UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) is saddened to report that Najjam Asghar, the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, passed away unexpectedly on January 6, 2022. Mr. Asghar had served as the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since August 2020 and as the Company’s Chief Accounting Officer from June 2019 to August 2020. He will be greatly missed and the Company extends its sincere condolences to Ms. Asghar’s family.
Following Mr. Asghar’s unexpected death, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has appointed Henry Ji, Ph.D., the Company’s Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, to serve as the Company’s interim Chief Financial Officer. Upon commencement of his appointment, Dr. Ji assumed the duties of the Company’s principal financial officer and principal accounting officer until such time as his successor is appointed, or until his earlier resignation or removal. The biographical information for Dr. Ji required by Item 401 of Regulation S-K was previously disclosed under the heading “Proposal 1: Election of Directors” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 5, 2021 (the “Proxy Statement”), and such information is incorporated herein by reference. There are no reportable family relationships or related party transactions (as defined in Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K) involving the Company and Dr. Ji other than compensation arrangements with Dr. Ji and a customary indemnification agreement between the Company and Dr. Ji, each of which is described in the Proxy Statement.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
On January 7, 2022, the Company issued a press release announcing Mr. Asghar’s unexpected death. A copy of the press release is filed herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibit.
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated January 7, 2022. |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File, formatted in Inline Extensible Business Reporting Language (iXBRL). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| SORRENTO THERAPEUTICS, INC. | |||
| Date: January 7, 2022 | By: | /s/ Henry Ji, Ph.D. | |
| Name: Henry Ji, Ph.D. | |||
| Title: Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer | |||