.

 

6.5.

Third Party Intellectual Property. Without limiting the warranty set forth in Article 6.4.3, COMPANY hereby acknowledges that in order to make, have made, use, offer for sale, sell, import and otherwise exploit Licensed and/or Final Products in the Field it may require licenses under Third Party patent or other intellectual property rights that may be infringed by the manufacture, use, offer for sale, sale, importation and other exploitation of Licensed and/or Final Product and, other than in the case of Third Party patent rights provided for in Article 5.6, it is agreed that it shall be COMPANY’S responsibility to identify all such intellectual property and satisfy itself as to the need for such licences, and, if necessary, to obtain such licenses. COMPANY agrees that, with the sole exception of Third Party patent rights provided for in Article 5.6 and for which SELEXIS provides indemnification in Article 7.1, SELEXIS will have no liability whatsoever for any infringement of Third Party patent rights.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   16 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

6.6.

Disclaimer of Warranties by SELEXIS. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT AND WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF ARTICLE 6.1, SELEXIS DOES NOT MAKE NOR GIVE ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY TO COMPANY OF ANY NATURE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, THAT THE SELEXIS TECHNOLOGY WILL BE USEFUL FOR, OR ACHIEVE ANY PARTICULAR RESULTS AS A RESULT OF ANY USE THEREOF BY SELEXIS OR BY COMPANY PURSUANT TO ANY LICENSE GRANTED TO COMPANY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, SELEXIS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF NONINFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

 

7.

Liability and Indemnification

 

7.1.

Indemnification by SELEXIS. During the Term of this Agreement and thereafter, SELEXIS hereby agrees to save, defend and hold COMPANY, its Affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, consultants and agents harmless from and against any and all Losses resulting directly from (i) any Third Party claim alleging that [***]; or (ii) any material breach of SELEXIS’ representations, warranties and covenants set forth in Article 6; except in each case to the extent that such Losses were caused by willful misconduct or gross negligence of COMPANY or any of its Affiliates, Collaborators or Sublicensees. In the event COMPANY seeks indemnification under this Article 7.1, COMPANY shall notify SELEXIS of any claim as soon as reasonably practicable after it receives notice of the claim. COMPANY shall allow SELEXIS to conduct and control the defense against the claim (including without limitation to settle the claim solely for monetary consideration), shall (at SELEXIS’ expense) execute and deliver such documents and other papers and take such further actions as may be reasonably required to defend against the claim (including without limitation to settle the claim solely for monetary consideration) and shall (at SELEXIS’ expense) cooperate as requested by SELEXIS in the defense of the claim, provided always that SELEXIS may not settle any such claim or otherwise consent to an adverse judgment or order in any relevant action or other proceeding which includes any admission as to liability or fault without the prior express written consent of COMPANY, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld.

 

7.2.

Indemnification by COMPANY. During the Term of this Agreement and thereafter, COMPANY hereby agrees to save, defend and hold SELEXIS and its officers, directors, employees, consultants and agents harmless from and against any and all Losses resulting from (i) Third Party claims in connection with [***]; (ii) Third Party claims relating to [***]; or (iii) any material breach of COMPANY’s representations, warranties

 

Date: October 28, 2013   17 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

  and covenants set forth in Article 6; in each case, except to the extent that such Losses result from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of SELEXIS. In the event SELEXIS seeks indemnification under this Article, SELEXIS shall notify COMPANY of any claim as soon as reasonably practicable after it receives notice of the claim. SELEXIS shall allow COMPANY to assume direction and control of the defense of the claim (including without limitation the right to settle the claim solely for monetary consideration), and shall (at COMPANY’s expense) execute and deliver such documents and other papers and take such further actions as may be reasonably required to defend against the claim (including without limitation to settle the claim solely for monetary consideration). SELEXIS shall (at COMPANY’s expense) cooperate as requested by COMPANY in the defense of the claim, provided always that COMPANY may not settle any such claim or otherwise consent to an adverse judgment or order in any relevant action or other proceeding which includes any admission as to liability or fault without the prior express written consent of SELEXIS, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld.

 

7.3.

No Incidental or Consequential Damages. In no event shall either PARTY be responsible for any incidental or consequential damages, including without limitation, lost profits or opportunities; provided that the foregoing shall in no event limit a PARTY’s indemnification obligation under Article 7.1 or Article 7.2.

 

7.4.

Limitation of Liability. SELEXIS’ cumulative liability under this Agreement, whether in contract, in tort, or otherwise, shall in no event exceed the aggregate consideration paid by COMPANY to SELEXIS under this Agreement.

 

8.

Confidentiality

 

8.1.

Non-disclosure. During the Term of this Agreement and for [***] thereafter, each PARTY shall keep Confidential Information of the other PARTY confidential and shall not (i) use the other PARTY’s Confidential Information for any purpose not expressly permitted under this Agreement, nor (ii) disclose the other PARTY’s Confidential Information to any Person other than those of its agents, employees, and consultants (collectively, “Representatives”) who need to know such Confidential Information for a use or purpose expressly permitted under this Agreement. Any such Representative who receives Confidential Information pursuant to this Article 8.1 shall be bound by written obligations of confidentiality and non-use with respect to the Confidential Information that are no less stringent than the obligations set forth in this Agreement.

 

8.2.

Exceptions. The confidentiality obligations set forth in Article 8.1 shall not apply to Confidential Information that (i) is, or becomes, public information other than as the result of the violation of this Agreement or other

 

Date: October 28, 2013   18 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

  act or omission by the receiving PARTY or its Representatives; (ii) was lawfully known to the receiving PARTY or its Representatives without restriction on use or disclosure at the time of disclosure hereunder; (iii) is hereafter lawfully received by the receiving PARTY or its Representatives from a Third Party authorized to make such disclosure and without restriction on use or disclosure; or (iv) is approved for release by prior written consent from the disclosing Party.

 

8.3.

Authorized Disclosures. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, each PARTY may disclose Confidential Information of the other PARTY to the extent such disclosure is required by law, provided however that the receiving PARTY gives the disclosing PARTY reasonable prior written notice to enable the disclosing PARTY to take appropriate measures to protect its Confidential Information and fully cooperates, subject to commercially reasonable efforts, with the disclosing PARTY to prevent or limit to the greatest extent possible the disclosure of Confidential Information.

 

8.4.

Use of Name. No right, express or implied, is granted to either PARTY by this Agreement to use in any manner any trademark or trade name of the other PARTY including the names “CIRCADIAN, VEGENICS or OPTHEA” and “SELEXIS” without the prior written consent of the PARTY entitled to such trademark or trade name.

 

9.

Term and Termination

 

9.1.

Term. This Agreement is effective as of the Effective Date. Unless earlier terminated pursuant to Articles 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect until [***] (the “Term”).

 

9.2.

Termination for Default. In addition to any other remedies which may be available at law or equity, in the event of any material breach of this Agreement (the “Default”) by a PARTY (the “Defaulting Party”), the PARTY not in default (the “Non-Defaulting Party”) shall have the right to give the Defaulting Party a written notice thereof (the “Notice of Default”), which must state the nature of the Default in reasonable details and request that the Defaulting Party cure such Default within [***]. During such [***] period, the Parties will cooperate in good faith in order to resolve any issue(s) that may have given rise to the Notice of Default and/or cure such Default. If such Default is not cured or the issue(s) that may have given rise to the Notice of Default not resolved within [***] after receipt of a Notice of Default by the Defaulting Party or if such Default cannot be cured, the Non-Defaulting Party may, at its sole discretion, terminate this Agreement by written notice effective upon receipt. For avoidance of doubt, if the Default is cured or the issue(s) that may have given rise to the Notice of Default resolved within [***] after receipt of a Notice of Default by the Defaulting Party, the Non-Defaulting Party may not terminate this Agreement.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   19 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

9.3.

Termination for Bankruptcy. In the event that a PARTY shall become insolvent or make any arrangement with its creditors or has a receiver or administrator appointed to the whole or any part of its assets or if an order shall be made or a resolution passed for its winding up unless such order or resolution is part of a scheme for its amalgamation or reconstruction (the “Insolvent Party”), the other PARTY shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to serve immediate notice of termination (with the sole exception of the circumstances expounded in 9.5.2.2) of this Agreement, effective upon receipt.

 

9.4.

Termination by COMPANY. COMPANY may terminate this Agreement at any time by giving [***] written notice to SELEXIS.

 

9.5.

Consequences of Expiration or Termination.

 

  9.5.1.

Termination of Licenses. In the event of a termination of this Agreement by COMPANY pursuant to Article 9.2 or 9.4, all and any rights and licenses granted under this Agreement shall terminate upon termination of this Agreement except for the licenses which have become perpetual pursuant to Article 3.1.3.

In the event of a termination of this Agreement by SELEXIS pursuant to Article 9.2 or 9.3, all and any rights and licenses granted under this Agreement shall terminate upon termination of this Agreement except for the licenses which have become perpetual pursuant to Article 3.1.3.

 

  9.5.2.

SELEXIS Technology and Confidential Information.

 

  9.5.2.1

Subject to the provisions of Article 9.5.2.2, upon termination of this Agreement under Article 9.2 or Article 9.3 where COMPANY is the Insolvent Party, or Article 9.4, COMPANY shall dispose of all tangible embodiments of the SELEXIS Technology and SELEXIS Confidential Information, including without limitation the SELEXIS Materials and Cell Lines, and render inaccessible or useless all electronic embodiments, of SELEXIS Confidential Information provided to COMPANY by SELEXIS hereunder, except that COMPANY may retain one copy of the SELEXIS Confidential Information delivered hereunder in its secured legal files only for ensuring compliance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

  9.5.2.2

Where the COMPANY is the Insolvent Party, SELEXIS acknowledges that this Agreement and the Commercial License may constitute a material asset of the COMPANY and as such the continuation of this Agreement (and the exercise of the Commercial License) may be of benefit to both Parties, in particular where the Commercial License has been sublicensed. As such, SELEXIS agrees to provide COMPANY or the COMPANY’S receiver or administrator the opportunity to make submissions for maintenance or restructure of the Agreement. Any submissions must be received by SELEXIS within [***] of the COMPANY

 

Date: October 28, 2013   20 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

  entering into insolvency, receivership or administration. SELEXIS agrees to take into consideration any such submissions received within the [***] period before making any decision to terminate the Agreement under Article 9.3. If no submissions are received within the [***] period or alternatively after due consideration of any submissions, SELEXIS shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to serve immediate notice of termination of this Agreement under 9.3 and the COMPANY shall dispose of all tangible embodiments in accordance with 9.5.2.1.

 

  9.5.3.

COMPANY Confidential Information. Upon any expiration or termination of this Agreement, SELEXIS shall dispose of all tangible embodiments, and render inaccessible or useless all electronic embodiments, of COMPANY Confidential Information provided to SELEXIS by COMPANY hereunder, except that SELEXIS may retain one copy of the COMPANY Confidential Information delivered hereunder in its secured legal files only for ensuring compliance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

  9.5.4.

Accrued Obligations. Expiration or termination of this Agreement shall not relieve the PARTIES of any obligation or liability accruing prior to such expiration or termination.

 

10.

Miscellaneous

 

10.1.

Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any interest hereunder shall be assignable by either PARTY without the prior written consent of the other PARTY; provided, that either PARTY may assign this Agreement and all of its rights and obligations hereunder, without such prior written consent, to an entity which acquires all or substantially all of the business or assets of such PARTY (or the business or assets to which this Agreement pertains) whether by merger, consolidation, reorganization, acquisition, sale or otherwise; and COMPANY may assign this Agreement and all of its rights and obligations hereunder, without such consent, to an Affiliate if COMPANY remains liable and responsible for the performance and observance of all of the Affiliate’s duties and obligations hereunder, and provided that [***]. This Agreement shall be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the PARTIES and the name of a PARTY appearing herein shall be deemed to include the names of such PARTY’s successors and permitted assigns to the extent necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement. Any assignment not in accordance with this Article 10.1 shall be null and void.

 

10.2.

Compliance with Governmental Obligations. Each PARTY shall comply, upon reasonable notice from the other PARTY, with all governmental requests directed to either PARTY relating to this Agreement and provide all information and assistance necessary to comply with the governmental requests.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   21 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

10.3.

Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which need not contain the signature of more than one PARTY but all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and may be executed through the use of facsimiles.

 

10.4.

Dispute Resolution. The PARTIES agree that in the event of a dispute between them arising from, concerning or in any way relating to this Agreement, the PARTIES shall undertake good faith efforts to resolve any such dispute, with the matter being referred at the request of either PARTY to the General Counsel (or chief legal officer) of each PARTY and, if remaining unresolved after [***], then to the Chief Executive Officers of each PARTY (or their designees). If after [***] of the matter first being referred to the General Counsel the PARTIES are unable to resolve such dispute, either PARTY may seek any remedy available pursuant to Article 10.16.

 

10.5.

Entire Agreement. This Agreement sets forth all of the covenants, promises, agreements, representations, warranties, conditions and understandings between the PARTIES with respect to the subject matter hereof, and constitutes and contains the complete, final, and exclusive understanding and agreement of the PARTIES with respect to the subject matter hereof, and cancels, supersedes and terminates all prior agreements and understanding between the PARTIES with respect to the subject matter hereof. There are no covenants, promises, agreements, representations, warranties, conditions or understandings, whether oral or written, between the PARTIES other than as set forth herein. No subsequent alteration, amendment, change or addition to this Agreement shall be binding upon the PARTIES hereto unless reduced to writing and signed by the respective authorized officers of the PARTIES. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent of any inconsistency between this Agreement and the Services Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall govern and prevail.

 

10.6.

Force Majeure. Neither PARTY shall be liable to the other for loss, damages, default or delay due to Force Majeure, provided that the PARTY affected by a case of Force Majeure gives prompt notice of such case to the other PARTY. The PARTY giving such notice shall thereupon be excused from its obligations hereunder as it is thereby disabled from performing for so long as it is so disabled, provided, however, that such affected PARTY commences and continues to take reasonable and diligent actions to cure such cause; and provided further that if any Force Majeure delays or prevents the performance of the obligations of either PARTY for a continuous period in excess of [***], the PARTY not affected shall then be [***] written notice to the affected PARTY. [***].

 

10.7.

Further Actions. Each PARTY agrees to execute, acknowledge and deliver such further instruments, and to do all such other acts, as may be necessary or appropriate in order to carry out the purposes and intent of the Agreement.

 

Date: October 28, 2013   22 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

10.8.

Independent Contractors. The relationship between SELEXIS and COMPANY created by this Agreement is one of independent contractors and neither PARTY shall have the power or authority to bind or obligate the other PARTY except as expressly set forth in this Agreement.

 

10.9.

Interpretation of Agreement. Articles and other descriptive headings used in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not constitute a part hereof or affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Whenever the context so requires, the use of the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa.

 

10.10.

License Obligations. Nothing in this Agreement imposes any obligation upon a PARTY to enter into any other license or agreement with the other PARTY.

 

10.11.

Notices. All notices and other communications required by this Agreement shall be in writing in the English language and shall be deemed given if delivered personally or by facsimile transmission (receipt verified), mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested), postage prepaid, or sent by express courier service, to the PARTIES at the following addresses (or at such other addresses that a PARTY specifies by like notice, provided, however, that notices of a change of address shall be effective only upon written receipt thereof):

 

  If to COMPANY, addressed to:
  OPTHEA PTY LTD
  Level 4, 650 Chapel Street
  South Yarra   
  VIC 3141   
  Australia   
  Attention:    CEO
  Facsimile:    [***]

 

  If to SELEXIS, addressed to:
         Selexis S.A.
         [***]
  Attention:    [***]
  With a copy to:    [***]
  Facsimile:    [***]

 

 

Date: October 28, 2013   23 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

10.12.

Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of COMPANY and SELEXIS (and their permitted successors and assigns) and nothing in this Agreement (express or implied) is intended to or shall confer upon any Third Party any rights, benefits or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

10.13.

Severability. If any term, covenant or condition of this Agreement or the application thereof to any PARTY or circumstance shall, to any extent, be held to be invalid or unenforceable, then the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such term, covenant or condition to PARTIES or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby and each term, covenant or condition of this Agreement shall be valid and be enforced to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

 

10.14.

Waiver. The failure on the part of a PARTY to exercise or enforce any rights conferred upon it hereunder shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any such rights nor operate to bar the exercise or enforcement thereof at any time or times hereafter.

 

10.15.

Survival. Articles 1, 3.4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.5 and 10 shall survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement in accordance with their terms.

 

10.16.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of [***], without regard to principles of conflict of laws. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of [***].

 

Date: October 28, 2013   24 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the PARTIES, having read the terms of this Agreement and intending to be legally bound hereby, do hereby execute this Agreement:

 

SELEXIS SA     OPTHEA PTY LTD
Signature:   /s/ Girod PA     Signature:   /s/ Megan Baldwin
Place, Date:  

Plan-les-Ouates, Nov 15, 2013

    Place, Date:   Melbourne, 7 Nov 2013
Name: Girod PA     Name: Megan Baldwin
Title: Chief Scientific Officier     Title: CEO, Opthea P/L
   
       
Signature:   /s/ Regine Brokamp     Signature:   /s/ Robert Klupacs
Place, Date:  

PLO, Nov 15th 2013

    Place, Date:   Melbourne, 7 Nov 2013
Name: Regine Brokamp     Name: Robert Klupacs
Title: COO     Title: Director, Opthea Pty Limited

 

  25 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

EXHIBIT 1

SELEXIS PATENT RIGHTS

Patent 1.

 

Title

   [***]

Filing date

   [***]

Application Number

   [***]

Grant Patent Number

   [***]

Geographies

   [***]

Status

   [***]

Patent 2.

 

Title

   [***]

Filing date

   [***]

Application Number

   [***]

Publication Number

   [***]

Geographies

   [***]

 

Date: October 28, 2013   26 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

EXHIBIT 2

LICENSED PRODUCTS

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 3 soluble proteins

 

Date: October 28, 2013   27 of 27   Opthea
  Selexis SA  
EX-10.2

Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

LOGO

BIOPHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING AGREEMENT

Dated October 28, 2013

By and between

DSM Biologics Company Australia Pty Ltd

Brisbane, Australia

and

DSM Biologics Company B.V.

Groningen, The Netherlands

and

OPTHEA Pty Ltd

South Yarra, Victoria, Australia

 

  Page 1 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SECTION 1: PREAMBLE

     5  

SECTION 2: DEFINITIONS

     6  

SECTION 3: OBJECTIVES AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES

     9  

SECTION 4: EXECUTION OF THE SERVICES – DEVELOPMENT WORK

     9  

SECTION 5: EXECUTION OF THE SERVICES – MANUFACTURING WORK

     12  

SECTION 6: PRICE

     16  

SECTION 7: MANAGEMENT OF THE SERVICES

     17  

SECTION 8: RECORDS AND REPORTS

     18  

SECTION 9: QUALITY AUDITS AND REGULATORY APPROVALS

     18  

SECTION 10: SUBCONTRACTING

     19  

SECTION 11: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

     19  

SECTION 12: REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

     21  

SECTION 13: LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

     22  

SECTION 14: CONFIDENTIALITY

     24  

 

  Page 2 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

SECTION 15: TERM AND TERMINATION

     26  

SECTION 16: NOTICES

     29  

SECTION 17: ASSIGNMENT

     30  

SECTION 18: DISPUTES AND APPLICABLE LAW

     30  

SECTION 19: FORCE MAJEURE

     30  

SECTION 20: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

     31  

 

  Page 3 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

LIST OF EXHIBITS:

 

Exhibit 1:

  

Services Schedule

Exhibit 2:

  

Invoicing schedule

Exhibit 3:

  

Quality Agreement

Exhibit 4:

  

CCN Format

Exhibit 5:

  

Cancellation Scheme

Exhibit 6:

  

Draft Product Specifications

Exhibit 7:

   Designated Vendors

 

  Page 4 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

BIOPHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING AGREEMENT

This Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Agreement is made and entered into on this 28th day of October, 2013 (the “Effective Date”):

BY AND BETWEEN:

OPTHEA Pty Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Australia having its registered address at Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria 3141, Australia; (hereinafter referred to as “OPTHEA”), of the one part;

AND:

DSM Biologics Company Australia Pty, Ltd. (A.B.N. 33 141 099 041), having its registered address at 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia (“DSM Australia”)

and

DSM Biologics Company B.V., a company incorporated under Dutch law, having its registered address at Zuiderweg 72/2, Groningen, The Netherlands (hereinafter referred to as “DSM Netherlands”), of the other part;

DSM Australia and DSM Netherlands are hereinafter referred to collectively as “DSM”.

OPTHEA and DSM hereinafter sometimes individually referred to as “Party” and collectively as “Parties”.

SECTION 1: PREAMBLE

WHEREAS

 

A.

OPTHEA is the proprietor of a VEGFR-3 protein known as OPT-302; and

 

B.

DSM has expertise and know-how in the area of development and cGMP production of biopharmaceutical products; and

 

C.

OPTHEA wishes to contract DSM to perform manufacturing and development work as specified in this Agreement in connection with such protein; and

 

D.

DSM is willing to perform such Services for OPTHEA;

 

  Page 5 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants and agreements hereinafter contained, the Parties agree as follows:

SECTION 2: DEFINITIONS

In this Agreement the following terms, whether used in the singular or plural form, shall, as used herein, have the following respective meanings:

Acceptance” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 5.8. “Accept” and “Accepted” have the correlative meaning;

Affiliates” means any individual, company, partnership or other entity which directly or indirectly, at present or in the future, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with a Party. For this purpose “control” shall mean direct or indirect beneficial ownership of at least fifty per cent (50%) of the voting share capital in such company or other business entity;

Agreement” means this Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Agreement (including any amendment signed by the Parties hereto), including all schedules and Exhibits attached hereto, and CCN’s entered into hereunder;

Batch” shall mean a specific quantity of Product that is intended to be of uniform character and quality and is produced during the same cycle of manufacture;

“Batch Records” means in relation to a Batch of Product, the production records showing how the Batch was manufactured;

Bill of Testing” means the agreed upon written list of testing, methods, limits and specifications applicable to in-process bulk harvest and Product, applying to the manufacture and disposition of Product by DSM, as defined in the Quality Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 1, Annex 4, that may be amended by written agreement between the Parties;

CCN” means a contemplated change notification initiated by DSM in writing and provided to OPTHEA upon request of either Party, and describing any material deviation from the Services, and which must be approved by OPTHEA in writing before entering into force. The standard format of a CCN is attached hereto as Exhibit 4;

Certificate of Analysis” or “CoA” means the certificate containing the outcome of the disposition tests on the Product as performed by DSM or on behalf of DSM according to the Bill of Testing;

cGMP” means current good manufacturing practices and general biological products standards as promulgated under the United States Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act at 21 CFR (Chapters 210, 211, 600 and 610), the EEC Guide to Good Manufacturing Practices for Medicinal Products as promulgated under European Directive 2003/94/EC (replacing 91/356/EEC) and PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal Products PE-009-08 Part 2, including any amendments to such regulations, to the extent these regulations relate to guidelines applicable for biopharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients;

 

  Page 6 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

Claims” means any legal claim, demand, action, suit or proceedings made or brought by any third party (other than an Affiliate of either Party);

Close Out Costs” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.5;

Confidential Information” means any scientific, technical or business information furnished by the disclosing Party to the receiving Party in connection with the Services and this Agreement, whether orally, in writing or as a tangible sample of material;

Cost” shall mean the actual invoiced price paid by DSM to a third party in connection with the acquisition of materials and services in connection with the Services, including without limitation shipping and handling costs and customs duties. Costs for third party service providers and vendors, and for media, feed, or any individual item having an invoice price [***] shall also be invoiced at Cost [***] to cover DSM’s procurement and inventory costs in connection therewith.

Defaulting Party” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 15.1.4;

“Deliverable” means any deliverable to be provided to OPTHEA, by DSM, as further specified in Exhibit 1, any amendment thereto, or in a CCN;

Designated Vendor” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.7 below and shall include those entities specified in Exhibit 7.

“Development Work” means the activities as undertaken by DSM which relate to non-cGMP manufacturing of the Product which are performed in the laboratory facilities and include technology transfer and any kind of development, scaling-up, validation and testing activities including toxicology batches and engineering batches;

Documents” means the documents on the basis of which a Batch of Product is released by DSM which include but may not be limited to: the Certificate of Analysis, Statement of Compliance, production and testing records, analytical test data for release tests of the Bulk Harvest Product, Batch dossier summary and deviation reports as agreed upon in the Quality Agreement;

DSM Facilities” means the development and production facilities of DSM located at [***] and [***];

EMA” means the European Medicines Agency;

“EFFECTIVE DATE” means the date indicated on the first page of this Agreement;

FDA” means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration;

For Cause Audit” shall mean an audit to address a Major cGMP Deviation resulting in a failure of Product to meet Specification due to DSM’s material breach of its obligations under this Agreement.

Force Majeure” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 19.1;

“Intellectual Property Right” shall mean inventions, Patents, and/or Know How, and all intellectual property rights related thereto.

 

  Page 7 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

“Know-How” shall mean any and all information not covered by a Patent, including but not limited to materials, trade secrets, information, experience and data, formulae, procedures, results and specifications, regulatory filings and clinical and pre-clinical data, in written or electronic form.

Latent Defects” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.8.3;

Losses” means, in relation to a Claim, any and all losses, obligations, liabilities, damages, deficiencies, costs and expenses which a Party incurs or suffers (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and legal fees incident thereto or in seeking indemnification from the other Party therefore) as a result of such Claim;

Manufacturing Work” means the activities as undertaken by DSM for manufacturing the Batch of Product, including all manufacturing activities in compliance with cGMP (which for the purpose hereof shall include all operations of receipt of materials and products, production, quality control, release, storage);

Material Change” means any change in assumptions or scope that results in the necessity to modify the Manufacturing or Development Work previously agreed to by the Parties in order to achieve a desired result;

New General Application Intellectual Property” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 11.2;

New OPTHEA Intellectual Property” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 11.2;

“Non-Defaulting Party” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 15.1.4;

“Patent” means any and all granted patents, including without limitation utility models and certificates of invention, and reissues, renewals, reexaminations, supplementary protection certificates, extensions, and term restorations thereof, and patent applications therefore, including any continuations, continuations-in-parts, divisionals thereof, and the like, and foreign equivalents thereof;

Price” means, depending on the context, the total price for the Services or the price for any element of work in the Services as specified in the Exhibit 2;

Process” means the process for the development and manufacture of the Product as used in the Services, including any improvements thereto;

Product” means bulk purified OPT-302 drug substance manufactured in accordance with the Process;

Project Manager” means the individual assigned by a Party who will be responsible on behalf of the respective Party for the scientific and technical components of the Services;

Quality Agreement” means the agreement jointly developed by the Parties during the Development Work, attached hereto as Exhibit 3, incorporating all relevant Quality Assurance and Quality Control obligations and aspects for the Parties;

 

  Page 8 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

Schedule” shall mean the description of the Services, as set forth in Exhibit 1, incorporating the specific details of each Services phase and a time schedule mutually agreed upon by the Parties.

Services” means all the activities performed by DSM, as further described in Exhibit 1, and all amendments thereto, or in any CCNs entered hereunder;

Service Activity” means the [***] activities performed by DSM, as further described and identified in Annex 1 of Exhibit 1, and includes any CCNs or amendments entered hereunder;

Specifications” means the specifications, technical data and/or formulae of the Product manufactured during Manufacturing Work, and all amendments thereto, to be agreed upon in writing between the Parties. The Specifications are set out in Exhibit 6. Any amendment to the Specifications must be in writing, signed by both Parties.

Statement of Compliance” or “SoC” means the confirmation to be issued by DSM contained in the Certificate of Analysis stating that the Product meets the Specifications and was manufactured in accordance with cGMP.

Steering Committee” has the meaning as set forth in Section 7.6.

Term” is defined in Section 15.1.

SECTION 3: OBJECTIVES AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES

 

3.1

Services for Payment: Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, OPTHEA hereby engages DSM to carry out the Services; and DSM, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, hereby undertakes to use commercially reasonable efforts to carry out the Services in accordance with this Agreement.

 

3.2

CCN: Any Material Change to the scope of the Services shall not take effect unless approved in writing through a CCN signed by both Parties. Subject to provisions under Section 4.4, DSM shall submit a CCN to OPTHEA in a timely manner. DSM shall not be responsible for any delay resulting from OPTHEA’s failure to timely execute a CCN necessary for the completion of the Services or any portion of such Services.

SECTION 4: EXECUTION OF THE SERVICES – DEVELOPMENT WORK

 

4.1

Commencement: DSM shall begin the Services on or about 28th October 2013subject to DSM having timely received the appropriate payments in accordance with Section 6 and the necessary OPTHEA approvals, consents, information and materials necessary for the commencement of the Services (or any part of the Services), as specified in this Agreement, and specifically without limitation in Exhibit 1, any amendment thereto, or in a CCN. The different stages of the Development Work are estimated to require the periods of time identified in the Schedule to this Agreement. Any estimated timelines are dependent on OPTHEA’s timely provision of necessary approvals, consents, information and/or materials specified in Exhibit 1, any amendment thereto, in any CCN or other writing agreed to by the Parties. DSM shall timely notify OPTHEA if it expects execution of a part of the Services not to be possible within the timeframe as described in the Schedule, and, subject to Section 4.5, shall take commercially reasonable efforts to perform that part of the Services as soon as possible thereafter.

 

  Page 9 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

4.2

In accordance with [***] set forth in the Schedule as described in Exhibit 1, the second Service Activity being part of the Development Work will not commence unless the Parties have agreed in writing to [***] in respect thereof. DSM shall keep OPTHEA informed of the impact of any delays in commencing each Service Activity, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize any such delays.

 

4.3

Incremental Work: Within [***] after performance by DSM of each individual stage of the Development Work, as described in the Schedule, DSM shall notify (electronically, in writing) OPTHEA (i) about the results of the stage and (ii) to what extent, in DSM’s opinion, the stage has been completed. Based on this information Parties shall discuss in good faith whether to (i) proceed with the Services according to the Schedule, (ii) perform incremental work with regard to the stage (and agree on the consequences, e.g. in relation to previously agreed Manufacturing Work) or (iii) terminate the Services. DSM shall employ its best efforts to incorporate incremental work into the existing Services as outlined in Exhibit 1. Any resulting agreement with respect to how to proceed shall be set forth in writing. In the event that the incremental work leads to a change in the Schedule for the Manufacturing Work the consequences with respect to the change in the Schedule shall be negotiated, and the Parties shall set forth in the CCN the impact of those consequences.

 

4.4

CCN Discussion: In the event that the Parties agree that incremental work is necessary they shall negotiate a CCN in good faith. If the Parties fail to reach agreement on the CCN within a [***] period after having started discussions on the CCN, the Services and this Agreement shall terminate automatically, unless the Parties agree to extend the time for such negotiations, in writing. Any agreed CCN implemented for the Services shall include a discount in the amount of [***] to DSM’s standard rates.

 

4.5

OPTHEA Responsibilities: In connection with any Development Work related to the Services, and subject to Section 4.2, OPTHEA shall provide DSM with all required approvals, consents, information and other materials specified in Exhibit 1, on a timely basis, and no later than the time period specified in Exhibit 1 or such other time as specifically agreed to by the project teams and set forth in approved meeting minutes. In the event that any delay of the Development Work results from OPTHEA’s failure to provide necessary consent, information and/or materials within the time frame specified in Exhibit 1, subject to Section 4.2, or the time frame agreed upon by the project teams in writing, any other part of this Agreement, any amendment to this Agreement, any CCN, or as otherwise set forth in any writing between the Parties, when required thereby, OPTHEA shall be solely responsible for such delay. Any unreasonable delay resulting from OPTHEA’s failure in accordance with this section 4.5 shall be considered a Postponement within the meaning of Section 15.2.

 

  Page 10 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

4.6

DSM Responsibilites: In connection with any Development Work related to the Services, DSM shall use reasonable efforts consistent with industry practice to execute all activities according to and in line with the timelines as specified in Exhibit 1 according to applicable guidelines and laws and to supply OPTHEA with all required materials and information, subject to Sections 4.1 and 4.2. DSM will provide all required documentation requiring approval or action by OPTHEA in time to allow suitable time for approval. Each Party will take all reasonable efforts to prevent the loss of any scheduled manufacturing slots. Nothing contained herein shall limit or otherwise modify Section 12.4 of this Agreement.

 

4.7

Vendors Designated or Contracted by OPTHEA: If, in connection with the Development Work performed pursuant to this Article 4, or the Manufacturing Work performed pursuant to Article 5, OPTHEA elects, at its sole discretion, to require DSM to procure raw materials, media, feed or other supplies (“raw materials”) from vendors designated by OPTHEA which are not approved vendors under contract with DSM (hereinafter, “Designated Vendors”), then OPTHEA shall so advise DSM in writing, and DSM will establish supply arrangements with such Designated Vendors in accordance with this Section 4.7.

 

  4.7.1

Cooperation on Supply Problems. DSM shall promptly advise OPTHEA if it encounters supply problems, including delays and/or delivery of non-conforming products from Designated Vendors; and (ii) DSM and OPTHEA shall cooperate to reduce or eliminate any supply problems from such Designated Vendors.

 

  4.7.2

Annual Certification. OPTHEA shall be obligated to certify its own Designated Vendors, as specified in the Quality Agreement, on an annual basis, at its expense, and shall annually supply certification to DSM for such Designated Vendors. If DSM is required to certify such Designated Vendors, DSM’s certification expenses including, but not limited to, quality audit visits to the Designated Vendors [***].

 

  4.7.3

Cancelled Manufacturing Runs. If scheduled manufacturing runs are required to be cancelled because a Designated Vendor failed to supply acceptable materials on a timely basis, OPTHEA may be obligated to pay DSM a cancelled production fee as outlined in Section 15.2 and where appropriate, the cancellation scheme set forth in Exhibit 5.

 

  4.7.4

Batch Failure Resulting from Designated Vendor Failure. If any Batch of Product fails because of defects or other non-conformities in raw materials supplied by a Designated Vendor that could not have been discovered by DSM as a result of DSM’s obligations under this Agreement and the Quality Agreement, then OPTHEA shall be obligated to pay DSM a failed Batch fee computed as [***] of the Batch Price including [***].

 

  4.7.5

Rescheduled Runs. At the request of OPTHEA, DSM shall use reasonable efforts to re-schedule any production run which is cancelled due to Designated Vendor problems, subject to its then existing production schedule. Upon the rescheduled production of the cancelled production, [***] Price shall be charged for such rescheduled quantities upon completion, notwithstanding and in accordance with Section 15.2, OPTHEA’s prior payment of [***].

 

  Page 11 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

  4.7.6

Quality Issues. OPTHEA shall be responsible for compensating DSM for [***] to investigate and resolve quality issues arising with the Designated Vendor.

 

  4.7.7

Direct Contracts with Vendor. If OPTHEA requires DSM to procure raw material from any Designated Vendor, then DSM shall require that such Designated Vendor enter into a supply contract directly with DSM; otherwise, and until execution of such supply contract, OPTHEA shall be solely responsible for the supply of raw materials, and for any liability arising as a result thereof.

 

  4.7.8

For avoidance of doubt, the provisions of this Section 4.7 shall equally apply to Article 5 of the Agreement.

 

4.8

Engineering Batch Failure due to not Using Diligent and Commercially Reasonable Efforts: If any non-cGMP manufacturing of an engineering batch fails because DSM has not used diligent and commercially reasonable efforts to perform such manufacturing, OPTHEA and DSM shall agree on one of the following as the [***] for OPTHEA and the [***] for DSM:

 

  4.8.1

to [***] for such batch;

 

  4.8.2

to obtain, at [***] and [***] as soon as reasonably possible;

 

  4.8.3

to [***] in such a way that it can be deemed to have been manufactured diligently and using commercially reasonable efforts.

SECTION 5: EXECUTION OF THE SERVICES – MANUFACTURING WORK

 

5.1

Performance: It is understood by the Parties that the [***] Service Activities are optional to OPTHEA and may be requested by OPTHEA at its discretion, no time slot being reserved by DSM for any part of the [***] Service Activities including the Manufacturing Work. The [***] Service Activities including the Manufacturing Work will thus not commence unless they are authorized by OPTHEA in writing. If and when OPTHEA provides such written approval, DSM shall reserve a time slot for OPTHEA for performing the [***] Service Activities including the Manufacturing Work. DSM shall perform the Manufacturing Work under the Services in the DSM Facilities, subject to DSM having received in due time the appropriate payment(s) in accordance with Section 6 and the necessary OPTHEA approvals, consent, information and materials necessary for the commencement of the Services (or any part of the Services), as specified in Exhibit 1, any amendment thereto, or in a CCN. The different parts of the Manufacturing Work are estimated to require the periods of time identified in the Schedule to this Agreement. DSM shall timely notify OPTHEA if it expects execution of a part of the Manufacturing Work not to be possible within the timeframe as described in the Schedule, and subject to Section 5.2 shall take commercially reasonable efforts to perform that part of such Manufacturing Work as soon as possible thereafter.

 

  Page 12 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

5.2

OPTHEA Responsibilities: In connection with any Manufacturing Work in connection with the Services, OPTHEA shall provide DSM with all required approvals, consents, information and other materials specified in Exhibit 1 or the Quality Agreement, on a timely basis, and no later than the time period specified therein once the Manufacturing Work is approved to commence by OPTHEA. OPTHEA’s responsibility to provide consents, information and other materials includes the requirement to approve Documents, supply or order OPTHEA supplied materials, or provide information in accordance with the schedule set forth in Exhibit 1 or in the Quality Agreement or such other time as specifically agreed to by the project teams and set forth in approved meeting minutes. In the event that any delay of the Manufacturing Work results from OPTHEA’s failure to provide necessary approvals, consent, information and/or materials within the time frame specified in Exhibit 1, any other part of this Agreement, any amendment to this Agreement, any CCN, or as otherwise set forth in any writing between the Parties, when required thereby, OPTHEA shall be solely responsible for such delay. Any such unreasonable delay shall be [***].

 

5.3

Quality Agreement: In relation to the Manufacturing Work, each Party shall perform their respective obligations and responsibilities set forth in the Quality Agreement.

 

5.4

Manufacture in accordance with cGMP: The Product to be manufactured during the Manufacturing Work (as described in the Schedule) shall be manufactured in accordance with all applicable cGMP requirements.

 

5.5

Testing: Each Batch of Product will be sampled and tested by or on behalf of DSM against the Specifications according to the Bill of Testing. The Bill of Testing shall be approved, in writing, by the Parties, and signed by each Party. Any modifications to the Bill of Testing shall only be effective when approved in writing by the Parties. In connection with Manufacturing Work, the quality assurance department of DSM will review the Documentation and will assess if the manufacture has taken place in compliance with cGMP regulations.

 

5.6

Statement of Compliance: If, based upon such tests, the Batch conforms to the Specifications and was manufactured according to cGMP, a Statement of Compliance will be completed and approved by the Quality Assurance Department of DSM in connection with Manufacturing Work. The Certificate of Analysis including the Statement of Compliance and all other Documents will be delivered to OPTHEA for each Batch. In the event OPTHEA has not received all Documents at the time of delivery of the Certificate of Analysis it will promptly notify DSM in writing and DSM shall, within [***], send such Documents to OPTHEA. In the event that OPTHEA requires additional copies of the Documents, or copies of any other documents concerning the Manufacturing Work, these will be provided by DSM at Cost.

 

5.7

Shipment: When OPTHEA requests DSM to ship Product to OPTHEA or a third party, DSM shall do so in accordance with OPTHEA’s instructions but at [***] of OPTHEA. Product shall be shipped, [***] from the DSM Facilities (in accordance with Incoterms 2000) with responsibility for and title to the Product passing to OPTHEA in accordance with the applicable Incoterms.

 

  Page 13 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

5.8

Acceptance: OPTHEA will notify DSM in writing of its acceptance or rejection of the Batch of Product within [***] of delivery of all Documents; and such acceptance or rejection shall be based solely on OPTHEA’s review of the Documents (“Acceptance”).

 

  5.8.1

OPTHEA shall be obligated to accept the Batch in all instances other than where the Batch fails to meet the Specifications and/or was not manufactured in compliance with cGMP. OPTHEA shall notify DSM of any rejection of the Batch of Product pursuant to this Section 5.8.1 within the [***] period set forth in Section 5.8. In the absence of any such written confirmation to DSM of rejection of the Batch or any material substantiation of the underlying reasons for such rejection, the Batch of Product shall be deemed to comply with the Specifications and manufactured in compliance with cGMP and shall be deemed Accepted by OPTHEA.

 

  5.8.2

During the aforementioned [***] and thereafter, OPTHEA shall have and retain full control and title to the Product, but unless otherwise requested by OPTHEA, DSM shall store the Batch until delivery pursuant to Section 5.7 or shipment pursuant to the Section 5.8.4 under controlled conditions compliant with cGMP requirements and according to the agreed upon storage instructions. Any other use or processing of the Product by or on behalf of OPTHEA prior to Acceptance shall be [***].

 

  5.8.3

Upon Acceptance by OPTHEA of the Batch of Product, OPTHEA shall [***] in respect of the Batch vis-à -vis DSM save for [***]. Latent Defects (as defined hereafter) shall be reported in writing promptly after discovery but in no event more than [***] after delivery of the respective Batch of Product. “Latent Defects” shall mean a non-compliance of the Product with the Specifications caused by a provable failure by DSM to comply with cGMP, which defect was already present at the time of delivery and which could not have been identified by or on behalf of OPTHEA prior to Acceptance by review of the Certificate of Analysis and other Documents supplied to OPTHEA on delivery of the Batch.

Without limitation of anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, including but not limited to Section 4.7, OPTHEA’s sole and exclusive remedy for Latent Defects for which DSM is responsible under the terms of this Agreement shall be the remedies set forth in Section 5.12 and DSM shall only be liable upon OPTHEA’s proof that DSM failed to comply with cGMP. In the event of any attempted rejection of Product by OPTHEA due to an alleged Latent Defect, OPTHEA shall either dispose of the Product or return the Product to DSM, in accordance with DSM’s instructions and applicable laws. Where it is established that a Latent Defect exists, all Costs of disposal or return shall be borne by DSM. Otherwise, OPTHEA shall bear the Costs of return or disposal.

 

  Page 14 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

  5.8.4

Shipment to Third Party: When OPTHEA requests DSM to ship Product to a third party, DSM shall do so in accordance with OPTHEA’s instructions but at the sole risk, responsibility and expense of OPTHEA. In such event and subject to the other terms of this Agreement, responsibility for and title to the Product shall pass to OPTHEA along with the risk when the Product is placed [***]. Following such shipment, if OPTHEA claims that such Product does not comply with Specifications, then it must demonstrate by clear evidence that such non-compliance is caused solely by the failure by DSM to comply with cGMP and that such defect was already present prior to shipment.

 

5.9

Dispute on Specifications: If during the aforementioned [***] period (or, in the case of Latent Defects, the aforementioned [***] period), there is any dispute concerning whether Product complies with the Specifications or whether such failure is due (in whole or in part) to acts or omissions of OPTHEA (or a third party to whom OPTHEA has requested that DSM ship Product) after delivery of Product, a sample of the Product received by OPTHEA and a sample retained by DSM shall be exchanged between OPTHEA and DSM for a counter-check. If such counter-check does not resolve the dispute, the Parties agree to act in good faith to arrive at a solution and, in doing so, may mutually agree to submit a sample of the Product received by OPTHEA and a sample retained by DSM to an independent, qualified third-party laboratory that is mutually acceptable and selected by the Parties promptly in good faith. Such laboratory shall provide the Parties with a recommendation regarding whether the rejected Product met the Specifications at the time of delivery by DSM to the carrier; and the Parties shall, based on such recommendations, negotiate an appropriate resolution of their dispute.

 

5.10

Dispute on cGMP: If during the aforementioned [***] period (or, in the case of Latent Defects, the aforementioned [***] period), there is any dispute concerning whether Product was manufactured in compliance with cGMP, the QA-managers of the Parties shall discuss in good faith to attempt to resolve such dispute. If the QA-managers of the Parties fail to reach agreement in due time, such dispute shall be submitted to the Steering Committee. If the Steering Committee fails to reach agreement in due time, such dispute shall be submitted to an independent, qualified third-party expert that is mutually acceptable and selected by the Parties promptly in good faith. Such expert shall determine whether the Product was manufactured in compliance with cGMP; and such expert’s determinations shall be final and determinative for purposes of this Agreement save for manifest error on the face of decision. [***] shall bear all fees and costs of the expert’s activities.

 

5.11

Remedy on Failed Specification: If the Batch of Product does not conform to the Specifications, provided the nonconformity is not due to DSM’s failure to comply with cGMP, and OPTHEA subsequently does not Accept the Batch, OPTHEA shall have to pay the Price for this failed Batch of Product. DSM shall at OPTHEA’s request either obtain new raw materials and produce a new Batch of Product as soon as reasonably possible or investigate and rework the Batch with the Price of any replacement Batch to be paid by OPTHEA.

 

  Page 15 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

5.12

Remedy on Failed cGMP:

 

  5.12.1

Regardless of whether the Batch of Product conforms to the Specifications or not, if this Batch was not manufactured according to cGMP (if applicable) and the Batch is subsequently not Accepted by OPTHEA, OPTHEA and DSM shall agree on one of the following [***] for OPTHEA and the [***] for DSM:

 

  5.12.1.1

to refund the Price and Costs paid for this Batch of Product;

 

  5.12.1.2

to obtain, at DSM’s cost and expense, new raw materials and Manufacture a new Batch of Product as soon as reasonably possible;

 

  5.12.1.3

to rework, at DSM’s cost and expense, the Product in such a way that the Batch can be deemed to have been manufactured according to cGMP.

 

  5.12.2

Regardless of the decision made pursuant to Section 5.12.1, the Parties shall meet to discuss, evaluate and analyze the reasons for and implications of the failure to comply with cGMP and shall discuss in good faith whether to proceed with or to amend the Services, or to terminate the Services.

 

5.13

[***]: Subject to the indemnification obligations under this Agreement, [***] under this Agreement with respect to Product (i) not complying with the Specifications shall be limited to the remedy as provided for in Section 5.11 and (ii) not being manufactured in compliance with cGMP shall be limited to the remedy and liability as provided for in Section 5.12.

 

5.14

Indemnity for subsequent Purchasers: OPTHEA shall indemnify, defend and hold DSM and its Affiliates harmless from and against any and all Losses resulting from claims made by any subsequent purchasers of the Product against DSM for loss or damage arising out of the performance or non-performance of Product provided under this Agreement, if OPTHEA cannot obtain for DSM from the subsequent purchasers the limitation of liability protections in this Agreement.

SECTION 6: PRICE

 

6.1

Price Assumptions: It is understood between the Parties that the Prices for the Services shall be based upon [***] hereto. If, during the execution of the Services, it becomes clear that [***] and have consequences for the Services, which cannot be addressed by a CCN, the Parties shall adjust the Price for those parts of the Services so effected accordingly. In addition, OPTHEA agrees that it shall bear any adjustment to the Price due to subsequent regulatory changes relevant to the Services, Product, and/or the Process, or any delay by OPTHEA in providing required consents, information and other materials specified in Exhibit 1, on a timely basis.

 

6.2

Invoicing Schedule: The invoicing schedule for the Services undertaken under this Agreement is set out in Exhibit 2.

 

  Page 16 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

6.3

Invoices: All invoices shall be payable by OPTHEA within [***] of receipt of the invoice with payment being made as specified on the invoice. Any delay in the payment by OPTHEA of the Price shall carry an interest rate as of the first day of such delayed payment, which interest rate shall be based on an annual interest rate of [***] above the base lending rate at the time as set by the Reserve Bank of Australia. In the event of a failure to pay within the required time frame, DSM shall notify OPTHEA of such failure, and OPTHEA shall advise of the reasons for the failure to pay. If the failure to pay has not been resolved within not less than [***] of such notice by DSM, DSM shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or discontinue any scheduled commencement of or continuation of work to be performed, or being performed, even if such discontinuance or suspension results in the loss of a time slot that was reserved for OPTHEA. DSM shall notify OPTHEA of any such decision in writing. DSM shall not be held responsible or liable for any non-commencement or discontinuation of the Services or missed time slot as a result of any suspension or discontinuance of work pursuant to this Section 6.3. Any loss of timeslot hereunder shall be considered a Postponement pursuant to Section 15.2. DSM may also, in its sole discretion, treat the failure to pay the invoice as a cancellation by OPTHEA, and OPTHEA shall be responsible for payment for such cancellation in accordance with the terms of the cancellation scheme of Exhibit 5.

SECTION 7: MANAGEMENT OF THE SERVICES

 

7.1

The Parties hereby agree that the Services shall be under the day-to-day supervision of the DSM Project Manager.

 

7.2

The Parties shall work together through the respective Project Managers to ensure the satisfactory execution of the Services.

 

7.3

Each Project Manager shall be entitled to propose recommendations to the Parties to ensure that the Services meet their objectives.

 

7.4

Each Project Manager shall be in charge of all scientific and technical components of the Services within its own organization and shall maintain communication with the other Party in connection therewith.

 

7.5

Each Party intends and shall use reasonable efforts not to replace its Project Manager and, in case of replacement, to timely notify the other Party of such replacement.

 

7.6

The Parties shall also nominate a Steering Committee (“Steering Committee”), which Steering Committee shall be in charge of (i) monitoring the overall progress, timelines, results and Price of the Services; (ii) taking the relevant decisions as described in Sections 5.10 and 5.12; (iii) discussing the forward planning of the Services for the upcoming 12 months insofar as this is not yet firmly agreed upon between the Parties, and (iv) attempt to settle any disputes according to Section 18. Unless otherwise provided for or agreed upon in writing, all decisions of the Steering Committee shall be taken on the basis of unanimity.

 

  Page 17 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

7.7

DSM shall permit a reasonable number of persons authorized by OPTHEA, including but not limited to OPTHEA employees, representatives, contractors or employees, representatives or contractors of an Affiliate of OPTHEA, licensees or potential licensees of OPTHEA, under appropriate confidentiality provisions acceptable to DSM, to visit the DSM Facilities during regular business hours where the Services are being conducted to evaluate the progress of the Services, unless such visit would conflict with a prearranged visit by another client or an inspection by or for another client or by a regulatory authority. Unless otherwise agreed, such visits shall only be made subject to [***] prior written notice of the request for such visit, such notice to be given to DSM by OPTHEA and such notice to identify the persons who will be visiting and the nature of their association with OPTHEA. Nothing contained in this Section 7.7 shall be construed to permit OPTHEA employees, representatives, contractors or employees, representatives or contactors of an Affiliate of OPTHEA, licensees or potential licensees of OPTHEA to be present in restricted cGMP suites or locations of the facility.

 

7.8

The Parties may use electronic mail to communicate during the execution of the Services. The Parties shall use all reasonable measures to ensure the confidentiality of information so communicated.

 

7.9

DSM shall, throughout the Services, use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain adequate resources (including suitable equipment and facilities and qualified, trained and experienced staff) to perform the Services as currently planned and as may be modified by agreement between the Parties.

SECTION 8: RECORDS AND REPORTS

DSM hereby undertakes that it shall submit to OPTHEA, at the times identified in the Schedule, a report detailing the progress and results of (the relevant part of) the Services and highlighting any major issues encountered during the previous period. If no times are identified in the Schedule, then reports shall be issued [***] and final reports shall be issued promptly after completion of the relevant part of the Services. In any event, as soon as DSM becomes aware of any major issues that may impact on the time for completion of the Services or any part thereof, or that may have an effect on a deliverable or impact the Product, such major issues shall be reported promptly to OPTHEA, as well as being highlighted in the next report that is due on that part of the Services.

SECTION 9: QUALITY AUDITS AND REGULATORY APPROVALS

 

9.1

All audits shall be governed by the Quality Agreement attached as Exhibit 3 to this Agreement.

 

9.2

The “Annual Audit” as set forth in the Quality Agreement and “For Cause Audits” will be [***] to OPTHEA.

 

  Page 18 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

9.3

For any other Audits other than those outlined under Section 9.2 of this Agreement during the same calendar year or twelve month period (as applicable), DSM’s expenses (including DSM’s internal costs, such as, without limitation, labor which for the purpose hereof shall be charged at [***] in accordance with the terms of Exhibit 1) associated with such audits or inspections shall be borne by OPTHEA.

 

9.4

DSM shall permit inspections of DSM’s facilities by governmental authorities (such as the FDA and equivalent EMA regulatory authorities) in connection with any registration or pending registration for manufacturing of Product. All DSM’s and such subcontractors’ expenses (including internal costs, such as, without limitation, labor costs) associated with such audits or inspections shall be borne by [***] and shall be in accordance with [***].

 

9.5

DSM and OPTHEA agree to promptly inform each other on the outcome of other inspections by governmental regulatory authorities potentially connected with the Product(s).

SECTION 10: SUBCONTRACTING

Unless to an Affiliate in relation to an activity which is not covered by cGMP, DSM shall not be entitled to subcontract portions of the Services to any third party without OPTHEA’s prior written permission thereto, which permission shall not be unreasonably or untimely withheld.

SECTION 11: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

 

11.1

Neither Party will, as a result of this Agreement, acquire any right, title or interest in any Intellectual Property Rights that the other party owns or controls as of the Effective Date, or that the other Party obtains ownership or control of separate and apart from the performance of the Services under this Agreement.

 

11.2

OPTHEA shall exclusively own all right, title and interest in the Intellectual Property Rights that DSM and/or its Affiliates, contractors or agents develop, conceive, invent, reduce to practice or make, solely or jointly with OPTHEA, in the course of performance of the Services or as a result of receipt of OPTHEA Intellectual Property Rights and that [***] (“New OPTHEA Intellectual Property”).

DSM shall exclusively own all right, title and interest in the Intellectual Property Rights that DSM and/or its Affiliates, contractors or agents develop, conceive, invent, reduce to practice or make, solely or jointly with OPTHEA in the course of performance of the Services or as a result of receipt of OPTHEA Intellectual Property Rights and that [***] (“New General Application Intellectual Property”). By way of example, process changes to DSM’s standard platform process based on and/or in connection with the Product and/or the Process, shall be deemed to be New General Application Intellectual Property.

