EX-5.1 2 d310603dex51.htm EX-5.1 EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

 

     140 Scott Drive
     Menlo Park, California 94025
     Tel: +1.650.328.4600 Fax: +1.650.463.2600
     www.lw.com   
LOGO    FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES
   Austin    Moscow
   Beijing    Munich
   Boston    New York
   Brussels    Orange County
   Century City    Paris

May 10, 2022

     Chicago    Riyadh
     Dubai    San Diego
     Düsseldorf    San Francisco
     Frankfurt    Seoul
     Hamburg    Shanghai

Sana Biotechnology, Inc.

     Hong Kong    Silicon Valley

188 East Blaine Street, Suite 400

     Houston    Singapore

Seattle, Washington 98102

     London    Tel Aviv
     Los Angeles        Tokyo
     Madrid    Washington, D.C.
     Milan   

Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8; 11,357,594 shares

of Common Stock of Sana Biotechnology, Inc., par value

$0.0001 per share

To the addressee set forth above:

We have acted as special counsel to Sana Biotechnology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration by the Company of up to 11,357,594 shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”) issuable under the Company’s 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the “2021 Plan”) and 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (together with the 2021 Plan, the “Plans”).

The Shares are included in a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on May 10, 2022 (the “Registration Statement”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or the related prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the purchasers, or certificates representing the Shares have been manually signed by an authorized officer of the transfer agent and registrar therefor, and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor (not less than par value) in the circumstances contemplated by the Plans, assuming in each case that the


May 10, 2022

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individual issuances, grants or awards under the Plans are duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and duly issued, granted or awarded and exercised in accordance with the requirements of law and the applicable Plans (and the agreements and awards duly adopted thereunder and in accordance therewith), the issue and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the DGCL.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Sincerely,
/s/ Latham & Watkins LLP