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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 11, 2017.

Registration No. 333-220515


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549



AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933



OPTINOSE, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)



Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  2834
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  42-1771610
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300
Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067
(267) 364-3500
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)



Peter K. Miller
Chief Executive Officer
OptiNose, Inc.
1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300
Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067
(267) 364-3500

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



Copies to:

Steven J. Abrams
Rachael M. Bushey
Hogan Lovells US LLP
1735 Market Street, 23rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(267) 675-4600

 

Michael F. Marino
Chief Legal Officer
OptiNose, Inc.
1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300
Yardley, PA 19067
(267) 364-3500

 

Divakar Gupta
Brian F. Leaf
Jeffrey P. Libson
Cooley LLP
1114 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212) 479-6000



Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public:
As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

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 of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), check the following box. o

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) 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. o

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. o

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. o

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 o   Accelerated filer o   Non-accelerated filer ý
(Do not check if a
smaller reporting company)
  Smaller reporting company o

Emerging growth company ý

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. ý

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

               
 
Title of securities
being registered

  Amount to be registered(1)
  Proposed maximum
offering price
per share

  Proposed maximum
aggregate offering
price(1)

  Amount of
registration
fee(2)

 

Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

  7,187,500   $17.00   $122,187,500   $14,353.00

 

(1)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(a) under the Securities Act and includes additional shares that the underwriters have an option to purchase.

(2)
Previously paid.

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 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.


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 it is not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state or other jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 11, 2017

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

6,250,000 Shares

LOGO

Common Stock

This is the initial public offering of common stock of OptiNose, Inc. We are offering 6,250,000 shares of our common stock. We expect the initial public offering price to be between $15.00 and $17.00 per share.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. We expect to receive approval to list our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the trading symbol "OPTN."

We are an "emerging growth company" as defined by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, we are subject to reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See "Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company" on page 60 of this prospectus.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read "Risk Factors" beginning on page 13 of this prospectus.


 
  PER SHARE   TOTAL  

Initial public offering price

  $     $    

Underwriting discounts and commissions

  $     $    

Proceeds to OptiNose, Inc., before expenses

  $     $    

(1)
See "Underwriting" beginning on page 173 of this prospectus for information regarding compensation payable to the underwriters.

We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional 937,500 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

Funds affiliated with Avista Capital Partners have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer or no shares in this offering to any of these funds, or any of these funds may determine to purchase more, fewer or no shares in this offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any shares purchased by these funds as they will on any other shares sold to the public in this offering.

After the closing of this offering, we expect to be a "controlled company" under the corporate governance standards for NASDAQ listed companies and will therefore be exempt from certain corporate governance requirements under the NASDAQ listing rules. See "Management — Director Independence and Controlled Company Exemptions" on page 130 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any 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.

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of common stock to investors on or about                             , 2017.

Jefferies   Piper Jaffray   BMO Capital Markets   RBC Capital Markets

   

The date of this prospectus is                        , 2017.


GRAPHIC



TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

  1

RISK FACTORS

  13

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

  58

IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY

  60

MARKET, INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA

  60

USE OF PROCEEDS

  61

DIVIDEND POLICY

  62

CAPITALIZATION

  63

DILUTION

  66

SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

  69

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

  72

BUSINESS

  87

MANAGEMENT

  125

EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

  136

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

  151

PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

  156

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

  160

SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

  166

MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK

  169

UNDERWRITING

  173

LEGAL MATTERS

  182

EXPERTS

  182

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

  182

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  F-1

Neither we nor any of the underwriters has authorized anyone to provide you with information different from, or in addition to, that contained in this prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we may have referred you in connection with this offering. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. The information in this prospectus is accurate only as of its date, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of shares of our common stock. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects may have changed since that date.

Through and including                        , 2017 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This delivery requirement is in addition to a dealer's obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.


TRADEMARKS

OPTINOSE®, XHANCE™ and Breath Powered® are trademarks or registered trademarks of ours in the United States. This prospectus contains references to our trademarks and to trademarks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to these trademarks and trade names. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or display of other companies' trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.


INVESTORS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

For investors outside of 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 in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. You are required to inform yourselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus.


Table of Contents



PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained in greater detail elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider in making your investment decision. Before investing in our common stock, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto and the information set forth under the sections titled "Risk Factors," "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," in each case included in this prospectus.

Unless the context otherwise requires, we use the terms "Optinose," "Company," "we," "us," "our" and similar designations in this prospectus to refer to OptiNose, Inc. and, where appropriate, our subsidiaries.


Optinose

We are a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products for patients treated by ear, nose and throat, or ENT, and allergy specialists. Our lead product, XHANCE (fluticasone propionate) nasal spray, utilizes our proprietary Breath Powered exhalation delivery system, or EDS, to deliver a topically-acting and potent anti-inflammatory corticosteroid for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and, if approved, chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis is a serious nasal inflammatory disease that is currently treated using therapies, such as intranasal steroids, or INS, that have significant limitations. We believe XHANCE has a differentiated clinical profile with the potential to become part of the standard of care for this disease because it is able to deliver medication to the primary site of inflammation high and deep in the nasal passages in regions not adequately reached by current INS. We also believe that payors will respond favorably to XHANCE's clinical, cost and quality-of-care profile, as compared to current and potential future costly drug therapy and surgical treatment options.

On September 18, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved our new drug application, or NDA, for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in patients 18 years of age or older. We expect to launch XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in the second quarter of 2018 with a dedicated sales force targeting a specialty prescriber base comprised of approximately 15,000 physicians in the United States. We expect our sales force will initially consist of approximately 75 representatives. We plan to initiate additional clinical trials of XHANCE in the second half of 2018 to seek a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis to broaden our market opportunity.

We have conducted five clinical trials evaluating over 1,500 adult patients, including two randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials in adults with nasal polyps and two supportive open-label Phase 3 clinical trials in adults with symptoms of chronic sinusitis with and without nasal polyps. In both Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, patients treated with XHANCE experienced statistically significant reductions of both nasal congestion/obstruction symptoms and total polyp grade, which were the co-primary endpoints. Treatment benefits were also observed in all four defining symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis, as well as in polyp elimination, quality of life, need for sinus surgery and patient global impression of change. In addition, the magnitude of improvement for patients treated by XHANCE in our Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, as measured by the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22, a validated clinical outcome assessment, was comparable to the reported benefits in third-party studies of endoscopic sinus surgery, or ESS, and balloon sinus dilation. In addition, XHANCE had an adverse event profile generally comparable to the profile reported in similarly designed studies with conventional INS. In our supportive open-label Phase 3 clinical trials, which evaluated approximately 900 patients with symptoms of chronic sinusitis with and without nasal polyps for a period of up to one year, XHANCE was generally well tolerated and produced results on efficacy endpoints similar to those observed in our Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials. In these

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supportive trials, we observed comparable symptom improvements in patients with and without nasal polyps and continuing incremental polyp reduction and symptom improvement through 12 months.

We intend to efficiently launch XHANCE into the ENT and allergy market segments. Initially, we will focus our marketing efforts on moderate-to-severely symptomatic patients who have not achieved satisfactory results with currently available INS. We plan to educate physicians, payors and patients on XHANCE's unique mechanism of action and differentiated efficacy profile. We also intend to establish a meaningful value proposition for these key stakeholders by highlighting the potential for XHANCE to reduce or delay the need for surgical intervention, reduce antibiotic prescribing and increase patient satisfaction with treatment outcomes. We are also engaging payors to secure broad market access for XHANCE in the commercial segment by targeting Tier 3 payor coverage, single step edit with no prior authorization. This level of coverage indicates that payors would require patients to use a generic INS as a first step in treating their disease prior to the payor covering XHANCE. However, such coverage would not require the prior authorization of the payor. Tier 3 payor coverage requires a patient co-pay that is higher than that required for generics or drugs within a payor's formulary.

Our Market Opportunity

The Unmet Need

Chronic rhinosinusitis is a serious nasal inflammatory disease characterized by chronic inflammation affecting tissues high and deep in the nasal passages, including the area where the openings from the sinuses normally ventilate and drain. This disease significantly impacts the quality of life and daily functioning of an estimated 30 million adults in the United States. The U.S. healthcare system spends approximately $60 billion annually in direct costs treating patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and its associated symptoms, including an estimated $5 billion on sinus surgeries. In the United States, physicians perform over 500,000 sinus surgeries each year, and we estimate that over seven million adults have undergone sinus surgery to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps.

In medical literature and practice, chronic rhinosinusitis is commonly divided into two subgroups: chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis patients with and without nasal polyps suffer from chronic inflammation of the lining of the deep nasal passages and sinuses. Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps also develop non-cancerous polyps on these chronically inflamed surfaces, typically originating in the deep crevices or sinus cavities on both sides of the nose. We estimate that up to 10 million adults in the United States have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Both subgroups of chronic rhinosinusitis also share the same four defining diagnostic symptoms: nasal congestion/obstruction; facial pain and pressure; rhinorrhea, or runny nose, and postnasal drip; and loss of sense of smell and taste. Additional symptoms include headaches, chronic sleep problems, fatigue, frequent episodes of acute rhinosinusitis and mood disorders. There is evidence suggesting that the harm to a sufferer's quality of life from chronic rhinosinusitis, as measured in multiple domains, such as bodily pain, social functioning and mental health, is comparable to or worse than other serious diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and angina. As a result, many patients eventually seek surgery for symptom relief.

Although the term chronic rhinosinusitis is often used in medical literature and medical practice, the FDA does not recognize chronic rhinosinusitis as a single indication for drug development purposes. Instead, the FDA recognizes chronic sinusitis, defined as inflammation of the sinuses with a duration longer than eight weeks, and nasal polyps, defined as non-cancerous polyps on the inflamed tissue of the nasal passages and sinuses, as separate indications for drug development purposes. For purposes of this prospectus, we use the terms chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps when referring to FDA treatment indications and our clinical trials, and use the term chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps when referring to disease and

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economic data reported in the medical literature, medical practice and our estimates of XHANCE's market opportunity.

Our U.S. Market Opportunity

Our initial target market for XHANCE will consist of ENT physicians, allergists and primary care physicians in the United States that most frequently prescribe INS. This group of approximately 5,000 primary care physicians, which we refer to as high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians, account for approximately 25% of all INS prescriptions written by primary care physicians. We refer to these ENT physicians, allergists and high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians collectively as the specialty segment of our target market. We believe the approximately 15,000 physicians in this specialty segment together treat an estimated 3.5 million U.S. patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated 1.2 million of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We believe the total annual U.S. market opportunity for XHANCE in this specialty segment is over $3.4 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. If we are able to obtain approval for the follow-on indication of chronic sinusitis, we intend to broaden our commercialization efforts to target additional primary care physicians that we believe treat an additional estimated 6.25 million U.S. patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated one-third of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We refer to these additional primary care physicians as the primary care segment of our target market. We believe the total additional annual U.S. market opportunity for XHANCE in this primary care segment is over $6.0 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Therefore, we estimate the total annual U.S. market opportunity for the combined specialty and primary care segments is over $9.5 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Landscape of Treatment Therapies for Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Their Limitations

The treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps typically begins with medical management. In cases where patients remain symptomatic despite medical management, physicians often recommend various forms of sinus surgery to help restore normal sinus ventilation and drainage. The following is a brief description of the current and potential future treatment landscape for chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps and their limitations:

    Current Therapies

    §
    Intranasal Steroids.  Multiple published clinical practice guidelines recommend topically-acting INS as the first line of prescription therapy for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without polyps. As a result, physicians typically prescribe INS sprays or aerosols despite the fact that there are no FDA-approved products for the treatment of chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps. Physicians also prescribe INS following sinus surgery to improve symptoms and delay recurrence. Conventional INS are unable to effectively and consistently place the steroids onto the primary site of inflammation and nasal polyp origin, high and deep in the nasal passages, reducing their effectiveness and leaving many patients without sufficient symptomatic relief.

    §
    Oral Steroids.  Physicians may prescribe oral steroids on an episodic basis to patients who have not received sufficient symptomatic relief from INS. Oral steroids are often effective at treating the underlying inflammation associated with the disease and reducing postoperative scarring. However, oral steroids offer only temporary benefit and are limited by the risk of serious systemic side effects associated with both short- and long-term use. As inflammation returns, many patients resume INS therapy.

    §
    Other Medical Management.  Physicians commonly employ a variety of other non-surgical treatments in the medical management of chronic rhinosinusitis, including nasal saline rinses, multi-week courses of antibiotics, leukotriene antagonists, decongestants, aspirin desensitization and antifungals. The recognized limitations of drug deposition with current INS cause some physicians to seek out alternative treatment regimens such as high-volume steroid nasal rinses. These treatments have

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      varying degrees of supporting data and efficacy. In addition, high-volume steroid nasal rinses are difficult to administer, can be costly and may risk systemic side effects.

    §
    Sinus surgery and other procedures.  Physicians generally recommend surgical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps only after patients fail medical management. The primary surgical alternative is ESS, which attempts to open the sinus drainage pathways while preserving as much bone and sinus tissue lining as possible. Other surgical alternatives include balloon sinus dilation devices and steroid-releasing sinus implants. The effectiveness of sinus surgery varies significantly and many patients experience persistent or recurrent symptoms and surgery does not address the underlying cause of inflammation. Balloon sinus dilation is costly and also does not address the underlying cause of inflammation. Steroid-releasing sinus implants have limited duration of anti-inflammatory effect, are costly and face reimbursement challenges.

    Potential Future Therapies

    §
    Biologic monoclonal antibodies.  Several biologic monoclonal antibodies, some of which are already approved for other indications, are being developed for nasal polyps and are believed to inhibit specific pathways of inflammation present in nasal polyps. However, the risks and benefits associated with the use of these drugs for the treatment of nasal polyps are not yet fully established and we expect them to be costly. These drugs also require subcutaneous injections or intravenous administration that require frequent physician office visits.

Market Need for a New Therapy

Given the limitations of current and potential future therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis, we believe there is a significant opportunity for a new treatment that prevents progression to more costly or risky treatment alternatives.

Our Solution

XHANCE combines our EDS with a liquid formulation of fluticasone propionate, a second-generation anti-inflammatory corticosteroid. XHANCE is designed to deliver this drug into the high and deep regions of the nasal passages where both nasal polyps and inflamed and swollen membranes can obstruct normal sinus ventilation and drainage. We believe XHANCE has the potential to become part of the standard of care for the treatment of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis before they progress to more costly treatment alternatives and could also be adopted as a maintenance therapy to improve outcomes following sinus surgery. We believe the following factors could contribute to the potential success of XHANCE:

    §
    High patient dissatisfaction with current INS.  In a market research study that we commissioned, we surveyed 438 patients with chronic sinusitis with and without nasal polyps. In this study, approximately 80% of the patients reported being frustrated with the symptom relief offered from their current INS medication and approximately 90% of the patients reported they would be interested in using a new product if it would improve symptom relief.

    §
    Strong physician interest in XHANCE product profile.  We surveyed approximately 700 physicians, consisting of 400 ENT and allergy specialists and 300 primary care physicians that currently treat patients with chronic sinusitis with and without nasal polyps. Approximately 75% of these physicians, including both specialists and primary care physicians, agreed, in part, that INS medications do not work well in patients with chronic sinusitis due to their belief that conventional INS do not sufficiently reach the high and deep regions of the nasal passages where inflammation occurs. In addition, 70% to 80% of these physicians reported that they would "definitely" or "probably" prescribe their patients a product with a clinical profile similar to XHANCE.

    §
    Fluticasone propionate is the most widely-prescribed INS.  XHANCE contains fluticasone propionate, a potent and well-characterized anti-inflammatory corticosteroid with a low bioavailability, meaning only a small percentage of the drug is absorbed into the body. Corticosteroids provide multiple anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action and are used in various forms to treat many sites of inflammation.

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    §
    XHANCE was designed to overcome the limitations of current INS therapies.  In multiple studies utilizing advanced imaging, our EDS produced a differentiated pattern of drug delivery with significantly more drug deposited at the primary site of inflammation high and deep in the nasal passages where nasal polyps or inflamed and swollen membranes produce nasal symptoms and can obstruct normal sinus ventilation and drainage.

    §
    Strong clinical data demonstrating safety and efficacy.  In two randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials evaluating adult patients with nasal polyps, we met our co-primary endpoints of statistically significant reductions of nasal congestion/obstruction symptoms and total polyp grade and XHANCE also produced treatment benefits as measured by multiple secondary endpoints. In two supportive open-label Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating approximately 900 patients with symptoms of chronic sinusitis with and without nasal polyps for a period of up to one year, XHANCE was generally well tolerated. In these supportive trials, we observed comparable symptom improvements in patients with and without nasal polyps, and continuing incremental polyp reduction and symptom improvement through 12 months.

    §
    XHANCE is easy to use.  In a market study that we commissioned, 98% of patients reported that XHANCE was easy to use after four weeks of use and 93% stated the ease of use was comparable to other INS.

    §
    Potential for broad payor access.  In a market research study that we commissioned, we surveyed 26 health insurance plans representing over 150 million covered lives. Most payors reacted positively to a profile of XHANCE. A majority of payors surveyed indicated that they do not intend to actively manage INS products priced below a certain dollar threshold and many surveyed payors indicated that they would provide access without prior authorization to INS products priced within a certain dollar range. In addition to this market research study, we obtained formulary data for INS from various sources representing approximately 159 million covered lives. These data indicate that health insurance plans covering 84% of commercial lives do not require prior authorization in the INS category for contracted products.

    §
    Cost-effective solution.  We intend to price XHANCE comparably to the only other branded INS that is approved to treat nasal polyps. We believe XHANCE will offer a cost-effective clinical benefit to payors that will reduce the perceived need for multiple step-edits and prior authorizations, which we believe will increase the likelihood of successful commercial adoption of XHANCE.

Our Growth Strategy

Our goal is to become a leading specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing proprietary products that become a part of the standard of care for diseases in the ENT and allergy segments. The key elements of our strategy are to:

    §
    Commercialize XHANCE in the ENT and allergy specialty markets in the United States.  We have begun building our commercial leadership team and organization. Initially, we intend to engage a dedicated specialty sales force to promote XHANCE to a defined prescriber base consisting of approximately 10,000 ENT and allergy specialists, as well as approximately 5,000 high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians.

    §
    Pursue development of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis to broaden our market opportunity.  We plan to seek a follow-on indication for XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. We believe XHANCE would be the first drug therapy product approved for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Upon approval, we plan to broaden our marketing to additional primary care physicians. If we obtain approval for this indication, we may also direct promotional resources to an additional estimated 20 million adults who are not regularly under the care of physicians for this disease using programs such as direct-to-consumer and direct-to-patient promotion.

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    §
    Develop a pipeline of additional products focused on the ENT and allergy specialty markets.  We are evaluating the use of our EDS to deliver other drugs or drug combinations to treat diseases primarily managed by ENT and allergy specialists. We also intend to explore complementary technologies or products to make effective use of our commercial infrastructure.

    §
    Explore business development activities for our EDS outside of the ENT and allergy markets.  We are exploring the possibility of using our EDS to support nose-to-brain drug delivery and are in the early stages of clinical development of OPN-300, which combines our EDS with oxytocin for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. We are in preclinical development of OPN-021, which combines our EDS with orexin-A for the treatment of narcolepsy or symptoms of other diseases potentially amenable to the same pharmacologic activity, such as Parkinson's disease.

    §
    Expand XHANCE into international markets.  We have begun an initial assessment of the development and commercialization of XHANCE for markets outside the United States and plan to conduct further strategic evaluation of such markets now that XHANCE has been approved in the United States. We also intend to explore strategic collaboration opportunities in Europe and the rest of the world in order to maximize the commercial potential and the availability of XHANCE to patients.

Our Pipeline

GRAPHIC

Intellectual Property and Barriers to Entry

XHANCE benefits from substantial intellectual property and other technical barriers to entry, including regulatory and drug delivery complexities. Our patent portfolio for XHANCE consists of nine issued U.S. patents expiring through 2030 and 12 U.S. patent applications that, if granted, would expire through 2034. We believe the unique features of our EDS, as well as its delivery of a topically-acting drug, will present generic and 505(b)(2) NDA competitors of XHANCE with human factors engineering challenges specific to drug-device combination products and chemistry, manufacturing and controls challenges unique to suspension and respiratory products. We also believe that any future substitutable generic competitors would be required to conduct, among other things, non-inferiority clinical trials demonstrating equivalent efficacy and safety outcomes to establish clinical bioequivalence to XHANCE. We believe these clinical trials would require a significant amount of time and capital investment and present clinical development uncertainties.

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Risks Associated with our Business

Our ability to implement our business strategy is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider all of the information set forth in this prospectus and, in particular, the information under the heading "Risk Factors," beginning on page 13 of this prospectus, prior to making an investment in our common stock. These risks include, among others, the following:

    §
    we may not be able to successfully commercialize XHANCE;

    §
    the market opportunities for XHANCE may be smaller than we believe;

    §
    third-party payors may not provide sufficient coverage or adequate reimbursement for XHANCE;

    §
    we currently have limited sales and marketing capabilities and we may not be successful in commercializing XHANCE; and

    §
    we depend on third-party suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors in order to commercialize XHANCE, and these third parties may fail to devote sufficient time and resources to the commercialization of XHANCE.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated in Delaware in May 2010. Our predecessor entity OptiNose AS was formed under the laws of Norway in September 2000. In 2010, OptiNose AS became our subsidiary as part of an internal reorganization.

Our primary executive offices are located at 1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300, Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067 and our telephone number is (267) 364-3500. Our website address is www.optinose.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus and should not be considered as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.

Our Principal Stockholder

Funds affiliated with Avista Capital Partners, or Avista, are expected to own approximately 48.5% of our outstanding common stock upon the closing of this offering. Funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. The previously discussed ownership percentage upon completion of this offering does not reflect the potential purchase of any shares in this offering by such funds. If these funds purchase an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, upon completion of this offering, Avista will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately 52.9% of our outstanding common stock, assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.

Avista is a leading New York-based private equity firm with approximately $5 billion under management. Founded in 2005, Avista makes controlling or influential minority investments in growth-oriented healthcare businesses. Through its team of seasoned investment professionals and industry experts, Avista seeks to partner with strong management teams to invest in and add value to well-positioned businesses.

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THE OFFERING

Issuer

  OptiNose, Inc.

Common stock offered by us

  6,250,000 shares (7,187,500 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full).

Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering

  35,386,273 shares (36,323,773 shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full).

Option to purchase additional shares

  We have granted to the underwriters the option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 937,500 additional shares of common stock.

Use of proceeds

  We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, will be approximately $90.2 million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

  We currently estimate that we will use the net proceeds from this offering for the following purposes:

    

§

approximately $55.0 million to support the planned launch of XHANCE, including investments in marketing and sales, inventory and our commercial infrastructure;

    

§

approximately $20.0 million to fund further development efforts for XHANCE, including the initiation of FDA-mandated pediatric studies, clinical trials necessary to seek approval for a follow-on indication of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and medical affairs activities; and

   

§

the remainder to fund other working capital and general corporate purposes, including expenses to build corporate infrastructure to support us becoming a publicly-traded commercial company, including associated regulatory and quality activities.

  See "Use of Proceeds" on page 61 of this prospectus for a more complete description.

Risk factors

  You should read the "Risk Factors" section beginning on page 13 of this prospectus for a discussion of certain of the factors to consider carefully before deciding to purchase any shares of our common stock.

NASDAQ Global Select Market Symbol

  "OPTN"

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Controlling stockholders

  Upon the closing of this offering, we expect that entities affiliated with Avista will beneficially own a controlling interest in us. If so, we intend to avail ourselves of the controlled company exemptions under the NASDAQ listing rules, in which case you will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that do not rely on those exemptions. See "Management — Director Independence and Controlled Company Exemptions" on page 130 of this prospectus.

Unless otherwise indicated, the number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 29,136,273 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017, after giving effect to the conversion of shares of our convertible preferred stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017 into an aggregate of 25,068,556 shares of our common stock effective upon the closing of this offering, and excludes:

    §
    4,397,949 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2017 at a weighted-average exercise price of $6.46 per share;

    §
    189,157 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options granted since June 30, 2017 at a weighted-average exercise price of $7.25 per share;

    §
    1,890,489 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017 at an exercise price of $8.16 per share;

    §
    838,421 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, effective as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part;

    §
    1,468,918 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options to be granted in connection with this offering at the initial public offering price; and

    §
    144,395 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, effective as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus assumes or gives effect to:

    §
    a 2.8879-for-1 stock split of our common stock effected on October 10, 2017;

    §
    no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to an additional 937,500 shares of our common stock in this offering; and

    §
    the automatic conversion of all of our convertible preferred stock outstanding upon the closing of this offering into an aggregate of 25,068,556 shares of our common stock.

Funds affiliated with Avista Capital Partners have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. Based on these indications of interest, and assuming an initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, these funds would purchase up to an aggregate of 1,562,500 of the 6,250,000 shares offered in this offering. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer or no shares in this offering to any of these funds, or any of these funds may determine to purchase more, fewer or no shares in this offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any shares purchased by these funds as they will on any other shares sold to the public in this offering.

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SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following consolidated summary financial data should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, "Selected Consolidated Financial Data" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary consolidated financial data in this section is not intended to replace our consolidated financial statements and the related notes. We derived the summary consolidated statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016 from our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We derived the summary consolidated statement of operations data for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017 and the summary consolidated balance sheet data as of June 30, 2017 from our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The unaudited interim consolidated financial data, in management's opinion, have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, and include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of the information for the periods presented. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future, and results from our interim period may not necessarily be indicative of the results of the entire year or any future period.

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  Years Ended
December 31,
  Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
  2015   2016   2016   2017  

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

                         

Licensing revenues

  $ 85   $ 47,500   $ 47,500   $  

Operating expenses:

                         

Research and development

    22,156     15,311     8,373     8,979  

Selling, general and administrative

    6,006     6,869     3,296     6,661  

Total operating expenses

    28,162     22,180     11,669     15,640  

(Loss) income from operations

    (28,077 )   25,320     35,831     (15,640 )

Other expense, net

    237     2,707     1,524     643  

Net (loss) income

    (28,314 )   22,613     34,307     (16,283 )

Accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock

    (12,061 )   (13,114 )   (6,557 )   (8,224 )

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders

  $ (40,375 ) $ 9,499   $ 27,750   $ (24,507 )

Net (loss) income per share of common stock,

                         

basic

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.40   $ 1.16   $ (6.02 )

diluted

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.32   $ 0.95   $ (6.02 )

Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic

    4,049,668     4,054,316     4,049,668     4,067,717  

diluted

    4,049,668     4,980,181     4,959,817     4,067,717  

Pro forma net income (loss) per share of common stock(2),

                         

basic (unaudited)

        $ 0.95         $ (0.61 )

diluted (unaudited)

        $ 0.91         $ (0.61 )

Pro forma weighted average common shares outstanding,

                         

basic (unaudited)

          23,910,088           26,716,734  

diluted (unaudited)

          24,835,953           26,716,734  

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  As of June 30, 2017  
(in thousands)
  Actual   Pro Forma(2)   Pro Forma
As Adjusted(3)(4)
 

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

                   

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 58,887   $ 58,887   $ 149,087  

Working capital(1)

    54,689     54,689     144,889  

Total assets

    63,962     63,962     154,162  

Redeemable convertible preferred stock

    232,418          

Additional paid-in capital

        232,393     322,587  

Accumulated deficit

    (174,580 )   (174,580 )   (174,580 )

Total stockholders' (deficit) equity

    (174,681 )   57,737     147,937  

(1)
Working capital is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities.

(2)
Gives effect to the conversion of all our outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock into an aggregate of 25,068,556 shares of our common stock, which will occur upon the closing of this offering.

(3)
Reflects the pro forma adjustment described in footnote (2) and the sale by us of 6,250,000 shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

(4)
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders' (deficit) equity by $5.8 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 1.0 million in the number of shares offered by us would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, working capital, total assets and total stockholders' (deficit) equity by $14.9 million, assuming that the assumed initial public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. The pro forma as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below, together with general economic and business risks and all of the other information contained in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and the section titled "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be harmed. In that event, the price of our common stock could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of specific factors, including the risks described below. See "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements."

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital Resources

We have incurred significant losses since our inception and anticipate that we will incur continued losses in the future.

We are a specialty pharmaceutical company with a limited operating history. To date, we have focused primarily on developing XHANCE as well as other product candidates using our proprietary Breath Powered exhalation delivery system, or EDS, technology. Since inception, we have incurred significant net losses and expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. To date, we have generated revenue primarily from our license agreement, or the AVP-825 License Agreement, with Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Avanir, pursuant to which we granted them the exclusive right to further develop and commercialize AVP-825 for the acute treatment of migraines in adults. We had net income of $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $34.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 due primarily to the achievement of a development milestone under the AVP-825 License Agreement. However, we incurred net losses of $28.3 million for year ended December 31, 2015 and $16.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. We incurred net losses in all other prior periods. As of June 30, 2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $174.6 million.

We expect to incur losses for the foreseeable future, and we expect these losses to increase as we:

Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of expenses or when, or if, we will be able to achieve profitability. If we are required by regulatory authorities to perform studies in addition to those expected, or if there are any delays in the initiation and completion of our clinical trials or the development of any of our product candidates, our expenses could increase.

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We may never achieve or maintain profitability.

Our ability to become and remain profitable will depend on our ability to generate revenue. Although we may be entitled to future milestone payments and royalties under the AVP-825 License Agreement, to date we have not commercialized any of our other product candidates and will therefore depend upon our ability to successfully commercialize XHANCE and any of our other product candidates or any other product candidates that we may in-license or acquire in the future. We do not know when XHANCE or any of our other product candidates, if approved, will generate revenue for us, if at all. Our ability to generate revenue from our current or future products and product candidates will depend on a number of factors, including:

XHANCE, as well as any of our other product candidates, if approved for commercial sale, may not gain market acceptance or achieve commercial success. If our addressable market is not as significant as we estimate or the treatment population is narrowed by competition, physician choice or clinical practice guidelines, we may not generate significant revenue from sales of XHANCE. In addition, we would anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product. We may not achieve profitability soon after generating product sales, if ever. If we are unable to generate product revenues, we will not become profitable and may be unable to continue operations without continued funding.

Even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would depress the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our development efforts, obtain drug approvals, diversify our offerings or continue our operations. A decline in the value of our company could also cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

We will likely require additional capital to fund our operations and, if we fail to obtain necessary financing, we may be unable to complete the commercialization of XHANCE and the development of our other product candidates.

Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through the sale and issuance of preferred stock and licensing revenues under the AVP-825 License Agreement and research grants. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts to commercialize XHANCE and to advance the clinical development of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and our other product candidates. As of June 30, 2017, we had cash and cash equivalents of $58.9 million. We believe the net proceeds from this offering, together with existing cash and cash equivalents, will be sufficient to fund our operations into the first quarter of 2019. During this period, we

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expect to launch XHANCE in the United States, continue our clinical development plans to seek approval for XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and continue our early-stage development efforts with respect to our other product candidates. Our estimate of the period of time through which our financial resources will be adequate to support our operations is based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could deplete our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect.

Our future funding requirements, both near and long-term, will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available when needed on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts, when required or on acceptable terms, we also could be required to:

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product candidates.

We do not have any committed external source of funds other than potential milestone payments and royalties under the AVP-825 License Agreement. Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue, we may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public 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 may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Debt financings may be coupled with an equity component, such as warrants to purchase shares, which could also result in dilution of our existing stockholders' ownership. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased fixed payment obligations and could also result in certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to

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conduct our business and may result in liens being placed on our assets and intellectual property. If we were to default on such indebtedness, we could lose such assets and intellectual property.

If we raise additional funds through collaborations, or strategic alliance, marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, product candidates or future revenue streams or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes may be limited.

As of December 31, 2016, we had U.S. net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards of approximately $11.6 million for U.S. federal income tax and state tax purposes available to offset future taxable income and U.S. federal and state research and development tax credits of $2.2 million, prior to consideration of annual limitations that may be imposed under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or Section 382. The U.S. NOL carryforwards begin to expire in 2030 if not utilized. In addition, we had foreign NOLs of $80.6 million as of December 31, 2016, as a result of our operations in Norway and the United Kingdom. Such foreign NOL carryforwards do not expire but can only be used to offset profits generated in each respective country.

While a majority of our NOLs are in foreign jurisdictions and not subject to expiration, our U.S. NOL and tax credit carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. Under Section 382, and corresponding provisions of U.S. state law, if a corporation undergoes an "ownership change," generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation's ability to use its pre-change U.S. NOLs and other pre-change tax attributes, such as research and development tax credits, to offset its post-change income may be limited. We have not performed any analyses under Section 382 and cannot forecast or otherwise determine our ability to derive benefit from our various federal or state tax attribute carryforwards. As a result, if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change U.S. NOL carryforwards to offset U.S. federal taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability to us. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of U.S. NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed.

In addition, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, including this offering, some of which may be outside of our control. If we determine that an ownership change has occurred and our ability to use our historical net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards is materially limited, it would harm our future operating results by effectively increasing our future tax obligations.

Foreign exchange risks and controls may affect our financial position and results of operations.

Through the operation of our subsidiaries based in the United Kingdom and Norway, we are exposed to foreign currency fluctuations and exchange rate risks. In addition to the operations of our foreign subsidiaries, we also contract with vendors that are located outside the United States, and in some cases make payment of invoices denominated in foreign currencies. We are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency rates in connection with these arrangements and we do not currently hedge our foreign currency exchange rate risk. In addition, because we maintain our consolidated financial statements in U.S. dollars, our financial results are vulnerable to fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies, such as the British pound sterling, the euro, and the Norwegian krone. In preparing our consolidated financial statements, we must convert all non-U.S. dollar results to U.S. dollars, which impacts our results of operations, is reflected as a component of our stockholder's equity (deficit), and may be credited or charged to operations and reflected in other income (expense), net. The impact of changes in exchange rates has not been significant historically. However, changes in exchange rates could cause significant changes in our financial position and results of operations in the future.

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Risks Related to Commercialization of XHANCE

We have no history of commercializing drugs, which may make it difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

Although our predecessor and subsidiary OptiNose AS commenced operations in 2000, our operations to date have been largely focused on raising capital and developing AVP-825 and XHANCE, including undertaking preclinical studies and conducting clinical trials. While we conducted the pre-approval stages of clinical development for AVP-825, Avanir was responsible for completing the clinical development of, obtaining regulatory approval for, and initiating the commercial launch of that product under our license agreement with them. To date, we have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully manufacture at commercial scale or, with the exception of AVP-825, arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales, marketing and distribution activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Consequently, any predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer history of successfully developing and commercializing drugs.

If we are unable to successfully commercialize XHANCE, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected and the price of our common stock may decline.

Our ability to successfully commercialize XHANCE depends on many factors, including:

Many of these matters are beyond our control and are subject to other risks described elsewhere in this "Risk Factors" section. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully commercialize or generate revenue from XHANCE. If we cannot do so, or are significantly delayed in doing so, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected and the price of our common stock may decline.

The commercial success of XHANCE will depend upon its acceptance by multiple stakeholders, including physicians, patients and healthcare payors.

Physicians may not prescribe XHANCE, in which case we would not generate the revenues we anticipate. The degree of market acceptance of XHANCE will depend on a number of factors, including:

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If XHANCE does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by physicians, patients and healthcare payors, we may not generate sufficient revenue in order to become or remain profitable.

If third-party payors do not reimburse patients for XHANCE or if reimbursement levels are set too low for us to sell XHANCE at a profit, our ability to successfully commercialize XHANCE and our results of operations will be harmed.

Our ability to commercialize XHANCE successfully will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for XHANCE will be available in a timely manner from third-party payors, including governmental healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, commercial health insurers and managed care organizations. Government authorities and other third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, determine which medications they will cover and establish reimbursement levels. Reimbursement decisions by particular third-party payors depend upon a number of factors, including each third-party payor's determination that use of a product is:

Obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval for XHANCE from government authorities or other third-party payors may be a time consuming and costly process that could require us to provide supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data, including expensive pharmacoeconomic studies beyond the data required to obtain marketing approval, for the use of XHANCE to each government authority or other third-party payor. We may not be able to provide data sufficient to gain acceptance with respect to coverage and reimbursement.

Third-party payors may deny reimbursement for covered products if they determine that a medical product was not used in accordance with cost-effective diagnosis methods, as determined by the third-party payor, or was used for an unapproved indication. Third-party payors also may refuse to reimburse for procedures and devices deemed to be experimental. 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.

Increasingly, third-party payors are also requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. These third-party payors could also impose price controls and other conditions that must be met by patients prior to providing coverage for use of XHANCE. For example, insurers may establish a "step-edit" system that requires a patient to first use a lower price alternative product prior to becoming eligible for reimbursement of a higher price product.

Third-party payors are increasingly attempting to contain healthcare costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement for medical products and services. The process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for setting the price or reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product once coverage is approved. Levels of reimbursement may also decrease in the future, and future legislation, regulation or reimbursement policies of third-party payors may adversely affect the demand for and reimbursement available for XHANCE, which in turn, could negatively

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impact pricing. If patients are not adequately reimbursed for XHANCE, they may reduce or discontinue purchases of it, which would result in a significant shortfall in achieving revenue expectations and negatively impact our business, prospects and financial condition.

If we are unable to differentiate XHANCE from current and future products or existing methods of treatments, our ability to successfully commercialize XHANCE would be adversely affected.

We initially intend to commercialize XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps and seek FDA approval for a follow-on indication of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Currently, Nasonex, marketed by Merck, is the only other branded drug therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of nasal polyps. A generic version of Nasonex, mometasone furoate monohydrate, was approved by the FDA for, among other indications, the treatment of nasal polyps and launched in 2016. In addition, Beconase AQ, which is an INS marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, is indicated for the prophylaxis of nasal polyps after surgical resection. We are not aware of any product approved for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. In addition to competition from Nasonex and Beconase AQ, we will also need to differentiate XHANCE from other products and treatments identified in current clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps. Such products and treatments include the use of nasal rinses, decongestants, over-the-counter and INS products, oral steroids, antibiotics, and sinus surgery and other procedures, including functional endoscopic sinus surgery, balloon sinus dilation and steroid-releasing sinus implants. In addition, several biologic monoclonal antibodies are in clinical development for the treatment of nasal polyps, including omalizumab, reslizumab, mepolizumab and dupilumab. If we are unable to achieve significant differentiation for XHANCE against these other products and treatments, including on the basis of efficacy, safety and tolerability profile, reliability, convenience of administration, price and reimbursement, the opportunity for XHANCE to be commercialized successfully would be adversely affected.

If the market opportunities for XHANCE are smaller than we believe, our revenue may be adversely affected, and our business may suffer.

Our initial target market for XHANCE will consist of ENT physicians, allergists and high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians that we believe treat an estimated 3.5 million U.S. patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated 1.2 million of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. If we are able to obtain a follow-on indication of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, we intend to broaden our reach and target primary care physicians that we believe treat an additional estimated 6.25 million patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated one-third of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Our projections of both the number of people who suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps, as well as the subset of people with these diseases who have the potential to benefit from use of XHANCE, are based on our beliefs and estimates. These estimates have been derived from a variety of sources, including scientific literature, surveys we commissioned, prescription data or other market research and may prove to be incorrect. Further, new studies may change the estimated incidence or prevalence of chronic rhinosinusitis or nasal polyps. The number of patients may turn out to be lower than expected. Additionally, the potentially addressable patient population for XHANCE may be limited or may not be amenable to treatment with XHANCE, and new patients may become increasingly difficult to identify or gain access to, which would adversely affect our results of operations and our business.

Clinical practice guidelines and recommendations published by various organizations could have significant influence on the use of XHANCE.

Government agencies may promulgate clinical practice guidelines directly applicable to XHANCE. In addition, professional societies, practice management groups, private health and science foundations and organizations involved in various diseases from time to time may also publish guidelines or recommendations to the healthcare and patient communities. Recommendations of government agencies or these other groups or organizations may relate to such matters as usage, dosage, route of administration and

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use of concomitant therapies. Recommendations or guidelines suggesting the reduced use of XHANCE or the use of competitive or alternative products as the standard of care to be followed by patients and healthcare providers could result in decreased use of XHANCE.

If we are unable to enter into agreements with third parties to market and sell XHANCE we may be unable to generate any revenue for XHANCE.

We currently have limited sales, marketing or distribution capabilities. We intend to use an outsourced contract sales organization, or CSO, to promote XHANCE to our defined specialty audience of ENT and allergy specialists and high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians. Any CSO that we may use may not dedicate sufficient resources to the commercialization of XHANCE or may otherwise fail in its commercialization due to factors beyond our control. Additionally, any CSO that we may use may fail to comply with applicable legal or regulatory requirements, or may enter into agreements with other parties that have products and services that could compete with XHANCE.

In the event that we fail to successfully launch and commercialize XHANCE through a CSO, we may also enter into a strategic collaboration with a third party. We face significant competition in seeking appropriate strategic collaborators, and these strategic collaborations can be intricate and time-consuming to negotiate and document. We may not be able to negotiate strategic collaborations on acceptable terms, or at all. We are unable to predict when, if ever, we will enter into any strategic collaborations because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with establishing strategic partnerships.

XHANCE may become associated with undesirable adverse reactions or have other properties that could result in significant negative consequences following regulatory approval.

If we or others identify adverse events, or AEs, associated with XHANCE, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:

Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of XHANCE.

If the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities approve generic or similar products that compete with XHANCE, it could decrease our expected sales of XHANCE.

Once an NDA, including a Section 505(b)(2) application, is approved, the product covered thereby becomes a "listed drug" which can, in turn, be cited by potential competitors in support of approval of an abbreviated NDA, or ANDA. The FD&C Act, FDA regulations and other applicable regulations and policies provide incentives to manufacturers to create modified, non-infringing versions of a drug to facilitate the approval of an ANDA for generic substitutes. Manufacturers may be able to bring a generic product to market in a much more cost-efficient pathway than we currently anticipate. If the costs involved in bringing such a product to market are significantly less than our costs with respect to the development of XHANCE, companies that produce generic equivalents to XHANCE may be able to offer their products at lower prices. As such, a significant percentage of any future sales of XHANCE could be lost to any such generic products. Moreover, in addition to generic competition, we could face competition from other companies seeking approval of products that are similar to ours using the Section 505(b)(2) pathway. Such applicants may be able to rely on XHANCE or other approved drug products or published literature to develop drug products that are similar to ours. The introduction of a drug product similar to our products or product candidates could expose us to increased competition, leading to a decrease in sales of XHANCE. Competition that we

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may face from generic or similar versions of XHANCE could materially and adversely impact our future revenue, profitability, and cash flows.

Even though we have obtained regulatory approval for XHANCE, we will still face extensive FDA regulatory requirements and may face future regulatory difficulties.

Even though we have obtained regulatory approval in the United States for XHANCE, the FDA and state regulatory authorities may still impose significant restrictions on the indicated uses or marketing of XHANCE, or impose ongoing requirements for potentially costly post-approval studies or post-marketing surveillance. For example, as part of its approval of XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in adults, the FDA requires that we conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group clinical study in children and adolescents 6 to 17 years of age with bilateral nasal polyps associated with nasal congestion to assess the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of XHANCE in improving nasal polyp grade and symptoms (nasal congestion/obstruction, sense of smell, rhinorrhea and facial pain or pressure). We are required to submit our final protocol to the FDA with respect to the pediatric study by January 2018, to complete the study by January 2022 and to submit a final report with respect to the study by July 2022. Because our EDS for XHANCE was designed for use in adult patients, we may discover that the dimensions of this EDS make it unsuitable for use in pediatric patient populations. As such, this pediatric study may also require us to undergo a costly and time-consuming development process to design and manufacture as appropriate a modified EDS to conduct these studies.

We are also subject to ongoing FDA requirements governing the labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, safety surveillance, advertising, promotion, record-keeping and reporting of safety and other post-marketing information. The holder of an approved NDA is obligated to monitor and report AEs and any failure of a product to meet the specifications in the NDA. The holder of an approved NDA must also submit new or supplemental applications and obtain FDA approval for certain changes to the approved product, product labeling or manufacturing process. Advertising and promotional materials must comply with FDA regulations and may be subject to other potentially applicable federal and state laws. The applicable regulations in countries outside the United States grant similar powers to the competent authorities and impose similar obligations on companies.

In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to payment of substantial user fees and continual review and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, regulations and adherence to commitments made in the NDA. Since XHANCE is a combination product, we will also need to comply with some of the FDA's manufacturing regulations for devices. In addition to cGMP, the FDA requires that our drug-device combination product comply with the Quality System Regulation, or QSR, which sets forth the FDA's manufacturing quality standards for medical devices, and other applicable government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. If we, or a regulatory authority, discover previously unknown problems with XHANCE, such as AEs, of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with a facility where the product is manufactured, a regulatory authority may impose restrictions relative to XHANCE or the manufacturing facility, including requiring recall or withdrawal of the product from the market, suspension of manufacturing, or other FDA action or other action by foreign regulatory authorities.

If we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements following approval of XHANCE, a regulatory authority may:

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Our relationships with physicians, patients and payors in the U.S. are subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse laws and regulations. Our failure to comply with these laws could expose us to criminal, civil and administrative sanctions, reputational harm, and could harm our results of operations and financial conditions.

Our current and future operations with respect to the commercialization of XHANCE are subject to various U.S. federal and state healthcare laws and regulations. These laws impact, among other things, our proposed sales, marketing, support and education programs and constrain our business and financial arrangements and relationships with third-party payors, healthcare professionals and others who may prescribe, recommend, purchase or provide XHANCE, and other parties through which we market, sell and distribute XHANCE. Finally, our current and future operations are subject to additional healthcare-related statutory and regulatory requirements and enforcement by foreign regulatory authorities in jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. The laws are described in greater detail in the section below under "Business — Government Regulation — Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Laws," and include, but are not limited to:

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The shifting commercial compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust and expandable systems to comply with different compliance or reporting requirements in multiple jurisdictions increase the possibility that a healthcare or pharmaceutical company may fail to comply fully with one or more of these requirements. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations may involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices do not comply with applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations or guidance. 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, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, additional oversight and reporting requirements if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found not to be in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to the same criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs. Even if we are not determined to have violated these laws, government investigations into these issues typically require the expenditure of significant resources and generate negative publicity, which could harm our financial condition and divert resources and the attention of our management from operating our business.

Any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity in addition to the aforementioned potential regulatory actions. The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize XHANCE and generate revenues which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are able to successfully commercialize XHANCE and if we participate in but fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

If we participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, and other governmental pricing programs, we will be obligated to pay certain specified rebates and report pricing information with respect to XHANCE. Pricing and rebate calculations are complex and are often subject to interpretation by us, governmental or regulatory agencies and the courts. We cannot assure you that our submissions will not be found by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, to be incomplete or incorrect. Governmental agencies may also make changes in program interpretations, requirements or conditions of participation, some of which may have implications for amounts previously estimated or paid. The Medicaid rebate amount is computed each quarter based on our submission to CMS of our current average manufacturer price, or AMP, and best price for the quarter. If we become aware that our reporting for a prior quarter was incorrect, or has changed as a result of recalculation of the pricing data, we are obligated to resubmit the corrected data for a period not to exceed twelve quarters from the quarter in which the data originally were due, and CMS may request or require restatements for earlier periods as well. Such restatements and recalculations increase our costs for complying with the laws and regulations governing the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. Any corrections to our rebate calculations could result in an overage or underage in our rebate liability for past quarters, depending on the nature of the correction. Price recalculations also may affect the ceiling price at which we are required to offer our products to certain covered entities, such as safety-net providers, under the Public Health Service's 340B drug pricing program, or the 340B program, and under other similar government pricing programs. These programs are described in greater detail in the section below under "Business — Government Regulation — Coverage and Reimbursement."

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We will also be liable for errors associated with our submission of pricing data. In addition to retroactive rebates and the potential for 340B program refunds, if we are found to have knowingly submitted false AMP, or best price information to the government, we may be liable for civil monetary penalties in the amount of $181,071 per item of false information. If we are found to have made a misrepresentation in the reporting of our average sales price, we may be liable for civil monetary penalties of up to $13,066 for each misrepresentation for each day in which the misrepresentation was applied. Our failure to submit monthly/quarterly AMP and best price data on a timely basis could result in a civil monetary penalty of $18,107 per day for each day the information is late beyond the due date. Such failure also could be grounds for CMS to terminate our Medicaid drug rebate agreement, pursuant to which we participate in the Medicaid program. In the event that CMS terminates our rebate agreement, federal payments may not be available under Medicaid for XHANCE. A final regulation imposes a civil monetary penalty of up to $5,000 for each instance of knowingly and intentionally charging a 340B covered entity more than the 340B ceiling price.

Federal law requires that a company must participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, pricing program to be eligible to have its products paid for with federal funds. As part of this program, we would be obligated to make XHANCE available for procurement on an FSS contract under which we must comply with standard government terms and conditions and charge a price that is no higher than the statutory Federal Ceiling Price, or FCP, to four federal agencies (VA, U.S. Department of Defense, or DOD, Public Health Service, and U.S. Coast Guard). The FCP is based on the Non-Federal Average Manufacturer Price, or Non-FAMP, which we calculate and report to the VA on a quarterly and annual basis. If we overcharge the government in connection with our FSS contract or Section 703 Agreement, whether due to a misstated FCP or otherwise, we are required to refund the difference to the government. Failure to make necessary disclosures and/or to identify contract overcharges can result in allegations against us under the U.S. civil False Claims Act and other laws and regulations. Unexpected refunds to the government, and responding to a government investigation or enforcement action, would be expensive and time-consuming, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

Regulatory approval for any approved product is limited by the FDA to those specific indications and conditions for which clinical safety and efficacy have been demonstrated.

Our promotional materials, statements and training methods must comply with applicable laws and regulations, including FDA's prohibition of the promotion of unapproved, or off-label, use. Physicians may use our products off-label, as the FDA does not restrict or regulate a physician's independent choice of treatment within the practice of medicine. As healthcare professionals frequently prescribe corticosteroids for the treatment of chronic nasal inflammatory diseases, such as chronic rhinosinusitis, doctors could prescribe XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and other chronic nasal inflammatory diseases, even though the FDA has granted approval of XHANCE only for the treatment of nasal polyps. If the FDA determines that our promotional materials, statements or activities constitute promotion of an off-label use, we could be required to modify our promotional materials, statements or training methods or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, such as the issuance of an untitled letter, a warning letter, injunction, seizure, civil fine, disgorgement of money, operating restrictions or criminal penalties. We may also be subject to actions by other governmental entities or private parties, such as the U.S. civil False Claims Act, civil whistleblower or "qui tam" actions. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider our promotional, materials or activities to constitute promotion of an off-label use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities. In that event, our reputation could be damaged and market adoption of XHANCE could be impaired.

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Even though we have obtained FDA approval for XHANCE in the United States, we may never obtain approval for or successfully commercialize it outside of the United States, which would limit our ability to realize its full market potential.

In order to market XHANCE outside of the United States, we must obtain marketing authorizations and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding quality, safety and efficacy. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by foreign regulatory authorities, and regulatory approval in one country does not mean that regulatory approval will be obtained in any other country. Approval processes vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and validation and additional administrative review periods. Seeking foreign regulatory approval could result in difficulties and costs for us and require additional non-clinical studies or clinical trials, which could be costly and time consuming. Regulatory requirements can vary widely from country to country and could delay or prevent the introduction of XHANCE in those countries. While our management team has experience in obtaining foreign regulatory approvals at other companies, we do not have any product candidates approved for sale in any foreign jurisdiction, and we, as a company, do not have experience in obtaining regulatory approval in international markets. If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements in international markets or to obtain and maintain required approvals, or if regulatory approval in international markets is delayed, our target market for XHANCE will be reduced and we would not be able to realize the full market potential of XHANCE.

The Affordable Care Act and any changes in healthcare law may increase the difficulty and cost for us to commercialize XHANCE and affect the prices we may obtain.

The United States and many foreign jurisdictions have enacted or proposed legislative and regulatory changes affecting the healthcare system that could restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell XHANCE. The United States government, state legislatures and foreign governments also have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid healthcare costs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription drugs.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, or collectively the Affordable Care Act was intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. These intended reforms are described in greater detail in the section below under "Business — Government Regulation — U.S. Healthcare Reform."

Among the provisions of the Affordable Care Act that have been implemented since enactment and are of importance to the commercialization of XHANCE are the following:

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Legislative changes to or regulatory changes under the Affordable Care Act remain possible in the 115th U.S. Congress and under the Trump Administration. The American Health Care Act of 2017, or AHCA, which would repeal and replace key portions of the Affordable Care Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but remains subject to passage by the U.S. Senate. In addition, in January 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies with authorities and responsibilities under the Affordable Care Act to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision of the Affordable Care Act that would impose a fiscal or regulatory burden on states, individuals, healthcare providers, health insurers, or manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices. More recently, the Senate Republicans introduced and then updated a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. The Senate Republicans also introduced legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act without companion legislation to replace it, and a "skinny" version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. Each of these measures was rejected by the full Senate. Congress will likely consider other legislation to replace elements of the Affordable Care Act. We expect that the Affordable Care Act, as currently enacted or as it may be amended in the future, and other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future could have a material adverse effect on our industry generally and on our ability to maintain or increase sales of XHANCE or to successfully commercialize XHANCE.

We expect that the Affordable Care Act, as well as other healthcare reform measures that have and may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for XHANCE and could seriously harm our future revenues. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, or 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 XHANCE.

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

We currently face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the testing of our product candidates in human clinical trials, and this risk will increase significantly as we commercialize XHANCE and other product candidates that we may develop. We may face product liability claims, regardless of FDA approval for commercial manufacturing and sale as product liability claims may be brought against us by patients who have used XHANCE in any of our clinical trials, future patients, healthcare providers or others using, administering or selling our products, if and when approved. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our product candidates or products caused injuries, we could incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

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We currently carry product liability insurance with coverage up to $5.0 million in the aggregate, with a per incident limit of $5.0 million, which may not be adequate to cover all liabilities that we may incur. Further, 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 maintain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of XHANCE or the development of our other product candidates.

Additionally, any agreements we may enter into in the future with collaborators in connection with the development or commercialization of XHANCE or any of our other product candidates may entitle us to indemnification against product liability losses, but such indemnification may not be available or adequate should any claim arise. In addition, several of our agreements require us to indemnify third parties and these indemnifications obligations may exceed the coverage under our product liability insurance policy. For example, the AVP-825 License Agreement provides for reciprocal indemnification obligations for each of the parties in the event that a product liability claim arises from, among other things, one party's development, manufacture, sale or commercialization activities for AVP-825.

Risks Related to Clinical Development and Regulatory Approval of XHANCE for the Treatment of Chronic Sinusitis and Our Other Product Candidates

The design and execution of clinical trials to support FDA-approval of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis is subject to substantial risk and uncertainty.

We intend to initiate a clinical program to support a follow-on indication of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Similar to our NDA for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps, we believe we may also be able to use the Section 505(b)(2) pathway for potential U.S. approval for XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Because there is no FDA-approved product for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, we believe there is substantial risk and uncertainty in planning and conducting adequate clinical trials to meet FDA requirements to support approval for this indication. If the clinical program required by the FDA is more costly or time-consuming than anticipated, we may decide to not pursue this follow-on indication. Additionally, if we do conduct clinical trials for this indication, XHANCE may not demonstrate sufficient efficacy or safety to support FDA approval. If we do not obtain a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, our promotion of XHANCE will be limited to nasal polyps, which would limit our potential sales of XHANCE.

The regulatory approval processes of the FDA are lengthy, time consuming and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, our business will be substantially harmed.

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA 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 agency. 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. It is possible that none of our existing product candidates or any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval.

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Our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:

With the exception of our NDA submission for XHANCE, we have not previously submitted an NDA or any similar drug approval filing to the FDA for any product candidate, and we cannot be certain that any of our current product candidates will receive regulatory approval. If we do not receive regulatory approval for our product candidates, we may not be able to continue our operations. Even if we successfully obtain regulatory approval to market one or more of our product candidates, our revenue will be dependent, to a significant extent, upon the size of the markets in the territories for which we gain regulatory approval. If the markets for patients or indications that we are targeting are not as significant as we estimate, we may not generate significant revenue from sales of such products, if approved.

Clinical development is a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results. Clinical failure can occur at any stage of clinical development.

Clinical trials are expensive, can take many years to complete and have highly uncertain outcomes. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process as a result of inadequate performance of a drug, inadequate adherence by patients or investigators to clinical trial protocols, or other factors. Drug candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through earlier clinical trials. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials as a result of a lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, despite promising results in earlier trials. Our clinical trials for the follow-on indication of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis or our other product candidates may not be successful or may be more expensive or time-consuming than we currently expect. If clinical trials for these product candidates fail to demonstrate safety or efficacy to the satisfaction of the FDA, the FDA may not approve that product candidate and we would not be able to commercialize it, which could impair our ability to gain or maintain profitability.

Delays in clinical trials are common and have many causes, and any delay could result in increased costs to us and jeopardize or delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval and commence product sales.

We may experience delays in clinical trials of our product candidates or the time required to complete clinical trials for our product candidates may be longer than anticipated. Our future clinical trials may not begin on time, have an effective design, enroll a sufficient number of patients, or be completed on schedule, if at all. Our clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:

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If clinical trials for our product candidates are delayed for any of the above reasons or other reasons, our development costs may increase, our approval process could be delayed and our ability to commercialize our product candidates could be materially harmed.

We will need to identify proprietary names for our product candidates that are acceptable to FDA, and any delay associated with doing so may adversely impact our business.

Any proprietary name we propose to use with our product candidates in the United States must be reviewed and accepted by the FDA, regardless of whether we have registered it, or applied to register it, as a trademark. The FDA reviews any proposed product name, including an evaluation of potential for confusion with other product names. The FDA may also object to a product name if it believes the name inappropriately implies medical claims or contributes to an overstatement of efficacy. If the FDA objects to any proposed proprietary product name, we may be required to expend significant additional resources in an effort to identify a suitable proprietary product name that would qualify under applicable laws, not infringe the existing rights of third parties and be acceptable to the FDA.

Our product candidates, if approved, may require REMS, which may significantly increase our costs.

Our product candidates, if approved, may require REMS. The REMS may include requirements for special labeling or medication guides for patients, special communication plans to healthcare professionals and restrictions on distribution and use. We cannot predict the specific scope or magnitude of REMS that may be required as part of the FDA's approval of our other product candidates. Depending on the extent of the REMS requirements, our costs to commercialize our product candidates may increase significantly and distribution restrictions could limit sales. Similar requirements may arise in countries outside of the United States.

Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may occur and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols submitted to applicable regulatory authorities to reflect these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit clinical trial protocols to IRBs or ethics committees for re-examination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial.

The FDA's and other regulatory authorities' policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our other product candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. 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.

If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other studies with respect to our product candidates beyond those that we currently contemplate, or if we are unable to successfully complete our clinical trials or other studies, we may be delayed in obtaining regulatory approval of any of our product

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candidates, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval at all or we may obtain approval of indications that are not as broad as intended. Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or approvals, and we may not have sufficient funding to complete the testing and approval process for our product candidates. Significant clinical trial delays could allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to commercialize our products if and when approved. If any of this occurs, our business would be harmed.

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

If we encounter difficulties in negotiating commercial manufacturing and supply agreements with our third-party manufacturers and suppliers of XHANCE, our ability to commercialize XHANCE would be impaired.

We do not own any manufacturing facilities and have limited experience in drug development and commercial manufacturing. We currently have no plans to build our own clinical or commercial scale manufacturing facility. We lack the resources and expertise to manufacture and test, on a commercial scale, the technical performance of XHANCE and our other product candidates. We currently rely, and expect to continue to rely, on a limited number of experienced personnel and CMOs and suppliers who assist in the production, assembly, test, supply, storage and distribution of XHANCE and its components in our clinical trials and FDA registration, and we control only some of the aspects of their activities. We may not be able to obtain terms that are favorable to us or enter into commercial manufacturing and supply agreements at all with each of the necessary third parties. If we are unable to enter into such agreements on commercially reasonable terms, our ability to commercialize XHANCE would be impaired, and our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially adversely affected.

If we encounter issues with our contract manufacturers or suppliers, we may need to qualify alternative manufacturers or suppliers, which could impair our ability to sufficiently and timely manufacture and supply XHANCE.

We currently depend on contract manufacturers and suppliers for XHANCE and its components. Although we could obtain each of these components from other third-party suppliers, we would need to qualify and obtain FDA approval for another contract manufacturer or supplier as an alternative source for each such component, which could be costly and cause significant delays. Each of our current commercial manufacturing and supply agreements include limitations on our ability to utilize alternative manufacturers or suppliers for these components above certain specified thresholds during the terms of the agreements, which impairs our ability to prepare in advance for any future manufacturing and supply shortages or quality issues.

In addition, some of our suppliers, including our active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, supplier and our contract manufacturers, conduct their manufacturing operations for us at a single facility. Unless and until we qualify additional facilities, we may face limitations in our ability to respond to manufacturing and supply issues. For example, if regulatory, manufacturing or other problems require one of these manufacturers or suppliers to discontinue production at their respective facility, or if the equipment used for the production of XHANCE in these facilities is significantly damaged or destroyed by fire, flood, earthquake, power loss or similar events, the ability of such manufacturer or supplier to provide components or API needed for XHANCE, or to manufacture XHANCE may be significantly impaired. In the event that these parties suffer a temporary or protracted loss of its facility or equipment, we would still be required to obtain FDA approval to qualify a new manufacturer or supplier, as applicable, as an alternate manufacturer or source for the respective component before any components manufactured by such manufacturer or by such supplier could be sold or used.

Any production shortfall that impairs the supply of XHANCE or any of these components could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and adversely affect our ability to satisfy demand for XHANCE, which could adversely affect our product sales and operating results materially.

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If third-party manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors fail to devote sufficient time and resources to XHANCE or their performance is substandard, our product launch may be delayed and our costs may be higher than expected.

Our reliance on a limited number of manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors exposes us to the following risks, any of which could delay FDA approval of our product candidates and commercialization of our products, result in higher costs, or deprive us of potential product revenues:

Our reliance on third parties reduces our control over our product candidate development and commercialization activities but does not relieve us of our responsibility to ensure compliance with all required legal, regulatory and scientific standards. For example, the FDA and other regulatory authorities require that our product candidates and any products that we may eventually commercialize be manufactured according to cGMP and similar foreign standards. Any failure by our third-party manufacturers to comply with cGMP or failure to scale up manufacturing processes, including any failure to deliver sufficient quantities of product candidates in a timely manner, could lead to a delay in, or failure to obtain, regulatory approval of any of our product candidates. In addition, such failure could be the basis for the FDA to issue a warning or untitled letter, withdraw approvals for product candidates previously granted to us, or take other regulatory or legal action, including recall or seizure, total or partial suspension of production, suspension of ongoing clinical trials, refusal to approve pending applications or supplemental applications, detention or product, refusal to permit the import or export of products, injunction, imposing civil penalties or pursuing criminal prosecution.

Manufacturing issues may arise that could increase product and regulatory approval costs or delay commercialization.

As we scale up manufacturing of XHANCE and conduct required stability testing, issues may arise involving product-packaging and third-party equipment malfunctions. These issues may require refinement or resolution in order to proceed with commercial marketing of XHANCE. In addition, quality issues may arise during scale-up and validation of commercial manufacturing processes. Any issues in our product or delivery devices could result in increased scrutiny by regulatory authorities, delays in our regulatory approval process, increases in our operating expenses, or failure to obtain or maintain approval for our products.

We rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines, or if they terminate their agreement with us, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our product candidates.

We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon CROs to monitor and manage data for our prospective preclinical and clinical programs. We rely on these parties for execution of our clinical trials, and we control only some of the aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring

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that each of our studies and clinical trials are conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on the CROs does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our CROs are required to comply with federal regulations and current Good Clinical Practices, or GCP, which are international standards meant to protect the rights and health of patients and to define the roles of clinical trial sponsors, advisors and monitors. GCPs are enforced by the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities in the form of International Conference on Harmonization, or ICH, guidelines for all of our product candidates in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCP through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCP and other regulations, including as a result of any recent changes in such regulations, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP requirements. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP requirements. While we have agreements governing activities of our CROs, we have limited influence over their actual performance. Failure to comply with applicable regulations in the conduct of the clinical trials for our product candidates may require us to repeat preclinical studies and clinical trials, which would increase our operating expenses and delay the regulatory approval process.

Our CROs are not our employees, and except for remedies available to us under our agreements with such CROs, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our ongoing clinical and preclinical programs. If our CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons or if we receive additional FDA notices that do require corrective action, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize our product candidates. As a result, the commercial prospects for our product candidates would be harmed, our costs could increase substantially and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.

Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. Identifying, qualifying and managing performance of third-party service providers can be difficult, time-consuming and cause delays in our development programs. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work and the new CRO may not provide the same type or level of services as the original provider. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects. If any of our relationships with our CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. As a result, delays may occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines.

Because we have relied on third parties, our internal capacity to perform these functions is limited. Outsourcing these functions involves risks that third parties may not perform to our standards, may not produce results in a timely manner or may fail to perform at all. In addition, the use of third-party service providers requires us to disclose our proprietary information to these parties, which could increase the risk that this information will be misappropriated. We currently have a small number of employees, which limits the internal resources we have available to identify and monitor our third-party providers. To the extent we are unable to identify and successfully manage the performance of third-party service providers in the future, our ability to advance our product candidates through clinical trials will be compromised. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter similar challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects.

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Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Industry

Our future success depends on our ability to retain and have the full attention of our key executives and to attract, retain and motivate other qualified personnel.

We are highly dependent on the management, development, clinical, financial and business development expertise of our executive team and, in particular, the services of Peter K. Miller, our Chief Executive Officer, and Ramy A. Mahmoud, our President and Chief Operating Officer. Each of Mr. Miller and Dr. Mahmoud is employed by us at will and is permitted to terminate his employment with us at any time. We intend to enter into new employment agreements with Mr. Miller and Dr. Mahmoud to be effective upon the consummation of this offering, but we expect that Mr. Miller and Dr. Mahmoud will continue to be employed at will. We do not maintain "key person" insurance for any of our executives or other employees. The loss of the services of Mr. Miller or Dr. Mahmoud could impede the achievement of our development and commercialization objectives.

Recruiting and retaining qualified employees for our business, including scientific, technical and sales and marketing personnel, will also be critical to our success. Competition for skilled personnel in our industry is intense and the turnover rate can be high. We may not be able to attract and retain personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical companies for individuals with similar skill sets. In addition, failure to succeed in our commercialization efforts or in the performance of any future clinical studies may make it more challenging to recruit and retain qualified personnel. The inability to recruit or loss of the services of any executive or key employee could impede the progress of our research, development and commercialization objectives.

We will need to grow the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.

Implementation of our development and commercialization strategies will require additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other resources. Our current management, personnel and systems may not be adequate to effectively manage the expansion of our operations, which may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, give rise to operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, employee turnover and reduced productivity. Future growth could require significant capital expenditures and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of our existing or future product candidates. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:

As our operations expand, we will need to manage additional relationships with various strategic collaborators, suppliers and other third parties. Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our product candidates and to compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively. To that end, we must be able to manage our development efforts and clinical trials effectively and hire, train and integrate additional management, administrative and sales and marketing personnel. Failure to accomplish any of these activities could prevent us from successfully growing our company.

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We are subject to intense competition and, if we are unable to compete effectively, our product candidates, if approved, may not reach their commercial potential.

The development and commercialization of new drugs is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change as research provides a deeper understanding of the pathology of diseases and new technologies and treatments are developed. We face competition with respect to XHANCE from INS, oral steroids and other medical management products, and will face competition with respect to any other product candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future, from many different sources, including large pharmaceutical, biotechnology, specialty pharmaceutical and, to a lesser degree, medical device companies.

The key competitive factors that we expect to impact the commercial success of XHANCE and any other product candidates we may develop are likely to be their efficacy, safety and tolerability profile, reliability, convenience of administration, price and reimbursement. Nasonex, marketed by Merck, is currently the only other branded drug therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of nasal polyps, which is our initial indication for XHANCE. A generic version of Nasonex, mometasone furoate monohydrate, was approved by the FDA for, among other indications, the treatment of nasal polyps and launched in 2016. In addition, Beconase AQ, which is an INS marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, is indicated for the prophylaxis of nasal polyps after surgical resection. We are not aware of any drug therapy approved by the FDA or foreign regulatory agencies for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

Even though they have not been approved for the treatment of such indications, published clinical practice guidelines do recommend the use of INS products for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps in an effort to maximize medical therapy prior to surgical intervention. Currently approved branded INS products include Rhinocort, marketed by AstraZeneca, Nasacort AQ, marketed by sanofi-aventis, Beconase AQ, Flonase, and Veramyst, each marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, Qnasl, marketed by Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Omnaris and Zetonna, each marketed by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals. Due to the limitations of current treatments, several companies are investigating the treatment of nasal polyps with biologic monoclonal antibodies. To date, four biologic monoclonal antibodies have been studied in nasal polyps: omalizumab, reslizumab, mepolizumab and dupilumab. Most of these INS and biologics companies, as well as other potential competitors, have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do and significantly greater experience in the discovery and development of product candidates, obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals of products and the commercialization of those products.

Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a small number of our competitors. Accordingly, our competitors may be more successful than we may be in obtaining FDA approval of drugs and achieving widespread market acceptance. Our competitors' drugs, or drugs they may develop in the future, may be more effective, or more effectively marketed and sold, than any drug we may commercialize and may render XHANCE or any of our other product candidates we may develop obsolete or non-competitive before we can recover the expenses of developing and commercializing XHANCE or any of our other product candidates. Our competitors may also obtain FDA or other regulatory approval of products more rapidly than expected or may obtain better or preferred market access by offering large rebates to payors or by other means. We may not have accurately or completely predicted the development of new and improved or low-cost surgical interventions, alternative medical therapies or other market-disrupting events. If we are unable to manufacture, distribute, stimulate demand reaching the predicted market share, overcome barriers to access or otherwise effectively commercialize the product, all of which factors may be influenced by current or future competition, then our opportunity to generate revenue from the sale of XHANCE or any of our other product candidates, if approved, will be compromised.

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Our long-term growth depends on our ability to develop and commercialize additional ENT products.

It is important to our business that we continue to build a more complete product offering within the ENT and allergy markets. We are using our proprietary EDS technology to develop new product candidates for use in the ENT and allergy markets. Developing additional product candidates is expensive and time-consuming and could divert management's attention away from the commercialization of XHANCE. Even if we are successful in developing additional product candidates, the success of any new product candidates or enhancement to any existing product candidates will depend on several factors, including our ability to:

If we are unsuccessful in developing and commercializing additional product candidates in other areas of the ENT and allergy markets, our ability to gain and maintain profitability may be impaired.

We may acquire other assets or businesses, or form collaborations or make investments in other companies or technologies, which could negatively impact our operating results, dilute our stockholders' ownership, increase our debt or cause us to incur significant expense.

As part of our business strategy, we may pursue acquisitions of assets, including preclinical, clinical or commercial-stage products or product candidates, businesses or strategic alliances and collaborations, to expand our existing technologies and operations. We may not identify or complete these transactions in a timely manner, on a cost-effective basis, or at all, and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of any such transaction. We may not be able to find suitable acquisition candidates, and if we make any acquisitions, we may not be able to complete technology transfers and integrate these acquisitions successfully into our existing business and we may incur additional debt or assume unknown or contingent liabilities as part of the transaction. Integration of an acquired company or assets may also disrupt ongoing operations, require the hiring of additional personnel and the implementation of additional internal systems and infrastructure, especially the acquisition of commercial assets, and require management resources that would otherwise focus on developing our existing business. We may not be able to find suitable strategic collaborators or identify other investment opportunities, and we may experience losses related to any such investments.

To finance any acquisitions or collaborations, we may choose to issue debt or shares of our common or preferred stock as consideration. Any such issuance of shares would dilute the ownership of our stockholders. If the price of our common stock is low or volatile, we may not be able to acquire other assets or companies or fund a transaction using our stock as consideration. Alternatively, it may be necessary for us to raise additional funds for acquisitions through public or private financings. Additional funds may not be available on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.

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Our employees, collaborators, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, vendors and CROs may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.

We are exposed to the risk that our employees, collaborators, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, vendors and CROs may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity with respect to our business. Misconduct by these employees could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct or unauthorized activity that violates:

In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended 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, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Misconduct by these parties could also involve individually identifiable information, including, without limitation, the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, or illegal misappropriation of drug product, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. Any incidents or any other conduct that leads to an employee receiving an FDA debarment could result in a loss of business from third parties and severe reputational harm.

In connection with this offering, we will adopt a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to govern and deter such behaviors, but it is not always possible to identify and deter employee 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 be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, 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 civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and curtailment of our operations.

The security of our information technology systems may be compromised, and confidential information, including non-public personal information that we maintain, could be improperly disclosed.

Our information technology systems may be vulnerable to physical or electronic intrusions, computer viruses or other attacks. As part of our business, we and our vendors maintain large amounts of confidential information, including non-public personal information on patients and our employees. Breaches in security could result in the loss or misuse of this information, which could, in turn, result in potential regulatory actions or litigation, including material claims for damages, interruption to our operations, damage to our reputation or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. We expect to have appropriate information security policies and systems in place in order to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information, including non-public personal information, there can be no assurance that such use or disclosure will not occur.

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If we fail to comply with data protection laws and regulations, we could be subject to government enforcement actions, which could include civil or criminal penalties, as well as private litigation and/or adverse publicity, any of which could negatively affect our operating results and business.

We may be subject to laws and regulations that address privacy and data security of patients who use our product candidates in the United States and in states in which we conduct our business. In the United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act) govern the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of health-related and other personal information. For instance, HIPAA imposes certain obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information and imposes notification obligations in the event of a breach of the privacy or security of individually identifiable health information on entities subject to HIPAA and their business associates that perform certain activities that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information on their behalf. Certain of these laws and regulations are described in greater detail in the section below under "Business — Government Regulation — Healthcare Privacy Laws." Failure to comply with applicable data protection laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions and create liability for us, which could include civil and/or criminal penalties, as well as private litigation and/or adverse publicity that could negatively affect our operating results and business.

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures, cyberattacks or a deficiency in our cybersecurity.

Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems and those of our contractors and consultants are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures, cyberattacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization, or persons with access to systems inside our organization. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Such an event could cause interruption of our operations. For example, the loss of data from completed or ongoing 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 disruption or security breach were to result in a loss of or damage to our data, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur material legal claims and liability and damage to our reputation and the development and commercialization of our product candidates could be delayed.

We are subject to risks inherent in foreign operations.

We currently operate portions of our business through our foreign subsidiaries, including through our Norwegian subsidiary, OptiNose AS, which owns all of our intellectual property and conducts development activities, and our United Kingdom subsidiary OptiNose UK Ltd., which is party to manufacturing and supply arrangements with some of our vendors and assists on some internal development for our EDS technology. We have committed, and intend to continue to commit, resources to our international operations. We are subject to a number of risks associated with our international business operations and activities that may increase liability, costs, and require significant management attention. These risks include:

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There can be no assurance that the policies and procedures we implement to address or mitigate these risks will be successful, that our personnel will comply with them or that we will not experience these factors in the future or that they will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our corporate structure and foreign operations may have adverse tax consequences and expose us to additional tax liabilities.

All of our intellectual property, including the rights to XHANCE and the rights under the AVP-825 License Agreement, are owned by OptiNose AS, our Norwegian subsidiary. In addition, as we plan for the commercial launch of XHANCE we anticipate that certain commercial functions may be conducted by OptiNose UK Ltd., our United Kingdom subsidiary, or any other current or potential future foreign subsidiary.

We operate pursuant to written intercompany service and related agreements, or transfer pricing agreements. These transfer pricing agreements establish transfer prices for intellectual property licenses production, marketing, management, technology development and other services performed by our group companies for other group companies. Transfer prices are prices that one company in a group of related companies charge to another member of the group for goods, services or the use of property. If two or more affiliated companies are located in different countries, the tax laws or regulations of each country generally will require that transfer prices be consistent with those between unrelated companies dealing at arm's length. Our transfer pricing arrangements are not binding on applicable tax authorities, and, if tax authorities in any country were successful in challenging our transfer prices as not reflecting arm's length transactions, they could require us to adjust our transfer prices and thereby reallocate our income to reflect those revised transfer prices. A reallocation of taxable income from a lower tax jurisdiction to a higher tax jurisdiction would result in a higher tax liability to us. In addition, if the country from which the income is reallocated does not agree with the reallocation, both countries could tax the same income, resulting in double taxation.

If we generate sales of XHANCE in the United States or otherwise generate any other sales or revenues, a portion of the income we generate may be allocated to one or more of our current or future foreign subsidiaries and, under current U.S. law, repatriation of any cash from our foreign subsidiaries to the United States may trigger significant adverse tax consequences. If we generate cash through our foreign operations or if the cash generated by our U.S. operations is not sufficient to fund our U.S. operations, we may face challenges applying any such cash held by our foreign subsidiaries to support the growth of our U.S. operations and any strategic opportunities in the United States. If we are forced to repatriate any

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foreign-held cash, we could incur a significant tax charge, and our business, operating results or financial condition could be adversely impacted.

Income earned by our foreign subsidiaries may give rise to United States corporate income tax, even if there are no distributions to the United States, to the extent that our foreign subsidiaries generate income that is subject to Subpart F of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, or Subpart F. Subpart F income includes, for example, certain "passive" income, certain income from intercompany transactions involving our foreign subsidiaries and certain income of any foreign subsidiary which makes an "investment in U.S. property," within the meaning of Subpart F, such as holding the stock in, or making a loan to, a U.S. corporation. Any income taxable under Subpart F is currently taxable in the United States at federal corporate income tax rates of up to 35.0%, even if it is not distributed to us. We have not treated any of our foreign subsidiaries' income as being Subpart F income pursuant to available exemptions for which we believe we qualify. We may, however, be required to do so and pay taxes under Subpart F on the prior and future income of our foreign subsidiaries if we do not qualify for an available exemption.

We may be exposed to liabilities under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other U.S. and foreign anti-corruption anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws and regulations, and any determination that we violated these laws could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to export control and import laws and regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, U.S. Customs regulations, and various economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. We are also subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the United Kingdom Bribery Act 2010, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and possibly other anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries outside of the United States in which we conduct our activities. Anti-corruption laws are interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting, or accepting, directly or indirectly, improper payments or benefits to or from any person whether in the public or private sector. As we commercialize XHANCE and any other product candidates that we may develop, we may engage with third-party manufacturers and collaborators who operate abroad and are required to obtain certain necessary permits, licenses and other regulatory approvals with respect to our business. Our activities abroad create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors, even though they may not always be subject to our control. It is our policy to implement safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees, consultants, sales agents and distributors. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants, sales agents, or distributors of our company may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities.

Noncompliance with anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, suspension and/or debarment from contracting with certain persons, the loss of export privileges, reputational harm, adverse media coverage and other collateral consequences. If any subpoenas or investigations are launched, or governmental or other sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially harmed. Responding to any action will likely result in a materially significant diversion of management's attention and resources and significant defense and compliance costs and other professional fees. In addition, the U.S. government may seek to hold us liable for successor liability FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire. As a general matter, enforcement actions and sanctions could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights or if our intellectual property rights are inadequate to protect our technology, XHANCE or our other product candidates, our competitors could develop and commercialize technology similar to ours, and our competitive position could be harmed.

Our commercial success will depend in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the United States and other countries with respect to our proprietary technology and products. We rely on trade secret, patent, copyright and trademark laws, and confidentiality and other agreements with employees and third parties, all of which offer only limited protection. Our strategy is to seek patent protection for XHANCE, our other product candidates and their compositions, their methods of use and processes for their manufacture, and any other aspects of inventions that are commercially important to the development of our business.

The patent prosecution process is expensive and time-consuming, and we and any future licensors and licensees may not be able to apply for or prosecute patents on certain aspects of our product candidates or delivery technologies at a reasonable cost, in a timely fashion, or at all. We may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the rights to patents licensed to third parties. Therefore, these patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. It is also possible that we or any future licensors or licensees, 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 on them. Therefore, our patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. It is possible that defects of form in the preparation or filing of our patents or patent applications may exist, or may arise in the future, such as with respect to proper priority claims, inventorship, claim scope or patent term adjustments. If any future licensors or licensees, 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 and we might not be able to prevent third parties from making, using, and selling competing products. If there are material defects in the form or preparation of our patents or patent applications, such patents or applications may be invalid or unenforceable. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods, and know-how. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

The patent positions of pharmaceutical companies generally are highly uncertain, involve complex legal and factual questions and have in recent years been the subject of much litigation. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of any patents that issue, are highly uncertain. The steps we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be adequate to preclude misappropriation of our proprietary information or infringement of our intellectual property rights, both inside and outside the United States. Further, the examination process may require us to narrow the claims of pending patent applications, which may limit the scope of patent protection that may be obtained if these applications issue. The rights that may be granted under future issued patents may not provide us with the proprietary protection or competitive advantages we are seeking. If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our technology and products, or if the scope of the patent protection obtained is not sufficient, our competitors could develop and commercialize technology and products similar or superior to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our technology and products may be impaired.

As of June 13, 2017, we owned a total of 43 U.S. patents and 35 pending U.S. patent applications. These U.S. patents will expire between 2020 and 2030. With respect to these patent rights, we do not know whether any of our patent applications will result in issued patents or, if any of our patent applications do issue, whether such patents will protect our technology and drugs, in whole or in part, or whether such patents will effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. There is no guarantee that any of our issued or granted patents will not later be found invalid or unenforceable.

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The laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States or vice versa. For example, European patent law restricts the patentability of methods of treatment of the human body more than United States law does. 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 were the first to make the inventions claimed in our pending patent applications, that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions, or that we have found all of the potentially relevant prior art relating to our patents and patent applications that could invalidate one or more of our patents or prevent one or more of our patent applications from issuing. Even if patents do successfully issue and even if such patents cover our product candidates, third parties may initiate oppositions, interferences, re-examinations, post-grant reviews, inter partes reviews, nullification or derivation actions in court or before patent offices or similar proceedings challenging the validity, enforceability, or scope of such patents, which may result in the patent claims being narrowed or invalidated. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property, provide exclusivity for our product candidates, or prevent others from designing around our claims. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties.

Furthermore, the issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our owned and licensed patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and drugs, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and drugs. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new drug candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our owned and licensed patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing drugs similar or identical to ours.

We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents or the patents of our licensors, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful.

Competitors may infringe our patents or the patents of any party from whom we may license patents from in the future. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. In a patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, for example, 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 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability during patent litigation is unpredictable. A court may decide that a patent of ours or of any of our future licensors is not valid or is unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover the technology in question. In addition, to the extent that we have to file patent litigation in a federal court against a U.S. patent holder, we would be required to initiate the proceeding in the state of incorporation or residency of such entity. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that no invalidating prior art exists. An adverse result in any litigation or defense proceedings could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated, found unenforceable, or interpreted narrowly, and it could put our patent applications at risk of not issuing. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least

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part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on one or more of our products or certain aspects of our EDS technology. Such a loss of patent protection could compromise our ability to pursue our business strategy.

Interference proceedings brought by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents and patent applications or those of our collaborators or licensors. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if a prevailing party does not offer us a license on terms that are acceptable to us. Litigation or interference proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distraction of our management and other employees. We may not be able to prevent, alone or with any of our future licensors, misappropriation of our proprietary rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States. 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, there could 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 have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

Moreover, we may be subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the USPTO or other foreign patent offices, or become involved in opposition, derivation, reexamination, inter partes review, post-grant review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our technology or drugs and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize drugs without infringing third-party patent rights. 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.

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

Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on XHANCE, our other product candidates and our EDS technology throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States may be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws and practices of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights, especially those relating to life sciences, to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. For example, novel formulations of existing drugs and manufacturing processes may not be patentable in certain jurisdictions, and the requirements for patentability may differ in certain countries, particularly developing countries. Also, some foreign countries, including European Union countries, India, Japan and China, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled under certain circumstances to grant licenses to third parties. Consequently, we may have limited remedies if patents are infringed or if we are compelled to grant a license to a third party, and 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 into or within the United States or other jurisdictions. This could limit our potential revenue opportunities. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products, and may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but where enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products in jurisdictions where we do not have any issued patents and our patent claims or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing with us in these jurisdictions. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from our intellectual property. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate in these foreign countries and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful.

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Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and applications are required to be paid to the USPTO and various governmental patent agencies outside of the United States in several stages over the lifetime of the patents and applications. The USPTO and various non-U.S. governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process and after a patent has issued. There are situations in which non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction.

Third parties may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, the outcome of which could be uncertain and could harm our business.

Our commercial success depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell XHANCE and our other product candidates and use our proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. While our product candidates are in preclinical studies and clinical trials, we believe that the use of our product candidates in these preclinical studies and clinical trials falls within the scope of the exemptions provided by 35 U.S.C. Section 271(e) in the United States, which exempts from patent infringement liability activities reasonably related to the development and submission of information to the FDA. As XHANCE and our other product candidates progress toward commercialization, the possibility of a patent infringement claim against us increases. For instance, our use of the Section 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for the follow-on indication of chronic sinusitis or any of our other product candidates will require us to provide a Paragraph IV certification to the NDA and patent holders of the RLD pursuant to the Hatch-Waxman Act if the RLD is covered by Orange Book-listed patents. If the NDA or patent holder files a patent infringement lawsuit against us within 45 days of its receipt of notice of our certification, the FDA is prevented from approving our Section 505(b)(2) NDA until the earliest of 30 months, expiration of the patents, settlement of the lawsuit or a court decision in the infringement case that is favorable to us. Accordingly, we may invest significant time and expense in the development of our product candidates only to be subject to significant delay and expensive and time-consuming patent litigation before our product candidates may be commercialized. There can be no assurance that our product candidates do not infringe other parties' patents or other proprietary rights and competitors or other parties may assert that we infringe their proprietary rights in any event.

There is considerable intellectual property litigation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. We may become party to, or threatened with, future adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our product candidates, including interference or derivation proceedings before the USPTO. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications owned by third parties exist in the fields in which we are developing our drug candidates. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents that may be granted in the future.

If we are found to infringe a third party's intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue commercializing our product candidates. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if a license can be obtained on acceptable terms, the rights may be non-exclusive, which could give our competitors access to the same technology or intellectual property rights licensed to us. If we fail to obtain a required license, we may be unable to effectively market product candidates based on our technology, which could limit our ability to generate revenue or achieve profitability and possibly prevent us from generating revenue sufficient to sustain our operations. Alternatively, we may need to redesign our infringing products, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure. Under certain circumstances, we could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing our product candidates. In addition, in any such proceeding or litigation, we could be found liable for substantial monetary damages, potentially

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including treble damages and attorneys' fees, if we are found to have willfully infringed. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing our product candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could harm our business. Any claims by third parties that we have misappropriated their confidential information or trade secrets could have a similar negative impact on our business.

The cost to us in defending or initiating any litigation or other proceeding relating to patent or other proprietary rights, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial, and litigation would divert our management's attention. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could compromise our commercialization efforts, delay our research and development efforts and limit our ability to continue our operations. There could also be public announcements of the results of the hearing, motions, or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive those results to be negative, it could cause the price of shares of our common stock to decline.

Our competitors may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner.

Our competitors may seek to market generic versions of any of our approved products by submitting ANDAs to the FDA or new products that use our approved products as the RLD, in each case where our competitors claim that our patents are invalid, unenforceable or not infringed. Alternatively, our competitors may seek approval to market their own products that are the same as, similar to or otherwise competitive with XHANCE and any future product candidates we may develop. In these circumstances, we may need to defend or assert our patents, by means including filing lawsuits alleging patent infringement requiring us to engage in complex, lengthy and costly litigation or other proceedings. In any of these types of proceedings, a court or government agency with jurisdiction may find our patents invalid, unenforceable or not infringed. We may also fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Even if we have valid and enforceable patents, these patents still may not provide protection against competing products or processes sufficient to achieve our business objectives.

Changes in either U.S. or foreign patent law or interpretation of such laws could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products.

As is the case with other pharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the pharmaceutical industry involve both technological and legal complexity, and it therefore is costly, time-consuming and inherently uncertain. In addition, on September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the AIA, was signed into law. The AIA includes a number of significant changes to U.S. patent law, including provisions that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation.

An important change introduced by the AIA is that, as of March 16, 2013, the United States transitioned to a "first-to-file" system for deciding which party should be granted a patent when two or more patent applications are filed by different parties claiming the same invention. A third party that files a patent application in the USPTO after that date, but before us, could therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the invention before it was made by the third party. This will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a patent application.

Among some of the other changes introduced by the AIA are changes that limit where a patentee may file a patent infringement suit and providing opportunities for third parties to challenge any issued patent in the USPTO. This applies to all of our U.S. patents, even those issued before March 16, 2013. Because of a lower evidentiary standard necessary to invalidate a patent claim in USPTO proceedings compared to the evidentiary standard in United States federal court, a third party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same evidence would

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be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented in a district court action. Accordingly, a third party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims that would not have been invalidated if first challenged by the third party as a defendant in a district court action.

Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, the USPTO, or similar authorities in foreign jurisdictions, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.

We may be subject to claims asserting that our employees, consultants, independent contractors and advisors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information and/or alleged trade secrets of their current or former employers or claims asserting ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.

Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants, independent contractors and advisors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that these individuals or we have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed confidential information and/or intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of the companies that any such individual currently or formerly worked for or provided services to. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our business.

In addition, while we 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 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.

Intellectual property rights do not prevent all potential threats to competitive advantages we may have.

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

The following examples are illustrative:

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

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

In addition to seeking patent protection for certain aspects of our product candidates and delivery technologies, we also consider trade secrets, including confidential and unpatented know-how important to the maintenance of our competitive position. We protect trade secrets and confidential and unpatented know-how, in part, by customarily entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to such knowledge, such as our employees, outside scientific and commercial collaborators, CROs, CMOs, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants that obligate them to maintain confidentiality and assign their inventions to us. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known, including through a potential cybersecurity breach, or may be independently developed by competitors.

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 in the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.

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

We expect to rely on trademarks as one means to distinguish any of our product candidates that are approved for marketing from the products of our competitors. OPTINOSE®, XHANCE™ and Breath Powered® are trademarks or registered trademarks of ours in the United States. Our trademarks may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks or may be forced to stop using these names, which we need for name recognition by potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. If we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks, we may not be able to compete effectively.

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Risks Related to this Offering, Ownership of Our Common Stock and Our Status as a Public Company

There is no existing market for our common stock, and we do not know if one will develop. Even if a market does develop, the stock prices in the market may not exceed the offering price.

Prior to this offering there has been no market for shares of our common stock. Although we have applied to list our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market, an active trading market for our shares may never develop or be sustained following this offering. The initial public offering price for our common stock will be determined through negotiations with the underwriters, and the negotiated price may not be indicative of the market price of our common stock after this offering. The market value of our common stock may decrease from the initial public offering price. As a result of these and other factors, you may be unable to resell your shares of our common stock at or above the initial public offering price. The lack of an active market may impair your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them or at a price that you consider reasonable. The lack of an active market may also reduce the fair market value of your shares. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock and may impair our ability to enter into strategic collaborations or acquire companies or products by using our shares of common stock as consideration.

Funds affiliated with Avista Capital Partners, or Avista, have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. To the extent that such funds purchase shares in this offering, it would reduce the available public float for our shares because these funds will be restricted from selling the shares by a lock-up agreement they have entered into with the underwriters and/or by restrictions under applicable securities laws. As a result, any purchase of shares by such funds in this offering may reduce the liquidity of shares of our common stock compared to what it would have been had these shares been purchased by investors that were not affiliated with us.

The price of our common stock may be volatile and you may lose all or part of your investment.

The market price of our common stock following this offering is likely to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. In addition to the factors discussed in this "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in this prospectus, these factors include:

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In addition, the stock market in general, and pharmaceutical companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. The realization of any of the above risks or any of a broad range of other risks stated above could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are restricted from immediate resale but may be sold into the market in the near future. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall, even if our business is doing well.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time. If our stockholders sell, or the market perceives that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market following this offering, the market price of our common stock could decline significantly.

After this offering, we will have outstanding 35,386,273 shares of common stock, based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 30, 2017, but assuming no exercise of outstanding options or warrants. This includes the shares that we are selling in this offering, which may be resold in the public market immediately without restriction, unless purchased by our affiliates or existing stockholders. The remaining shares will be restricted as a result of contractual lock-up agreements with the underwriters for 180 days after the date of this prospectus, as described in the "Shares Eligible for Future Sale" section of this prospectus. The representatives of the underwriters may, in their sole discretion and at any time or from

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time to time before the termination of the 180-day period, release all or any portion of the securities subject to lock-up agreements. In addition, pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement, certain of our existing stockholders will be restricted from selling securities for a 180-day period following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Moreover, after this offering, holders of an aggregate of 29,857,446 shares of our common stock will have rights, subject to specified conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other stockholders. If we were to register the resale of these shares, they could be freely sold in the public market. If these additional shares are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline.

We also intend to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 promptly following the closing of this offering to register the issuance of all shares of common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Once we register these shares, they can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates and the lock-up agreements described in the "Underwriting" section of this prospectus.

Future issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase common stock, including pursuant to our equity incentive plans, could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our stock price to fall.

We expect that significant additional capital will be needed in the future to continue our planned operations. To raise capital, we may sell substantial amounts of common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock. These future issuances of common stock or common stock-related securities, together with the exercise of outstanding options, warrants and any additional shares issued in connection with acquisitions, if any, may result in material dilution to our investors. Such sales may also result in material dilution to our existing stockholders, and new investors could gain rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock, including shares of common stock sold in this offering.

We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may invest or spend the proceeds in ways with which you do not agree and in ways that may not increase the value of your investment.

We will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. You may not agree with our decisions, and our management may not apply the net proceeds of this offering in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering in the manner described in the "Use of Proceeds" section of this prospectus. Our failure to apply these net proceeds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cause the price of our common stock to decline and delay the development and commercialization of our product candidates. Pending their use, we intend to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short- and intermediate-term, interest bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government. These investments may not yield a favorable return to our stockholders. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance stockholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results and it could compromise our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates, either of which could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

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Our principal stockholders and management own substantially all of our stock prior to this offering and will continue to be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval after the offering, which could prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.

Upon the closing of this offering, our executive officers, directors, beneficial owners of 5% or more of our capital stock and their respective affiliates will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately 81.0% of our outstanding common stock, including entities associated with Avista, our largest stockholder. Funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of approximately $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. The previously discussed ownership percentage upon completion of this offering does not reflect the potential purchase of any shares in this offering by such funds. If these funds purchase an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, upon completion of this offering, our executive officers, directors, beneficial owners of 5% or more of our capital stock and their respective affiliates will, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately 85.0% of our outstanding common stock, assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares. In addition, under these circumstances, Avista would, in the aggregate, beneficially own approximately 52.9% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, Avista would be able to control the outcome of all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest. The interests of Avista may not always coincide with your interests or the interests of other stockholders and Avista may act in a manner that advances its best interests and not necessarily those of other stockholders, including seeking a premium value for their common stock. For instance, under the terms of our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will become effective immediately following the closing of this offering, neither Avista nor any of its representatives on our board of directors are required to offer us any transaction opportunity of which they become aware, and they could take any such opportunity for themselves or offer it to other companies in which they have an investment, unless that opportunity is expressly offered to a person serving on our board of directors solely in his or her capacity as one of our directors. These actions might affect the prevailing market price for our common stock. In addition, because Avista purchased its shares at prices substantially below the price at which shares are being sold in this offering and have held its shares for a longer period, Avista may be more interested in selling our company to an acquiror than other investors, or Avista may want us to pursue strategies that deviate from the interests of other stockholders. Such concentration of ownership control may also:

We may also take actions that our other stockholders do not view as beneficial, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition and cause the value of your investment to decline.

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Following this offering, we expect to be a "controlled company" within the meaning of NASDAQ listing rules and, as a result, we expect to qualify for, and intend to rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. If we are a controlled company, our stockholders will not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that do not rely on exemptions from corporate governance requirements.

Upon the closing of this offering, we expect that Avista will control a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common stock. If so, we will be a "controlled company" within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of NASDAQ. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a "controlled company" and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including requirements that:

If eligible, we intend to utilize these exemptions upon the closing of this offering. As a result, our nominating and corporate governance committee and our compensation committee may not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, you may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of NASDAQ. If, however, as of the closing of this offering, we do not qualify as a "controlled company" for NASDAQ purposes, then we will comply with the applicable corporate governance standards of NASDAQ, subject to any applicable phase-in schedules.

Avista is not subject to any contractual obligation to retain its interest, except that it has agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of our common stock or other capital stock or other securities exercisable or convertible therefor for a period of at least 180 days after the date of this prospectus without the prior written consent of the representatives of the underwriters in this offering. There can be no assurance as to the period of time during which Avista will maintain its ownership of our common stock following the offering. As a result, there can be no assurance as to the period of time during which we will be able to avail ourselves of the controlled company exemptions, if at all.

Some provisions of our charter documents and Delaware law may have anti-takeover effects that could discourage an acquisition of us by others, even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our stockholders, and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Provisions in our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, each of which will become effective immediately following the closing of this offering, as well as provisions of Delaware law, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us or increase the cost of acquiring us, even if doing so would benefit our stockholders, or remove our current management. These include provisions that will:

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These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, who are responsible for appointing the members of our management. Under our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we have elected not to be governed by Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law until such time that Avista ceases to own 15% or more of our capital stock. Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation does, however, contain a provision that generally mirrors Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, except that it excludes Avista and its affiliates from the definition of "interested stockholder." At such time that Avista ceases to own 15% or more of our capital stock, we will be governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. These provisions may discourage, delay or prevent someone from acquiring us or merging with us whether or not it is desired by or beneficial to our stockholders. Under Section 203, a corporation may not, in general, engage in a business combination with any holder of 15% or more of its capital stock unless the holder has held the stock for three years or, among other things, prior to the time the stockholder has become an interested stockholder, the board of directors has approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder.

These provisions of our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals and delaying or preventing a change in control. They could also have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our common stock, including transactions that may be in your best interests or provide an opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock. These provisions could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

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Our certificate of incorporation also provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will become effective immediately following the closing of this offering provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and any appellate courts thereof will be the exclusive forum for resolving any such complaint for which subject matter jurisdiction of such claim is vested exclusively in the federal courts of the United States of America. These choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provisions contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.

We may fail to qualify for continued listing on NASDAQ which could make it more difficult for investors to sell their shares.

We expect to receive approval to list our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market. If approved, we will need to satisfy the continued listing requirements of The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC, or NASDAQ, for inclusion on The NASDAQ Global Select Market to maintain such listing, including, among other things, the maintenance of a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share and stockholders' equity of at least $10.0 million. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain compliance with the continued listing requirements or that our common stock will not be delisted from NASDAQ in the future. If our common stock is delisted by NASDAQ, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

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

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. Securities and industry analysts do not currently, and may never, publish research on our company. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of our company, the trading price for our stock would likely be negatively impacted. In the event securities or industry analysts initiate coverage, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could decrease, which might cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.

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If you purchase our common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the book value of your shares.

We expect that the initial public offering price will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. Investors purchasing common stock in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the pro forma as adjusted book value (deficit) of our tangible assets after subtracting our liabilities. As a result, investors purchasing common stock in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $11.82 per share, based upon an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range on the cover page of this prospectus. As a result of the dilution to investors purchasing shares in this offering, investors may receive significantly less than the purchase price paid in this offering, if anything, in the event of our liquidation. Further, investors purchasing common stock in this offering will have contributed approximately 35% of the total amount invested by stockholders since our inception, but will own, as a result of such investment, only approximately 18% of the shares of common stock outstanding immediately following giving effect to this offering. Furthermore, if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares or our previously issued options and warrants to acquire common stock at prices below the initial public offering price are exercised, you will experience further dilution. For a further description of the dilution that you will incur as a result of purchasing shares in this offering, see "Dilution."

Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gain and you may never receive a return on your investment.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock, and you should not rely on an investment in our common stock to provide dividend income. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of any future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert our management's attention.

As we operate in the pharmaceutical industry, we may be especially vulnerable to volatility in the market price of our common stock, especially to the extent that various factors affect the common stock of companies in our industry. In the past companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management's attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business, and could also require us to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments or to settle litigation.

We are an "emerging growth company" and intend to take advantage of reduced disclosure and governance requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, which could result in our common stock being less attractive to investors.

We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and we are eligible to and intend to take advantage of some of the exemptions from reporting requirements applicable to other public companies, but not to emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, an exemption from the auditor attestation requirement of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure about executive compensation arrangements pursuant to the rules applicable to smaller reporting companies and no requirement to seek non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (1) the beginning of the first fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering, or January 1, 2023, (2) the beginning of the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenue is $1.07 billion or more, (3) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more

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than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities and (4) the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700.0 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

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 of 1933, as amended, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. An emerging growth company can therefore delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. However, we are choosing to "opt out" of such extended transition period and, as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that our decision to opt out of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards is irrevocable.

We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive as a result of our taking advantage of these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of our choices, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile. We may also be unable to raise additional capital as and when we need it.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to timely and accurately report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.

After the closing of this offering, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, as well as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the stock market on which our common stock is listed. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. Commencing with our fiscal year ending December 31, 2018, we will be required, under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to include in our Form 10-K filing for that year a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting that results in more than a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act also generally requires an attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. However, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of an exemption from the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.

Our compliance with Section 404's requirement to furnish a report by management will require that we incur substantial additional professional fees and internal costs to expand our accounting and finance functions and that we expend significant management efforts. Prior to this offering, we have never been required to test our internal control within a specified period, and, as a result, we may experience difficulty in meeting these reporting requirements in a timely manner. We currently do not have an internal audit function, and we will need to hire additional accounting and financial staff with appropriate public company experience and technical accounting knowledge, and compile the system and process documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with the applicable provisions of Section 404. We may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion, which could potentially subject us to sanctions or investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, or other regulatory authorities.

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We may identify weaknesses in our system of internal financial and accounting controls and procedures that could result in a material misstatement of our consolidated financial statements. During the evaluation and testing process, if we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Our internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system's objectives will be met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected.

Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to timely and accurately report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting once that firm begins the testing procedures over internal controls, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by NASDAQ, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.

Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.

Upon consummation of this offering, we will become subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.

These inherent limitations reflect the reality that judgments can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. If that were to happen, the market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by NASDAQ, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.

We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.

Prior to the consummation of this offering, we have not been subject to public company reporting obligations. We will incur significant additional legal, accounting, administrative and other costs and expenses as a public company. Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, the Exchange Act, as well as rules of the SEC and NASDAQ, for example, will result in significant initial costs to us as well as ongoing increases in our legal, audit and financial compliance costs, particularly after we are no longer an "emerging growth company." In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including regulations implemented by NASDAQ and the SEC, may increase legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. We intend to

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invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management's time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. Any changes that we make to comply with these obligations may not be sufficient to allow us to satisfy our obligations as a public company on a timely basis, or at all.

The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. Our board of directors, management and other personnel need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, failure to comply with these rules and regulations might make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, or we might be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to maintain the same or similar coverage.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus includes forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in the sections entitled "Prospectus Summary," "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Business." These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

In some cases, you can identify these statements by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" or the negative of those terms, and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect our management's beliefs and views with respect to future events and are based on estimates and assumptions as of the date of this prospectus and are subject to risks and uncertainties. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors." Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, 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 any forward-looking statements we may make. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 27A

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of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, do not protect any forward-looking statements that we make in connection with this offering. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this prospectus speak only as of the date of such statement, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any future trends or indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical data.

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, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of the forward-looking statements in this prospectus by these cautionary statements.

Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

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IMPLICATIONS OF BEING AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY

We are an "emerging growth company," as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of:

For as long as we remain an "emerging growth company," we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not "emerging growth companies," including:

We will take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an "emerging growth company." We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these reduced burdens. For example, we have taken advantage of the reduced reporting requirements with respect to disclosure regarding our executive compensation arrangements, have presented only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" disclosure in this prospectus, and have taken advantage of the exemption from auditor attestation on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. To the extent that we take advantage of these reduced burdens, the information that we provide stockholders may be different than you might obtain from other public companies in which you hold equity interests.

The JOBS Act provides that an "emerging growth company" can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption and, therefore, we are subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies."


MARKET, INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA

This prospectus contain estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business and the prospective markets for XHANCE and our product candidates, including data regarding the estimated size of those markets, the perceptions and preferences of patients and physicians regarding certain therapies and other prescription, physician and patient data, as well as data regarding market research, estimates and forecasts prepared by our management. We obtained the industry, market and other data throughout this prospectus from our own internal estimates and research, as well as from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties on our behalf. We believe this data is accurate in all material respects as of the date of this prospectus.

Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information. In several cases, we do not expressly refer to the sources from which this data is derived.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that we will receive net proceeds of $90.2 million, or $104.2 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, from the sale of the shares of common stock offered by us in this offering, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by $5.8 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

Similarly, a 1.0 million share increase (decrease) in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us by $14.9 million, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

We currently estimate that we will use the net proceeds of this offering as follows:

The expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures depend on numerous factors, including the success of our commercialization efforts, the progress of our clinical development efforts for XHANCE for a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and the progress of our preclinical and clinical development efforts with respect to our other product candidates. As a result, our management will have broad discretion in applying the net proceeds from this offering. An investor will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial or other information on which we base our decisions on how to use the net proceeds.

Although we may use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering for the acquisition or licensing, as the case may be, of products, product candidates, technologies, compounds, other assets or complementary businesses, we have no current understandings, agreements or commitments to do so. Pending these uses, we plan to invest the net proceeds from this offering in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.

Although it is difficult to predict future liquidity requirements, we believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash resources, will be sufficient to enable us to fund our operations into the first quarter of 2019, including to support the planned launch of XHANCE. With respect to the additional research and development efforts for XHANCE, including the initiation of FDA-mandated pediatric studies and the clinical trials necessary to seek approval for a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, we expect that we will require additional funds as these studies and trials progress, the exact amounts of which will depend on the timing, design and outcome of the clinical trials and our cash position. We have based these estimates on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. We may need to raise additional capital through public offerings and private placements of our equity securities, debt financings, strategic partnerships, alliances and licensing arrangements, or a combination thereof.

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never paid or declared any cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to support our operations and finance the growth and development of our business. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, business prospects and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization as of June 30, 2017 on:

The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted information below is illustrative only, and our capitalization following the closing of this offering will depend on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read this table together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus, the sections entitled "Selected Consolidated Financial Data" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and other consolidated financial information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.


 
  As of June 30, 2017  
(in thousands)
  Actual   Pro Forma   Pro Forma
As Adjusted(1)
 

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 58,887   $ 58,887   $ 149,087  

Redeemable convertible preferred stock:

                   

Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share; 285,480 shares authorized, 285,480 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 285,480 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    5,381          

Series B-1 Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share; 35,680 shares authorized, 35,680 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 35,680 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    673          

Series B-2 Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share; 782,600 authorized, 782,600 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 782,600 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    14,760          

Series C Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share; 4,115,344 shares authorized, 4,115,344 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 4,115,344 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    110,840          

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  As of June 30, 2017  
(in thousands)
  Actual   Pro Forma   Pro Forma
As Adjusted(1)
 

Series C-1 Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share; 1,656,410 shares authorized, 1,656,410 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 1,656,410 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    43,517          

Series C-2 Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share; 687,474 shares authorized, 687,474 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 687,474 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    19,951          

Series D Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share; 1,369,863 shares authorized, 1,117,578 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 1,369,863 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    37,296          

Total redeemable convertible preferred stock

    232,418          

Stockholders' (deficit) equity:

                   

Common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 13,067,149 shares authorized, 4,067,717 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 29,136,273 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 35,386,273 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted

    4     29     35  

Preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, actual; 5,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted

             

Additional paid-in capital

        232,393     322,587  

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

    (105 )   (105 )   (105 )

Accumulated deficit

    (174,580 )   (174,580 )   (174,580 )

Total stockholders' (deficit) equity

    (174,681 )   57,737     147,937  

Total capitalization

  $ 57,737   $ 57,737   $ 147,937  

(1)
Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders' (deficit) equity and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by $5.8 million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares offered by us would increase (decrease) the amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, total stockholders' equity (deficit) and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by $14.9 million, assuming the assumed initial public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

The number of shares of our common stock in the table above is based on 29,136,273 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017, which gives effect to the pro forma transactions described above, and excludes:

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Funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. Based on these indications of interest, and assuming an initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, these funds would purchase up to an aggregate of 1,562,500 of the 6,250,000 shares offered in this offering. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, these funds may determine to purchase fewer shares than they indicate an interest in purchasing or not to purchase any shares in this offering. It is also possible that these investors could indicate an interest in purchasing more shares. In addition, the underwriters could determine to sell fewer shares to any of these funds than the funds indicate an interest in purchasing or not to sell any shares to these funds. The foregoing discussion and tables do not reflect any potential purchases of shares by these funds.

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DILUTION

If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering.

As of June 30, 2017, our historical net tangible book value (deficit) was $(174.7) million, or $(42.94) per share of our common stock. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) is the amount of our total tangible assets less our liabilities and convertible preferred stock, which is not included within stockholders' equity (deficit). Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share is our historical net tangible deficit divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017.

Our pro forma net tangible book value as of June 30, 2017, was $57.7 million, or $1.98 per share of common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value represents the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities after giving effect to the automatic conversion of all shares of our convertible preferred stock outstanding into an aggregate of 25,068,556 shares of our common stock, which will occur upon the closing of this offering.

Our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as June 30, 2017, which is our pro forma net tangible book value at that date, after giving effect to the sale of shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, would have been $147.9 million, or $4.18 per share. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $2.20 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $11.82 per share to new investors participating in this offering. Dilution per share to new investors is determined by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the assumed initial public offering price per share paid by new investors.

The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:


Assumed initial public offering price per share

        $ 16.00  

Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of June 30, 2017

  $ (42.94 )      

Pro forma increase in net tangible book value (deficit) per share attributable to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock

    44.92        

Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2017

    1.98        

Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to investors participating in this offering

    2.20        

Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering

          4.18  

Dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering

        $ 11.82  

The information discussed above is illustrative only, and the dilution information following this offering will depend on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $0.16 per share and the dilution in pro forma per share to investors participating in this offering by $0.84 per share, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

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Similarly, each 1,000,000 share increase in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $0.29 and decrease the dilution in pro forma per share to investors participating in this offering by $0.29, assuming the assumed initial public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. A 1,000,000 share decrease in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would decrease the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $0.31 and increase the dilution in pro forma per share to investors participating in this offering by $0.31, assuming the assumed initial public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase 937,500 additional shares in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value will increase to $4.46 per share, representing an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value to existing stockholders of $2.48 per share and an immediate decrease of dilution of $11.54 per share to investors participating in this offering.

The following table summarizes, as of June 30, 2017, on a pro forma as adjusted basis as described above, the total number of common shares purchased from us on an as converted to common share basis, the total consideration paid or to be paid, and the average price per share paid or to be paid by existing stockholders and by new investors in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. As the table below shows, investors participating in this offering will pay an average price per share substantially higher than our existing stockholders paid.


 
   
   
  Total
consideration
   
 
 
  Shares purchased    
 
 
  Amount
(in thousands)
   
  Average price
per share
 
 
  Number   Percent   Percent  

Existing stockholders before this offering

    29,136,273     82 % $ 185,875     65 % $ 6.38  

Investors participating in this offering

    6,250,000     18     100,000     35   $ 16.00  

Total

    35,386,273     100 % $ 285,875     100 %      

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by investors participating in this offering and total consideration paid by all stockholders by $6.3 million and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 1.4 percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 1.5 percentage points, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same.

Similarly, each 1,000,000 share increase (decrease) in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the total consideration paid by investors participating in this offering and total consideration paid by all stockholders by $16.00 million, and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 3.4 percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 3.9 percentage points, assuming the assumed initial public offering price remains the same.

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If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full in this offering, the number of shares of common stock held by existing stockholders will be reduced to 80% of the total number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares of common stock held by investors participating in this offering will be further increased to 7,187,500, or 20% of the total number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering.

The number of shares of our common stock reflected in the discussion above is based on 29,136,273 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017, which gives effect to the pro forma transactions described above, and excludes:

To the extent that stock options are exercised, new stock options are issued under our stock incentive plans, or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital because of market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe that we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. If we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

This section should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We derived the selected consolidated statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2015 and 2016 from our audited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We derived the selected statement of operations data for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017 and the selected balance sheet data as of June 30, 2017 from our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The selected consolidated financial data in this section are not intended to replace our consolidated financial statements and the related notes. The unaudited interim consolidated financial data, in management's opinion, have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, and include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of the information for the periods presented. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in the future and results from our interim period may not necessarily be indicative of the results of the entire year or any future period.