 

  Page 19 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

For the avoidance of doubt, the Parties agree that New OPTHEA Intellectual Property shall not under any circumstances be interpreted or defined to include any New General Application Intellectual Property, and that New General Application Intellectual Property shall not under any circumstances be interpreted or defined to include any New OPTHEA Intellectual Property.

 

11.3

DSM hereby assigns to OPTHEA and shall continue to assign to OPTHEA all of its right, title and interest in any New OPTHEA Intellectual Property. DSM shall promptly disclose to OPTHEA in writing all New OPTHEA Intellectual Property. DSM shall execute, and shall require DSM’s personnel involved in the performance of the Services to execute, any documents required to confirm OPTHEA’s ownership of the New OPTHEA Intellectual Property, and any documents required to apply for, maintain and enforce any patent or other right in the New OPTHEA Intellectual Property. Upon OPTHEA’s request and at OPTHEA’s reasonable expense, and at no cost to DSM, DSM shall assist OPTHEA as may be necessary to apply for, maintain and enforce any patent or other right in the New OPTHEA Intellectual Property.

OPTHEA hereby assigns to DSM and shall continue to assign to DSM all of its right, title and interest in any New General Application Intellectual Property. OPTHEA shall execute, and shall require OPTHEA’s personnel involved in the performance of the Services to execute, any documents required to confirm DSM’s ownership of the New General Application Intellectual Property, and any documents required to apply for, maintain and enforce any patent or other right in the New General Application Intellectual Property. Upon DSM’s request and at DSM’s reasonable expense, and at no cost to OPTHEA, OPTHEA shall assist DSM as may be necessary to apply for, maintain and enforce any patent or other right in the New General Application Intellectual Property.

 

11.4

DSM hereby grants to OPTHEA a perpetual, royalty-free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive, worldwide, transferable license, with the right to grant and authorize sublicenses, to use any and all Intellectual Property Rights proprietary to DSM, including New General Application Intellectual Property, embedded in the Process, solely for the purpose of and to the extent necessary for developing, conducting clinical trials for, formulating, making, testing, seeking regulatory approval for, marketing, commercializing, using, selling, importing and distributing the Product.

It is agreed between the Parties that such license to OPTHEA shall not include a license to [***], it being understood by the Parties that the technology embedded in these DSM Intellectual Property Rights shall not be used by DSM to perform the Services. If, due to an amendment of the Services, such DSM Intellectual Property Rights will be used to perform the Services, DSM may require a separate license, including provisions for payment of royalties under certain circumstances as set forth in such license. Any amendment of the Services which may lead to the use of such DSM Intellectual Property Rights will be discussed between the Parties. In the event that OPTHEA does not enter into a license agreement on terms acceptable to DSM, DSM shall not (and shall have no obligation to) include the use of such Intellectual Property Rights in the performance of the Services.

 

  Page 20 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

11.5

OPTHEA hereby grants to DSM, for the Term of this Agreement only, a non-exclusive, royalty-free license, without the right to sublicense, to use any and all Intellectual Property Rights proprietary to OPTHEA, including New OPTHEA Intellectual Property, solely for the purpose of performing the Services and to the extent necessary to perform the Services.

 

11.6

The rights and obligations set forth in this Section 11 shall survive any termination of this Agreement for any reason.

SECTION 12: REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

12.1

DSM hereby represents and warrants to OPTHEA that on the Effective Date of this Agreement:

 

  12.1.1

it is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of The Netherlands, and has full corporate power to conduct the business in which it is presently engaged and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement;

 

  12.1.2

it has taken all necessary corporate action under the applicable laws and its articles of incorporation and bylaws to authorize the execution by its undersigned officers and consummation of this Agreement. This Agreement shall constitute a valid and legally binding agreement, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles;

 

  12.1.3

to the best of its knowledge, the execution by it of the activities contemplated by the Services in accordance with this Agreement will not infringe upon the rights of any third party, nor conflict with any law or regulation applicable to DSM;

 

  12.1.4

it has the capabilities to perform the Services.

 

12.2

OPTHEA hereby represents and warrants to DSM that on the Effective Date of this Agreement:

 

  12.2.1

it is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Australia, and has full corporate power to conduct the business in which it is presently engaged and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement;

 

  12.2.2

it has taken all necessary corporate action under the applicable laws and its articles of incorporation and bylaws to authorize the execution by its undersigned officers and consummation of this Agreement. This Agreement shall constitute a valid and legally binding agreement, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles;

 

  Page 21 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

  12.2.3

it has sufficient right to the Product for the execution of the Services;

 

  12.2.4

to the best of its knowledge, as known to OPTHEA on the Effective Date, the Product does not infringe upon the rights of any third party, nor conflict with any law or regulation applicable to OPTHEA and there are no third party rights to a process which is exclusive and specific to the manufacture of the Product;

 

  12.2.5

non-cGMP Product will not be for human use.

 

12.3

Disclaimer of Warranties. Subject to 12.1.3, DSM EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS (i) all implied warranties [***]; (ii) any warranties that the Product will not [***]; (iii) any warranties in respect of [***] of the Product or in respect of the [***] the Product to third parties, and (iv) any warranty, either express or implied, legal or conventional, with regard to the Services or Product other than [***] in this Agreement.

 

12.4

With respect to DEVELOPMENT WORK performed under Section 4, DSM shall use diligent and commercially reasonable efforts to perform its obligations as set forth in the Agreement. It is recognized and agreed by and between DSM and OPTHEA, however, that since the services being performed by DSM as part of the DEVELOPMENT WORK are of a developmental or research nature, there can be no guarantee that the DEVELOPMENT WORK will be successfully completed or successfully completed with the contemplated time period, despite DSM’s diligent and commercially reasonable efforts to do so.

 

12.5

The Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that there is no representation nor guarantee:

 

  12.5.1

that the Product or the Process [***] of OPTHEA, commercially exploitable, profitable or approved by any regulatory authority;

 

  12.5.2

that the results identified in Exhibit 1 can be achieved or can be achieved within the set time limit;

 

  12.5.3

that, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing, any Product resulting from the Services will [***] or will be delivered [***] for any further use or clinical programs intended therefore by OPTHEA.

SECTION 13: LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

 

13.1

Limitation of Liability. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, except for [***] the total aggregate liability of either Party to the other Party, on all claims of any kind, whether in contract, tort or strict liability, arising out of the performance or breach of this Agreement shall not exceed the sum which is equal to [***] under this Agreement at the time a claim is made, provided that in any event each Party’s aggregate liability under this Agreement ([***]) shall not exceed the amount of [***]. Without limiting the foregoing, and except as set forth in [***], in no event shall a Party’s liability for any particular Development Work stage or Batch of Product exceed [***].

 

  Page 22 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

13.2

Advice / Assistance. If DSM furnishes OPTHEA with advice or assistance concerning any products, systems or work which is not required pursuant to this Agreement, the furnishing of such advice or assistance will not subject DSM to any liability, whether in contract, tort or strict liability.

 

13.3

For the purposes of this Section 13, the term “DSM” shall mean DSM, its affiliates, subcontractors and suppliers of any tier, and its and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents and/or representatives, whether individually or collectively.

 

13.4

The provisions of this Article 13 shall prevail over any conflicting or inconsistent provisions contained in any of the documents comprising this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt however, the limitation of liability set forth in Section 13.1 shall not in any way [***] if and when applicable.

 

13.5

Non-Direct Damages. In no event, whether as a result of breach of contract, warranty, indemnity, tort (including negligence), strict liability, or otherwise, shall either Party or its subcontractors or suppliers be liable to the other Party for loss of profit or revenues, lost business opportunity, loss of use of the Product or any equipment, claims of the other Party’s customers for such damages, or for any special, consequential, incidental, punitive, indirect or exemplary damages. In no event shall DSM be liable to OPTHEA, or any direct or indirect third party customers of OPTHEA, for [***] of Product. For the avoidance of doubt however, the limitation of liability set forth in this Section 13.5 shall not in any way [***] if and when applicable.

 

13.6

Indemnity. DSM hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless OPTHEA from any Losses resulting from Claims arising from [***], to the extent arising from [***] and resulting directly from DSM’s or its officers, servants, agents, employees, and/or assigns breach while engaged in activities under this Agreement, except to the extent in each case caused by the negligence or misconduct of OPTHEA. OPTHEA shall likewise indemnify and hold harmless DSM from any Losses resulting from Claims arising from [***] (except to the extent caused by DSM’s breach while engaged in activities under this Agreement and for which DSM has an indemnification obligation pursuant to this Article 13.6), or to the extent resulting from the breach of obligations or warranties hereunder or the negligence of OPTHEA, its officers, servants, agents, employees, and/or assigns, while engaged in activities relating to this Agreement, except to the extent caused by the negligence or misconduct of DSM. In the event such damage or injury is caused by joint or concurrent negligence of DSM and OPTHEA, the loss shall be borne [***].

 

13.7

In addition to 13.6 OPTHEA shall assume full responsibility and liability for, and shall indemnify and hold DSM harmless against, any and all Losses resulting from Claims caused by or relating to [***], or [***] in the performance of the Services and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

13.8

The indemnities contained in this Agreement are subject to the following conditions. The indemnified party shall promptly notify the indemnifying party in writing of any Claim with respect to which indemnification is sought (which notice shall include copies of any pleadings or other documents served on the indemnified party in relation to

 

  Page 23 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

  such Claim) and will permit the indemnifying party, at the indemnifying party’s cost, to handle and control the investigation, conduct and defense of such Claim and select counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice. Neither Party shall settle any such Claim without the prior written approval of the other party (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed). The indemnified party shall neither accept nor make any admission in respect of any such Claim or take any action relating to any such Claim which is prejudicial to the defense of any such Claim without the prior written approval of the indemnifying party (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld). The indemnified party shall keep the indemnifying party fully informed of any developments of which it becomes aware that may give rise to such a Claim and fully cooperate with the indemnifying party in the investigation, conduct and defense of such Claim. However, the failure of the indemnified party to adhere to any of the above conditions will not relieve the indemnifying party from its indemnification obligations, except to the extent that (i) such non-adherence has given rise to such Claim or increase of Losses resulting from such Claim; or (ii) the indemnifying has been prejudiced by such non-adherence.

 

13.9

Each Party shall at all times maintain all necessary insurance coverage with sound and reputable independent insurers at commercially reasonable levels of coverage or shall be self-insured having regard to the nature, type, scope and size of the business it conducts and all its respective activities and obligations under this Agreement. General liability coverage in the amount of at least [***] shall be maintained by each Party. Each Party shall, upon reasonable request of the other Party, produce satisfactory evidence that all insurance premiums have been paid and kept up to date and are kept in accordance with local insurance laws or regulations from time to time in force, or shall furnish appropriate certificates of insurance showing proof of coverage. The insurance coverage may be provided through a combination of primary, excess/umbrella or self-insured retention, and shall not serve to operate as a limitation on the recovery of any claim. Each Party shall include the other Party as a named insured on its policies of insurance, as the other Party’s interests may be affected pursuant to this Agreement.

SECTION 14: CONFIDENTIALITY

 

14.1

Each Party shall maintain all Confidential Information it has received in strict confidence, except that the receiving Party may disclose or permit the disclosure of any Confidential Information to its Affiliates and its Affiliates directors, officers, employees, consultants, advisors who are obligated to maintain the confidential nature of such Confidential Information and who need to know such Confidential Information for the execution of the Services.

 

14.2

Each Party shall use the Confidential Information it has received solely for the purpose of executing the Services.

 

14.3

Each Party shall be responsible for any breaches of this Section 14 by any of its Affiliates, directors, officers, employees, consultants, advisors and Third Party contractors.

 

  Page 24 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

14.4

The obligations contained in Section 14.1 shall not apply to Confidential Information which:

 

  14.4.1

at the time of disclosure either is or was part of the public knowledge or literature;

 

  14.4.2

after disclosure becomes part of the public knowledge or literature through no fault or action of the receiving Party;

 

  14.4.3

the receiving Party can establish by competent proof either is or was at the time of disclosure in its lawful possession from a source other than the disclosing Party;

 

  14.4.4

after disclosure is acquired by receiving Party from a third party who was not known to have obtained such Confidential Information, directly or indirectly, from the disclosing Party; or

 

  14.4.5

is or has been independently developed by the receiving Party without the use of disclosing Party’s Confidential Information.

 

14.5

The obligations set forth in this Section 14 shall also not apply to Confidential Information which is required to disclose in prosecuting or defending litigation or in complying with applicable governmental regulations, provided that such disclosure is subject to all applicable governmental or judicial protection available for like material and that reasonable advance notice is given to the other Party. In addition, the obligations set forth under Section 14.1 shall not apply to Confidential Information that is reasonably required to be disclosed in connection with any regulatory submission relating to the Product. For the sake of clarity it is understood between the Parties that the obligations set forth in this Section 14 shall otherwise remain applicable.

 

14.6

The obligations as set forth in this Section 14 shall expire [***] from the date this Agreement terminates.

 

14.7

Press Releases. After signing of this Agreement, neither Party shall issue a press release or use any other form of publication regarding the entering into this Agreement or its content without the written consent of the other Party, not to be unreasonably withheld. Any such press release or other form of publication shall be in a form mutually agreed upon by the Parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, if in the reasonable opinion of a Party’s legal counsel a public announcement concerning its entry into this Agreement or its content is legally required by applicable laws, regulations or judicial order, or the rules or regulations of any stock or securities exchange to which that Party or its Affiliates is subject, then the Party shall be entitled to make such announcement provided that (i) it provides the other Party notice reasonable under the circumstances of such intended announcement, and to the extent feasible under the circumstances consults with the other Party relative to the nature and scope of such intended announcement, and (ii) shall not mention the name or identity of the other Party in such announcement, unless in the reasonable opinion of the first mentioned Party’s legal counsel inclusion of the other Party’s name or identity is legally required by applicable laws, regulations or judicial order, or required under the rules or regulations of any stock or securities exchange to which that Party or its Affiliates is subject, in which case such Party shall be entitled to include the other Party’s name or identity in the announcement.

 

  Page 25 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

14.8

To the extent they relate to the same subject matter, the provisions of this Section 14 replace in their entirety, as of the Effective Date, the terms and conditions of any mutual confidential disclosure agreement previously entered into by the Parties, which agreement(s) shall be of no further force or effect, provided, however, that information previously disclosed under the terms of such prior agreement shall be deemed to have been disclosed pursuant to the terms of this Section 14.

SECTION 15: TERM AND TERMINATION

 

15.1

This Agreement shall become effective as of the Effective Date and shall remain in force and effect until the earlier date of (i) the Services being completed or (ii) the Agreement being terminated by either Party as provided herein.

 

  15.1.1

Mutual Agreement. This Agreement may be terminated at any time upon mutual written agreement of both Parties.

 

  15.1.2

OPTHEA right to terminate. OPTHEA shall have the right to terminate this Agreement upon [***] prior written notice of termination to DSM if OPTHEA, at its sole discretion, elects not to proceed with the Services.

 

  15.1.3

DSM Right to Terminate. DSM has the right to terminate this Agreement upon [***] prior written notice of termination to OPTHEA if, at OPTHEA’s request or solely due to OPTHEA’s fault or negligence, DSM has not, at the time of providing such notice, performed any activities under this Agreement in the previous [***]. This Agreement may also be terminated by DSM upon [***] written notice to OPTHEA in the event that, despite the commercially reasonable best efforts of DSM, DSM determines that the Services cannot be completed according to the Specifications approved by OPTHEA, or cannot be completed within a reasonable time after the conclusion of the period originally planned in the Program.

 

  15.1.4

Material Breach. Either Party (the “Non-Defaulting Party”) may terminate this Agreement if the other Party (the “Defaulting Party”) fails to perform any material obligation, warranty, duty or responsibility and such failure or default continues for a period of [***] after written notice thereof by the Non-Defaulting Party to the Defaulting Party; provided that where such breach is curable but cannot be reasonably cured within [***], such breach shall be deemed cured if the Defaulting Party provides the Non-Defaulting Party with a plan to cure such breach and commences to cure such breach in accordance with the plan within such [***] period and diligently continues such cure.

 

  15.1.5

Insolvency, Bankruptcy. Either Party may terminate this Agreement upon the occurrence of either of the following: (i) The entry of a decree or order for

 

  Page 26 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

  relief by a court having jurisdiction in respect of the other Party in an involuntary case under the applicable bankruptcy code, as now constituted or hereafter amended, or under any other applicable insolvency or other similar law and the continuance of any such decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days; or (ii) the filing by the other Party of a petition for relief under the applicable bankruptcy code, as now constituted or hereafter amended, or any other applicable federal or state insolvency or other similar law.

 

  15.1.6

Other Grounds. This Agreement may be terminated pursuant to Sections 4.3, 4.4 or 5.12.2

 

15.2

In the event of any cancellation or postponement of Development Work or Manufacturing Work by OPTHEA. including any deemed postponement pursuant to Section 4.5 or 5.2 (“Postponement”), DSM shall use commercially reasonable efforts to fill the capacity which becomes available as a result of such Postponement. Where DSM is capable of filling the capacity which has become available as a result of the Postponement of certain Development Work or Manufacturing Work by OPTHEA and there is no negative revenue recognition impact for DSM in the current European financial year (running from each January 1 through December 31), no Close Out Costs for this Postponed Development Work or Manufacturing Work will apply. Where there is a negative revenue recognition impact for DSM caused by Postponement of Development Work or Manufacturing Work then Close Out Costs shall apply up to the amount of [***]. For the avoidance of doubt, Close Out Costs shall be applicable to the [***] Services Activities but shall not be applicable to the [***] Services Activities unless and until the [***] Services Activities have been authorized by OPTHEA in accordance with Section 5.1.

 

15.3

In the event of any form of termination OPTHEA shall compensate and/or pay to DSM for the following (to the extent not already paid to DSM):

 

  15.3.1

the Price for all work properly performed pursuant to the terms of this Agreement in connection with the Services up to the date of termination;

 

  15.3.2

Costs incurred in performing the Services up to the date of termination (including without limitation the Costs of raw materials and supplies already ordered on a non-cancellable basis by DSM) other than those Costs that have arisen with respect to that part of the Services in which DSM has committed a material breach of its obligations under this Agreement; and

 

  15.3.3

non-cancellable Costs in respect of third party commitments, such as in respect of external testing, already entered into by DSM, other than those Costs that have arisen with respect to that part of the Services in which DSM has committed a material breach of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

15.4

In the event of any form of termination except termination by OPTHEA as per Section 15.1.4, and subject to Section 15.2 last sentence, Close Out Costs as defined in Section 15.5 shall also be payable under Section 15.3, but only to the extent that DSM cannot recoup its lost revenue as outlined in 15.2. In no event shall the aggregate amount paid by OPTHEA to DSM as outlined in 15.2, 15.3 and 15.5, exceed the total amount for each stage which is being terminated.

 

  Page 27 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

15.5

Close Out Costs” shall mean:

 

  15.5.1

with respect to Development Work: the Price and Costs as defined in Exhibit 5, under the heading “Development Work”. and

 

  15.5.2

with respect to Manufacturing Work, the Price and Costs as defined in Exhibit 5 for each cancelled Batch, under the heading “Manufacturing Work”.

 

15.6

The effective date of termination will be the date stated in any termination notice given hereunder, which date will not be before the expiration of any applicable cure period provided for in this Agreement.

 

15.7

Termination of this Agreement will not affect the rights and obligations of the Parties accrued under this Agreement prior to termination nor the provisions contained in this Agreement, which by their purpose have a term beyond the termination of this Agreement.

 

15.8

Upon any termination of this Agreement:

 

  15.8.1

at OPTHEA’s first request, any and all Confidential Information disclosed by OPTHEA which is in DSM’s possession and all documents containing such Confidential Information or any part thereof, and all copies and extracts made thereof shall be returned to OPTHEA, provided however that DSM may keep one (1) copy of all Confidential Information received by it for its legal files to enable it to determine its obligations hereunder and for regulatory compliance;

 

  15.8.2

OPTHEA shall return to DSM or destroy, immediately upon DSM’s first request, any and all Confidential Information disclosed by DSM which is in OPTHEA’s possession and all documents containing such Confidential Information or any part thereof, and all copies and extracts made thereof, provided however that OPTHEA may keep one (1) copy of all Confidential Information received by it for its legal files to enable it to determine its obligations hereunder and for regulatory compliance;

 

  15.8.3

DSM shall at OPTHEA’s request, risk and expense (in so far as it has not resulted directly from a material breach of the obligations of DSM), transport to OPTHEA or OPTHEA’s designee any and all capital investment equipment or other assets and raw materials purchased prior to or in the course of and for the Services and paid for or whose Costs have been reimbursed by OPTHEA;

 

  15.8.4

DSM shall at OPTHEA’s request, risk and expense (in so far as it has not resulted directly from a material breach of the obligations of DSM), transport to OPTHEA or OPTHEA’s designee any and all work-in-progress and samples arising from the Services and all materials being held by DSM on OPTHEA’s behalf.

 

  Page 28 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

SECTION 16: NOTICES

All notices, requests, demands and other communications to be given in accordance with this Agreement shall be given in writing and shall be given by prepaid registered mail, receipt return requested, to the other Party at the following addresses:

 

if to OPTHEA:

  
  

OPTHEA Pty. Ltd.

  

Level 4,

  

650 Chapel Street,

  

South Yarra,

  

Victoria 3141,

     Australia

Attention: CEO

 

if to DSM:    DSM Biologics Company B.V.
     [***]
  

Attention: [***]

  

With a copy to: [***]

  

Attention: [***]

or at such other address as a Party may have previously indicated to the other Party in writing in conformity with the foregoing. Any such notice, request, demand or other communication shall be deemed to have been received on the [***] following the date of its mailing if sent by registered mail.

 

  Page 29 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

SECTION 17: ASSIGNMENT

This Agreement will be to the benefit of the permitted successors and assigns of the Parties hereto. Except to Affiliates, neither Party will be entitled to assign its rights under this Agreement to any individual, partnership or other entity without the prior written consent of the other Party hereto; and any attempted assignments without such written consent shall be of no effect. In addition, either Party shall be entitled, without the prior written consent of the other Party, to assign all or part of its rights under this Agreement to a purchaser of all or substantially all of its assets, or an entity with which it may merge. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any such assignment shall be under the conditions that (i) the assignee agrees in writing to assume all obligations undertaken by its assignor in this Agreement; and (ii) the assignor guarantees unconditionally and in writing the proper compliance by the assignee of all obligations under this Agreement.

SECTION 18: DISPUTES AND APPLICABLE LAW

 

18.1

In the event of a dispute between the Parties, the Parties shall first make every effort to find an amicable settlement to such dispute. If the Parties cannot so settle such dispute, the Steering Committee shall, within [***] (which time may be extended by mutual agreement) from a request by either Party, meet and use its best efforts to resolve any disputes. Failing such settlement, the Chief Executive Officers of the Parties, or their nominees, shall within [***] (which time may be extended by mutual agreement) from the date of expiration of the [***] (or extended) period provided for in the previous sentence, meet and use their best efforts to resolve any disputes. In the event that the Chief Executive Officers of the Parties or their nominees fail to reach a settlement, the provisions of Section 18.2 shall apply. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any dispute with respect to Quality Assurance issues shall be settled according to the relevant provisions of Sections 5.9 and 5.10.

 

18.2

This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Australia without regard to conflicts of laws principles.

SECTION 19: FORCE MAJEURE

 

19.1

The obligations of either Party (other than the obligation of payment) hereunder shall be suspended during the time and circumstance beyond the reasonable control and without the fault of that Party so affected, which prevents or hinders the execution of the relevant Party’s obligations under this Agreement (“Force Majeure”) including but not limited to: inevitable accidents, perils of navigation, floods, fire, storms, epidemics, acts of God, earthquakes, explosions, hostilities, civil commotion, war (declared or undeclared), orders, requisitions, regulations or acts of any government or governmental authority, whether de jure or de facto or any official purporting to act under the authority of any such government, illegality arising from domestic or foreign laws or regulations, insurrections, failure or slowdown of public utilities or common carriers, inability to procure raw materials or other circumstances or conditions of a

 

  Page 30 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

  similar nature, quarantine or custom restrictions, damage in factories or warehouses, strikes, lockouts or any other labor difficulty at the Parties and/or suppliers of goods, raw materials and/or excipients, lack of conveyance, breakdown of machinery or instruments or other disturbances at the Parties or their suppliers.

 

19.2

As soon as possible after being affected by a Force Majeure, the Party so affected shall furnish to the other Party all particulars of the Force Majeure and the manner in which its execution is thereby prevented or delayed.

 

19.3

In the event that any Force Majeure cannot be removed, overcome or abated within [***] (or such other period as the Parties jointly shall determine) from the date the Party affected first became affected, then either Party may, at the expiration of such period, by written notice to the other Party [***].

SECTION 20: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

20.1

Laws: DSM shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations in performing its activities under this Agreement, including without limitation Dutch, EU and Australian Health and Safety and Environmental laws and regulations in so far as they pertain to the development and/or manufacture of Product.

 

20.2

Permits: DSM warrants that it has obtained all permits and governmental or other licenses required in connection with its activities under this Agreement and shall maintain all such permits and governmental or other licenses until completion of the Services.

 

20.3

Cumulative /Indivisible Rights: All rights and recourses of a Party under this Agreement are cumulative; and the exercise by a Party of any of its rights or recourses will not prevent it from exercising any other right or recourse available under this Agreement or at law. All obligations of the Parties under this Agreement are indivisible.

 

20.4

Severability: If any covenant, obligation or term hereunder or the application of any part of this Agreement to any person, party or circumstance shall, to any extent, be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement or the application of such covenants, agreements or obligations other than those which are held to be invalid or unenforceable shall not be affected thereby; and each covenant, obligation and agreement contained herein shall be separately valid and enforceable to the full extent permitted by law.

 

20.5

No partnership: This is an agreement between separate entities; and neither entity is the agent, representative, master or servant of or possesses the power to obligate the other or to make any warranties or representations on behalf of the other. Nothing in this Agreement will be interpreted so as to create a relationship of partners, joint ventures, agents, mandate, fiduciaries or any other similar relationship between the Parties.

 

  Page 31 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

20.6

No Waiver: Failure by either Party to take action against the other Party shall not affect its right to require full performance of this Agreement at any time thereafter. The waiver by either Party of the breach of any term of this Agreement by the other Party will not operate or be interpreted as a waiver of any subsequent breach by such Party. No term of this Agreement will be deemed to have been waived by either Party unless such waiver is in writing.

 

20.7

Entire Agreement: This Agreement and the documents referred to in it or attached to this Agreement constitute the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior discussions, negotiations and agreements with respect thereto. No amendment of, change to or variance from this Agreement will be binding on either Party unless in writing and signed by the Parties.

 

20.8

Agreement Prevails: In case of any discrepancy between this Agreement and any of the Exhibits hereto, this Agreement will prevail. In the event that a discrepancy between this Agreement and any Quality Agreement subsequently entered into between the Parties, the terms of the Quality Agreement shall prevail as to matters that are primarily quality related and the terms of this Agreement shall prevail as to all other matters.

 

20.9

Validity and Effect: Each of the Parties agrees to perform such acts, sign and deliver such other agreements, cause such meetings to be held, resolutions passed and by-laws enacted, exercise their vote and influence as may be necessary or desirable from time to time in order to give full effect to this Agreement.

 

20.10

Counterparts: This Agreement may be executed in two (2) counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which shall constitute together but one and the same document.

 

20.11

Headings for Convenience: The headings and subheadings of the sections of this Agreement have been included solely for ease of reference and do not form part of this Agreement.

 

20.12

Number/Gender: All words and personal pronouns relating thereto shall be read and construed as the number and gender of the Party or Parties referred to in each case require and the verb shall be construed as agreeing with the required word and/or pronoun.

 

20.13

Writing Necessary: This Agreement will not be binding upon the Parties until it has been signed below on behalf of each Party, in which event it shall be effective as of the date of signing.

 

20.14

No Employee Solicitation: During the Term of this Agreement and for [***] thereafter, neither Party will, without the prior written consent of the other Party, directly solicit [***].

 

  Page 32 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

20.15

Documentation Control: OPTHEA shall not make any changes to DSM-owned or DSM-controlled cGMP Documentation without prior consent of DSM, in order to ensure that all cGMP Documentation, which is maintained at DSM and subject to regulatory review, matches or is consistent with information filed with regulatory authorities.

 

  Page 33 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have signed this Agreement by and through their respective and duly authorized officers:

OPTHEA Pty Ltd

 

By:   /s/ Megan Baldwin     By:   /s/ Robert Klupacs
Name: Megan Baldwin     Name: Robert Klupacs
Title: CEO     Title: Director

DSM Biologics Company Australia Pty Ltd

 

By:  

/s/ Scott Lorimer

    By:  

/s/ Amgad Hanna

Name: Scott Lorimer     Name: Amgad Hanna
Director:     Director/Secretary: Director, Quality Affairs

DSM Biologics Company B.V.

 

By:  

/s/ Scott Lorimer

    By:   /s/ Marc Gurman
Name: Scott Lorimer     Name: Marc Gurman
Title: Director     Title: VP

 

  Page 34 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

EXHIBIT 1: SERVICES SCHEDULE

 

1

Annex 1: Timing of the Project

[***]

The following Gantt chart outlines the initial estimated timeline for the program. Agreement on the timing of key activities will be dependent on development and manufacturing slot availability within DSM Biologics planning schedules.

To meet the timelines outlined below, it is assumed that:

 

  -

[***]

  [***]

 

  Page 35 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

2

Annex 2: Description of the Different Activities within the Project

Module 1 [***]

 

2.1

Project Kick-off meeting

[***]

 

2.2

Cell culturing - development and implementation of a CHO cell culture fed batch process

[***]

 

2.2.1

Transfer of a qualified Research Cell Bank for a CHO cell line

[***]

 

2.2.2

[***]

 

2.3

Purification Implementation

 

2.3.1

[***]

 

2.4

Analytics – Implementation Product Specific Assays

 

            [***]

 

       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
       
[***]    [***]    [***]    [***]

Assumptions

[***]

 

  Page 36 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

2.5

Pre-Production Reference Standard

[***]

 

2.6

Evaluation of Formulations for Drug Substance

[***]

 

           

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
           

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
           

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]
           

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]

[***]

Module 2

 

2.7

[***] Confirmation & Material Supply Batch [***]

[***]

 

2.8

Analytics Verification [***]

[***]

 

       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]

 

  Page 37 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]
       

[***]

  

[***]

  

[***]

   [***]

[***]

 

2.9

Production of a Manufacturing Cell Bank (MCB) [***]

[***]

 

2.10

Production of an Engineering Batch using Fed Batch at 250L Scale [***]

[***]

2.11

Drug Substance Real-Time Stability Study on Engineering Batch [***]

[***]

 

2.12

Virus Clearance Validation [***]

[***]

 

2.13

Master Reference Standard

[***]

Module 3 [***]

 

2.14

Production of a cGMP Batch using Fed-Batch at [***]

[***]

 

2.15

Drug Substance Stability Study on cGMP Batch

 

2.15.1

Real-Time Drug Substance Stability Study

[***]

 

2.15.2

Accelerated Drug Substance Stability Study

[***]

 

2.16

Drug Product Testing

[***]

 

2.17

Drug Product Stability Study

 

2.17.1

Drug Product Real-Time Stability Study

[***]

 

  Page 38 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

2.17.2

Drug Product Accelerated Stability Study

[***]

 

2.17.3

Freeze/Thaw Study (as part of the Drug Product Stability Study)

[***]

 

2.18

Regulatory Dossier [***]

[***].

 

Section

   Title
[***]    [***]
[***]    [***]
[***]    [***]
[***]    [***]
[***]    [***]

[***]

   [***]

 

  Page 39 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

3

Annex 3: Assumptions for the Program

Financial Assumptions

[***].

Technical assumptions:

[***].

Service assumptions:

[***].

Safety, Health and Environment (SHE)

[***].

 

  Page 40 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

4

Annex 4: Bill of Testing

Bill of Testing for MCB

 

     
Test    Method    Performed by
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]

[***]

Safety Testing on Crude Harvest

 

     
Test    Method    Performed by
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]

Bill of Testing for Drug Substance

 

     
Test    Method    Performed by
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]

 

  Page 41 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]
     
[***]    [***]    [***]

 

  Page 42 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

EXHIBIT 2: INVOICING SCHEDULE

Annex 1: Pricing Overview

 

Circadian
       
Description    Stage         

Price

Estimated Raw
Materials & External
Testing Costs

   Comments
       
[***]      

Price in

AUD

    

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     
                     

[***]

                   

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     
                     

[***]

                   

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]    [***]

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     

[***]

   [***]    [***]    [***]     
                     

Notes: [***]

Annex 2: Invoicing

[***]

 

  Page 43 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

All invoices are payable [***]. All prices or other sums payable or consideration to be provided under this Agreement are also [***].

 

  Page 44 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

EXHIBIT 3: QUALITY AGREEMENT

Left intentionally blank. Execution version of the Quality Agreement appended below.

 

  45 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

LOGO

   Quality Agreement

Quality Agreement No.: [***]

   Version: 1.0    Date Issued: 25/Oct/2013    Review Period: [***]

CONTRACT

 

Title:

QUALITY AGREEMENT

By and Between

 

DSM DETAILS   CUSTOMER DETAILS

DSM Biologics Company Australia Pty Ltd

 

OPTHEA Pty. Ltd.

Referred to below as “DSM

  Referred to below as “OPTHEA”

[***]

  [***]

[***]

  Registered Address:

[***]

 

Suite 0403, Level 4, 650 Chapel St, South Yarra, VIC 3141

APPROVED BY



Approved By:

DSM Biologics


By: /s/ Amgad Hanna                     Date: 30 Oct 2013    

Amgad Hanna

Director, Quality Affairs

 


Approved By:

Opthea Pty. Ltd.


By: /s/ Michael Gerometta              Date: 30 Oct 13            

Michael Gerometta

Head of CMC Development


By: /s/ Scott Lorimer                     Date: 30 Oct 2013    

Scott Lorimer

Vice President for Global Affairs

   

This Quality Agreement shall be incorporated within and constitute a part of the Biologics Manufacturing Agreement (BMA) between the Parties and becomes effective upon signature by all Parties. In the event of inconsistencies between this Quality

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 46 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

Agreement and other sections of the BMA, this Quality Agreement shall prevail with regard to quality compliance and related regulatory matters, and the other sections of the BMA shall prevail with respect to all other matters.

Unless separately defined in the Glossary at the end of this Quality Agreement, the definition and interpretation of terms, acronyms and abbreviations used in the Quality Agreement shall have the same meaning as the BMA.

This Quality Agreement may be amended from time to time by mutual agreement in writing and signed between the Parties.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   47 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

1.

Purpose

The purpose of this Quality Agreement is to define and formalize quality responsibilities and obligations between the Parties in relation to quality-related services and the manufacture, supply and testing of cGMP Batches of Product by DSM to OPTHEA.

 

2.

Scope

This Quality Agreement is applicable to the manufacture, supply and testing of cGMP Batches of Product and quality-related services as defined in the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Agreement (“BMA”) between the Parties.

 

3.

Responsibilities

DSM is responsible for ensuring that Product is manufactured, tested and stored in compliance with cGMP requirements in accordance with the United States Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act at 21 CFR (Chapters 210, 211, 600 and 610), the EEC Guide to Good Manufacturing Practices for Medicinal Products as promulgated under European Directive 2003/94/EC (replacing 91/356/EEC) and PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal Products PE-009-08 Part 2, including any amendments to such regulations, to the extent these regulations relate to guidelines applicable for biopharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients and as applicable to the manufacture of Product (Bulk Drug Substance) which will be further processed by OPTHEA at a third party Drug Product contractor. Detailed responsibilities are defined below.

 

4.

Procedure

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
Basic cGMP Contract Responsibilities   

   Shall maintain a Quality Department, Quality System, and manufacturing operations to be in compliance with cGMP requirements;

   Shall manufacture, test and supply cGMP Batches of Product and cGMP Services to be in compliance with cGMP requirements

   Shall test Drug Product as defined in the BMA Exhibit 1, Annex 2.

  

   Shall be responsible for taking delivery of Product and any subsequent processing thereafter, including but not limited to storage, testing not assigned to DSM (as defined in the BMA Exhibit 1, Annex 2), further processing into Drug Product, use and distribution.

  

   Responsibility for communication and implementation of this Quality Agreement between OPTHEA and DSM rests with the management of DSM’s Quality Department and OPTHEA’s nominated representative for quality related matters.

 

Personnel, Premises and equipment   

   Ensure that there are adequate numbers and suitably trained and skilled personnel to manufacture and test Product.

   DSM shall perform required operations for manufacturing cGMP Batches of

  

   Evaluate DSM by audit according to the allowances outlined below

 

  Page 48 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

    

DSM Responsibilities

   OPTHEA Responsibilities
    

the Product and performing cGMP Services at either or both its Groningen or Brisbane facilities.

   The premises, utilities and equipment used to perform cGMP Batches and Services shall be designed, validated and maintained as applicable to cGMP requirements and in accordance with DSM controlled documentation.

   The performance of cGMP Batch and Services shall be conducted in a suitably controlled environment; and such facilities shall be regularly monitored for parameters critical to the process in order to demonstrate and maintain compliance with applicable cGMP guidelines.

   Ensure appropriate separation and controls between products to prevent cross contamination, including use of disposables, cleaning procedures and labeling of any product dedicated equipment.

   DSM shall maintain controlled access to the premises.

   All visitors shall comply with applicable facility control procedures.

    
           
Audits   

   DSM shall permit OPTHEA or authorized quality representatives of OPTHEA, to perform one (1) standard annual cGMP compliance audit for the services contracted, upon minimum [***] written notification from OPTHEA, with actual audit dates subject to mutual agreement between the Parties and based upon the availability of DSM’s personnel.

  

   Notify DSM in writing at least [***] prior to intended standard annual cGMP compliance audit.

   Such audit shall not exceed [***] and the auditing party shall have no more than [***] auditors.

   In the event that OPTHEA is accompanied by a third party, a total of three auditors can join such an audit for no more than [***] so long as no more than [***] audit items are addressed during such audit at any one time.

   OPTHEA shall provide an audit agenda at least [***] prior to the agreed audit date.

  

   OPTHEA representatives will be escorted by DSM personnel at all times and will only have access to the facility and records relating to the services and Products under contract with OPTHEA.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   49 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
    

   Notwithstanding the foregoing, DSM shall permit OPTHEA or OPTHEA’s authorized quality representatives to conduct additional audits pursuant to the terms of the BMA, including For Cause Audits.

    

   DSM shall formally respond to observations made by OPTHEA’s quality representatives requiring corrective action.

   DSM’s response shall include corrective actions, preventative actions, and remedial actions, where appropriate, and shall include a timeline for completion of each action.

   The response shall be sent to OPTHEA’s auditor within [***] of the receipt of the audit report.

  

   OPTHEA shall report audit findings verbally at the close of the audit and will provide a written report within [***] of the audit.

   In no event shall photos or videography be permitted within DSM’s facility without prior written authorization of DSM.

           
Person in Plant   

   DSM shall allow OPTHEA reasonable access, by means of ‘Person in Plant’ (PiP) to observe and review operations related to the manufacturing and testing of Product, subject to reasonable restriction to preserve the confidentiality of DSM and its clients.

   The PiP will be supervised by DSM personnel at all times during the stay.

   Visits to the cGMP production area and laboratories will be restricted to areas where a PiP can view the operation of a Product being processed or tested without disturbing the operation, under supervision and limited to [***] in the cleanrooms a day as pre-scheduled during the PiP’s stay on site.

   To limit the disturbance of production activities, the PiP will have one point of DSM contact and is not permitted to disturb the operators in the clean room.

   The PiP is not permitted to perform any operations within the cGMP facility nor review documentation during operation.

  

   OPTHEA will provide a minimum [***] prior written notice of intention for PiP attendance at DSM.

   OPTHEA shall comply with the terms of PiP access and behavior and with the instructions of DSM.

   OPTHEA will undertake relevant cGMP facility training and safety/security training before being allowed PiP access.

           
Regulatory Agency Inspections   

   DSM shall promptly inform OPTHEA of any regulatory agency action involving DSM that may materially affect Product.

  

   OPTHEA shall promptly inform DSM of any regulatory agency action that may materially affect the contracted services for Product.

   OPTHEA shall notify DSM of any regulatory agency inspection

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   50 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
    

   DSM shall notify OPTHEA of any regulatory agency inspection concerning the Product within [***] of the initiation, or notification, of the audit by the regulatory agency, whichever occurs first.

   In circumstances where the inspection pertains to OPTHEA’s Product, DSM shall be responsible for responding to the regulatory agency and DSM shall provide OPTHEA with an opportunity to review and provide advice on such responses to the extent they pertain to OPTHEA’s Product and DSM will incorporate reasonable changes where possible prior to DSM submitting or disclosing the responses to the regulatory agency.

   DSM reserves the right to present site data and/or procedures during such an inspection

  

specifically impacting Product within [***] of the initiation, or notification, of the audit by the regulatory agency, whichever occurs first.

   OPTHEA reserves the right to be available on site during an agency inspection when the inspection pertains to Product.

   Review and provide advice on the responses drafted by DSM pertaining to OPTHEA’s Product.

           
Change Management   

   All changes to Product and related documents shall be managed by DSM in accordance with DSM’s Change Control procedures.

   Major Changes that do not directly impact Product and related processes will be communicated to OPTHEA according to DSM’s change control procedures.

   Minor Changes that do not directly impact Product and related processes will not be communicated.

   Rework or reprocessing will be agreed with OPTHEA and governed through DSM’s Change Control procedures.

   Major Changes impacting Product and related processes and documentation shall be reviewed and approved by OPTHEA prior to implementation of the change.

  

   Major Changes impacting Product and related processes and documentation shall be reviewed and approved by OPTHEA prior to implementation of the change. This should occur within [***] of receipt of a Change notice or a mutually acceptable time frame.

           
Documentation   

   Prepare, approve and maintain documents relating to general and Product specific processing and testing, including the Bill of Testing.

  

   OPTHEA shall supply the most recent batch records and/or process development specifications for development or manufacture of Product which shall be translated into

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   51 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
    

   In the event that there is an inconsistency between the DSM generated and OPTHEA approved Master Documents (Tech Transfer Reports, Production Protocols, Buffer Protocols and Bill of Testing) and OPTHEA batch records and specifications, the DSM generated and OPTHEA approved Master Documents shall prevail.

   DSM will address each comment and return one consolidated reply to OPTHEA for consideration.

  

the relevant DSM documents including but not limited to:

Technology Transfer Reports, Production Protocols, Buffer Protocols and Bill of Testing (“DSM Documents”).

   DSM Documents shall be signed off by OPTHEA in order to document that all information required for manufacturing Product is present, correct, and cross checked against the original OPTHEA or DSM development documentation, at which time the translated DSM documents will be considered the Master Documents.

   Documents shall be reviewed by OPTHEA within [***], or a mutually acceptable time frame, of receipt from DSM providing one consolidated set of comments.

   OPTHEA will review and return one consolidated reply for each subsequent revision of the documents within [***] of receipt from DSM, or a mutually acceptable time frame.

    

   A joint final check and approval on content will be performed within [***] of the review reply of the final revised version of the document.

           
Raw Material /Packaging Components   

   DSM shall use raw material and packaging components from approved vendors.

   Prior to use, all raw material and packaging components must be found to be acceptable against pre-established standards and appropriate for Product processing.

   Changes to test methods or deviations from existing raw materials, packaging components, packaging component specifications or vendors shall follow DSM Change Control procedures in accordance with the requirements of Documentation & Change Management.

   Any animal derived components should be avoided where possible or otherwise tested and sourced in line with current regulatory guidances.

  

   Evaluate DSM by audit according to the allowances outlined above

   Provide DSM with applicable information regarding any required animal derived components

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 52 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
Retention of Samples   

   DSM shall retain samples of Product and any applicable precursors according to cGMP requirements

   DSM shall notify OPTHEA prior to destruction of any Product Samples at the completion of the retention period and upon written request shall provide such samples to OPTHEA.

  

   Evaluate DSM by audit according to the allowances outlined above

           
Validation   

   Where applicable, DSM shall be responsible for ensuring that the equipment used for manufacture of the Product will be validated to support the operational ranges of the Process.

  

   Evaluate DSM by audit according to the allowances outlined above

  

   DSM shall be responsible for ensuring that adequate cleaning is performed to prevent contamination of Product.

   Data shall be available to support the effectiveness of cleaning performed between manufacturing of batches of both the same Product and different products.

  

   OPTHEA will provide information required by DSM to establish adequate cleaning procedures for their Product where this information is known to OPTHEA.

  

   DSM shall be responsible for ensuring that all laboratories are in compliance with applicable cGMP guidelines.

   If DSM subcontracts work to a third party vendor, DSM shall be responsible for ensuring any such vendor is sufficiently qualified to perform such work and will audit such vendors in accordance with the supplier qualification procedure

   For vendors selected solely by DSM or recommended to OPTHEA by DSM, DSM shall be responsible for the vendor satisfying cGMP requirements where applicable.

  

   If analytical work is performed by DSM, OPTHEA shall supply any available analytical documentation to assist in methods transfer and/or methods validation.

   For vendors selected solely by OPTHEA, OPTHEA shall qualify the vendor and OPTHEA shall be responsible for the vendor satisfying cGMP requirements where applicable.

 

Deviations   

   DSM shall inform OPTHEA of any Major deviation relating to Product and corresponding manufacturing Process within [***] after recognizing such deviation, and shall provide to OPTHEA the details of the deviation available at that time.

  

   When a deviation may potentially impact purity, safety or potency of an already distributed Product, OPTHEA shall be responsible for reporting such deviations to the relevant regulatory bodies.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 53 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
    

   If any problems are discovered that may impact Batches previously shipped, DSM shall notify OPTHEA within [***] of becoming aware in order to assure regulatory reporting guidelines are met.

  

   OPTHEA shall inform DSM of any deviation reported to regulatory authorities when such deviation is in any form related to the activities performed by or under responsibility of DSM.

    

   Additional investigations and/or testing requirements shall be agreed by DSM’s Quality Department.

  

   OPTHEA reserves the right to provide input into any Major deviation report pertaining to Product prepared by DSM and further reserves the right to request DSM to perform any additional investigations or tests to finalize an investigation relating to such deviation.

 

Product Release

  

   DSM shall release Product to OPTHEA.

  

   Product released by DSM is for shipment and further processing which shall become the responsibility of OPTHEA upon delivery of Product for shipping Ex Works.

  

   DSM shall provide a documentation package with each Batch of released Product to OPTHEA.

   The package shall include, as a minimum, the following documents:

Copies of all Production Protocols;

Certificate of Analysis indicating the test results and including a Statement of Compliance;

Copies of all Batch related deviations; and

Copies of all Analytical Protocols for release tests mentioned on CoA

   DSM shall release Product only if all release criteria are satisfied as pre-defined in the Bill of Testing for such Product and cGMP compliance for Batch manufacture has been met.

  

   Evaluate DSM by audit according to the allowances outlined above

   Executed Production Protocols shall be reviewed by OPTHEA for cGMP compliance within [***] of receipt or a mutually acceptable time frame.

   OPTHEA will review and return one consolidated reply for each subsequent revision of the documents within [***] of receipt from DSM, or a mutually acceptable time frame.

 

     

Quality Control

  

   Perform release testing against Product Bill of Testing.

   Notify OPTHEA of confirmed Out of Specification (OOS) results within [***] of confirmation of the OOS.

   Resolve OOS within a [***] target or as mutually agreed.

  

   Review and resolve any questions with a target approval time of [***] upon issue of a draft OOS report or as mutually agreed.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 54 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
     
    

   Use only approved vendors for any contract testing of Product.

   Notify OPTHEA of any contract testing laboratories used for testing of Product.

  

   OPTHEA to approve vendors used for contract testing of Product.

   OPTHEA to request use of alternative contract testing laboratories if required.

     
    

   Agree with OPTHEA on Product testing strategy (in-process and release), as well as method transfer and qualification requirements.

   Agree with OPTHEA on Product-specific raw materials intake strategy for materials which impact or may reasonably impact Product Specification.

   Prepare and characterise reference standard, or accept OPTHEA reference standard as appropriate.

  

   Agree with DSM on Product testing strategy (in-process and release), as well as method transfer and qualification requirements.

   Agree with DSM on Product-specific raw materials intake strategy for materials which impact or may reasonably impact Product Specification.

   Agree with DSM on preparation and characterisation of reference standard, or supply DSM with information on OPTHEA reference standard.

     
    

   Perform stability testing as agreed with OPTHEA.

   Notify OPTHEA of any OOS as defined above.

  

   Review and agree with DSM pre-defined stability protocol and specifications.

           
     
Storage and Shipment   

   DSM shall label and store Product under conditions specified by product label requirements as supplied by OPTHEA.

   Ensure that during storage of Product before shipment from DSM’s site, appropriate controls are in place to ensure that there is no interference, theft, contamination, or mixture with any other products or materials.

   Ship Product to locations nominated in writing by OPTHEA.

  

   OPTHEA shall provide details of any container sealing and integrity requirements, and storage and shipping conditions for the Product.

   The Product shall be labelled and packaged for transit in accordance with instructions and destination as defined by OPTHEA in writing and complying with cGMP and other applicable regulations.

  

   A shelf life for Product will not be defined by DSM until sufficient data is available from stability studies to support such storage.

    
  

   DSM shall not ship any Product that is under Quarantine unless in accordance with applicable regulatory guidelines, and then, only according to controlled procedures which fully comply with such regulatory requirements and where such shipment is mutually agreed between the Parties.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 55 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
     
    

   In the event that OPTHEA requests DSM to ship Product under Quarantine, DSM shall only ship Product after written approval of OPTHEA.

  

   OPTHEA is responsible for ensuring that the third party can accept shipment of Product.

           
     
Document Retention   

   DSM shall retain, at a minimum, Batch production and test records for Product and materials in accordance with regulatory requirements in the region within which the Product will enter clinical trials.

   DSM shall notify OPTHEA prior to destruction of any Batch, Product related documentation or materials at the completion of the retention period and, if requested in writing, DSM shall provide such records or materials to OPTHEA.

  

   Evaluate DSM by audit according to the allowances outlined above

   OPTHEA will approve destruction of records of request receipt following the storage period.

           
     
Regulatory   

   DSM shall be responsible for registering and maintaining DSM’s facilities with the proper regulatory agencies and to update the registration according to the requirements of those agencies.

   If requested by OPTHEA under the Services, DSM will draft and review the relevant C&MC sections of a regulatory dossier.

   Following submission of a regulatory data pack dossier by OPTHEA to a regulatory authority, DSM will support update and review of relevant C&MC sections as required.

   DSM shall forward all appropriately redacted regulatory agency documentation (e.g. FDA-483) and responses that have specific impact on Product to OPTHEA within [***] of receipt, or earlier in accordance with Regulatory Agency Inspections section above.

  

   OPTHEA shall review and approve the C&MC sections of a regulatory dossier as drafted by DSM including any updates as required.

   OPTHEA shall be responsible for ensuring all appropriate regulatory filings and import/export documentation are filed with regulatory agencies and other applicable government agencies prior to shipment of Product.

   OPTHEA shall also be responsible for filing and obtaining approvals from all relevant regulatory agencies and other applicable government agencies prior to administration of Product to humans.

           
     
Complaints   

   Upon receipt of such written notification from OPTHEA, DSM shall promptly perform appropriate

  

   OPTHEA shall be responsible for receiving and initially investigating any Product complaints.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 56 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

     DSM Responsibilities    OPTHEA Responsibilities
     
    

investigations that may be due to manufacture of Product to identify and confirm cause of such problem.

   Investigation report(s) shall be forwarded to OPTHEA within [***] following the date of receipt of notification by DSM.

   Any Product Quality related complaint received by DSM shall be immediately forwarded to OPTHEA within [***] of receiving such information.

  

   OPTHEA shall notify DSM in writing of any problems that may be due to manufacture of Product, which are found during the distribution of Product within [***] of receiving such information.

   OPTHEA shall review and agree with DSM on investigation reports provided by DSM.

   OPTHEA shall be responsible for reporting the results of any Product complaint investigation to the relevant authority.

           
     
Recalls   

   In the event that DSM has reason to believe that Product should be recalled or withdrawn from distribution, DSM shall inform OPTHEA in writing within [***] of receiving such information.

  

   OPTHEA shall inform DSM in writing of any intention to recall Product within [***] of agreeing such action.

   OPTHEA, with data and assistance provided by DSM, shall be responsible for filing documentation that may be required by regulatory authorities and initiating Product recalls due to any Product defect considered sufficiently serious.

   OPTHEA shall provide DSM with a copy of any regulatory correspondence related to recalls.

   OPTHEA shall notify the appropriate regulatory agencies of any recall, and OPTHEA shall be responsible for coordinating all necessary activities regarding the action taken.

  

   DSM and OPTHEA agree to cooperate fully regarding any proposed recall or Product withdrawal; and the Parties further agree to keep each other advised, and to exchange copies of such documentation as may be required, to ensure regulatory compliance.

           
   
Periodic Review of Quality Agreement   

   DSM and OPTHEA to jointly review Quality Agreement and revise, as necessary, every [***] if there are ongoing Product manufacture or cGMP Service Activities or otherwise within an agreed timeframe.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 57 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

5.

