S-8 1 tm248075d1_s8.htm FORM S-8

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 6, 2024
Registration No. 333-

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

CARA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Delaware   75-3175693
(State of incorporation or organization)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

400 Atlantic Street    
Suite 500    
Stamford, Connecticut   06901
(Address of principal executive office)   (Zip Code)

 

2014 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

 

Christopher Posner

Chief Executive Officer

Cara Therapeutics, Inc.

400 Atlantic Street

Suite 500

Stamford, Connecticut

(203) 406-3700

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

 

 

Copies to:

 

Darren DeStefano
Katherine Denby
Cooley LLP
11951 Freedom Drive, 14th Floor

Reston, VA 20190-5640 (703) 456-8000

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large Accelerated filer ¨  Accelerated filer ¨ 
Non-accelerated filer x  Smaller reporting company x 
    Emerging growth company ¨ 

 

If an emerging growth company, 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. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGISTRATION OF ADDITIONAL SHARES
PURSUANT TO GENERAL INSTRUCTION E

 

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, Cara Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Registrant”) is filing this Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) to register 1,634,421 additional shares of its Common Stock under the Registrant’s 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, pursuant to the provisions of the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan providing for an automatic increase in the number of shares reserved and available for issuance under the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan on January 1, 2024. In accordance with the instructional note to Part I of Form S-8 as promulgated by the Commission, the information specified by Part I of the Form S-8 has been omitted from this Registration Statement.

 

 

 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:

 

(a) The contents of the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Form S-8, filed with the Commission on February 12, 2014 (Registration No. 333-193905), March 27, 2015 (Registration No. 333-203057), March 11, 2016 (Registration No.333-210096), March 10, 2017 (Registration No. 333-216606), March 16, 2018 (Registration No. 333-223726), March 15, 2019 (Registration No. 333-230335), February 28, 2020 (Registration No. 333-236728), March 1, 2021 (Registration No. 333-253714), March 1, 2022 (Registration No. 333-263159) and March 6, 2023 (Registration No. 333-270302).

 

(b) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Commission on March 6, 2024.

 

(c) All other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) since December 31, 2023.

 

(d) The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Commission on January 27, 2014 (File No. 001-36279) under the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All other reports and documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than Current Reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that relate to such items) on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of the filing of such reports and documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document that also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

 

 

 

 

 

Item 8. Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number		   Description of Document
     
3.1   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (1)
     
3.2   Amended and Restated Bylaws (2)
     
4.1   Specimen Common Stock Certificate (3)
     
4.2   2014 Equity Incentive Plan (4)
     
4.3   Form of Stock Option Agreement under 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (5)
     
4.4   Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award under 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (6)
     
5.1   Opinion of Cooley LLP
     
23.1   Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
     
23.2   Consent of Cooley LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
     
24.1   Power of Attorney (included on signature page)
     
107   Filing Fee Table

  

 

(1) Filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-36279) filed with the Commission on February 7, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
(2) Filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-36279) filed with the Commission on February 7, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
(3) Filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Pre-effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 Registration No. 333-192230) filed with the Commission on January 17, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
(4) Filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Pre-effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 Registration No. 333-192230) filed with the Commission on January 17, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
(5) Filed as Exhibit 10.3.1 to Pre-effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 Registration No. 333-192230) filed with the Commission on January 17, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.
   
(6) Filed as Exhibit 10.3.2 to Pre-effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 Registration No. 333-192230) filed with the Commission on January 17, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Town of Stamford, State of Connecticut, on March 6, 2024.

 

  CARA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
   
  By: /s/ CHRISTOPHER POSNER
    Christopher Posner
    President and Chief Executive Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the persons whose names appear below constitutes and appoints Christopher Posner and Ryan Maynard, and each of them, such person’s true and lawful attorney in fact and agent, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, for and in such person’s name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to execute any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement (or any other registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933), and to file the same, together with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and such other agencies, offices and persons as may be required by applicable law, granting unto said attorney in fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as such person might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorney-in-fact and agent may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Christopher Posner   President, Chief Executive Officer and Director   March 6, 2024
Christopher Posner   (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
/s/ Ryan Maynard   Chief Financial Officer   March 6, 2024
Ryan Maynard   (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)    
         
/s/ Martin Vogelbaum   Director   March 6, 2024
Martin Vogelbaum        
         
/s/ Helen Boudreau   Director   March 6, 2024
Helen Boudreau        
         
/s/ Jeffrey Ives, Ph.D.   Director   March 6, 2024
Jeffrey Ives, Ph.D.        
         
/s/ Lisa von Moltke, M.D.   Director   March 6, 2024
Lisa von Moltke, M.D.        
         
/s/ Susan Shiff, Ph.D.   Director   March 6, 2024
Susan Shiff, Ph.D.