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  Years Ended December 31,   Six Months Ended June 30,  
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
  2015   2016   2016   2017  

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:

                         

Licensing revenues

  $ 85   $ 47,500   $ 47,500   $  

Operating expenses:

                         

Research and development

    22,156     15,311     8,373     8,979  

Selling, general and administrative

    6,006     6,869     3,296     6,661  

Total operating expenses

    28,162     22,180     11,669     15,640  

(Loss) income from operations

    (28,077 )   25,320     35,831     (15,640 )

Other (income) expense, net:

                         

Interest (income) expense

    791     3,374     1,676     767  

Other (income) expense

    (554 )   (667 )   (152 )   (124 )

Total other (income) expense, net          

    237     2,707     1,524     643  

Net (loss) income

    (28,314 )   22,613     34,307     (16,283 )

Accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock

    (12,061 )   (13,114 )   (6,557 )   (8,224 )

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders

  $ (40,375 ) $ 9,499   $ 27,750   $ (24,507 )

Net (loss) income per share of common stock,

                         

basic

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.40   $ 1.16   $ (6.02 )

diluted

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.32   $ 0.95   $ (6.02 )

Weighted average common shares outstanding,

                         

basic

    4,049,668     4,054,316     4,049,668     4,067,717  

diluted

    4,049,668     4,980,181     4,959,817     4,067,717  

Pro forma net income (loss) per share of common stock,

                         

basic (unaudited)

        $ 0.95         $ (0.61 )

diluted (unaudited)

        $ 0.91         $ (0.61 )

Pro forma weighted average common shares outstanding,

                         

basic (unaudited)

          23,910,088           26,716,734  

diluted (unaudited)

          24,835,953           26,716,734  

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  As of December 31,    
 
 
  As of
June 30,
2017
 
(in thousands)
  2015   2016  

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

                   

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 15,198   $ 36,797   $ 58,887  

Working capital(1)

    8,624     34,765     54,689  

Total assets

    16,009     41,551     63,962  

Convertible notes

    14,480     15,256      

Redeemable convertible preferred stock

    155,059     168,173     232,418  

Accumulated deficit

    (161,255 )   (151,102 )   (174,580 )

Total stockholders' deficit

    (161,392 )   (151,197 )   (174,681 )

(1)
Working capital is calculated as current assets minus current liabilities.

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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion summarizes the significant factors affecting the operating results, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows of our company as of and for the periods presented below. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with "Prospectus Summary — Summary Consolidated Financial Data," "Selected Consolidated Financial Data" and the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. The statements in this discussion regarding industry outlook, our expectations regarding our future performance, liquidity and capital resources and all other non-historical statements in this discussion are forward-looking statements and are based on the beliefs of our management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those discussed below and elsewhere in this prospectus, particularly in the section entitled "Risk Factors."

Overview

We are a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products for patients treated by ear, nose and throat, or ENT, and allergy specialists. Our lead product, XHANCE (fluticasone propionate) nasal spray, utilizes our proprietary Breath Powered exhalation delivery system, or EDS, to deliver a topically-acting and potent anti-inflammatory corticosteroid for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and, if approved, chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis is a serious nasal inflammatory disease that is currently treated using therapies, such as intranasal steroids, or INS, that have significant limitations. We believe XHANCE has a differentiated clinical profile with the potential to become part of the standard of care for this disease because it is able to deliver medication to the primary site of inflammation high and deep in the nasal passages in regions not adequately reached by current INS. We also believe that payors will respond favorably to XHANCE's clinical, cost, and quality-of-care profile, as compared to current and potential future costly drug therapy and surgical treatment options.

On September 18, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved our new drug application, or NDA, for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in patients 18 years of age or older. We expect to launch XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in the second quarter of 2018 with a dedicated sales force targeting a specialty prescriber base comprised of approximately 15,000 physicians in the United States. We plan to initiate additional clinical trials of XHANCE in the second half of 2018 to seek a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis to broaden our market opportunity. XHANCE is the second commercial product that we have developed utilizing our EDS. Our first commercial product, indicated for the acute treatment of migraines in adults, was licensed in 2013 to Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Avanir, and was approved by the FDA in January 2016.

Since inception, we have incurred significant net losses and expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. To date, we have generated revenue primarily from our license agreement with Avanir, or the AVP-825 License Agreement, pursuant to which we granted them the exclusive right to further develop and commercialize AVP-825 for the acute treatment of migraines in adults. We have not generated any commercial product revenue to date and we do not expect to generate any additional revenue from the AVP-825 License Agreement in the near term, as future sales milestones and royalty payments are subject to the achievement of specified sales thresholds. We had net income of $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $34.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 due primarily to the achievement of a development milestone under the AVP-825 License Agreement. However, we incurred net losses of $28.3 million for year ended December 31, 2015 and $16.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. We incurred net losses in all other prior periods. As of June 30, 2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $174.6 million. We have funded our operations primarily through the sale and

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issuance of preferred stock, as well as licensing revenues received under the AVP-825 License Agreement. As of June 30, 2017, we had $58.9 million in cash and cash equivalents.

We expect to continue to incur substantial net losses and negative cash flows from operations for the foreseeable future as we begin to commercialize XHANCE and from our ongoing activities.

Our results may vary depending on many factors, including our ability to obtain regulatory approval of XHANCE for the follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, to achieve market acceptance of XHANCE among physicians, patients and third-party payors and to continue development activities for our other product candidates.

We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will be sufficient to fund our operations into the first quarter of 2019. However, we will need to raise additional capital in the future to further the commercialization of XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps, to further the clinical development of XHANCE for a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, and to support the development of our other product candidates. We may seek to obtain additional financing in the future through the issuance of our common stock, through other equity or debt financings or through collaborations or partnerships with other companies. We may not be able to raise additional capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and any failure to raise capital as and when needed could compromise our ability to execute on our business plan and cause us to delay or curtail our operations until such funding is received.

Financial Operations Overview

Licensing revenues

To date, we have not generated any revenues from product sales. Substantially all of our revenue to date has been derived from the AVP-825 License Agreement. We do not expect to generate significant product revenue unless and until we commercialize XHANCE and our other product candidates.

In July 2013, we, through our wholly owned subsidiary, OptiNose AS, entered into the AVP-825 License Agreement under which we granted an exclusive license to Avanir to further develop and commercialize AVP-825 (now marketed as Onzetra Xsail). Under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement, we have received $70.0 million in aggregate licensing revenues to date in connection with the initial signing and the achievement of development milestones, including a $47.5 million payment upon FDA approval of AVP-825 in the first quarter of 2016. We are eligible to receive up to an additional $50.0 million upon the achievement of annual sales milestones and tiered low double-digit royalty payments once and if net sales of the product exceed a specified cumulative threshold. We do not expect to generate any additional revenue from the AVP-825 License Agreement in the near term.

Research and development expense

Research and development expense consists substantially of costs incurred in connection with the development and pursuit of regulatory approval for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps. We expense research and development costs as incurred. These expenses include:

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We typically use our employee, consultant and infrastructure resources across our research and development programs. Although we track certain outsourced development costs by product candidate, we do not allocate personnel costs or other internal costs to specific product candidates.

We plan to incur research and development expenses for the foreseeable future as we expect to seek to continue development of XHANCE for a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and our other product candidates. At this time, due to the inherently unpredictable nature of preclinical and clinical development, and given the preliminary nature of our clinical trial design for XHANCE for a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and the FDA-mandated pediatric studies for XHANCE, and the early stage of our other product candidates, we are unable to estimate with any certainty the costs we will incur and the timelines we will require in our continued development efforts.

Selling, general and administrative expense

Selling, general and administrative expense consists primarily of personnel expenses, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation expense, for employees in executive, finance, accounting, business development, legal and human resource functions. General and administrative expense also includes corporate facility costs, including rent, utilities, depreciation and maintenance, not otherwise included in research and development expense, as well as legal fees related to corporate matters and fees for accounting and other consulting services.

We anticipate that our general and administrative expense will increase as a result of an expanded infrastructure and an increased headcount. We anticipate higher corporate infrastructure costs including, but not limited to accounting, legal, human resources, consulting and investor relations fees, as well as increased director and officer insurance premiums, associated with becoming a public company.

Sales and marketing related expenses consist of market research and other activities to prepare for the anticipated commercialization of XHANCE, as well as salaries and related benefits for employees focused on such efforts. We anticipate an increase in headcount and expense, including in connection with the engagement of a contract sales organization, as a result of our preparation for the commercial launch of XHANCE in the United States.

Interest (income) expense

Interest (income) expense consists of interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents held with institutional banks and interest expense related to amounts amortized and accrued under our convertible notes that were converted into preferred stock in March 2017.

Other (income) expense

Other (income) expense consists primarily of grant and other income as a result of government cost reimbursements for research and development activities over a contractually defined period, as well as foreign currency income (losses) due to exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than our functional currency.

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Consolidated Results of Operations

Comparison of six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

The following table sets forth our selected consolidated statements of operations data for the periods indicated (in thousands):


 
  Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
 
  2016   2017  

Licensing revenues

  $ 47,500   $  

Operating expenses:

             

Research and development

    8,373     8,979  

Selling, general and administrative

    3,296     6,661  

Total operating expenses

    11,669     15,640  

Income (loss) from operations

    35,831     (15,640 )

Other (income) expense:

             

Interest (income) expense

    1,676     767  

Other (income) expense

    (152 )   (124 )

Total other (income) expense

    1,524     643  

Net income (loss)

  $ 34,307   $ (16,283 )

Licensing Revenues

Revenue was $47.5 million and $0 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. Revenue earned during the six months ended June 30, 2016 was attributable to the achievement of a development milestone under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement as a result of FDA approval of Onzetra Xsail in January 2016.

Research and development expense

Research and development expenses were $8.4 million and $9.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The $0.6 million increase was attributable primarily to:

These increases were offset primarily by:

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Selling, general and administrative expense

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $3.3 million and $6.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The $3.4 million increase was due primarily to:

Interest (income) expense, net

Interest (income) expense, net, was $1.7 million and $0.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively, and was related primarily to our convertible notes. The convertible notes were converted to shares of preferred stock in March 2017.

Other (income) expense, net

Other income, net, was $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The income in both periods was attributable primarily to grant eligible research and development expenses incurred by OptiNose AS, our Norwegian subsidiary.

Comparison of the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

The following table sets forth our selected consolidated statements of operations data for the periods indicated (in thousands):


 
  Year Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2015   2016  

Licensing revenues

  $ 85   $ 47,500  

Operating expenses:

             

Research and development

    22,156     15,311  

Selling, general and administrative

    6,006     6,869  

Total operating expenses

    28,162     22,180  

Income (loss) from operations

    (28,077 )   25,320  

Other (income) expense:

             

Interest (income) expense

    791     3,374  

Other (income) expense

    (554 )   (667 )

Total other (income) expense

    237     2,707  

Net income (loss)

  $ (28,314 ) $ 22,613  

Licensing Revenues

Revenue was $0.1 million and $47.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. Revenue earned during the year ended December 31, 2015 was attributable to research and development services provided in connection with the AVP-825 License Agreement. Revenue earned during the year ended December 31, 2016 was attributable to the achievement of a development milestone under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement as a result of FDA approval of Onzetra Xsail in January 2016.

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Research and development expense

Research and development expenses were $22.2 million and $15.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The $6.9 million decrease was attributable primarily to the $10.0 million decrease in clinical development and chemistry, manufacturing and controls expenses in connection with the substantial completion of our Phase 3 program of XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in 2015.

This decrease was offset primarily by:

Selling general and administrative expense

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $6.0 million and $6.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The $0.9 million increase was due primarily to:

These increases were offset by a $1.3 million decrease in marketing-related expenses incurred in connection with market research and commercial feasibility studies that we commissioned for XHANCE in 2015.

Interest (income) expense, net

Interest expense, net, was $0.8 million and $3.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The $2.6 million increase was attributable primarily to the September 2015 issuance of $15.0 million in convertible notes.

Other (income) expense, net

Other income, net, was $0.6 million and $0.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The $0.1 million increase was due primarily to an increase in grant eligible research and development expenses incurred by OptiNose AS, our Norwegian subsidiary.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We have funded our operations primarily through the sale and issuance of preferred stock, as well as through licensing revenues received under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement. As of June 30, 2017, we had $58.9 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Since inception, we have incurred significant net losses and expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. We had net income of $22.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $34.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 due primarily to the achievement of a milestone under the AVP-825 License Agreement. However, we incurred net losses of $28.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 and $16.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. We incurred net losses in all other prior periods. As of June 30, 2017, we had an accumulated deficit of $174.6 million.

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Although it is difficult to predict future liquidity requirements, we believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with existing cash and cash equivalents, will be sufficient to fund our operations into the first quarter of 2019, during which time, we expect to launch XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in the United States, continue our clinical development of XHANCE for a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis and continue our early-stage development efforts with respect to our other product candidates. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. We may never become profitable, or if we do, we may not be able to sustain profitability on a recurring basis. If additional funding is not secured when required, we may need to delay or curtail our operations until such funding is received.

The following table shows a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated (in thousands):


 
  Year Ended
December 31,
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
 
 
  2015   2016   2016   2017  

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities

  $ (28,714 ) $ 21,720   $ 32,388   $ (13,627 )

Net cash used in investing activities

    (80 )   (215 )   (6 )   (711 )

Net cash provided by financing activities

    19,123     55         36,434  

Effects of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

    (14 )   39     34     (6 )

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

  $ (9,685 ) $ 21,599   $ 32,416   $ 22,090  

Operating activities

Cash provided by (used in) operating activities increased by $50.4 million, from $(28.7) million for the year ended December 31, 2015 to $21.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The $50.4 million increase in cash provided by operating activities was attributable primarily to the net income generated from the $47.5 million of licensing revenue earned in connection with the achievement of a development milestone under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement resulting from FDA approval of Onzetra Xsail in January 2016.

Cash provided by (used in) operating activities decreased by $46.0 million, from $32.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 to $(13.6) million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The $46.0 million decrease in cash provided by operating activities was attributable primarily to net income generated from the $47.5 million of licensing revenue earned in connection with the achievement of a development milestone under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement resulting from FDA approval of Onzetra Xsail in January 2016. No revenue was generated from the AVP-825 License Agreement during the six months ended June 30, 2017.

Investing activities

Cash used in investing activities increased $0.1 million from $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 to $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The $0.1 million increase was related to increased purchases of equipment.

Cash used in investing activities increased $0.7 million from $6,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 to $0.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The $0.7 million increase was related to increased purchases of equipment in connection with the preparation for the commercial launch of XHANCE.

Financing activities

Cash provided by financing activities decreased $19.0 million from $19.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 to $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. During 2015, we received $4.8 million in net proceeds from the sale of our Series C-1 Preferred Stock and $14.3 million in net

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proceeds from the sale and issuance of our convertible promissory notes that were subsequently converted to Series C-2 Preferred Stock in March 2017. During 2016, we received $0.1 million in cash from stock option exercises.

Cash provided by financing activities increased $36.4 million from $0 for the six months ended June 30, 2016 to $36.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017. During 2017, we received $36.4 million in net proceeds from the sale of our Series D Preferred Stock.

Sources of capital

AVP-825 License Agreement

As described above, under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement, we received $70.0 million in aggregate licensing revenues to date in connection with the initial signing and the achievement of development milestones, including a $47.5 million payment upon FDA approval of AVP-825 in the first quarter of 2016. We are eligible to receive up to an additional $50.0 million upon the achievement of annual sales milestones and tiered low double-digit royalty payments once and if net sales of the product exceed a specified cumulative threshold. We do not expect to generate any additional revenue from the AVP-825 License Agreement in the near term.

Series C-1 and Series D Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

In July 2014, we issued and sold an aggregate of 1,419,781 shares of our Series C-1 Preferred Stock to some of our existing investors and members of our management team and board of directors at a purchase price of $21.13 per share, for aggregate consideration of $30.0 million. We subsequently sold an additional 236,629 shares of our Series C-1 Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $21.13 per share, for aggregate consideration of $5.0 million in July 2015.

In March 2017, we issued and sold an aggregate of 1,065,451 shares of our Series D Preferred Stock to new investors and some of our existing stockholders at a purchase price of $32.85 per share, for aggregate consideration of $35.0 million. In April 2017 and May 2017, we issued and sold to some of our existing stockholders an additional 52,127 shares of our Series D Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $32.85 per share, for additional aggregate consideration of $1.7 million.

In September 2015, we entered into a convertible note purchase agreement with some of our existing stockholders to borrow up to $30.0 million. We borrowed $15.0 million of the total loan amount in the form of convertible promissory notes, or the Notes, in September 2015, and retained the option to borrow a second $15.0 million tranche until March 30, 2017. In addition to front-end and back-end fees owed on the Notes, the Notes bore interest at a rate of 17.0% per annum and, if not converted prior, would mature on September 30, 2020. In March 2017, concurrently with our Series D Preferred Stock financing, the 2015 Notes (including all principal, interest and back-end fees thereon) were converted into an aggregate of 687,474 shares of our Series C-2 Preferred Stock at a conversion price of $28.40 per share.

Funding requirements

We expect to continue to incur significant expenses in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we:

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Our future funding requirements, both near and long-term, will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:

We believe that the anticipated net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash and cash equivalents, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the first quarter of 2019. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we expect. We expect that we will need to raise additional capital in the future to further the commercialization of XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps, to complete the clinical development of XHANCE for a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, and to support the development of our other product candidates. We expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution of XHANCE. Additional funds may not be available on a timely basis, on favorable terms, or at all, and such funds, if raised, may not be sufficient to enable us to continue to implement our long-term business strategy. If we cannot expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities because we lack sufficient capital, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected and we may need to delay or curtail our operations until such funding is received.

Contractual obligations and commitments

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at December 31, 2016:


 
  Less than
1 Year
  1 to 3 Years   3 to 5 Years   More than
5 Years
  Total  
 
  (in thousands)
 

Operating leases(1)

  $ 657   $ 193   $   $   $ 850  

Long-term debt(2)

            18,859         18,859  

Total

  $ 657   $ 193   $ 18,859   $   $ 19,709  

(1)
Reflects obligations pursuant to our office leases in Yardley, Pennsylvania, Oslo, Norway and Swindon, England.

(2)
Reflects principal and interest obligations pursuant to the Notes that were converted into shares of our Series C-2 Preferred Stock in March 2017. Accordingly, no further amounts are payable under the Notes.

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Off-balance sheet arrangements

We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Critical accounting policies

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reported period. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions.

While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in the notes to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue recognition

We have generated revenue primarily through licensing arrangements, which generally contain multiple elements, or deliverables, including licenses and research and development activities we perform on behalf of the licensee. Revenues are recognized when (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (3) the price is fixed or determinable and (4) collectability is reasonably assured.

Currently, our only source of revenue is the AVP-825 License Agreement. The AVP-825 License Agreement includes licensed rights to patented technology, non-refundable up-front license fees, research services, and regulatory and sales milestones as well as royalty payments.

For arrangements with multiple elements, we recognize revenue in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, No. 2009-13, Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements, which provides guidance for separating and allocating consideration in a multiple element arrangement. The selling prices of deliverables under an arrangement may be derived using third-party evidence, or TPE, or a best estimate of selling price, or BESP, if vendor-specific objective evidence of selling price, or VSOE, is not available. The objective of BESP is to determine the price at which we would transact a sale if each element within the AVP-825 License Agreement was sold on a standalone basis. Deliverables under the arrangement are separate units of accounting if the delivered item has value to the customer on a standalone basis and if the arrangement includes a general right of return relative to the delivered item, and delivery or performance of the undelivered item is considered probable and substantially within our control. The arrangement consideration that is fixed or determinable at the inception of the arrangement is allocated to the separate units of accounting based on their relative selling prices. The appropriate revenue recognition model is applied to each element and revenue is accordingly recognized as each element is delivered. Management exercises significant judgment in determining whether a deliverable is a separate unit of accounting.

In determining the separate units of accounting for our licensing arrangements, we evaluate whether the license has standalone value to the licensee based on consideration of the relevant facts and circumstances for each arrangement. Factors considered in this determination include the research and development capabilities of the licensee and the availability of relevant research expertise in the marketplace. In addition, we consider whether or not the licensee could use the license for its intended purpose without the

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receipt of the remaining deliverables, the value of the license was dependent on the undelivered items and the licensee or other vendors could provide the undelivered items.

Whenever we determine that an element is delivered over a period of time, revenue is recognized using either a proportional performance model, if a pattern of performance can be determined, or a straight-line model over the period of performance, which is typically the research and development term.

Development milestones may be triggered either by the results of our research efforts or by events external to it, such as regulatory approval to market a product. Consideration that is contingent upon achievement of a development milestone is recognized in its entirety as revenue in the period in which the milestone is achieved, but only if the consideration earned from the achievement of a milestone meets all the criteria for the milestone to be considered substantive at the inception of the arrangement. For a milestone to be considered substantive, the consideration earned by achieving the milestone must be commensurate with either our performance to achieve the milestone or the enhancement of the value of the item delivered as a result of a specific outcome resulting from our performance to achieve the milestone, relate solely to past performance and be reasonable relative to all deliverables and payment terms in the collaboration agreement. As of December 31, 2016, all development milestones have been achieved under the AVP-825 License Agreement.

Royalties and sales milestones are recorded as earned in accordance with the contract terms when third party sales can be reliably measured and collectability is reasonably assured.

Research and development expenses

Research and development expense consists primarily of costs incurred in connection with development and regulatory approval of XHANCE, as well as costs associated with developing commercial manufacturing capabilities for XHANCE. We expense research and development costs as incurred.

At the end of each reporting period, we compare payments made to third-party service providers to the estimated progress toward completion of the applicable research or development objectives. Such estimates are subject to change as additional information becomes available. Depending on the timing of payments to the service providers and the progress that we estimate has been made as a result of the service provided, we may record net prepaid or accrued expenses relating to these costs. To date, we have not made any material adjustments to our prior estimates of accrued research and development expenses.

Stock-based compensation

We account for stock-based compensation awards in accordance with the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation, or ASC 718. ASC 718 requires all stock-based compensation awards to employees to be recognized as expense based on their grant date fair values. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value our stock option awards and we account for forfeitures of stock option awards as they occur. For awards issued to employees, we recognize compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the award. Stock-based awards issued to nonemployees are revalued at each reporting period until the award vests in accordance with ASC Topic 505, Equity. The resulting increase or decrease in value, if any, is recognized as expense or income, respectively, during the period the related services are rendered. Expense for awards with performance conditions is estimated and adjusted on a quarterly basis based upon our assessment of the probability that the performance condition will be met. We have not issued awards where vesting is subject to market conditions; however, if we were to grant such awards in the future, recognition would be based on the derived service period.

Estimating the fair value of options requires the input of subjective assumptions, including the estimated fair value of our common stock, the expected life of the option, stock price volatility, the risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The assumptions used in our Black-Scholes option-pricing model represent management's best estimates and involve a number of variables, uncertainties and assumptions and the

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application of management's judgment, as they are inherently subjective. If any assumptions change, our stock-based compensation expense could be materially different in the future.

These assumptions used in our Black-Scholes option-pricing model are estimated as follows:

The following table reflects the weighted average assumptions used to estimate the fair value of options granted during the periods presented.


 
  Year Ended
December 31,
2016
  Six Months
Ended June 30,
2017
 

Expected term (in years)

    6.08     6.08  

Expected volatility

    74.29 %   73.93 %

Risk-free interest rate

    2.22 %   2.07 %

Expected dividend yield

    0 %   0 %

Fair value of common stock

  $ 5.14   $ 5.14  

No awards were granted during the year ended December 31, 2015 and the six months ended June 30, 2016.

Stock-based compensation expense was $0.6 million, $0.6 million, $0.5 million and $1.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016 and the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. At June 30, 2017, we had $3.0 million of unamortized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested service-based stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining average vesting period of 3.52 years, and $2.7 million of unamortized stock- based compensation expense related to unvested performance-based stock options, which will be recognized when the occurrence of the performance condition is deemed probable.

We expect the impact of our stock-based compensation expense for stock options granted to employees and non-employees to increase in future periods due to the potential increases in the value of our common stock and in headcount.

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Valuation of common stock

All options to purchase shares of our common stock are granted with an exercise price per share equal to or greater than the fair value per share of our common stock on the date of grant, based on the information known to us on the date of grant. We have granted options to certain of our executive officers in the past several years with exercise prices per share in excess of the then estimated fair market value in order to incentivize stock appreciation. Prior to this offering, on each grant date, the fair values of the shares of common stock underlying our stock options were estimated on each grant date by our board of directors, based on information known to us at the date of grant. In order to determine the fair value of our common stock, our board of directors considered, among other things, contemporaneous valuations of our common and preferred stock prepared by an unrelated third-party valuation firm in accordance with the guidance provided by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Practice Aid, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, or the Practice Aid. Given the absence of a public trading market of our capital stock, our board of directors exercised reasonable judgment and considered a number of objective and subjective factors to determine the best estimate of the fair value of our common and preferred stock, including:

After the closing of this offering, our board of directors will determine the per share fair value of our common stock based on the closing price of our common stock as reported by The NASDAQ Global Select Market on the date of grant.

Stock Option Grants

The following table summarizes by grant date the number of shares of common stock underlying stock options granted from January 1, 2016 through the date of this prospectus, as well as the associated per

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share exercise price and the estimated fair value per share of our common stock as determined by our board of directors as of the grant date:


Grant date
  Number of shares
subject to options
granted
  Exercise price per
share of common
stock
  Estimated fair value
per share of
common stock
  Estimated fair
value per share of
common stock
option award
 

December 20, 2016(1)

    288,790   $ 16.31   $ 5.14   $ 2.29  

December 20, 2016

    688,761     5.14     5.14     3.42  

January 23, 2017

    158,834     5.14     5.14     3.40  

January 30, 2017

    144,395     5.14     5.14     3.40  

February 13, 2017

    20,214     5.14     5.14     3.39  

February 20, 2017

    5,775     5.14     5.14     3.39  

February 27, 2017

    5,775     5.14     5.14     3.39  

August 7, 2017

    160,278     7.25     7.25     4.75  

September 12, 2017

    28,879     7.25     7.25     5.05  

(1)
Reflects an option granted to one of our executive officers with a per share exercise price in excess of the then estimated fair market value in order to incentivize stock appreciation.

Based on an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, the intrinsic value of vested and unvested stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2017 was $26.9 million and $15.5 million, respectively.

Recent accounting pronouncements

See Note 3 to our audited and unaudited consolidated financial statements beginning on page F-1 of this prospectus for a description of recent accounting pronouncements applicable to our consolidated financial statements.

Qualitative and quantitative disclosures about market risk

We are exposed to various market risks, which may result in potential losses arising from adverse changes in market rates, such as interest rates and foreign exchange rates. We do not enter into derivatives or other financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes and do not believe we are exposed to material market risk with respect to our cash and cash equivalents.

Through the operation of our subsidiaries based in the United Kingdom and Norway, we are exposed to foreign exchange rate risks. In addition to the operations of our foreign subsidiaries, we also contract with vendors that are located outside the United States, and in some cases make payment of invoices denominated in foreign currencies. We are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency rates in connection with these arrangements. We do not currently hedge our foreign currency exchange rate risk. As of June 30, 2017, we had minimal liabilities denominated in foreign currencies.

As of June 30, 2017, we had cash and cash equivalents of $58.9 million. We do not engage in any hedging activities against changes in interest rates. Because of the short-term maturities of our cash and cash equivalents, we do not believe that an immediate 10% increase in interest rates would have a significant impact on the realized value of our investments.

Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and clinical trial costs. We do not believe that inflation had a material effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016 or the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017.

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JOBS Act

On April 5, 2012, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act, was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for an "emerging growth company." As an "emerging growth company," we are electing not to take advantage of the extended transition period afforded by the JOBS Act for the implementation of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that our decision not to take advantage of the extended transition period is irrevocable.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

On November 7, 2016, we dismissed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, or PwC, as our independent auditor. The dismissal was approved by the audit committee of the Board of Directors.

The report of PwC on our consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 did not contain any adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor was it qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, and the subsequent interim period through November 7, 2016, (i) there were no disagreements with PwC on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, which disagreements, if not resolved to PwC's satisfaction, would have caused PwC to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreements in their report on the financial statements for such fiscal year, and (ii) there were no "reportable events," as that term is described in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

On December 6, 2016, we engaged Ernst & Young LLP, or EY, to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm, to audit the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, as well as to reaudit the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, which had previously been audited by PwC. The engagement of EY has been approved by our board of directors. During the two most recent fiscal years, neither we, nor anyone acting on our behalf, consulted with EY regarding either: (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on our consolidated financial statements, and no written report nor oral advice was provided by EY, or (ii) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement, as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K, or a reportable event, as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.

We requested that PwC furnish us with a letter addressed to the SEC stating whether it agrees with the above statements. A copy of the letter dated June 23, 2017, is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

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BUSINESS

Overview

Our Company

We are a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products for patients treated by ear, nose and throat, or ENT, and allergy specialists. Our lead product, XHANCE (fluticasone propionate) nasal spray, utilizes our proprietary Breath Powered exhalation delivery system, or EDS, to deliver a topically-acting and potent anti-inflammatory corticosteroid for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and, if approved, chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis is a serious nasal inflammatory disease that is currently treated using therapies, such as intranasal steroids, or INS, that have significant limitations. We believe XHANCE has a differentiated clinical profile with the potential to become part of the standard of care for this disease because it is able to deliver medication to the primary site of inflammation high and deep in the nasal passages in regions not adequately reached by current INS. We also believe that payors will respond favorably to XHANCE's clinical, cost, and quality-of-care profile, as compared to current and potential future costly drug therapy and surgical treatment options.

On September 18, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved our new drug application, or NDA, for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in patients 18 years of age or older. We expect to launch XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in the second quarter of 2018 with a dedicated sales force targeting a specialty prescriber base comprised of approximately 15,000 physicians in the United States. We plan to initiate additional clinical trials of XHANCE in the second half of 2018 to seek a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps to broaden our market opportunity. XHANCE is the second commercial product that we have developed utilizing our EDS. Our first commercial product, indicated for the acute treatment of migraines in adults, was licensed in 2013 to Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Avanir, and was approved by the FDA in January 2016.

The Unmet Need

Chronic rhinosinusitis is a serious nasal inflammatory disease characterized by chronic inflammation affecting tissues high and deep in the nasal passages, including the area where the openings from the sinuses normally ventilate and drain. This disease significantly impacts the quality of life and daily functioning of an estimated 30 million adults in the United States. The U.S. healthcare system spends approximately $60 billion annually in direct costs treating patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and its associated symptoms, including an estimated $5 billion on sinus surgeries. In the United States, physicians perform over 500,000 sinus surgeries each year, and we estimate that over seven million adults have undergone sinus surgery to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps.

In medical literature and practice, chronic rhinosinusitis is commonly divided into two subgroups: chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis patients with and without nasal polyps suffer from chronic inflammation of the lining of the deep nasal passages and sinuses. Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps also develop non-cancerous polyps on these chronically inflamed surfaces, typically originating in the deep crevices or sinus cavities on both sides of the nose. We estimate that up to 10 million adults in the United States have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Both subgroups of chronic rhinosinusitis also share the same four defining diagnostic symptoms: nasal congestion/obstruction; facial pain and pressure; rhinorrhea, or runny nose, and postnasal drip; and loss of sense of smell and taste. Additional symptoms include headaches, chronic sleep problems, fatigue, frequent episodes of acute rhinosinusitis and mood disorders. There is evidence suggesting that the harm to a sufferer's quality of life from chronic rhinosinusitis, as measured in multiple domains, such as bodily pain, social functioning and mental health, is comparable to or worse than other serious diseases, including

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chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and angina. As a result, many patients eventually seek surgery for symptom relief.

Although the term chronic rhinosinusitis is often used in medical literature and medical practice, the FDA does not recognize chronic rhinosinusitis as a single indication for drug development purposes. Instead, the FDA recognizes chronic sinusitis, defined as inflammation of the sinuses with a duration longer than eight weeks, and nasal polyps, defined as non-cancerous polyps on the inflamed tissue of the nasal passages and sinuses, as separate indications for drug development purposes. For purposes of this prospectus, we use the terms chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps when referring to FDA treatment indications and our clinical trials, and use the term chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps when referring to disease and economic data reported in the medical literature, medical practice and our estimates of XHANCE's market opportunity.

Current Treatment Limitations

Multiple current clinical practice guidelines specify the use of INS early in the treatment algorithm for chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps. Steroids are generally pharmacologically effective at treating inflammation. However, conventional INS, including nasal sprays and nasal aerosols, are topically-acting and unable to effectively and consistently place the steroids onto the primary site of inflammation and nasal polyp origin, high and deep in the nasal passages. These products deposit a majority of the drug in the front of the nose or on the floor of the nasal passages, reducing their effectiveness and leaving many patients without sufficient symptomatic relief. These recognized limitations cause some physicians to seek out alternative treatment regimens such as high-volume steroid nasal rinses. This approach, however, has not been well studied, is difficult to administer, can be costly and may risk systemic side effects. Physicians may also prescribe oral steroids on an episodic basis to patients who have not received sufficient symptomatic relief from INS. Oral steroids, which are often effective in reducing inflammation and nasal polyps, offer only temporary benefit and are limited by the risk of significant systemic side effects associated with both short- and long-term use.

In cases where patients remain symptomatic despite medical management, physicians often recommend various forms of sinus surgery to help restore normal sinus ventilation or drainage. The effectiveness of sinus surgery can vary significantly and many patients experience persistent or recurrent symptoms and surgery does not address the underlying cause of inflammation. In patients with nasal polyps, regrowth of the nasal polyps has been reported in as high as 60% of cases within four years. In addition, it has been reported that 80% of patients who had surgery within the past two years continued to have symptoms. Because sinus surgery is not curative and also does not address the underlying cause of the inflammation, many patients continue to require short- and long-term courses of INS after surgery.

Our Solution

XHANCE combines our EDS with a liquid formulation of fluticasone propionate, a well-characterized, second-generation corticosteroid. XHANCE is designed to deliver medication into the high and deep regions of the nasal passages where both nasal polyps and inflamed and swollen membranes can obstruct normal sinus ventilation and drainage. In multiple studies utilizing advanced imaging, our EDS produced a differentiated pattern of drug delivery with significantly more drug deposited in the high and deep regions of the nasal passages, areas not well accessed by conventional INS delivery mechanisms. We believe XHANCE has the potential to become part of the standard of care for the treatment of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis before they progress to more costly treatment alternatives. We also believe that the current treatment practice of postoperative INS use could support XHANCE's adoption as a maintenance therapy to improve outcomes following sinus surgery.

We have conducted five clinical trials evaluating over 1,500 adult patients, including two randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials in adults with nasal polyps and two supportive open-label Phase 3 clinical trials in adults with symptoms of chronic sinusitis with or without nasal polyps. In both Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, patients treated with XHANCE experienced statistically

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significant reductions of both nasal congestion/obstruction symptoms and total polyp grade, which were the co-primary endpoints. Treatment benefits were also observed in all four defining symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis, as well as in polyp elimination, quality of life, need for sinus surgery and patient global impression of change. In addition, the magnitude of improvement for patients treated by XHANCE in our Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, as measured by the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22, a validated clinical outcome assessment, was comparable to the reported benefits in third-party studies of endoscopic sinus surgery, or ESS, and balloon sinus dilation. In addition, XHANCE had an adverse event profile generally comparable to the profile reported in similarly designed studies with conventional INS. In our supportive open-label Phase 3 clinical trials, which evaluated approximately 900 patients with symptoms of chronic sinusitis with and without nasal polyps for a period of up to one year, XHANCE was generally well tolerated and produced results on efficacy endpoints similar to those observed in our Phase 3 pivotal clinical trials. In these supportive trials, we observed comparable symptom improvements in patients with and without nasal polyps and continuing incremental polyp reduction and symptom improvement through 12 months.

We believe XHANCE will offer a cost-effective treatment solution to payors who are increasingly being asked to pay for multiple high-cost therapies for a variety of diseases priced at tens of thousands of dollars per year. We intend to price XHANCE comparably to the only other branded INS that is approved to treat nasal polyps. We expect XHANCE to be adopted by physicians at a natural point in the care pathway for use in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps before they progress to costly surgical interventions or biologic monoclonal antibodies in development for nasal polyps. Sinus surgery costs between $8,500 and $16,000 per procedure, and we expect that biologic monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of nasal polyps will cost approximately $35,000 per year based on the doses being studied in nasal polyps and the current costs per dose in other indications. We believe XHANCE will offer a cost-effective clinical benefit to payors that will reduce the perceived need for multiple step-edits and prior authorizations, which we believe will increase the likelihood of successful commercial adoption of XHANCE.