Glossary

 

Glossary
Change:    Any prospective addition, modification or deletion with respect to Product, material, method, equipment (including computerised systems), specification, labelling, packaging, responsibility, facility or license involved with GMP manufacturing.
Batch:    A specific quantity of Product that is intended to be of uniform character and quality and is produced during the same cycle of manufacture.
Batch Records or Production Protocols    Means in relation to a Batch of Product, the production records showing how the Batch was manufactured.
Bill of Testing:    The agreed upon written list of testing, methods, limits and specifications applicable to in-process bulk harvest and Product, applying to the manufacture and disposition of Product by DSM, that may be amended by written agreement between the Parties
C&MC    Chemistry and manufacturing controls.
Certificate of Analysis (CoA)    The certificate containing the outcome of the disposition tests on the Product as performed by DSM or on behalf of DSM according to the Bill of Testing
cGMP:    Current good manufacturing practices and general biological products standards as promulgated under the United States Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act at 21 CFR (Chapters 210, 211, 600 and 610), the EEC Guide to Good Manufacturing Practices for Medicinal Products as promulgated under European Directive 2003/94/EC (replacing 91/356/EEC) and PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal Products PE-009-08 Part 2, including any amendments to such regulations, to the extent these regulations relate to guidelines applicable for biopharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
cGMP Services:    Any cGMP activity performed by DSM under this Agreement other than the manufacture of a cGMP Batch of Product (e.g. creation of a MCB)
Deviation:    An excursion from cGMP principles. Excursions may be defined as either a Major Excursion or a Minor Excursion.
FDA    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
For Cause Audit    An audit to address a Major cGMP Deviation resulting in a failure of Product to meet Specification due to DSM’s material breach of its obligations under this Agreement.
Quarantine    The status assigned to Product prior to final release under conditions established by the manufacturer
Major Change:   

A Change that may affect:

•   the production, control and/or quality of the BDS (including corresponding intermediate products or raw materials)

•   the validation status of related systems/activities

•   the content of any of the licenses of DSM Australia or DSM Groningen depending on the site that has manufactured or is planning to manufacture Product

•   Regulatory filings of OPTHEAs

•   business critical processes/applications

Minor Change:   

Change that has no potential impact on the quality of a material, system or activity, or on the content of any of the licenses of DSM Australia or DSM Groningen depending on the site that has manufactured or is planning to manufacture Product. Examples of minor changes are:

•   Like for like replacement of equipment parts to repair initial validated state

•   Adaptation of procedures without modification of critical steps in the work process described

Organisational changes not affecting names or responsibilities of the key personnel mentioned in a license.

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 58 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

 

Major Deviation:    Any excursion that is not a Minor Excursion. A deficiency of the material, documentation, Process, facility, validation status and/or equipment which questions the quality and / or efficacy of the Batch, Lot and / or an item which may result in batch reworking, reprocessing or rejection.
Minor Deviation:    An excursion considered to be an incident with no (potential) impact on Product, Process, and facility, utilities, equipment and/or validation status.
Process    Means the process for the development and manufacture of the Product as used in the Services, including any improvements thereto.
Product or Bulk Drug Substance (BDS)    Bulk purified OPT-302 drug substance manufactured in accordance with the Process which is supplied to OPTHEA for further processing to Drug Product.
Product Quality:    Product which conforms with the Specification as pre-defined between both Parties
Qualification:    An action proving that any equipment, Process, facility, utility, vendors, performs according to pre-defined specifications and meets the user requirements.
Quality Department:    The authorised quality representatives within DSM that are responsible for maintaining, improving and implementing the organisation’s Quality System and Quarantine, release or rejection of Product.
Quality System:    The management system administered by DSM to control, maintain and comply with pre-defined specifications and standards.
Specification    Means the specifications, technical data and/or formulae of the Product manufactured during a Batch, and all amendments thereto.
Statement of Compliance (SoC)    Means the confirmation to be issued by DSM contained in the Certificate of Analysis stating that the Product meets the Specifications and was manufactured in accordance with cGMP.
Validation    An action proving, in accordance with the principles of current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), that any procedure, process, equipment, material, activity or system actually consistently leads to the expected results.

Note: Definitions not included in this Glossary are defined in the BMA.]

 

Attachment 2 to PRC-BRN-00238   Page 59 of 63


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

EXHIBIT 4: CCN FORMAT

CONTEMPLATED CHANGE NOTIFICATION/REQUEST

(EXAMPLE - FOR ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES)

Drug Substance name    :

Client name                    :

Services number             :

Form number                  :

Date of issue                   :

Change requested by      :

Contract                           :

TITLE:

With reference to:

Content:

The following is included in CCN:

Price:                

[***].

Effects of change:

 

1.   Payment

  [***].         

2.   Schedule

  :         

3.   Other

  :         
Signatures:        (name)    (signature)    (date)
PM   :         
Site Director   :         
Client approval   :         

 

  Page 60 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

EXHIBIT 5: CANCELLATION SCHEME

In the event of Termination, cancellation or Postponement by OPTHEA of one or more of the stages of the Services, the following amounts (“Close Out Costs”) shall be due by OPTHEA in accordance with Section 15:

Termination, cancellation or Postponement of a stage of the Development Work:

For Development Work scheduled to be performed [***] the date of Termination, cancellation or Postponement: [***].

For Development Work scheduled to be performed [***] the date of Termination, cancellation or Postponement and [***] the date of Termination, cancellation or Postponement: [***].

Termination, cancellation or Postponement of engineering batches included in the Development Work and each Batch being part of the Manufacturing Work:

 

(i)

If Termination, cancellation or Postponement occurs [***] the Scheduled Starting Date(s): [***].

 

(ii)

If Termination, cancellation or Postponement occurs [***] the Scheduled Starting Date(s): [***].

 

(iii)

If Termination, cancellation or Postponement occurs [***] the Scheduled Starting Date(s): [***];

 

(iv)

If Termination, cancellation or Postponement occurs [***] the Scheduled Starting Date(s) or [***] the scheduled starting date: [***]

 

  Page 61 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

EXHIBIT 6: DRAFT PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

Product Specifications for Batch release will be proposed and mutually agreed once sufficient data is available following Development Work.

The following tests are anticipated:

 

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

[***]

  

[***]

Additional tests may be required following process development and/or regulatory agency discussions.

 

  Page 62 of 63  


Certain information contained in this document, identified by [***], has been redacted because it is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm to the Registrant if publicly disclosed.

Strictly Confidential

 

EXHIBIT 7: DESIGNATED VENDORS

[***].

 

  Page 63 of 63  
EX-10.3

Exhibit 10.3

 

  

Deed of Indemnity,
Access and Insurance

 

  

Opthea Limited (Company)

                            (Director)

 

 

 

  

LOGO

  www.minterellison.com


Deed of Indemnity

 

 

Details

   3

Agreed terms

   4

1.

   Defined terms & interpretation    4

2.

   Indemnity    6

3.

   Obligations in relation to events and Claims    7

4.

   Conduct of events and Claims    8

5.

   Failure to comply    10

6.

   Other indemnity or insurance    10

7.

   Insurance    11

8.

   Access to Board Documents    12

9.

   Confidentiality    14

10.

   Expert determination    15

11.

   General provisions    16

Signing page

   18

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 2


Details

 

Date

Parties

 

Name

   Opthea Limited

ABN

  

Short form name

   Company

Notice details

  

 

Suite 0403 Level 4 650 Chapel St

South Yarra, Victoria, 3141

AUSTRALIA

Facsimile:

Email:

Name

  

Short form name

   Director

Notice details

  

 

Email:

Background

To ensure that the Director agrees to act or continues to act (as the case may be) as an officer of a Group Company, the Company considers it reasonable and in the best interests of the Company to:

 

(i)

indemnify the Director to the extent permitted by law and the Constitution against certain liabilities and legal costs incurred by the Director as an officer of any Group Company;

 

(ii)

maintain, and pay the premium for, a D&O Policy in respect of the Director; and

 

(iii)

provide the Director with access to particular papers and documents requested by the Director for a Permitted Purpose,

both during the time that the Director holds office and for a seven year period after the Director ceases to be an officer of any Group Company, on the terms and conditions contained in this Deed.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 3


Agreed terms

 

 

1.

Defined terms & interpretation

 

1.1

Defined terms

In this Deed, except where the context otherwise requires:

Authorised Person means any person authorised in writing by the Director and approved by the Company, which approval cannot be unreasonably withheld.

Authority means:

 

  (a)

a Royal Commission, Board of Inquiry, Parliamentary Committee or similar body;

 

  (b)

the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Australian Securities Exchange and any other regulatory authority or investigative body, whether in Australia or elsewhere;

 

  (c)

a department of any Australian government or of any other jurisdiction;

 

  (d)

a public authority;

 

  (e)

an instrumentality agent or appointee of the Crown in right of the Commonwealth, in right of a State or in right of a Territory or the equivalent of any of them in any other jurisdiction; and

 

  (f)

any other body exercising statutory or prerogative power.

Board, in relation to a Group Company, means:

 

  (a)

the board of directors of the Group Company; or

 

  (b)

any committee of the board of directors of the Group Company.

Board Documents means the Books of a Group Company to which the Director did, or was entitled to, have access (or receive a copy) during the Director’s term of office as an officer of the Group Company and Board Document means any of those Books.

Board Papers means:

 

  (a)

originals or copies of all documents (including, without limitation, board papers, committee papers, correspondence, legal advice, memoranda, submissions, reports and minutes of meetings) provided to, or tabled at any meeting of, the Board of a Group Company during the Director’s term of office as an officer of that Group Company;

 

  (b)

copies of resolutions and minutes of meetings of the Board of a Group Company held during the Director’s term of office as an officer of that Group Company; and

 

  (c)

copies of resolutions and minutes of meeting of members of a Group Company held during the Director’s term of office as an officer of that Group Company.

Books has the meaning given to that word in section 9 of the Corporations Act and includes, without limitation, Board Papers.

Business Day means a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, bank holiday or public holiday in Victoria, Australia.

Business Hours means from 9.00am to 5.00pm on a Business Day.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 4


Claim means:

 

  (a)

any writ, summons, cross-claim, counterclaim, application or other originating legal or arbitral process to which the Director is or might be a party;

 

  (b)

any hearing, complaint, inquiry, investigation, proceeding or application however commenced or originating which does or might involve the Director, including any investigation or inquiry by any Authority or External Administrator; or

 

  (c)

any written or oral demand or threat that might result in any such process, hearing, complaint, inquiry, investigation, proceeding or application referred to in (a) or (b) above,

arising out of, or in connection with, or resulting from any act, omission or conduct of the Director in the capacity of an officer of a Group Company or in connection with the affairs of a Group Company.

Constitution means the constitution of the Company as it existed on the date of this Deed as modified or replaced from time to time thereafter but excluding any modification or replacement to the extent that it limits the scope of the indemnity available under this Deed.

Corporations Act means the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

D&O Policy means a contract or contracts:

 

  (a)

insuring the Director against liabilities incurred by the Director as an officer of a Group Company; and

 

  (b)

allowing the Company to obtain reimbursement for certain claims paid by it to the Director under this Deed.

Deed means this deed of indemnity, access and insurance.

Expenses means all costs and expenses and includes, without limitation, legal costs and disbursements (on a full indemnity basis) relating to a Claim or Notified Event.

External Administrator means a liquidator, provisional liquidator, controller or an administrator.

Group Company means:

 

  (a)

the Company; or

 

  (b)

any Subsidiary of the Company.

Information, in clause 9, means all or any part of information contained in or related to the affairs or a transaction of a Group Company, a Board Document or a discussion at a meeting of a Group Company.

Independent Expert means an expert appointed under clause 10.

Notified Event means an event or circumstance that may give rise to a Claim that is notified in writing by the Director to the Company in the Relevant Period.

Permitted Purpose has the meaning given to that term in clause 8.1.

Privileged Document means any document in respect of which any form of legal privilege applies solely in favour of a Group Company, jointly in favour of a Group Company and the Director, or jointly in favour of the Director and one or more directors of a Group Company.

Relevant Period means the period:

 

  (a)

beginning on the date of this Deed; and

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 5


  (b)

ending on the seventh anniversary of the date on which Director ceases to be an officer of any Group Company.

Requested Documents has the meaning given to that term in clause 8.1.

Subsidiary has the meaning given to that term in the Corporations Act.

 

1.2

Interpretation

In this Deed, except where the context otherwise requires, references to:

 

  (a)

a title or expression defined in the Corporations Act is to that title or expression as defined and without limitation, ‘officer’ has the meaning given to it in section 9 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (b)

one gender includes each other gender;

 

  (c)

the singular includes the plural and the plural includes the singular;

 

  (d)

a person includes a natural person, partnership, body corporate, association, governmental or local authority or agency or other entity;

 

  (e)

a party are to a party to this Deed, and includes the party’s executors, administrators, successors and permitted assigns and substitutes; and

 

  (f)

a statute, regulation or provision of a statute or regulation (Statutory Provision) include:

 

  (i)

that Statutory Provision as amended or re-enacted from time to time; and

 

  (ii)

a statute, regulation or provision enacted in replacement of that Statutory Provision.

 

1.3

Headings

Headings are for convenience only and do not form part of this Deed or affect its interpretation.

 

2.

Indemnity

 

2.1

Company indemnity

Subject to this clause 2, the Company indemnifies the Director to the maximum extent permitted by law and the Constitution against:

 

  (a)

all liability in respect of a Claim in the Relevant Period or any Claim later arising out of a Notified Event; and

 

  (b)

all Expenses relating to such a Claim or to any Notified Event, including costs and expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred to mitigate any liability for such a Claim or any Claim which may arise from such a Notified Event.

 

2.2

Indemnity extends to certain proceedings

Without limiting clause 2.1 and subject to clauses 2.5 and 6.3, the indemnity provided applies to the maximum extent permitted by law and the Constitution to:

 

  (a)

the defence of a criminal proceeding (whether or not the Director is convicted), but not to any criminal penalty imposed; and

 

  (b)

the defence of a civil proceeding (whether or not any pecuniary or civil penalty or disqualification order is made or any relief or remedy is granted), but not to any pecuniary penalty imposed.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 6


2.3

Conduct not in good faith

The Company is not liable to indemnify the Director against any amount, including any amount of Expenses, in the event that, and to the extent that, the liability of the Director for that amount:

 

  (a)

is found by a court or other judicial body; or

 

  (b)

is agreed by the Director,

to arise from conduct of the Director that was not in good faith.

 

2.4

Claim by the Company or related body corporate

Notwithstanding any other clause of this Deed, the Company is not liable to indemnify the Director against, or advance to or on behalf of the Director, any amount, including any amount of Expenses, in respect of any Claim by the Company or a related body corporate of the Company.

 

2.5

When Expenses are to be paid or advanced

Expenses are to be paid under clause 2.1 as and when they are incurred by or on behalf of the Director. Expenses are to be advanced by the Company to or on behalf of the Director (in advance of payment under clause 2.1) on terms, including as to security, as the Company reasonably requires, where:

 

  (a)

clause 2.3 may apply—and will continue to be advanced until any conduct of the Director referred to in clause 2.3 is established in accordance with that clause; or

 

  (b)

the Company may not be permitted by law or the Constitution to indemnify the Director for those Expenses by reason of an adverse outcome of a proceeding (including where the Director is convicted of a criminal offence) but the Company is permitted by law or the Constitution to advance payment of those Expenses – and will continue to be advanced until the final outcome of the proceeding, including any appeal, is determined.

 

2.6

Nature and scope of indemnity

Subject to the other provisions of this Deed, the indemnity provided by clause 2.1:

 

  (a)

has effect in respect of any act, omission or conduct occurring or arising prior to, on or after the date of this Deed and in respect of liabilities incurred prior to, on or after the date of this Deed;

 

  (b)

is irrevocable except on 20 Business Days notice in writing to the Director, and then only in respect of conduct of the Director after expiry of the 20 Business Days;

 

  (c)

continues irrespective of one or more previous applications of clause 2.1;

 

  (d)

continues in full force and effect without limitation in relation to any Claim, even if the Director has ceased to be a director, officer or employee of the relevant Group Company before such Claim is made against the Director and/or before a claim is made under this Deed; and

 

  (e)

is separate and independent from any indemnity in favour of any other director, officer or employee of any Group Company.

 

3.

Obligations in relation to events and Claims

 

3.1

Director’s obligations

The Director must:

 

  (a)

give notice in writing to the Company promptly upon becoming aware of any Claim or any event or circumstance that may give rise to a Claim;

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 7


  (b)

take such action as the Company reasonably requests to avoid, dispute, resist, appeal against, compromise or defend any Claim or any adjudication of a Claim;

 

  (c)

not make any admission of liability in respect of, or settle, any Claim without the prior written consent of the Company;

 

  (d)

where the Company assumes the conduct, negotiation or defence of any Claim, render all reasonable assistance and cooperation to the Company in the conduct, negotiation or defence of the Claim including, without limitation, providing the Company with any documents, authorities and directions that the Company may reasonably require for the prosecution or advancement of any counterclaim or cross claim;

 

  (e)

upon request by the Company, do everything necessary or desirable which the Company reasonably requests to enable the Company (so far as it is possible) to be subrogated to and enjoy the benefits of the Director’s right in relation to any counterclaims or cross-claims or any claims against any person and render such assistance as may be reasonably requested by the Company for that purpose;

 

  (f)

if the Company has not assumed conduct of a Claim, keep the Company fully informed in relation to the status and conduct of that Claim; and

 

  (g)

notify any Claim to an insurer or any other person who may be liable to indemnify the Director in respect of that Claim, promptly take all reasonable steps to enforce all the Director’s rights against the insurer or other person and comply with all obligations under the terms of the insurance or other indemnity.

 

3.2

Company’s obligations

The Company must immediately notify the Director if any investigation or proceeding is anticipated, threatened or commenced against it that may involve or result in a Claim against the Director.

 

3.3

Costs

The Director is entitled to be reimbursed by the Company for all costs and expenses including, without limitation, legal costs and disbursements (on a full indemnity basis) in taking any action pursuant to clause 3.1.

 

4.

Conduct of events and Claims

 

4.1

Request or election

 

  (a)

Where the Director is or may be entitled to be indemnified by the Company under this Deed in respect of a Claim (including a Claim which may arise from a Notified Event), the Director may request the Company, or the Company may elect, to do one or more of the following:

 

  (i)

assume the conduct, negotiation or defence of the Claim or Notified Event;

 

  (ii)

institute a cross-claim or a counterclaim; and

 

  (iii)

subject to clause 4.2, retain lawyers in relation to the Claim or Notified Event to act on behalf of both the Director and a Group Company (and/or another officer or other officers of a Group Company) to the extent that the Company reasonably considers their interests to be in common.

 

  (b)

If the Director makes a request under paragraph (a), the Company must, within 20 Business Days of the request, notify the Director in writing whether the Company accepts the Director’s request. The Company is under no obligation to accept any such request. If the Company refuses the Director’s request, the Company may, at its discretion, nevertheless later make an election to do one or more of the things set out in paragraph (a).

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 8


  (c)

If the Company accepts the Director’s request under paragraph (b) or the Company makes the election under paragraph (a), the conduct of the Claim or Notified Event will be under the management and control of the Company, unless and until the Company elects to pass conduct of the Claim or Notified Event back to the Director.

 

4.2

Disputes

 

  (a)

If the Director disputes the Company’s decision to retain lawyers in relation to a Claim or Notified Event under clause 4.1(a)(iii), because the Director does not consider their interests to be in common with others for whom the lawyers are retained, the Director must notify the Company of that dispute in writing.

 

  (b)

During the period of 5 Business Days after notice is given under paragraph (a), the Director and the Company must use reasonable efforts to resolve the dispute.

 

  (c)

If the dispute is not resolved in accordance with paragraph (b), the Company must refer the matter to an Independent Expert (in accordance with clause 10) who must decide whether, in relation to the Claim or Notified Event, the interests of the Director and others for whom the lawyers are retained are sufficiently in common for common legal representation to be appropriate in all the circumstances. If the Independent Expert decides that their interests are not sufficiently in common, the Director may engage separate legal or other representation in relation to the Claim or Notified Event and reasonable Expenses incurred by the Director in relation to such legal or other representation shall be borne by the Company under clause 2.1.

 

4.3

Own representation

If the Company elects not to retain lawyers in relation to a Claim or Notified Event under clause 4.1(a)(iii), the Director may engage separate legal or other representation and participate in the Claim or Notified Event as the Director sees fit and reasonable Expenses incurred by the Director in relation to such legal or other representation or participation shall be borne by the Company under clause 2.1.

 

4.4

Reasonableness of Expenses

 

  (a)

The Director may instruct a ‘top tier’ law firm and/or senior counsel and the Company agrees that the normal charges by any such firm or counsel are reasonable for the Director to incur. Where legal costs are advanced or paid pursuant to a D&O Policy or other insurance and there is a shortfall between the costs incurred by the Director and the amount that the relevant insurer advances or pays, the Company will meet that shortfall amount.

 

  (b)

In the event that the Company considers that any amount of Expenses borne by the Company under clause 4.2(c) or 4.3 is unreasonable (other than by reason of the rates charged per clause (a)), the Company may refer the matter for determination by an Independent Expert, in accordance with clause 10. If the Independent Expert finds that any such amount was unreasonable (other than by reason of the rates charged per clause (a)), the Company is only liable for the amount which the Independent Expert finds to be reasonable and the Director will refund the difference between that amount and the amount paid by the Company.

 

4.5

Consultation

Where a Claim is under the management and control of the Company, the Company must:

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 9


  (a)

consult with the Director about material decisions regarding the Claim;

 

  (b)

take into account the Director’s interests (including the Director’s reputation) in making material decisions about the Claim, including in relation to settlement or compromise of the Claim; and

 

  (c)

keep the Director reasonably informed of developments regarding the Claim.

 

4.6

Settlement of a Claim

 

  (a)

If the Company proposes that a Claim be settled or compromised, the Company must:

 

  (i)

provide to the Director details of the proposed offer of settlement or compromise; and

 

  (ii)

allow the Director a reasonable period (to be specified in the notice) in which the Director may object to the offer.

 

  (b)

If the Director does not object to the offer within the period allowed under paragraph (a)(ii), the offer of settlement or compromise may be made or accepted, as the case may be.

 

  (c)

If, within the period allowed under paragraph (a)(ii), the Director gives notice that the Director objects to the offer, the Company may (at its sole discretion, acting reasonably):

 

  (i)

if the Claim is under the management and control of the Company:

 

  (A)

relinquish to the Director the control of the conduct of the Claim (to the extent that it relates to the Director); or

 

  (B)

continue the conduct of the Claim without making or accepting the offer, or

 

  (ii)

permit the Director to continue the conduct of the Claim without making or accepting the offer, and

in any case, the liability of the Company under this Deed in respect of that Claim (to the extent that it relates to the Director) will not exceed the amount of the offer specified in the notice given to the Director under clause 4.6(a) together with Expenses reasonably and properly incurred by or on behalf of the Director up to that time.

 

4.7

Role of the insurer under the D&O Policy

The obligations of the Company under this clause 4 are subject to the rights and obligations of the Company and the insurer under the D&O Policy relating to the management, control and settlement of any Claim.

 

5.

Failure to comply

If the Director fails to comply with any obligation referred to in clause 3.1 or another provision of this Deed to the material prejudice of the Company, the Director is liable to reimburse the Company to the extent of such prejudice. The Company may set off any such liability against the liability of the Company to the Director under this Deed.

 

6.

Other indemnity or insurance

 

6.1

Precedence

The Company is not liable under clause 2.1 for any amount (including any amount of Expenses) to the extent that the Director is also entitled to be indemnified in respect of that amount under an insurance policy (including a D&O Policy) or other indemnity. However, if the insurer or other indemnifying party fails to pay any such amount within 20 Business Days, the Company will advance that amount to or on behalf of the Director.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 10


6.2

Director must claim

If the Director is insured or entitled to any other indemnity for any Claim, the Director must claim under the applicable insurance policy or other indemnity. The Director is not required to await the outcome of a claim under the insurance policy or other indemnity before being indemnified under this Deed. However, if indemnification under this Deed may enable an insurer or other person to deny insurance cover or other indemnity to the Director for any Claim, any payment made by the Company under this Deed is to be taken to be an advance.

 

6.3

Reimbursement of the Company

The Director must account to the Company for any amount:

 

  (a)

which the Director receives under an insurance policy or other indemnity available to the Director in respect of a payment which has already been made by the Company;

 

  (b)

advanced under clause 6.1 or taken to have been advanced under clause 6.2 if and when and to the extent that the amount is received by the Director from the relevant insurer or other person; and

 

  (c)

of Expenses that were advanced to the Director under clause 2.5 and for which the Company is not:

 

  (i)

liable to indemnify the Director by reason of conduct referred to in clause 2.3 being established in accordance with that clause; or

 

  (ii)

permitted by law or the Constitution to indemnify the Director by reason of an adverse determination of a proceeding (including where the Director is convicted of a criminal offence),

such amount to be reimbursed within 20 Business Days of the Company providing to the Director details of each such amount.

 

7.

Insurance

 

7.1

Obligation to insure

To the extent permitted by law and the Constitution, the Company must at all times during the Relevant Period, maintain and pay the premium on a D&O Policy that complies with clause 7.2.

 

7.2

Terms and conditions of D&O Policy

The D&O Policy must:

 

  (a)

cover (but only to the extent required by paragraph (b)) liabilities incurred by the Director (or the Company under the indemnities granted to the Director under clause 2.1) in respect of, or arising out of any Claim;

 

  (b)

be for an amount and on terms and conditions (including premium, insuring clauses, exclusions, excess amounts and extended reporting provisions) as are appropriate for a reasonably prudent company in the Company’s circumstances acting reasonably and fairly; and

 

  (c)

be on terms and conditions that, taken as a whole, are not materially less favourable to the D&O Policy taken out at the same time by the Company in respect of any other director or officer of the Company.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 11


7.3

Notice to Director

The Company must notify the Director immediately on the Company becoming aware that:

 

  (a)

the D&O Policy required to be maintained under clause 7.1 has been cancelled or not renewed; or

 

  (b)

there is a material diminution in the terms of the D&O Policy maintained under clause 7.1 for the Director.

 

7.4

Company to take reasonable steps

The Company must take all steps and provide all notices reasonably required under the terms of the D&O policy (including without limitation any extended reporting provisions), to avail the Director of the full benefit of the D&O policy.

 

7.5

Parties’ obligations

The Company and the Director must:

 

  (a)

not do or permit to be done anything which prejudices or renders any part of the D&O Policy void, voidable or unenforceable, and immediately rectify anything reasonably within the control of the Company or the Director (as the case may be) which might prejudice or render any part of the D&O Policy void, voidable or unenforceable; and

 

  (b)

immediately notify the other in writing on becoming aware of anything done or omitted to be done which could prejudice the D&O Policy.

 

8.

Access to Board Documents

 

8.1

Request for access to Board Documents

The Director (or any Authorised Person) may make a request to the Company for access to Board Documents, which must:

 

  (a)

be in writing addressed and given to the Company;

 

  (b)

include particulars of the Board Documents to which access is sought by the Director (Requested Documents); and

 

  (c)

state the purpose for which access to the Requested Documents is sought, which must be for one of the following purposes:

 

  (i)

to discharge the Director’s duties as an officer of a Group Company; or

 

  (ii)

the investigation or defence of any Claim or any other investigation or proceeding that is anticipated, threatened or commenced that may involve or result in a Claim against the Director; or

 

  (iii)

any other purpose in respect of which the Company gives its written consent,

(Permitted Purpose).

 

8.2

Inspection of Board Documents

The Company must permit, and must procure that each other Group Company permits, the Director to inspect at the offices of the Company or relevant Group Company and copy each Requested Document during Business Hours subject to such conditions as the Group Company reasonably requires, unless:

 

  (a)

the Company considers that access to the Requested Document is not for a Permitted Purpose, in which case:

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 12


  (i)

the Company must notify the Director that it will not permit the Director to have access to the Requested Document on the basis that it is not for a Permitted Purpose;

 

  (ii)

if the Director disputes the Company’s decision to refuse access to the Requested Document, the Director must notify the Company of that dispute in writing;

 

  (iii)

during the period of 5 Business Days after notice is given under paragraph (ii), the Director and the Company must use reasonable efforts to resolve the dispute; and

 

  (iv)

if the dispute is not resolved in accordance with paragraph (iii), the Company must refer the matter to an Independent Expert (in accordance with clause 10) who must decide whether access to the Requested Document is for a Permitted Purpose and, if the Independent Expert so decides, the Company must permit the Director to inspect the Requested Document during Business Hours; or

 

  (b)

the Requested Document is or refers to a Privileged Document, in which case clauses 8.4 to 8.5 will apply.

 

8.3

Return of Board Documents

The Director:

 

  (a)

subject to paragraph (b), must deliver any Board Documents that the Director holds to the company secretary of the relevant Group Company at the conclusion or as soon as possible following the conclusion of each board meeting; and

 

  (b)

in the case of any Board Documents copied and provided to the Director for a Permitted Purpose, must return those Board Documents to the company secretary of the relevant Group Company as soon as possible after they are no longer required for the Permitted Purpose.

 

8.4

Privileged Documents

If a Director requests access to any Board Document under clause 8.1 or 8.2 which in the Company’s opinion is or refers to a Privileged Document, the Company must notify the Director that privilege exists and:

 

  (a)

if the Company believes it reasonably practicable, provide access in such a way that privilege is not lost or waived; or

 

  (b)

subject to paragraph (c), waive, and procure that each other Group Company which is entitled to claim privilege in respect of that Privileged Document waives, such privilege; or

 

  (c)

if access to that Board Document would, in the reasonable opinion of the Company, jeopardise the ability of a Group Company to claim legal privilege in respect of a Privileged Document resulting in material prejudice to the Group Company:

 

  (i)

impose such conditions on the Director’s access to that Board Document as it determines, in good faith, are appropriate to ensure that the ability of a Group Company to claim privilege in respect of that Board Document is not jeopardised by such access; or

 

  (ii)

refuse to permit the Director to have access to that Board Document if the Company determines in good faith and acting reasonably that it is not possible to ensure, by the imposition of conditions, that the Group Company’s claim to privilege in respect of that Board Document would not be jeopardised by such access.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 13


8.5

Disputes in relation to Privileged Documents

  (a)

If the Director disputes the Company’s decision to refuse access to a Board Document, or to impose conditions on access to a Board Document in accordance with clause 8.4, the Director must notify the Company of that dispute in writing.

 

  (b)

During the period of 5 Business Days after notice is given under paragraph (a), the Director and the Company must use reasonable efforts to resolve the dispute.

 

  (c)

If the dispute is not resolved in accordance with paragraph (b), the Company must refer the matter to an Independent Expert (in accordance with clause 10) who must weigh up the interests of the Director in having access to the document against the risks to the Company of waiving privilege to determine whether and, if so, on what terms, access should be granted to the Director.

8.6 Director’s obligations

 

  (a)

The Director must not waive any privilege of a Group Company nor do or omit to do anything that will cause that privilege to be waived or lost, without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

  (b)

Where the Director obtains access to Documents subject to conditions imposed by the Company under clause 8.4, the Director must comply with those conditions.

 

8.7

Access permitted under Corporations Act

Despite any other provision of this Deed, if and to the extent that the Corporations Act gives the Director the right to inspect a Board Document that is, or refers to, a Privileged Document, the Company must allow, and must procure that each Group Company allows, the Director to inspect that Board Document in accordance with the Corporations Act.

 

9.

Confidentiality

 

9.1

Obligations of confidentiality

Without limiting the Director’s duties as an officer of any Group Company, the Director (both during the period in which the Director is an officer of a Group Company and after the Director ceases to be an officer of a Group Company) must:

 

  (a)

keep all Information confidential (except to the extent that disclosure is permitted under clause 9.2);

 

  (b)

not disclose Information to any person unless and to the extent permitted to do so under clause 9.2; and

 

  (c)

not use Information for any purpose other than a Permitted Purpose.

 

9.2

Exceptions

The obligations in clause 9.1 do not apply to Information if and to the extent that:

 

  (a)

the Information is or comes into the public domain (other than as a result of a contravention by the Director of this Deed or any other obligation of confidence);

 

  (b)

disclosure of the Information is required by law;

 

  (c)

disclosure of the Information is either:

 

  (i)

reasonably necessary for a Permitted Purpose; or

 

  (ii)

made in confidence to the legal, financial or taxation advisers of the Director,

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 14


and either:

 

  (iii)

no Group Company has a right to claim legal privilege in respect of some or all of that Information or the proposed disclosure of the Information could not reasonably be expected to jeopardise a Group Company’s ability to claim such privilege; or

 

  (iv)

each Group Company that has the right to claim privilege in respect of all or any of that Information has waived, in writing, its right to claim legal privilege in respect of all or any of that; or

 

  (d)

disclosure of the Information is reasonably necessary for the purposes of the discharge of the duties of the Director as an officer of a Group Company; or

 

  (e)

the Company has given its prior written consent to the disclosure of the Information.

 

9.3

Limitation

If the Director is permitted to disclose Information under clause 9.2, the Director must:

 

  (a)

disclose only the minimum Information reasonably necessary in the circumstances;

 

  (b)

disclose the Information only to persons who have a need to know and only to the extent that they have a need to know; and

 

  (c)

comply with any conditions imposed by the Company under clause 8.4(c)(i).

 

10.

Expert determination

 

10.1

Referral to expert

Any matter which is expressly required in this Deed to be referred to an Independent Expert must be dealt with in accordance with this clause 10.

 

10.2

Independent Expert

The Company must refer the matter for determination by a lawyer mutually acceptable to the Director and the Company or, in default of agreement, a lawyer nominated by the President for the time being of the Law Institute of Victoria. The seniority of the lawyer should reflect the complexity and significance of the issues which the lawyer is to be asked to determine.

 

10.3

Determination by Expert

The Independent Expert appointed under clause 10.2 will:

 

  (a)

make a determination based on the information made available by the parties;

 

  (b)

make a determination having regard to the obligations of the parties under this Deed; and

 

  (c)

notify the parties in writing of his or her determination within 10 Business Days of his or her appointment.

 

10.4

Independent Expert not arbitrator

The Independent Expert must act as an expert not as an arbitrator and his or her decision will be final and binding on the parties.

 

10.5

Cost of Independent Expert

The cost of the Independent Expert’s determination must be borne by the Company.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 15


11.

General provisions

 

11.1

Service of notices

A notice, demand, consent, approval or communication under this Deed (Notice) must be:

 

  (a)

in writing, in English and signed by a person duly authorised by the sender; and

 

  (b)

hand delivered or sent by prepaid post or facsimile to the recipient’s address for Notices specified in the Details, as varied by any Notice given by the recipient to the sender.

 

11.2

Notices sent by email

A Notice may also be sent by email if the Notice is:

 

  (a)

authorised by the sender in accordance with a procedure agreed between the parties; and

 

  (b)

sent to the email address specified in the Details or the email address last notified by the intended recipient to the sender.

 

11.3

Notices effective on receipt

A Notice given in accordance with clause 11.1 or 11.2 takes effect when taken to be received (or at a later time specified in it), and is taken to be received:

 

  (a)

if hand delivered, on delivery;

 

  (b)

if sent by prepaid post, on the second Business Day after the date of posting (or on the seventh Business Day after the date of posting if posted to or from a place outside Australia);

 

  (c)

if sent by facsimile, when the sender’s facsimile system generates a message confirming successful transmission of the entire Notice unless, within eight Business Hours after the transmission, the recipient informs the sender that it has not received the entire Notice; or

 

  (d)

in the case of delivery by email, the first to occur of:

 

  (i)

receipt by the sender of an email acknowledgment from the intended recipient’s information system showing that the Notice has been delivered to the email address of that recipient;

 

  (ii)

the time that the Notice enters an information system which is under the control of the intended recipient; and

 

  (iii)

the time that the Notice is first opened or read by an employee or officer of the intended recipient,

but if the delivery, receipt or transmission is not on a Business Day or is after 5.00pm on a Business Day, the Notice is taken to be received at 9.00am on the next Business Day.

 

11.4

Severability

If anything in this Deed is unenforceable, illegal or void then it is severed and the rest of this Deed remains in force.

 

11.5

Governing law and jurisdiction

  (a)

The law of Victoria governs this Deed.

 

  (b)

The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria and the Commonwealth of Australia and agree that any law suit may be heard in those courts.

 

11.6

Amendment

This Deed may only be amended by a further deed.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 16


11.7

Waiver and exercise of rights

 

  (a)

A waiver by a party of a provision of or a right under this Deed is binding on the party granting the waiver only if it is in writing signed by the party or an authorised officer of the party granting the waiver.

 

  (b)

A waiver is effective only in a specific instance and for the specific purpose for which it is given.

 

  (c)

A single or partial exercise of a right by a party does not preclude another exercise of that right or the exercise of another right.

 

  (d)

Failure by a party to exercise or delay in exercising a right does not prevent its exercise or operate as a wavier.

 

11.8

Counterparts

This Deed may be executed in counterparts and both counterparts taken together constitute one document.

 

11.9

Assignment

Neither party can assign, novate or otherwise transfer any of their rights or obligations under this Deed without the prior written consent of the other party.

 

11.10

Further action

Each party must promptly do all things necessary or desirable to give full effect to this Deed.

 

11.11

GST

The intention of this Deed is that, to the maximum extent possible, as between the Director and the Company, neither is to be adversely affected or advantaged by the operation of tax payable under A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth). If either party requires a tax invoice or the assistance of the other party to obtain an input tax credit, the other party will provide such invoice or assistance promptly upon being requested to do so.

 

11.12

Costs and stamp duty

The Company must pay the costs of negotiating, preparing and executing this Deed and any stamp duty on this Deed.

 

11.13

Survival

Each indemnity in this Deed is independent and survives termination of this Deed. Any other provision by its nature intended to survive termination of this Deed survives termination of this Deed.

 

11.14

Entire agreement

This Deed constitutes the entire agreement between the parties in connection with its subject matter and supersedes all previous agreements or understandings between the parties in connection with its subject matter.

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 17


Signing page

 

EXECUTED as a deed.

 

Executed by Opthea Limited

       
     f        f
Signature of director     

Signature of director/company secretary

(Please delete as applicable)

  
           
Name of director (print)      Name of director/company secretary (print)   

 

Signed sealed and delivered

 

in the presence of

       
     f        f
Signature of witness      Signature of Director   
         
Name of witness (print)        

 

 

ME_85539103_3 (W2003)

   Deed of Indemnity, Access and Insurance | page 18
EX-10.4

Exhibit 10.4

Lease

Building:     Como Centre, 650 Chapel Street South Yarra

Premises:     Suite 0403 Level 4

The Trust Company (Australia) Limited

ACN 000 000 993

in its capacity as custodian for the Newmark Como Property Trust

(Landlord)

and

Opthea Limited

ACN 006 340 567

(Tenant)

GADENS LAWYERS

Level 25, Bourke Place

600 Bourke Street

MELBOURNE 3000

T        +61 3 9252 2555

F        +61 3 9252 2500

Ref:    RSS:21904819


Contents

 

COMMERCIAL TERMS SCHEDULE

     1  

1.  TERM

     5  

Term of lease

     5  

Monthly tenancy

     5  

2.  BASE RENT

     5  

Payment

     5  

First instalment

     5  

3.  REVIEW OF BASE RENT

     5  

Market Review of Base Rent

     5  

Dispute as to Base Rent

     6  

Base Rent criteria

     6  

Costs

     7  

Minimum Base Rent

     7  

Adjustments

     7  

Consumer Price Index Adjustment

     8  

Fixed Percentage Increase

     8  

4.  OUTGOINGS

     8  

Outgoings Contribution

     8  

Payment of contributions

     9  

Tenant to pay charges

     9  

5.  USE OBLIGATIONS

     10  

Positive use obligations

     10  

Negative use obligations

     11  

No warranty as to use

     12  

Laws and Requirements

     12  

Tenant’s Fixtures

     13  

Essential Services Certification

     13  

Cleaning

     13  

6.  REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS

     13  

Repair and maintenance

     13  

Landlord’s right of inspection

     14  

Tenant to carry out obligations

     14  

Landlord’s right of entry

     14  

Alterations to the Building

     14  

7.  ASSIGNMENT AND SUB-LETTING

     15  

Dealings not permitted

     15  

Subleases

     15  

Assignment

     15  

Control of Tenant

     16  

Mortgage of Tenant’s equipment etc

     16  

8.  INSURANCE AND DAMAGE

     16  

Tenant’s insurances

     16  


Insurance terms

     17  

Not affect insurances

     17  

Property of Tenant

     17  

Releases of Landlord

     17  

Indemnities

     17  

Damage to Building

     18  

9.  LANDLORD’S OBLIGATIONS

        19       

Quiet enjoyment

     19  

Outgoings

     19  

Facilities

     19  

Common Areas

     19  

Directory board and door signage

     20  

Minimise disturbance

     20  

Carpet

     20  

10.  DEFAULT, TERMINATION

        20       

Essential terms

     20  

Default

     20  

Avoid default

     20  

Termination of lease

     21  

Landlord may rectify

     21  

Tender after termination

     21  

Damages

     21  

Landlord may institute proceedings

     22  

Landlord to mitigate damages

     22  

Interest on overdue money

     22  

11.  END DATE OBLIGATIONS

        22       

Reinstatement

     22  

Abandoned Tenant’s Fixtures

     22  

12.  LANDLORD’S RIGHTS

        23       

Roof

     23  

Building name

     23  

Change of Landlord

     23  

Landlord’s agents

     23  

Close Building

     23  

Premises security

     23  

Rules

     23  

Changes in PCA Method

     24  

Emergency

     24  

Landlord access

     24  

Structural works

     24  

Prospective tenants or purchasers

     24  

Environmental Initiatives

     24  

Subdivision

     24  

13.  NOTICES

        25       

14.  BANK GUARANTEE

        25       

15.  PAYMENTS AND COSTS

        26       


16.  GOVERNING LAW

     27  

17.  GENERAL

     27  

Exercise of rights

     27  

Waiver

     27  

Legislation

     28  

Approval and consent

     28  

Discretion and opinion

     28  

Set-off

     28  

Indemnities

     28  

Further assurances

     28  

Exclusion of statutory provisions

     29  

Antecedent rights and obligations

     29  

Severability

     29  

If document not a lease

     29  

Relationship of parties

     29  

Counterparts

     29  

No caveat

     29  

Entire agreement

     29  

Attorneys

     29  

Tenant’s representations

     30  

Non-merger

     30  

18.  GST

     30  

19.  LANDLORD LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

     31  

20.  NEWMARK LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

     31  

21.  APPLICABILITY OF THE RETAIL LEASES ACT

     32  

22.  COMPLETION OF BLANKS

     32  

23.  ESD REQUIREMENTS

     32  

24.  PREMISES CONDITION

     33  

25.  BUILDING WORKS

     33  

26.  LANDLORD’S CONTRIBUTION

     33  

SCHEDULE 1—DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

     35  

SCHEDULE 2—OUTGOINGS

     45  

Executed as a deed on 12 November 2019

     48  


COMMERCIAL TERMS SCHEDULE

 

 

 

 

Item 1

Landlord

   The Trust Company (Australia) Limited ACN 000 000 993 in its capacity as custodian for the Newmark Como Property Trust

 

 

Item 2

Tenant

   Opthea Limited
ACN 006 340 567

 

 
Item 3
Premises
   Suite 0403, Level 4 of the Building as shown hatched on the plans attached as annexure A to this lease

 

 
Item 4
Area of Premises
   180 square metres (subject to survey)

 

 
Item 5
Land
   The land located at the corner of Toorak Road, Chapel Street and River Street South Yarra Victoria but limited to 650 Chapel Street South Yarra

 

 
Item 6
Commencement Date
   15 July 2019

 

Item 7
Expiry Date
   14 July 2022

 

 
Item 8
Base Rent
   $460.00 per square metre per annum multiplied by the net lettable area of the Premises, being $82,800 per annum (subject to survey)

 

 
Item 9
Market Review Dates
  

Not applicable

 

Page 1 of 53


 

Item 10

CPI Adjustment Dates

   Not applicable

 

 
Item 11
Consumer Price Index
   Not applicable

 

   
Item 12
Fixed Increase Date and Fixed Percentage Increase
  

Fixed Increase Date

Each anniversary of the Commencement Date

  

Fixed Percentage Increase

4%

 

 
Item 13
Tenant’s Proportion
  

1.96% (subject to survey)

 

 
Item 14
Exclusion of Statutory Provisions
   The covenants, powers and provisions implied in leases by virtue of the Transfer of Land Act 1958 do not apply to this lease.

 

 
Item 15
Permitted Use
   Commercial offices

 

 
Item 16
Redecoration Date
  

Not applicable

 

 
Item 17
Facilities Hours
   Lifts and Escalators: all lifts and escalators to be operating daily between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted. Outside those hours, at least one lift in each rise to operate on call and subject to conformity with the Landlord’s access control system for the Building.

 

Page 2


 
  

Air-conditioning: to operate daily between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted. Outside those hours, air-conditioning to be provided to the Premises at the request and at the cost of the Tenant which at the Commencement Date of the initial term is $60.00 per hour per zone (minimum charge for 2 hours to apply) but subject to change during the Term as determined by the Landlord (acting reasonably) and notified to the Tenant.

 

Access to the Building: public entry doors to the Building to be open daily between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted. Outside those hours, access to be available through a nominated entry and exit point for the Tenant and the Tenant’s nominated staff and in accordance with the operations of the Landlord’s access control system for the Building.

 

Other Facilities: to be available at all times when the Building is open.

 

 
Item 18
Public risk insurance
   $20,000,000

 

   
Item 19
Notices
  

Landlord:

  

Newmark Capital Limited
Como Centre

 

Level 18, 644 Chapel Street
SOUTH YARRA VIC 3141

 

Attention: Asset Manager

   
  

Tenant:

  

Opthea Limited
Suite 0403
650 Chapel Street
SOUTH YARRA VIC 3141

 

Attention: Company Secretary

 

 
Item 20
Bank Guarantee amount
   An amount equal to the Base Rent plus GST and Outgoings Contribution plus GST for 6 months being $57,281.40 as at the Commencement Date subject to clause 14.6

 

 
Item 21
Trust
  

Newmark Como Property Trust

 

Page 3


 
Item 22
Further Term
   Not applicable

 

 
Item 23
Retail Leases Act
  

The Act does not apply.

 

Reason: The Premises are not used for the retail sale of goods or the provision of services by retail.

 

Page 4


The Landlord is the registered proprietor of the Land and the Building.

The Landlord leases to the Tenant the Premises for the Term on the terms and conditions contained in this lease.

 

1.

TERM

 

 

Term of lease

 

1.1

Subject to the provisions of this lease, this lease commences on the Commencement Date and ends on the Expiry Date.

Monthly tenancy

 

1.2

If the Landlord in its discretion allows the Tenant to occupy the Premises after the Expiry Date (other than under a grant of a further lease), the Tenant does so as a monthly tenant on the terms and conditions of this lease with necessary changes applicable to a monthly tenancy except that:

 

  (a)

the Base Rent will be an amount equal to one-twelfth of the Base Rent payable immediately before the Expiry Date increased by the Fixed Percentage Amount.

 

  (b)

the first payment of rent is to be made on the next day after the Expiry Date;

 

  (c)

the monthly tenancy may be terminated at any time by either party giving one month’s notice to the other party and the tenancy will end one month after service of that notice; and

 

  (d)

if the Tenant defaults in performing its obligations, then the Landlord may terminate the tenancy by giving notice to the Tenant and the monthly tenancy will end seven days after service of that notice.

 

2.

BASE RENT

 

 

Payment

 

2.1

The Tenant must pay the Base Rent by equal monthly instalments (and proportionately for any part of a month) in advance on the first day of each month during the Term.

First instalment

 

2.2

The Tenant must pay the first instalment of Base Rent on the Commencement Date.

 

3.

REVIEW OF BASE RENT

 

 

Market Review of Base Rent

 

3.1

If the Landlord chooses to review the Base Rent at any Market Review Date then clauses 3.2 to 3.16 inclusive apply. The Landlord is not obliged to give a notice under clause 3.2.

 

3.2

During each Review Period the Landlord may give a Rent Review Notice to the Tenant in respect of the Market Review Date to which that Review Period relates.

 

Page 5


3.3

The amount in the Rent Review Notice is the Base Rent reserved by this lease from that Market Review Date unless a Dispute Notice is given by the Tenant within the Dispute Period.

 

3.4

If the Landlord does not give the Tenant a Rent Review Notice in respect of a Market Review Date, then as from that Market Review Date until the next Review Date (or if there is no further Review Date, the Expiry Date) the Tenant must continue to pay Base Rent at the rate payable before that Market Review Date; and

Dispute as to Base Rent

 

3.5

If the Tenant wants to dispute a Rent Review Notice, then during the Dispute Period the Tenant must give notice to the Landlord:

 

  (a)

stating that the Tenant disputes the Base Rent assessed by the Landlord; and

 

  (b)

nominating the figure which is the Tenant’s assessment of the Base Rent to apply from the relevant Market Review Date.

 

3.6

Within 21 days after delivery of the Dispute Notice, the Landlord and the Tenant must agree on an Umpire who will determine the Base Rent.

 

3.7

If the Landlord and the Tenant do not appoint the Umpire under clause 3.6, then either party may ask the president of the Institute to appoint the Umpire.

 

3.8

An Umpire appointed under this lease:

 

  (a)

must be a full member of not less than five years’ standing of the Institute;

 

  (b)

must hold a licence or be registered to practise as a valuer of the kind of premises demised by this lease;

 

  (c)

must have at least three years’ experience in valuing such premises and be active in that market at the time of his or her appointment;

 

  (d)

must have due regard to any evidence submitted by the parties (and, in the case of the Umpire, by the Valuers) as to their assessments of the Base Rent;

 

  (e)

as a condition of the appointment agree to make his or her determination of the Base Rent within 30 days of his or her appointment;

 

  (f)

must give his or her determination and the reasons for that determination (including setting out what was taken into account, what was disregarded, their respective weightings and any other adjustments) in writing; and

 

  (g)

acts as an expert and not as an arbitrator.

 

3.9

The determination of the Umpire is final and binding and is the Base Rent as at that Market Review Date. The Umpire’s determination must be a speaking valuation which complies with clause 3.8 (f).

 

3.10

If the Umpire does not make his or her determination of the Base Rent within the required period, then either party may ask the president of the Institute to appoint a substitute Umpire. On that appointment, the appointment of the previous Umpire ends.

 

Page 6


Base Rent criteria

 

3.11

In determining the Base Rent, the parties and any Umpire must determine the current market rent on a face rent basis for the Premises as at the particular Market Review Date having regard to the provisions of this lease and must:

 

  (a)

disregard the value of any goodwill attributable to the Tenant’s Business and the value of the Tenant’s Fixtures or fitout or any other interest in the Premises created by this lease;

 

  (b)

disregard any deleterious condition of the Premises resulting from any work carried out by the Tenant or from any breach of this lease by the Tenant;

 

  (c)

disregard any rent or other money payable under any sublease or licence where the rent or other money payable under the sublease or licence is less than the Base Rent;

 

  (d)

have regard to the Term and, if part of the Term has elapsed at the Review Date, disregard that fact;

 

  (e)

have regard to the rental value of comparable premises but in doing so must make no reduction on account of any Incentive;

 

  (f)

consider the Premises as used for the Permitted Use but must have regard also to any other use to which the Premises may be lawfully put;

 

  (g)

regard the Premises on a floor by floor basis without a discount where the Base Rent is to be determined for more than one floor;

 

  (h)

assume that all obligations of the Tenant and the Landlord in this lease have been performed and observed;

 

  (i)

make no reduction on account of any Incentive paid, provided or allowed to the Tenant or which would be likely to be paid, provided or allowed to a tenant in relation to a new tenancy in respect of the Premises were they vacant; and

 

  (j)

assume that the Building has been reinstated in accordance with clause 8 if the Building has been damaged or destroyed.

Costs

 

3.12

The costs of the Umpire in determining the Base Rent must be paid by the parties equally.

Minimum Base Rent

 

3.13

If a Rent Review Notice is given under clause 3.2, then despite any other provision of this lease, the Base Rent from and including any Market Review Date until the next Review Date or the Expiry Date as appropriate is the greater of:

 

  (a)

the Base Rent determined under this clause 3; and

 

  (b)

the Base Rent payable for the 12 months immediately before that Market Review Date.

Adjustments

 

3.14

If a Rent Review Notice is given under clause 3.2, the Base Rent specified in that notice is payable from the particular Market Review Date, whether or not a Dispute Notice is given by the Tenant. Any receipt for the payment of Base Rent at a lesser amount due to the Landlord’s delay in issuing the Rent Review Notice does not prejudice the Landlord’s right to demand payment of any additional rent payable by the Tenant as a result of that review.

 

Page 7


3.15

If a Rent Review Notice is given after the Market Review Date to which it relates, then any shortfall in the payment of Base Rent as from the Market Review Date must be paid by the Tenant on the first day of the month next following the date of service of the Rent Review Notice.

 

3.16

If a Dispute Notice is given by the Tenant, any variation in the Base Rent arising from a determination under this clause 3 takes effect from the relevant Market Review Date.

 

3.17

After the determination of the Base Rent:

 

  (a)

if the Base Rent payable is less than that specified in the Rent Review Notice, then the Landlord must credit to the Tenant any excess rent paid by the Tenant in one of the next two rental statements; or

 

  (b)

if the Base Rent payable is greater than that specified in the Rent Review Notice, then the Tenant must pay any deficiency to the Landlord within seven days after the date of the determination.

Consumer Price Index Adjustment

 

3.18

The Base Rent from and including each CPI Adjustment Date until the next Review Date (or if there is no further Review Date, the Expiry Date) is the greater of:

 

  (a)

the Base Rent payable immediately before that CPI Adjustment Date multiplied by the Current CPI and divided by the Previous CPI; and

 

  (b)

the Base Rent payable immediately before that CPI Adjustment Date.

 

3.19

On the first day of the month after the information is available to make the calculation in clause 3.18, the Tenant must pay the difference between what the Tenant has paid on account of Base Rent and the Base Rent as adjusted pursuant to clause 3.18 for the period from and including the relevant CPI Adjustment Date to but excluding the first day of that month.

Fixed Percentage Increase

 

3.20

The Base Rent from and including each Fixed Increase Date until the next Review Date (or if there is no further Review Date, the Expiry Date) is increased by the Fixed Percentage Increase.

 

4.

OUTGOINGS

 

 

Outgoings Contribution

 

4.1

The Tenant must pay the Outgoings Contribution for each Outgoings Year calculated as follows:

OC = LP x I x N

                         Y

where:

OC = the Outgoings Contribution

LP = the Tenant’s Proportion

 

Page 8


I = the amount of the Outgoings for the relevant Outgoings Year

N = is the number of days of the Term falling within the relevant Outgoings Year

Y = 365 (or 366 in the case of a leap year).

