S-8 1 d670312ds8.htm S-8 S-8

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 21, 2018

Registration No. 333-

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

AKCEA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   47-2608175

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

  

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

22 Boston Wharf Road, 9th Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

 

2015 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full titles of the plans)

Paula Soteropoulos

Chief Executive Officer

Akcea Therapeutics, Inc.

22 Boston Wharf Road, 9th Floor

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

(617) 207-0202

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

 

 

Copies to:

Nicole C. Brookshire

Richard C. Segal

Cooley LLP

500 Boylston Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02116

(617) 937-2300

 

 

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.

 

Large accelerated filer   ☐    Accelerated filer   ☐
Non-accelerated filer   ☒    Smaller reporting company   ☐
     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.  ☒

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Securities
to be Registered		  

Amount

to be

Registered (1)

  

Proposed

Maximum

Offering Price
Per Share(2)

  

Proposed

Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(2)

   Amount of
Registration Fee

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

   5,000,000 shares(3)   $29.93   $149,650,000   $18,137.58

 

 

(1)

Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of the Registrant’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) that become issuable under the Akcea Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2015 EIP”) by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without receipt of consideration that increases the number of the Registrant’s outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(2)

Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee based on the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant’s Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market on December 18, 2018.

(3)

Represents 5,000,000 shares of Common Stock added to the shares authorized for issuance under the 2015 EIP pursuant to an amendment to such plan approved by the Registrant’s stockholders via written consent.

 

 

 

INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

This Registration Statement is being filed for the purpose of increasing the number of securities of the same class as other securities for which a Registration Statement of the Registrant on Form S-8 relating to the same employee benefit plan is effective. The Registrant previously registered shares of its Common Stock for issuance under the 2015 EIP under Registration Statements on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on July 14, 2017 (File No. 333-219290) and June 19, 2018 (File No. 333-225730). Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, this Registration Statement hereby incorporates by reference the contents of the Registration Statement referenced above.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

ITEM 8.

EXHIBITS.

 

Exhibit

Number

   

Description

  4.1(1)    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as amended and as currently in effect.
  4.2(2)    Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant, as currently in effect.
  4.3(3)    Specimen Common Stock Certificate.
  5.1    Opinion of Cooley LLP.
23.1    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
23.2    Consent of Cooley LLP. Reference is made to Exhibit 5.1.
24.1    Power of Attorney. Reference is made to the signature page hereto.
99.1(4)    2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended.

 

(1) 

Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-38137), originally filed with the Commission on May 7, 2018, and incorporated herein by reference.

(2) 

Previously filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-38137), originally filed with the Commission on July 19, 2017, and incorporated herein by reference.

(3) 

Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-216949), originally filed with the Commission on June 20, 2017, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference.

(4) 

Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-38137), originally filed with the Commission on November 23, 2018, and incorporated herein by reference.

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 S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on December 21, 2018.

 

AKCEA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
By:   /s/ Paula Soteropoulos
  Paula Soteropoulos
  Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Paula Soteropoulos and Michael MacLean, and each or any one of them, his/her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him/her and in his/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 file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other 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 connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he/she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his/her substitutes or substitute, 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 in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature    Title   Date

/s/ Paula Soteropoulos

Paula Soteropoulos

   

Chief Executive Officer and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

   December 21, 2018

/s/ Michael MacLean

Michael MacLean

   

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

   December 21, 2018

/s/ Christopher Gabrieli

Christopher Gabrieli

    Chairman of the Board of Directors   December 21, 2018

/s/ Sarah Boyce

Sarah Boyce

    President, Director   December 21, 2018

/s/ Edward Fitzgerald

Edward Fitzgerald

    Director   December 21, 2018

/s/ Elaine Hochberg

Elaine Hochberg

    Director   December 21, 2018

/s/ Damien McDevitt, Ph.D.

Damien McDevitt, Ph.D.

    Director   December 21, 2018

/s/ Richard A. Moscicki, M.D.

Richard A. Moscicki, M.D.

    Director   December 21, 2018

/s/ B. Lynne Parshall, J.D.

B. Lynne Parshall, J.D.

    Director   December 21, 2018

/s/ Sandford D. Smith

Sandford D. Smith

    Director   December 21, 2018