Our U.S. Market Opportunity

Our initial target market for XHANCE will consist of ENT physicians, allergists and primary care physicians in the United States that most frequently prescribe INS. This group of approximately 5,000 primary care physicians, which we refer to as high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians, account for approximately 25% of all INS prescriptions written by primary care physicians. We refer to these ENT physicians, allergists and high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians collectively as the specialty segment of our target market. We believe the approximately 15,000 physicians in this specialty segment together treat an estimated 3.5 million U.S. patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated 1.2 million of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We believe the total annual U.S. market opportunity for XHANCE in this specialty segment is over $3.4 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. If we are able to obtain approval for the follow-on indication of chronic sinusitis, we intend to broaden our commercialization efforts to target additional primary care physicians that we believe treat an additional estimated 6.25 million U.S. patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated one-third of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We refer to these additional primary care physicians as the primary care segment of our target market. We believe the total additional annual U.S. market opportunity for XHANCE in this primary care segment is over $6.0 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Therefore, we estimate the total annual U.S. market opportunity for the combined specialty and primary care segments is over $9.5 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Intellectual Property and Barriers to Entry

XHANCE benefits from substantial intellectual property and other technical barriers to entry, including regulatory and drug delivery complexities. Our patent portfolio for XHANCE consists of nine issued U.S. patents expiring through 2030 and 12 U.S. patent applications that, if granted, would expire through 2034. We believe the unique features of our EDS, as well as its delivery of a topically-acting drug, will present

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generic and 505(b)(2) NDA competitors of XHANCE with human factors engineering challenges specific to drug-device combination products and chemistry, manufacturing and controls challenges unique to suspension and respiratory products. We also believe that any future substitutable generic competitors would be required to conduct, among other things, non-inferiority clinical trials demonstrating equivalent efficacy and safety outcomes to establish clinical bioequivalence to XHANCE. We believe these clinical trials would require a significant amount of time and capital investment and present clinical development uncertainties.

Our Management Team

We are led by a management team with an average of over 20 years of experience developing and commercializing products at large, multinational pharmaceutical and medical device companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi-Aventis, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Takeda and Novartis. Our management team's experience is complemented by its expertise at growing emerging healthcare companies, such as Cephalon, Aton Pharma, NuPathe and Take Care Health System. Our team previously developed our first product using an exhalation delivery system, Onzetra Xsail. We believe the experience of our management team and our broad network of relationships with leaders within the industry and the medical community provide us with insight into product development and identification of product opportunities that benefit patients and physicians in the ENT and allergy specialty segments.

Our Growth Strategy

Our goal is to become a leading specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing proprietary products that become a part of the standard of care for diseases in the ENT and allergy segments. We also plan to expand the use of our EDS into additional indications with significant unmet needs, including potential nose-to-brain drug delivery for central nervous system disorders. The key elements of our strategy are to:

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Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Market Opportunity

Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis is a serious nasal inflammatory disease significantly impacting patients' quality of life and daily functioning. Chronic rhinosinusitis, unlike allergic rhinitis, is characterized by chronic inflammation affecting tissues high and deep in the nasal passages, including the area where the openings from the sinuses normally ventilate and drain, causing symptoms that persist for a period of 8 to 12 weeks or longer. Chronic rhinosinusitis patients typically suffer from these symptoms four to six months a year, with symptoms often persisting for many years.

In medical literature and practice, chronic rhinosinusitis is commonly divided into two subgroups: chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis patients with and without nasal polyps suffer from chronic inflammation of the lining of the deep nasal passages and sinuses. Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps also develop non-cancerous polyps on these chronically inflamed surfaces, typically originating in the deep crevices or sinus cavities on both sides of the nose. We estimate that up to 10 million adults in the United States have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Both subgroups of chronic rhinosinusitis also share the same four defining diagnostic symptoms: nasal congestion/obstruction; facial pain and pressure; rhinorrhea, or runny nose, and postnasal drip; and loss of sense of smell and taste. Additional symptoms include headaches, chronic sleep problems, fatigue, frequent episodes of acute rhinosinusitis and mood disorders. There is evidence suggesting that the harm to a sufferer's quality of life from chronic rhinosinusitis, as measured in multiple domains, such as bodily pain, social functioning and mental health, is comparable to or worse than other serious diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and angina. As a result, many patients eventually seek surgery for symptom relief.

Although the term chronic rhinosinusitis is often used in medical literature and medical practice, the FDA does not recognize chronic rhinosinusitis as a single indication for drug development purposes. Instead, the FDA recognizes chronic sinusitis, defined as inflammation of the sinuses with a duration longer than eight weeks, and nasal polyps, defined as non-cancerous polyps on the inflamed tissue of the nasal passages and sinuses, as separate indications for drug development purposes.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery estimates that approximately 30 million adults in the United States have chronic rhinosinusitis, and it is estimated that up to 10 million adults have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis imposes a significant healthcare burden on insurers and employers. The U.S. healthcare system spends approximately $60 billion annually in direct costs treating patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and its associated symptoms, including an estimated $5 billion on sinus surgeries. In the United States, physicians perform over 500,000 sinus surgeries each year, and we estimate that over seven million adults have undergone sinus surgery to treat chronic

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rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps. Chronic rhinosinusitis has been reported to account for an aggregate of 73 million restricted activity days per year. Additionally, people with chronic rhinosinusitis have been reported to be absent from work because of this disease 6.5% of the time and to suffer a 38% loss of productivity.

Our U.S. Market Opportunity

We estimate that approximately 9.75 million chronic rhinosinusitis patients are currently being treated in physician offices in the United States. We derived this estimate from a large patient claims database that reflects actual treatment patterns of chronic rhinosinusitis over a two-year period from 2010 to 2012. We also estimate that approximately 10,000 ENT and allergy specialists, as well as approximately 5,000 high-decile INS-prescribing primary care physicians, treat approximately 36% of all chronic rhinosinusitis patients in the United States, or approximately 3.5 million patients, an estimated 1.2 million of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. In accordance with multiple published clinical practice guidelines, physicians typically medically manage chronic rhinosinusitis patients by prescribing INS despite the fact that there are no FDA-approved products for the treatment of chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps. We initially intend to target approximately 15,000 physicians in the specialty segment. If we obtain the follow-on indication for chronic sinusitis, we intend to broaden our marketing outreach to additional primary care physicians that treat an additional estimated 6.25 million U.S. patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated one-third of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We may also direct promotional resources to an additional estimated 20 million people who are not regularly under the care of physicians for this disease using programs such as direct-to-consumer and direct-to-patient promotion.

Based on internal estimates, we believe the total annual U.S. market opportunity for XHANCE in the specialty segment is over $3.4 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Based on these same estimates, we believe the total additional annual U.S. market opportunity for XHANCE in the primary care segment is over $6.0 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Therefore, we estimate the total annual U.S. market opportunity for the combined specialty and primary care segments is over $9.5 billion, of which approximately one-third consists of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Treatment Landscape

The treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps typically begins with medical management. In cases where patients remain symptomatic despite medical management, physicians often recommend various forms of sinus surgery to help restore normal sinus ventilation and drainage. The following is a brief description of the current and potential future treatment landscape for chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps:

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Several biologic monoclonal antibodies, some of which are already approved for other indications, are being developed for the treatment of nasal polyps, and are believed to inhibit specific pathways of inflammation present in nasal polyps. These biologic monoclonal antibodies include omalizumab, reslizumab, mepolizumab and dupilumab.

Limitations of Therapies

The current and potential future therapies to treat patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps have a number of limitations, including:

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Our Solution

XHANCE

XHANCE combines our EDS with a liquid formulation of fluticasone propionate, a potent, well-characterized, second-generation anti-inflammatory corticosteroid for the treatment of serious nasal diseases characterized by chronic inflammation, such as chronic rhinosinusitis. XHANCE is designed to deliver fluticasone propionate into the high and deep regions of the nasal passages where nasal polyps or inflamed and swollen membranes can obstruct normal sinus ventilation and drainage. On September 18, 2017, the FDA approved our NDA for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in adults. We also plan to initiate additional clinical trials of XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Similar to our NDA for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps, we believe we may also be able to use the FDA's Section 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for potential U.S. approval for XHANCE for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.

We believe XHANCE could become a part of the standard of care for the treatment of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps before they progress to more costly treatment alternatives for the following reasons:

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Our EDS

Our exhalation delivery systems enable the development of drug-device combination products intended for self-administration. We have developed both a liquid delivery system and a powder delivery system utilizing natural functional behaviors of the upper nasal airways to offer better drug deposition. These systems are designed to overcome many limitations inherent in conventional nasal spray and nasal aerosol delivery systems, most notably, enabling higher and deeper intranasal drug delivery.

The liquid EDS depicted below, which is the EDS used in XHANCE, consists of a primary drug container for the liquid drug formulation and an amber glass vial which are sealed by a crimp-fitted metering spray pump and enclosed within a proprietary liquid delivery subassembly. The nasal spray applicator, which is a component of the subassembly, is attached to the pump and extends to the top of the nosepiece of the liquid delivery subassembly. The EDS includes a flexible mouthpiece and an asymmetrically-shaped nosepiece as part of a mechanism that uses the patient's exhaled breath to naturally seal closed the soft palate and to facilitate delivery of drug to the nasal passages through the sealing nosepiece. The nosepiece is designed to create a seal with the nostril and also to expand and stent the upper part of the nasal valve, which is an important anatomical structure that is the narrowest part of the entire respiratory tract and a barrier that causes most medication delivered by conventional INS to deposit in the front part of the nose.

GRAPHIC

The powder EDS depicted below, which is the EDS used in Onzetra Xsail, consists of a reusable device body incorporating a flexible mouthpiece to adjust to individual anatomic variations, and a white button piercing assembly to pierce the medication capsule. Disposable nosepieces are provided in a foil pouch to be inserted into the drug delivery device body. Each pre-filled nosepiece section contains a medication capsule containing a dry powder formulation and a clear release tab. The capsule is pierced by pressing and releasing the white button piercing assembly. The flexible mouthpiece and an asymmetrically-shaped nosepiece are part of the mechanism that uses the patient's exhaled breath to naturally seal closed the soft palate and to facilitate delivery of drug to the nasal passages through the sealing nosepiece. The medication capsule is intended for single dose administration and is not refillable or removable from the nosepiece.

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Following drug administration, the disposable nosepiece, including the dose-expended medication capsule, is then removed and discarded.

GRAPHIC

When exhaling into an EDS, the soft palate automatically elevates and creates an air-tight seal separating the nasal cavity from the throat and lungs. This natural action is the same as that which prevents air from escaping from the nose when trying to blow up a balloon or blow a trumpet. The exhaled air is then routed through the EDS which introduces medication into the air flow and then directs the air and medication through the sealing nosepiece. The positive air pressure, which is the opposite of the negative pressure produced by sniffing with ordinary nasal sprays, acts to dynamically expand the nasal valve and the narrowed nasal passages, helping to "float" the drug around obstructing anatomic barriers and fill one side of the nasal cavity. This enables high and deep deposition of medication in the nasal passages. The positive air pressure, proportional to the pressure on the other side of the soft palate, helps to open a passage between the two sides of the nasal cavity, behind the back edge of the nasal septum. The picture below illustrates this action, which allows the exhaled air pressure to escape from the opposite nostril.

GRAPHIC

The drug delivery mechanism of our EDS is designed to overcome the drug deposition shortcomings of conventional nasal sprays and nasal aerosols. In conventional nasal sprays and nasal aerosols, the medication is inhaled or sniffed into the nose creating negative pressure within the nasal passages, which does not facilitate the expansion of the nasal valve or the nasal passages and may obstruct the drug from reaching deep into the nose where most nasal polyps and inflamed and swollen sinus membranes exist.

The pattern of drug deposition produced by conventional nasal sprays and our EDS has been evaluated in multiple studies using a combination of advanced imaging modalities to depict the regions of the nasal passages where drug is deposited after administration in human volunteers. In an open label, crossover

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study conducted by a third party in nine patients with allergic rhinitis, investigators examined the nasal deposition of radio-labeled materials that allow for traceability following use of Qnasl (HFA-beclomethasone, nasal aerosol), Flonase (fluticasone propionate, nasal spray) and Nasonex (mometasone furoate monohydrate, nasal spray). In this study, gamma cameras were used to capture emitted radiation from these tracers to create two-dimensional images in a similar process to the capture of x-ray images. These gamma images were merged with magnetic resonance images, or MRI, to quantify regional deposition within the nasal passages. The images below illustrate how the pattern of drug deposition in the nasal passages produced by Qnasl, Flonase and Nasonex was concentrated in the front and lower regions of the nasal passages, as opposed to the high and deep regions of the nasal passages targeted in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis.

GRAPHIC

We conducted six deposition studies evaluating 53 subjects that produced approximately 250 images. As depicted in the representative figures below, our EDS produced a differentiated pattern of drug delivery with significantly more drug deposited in the high and deep regions of the nasal passages.

GRAPHIC

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The pictures below illustrate how our EDS places medication higher and deeper in the nasal passages. As depicted below, although conventional nasal spray systems can reach, and therefore treat, large nasal polyps, they are not suitable for reaching nasal polyps or inflammation in the higher and deeper regions where obstruction of the sinus openings occurs.

GRAPHIC

Our EDS is also designed to address user dissatisfaction with standard nasal delivery by reducing drug drip-out from the front and back of the nose and the bad taste that often accompanies drug entering the throat. By reducing the loss of drug to non-targeted sites, such as the gastrointestinal tract by swallowing, or lungs, our EDS has the potential to improve the efficiency of drug activity and to improve tolerability by reducing off-target effects.

Our Pipeline

GRAPHIC

XHANCE for Chronic Sinusitis

We plan to initiate additional clinical trials of XHANCE in the second half of 2018 to seek a follow-on indication for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. We believe XHANCE would be the first drug therapy product approved for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. Upon approval, we intend to broaden our commercialization efforts to target primary care physicians that we believe treat an additional estimated 6.25 million U.S. patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, an estimated one-third of whom have chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. If we obtain approval for this indication, we may also direct promotional resources to an additional estimated 20 million adults who are not regularly under the care of physicians for this disease using programs such as direct-to-consumer and direct-to-patient promotion.

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Other Product Candidates

Although our initial focus is to prioritize the development of XHANCE in the ENT and allergy specialty segments, we have applied our EDS to other product candidates in our pipeline across a broad range of disease areas. By placing drug high and deep in the nose, in regions where cranial nerves connect directly with the brain, we believe it may be possible to deliver medications directly into the brain and avoid the difficulties of getting drug past the blood-brain barrier. This may enable treatment of brain diseases using small or large molecules that otherwise do not readily enter the nervous system.

We have engaged in early clinical development activities for OPN-300, which combines our EDS with oxytocin. Oxytocin is a small, naturally occurring peptide currently used to stimulate lactation in breastfeeding women. Oxytocin acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain and has recently been considered a potential novel treatment alternative in several brain disorders due to a growing body of evidence of its critical role in social cognition and behavior. Because oxytocin is a peptide with poor oral bioavailability, nasal administration with our EDS may allow for improved delivery. With standard liquid nasal spray delivery, only a small amount of the drug reaches systemic circulation. It is estimated that less than 0.01% of oxytocin in the blood enters the brain across the blood-brain barrier.

OPN-300 is being developed to target two orphan indications: Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that is the leading genetic cause of obesity; and autism spectrum disorder. We conducted a Phase 1 clinical trial in late 2013 using OPN-300 in healthy volunteers. In that trial, a low dose of oxytocin delivered using our EDS produced a statistically significantly greater social-cognitive effect as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging, performance on cognitive tests, and physiological markers, than intravenous administration of the same active ingredient that produced blood levels that were not statistically different. We believe this clinical trial supports the possibility of direct nose-to-brain activity of medication delivered using our EDS. We recently completed a second pilot clinical trial of OPN-300 in adult male patients with autism spectrum disorder. In that trial, adult men with autism spectrum disorder receiving nasal oxytocin showed statistically significant differences in interpretation of facial expressions. We are preparing for additional clinical development activities in pursuit of an indication for Prader-Willi syndrome.

We are in preclinical development of OPN-021, which combines our EDS with orexin-A, also known as hypocretin-A, a peptide that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. OPN-021 is being developed for the treatment of narcolepsy or symptoms of other diseases potentially amenable to the same pharmacologic activity, such as Parkinson's disease. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by a deficiency of orexin-producing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus region of the brain. It is clinically characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, sudden and uncontrollable muscle weakness or paralysis and by intrusions into wakefulness of physiological aspects of rapid eye movement sleep. We are in the process of developing the formulation for OPN-021 and are planning to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial when a suitable formulation is prepared.

We are evaluating the use of our EDS to deliver other drugs or drug combinations, including antibiotics, anticholinergics, antihistamines, mucolytics, leukotriene inhibitors and other medication classes used to treat diseases primarily managed by ENT and allergy specialists. We have also identified several other product candidates with the potential to leverage our EDS to create clinically differentiated drug treatments for indications such as central nervous system disorders and pain. We will continue to evaluate opportunities to develop product candidates indicated for markets outside of our ENT and allergy focus through business development activities.

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Our Commercial Strategy

We are implementing our commercial strategy for XHANCE to focus on the following three phases of penetrating the chronic rhinosinusitis markets and become part of the standard of care treatment:

We intend to efficiently launch XHANCE into the ENT and allergy segments by utilizing the following strategies:

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XHANCE Clinical Development

Overview

We have evaluated XHANCE in the following five clinical trials comprised of over 1,500 patients:

Clinical Trial Highlights

Our Phase 3 clinical development program included a population of patients generally reflective of our intended patient population, with approximately 90% having previously tried currently available INS and almost one-third having previously undergone sinus surgery. Key results from our Phase 3 clinical trial program include:

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Phase 3 Pivotal Clinical Trials (NAVIGATE I and NAVIGATE II)

We have conducted two independent but comparable randomized double-blinded, placebo controlled Phase 3 clinical trials to examine the safety and efficacy of XHANCE versus a placebo EDS in adults with bilateral nasal polyps and moderate nasal congestion/obstruction. These clinical trials, which we refer to as NAVIGATE I and NAVIGATE II, also provided dose-ranging information to support the selection of clinically appropriate dose(s) for commercialization of XHANCE and served as pivotal clinical trials in our NDA for the treatment of adults with nasal polyps. These pivotal clinical trials were conducted in the United States, Canada, South Africa and several European countries.

Each pivotal clinical trial included a single-blind EDS-placebo lead-in and a placebo EDS control group, a multi-center, multi-national study population to increase generalizability, an assessment of the efficacy of multiple doses (93, 186 or 372 mcg twice daily) over a 16-week period and experts in nasal endoscopy to assess objective efficacy outcomes and adverse events, or AEs, in all patients. Patients who completed the double-blinded phase of the pivotal clinical trials were allowed to continue in an open-label extension phase in which all patients received 372 mcg of XHANCE twice daily for up to eight additional weeks. All patients and investigators remained blinded to the original treatment during the open-label phase, allowing for a comparison of as-randomized initial treatments through the end of the open-label extension phase at week 24. We treated a total of 646 adults across both pivotal clinical trials with 568 adults completing the open-label extension phase.

Each of NAVIGATE I and NAVIGATE II had co-primary endpoints of (i) change in subjective nasal congestion/obstruction symptoms from baseline to week 4 and (ii) change in objectively-measured total (bilateral) nasal polyp grade from baseline to week 16. The severity of nasal symptoms was recorded by patients in an electronic diary immediately before dosing in the morning (AM) and evening (PM), and was measured using 7-day average instantaneous AM diary scores. Total (bilateral) nasal polyp grading was assessed with nasoendoscopy and is based on polyp protrusion past certain anatomical landmarks. These grading assessments were performed at screening (baseline) and at weeks 4, 8, 12, 16 (which was the end of the double-blinded phase) and 24 (which was the end of the open-label phase) using a 0 to 3 point scale for each nostril, with 0 representing no polyps and 3 representing severe polyposis. The scores for each nostril were summed to yield a range of 0 to 6 for both nostrils.

These trials also evaluated several secondary endpoints, including the impact of XHANCE treatment on surgical eligibility and changes in the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 score, which considers the core defining signs and symptoms of nasal polyps and the impact on functioning, quality of life and sleep. We also conducted a complete response analysis to evaluate the percentage of patients with a recorded nasal polyp grade of zero on at least one side of the nasal cavity.

The 186- and 372-mcg treatment groups achieved statistically significant reductions in the primary assessments of congestion severity at week 4 and reductions in polyp grade at week 16 relative to a placebo EDS. In NAVIGATE I, the differences from the placebo EDS generally increased with each increasing dose of XHANCE for both co-primary endpoints, meaning that administering higher doses to a patient led to a greater decrease in nasal congestion/obstruction symptoms and bilateral nasal polyp grade. In NAVIGATE II, the 186-mcg group achieved the largest numerical reduction in the primary assessment of congestion symptom severity, and the 372-mcg group achieved the largest numerical reduction in the primary

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assessment of polyp grade. On average, patients in both pivotal clinical trials had moderate nasal polyps (with an average bilateral score of approximately 3.9) at baseline. Patients treated with 372 mcg had the largest mean change in polyp grade in each pivotal clinical trial, with decreases in grade after 16 weeks of 1.1 and 1.4 in NAVIGATE I and NAVIGATE II, respectively. There was also a consistent decrease in average polyp grade over time through 24 weeks.

The following table summarizes the mean change in congestion scores in each of the pivotal clinical trials:


Mean Changes from Baseline in AM Congestion Score After 4 Weeks of Treatment in
Adult Patients with Nasal Polyps


 
   
   
   
  Difference from Placebo EDS  
Treatment
  N   Baseline Score
(Standard
Deviation)
  Mean (Standard
Error) Change
from Baseline
  Mean   95%
confidence
interval
  p-value(1)  

NAVIGATE I

                                     

XHANCE 372 mcg

    79     2.29 (0.44 )   –0.62 (0.08 )   –0.38     –0.57, –0.19     <0.001  

XHANCE 186 mcg

    80     2.24 (0.42 )   –0.54 (0.08 )   –0.30     –0.48, –0.11     0.002  

Placebo EDS

    82     2.31 (0.41 )   –0.24 (0.07 )                  

NAVIGATE II

                                     

XHANCE 372 mcg

    82     2.25 (0.42 )   –0.62 (0.07 )   –0.38     –0.58, –0.18     <0.001  

XHANCE 186 mcg

    80     2.20 (0.37 )   –0.68 (0.07 )   –0.45     –0.65, –0.25     <0.001  

Placebo EDS

    79     2.29 (0.43 )   –0.24 (0.07 )                  

(1)
The p-value, or probability value, is a measure of statistical significance reflecting the likelihood that an observed result occurred by chance.

The following charts summarize the mean change in bilateral nasal polyps score in each of the pivotal clinical trials:

GRAPHIC   GRAPHIC

In addition to the co-primary efficacy endpoints described above, we also assessed a number of secondary endpoints in the pivotal clinical trials, including the following:

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XHANCE was generally well tolerated across the 186- and 372-mcg dose groups in NAVIGATE I and NAVIGATE II. The most commonly reported AEs in the active treatment groups in the pivotal clinical trials, which are shown in the table below, were associated with local effects at the site of administration in the nasal passages or associated with the underlying disease. Most local AEs were not spontaneously reported but were identified as a result of active monitoring of all patients at scheduled intervals by endoscopic nasal examination at each visit. The majority of these AEs were reported to be mild and were observed to resolve with continued use of XHANCE. A total of six patients in the pivotal clinical trials experienced a total of seven serious adverse events, or SAEs, only one of which, in a patient in the placebo group, was determined to be treatment-related. 5.0% of subjects treated with XHANCE 186 mcg twice daily and 1.2% of subjects treated with 372 mcg twice daily discontinued from the clinical trials prior to the open-label extension phase based of adverse reactions compared to 4.3% of subjects treated with placebo.

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Summary of Adverse Events with XHANCE Reported in ³ 3% of Patients with Nasal Polyps and More Common Than Placebo EDS in Phase 3 Pivotal Clinical Trials


 
   
  XHANCE  
Adverse Event
  Placebo EDS
(N = 161)
n (%)
  186 mcg bid
(N = 160)
n (%)
  372 mcg bid
(N = 161)
n (%)
 

Epistaxis1

    4 (2.5 )   19 (11.9 )   16 (9.9 )

Nasopharyngitis

    8 (5.0 )   3 (1.9 )   12 (7.5 )

Nasal septal ulceration2

    3 (1.9 )   11 (6.9 )   12 (7.5 )

Nasal congestion

    6 (3.7 )   7 (4.4 )   9 (5.6 )

Acute sinusitis

    6 (3.7 )   7 (4.4 )   8 (5.0 )

Headache

    5 (3.1 )   8 (5.0 )   6 (3.7 )

Pharyngitis

    2 (1.2 )   2 (1.3 )   5 (3.1 )

Nasal mucosal ulceration2

    2 (1.3 )   6 (3.8 )   4 (2.5 )

Nasal mucosal erythema

    6 (3.7 )   9 (5.6 )   8 (5.0 )

Nasal septal erythema

    3 (1.9 )   6 (3.8 )   7 (4.3 )

bid = twice daily.

N = number of patients; n = number of patients in subset.

1
Includes spontaneous adverse reaction reports.
2
Includes ulcerations and erosions

Phase 3 Open-Label Clinical Trials (EXHANCE-3 and EXHANCE-12)

We also conducted two supportive, open-label Phase 3 clinical trials in adults with symptoms of chronic sinusitis with or without nasal polyps. The supportive clinical trials, which we refer to as EXHANCE-3 and EXHANCE-12, were conducted in the United States with a primary objective to assess the safety of twice-daily intranasal administration of the 372 mcg dose of XHANCE in an expanded number of patients and over an extended period of time. We also assessed a variety of objective and subjective efficacy parameters, including an assessment of each patient's symptoms and functioning and qualification for surgical intervention.

Eligibility for enrollment, endpoint and study design were similar in EXHANCE-3 and EXHANCE-12 with the exception of duration (3 months in the case of EXHANCE-3 and 12 months in the case of EXHANCE-12). Across both supportive clinical trials, a total of 898 adults were treated, including 762 adults with chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps and 136 adults with symptoms of chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps.

XHANCE was generally well tolerated. As shown in the table below, 59.2% of patients in the supportive clinical trials experienced at least one treatment-emergent AE, with the most common being similar to those in the XHANCE treatment groups of the pivotal clinical trials. The most common AEs were local (in the nose) and not systemic. Most AEs were mild and resolved with continued use of XHANCE. A total of 12 patients experienced a total of 14 SAEs in the supportive clinical trials, none of which were deemed treatment-related. Approximately 80% of patients completed the supportive clinical trials, with approximately 5% discontinuing due to an AE and 1% discontinuing for lack of efficacy.

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Summary of Adverse Events Reported in ³ 3% of Patients in EXHANCE 3 AND EXHANCE 12


Adverse Event
  XHANCE
372 mcg
(N = 898)
n (%)
 

Patients with at least 1 Adverse Event

    532 (59.2 )

Epistaxis1

    73 (8.1 )

Nasal mucosal disorder (erythema or ulceration not at the nasal septum)

    109 (12.1 )

Nasal septum disorder (erythema)

    71 (7.9 )

Nasal septum ulceration

    53 (5.9 )

Acute sinusitis

    48 (5.3 )

Upper respiratory tract infection

    46 (5.1 )

Headache

    44 (4.9 )

Nasal congestion

    34 (3.8 )

Cough

    27 (3.0 )

1
Includes spontaneous adverse reaction reports.

Efficacy was also measured in EXHANCE-3 and EXHANCE-12. Key efficacy results from EXHANCE-3 and EXHANCE-12 included:

Phase 1 Bioavailability Clinical Trial

We performed a Phase 1, open-label, randomized, single-dose, bioavailability clinical trial of XHANCE and Flonase in healthy patients and XHANCE and Flovent HFA in patients with mild-to-moderate asthma. We conducted the Phase 1 clinical trial to establish a bridge between XHANCE, which consists of our fluticasone propionate formulation combined with our EDS, and Flonase and Flovent HFA, the reference listed drugs for our NDA. We chose fluticasone propionate in part because it has limited absorption into the body. In our NDA, we relied in part on the FDA's previous findings of safety for Flonase and Flovent HFA, including non-clinical toxicology findings and findings of systemic safety risks related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or HPA, axis suppression, which is a known side effect of corticosteroids. To do so, we were required to establish that the systemic exposure, or the amount of drug absorbed into the body, to fluticasone propionate following use of XHANCE did not exceed the exposure produced by Flovent HFA.

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Part one of the clinical trial was a three-way, three-treatment, three-sequence crossover study in healthy patients in which patients were randomized to a sequence containing the following treatments: 186 mcg (1 × 93 mcg to each nostril) of XHANCE; 372 mcg (2 × 93 mcg to each nostril) of XHANCE; and 400 mcg (4 × 50 mcg to each nostril) of Flonase. The primary objective of part one was to assess and compare the systemic exposure of a single dose of 186 mcg and 372 mcg of XHANCE with 400 mcg of Flonase in healthy patients. If one or both of the test doses resulted in a systemic exposure that was at least 125% of that of Flonase, then part two was to be conducted. Part two of the clinical trial was a two-way, two-treatment, two-sequence crossover study in mild-to-moderate asthmatic patients in which patients were randomized to a sequence containing the following: 372 mcg (4 × 93 mcg) of XHANCE and 440 mcg (2 × 220 mcg) of Flovent HFA. The primary objective of part two was to assess and compare the systemic exposure produced by a single dose of 372 mcg of XHANCE with 440 mcg of Flovent HFA in mild-to-moderate asthmatic patients. A total of 112 adults were examined across both parts of the clinical trial.

In part one of the clinical trial, peak and total exposure to fluticasone propionate was higher following 372 mcg of XHANCE compared to 400 mcg of Flonase. Peak exposure to fluticasone propionate was also higher for 186 mcg of XHANCE than 400 mcg of Flonase, but total exposure was higher for 400 mcg of Flonase than 186 mcg of XHANCE. In part two of the clinical trial, doses of 372 mcg of XHANCE produced systemic exposure substantially lower than that of 440 mcg of Flovent HFA. In particular, peak plasma of the drug, or Cmax, and the total amount of absorption, known as the area under the curve from time 0 to infinity, or AUC0-∞, were approximately 37% and 50% lower following administration of 372 mcg of XHANCE relative to 440 mcg of Flovent HFA, respectively. We believe these results support our use of Flonase and Flovent HFA as referenced listed drugs in our NDA for XHANCE.

Regulatory Exclusivity and Barriers to Entry

XHANCE benefits from substantial intellectual property and regulatory barriers to entry, including the following:

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Intellectual Property

We strive to protect our proprietary technology that we believe is important to our business, including seeking and maintaining patents intended to cover our product candidates and technologies that are important to the development of our business. We also rely on trade secrets to protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to, or that we do not consider appropriate for, patent protection, as well as know-how, trademarks, continuing technological innovation and in-licensing opportunities to develop and maintain our proprietary position. We internally developed our intellectual property related to our EDS, AVP-825, XHANCE and our product candidates. We have sought and intend to continue to seek appropriate patent protection for our product candidates, as well as other proprietary technologies and their uses by filing patent applications in the United States and selected other countries.

Patents

As of June 13, 2017, we owned a total of 43 U.S. patents and 35 pending U.S. patent applications. These U.S. patents will expire between 2020 and 2030. These U.S. patent applications, subject to issuance, would be projected to expire between 2020 and 2035, with potential patent term adjustments that would extend the patent term. In addition to our U.S. intellectual property, we also own 185 foreign issued patents, which will expire between 2020 and 2033 and 132 foreign patent applications, which will expire between 2020 and 2035, subject to issuance.

Our XHANCE patent portfolio consists of nine issued U.S. patents and 12 pending U.S. patent applications. Our issued U.S. patent portfolio consists of device and method of use patents expiring between 2020 and 2030. Our pending patent applications in the United States, subject to issuance, would be projected to expire between 2022 and 2034, with potential patent term adjustments that would extend the patent term.

Certain of our patents and patent applications for XHANCE, if granted, will be published in the FDA's Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly known as the Orange Book. Drugs listed in the Orange Book can, in turn, be cited by potential generic competitors in support of approval of an abbreviated NDA, or ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) NDA. If any of these potential generic competitors claim that their product will not infringe XHANCE's listed patents, or that such patents are invalid, then they must send notice to us once the ANDA or 505(b)(2) NDA has been accepted for filing by the FDA. We may then initiate a patent infringement lawsuit in response to the notice of the Paragraph IV certification, which would automatically prevent the FDA from approving the ANDA or 505(b)(2) NDA until the earlier of 30 months, expiration of the patent, settlement of the lawsuit, or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the ANDA or 505(b)(2) NDA applicant.

The rest of our patent portfolio largely relates to patents and applications owned by us and directed to AVP-825 and other product candidates, including OPN-300 and OPN-021.

Trade Secrets and Other Proprietary Information

We seek to protect our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and proprietary know-how, by requiring our employees, consultants and other advisors to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of their employment or engagement. These agreements generally provide that all

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confidential information developed or made known during the course of the relationship with us be kept confidential and not be disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. In the case of our employees, the agreements also typically provide that all inventions resulting from work performed for us, utilizing our property or relating to our business and conceived or completed during employment shall be our exclusive property to the extent permitted by law. Where appropriate, agreements we obtain with our consultants also typically contain similar assignment of invention provisions. Further, we generally require confidentiality agreements from business partners and other third parties that receive our confidential information.

Trademarks

We also rely on trademarks and trade designs to develop and maintain our competitive position. OPTINOSE®, XHANCE™ and Breath Powered® are trademarks or registered trademarks of ours in the United States.

AVP-825 License Agreement

In July 2013, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary, OptiNose AS, entered into a license agreement, or the AVP-825 License Agreement, with Avanir pursuant to which we granted an exclusive license to Avanir to further develop and commercialize AVP-825, a combination of our EDS with a lose-dose sumatriptan powder, for the acute treatment of migraines in adults, in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which we refer to collectively as the Licensed Territory. AVP-825 was approved by the FDA in January 2016 for the acute treatment of migraines in adults and became commercially available in May 2016 under the brand name Onzetra Xsail.

We have received $70.0 million in aggregate licensing revenues to date, consisting of an up-front fee of $20.0 million received in 2013, a $2.5 million payment received in June 2014 upon the achievement of a development milestone and a $47.5 million payment received in February 2016 upon FDA approval of AVP-825. We are eligible to receive up to an additional $50.0 million upon the achievement of annual sales milestones and tiered low double-digit royalty payments once and if net sales of the product exceed a specified cumulative threshold.

Unless earlier terminated in accordance its terms, the AVP-825 License Agreement, including the royalty payments, will remain in effect on a country-by-country basis in the Licensed Territory until the commercial launch of a generic product in such country, at which time the AVP-825 License Agreement, including the royalty payments, will expire as to that particular country. In the United States, which to date is the only jurisdiction in the Licensed Territory in which AVP-825 has been approved for marketing, the commercial launch of a generic version of AVP-825 can occur as soon as the FDA grants marketing approval to a product as a generic to AVP-825. Thirteen patents with respect to AVP-825 are published in the Orange Book, with expiration dates ranging from March 2020 to December 2030. A sponsor of a generic version of AVP-825 must use AVP-825 as a reference listed drug in its ANDA, thereby requiring the sponsor to make one of several certifications regarding each AVP-825 patent listed in the Orange Book. A "Paragraph III" certification is the sponsor's statement that it will wait for the applicable patent to expire before obtaining approval for its product. A "Paragraph IV" certification is an assertion that the applicable patent does not block approval of the generic product, either because the patent is invalid or unenforceable or because the patent, even if valid, is not infringed by the generic product. If a sponsor of a generic version of AVP-825 files a "Paragraph III" certification with respect to each of the AVP-825 patents listed in the Orange Book, then the earliest the FDA will grant marketing approval to the generic product is December 2030. If, however, a sponsor of a generic version of AVP-825 files a "Paragraph IV" certification challenging AVP-825's Orange Book-listed patents, then, within 20 days of the FDA accepting the filing, the sponsor must provide notice to us and Avanir that an ANDA has been filed with the FDA, and provide the factual and legal basis for the sponsor's assertion that the patent is invalid or not infringed. If we or Avanir file suit against the applicant for patent infringement within 45 days of receiving the Paragraph IV notice, the FDA is prohibited from approving the ANDA application for a period of 30 months or the resolution of the

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underlying suit, whichever is earlier. The FDA may approve the proposed product before the expiration of the 30-month stay if a court finds the patent invalid or not infringed or if the court shortens the period because the parties have failed to cooperate in expediting the litigation. If the sponsor is unsuccessful in its defense of non-infringement or unable to prove invalidity of the listed patents, the court could issue an injunction prohibiting the launch of the generic version of AVP-825 until the last patent which the court finds to be enforceable and infringed expires.

Avanir may terminate the AVP-825 License Agreement in its sole discretion upon prior written notice to us as described in the agreement. We may terminate the AVP-825 License Agreement if Avanir commences any legal or administrative proceeding to revoke or challenge the validity of certain of the intellectual property we licensed to Avanir pursuant to the AVP-825 License Agreement. In addition, the AVP-825 License Agreement provides for customary termination rights in the event of a breach of the AVP-825 License Agreement by the other party.

Manufacturing and Distribution

Manufacturing

We currently contract with third parties for the manufacture, testing and storage of our product candidates. In our experience, contract manufacturers, or CMOs, are generally cost-efficient and reliable and therefore we currently have no plans to build our own clinical or commercial manufacturing capabilities. Because we rely on CMOs, we employ personnel with extensive technical, manufacturing, analytical and quality experience to oversee contract manufacturing and testing activities, and to compile manufacturing and quality information for our regulatory submissions. Manufacturing is subject to extensive regulations that impose various procedural and documentation requirements, and which govern record-keeping, manufacturing processes and controls, personnel, quality control and quality assurance, among other activities. Our systems and our contractors are required to comply with these regulations, and we assess this compliance regularly through monitoring of performance and a formal audit program. To date, our third-party manufacturers have met our manufacturing requirements for clinical trials.

We have entered into the following key supply agreements for the commercial manufacture and supply of XHANCE:

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We expect that our third-party manufacturers will be capable of providing sufficient quantities of XHANCE to meet anticipated commercial demands.

Distribution

We plan to establish a distribution channel in the United States for the commercialization of XHANCE. We expect to sell XHANCE to wholesale pharmaceutical distributors, who, in turn, will sell XHANCE to pharmacies, hospitals and other customers. We expect to use a third-party logistics provider for key services related to logistics, warehousing and inventory management, distribution, contract administration and chargeback processing and accounts receivable management.