 

4.2

The Landlord may allocate to specific tenants (including the Tenant) Outgoings costs which in the Landlord’s reasonable opinion have been incurred in respect of those tenants or in respect of a particular part of the Building occupied by those tenants. The Landlord must exclude those costs from the Outgoings for which other tenants are liable. The Tenant must pay any cost allocated to it under this clause.

 

4.3

The Outgoings for any particular Outgoings Year will be calculated on an accrual basis, unless the Landlord in its discretion decides to calculate the Outgoings on a cash basis.

 

4.4

Not used.

 

4.5

Not used..

 

4.6

Not used.

Payment of contributions

 

4.7

The Landlord may notify the Tenant of the Landlord’s reasonable estimate of the Outgoings Contribution for each Outgoings Year, and may adjust the reasonable estimate from time to time.

 

4.8

The Tenant must pay, on account of the Tenant’s Proportion of the Outgoings Contribution, the estimate notified under clause 4.7, by equal monthly instalments in advance on the days for payment of Base Rent.

 

4.9

As soon as practicable after each Outgoings Year the Landlord must give the Tenant a statement for that Outgoings Year with reasonable details of the Outgoings and the Tenant’s Proportion of the Outgoings Contribution payable by the Tenant.

 

4.10

Within 14 days after receipt of the statement, the Tenant must pay or the Landlord must credit, the difference between the amount paid on account of the Tenant’s Proportion in the Outgoings Contribution for that Outgoings Year and the amount actually payable by the Tenant.

 

4.11

By notice to the Tenant the Landlord may recover any Tenant’s Proportion of the Outgoings Contribution by payment of a lump sum, even if the Landlord has not notified the Tenant of an estimate under clause 4.7 or gives notice after the End Date.

 

4.12

The Tenant’s Proportion of the Outgoings Contribution is payable even if the End Date occurs before the relevant amount for any particular Outgoings Year can be calculated. In that case the Landlord’s reasonable estimate at the End Date is taken to be the actual Outgoings Contribution to the End Date without any further adjustment.

 

4.13

The Tenant acknowledges that details of the Tenant’s Proportion of any increase in the Outgoings Contribution and Outgoings provided to it at the Commencement Date may have been based on estimates and that the estimates may require revision when the actual amount of the expense is determined.

 

Page 9


Tenant to pay charges

 

4.14

The Tenant must pay on time all:

 

  (a)

waste costs, water costs and other costs which the Landlord reasonably determines to have been incurred in respect of the Premises as a result of the Tenant’s use and occupation of the Premises;

 

  (b)

costs of services separately connected and supplied to the Premises or connected to the Building and separately metered to the Premises including water, electricity, gas and telephone;

 

  (c)

the connection and usage costs of all services not connected and supplied to the Premises but required by the Tenant; and

 

  (d)

after hours trading costs including but not limited to cleaning electricity gas insurance and security costs and air conditioning .

 

5.

USE OBLIGATIONS

 

 

Positive use obligations

 

5.1

The Tenant must:

 

  (a)

use the Premises only for the Permitted Use;

 

  (b)

lock all exterior doors and windows in the Premises when the Premises are not occupied;

 

  (c)

keep the Premises clean and tidy;

 

  (d)

notify the Landlord and the proper Authority promptly of any infectious illness in the Premises which must be notified to an Authority and, if that infectious illness is confined to the Premises, the Tenant must disinfect the Premises to the satisfaction of the Landlord and that Authority;

 

  (e)

notify the Landlord of any damage or accident to or defects in the Building including the failure of any exit lights or other equipment or any circumstances likely to cause any damage or injury within the Building promptly after the Tenant becomes aware of the damage, accident, defect or circumstances;

 

  (f)

comply with all reasonable directions of the Landlord relating to the receipt, delivery or other movement of any goods or articles of bulk or quantity;

 

  (g)

pay all reasonable and proper costs of the Landlord in providing, at the request of the Tenant, access to the Building outside the Public Access Hours or Facilities and Services outside the Facilities Hours;

 

  (h)

comply with all Laws and Requirements and the directions of the Landlord in relation to smoking and place in the Premises signs as the Landlord reasonably requires to notify persons of the prohibitions contained in this lease in relation to smoking;

 

  (i)

comply with the Rules;

 

  (j)

participate in emergency procedures as required by the Landlord;

 

Page 10


  (k)

provide Keys only to employees and invitees of the Tenant, keep a list of the recipients of Keys and their status and on request provide the Landlord with an up-to-date copy of that list;

 

  (l)

pay all costs arising from the issue to the Tenant of any Keys and the upgrading or reprogramming of the Keys and the costs incurred as a result of the loss of or damage to any Key including the cost of replacement keys;

 

  (m)

ensure that any Key system installed in the Premises is compatible with the system for the Building;

 

  (n)

obtain all consents or approvals of any Authority or under any Laws or Requirements necessary in relation to the Tenant’s Business and not allow them to lapse or be revoked;

 

  (o)

use the cleaning service for the Building provided by the Landlord and comply with any recycling program operating in the Building;

 

  (p)

fully satisfy any Requirement in respect of Contamination which exists by reason of any Tenant Cause;

 

  (q)

nominate to the Landlord a representative of the Tenant who can be contacted by the Landlord on a 24 hour basis in relation to the Premises or any emergency in them; and

 

  (r)

comply with any Environmental Initiatives implemented by the Landlord in the Building.

Negative use obligations

 

5.2

The Tenant must not:

 

  (a)

without the Landlord’s consent, bring, place or store Heavy Items in the Building;

 

  (b)

install any equipment in the Premises that overloads the Services;

 

  (c)

obstruct access to or impede the Services or the Facilities;

 

  (d)

affix any telecommunications device to the Building or install any communications cabling in the Building without the Landlord’s consent (and any consent so given may be withdrawn at any time without consultation if the Landlord reasonably considers it to be in the interests of the Landlord or the other tenants or licensees of the Building to do so);

 

  (e)

use any sound, picture or image producing equipment in the Premises which is audible or visible from outside the Premises;

 

  (f)

install Coverings on the exterior of the Building or the internal face of perimeter glass without the Landlord’s consent;

 

  (g)

deface or mark or drive any nails, screws or hooks into the Building;

 

  (h)

cover or obstruct the air-conditioning ducts and outlets or the skylights and windows which reflect or admit air or light into the Building or cover or obstruct any lights or other means of illumination;

 

  (i)

throw anything out of the windows or doors of the Building or down the elevator shafts or into the light areas of the Building;

 

Page 11


  (j)

deposit rubbish anywhere except in proper receptacles;

 

  (k)

place any article or thing on any sill, ledge or other like part of the Building;

 

  (l)

obstruct the Common Areas nor place items in any part of the Building other than the Premises;

 

  (m)

without the Landlord’s consent, store or use Inflammable Substances in the Premises;

 

  (n)

smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars or any other form of tobacco or similar substance in or around the Building or the Land;

 

  (o)

without the Landlord’s consent, remove any ceiling tiles, carpet or other floor coverings or other items in the Premises at the Commencement Date from where they were originally installed in the Building;

 

  (p)

do anything to the carpet or other floor coverings in the Premises which contravenes any guarantee relating to them notified to the Tenant by the Landlord;

 

  (q)

keep animals or birds in the Premises;

 

  (r)

carry on any noxious, noisome, or offensive business or do any act or thing which may cause nuisance, damage or disturbance to any person including the Landlord and any other occupier of the Building;

 

  (s)

hold any auction, bankruptcy or fire sale in the Premises;

 

  (t)

prepare or cook food in the Premises except in areas approved by the Landlord;

 

  (u)

open external windows of the Building;

 

  (v)

without the Landlord’s consent, display or affix any Sign on any part of the Premises or the Building that is visible from outside the Premises;

 

  (w)

use the Premises as a residence;

 

  (x)

cause damage to the Building;

 

  (y)

make any duplicate of the Keys provided by the Landlord; or

 

  (z)

Contaminate the Premises.

No warranty as to use

 

5.3

The Tenant acknowledges that the Landlord gives no warranty as to the use to which the Premises may be put. The Tenant acknowledges that it has satisfied itself and is taken to have accepted this lease with full knowledge of and subject to any prohibitions or restrictions on the use of the Premises under any Laws or Requirements.

Laws and Requirements

 

5.4

Subject to clause 5.5 and any obligations of the Landlord under this lease, the Tenant must comply with and observe all Laws and Requirements affecting:

 

  (a)

the Premises;

 

  (b)

the Tenant’s Fixtures;

 

Page 12


  (c)

the Tenant’s Business; and

 

  (d)

the Tenant’s use or occupation of the Premises,

whether addressed to or required to be effected by the Landlord, the Tenant or both or by any other person. The Tenant must promptly give the Landlord a copy of any Laws or Requirements notified to the Tenant. In complying with those Laws or Requirements the Tenant must obtain the Landlord’s consent and must observe the provisions of this lease.

 

5.5

The Tenant is not required under clause 5.4 to effect structural works unless rendered necessary by any Tenant Cause.

Tenant’s Fixtures

 

5.6

The Landlord agrees that the installation by the Tenant of the Tenant’s Fixtures in accordance with the terms of this lease does not constitute a breach of clause 5.2(g) or clause 5.2(x) by the Tenant. This clause 5.6 does not derogate from the Tenant’s obligations under clause 11.

Essential Services Certification

 

5.7

If due to a Tenant Cause the Landlord is prevented from or delayed in obtaining a statement in relation to each essential fire or other safety measure implemented in the Building as required by any Law, then within a reasonable time (having regard to the Law and any Requirements) the Tenant, on being required by the Landlord to do so, must at the cost of the Tenant carry out such works and do such things as are necessary to enable the Landlord to obtain the statement and to comply with the Landlord’s obligations under the Law. This clause operates subject to clause 12.13.

 

5.8

If required by the Landlord at any time, the Tenant must, within the period nominated by the Landlord in its notice to the Tenant, obtain and provide to the Landlord an essential services certificate in respect of the Premises. This clause does not limit the obligations of the Tenant under clause 5.7.

Cleaning

 

5.9

The Tenant is responsible for the Premises cleaning costs and may at its discretion use a third party cleaner to clean the Premises provided such cleaner has been approved by the Landlord.

 

6.

REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS

 

 

 

6.1

Not used.

Repair and maintenance

 

6.2

The Tenant must keep the Premises, the Tenant’s Fixtures and any Landlord’s Fixtures located in or exclusively servicing the Premises in good and substantial repair, maintenance and condition including:

 

  (a)

replacing all damaged or faulty light bulbs, light globes and tubes (including exit lights) in the Premises; and

 

  (b)

keeping current during the Term such Maintenance Contracts as the Landlord reasonably requires in relation to the Tenant’s obligations under this clause 6.2.

 

Page 13


The Tenant must give the Landlord such evidence as to the existence of and performance of the Maintenance Contracts as the Landlord requires including copies of reports, certificates and other statements issued in connection with those Maintenance Contracts.

 

6.3

Clause 6.2 does not impose any obligation on the Tenant for:

 

  (a)

structural works unless rendered necessary by any Tenant Cause; or

 

  (b)

fair wear and tear (apart from replacing all damaged or faulty light bulbs, light globes and tubes (including exit lights) in the Premises).

 

6.4

Subject to clause 12.13, the Tenant must promptly make good damage (including of a structural nature) to the Building due to a Tenant Cause.

Landlord’s right of inspection

 

6.5

On giving the Tenant not less than two days’ notice (except in an emergency when no notice is required), the Landlord may enter the Premises to:

 

  (a)

inspect the state of repair of the Premises; and

 

  (b)

review the Tenant’s observance and performance of the Tenant’s Covenants.

Tenant to carry out obligations

 

6.6

The Landlord may give the Tenant a notice of any failure by the Tenant to carry out any obligation of the Tenant under clause 5 or clause 6. The notice may require the Tenant to carry out that obligation within a reasonable time. If the Tenant fails to do so, the Landlord may carry out that obligation at the Tenant’s cost.

Landlord’s right of entry

 

6.7

If:

 

  (a)

the Landlord wishes to do works to the Premises which the Landlord acting reasonably considers necessary or desirable (including Environmental Initiatives) or which the Landlord is obliged to do under this lease or under any Law or Requirement;

 

  (b)

an Authority requires work to be done at the Building which the Landlord decides to do and which is not the Tenant’s obligation under this lease; or

 

  (c)

the Landlord decides to carry out any obligation which the Tenant is required to carry out under this lease, but fails to do,

then the Landlord, on giving to the Tenant not less than two days’ notice (except in an emergency when no notice is required), may enter the Premises and do those works (provided that such works do not adversely affect the Tenant’s day-to-day operations).

Alterations to the Building

 

6.8

The Tenant must not:

 

  (a)

make any alterations or additions to the Building including the inter-tenancy partitions or floor coverings;

 

  (b)

interfere with, alter or make any connections to the Services or the Landlord’s Fixtures; or

 

Page 14


  (c)

use, install or alter internal partitions in the Premises,

 

  unless

the Tenant:

 

  (d)

obtains the Landlord’s consent (which consent must not be unreasonably withheld); and

 

  (e)

the Tenant complies with the Works Conditions.

 

6.9

The Tenant must issue drawing to the Landlord for approval prior to submitting them to any required Authority for approval.

 

6.10

The Tenant must complete the works to fit out the Premises to a standard commensurate with a high-end shopping centre precinct and to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord.

 

6.11

The Tenant must provide to the Landlord a copy of all endorsed planning and building permits and approvals and plans within five (5) business days of being issued to the Tenant by the relevant Authority or issuer.

 

6.12

Where the Landlord imposes a condition on the Tenant pursuant to clause 6.8 requiring the works or any part thereof to remain in or on the Premises when the Tenant vacates the Premises, the parties agree that part of the works are deemed to be a Fixture for the purpose of the PPS Act.

 

7.

ASSIGNMENT AND SUB-LETTING

 

 

Dealings not permitted

 

7.1

Except as otherwise stated in this clause 7, during the Term the Tenant must not assign, sublease, mortgage, charge or otherwise deal with or part with possession of the Premises or this lease or any estate or interest in this lease or agree to do any of those things and Section 144 of the Property Law Act shall not apply.

Subleases

 

7.2

The Tenant must not grant any sublease of the Premises without the Landlord’s consent which shall not be unreasonably withheld. Subject to clauses 7.5 and 7.6 , the Landlord will consent to a sublease if the Tenant complies with the Dealing Conditions (other than Dealing Condition (i)).

Assignment

 

7.3

The Tenant must not assign this lease without the Landlord’s consent. Subject to clauses 7.5 and 7.6, the Landlord will consent to an assignment if:

 

  (a)

the Assignment relates to the whole of the Premises and the whole of the Tenant’s interest in this lease; and

 

  (b)

before the Tenant assigns, the Tenant and, where applicable, the assignee, comply with the Dealing Conditions; and

 

  (c)

before the Tenant assigns, the assignee covenants with the Landlord to perform and observe the Tenant’s Covenants after the Assignment.

 

7.4

An Assignment under clause 7.3 does not release the Tenant from the Tenant’s Covenants.

 

Page 15


7.5

Despite any other provision of this lease, consent to assignment or sublease by the Tenant may be withheld by the Landlord in the Landlord’s absolute discretion to:

 

  (a)

a government department or instrumentality (unless that government department or instrumentality is already a tenant in the Building);

 

  (b)

a trustee or a legal entity constituting or representing a political party; or

 

  (c)

an embassy, consulate or trade commission office of a foreign country.

Control of Tenant

 

7.6

The Tenant must not allow a Control Event to occur without the Landlord’s consent. The Landlord must consent to a Control Event occurring if:

 

  (a)

the Tenant notifies the Landlord of the Control Event;

 

  (b)

the Tenant satisfies the Landlord that the Control Event will not materially or adversely affect the Tenant’s respectability, responsibility or solvency or its ability to observe and perform the Tenant’s Covenants; and

 

  (c)

the Tenant complies with the Dealing Conditions applicable to the Control Event.

 

7.7

Clause 7.6 does not apply to a Tenant which is a corporation whose shares are listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Mortgage of Tenant’s equipment etc

 

7.8

The Tenant must not mortgage, charge, lease or otherwise deal with any Tenant’s Fixtures which requires the Landlord to sign a waiver or similar document without the Landlord’s consent. The Landlord must consent if:

 

  (a)

the Tenant is entering into a genuine mortgage, charge or lease as a means of financing that equipment, fixtures or fittings;

 

  (b)

the Tenant and all other relevant parties execute the Landlord’s standard form of waiver document; and

 

  (c)

the Tenant pays the Landlord’s reasonable costs (including legal costs).

 

7.9

The Tenant must notify the Landlord on or before the Commencement Date if the Tenant’s Fixtures or any other Personal Property of the Tenant relevant to this lease is subject to a Security Interest.

 

7.10

Without limiting clause 7.8, the Tenant agrees not to create a Security Interest in favour of any third party in respect of the Tenant’s Fixtures or any other Personal Property of the Tenant relevant to the lease except with the prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld) of the Landlord.

 

7.11

Despite anything in this lease the Tenant must if directed to do so by the Landlord reinstate and make good to the Landlord’s satisfaction any sub-divisional works undertaken as a result of this clause 7 on or before the End Date.

 

Page 16


8.

INSURANCE AND DAMAGE

 

 

Tenant’s insurances

 

8.1

The Tenant must keep current during the Term:

 

  (a)

a public risk insurance policy endorsed to include the risks referred to in clause 8.7 and all other claims arising in connection with this lease, such policy to be for not less than the amount specified in item 18 or such other reasonable amount as the Landlord may notify the Tenant from time to time in respect of any single occurrence;

 

  (b)

a policy against glass breakage covering all plate and other glass in the doors, offices and staircases on, in or about the Premises and covering frames, surrounds and temporary shutters;

 

  (c)

a policy insuring all additions to the Premises carried out by the Tenant and all the Tenant’s Fixtures and the Landlord’s Fixtures against loss or damage by events for which a Tenant can and does ordinarily insure, for their full replacement value;

 

  (d)

any other insurance (including business losses) that in the Landlord’s reasonable opinion a prudent Tenant would maintain.

 

8.2

On:

 

  (a)

each anniversary of the Commencement Date, the Tenant must give the Landlord a Certificate of Currency; and

 

  (b)

on request, the Tenant must give the Landlord copies of the policy, the receipt for the last premium and a Certificate of Currency,

in respect of any insurance referred to in clause 8.1.

Insurance terms

 

8.3

All policies of insurance under this clause 8 must:

 

  (a)

be with a reputable insurer with a Standard & Poors rating of A or better;

 

  (b)

be for such amounts and cover such risks and contain such conditions as are acceptable to, or are as required by, the Landlord acting reasonably; and

 

  (c)

be taken out in the name of the Tenant and, in respect of the policy referred to in clause 8.1(a), must note the interest of the Landlord as principal under the policy.

Not affect insurances

 

8.4

The Tenant must not do any act or thing which may increase the cost of insurances in connection with the Building or property in the Building or affect or make void or voidable that insurance or which may conflict with Laws or Requirements.

Property of Tenant

 

8.5

All property of the Tenant or of the Tenant’s Agents in the Building is at the sole risk of the Tenant.

 

Page 17


Releases of Landlord

 

8.6

The Tenant releases the Landlord from liability in respect of:

 

  (a)

loss of or damage to any property of the Tenant or any other person; and

 

  (b)

injury to or the death of any person,

in the Building or in places adjacent to the Building except as a result of the negligence of the Landlord or of any servant or agent of the Landlord if that person is acting for the Landlord.

Indemnities

 

8.7

The Tenant is liable for and must indemnify the Landlord against all Claims for which the Landlord becomes liable in connection with (except to the extent that the relevant loss or damage is caused or contributed to by the default, or negligent act or omission of the Landlord or any servant or agent of the Landlord):

 

  (a)

loss of or damage to the Building or to any property or injury to or the death of any person to the extent caused or contributed to by a Tenant Cause;

 

  (b)

the negligent or careless use of the Building by the Tenant or the Tenant’s Agents;

 

  (c)

any defect in the Building due to a Tenant Cause;

 

  (d)

the Tenant’s failure to perform or observe the Tenant’s Covenants; or

 

  (e)

any act of the Landlord in connection with clause 5.1(j) or clause 12.13.

 

8.8

Clause 8.7 applies even if a Claim results from any act or thing which the Tenant may be authorised or obliged to do under this lease and even if at any time waiver or other indulgence has been given to the Tenant in respect of that act or thing.

Damage to Building

 

8.9

If the Building is damaged so that a substantial part of the Premises cannot be used or are inaccessible, the Tenant’s liability to pay Base Rent is reduced in proportion to the nature and extent of the damage for the period the Premises cannot be used or are inaccessible.

 

8.10

If the Building is damaged so that a substantial part of the Premises cannot be used or are inaccessible, the Landlord may, within three months after the damage occurs, give the Tenant notice that it:

 

  (a)

intends to reinstate the Building and make the Premises fit for use or access by the Tenant; or

 

  (b)

terminates the Lease on 7 days’ notice as it is impractical or undesirable to reinstate the Building.

 

8.11

If the Landlord does not give the Tenant a notice under clause 8.10 within three months after the damage occurs, then the Tenant may terminate this lease by written notice to the Landlord.

 

8.12

If the Landlord serves a notice under clause 8.10 of its intention to reinstate the Building and make the Premises fit for use or access by the Tenant and does not carry out the necessary works within a reasonable time (having regard to the nature and extent of the damage and the time expected to commence and to carry out the necessary works), the Tenant may serve a notice requiring the Landlord to carry out the necessary works. If the Landlord does not comply with that notice within a reasonable time, the Tenant may terminate this lease by written notice to the Landlord.

 

Page 18


8.13

The Tenant may not terminate this lease, nor may the Tenant’s liability to pay Base Rent be reduced under this clause if the Tenant or the Tenant Agents:

 

  (a)

caused or contributed to the damage;

 

  (b)

prejudiced the Landlord’s rights under an insurance policy in connection with the Building; or

 

  (c)

caused or contributed to a claim being refused by the insurer.

Clauses 8.13(a) to 8.13(c) do not affect any other rights the Landlord may have in connection with the events specified in this clause 8.

 

8.14

If at any time, the Landlord considers it is impractical or undesirable to reinstate the Building and make the Premises fit for use or access by the Tenant (including if it has already given a notice that it intends to reinstate the Building), the Landlord may terminate this Lease by giving one month’s written notice to the Tenant.

 

8.15

Nothing in this clause 8 obliges the Landlord to restore or reinstate the Building or the Premises.

 

8.16

Termination of this lease under this clause 8 does not affect the rights of either party in connection with a breach of any covenant of this lease before termination.

OHS Indemnity

 

8.17

Subject to any matters and works which under this Lease are the responsibility of the Landlord, the Tenant indemnifies the Landlord from and against any liability under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) and the Tenant acknowledges that, to that extent, the Premises are under its control.

 

9.

LANDLORD’S OBLIGATIONS

 

 

Quiet enjoyment

 

9.1

Subject to the Landlord’s rights reserved by this lease, while the Tenant complies with its obligations under this lease the Tenant may use and occupy the Premises during the Term without interference by or through the Landlord.

Outgoings

 

9.2

The Landlord must pay the Outgoings not payable by any other person.

Facilities

 

9.3

The Landlord must use reasonable endeavours to ensure the Facilities are functional during the Facilities Hours.

 

9.4

If the Landlord has complied with clause 9.3 and, despite that, at any time:

 

  (a)

any Facilities or Services do not function or are not available;

 

Page 19


  (b)

the Landlord because of the need to repair, maintain or replace Facilities or Services or because of the operation of any Laws or Requirements is compelled to shut off or remove any Facilities or Services; or

 

  (c)

the Landlord exercises its rights under clause 12.6 to close the Building,

then the Tenant is not entitled to terminate or rescind this lease nor to make any Claim for compensation or damages or abatement of rent against the Landlord.

Common Areas

 

9.5

Subject to this lease, the Tenant and the Tenant’s Agents (in common with other persons authorised by the Landlord) may use the Common Areas for their intended purposes as determined by and subject to the Landlord’s directions.

Directory board and door signage

 

9.6

The Tenant shall be entitled to place its name on the entrance door of the Premises at no charge. Signage is subject to Landlord approval (which must not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) as well as relevant Authority approvals.

Minimise disturbance

 

9.7

The Landlord must use reasonable endeavours to minimise any disturbance to the Tenant’s use of the Premises in carrying out works under clause 6.7(a) and 6.7(b) and clause 12.15.

Carpet

 

9.8

The Landlord must keep the carpets and floor coverings in the Common Areas clean and in good repair.

 

9.9

The Tenant must keep all the carpets and floor coverings within the Premises (whether installed by the Landlord or the Tenant and irrespective of the ownership of them) in good and tenantable repair and condition subject to fair wear and tear.

 

9.10

Clauses 9.9 and 9.10 do not impose on the Landlord any obligation to replace any carpets or floor coverings.

 

10.

DEFAULT, TERMINATION

 

 

Essential terms

 

10.1

Each obligation of the Tenant to pay money and its obligations under clauses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14 and 27 and are essential terms of this lease. This clause does not prevent any other obligation under this lease from being an essential term.

Default

 

10.2

It is a default under this lease if:

 

  (a)

the Base Rent, or any GST or any part of them is not paid within 7 days of the date on which they are due; or

 

  (b)

any other money payable by the Tenant under this lease are not paid within 14 days after the Landlord asks the Tenant to pay it (and the Tenant has been given a reasonable period of time to rectify such default); or

 

Page 20


  (c)

the Tenant does not comply with any other obligation under this lease and, if the failure to comply can be remedied, it is not remedied within a reasonable time after the Landlord asks the Tenant to remedy it; or

 

  (d)

the Tenant is a corporation and an Insolvency Event occurs in respect of it; or

 

  (e)

the Tenant repudiates this lease.

Avoid default

 

10.3

The Tenant must ensure that no Default occurs.

Termination of lease

 

10.4

If the Tenant Defaults, the Landlord may:

 

  (a)

(unless prior demand or notice is required by Law or under this lease) without any prior demand or notice, re-enter and take possession of the Premises (by force if necessary) and eject the Tenant and all other persons and repossess the Premises and terminate this lease; or

 

  (b)

by notice to the Tenant, terminate this lease as from the date of giving that notice; or

 

  (c)

by notice to the Tenant, convert the unexpired portion of the Term into a monthly tenancy (as to which clause 1.2 applies) and this lease is terminated from the date of giving that notice.

Pursuant to Section 146(1) of the Property Law Act 1958, fourteen days is fixed by this lease as the time within which the Tenant is to remedy the breach or non-compliance, if it is capable of remedy, and to make reasonable compensation in money to the satisfaction of the Landlord for the breach or non-compliance.

Landlord may rectify

 

10.5

The Landlord may, any time and without notice, remedy a Default by the Tenant. The Tenant must pay all reasonable costs incurred by the Landlord (including legal costs) in remedying a Default.

Tender after termination

 

10.6

Money tendered by the Tenant after this lease is terminated and accepted by the Landlord without prejudice to the Landlord’s rights in relation to the termination may be applied in the manner the Landlord decides.

Damages

 

10.7

If this lease is lawfully terminated by the Landlord:

 

  (a)

the Tenant indemnifies the Landlord for any Claim in connection with any Default giving rise to the termination or the termination of the lease; and

 

  (b)

the Landlord may recover damages from the Tenant for the damage suffered by the Landlord for the Term including the difference between:

 

  (i)

the aggregate of the Base Rent and other money payable by the Tenant for the unexpired residue of the Term; and

 

Page 21


  (ii)

any amount which the Landlord is able or could, in the Landlord’s opinion, reasonably be expected to obtain by observing clause 10.10.

 

10.8

The Landlord’s right to recover damages from the Tenant or any other person is not affected or limited if:

 

  (a)

the Tenant abandons or vacates the Premises;

 

  (b)

the Landlord acting lawfully re-enters the Premises or terminates the lease;

 

  (c)

the Landlord acting lawfully accepts the Tenant’s repudiation; or

 

  (d)

the parties’ conduct (or that of any person on their behalf) constitutes a surrender by operation of law.

Landlord may institute proceedings

 

10.9

The Landlord may institute legal proceedings claiming damages against the Tenant in respect of the Term including the period before and after any repudiation, abandonment, termination, acceptance of repudiation or surrender by operation of law whether the proceedings are instituted before or after that conduct.

Landlord to mitigate damages

 

10.10

If the Landlord terminates this lease, the Landlord must take reasonable steps to mitigate its loss and to re-lease the Premises at a reasonable rent and on reasonable terms. The Landlord’s entitlement to damages is to be assessed on the basis that the Landlord has observed this obligation to mitigate damages. The Landlord’s conduct under this duty to mitigate damages does not constitute acceptance of the Tenant’s breach or repudiation or a surrender by operation of law.

Interest on overdue money

 

10.11

The Tenant must pay on demand interest on any money due but unpaid by the Tenant under this lease. Interest is payable at the Default Interest Rate and is to be computed on daily balances from the due date for payment of the money until payment of that money in full. Interest not paid when due is to be capitalised at monthly intervals. Interest is payable on capitalised interest at the rate and in the manner referred to in this clause. Interest is recoverable in the same way as rent in arrears.

 

11.

END DATE OBLIGATIONS

 

 

Reinstatement

 

11.1

The Tenant must, unless agreed in writing by the Landlord, on or before the End Date:

 

  (a)

remove any Tenant’s Fixtures, fittings and equipment as directed by the Landlord from the Premises;

 

  (b)

return the Premises to the Landlord in a clean, tidy and safe condition and hand over all Keys to the Premises and any licensed areas;

 

  (c)

remove all the Tenant’s Fixtures and fittings from the Premises and make good any damage to the Premises or the Common Areas of the Building caused by such removal; and

 

Page 22


  (d)

reinstate the Premises and its Services to a standard base building open plan configuration.

Abandoned Tenant’s Fixtures

 

11.2

Any Tenant’s Fixtures remaining on the Premises after the End Date will become the property of the Landlord and the Landlord may deal with those Tenant’s Fixtures as it sees fit and recover costs of dealing with the Tenant’s Fixtures on demand from the Tenant.

 

12.

LANDLORD’S RIGHTS

 

 

Roof

 

12.1

The Landlord reserves the exclusive right to use the roof and the external walls of the Building including the right to erect and display Signs or to grant leases or licences or otherwise authorise any person to use those areas for such purposes as the Landlord in its discretion thinks fit.

Building name

 

12.2

The Landlord reserves the right at any time to name or create a logo or to change the name or logo of the Building. The Tenant must not make any Claim in relation to any exercise by the Landlord of its rights under this clause.

Change of Landlord

 

12.3

If another person becomes entitled to receive the rent payable by the Tenant under this lease, the Landlord is released from any obligation under this lease arising after that other person acquires the Landlord’s interest in this lease (and in respect of obligations prior to that date, once it has complied with those obligations) and the Tenant at the Landlord’s cost must enter into such covenants with the other person as the Landlord reasonably requires.

 

12.4

An obligation owed by the Tenant to the Landlord which is due for performance before an event in clause 12.3 (including the payment of amounts owing for Base Rent in respect of a period or date or because of an event or Review Date occurring before that event) remains owing to the Landlord and not to the other person and may be recovered by the Landlord in its own name.

Landlord’s agents

 

12.5

The Landlord may appoint persons to exercise any of its rights or perform any of its duties under this lease. The Tenant must treat those persons when they are exercising those rights or performing those duties as if they were the Landlord. Communications from the Landlord override those from the persons appointed if they are inconsistent.

Close Building

 

12.6

The Landlord may close the Building in an emergency or if the Landlord otherwise deems that action reasonably necessary but not limited to the Landlord’s right to close off the Building or any means of access to or egress from for one (1) period of twenty-four (24) hours continuously during each calendar year for the purpose of preventing any prescriptive public or private right of way to or across any part of the Building or the Land or any access to or egress from arising.

 

Page 23


Premises security

 

12.7

The Landlord may enter the Premises to lock any door or window left unlocked. The Landlord is not responsible or liable for security in the Premises or in respect of any unauthorised entry to the Premises.

Rules

 

12.8

At any time the Landlord may make Rules or vary existing Rules if that Rule or variation does not materially derogate from the express rights of the Tenant under this lease. If there is any inconsistency between this lease and the Rules, this lease prevails. The Landlord must give the Tenant copies of all Rules made and notice of any variations to those Rules.

Changes in PCA Method

 

12.9

If the PCA Method changes and the Landlord subsequently surveys the Building, then the Landlord may notify the Tenant that the:

 

  (a)

lettable areas of the Building and the Premises are to be changed; and

 

  (b)

Tenant’s Proportion is to be re-calculated and item 13 amended,

in accordance with the altered PCA Method.

 

12.10

If the Base Rent is determined by reference to the lettable area of the Premises, the Base Rent may not be amended until the next Review Date after a Landlord’s notice under clause 12.9.

Emergency

 

12.11

Where in this lease there is reference to an emergency the reasonable determination of the Landlord as to the existence of an emergency is conclusive.

Landlord access

 

12.12

To allow the Landlord to perform its obligations under this lease or under any Laws or Requirements, the Tenant must give the Landlord access to the Premises during the hours notified by the Landlord to the Tenant from time to time. The Landlord must give the Tenant not less than two days’ notice of its access requirements, except in an emergency when no notice is required.

Structural works

 

12.13

Where in this lease the Tenant is obliged to do any work of a structural nature or which affects the Facilities, the Services or the Landlord’s Fixtures, the Landlord may elect that that work will be carried out only by the Landlord at the Tenant’s reasonable cost (and in determining reasonable cost the Tenant accepts the need of the Landlord to have regard to factors such as the urgency of the work, the nature of the work and the need to preserve any warranty or guarantee rights or to comply with service contracts).

Prospective tenants or purchasers

 

12.14

After giving reasonable notice, the Landlord may:

 

  (a)

enter the Premises to show prospective agents, purchasers, investors, analysts or tenants through the Premises; and

 

Page 24


  (b)

display for a reasonable time from the Building a sign indicating that the Building is or the Premises are available for purchase or lease.

Environmental Initiatives

 

12.15

The Landlord may, at any time, implement Environmental Initiatives in the Building. If access to the Premises is required to implement the Environmental Initiatives then the Landlord, on giving the Tenant not less than two days’ notice, may enter the Premises and implement the Environmental Initiatives.

Subdivision

 

12.16

The Landlord may subdivide (including by strata or stratum) the Land or the Building or grant easements or other rights over it or the Premises unless this would have a substantial adverse effect on the Tenant’s ability to use the Premises in accordance with the Permitted Use. The Tenant must promptly sign all plans and other documents reasonably required by the Landlord to enable the Landlord to do those things and if the Tenant fails to do so within a reasonable time then the Tenant is deemed to have appointed the Landlord as its agent to sign the plans and documents on the Tenant’s behalf.

 

13.

NOTICES

 

 

 

13.1

A notice:

 

  (a)

must be in writing;

 

  (b)

may be left at the address of the party in item 19, as varied by notice; and

 

  (c)

may be sent by prepaid post to the address of the party in item 19, as varied by notice.

 

13.2

If more than one address appears in item 19 for any party then notices must be left at or sent to all addresses for that party.

 

13.3

A notice sent by prepaid post and correctly addressed is taken to be received on the fifth (ninth, if posted to or from a place outside Australia) day after posting.

 

13.4

A notice by a party under this lease may be given by an Authorised Officer of the party or an attorney or solicitor for the party.

 

13.5

Unless a later time is specified in it, a notice takes effect from the time it is received or taken under this lease to be received.

 

13.6

A certificate signed by an Authorised Officer of the Landlord or an attorney or solicitor for the Landlord about a matter or about a sum payable to the Landlord in connection with this lease is sufficient evidence of the matter or sum stated in the certificate unless the matter or sum is proved to be false.

 

14.

BANK GUARANTEE

 

 

 

14.1

On or before signing this lease, the Tenant must deliver to the Landlord a Bank Guarantee.

 

14.2

The Landlord may at any time after Default occurs call on the Bank Guarantee and apply any money received towards money (including damages) payable by the Tenant in connection with this lease or any Related Agreement as the Landlord determines.

 

Page 25


14.3

The Landlord may call and the bank is entitled to pay under the Bank Guarantee without reference to the Tenant and despite any contrary objection, claim or direction by the Tenant or any other party to a Related Agreement.

 

14.4

The Landlord’s rights under this clause 14 are in addition to the other rights and remedies of the Landlord in relation to any default of the Tenant in connection with this lease.

 

14.5

Each time the Landlord claims on a Bank Guarantee, the Landlord may notify the Tenant to top up the Bank Guarantee in relation to the claim (and any previous claims) made by the Landlord. Within seven days of receipt of each notice the Tenant must:

 

  (a)

reinstate the Bank Guarantee to the full amount before the claim; or

 

  (b)

give the Landlord a supplemental Bank Guarantee equal to the amount of the claim.

 

14.6

After each increase in the Base Rent under clause 3, the Tenant if requested by the Landlord must give the Landlord within 7 days of that request a supplemental Bank Guarantee for the amount required to bring the amount of the Bank Guarantees up to the increased amount then required by item 20.

 

14.7

The Landlord may call on the Bank Guarantee after the End Date and notwithstanding that this lease has been terminated.

 

14.8

After the Tenant has complied with its obligations under this lease, the Landlord must return the Bank Guarantee to the Tenant. The Tenant acknowledges that the Landlord may have called on the Bank Guarantee.

 

14.9

Despite any other provision in this lease, if the Landlord sells the Land or otherwise disposes of its interest in the reversion of this lease, the Tenant must deliver a replacement Bank Guarantee in favour of the purchaser or disponee within 14 days after the Landlord asks for it.

 

15.

PAYMENTS AND COSTS

 

 

15.1

The Tenant must make payments under this lease without set-off or counterclaim and free and clear of any withholding or deduction.

 

15.2

All payments by the Tenant under this lease must be paid:

 

  (a)

to the Landlord or to a person nominated by the Landlord in a notice given to the Tenant; and

 

  (b)

in Australian dollars.

 

15.3

If the Tenant pays an amount and it is found later that the amount payable should have been higher, then the Landlord may demand payment of the difference even though the Landlord has given the Tenant a receipt for payment of the lower amount.

 

15.4

The Landlord need not make demand for any amount payable by the Tenant under this lease unless this lease expressly states that demand must be made.

 

15.5

If the Tenant must pay to or reimburse the Landlord any cost, charge or other money under this lease, that amount is payable on demand unless otherwise provided in this lease.

 

15.6

The Tenant must make:

 

  (a)

all payments under this lease on account of Base Rent and GST by direct credit to the Landlord’s nominated bank account; and

 

Page 26


  (b)

all other payments under this lease to the Landlord by such method as the Landlord reasonably requires including by direct credit to the Landlord’s nominated bank account.

 

15.7

The Tenant must pay all stamp duty (including penalties and fines other than penalties and fines due to the delay of the Landlord) in connection with this lease.

 

15.8

The Tenant must pay the Landlord’s reasonable legal and other costs (including the costs of any consultants of the Landlord) and expenses relating to:

 

  (a)

the stamping of this lease; and

 

  (b)

any consent or approval of the Landlord required under this lease even if the consent or approval is not given.

 

15.9

If the Tenant defaults under this lease, the Tenant must pay all costs and expenses (including legal costs) which the Landlord suffers or incurs in connection with that default.

 

15.10

Where the Tenant is obliged under this lease to do some act or thing, it must be done at the cost of the Tenant unless otherwise provided in this lease.

 

15.11

Each Party must pay its own costs in relation to the negotiation, preparation and completion of this lease.

 

15.12

The Tenant shall not be responsible for mortgagees consent costs which the Landlord must procure if required.

 

16.

GOVERNING LAW

 

 

 

16.1

This lease is governed by the law in force in the State.

 

16.2

Each party submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State.

 

16.3

Without preventing any other mode of service, any document in an action (including any writ of summons or other originating process or any third or other party notice) may be served on any party by being left for that party at its address for service of notices set out in item 19, as varied by notice.

 

17.

GENERAL

 

 

Exercise of rights

 

17.1

The Landlord may exercise a right, power or remedy at its discretion, and separately or concurrently with another right, power or remedy. A single or partial exercise of a right, power or remedy by the Landlord does not prevent a further exercise of that or of any other right, power or remedy.

 

17.2

Failure by the Landlord to exercise or delay in exercising a right, power or remedy does not prevent its exercise. The Landlord is not liable for any loss caused by the exercise or attempted exercise of, failure to exercise, or delay in exercising a right, power or remedy whether or not caused by the Landlord’s negligence.

 

17.3

The rights, powers and remedies provided in this lease are cumulative with and not exclusive of the rights, powers or remedies provided by law independently of this lease.

 

Page 27


Waiver

 

17.4

A provision of or a right created under this lease may not be waived or varied except in writing signed by the party or parties to be bound.

 

17.5

A custom or practice which may grow up between the parties in the course of administering this lease is not to be construed to waive or to lessen:

 

  (a)

the right of the Landlord to insist on the performance by the Tenant of any provision of this lease; or

 

  (b)

the Landlord’s rights, powers or remedies in respect of any default of the Tenant.

 

17.6

A waiver by the Landlord of a particular breach or default is not to be deemed to be a waiver of the same or any other subsequent breach or default.

 

17.7

The demand of or subsequent acceptance of any money under this lease by the Landlord is not to be deemed a waiver of any preceding breach of this lease by the Tenant, other than the relevant Tenant’s breach to which the payment relates.

Legislation

 

17.8

Any present or future Law which operates to vary the obligations of the Tenant in connection with this lease with the result that the Landlord’s rights, powers or remedies are adversely affected (including by way of delay or postponement) is excluded except to the extent that its exclusion is prohibited or rendered ineffective by Law.

Approval and consent

 

17.9

If this lease states that approval or consent must be obtained, then:

 

  (a)

consent or approval must be obtained before the act or thing is done;

 

  (b)

the Landlord must not unreasonably withhold its consent or approval unless this lease expressly states otherwise. However, an approval or consent may be given conditionally or unconditionally; and

 

  (c)

the Tenant must address its request for consent or approval to the Landlord’s employee holding the position of property manager for the Building.

Discretion and opinion

 

17.10

The Landlord may form an opinion, exercise a discretion or be satisfied as to any matter or thing in its absolute discretion unless this lease expressly states otherwise.

Set-off

 

17.11

At its discretion the Landlord may apply (without notice) any credit balance in any currency in any account of the Tenant with the Landlord towards satisfaction of any amount then payable by the Tenant to the Landlord under this lease. At its discretion the Landlord by notice to the Tenant may reduce the amount payable at any time by the Landlord to the Tenant by the amount payable at that time by the Tenant to the Landlord under this lease. The Tenant is taken to have paid the Landlord that part of the amount then payable by the Tenant equal to the amount of the reduction. The Tenant authorises the Landlord in the name of the Tenant or the Landlord to do anything (including execute any document) that is required for the purpose of this clause.

 

Page 28


Indemnities

 

17.12

Each indemnity in this lease is a continuing obligation, separate and independent from the other obligations of the Tenant and survives the End Date. It is not necessary for the Landlord to incur expense or make payment before enforcing a right of indemnity conferred by this lease.

Further assurances

 

17.13

If asked by the Landlord, the Tenant must:

 

  (a)

execute and cause its successors to execute documents and do everything else necessary or appropriate to bind the Tenant and its successors under this lease; and

 

  (b)

use its best endeavours to cause relevant third parties to do likewise to bind every person intended to be bound under this lease.

Exclusion of statutory provisions

 

17.14

The statutory provisions referred to in item 14 do not apply to this lease or have the effect described in item 14.

Antecedent rights and obligations

 

17.15

The End Date does not affect:

 

  (a)

the Landlord’s rights in connection with a breach of this lease by the Tenant before the End Date; or

 

  (b)

the Tenant’s obligations under this lease in respect of periods before the End Date.

Severability

 

17.16

If a provision of this lease is void, unenforceable or illegal in a jurisdiction it is severed for that jurisdiction. The remainder of this lease has full force and effect and the validity or enforceability of that provision in any other jurisdiction is not affected.

If document not a lease

 

17.17

If this document is found not to be a lease or to be a lease for a period less than the Term, the parties are bound in contract to carry out their obligations under this document for the Term, as if this were deemed to be a lease, unless expressly released under this document from those obligations.

Relationship of parties

 

17.18

This lease does not create any relationship between the parties other than the relationship of landlord and tenant on the terms of this lease.

Counterparts

 

17.19

This lease may consist of a number of counterparts. The counterparts taken together constitute one instrument.

No caveat

 

17.20

The Tenant must not lodge or allow to be lodged for it a caveat against the Land in relation to this lease.

 

Page 29


Entire agreement

 

17.21

This lease constitutes the entire agreement of the parties in relation to the matters in this lease and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and negotiations between the parties in relation to those matters.

Attorneys

 

17.22

If this lease is executed by an attorney the attorney states by such execution that as at the time of such execution the attorney has received no notice of the revocation of the power of attorney under which the attorney executed this lease.

Tenant’s representations

 

17.23

The Tenant represents to the Landlord that:

 

  (a)

the Tenant has full power to enter into and to perform its obligations under this lease;

 

  (b)

this lease constitutes valid and binding obligations of the Tenant enforceable in accordance with its terms; and

 

  (c)

in entering into this lease the Tenant has not relied on any representation, warranty or undertaking given or made by or for the Landlord prior to the execution of this lease, and the Tenant has satisfied itself as to all relevant matters in connection with the grant of this lease.

Non-merger

 

17.24

Each representation and covenant under this lease continues until satisfied or completed.

 

18.

GST

 

 

 

18.1

In this lease:

 

  (a)

words or expressions which are defined in the GST Law have the same meaning, except where the context suggests otherwise;

 

  (b)

any part of a supply which is treated as a separate supply for GST purposes (including attributing GST payable to tax periods) is treated as a separate supply;

 

  (c)

references to GST payable and to input tax credit entitlement include GST payable by, and input tax credit entitlement of, the representative member for a GST group of which the entity is a member; and

 

  (d)

references to something done (including a supply made) by a party includes something done by any entity through which that party acts.

 

18.2

All consideration for a supply made under or in connection with this lease is exclusive of GST, unless specified to be GST inclusive.

 

18.3

Where a party (Supplier) makes a taxable supply under or in connection with this lease, the recipient will pay to the Supplier an amount equal to the amount of GST payable on the supply (GST Amount) at the same time as the recipient first provides consideration for that supply, unless the consideration is specified to be GST inclusive.

 

18.4

Where clause 18.3 applies, the Supplier must deliver a tax invoice to the recipient of the supply no later than the time at which the GST Amount for that supply is to be paid.

 

Page 30


18.5

If an adjustment event occurs in relation a taxable supply for which a GST Amount was paid under clause 18.3:

 

  (a)

and the GST Amount properly payable varies from that paid, the Supplier will provide a corresponding refund or credit to, or will be entitled to receive the amount of that variation from, the recipient. The amount paid, refunded or credited is taken to form part of the GST Amount should a subsequent adjustment event occur; and

 

  (b)

the Supplier must deliver an adjustment note to the recipient as soon as reasonably practicable after the Supplier becomes aware of the adjustment event.

 

18.6

Where a party is required to reimburse or indemnify another party under this lease, the reimbursement or indemnity payment will be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of the payee’s input tax credits entitlement on the outgoing, expense or loss which is to be reimbursed or indemnified.

 

18.7

This clause 18 does not merge on termination of this lease.

 

19.

LANDLORD LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

 

 

19.1

The Custodian enters into this lease only as agent of Newmark Capital Limited (Client). The Custodian can only act in accordance with the terms of the agreement under which it is appointed as the Client’s agent and is not liable under any circumstances to any party under this lease. This limitation of the Custodian’s liability applies despite any other provision of this lease and extends to all liabilities and obligations of the Custodian in any way connected with any representation, warranty, conduct, omission, agreement or transaction related to this lease.

 

19.2

The Custodian is not obliged to do or refrain from doing anything under this lease (including, without limitation, incur any liability) unless the Custodian’s liability is limited in the same manner as set out in clause 19.1 to 19.4.

 

19.3

No attorney, agent, receiver or receiver and manager appointed in accordance with this lease has authority to act on behalf of the Custodian in a way which exposes the Custodian to any liability.

 

19.4

If, whether by the express provisions of this lease or by implication of law, the Custodian makes or is taken to have made any representation or warranty then, except for the representations and warranties that can only be within the Custodian’s actual corporate knowledge, those representations and warranties are taken to have been made by the Client.

 

20.

NEWMARK LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

 

 

20.1

The Landlord enters into this lease only in its capacity as agent for Newmark Capital Limited (“Trustee”) as the trustee of the Trust and in no other capacity.

 

20.2

The parties acknowledge that the Trustee incurs any liability through the Landlord as its agent solely in its capacity as trustee of the Trust and agree that (to the maximum extent permitted by law, but subject to clause 20.5), that the Trustee will cease to have any liability as trustee of the Trust if the Trustee ceases for any reason to be the trustee of the Trust.

 

20.3

A liability incurred by the Trustee arising under or in connection with this lease is limited to and can be enforced against the Trustee only to the extent to which it can be satisfied out of the assets of the Trust and out of which the Trustee is actually indemnified for the liability. The Trustee will exercise its rights of indemnification in order to satisfy its obligations this lease. This limitation of the Trustee’s liability applies despite any other provision of any other lease (other than clause 20.3) and extends to all liabilities and obligations of the Trustee in any way connected with any representation, warranty, conduct, omission, agreement or transaction related to any agreement between the parties.

 

Page 31


20.4

No party is entitled to sue the Trustee in any capacity other than as trustee of the Trust, including seeking the appointment of a receiver, a liquidator, an administrator or any similar person to the Trustee or prove in any liquidation, administration or arrangement of or affecting the Trustee (except in relation to the assets of the Trust).

 

20.5

The provisions of this clause 20 do not apply to any obligation or liability of the Trustee to the extent that it is not satisfied because under the Trust’s constituent documents or by operation of law the Trustee is not indemnified or there is an elimination of or a reduction in the extent of the Trustee’s indemnification out of the assets of the Trust as a result of the Trustee’s fraud, negligence, wilful misconduct or breach of trust.

 

20.6

No act or omission of the Trustee (including any related failure to satisfy its obligations or breach of representation or warranty under this lease will be considered fraud, negligence, wilful misconduct of the Trustee for the purpose of clause 20.5 to the extent to which the act or omission was caused or contributed to by any failure by another person (other than a person whose acts or omissions the Trustee is liable for, as agent, officer, employee, contractor or otherwise) to fulfil its obligations relating to the Trust or by any other act or omission of another person (other than a person whose acts or omissions the Trustee is liable for, as agent, officer, employee, contractor or otherwise).

 

20.7

No receiver or receiver and manager appointed has authority to act on behalf of the Trustee in any way which exposes the Trustee to any personal liability and no act or omission of any such person will be considered fraud, negligence, wilful misconduct or a breach of a representation and warranty as to authority for the purpose of clause 20.5.

 

20.8

The Trustee is not obliged to enter into any commitment or obligation under any agreement unless the Trustee’s liability is limited in accordance with this clause 20.

 

21.

APPLICABILITY OF THE RETAIL LEASES ACT

 

 

The Tenant represents and warrants to the Landlord that the Retail Leases Act does or does not apply to the Tenant or this lease as stipulated and for the reason set out in item 23.

 

22.

COMPLETION OF BLANKS

 

 

The Tenant hereby authorises the Landlord or the Landlord’s solicitors to complete any blanks in this lease.

 

23.

ESD REQUIREMENTS

 

 

 

23.1

The Tenant acknowledges that the Landlord intends to obtain or retain certificates that the base Building achieves the ESD Requirements. The Tenant agrees with the Landlord that:

 

  (a)

the Tenant will not decrease or adversely change any of the ESD Requirements at any time, and

 

  (b)

the Tenant will do anything reasonably required by the Landlord, including adopting any procedure or practice, which maintains or increases the ESD Requirements.

 

23.2

The Tenant acknowledges that the design of the fitout of the Premises can have a significant impact on the NABERS Rating and the Tenant agrees that it must comply with any

 

Page 32


  requirement in relation to the NABERS Rating when designing the fitout of the Premises. Without limitation, the Tenant must ensure the design of the fitout of the Premises is based on the internal load estimations in the current NABERS Energy Guide to Tenancy Energy Estimation Version and for areas served by supplementary air conditioning plant being part of the fitout of the Premises, the supplementary air conditioning plant must be separately metered by the Tenant to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord.

 

23.3

The Tenant agrees that it will design the fitout of the Premises so as to maintain the NABERS Rating during the Term.

 

23.4

The Tenant acknowledges that it is reasonable for the Landlord to refuse approval to the Tenant’s detailed plans and specifications for the fitout of the Premises if, in the Landlord’s opinion the NABERS Rating will be decreased or adversely changed at any time or the Tenant otherwise fails to comply with the requirements of this clause 23.

 

24.

PREMISES CONDITION

 

 

 

24.1

The Premises will be provided to the Tenant in “as is” condition”.

 

24.2

The Tenant accepts the condition of the Premises as suitable for the Tenant’s business purposes and agrees that the Landlord makes no representation or warranty in relation to this issue or the proposed use by the Tenant.

 

25.

BUILDING WORKS

 

 

 

25.1

The Tenant acknowledges that, subject to clause 25.3, the Landlord may carry out works to any part of the Building (other than the Premises) during the Term.

 

25.2

Despite any other provision of this lease, the Tenant:

 

  (a)

consents to the Landlord carrying out works to any part of the Building (other than the Premises) and assumes the risk of any impact those works may have on its use and occupation of the Premises;

 

  (b)

releases the Landlord from, and must not make, any claim against the Landlord in respect of any loss which the Tenant may incur or may become liable for in respect of or arising directly or indirectly from the Landlord carrying out works to any part of the Building (other than the Premises) (including any claim for breach of the quiet enjoyment covenant of this lease or a breach of the implied covenant not to derogate from grant); and

 

  (c)

must not seek to terminate this lease because of or in connection with the Landlord carrying out works to any part of the Building (other than the Premises).

 

25.3

If the Landlord carries out works to any part of the Building (other than the Premises), the Landlord must ensure that the Tenant is able to access the Premises at all times.

 

26.

LANDLORD’S CONTRIBUTION

 

 

 

26.1

The Landlord will provide the Landlord’s Contribution to the Tenant.

 

26.2

The Lessee shall be provided with a Lessor’s Contribution amount of $20,000 + GST.

 

26.3

The Landlord’s Contribution must be given to the Tenant taken as a contribution to the Tenant’s fit-out of the Premises.

 

Page 33


26.4

The Landlord’s Contribution is to be used only for fixed and identifiable items of a tangible and real nature.

 

26.5

The Landlord will at its sole discretion determine which items of the fitout are to be deemed to have been paid for by the Landlord by way of the Contribution.

 

26.6

The Landlord will own and will be entitled to depreciate those items of fitout which has determined that it has paid for under clause 26.5.

 

26.7

Payment of the Landlord’s Contribution to the Tenant will be made within 30 days of receipt of the Tenant’s proper tax invoices and evidence to the reasonable satisfaction of the Landlord that the whole of the fitout works have been properly carried out.

 

26.8

The Tenant will be responsible for maintaining and insuring that part of the fitout paid for by the Landlord’s Contribution throughout the Term.

 

26.9

If this lease ends for any reason (other than the Landlord’s default), or the Tenant assigns this lease, sublets the Premises or ceases to occupy or use the Premises prior to the Expiry Date, the Tenant must repay to the Landlord the equivalent amount of the Landlord’s Contribution, calculated by the unexpired period of the Term as a proportion of the Term

 

26.10

In this clause 26 “Landlord’s Contribution “ means the amount of $20,000 plus GST.

 

Page 34


SCHEDULE 1 - DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

 

 

Definitions

 

1.1

Unless the context otherwise requires:

APRA means the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

Authorised Officer means:

 

  (a)

for the Landlord, a director or secretary or an officer of the Landlord or a Related Body Corporate of the Landlord whose title contains the word “manager” or a person performing the functions of any of them or any other person appointed by the Landlord to act as an Authorised Officer for the purpose of this lease;

 

  (b)

for the Tenant a person appointed by the Tenant to act as an Authorised Officer for the purpose of this lease.

Authority means any government, statutory, public or other authority or body having jurisdiction over the Building or any matter or thing relating to the Building.

Bank means an authorised deposit taking institution as listed on the APRA website which is acceptable to the Landlord.

Bank Guarantee means an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking in favour of the Landlord issued by a Bank or other person approved by the Landlord containing such terms and conditions as are acceptable to the Landlord in its discretion for the amount specified in or determined by item 20. A bank guarantee that specifies an expiry date that is earlier than 6 months after the Expiry Date is unacceptable.

Base Rent means the annual rent payable by the Tenant under this lease in respect of the Premises as specified in item 8 and varied in accordance with this lease.

Building means 650 Chapel Street South Yarra Victoria including the Facilities, the Services, the Common Areas and the Premises, and where appropriate includes the Land.

Certificate of Currency means a certificate from an insurer permitted under this lease which contains:

 

  (a)

the name of the insurer;

 

  (b)

the policy number;

 

  (c)

the policy period;

 

  (d)

details of any policy conditions or exclusions;

 

  (e)

the policy type;

 

  (f)

the name of the insured;

 

  (g)

the interest insured;

 

  (h)

the sum insured;

 

  (i)

the territorial limits (if any);

 

Page 35


  (j)

confirmation that the cover includes the interest of the Landlord or that the policy contains a Tenant’s liability endorsement.

Claim means claim, demand, liability, loss, damages, proceedings, costs, charges and expenses.

Commencement Date means the date in item 6.

Common Areas means those parts of the Building designated by the Landlord from time to time for use by the tenants or other occupiers of the Building and their respective employees, invitees and licensees and any other persons authorised by the Landlord (including members of the public) in common with each other.

Consumer Price Index means the Consumer Price Index in item 11 or the index officially substituted for it.

Contaminate means to cause Contamination.

Contamination means the presence in or on the Building or in, on or under the Land of a substance at a concentration above the concentration at which the substance is normally present in or on buildings or in, on or under (respectively) land in the same locality, being a presence that presents a risk of harm to human health or any other aspect of the environment.

Control Event means that a person becomes or ceases to be a Parent of the Tenant.

Corporations Act means the Corporations Act 2001 (Clth).

Coverings means blinds, screens, awnings or other window coverings.

CPI Adjustment Date means each date in item 10.

Current CPI means the Consumer Price Index number last published before the relevant CPI Adjustment Date.

Custodian means the Landlord.

Dealing means a proposed sublease under clause 7.2 or a proposed assignment under clause 7.3, and Deal has a corresponding meaning.

Dealing Conditions means in relation to a Dealing that:

 

  (a)

at the time of applying for consent and up to the date of the proposed Dealing, the Tenant is not in Default;

 

  (b)

the Tenant pays the Landlord’s reasonable costs (whether or not the proposed Dealing proceeds to completion) including the Landlord’s administrative and other expenses and legal costs of giving its consent;

 

  (c)

the Tenant satisfies the Landlord that the Subtenant or Assignee is a reputable, respectable, responsible and solvent person;

 

  (d)

the Tenant satisfies the Landlord acting reasonably that the Assignee is a person financially substantial (at least equal to the Tenant) and capable of observing and performing the Tenant’s Covenants;

 

  (e)

the Tenant and either the Subtenant or the Assignee execute a deed with the Landlord in a form approved by the Landlord acting reasonably;

 

Page 36


  (f)

the Subtenant or Assignee covenants with the Landlord not to cause or contribute to a breach of this lease by the Tenant;

 

  (g)

the Tenant covenants with the Landlord that if the Tenant sublets the Premises or part thereof at a passing rent that is greater than the Base Rent payable by the Tenant under this lease (Profit Rent) the Tenant will pay any Profit Rent to the Landlord together with all payments of Base Rent under this lease;

 

  (h)

the Tenant and either the Subtenant or the Assignee comply with the Landlord’s reasonable requirements in relation to documenting and, if applicable, stamping and registering the proposed Dealing;

 

  (i)

the Tenant procures in favour of the Landlord any guarantee or security the Landlord reasonably requires in a form acceptable to the Landlord of the obligations and covenants of the Assignee in connection with the Dealing;

 

  (j)

the Tenant will be responsible for any subdivisional works and costs if applicable; and

 

  (k)

the Dealing will not result in the Landlord being in breach of an existing lease for another tenant at the Building.

Default means a breach of this lease by the Tenant and includes the defaults listed in clause 10.2.

Default Interest Rate means the rate calculated on daily balances and compounded quarterly at the rate of 4% per annum higher than the rate for the time being fixed under Section 2 of the Penalty Interest Rates Act (Vic) 1983.

Dispute Notice means a notice given under and which complies strictly with clause 3.5.

Dispute Period means the period commencing on the date of delivery of a Rent Review Notice and ending at 5.00 pm on the date 14 days after that date, time being of the essence.

ESD Requirements means the environmental rating for the base Building as advised by the Landlord from time to time.

End Date means the earlier of the Expiry Date or the date of termination of this lease.

Environmental Initiatives means activities, programs or works (including the installation and operation of plant and equipment) which are aimed at environmental awareness or at reducing damage to the environment. Examples of such activities, programs and works include Earth Hour, the introduction of recycling programs for waste, the installation of energy efficient lighting and the reduction of water usage by the installation of dual flush toilets and waterless urinals.

Expiry Date means the date in item 7.

Facilities means all facilities to the Building including lifts, escalators, air-conditioning, toilets, loading docks, access control systems and Keys.

Facilities Hours means the times for the provision of relevant Facilities as specified in item 17.

Fitout Guide means the fitout guide for the Building from time to time.

Fixed Increase Date means each date in item 12.

 

Page 37


Fixed Percentage Increase means the percentage specified in item 12 by which the Base Rent is to increase on the relevant Fixed Increase Date.

GST has the same meaning as in the GST Law.

GST Law has the same meaning as in the A New Tax System (Goods and Services) Tax Act 1999 (Clth).

Heavy Item means any thing which the Tenant proposes to bring in the Building which in the Landlord’s opinion might cause damage to the Building.

Incentive means any inducement, incentive or concession of any kind however named or structured in connection with a tenancy and includes any premium or capital payment and any period of abatement or reduction of rent or other money.

Inflammable Substance means any substance or thing of an inflammable nature including acetylene gas, volatile or explosive oils and alcohol which in the Landlord’s reasonable opinion might cause damage to the Building.

Insolvency Event means the happening of any of these events:

 

  (a)

an order is made that a body corporate be wound up;

 

  (b)

an order appointing a liquidator or provisional liquidator in respect of a body corporate is made;

 

  (c)

except to reconstruct or amalgamate while solvent on terms consented to by the Landlord acting reasonably, a body corporate enters into, or resolves to enter into, a scheme of arrangement or composition with, or assignment for the benefit of, all or any class of its creditors, or it proposes a reorganisation, moratorium or other administration involving any of them;

 

  (d)

a body corporate resolves to wind itself up, or otherwise dissolve itself, or gives notice of intention to do so, except to reconstruct or amalgamate while solvent on terms approved by the Landlord acting reasonably or is otherwise wound up or dissolved;

 

  (e)

a body corporate is or states that it is insolvent;

 

  (f)

as a result of the operation of section 459F(1) of the Corporations Act, a body corporate is taken to have failed to comply with a statutory demand;

 

  (g)

a body corporate is, or makes a statement from which it may be reasonably deduced by the Landlord that the body corporate is, the subject of an event described in section 459C(2)(b) or section 585 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (h)

a body corporate takes any step to obtain protection or is granted protection from its creditors, under any applicable legislation or an administrator is appointed to a body corporate;

 

  (i)

a person becomes an insolvent under administration as defined in section 9 of the Corporations Act or action is taken which could result in that event; or

 

  (j)

anything analogous or having a substantially similar effect to any of the events specified above happens under the law of any applicable jurisdiction.

Institute means the Division of Australian Property Institute Incorporated in the State.

Keys means keys, access cards and other access or security devices relating to the Building.

 

Page 38


Land has the meaning given to it in item 5.

Landlord means the Landlord specified in item 1 and its successors and assignors.

Landlord’s Fixtures means the plant, equipment, fixtures, furniture, furnishings, Coverings, and light fittings in or on the Premises from time to time supplied by the Landlord.

Landlord’s Valuer means a valuer nominated under clause 3.6.

Laws means statutes, rules, regulations, proclamations, ordinances or by-laws present or future and includes applicable Australian Standards and Codes of Practice.

Maintenance Contracts means contracts for the maintenance, repair and service of the Tenant’s Fixtures and any Landlord’s Fixtures located in or exclusively servicing the Premises including contracts for the maintenance of air conditioning equipment and pest control.

Market Review Date means each of the dates in item 9.

NABERS means National Australian Built Environment Rating System or, if the National Australian Built Environment Rating System is discontinued or suspended, whatever national or international system used to rate buildings on the basis of their operational impacts on the environment is substituted for it.

NABERS Rating means the NABERS Rating of the Building from time to time, as advised by the Landlord to the Tenant.

notice means a notice, approval, consent, certificate, nomination, offer or other communication in connection with this lease.

Outgoings means the total of all amounts:

 

  (a)

paid by the Landlord; or

 

  (b)

for which the Landlord is or may become liable,

in any Outgoings Year in respect of the Building or the Land, and includes the items listed in schedule 2. The Outgoings exclude capital expenditure.

Outgoings Contribution means the amounts payable by the Tenant under clause 4.1.

Outgoings Year means each 12 month period ending on a date that the Landlord chooses and notifies to the Tenant, even if part of that 12 month period does not fall within the Term.

Parent of a person means the person directly or indirectly exercising the decision making power of the first mentioned person including:

 

  (a)

if the first mentioned person is a corporation, a person who:

 

  (i)

controls the composition of the board of directors of the first mentioned person; or

 

  (ii)

is in a position to cast, or control the casting of, more than one half of the maximum number of votes that might be cast at a general meeting of the first mentioned person; or

 

  (iii)

holds or has a Relevant Interest in more than one-half of the issued share capital of the first mentioned person (excluding any part of that issued share capital that carries no right to participate beyond a specified amount in a distribution of either profits or capital); or

 

Page 39


  (b)

if the first mentioned person is a trustee of a unit trust and, in the case of the Tenant, its interest in this lease is property subject to that trust, a person who:

 

  (i)

is in a position to cast, or control the casting of, more than one half of the maximum number of votes that might be cast at a meeting of holders of units at that meeting; or

 

  (ii)

holds or has a Relevant Interest in more than one half of the issued units of that trust (excluding any of the issued units that carry no right to participate beyond a specified amount in a distribution of either profits or capital); or

 

  (c)

if the first mentioned person is a trustee of a trust and, in the case of the Tenant, its interest in this lease is property subject to that trust, a person who:

 

  (i)

is a beneficiary of that trust entitled directly or indirectly to more than one half of the corpus or profits of the trust; or

 

  (ii)

is entitled to or whose consent is required to:

 

  (A)

appoint or change the trustee; or

 

  (B)

give directions to the trustee; or

 

  (C)

vary the constituent document of the trust; or

 

  (D)

appoint or remove beneficiaries; or

 

  (E)

decide to whom any distribution is made or the amount of any distribution.

A person is a Parent of another person if the first mentioned person is a Parent of a Parent of the other person (including a person that is the other person’s Parent by another or other applications of this definition).

PCA Method means the method of measurement from time to time adopted by the Property Council of Australia Limited for buildings such as the Building.

Permitted Use means the use in item 15.

Personal Property means personal property as defined under the PPS Act.

PPS Act means the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth)

Premises means that part of the Building demised by this lease as described in Item 3 of the Commercial Terms Schedule which:

 

  (a)

extends up to and including:

 

  (i)

the internal face of external walls and of any internal structural walls of the Building;

 

  (ii)

the false ceiling below the internal face of the concrete ceiling;

 

  (iii)

the internal face of the concrete floor; and

 

Page 40


  (iv)

the centre line of any partitions which separate the Premises from other parts of the Building; and

 

  (b)

includes the Landlord’s Fixtures in that part of the Building; but

 

  (c)

excludes the tea rooms, stairs, water closets, toilets and lift lobbies which are intended or are physically available for use jointly with any other tenant of the Building.

Previous CPI means the Consumer Price Index Number last published before the immediately preceding Review Date or if there has not been one, the Commencement Date.

Public Access Hours means the hours for access to the Building specified in item 17.

Related Agreement means any document entered into by the Landlord and the Tenant (or parties related to the Tenant) in connection with this lease.

Related Body Corporate has the meaning given to that expression in the Corporations Act.

Relevant Interest means the power:

 

  (a)

to exercise, or to control the exercise of, the right to vote attached to a share or unit; or

 

  (b)

to dispose of, or to exercise control over the disposal of, a share or unit.

Rent Review Notice means a notice given by the Landlord to the Tenant under clause 3.2 specifying the Landlord’s assessment of the Base Rent of a face rent basis to apply from the relevant Market Review Date.

Requirements means requirements, notices, orders or directions of any Authority.

Review Date means any of the following days:

 

  (a)

a CPI Adjustment Date;

 

  (b)

a Market Review Date; and

 

  (c)

a Fixed Increase Date.

Review Period in respect of a Market Review Date means the period:

 

  (a)

commencing three months before that Market Review Date; and

 

  (b)

ending on the day prior to the next Review Date, or if there is no further Review Date ending on the day before the Expiry Date.

Rules means rules relating to the management and care of the Building or the conduct of tenants, occupants and other persons in the Building or the use or occupation of the Building.

Security Interest means a security interest as defined under the PPS Act.

Services means all services supplied to or in the Premises such as gas, water, drainage, fresh air, exhaust systems, electricity, sprinkler heads, heating and lighting and includes:

 

  (a)

the Facilities to the extent that those Facilities are in, connected to or exclusively service the Premises; and

 

  (b)

the Landlord’s Fixtures.

 

Page 41


Sign means a sign, advertisement, notice or similar thing.

Subtenant means a subtenant proposed under clause 7.2.

State means the state or territory in which the Land is situated.

Tenant means the Tenant specified in item 2.

Tenant’s Agents means the Tenant’s employees, agents, contractors, consultants, invitees, Subtenants, licensees, concessionaires and others who at any time are in the Building with the consent of the Tenant express or implied.

Tenant’s Business means that business of the Tenant carried on in the Premises in compliance with the Permitted Use.

Tenant Cause means:

 

  (a)

any act, omission, neglect, default or misconduct of the Tenant or of the Tenant’s Agents;

 

  (b)

the use or occupancy of the Premises by the Tenant or the Tenant’s Agents; or

 

  (c)

the Tenant’s Fixtures.

Tenant’s Covenants means the covenants, obligations and agreements on the part of the Tenant contained or implied in this lease.

Tenant’s Fixtures means: all fixtures, fittings, plant, equipment, furniture, internal partitions, fitout (including ceilings, kitchens and kitchen fittings and showers and shower fittings, tiles and flooring) and other articles in the Premises in the nature of trade or Tenant’s fixtures (including any riser duct cables) in each case which are owned or leased by the Tenant or by any Subtenant of the Tenant or otherwise brought onto or installed in the Premises by or on behalf of the Tenant or any Subtenant of the Tenant.

Tenant’s Proportion means that proportion (expressed as a percentage) which the lettable area of the Premises bears to the lettable area of the office space which forms part of the Building known as 650 Chapel Street both measurements to be calculated in accordance with the PCA Method and which at the Commencement Date is the percentage in item 13, as varied under clause 12.9.

Term means the term of this lease being the period from the Commencement Date to and including the Expiry Date.

Trust means the trust described in item 21.

Umpire means a person appointed under clause 3.6 or 3.8.

Works Conditions means that relevant works consented to by the Landlord under this lease must be carried out:

 

  (a)

at the Tenant’s cost;

 

  (b)

in a proper and workmanlike manner and to the satisfaction of the Landlord, acting reasonably;

 

  (c)

by a contractor (who has a public liability policy of not less than $20,000,000 and appropriate contract construction risk, workers’ compensation and other usual insurances all of which must note the rights and interest of the Landlord and evidence of which must be given to the Landlord) and under the supervision of persons both approved by the Landlord;

 

Page 42


  (d)

in accordance with all Laws and Requirements (including the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2004);

 

  (e)

in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the Landlord;

 

  (f)

in accordance with and only after obtaining the approvals of all relevant Authorities;

 

  (g)

only after providing copies to the Landlord of all approvals from relevant Authorities in relation to the works prior to carrying out the works;

 

  (h)

so long as the Tenant provides as-built drawings for the Premises layout and services on completion of the works;

 

  (i)

so long as the Tenant provides copies to the Landlord of all certificates of compliance from relevant Authorities in relation to the works within a reasonable period as nominated by the Landlord (but in any event within 30 days) after the completion of the works;

 

  (j)

so long as the Tenant pays the reasonable costs of the Landlord in connection with the works including the Landlord’s administrative and other reasonable costs of giving consent and the fees of any architect or other consultant used by the Landlord in connection with the works;

 

  (k)

in accordance with clause 23;

 

  (l)

subject to the conditions of the Landlord’s consent in relation to those works; and

 

  (m)

in accordance with the then current Fitout Guide.

Interpretation

 

1.2

Unless the context otherwise requires:

 

  (a)

a reference to this lease or another instrument includes any variation or replacement of any of them;

 

  (b)

a reference to a statute, ordinance, code or other law includes regulations and other instruments under it and consolidations, amendments, re-enactments or replacements of any of them;

 

  (c)

the singular includes the plural and vice versa;

 

  (d)

the word “person” includes a firm, a body corporate, an unincorporated association or an Authority;

 

  (e)

a reference to a person includes a reference to the person’s executors, administrators, successors, permitted substitutes (including persons taking by novation) and permitted assigns;

 

  (f)

an agreement, representation or warranty in favour of two or more persons is for the benefit of them jointly and severally;

 

  (g)

an agreement, representation or warranty on the part of two or more persons binds them jointly and severally;

 

Page 43


  (h)

a reference to an accounting term is to be interpreted in accordance with approved accounting standards under the Corporations Act and, if not inconsistent with those accounting standards, generally accepted principles and practices in Australia consistently applied by a body corporate or as between bodies corporate and over time;

 

  (i)

a reference to any thing (including any amount) is a reference to the whole and each part of it and a reference to a group of persons is a reference to all of them collectively, to any two or more of them collectively and to each of them individually;

 

  (j)

a reference to the president of a body or authority is a reference, if there is no such person, to the senior officer of the body or authority or to the person who fulfils the duties of president;

 

  (k)

a reference to a clause is a reference to a clause in this lease;

 

  (l)

the words “include”, “including”, “for example” or “such as” when introducing an example, do not limit the meaning of the words to which the example relates to that example or examples of a similar kind;

 

  (m)

a reference to this lease includes the cover sheet, all schedules and annexures to this lease and the Rules;

 

  (n)

a reference to “month” or “monthly” means respectively calendar month and calendar monthly;

 

  (o)

a reference to “day” means any day of the week including Saturday, Sunday and public holidays; and

 

  (p)

a reference to an “item” followed by a number is a reference to the item with the corresponding number in the Commercial Terms Schedule.

 

1.3

If this lease prohibits the Tenant from doing a thing then:

 

  (a)

the Tenant must do everything necessary to ensure that the Tenant’s Agents do not do that thing; and

 

  (b)

the Tenant may not allow or cause any person to do that thing.

 

1.4

If this lease requires the Tenant to do a thing then the Tenant must do everything necessary to ensure that the Tenant’s Agents also do that thing.

 

1.5

Headings are inserted for convenience and do not affect the interpretation of this lease.

 

1.6

In the interpretation of this lease no rule of construction applies to the disadvantage of one party on the basis that that party put forward the lease.

 

Page 44


SCHEDULE 2 - OUTGOINGS

 

 

Statutory or regulatory

 

1.

Rates, taxes (excluding income tax, capital gains tax and other taxes of a like nature) charges, assessments duties impositions levies surcharges and fees (including council rates) payable to any Authority in respect of the Building or the Land or the Landlord’s ownership and operation of them or in respect of receipts of rent and other money under this lease (including any bank debits tax and financial institutions duty).

 

2.

Rates, charges and costs (including water rates) payable to any Authority for the provision, reticulation or discharge of water or sewerage or drainage, including excess water charges and meter rents.

 

3.

Land taxes or taxes of the nature of a tax on land computed on the taxable value of the Land at the rate for the time being payable by the Landlord in respect of all land owned by the Landlord in the State in which the Building is situated.

Insurances

 

4.

Insurance premiums and amounts payable (including policy excesses and deductible amounts) in respect of insurances:

 

  (a)

on the Building for its full insurable value;

 

  (b)

for loss of rents resulting from damage or destruction of the Building or other like causes (including Base Rent) but excluding loss of rents arising from normal vacancies during letting up periods;

 

  (c)

for public liability insurance;

 

  (d)

for workers’ compensation insurance for all employees of the Landlord engaged in employment in connection with the Building. If any employee is engaged on less than a full time basis in connection with the Building, the cost of workers’ compensation insurance is to be equitably apportioned by the Landlord; and

 

  (e)

for other insurable risks (including machinery breakdown and boiler explosion) as the Landlord reasonably deems appropriate from time to time.

Head lease

 

5.

Any money (excluding rental) payable by the Landlord to any head lessor under a head lease on account of operating expenses excepting any amount already included by any other item of this schedule.

Water, sewerage and drainage

 

6.

Costs in relation to supply of water, sewerage and drainage services to and the removal of all waste, sullage and other general garbage from the Building, including the cost of operating and maintaining any plant and equipment provided for that purpose, whether or not such plant or equipment is located in the Building and the costs of operating and maintaining recycling programs in the Building.

Pest control

 

7.

Costs in relation to the control of pests or vermin.

 

Page 45


Gardening and landscaping

 

8.

Costs of purchasing, hiring, maintaining and servicing all outdoor gardens, lawns, potted shrubs, planted areas, fountains and any artificial water courses and associated plants.

Security and caretaking

 

9.

Costs of providing security and caretaking services including the cost of policing and regulating traffic in the Building and the Land and roads giving access to the Building.

Miscellaneous operational costs

 

10.

Reasonable costs of providing general amenities for the Building (including art works in the foyer, Christmas decorations, newsletters) and rental and hiring charges (or where appropriate replacement costs) for the provision of indoor plants, music amplification systems, telephones, and similar equipment servicing the Building.

Air conditioning

 

11.

The cost of the repair, maintenance, servicing and all other running costs of the air-conditioning equipment in the Building including any reasonable fees or premiums payable to specialist contractors.

Repairs and maintenance

 

12.

The cost of repairs or maintenance of the Building, (excluding repairs and maintenance of a structural nature), including the cost of operating, supplying, maintaining and repairing all Facilities and Services and the cost of complying with essential services, Laws and Requirements in relation to the Building.

Light fuel and power

 

13.

Costs incurred in providing lighting, fuel, heating, security lighting and power to the Building and other services and systems in and for the operation of the Building.

Operating costs (labour)

 

14.

All reasonable costs in the form of salary, wages, leave entitlements, superannuation and other employment overheads, (equitably apportioned by the Landlord where any employee is engaged on less than a full time basis) for the operation maintenance and supply of any Facilities and Services.

Management

 

15.

A management fee to cover the Landlord’s reasonable cost of managing the Building and, if applicable, fees payable by the Landlord to any managing agents for the general management of the Building and any other money relating to the management and promotion of the Building including that part of the Landlord’s expenditure which the Landlord reasonably apportions to the Building of operating a central tenant’s service centre in another building for the Building and other Landlord’s buildings.

Computer Services

 

16.

All fees and charges relating to any computer service in respect of the Building or the services to the Building.

 

Page 46


General expenditure

 

17.

Any other expenditure properly incurred by the Landlord in the management, operation or maintenance of the Building or the Land generally including Common Area cleaning, excluding expenditure of a capital nature.

 

Page 47


Executed as a deed on _12 November______________2019

 

 

 

Executed by THE TRUST COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED ACN 000 000 993 as custodian for the Newmark Como Property Trust by Power of Attorney dated  
/s/ Shane Johstone   /s/ Trent Franklin

 

 

 

Witness Signature

 

Attorney Signature

Shane Johnstone Custody Administrator

 

Trent Franklin Manager Custody

 

 

 

Print Name

 

Print Name

 

EXECUTED by
OPTEA LIMITED ACN 006 340 567
in accordance with s127 of the Corporations Act 2001 by:
 

/s/ Megan Baldwin

  /s/ Mike Tonroe

 

 

 

Director   Director / Secretary
Megan Baldwin   Mike Tonroe

 

 

 

Name of Director (Block Letters)   Name of Director / Secretary (Block Letters)

 

Page 48


Annexure A – Plan(s)

 

 

 

LOGO

 

Page 49

EX-10.5

Exhibit 10.5

 

  

Opthea Limited

 

ACN 006 340 567

 

Long term incentive plan rules

 

  


Long term incentive plan rules

     5  

1.

  Introduction      5  

1.1

 

Name of Plan

     5  

1.2

 

Objects of Plan

     5  

1.3

 

Commencement of Plan

     5  

2.

  Defined terms and interpretation      5  

2.1

 

Defined terms

     5  

2.2

 

Interpretation

     11  

2.3

 

Headings

     11  

2.4

 

Primary instruments

     11  

3.

  Principal conditions      11  

3.1

 

Options or Rights issued only to Employees

     11  

3.2

 

Compliance with laws

     11  

3.3

 

No prohibited financial assistance

     12  

3.4

 

Plan limit

     12  

3.5

 

Director participation

     13  

3.6

 

Operation of the Plan

     13  

4.

  Offers      13  

4.1

 

Board may make Offer

     13  

4.2

 

Form of Offer

     13  

4.3

 

Information provided with Offer

     13  

4.4

 

Number of Options or Rights

     14  

4.5

 

Issue Price and Exercise Price

     14  

4.6

 

Terms

     14  

4.7

 

Exercise Price and Issue Price in Australian dollars

     14  

4.8

 

Offer personal

     14  

5.

  Application for Options and Rights      14  

5.1

 

Acceptance of Offer

     14  

5.2

 

Application for all or some of the Options or Rights the subject of an Offer

     14  

5.3

 

Lapse of Offer

     15  

5.4

 

Withdrawal of Offer prior to acceptance

     15  

6.

  Issue of Options or Rights      15  

6.1

 

Acceptance by Eligible Employee

     15  

6.2

 

Acceptance by Company

     15  

6.3

 

Notification of issue of Options or Rights

     15  

6.4

 

Consideration for Options and Rights

     15  

6.5

 

Entitlement to Shares

     16  

6.6

 

Interest in Shares

     16  

7.

  Vesting of Options or Rights      16  

7.1

 

Requirements for vesting

     16  

7.2

 

Vesting Notice

     16  

7.3

 

Variation or waiver of Vesting Conditions and other terms

     16  

7.4

 

Notice of variation or waiver

     17  

8.

  Exercise of Options      17  

8.1

 

Exercise during Exercise Period

     17  

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 2


8.2

 

Exercise Conditions

     17  

8.3

 

Exercise of Options

     17  

8.4

 

Clearance of Exercise Price

     17  

8.5

 

Exercise or conversion of all or some Options or Rights

     18  

8.6

 

Replacement Certificate

     18  

9.

  Allocation of Shares to satisfy Vested Options or Rights      18  

9.1

 

Requirement to allocate Shares

     18  

9.2

 

Method of allocation of Shares

     18  

9.3

 

Timing of allocation of Shares

     19  

9.4

 

Shares rank equally

     19  

9.5

 

Discretion to settle Vested Plan Securities in cash

     19  

9.6

 

Calculation of amount payable for any Cash-Settled Plan Securities

     19  

9.7

 

Tax withholding and superannuation contributions

     20  

10.

  Lapse of Options and Rights      20  

10.1

 

Lapse of Plan Securities where Vesting Conditions not satisfied

     20  

10.2

 

Lapse of Plan Securities on cessation of employment in certain circumstances

     21  

10.3

 

Lapse of Plan Securities to prevent inappropriate benefits

     22  

10.4

 

Lapse of Plan Securities where a Corporate Control Event occurs

     22  

10.5

 

Lapse of Options on Last Exercise Date

     23  

10.6

 

Timing of lapse

     23  

10.7

 

Entitlements and rights cease

     23  

11.

  Dealings with Options and Rights      23  

11.1

 

Options and Rights personal

     23  

11.2

 

No unauthorised disposal

     23  

11.3

 

Permitted transfer of Options and Rights

     23  

12.

  Participation rights, bonus issues, rights issues, reorganisations of capital and winding up      24  

12.1

 

Application of this Rule

     24  

12.2

 

New issues

     24  

12.3

 

Bonus issues

     24  

12.4

 

Pro-rata issues

     24  

12.5

 

Reorganisation of capital

     25  

12.6

 

Winding up

     25  

12.7

 

Rounding

     25  

12.8

 

Calculations and adjustments

     25  

12.9

 

Notice of change

     25  

13.

  Corporate Control Events      26  

13.1

 

Treatment of Plan Securities on a Corporate Control Event

     26  

13.2

 

Board determinations under Rule 13.1

     26  

13.3

 

Board determination as to pro rata vesting

     26  

13.4

 

Terms of Offer prevail

     27  

14.

  Restriction on disposal of Shares acquired pursuant to exercise of Options or conversion of Rights      27  

14.1

 

Restricted Shares

     27  

14.2

 

No disposal during Restriction Period

     27  

14.3

 

Refusal to register transfer

     27  

14.4

 

Release of Holding Lock

     27  

14.5

 

Notification upon request by Participant

     27  

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 3


15.

  Quotation of Options or Rights      28  

15.1

 

No Quotation of Options or Rights

     28  

15.2

 

Quotation of Shares

     28  

16.

  Power of Attorney      28  

16.1

 

Appointment of Attorney

     28  

16.2

 

Ratification of Actions

     28  

16.3

 

Indemnity

     28  

17.

  Administration      28  

17.1

 

Powers of the Board

     28  

17.2

 

Delegation

     29  

17.3

 

Exercise of powers or discretion

     29  

17.4

 

Determinations

     29  

17.5

 

Expenses and costs

     29  

17.6

 

Board members not liable

     29  

17.7

 

Participants responsible for Tax in respect of Options, Rights and Shares

     30  

18.

  Amendment to Rules      30  

18.1

 

Board may amend Rules

     30  

18.2

 

Waiver or amendment

     30  

18.3

 

Consent of Participants required

     30  

18.4

 

Exceptions to requirements of Rule 18.4

     31  

18.5

 

Exercise of discretions under Rules

     31  

18.6

 

Eligible Employees outside Australia

     31  

19.

  Rights of Participants      31  

20.

  No representation as to Tax consequences      32  

21.

  Notices      32  

21.1

 

Service of notices

     32  

21.2

 

Effective on receipt

     32  

21.3

 

Address

     33  

22.

  Governing law      33  

23.

  Advice      33  

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 4


Long term incentive plan rules

 

 

1.

Introduction

 

1.1

Name of Plan

The Plan is the long term incentive plan (Plan) of Opthea Limited ACN 006 340 567 (Company).

 

1.2

Objects of Plan

The objects of the Plan are to:

 

  (a)

provide Eligible Employees with an additional incentive to work to improve the performance of the Company;

 

  (b)

attract, retain and motivate Eligible Employees essential for the continued growth and development of the Company;

 

  (c)

promote and foster the loyalty and support of Eligible Employees for the benefit of the Company;

 

  (d)

enhance the relationship between the Company and Eligible Employees for the long term mutual benefit of all parties; and

 

  (e)

provide Eligible Employees with the opportunity to acquire Options or Rights in the Company, in accordance with these Rules, as part of the remuneration for their services as Eligible Employees.

 

1.3

Commencement of Plan

The Plan commences on the date determined by the Board.

 

2.

Defined terms and interpretation

 

2.1

Defined terms

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:

Allocated means allocated by any means permitted under Rule 9.2.

Applicable Law means any one or more, as the context requires of:

 

  (a)

the Corporations Act;

 

  (b)

the Corporations Regulations;

 

  (c)

any other applicable securities or financial services laws;

 

  (d)

any class order, declaration, exemption or modification made or granted by ASIC pursuant to any of the abovementioned statutes, regulations or laws, or any waiver from the Listing Rules granted by ASX, on which the Company seeks to rely or that binds the Company in making any Offer or otherwise in connection with the operation of the Plan;

 

  (e)

Listing Rules or the rules of any other applicable securities exchange;

 

  (f)

any other legislation regulating or applying to the activities of the Company; and

 

  (g)

the Constitution.

Application means a duly completed application for the issue of Options or Rights made by an Eligible Employee in respect of an Offer, in the form approved by the Board from time to time (which may, without limitation, be an electronic form that is accessible and submitted via a website managed by the Company, its share registry or any other third party service provider).

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 5


ASIC means the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Associated Body Corporate means:

 

  (a)

a body corporate that is a related body corporate of the Company;

 

  (b)

a body corporate that has Voting Power in the Company of not less than 20% and that has been approved for participation in the Plan by the Company; or

 

  (c)

a body corporate in which the Company has Voting Power of not less than 20% and that has been approved for participation in the Plan by the Company,

and Associated Bodies Corporate means all such bodies corporate.

ASX means ASX Limited ACN 008 624 691.

Board means:

 

  (a)

all or some of the Directors, acting as a board; or

 

  (b)

any committee, person or persons to whom power or authority to exercise or perform the relevant power, function or discretion, or to administer the Plan generally, has been delegated under Rule 17.2 (including any sub-delegate).

Business Day means a day on which banks are open for general banking business in Melbourne, Victoria excluding Saturdays or Sundays.

Business Hours means from 9.00am to 5.00pm on a Business Day.

Cash-Settled Plan Securities means Plan Securities that are the subject of a determination made by the Board under Rule 9.5.

Cessation Date means the date on which the relevant Participant ceases to be employed within the Group.

Clawback Policy means the policy, if any, adopted by the Board in relation to any circumstances in which the Company may claw back performance-based remuneration from key management personnel (or other senior executives) of the Company (or any other Group Company).

Company means Opthea Limited ACN 006 340 567.

Constitution means the constitution of the Company (as amended from time to time).

Corporate Control Event means any one or more of the following events or circumstances:

 

  (a)

an offer is made for Shares (or shares in a subsidiary) pursuant to a takeover bid under Chapter 6 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (b)

the Court orders a meeting of members (or a class of members) or creditors (or a class of creditors) under Part 5.1 of the Corporations Act for the purpose of considering a proposed compromise or arrangement relating to the Company (or a subsidiary) or a compromise or arrangement proposed for the purposes of, or in connection with, a scheme for the reconstruction of the Company (or a subsidiary) or its amalgamation with any other body corporate or bodies corporate;

 

  (c)

approval is given by a resolution duly passed at a general meeting, or by circular resolution, of members of the Company (or a subsidiary) for an acquisition that would result in a person having Voting Power in the Company (or a subsidiary) of more than 50%;

 

  (d)

a person acquires Voting Power of more than 50% in the Company:

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 6


  (i)

as a result of a takeover bid for all of the issued shares in the Company; or

 

  (ii)

through a scheme of arrangement relating to the acquisition of all of the issued shares of the Company;

 

  (e)

the Board determines that a change of control of the Company has occurred within the meaning of section 50AA of the Corporations Act;

 

  (f)

any other event or transaction (including any other merger, consolidation or amalgamation involving the Company (or a subsidiary)) occurs or is proposed where either or both of the following applies:

 

  (i)

in the case of a merger, consolidation or arrangement, the transaction results in the holders of Shares (or shares in a subsidiary) immediately prior to the merger, consolidation or amalgamation having relevant interests, in aggregate, in 50% or less of the voting shares in the body corporate resulting from the merger consolidation or amalgamation; or

 

  (ii)

the Board determines, in its discretion, that the relevant transaction constitutes a Corporate Control Event for the purposes of the Rules;

 

  (g)

the Company (or a Subsidiary) enters into an agreement or agreements to sell, in aggregate, a majority in value of the business or assets of all Group Companies (whether or not in the form of shares in a Group Company) to a person or persons that are not Group Companies; or

 

  (h)

an administrator, liquidator, provisional liquidator, receiver or receiver and manager is appointed in respect of the Company or substantially all of the assets of the Company.

Corporations Act means the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

Date of Grant, in respect of an Option or Right, means the date on which the Company issues the Option or Right (as the context requires) to an Eligible Employee.

Deal or Dealing means sale, transfer, assignment, mortgage, pledge, grant of a lien or other alienation or encumbrance over or attempted sale, transfer, assignment, mortgage, pledge, grant of a lien or other alienation or encumbrance over, or creation in favour of any third party of any interest whatsoever.

Director means a director of the Company (including a non-executive director).

Eligible Employee means:

 

  (a)

an Employee to whom, or who falls within a class of Employees to whom, the Board determines that an Offer is to be made under the Plan; or

 

  (b)

an Employee who satisfies the eligibility criteria (if any) determined by the Board for a proposed Offer.

Employee means:

 

  (a)

a full-time or part-time employee of a Group Company (including any employee on parental leave, long service leave or other special leave as approved by the relevant Group Company); or

 

  (b)

a director of a Group Company who holds a salaried employment or other salaried office in a Group Company (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, a non-executive director).

Exercise Period means the period commencing on the First Exercise Date and ending on the Last Exercise Date, subject to any variation to those dates determined by the Board under Rule 7.3.

Exercise Price means the amount (if any) payable by the holder of an Option on the exercise of the Option, being (subject to Rules 12 and 18) the amount fixed (or the amount calculated in the manner determined) at the time of the Offer of the Option and determined by the Board under Rule 4.5.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 7


Final Acceptance Date has the meaning given to this term in Rule 4.3(b).

First Exercise Date, in respect of an Option, means:

 

  (a)

if the Offer Document for the Option specified a fixed date as the first day on which the holder may exercise the Option, that date; or

 

  (b)

if the Offer Document for the Option did not specify a fixed date as the first day on which the holder may exercise the Option, the date (if any) on which the Company issues a Vesting Notice in respect of the Option,

and, in each case, any different applicable date determined by the Board under Rule 7.3 or 18.

Grant Conditions, in respect of an Offer of an Option or Right, means any conditions that must be satisfied, or circumstances that must exist, before the Option or Right will be issued, as determined by the Board under Rule 4.6.

Group means the Company and its Associated Bodies Corporate.

Group Company means any body corporate within the Group.

Holding Lock means a mechanism arranged or approved by the Board and administered by the Company (including through its share registry) that prevents Shares being disposed of by or on behalf of a Participant.

Issue Price means the amount (if any) payable per Option or Right by an Eligible Employee on application for Options or Rights offered under an Offer.

Last Exercise Date, in respect of an Option, means:

 

  (a)

if the Offer Document for the Option specified a fixed date as the last day on which the holder may exercise the Option, that date:

 

  (a)

if the Offer Document for the Option did not specify a fixed date as the last day on which the holder may exercise the Option, the date that is five years after the Date of Grant; or

and, in each case, any different applicable date determined by the Board under any of Rules 7.3, 12, 13 or 18.

Legal Personal Representative means the executor of the will or an administrator of the estate of a deceased person, the trustee of the estate of a person under a legal disability or a person who holds an enduring power of attorney granted by another person.

Listing Rules means the listing rules of ASX Limited and any other rules of ASX (or the applicable securities exchange) that are applicable to the Company or the Shares while the Company is listed on that exchange, each as amended or replaced from time to time, and except to the extent of any express written waiver by ASX.

Notice of Exercise means a notice of exercise of an Option by a Participant, in the form approved by the Board from time to time (which may be in electronic form and, without limitation, accessed and submitted via a website managed by the Company, its share registry or another third party service provider).

Offer means an invitation to an Eligible Employee to apply for the issue of Plan Securities and, if the Eligible Employee is not already a Participant, to participate in the Plan.

Offer Document, in respect of Plan Securities, means a document (or documents) setting out the Offer of the relevant Plan Securities and given to an Eligible Employee under Rule 4.2.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 8


Option means an option issued, or to be issued (as the context requires), under the Plan to acquire a Share, subject to these Rules and the terms and conditions set out in the relevant Offer Document.

Participant means a person who holds Options or Rights issued under the Plan, or Restricted Shares, and includes, if a Participant dies or becomes subject to a legal disability or has granted an enduring power of attorney, the Legal Personal Representative of the Participant.

Performance Period, in respect of Plan Securities, means any period or periods (if any, and however described) determined by the Board and specified in the relevant Offer Document as the period during, or by reference to, which the satisfaction of any performance-based Vesting Conditions applicable to those Plan Securities is to be measured or assessed (and, where Plan Securities the subject of an Offer are divided into tranches to which different performance-based Vesting Conditions apply, means any such period applicable in respect of the relevant tranche of Plan Securities and, where any such period may be or is extended by the Board, excludes any such extension of the period unless otherwise determined by the Board).

Plan means the long term incentive plan of the Company governed by these Rules.

Plan Security means an Option or Right and Plan Securities means Options or Rights, or both (as the context requires).

Resignation means the resignation of a Participant from their employment with a Group Company other than:

 

  (a)

Retirement;

 

  (b)

Total and Permanent Disablement;

 

  (c)

where the Participant has accepted an offer of employment received from any other Group Company or from the purchaser (or a related body corporate of the purchaser) of all or part of the assets or business of any Group Company, or from any person to whom any Group Company has outsourced, or agreed to outsource, any part of its functions or business; or

 

  (d)

for any other reason, or in any other circumstances, that the Offer Document for the Offer of the relevant Plan Securities held by the Participant specified would not constitute resignation for the purposes of these Rules.

Restriction Period has the meaning given to this term in Rule 14.1.

Restricted Shares has the meaning given to this term in Rule 14.1.

Retirement means the resignation of the Participant from their employment with a Group Company in circumstances where the Board is satisfied that the Participant intends to leave the workforce permanently in the sense that the person intends to no longer be employed on a full-time or permanent part-time basis.

Right means a right issued, or to be issued (as the context requires), under the Plan to acquire a Share, subject to these Rules and the terms and conditions set out in the relevant Offer Document.

Rules means the rules governing the operation of the Plan set out in this document, as amended from time to time.

Security Interest means a mortgage, charge, pledge, lien, encumbrance or other third party interest of any nature (including the registration and/or perfection of that security interest under the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth)).

Share Allocation Date or Share Allocation Period means the date on which, or the period during which, the Company expects to Allocate a Share to a Participant in respect of a Vested Right.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 9


Shares means fully paid ordinary shares in the capital of the Company.

Tax includes any tax, levy, impost, GST, deduction, charge, rate, contribution, duty or withholding which is assessed (or deemed to be assessed), levied, imposed or made by or under any law or by any government or any governmental, semi-governmental or judicial entity or authority together with any interest, penalty, fine, charge, fee or other amount assessed (or deemed to be assessed), levied, imposed or made on or in respect of any or all of the foregoing.

Tax Act means the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth).

Termination for Cause means the termination by any Group Company of the Participant’s employment with that Group Company:

 

  (a)

where neither notice nor payment in lieu of notice is required to be given by the Group Company; or

 

  (b)

in circumstances involving the Participant’s actual or alleged serious misconduct, whether or not notice or any payment in lieu of notice is required to be given by the Group Company.

Total and Permanent Disablement means the resignation of the Participant from his or her employment with any Group Company as a result of his or her total and permanent disablement, as determined by the Board.

Trading Policy means any policy adopted by the Company in relation to trading or dealing in Shares or other securities by the Company’s key management personnel (or any other persons), as amended from time to time.

Unvested Plan Securities means Plan Securities that have not become Vested Plan Securities and the terms Unvested Options and Unvested Rights have corresponding meanings.

Vested Plan Securities means Plan Securities:

 

  (a)

that have become vested Plan Securities under Rule 7.1;

 

  (b)

that are taken to be vested Plan Securities by virtue of a determination of the Board under Rule 13.1; or

 

  (c)

that the Board has determined and notified the relevant Participant have otherwise become vested Plan Securities (including by reason of the waiver of any Vesting Conditions under Rule 7.3),

and the terms Vested Option and Vested Right have corresponding meanings.

Vesting Conditions, in relation to an Option or Right, means any performance, service or other conditions that must be satisfied, or circumstances that must exist, before:

 

  (a)

in the case of an Option, the Option may (during the Exercise Period) vest and be exercised;

 

  (b)

in the case of a Right, the Right may vest and be converted into a Share,

as determined by the Board under Rule 4.6.

Vesting Notice, in respect of Plan Securities held by a Participant, means notice to the Participant that, to the extent specified in the notice (or in information accompanying the notice or that the Participant may access using electronic means specified in the notice), the Plan Securities have become Vested Plan Securities.

Voting Power means voting power as determined in accordance with section 610 of the Corporations Act.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 10


2.2

Interpretation

In these Rules (and any Offer Document), unless the context otherwise requires:

 

  (a)

a reference to any legislation or to any provision of any legislation includes any modification, amendment or re-enactment of it, any legislation or legislative provision substituted for it, and all legislation, statutory instruments and regulations made under it;

 

  (b)

words denoting the singular include the plural and vice versa;

 

  (c)

words denoting a gender include the other genders;

 

  (d)

a reference to any document or agreement includes a reference to that document or agreement as amended, novated, supplemented, varied or replaced from time to time;

 

  (e)

where any word or phrase is given a defined meaning in these Rules or an Offer Document, any part of speech or other grammatical form of that word or phrase has a corresponding meaning;

 

  (f)

a reference to a document or record includes a document or record in electronic form;

 

  (g)

a reference to a person includes a natural person, partnership, body corporate, association, governmental or local authority or agency or other entity;

 

  (h)

a word or expression defined in the Corporations Act has the meaning given to it in the Corporations Act;

 

  (i)

a reference to a Rule is a reference to a rule of these Rules, or the corresponding rule of the Plan as amended from time to time; and

 

  (j)

the meaning of general words is not limited by specific examples introduced by including, for example or similar expressions;

 

  (k)

where these Rules provide (or an Offer Document provides) for an act or thing to be done, occur or take effect on a particular day or within a particular period, that act or thing must be done before, or occurs or takes effect, or that period ends, at 5.00pm Melbourne, Australia time on the relevant day or the last day of the relevant period (as the context requires); and

 

  (l)

a reference to Plan Securities (or Rights or Options) held by a Participant does not include any Rights or Options that have lapsed under Rule 10.

 

2.3

Headings

Headings are for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Rules.

 

2.4

Primary instruments

These Rules are to be interpreted subject to the Applicable Laws.

 

3.

Principal conditions

 

3.1

Options or Rights issued only to Employees

No Options or Rights may be issued to a person under the Plan unless, as at the Date of Grant of the Options or Rights, the person is or remains an Employee, or the Board determines otherwise.

 

3.2

Compliance with laws

 

  (a)

No Option or Right (or Share issued on exercise of an Option or conversion of a Right) may be issued or otherwise Allocated to, or (in the case of an Option) exercised by, an Eligible Employee or Participant if to do so would contravene an Applicable Law.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 11


  (b)

Nothing in these Rules requires or permits any act to be done, determination to be made or thing to occur where that act, determination or thing would, in the opinion of the Board:

 

  (i)

cause any Group Company or Participant to contravene, or be involved in a contravention of, any provision of any Applicable Law; or

 

  (ii)

require approval by resolution of the Company’s shareholders under a provision of Applicable Law (including section 200B of the Corporations Act and the Listing Rules applying to options) where no such approval has been given.

 

3.3

No prohibited financial assistance

No person may, whether directly or indirectly, provide financial assistance that is prohibited by the Corporations Act for the purposes of, or in connection with, the acquisition by an Eligible Employee of Options or Rights under the Plan, or of Shares on exercise of Options or conversion of Rights.

 

3.4

Plan limit

 

  (a)

Subject to Rule 3.4(b), the Company will not make an Offer of Plan Securities if the total number of Shares the subject of those Plan Securities plus:

 

  (i)

the total number of Shares that would be issued were each outstanding:

 

  (A)

offer with respect to Shares, units of Shares or rights or options to acquire unissued Shares (including an Offer);

 

  (B)

right or option to acquire unissued Shares (including a Plan Security), being a right or option that has been granted but has not been exercised or converted (as the context requires), lapsed or otherwise expired;

 

  (C)

unit of a Share,

issued under an employee share scheme of the Company (including the Plan) to be accepted or exercised; and

 

  (ii)

the number of Shares issued during the previous five years pursuant to the Plan or any other employee share scheme of the Company;

but disregarding and excluding any offer made or option or right acquired (whether under the Plan or any other employee share scheme), or any Share or unit of a Share issued, by way of, or as a result of:

 

  (iii)

an offer to a person situated, at the time of receipt of the offer, outside Australia;

 

  (iv)

an offer that was an excluded offer or invitation within the meaning of the Corporations Act as it stood prior to the commencement of Schedule 1 to the Corporate Law Economic Reform Program Act 1999 (Cth);

 

  (v)

an offer that does not need disclosure to investors because of section 708 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (vi)

an offer that did not require the giving of a product disclosure statement (as defined in the Corporations Act) because of section 1012D of the Corporations Act; or

 

  (vii)

an offer made under a disclosure document or product disclosure statement (as defined in the Corporations Act),

would exceed 5% of the total number of issued Shares as at the time of the Offer.    

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 12


  (b)

If ASIC replaces ASIC Class Order [CO 03/184] with a new class order in relation to employee incentive schemes (or substantially modifies ASIC Class Order [CO 03/184]) Rule 3.4(a) will no longer apply and Rule 3.4(c) will apply instead.

 

  (c)

Where this Rule 3.4(c) applies instead of Rule 3.4(a), the Company will not make an Offer of Options or Rights if the issue of the Options or Rights the subject of the Offer to the Eligible Employee to whom the Offer is made would cause the Company to exceed any limit that applies under the ASIC class order that replaces or modifies Class Order [CO 03/184] (when aggregated with the total number of Shares and other financial products required by the replacement or modified class order to be counted towards the limit, and disregarding and excluding all offers, Shares and other financial products that may be disregarded when applying that limit).

 

3.5

Director participation

Neither Options nor Rights may be issued to Directors or their associates pursuant to the Plan unless prior approval of the Company’s shareholders is obtained in accordance with the Listing Rules or such approval is not required by the Listing Rules.

 

3.6

Operation of the Plan

The Plan must be operated in accordance with these Rules which bind the Company, any Associated Body Corporate and each Participant.

 

4.

Offers

 

4.1

Board may make Offer

Subject to these Rules, the Board may from time to time make an Offer (on behalf of the Company) to an Eligible Employee.

 

4.2

Form of Offer

 

  (a)

An Offer must be set out in a document (or documents) given to the Eligible Employee to whom the Offer is made.

 

  (b)

Subject to Rule 4.3, the form of the Offer Document and the form of the Application accepting the invitation constituted by the Offer will be as approved by the Board from time to time.

 

4.3

Information provided with Offer

The Offer Document provided to an Eligible Employee must include the following information:

 

  (a)

the date of the Offer;

 

  (b)

the final date by which the Eligible Employee may accept the invitation constituted by the Offer (Final Acceptance Date);

 

  (c)

the number of Options or Rights the subject of the Offer, or the manner in which that number will be determined;

 

  (d)

the Grant Conditions (if any) for the Offer;

 

  (e)

the Vesting Conditions (if any) that will apply to Options or Rights (or, if the Options or Rights will be divided into tranches, the Vesting Conditions (if any) that will apply to the different tranches) issued the subject of the Offer;

 

  (f)

in respect of an Offer of Options:

 

  (i)

if the first day on which the holder may (subject to these Rules) exercise the Options the subject of the Offer is fixed at the time of the Offer, that date;

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 13


  (ii)

if the last day on which the holder may (subject to these Rules) exercise the Options the subject of the Offer is fixed at the time of the Offer, that date; and

 

  (iii)

the Exercise Price (if any) of each Option the subject of the Offer, or the manner in which any such Exercise Price will be determined;

 

  (g)

in respect of an Offer of Rights, the Share Allocation Date or Share Allocation Period;

 

  (h)

if the Board has made a determination under Rule 9.2(b), details of that determination;

 

  (i)

if any Shares Allocated pursuant to exercise of any Options, or conversion of any Rights, the subject of the Offer will be subject to restrictions on disposal under Rule 13, that fact and the applicable Restriction Period; and

 

  (j)

any other specific terms and conditions applicable to the Offer or that will apply to any Options or Rights issued under the Offer.