Competition

Our industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change as research provides a deeper understanding of the pathology of diseases and new technologies and treatments are developed. We believe our scientific knowledge, technology, and development capabilities provide us with substantial competitive advantages, but we face potential competition from multiple sources, including large pharmaceutical, biotechnology, specialty pharmaceutical and, to a lesser degree, medical device companies.

XHANCE will compete primarily with INS, oral steroids and other medical management products, including locally compounded liquid budesonide in high-volume nasal rinses. XHANCE will also compete with surgical procedures, balloon sinus dilation products and steroid-releasing sinus implants. Key competitive factors affecting the commercial success of XHANCE and any other product candidates we may develop are likely to be efficacy, safety and tolerability profile, reliability, convenience of administration, price and reimbursement.

The only other branded INS on the market indicated for the treatment of nasal polyps is Nasonex, which is marketed by Merck & Co., Inc. A generic version of Nasonex, mometasone furoate monohydrate, was approved by the FDA for, among other indications, the treatment of nasal polyps and launched in 2016. In addition, Beconase AQ, which is an INS marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, is indicated for the prophylaxis of nasal polyps after surgical resection. There are no products approved for the treatment of chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps. There are two categories of INS: first-generation INS products, which include Rhinocort, Nasacort AQ and Qnasl; and second-generation INS products, which include Flonase, Veramyst, Omnaris and Zetonna. The primary difference between first- and second-generation INS products is that first-generation INS are absorbed into the blood to a greater extent than second-generation INS, with systemic bioavailability ranging from 10% to 50% compared to a systemic bioavailability with fluticasone propionate, a second-generation INS, of less than 2%. Many of the most widely-prescribed INS products are available in generic form and some, such as Flonase (fluticasone propionate), are available over-the-counter.

Several companies are also currently developing biologic monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of nasal polyps. These biologic monoclonal antibodies, which inhibit specific pathways of inflammation present in nasal polyps, include omalizumab, reslizumab, mepolizumab and dupilumab. Omalizumab has been studied in investigator-initiated Phase 2 clinical trials. GlaxoSmithKline has studied mepolizumab in a sponsor-initiated Phase 2 clinical trial and plans to begin enrolling patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial later this year with study completion anticipated in 2019. Dupilumab has been studied in a sponsor-initiated Phase 2 clinical trial and Sanofi is currently investigating it in two Phase 3 clinical trials that are enrolling patients and expected to be completed in the second half of 2018. If these biologic monoclonal antibodies are successfully developed and approved for marketing, they could represent significant competition for XHANCE.

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Government Regulation

As a pharmaceutical company that operates in the United States, we are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or the FD&C Act, and FDA's implementing regulations set forth, among other things, requirements for the testing, development, manufacture, quality control, safety, effectiveness, approval, labeling, storage, record-keeping, reporting, distribution, import, export, advertising and promotion of our product candidates. Although the discussion below focuses on regulation in the United States, because that is currently our primary focus, we anticipate seeking approval for, and marketing, our products in other countries in the future. Generally, our activities in other countries will be subject to regulation that is similar in nature and scope as that imposed in the United States, although there can be important differences.

Development and Approval

Under the FD&C Act, FDA approval of an NDA is required before any new drug can be marketed in the United States. NDAs require extensive studies and submission of a large amount of data by the applicant.

Preclinical Testing.    Before testing any compound in human patients in the United States, a company must generate extensive preclinical data. Preclinical testing generally includes laboratory evaluation of product chemistry and formulation, as well as toxicological and pharmacological studies in several animal species to assess the quality and safety of the product. Certain animal studies must be performed in compliance with the FDA's Good Laboratory Practice, or GLP, regulations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Act.

IND Application.    Human clinical trials in the United States cannot commence until an investigational new drug, or IND, application is submitted and becomes effective. A company must submit preclinical testing results to the FDA as part of the IND, and the FDA must evaluate whether there is an adequate basis for testing the drug in initial clinical studies in human volunteers. Unless the FDA raises concerns, the IND becomes effective 30 days following its receipt by the FDA. Once human clinical trials have commenced, the FDA may stop a clinical trial by placing it on "clinical hold" because of concerns about the safety of the product being tested, or for other reasons.

Clinical Trials.    Clinical trials involve the administration of a drug to healthy human volunteers or to patients, under the supervision of a qualified investigator. The conduct of clinical trials is subject to extensive regulation, including compliance with the FDA's bioresearch monitoring regulations and Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, requirements, which establish standards for conducting, recording data from, and reporting the results of, clinical trials, and are intended to assure that the data and reported results are credible and accurate, and that the rights, safety, and well-being of study participants are protected. Clinical trials must be conducted under protocols that detail the study objectives, parameters for monitoring safety, and the efficacy criteria, if any, to be evaluated. Each protocol is reviewed by the FDA as part of the IND. In addition, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by, and conducted under the auspices of, an Institutional Review Board, or IRB. Companies sponsoring the clinical trials, investigators, and IRBs also must comply with, as applicable, regulations and guidelines for obtaining informed consent from the study patients, following the protocol and investigational plan, adequately monitoring the clinical trial, and timely reporting of AEs. Foreign studies conducted under an IND must meet the same requirements that apply to studies being conducted in the United States. Data from a foreign study not conducted under an IND may be submitted in support of an NDA if the study was conducted in accordance with GCP and the FDA is able to validate the data.

A study sponsor is required to publicly post specified details about certain clinical trials and clinical trial results on government or independent websites (e.g., http://clinicaltrials.gov). Human clinical trials typically are conducted in three sequential phases, although the phases may overlap with one another:

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The sponsoring company, the FDA, or the IRB may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Further, success in early-stage clinical trials does not assure success in later-stage clinical trials. Data obtained from clinical activities are not always conclusive and may be subject to alternative interpretations that could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval.

NDA Submission and Review.    The FD&C Act provides two pathways for the approval of new drugs through an NDA. An NDA under Section 505(b)(1) of the FD&C Act is a comprehensive application to support approval of a product candidate that includes, among other things, data and information to demonstrate that the proposed drug is safe and effective for its proposed uses, that production methods are adequate to ensure its identity, strength, quality, and purity of the drug, and that proposed labeling is appropriate and contains all necessary information. A 505(b)(1) NDA contains results of the full set of preclinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the applicant to characterize and evaluate the product candidate.

Section 505(b)(2) of the FD&C Act provides an alternate regulatory pathway to obtain FDA approval for new formulations or new uses of previously approved drug products. Specifically, Section 505(b)(2) permits the filing of an NDA where at least some of the information required for approval comes from studies not conducted by or for the applicant and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. The applicant may rely to some extent upon the FDA's findings of safety and effectiveness for an approved product that acts as the reference listed drug, or RLD, and submit its own product-specific data — which may include data from preclinical studies or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of the applicant — to address differences between the product candidate and the RLD. We obtained FDA approval of XHANCE through the Section 505(b)(2) regulatory approval pathway, with Flonase and Flovent HFA as the RLDs. Flonase and Flovent HFA contain fluticasone propionate, which is also used in XHANCE.

The submission of an NDA under either Section 505(b)(1) or Section 505(b)(2) generally requires payment of a substantial user fee to the FDA. The FDA reviews applications to determine, among other things, whether a product is safe and effective for its intended use and whether the manufacturing controls are adequate to assure and preserve the product's identity, strength, quality, and purity. For some NDAs, the FDA may convene an advisory committee to seek insights and recommendations on issues relevant to approval of the application. Although the FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, the agency usually has followed such recommendations.

Our product candidates include products that combine drug and device components in a manner that the FDA considers to meet the definition of a "combination product" under FDA regulations. The FDA exercises significant discretion over the regulation of combination products, including the discretion to require separate marketing applications for the drug and device components in a combination product. For

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XHANCE, FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, or CDER, had primary jurisdiction for review of the NDA, and both the drug and device were reviewed under one marketing application. However, for a drug-device combination product CDER typically consults with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health in the NDA review process.

The FDA may determine that a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, is necessary to ensure that the benefits of a new product outweigh its risks, and the product can therefore be approved. A REMS may include various elements, ranging from a medication guide or patient package insert to limitations on who may prescribe or dispense the drug, depending on what the FDA considers necessary for the safe use of the drug. Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act, certain applications for approval must also include an assessment, generally based on clinical study data, of the safety and effectiveness of the subject drug in relevant pediatric populations. Before approving an NDA, the FDA will 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 current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications.

Once an NDA submission has been accepted for filing — which occurs, if at all, within 60 days after submission of the NDA — the FDA's goal for a non-priority review of an NDA is ten months. The review process can be and often is significantly extended, however, by FDA requests for additional information, studies, or clarification. After review of an NDA, the FDA may decide to not approve the application or may issue a complete response letter outlining the deficiencies in the submission. The complete response letter also may request additional information, including additional preclinical or clinical data. Even if such additional information and data are submitted, the FDA may decide that the NDA still does not meet the standards for approval. Data from clinical trials are not always conclusive and the FDA may interpret data differently than the sponsor.

Obtaining regulatory approval often takes a number of years, involves the expenditure of substantial resources, and depends on a number of factors, including the severity of the disease in question, the availability of alternative treatments, and the risks and benefits demonstrated in clinical trials. Additionally, as a condition of approval, the FDA may impose restrictions that could affect the commercial success of a drug or require post-approval commitments, including the completion within a specified time period of additional clinical studies, which often are referred to as "Phase 4" or "post-marketing" studies. For example, as part of its approval of XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps in adults, the FDA requires that we conduct a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group clinical study in children and adolescents 6 to 17 years of age with bilateral nasal polyps associated with nasal congestion to assess the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of XHANCE in improving nasal polyp grade and symptoms (nasal congestion/obstruction, sense of smell, rhinorrhea and facial pain or pressure). We are required to submit our final protocol with respect to the pediatric study by January 2018, to complete the study by January 2022 and to submit a final report with respect to the study by July 2022.

Post-approval modifications to the drug, such as changes in indications, labeling, or manufacturing processes or facilities, may require a sponsor to develop additional data or conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, to be submitted in a new or supplemental NDA, which would require FDA approval.

Post-Approval Regulation

Once approved, products are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA. If ongoing regulatory requirements are not met or if safety problems occur after the product reaches the market, the FDA may at any time withdraw product approval or take actions that would limit or suspend marketing. Additionally, the FDA may require post-marketing studies or clinical trials if new safety information develops.

Good Manufacturing Practices.    Companies engaged in manufacturing drug products or their components must comply with applicable cGMP requirements and product-specific regulations enforced by the FDA and

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other regulatory agencies. Compliance with cGMP includes adhering to requirements relating to organization and training of personnel, buildings and facilities, equipment, control of components and drug product containers and closures, production and process controls, quality control and quality assurance, packaging and labeling controls, holding and distribution, laboratory controls, and records and reports. The FDA regulates and inspects equipment, facilities, and processes used in manufacturing pharmaceutical products prior to approval. If, after receiving approval, a company makes a material change in manufacturing equipment, location, or process (all of which are, to some degree, incorporated in the NDA), additional regulatory review and approval may be required. The FDA also conducts regular, periodic visits to re-inspect equipment, facilities, and processes following the initial approval of a product. Failure to comply with applicable cGMP requirements and conditions of product approval may lead the FDA to seek sanctions, including fines, civil penalties, injunctions, suspension of manufacturing operations, operating restrictions, withdrawal of FDA approval, seizure or recall of products, and criminal prosecution. Although we periodically monitor the FDA compliance of our third-party manufacturers, we cannot be certain that our present or future third-party manufacturers will consistently comply with cGMP and other applicable FDA regulatory requirements.

It is also likely that we will need to comply with some of FDA's manufacturing regulations for devices. FDA has discretion in determining post-approval compliance requirements for products that combine a drug substance with a delivery system device. In addition to cGMP, FDA may require that our drug-device combination product, if approved, comply with the Quality System Regulation, or QSR, which sets forth the FDA's manufacturing quality standards for medical devices.

Advertising and Promotion.    The FDA and other federal regulatory agencies closely regulate the marketing and promotion of drugs through, among other things, standards and regulations for direct-to-consumer advertising, advertising and promotion to healthcare professionals, communications regarding unapproved uses, industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, and promotional activities involving the Internet. A product cannot be commercially promoted before it is approved. After approval, product promotion can include only those claims relating to safety and effectiveness that are consistent with the labeling approved by the FDA. Healthcare providers are permitted to prescribe drugs for "off-label" uses — that is, uses not approved by the FDA and not described in the product's labeling — because the FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine. However, FDA regulations impose restrictions on manufacturers' communications regarding off-label uses. Broadly speaking, a manufacturer may not promote a drug for off-label use, but under certain conditions may engage in non-promotional, balanced, scientific communication regarding off-label use. Failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements and restrictions in this area may subject a company to adverse publicity and enforcement action by the FDA, the Department of Justice, or the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as state authorities. This could subject a company to a range of penalties that could have a significant commercial impact, including civil and criminal fines and agreements that materially restrict the manner in which a company promotes or distributes a drug.

Other Requirements.    NDA holders must comply with other regulatory requirements, including submitting annual reports, reporting information about adverse drug experiences, and maintaining certain records.

Hatch-Waxman Act

The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, or the Hatch-Waxman Act, establishes two abbreviated approval pathways for pharmaceutical products that are in some way follow-on versions of already approved products.

Generic Drugs.    A generic version of an approved drug is approved by means of an ANDA, by which the sponsor demonstrates that the proposed product is the same as the approved, brand-name drug, which is referred to as the RLD. Generally, an ANDA must contain data and information showing that the proposed generic product and RLD (i) have the same active ingredient, in the same strength and dosage form, to be delivered via the same route of administration, (ii) are intended for the same uses, and (iii) are

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bioequivalent. This is instead of independently demonstrating the proposed product's safety and effectiveness, which are inferred from the fact that the product is the same as the RLD, which the FDA previously found to be safe and effective.

505(b)(2) NDAs.    As discussed above, if a product is similar, but not identical, to an already approved product, it may be submitted for approval via an NDA under section 505(b)(2) of the FD&C Act. Unlike an ANDA, this does not excuse the sponsor from demonstrating the proposed product's safety and effectiveness. Rather, the sponsor is permitted to rely to some degree on the FDA's finding that the RLD is safe and effective, and must submit its own product-specific data of safety and effectiveness to an extent necessary because of the differences between the products. An NDA approved under 505(b)(2) may in turn serve as an RLD for subsequent applications from other sponsors.

RLD Patents.    In an NDA, a sponsor must identify patents that claim the drug substance or drug product or a method of using the drug. When the drug is approved, those patents are among the information about the product that is listed in the FDA publication, Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, which is referred to as the Orange Book. The sponsor of an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application seeking to rely on an approved product as the RLD must make one of several certifications regarding each listed patent. A "Paragraph III" certification is the sponsor's statement that it will wait for the patent to expire before obtaining approval for its product. A "Paragraph IV" certification is an assertion that the patent does not block approval of the later product, either because the patent is invalid or unenforceable or because the patent, even if valid, is not infringed by the new product.

Regulatory Exclusivities.    The Hatch-Waxman Act provides periods of regulatory exclusivity for products that would serve as RLDs for an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application. If a product is a "new chemical entity," or NCE — generally meaning that the active moiety has never before been approved in any drug — there is a period of five years from the product's approval during which the FDA may not accept for filing any ANDA or 505(b)(2) application for a drug with the same active moiety. An ANDA or 505(b)(2) application may be submitted after four years, however, if the sponsor of the application makes a Paragraph IV certification.

A product that is not an NCE may qualify for a three-year period of exclusivity if the NDA contains new clinical data, derived from studies conducted by or for the sponsor, that were necessary for approval. In that instance, the exclusivity period does not preclude filing or review of an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application; rather, the FDA is precluded from granting final approval to the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application until three years after approval of the RLD. Additionally, the exclusivity applies only to the conditions of approval that required submission of the clinical data.

Once the FDA accepts for filing an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application containing a Paragraph IV certification, the applicant must within 20 days provide notice to the RLD NDA holder and patent owner that the application has been submitted, and provide the factual and legal basis for the applicant's assertion that the patent is invalid or not infringed. If the NDA holder or patent owner files suit against the ANDA or 505(b)(2) applicant for patent infringement within 45 days of receiving the Paragraph IV notice, the FDA is prohibited from approving the ANDA or 505(b)(2) application for a period of 30 months or the resolution of the underlying suit, whichever is earlier. If the RLD has NCE exclusivity and the notice is given and suit filed during the fifth year of exclusivity, the 30-month stay does not begin until five years after the RLD approval. The FDA may approve the proposed product before the expiration of the 30-month stay if a court finds the patent invalid or not infringed or if the court shortens the period because the parties have failed to cooperate in expediting the litigation.

Patent Term Restoration.    A portion of the patent term lost during product development and FDA review of an NDA is restored if approval of the application is the first permitted commercial marketing of a drug containing the active ingredient. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of the IND or the date of patent grant (whichever is later) and the date of submission of the NDA, plus the time between the date of submission of the NDA and the date of FDA approval of the

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product. The maximum period of restoration is five years, and the patent cannot be extended to more than 14 years from the date of FDA approval of the product. Only one patent claiming each approved product is eligible for restoration and the patent holder must apply for restoration within 60 days of approval. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or PTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for patent term restoration. When any of our products is approved, we intend to seek patent term restoration for an applicable patent when it is appropriate.

Other Exclusivities

Pediatric Exclusivity.    Section 505A of the FD&C Act provides for six months of additional exclusivity or patent protection if an NDA sponsor submits pediatric data that fairly respond to a written request from the FDA for such data. The data does not need to show that the product is effective in the pediatric population studied; rather, if the clinical trial is deemed to fairly respond to the FDA's request, the additional protection is granted. If reports of requested pediatric studies are submitted to and accepted by FDA within the statutory time limits, whatever statutory or regulatory periods of exclusivity or Orange Book listed patent protection that cover the drug are extended by six months. This is not a patent term extension, but it effectively extends the regulatory period during which the FDA cannot approve an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application owing to regulatory exclusivity or listed patents. When any product is approved, we will evaluate seeking pediatric exclusivity as appropriate.

Orphan Drug Exclusivity.    The Orphan Drug Act provides incentives for the development of drugs intended to treat rare diseases or conditions, which generally are diseases or conditions affecting less than 200,000 individuals in the United States. If a sponsor demonstrates that a drug is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, the FDA grants orphan drug designation to the product for that use. The benefits of orphan drug designation include research and development tax credits and exemption from user fees. A drug that is approved for the orphan drug designated indication generally is granted seven years of orphan drug exclusivity. During that period, the FDA generally may not approve any other application for the same product for the same indication, although there are exceptions, most notably when the later product is shown to be clinically superior to the product with exclusivity. We may seek orphan drug designation and exclusivity for OPN-300, which we are developing for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.

U.S. Healthcare Reform

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which we refer to together as the Affordable Care Act, is a sweeping measure intended to expand healthcare coverage within the United States, primarily through the imposition of health insurance mandates on employers and individuals and expansion of the Medicaid program. This law substantially changes the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers and significantly impacts the pharmaceutical industry. Changes that may affect our business include those governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs, reimbursement changes, benefits for patients within a coverage gap in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program (commonly known as the "donut hole"), rules regarding prescription drug benefits under the health insurance exchanges, changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, expansion of the Public Health Service's 340B drug pricing discount program, or 340B program, fraud and abuse, and enforcement. These changes impact existing government healthcare programs and are resulting in the development of new programs, including Medicare payment for performance initiatives and improvements to the physician quality reporting system and feedback program. Details of the changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program and the 340B program are discussed under the risk factor "If we are able to successfully commercialize XHANCE and if we participate in but fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid drug rebate program, or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects" in the "Risk Factors" section of this prospectus.

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Some states have elected not to expand their Medicaid programs to individuals with an income of up to 133% of the federal poverty level, as is permitted under the Affordable Care Act. For each state that does not choose to expand its Medicaid program, there may be fewer insured patients overall, which could impact our sales of products for which we receive regulatory approval, business and financial condition. Where new patients receive insurance coverage under any of the new Medicaid options made available through the Affordable Care Act, the possibility exists that manufacturers may be required to pay Medicaid rebates on drugs used under these circumstances, a decision that could impact manufacturer revenues. In addition, the federal government has announced delays in the implementation of key provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Moreover, legislative changes to or regulatory changes under the Affordable Care Act remain possible in the 115th U.S. Congress and under the Trump Administration. The American Health Care Act of 2017, or AHCA, which would repeal and replace key portions of the Affordable Care Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives but remains subject to passage by the U.S. Senate. In addition, in January 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies with authorities and responsibilities under the ACA to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision of the ACA that would impose a fiscal or regulatory burden on states, individuals, healthcare providers, health insurers, or manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices. More recently, the Senate Republicans introduced and then updated a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. The Senate Republicans also introduced legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act without companion legislation to replace it, and a "skinny" version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017. Each of these measures was rejected by the full Senate. Congress will likely consider other legislation to replace elements of the Affordable Care Act. We expect that the Affordable Care Act, as currently enacted or as it may be amended or replaced in the future, and other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future could have a material adverse effect on our industry generally and on our ability to maintain or increase sales of products for which we receive regulatory approval or to successfully commercialize our product candidates, if approved.

Coverage and Reimbursement

Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval. Sales of any of our products and product candidates, if approved, will depend, in part, on the extent to which the costs of the products will be covered by third-party payors, including government healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and private payors, such as commercial health insurers and managed care organizations. Third-party payors determine which drugs they will cover and the amount of reimbursement they will provide for a covered drug. In the U.S., there is no uniform system among payors for making coverage and reimbursement decisions. In addition, the process for determining whether a payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for setting the price or reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product once coverage is approved. Third-party payors may 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.

In order to secure coverage and reimbursement for our products, if approved for sale, we may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of the product, in addition to the costly studies required to obtain FDA or other comparable regulatory approvals. Even if we conduct pharmacoeconomic studies, our products and product candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost-effective by payors. Further, a payor's decision to provide coverage for a product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved.

In the past, payors have implemented reimbursement metrics and periodically revised those metrics as well as the methodologies used as the basis for reimbursement rates, such as average sales price, or ASP, average manufacturer price, or AMP, and actual acquisition cost. The existing data for reimbursement based on these metrics is relatively limited, although certain states have begun to survey acquisition cost data for

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the purpose of setting Medicaid reimbursement rates. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, surveys and publishes retail pharmacy acquisition cost information in the form of National Average Drug Acquisition Cost, or NADAC, files to provide state Medicaid agencies with a basis of comparison for their own reimbursement and pricing methodologies and rates.

Participation in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program would require us to pay a rebate for each unit of drug reimbursed by Medicaid. The amount of the "basic" portion of the rebate for each product is set by law as the larger of: (i) 23.1% of quarterly AMP, or (ii) the difference between quarterly AMP and the quarterly best price available from us to any commercial or non-governmental customer, or Best Price. AMP must be reported on a monthly and quarterly basis and Best Price is reported on a quarterly basis only. In addition, the rebate also includes the "additional" portion, which adjusts the overall rebate amount upward as an "inflation penalty" when the drug's latest quarter's AMP exceeds the drug's AMP from the first full quarter of sales after launch, adjusted for increases in the Consumer Price Index-Urban. The upward adjustment in the rebate amount per unit is equal to the excess amount of the current AMP over the inflation-adjusted AMP from the first full quarter of sales. The rebate amount is recomputed each quarter based on our report to CMS of current quarterly AMP and Best Price for our drug. The terms of our participation in the program would impose a requirement for us to report revisions to AMP or Best Price within a period not to exceed 12 quarters from the quarter in which the data was originally due. Any such revisions could have the impact of increasing or decreasing our rebate liability for prior quarters, depending on the direction of the revision.

Federal law requires that any manufacturer that participates in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program also participate in the 340B program in order for federal funds to be available for the manufacturer's drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B. The 340B program requires participating manufacturers to agree to charge statutorily defined covered entities no more than the 340B "ceiling price" for the manufacturer's covered outpatient drugs. These 340B covered entities include a variety of community health clinics and other entities that receive health services grants from the Public Health Service, as well as hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients. The 340B ceiling price is calculated using a statutory formula, which is based on the AMP and rebate amount for the covered outpatient drug as calculated under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program. Any changes to the definition of AMP and the Medicaid rebate amount under the Affordable Care Act or other legislation could affect our 340B ceiling price calculations and negatively impact our results of operations.

In the U.S. Medicare program, outpatient prescription drugs may be covered under Medicare Part D. Medicare Part D is a voluntary prescription drug benefit, through which Medicare beneficiaries may enroll in prescription drug plans offered by private entities for coverage of outpatient prescription drugs. Part D plans include both stand-alone prescription drug benefit plans and prescription drug coverage as a supplement to Medicare Advantage plans provided for under Medicare Part C.

Coverage and reimbursement for covered outpatient drugs under Part D are not standardized. Part D prescription drug plan sponsors are not required to pay for all covered Part D drugs, and each drug plan can develop its own drug formulary that identifies which drugs it will cover and at what tier or level. Any formulary used by a Part D prescription drug plan must be developed and reviewed by a pharmacy and therapeutic committee. Although Part D prescription drug formularies must include drugs within each therapeutic category and class of covered Part D drugs, they have some flexibility to establish those categories and classes and are not required to cover all of the drugs in each category or class. Medicare Part D prescription drug plans may use formularies to limit the number of drugs that will be covered in any therapeutic class and/or impose differential cost sharing or other utilization management techniques.

The availability of coverage under Medicare Part D may increase demand for products for which we receive marketing approval. However, in order for the products that we market to be included on the formularies of Part D prescription drug plans, we likely will have to offer pricing that is lower than the prices we might otherwise obtain. Changes to Medicare Part D that give plans more freedom to limit coverage or manage

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utilization, and other cost reduction initiatives in the program could decrease the coverage and price that we receive for any approved products and could seriously harm our business.

In order to be eligible to have our products paid for with federal funds under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs and purchased by certain federal agencies and grantees, we expect to participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, pricing program. Under this program, we would be obligated to make our "innovator" drugs available for procurement on an FSS contract and charge a price to four federal agencies — the VA, U.S. Department of Defense, or DoD, Public Health Service and U.S. Coast Guard — that is no higher than the statutory Federal Ceiling Price, or FCP. The FCP is based on the non-federal average manufacturer price, or Non-FAMP, which we calculate and report to the VA on a quarterly and annual basis. We also expect to participate in the Tricare Retail Pharmacy program, under which we would pay quarterly rebates on utilization of innovator products that are dispensed through the Tricare Retail Pharmacy network to Tricare beneficiaries. The rebates are calculated as the difference between the annual Non-FAMP and FCP.

Pricing and rebate calculations vary across products and programs, are complex, and are often subject to interpretation by manufacturers, governmental or regulatory agencies, and the courts. Civil monetary penalties can be applied if a manufacturer is found to have knowingly submitted any false price information to the government or fails to submit the required price data on a timely basis. Such conduct also could be grounds for CMS to terminate the manufacturer's Medicaid drug rebate agreement, in which case federal payments may not be available under Medicaid or Medicare Part B for the manufacturer's covered outpatient drugs. In addition, claims submitted to federally-funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, for drugs priced based on incorrect pricing data provided by a manufacturer can implicate the federal Civil False Claims Act.

The containment of healthcare costs has become a priority of federal, state and foreign governments, and the prices of drugs have been a focus in this effort. The U.S. government, state legislatures, and foreign governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid healthcare costs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement, and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription drugs. For example, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, reduce the cost of drugs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products.

Beginning April 1, 2013, Medicare payments for all items and services, including drugs, were reduced by 2% under the sequestration (i.e., automatic spending reductions) required by the Budget Control Act of 2011, as amended by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Subsequent legislation extended the 2% reduction, on average, to 2025. If Congress does not take action in the future to modify these sequestrations, Medicare Part D plans could seek to reduce their negotiated prices for drugs. Other legislative or regulatory cost containment legislation could have a similar effect.

Further, the Affordable Care Act may reduce the profitability of drug products. It expanded manufacturers' rebate liability under the Medicaid program from fee-for-service Medicaid utilization to include the utilization of Medicaid managed care organizations as well, increased the minimum Medicaid rebate due for most innovator drugs, and capped the total rebate amount for innovator drugs at 100% of AMP. The Affordable Care Act and subsequent legislation also changed the definition of AMP. On February 1, 2016, CMS issued final regulations to implement the changes to the Medicaid drug rebate program under the Affordable Care Act. These regulations became effective on April 1, 2016.

The Affordable Care Act requires pharmaceutical manufacturers of branded prescription drugs to pay a branded prescription drug fee to the federal government. Each such manufacturer pays a prorated share of the branded prescription drug fee of $4.0 billion in 2017, based on the dollar value of its branded

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prescription drug sales to certain federal programs identified in the law. The Affordable Care Act also expanded the Public Health Service's 340B program to include additional types of covered entities. Substantial new provisions affecting compliance have also been enacted, which may affect our business practices with healthcare practitioners, and a significant number of provisions are not yet, or have only recently become, effective. It appears likely that the Affordable Care Act will continue the pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs.

Legislative changes to and regulatory changes under the Affordable Care Act remain possible in the 115th U.S. Congress and under the Trump Administration, as discussed above under the heading "U.S. Healthcare Reform." In addition, there likely will continue to be proposals by legislators at both the federal and state levels, regulators, and third-party payors to contain healthcare costs. Thus, even if we obtain favorable coverage and reimbursement status for any products for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.

Additional information regarding these programs is discussed under the risk factor "If we are able to successfully commercialize XHANCE and if we participate in but fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid drug rebate program, or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects" in the "Risk Factors" section of this prospectus.

Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Laws

In addition to FDA restrictions on marketing of pharmaceutical products, our business will be subject to healthcare fraud and abuse regulation and enforcement by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business, particularly once third-party reimbursement becomes available for one or more of our products. These laws include, but are not limited to, anti-kickback and false claims statutes.

The federal Anti-kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the purchase, lease or order of any healthcare item or service reimbursable, in whole or in part, under Medicare, Medicaid or other federally financed healthcare programs. This statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on one hand and prescribers, purchasers, and formulary managers on the other. A violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute may be established without proving actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it. The Affordable Care Act amended federal law to provide that 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 federal civil False Claims Act. Although there are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain common activities from prosecution, the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and practices that involve remuneration to those who prescribe, purchase, or recommend pharmaceuticals, including certain discounts, or engaging such individuals as consultants, speakers or advisors, may be subject to scrutiny if they do not fit squarely within the exception or safe harbor. Our practices may not in all cases meet all of the criteria for safe harbor protection from anti-kickback liability. Moreover, there are no safe harbors for many common practices, such as educational and research grants, charitable donations, product support and patient assistance programs. Arrangements that implicate the Anti-Kickback Statute and do not fit within an exception or safe harbor are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether, based on the facts and circumstances, they violate the statute.

The federal civil False Claims Act prohibits, among other things, any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment of government funds, or knowingly making, using, or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement material to an obligation to pay money to the government or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding, decreasing, or concealing an

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obligation to pay money to the federal government. Actions under the federal civil False Claims Act may be brought by private individuals known as qui tam relators in the name of the government. In recent years, several pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have faced enforcement actions under the federal civil False Claims Act for, among other things, providing free product to customers with the expectation that the customers would bill federal programs for the product, inflating prices reported to private price publication services which are used to set drug payment rates under government healthcare programs, and other interactions with prescribers and other customers including interactions that may have affected customers' billing or coding practices on claims submitted to the federal government. Other companies have faced enforcement actions for causing false claims to be submitted because of the company's marketing the product for unapproved, and thus non-reimbursable, uses. Federal enforcement agencies also have shown increased interest in pharmaceutical companies' product and patient assistance programs, including reimbursement and co-pay support services, and a number of investigations into these programs have resulted in significant civil and criminal settlements.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which we refer to collectively as HIPAA, also created several new federal crimes, including healthcare fraud and false statements relating to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation, or making or using any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or entry in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.

The majority of states also have statutes or regulations similar to the federal anti-kickback and false claims laws, which apply to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs, or, in several states, apply regardless of the payor. Several states now require pharmaceutical companies to report expenses relating to the marketing and promotion of pharmaceutical products in those states and to report gifts and payments to individual health care providers in those states. Some of these states also prohibit certain marketing-related activities including the provision of gifts, meals, or other items to certain health care providers. In addition, several states require pharmaceutical companies to implement compliance programs or marketing codes.

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, implemented as the Open Payments program, and its implementing regulations, requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies that are reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program to report annually to CMS information related to certain payments made in the previous calendar year and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members.

Compliance with such laws and regulations will require substantial resources. Because of the breadth of these various fraud and abuse laws, it is possible that some of our business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of such laws. Such a challenge could have material adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In the event governmental authorities conclude that our business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations, they may impose sanctions under these laws, which are potentially significant and may include civil monetary penalties, damages, exclusion of an entity or individual from participation in government health care programs, criminal fines and imprisonment, additional reporting requirements if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or other settlement to resolve allegations of violations of these laws, as well as the potential curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Even if we are not determined to have violated these laws, government

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investigations into these issues typically require the expenditure of significant resources and generate negative publicity.

Healthcare Privacy Laws

We may be subject to laws and regulations covering data privacy and the protection of health-related and other personal information. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data protection continues to evolve, and there has been an increasing focus on privacy and data protection issues which may affect our business. Numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including state security breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws and federal and state consumer protection laws, govern the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions and create liability for us (including the imposition of significant penalties), private litigation and/or adverse publicity that could negatively affect our business. In addition, healthcare providers who prescribe our products and research institutions we collaborate with are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA.

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

In addition, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits corporations and individuals from engaging in certain activities to obtain or retain business or to influence a person working in an official capacity. It is illegal to pay, offer to pay or authorize the payment of anything of value to any official of another country, government staff member, political party or political candidate in an attempt to obtain or retain business or to otherwise influence a person working in that capacity.

Our Corporate Information

We were incorporated in May 2010. Our predecessor entity OptiNose AS was formed under the laws of Norway in September 2000. In 2010, OptiNose AS became our subsidiary as part of an internal reorganization.

Employees

As of October 9, 2017, we had a total of 36 full-time employees (including three in the United Kingdom and one in Norway) and four part-time employees. We have no collective bargaining agreements with our employees and none are represented by labor unions. We consider our current relations with our employees to be good.

Properties

Our principal office is located in Yardley, Pennsylvania, where we lease approximately 20,500 square feet of office space pursuant to a lease that expires in March 2018. We also lease facilities in Ewing, New Jersey, Oslo, Norway and Swindon, England. We believe our facilities are adequate to meet our current needs, although we may seek to negotiate new leases or evaluate additional or alternate space for our operations. We believe appropriate alternative space will be readily available on commercially reasonable terms.

Legal Proceedings

We are not currently a party to any legal proceedings.

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MANAGEMENT

Executive Officers, Directors and Director Nominees

The following table sets forth information regarding our current executive officers, directors and director nominees, including their ages as of October 9, 2017:

Name
  Age   Position(s)

Executive Officers

         

Peter K. Miller

    56   Chief Executive Officer and Director

Ramy A. Mahmoud, M.D.,M.P.H. 

    52   President and Chief Operating Officer

Thomas E. Gibbs

    46   Chief Commercial Officer

Keith A. Goldan

    46   Chief Financial Officer

Michael F. Marino

    41   Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

Non-Management Directors

         

Larry G. Pickering

    74   Chairman of our Board of Directors

Klaas de Boer

    52   Director

Per Gisle Djupesland, M.D., Ph.D. 

    61   Director

William F. Doyle

    55   Director

Patrick O'Neill

    68   Director

Sriram Venkataraman

    45   Director

Joshua A. Tamaroff

    32   Director

Director Nominees

         

Richard A. Bierly

    62   Director Nominee

Joseph C. Scodari

    64   Director Nominee

Wilhelmus Groenhuysen

    60   Director Nominee

Executive Officers

Peter K. Miller has served as our Chief Executive Officer since 2010 and as a member of our board of directors since 2008. From June 2004 to May 2007, Mr. Miller was Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of Take Care Health Systems Inc., a company that introduced medical clinics inside Walgreens retail pharmacies, and from May 2007 to May 2010, served as Vice President of Walgreen Co.'s Health and Wellness Division following its acquisition of Take Care Health Systems. Prior to co-founding Take Care Health Systems, Mr. Miller spent more than 15 years at Johnson & Johnson, a multinational medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturer, serving in a variety of marketing and general management roles that included Worldwide President of Johnson & Johnson — Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals and President of Janssen Pharmaceutical. Mr. Miller has served as a member of the board of directors of Actua Corporation, a publicly-held SaaS technology company, since 2010. Mr. Miller holds a B.S. in Economics from Trinity College and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Miller's perspective and history as our Chief Executive Officer, as well as his executive, operational and commercial expertise, qualify him to serve on our board of directors.

Ramy A. Mahmoud, M.D., M.P.H. has served as our President and Chief Operating Officer since 2010. Prior to joining us, Dr. Mahmoud spent 14 years at Johnson & Johnson, where he served as Chief Medical Officer and a member of the Global Management Board of the Ethicon group of companies. During his tenure at Johnson & Johnson, he also held senior roles in the pharmaceutical sector. Dr. Mahmoud served for 10 years on active duty in the U.S. Army and an additional 10 years in the Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his military service, Dr. Mahmoud held various patient care, research, and academic positions, culminating in his position as the head of the Department of Epidemiology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and textbook chapters, and has served as a scientific reviewer for a number of journals and textbooks. Dr. Mahmoud

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earned a Master of Healthcare Management and Policy degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and an M.D. from the University of Miami. He has earned board certification in both Public Health/Preventive Medicine and in Internal Medicine.

Thomas E. Gibbs has served as our Chief Commercial Officer since September 2016. From December 2015 to September 2016, Mr. Gibbs served as the Senior Vice President, Head of the General Medicines Business Unit for the United States at Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, a global pharmaceutical company. From March 2015 to December 2015, Mr. Gibbs served as Chief Commercial Officer for the U.S. and E.U. commercial organizations of Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company. From January 2010 to March 2015, Mr. Gibbs held a series of commercial leadership roles with increasing responsibility at Bristol-Myers Squibb, a pharmaceutical company, including Vice President of Worldwide Commercial Operations. From June 2006 to January 2010, Mr. Gibbs worked at Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Inc., a vaccines manufacturer, where he held multiple commercial leadership roles including serving as Vice President of U.S. Sales from November 2007 to January 2010. Mr. Gibbs holds a B.S. in Economics and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Keith A. Goldan has served as our Chief Financial Officer since January 2017. From March 2015 to January 2017, Mr. Goldan served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Fibrocell Science, Inc., a publicly-held gene therapy company, and also served as its Corporate Secretary from March 2015 to June 2015. From March 2014 to March 2015, Mr. Goldan served as a financial and operational consultant to companies in the pharmaceutical industry. From November 2008 to March 2014, Mr. Goldan served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NuPathe Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company that was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Mr. Goldan previously served as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the board of directors of PuriCore plc, a medical technology company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Earlier in his career, Mr. Goldan served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Biosyn, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, and in a variety of roles with ViroPharma and the Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice of KPMG. Mr. Goldan earned a B.S. in Finance from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael F. Marino has served as our Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary since January 2017. From June 2015 to January 2017, Mr. Marino served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Fibrocell Science, Inc., a publicly-held gene therapy company. From March 2014 to June 2015, Mr. Marino served as a legal consultant in the life sciences industry. From October 2010 to March 2014, Mr. Marino served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of NuPathe Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company that was acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Mr. Marino was previously an attorney at the law firms of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and WilmerHale LLP. Mr. Marino earned a B.S. in Accountancy from Villanova University and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.

Non-Management Directors

Larry G. Pickering has served as a director of our company since 2010. Mr. Pickering currently serves as Chairman of our board of directors. As of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, Mr. Pickering will serve as Vice Chairman of our board of directors. From January 2008 to September 2012, Mr. Pickering served as Chairman of the board of directors of Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc., a medical imaging company with public securities. Previously, he served as Chairman of DLJMB Global Healthcare Partners, an investment firm. Mr. Pickering had a 32-year career in healthcare with Johnson & Johnson, where he served as President of Ortho Dermatology, President of Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Chairman of Janssen North America, Company Group Chairman, Worldwide OTC, Chairman of Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation and a Corporate Officer. Mr. Pickering retired from Johnson & Johnson in 2005. He holds a B.B.A. from the University of Missouri. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Pickering's extensive senior management experience in the pharmaceutical industry qualifies him for service on our board of directors.

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Klaas de Boer has served as a director of our company since 2010. Mr. de Boer intends to resign from our board of directors as of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. de Boer has served as the Managing Partner of Entrepreneurs Fund Management LP, a venture capital fund, since 2008. From 2001 to 2006, Mr. de Boer served as the Managing Director of Tsjukemar Ltd., a venture capital consulting firm. Mr. de Boer previously served as a consultant at the firms of McKinsey & Company and Vanenburg Group. Mr. de Boer holds an M.S. from Delft University of Technology and an M.B.A. from INSEAD. Our board of directors believes that Mr. de Boer's business experience, including service on the board of directors of a number of life sciences companies, qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Per Gisle Djupesland, M.D., Ph.D. has served as a director of our company since 2010. Dr. Djupesland intends to resign from our board of directors as of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Dr. Djupesland is a practicing ear, nose and throat doctor and has served as the Chief Scientific Officer of OptiNose AS since 2000. Earlier in his career, he acted as the project manager of a large scale vaccination trial in the Norwegian Armed Forces in which 55,000 conscripts were vaccinated with a new vaccine against Meningococcus B developed by the National Institute of Public Health in Norway. He has worked with HIV/AIDS epidemiology at the Institute of Public Health in Norway. Dr. Djupesland currently serves as the chairman of the board of directors of IKOS Invest AS, Ikos Subsidiary AS and Nesensia AS, and serves as a member of the board of directors of OptiNose UK Ltd. and OptiNose AS, having served as the chairman of the board of directors of OptiNose AS from 2000 to 2010. Dr. Djupesland received both his Ph.D. and M.D. from The University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine and has been a Research Fellow at The University of Toronto. Our board of directors believes that Dr. Djupesland's perspective and business experience as the founder of OptiNose AS and an inventor of our EDS, coupled with his extensive scientific acumen in the field of rhinology, qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

William F. Doyle has served as a director of our company since 2010. Mr. Doyle is the Executive Chairman of Novocure Ltd., a commercial stage oncology company; and the Executive Chairman of Blink Health Ltd., a private technology company providing Americans with affordable access to prescription medications. Since 2003, Mr. Doyle has been the managing partner of WFD Ventures LLC, a private venture capital firm he co-founded, and from 2014 to 2016 he was a member of the investment team of Pershing Square Capital Management L.P., a private investment firm. Previously, Mr. Doyle served as a member of Johnson & Johnson's Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group Operating Committee and was vice president, Licensing and Acquisitions. While at Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Doyle was also chairman of the Medical Devices Research and Development Council and worldwide president of Biosense-Webster, Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Doyle was a management consultant in the healthcare group of McKinsey & Company. In addition to serving as chairman of Novocure, within the past five years, Mr. Doyle served as director of Zoetis, Inc., an animal medicine and vaccine company. Mr. Doyle holds an S.B. in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Doyle's expertise in medical device commercialization and his significant experience in the advanced technology and healthcare industries as an entrepreneur, executive, management consultant and investor, qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Patrick O'Neill has served as a director of our company since 2010. Dr. O'Neill intends to resign from our board of directors as of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since 2008, Dr. O'Neill has served as an Industry Advisor for Avista Capital Partners, or Avista. From 1976 until his retirement in 2006, he served in a number of management roles in research and development and business development at Johnson & Johnson, including leadership positions in Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceutical business, its Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group, and its surgical and interventional cardiology/radiology business units. Following his retirement from Johnson & Johnson, he served as Executive in Residence at New Enterprise Associates, a venture capital firm, from 2006 to 2007. Dr. O'Neill holds a B.S. in Pharmacy and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from The Ohio State University.

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Dr. O'Neill is a member of the board of directors of Zest Anchors, Inc. Within the past five years, he has served as a director of Lantheus Holdings, Inc., a publicly-held medical imaging company. Our board of directors believes that Dr. O'Neill's experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including his participation in the development of pharmaceutical products, provides valuable insight into strategic business decisions and qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Sriram Venkataraman has served as a director of our company since 2010. He is also a Partner of Avista, having joined in 2007. Prior to joining Avista, Mr. Venkataraman was a Vice President in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at Credit Suisse Group AG having worked there from 2001 to 2007. Previously, he worked at GE Healthcare (formerly known as GE Medical Systems) from 1996 to 1999. Mr. Venkataraman holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves as a director of Osmotica Holdings S.C.Sp, National Spine & Pain Centers Holdings, LLC, and Zest Anchors, Inc. Mr. Venkataraman previously served as a director of AngioDynamics Inc. and Lantheus Holdings Inc. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Venkataraman's experience in the healthcare industry, his strong finance and management background, and his experience serving as a director of private and public companies qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Joshua A. Tamaroff has served as a director of our company since March 2017. Mr. Tamaroff joined Avista in 2009 and serves as a Vice President. Prior to joining Avista, Mr. Tamaroff worked as an Analyst in the leveraged finance group at Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital. Mr. Tamaroff currently serves as a director of IWCO Direct and WideOpenWest, Inc. Mr. Tamaroff previously served as a director of InvestorPlace Media. Mr. Tamaroff received a B.S. from Cornell University and a M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Tamaroff's private equity investment and company oversight experience and background with respect to acquisitions, debt financings and equity financings qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Director Nominees

Richard A. Bierly will serve as a director of our company as of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. From March 2014 until April 2016, Mr. Bierly served as the Chief Financial Officer of Medivation, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. Mr. Bierly retired from Medivation in July 2016, after which he remained a consultant until September 2016. Mr. Bierly served as an Executive Director in Ernst & Young LLP's Financial Accounting Advisory Services practice for life sciences and other clients from September 2013 to March 2014, where he provided advisory services in connection with finance function transformations. From 1999 to 2012, he served in several leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, including from August 2010 to 2012 as Vice President, Global Finance Services, where he was responsible for a New Jersey-based shared services center providing financial accounting services to Johnson & Johnson's U.S.-based operating companies. At Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Bierly also served as Vice President, Finance of Centocor, Inc., and as vice president, finance, of Ortho Biotech LP, both subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Bierly received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Pennsylvania State University and is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania (inactive) and New Jersey (inactive). Mr. Bierly currently serves on the board of directors of Impax Laboratories, Inc., a publicly held specialty pharmaceutical company and Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Bierly's financial acumen and substantial industry experience qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Joseph C. Scodari will serve as Chairman of our board of directors as of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Scodari was Worldwide Chairman, Pharmaceuticals Group, of Johnson & Johnson, and a member of Johnson & Johnson's Executive Committee from March 2005 until his retirement in March 2008. From 2003 to March 2005, Mr. Scodari was Company Group Chairman of Johnson & Johnson's Biopharmaceutical Business. Mr. Scodari joined Johnson & Johnson in 1999 as President and Chief Operating Officer of Centocor Inc., when Johnson & Johnson acquired that

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company. Mr. Scodari joined Centocor in 1996 as President, Pharmaceutical Division and was named President and COO in 1998. Mr. Scodari began his career in 1974 in sales for Winthrop Laboratories, Division of Sterling Drug. He progressed through various management positions, eventually leading the Diagnostic Imaging Division for Winthrop and later Strategic Marketing at the Corporate level for the Imaging business. Mr. Scodari joined Rorer Pharmaceuticals (shortly thereafter, Rhône-Poulenc Rorer) in 1989 as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. He later served as Vice President and General Manager for the United States, and subsequently, North America, and finally as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Americas. Mr. Scodari previously served as a director of Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., Endo Health Solutions, Inc. and Covance, Inc. Mr. Scodari has served on various non-profit boards, including the University of the Health Sciences in Philadelphia, the Board of Overseers for the Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, and on the Board of Trustees for Gwynedd Mercy College. He has also served on various industry association boards, including the NWDA Associate Member Board, the National Pharmaceutical Council, as Vice Chairman of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and Chairman of PA BIO. Mr. Scodari received a B.A. from Youngstown University. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Scodari's experience as an executive of a major pharmaceutical company along with his research and development and marketing experience qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Wilhelmus Groenhuysen will serve as a director of our company as of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Groenhuysen has served as Chief Financial Officer of NovoCure Limited since 2012. At Novocure, Mr. Groenhuysen has global responsibility for finance, information technology, health policy and strategy. From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Groenhuysen worked for Cephalon, Inc., a U.S. biopharmaceutical company, last serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, where he had responsibility for worldwide finance, commercial operations and risk management. Prior to joining Cephalon in 2007, Mr. Groenhuysen spent twenty years with Philips Electronics serving various assignments in Europe, Asia and the United States, the latest of which started in 2002 when he was promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Philips Electronics North America Corporation. Mr. Groenhuysen holds a Master's Degree in Business Economics from VU University Amsterdam and graduated as a Registered Public Controller at VU University Amsterdam. Our board of directors believes that Mr. Groenhuysen's experience as a public company chief financial officer, financial acumen and substantial industry experience qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

Board Composition

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our board of directors, which currently consists of eight members. Per Djupesland, Klaas de Boer and Patrick O'Neill intend to resign from our board of directors as of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will still consist of eight members as each of Richard A. Bierly, Joseph C. Scodari and Wilhelmus Groenhuysen has consented to serve on our board of directors.

Immediately following the closing of this offering, our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws will provide that our board of directors will consist of a number of directors, not less than three nor more than twelve, to be fixed exclusively by resolution of our board of directors; provided, however, that the number of directors comprising our board of directors will not be less than eight unless approved by a majority of the members of our board of directors then in office (excluding the directors nominated by Avista for so long as Avista has the right to nominate two or more directors to our board of directors).

In accordance with our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation which will be effective immediately following the closing of this offering, our board of directors will be divided into three classes. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to directors whose terms then expire will be elected

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to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third annual meeting following election. Our directors will be divided among the three classes as follows:

Mr. Pickering has indicated that he does not intend to stand for re-election at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2018.

Any increase or decrease in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one-third of the directors. The classification of our board of directors may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control of our company.

Director Independence and Controlled Company Exemptions

Upon the closing of this offering, we expect that Avista will beneficially own a controlling interest in us. If so, we intend to avail ourselves of the controlled company exemptions under the NASDAQ listing rules. As a controlled company, we will not be required to have a majority of "independent directors" on our board of directors as defined under NASDAQ listing rules or to have a compensation committee or a board committee performing the board nominating function composed entirely of independent directors. If we avail ourselves of the "controlled company" exemption under the NASDAQ listing rules, neither our nominating and corporate governance committee nor our compensation committee will be composed entirely of independent directors. The "controlled company" exemption does not modify the independence requirements for the audit committee, and we intend to comply with the requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and the NASDAQ listing rules, which rules require that our audit committee be composed of at least three members, a majority of whom will be independent within 90 days of the date of this prospectus, and all of whom will be independent within one year of the date of this prospectus. Similarly, once we are no longer a "controlled company," we must comply with the independent board committee requirements as they relate to the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee, on the same phase-in schedule as set forth above, with the trigger date being the date we are no longer a "controlled company" as opposed to our initial public offering date. Additionally, we will have 12 months from the date we cease to be a "controlled company" to have a majority of independent directors on our board of directors.

No director will be deemed to be independent unless our board of directors determines that the director has no relationship which would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Our board of directors has affirmatively determined that Messrs. Venkataraman, Pickering, Bierly, Scodari, Groenhuysen, Tamaroff and Doyle are independent as defined under the NASDAQ listing rules. Of these seven independent directors, our board has determined that: (i) Messrs. Bierly and Groenhuysen, who will comprise part of our audit committee; (ii) Messrs. Venkataraman, Bierly and Scodari, who will comprise our compensation committee; and (iii) Messrs. Scodari, Venkataraman and Doyle, who will comprise our nominating and corporate governance committee, each satisfy the independence standards for those committees established by the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the NASDAQ listing rules.

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Stockholders' Agreement

In connection with this offering, we have entered into a stockholders agreement with Avista, or the Stockholders' Agreement, to be effective upon the closing of this offering. The Stockholders' Agreement provides, among other things, that Avista will have the right to nominate:

The initial Avista nominees will be Messrs. Venkataraman, Tamaroff and Pickering. We will be required to take all necessary action to ensure the composition of our board of directors as set forth above. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions — Stockholders' Agreement."

Board Leadership Structure

Our board of directors is currently chaired by Mr. Pickering. At the time of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will be chaired by Mr. Scodari, and Mr. Pickering will serve as vice chairman of our board of directors. As a general policy, our board of directors believes that separation of the positions of chairman and chief executive officer reinforces the independence of our board of directors from management, creates an environment that encourages objective oversight of management's performance and enhances the effectiveness of our board of directors as a whole.

Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

One of the key functions of our board of directors is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our board of directors does not have a standing risk management committee, but rather administers this oversight function directly through our board of directors as a whole, as well as through various standing committees of our board of directors that address risks inherent in their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our board of directors is responsible for monitoring and assessing strategic risk exposure and our audit committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including adopting guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. While our board of directors maintains the ultimate oversight responsibility for the risk management process, its committees oversee risk in certain specified areas. For example:

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Board Committees

Our board of directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Each committee will operate under a charter approved by our board of directors and will be available on our website, www.optinose.com, under the "Investor Relations" section, upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

Audit Committee

Upon the listing of our common stock on NASDAQ, our audit committee will consist of Messrs. Bierly, Groenhuysen and Tamaroff, and will be chaired by Mr. Bierly. The primary purpose of our audit committee is to assist our board of directors by providing oversight of our financial management, independent auditor and financial reporting procedures, as well as such other matters as directed by our board of directors or the audit committee charter that will be effective upon the listing of our common stock on NASDAQ. Among other things, the audit committee's responsibilities include:

Our audit committee will review related party transactions for potential conflicts of interests in accordance with our related party transactions policy. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions — Policies and Procedures for Transactions with Related Persons."

Our board of directors has determined that each of the members of the audit committee satisfy the financial literacy and sophistication requirements of the SEC and the listing rules of The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC, or NASDAQ. In addition, our board of directors has determined that each of Messrs. Bierly and Groenhuysen qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, as defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act.

Both our independent registered public accounting firm and management periodically will meet privately with our audit committee.

Compensation Committee

Upon the listing of our common stock on NASDAQ, our compensation committee will consist of Messrs. Venkataraman, Bierly and Scodari, and will be chaired by Mr. Venkataraman. The primary purpose of our compensation committee is to review the performance and development of our management in achieving corporate goals and objectives and assure that our executive officers, including our chief executive officer, or CEO, are compensated effectively in a manner consistent with our strategy, competitive practice

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and stockholder interests, as well as such other matters as directed by our board of directors or the compensation committee charter that will be effective upon the listing of our common stock on NASDAQ Among other things, the compensation committee's responsibilities include:

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Upon the listing of our common stock on NASDAQ, our nominating and corporate governance committee will consist of Messrs. Scodari, Venkataraman and Doyle, and will be chaired by Mr. Scodari. Specific responsibilities of our nominating and corporate governance committee include:

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

In connection with this offering, our board of directors has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to all of our employees, executive officers and directors, which will be effective upon the listing of our common stock on NASDAQ. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will cover fundamental ethical

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and compliance-related principles and practices such as accurate accounting records and financial reporting, avoiding conflicts of interest, the protection and use of our property and information and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics will be available on our website at www.optinose.com upon the listing of our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market. The audit committee of our board of directors will be responsible for overseeing the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and must approve any waivers of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for employees, executive officers or directors. Disclosure regarding any amendments to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or any waivers of its requirements, will be disclosed on our website. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

No member of our compensation committee has served as one of our officers or employees at any time. None of our executive officers serve as a member of the compensation committee of any other company that has an executive officer serving as a member of our board of directors. None of our executive officers serve as a member of the board of directors of any other company that has an executive officer serving as a member of our compensation committee.

Limitation on Liability and Indemnification Matters

Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, each of which will be effective immediately following the closing of this offering, limits our directors' liability to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL. The DGCL provides that directors of a corporation will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors, except for liability for any:

Delaware law and our amended and restated bylaws provide that we will, in certain situations, indemnify our directors and officers and may indemnify other employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any indemnified person is also entitled, subject to certain limitations, to payment or reimbursement of reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees and disbursements, in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding.

We have also entered, or intend to enter, into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. Subject to specified exemptions, these agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and executive officers for related expenses, including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or an executive officer in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her services as one of our directors or officers or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.

We believe that these provisions in our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and these indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.

We maintain a directors' and officers' insurance policy pursuant to which our directors and officers are insured against liability for actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or control persons, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

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The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against our directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against our directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and other stockholders. Further, a stockholder's investment may be adversely affected to the extent that we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers as required by these indemnification provisions. At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors, officers or employees for which indemnification is sought and we are not aware of any threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification.

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EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2016, which consists of our principal executive officer and our two other most highly compensated executive officers, are:

Summary Compensation Table

The following table provides information regarding the compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2016.


Name and Principal Position
  Year   Salary
($)
  Option
Awards
($)(1)
  Non-Equity
Incentive
Compensation(2)
  All Other
Compensation
($)(3)
  Total
($)
 

Peter K. Miller

    2016     488,283     246,590     630,552     715     1,366,140  

Chief Executive Officer

                                     

Ramy A. Mahmoud

    2016     412,463         433,514     12,038     858,015  

President and Chief Operating Officer

                                     

Thomas E. Gibbs(4)

    2016     110,817     1,154,164     47,554     197     1,312,732  

Chief Commercial Officer

                                     

(1)
The amounts in this column represent the aggregate grant date fair value of the options granted during calendar year 2016. The grant date fair value of the options was computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 718. These amounts do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may be realized by the executive in connection with his option awards. The assumptions made in valuing the option awards reported in this column are described in Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus.

(2)
The amounts in this column represent performance bonuses earned by the named executive officers in the calendar year 2016 based upon the achievement of pre-established performance objectives. See "— Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation" below.

(3)
Represents the dollar value of life insurance premiums paid by us for the benefit of the named executive officer.

(4)
Mr. Gibbs's employment as our Chief Commercial Officer commenced on September 15, 2016.

Employment Agreements

We have entered into employment or letter agreements with each of our named executive officers, which we refer to as the current employment agreements. Prior to the completion of this offering, we intend to enter into new employment agreements with each of our named executive officers, which we refer to as the new employment agreements. Upon effectiveness, the new employment agreements will supersede the current employment agreements.

Peter K. Miller

Mr. Miller's current employment agreement provides for a base salary to be reviewed annually by our board of directors, or a committee thereof, for potential increases. For calendar year 2016, Mr. Miller received a base salary at the rate of $465,629 per year through July 31, 2016, and at the rate of $520,000 per year from August 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Effective as of January 1, 2017, Mr. Miller's base salary was increased to $535,600 per year. Mr. Miller's new employment agreement will continue until either we or Mr. Miller terminate his employment with us. Pursuant to Mr. Miller's new employment agreement, his

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base salary and target bonus will be reviewed periodically by the compensation committee. Mr. Miller's new employment agreement will provide that he is eligible to participate in our short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs. He is also eligible to receive an annual cash bonus at the discretion of the compensation committee and contingent upon the attainment of certain company milestones and/or individual objectives, as determined by the compensation committee. Mr. Miller will also be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on our and his actual performance, as determined by the compensation committee. Mr. Miller will also be entitled to receive certain termination benefits under his new employment agreement, which are described below in the section entitled "Potential Payments Upon a Termination or Change in Control."

Ramy A. Mahmoud

Dr. Mahmoud's current employment agreement provides for a base salary to be reviewed annually by our board of directors, or a committee thereof. For calendar year 2016, Dr. Mahmoud received a base salary at the rate of $403,508 per year through July 31, 2016, and at the rate of $425,000 per year from August 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Effective as of January 1, 2017, Dr. Mahmoud's base salary was increased to $437,750 per year. Dr. Mahmoud's new employment agreement will continue until either we or Dr. Mahmoud terminate his employment with us. Pursuant to Dr. Mahmoud's new employment agreement, his base salary and target bonus will be reviewed periodically by the compensation committee. Dr. Mahmoud's new employment agreement will provide that he is eligible to participate in our short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs. He is also eligible to receive an annual cash bonus at the discretion of the compensation committee and contingent upon the attainment of certain company milestones and/or individual objectives, as determined by the compensation committee. Dr. Mahmoud will also be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on our and his actual performance, as determined by the compensation committee. The new employment agreement will also require us to pay the premiums for a term life insurance policy for Dr. Mahmoud that has a death benefit equal to approximately $3.0 million. Dr. Mahmoud will also be entitled to receive certain termination benefits under his new employment agreement, which are described below in the section entitled "Potential Payments Upon a Termination or Change in Control."

Thomas E. Gibbs

Mr. Gibbs' current employment agreement provides for a base salary to be reviewed periodically by the Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer, or our board of directors, or a committee thereof. For the calendar year 2016, Mr. Gibbs received a base salary at a rate of $375,000. Effective January 1, 2017, Mr. Gibbs's base salary was increased to $386,250. Mr. Gibbs' new employment agreement will continue until either we or Mr. Gibbs terminate his employment with us. Pursuant to Mr. Gibbs' new employment agreement, his base salary and target bonus will be reviewed periodically by the compensation committee. Mr. Gibbs' new employment agreement will provide that he is eligible to participate in our short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs. He is also eligible to receive an annual cash bonus at the discretion of the compensation committee and contingent upon the attainment of certain company milestones and/or individual objectives, as determined by the compensation committee. Mr. Gibbs will also be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on our and his actual performance, as determined by the compensation committee in its sole discretion. Mr. Gibbs will also be entitled to receive certain termination benefits under his new employment agreement, which are described below in the section entitled "Potential Payments Upon a Termination or Change in Control."

Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation

Each of our named executive officers are eligible to receive an annual performance bonus based on the achievement of corporate objectives as determined by our board of directors or a committee thereof. Each officer is assigned a target bonus expressed as a percentage of his base salary. Actual bonus payments may be higher or lower than the target bonus amount, as determined by our board of directors, or a committee thereof. Pursuant to the new employment agreements, the target bonus amounts for 2017 for Mr. Miller, Dr. Mahmoud and Mr. Gibbs are 60%, 50% and 45%, respectively, which are the same as the target bonus

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amounts for each of the named executive officers in 2016. Mr. Gibbs' target bonus amount was prorated for the portion of 2016 during which he was employed by us. For 2016, Mr. Miller, Dr. Mahmoud and Mr. Gibbs earned annual performance bonuses based on the achievement of corporate objectives, consisting primarily of the submission of our NDA for XHANCE and progress with respect to pre-commercialization activities, in the amounts of $297,960, $202,938 and $47,554, respectively.

In addition, Mr. Miller and Dr. Mahmoud were also eligible to receive a performance bonus relating to the clinical development progress of XHANCE and the receipt of licensing revenue under the AVP-825 License Agreement. Based on the achievement of these objectives, Mr. Miller and Dr. Mahmoud earned bonuses in the amount of $332,592 and $230,576, respectively.

Actual bonus amounts paid with respect to 2016 are reflected in the "Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation" column of the Summary Compensation Table above.

2010 Stock Incentive Plan

We maintain the OptiNose, Inc. 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, which originally became effective on May 27, 2010, in order to enhance our and our affiliates' ability to attract and retain highly qualified officers, directors, key employees and other persons, and to motivate such persons to serve us and our affiliates and to expend maximum effort to improve our business results and earnings, by providing to such persons an opportunity to acquire or increase a direct proprietary interest in our operations and future success. Our board of directors approved the Amended and Restated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, or the 2010 Plan, on September 19, 2017, and such 2010 Plan was approved by our stockholders on October 2, 2017. The 2010 Plan will be effective as of the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or the Amendment Date. The following is a summary of the material terms of the 2010 Plan.

Shares Subject to the 2010 Plan

The number of shares of our common stock available for issuance under the 2010 Plan is 6,894,445, or the Share Limit. The Share Limit will automatically increase on January 1st of each year, during the term of the 2010 Plan, commencing on January 1 of the year following the year in which the completion of this offering occurs, in an amount equal to 4% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year; provided, that prior to the date of any such increase, our board of directors may determine that such increase will be less than the amount set forth above.

Reversion of Shares

If any shares covered by an award are not purchased or are forfeited or expire, or if any award otherwise terminates without delivery of any shares subject to the award or is settled in cash in lieu of shares, then the number of shares counted against the Share Limit with respect to such award will, to the extent of any such forfeiture, termination, expiration or settlement, again be available for issuance under the 2010 Plan.

Section 162(m) Limitations

The maximum number of shares of our common stock that may be granted under the 2010 Plan, pursuant to options or stock appreciation rights, or SARs, in a calendar year to any person eligible for an award, other than a non-employee director, is 2,887,900 shares.

The maximum number of shares of our common stock that may be granted under the 2010 Plan, pursuant to awards other than options or SARs that are intended to be "qualified performance-based compensation" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the Code, and are stock-denominated and are either stock- or cash-settled, in a calendar year to any person eligible for an award who is or could become a "covered employee" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code is 2,887,900 shares.

The maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-denominated performance-based award, whether or not cash-settled, that is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code for qualified performance-based compensation for a performance period of 12 months or less to any person eligible for

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an award who is or could become a covered employee will be $7,500,000, and the maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-denominated performance-based award, whether or not cash-settled, that is intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code for qualified performance-based compensation for a performance period of greater than 12 months to any person eligible for an award who is or could become a covered employee will be $7,500,000 times the number of years in the performance period.

Non-Employee Director Compensation Limit

The maximum number of shares of our common stock subject to awards granted during a single calendar year to any non-employee director, taken together with any cash fees paid to such non-employee director during the calendar year, will not exceed $1,000,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such awards based on the grant date fair value of such awards for financial reporting purposes); provided, that our board of directors may make exceptions to this limit as set forth in the 2010 Plan.

Awards

The 2010 Plan provides for the grant of awards of stock options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, unrestricted stock, dividend equivalent rights, performance shares or other performance-based awards, other equity-based awards and cash bonus awards.

Stock Options

Stock options granted under the 2010 Plan may be nonqualified stock options or incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code. Each option will become vested and exercisable at such times and under such conditions as our compensation committee may approve consistent with the terms of the 2010 Plan. No option may be exercisable more than ten years after the option grant date. Our compensation committee may include in the option agreement provisions specifying the period during which an option may be exercised following termination of the grantee's service.

The exercise price per share of our common stock for each option granted under the 2010 Plan may not be less than 100%, or 110% in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a stockholder who owns more than ten percent of our voting stock, of the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the option grant date, except in the case of an option granted upon assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted under a compensatory plan by a business entity acquired or to be acquired by us or an affiliate of ours or with which we or an affiliate has combined or will combine.

Payment of the exercise price for shares purchased pursuant to the exercise of an option may be made in such forms as are approved by our compensation committee. These forms may include, in our compensation committee's discretion, cash, cash equivalents, shares of our common stock and net issuance.

Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units

Restricted stock is an award of our common stock on which vesting restrictions are imposed that subject such shares of our common stock to a substantial risk of forfeiture, as defined in Section 83 of the Code. A restricted stock unit is an award that represents a conditional right to receive shares of our common stock in the future and that may be made subject to the same types of restrictions and risk of forfeiture as restricted stock. A deferred stock unit is a restricted stock unit that may be settled at some point in the future at a time or times consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

Subject to the provisions of the 2010 Plan, our compensation committee will determine the terms and conditions of each award of restricted stock, restricted stock units and deferred stock units, including the restricted period for all or a portion of the award, the restrictions applicable to the award and the purchase price, if any, for the shares of our common stock subject to the award. A grantee of restricted stock will have all the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the shares and receive dividends, except to the extent limited by our compensation committee. Grantees of restricted stock units and deferred stock units will have no voting or dividend rights or other rights associated with stock ownership, although our compensation committee may award dividend equivalent rights on such units. Grantees will not vest in dividends paid on awards of restricted stock or in dividend equivalent rights paid on awards of restricted

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stock units or deferred stock units unless and until the underlying award of restricted stock or stock units becomes vested and nonforfeitable.

Performance Shares and Other Performance-Based Awards

Performance-based awards are awards of options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, SARs, other equity-based awards or cash made subject to the achievement of one or more pre-established performance goals over a performance period established by our compensation committee. Performance-based awards may be payable in cash or shares of our common stock, or a combination thereof, as determined by our compensation committee. An award of performance shares is a performance-based award representing a right or interest denominated or payable in stock, valued by reference to stock, or otherwise based on or related to stock that is made subject to the achievement of one or more pre-established performance goals over a performance period. Our compensation committee may award performance shares and other performance-based awards in such amounts and upon such terms as our compensation committee may determine. Each grant of a performance-based award will have an initial value or target number of shares of our common stock that is established by our compensation committee at the time of grant. Our compensation committee may set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the value and number of performance shares or other performance-based awards that will be paid out to a grantee.

The performance goals that may be selected for awards that are intended to be "qualified performance-based compensation" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code include one or more of the following (i) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and/or amortization; (ii) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and/or amortization as adjusted to exclude any one or more of the following: (a) stock-based compensation expense, (b) income from discontinued operations, (c) gain on cancellation of debt, (d) debt extinguishment and related costs, (e) restructuring, separation, and/or integration charges and costs, (f) reorganization and/or recapitalization charges and costs, (g) impairment charges, (h) merger-related events, (i) gain or loss related to investments, (j) sales and use tax settlements, and (k) gain on non-monetary transactions; (iii) price-earnings multiples; (iv) revenue; (v) operating income, earnings, or profits; (vi) return measures, including return on equity, assets, revenue, capital, capital employed, or investment; (vii) pre-tax or after-tax operating income, earnings, or profits; (viii) net income; (ix) net capital employed; (x) growth in assets; (xi) earnings or book value per share; (xii) cash flow(s), including (a) operating cash flow, (b) free cash flow, (c) levered cash flow, (d) cash flow return on equity, and (e) cash flow return on investment; (xiii) unit volume; (xiv) total sales or revenues growth or targets or sales or revenues per employee, product, service, or customer; (xv) stock price, including growth measures and total stockholder return; (xvi) dividends; (xvii) strategic business objectives, consisting of one or more objectives based on meeting specified cost targets, business expansion goals, specified research and development goals and goals relating to acquisitions or divestitures or any combination thereof; (xviii) gross or operating margins; (xix) number of days sales outstanding in accounts receivable, and number of days of cost of sales in inventory; (xx) productivity ratios; (xxi) costs, reductions in cost, and cost control measures; (xxii) debt reduction; (xxiii) relative performance to a comparison group designated by the committee; (xxiv) expense targets; (xxv) market or market segment share, penetration or capitalization; (xxvi) financial ratios as provided in credit agreements of the us and our subsidiaries; (xxvii) working capital targets; (xxviii) regulatory achievements or compliance; (xxix) human resource programs, customer programs and customer satisfaction measurements; (xxx) customer growth and geographic business expansion goals; (xxxi) quality improvements, cycle time reductions, and manufacturing improvements and/or efficiencies; (xxxii) execution of contractual arrangements or satisfaction of contractual requirements or milestones; (xxxiii) product development achievements, including new product releases; (xxxiv) the achievement of research and development, or other strategic, milestones; (xxxv) litigation resolution; (xxxvi) licensing and partnership arrangements; (xxxvii) submission to, or approval by, a regulatory body (including, but not limited to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) of an applicable filing or a product; (xxxviii) the achievement of, or progress toward, a launch of one or more new drug(s); (xxxix) payor coverage; (xl) clinical achievements (including initiating clinical studies; initiating enrollment, completing enrollment or enrolling

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particular numbers of subjects in clinical studies; completing phases of a clinical study (including the treatment phase); or announcing or presenting preliminary or final data from clinical studies; in each case, whether on particular timelines or generally); and (xli) any combination of the foregoing business criteria.

Stock Appreciation Rights

A SAR is a right to receive upon exercise, in the form of common stock, cash or a combination of common stock and cash, the excess of the fair market value of one share of common stock on the exercise date over the grant price of the SAR. SARs may be granted in conjunction with all or a part of any option or other award granted under the 2010 Plan, or without regard to any option or other award. Our compensation committee will determine at the SAR grant date or thereafter the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a SAR will cease to be exercisable, the method of exercise, the method of settlement, the form of consideration payable in settlement, the method by which shares will be delivered or deemed delivered to grantees, and any other terms or conditions of any SAR.

Upon exercise of a SAR, the holder will be entitled to receive, in the specified form of consideration, the excess of the fair market value of one share of our common stock on the exercise date over the exercise price of the SAR, as determined by our compensation committee. The exercise price of a SAR may not be less than the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the grant date.

Other Equity-Based Awards

Our compensation committee may grant other types of equity-based or equity-related awards in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as our compensation committee may determine, including unrestricted stock and dividend equivalent rights which are described in more detail in the 2010 Plan.

Award Eligibility

Awards under the 2010 Plan may be made to our or any of our affiliates' employees, officers and directors, as well as to consultants and advisors currently providing services to us or any of our affiliates at the time of such award.

Plan Administration

The 2010 Plan is administered by our compensation committee.

Changes to Capital Structure

In the event of a merger, reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off combination of shares, exchange of shares, stock dividend or other distribution payable in capital stock, or other increase or decrease in such shares effected without the receipt of consideration by us, then the number and kind of shares for which grants of options and other awards may be made under the 2010 Plan, and the individual share limitations described above, will be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by our compensation committee. In addition, the number and kind of shares for which awards are outstanding, as well as the exercise price of outstanding options and SARs will be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by our compensation committee.

Change of Control

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, upon the occurrence of a change of control of our company in which outstanding awards are not being assumed or continued, all outstanding shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, dividend equivalent rights and performance-based awards will be deemed to have vested and any underlying shares of our common stock will be deemed delivered immediately before the change of control; and either or both of the following actions shall be taken: (i) at our compensation committee's discretion, all options and SARs will become exercisable fifteen days before the change of control (with any exercise of an option or SAR during such fifteen day period to be contingent upon the consummation of the change of control) and terminate upon the change of control to the extent not exercised; and/or (ii) at our compensation committee's discretion, all

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options, SARs, shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, dividend equivalent rights and/or performance-based awards will be canceled and cashed out in connection with the change of control. Other equity-based awards will be governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement.

If we experience a change of control in which outstanding awards that are not exercised prior to the change of control will be assumed or continued by the surviving entity, then, except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, in another agreement with the grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of the change of control, the 2010 Plan and the awards granted under the 2010 Plan will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided in the event of the change of control to the extent that provision is made in writing in connection with such change of control for the assumption or continuation of such awards, or for the substitution for such awards with new awards, with appropriate adjustments as to the number of shares (disregarding any consideration that is not common stock) and exercise prices of options and SARs.

In the event a grantee's award is assumed, continued, or substituted upon the consummation of any change of control and the service of such grantee with us or an affiliate of ours is terminated without cause, as defined in the 2010 Plan, within one year, or such longer or shorter period as may be determined by our compensation committee, following the consummation of such change of control, such award will be fully vested and may be exercised in full, to the extent applicable, beginning on the date of such termination and for the one-year period, or such longer or shorter period as may be determined by our compensation committee, immediately following such termination.

The term change of control is generally defined under the 2010 Plan to include (i) the acquisition by a person or entity of 50% or more of our combined voting power; (ii) when a majority of our board of directors becomes comprised of individuals who were not serving on our board of directors as of the Amendment Date; (iii) a consummated merger or consolidation immediately after which our stockholders cease to own 50% or more of the combined voting power of the surviving entity; (iv) a consummated sale, lease or exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets; and (v) a complete dissolution or liquidation of the company.