 

4.4

Number of Options or Rights

Subject to Rule 3, the number of Options or Rights the subject of an Offer to an Eligible Employee, or the method for determining that number, will be determined by the Board.

 

4.5

Issue Price and Exercise Price

 

  (a)

Unless otherwise determined by the Board and specified in the Offer Document for the Option or Right, no amount will be payable by a Participant to acquire an Option or Right.

 

  (b)

The Exercise Price (if any) in respect of an Option will be determined by the Board (subject to any adjustment under Rule 12).

 

4.6

Terms

The terms and conditions applicable to an Offer, including the Final Acceptance Date, any First Exercise Date, any Last Exercise Date, any Share Allocation Date or Share Allocation Period, any Grant Conditions, any Vesting Conditions and any Restriction Period, will be determined by the Board.

 

4.7

Exercise Price and Issue Price in Australian dollars

The Exercise Price (if any) and Issue Price (if any) in respect of an Option must be denominated and payable in Australian dollars, unless otherwise determined by the Board.

 

4.8

Offer personal

An Offer under the Plan is personal to the Eligible Employee to whom it is made and, accordingly, the invitation constituted by an Offer may only be accepted by, and Options or Rights may only be issued to, the Eligible Employee to whom the Offer is made.

 

5.

Application for Options and Rights

 

5.1

Acceptance of Offer

An Eligible Employee may accept the invitation constituted by an Offer by giving to the Company a duly completed Application (and, in the case of any Offer of Options or Rights that have an Issue Price, payment of the relevant amount) by the Final Acceptance Date.

 

5.2

Application for all or some of the Options or Rights the subject of an Offer

Unless otherwise determined by the Board and specified in the Offer Document for the Offer, an Eligible Employee may, in his or her discretion, accept the invitation constituted by the Offer, in whole or in part, in multiples of 100 Options or Rights or another multiple of Options or Rights as the Board may allow for the Eligible Employee. An Eligible Employee cannot accept less than the number of Options or Rights that would constitute the minimum parcel determined by the Board.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 14


5.3

Lapse of Offer

An Offer not accepted in accordance with Rule 5.1 will lapse at 5:00pm Melbourne time on the Final Acceptance Date.

 

5.4

Withdrawal of Offer prior to acceptance

The Board reserves the right (subject to any Applicable Law) to withdraw an Offer made to an Eligible Employee.

 

6.

Issue of Options or Rights

 

6.1

Acceptance by Eligible Employee

By accepting an Offer in respect of Options or Rights in accordance with Rule 5.2, an Eligible Employee:

 

  (a)

agrees to become a Participant and be bound by these Rules;

 

  (b)

offers to acquire those Options or Rights, and Shares following exercise of those Options or on conversion of those Rights (as the context requires):

 

  (i)

under, and subject to, these Rules; and

 

  (ii)

on and subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer; and

 

  (c)

agrees to become a member of the Company following exercise of any Options or on conversion of any Rights, and to be bound by the Constitution (as amended from time to time).

 

6.2

Acceptance by Company

Unless otherwise provided in the Offer Document for the Offer, the Company may accept an Eligible Employee’s Application in respect of an Offer of Plan Securities by issuing to the Eligible Employee the Plan Securities the subject of the Application. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the issue of Plan Securities to an Eligible Employee will be constituted by the registration of the Eligible Employee as the holder of the relevant number and type of Plan Securities in a register of holders of Plan Securities maintained by or on behalf of the Company (which may, without limitation, be in electronic form and maintained by the Company’s share registrar or other third party service provider). Nothing in any Offer Document or Application, or in these Rules, will be taken to confer on any Eligible Employee any right or title to, or interest in, any Plan Securities until the Plan Securities are issued to the Eligible Employee.

 

6.3

Notification of issue of Options or Rights

Within a reasonable period after the issue of Options or Rights to a Participant, the Company must give the Participant notice in writing of:

 

  (a)

the number of Options or Rights issued to the Participant;

 

  (b)

the Issue Price (if any) of those Options or Rights;

 

  (c)

in the case of Options, the Exercise Price (if any); and

 

  (d)

the Date of Grant of those Options or Rights.

 

6.4

Consideration for Options and Rights

Any Options or Rights issued to a Participant will be issued for consideration comprising the services that are expected to be provided by the Participant to or for the benefit of the Group and, unless the Board determines otherwise, no monetary or other consideration will be payable in respect of the issue of an Option or Right.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 15


6.5

Entitlement to Shares

 

  (a)

Subject to these Rules, each Option confers on its holder the entitlement to be Allocated one Share following exercise of the Option and payment of the Exercise Price (if any).

 

  (b)

Subject to these Rules, each Right confers on its holder the entitlement to be Allocated one Share.

 

6.6

Interest in Shares

A Participant:

 

  (a)

has no right or interest in a Share the subject of an Option or Right held by the Participant unless and until the Share the subject of that Option or Right, as applicable, is Allocated to that Participant following the exercise of the Option or on conversion of the Right under these Rules; and

 

  (b)

does not have any rights to dividends, rights to vote or rights to participate in any new issue of capital of the Company as a result of holding an Option or Right.

Subject to the Corporations Act and the Constitution, Participants will not, as holders of Options or Rights, have any right to attend or vote at general meetings of holders of Shares.

 

7.

Vesting of Options or Rights

 

7.1

Requirements for vesting

Subject to these Rules:

 

  (a)

if the Offer Document for Plan Securities held by a Participant specified any Vesting Conditions and each of the following occurs:

 

  (i)

the Board determines that the applicable Vesting Conditions have been satisfied in respect of all, or a specified percentage or number of, those Plan Securities; and

 

  (ii)

if any additional terms were specified in the Offer Document and required to be satisfied before vesting, the Board determines that those additional terms have been satisfied or, in the Board’s discretion, are not required to be satisfied,

then all, or any specified percentage or number determined by the Board, of those Plan Securities will become vested Plan Securities on and from the date of the Board’s determination (or any later date determined by the Board); and

 

  (b)

if the Offer Document for Plan Securities held by a Participant did not specify any Vesting Conditions, the Plan Securities will become vested Plan Securities on and from the vesting date specified in the Offer Document (or any earlier date determined by the Board).

 

7.2

Vesting Notice

If, and within a reasonable period after:

 

  (a)

any Options held by a Participant become Vested Options; or

 

  (b)

any Rights held by a Participant become Vested Rights,

the Company must give the Participant a Vesting Notice.

 

7.3

Variation or waiver of Vesting Conditions and other terms

Subject to Applicable Law, and without limiting Rules 12, 13 and 18.1, the Board may, in its discretion and at any time and in any particular case or cases:

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 16


  (a)

reduce or waive the Vesting Conditions (if any) that apply to a Plan Security held by the Participant (in whole or in part);

 

  (b)

reduce the Performance Period (if any) that applies to any Plan Security held by the Participant;

 

  (c)

in the case of an Option, determine that a new First Exercise Date or Last Exercise Date (or both) will apply to the Option (whether earlier or later than the original date);

 

  (d)

in the case of a Right, determine that a new Share Allocation Date or Share Allocation Period will apply to the Right (whether earlier or late than the original date or period); or

 

  (e)

do any combination of the things referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d) above.

 

7.4

Notice of variation or waiver

If the Board exercises its discretion to alter any terms of a Plan Security under Rule 7.3 or in reliance on Rule 18.4, the Company:

 

  (a)

must within a reasonable period of the alteration give notice to each Participant affected by the alteration in respect of any Options or Rights held by the Participant; and

 

  (b)

if the Company issued a certificate for the Plan Security, may have to issue a replacement certificate.

 

8.

Exercise of Options

 

8.1

Exercise during Exercise Period

Subject to Rules 3.2 and 8.2 and the Trading Policy, an Option held by a Participant may be exercised at any time during (and only during) the Exercise Period for that Option.

 

8.2

Exercise Conditions

An Option may not be exercised unless and until it has become a Vested Option.

 

8.3

Exercise of Options

Subject to these Rules, Vested Options held by a Participant may be exercised by the Participant giving to the Company:

 

  (a)

a Notice of Exercise duly completed by the Participant;

 

  (b)

if there is an Exercise Price for the Options:

 

  (i)

payment (in cleared funds) of the amount calculated by multiplying the number of Options being exercised by the Exercise Price; or

 

  (ii)

payment, or the Participant’s agreement to pay, the relevant amount under any ‘cashless exercise’ arrangement that is acceptable to, and approved by, the Board; and

 

  (c)

if a certificate was issued by the Company in respect of those Options, the relevant certificate.

 

8.4

Clearance of Exercise Price

Unless the Board determines otherwise, the Company is not obliged to Allocate Shares on exercise of Options until payment of the Exercise Price (if any) has been received by the Company in cleared funds from the Participant.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 17


8.5

Exercise or conversion of all or some Options or Rights

 

  (a)

A Participant may only exercise Options and convert Rights in multiples of 100 or another multiple that the Board determines, unless the Participant exercises all Options or converts Rights with the same Date of Grant able to be exercised by him or her at that time or under a cashless exercise arrangement.

 

  (b)

The exercise or conversion by a Participant of only some of the Options or Rights held by the Participant does not affect the Participant’s right to exercise or convert at a later date other Options or Rights held by the Participant (whether those other Options or Rights have the same First Exercise Date or otherwise).

 

8.6

Replacement Certificate

If a Participant submits a Notice of Exercise in respect of only part of the Options or Rights for which a certificate has been issued by the Company, the Company must issue a certificate stating the remaining number of Options or Rights held by the Participant.

 

9.

Allocation of Shares to satisfy Vested Options or Rights

 

9.1

Requirement to allocate Shares

 

  (a)

Subject to these Rules (including Rule 9.5), where any Options held by a Participant become Vested Options and are validly exercised by the Participant in accordance with Rule 8, the Company must Allocate to the Participant the number of Shares that are the subject of the Vested Options that have been exercised, as determined in accordance with these Rules and the Offer Document for those Options.

 

  (b)

Subject to these Rules (including Rule 9.5), where any Rights held by a Participant become Vested Rights, the Company must (without the need for any action by the Participant) Allocate to the Participant the number of Shares that are the subject of those Vested Rights, as determined in accordance with these Rules and the Offer Document for those Rights. For the purposes of these Rules, the Allocation of Shares in respect of Vested Rights constitutes the conversion of Vested Rights.

 

9.2

Method of allocation of Shares

 

  (a)

Subject to Rule 9.2(b) and Applicable Law, any Shares to be allocated to a Participant under Rule 9.1 may, in the Board’s discretion, be allocated by the Company by any one or more of the following means:

 

  (i)

issuing Shares to the Participant;

 

  (ii)

procuring the transfer to the Participant of Shares purchased on-market (within the meaning given to that term by the Corporations Act);

 

  (iii)

procuring the transfer to the Participant of Shares acquired through an off-market transaction (including from any ‘employee share trust’ within the meaning of the Tax Act that may be established by the Company for the purposes of the Plan); or

 

  (iv)

procuring the holding of Shares by a person as bare nominee for and on behalf of the Participant.

 

  (b)

The Board may determine and the Offer Document for Options or Rights may specify that any Shares to be allocated to a Participant to satisfy those Options or Rights may:

 

  (i)

only be allocated by a specified method or methods under Rule 9.2(a); or

 

  (ii)

not be allocated by a specified method or methods under Rule 9.2(a),

and, where so determined and specified, those Shares may (where paragraph (i) of this Rule applies) only be allocated to the Participant by the specified method or methods or (where paragraph (ii) of this Rule applies) may not be allocated to the Participant by the specified method or methods.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 18


9.3

Timing of allocation of Shares

Subject to Applicable Law and the Trading Policy, any Shares to be Allocated to a Participant under Rule 9.1 must:

 

  (a)

in the case of Shares to be Allocated to satisfy Vested Options that have been exercised by the relevant Participant, be Allocated within a reasonable period after the Participant exercises the Vested Options in accordance with these Rules; and

 

  (b)

in the case of Shares to be Allocated to satisfy Vested Rights, be Allocated on (or before) any applicable Share Allocation Date or before the end of any applicable Share Allocation Period (in each case, subject to any variation determined by the Board under Rule 7.3).

 

9.4

Shares rank equally

Unless otherwise determined by the Board and specified in the Offer Document for the relevant Plan Securities, Shares Allocated to a Participant to satisfy Plan Securities will rank equally with all existing Shares on and from the date of Allocation, including in respect of all rights issues, bonus issues and dividends that have a record date for determining entitlements on or after the date of registration of those Shares in the name of, or on behalf of, the Participant.

 

9.5

Discretion to settle Vested Plan Securities in cash

 

  (a)

Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, and unless the Offer Document for the relevant Plan Securities specifies that this Rule 9.5 does not apply, the Board may, in its discretion (and at any time), determine that, in lieu and satisfaction of a Participant’s right to be Allocated Shares in respect of:

 

  (i)

any or all Vested Options exercised by the Participant; or

 

  (ii)

any or all Vested Rights held by the Participant,

the Company will make, or cause to be made, a payment (in Australian dollars) to or for the benefit of the Participant of a cash equivalent amount in respect of the Vested Options or Vested Rights the subject of the Board’s determination, as calculated in accordance with Rule 9.6 or in any other manner determined by the Board and specified in the relevant Offer Document (and subject to Rule 9.7).

 

  (b)

Where the Board has made a determination under this Rule 9.5, the Company must make, or cause to be made, the relevant payment to or for the benefit of the Participant by the time that Shares would otherwise have been required to be Allocated to the Participant under Rule 9.3.

 

  (c)

Any payment made to or for the benefit of a Participant in respect of any Cash-Settled Plan Securities in accordance with the relevant determination of the Board under this Rule 9.5 constitutes full and final satisfaction of the Participant’s right to otherwise be Allocated Shares in respect of those Cash-Settled Plan Securities.

 

9.6

Calculation of amount payable for any Cash-Settled Plan Securities

For the purposes of Rule 9.5(a), and subject to the Offer Document for the Cash-Settled Plan Securities, the cash equivalent amount in respect of any Cash-Settled Plan Securities will be calculated by multiplying the number of Shares that would (but for payment in accordance with Rule 9.5) be Allocated to the Participant in respect of those Cash-Settled Plan Securities by:

 

  (a)

if Shares are quoted on ASX or another securities exchange at the time, the volume weighted average price of Shares traded on ASX (or on the securities exchange or exchanges determined by the Board) over the 5 trading days preceding, where the Cash-Settled Plan Securities are Options, the date of exercise of the Options or, where the Cash- Settled Plan Securities are Rights, the date on which the Rights became Vested Rights (Valuation Time); or

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 19


  (b)

if Shares are not quoted on ASX at the time, an amount reasonably determined by the Board to be equivalent to the value of a Share at the Valuation Time,

and, where the Cash-Settled Plan Securities are Options, reducing the resulting amount by the aggregate Exercise Price (if any) for the number of Vested Options in respect of which the cash equivalent amount is to be paid. If the resulting number is a fractional number, it will be rounded down to the next lower whole cent.

 

9.7

Tax withholding and superannuation contributions

 

  (a)

The Company will deduct or withhold, or cause to be deducted or withheld, from any amount paid or payable to a Participant in respect of any Cash-Settled Plan Securities any Tax and other amounts required by law to be deducted or withheld from the payment.

 

  (b)

Any amount payable to or for the benefit of a Participant in respect of any Cash-Settled Plan Securities in accordance with the relevant determination of the Board under Rule 9.5 will be payable such that the total of:

 

  (i)

the amount payable to the Participant (before any applicable deduction or withholding for Tax or other amounts under 9.7(a) above); plus

 

  (ii)

the amount of any contribution that any Group Company makes, will make or is required or has agreed to make, to an Australian superannuation fund for the benefit of the Participant that is or will be attributable or referable to any amount paid or payable to the Participant in accordance with the Board’s determination under Rule 9.5,

is equal to the cash equivalent amount in respect of those Cash-Settled Plan Securities determined in accordance with Rule 9.5 (and, if applicable, Rule 9.6).

 

  (c)

For the purposes of Rule 9.7(b) (and without limitation), a Group Company will be taken to be required to make a contribution if it is required to make the contribution in order to ensure that it will have no liability or potential liability to pay any superannuation guarantee charge (as defined in the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth)) in respect of the amount paid or payable to the relevant Participant in respect of the relevant Cash-Settled Plan Securities.

 

  (d)

To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event will the amount payable to a Participant under Rule 9.5 be included in any definition of pensionable or other earnings or salary (however defined) for the purpose of calculating any contributions payable to any Australian superannuation fund for the benefit of the Participant.

 

10.

Lapse of Options and Rights

 

10.1

Lapse of Plan Securities where Vesting Conditions not satisfied

 

  (a)

If the Board determines that the Vesting Conditions (if any) applicable to all or a specified number or percentage of the Plan Securities held by a Participant have not been satisfied and should therefore lapse, all or the relevant percentage or number (as the context requires) of those Plan Securities will lapse with effect from the date on which the Board makes this determination (or, if the Board specifies a later lapse date when making this determination, on that later date).

 

  (b)

If the Board determines that the Vesting Conditions (if any) applicable to all or a specified number or percentage of the Plan Securities held by a Participant are not capable of being satisfied in accordance with their terms and should therefore lapse, all or the relevant number or percentage (as the context requires) of those Plan Securities will lapse with effect from the date on which the Board makes this determination (or, if the Board specifies a later lapse date when making this determination, on that later date).

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 20


10.2

Lapse of Plan Securities on cessation of employment in certain circumstances

 

  (a)

Subject to the terms specified in the Offer Document for the relevant Plan Securities and unless otherwise determined by the Board (at any time and whether before of after cessation of employment), all Unvested Plan Securities held by a Participant will lapse:

 

  (i)

if the Participant ceases to be employed within the Group due to his or her Termination for Cause, with effect from the Cessation Date;

 

  (ii)

if the Participant ceases to be employed within the Group due to his or her Resignation, with effect from the Cessation Date; or

 

  (iii)

if the Participant ceases, or will cease, to be employed within the Group in any circumstances not covered by paragraphs (i) or (ii) above and the Board determines that, in those particular circumstances, all of the Participant’s Unvested Plan Securities should lapse (for example, because the circumstances involve the Participant’s poor or inadequate performance), with effect from the Cessation Date or any earlier or later lapse date determined by the Board.

 

  (b)

Unless otherwise determined by the Board, if:

 

  (i)

a Participant ceases to be employed within the Group for any reason or in any circumstances;

 

  (ii)

the Participant holds Unvested Plan Securities that have not lapsed under Rule 10.2(a)(i) or (ii) and the Board has not determined that all of those Unvested Plan Securities should lapse under Rule 10.2(a)(iii); and

 

  (iii)

the Offer Document for those Unvested Plan Securities specified that this Rule 10.2(b) applies or the Board otherwise determines that this Rule 10.2(b) applies,

then a proportion of the Participant’s Unvested Plan Securities will lapse with effect from the Cessation Date, being the proportion determined in accordance with Rule 10.2(c) (and rounded to the next higher whole number).

 

  (c)

Where Rule 10.2(b) applies, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the proportion of Unvested Plan Securities held by a Participant that will lapse under that Rule will be:

 

  (i)

subject to paragraph (ii), equal to the proportion that the number of days in the period starting on the day after the Participant’s Cessation Date and ending on the last day of the Performance Period applicable to those Plan Securities (or, if no Performance Period applies to those Plan Securities, ending on the date specified in Rule 7.1(b)) bears to the total number of days in the Performance Period (or, if no Performance Period applies to those Plan Securities, to the total number of days between the Date of Grant and the date specified in Rule 7.1(b)); or

 

  (ii)

if the Offer Document for those Plan Securities specified that the proportion was to be determined on a different basis to that set out in Rule 10.2(c)(i), the proportion determined in the manner specified in the relevant Offer Document.

 

  (d)

Any Plan Securities held by a Participant that do not lapse by operation of this Rule 10.2 or determination of the Board as a result of the Participant ceasing to be employed within the Group will continue to be held by the Participant subject to these Rules and the terms and conditions set out in the Offer for those Plan Securities.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 21


  (e)

For the purposes of these Rules (and any Offer Document), a Participant ceases to be employed within the Group if and when the Participant is no longer employed by, and no longer holds any other office with, any body corporate within the Group.

 

10.3

Lapse of Plan Securities to prevent inappropriate benefits

Subject to the terms specified in the Offer Document for the relevant Plan Securities and unless otherwise determined by the Board (at any time), some or all of any Unvested Plan Securities that have not otherwise lapsed under this Rule 10, or Vested Plan Securities (or both), held by a Participant will lapse:

 

  (a)

if, and with effect from the date on which, the Board determines that the relevant Plan Securities should lapse because, in the Board’s opinion, the Participant:

 

  (i)

has been, or could be, dismissed or removed from his or her employment in the Group for a reason that entitles a Group Company to dismiss the Participant without notice;

 

  (ii)

has committed an act of fraud, misappropriation or serious misconduct in relation to the affairs of the Group or any Group Company (whether or not charged with an offence);

 

  (iii)

has done an act which brings the Group or any Group Company into disrepute or causes material damage to any Group Company;

 

  (iv)

has been convicted on indictment of an offence against the Corporations Act in connection with the affairs of the Company or any Group Company;

 

  (v)

has had a judgement entered against him or her in civil proceedings in respect of the contravention by the Participant of his or her duties at law, in equity or under statute in his or her capacity as an executive or Director of the Company or any other Group Company;

 

  (vi)

has materially breached his or her obligations to any Group Company;

 

  (vii)

has performed below expectations or requirements (whether or not any performance-based Vesting Conditions have been or are likely to be met);

 

  (viii)

has materially breached any policy of the Company (including, without limitation, the Trading Policy or the Company’s policy (if any) on the hedging of long term incentives) or of any Group Company; or

 

  (ix)

has dealt with the Options or Rights in breach of the Rules;

 

  (b)

in the case of Unvested Plan Securities, on the happening of any other circumstance determined by the Board and specified in the Offer Document for those Plan Securities as a circumstance that will cause an Unvested Plan Security to lapse;

 

  (c)

in the case of Vested Plan Securities, on the happening of any other circumstance determined by the Board and specified in the Offer Document for those Plan Securities as a circumstance that will cause an Vested Plan Security to lapse; or

 

  (d)

if, in the opinion of the Board, the Plan Securities are liable to clawback under any Clawback Policy.

 

10.4

Lapse of Plan Securities where a Corporate Control Event occurs

If the Board makes a determination under Rule 13.1(c) that any Plan Securities held by a Participant will lapse, those Plan Securities will lapse on the date determined by the Board under that Rule 13.1(c).

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 22


10.5

Lapse of Options on Last Exercise Date

If a Participant fails to exercise any Vested Options by the Last Exercise Date, those Options will lapse on the Last Exercise Date.

 

10.6

Timing of lapse

A Plan Security held by a Participant will lapse upon the earliest to occur of:

 

  (a)

the Plan Security lapsing under any of Rules 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 or 10.5; or

 

  (b)

the date that is seven years after the Date of Grant for the Plan Security or any other date nominated as the expiry date in the Offer Document.

 

10.7

Entitlements and rights cease

On the lapse of a Plan Security under this Rule 10, all rights of a Participant in respect of the Plan Security under the Plan cease and no compensation will be payable to the Participant for the lapse of the Plan Security.

 

11.

Dealings with Options and Rights

 

11.1

Options and Rights personal

Except where Options or Rights have been transferred under Rule 11.3, Options and Rights held by a Participant are personal to the Participant and, in the case of Options, may not be exercised by another person.

 

11.2

No unauthorised disposal

Except as permitted under Rule 11.3, a Participant must not dispose of or grant a Security Interest over, or otherwise engage in any Dealing with, an Option or Right or any interest in an Option or Right, and any Security Interest or disposal or dealing granted or undertaken contrary to this Rule is not recognised in any manner by the Company.

 

11.3

Permitted transfer of Options and Rights

The Board may determine that Options or Rights may be transferred, by an instrument of transfer, where the transfer would be:

 

  (a)

a transfer constituting the necessary transfer documents following an acceptance of an offer made under an off-market bid made under Chapter 6 of the Corporations Act relating to Options or Rights;

 

  (b)

a transfer to a bidder on the sale of the Options or Rights under Division 3 of Part 6A.1 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (c)

a transfer to a 100% holder on the sale of the Options or Rights under Division 2 of Part 6A.2 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (d)

a transfer under Part 6A.3 of the Corporations Act to a person entitled to acquire the Options or Rights under section 661A or 664A of the Corporations Act; or

 

  (e)

a transfer approved by the Board in any other circumstances as may be determined by the Board.

The Board must notify Participants if a circumstance set out in this Rule 11.3 occurs and the Board authorises transfer of Options or Rights pursuant to this Rule.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 23


12.

Participation rights, bonus issues, rights issues, reorganisations of capital and winding up

 

12.1

Application of this Rule

This Rule 12 only applies to Participants who hold Options or Rights that have not lapsed in accordance with the Rules.

 

12.2

New issues

A Participant is not entitled to participate in any new issue to existing holders of securities in the Company by virtue of holding an Option or Right unless:

 

  (a)

in the case of an Option, the Option has become a Vested Option and been validly exercised by the Participant; or

 

  (b)

in the case of a Right, the Right has become a Vested Right and been converted,

and a Share has been issued or transferred to, and registered in the name of, the Participant (in satisfaction of the Option or Right) before the record date for the determination of entitlements to the new issue of securities (in which case, the Participant will participate in the new issue as a result of being the holder of the Share).

The Company will give Participants, in accordance with the Listing Rules, notice of any new issue of securities before the record date for determining entitlements to the new issue.

 

12.3

Bonus issues

If the Company makes a bonus issue of Shares or other securities to existing holders of Shares (other than an issue in lieu or in satisfaction of dividends or by way of dividend reinvestment) and no Share has been Allocated in respect of an Option or Right held by a Participant before the record date for determining entitlements to the bonus issue, then:

 

  (a)

the number of Shares to which the Participant is entitled on exercise of the Option or conversion of the Right (as applicable) will be increased by the number of Shares that the Participant would have received if the Participant had exercised the Option or the Right had converted (as applicable) and acquired the underlying Share prior to such record date; and

 

  (b)

in the case of an Option, no change will be made to the Exercise Price (if any).

 

12.4

Pro-rata issues

If the Company makes a pro-rata issue of Shares to existing holders of Shares (other than a bonus issue, or an issue in lieu or in satisfaction of dividends or by way of dividend reinvestment) and no Share has been Allocated in respect of an Option or Right before the record date for determining entitlements to the issue, then:

 

  (a)

in the case of an Option, the Exercise Price (if any) of the Option will be reduced in accordance with the relevant formula set out in the Listing Rules applying to options at the time of the pro-rata issue, and there will be no change to the number of Shares to which the relevant Participant is entitled on exercise of the Option; and

 

  (b)

in the case of a Right, but subject to Rule 18.3, the Board may determine, in its discretion, whether any adjustment will be made to the terms of the Right (including, without limitation, whether or not there will be any resulting increase in the number of Shares to which the relevant Participant will be entitled on conversion of the Right and the manner in which any such increase will be calculated).

Note: At the time of adoption of these Rules, the relevant formula for reduction of the Exercise Price (if any) of Options in the event of a pro-rata issue is set out in rule 6.22.2 of the Listing Rules.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 24


12.5

Reorganisation of capital

If, prior to the Allocation of Shares to a Participant in respect of Options or Rights held by the Participant, there is a reorganisation of capital of the Company (including a consolidation, subdivision, reduction or return of capital), then the rights of each Participant (including, where applicable, the number of Options or Rights (or both), and the Exercise Price (if any) of any Options, held by the Participant) will be amended to the extent necessary to comply with the ASX Listing Rules applying to a reorganisation of capital at the time of the reorganisation (whether or not the ASX Listing Rules apply to the Company at the time and, in the case of Rights, on the same basis as required by the ASX Listing Rules applying to Options).

 

12.6

Winding up

If, while a Participant holds Options or Rights, a resolution for a members’ voluntary winding up of the Company is proposed (other than for the purpose of a reconstruction or amalgamation) the Board may, in its discretion:

 

  (a)

in the case of Options, give written notice to the Participant of the proposed resolution, in which case, subject to the applicable Vesting Conditions (if any) being satisfied (or waived by the Board), the Participant may, during the period referred to in the notice, exercise the Option provided that no Option will be capable of exercise later than the Last Exercise Date; and

 

  (b)

in the case of Rights, determine that the Rights are Vested Rights and that on conversion, Shares will be Allocated in respect of the Rights on a date specified by the Board and notified to the Participant.

 

12.7

Rounding

For the purposes of this Rule 12, if Options are exercised simultaneously or Rights are converted simultaneously, then the number of Shares or fractions of Shares that the Participant is entitled to be Allocated in respect of those Options or Rights may be aggregated and, in the case of Options with an Exercise Price, the Exercise Price payable by the Participant in respect of those Options may be aggregated. Fractions in the aggregate number or amount will be dealt with as follows (unless otherwise required by the Listing Rules):

 

  (a)

fractions in the aggregate number of Shares that the Participant is entitled to be Allocated on such exercise or conversion will be rounded down to the next lower whole number; and

 

  (b)

fractions in the aggregate Exercise Price of Options payable by the Participant on exercise of those Options will be rounded up to the next higher whole cent.

 

12.8

Calculations and adjustments

Any calculations or adjustments which are required to be made under this Rule 12 will be made by the Board and, in the absence of manifest error, are final and conclusive and binding on the Company and each Participant.

 

12.9

Notice of change

The Company must, within a reasonable period, give to each Participant notice of any change under Rule 12 to the Exercise Price (if any) of any Options held by a Participant or to the number of Shares that the Participant is entitled to be Allocated following exercise of an Option or conversion of a Right.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 25


13.

Corporate Control Events

 

13.1

Treatment of Plan Securities on a Corporate Control Event

Subject to Rule 13.4 and Applicable Law, and without limiting Rule 7.3, the Board may, in its discretion, determine that, where a Corporate Control Event has occurred or occurs in the future, any one or more of the following things will occur:

 

  (a)

all or a specified proportion of any Unvested Rights then held by a Participant will be taken to have become vested Plan Rights (and that any Vesting Conditions applicable to those Unvested Rights that have not been, or are not then capable of being, satisfied will be waived), on a date determined by the Board, and that the Share Allocation Date or Share Allocation Period for those Rights will be brought forward to an earlier date or period determined by the Board;

 

  (b)

all or a specified proportion of any Unvested Options then held by a Participant will be taken to have become vested Options (and that any Vesting Conditions applicable to those Unvested Rights that have not been, or are not then capable of being, satisfied will be waived), on a date determined by the Board, and that the First Exercise Date or Last Exercise Date (or both) for those Options will be brought forward to an earlier date or dates determined by the Board;

 

  (c)

if the Board has determined under paragraph (a) or (b) above that a specified proportion of any Unvested Rights or Unvested Options then held by a Participant will be taken to have become vested Rights or Options (as the context requires), the balance of those Unvested Rights or Options will lapse on a date determined by the Board (or otherwise remain on foot);

 

  (d)

the First Exercise Date or Last Exercise Date (or both) for any Vested Options then held by a Participant will be brought forward to an earlier date determined by the Board; or

 

  (e)

the Share Allocation Date or Share Allocation Period for any Vested Rights held by a Participant will be brought forward to an earlier date or period determined by the Board.

 

13.2

Board determinations under Rule 13.1

Without limiting Rule 13.1, the Board may make a determination under Rule 13.1:

 

  (a)

at any time (including before an Offer is made and Plan Securities are issued to an Eligible Employee, or at any other time before (or at any time after) a Corporate Control Event occurs);

 

  (b)

in respect of any one or more particular Eligible Employees or Participants, or class of Eligible Employees or Participants;

 

  (c)

in respect of any particular type or types of Plan Securities; and

 

  (d)

in respect of any particular Corporate Control Event, or any specified class or classes of Corporate Control Event (including any Corporate Control Events that satisfy any requirements or conditions determined by the Board).

 

13.3

Board determination as to pro rata vesting

In making any determination under Rule 13.1 as to a specified proportion of any Unvested Plan Securities that will be taken to become Vested Plan Securities, the Board may (without limitation) have regard to either or both of the following:

 

  (a)

the proportion of the Performance Period applicable to those Unvested Plan Securities (or, if no Performance Period applies to the Unvested Plan Securities, the proportion of the period from the Date of Grant of those Plan Securities to the date specified in Rule 7.1(b)) that has, or will have, elapsed when the relevant Corporate Control Event occurs (or by any later date determined by the Board); and

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 26


  (b)

the extent to which any performance-based Vesting Conditions would be satisfied if they were measured and applied by reference to performance against those performance conditions up to, or at the time of, the relevant Corporate Control Event or Board determination, and expectations of future performance against those conditions.

 

13.4

Terms of Offer prevail

If the Board makes a determination under Rule 13.1 before an Offer of Plan Securities is made to an Eligible Employee, details of that determination must be included in the Offer Document for that Offer and the treatment of those Plan Securities where a Corporate Control Event occurs will be determined in accordance with that determination to the extent that it is applicable in relation to the particular Corporate Control Event, but that determination will not otherwise be taken to limit the Board’s powers under Rule 13.1.

 

14.

Restriction on disposal of Shares acquired pursuant to exercise of Options or conversion of Rights

 

14.1

Restricted Shares

This Rule 14 applies to Shares Allocated to a Participant pursuant to exercise of Options or conversion of Rights (as applicable) if the Offer Document for those Options or Rights specified that any Shares so Allocated would be subject to restrictions on disposal under this Rule 13 and the period for which these restrictions would apply (Restriction Period). Any Shares to which this Rule 13 applies are Restricted Shares for the purposes of this Rule.

 

14.2

No disposal during Restriction Period

A holder of Restricted Shares must not dispose of or engage in any other Dealing with any of those Restricted Shares, or any interest in those Restricted Shares, for the duration of the Restriction Period.

 

14.3

Refusal to register transfer

 

  (a)

Subject to the Listing Rules, the Company must refuse to register a paper-based transfer, and must apply or cause to be applied a Holding Lock to prevent a transfer, of any Restricted Shares, and the Company may take any other steps that it considers necessary or appropriate to enforce and give effect to the disposal restrictions under this Rule 13.

 

  (b)

Each Participant:

 

  (i)

irrevocably authorises the Company to apply a Holding Lock to any Restricted Shares held by that Participant; and

 

  (ii)

undertakes not to request the removal of the Holding Lock (or permit or authorise another person to do so),

while those Restricted Shares are subject to restriction on disposal under this Rule 13.

 

14.4

Release of Holding Lock

On the expiry of any applicable Restriction Period, the Company must, as soon as reasonably practicable, lift the Holding Lock in respect of the relevant Shares and must notify the holder of the Shares that the Holding Lock has been lifted.

 

14.5

Notification upon request by Participant

The Company must, if requested, notify the holder of the Shares of the particular date on which when the Holding Lock was lifted under Rule 14.4.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 27


15.

Quotation of Options or Rights

 

15.1

No Quotation of Options or Rights

The Company will not seek official quotation of any Options or Rights.

 

15.2

Quotation of Shares

The Company must, to the extent required by Listing Rule 2.4, apply to ASX for quotation of any Shares issued:

 

  (a)

following exercise of Options; or

 

  (b)

on conversion of Rights,

if Shares are officially quoted by ASX at that time.

 

16.

Power of Attorney

 

16.1

Appointment of Attorney

By accepting an Offer for Plan Securities and agreeing to become a Participant and be bound by the Plan Rules, the relevant Participant irrevocably appoints the Company, each company secretary of the Company from time to time and any other person nominated from time to time by the Company (each an Attorney), severally, as the Participant’s attorney, to:

 

  (a)

do all acts, matters and things (including executing any instrument of transfer or other document) that the Attorney considers necessary or desirable to Allocate Shares to the Participant in respect of any Vested Options that have been exercised by the Participant or any Vested Rights held by the Participant, including all acts, matters and things to be done in order that Shares may be acquired by and registered in the name of the Participant;

 

  (b)

do all acts, matters and things (including executing any instrument of transfer or other document) to exercise and give effect to the power of sale referred to in Rule 17.7(b); and

 

  (c)

appoint an agent to do any of the things referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) above.

This power of attorney is given by each Participant for valuable consideration.

 

16.2

Ratification of Actions

The Participant will confirm and ratify everything which an Attorney may do pursuant to any power set out in Rule 16.1 and no person dealing with the Attorney shall be bound or concerned to enquire as to the occasion for or the regularity of the exercise of any such power.

 

16.3

Indemnity

The Participant will indemnify and keep indemnified the Attorney against all losses, liabilities, costs, expenses, proceedings, claims, actions, demands, and damages in consequence of or arising out of the exercise by the Attorney of any of the powers granted under this Rule 16.

 

17.

Administration

The Plan is administered by the Board.

 

17.1

Powers of the Board

The Board has power to:

 

  (a)

exercise all powers and discretions vested in it under these Rules;

 

  (b)

determine appropriate procedures and make regulations and guidelines for the administration and operation of the Plan that are not inconsistent with these Rules;

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 28


  (c)

resolve conclusively all questions of fact or interpretation arising in connection with the Plan;

 

  (d)

terminate or suspend the operation of the Plan at any time, provided that the termination or suspension does not adversely affect or prejudice the rights of Participants holding Options, Rights or Restricted Shares at that time or contravene any Applicable Law;

 

  (e)

take and rely on independent professional or expert advice in or in relation to the exercise of any of their powers or discretions under these Rules;

 

  (f)

appoint a trustee to acquire and hold Shares on behalf of Participants or otherwise for the purposes of the Plan; and

 

  (g)

administer the Plan in accordance with these Rules as and to the extent provided in these Rules.

 

17.2

Delegation

The Board and the Company may each delegate any functions, powers and discretions conferred on it under these Rules or under any Offer Document (including this power to delegate) to any committee, person or persons it considers appropriate, for such period and on such conditions as it thinks fit. Without limiting the generality of this Rule, the Board or the Company (as the case may be) may appoint, and delegate some or all of the responsibilities of administration of the Plan, to a third party provider of employee share plan administration services.

 

17.3

Exercise of powers or discretion

Any power or discretion which is conferred on the Board by these Rules may be exercised by the Board in the interests or for the benefit of the Company, and the Board is not, in exercising that power or discretion, under any fiduciary or other obligation to another person, including a Participant.

 

17.4

Determinations

 

  (a)

Where these Rules provide for a determination, decision, approval or opinion of the Board, that determination, decision, approval or opinion may be made or given by the Board in its absolute discretion.

 

  (b)

Where these Rules refer to an opinion or state of mind (however described) of a group of persons (including the Board), the group of persons will be taken to have that opinion or state of mind if persons constituting a majority of the group each have that opinion or state of mind.

 

  (c)

In the absence of manifest error, any determination, decision, approval or opinion of the Board as to the interpretation, effect or application of the Rules will be final.

 

  (d)

Any calculations that are required to be made under these Rules or the terms and conditions applicable to any Plan Security will be made by the Board and, in the absence of manifest error, will be final.

 

17.5

Expenses and costs

Subject to these Rules, the Group must pay all expenses, costs and charges incurred in the administration of the Plan (excluding any costs incurred by a Participant’s disposal of Shares).

 

17.6

Board members not liable

To the extent permitted by law, no member of the Board (including delegates and sub-delegates of the Board) shall be liable for anything done, or omitted to be done by him or her or by any other member of the Board in connection with the Plan, except for his or her own wilful misconduct or as expressly provided by law.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 29


17.7

Participants responsible for Tax in respect of Options, Rights and Shares

 

  (a)

No Group Company is responsible for any Tax which may become payable by a Participant in connection with the issue, acquisition or disposal of Options, Rights, or Shares Allocated to the Participant pursuant to the exercise of Options or conversion of Rights, or any other dealing by a Participant with Options, Rights or Shares. For the avoidance of doubt, this does not prevent a Group Company from complying with any obligation to deduct or withhold Tax and any other amounts required by law to be deducted or withheld from any payments made to a Participant in respect of any Cash-Settled Plan Securities in accordance with a determination of the Board under Rule 9.5.

 

  (b)

If the Company or any other Group Company becomes liable to pay any ‘TFN withholding tax (ESS)’ pursuant to Section 14-155 of Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth), or any other Taxes in respect of a Participant’s Options, Rights or Shares Allocated to the Participant pursuant to the exercise of Options or conversion of Rights, the Company will, in addition to any rights afforded to it or any other Group Company by the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth) or any other legislation or by law and failing any arrangement satisfactory to the Company being entered into with the Participant to meet or reimburse the Company or any Group Company for any such Tax liability, be entitled to sell all or any of the Shares acquired by the Participant under this Plan for and on behalf of, and as attorney for, the Participant and to apply the proceeds firstly in and towards meeting or reimbursing the Company or any Group Company for such Tax liability and to pay any balance to the Participant. This Rule 17.7(b) does not apply to any obligations to deduct or withhold Tax and any other amounts required by law to be deducted or withheld from any payments made to a Participant in respect of any Cash-Settled Plan Securities in accordance with a determination of the Board under Rule 9.5.

 

18.

Amendment to Rules

 

18.1

Board may amend Rules

Subject to the Listing Rules and Rule 18.3, the Board may, in its discretion, at any time:

 

  (a)

amend or add to any of these Rules (or the terms and conditions of any Plan Security issued under the Plan); or

 

  (b)

waive or modify the application of any of these Rules (or the terms and conditions of any Plan Security issued under the Plan) in relation to any Participant or class of Participants.

Any amendment may be given such retrospective effect as the Board may determine from time to time.

 

18.2

Waiver or amendment

Neither the Board nor the Company will be taken to have waived any provision of, or any right or entitlement under, these Rules, or agreed to any amendment of or addition to the Rules, unless it does so expressly in writing and provided further that any waiver or amendment of, or addition to, these Rules (or of any right or other entitlement under these Rules) is permitted by the Listing Rules.

 

18.3

Consent of Participants required

Subject to Rule 18.4, if an amendment or addition proposed to be made under Rule 18.1 would in the opinion of the Board materially adversely affect the existing rights of Participants in respect of any Plan Securities then held by them, the Board must obtain the consent of Participants who between them hold not less than 75% of the total number of the particular Plan Securities in respect of which Participants’ rights would be adversely affected by the proposed amendment, before making the amendment or addition.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 30


18.4

Exceptions to requirements of Rule 18.4

Rule 18.3 does not apply to any amendment or addition proposed under Rule 18.1 that the Board considers necessary or desirable:

 

  (a)

to correct a manifest error or mistake;

 

  (b)

for the primary purpose of ensuring that the maintenance, administration and operation of the Plan (including the making of Offers, issue and vesting of Plan Securities, exercise of Options, conversion of Rights and Allocation and release of Shares) complies with present and future Applicable Law (having regard to any changes or proposed changes in Applicable Law); or

 

  (c)

having regard to any possible adverse taxation implications, or the conditions for maintaining or obtaining any concessional taxation treatment, for any Group Company or Participants in connection with the administration or operation of, or participation in, the Plan, including as a result of:

 

  (i)

any changes to the Tax Act or any other applicable taxation legislation (including an official announcement by the Commonwealth of Australia);

 

  (ii)

the issue of any public or private rulings, determinations, interpretative decisions, circulars, decision impact statements, or other statements by the Commissioner of Taxation or any other person or authority administering applicable taxation legislation; or

 

  (iii)

changes in the interpretation of any applicable taxation legislation by a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

18.5

Exercise of discretions under Rules

To avoid doubt, the exercise by the Board of a discretion or power conferred or specifically contemplated by any other provision of these Rules or the terms of an Offer will not constitute an amendment under Rule 18.1.

 

18.6

Eligible Employees outside Australia

The Board may make any additions, variations or modifications to the Rules it thinks necessary or desirable in relation to the implementation of the Plan, and the specific application of the Rules, to Eligible Employees residing outside Australia.

 

19.

Rights of Participants

These Rules:

 

  (a)

do not confer on any Participant any right or entitlement if that right or entitlement could only be provided with approval of the Company’s shareholders and that approval has not been obtained;

 

  (b)

do not confer on any Employee the right to receive any Offer, Options or Rights, nor any basis for expecting that the Eligible Employee will receive any of those things;

 

  (c)

do not confer on any Eligible Employee the right to continue as an Employee;

 

  (d)

do not form part of or constitute any variation to, and are not incorporated into, any contract with any Participant (whether or not they are an Employee);

 

  (e)

do not affect any rights which the Company or an Associated Body Corporate may have to terminate the employment of an Eligible Employee; and

 

  (f)

may not be used to increase damages in an action brought against the Company or an Associated Body Corporate in any circumstances, including in respect of the termination of employment of an Eligible Employee.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 31


20.

No representation as to Tax consequences

None of the Company, any other Group Company, any representative of or adviser to a Group Company, or the Board:

 

  (a)

represents or warrants that the Plan will have any particular taxation or financial consequences or that any Eligible Employee or Participant will gain any taxation or financial advantage by participating in the Plan; and

 

  (b)

are liable for any Taxes imposed upon or duties assessed against a Participant as a consequence of the Participant’s participation in the Plan, the receipt by the Participant of Options, Rights or Shares under the Plan or other Dealing in Options, Rights or Shares by the Participant.

 

21.

Notices

 

21.1

Service of notices

A notice, document, consent, approval or communication under the Rules (Notice) is validly given if it is:

 

  (a)

hand delivered to the intended recipient;

 

  (b)

sent by prepaid post or facsimile to the intended recipient’s address for Notices specified in Rule 21.3¸as varied by any Notice given by the recipient to the sender;

 

  (c)

in the case of a Notice to be given to an Eligible Employee or a Participant, sent or notified by electronic means (including, without limitation, by electronic notification that the Notice may be accessed using electronic means specified in the notification) to the person’s last known electronic address shown in the records of any Group Company, as varied by any Notice received by the Company (or, in the case of an Eligible Employee, any other Group Company that employs the Eligible Employee) from that person; or

 

  (d)

given in any other manner that the Board from time to time determines.

 

21.2

Effective on receipt

A Notice given in accordance with Rule 21.1 takes effect when taken to be received (or at a later time specified in it), and is taken to be received:

 

  (a)

if hand delivered, on delivery;

 

  (b)

if sent by prepaid post, two Business Days after the date of posting (or seven Business Days after the date of posting if posted to or from a place outside Australia);

 

  (c)

if sent by facsimile, when the sender’s facsimile system generates a message confirming successful transmission of the entire Notice unless, within eight Business Hours after the transmission, the recipient informs the sender that it has not received the entire Notice; and

 

  (d)

if sent or notified by electronic means, on the day on which it is sent or notified,

but if the delivery, receipt or transmission is not on a Business Day or is after 5.00pm on a Business Day, the Notice is taken to be received at 9.00am (addressee’s time) on the next Business Day.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 32


21.3

Address

The address of an Eligible Employee and the Company for the purposes of giving a Notice is:

 

  (a)

in the case of the Company, at the address of its registered office from time to time, which at the date of adoption of this Plan is Level 0403, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria, 3141; and

 

  (b)

in the case of the Eligible Employee, the address of the Eligible Employee as specified in the employment records of the Group Company that employs the Eligible Employee.

 

22.

Governing law

These Rules and the rights and obligations of Participants under the Plan are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia, and each Participant irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria, Australia.

 

23.

Advice

Eligible Employees and Participants should obtain their own independent advice at their own expense on the financial, taxation and other consequences to them of, or relating to, participation in the Plan.

 

Long term incentive plan rules | page 33
EX-10.6

Exhibit 10.6

 

  
  
   Opthea Limited
 
   ACN 006 340 567
 
  

Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan Rules

 

 


 

 

Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan Rules      4  

1.

   Introduction      4  

1.1

  

Name of Plan

     4  

1.2

  

Objects of Plan

     4  

1.3

  

Commencement of Plan

     4  

2.

   Defined terms and interpretation      4  

2.1

  

Defined terms

     4  

2.2

  

Interpretation

     8  

2.3

  

Primary instruments

     9  

3.

   Principal conditions      9  

3.1

  

Shares or Options issued only to Eligible Directors

     9  

3.2

  

Compliance with laws

     9  

3.3

  

No prohibited financial assistance

     9  

3.4

  

Eligible Director participation

     9  

4.

   Operation of the Plan      9  

5.

   Offers      9  

5.1

  

Board may make Offer

     9  

5.2

  

Form of Offer

     10  

5.3

  

Information contained in Offer

     10  

5.4

  

Number of Shares or Options

     10  

5.5

  

Issue Price and Exercise Price

     10  

5.6

  

Terms

     10  

5.7

  

Exercise Price and Issue Price in Australian dollars

     10  

5.8

  

Offer personal

     11  

5.9

  

In lieu of cash remuneration

     11  

6.

   Application for Shares and Options      11  

6.1

  

Acceptance of Offer

     11  

6.2

  

Application for all or some of Shares or Options the subject of an Offer

     11  

6.3

  

Lapse of Offer

     11  

6.4

  

Withdrawal of Offer prior to acceptance

     11  

7.

   Issue of Shares      12  

7.1

  

Acceptance by Eligible Director

     12  

7.2

  

Acceptance by Company

     12  

7.3

  

Shares to rank equally

     12  

7.4

  

ASX Quotation

     12  

8.

   Vesting conditions      12  

8.1

  

Conditions

     12  

8.2

  

Compliance by Participant

     12  

8.3

  

Refusal to register transfer

     13  

8.4

  

Retention of Holding Statements

     13  

8.5

  

Vesting Conditions to apply to Shares

     13  

8.6

  

Waiver

     13  

8.7

  

Permitted transfer of Shares

     13  

8.8

  

Corporate Control Event

     13  

 

    

1

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


8.9

  

Shares cease to be subject to Vesting Conditions

     14  

8.10

  

Notification upon request by Participant

     14  

9.

   Forfeiture of Shares      14  

9.1

  

Forfeiture of Shares to which Vesting Conditions attach

     14  

9.2

  

Treatment of Forfeited Shares

     15  

9.3

  

Effect of forfeiture

     15  

9.4

  

Conditions on forfeiture

     15  

10.

   Power of Attorney      15  

10.1

  

Appointment of Attorney

     15  

10.2

  

Ratification of Actions

     15  

10.3

  

Indemnity

     16  

11.

   Voting rights      16  

12.

   Bonus issues      16  

13.

   Capital reconstructions      16  

14.

   Issue of Options      16  

14.1

  

Acceptance by Eligible Director

     16  

14.2

  

Acceptance by Company

     16  

14.3

  

Certificates

     16  

14.4

  

Consideration for Options

     17  

14.5

  

Entitlement to underlying Shares

     17  

14.6

  

Interest in Shares

     17  

15.

   Exercise of Options      17  

15.1

  

Exercise during Exercise Period

     17  

15.2

  

Exercise before Exercise Period

     17  

15.3

  

First Exercise Date

     17  

15.4

  

Exercise Conditions

     18  

15.5

  

Waiver of Exercise Conditions

     18  

15.6

  

Exercise of Options

     18  

15.7

  

Participant agrees to be bound

     18  

15.8

  

Issue of Shares

     18  

15.9

  

Clearance of Exercise Price

     18  

15.10

  

Exercise all or some Options

     18  

15.11

  

Replacement Certificate

     18  

15.12

  

Shares rank equally

     19  

16.

   Lapse of Options      19  

16.1

  

Lapse of Options

     19  

16.2

  

Rights cease

     19  

17.

   Dealings with Options      19  

17.1

  

Options personal

     19  

17.2

  

No unauthorised disposal

     20  

17.3

  

Permitted transfer of Options

     20  

17.4

  

Corporate Control Event

     20  

17.5

  

First Exercise Date brought forward

     20  

17.6

  

Notice to Participants of change

     20  

 

    

2

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


18.

   Participation rights, bonus issues, rights issues, reorganisations of capital and winding up in respect of Options      21  

18.1

  

Application of this Rule

     21  

18.2

  

New issues

     21  

18.3

  

Bonus issues

     21  

18.4

  

Pro-rata issues

     21  

18.5

  

Reorganisation of capital

     21  

18.6

  

Winding up

     21  

18.7

  

Fractions of Shares

     21  

18.8

  

Calculations and adjustments

     22  

18.9

  

Notice of change

     22  

19.

   Restriction on disposal of Shares acquired pursuant to exercise of Options      22  

19.1

  

Restricted Shares

     22  

19.2

  

No disposal whilst Shares in Plan

     22  

19.3

  

Waiver

     22  

19.4

  

Refusal to register transfer

     22  

19.5

  

Withdrawal of Restricted Shares

     22  

19.6

  

Cease to be in Plan

     22  

19.7

  

Notification upon request by Participant

     23  

20.

   Shareholder approval may be required      23  

21.

   Quotation of Shares      23  

21.1

  

No Quotation of Options

     23  

21.2

  

Quotation of Shares

     23  

22.

   Administration      23  

22.1

  

Powers of the Board

     23  

22.2

  

Exercise of powers or discretion

     24  

22.3

  

Determinations

     24  

22.4

  

Expenses and costs

     24  

22.5

  

Board not liable

     24  

23.

   Amendment to Rules      24  

23.1

  

Board or Board may amend Rules

     24  

23.2

  

Waiver or amendment

     24  

23.3

  

Consent of Participants

     25  

23.4

  

Eligible Directors outside Australia

     25  

24.

   Rights of Participants      25  

24.1

  

No conferred rights

     25  

25.

  

No representation as to Tax consequences

     25  

26.

   Notices      25  

26.1

  

Service of notices

     25  

26.2

  

Effective on receipt

     26  

26.3

  

Address

     26  

27.

   Governing law      26  

28.

   Advice      26  

 

    

3

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


Opthea Limited

Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan Rules

 

 

1.

Introduction

 

1.1

Name of Plan

The Plan is called the Opthea Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan.

 

1.2

Objects of Plan

The objects of the Plan are to enable present and future non-executive Directors to:

 

  (a)

elect to receive newly issued Shares or Options in lieu of receiving some or all of their entitlement to their Director’s existing cash remuneration (in accordance with article 61.8 of the Constitution);

 

  (b)

be awarded newly issued Shares or Options in lieu of additional cash remuneration in respect of services provided to the Company which in the opinion of the Board are outside the scope of ordinary duties of the relevant Director (in accordance with article 61.5 of the Constitution); and/or

 

  (c)

otherwise be awarded newly issued Shares or Options as part of the Directors’ remuneration in addition to any existing cash remuneration paid to Directors (if any).

 

1.3

Commencement of Plan

The Plan commences on the date determined by the Board.

 

2.

Defined terms and interpretation

 

2.1

Defined terms

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:

Accelerated Vesting Event means:

 

  (a)

the occurrence of a Special Circumstance in respect of a Participant; or

 

  (b)

the Board determines under Rule 8.7 or Rule 17.4 that a Corporate Control Event constitutes an Accelerated Vesting Event.

Applicable Law means one or more, as the context requires of:

 

  (a)

the Corporations Act;

 

  (b)

Corporations Regulations;

 

  (c)

any other applicable securities or financial services laws;

 

  (d)

any class order, declaration, exemption or modification made by ASIC pursuant to any of the abovementioned statutes, regulations or laws, or any waiver from the Listing Rules granted by ASX, on which the Company seeks to rely or that binds the Company in making any Offer or otherwise in connection with the operation of the Plan;

 

  (e)

Listing Rules;

 

  (f)

any other legislation regulating or applying to the activities of the Company; and

 

    

4

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


  (g)

the Constitution.

Application means a duly completed and executed application for the issue of Shares or Options made by an Eligible Director in respect of an Offer, in the form approved by the Board from time to time (which may, without limitation, be an electronic form that is accessible and submitted via a website managed by the Company, its share registry or any other third party service provider).

ASIC means the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

ASX means ASX Limited ACN 008 624 691.

Board means all or some of the directors of the Company acting as a board or its delegate under section 198D of the Corporations Act.

Business Day means a day on which banks are open for general banking business in Melbourne, Victoria, excluding Saturdays or Sundays.

Business Hours means from 9.00am to 5.00pm on a Business Day.

Capital Reconstruction means any of the following events:

 

  (a)

the Company issues Shares by way of capitalisation of profits or reserves;

 

  (b)

the Company gives shareholders the right (pro-rata with existing shareholding and on terms including the payment of some consideration by the shareholders on exercising the right) to subscribe for additional Shares;

 

  (c)

the Company subdivides or consolidates the Shares;

 

  (d)

the Company returns issued share capital to holders of Shares;

 

  (e)

the Company issues or cancels Shares on a pro-rata basis; or

 

  (f)

the Company reorganises its issued capital in any other manner that is not referred to above (other than in lieu of dividends or by way of a dividend reinvestment).

Certificate means a certificate issued under Rule 7.4 or 14.3 in the form approved by the Board from time to time or if the Board determines that Options are uncertificated, then a statement to the Participant disclosing the information in Rule 14.3.

Company means Opthea Limited ACN 006 340 567.

Constitution means the constitution of the Company (as amended from time to time).

Corporate Control Event means the occurrence of one or more of the following events:

 

  (a)

an offer is made for Shares (or shares in a Subsidiary) pursuant to a takeover bid under Chapter 6 of the Corporations Act 2001(Cth);

 

  (b)

the Court orders a meeting of members (or a class of members) or creditors (or a class of creditors) under Part 5.1 of the Corporations Act 2001 for the purpose of considering a proposed compromise or arrangement relating to the Company (or a Subsidiary) or a compromise or arrangement proposed for the purposes of or in connection with a scheme for the reconstruction of the Company (or a Subsidiary) or its amalgamation with any other body corporate or bodies corporate;

 

  (c)

approval is given by a resolution duly passed at a general meeting, or by circular resolution, of members of the Company (or a Subsidiary) for an acquisition that would result in a person having voting power in the Company (or a Subsidiary) of more than 50%;

 

  (d)

a person acquires voting power of more than 50% in the Company:

 

  (i)

as a result of a takeover bid for all of the issued shares in the Company; or

 

    

5

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


  (ii)

through a scheme of arrangement relating to the acquisition of all of the issued shares of the Company;

 

  (e)

the Board determines that a change of control of the Company has occurred within the meaning of section 50AA of the Corporations Act;

 

  (f)

any other event or transaction (including any other merger, consolidation or amalgamation involving the Company (or a Subsidiary)) occurs or is proposed where either or both of the following applies:

 

  (i)

in the case of a merger, consolidation or arrangement, the transaction results in the holders of Shares (or shares in a Subsidiary) immediately prior to the merger, consolidation or amalgamation having relevant interests, in aggregate, in 50% or less of the voting shares in the body corporate resulting from the merger consolidation or amalgamation; or

 

  (ii)

the Board determines, in its discretion, that the relevant transaction constitutes a Corporate Control Event for the purposes of the Rules;

 

  (g)

the Company (or a Subsidiary) enters into an agreement or agreements to sell, in aggregate, a majority in value of the business or assets of all bodies corporate in the Group (whether or not in the form of shares in a body corporate in the Group) to a person or persons that are not bodies corporate in the Group; or

 

  (h)

an administrator, liquidator, provisional liquidator, receiver or receiver and manager is appointed in respect of the Company or substantially all of the assets of the Company.

Corporations Act means the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

Date of Grant means, with respect to a Share or an Option, the date on which the Board grants or issues the Share or Option to an Eligible Director.

Deal or Dealing means sale, transfer, assignment, mortgage, pledge, grant a lien over or otherwise alienate or encumber or attempted sale, transfer, assignment, mortgage, pledge, grant a lien over or other alienation or encumbrance or creation in favour of any third party any interest whatsoever.

Director means a director of the Company (including a non-executive director).

Eligible Director means a Director of a body corporate in the Group (excluding a Director who holds a salaried employment or office in a body corporate in the Group) whom the Board determines is to be issued Shares or Options under the Plan.

Exercise Conditions means the performance, vesting or other conditions (if any) determined by the Board and specified in a Certificate or Offer which are, subject to these Rules, required to be satisfied, reached or met before an Option can, during the Exercise Period, be exercised.

Exercise Period means the period commencing on the First Exercise Date and ending on the Last Exercise Date, subject to any variation to those dates determined by the Board.

Exercise Price means the amount (if any) payable by the holder of an Option on the exercise of the Option, being the amount (or manner of determining the amount) fixed at the time of the issue of the Option and as determined under Rule 5.5.

Final Acceptance Date has the meaning given to this term under Rule 5.3(c).

First Exercise Date with respect to an Option means the date specified in an Offer (or determined under Rule 17.5(a)).

Forfeited Shares means Shares the ownership of which has been or is required to be (as the case may be) forfeited under the Rules.

 

    

6

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


Grant Conditions means the conditions (if any) determined by the Board and specified in (or attached to) an Offer which are, subject to these Rules, required to be satisfied, reached or met before a Share or an Option will be granted.

Group means the Company and its Subsidiaries.

Holding Lock means a mechanism arranged or approved by the Board and administered by the Company (including through its share registry) that prevents Shares being disposed of by a Participant.

Holding Statement means a statement issued by the share registry of the Company detailing a Participant’s holding of Shares.

Issue Price means the amount (if any) payable per Share or Option by an Eligible Director on application for Shares or Options offered under an Offer.

Last Exercise Date with respect to an Option means, unless otherwise specified in a Certificate or Offer in respect of that Option:

 

  (a)

the date five years after the First Exercise Date; or

 

  (b)

if a Special Circumstance arises in respect of a Participant during the period starting on the First Exercise Date and ending on the date five years after the First Exercise Date, then the date 12 months (or longer period as may be determined by the Board) after the Special Circumstance arises.

Legal Personal Representative means the executor of the will or an administrator of the estate of a deceased person, the trustee of the estate of a person under a legal disability or a person who holds an enduring power of attorney granted by another person.

Listing Rules means the listing rules of ASX Limited and any other rules of ASX (or the applicable securities exchange) that are applicable to the Company or the Shares while the Company is listed on that exchange, each as amended or replaced from time to time, and except to the extent of any express written waiver by ASX.

Notice of Exercise means a duly completed and executed notice of exercise of an Option by a Participant, in the form approved by the Board from time to time (which may be in electronic form and, without limitation, accessed and submitted via a website managed by the Company, its share registry or another third party service provider).

Offer means an invitation to an Eligible Director to apply for the issue of Shares or Options pursuant to the Plan.

Option means an option issued to a Participant under the Plan to subscribe for a newly issued Share.

Participant means a person who accepts an Offer and holds Shares or Options issued under the Plan and includes, if a Participant dies or becomes subject to a legal disability, the Legal Personal Representative of the Participant.

Plan means the Opthea Limited Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan governed by these Rules.

Restriction Period means the period (if any) determined by the Board and specified in an Offer as the period during which Shares acquired (either directly or upon the exercise of an Option) will be Restricted Shares and held in the Plan and subject to the restrictions on disposal under Rule 19.1.

Rules means the rules governing the operation of the Plan set out in this document as amended from time to time.

 

    

7

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


Security Interest means a mortgage, charge, pledge, lien, encumbrance or other third party interest of any nature (including the registration and/or perfection of that security interest under the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth)).

Shares means fully paid ordinary shares in the capital of the Company.

Special Circumstances means with respect to a Participant:

 

  (a)

Total and Permanent Disablement;

 

  (b)

the death of the Participant;

 

  (c)

retirement at 65 years of age or older; or

 

  (d)

any other circumstances as the Board may at any time determine (whether in relation to the Participant, a class of Participants, particular circumstances or a class of circumstances) and whether before or after the Date of Grant.

Subsidiary means:

 

  (a)

a body corporate of which the Company is a holding company in terms of Division 6 of Part 1.2 of the Corporations Act) that the Board has approved for participation in the Plan; or

 

  (b)

a body corporate in which the Company has voting power of not less than 20% (determined under section 610 of the Corporations Act 2001 ) that the Board has approved for participation in the Plan.

Tax includes any tax, levy, impost, GST, deduction, charge, rate, contribution, duty or withholding which is assessed (or deemed to be assessed), levied, imposed or made by or under any law or by any government or any governmental, semi-governmental or judicial entity or authority together with any interest, penalty, fine, charge, fee or other amount assessed (or deemed to be assessed), levied, imposed or made on or in respect of any or all of the foregoing.

Total and Permanent Disablement means the termination or cessation of a Participant’s office with the Company or a Subsidiary as a result of total and permanent disablement, as determined by the Board.

Vesting Conditions means, in relation to a Share, the conditions (if any) included in the terms of the Offer under which the Share was offered, limiting the rights of the Participant holding the Share to Deal in the Share or which might result in forfeiture of the Share.

 

2.2

Interpretation

In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:

 

  (a)

headings are for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Rules;

 

  (b)

reference to any legislation or a provision of any legislation includes a modification or re-enactment of the legislation or a legislative provision substituted for, and all legislation and statutory instruments and regulations issued under, the legislation;

 

  (c)

words denoting the singular include the plural and vice versa;

 

  (d)

words denoting a gender include the other genders;

 

  (e)

reference to any document or agreement includes reference to that document or agreement as amended, novated, supplemented, varied or replaced from time to time;

 

  (f)

where any word or phrase is given a defined meaning in these Rules, any part of speech or other grammatical form of that word or phrase has a corresponding meaning;

 

    

8

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


  (g)

reference to a rule or paragraph is a reference to a rule or paragraph of these Rules, or the corresponding Rule or Rules of the Plan as amended from time to time; and

 

  (h)

where an act or thing must be done on a particular day or within a particular period, that act or thing must be done before, and that period ends at, 5.00pm Melbourne, Australia time on the relevant day.

 

2.3

Primary instruments

These Rules are to be interpreted subject to the Applicable Laws.

 

3.

Principal conditions

 

3.1

Shares or Options issued only to Eligible Directors

No Shares or Options may be issued to a person under the Plan unless the person remains an Eligible Director as at the Date of Grant, or the Board determines otherwise.

 

3.2

Compliance with laws

No Share or Option may be issued to, or exercised by, an Eligible Director or Participant if to do so would contravene an Applicable Law (or in the case of an Eligible Director resident outside of Australia, would contravene the local laws or customs of that Director’s country of residence or in the opinion of the Board would require actions to comply with those local laws or customs which are impracticable or unreasonable).

 

3.3

No prohibited financial assistance

No person may, whether directly or indirectly, provide financial assistance which is prohibited by the Corporations Act to an Eligible Director for the purposes of, or in connection with, the acquisition of Shares or Options under the Plan.

 

3.4

Eligible Director participation

Neither Shares nor Options may be issued to Eligible Directors pursuant to the Plan unless prior approval of the Company’s shareholders is obtained in accordance with the Listing Rules.

 

4.

Operation of the Plan

The Plan operates according to these Rules which bind the Company, any Subsidiary and each Participant.

 

5.

Offers

 

5.1

Board may make Offer

 

  (a)

Subject to these Rules the Board may from time to time make an Offer to an Eligible Director.

 

  (b)

The Offers will be in such form and content and with such terms and conditions as the Board determines from time to time.

 

  (c)

Where an Offer is made which will involve fee, bonus or other monetary sacrifice by a Participant, the Offer may be made conditional on the Company and the Participant entering into an agreement (which may be constituted by the acceptance of the Offer) setting out the terms and conditions of the fee, bonus or other monetary sacrifice arrangement.

 

    

9

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


5.2

Form of Offer

An Offer must be in writing and subject to Rule 5.3, the form of the Offer and the form of the Application accepting the invitation constituted by the Offer must be as approved by the Board from time to time.

 

5.3

Information contained in Offer

An Offer must state:

 

  (a)

the name and address of the Eligible Director to whom the Offer is made;

 

  (b)

the date of the Offer;

 

  (c)

the final date that a Participant may accept the invitation constituted by the Offer (Final Acceptance Date);

 

  (d)

the maximum number of Shares or Options for which the Eligible Director may make an Application;

 

  (e)

the Grant Conditions (if any) attaching to the Shares or Options the subject of the Offer;

 

  (f)

in respect of an Offer of Shares:

 

  (i)

the Vesting Conditions (if any) attaching to the Shares the subject of the Offer;

 

  (ii)

the Issue Price (if any) or the manner of determining the Issue Price (if any) of the Shares the subject of the Offer;

 

  (g)

in respect of an Offer of Options:

 

  (i)

the First Exercise Date of the Options the subject of the Offer;

 

  (ii)

the Last Exercise Date of the Options the subject of the Offer;

 

  (iii)

the Exercise Price (if any) or the manner of determining the Exercise Price (if any) of the Options the subject of the Offer;

 

  (iv)

the Exercise Conditions (if any) attaching to the Options the subject of the Offer;

 

  (v)

the Vesting Conditions (if any) attaching to the Shares issued upon exercise of the Options; and

 

  (h)

any other specific terms and conditions applicable to the Offer.

 

5.4

Number of Shares or Options

The number of Shares or Options the subject of an Offer to an Eligible Director is as determined by the Board.

 

5.5

Issue Price and Exercise Price

The Issue Price (if any) in respect of a Share and the Exercise Price (if any) in respect of an Option (subject to any adjustment under Rule 18) is as determined by the Board.

 

5.6

Terms

The terms and conditions applicable to an Offer, including the Final Acceptance Date, the First Exercise Date, the Last Exercise Date, any Grant Conditions, any Vesting Conditions, any Exercise Conditions, are as determined by the Board (in its absolute discretion).

 

5.7

Exercise Price and Issue Price in Australian dollars

The Issue Price (if any) in respect of a Share and the Exercise Price (if any) in respect of an Option must be denominated and payable in Australian dollars.

 

    

10

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


5.8

Offer personal

An Offer under the Plan is personal to the Eligible Director to whom it is made and, accordingly, the invitation constituted by an Offer may only be accepted by, and Shares or Options may only be issued to, the Eligible Director to whom the Offer is made.

 

5.9

In lieu of cash remuneration

Where an Eligible Director:

 

  (a)

elects to receive newly issued Shares or Options in lieu of receiving some or all of his/her entitlement to his/her Director’s existing cash remuneration (Election) and the Board agrees with the Election; or

 

  (b)

is to awarded newly issued Shares or Options in lieu of additional cash remuneration in respect of services provided to the Company which in the opinion of the Board are outside the scope of ordinary duties of the relevant Director,

the Eligible Director will as a Participant be issued the number of Shares or Options that is derived by the following formula:

 

Number of Shares or Options to be issued =

   A   
   B   

where

 

  (c)

in the case of an Election, A is equal to the dollar value nominated by the Participant;

 

  (d)

in all other cases, A is equal to the dollar value of the award to be granted to the Participant (such dollar value to be determined by the Board in its absolute discretion); and

 

  (e)

B is the by reference to the volume weighted average price of ordinary shares quoted on the ASX on the 5 trading days preceding the date of determination of the award by the Board.

 

6.

Application for Shares and Options

 

6.1

Acceptance of Offer

An Eligible Director may accept the invitation constituted by an Offer by giving to the Company an Application (and in the case of an Offer for Shares or Options that have an Issue Price, a cheque for the relevant amount) by the Final Acceptance Date.

 

6.2

Application for all or some of Shares or Options the subject of an Offer

An Eligible Director may in his or her discretion accept the invitation constituted by an Offer, in whole or in part, in multiples of 100 Shares or Options or another multiple of Shares or Options as the Board may allow for the Eligible Director. An Eligible Director cannot accept less than the number of Shares or Options that would constitute the minimum parcel determined by the Board.

 

6.3

Lapse of Offer

An Offer not accepted in accordance with Rule 6.1 will lapse at 5:00pm Melbourne time on the Final Acceptance Date.

 

6.4

Withdrawal of Offer prior to acceptance

The Board reserves the right (subject to any Applicable Law) to withdraw an Offer made to an Eligible Director, provided that Offer has not yet been accepted in accordance with Rule 6.1.

 

    

11

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


7.

Issue of Shares

 

7.1

Acceptance by Eligible Director

By accepting an Offer for Shares in accordance with Rule 6.1, the Eligible Director will be taken to have:

 

  (a)

agreed to become a Shareholder and be bound by the Constitution;

 

  (b)

agreed to become a Participant bound by these Rules; and

 

  (c)

irrevocably offered to acquire Shares:

 

  (i)

under, and subject to, these Rules; and

 

  (ii)

on and subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer.

 

7.2

Acceptance by Company

 

  (a)

Subject to the terms and conditions included in an Offer, the Company will register that number of Shares set out in the duly completed Application in the name of the relevant Eligible Director. Nothing in any Offer or Application, or in these Rules, will be taken to confer on any Eligible Director any right or title to or interest in, any Shares until the Shares are so registered.

 

  (b)

The Company will give notice, or cause notice to be given, to a Participant (or any person authorised to receive such notice on the Participant’s behalf), in accordance with the Listing Rules, of the registration in the Participant’s name of Shares issued under the Plan, including information on the following:

 

  (i)

the number of Shares issued to the Participant;

 

  (ii)

the Date of Grant of those Shares;

 

  (iii)

the Vesting Conditions (if any) attaching to the Shares; and

 

  (iv)

any other specific terms and conditions applicable.

 

7.3

Shares to rank equally

Unless otherwise determined by the Board at the time of an Offer, all Shares issued pursuant to the Offer will rank equally with existing Shares on and from their Date of Grant, including in respect of all rights issues, bonus share issues and dividends which have a record date for determining entitlements on or after the Date of Grant, unless otherwise specified in a particular Offer.

 

7.4

ASX Quotation

The Company will apply (at its expense) to the ASX for the official quotation of any Shares issued to Participants for the purposes of the Plan in accordance with Listing Rule 2.4.

 

8.

Vesting conditions

 

8.1

Conditions

The Board may offer Shares with such conditions relating to the Dealing or forfeiture of the Shares as determined by the Board from time to time.

 

8.2

Compliance by Participant

Each Participant undertakes to:

 

  (a)

only Deal in the Shares as permitted by the Vesting Conditions (if any); and

 

  (b)

observe all Vesting Conditions attached to the Shares issued to them.

 

    

12

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


8.3

Refusal to register transfer

 

  (a)

Subject to the Listing Rules, the Company must refuse to register a paper-based transfer, and must apply or cause to be applied a Holding Lock to prevent a transfer, of any Shares to which Vesting Conditions attach, and the Board on behalf of the Company may take any other steps that it considers necessary or appropriate, to enforce and give effect to the disposal restrictions under the Vesting Conditions.

 

  (b)

Each Participant irrevocably authorises the Board on behalf of the Company to apply a Holding Lock to any Shares to which Vesting Conditions attach held by that Participant.

 

8.4

Retention of Holding Statements

Until any Vesting Conditions for a Share are satisfied and any restriction on Dealing in the Share imposed by Rule 8.1 expires, if required by the Company, the Company may retain the Holding Statements in relation to the Share and any subsequent shares issued with respect to the Share under a bonus issue. The Company will promptly deliver any Holding Statements in relation to a Share which it holds to the Participant on the satisfaction of all Vesting Conditions for the Share and expiry of any restriction on sale of the Share imposed under Rule 8.1.

 

8.5

Vesting Conditions to apply to Shares

Any Shares that a Participant acquires in respect of Shares to which Vesting Conditions attach pursuant to a rights issue or bonus share issues by the Company will also be deemed to have the same Vesting Conditions attached.

 

8.6

Waiver

The Board may, at its discretion, by notice to the Participant reduce or waive the Vesting Conditions attaching to Shares in whole or in part at any time and in any particular case including due to Special Circumstance or another Accelerated Vesting Event, subject to Rule 20.

 

8.7

Permitted transfer of Shares

The Board may determine that Shares to which Vesting Conditions attach may be transferred by an instrument of transfer, in the following circumstances:

 

  (a)

a transfer constituting the necessary transfer documents following an acceptance of an offer made under an off-market bid relating to Shares;

 

  (b)

a transfer to a bidder on the sale of the Shares under Division 3 of Part 6A.1 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (c)

a transfer to a 100% holder on the sale of the Shares under Division 2 of Part 6A.2 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (d)

a transfer under Part 6A.3 of the Corporations Act to a person entitled to acquire the Shares under section 661A or 664A of the Corporations Act; or

 

  (e)

a transfer approved by the Board in those circumstances as may be determined by the Board.

The Board must notify Participants if a circumstance set out in this Rule 8.7 occurs and the Board authorises transfer of Shares pursuant to this Rule.

 

8.8

Corporate Control Event

If a Corporate Control Event occurs, the Board may determine that this constitutes an Accelerated Vesting Event.

 

    

13

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


8.9

Shares cease to be subject to Vesting Conditions

On the earliest of:

 

  (a)

a determination by the Board that any Vesting Conditions have been satisfied, reached or met; and

 

  (b)

the Board making a determination under Rule 8.7 or to waive any applicable Vesting Conditions under Rule 8.6;

then:

 

  (c)

the relevant Shares cease to be subject to the restrictions under this Rule 8 and the forfeiture provisions under Rule 9; and

 

  (d)

the Board must, as soon as reasonably practicable, lift the Holding Lock in respect of the relevant Shares and must notify the holder of the Shares that the Holding Lock has been lifted.

 

8.10

Notification upon request by Participant

The Company must, if requested, notify the holder of the Shares of the particular time when the Holding Lock was lifted under Rule 8.9.

 

9.

Forfeiture of Shares

 

9.1

Forfeiture of Shares to which Vesting Conditions attach

If a Participant holds any Shares to which Vesting Conditions attach under this Plan, the Participant’s ownership of those Shares will be forfeited by the Participant (or any person claiming through the Participant) to the Company (or otherwise as directed by the Board) if:

 

  (a)

the Vesting Conditions applicable to the Shares have not been satisfied, reached or met in accordance with their terms or are not capable of being satisfied, reached or met (except for reason of Special Circumstances and the Board determining that in such Special Circumstances the Vesting Conditions are to be waived or modified); or

 

  (b)

the Board determines that a Participant:

 

  (i)

has been convicted on indictment of an offence against the Corporations Act in connection with the affairs of the Company or any body corporate in the Group;

 

  (ii)

has had a judgement entered against him or her in civil proceedings in respect of the contravention by the Participant of his or her duties at law, in equity or under statute in his or her capacity as a Director of the Company or any body corporate in the Group;

 

  (iii)

has committed an act of fraud, defalcation or gross misconduct in relation to the affairs of that body corporate (whether or not charged with an offence);

 

  (iv)

has breached the Company’s policy (if any) on hedging of long term incentives; or

 

  (v)

has done an act which brings the Group or any body corporate in the Group into disrepute; or

 

  (c)

the Participant’s office of a body corporate in the Group is terminated or ceases, other than:

 

  (i)

where the termination or cessation of office is due to the occurrence of a Special Circumstance; or

 

  (ii)

where the Board determines otherwise,

 

  subject

to Rule 20.

 

    

14

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


9.2

Treatment of Forfeited Shares

  (a)

As soon as reasonably practicable after Forfeited Shares are transferred to the Company, the Company must:

 

  (i)

sell those Forfeited Shares in the ordinary course of trading on the stock market of the ASX;

 

  (ii)

cancel the Forfeited Shares; or

 

  (iii)

deal with the Forfeited Shares in any other manner determined by the Board from time to time.

 

  (b)

For the avoidance of doubt, the Company will hold full legal and beneficial title to any Forfeited Shares which are transferred to the Company pursuant to any power of attorney granted by a Participant under Rule 10 at all times until those Forfeited Shares are disposed of by the Company.

 

9.3

Effect of forfeiture

For the avoidance of doubt, no consideration or compensation will be payable to a Participant for or in relation to the forfeiture by the Participant of ownership of Shares held under the Plan.

 

9.4

Conditions on forfeiture

In making any determination as to the forfeiture or otherwise of the ownership of Shares or other entitlements under Rule 9 the Board may:

 

  (a)

impose any conditions that it thinks fit; and

 

  (b)

determine that a Participant will be required to forfeit all or a specified number of the Shares held by the Participant or other entitlements arising from those Shares under the Plan.

 

10.

Power of Attorney

 

10.1

Appointment of Attorney

At all times while a Participant holds Shares in respect of which a Vesting Condition has not been satisfied, reached or met, the relevant Participant irrevocably appoints the Company and any person nominated from time to time by the Company (each an Attorney) severally, as the Participant’s attorney, to:

 

  (a)

do all acts, matters and things which the Attorney considers necessary or desirable to be done in order that any Shares may be registered in the name of the Participant or to give effect to the powers of sale or forfeiture referred to in these Rules including acquiring or disposing of the Shares;

 

  (b)

execute in the name of the Participant an instrument or instruments of transfers of the Shares or make any alteration or addition whatsoever which the Attorney may think fit; and

 

  (c)

exercise all of the powers of the Participant in relation to acquisition, sale or disposal (including forfeiture under Rule 9) of the Participant’s Shares.

 

10.2

Ratification of Actions

The Participant will confirm and ratify everything which an Attorney may do pursuant to any power set out in Rule 10.1 and no person dealing with the Attorney shall be bound or concerned to enquire as to the occasion for or the regularity of the exercise of any such power.

 

    

15

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


10.3

Indemnity

The Participant will indemnify and keep indemnified the Attorney against all losses, liabilities, costs, expenses, proceedings, claims, actions, demands, and damages in consequence of or arising out of the exercise by the Attorney of any of the powers granted under this Rule 10.

 

11.

Voting rights

Unless otherwise resolved by the Board when it makes an Offer, and subject to the terms of issue of the relevant Shares, a Participant may exercise (whether in person or by proxy) any voting rights attaching to the Shares registered in the Participant’s name which were the subject of the Offer.

 

12.

Bonus issues

Unless otherwise resolved by the Board when it makes an Offer, a Participant who holds the Shares issued pursuant to the Offer has the same entitlement as any other shareholder in the Company to participate in any bonus issue, provided however, if the Shares held by the Participant are subject to any Vesting Conditions or any restrictions on sale imposed under Rule 8.1, any shares issued to a Participant under the bonus issue will be subject to these Rules as if those shares were Shares issued under the Offer made to the Participant.

 

13.

Capital reconstructions

In the event of a Capital Reconstruction, subject to any provision in the Listing Rules, the Board may adjust any or all of the number of Shares issued pursuant to the Offer to a Participant as the Board deems appropriate.

 

14.

Issue of Options

 

14.1

Acceptance by Eligible Director

By accepting an Offer for Options in accordance with Rule 6.1, the Eligible Director will be taken to have:

 

  (a)

agreed to become a Participant bound by these Rules; and

 

  (b)

irrevocably offered to acquire Options (and Shares upon the exercise of Options):

 

  (i)

under, and subject to, these Rules; and

 

  (ii)

on and subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer.

 

14.2

Acceptance by Company

Unless provided for otherwise in an Offer, the Company will be deemed to have accepted an Eligible Director’s Application in respect of an Offer for Options on the issue to the Eligible Director of the Options the subject of the Application, and the notification to the Eligible Director of the Date of Grant of those Options. Nothing in any Offer or Application, or in these Rules, will be taken to confer on any Eligible Director any right or title to or interest in, any Options until such issue occurs and notice is provided.

 

14.3

Certificates

The Company must give a Participant one or more Certificates stating (or which, if applicable, attach a separate document stating):

 

  (a)

the number of Options issued to the Participant;

 

    

16

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


  (b)

the Issue Price (if any) of those Options;

 

  (c)

the Exercise Price (if any) of those Options;

 

  (d)

the Date of Grant of those Options;

 

  (e)

the First Exercise Date of the Options;

 

  (f)

the Last Exercise Date of the Options;

 

  (g)

the Exercise Conditions (if any) attaching to the Options;

 

  (h)

if the underlying Shares over which the Option is exercisable are to be Restricted Shares under Rule 19.1, details of the restriction; and

 

  (i)

any other specific terms and conditions applicable.

 

14.4

Consideration for Options

If Options are issued with a zero Issue Price, the Options will be issued for consideration comprising:

 

  (a)

the services that are expected to be provided by an Eligible Director to or for the benefit of the Group, either as payment in lieu of the relevant Director’s existing cash remuneration or in addition to any existing cash remuneration payable to the relevant Director; or

 

  (b)

the services that have already been provided by an Eligible Director for the benefit of the Group which in the opinion of the Board are outside of the scope of ordinary duties of the relevant Director,

and no further monetary or other consideration will be payable in respect of the issue of an Option.

 

14.5

Entitlement to underlying Shares

Subject to these Rules, each Option confers on its holder the entitlement to subscribe for and be issued one Share at the Exercise Price (if any).

 

14.6

Interest in Shares

A Participant has no interest in a Share the subject of an Option held by the Participant unless and until the Share is issued to that Participant pursuant to the exercise of an Option under these Rules and does not have any rights to dividends, rights to vote or rights to the capital of the Company as a result of holding an Option. Subject to the Corporations Act and the Constitution, Participants will not, as holders of Options, have any right to attend or vote at general meetings of holders of Shares.

 

15.

Exercise of Options

 

15.1

Exercise during Exercise Period

Subject to Rules 3.2, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4 and 20, an Option may be exercised at any time during the Exercise Period for that Option.

 

15.2

Exercise before Exercise Period

An Option may be exercised before the Exercise Period if permitted under Rule 17.5 or 18.6.

 

15.3

First Exercise Date

The Certificate or Offer will specify the First Exercise Date in respect of an Option. The exercise of an Option after the First Exercise Date is subject to any Exercise Conditions under Rule 15.4.

 

    

17

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


15.4

Exercise Conditions

Subject to Rule 15.5, if the Certificate or Offer in respect of an Option specifies any Exercise Conditions, the Option may not be exercised unless and until those Exercise Conditions have been satisfied, reached or met.

 

15.5

Waiver of Exercise Conditions

The Board may, at its discretion, by notice to the Participant reduce or waive the Exercise Conditions attaching to Options in whole or in part at any time and in any particular case including due to Special Circumstance or another Accelerated Vesting Event.

 

15.6

Exercise of Options

Subject to these Rules, Options which have not lapsed may be exercised by the Participant giving to the Company:

 

  (a)

a Notice of Exercise signed by the Participant;

 

  (b)

the Certificate for those Options; and

 

  (c)

if there is an Exercise Price for the Options:,

 

  (i)

payment (in cleared funds) of the amount calculated by multiplying the number of Options being exercised by the Exercise Price; or

 

  (ii)

payment, or the Participant’s agreement to pay, the relevant amount under any ‘cashless exercise’ arrangement that is acceptable to, and approved by, the Board,

but no Participant shall be able to exercise an Option that remains subject to Exercise Conditions that have not been satisfied, reached or met, or else waived under Rule 15.5.

 

15.7

Participant agrees to be bound

By exercising an Option, a Participant will be taken to have agreed to become a Shareholder and be bound by the Constitution.

 

15.8

Issue of Shares

Subject to these Rules, on the exercise of an Option the Company must issue and allot a Share, as soon as reasonably practicable (subject to Rule 15.9) to the Participant.

 

15.9

Clearance of Exercise Price

The Company is not obliged to issue Shares on exercise of Options until any cheque received in payment of the Exercise Price has been honoured on presentation (if there is an Exercise Price for the Options).

 

15.10

Exercise all or some Options

 

  (a)

A Participant may only exercise Options in multiples of 100 or another multiple as the Board determines unless the Participant exercises all Options covered by a Certificate able to be exercised by him or her at that time or under a cashless exercise arrangement.

 

  (b)

The exercise by a Participant of only some of the Options held by the Participant does not affect the Participant’s right to exercise at a later date other Options held by the Participant that have not lapsed (whether those other Options have the same First Exercise Date or otherwise).

 

15.11

Replacement Certificate

If a Participant submits a Notice of Exercise in respect of only part of the Options covered by a Certificate, the Company must issue a Certificate stating the remaining number of Options held by the Participant.

 

    

18

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


15.12

Shares rank equally

Shares issued on the exercise of Options rank equally with all existing Shares on and from the date of issue in respect of all rights issues, bonus share issues and dividends which have a record date for determining entitlements on or after the date of issue of those Shares.

 

16.

Lapse of Options

 

16.1

Lapse of Options

Unless otherwise specified in the Exercise Conditions or determined otherwise by the Board an Option lapses on the earlier of:

 

  (a)

the Last Exercise Date;

 

  (b)

a determination of the Board that the Option should lapse because the Participant, in the Board’s opinion:

 

  (i)

has committed an act of fraud, defalcation or gross misconduct in relation to the affairs of that body corporate (whether or not charged with an offence); or

 

  (ii)

has done an act which brings the Group or any body corporate in the Group into disrepute;

 

  (iii)

has been convicted on indictment of an offence against the Corporations Act in connection with the affairs of the Company or any body corporate in the Group;

 

  (iv)

has had a judgement entered against him or her in civil proceedings in respect of the contravention by the Participant of his or her duties at law, in equity or under statute in his or her capacity as a Director of the Company or any body corporate in the Group; or

 

  (v)

has breached the Company’s policy (if any) on hedging of long term incentives; or

 

  (c)

the Participant’s office of a body corporate of the Group is terminated or ceases, other than:

 

  (i)

where the termination or cessation of office is due to the occurrence of a Special Circumstance; or

 

  (ii)

where the Board determines otherwise,

subject to Rule 20.

 

16.2

Rights cease

If a Participant fails for any reason to exercise all the Options registered in the Participant’s name before the occurrence of a circumstance set out in Rule 16.1, those Options that the Participant:

 

  (a)

would have been entitled to exercise and that have not been exercised; and

 

  (b)

may have had a right or entitlement to have vested in the Participant,

lapse and all rights of a Participant under the Plan in respect of those Options cease.

 

17.

Dealings with Options

 

17.1

Options personal

Except where Options have been transferred under Rule 17.3, Options held by a Participant are personal to the Participant and may not be exercised by another person.

 

    

19

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


17.2

No unauthorised disposal

Except as permitted under Rule 17.3, a Participant must not dispose of or grant a Security Interest over or otherwise engage in any Dealing with an Option or an interest in an Option, and the Security Interest or disposal or dealing is not recognised in any manner by the Company.

 

17.3

Permitted transfer of Options

The Board may determine that Options may be transferred by an instrument of transfer, in the following circumstances:

 

  (a)

a transfer constituting the necessary transfer documents following an acceptance of an offer made under an off-market bid relating to Options;

 

  (b)

a transfer to a bidder on the sale of the Options under Division 3 of Part 6A.1 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (c)

a transfer to a 100% holder on the sale of the Options under Division 2 of Part 6A.2 of the Corporations Act;

 

  (d)

a transfer under Part 6A.3 of the Corporations Act to a person entitled to acquire the Options under section 661A or 664A of the Corporations Act; or

 

  (e)

a transfer approved by the Board in those circumstances as may be determined by the Board.

The Board must notify Participants if a circumstance set out in this Rule 17.3 occurs and the Board authorises transfer of Options pursuant to this Rule.

 

17.4

Corporate Control Event

If a Corporate Control Event occurs the Board may determine that this constitutes an Accelerated Vesting Event.

 

17.5

First Exercise Date brought forward

If an Accelerated Vesting Event occurs or is expected to occur while a Participant is employed with the Group, the Board may, at its discretion:

 

  (a)

bring forward the First Exercise Date of all Options held by the Participant to a date determined by the Board; and

 

  (b)

waive or vary any Exercise Conditions in regard to an Option held by the Participant in accordance with Rule 15.5,

subject to Rule 20.

 

17.6

Notice to Participants of change

If the Board determines to alter the First Exercise Date and Exercise Conditions under Rule 17.5, the Company:

 

  (a)

must within 14 days of the alteration give notice to each Participant affected by the Accelerated Vesting Event in respect of any Options held by the Participant; and

 

  (b)

may have to issue a replacement Certificate for the Options.

 

    

20

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


18.

Participation rights, bonus issues, rights issues, reorganisations of capital and winding up in respect of Options

 

18.1

Application of this Rule

This Rule 18 applies to Participants who holds Options that they have not yet exercised, provided the Options have not lapsed in accordance with the Rules.

 

18.2

New issues

Participants holding Options are not entitled to participate in any new issue to existing holders of securities in the Company unless:

 

  (a)

they have become entitled to exercise their Options under the Plan; and

 

  (b)

they do so before the record date for the determination of entitlements to the new issue of securities and participate as a result of being holders of Shares.

The Company shall give Participants, in accordance with the Listing Rules, notice of any new issue of securities before the record date for determining entitlements to the new issue.

 

18.3

Bonus issues

If the Company makes (whether before or during the Exercise Period) a bonus issue of Shares or other securities to existing holders of Shares (other than an issue in lieu or in satisfaction of dividends or by way of dividend reinvestment) and no Share has been issued in respect of an Option before the record date for determining entitlements to the bonus issue, then the number of underlying Shares over which the Option is exercisable is increased by the number of Shares which the Participant would have received if the Participant had exercised the Option prior to such record date.

 

18.4

Pro-rata issues

If the Company makes (whether before or during the Exercise Period) a pro-rata issue of Shares (except a bonus issue) to existing holders of Shares (other than an issue in lieu or in satisfaction of dividends or by way of dividend reinvestment) and no Share has been issued in respect of an Option before the record date for determining entitlements to the issue, the Exercise Price (if any) of the Option is reduced in accordance with the Listing Rules.

 

18.5

Reorganisation of capital

If there is a reorganisation of capital of the Company (whether before or during the Exercise Period) then the rights of a Participant (including the number of Options to which each Participant is entitled and the Exercise Price, if any) are amended in accordance with the Listing Rules or as would be required by the Listing Rules if the Company was subject to the Listing Rules at the time of the reorganisation.

 

18.6

Winding up

If (whether before or during the Exercise Period) a resolution for a members’ voluntary winding up of the Company is proposed (other than for the purpose of a reconstruction or amalgamation) the Board may, in its absolute discretion, give written notice to Participants of the proposed resolution. Subject to the Exercise Conditions, the Participants may, during the period referred to in the notice, exercise their Options if the Last Exercise Date for the Options has not expired.

 

18.7

Fractions of Shares

For the purposes of this Rule 18, if Options are exercised simultaneously, then the Participant may aggregate the number of Shares or fractions of Shares for which the Participant is entitled to subscribe. Fractions in the aggregate number only will be disregarded in determining the total entitlement of a Participant.

 

    

21

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


18.8

Calculations and adjustments

Any calculations or adjustments which are required to be made under this Rule 18 will be made by the Board and, in the absence of manifest error, are final and conclusive and binding on the Company and the Participant.

 

18.9

Notice of change

The Company must within a reasonable period give to each Participant notice of any change under Rule 18 to the Exercise Price (if any) of any Options held by the Participant or to the number of Shares which the Participant is entitled to subscribe for on exercise of an Option.

 

19.

Restriction on disposal of Shares acquired pursuant to exercise of Options

 

19.1

Restricted Shares

The Shares acquired under this Plan pursuant to exercise of Options may be subject to restriction on disposal under this Rule 19.1 (Restricted Shares).

 

19.2

No disposal whilst Shares in Plan

The Certificate may specify any period during which Shares will be Restricted Shares (Restriction Period). A holder of Restricted Shares must not dispose of or engage in any Dealing with any of those Restricted Shares or any interest in those Restricted Shares while those Restricted Shares are held in the Plan and subject to these Rules.

 

19.3

Waiver

The Board may, at its discretion, by notice to the Participant reduce or waive the period in which Restricted Shares are subject to restriction on disposal under this Rule 19.3.

 

19.4

Refusal to register transfer

  (a)

Subject to the Listing Rules, the Company must refuse to register a paper-based transfer, and must apply or cause to be applied a Holding Lock to prevent a transfer, of any Restricted Shares, and the Board on behalf of the Company may take any other steps that it considers necessary or appropriate, to enforce and give effect to the disposal restrictions under this Rule 19.4.

 

  (b)

Each Participant irrevocably authorises the Board on behalf of the Company to apply a Holding Lock to any Restricted Shares held by that Participant.

 

19.5

Withdrawal of Restricted Shares

A holder of Restricted Shares may at any time, by serving on the Company a written withdrawal notice in a form approved by the Board, apply to withdraw from the Plan a portion of or all Restricted Shares held by the holder. The Board may determine in its discretion whether to grant a request made under this Rule 19.5.

 

19.6

Cease to be in Plan

On the earliest of:

 

  (a)

the expiry of any applicable Restriction Period;

 

  (b)

the acceptance by the Board of a request under Rule 19.5; and

 

  (c)

the Board making a determination to release some or all of the Restricted Shares under Rule 19.3,

then:

 

    

22

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


  (d)

the relevant Restricted Shares cease to be held in the Plan and subject to these Rules;

 

  (e)

the relevant Restricted Shares cease to be subject to the restrictions under this Rule 19.6;

 

  (f)

the Board must, as soon as reasonably practicable, lift the Holding Lock in respect of the relevant Shares and must notify the holder of the Shares that the Holding Lock has been lifted.

 

19.7

Notification upon request by Participant

The Company must, if requested, notify the holder of the Shares of the particular time when the Holding Lock was lifted under Rule 19.6.

 

20.

Shareholder approval may be required

To the extent that the exercise of the Board’s discretion under Rules 8.6, 9.1(c), 15.5, 17.5 or any other amendment to the terms of a Participant’s Offer under the Rules would trigger the requirement for shareholder approval under section 200B of the Corporations Act, the Company agrees to use reasonable endeavours to seek shareholder approval for the benefit under section 200E of the Corporations Act at the next Annual General Meeting of the Company.

Explanatory note: Section 200B of the Corporations Act deals with retirement benefits given to a person who holds (or has held any time in the last 3 years before his or her retirement) the office or position of a managerial or executive office in the Company or a related body corporate.

 

21.

Quotation of Shares

 

21.1

No Quotation of Options

The Company will not seek official quotation of any Options.

 

21.2

Quotation of Shares

The Company must apply to ASX for quotation of Shares issued following the acceptance of an Offer or Shares issued on exercise of Options, if other Shares of the Company are officially quoted by ASX at that time.

 

22.

Administration

The Plan is administered by the Board.

 

22.1

Powers of the Board

The Board has power to:

 

  (a)

exercise all powers and discretions vested in it under these Rules;

 

  (b)

determine appropriate procedures and make regulations and guidelines for the administration and operation of the Plan which are not inconsistent with these Rules;

 

  (c)

resolve conclusively all questions of fact or interpretation arising in connection with the Plan;

 

  (d)

terminate or suspend the operation of the Plan at any time, provided that the termination or suspension does not adversely affect or prejudice the rights of Participants holding Shares or Options at that time or contravene any Applicable Law;

 

  (e)

delegate those functions and powers it considers appropriate, for the efficient administration of the Plan, to any person or persons whom the Board reasonably believes to be capable of performing those functions and exercising those powers;

 

    

23

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


  (f)

take and rely on independent professional or expert advice in or in relation to the exercise of any of their powers or discretions under these Rules;

 

  (g)

administer the Plan in accordance with these Rules as and to the extent provided in these Rules; and

 

  (h)

make regulations for the operation of the Plan consistent with these Rules.

 

22.2

Exercise of powers or discretion

Any power or discretion which is conferred on the Board or Board by these Rules may be exercised by the Board or Board in the interests or for the benefit of the Company, and the Board or Board is not, in exercising that power or discretion, under any fiduciary or other obligation to another person, including a Participant.

 

22.3

Determinations

Where these Rules provide for a determination, decision, approval or opinion of the Board or Board, that determination, decision, approval or opinion may be made or given by the Board or Board (as applicable) in its absolute discretion. In the absence of manifest error, any determination, decision, approval or opinion of the Board or Board as to the interpretation, effect or application of the Rules will be final.

 

22.4

Expenses and costs

Subject to these Rules, the Company and its Subsidiaries must pay all expenses, costs and charges incurred in the administration of the Plan in the amounts and proportions as they shall agree.

 

22.5

Board not liable

No member of the Board shall be liable for anything done, or omitted to be done by him or by any other member of the Committee in connection with the Plan, except for his own wilful misconduct or as expressly provided by law.

 

23.

Amendment to Rules

 

23.1

Board or Board may amend Rules

Subject to the Listing Rules, the Board or Board may, in its absolute discretion, at any time amend any of these Rules, or waive or modify the application of any of these Rules in relation to any Participant. In particular, amendments, waivers or modifications may be made in order to enable Shares or Options issued to Participants to be assessed at the ‘ESS deferred taxing point’ as defined in section 83A-120 of the Income Tax Assessment Act (Cth) 1997. Any amendment may be given such retrospective effect as the Board or Board may determine from time to time.

 

23.2

Waiver or amendment

The Company will not be taken to have waived any provision of, or any right, or entitlement under these Rules, or agreed to any amendment of the Rules, unless it does so expressly in writing and provided further that any waiver or amendments of these Rules is carried out in accordance with the Listing Rules.

 

    

24

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


23.3

Consent of Participants

If an amendment to be made under Rule 23.1 would adversely affect the rights of Participants in respect of any Shares or Options then held by them, the Board or Board must obtain the consent of Participants who between them hold not less than 75% of the total number of those Shares or Options held by all those Participants before making the amendment.

 

23.4

Eligible Directors outside Australia

The Board or Board may make any additions, variations or modifications to the Rules, in relation to the implementation of the Plan and the specific application of the Rules, to Eligible Directors residing outside Australia.

 

24.

Rights of Participants

 

24.1

No conferred rights

These Rules:

 

  (a)

do not confer on any Participant any right or entitlement if that right or entitlement could only be provided with approval of the Company’s shareholders;

 

  (b)

do not confer on an Eligible Director the right to receive and Offer, Shares or Options;

 

  (c)

do not confer on a Participant the right to continue as a Director (or as a director or officer of any body corporate in the Group);

 

  (d)

do not affect any rights which the Company or a Subsidiary may have to dismiss or remove the Participant as a Director (or as a director or officer of any body corporate in the Group); and

 

  (e)

may not be used to increase damages in an action brought against the Company or a Subsidiary in respect of that termination or removal.

 

25.

No representation as to Tax consequences

Neither the Company nor any adviser to the Company, Board or the Board:

 

  (a)

represents or warrants that the Plan will have any particular taxation or financial consequences or that any Eligible Director or Participant will gain any taxation or financial advantage by participating in the Plan; and

 

  (b)

are liable for any Taxes imposed upon or duties assessed against a Participant as a consequence of the Participant’s participation in the Plan, the receipt by the Participant of Shares or Options offered under the Plan or other Dealing in the Shares or Options by the Participant.

 

26.

Notices

 

26.1

Service of notices

A notice, demand, consent, approval or communication under the Rules (Notice) must be:

 

  (a)

in writing, in English and signed by a person duly authorised by the sender; and

 

  (b)

hand delivered or sent by prepaid post or facsimile to the recipient’s address for Notices specified in Rule 26.3, as varied by any Notice given by the recipient to the sender.

 

    

25

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


26.2

Effective on receipt

A Notice given in accordance with Rule 26.1 takes effect when taken to be received (or at a later time specified in it), and is taken to be received:

 

  (a)

if hand delivered, on delivery;

 

  (b)

if sent by prepaid post, two Business Days after the date of posting (or seven Business Days after the date of posting if posted to or from a place outside Australia);

 

  (c)

if sent by facsimile, when the sender’s facsimile system generates a message confirming successful transmission of the entire Notice unless, within eight Business Hours after the transmission, the recipient informs the sender that it has not received the entire Notice,

but if the delivery, receipt or transmission is not on a Business Day or is after 5.00pm on a Business Day, the Notice is taken to be received at 9.00am on the next Business Day.

 

26.3

Address

The address of the Eligible Director and the Company for the purposes of giving a Notice is:

 

  (a)

in the case of the Company, at the address of its registered office from time to time, which at the date of this Plan is situated at Suite 0403, Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria 3141; and

 

  (b)

in the case of the Eligible Director, the address of the Eligible Director as specified in the records of the Company.

 

27.

Governing law

These Rules and the rights and obligations of Participants under the Plan are governed by the law of Victoria, and each Participant irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria.

 

28.

Advice

Eligible Directors and Participants should obtain their own independent advice at their own expense on the financial, taxation and other consequences to them of or relating to participation in the Plan.

 

    

26

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


OPTHEA LIMITED - ESOP PLAN OPTION CERTIFICATE

This certificate is provided under Rule 14.3 of the Opthea Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan (Plan). The terms used in this certificate have the same meaning as in the Plan.

 

   
Participant   

[Name]

 

   
Number of Options issued   

[Insert number of Options issued to the Participant named above.]

 

   
Issue Price for the Options   

[Insert issue price (if any) for the Options issued to the Participant.]

 

   
Exercise Price for the Options   

[Insert exercise price (if any) for the Options issued to the Participant.]

 

   
Date of Grant for the Options   

[Insert date the Options issued to the Participant were granted.]

 

   
First Exercise Date   

[Insert expected First Exercise Date (typically 2 or 3 years after the Date of Grant) for the Options issued to the Participant.]

 

   
Last Exercise Date   

[Insert expected Last Exercise Date (typically 5 years after the First Exercise Date) for the Options issued to the Participant.]

 

   
Exercise Conditions   

[Insert any conditions to be satisfied before the Participant can exercise their Options (e.g. Participant’s KPIs, etc).]

 

   
Restricted Shares   

[Insert period of disposal restriction, if any.]

 

   
Other terms and conditions   

[Insert any other terms and conditions to be satisfied by the Participant.]

 

 

    

27

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules


OPTHEA LIMITED - NOTICE OF ALTERATION TO OPTION CONDITIONS

 

Date of Notice:   [Note - this notice must be given within 14 days of the alteration.]
Participant:   [Name]
Number of Options affected:   [Insert number of Options held by the Participant that have not been exercised as at the date of this notice.]

This notice is provided under Rule 17.6 of the Opthea Non-Executive Directors Share and Option Plan (Plan). The terms used in this notice have the same meaning as in the Plan.

As a result of an Accelerated Vesting Event the following alterations are made to the Participant’s Options:

 

     
Condition Affected    Previous Condition   

Revised Condition

 

     
First Exercise Date    [Insert the First Exercise Date included in Participant’s Option Certificate.]   

[Insert revised First Exercise Date determined by the Board under Rule 17.5(a) of the Plan.]

 

     
Exercise Conditions    [Insert conditions outlined in Participant’s Option Certificate.]   

[Insert revised exercise conditions determined by the Board under Rule 17.5(b) of the Plan.]

 

 

    

28

Non-Executive Directors share and option plan rules

EX-10.7

Exhibit 10.7

 

 

Executive Employment

Contract

Circadian Technologies Limited

ACN 32 006 340 567

Dr Megan Baldwin

 


Contents

 

 

1

   Dictionary    1

2

   The Position    2

3

   Commencement and Term    2

4

   Location of Employment    2

5

   Travel    2

6

   Conduct and Performance    2

7

   Warranties    3

8

   Conflicts of Interest    3

9

   Hours of Work    3

10

   Remuneration Package    4

11

   Refund of expenses    5

12

   Leave entitlements    5

13

   Policies and Procedures    6

14

   Anti-discrimination and Harassment    6

15

   Termination    6

16

   Appointment to and Resignation from Offices    7

17

   Suspension    8

18

   Confidential Information    8

19

   Inventions    8

20

   Post-Employment Restrictions    9

21

   Entire Agreement    9

22

   No Representations and Warranties    9

23

   Governing Law and Jurisdiction    9

24

   Independent Legal Advice    9
  

Schedule A

   11
  

Job Description

   11
  

Schedule B

   12
  

Employee Entitlements

   12
  

Schedule C – Deed Poll

   13

 

1


Date    23 April 2014
Parties   

Circadian Technologies Limited, ACN 32 006 340 567of Level 4/650 Chapel Street South Yarra, Vic, Australia 3142

(Employer)

   Dr Megan Baldwin of 14 Oxford Street, East Brighton, Vic, Australia (Executive)

Recitals

 

A.

The Executive has previously been employed by the Employer as well as Opthea Pty Ltd (ABN 77 160 199 977), a 100% owned subsidiary of the Employer.

 

B.

This contract sets out the terms and conditions under which the Executive is employed by the Employer.

 

C.

In consideration for entering into this contract, the Executive has agreed to the cessation of her employment with Opthea Pty Ltd with effect from immediately before the Commencement Date.

 

 

 

1

Dictionary

 

1.1

For the purpose of this contract the following terms have the meanings set out below.

ASX means the Australian Securities Exchange.

Board means the Board of Directors of the Employer.

Capital Raising Event means the raising of funds in an amount equal to or greater than $AUD 8 million via grants, loans, upfront licence fees and/or sale of share equity in the Employer on terms acceptable to the Employer and its shareholders.

Confidential Information means information acquired or developed by the Executive in the course of the Employment which is not already in the public domain otherwise than by breach of this contract by the Executive, including all drug development related information, whether such information is in written, printed, electronic or other form, including all copies of such information, and including the following types of information.

Document means any record of information (including an electronic record).

Employee Entitlements means annual leave, long service leave, personal leave, and redundancy benefits under legislation.

Employment means the employment of the Executive by the Employer under this contract.

ESOP means an employee share option plan or equivalent employee equity incentive plan.

Group means the Employer and its Related Bodies Corporate.

Group Member means any member of the Group.

Group Personnel means any director, officer or employee of, or contractor to, any Group Member.


Related Body Corporate has the same meaning as that set out in section 50 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

 

1.2

Other terms may be specially defined elsewhere in this contract.

 

 

 

2

The Position

 

2.1

The Executive will be employed in the position of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (the Position) and will report to the Board or as directed by the Board.

 

2.2

The Executive’s duties will be those in Schedule A, as well as such other duties as the Board or its nominee may direct from time to time.

 

 

 

3

Commencement and Term

 

3.1

The employment of the Executive commenced on 24 February 2014 (the Commencement Date) and will continue indefinitely until terminated by either party in accordance with this contract.

 

3.2

For the purpose of all Employee Entitlements, the Employer will recognise the Executive’s prior employment with Circadian and Opthea Pty Ltd as continuous service with the Employer.

 

3.3

The Employer has assumed liability for annual leave, long service leave and personal leave accrued during the Executive’s prior employment with the Employer and with Opthea Pty Ltd, other than any entitlements which may have been paid out to the Executive at the cessation of the Executive’s prior employment with the Employer and/or with Opthea Pty Ltd. For the avoidance of doubt, the Executive’s accrued leave balances as at 28 February 2014 are as set out in Schedule B.

 

 

 

4

Location of Employment

 

4.1

The Executive will be based at the Employer’s offices in South Yarra.

 

4.2

The Employer may change the location of the Employment by giving the Executive reasonable notice in writing. In the event of such relocation, the Executive will not be entitled to any additional remuneration.

 

 

 

5

Travel

 

5.1

The Executive acknowledges that the nature of the Position requires frequent and unscheduled travel within and outside of Australia. The Executive must engage in such travel as required by the Employer without additional remuneration.

 

5.2

Arrangements for any travel which the Executive may undertake will be as per the Employer’s Travel Policy.

 

 

 

6

Conduct and Performance

 

6.1

The Executive must:

 

  (a)

serve the Employer and fulfil her duties and responsibilities honestly, faithfully and in a professional manner;

 

2


  (b)

use the Executive’s best efforts to promote and protect the business of the Employer and the Group;

 

  (c)

comply with the Employer’s lawful directions and fully and truthfully answer any questions asked by the Employer relating in any way to the Employment and/or the Employer’s business;

 

  (d)

fully report to the Board all business opportunities which may advantage the Employer or any Group Member and any significant threat to the business as soon as these come to the attention of the Executive;

 

  (e)

fully report to the Board any unlawful act or omission of any Group Member or any Group Personnel; and

 

  (f)

provide the Board with information and regular reports as to the affairs of the Employer so as to keep the Board fully informed of all material developments in or relevant to the Employer’s affairs.

 

 

 

7

Warranties

 

7.1

The Executive warrants that in entering into this contract and performing her duties, the Executive will not be in breach of any agreement or obligation owed to any third party.

 

7.2

The Executive warrants that she has disclosed all material information to the Employer which may be relevant to the Employer’s decision to offer the Executive employment under this contract.

 

 

 

8

Conflicts of Interest

 

8.1

The Executive must not undertake any activity (whether paid or unpaid) which may either compete with, compromise or give rise to a conflict with either:

 

  (a)

the Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this contract; or

 

  (b)

the business interests of the Employer,

unless the Executive has obtained the prior consent of the Board in writing.

 

8.2

Without limiting the generality of the above, the Executive must not be engaged, employed, concerned or interested directly or indirectly in any business, company, proposal, project, assignment or development which is in or is related to the industry in which the Employer and/or any Group Member is concerned unless the Executive has obtained the prior consent of the Board in writing.

 

8.3

The Executive must immediately and fully disclose in writing to the Employer any potential or actual conflicts of interest.

 

 

 

9

Hours of Work

 

9.1

The Executive is engaged on a full-time basis and must reasonably devote her full time and attention to the business of the Employer and the Group.

 

9.2

The Executive will be required to work during ordinary business hours and also outside these hours as reasonably necessary to properly perform duties of the Position. The Executive agrees that she is available to work such reasonable additional hours.

 

3


9.3

The Executive is not entitled to any additional pay or benefits for working outside of normal business hours. The Executive’s remuneration includes compensation for all hours worked.

 

 

 

10

Remuneration Package

Base salary

 

10.1

The Executive will be paid a base salary of AUD$300,000 per annum, less tax. This amount is exclusive of statutory superannuation contributions. The base salary will be reviewed by the Chairman of the Board (or nominee) following a successful Capital Raising Event or, if there is no event of that kind by an anniversary of the Commencement Date, on or around that anniversary .

 

10.2

The salary will be paid on a monthly basis or such other basis as the parties agree.

 

10.3

The Executive authorises and requests the Employer to deduct any monies owed by the Executive to the Employer from her monthly salary.

Superannuation

 

10.4

The Employer will make the superannuation contributions component of the amount specified in clause 10.1 into a complying superannuation fund on behalf of the Executive so as to avoid liability for a charge under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 and the Superannuation Guarantee Charge Act 1992.

Incentive benefits

 

10.5

The Employer will pay the Executive an incentive benefit of 50% of the base salary (less any amount the Employer is required to deduct for tax) if by 31 August 2014 the Employer has raised funds in an amount equal to or greater than $AUD 8 million via the issue of share equity in:

 

  (a)

the Employer; and/or

 

  (b)

Opthea Pty Ltd.

 

10.6

The requirement in clause 10.5 will be satisfied if by the date in that clause there is a definitive and binding agreement/s in respect of each investment and within a reasonable time period after that date completion of that investment occurs.

 

10.7

To avoid doubt, the Employer will not be required to pay, and the Executive will not be entitled to receive, an incentive benefit under clause 10.5 if the requirement in that clause is not satisfied by the date in that clause.

 

10.8

The Executive will qualify to receive an incentive benefit in relation to the financial year ending 30 June 2015 and each subsequent financial year if the key performance indicators determined by the Board, in its absolute discretion, for that financial year are achieved during that year.

 

10.9

If the Executive qualifies to receive an incentive benefit under clause 10.8 the Board will, in its absolute discretion, determine the amount of the incentive benefit which is to be given to the Executive.

 

10.10

The Executive will not be entitled to any incentive benefit under clause 10.5 or 10.8 in relation to the period up to 31 August 2014 or in relation to the financial year ending 30 June 2015 or any subsequent financial year if either party terminates, or gives the other notice to terminate, this contract during, as applicable, that period or that financial year.

 

4


ESOP

 

10.11

The Employer will by 31 August 2014 prepare an ESOP and present that ESOP to the shareholders of the Employer for their approval.

 

10.12

The Executive will be eligible to participate in an ESOP which is approved by the shareholders of the Employer, on the basis determined by the Employer.

 

 

 

11

Refund of expenses

 

11.1

Any business expenses which the Executive necessarily incurs for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the Position will be reimbursed by the Employer provided that:

 

  (a)

the expenses are reasonable and related directly to the Employer’s business;

 

  (b)

the Executive has provided the Employer with itemised receipts of these expenses, and any other additional evidence of these expenses as it may reasonably require; and

 

  (c)

the Executive complies with any other policy or procedure published by the Employer from time to time regarding the reimbursement of expenses.

 

 

 

12

Leave entitlements

Annual and Long Service Leave

 

12.1

The Executive is entitled to accrue annual holidays in accordance with applicable law. This entitlement currently amounts to four ordinary working weeks’ paid leave per year of service. Untaken annual leave accumulates from year to year.

 

12.2

The Executive must take leave at a time that is mutually agreed between the Employer and the Executive.

 

12.3

The Executive is entitled to accrue long service leave in accordance with the provisions of the Long Service Leave Act 1992 (Vic) or any other applicable law. The commencement date from which Long Service Leave is calculated for the Executive is 15 January 2008 as stated in Schedule B.

 

12.4

Whilst on such leave, the Executive will not engage in any conduct which is inconsistent with the Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this contract.

Personal Leave

 

12.5

The Executive will be entitled to personal leave in accordance with applicable law.

 

12.6

The Executive will not be entitled to receive any payment for any accrued and unused personal leave upon termination or at any other time.

 

12.7

Without limiting the above, the Employer may require the Executive to be examined by a medical practitioner nominated by the Employer to determine whether or not the Executive is fit for work, and the Executive consents to the Employer receiving a report from such a medical practitioner for this purpose. The Executive will confirm such consent in writing as and when required by the Employer.

 

5


 

 

13

Policies and Procedures

 

13.1

The Employer may issue policies from time to time. These policies do not form part of the Executive’s employment contract with the Employer or give rise to any contractual rights. However, to the extent that these policies require the Executive to do any act or thing, or to refrain from doing any act or thing, these policies constitute directions from the Employer to the Executive with which the Executive must comply.

 

13.2

The Employer has the right to vary or not apply these policies at its discretion.

 

 

 

14

Anti-discrimination and Harassment

 

14.1

The Executive must at all times comply with and ensure that the employees of the Employer comply with the anti-discrimination and harassment policies of the Employer.

 

 

 

15

Termination

Termination with prior notice

 

15.1

Either party may terminate the Employment by giving the other three months’ notice of termination.

 

15.2

The Employer may instead terminate the Employment by either:

 

  (a)

making a payment in lieu of the entire notice period; or

 

  (b)

requiring the Executive to work part of the notice period and making a payment in lieu of the balance of the notice period.

In either case the Employment will be terminated upon the making of the payment in lieu of notice.

 

15.3

Nothing in any policy, statement, or representation issued or made by the Employer will affect its ability to terminate the Employment by giving prior notice (or making a payment in lieu) or impose any requirement upon the Employer to follow any procedure before terminating the Employment other than the giving of prior notice (or making a payment in lieu).

 

15.4

Where the Executive is required to work out a period of notice, the Employer may direct the Executive during some or all of the notice period:

 

  (a)

not to attend any offices or premises of the Employer or any Group Member;

 

  (b)

not to contact clients, customers, or employees of, or suppliers or contractors to, the Employer in relation to the Employer’s or a Group Member’s business;

 

  (c)

not to perform the duties of the Position;

 

  (d)

to perform the duties of the Position from home;

 

  (e)

to assist the Employer to arrange a proper handover of her duties and work (including a handover of clients, business contacts and business); or

 

  (f)

any combination of the above.

 

15.5

If the Executive gives the Employer notice of termination for the purpose of commencing work with a competitor of the Employer, or otherwise competing with the Employer, the Executive must:

 

6


  (a)

immediately upon giving notice disclose full details of this purpose so as to enable the Employer to take steps to protect its business, and arrange the hand-over of duties (including clients, suppliers and business) to another employee; and

 

  (b)

comply with any directions given by the Employer for the purpose of giving effect to paragraph (a) above.

The obligation set out in this sub-clause above is not intended to detract from the Executive’s general obligation to immediately disclose any conflict of interest to the Employer.

 

15.6

The Executive will not be entitled to any benefits (including without limitation an increase in benefits) under this contract or otherwise in connection with the termination of the Employment if the giving of such benefit will give rise to a breach of Part 2D.2 of the Corporations Act 2001 or any other provision of this Act, Chapter 10 of the ASX Listing Rules or any other ASX Listing Rules, or any other applicable statute, rule or regulation which limits or restricts the giving of such benefits. Further, the Employer is under no obligation to seek or obtain the approval of its shareholders in general meeting for the purpose of overcoming any such limitation or restriction.

Summary termination

 

15.8

The Employer may terminate the Employment at any time during the Employment without prior notice if the Executive:

 

  (a)

is guilty of serious misconduct (including, but not limited to theft, fraud, or assault);

 

  (b)

is grossly negligent or otherwise incompetent in the performance of the duties of the Position;

 

  (c)

commits a serious or persistent breach of the terms of this contract;

 

  (d)

refuses to carry out a lawful and reasonable instruction that is consistent with this contract;

 

  (e)

becomes bankrupt or suspends payment or compounds with or assigns her estate for the benefit of her creditors; or

 

  (f)

commits a crime or other civil wrong which, in the reasonable opinion of the Employer, may seriously impact on the Executive’s ability to perform the duties of the Position or is likely to significantly damage the reputation or business of the Employer.

 

15.

9 If the Executive is prevented by illness or injury from performing her duties for equal to or more than three consecutive months, or for equal to or more than four months in aggregate in any one period of 52 consecutive weeks, the Company may (but is not obliged to) terminate the Executive’s employment (and this agreement) by giving notice in writing to the Executive under clause 15.1. For the avoidance of doubt, clause 15.9 shall not operate to restrict any statutory entitlements to make a claim under the Accident Compensation Act 1985 (Vic), including in the case where the illness or injury was sustained in the course of Executive’s employment.

 

 

 

16

Appointment to and Resignation from Offices

 

16.1

The Employer may during the Employment, request that the Executive hold offices with the Employer and/or any Group Member provided that is unlikely to affect the Executive’s performance obligations to the Employer. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, these offices will be held without any further remuneration to the Executive.

 

16.2

On termination of the Employment for any reason, the Executive must, at the request of the Employer, resign without any claim for compensation from any office (including the office of director) held by the Executive in the Employer or any Group Member and do any thing required to give effect to this resignation, and if the Executive does not formally so resign then the Executive shall be deemed to have so resigned.

 

7


16.3

The Executive authorises the Employer to do anything necessary to give effect to this clause 16 (including making public announcements on ASX or otherwise).

 

 

 

17

Suspension

 

17.1

If the Employer suspects that the Executive has been involved in any improper conduct or involved in any other conduct which in the opinion of the Employer requires proper investigation, the Employer may suspend the Executive for the purposes of conducting an investigation.

 

17.2

During the period of suspension the Executive will continue to receive the remuneration set out under this contract.

 

 

 

18

Confidential Information

Obligations of confidentiality

 

18.1

In order to give effect to the Executive’s obligations of confidence to the Group, the Executive will execute a deed poll in the form of Schedule C.

Company Property

 

18.2

The Executive understands that all documents (including computer records, facsimile and e-mail),materials created, received or transmitted in connection with her work or using the facilities of the Employer, and property discovered during the drug development process is the property of the Employer and subject to inspection by the Employer, at any time.

Return of property and Documents upon termination

 

18.3

Upon the termination of the Employment (howsoever caused), the Executive must immediately deliver to the Employer without any further demand:

 

  (a)

all Documents and other property of the Employer and any Group Member, including but not limited to Employer provided phone and laptop; and

 

  (b)

without limiting the generality of paragraph (a) above, all Documents which contain any Confidential Information, and Documents in the Executive’s possession or control relating in any way to any Confidential Information.

 

 

 

19

Inventions

 

19.1

The Executive hereby acknowledges that the Employer shall be the sole owner of all rights, title and interest in all inventions, improvements, designs, original works of authorship, formulas, processes, compositions of matter, computer software programs, databases, mask works, concepts and trade secrets, whether or not patentable or registrable under patent, copyright, circuit layout design or similar laws in Australia or anywhere else in the world, which the Executive may solely or jointly conceive or develop or reduce to practice, or cause to be conceived or developed or reduced to practice, during the period of the Executive’s Employment at the Employer (whether or not during business hours) that are either related to the scope of the Employment at the Employer or make use, in any manner, of the resources of the Employer.

 

8


 

 

20

Post-Employment Restrictions

In order to give effect to certain post employment restrictions which the Executive will undertake for the benefit of the Group, the Executive will execute a deed poll in the form of Schedule C.

 

 

 

21

Entire Agreement

 

21.1

This contract constitutes the entire agreement relating to the Employment and supersedes all prior offers and representations whether in writing or verbal in relation to the Employment. This contract may only be amended by agreement in writing signed by both parties.

 

 

 

22

No Representations and Warranties

 

22.1

The Executive acknowledges that in entering into this contract, the Executive has not relied on any representations or warranties about its subject matter, except as provided in this contract.

 

 

 

23

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

 

23.1

The Employment is governed by the laws in force in Victoria and both the Employer and the Executive irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of this jurisdiction.

 

 

 

24

Independent Legal Advice

 

24.1

The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has had a reasonable opportunity to obtain independent legal advice regarding the contents of this contract.

 

24.2

The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has had sufficient time to review the contents of this contract and further, understands the contents of this contract.

 

24.3

The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has not been placed under any under pressure to enter into this contract.

 

9


Execution

Executed as an agreement.

 

Signed for and on behalf of                  
Circadian Technologies Limited     
by its duly authorised representative in the presence of:     

/s/ Nikki Rees

    

/s/ Dominique Fisher

Signature of witness      Signature of authorised representative

Nikki Rees

    

Dominique Fisher

Name of witness (please print)      Name of authorised representative
     (please print)
Signed by     
Dr Megan Baldwin     
in the presence of:     

/s/ Nikki Rees

    

/s/ Megan Baldwin

Signature of witness      Signature of Dr Megan Baldwin

Nikki Rees

    
Name of witness (please print)     

 

10


Schedule A

Job Description

 

 

 

1.

As Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, the Executive will be responsible for the development, origination, analysis, execution and ongoing management of all aspects of the Employer’s operations.

 

2.

The Executive will also be responsible for recruiting, managing and mentoring other staff.

 

3.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Executive will be responsible for the following:

 

  (a)

keep the Chairman of the Board and the Board informed on a complete and timely basis of any material issues and any strategic developments or possibilities relevant to the Employer’s business;

 

  (b)

managing and overseeing the development of the Employer’s intellectual property as human therapeutics for eye disease, oncology, research reagents and diagnostics

 

  (c)

raising ongoing investment funds either by non-dilutive grants or equivalent, partnership or licensing deals or through sale of equity to third party investors

 

  (d)

maintaining the confidence of the Chairman and the Board and shareholders;

 

  (e)

assisting with the overall management and strategy of the Employer;

 

  (f)

motivating the other staff of the Employer;

 

  (g)

ensuring that the Employer has sufficient cash reserves to run its business;

 

  (h)

ensuring good relations between the Employer and its suppliers, clients and customers; and

 

  (i)

any other duties consistent with the position of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.

 

11


Schedule B

Employee Entitlements

 

 

 

   

The Executive commenced employment with the Employer on 15 January, 2008.

 

   

At 28 February 2014, the Executive’s accrued long service leave was 187.959 hours.

 

   

At 28 February 2014, the Executive’s accrued annual leave was 205.75 hours.

 

   

At 28 February 2014, the Executive’s accrued personal leave was 366.505 hours.

 

12


Schedule C – Deed Poll

 

DATE                2014

BY: Dr Megan Baldwin (Executive)

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BENEFICIARIES AS FOLLOWS:

all of: Circadian Technologies Limited (ACN 32 006 340 567) (Company) and its related bodies corporate, as that expression is defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (collectively, Beneficiaries).

RECITALS

 

A.

The Executive and the Company have reached agreement on the terms of a contract of employment under which the Executive will be employed by the Company.

 

B.

In order to protect the Beneficiaries’ proprietary interests, the Executive has agreed to give the Beneficiaries certain undertakings in relation to the Executive’s activities during the Executive’s employment with the Company and after the employment ceases.

COVENANTS

 

1.

Restrictions

 

1.1

The Executive will not, in any capacity, including on the Executive’s own account or as a member, shareholder, unit holder, director, partner, joint venturer, employee, trustee, beneficiary, principal, agent, advisor, contractor, consultant, management associate, representative or financier or in any other way or by any other means:

 

  (a)

solicit, entice away, interfere with or endeavour to solicit, entice away or interfere with any person, firm, corporation, or entity which was or is a client or customer of any of the Beneficiaries and with whom the Executive had direct dealings in the 12 month period prior to the cessation of the Executive’s employment; or

 

  (b)

solicit, entice away, interfere with or endeavour to solicit, entice away or interfere with any person who was or is a contractor to or employee of any of the Beneficiaries and with whom the Executive had direct dealings in the 12 month period prior to the cessation of the Executive’s employment; or

 

  (c)

solicit, or endeavour to solicit, any party which has at any time during the Executive’s employment by any Beneficiary made any financial investment in a Beneficiary, to make a financial investment in any business, activity or operation that is the same as, substantially similar to, or competitive with the business conducted by any Beneficiary. For the avoidance of doubt, a company that is the same as, substantially similar to, or competitive with the business conducted by any Beneficiary is a biotechnology company developing therapies for ophthalmic diseases.

 

1.2

The undertakings in clause 1.1 are given for a period of:

 

  (a)

6 months in the event that the employee resigns, commencing on the date the Executive’s employment with the Company terminates; and

 

  (b)

3 months in the event that the employee resigns, commencing on the date the Executive’s employment with the Company terminates; or

 

13


  (c)

3 months from the date of notice of termination in the event that the employee is terminated.

 

1.3

Clauses 1.1(a), 1.1(b), 1.1(c) and 1.2 have effect together as if they consist of separate provisions, each resulting from combining the undertakings in clauses 1.1(a), 1.1(b) and 1.1(c) with each period in clause 1.2. If any of those separate provisions is invalid or otherwise unenforceable for any reason, the invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any of the other separate provisions or other combinations of those separate provisions of clauses 1.1(a), 1.1(b), 1.1(c) or 1.2.

 

1.4

The Executive acknowledges that:

 

  (a)

all the prohibitions and restrictions contained in this clause 1 are reasonable in the circumstances and necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the Beneficiaries;

 

  (b)

damages are not an adequate remedy if the Executive breaches this clause; and

 

  (c)

a Beneficiary may apply for injunctive relief if:

 

  (i)

the Executive breaches or threatens to breach this clause; or

 

  (ii)

a Beneficiary believes the Executive is likely to breach this clause.

 

2.

Confidential Information

 

2.1

During and after the Executive’s employment, the Executive will not divulge, use (or attempt to use) or appropriate for the Executive’s own use or for the use of others, except as the Company may authorise or direct in writing, any Confidential Information obtained by the Executive during the Executive’s employment.

 

2.2

The Executive will immediately notify the Company if the Executive suspects Confidential Information has been improperly used or disclosed.

 

2.3

The Executive will take all reasonable steps to prevent and protect the unauthorised use or disclosure of Confidential Information. Post-employment with the Company, the Executive will not copy or reproduce, or remove from the premises of any of the Beneficiaries, any document in any form, including but not limited to electronic form, which contains Confidential Information, without the Company’s written consent.

 

2.4

In this Deed Poll, Confidential Information means all information of the Beneficiaries that is of a confidential nature (whether or not marked as being ‘confidential’), and specifically includes:

 

  (a)

all drug development related information;

 

  (b)

inventions and discoveries (whether or not patentable);

 

  (c)

client and customer lists;

 

  (d)

trade secrets;

 

  (e)

financial information; and

 

  (f)

scientific, technical, product and service information.

 

14


3.

Warranties

The Executive warrants that:

 

  (a)

the Executive has read the terms of this Deed Poll;

 

  (b)

the Executive has had the opportunity to obtain independent legal advice about the terms and effect of this Deed Poll;

 

  (c)

the Executive is aware that the Beneficiaries are relying on these warranties; and

 

  (d)

the Beneficiaries have not made any promise, representation or inducement or been a party to any conduct material to the Executive entering into this Deed Poll other than as set out in this Deed Poll.

 

4.

Severability

Part or all of any provision of this Deed Poll that is illegal or unenforceable may be severed from this Deed Poll and the remaining provisions continue in force.

 

5.

Headings

Headings are for reference only and do not affect the meaning of this Deed Poll.

 

15


Signing page

 

EXECUTED as an agreement

 

Signed for and on behalf of Circadian

Technologies Limited (ACN 32 006 340 567)

by an authorised officer in the presence of

              /s/ Dominique Fisher         
  

 

Signature of officer

/s/ Nikki Rees      Dominique Fisher

 

Signature of witness

    

 

Name of officer (print)

Nikki Rees      Chairman

 

Name of witness (print)

    

 

Office held

Signed by Megan Baldwin in the presence of

 

s/ Nikki Rees

    

 

    

s/ Megan Baldwin

Signature of witness      Megan Baldwin
Nikki Rees     

 

Name of witness (print)

    

 

16

EX-10.8

Exhibit 10.8

 

 

Executive Employment

Contract

Circadian Technologies

ACN 32 006 340 567

Mr Michael Tonroe

 


Contents

 

 

 

Clause
Number
  Heading    Page  

1

 

Dictionary

     1  

2

 

The Position

     2  

3

 

Commencement and Term

     2  

4

 

Location of Employment

     2  

5

 

Travel

     2  

6

 

Conduct and Performance

     2  

7

 

Warranties

     3  

8

 

Conflicts of Interest

     3  

9

 

Hours of Work

     3  

10

 

Remuneration Package

     4  

11

 

Refund of expenses

     5  

12

 

Leave entitlements

     5  

13

 

Policies and Procedures

     6  

14

 

Anti-discrimination and Harassment

     6  

15

 

Termination

     6  

16

 

Appointment to and Resignation from Offices

     8  

17

 

Suspension

     8  

18

 

Confidential Information

     8  

19

 

Inventions

     9  

20

 

Post-Employment Restrictions

     9  

21

 

Entire Agreement

     9  

22

 

No Representations and Warranties

     10  

23

 

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

     10  

24

 

Independent Legal Advice

     10  
 

Schedule A

     12  
 

Job Description

     12  
 

Appendix 1

     15  
 

Employee Secrecy and Confidentiality Agreement

     15  

 

 

i


Date    8 May 2014
Parties   

Circadian Technologies Limited, ACN 32 006 340 567 of Level 4/650 Chapel Street South Yarra, Vic, Australia 3142

(Employer)

  

Mr Michael Tonroe of 58 The Ridge, Mount Eliza, Vic, 3930 (Executive)

Recitals

 

A.

This contract sets out the terms and conditions under which the Executive is employed by the Employer.

 

B.

This contract overrides any previous representations or understanding between the Employer and the Executive.

 

 

 

1

Dictionary

 

1.1

For the purpose of this contract, the following terms have the meanings set out below.

ASX means the Australian Securities Exchange.

Confidential Information means information acquired or developed by the Executive in the course of the Employment which is not already in the public domain otherwise than by breach of this contract by the Executive, including all drug development related information, whether such information is in written, printed, electronic or other form, including all copies of such information, and including the following types of information.

Document means any record of information (including an electronic record).

Employee Entitlements means all entitlements and benefits generally arising out of or in connection with employment or the provision of services attracting such benefits, including, but not limited to, salary overtime, penalty rates, bonuses, incentives, commissions, annual leave, long service leave, redundancy payments, notice and/or other termination benefits, superannuation, tax withholding and/or any other similar entitlement or benefit or contingent obligation or liability.

Employment means the employment of the Executive by the Employer in accordance with the terms of this contract.

ESOP means an employee share option plan or equivalent employee equity incentive plan.

Group means the Employer and its Related Bodies Corporate.

Group Member means any member of the Group.

Group Personnel means any director, officer, employee or contractor of any Group Member.

Related Body Corporate has the same meaning as that set out in section 50 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

 

1


1.2

Other terms may be specially defined elsewhere in this contract.

 

 

 

2

The Position

 

2.1

The Executive will be employed in the position of Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary (the Position).

 

2.2

In the Position the Executive will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the Employer.

 

2.3

A description of the duties and responsibilities of the Position is set out in Schedule A. This description is not intended to be exhaustive and the Employer may require the Executive to perform other reasonable duties in addition to or instead of those set out in Schedule A.

 

2.4

If the Executive’s position, duties and/or responsibilities significantly change for any reason, then the terms of this contract will continue to apply unless expressly varied by the parties in writing.

 

 

 

3

Commencement and Term

 

3.1

The employment of the Executive will commence as of May 19, 2014 (the Commencement Date) and will continue indefinitely until terminated by either party in accordance with the terms of this contract.

 

 

 

4

Location of Employment

 

4.1

The Employment will initially be based at the Employer’s offices in South Yarra.

 

4.2

The Employer may change the base location of the Employment by giving the Executive reasonable notice in writing. In the event of such relocation, the Executive will not be entitled to any additional remuneration.

 

 

 

5

Travel

 

5.1

The Executive acknowledges that the nature of the Position may require unscheduled travel within and outside of Australia. The Executive must engage in such travel as reasonably required by the Employer without additional remuneration.

 

 

 

6

Conduct and Performance

 

6.1

The Executive must:

 

  (a)

serve the Employer and fulfil his duties and responsibilities honestly, faithfully and in a professional manner;

 

  (b)

use the Executive’s best efforts to promote and protect the business of the Employer and the Group;

 

2


  (c)

comply with the Employer’s lawful directions and fully and truthfully answer any questions asked by the Employer relating in any way to the Employment or the Employer’s business;

 

  (d)

fully report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Employer all business opportunities which may advantage the Employer or Group Members and any significant threats to the business as soon as these come to the attention of the Executive;

 

  (e)

fully report to the board of the Employer any unlawful act or omission of any Group Member or any Group Personnel; and

 

  (f)

provide the Chief Executive Officer of the Employer with information and regular reports as to the financial status of the Employer so as to keep the Chief Executive Officer fully informed of the financial status and financial affairs of the Employer.

 

 

 

7

Warranties

 

7.1

The Executive warrants that in entering into this contract and performing his duties, the Executive will not be in breach of any agreement or obligation owed to any third party.

 

7.2

The Executive warrants that he has disclosed all material information to the Employer which may be relevant to the Employer’s decision to offer the Executive employment under this contract.

 

 

 

8

Conflicts of Interest

 

8.1

The Executive must not undertake any activity (whether paid or unpaid) which may either compete with, compromise or give rise to a conflict with either:

 

  (a)

the Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this contract; or

 

  (b)

the business interests of the Employer,

unless the Executive has obtained the prior consent of the Chief Executive Officer of the Employer in writing.

 

8.2

Without limiting the generality of the above, the Executive must not be engaged, employed, concerned or interested directly or indirectly in any business, company, proposal, project, assignment or development which is in or is related to the industry in which the Employer and/or any Group Member is concerned unless the Executive has obtained the prior consent of the Chief Executive Officer of the Employer in writing.

 

8.3

The Executive must immediately and fully disclose in writing to the Employer any potential or actual conflicts of interest.

 

 

 

9

Hours of Work

 

9.1

The Executive is engaged on a full-time basis and must reasonably devote his full-time and attention to the business of the Employer.

 

3


9.2

The Executive will be required to work during ordinary business hours and also outside these hours as reasonably necessary to properly perform duties of the position. The Executive agrees that he is available to work such reasonable additional hours.

 

9.3

The Executive is not entitled to any additional pay or benefits for working outside of normal business hours. The Executive’s remuneration includes compensation for all hours worked.

 

 

 

10

Remuneration Package

Base salary

 

10.1

The Executive will be paid a base salary of AUD$201,373 per annum, less tax. This amount is exclusive of statutory superannuation contributions.

 

10.2

The salary will be paid on a monthly basis or such other basis as the parties agree.

 

10.3

The Executive authorises and requests the Employer to deduct any monies owed by the Executive to the Employer from his monthly salary.

 

10.4

The Remuneration Package includes director’s fees payable in respect of any directorship in the Group held by the Executive, and the Executive is not entitled to additional director’s fees or other fees for or in respect of any directorship or other office held by the Executive in the Group.

Superannuation

 

10.5

The Employer will make the superannuation contributions component of the amount specified in clause 10.1 into a complying superannuation fund on behalf of the Executive so as to avoid liability for a charge under the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 and the Superannuation Guarantee Charge Act 1992.

Incentive for Achievement of Key performance Indicators

 

10.6

The Employee may be eligible to receive an annual bonus payment of up to 15% of the base salary if Key Performance Indicators, determined by the Chief Executive Officer and Board, in their absolute discretion, for the financial year are achieved during that year.

 

10.7

Key Performance Indicators for the next 12 months will be determined for the Executive prior to or by August 31st of each year.

 

10.8

For the avoidance of doubt, even if all Key Performance Indicators are achieved, the Board will, in its absolute discretion, determine if an annual bonus payment will be made and the amount of such bonus payment.

 

10.9

The Executive will not be entitled to any incentive benefit, including an annual bonus payment, if either party terminates, or gives the other notice to terminate, this contract.

ESOP

 

10.10

The Executive acknowledges that as of the Effective Date no ESOP is in existence. The Employer acknowledges that it is the intention of the Employer to implement an ESOP which will be subject to shareholder approval.

 

4


10.11

In the event that an ESOP is implemented, the Executive will be eligible to participate in an ESOP which is approved by the shareholders of the Employer, on the basis determined by the Employer.

 

 

 

11

Refund of expenses

 

11.1

Any business expenses which the Executive necessarily incurs for the purpose of carrying out the duties of the Position will be reimbursed by the Employer provided that:

 

  (a)

the expenses are reasonable and related directly to the Employer’s business;

 

  (b)

the Executive has provided the Employer with itemised receipts of these expenses, and any other additional evidence of these expenses as it may reasonably require; and

 

  (c)

the Executive complies with any other policy or procedure published by the Employer from time to time regarding the reimbursement of expenses.

 

 

 

12

Leave entitlements

Annual and Long Service Leave

 

12.1

The Executive is entitled to accrue annual holidays in accordance with applicable law. This entitlement currently amounts to four ordinary working weeks’ paid leave per year of service. Untaken annual leave accumulates from year to year.

 

12.2

The Executive must take leave at a time that is mutually agreed between the Employer and the Executive.

 

12.3

The Executive is entitled to accrue long service leave in accordance with the provisions of the Long Service Leave Act 1992 (Vic) or any other applicable law.

 

12.4

Whilst on such leave, the Executive will not engage in any conduct which is inconsistent with the Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this contract.

Personal Leave

 

12.5

The Executive will be entitled to personal leave in accordance with applicable law.

 

12.6

The Executive will not be entitled to receive any payment for any accrued and unused personal leave upon termination or at any other time.

 

12.7

Without limiting the above, the Employer may require the Executive to be examined by a medical practitioner nominated by the Employer to determine whether or not the Executive is fit for work, and the Executive consents to the Employer receiving a report from such a medical practitioner for this purpose. The Executive will confirm such consent in writing as and when required by the Employer.

 

5


 

 

13

Policies and Procedures

 

13.1

The Employer may issue policies from time to time in relation to the Employment. These policies do not form part of the Executive’s employment contract with the Employer or give rise to any contractual rights. However, to the extent that these policies require the Executive to do any act or thing, or to refrain from doing any act or thing, these policies constitute directions from the Employer to the Executive with which the Executive must comply.

 

13.2

The Employer has the right to vary or not apply these policies at its discretion.

 

 

 

14

Anti-discrimination and Harassment

 

14.1

The Employer is an equal opportunity employer and will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment at its workplace.

 

14.2

The Executive must at all times comply with and ensure that the employees of the Employer comply with the anti-discrimination and harassment policies of the Employer.

 

 

 

15

Termination

Termination with prior notice

 

15.1

Either party may terminate the Employment by giving the other not less than three months’ notice.

 

15.2

The Employer may also terminate the Employment by either:

 

  (a)

making a payment in lieu of the entire notice period; or

 

  (b)

requiring the Executive to work part of the notice period and making a payment in lieu of the balance of the notice period.

In either case the Employment will be terminated upon the making of the payment in lieu of notice.

 

15.3

Nothing in any policy, statement, or representation issued or made by the Employer will affect its ability to terminate the Employment by giving prior notice (or making a payment in lieu) or impose any requirement upon the Employer to follow any procedure before terminating the Employment other than the giving of prior notice (or making a payment in lieu).

 

15.4

Where the Executive is required to work out a period of notice, the Employer may direct the Executive during some or all of the notice period:

 

  (a)

not to attend any offices or premises of the Employer;

 

  (b)

not to contact clients, customers, suppliers, employees or contractors of the Employer in relation to the Employer’s business;

 

  (c)

not to perform the duties of the Position;

 

  (d)

to perform the duties of the Position from home;

 

6


  (e)

to assist the Employer arrange a proper handover of his duties and work (including a handover of clients, business contacts and business); or

 

  (f)

any combination of the above.

 

15.5

If the Executive gives the Employer notice of termination for the purpose of commencing work with a competitor of the Employer, or otherwise competing with the Employer, the Executive must:

 

  (a)

immediately upon giving notice disclose full details of this purpose so as to enable the Employer to take steps to protect their business, and arrange the hand over of duties (including clients, suppliers and business) to another employee; and

 

  (b)

comply with any directions given by the Employer for the purpose of giving effect to paragraph (a) above.

The obligation set out in this sub-clause above is not intended to detract from the Executive’s general obligation to immediately disclose any conflict of interest to the Employer.

 

15.6

The Executive will not be entitled to any benefits (including without limitation an increase in benefits) under this contract or otherwise in connection with the termination of the Employment at the expiration of the Term or otherwise, if the giving of such benefit will give rise to a breach of Part 2D.2 of the Corporations Act 2001 or any other provision of this Act, Chapter 10 of the ASX Listing Rules or any other ASX Listing Rules, or any other applicable statute, rule or regulation which limits or restricts the giving of such benefits. Further, the Employer is under no obligation to seek or obtain the approval of its shareholders in general meeting for the purpose of overcoming any such limitation or restriction.

 

15.7

Upon termination clauses 3 and 12 will apply.

Summary termination

 

15.8

The Employer may terminate the Employment at any time during the Employment without prior notice if the Executive:

 

  (a)

is guilty of serious misconduct (including, but not limited to theft, fraud, or assault);

 

  (b)

is grossly negligent or otherwise incompetent in the performance of the duties of the Position;

 

  (c)

commits a serious or persistent breach of the terms of this contract;

 

  (d)

refuses to carry out a lawful and reasonable instruction that is consistent with this contract;

 

  (e)

becomes bankrupt or suspends payment or compounds with or assigns his estate for the benefit of his creditors; or

 

  (f)

commits a crime or other civil wrong, which in the reasonable opinion of the Employer, may seriously impact on the Executive’s ability to perform the duties of the Position or is likely to significantly damage the reputation or business of the Employer.

 

7


 

 

16

Appointment to and Resignation from Offices

 

16.1

The Employer may during the Employment, request that the Executive hold offices with the Employer. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, these offices will be held without any further remuneration to the Executive.

 

16.2

On termination of the Employment the Executive must, at the request of the Employer, resign without any claim for compensation from any office (including the office of director) held by the Executive in the Employer and do any thing required to give effect to this resignation, and if the Executive does not formally so resign then the Executive shall be deemed to have so resigned.

 

 

 

17

Suspension

 

17.1

If the Employer suspects that the Executive has been involved in any improper conduct or involved in any other conduct which in the reasonable opinion of the Employer requires proper investigation, the Employer may suspend the Executive for the purposes of conducting an investigation.

 

17.2

During the period of suspension the Executive will continue to receive the remuneration set out under this contract.

 

 

 

18

Confidential Information

 

Obligations

of confidentiality

 

18.1

In order to give effect to the Executive’s obligations of confidence to the Group, The Executive will execute an Employee Secrecy and Confidentiality Agreement in the form of Appendix 1.

 

18.2

Without limiting the Executive’s duties at common law, the Executive must at all times during employment with the Employer (except where required by law or in the proper course of his duties) and after its termination (howsoever caused), keep confidential and not disclose or allow to be disclosed to any unauthorised person, any Confidential Information.

 

18.3

The Executive must take all reasonable steps to prevent the unauthorised disclosure or use of the Confidential Information.

 

18.4

The Executive must execute all confidentiality agreements with the Employer or any Group Member which are designed to protect Confidential Information which comes to the attention of the Executive as a result of the Employment, as reasonably required by the Employer from time to time.

 

18.5

The Executive must not copy or remove from the Employer’s premises any Document which contains Confidential Information except for the purpose of properly performing the duties of the Position and for the benefit of the Employer.

 

18.6

The Executive must promptly notify the Employer of any actual or threatened unauthorised disclosure of Confidential Information, and must assist in any action taken by the Employer either to prevent the occurrence of, or recover loss in respect of, such unauthorised disclosure of Confidential Information.

 

8


18.7

The Executive must provide assistance reasonably requested by the Employer in relation to proceedings any Group Member may take against any person for unauthorised use, copying or disclosure of Confidential Information.

Company Property

 

18.8

The Executive understands that all documents (including computer records, facsimile and e-mail), materials created, received or transmitted in connection with his work or using the facilities of the Employer, and property discovered during the drug development process is the property of the Employer and subject to inspection by the Employer, at any time.

Return of property and Documents upon termination

 

18.9

Upon the termination of the Employment (howsoever caused), the Executive must immediately deliver to the Employer without any further demand:

 

(a)

all Documents and other property of the Employer and any Group Member; and

 

(b)

without limiting the generality of paragraph (a) above, all Documents which contain any Confidential Information, and Documents in the Executive’s possession or control relating in any way to any Confidential Information.

 

 

 

19

Inventions

 

19.1

The Executive hereby acknowledges that the Employer shall be the sole owner of all rights, title and interest in all inventions, improvements, designs, original works of authorship, formulas, processes, compositions of matter, computer software programs, databases, mask works, concepts and trade secrets, whether or not patentable or registrable under patent, copyright, circuit layout design or similar laws in Australia or anywhere else in the world, which the Executive may solely or jointly conceive or develop or reduce to practice, or cause to be conceived or developed or reduced to practice, during the period of the Executive’s Employment at the Employer (whether or not during business hours) that are either related to the scope of his Employment at the Employer or make use, in any manner, of the resources of the Employer.

 

 

 

20

Post-Employment Restrictions

 

20.1

The Executive acknowledges that during the Employment, the Executive has or will become possessed of Confidential Information regarding the business of the Employer and the Group, and the disclosure or use of such information may materially harm the Employer and the Group.

 

20.2

Post-Employment, the terms of the Employee Secrecy and Confidentiality Agreement will continue to apply.

 

 

 

21

Entire Agreement

 

21.1

This contract constitutes the entire agreement relating to the Employment and supersedes all prior offers and representations whether in writing or verbal in relation to the Employment. This contract may only be amended by agreement in writing signed by both parties.

 

9


 

 

22

No Representations and Warranties

 

22.1

The Executive acknowledges that in entering into this contract, the Executive has not relied on any representations or warranties about its subject matter, except as provided in this contract.

 

 

 

23

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

 

23.1

The Employment is governed by the laws in force in Victoria and both the Employer and the Executive irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of this jurisdiction.

 

 

 

24

Independent Legal Advice

 

24.1

The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has had a reasonable opportunity to obtain independent legal advice regarding the contents of this contract.

 

24.2

The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has had sufficient time to review the contents. of this contract and further, understands the contents of this contract.

 

24.3

The Executive acknowledges that the Executive has not been placed under any under pressure to enter into this contract.

 

10


Execution

Executed as an agreement.

 

Signed for and on behalf of     
Circadian Technologies Limited     
by its duly authorised representative in the presence of:     

/s/ Annie Lee

             

/s/ Megan Baldwin

Signature of witness      Signature of authorised representative

Annie Lee

    

Megan Baldwin

Name of witness (please print)      Name of authorised representative
     (please print)
Signed by     
Mr Michael Tonroe     
in the presence of:     

/s/ Annie Lee

    

/s/ Michael Tonroe

Signature of witness      Signature of Mr Michael Tonroe

Annie Lee

    
Name of witness (please print)     

 

11


Schedule A

Job Description

 

 

Key Responsibilities

Strategy

 

   

Partner with the CEO on operational and strategic issues as they arise; provide strategic recommendations to the CEO based on financial analysis and projections, cost identification and allocation, and revenue/expense analysis.

 

   

Develop tools and systems to provide critical financial and operational information to the CEO and make actionable recommendations on both strategy and operations.

 

   

Participate in the ongoing strategic planning process as an integral member of the senior management team.

 

   

Oversee long-term budgetary planning and cost management in alignment with the Group’s strategic plan, especially as the organization considers joint ventures, potential acquisitions, and collaborations with external organizations.

 

   

Engage the senior management team to align financial management with short- and long-term financial planning and projections.

 

   

Partner with the CEO to engage the board and audit committee around issues, trends, and changes in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry landscape.

 

   

Assist in establishing yearly objectives and meeting agendas, and selecting and engaging outside consultants (auditors, brokers/analysts, IR &PR consultants).

 

   

Support the management and implementation of any acquisitions/mergers including reviews & due diligence processes.

 

   

Assist the CEO in identifying new funding opportunities and participate in capital raising activities.

 

   

Work with the CEO on the strategic vision including fostering and cultivating stakeholder relationships.

 

   

Assist in performing all tasks necessary to achieve the organization’s mission and help execute staff succession and growth plans.

Finance and Accounting Leadership

 

   

Liaise with external auditors and tax agents.

 

   

Oversee the coordination and activities of independent auditors ensuring all audit issues are resolved, and all compliance issues are met, and the preparation of the annual financial statements is in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, Australian Accounting Standards and IFR Standards and other required supplementary schedules and information.

 

12


   

Work with the Finance Manager in the preparation of Audit and Tax Schedules.

 

   

Assist with preparation of Annual Report and overseeing the production of the Annual Report in conjunction with the Finance Manager.

 

   

Work with the Finance Manager in the preparation & lodgement of the Group’s ITR Schedules, R&D Tax Schedules and Annual Application for R&D Tax Concession in collaboration with tax agents.

 

   

Oversee compliance management including statutory compliance, taxation, annual accounts and audit, payroll, BAS, PAYG instalments, reporting superannuation, Workers Compensation, GST reporting

 

   

Oversee the production of financial statements and cash flow projections for use by Executive management, as well as the Audit Committee and Board of Directors.

 

   

Oversee all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with appropriate Australian standards and regulatory requirements and monitor the use of all funds.

 

   

Assist in the development and negotiation of contracts with the objective to minimise contractual commitments/exposures at any point in time.

 

   

Assess the benefits of all current and prospective contracts (including licensing/partnering agreements) and advise the CEO and Executive Team on the cost effectiveness of current and prospective business activity and service delivery.

 

   

Ensure that due diligence process in place in selecting key suppliers and checklist in place re criteria to be met for selection of suppliers and appropriately documented (including a financial health check on the supplier).

 

   

Manage and track the performance of invested assets in keeping with policies and investment guidelines.

 

   

Contribute to structure of and implementation of any securities issues (shares, options rights etc.) by the Group.

 

   

Assist in remuneration packaging including short term and long term incentives.

 

   

Develop and provide guidance to the Finance Manager and other key management staff on raising awareness and knowledge of financial management matters.

 

13


Risk Management

 

   

Ensure/facilitate the identification of significant operational, financial and economic risks to the company.

 

   

Oversee/facilitate the adequate management of these risks: including that appropriate controls and processes are in place.

 

   

Regularly review adequacy of risk management and business insurance plans.

 

   

Report corporate governance policies re company’s risk management process, to the CEO and Board.

Team Management

 

   

Mentor and develop finance team, managing work allocation, training, problem resolution, performance evaluation, and the building of an effective team dynamic.

 

   

Engage other members of senior management team to facilitate collaboration that ensures that all financial, IT and HR solutions positively support the Group’s evolving strategy, operational delivery and data collection needs.

Company Secretarial & Corporate Governance

 

   

Ensure compliance with the company’s corporate governance policies.

 

   

Prepare and lodge ASX announcements.

 

   

Ensure ASIC lodging as required by Corporations Law.

 

   

Prepare and lodge various forms/disclosures as required by the ASX Listing Rules.

 

   

Manage the relationship and activities (including those related to the annual general meeting) with the company’s share registry company.

 

   

Communicate and manage relationship with shareholders as directed by the CEO.

 

   

Prepare Board papers and minutes of meetings.

 

   

Attend Board and Subcommittee meetings; including being the lead staff on the Audit Committee.

 

   

Contribute to IR/PR strategy and investor relations activities as directed by the CEO.

 

14


Appendix 1

Employee Secrecy and Confidentiality Agreement

 

 

In consideration of employment as an employee with Circadian Technologies Limited of Suite 0403, Level 4, 650 Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria 3141 (the “Company”), the undersigned (the “Participant”) agrees and covenants as follows:

 

1.

Employment with the Company as an employee (the “Engagement”) will give the Participant access to proprietary and confidential information belonging to the Company (the proprietary and confidential information is collectively referred to in this Agreement as “Confidential Information”). Confidential Information includes but is not limited to customer lists, marketing plans, proposals, contracts, commercial, technical and/or financial information, databases, software and know-how. All Confidential Information remains the confidential and proprietary information of the Company.

 

2.

For the purposes of this Agreement, “Company” shall include the Company and its affiliates, subsidiaries and associated companies.

 

3.

As referred to herein, the “Business of the Company” shall relate to the business of the Company as the same is determined by the Board of Directors of the Company from time to time.

 

4.

The Participant may in the course of the Engagement conceive, develop or contribute to material or information related to the Business of the Company, including, without limitation, software, technical documentation, ideas, inventions (whether or not patentable), hardware, know-how, marketing plans, designs, techniques, documentation and records, regardless of the form or media, if any, on which such is stored (referred to in this Agreement as “Proprietary Property”). The Company shall exclusively own all Proprietary Property which the Participant conceives, develops or contributes to in the course of the Engagement and all intellectual and industrial property and other rights of any kind in or relating to the Proprietary Property, including but not limited to all copyright, patent, trade secret and trade-mark rights in or relating to the Proprietary Property. For greater certainty, the Participant hereby assigns to the Company any and all rights that the Participant may have or obtain in or to the Proprietary Property. Material or information conceived, developed or contributed to by the Participant outside work hours on the Company’s premises or through the use of the Company’s property and/or assets shall also be Proprietary Property and be governed by this Agreement if such material or information relates to the Business of the Company. The Participant shall keep full and accurate records accessible at all times to the Company relating to all Proprietary Property and shall promptly disclose and deliver to the Company all Proprietary Property.

 

5.

The Participant shall, both during and after the Engagement, keep all Confidential Information and Proprietary Property confidential and shall not use any of it except for the purpose of carrying out authorized activities on behalf of the Company. The Participant may, however, use or disclose Confidential Information which:

 

  (i)

is or becomes public other than through a breach of this Agreement;

 

  (ii)

is known to the Participant prior to the date of this Agreement and with respect to which the Participant does not have any obligation of confidentiality; or

 

15


  (iii)

is required to be disclosed by law, whether under an order of a court or government tribunal or other legal process, provided that Participant informs the Company of such requirement in sufficient time to allow the Company to avoid such disclosure by the Participant.

The Participant shall return or destroy, as directed by the Company, Confidential Information and Proprietary Property to the Company upon request by the Company at any time. The Participant shall certify, by way of affidavit or statutory declaration, that all such Confidential Information and Proprietary Property has been returned or destroyed, as applicable.

 

6.

The Participant covenants and agrees not to make any unauthorized use whatsoever of or to bring onto the Company’s premises (including any premises rented by the Company as part of the Business of the Company) for the purpose of making any unauthorized use whatsoever of any trade secrets, confidential information or proprietary property of any third party, including without limitation any trade-marks or copyrighted materials, during the course of the Engagement. The Participant agrees and represents that the Engagement and the execution of this Agreement do not and will not breach any agreement to which the Participant is currently a party or which currently applies to the Participant.

 

7.

At the reasonable request and at the sole expense of the Company, the Participant shall do all reasonable acts necessary and sign all reasonable documentation necessary in order to ensure the Company’s ownership of the Proprietary Property and all intellectual and industrial property rights and other rights in the same, including but not limited to providing to the Company written assignments of all rights to the Company and any other documents required to enable the Company to document rights to and/or register patents, copyrights, trade-marks, industrial designs and such other protections as the Company considers advisable anywhere in the world.

 

8.

The Participant hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives all moral rights the Participant may now or in the future have in any Proprietary Property.

 

9.

The Participant agrees that the Participant will, if requested from time to time by the Company, execute such further reasonable agreements as to confidentiality and proprietary rights as the Company’s customers or suppliers reasonably required to protect Confidential Information or Proprietary Property.

 

10.

Regardless of any changes in position, salary or otherwise, including, without limitation, termination of the Engagement, unless otherwise stipulated pursuant to the terms hereof, the Participant will continue to be subject to each of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and any other(s) executed pursuant to the preceding paragraph.

 

11.

The Participant agrees that the Participant’s sole and exclusive remedy for any breach of this Agreement or any other agreement by the Company will be limited to monetary damages and that the Participant will not make any claim in respect of any rights to or interest in any Confidential Information or Proprietary Property.

 

12.

The Participant acknowledges that the services provided by the Participant to the Company are unique. The Participant further agrees that irreparable harm will be suffered by the Company in the event of the Participant’s breach or threatened breach of any of his or her obligations under this Agreement, and that the Company will be entitled to seek, in addition to any other rights and remedies that it may have at law or equity, a temporary or permanent injunction restraining the Participant from engaging in or continuing any such breach hereof.

 

16


Any claims asserted by the Participant against the Company shall not constitute a defense in any injunction action, application or motion brought against the Participant by the Company.

 

13.

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Participant submits unconditionally to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of Victoria, the Federal Court of Australia, and courts with jurisdiction to hear appeals from the lower courts.

 

14.

If any provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be deleted and the other provisions shall remain in effect.

 

15.

This Agreement shall be effective once it is executed by the Participant, irrespective of whether it is executed by the Company.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Company has caused this Agreement to be executed as of

the __8th_____ day of ___May_______________, 2014.

Signed in the presence of:

 

/s/ Michael Tonroe

    

/s/ Megan Baldwin

(a) PARTICIPANT

 

NAME: Michael Tonroe

 

            

  

(b) WITNESS to PARTICIPANT

 

NAME: Megan Baldwin

 

17

EX-21.1

Exhibit 21.1

Subsidiary of Opthea Limited

 

Name of Subsidiary

  

Jurisdiction of Organization

Vegenics Pty Ltd.

  

Australia

EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form F-1 of our report dated September 1, 2020 relating to the financial statements of Opthea Limited. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement

/s/ Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Perth, Australia

September 24, 2020