Plan Amendment and Termination

Our board of directors may amend, suspend or terminate the 2010 Plan at any time, provided that if our board of directors determines that the rights of a grantee with respect to an award granted prior to such amendment, suspension or termination may be materially impaired, the consent of such grantee will be required or the terms of his or her award will continue to be governed by the 2010 Plan without giving effect to any such amendment. An amendment to the 2010 Plan will be contingent upon approval of our stockholders to the extent required by applicable law, regulations or rules, our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will be in effect immediately following the closing of this offering, or any agreement between us and our stockholders. The 2010 Plan will terminate automatically on September 19, 2027, unless earlier terminated by our board of directors.

Option Awards Granted During Fiscal Year 2016

On December 20, 2016, we granted stock options to Messrs. Miller and Gibbs for 72,197 shares and 144,395 shares, respectively, with an exercise price of $5.14 per share, which was equal to the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. Subject to the executive's continued employment on each applicable vesting date, 25% of the shares underlying these options vested on September 1, 2017 for Mr. Miller and September 15, 2017 for Mr. Gibbs, with the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments thereafter through September 1, 2020 in the case of Mr. Miller and September 15, 2020 in the case of Mr. Gibbs. The vesting of these options is subject to acceleration upon a change of control of our company.

On December 20, 2016, we granted an additional stock option to Mr. Gibbs to purchase 288,790 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $16.31 per share, which were granted from our "Success Option Pool." Subject to his continued employment on each applicable vesting date, 25% of the shares underlying

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this option vested on September 15, 2017, with the remainder vesting in three annual installments thereafter through September 15, 2020. In addition to this time-based vesting, this option will only be exercisable by Mr. Gibbs in the event of a change of control, as defined in the 2010 Plan, or upon the completion of an initial public offering.

Option Awards Granted in Connection with this Offering

On the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, Mr. Miller, Dr. Mahmoud and Mr. Gibbs will receive additional stock options to purchase 259,911, 202,153 and 72,197 shares of our common stock, respectively. These stock options will have a per share exercise price equal to the initial public offering price and will vest over a four-year period, with 25% of the options vesting on the one-year anniversary of the grant date and the rest vesting in equal monthly installments over the remaining three-year period.

2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Our board of directors adopted the 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the 2017 ESPP, on September 19, 2017, and our stockholders approved the 2017 ESPP on October 2, 2017. The 2017 ESPP will become effective on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The purpose of the 2017 ESPP is to encourage and to enable eligible employees to acquire proprietary interests in us through the purchase and ownership of shares of our common stock. The 2017 ESPP is intended to benefit us and our stockholders by incentivizing participants to contribute to our success and to operate and manage our business in a manner that will provide for our long-term growth and profitability and that will benefit our stockholders and other important stakeholders. The 2017 ESPP is intended to qualify as an "employee stock purchase plan" within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code.

Share Reserve

The 2017 ESPP will authorize the issuance of up to 144,395 shares of our common stock pursuant to purchase rights granted to our employees or to employees of any of our participating affiliates. The number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance will automatically increase on January 1st of each year, commencing on January 1, 2018 and continuing until the expiration of the 2017 ESPP, in an amount equal to 1% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year; provided, that prior to the date of any such increase, the Administrator (as defined below) may determine that such increase will be for a lesser number of shares.

Administration

The 2017 ESPP will be administered under the direction of our board of directors, our compensation committee, or any other committee designated by our board of directors, or the Administrator. The 2017 ESPP will be implemented through a series of offerings under which eligible employees are granted purchase rights to purchase common stock on specified dates during such offerings. The Administrator will determine offering periods of not more than 27 months and may permit periodic purchases of our common stock within a single offering period. An offering under the 2017 ESPP may be terminated under certain circumstances.

Eligibility

All of our employees who have been employed by us or our participating affiliates for at least one month may be eligible to participate in the 2017 ESPP, provided that the following employees are among those that are ineligible under the 2017 ESPP: (i) employees whose customary employment is 20 hours or less per week; (ii) employees whose customary employment is for not more than five months in any calendar year; and (iii) employees who, after exercising their rights to purchase our common stock under the 2017 ESPP, would own 5% or more of our total combined voting power.

No employee may purchase shares of our common stock in any calendar year under the 2017 ESPP and under all other employee stock purchase plans having an aggregate fair market value in excess of $25,000, determined as of the first trading day of the offering period. In addition, unless otherwise determined by the

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Administrator, no employee may purchase more than 72,197 shares of our common stock in any one offering period.

Payroll Deductions and Purchase Price

Generally, all employees, including executive officers, employed by us or by any of our participating affiliates, may participate in the 2017 ESPP and may contribute, normally through payroll deductions, up to 15% of their eligible compensation for the purchase of our common stock under the 2017 ESPP. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the purchase price per share of our common stock under the 2017 ESPP will be 85% of the lesser of the average of the high and low sales price of our common stock on (i) the first trading day of the relevant offering period and (ii) the last trading day of the relevant offering period (or, if the relevant offering period has multiple purchase periods, the last trading day of the relevant purchase period).

Limitations on the Sale of Shares

The Administrator has the right to (i) require that an employee not request that all or a part of the shares of our common stock purchased by the employee be reissued in the employee's own name and shares be delivered to the employee until two years have elapsed since the offering date of the offering period in which the shares of our common stock were purchased and one year has elapsed since the day the shares of our common stock were purchased, or the holding period, (ii) require that any sales of our common stock during the holding period be performed through a licensed broker acceptable to us and (iii) limit sales or other transfers of shares of our common stock for up to two years from the date the employee purchases shares of our common stock under the 2017 ESPP.

Corporate Transactions

In the event that there occurs a change in our capital structure through such actions as a recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off, combination of shares, exchange of shares, stock dividend or other distribution payable in capital stock, the Administrator will make appropriate adjustments to the number and kind of shares that may be purchased, and the number and kind of shares for which options are outstanding, under the 2017 ESPP.

In the event of certain significant corporate transactions, including (i) a dissolution or liquidation, (ii) a merger, consolidation or reorganization where we are not the surviving entity, (iii) a sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or (iv) a merger or consolidation resulting in any person or entity owning more than 50% of the combined voting power of all classes of our capital stock, the 2017 ESPP and all elections outstanding thereunder will terminate, except for certain situations where, for instance, the parties make arrangements for the continuation or assumption of the 2017 ESPP.

Amendment, Suspension, or Termination

The 2017 ESPP will terminate on the day before the 10th anniversary of the date of adoption of the 2017 ESPP by our board of directors, unless earlier terminated. The Administrator may amend, suspend, or terminate the 2017 ESPP; provided, however, that such amendment, suspension, or termination may not impair any vested rights without the employee's consent. The Administrator may not increase the number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2017 ESPP without stockholder approval.

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

The following table sets forth information concerning outstanding equity awards for each of our named executive officers as of December 31, 2016, all of which are stock options. All stock options granted to our named executive officers were made pursuant to the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan.


Name
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
  Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options (#)
  Options
Exercise
Price
($)
  Option
Expiration
Date
 

Peter K. Miller

    619,888 (1)       173,570 (2)   1.63     02/11/21  

    18,231     9,115 (3)   9,115 (2)   3.05     03/11/24  

            577,580 (4)   16.31     04/07/24  

        72,197 (5)       5.14     12/20/26  

Ramy A. Mahmoud

   
297,546

(6)
 
   
99,182

(2)
 
1.63
   
02/11/21
 

    57,758     28,879 (3)   28,879 (2)   3.05     03/11/24  

            288,790 (4)   16.31     04/07/24  

Thomas E. Gibbs

   
   
144,395

(5)
 
   
5.14
   
12/20/2026
 

            288,790 (7)   16.31     12/20/2026  

(1)
In 2014, Mr. Miller transferred for no consideration a portion of this option covering 303,229 shares to a trust the beneficiaries of which are Mr. Miller and his spouse.

(2)
These options were granted on February 11, 2011 and March 11, 2014 and 50% of these options vested in January 2017 upon the FDA's acceptance of the NDA for XHANCE. The remaining options vested upon FDA approval for XHANCE for the treatment of nasal polyps.

(3)
These options were granted on March 11, 2014 and will vest on each of the first four anniversaries of the vesting starting date (March 10, 2014).

(4)
These options were granted on April 7, 2014 and will vest 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the vesting start date (April 7, 2014). Vested options under this grant are exercisable only immediately prior to, and contingent upon, the consummation of a "change of control," as defined in the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, or upon or after the consummation of an initial public offering.

(5)
These options were granted on December 20, 2016 and will vest 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting start date (September 1, 2016 for Mr. Miller and September 15, 2016 for Mr. Gibbs), and 2.0833% (approximately 1/48th of such shares), for each subsequent full calendar month that the executive remains employed with us or one of our affiliates, with the vesting date occurring on the first day following such subsequent full calendar month.

(6)
In 2014, Dr. Mahmoud transferred for no consideration a portion of this option covering 99,182 shares to a trust the beneficiary of which is Dr. Mahmoud's spouse.

(7)
These options were granted on December 20, 2016 and will vest 25% of the shares subject to the option on each of the first four anniversaries of the vesting start date (September 15, 2016). Vested options under this grant are exercisable only immediately prior to, and contingent upon, the consummation of a "change of control," as defined in the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan, or upon or after the consummation of an initial public offering.

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Retirement Benefits

401(k) Plan

We currently maintain a defined contribution 401(k) retirement plan for all of our employees in the United States, including our named executive officers, or the 401(k) Plan. Employees are eligible to participate in the 401(k) Plan on the first month following their date of hire. Under the terms of the 401(k) Plan, participating employees may defer up to 100% of their pre-tax salary provided such deferral is not in excess of the applicable statutory limits. Following the completion of this offering, we expect to match employee contributions to the 401(k) Plan up to a maximum of 4% of salary, subject to IRS limits. Employee contributions to the 401(k) Plan vest immediately.

Potential Payments Upon a Termination or Change in Control

Peter K. Miller

Pursuant to his new employment agreement with us, if Mr. Miller's employment is terminated by us without "cause" or by Mr. Miller for "good reason," each as defined in the new employment agreement, then Mr. Miller will be entitled to receive the following severance benefits, subject to his execution and non-revocation of a release of claims and compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in his new employment agreements:

Pursuant to his new employment agreement with us, if Mr. Miller's employment is terminated by us without "cause" or by Mr. Miller for "good reason," in each case, within twelve months after a "change in control," as defined in the 2010 Plan, then Mr. Miller will be entitled to receive the following severance benefits, subject to his execution and non-revocation of a release of claims and compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in his new employment agreement:

Mr. Miller's new employment agreement contains restrictive covenants relating to non-disclosure of confidential information, mutual non-disparagement, assignment of inventions, non-competition that runs for twelve months following his termination of employment for any reason, and non-solicitation of employees, customers and suppliers that run for twelve months following his termination of employment for any reason.

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The stock options granted to Mr. Miller on February 11, 2011 and March 11, 2014, which are set forth above in the "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End " table, may be subject to accelerated vesting upon a change in control, subject to his continued employment on the date of the change in control. The time-based options will become fully vested upon a change in control. The performance-based options may be subject to accelerated vesting based on the achievement of accelerated vesting targets that are based on certain cumulative cash proceeds received.

The stock options granted to Mr. Miller on April 7, 2014 from our Success Option Pool, which are set forth above in the "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End " table, will become fully vested upon a change in control, subject to his continued employment on the date of the change in control.

The stock options granted to Mr. Miller on December 20, 2016, which are set forth in the above "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End " table, will vest 25% immediately prior to a change in control that occurs prior to the first anniversary of the vesting start date of the options (September 1, 2016), subject to his continued employment on the date of such change in control. The remaining options will vest 2.0833% (approximately 1/48th of such shares) for each subsequent full calendar month that he remains employed by us or our affiliates, with the vesting date occurring on the first day following such subsequent full calendar month.

Ramy A. Mahmoud

Pursuant to his new employment agreement with us, if Dr. Mahmoud's employment is terminated by us without "cause" or by Dr. Mahmoud for "good reason," each as defined in the new employment agreement, then Dr. Mahmoud will be entitled to receive the following severance benefits, subject to his execution and non-revocation of a release of claims and compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in his new employment agreement:

Pursuant to his new employment agreement with us, if Dr. Mahmoud's employment is terminated by us without "cause" or by Dr. Mahmoud for "good reason," in each case, within twelve months after a "change in control," as defined in the 2010 Plan, then Dr. Mahmoud will be entitled to receive the following severance benefits, subject to his execution and non-revocation of a release of claims and compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in his new employment agreement:

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Dr. Mahmoud's new employment agreement contains restrictive covenants relating to non-disclosure of confidential information, mutual non-disparagement, assignment of inventions, non-competition that runs for twelve months following his termination of employment for any reason, and non-solicitation of employees, customers and suppliers that run for twelve months following his termination of employment for any reason.

The stock options granted to Dr. Mahmoud on February 11, 2011 and March 11, 2014, which are set forth above in the "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End " table, may be subject to accelerated vesting upon a change in control, subject to his continued employment on the date of the change in control. The time-based options will become fully vested upon a change in control. The performance-based options may be subject to accelerated vesting based on the achievement of accelerated vesting targets that are based on certain cumulative cash proceeds received.

The stock options granted to Dr. Mahmoud on April 7, 2014 from our Success Option Pool, which are set forth above in the "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End " table, will become fully vested upon a change in control, subject to his continued employment on the date of the change in control.

Thomas E. Gibbs

Pursuant to his new employment agreement with us, if Mr. Gibbs' employment is terminated by us without "cause" or by Mr. Gibbs for "good reason," each as defined in the agreement, then Mr. Gibbs will be entitled to receive the following severance benefits, subject to his execution and non-revocation of a release of claims and compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in his new employment agreement:

Pursuant to his new employment agreement with us, if Mr. Gibbs' employment is terminated by us without "cause" or by Mr. Gibbs for "good reason," in each case, within twelve months after a "change in control," as defined in the 2010 Plan, then Mr. Gibbs will be entitled to receive the following severance benefits, subject to his execution and non-revocation of a release of claims and compliance with the restrictive covenants set forth in his new employment agreement:

Mr. Gibbs' new employment agreement contains restrictive covenants relating to non-disclosure of confidential information, mutual non-disparagement, assignment of inventions, non-competition that runs

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for nine months following his termination of employment for any reason, and non solicitation of employees, customers and suppliers that run for nine months following his termination of employment for any reason.

The stock options granted to Mr. Gibbs on December 20, 2016 from our Success Option Pool, which are set forth above in the "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End " table, will become fully vested upon a change in control, subject to his continued employment on the date of the change in control.

The stock options granted to Mr. Gibbs on December 20, 2016 from our General Bonus Pool, which are set forth in the above "Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End " table, will vest 25% immediately prior to a change in control that occurs prior to the first anniversary of the vesting start date of the options (September 15, 2016), subject to his continued employment on the date of such change in control. The remaining options will vest 2.0833% (approximately 1/48th of such shares) for each subsequent full calendar month that he remains employed by us or our affiliates, with the vesting date occurring on the first day following such subsequent full calendar month.

Compensation of Non-Management Directors

For the year ended December 31, 2016, other than as set forth below, we did not pay any compensation, make any equity awards or non-equity awards to, or pay any other compensation to any of the non-management members of our board of directors. Peter K. Miller, our Chief Executive Officer, did not receive any compensation for his service as a member of our board of directors during 2016. Mr. Miller's compensation for service as an employee for fiscal year 2016 is presented above in the "Summary Compensation Table." With the exception of Mr. Pickering, whom we paid a retainer in connection with his service as chairman of our board of directors, we did not maintain any standard fee arrangements for the non-management members of our board of directors for their service as a director in 2016.


Name
  Fees Earned
or Paid in
Cash
($)
  Option
Awards
($)(1)
  All Other
Compensation
($)
  Total
($)
 

Larry G. Pickering

    50,000     123,295 (2)       173,295  

Klaas de Boer

                 

Per Gisle Djupesland(3)

        98,636 (4)   175,359     273,995  

William F. Doyle

                 

Patrick O'Neill

                 

Sriram Venkataraman

                 

Joshua A. Tamaroff

                 

(1)
The amounts in this column represent the full grant date fair value for awards granted during 2016, all of which were in the form of stock options. The grant date fair value of the options was computed in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation. These amounts do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may be realized by the director in connection with his option awards. The assumptions made in valuing the option awards reported in this column are described in Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus.

(2)
These options vest 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting start date (September 1, 2016) and 2.0833% (approximately 1/48th of such shares) for each subsequent full calendar month that Mr. Pickering provides service to us or one of our affiliates, with the vesting date occurring on the first day following such subsequent full calendar month.

(3)
Reflects compensation earned by Dr. Djupesland in connection with his service as the Chief Scientific Officer of OptiNose AS. The amount reflected was paid in Norwegian Kroner and converted into U.S. dollars at the average exchange rate for the period of 8.3936kr per U.S. dollar.

(4)
These options vest 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting start date (September 1, 2016) and 2.0833% (approximately 1/48th of such shares) for each subsequent full calendar month that Dr. Djupesland provides service to us or one of our affiliates, with the vesting date occurring on the first day following such subsequent full calendar month.

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As of December 31, 2016, Mr. Pickering and Drs. O'Neill and Djupesland owned options to purchase 79,416, 43,318 and 28,879 shares of our common stock, respectively. None of our other non-management directors held any options to purchase shares of our common stock as of December 31, 2016.

After this offering, our non-employee director compensation policy will be as follows:

On the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, Messrs. Bierly, Scodari and Groenhuysen will receive stock options to purchase 43,318, 28,879 and 28,879 shares of our common stock, respectively. These stock options will have a per share exercise price equal to the initial public offering price and will vest over a three-year period, with 33% of the options vesting on the one-year anniversary of the grant date and the rest vesting in equal monthly installments over the remaining two-year period.

On the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, Mr. Pickering will receive a stock option to purchase 28,879 shares of our common stock. The stock option will have a per share exercise price equal to the initial public offering price and will vest in full at our 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, provided that Mr. Pickering remains a director immediately prior to such meeting.

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The following includes a summary of transactions since January 1, 2014 to which we have been a party in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000, and in which any of our directors, executive officers or beneficial owners of more than 5% of our capital stock, or any members of their immediate family, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than compensation arrangements that are described under "Executive and Director Compensation."

Convertible Preferred Stock Financings

In July 2014, we issued an aggregate of 1,419,781 shares of our Series C-1 Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $21.13 per share, for aggregate consideration of $30.0 million. In July 2015, we issued an additional 236,629 shares of our Series C-1 Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $21.13 per share, for aggregate consideration of $5.0 million.

In March 2017, we issued an aggregate of 1,065,451 shares of our Series D Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $32.85 per share, for aggregate consideration of $35.0 million. In April 2017 and May 2017, we issued an additional 52,127 shares of our Series D Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $32.85 per share, for aggregate consideration of $1.7 million.

In connection with the Series C-1 Preferred Stock financing in July 2015, we reimbursed Avista for $6,600 in legal fees incurred by them and an aggregate of $149,999 in funding fees incurred by Avista and the other Series C-1 Preferred Stock investors. In connection with the Series D Preferred Stock financing, we reimbursed Avista and Fidelity Investments, or Fidelity, for $36,360 and $45,076, respectively, in legal fees incurred by them.

The table below sets forth the number of shares of our Series C-1 and Series D Preferred Stock purchased by our executive officers, directors, holders of more than 5% of our capital stock and their affiliated entities or immediate family members. Each share of our convertible preferred stock in the table below will automatically convert into 2.8879 shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering.


Participants(1)
  Shares of
Series C-1
Preferred Stock
  Series C-1
Convertible
Preferred Stock
Aggregate
Purchase ($)
  Shares of
Series D
Preferred Stock
  Series D
Convertible
Preferred Stock
Aggregate
Purchase ($)
 

Avista Capital Partners(2)

    1,161,662     24,545,918     304,416     10,000,066  

Entrepreneurs Fund LP(3)

    113,842     2,405,481     45,662     1,499,997  

Ikos Invest AS(4)

    104,635     2,210,938          

Larry G. Pickering(5)

    20,715     437,708          

Patrick O'Neill(6)

    1,456     30,765     393     12,910  

TKWD Ventures LLC(7)

    190,440     4,023,997          

Peter K. Miller(8)

    16,564     349,997          

Ramy A. Mahmoud(9)

    16,564     349,997          

Fidelity Investments

            761,035     25,000,000  

William F. Doyle(7)

    1,142     24,130     334     10,972  

(1)
Additional details regarding these stockholders and their equity holdings are provided in "Principal Stockholders."

(2)
Mr. Venkataraman and Mr. Tamaroff, members of our board of directors, are affiliated with Avista Capital Partners II, LP, Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II, LP and Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II-A, LP.

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(3)
Mr. de Boer, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with Entrepreneurs Fund LP.

(4)
Dr. Djupesland, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with Ikos Invest AS.

(5)
Mr. Pickering is the chairman of our board of directors.

(6)
Dr. O'Neill is a member of our board of directors.

(7)
Mr. Doyle, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with TKWD Ventures LLC.

(8)
Mr. Miller is our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors.

(9)
Dr. Mahmoud is our President and Chief Operating Officer.

2015 Convertible Note Financing

In September 2015, we sold and issued an aggregate principal amount of $15.0 million of senior secured convertible notes, or the 2015 Notes. Under the terms of the 2015 Notes, we were required to pay an aggregate of $450,000 in front-end fees and $450,000 plus interest in back-end fees.

In connection with the Series D Preferred Stock financing described above, we entered into a Note Conversion Agreement with the holders of the 2015 Notes pursuant to which all of the 2015 Notes, including all principal, accrued interest and back-end fee amounts, were converted into an aggregate of 687,474 shares of our Series C-2 Preferred Stock at a conversion price of $28.40 per share.

The table below sets forth the amount of 2015 Notes purchased by our executive officers, directors, holders of more than 5% of our capital stock and their affiliated entities or immediate family members, as well as the number of shares of Series C-2 Preferred Stock acquired by each such entity upon conversion of the 2015 Notes. Each share of our Series C-2 Preferred Stock in the table below will automatically convert into 2.8879 shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering.


Participants(1)
  Principal
Amount of
Notes
Purchased
($)
  Front-end Fees
Paid by Us
($)
  Back-end Fees
($)
  Convertible Note
Value at
Conversion
($)
  Shares of
Series C-2
Preferred Stock
Issued Upon
Conversion
 

Ikos Invest AS(2)

    75,000     2,250     2,844     97,635     3,437  

Entrepreneurs Fund General Partner Limited(3)

    1,511,075     45,332     57,295     1,967,123     69,256  

Peter K. Miller(4)

    66,042     1,981     2,504     85,973     3,026  

Ramy A. Mahmoud(5)

    35,175     1,055     1,334     45,791     1,612  

Avista Capital Partners(6)

    10,902,112     327,063     413,371     14,192,413     499,670  

Larry G. Pickering(7)

    219,639     6,589     8,328     285,927     10,066  

TKWD Ventures LLC(8)

    2,019,167     60,575     76,560     2,628,559     92,543  

William F. Doyle(8)

    10,340     310     392     13,461     473  

(1)
Additional details regarding these stockholders and their equity holdings are provided in "Principal Stockholders."

(2)
Dr. Djupesland, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with Ikos Invest AS.

(3)
Mr. de Boer, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with Entrepreneurs Fund LP.

(4)
Mr. Miller is our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors.

(5)
Dr. Mahmoud is our President and Chief Operating Officer.

(6)
Mr. Venkataraman and Mr. Tamaroff, members of our board of directors, are affiliated with Avista Capital Partners II, LP, Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II, LP and Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II-A, LP.

(7)
Mr. Pickering is a member of our board of directors.

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(8)
Mr. Doyle, a member of our board of directors, is affiliated with TKWD Ventures LLC.

Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement

In connection with our Series D Preferred Stock financing in March 2017, we entered into the Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, or the Registration Rights Agreement, with the holders of our Series B-1 Preferred Stock, Series B-2 Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, Series C-1 Preferred Stock, Series C-2 Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock. We have amended the Registration Rights Agreement in connection with this offering. For a description of the registration rights that we expect to be in place upon the closing of this offering, see "Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights."

Second Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement

In connection with our Series D Preferred Stock financing in March 2017, we entered into the Second Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement, or the Shareholders' Agreement, with certain of our stockholders, including Avista, TWKD, Fidelity, Entrepreneurs' Fund, and certain members of our senior management team and board of directors. The Shareholders' Agreement will terminate automatically upon completion of this offering; provided, however, the contractual lock-up obligations for certain of our stockholders upon the filing of a registration statement in connection with an underwritten offering will survive for a period of 180 days following the closing of this offering and the confidentiality obligations with respect to our proprietary information and the proprietary information of our stockholders will survive indefinitely.

Stockholders' Agreement

We have entered into a Stockholders' Agreement with Avista to be effective upon the closing of this offering. The Stockholders' Agreement provides, among other things, that Avista will have the right to nominate:

The initial Avista nominees will be Messrs. Venkataraman, Tamaroff and Pickering. We will be required to take all necessary action to ensure the composition of our board of directors as set forth above. Pursuant to the terms of the Stockholders' Agreement, at least a majority of the members of each of our audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee must be composed of non-Avista nominees.

Employment of Certain Related Persons

John Pickering, the son of Larry Pickering, the chairman of our board of directors, is an employee of our company. During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2015 and 2016, we paid John Pickering $243,531, $247,045 and $389,097, respectively, in cash compensation, consisting of his base salary and, with respect to 2016, an annual bonus. John Pickering's current annual base salary for 2017 is $267,180. He also received a bonus in 2017 of $61,932. On March 11, 2014, our board of directors granted John Pickering a stock option to purchase 10,106 shares of our common stock. The grant date fair value of this stock option was $24,420.

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Helena Djupesland, the spouse of Per Gisle Djupesland, a member of the OptiNose AS board of directors, is the Co-Chief Executive Officer and a director of OptiNose AS, our Norwegian subsidiary. During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2015 and 2016, we paid Ms. Djupesland total cash compensation of $258,245, $201,552 and $193,736, respectively. Ms. Djupesland's current annual base salary for 2017 is $195,186. She also received a bonus in 2017 of $17,427. The amounts reflected were based in Norwegian kroner and converted into U.S. dollars at an average exchange rate of 6.2969kr, 8.0681kr, and 8.3936kr per U.S. dollar for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively, and an average exchange rate of 8.3312kr per U.S. dollar for the period from January 1, 2017 to September 12, 2017.

Each of John Pickering and Helena Djupesland participate in our general welfare and benefit plans.

Participation in this Offering

Funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. Based on these indications of interest, and assuming an initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, these funds would purchase up to an aggregate of 1,562,500 of the 6,250,000 shares offered in this offering. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer or no shares in this offering to any of these funds, or any of these funds may determine to purchase more, fewer or no shares in this offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any shares purchased by these funds as they will on any other shares sold to the public in this offering.

Indemnification Agreements

We have entered, or intend to enter, into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for in our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, each of which will become effective immediately following the closing of this offering. These indemnification agreements provide our directors and executive officers with contractual rights to indemnification and, in some cases, expense advancement in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or executive officers or as a director or executive officer of any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request. For more information regarding these indemnification agreements, see "Management — Limitation on Liability and Indemnification Matters."

Policies and Procedures for Transactions with Related Persons

Effective upon the closing of this offering, our board of directors has adopted a related party transactions policy that sets forth our procedures for the identification, review, consideration and approval or ratification of related party transactions. Pursuant to this policy, we will review all transactions with a dollar value in excess of $120,000 involving us in which any of our executive officers, directors, director nominees or holders of more than 5% of our capital stock, or any affiliate or member of their immediate family, is a participant.

Under the policy, if a transaction has been identified as a related party transaction, including any transaction that was not a related party transaction when originally consummated or any transaction that was not initially identified as a related party transaction prior to consummation, members of management or our directors must present information regarding the proposed related party transaction to our audit committee or, where review by our audit committee would be inappropriate due to a conflict of interest, to another independent body of our board of directors, for review, consideration and approval or ratification. The presentation must include a description of, among other things, all of the parties, the direct and indirect interests of the related persons, the purpose of the transaction, the material facts, the benefits of the transaction to us and whether any alternative transactions are available, an assessment of whether the

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terms are comparable to the terms available from unrelated third parties and management's recommendation. In considering whether to approve any proposed related party transactions, our audit committee or another independent body of our board of directors will take into account the relevant available facts and circumstances, including:

All of the transactions described in this section were entered into prior to the adoption of this policy. Although we have not had a written policy for the review and approval of transactions with related persons, our board of directors has historically reviewed and approved any transaction where a director or officer had a financial interest, including the transactions described above. Prior to approving such a transaction, the material facts as to a director's or officer's relationship or interest in the agreement or transaction were disclosed to our board of directors. Our board of directors took this information into account when evaluating the transaction and in determining whether such transaction was fair to us and in the best interest of all our stockholders.

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth certain information relating to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of October 9, 2017 by:

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable. Common stock subject to options or warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017, are deemed to be outstanding and to be beneficially owned by the person holding the options or warrants for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that person, but are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

Percentage ownership of our common stock "Before Offering" in the table below is based on 29,136,273 shares of common stock, which includes (a) 4,067,717 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of October 9, 2017 and (b) 25,068,556 shares of our common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our convertible preferred stock upon the closing of this offering. Percentage ownership of our common stock "After Offering" in the table gives effect to the issuance of 6,250,000 shares of our common stock in this offering, and assumes no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.

Funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate of $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. Based on an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, these funds would purchase up to an aggregate of 1,562,500 of the 6,250,000 shares in this offering based on these indications of interest. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, these funds may determine to purchase fewer shares than they indicate an interest in purchasing or not to purchase any shares in this offering. It is also possible that these funds could indicate an interest in purchasing more shares. In addition, the underwriters could determine to sell fewer shares to any of these funds than the funds indicate an interest in purchasing or not to sell any shares to these funds. Except as set forth in footnote (2), the following table does not reflect any potential purchases by these funds in this offering.

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  Percentage of
shares
beneficially owned
 
 
  Number of
shares
beneficially
owned
 
Name and address of beneficial owner(1)
  Before
offering
  After
offering
 

5% or greater stockholders:

                   

Avista Capital Partners II, LP(2)

    17,148,017     58.85 %   48.46 %

TKWD Ventures LLC(3)

    4,501,505     14.70     12.21  

Entrepreneurs Fund LP(4)

    2,938,013     10.02     8.26  

Entities affiliated with Ikos Invest AS(5)

    2,558,075     8.73     7.20  

Entities affiliated with Fidelity Management & Research Company(6)

    2,197,790     7.54     6.21  

Directors, director nominees and executive officers:

                   

Peter K. Miller(7)

    946,469     3.16     2.61  

Ramy A. Mahmoud(8)

    550,294     1.86     1.53  

Thomas E. Gibbs(9)

    45,123     *     *  

Keith A. Goldan

             

Michael F. Marino

             

Larry G. Pickering(10)

    382,356     1.31     1.08  

Klaas de Boer

             

Per Gisle Djupesland(5)

    2,567,100     8.76     7.22  

William F. Doyle(3)(11)

    4,530,855     14.79     12.28  

Patrick O'Neill(12)

    65,446     *     *  

Sriram Venkataraman(2)

    17,148,017     58.85     48.46  

Joshua A. Tamaroff(13)

             

Richard A. Bierly

             

Joseph C. Scodari

             

Wilhelmus Groenhuysen

             

All executive officers and directors as a group (12 persons)(14)

    26,235,659     81.27 %   68.09 %

*
Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent of our outstanding common stock.

(1)
Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each of the individuals and entities named below is c/o OptiNose, Inc., 1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300, Yardley, PA 19067.

(2)
Consists of (a) 100,571 shares of common stock held by Avista Capital Partners II, LP, (b) 33,028 shares of common stock held by Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II, LP, (c) 8,013 shares of common stock held by Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II-A, LP, (d) 12,077,563 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Avista Capital Partners II, LP, (e) 3,966,107 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II, LP, and (f) 962,735 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II-A, LP. Avista Capital Partners II GP, LLC ultimately exercises voting and investment power over the shares of held by Avista Capital Partners II, L.P., Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II, L.P., and Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II-A, L.P. Voting and disposition decisions at Avista Capital Partners II GP, LLC with respect to such shares are made by an investment committee, the members of which are Thompson Dean, Steven Webster, David Burgstahler and Sriram Venkataraman, a member of our board of directors. Each of the members of the investment committee disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein. The address for each of these individuals and entities is 65 East 55th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022. The percentage of shares beneficially owned after this offering would be 52.9%, assuming the purchase of all of the shares that the funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing in this offering.

(3)
Includes (a) 3,013,139 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, and (b) 1,488,366 shares of common stock subject to warrants that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017. WFD Ventures LLC is the general partner of TKWD Ventures LLC and may be deemed to have sole voting and investment power over the shares held by TKWD Ventures LLC. William F. Doyle, a member of our board of directors, is a managing member of WFD Ventures LLC, and in his capacity as such, may be deemed to exercise sole voting and investment power over the shares held by TKWD Ventures LLC. Mr. Doyle disclaims beneficial ownership in such securities, except to the extent of his pecuniary

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(4)
Consists of (a) 1,052,899 shares of common stock, (b) 1,687,166 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, and (c) 197,948 shares of common stock subject to warrants that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017. Entrepreneurs Fund General Partner Limited, or EF GP, is the general partner of Entrepreneurs Fund LP, or EF LP, and may be deemed to have sole voting and investment power over the shares held by EF LP. Colin Dow and Paul Bradshaw are managing directors of EF GP, and in theirs capacity as such, may be deemed to exercise shared voting and investment power over the shares held by EF LP. Mr. de Boer, a member of our board of directors is the Managing Partner of Entrepreneurs Fund Management LLP, an affiliate of EF GP and EF LP, through common control. Neither Mr. de Boer nor Entrepreneurs Fund Management LLP has voting or investment power over EF GP or EF LP. The address for each of these individuals and entities is 2nd Floor, Windward House, La Route de la Liberation, Se. Heller, Jersey JE2 3BQ, The Channel Islands.

(5)
Consists of (a) 2,056,184 shares of common stock held by Ikos Subsidiary AS, (b) 341,796 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Ikos Subsidiary AS (c) 9,925 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Ikos Invest AS, (d) 57,758 shares of our common stock subject to warrants held by Ikos Subsidiary AS that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017, (e) 92,412 shares of our common stock subject to options held by Ikos Invest AS that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017 and (f) 9,025 shares of our common stock subject to options held by Mr. Djupesland that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017. Per Gisle Djupesland, a member of our board of directors, and Helena Djupesland are directors of Ikos Invest AS and its wholly-owned subsidiary Ikos Subsidiary AS, and as such they have shared voting and investment power over the shares held by Ikos Invest AS and Ikos Subsidiary AS. The address for each of Dr. and Ms. Djupesland and these entities is Lybekkveien 5C, 0772, Oslo, Norway.

(6)
Consists of (a) 992,571 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Fidelity Mt. Vernon Street Trust: Fidelity Growth Company Fund, (b) 503,360 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Fidelity Growth Company Commingled Pool, (c) 382,170 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Fidelity Securities Fund: Fidelity OTC Portfolio, (d) 301,785 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Fidelity Mt. Vernon Street Trust: Fidelity Series Growth Company Fund, and (e) 17,904 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock held by Fidelity OTC Commingled Pool. These accounts are managed by direct or indirect subsidiaries of FMR LLC. Abigail P. Johnson is a Director, the Vice Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer and the President of FMR LLC. Members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, are the predominant owners, directly or through trusts, of Series B voting common shares of FMR LLC, representing 49% of the voting power of FMR LLC. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders' voting agreement under which all Series B voting common shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B voting common shares. Accordingly, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders' voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC. Neither FMR LLC nor Abigail P. Johnson has the sole power to vote or direct the voting of the shares owned directly by the various investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act, or the Fidelity Funds advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company, or FMR Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC, which power resides with the Fidelity Funds' Board of Trustees. Fidelity Management & Research Company carries out the voting of the shares under written guidelines established by the Fidelity Funds' Board of Trustees. The address for Fidelity Securities Fund: Fidelity OTC Portfolio is The Northern Trust Company, Attn: Trade Securities Processing, C-1N, 801 South Canal Street, Chicago, IL 60607. The address for Fidelity Growth Company Commingled Pool is Mag & Co., c/o Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., Attn: Corporate Actions /Vault, 140 Broadway, New York, NY. The address for Fidelity Mt. Vernon Street Trust: Fidelity Growth Company Fund is BNY Mellon, Attn: Stacey Wolfe, 525 William Penn Place, Rm. 0400, Pittsburgh, PA 152590. The address for Fidelity Mt. Vernon Street Trust: Fidelity Series Growth Company Fund is State Street Bank & Trust, PO Box 5756, Boston, Massachusetts 02206. The address for Fidelity OTC Commingled Pool is Mag & Co., c/o Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., Attn: Corporate Actions /Vault, 140 Broadway, New York, NY 10005.

(7)
Consists of (a) 98,548 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, (b) 544,692 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017, and (c) 303,229 shares of common stock subject to options held by the Deed of Trust of Peter K. Miller, dated October 13, 2014 that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017.

(8)
Consists of (a) 52,490 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, (b) 398,622 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017, and (c) 99,182 shares of common stock subject to options held by The Ramy Mahmoud 2014 Trust for Cynthia Mahmoud that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017.

(9)
Consists of 45,123 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017.

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(10)
Consists of (a) 327,757 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, and (b) 54,599 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017.

(11)
Includes (a) 18,803 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, and (b) 10,547 shares of common stock subject to warrants that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017.

(12)
Consists of (a) 22,128 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, and (b) 43,318 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017.

(13)
Excludes shares held by Avista Capital Partners II, LP, Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II, LP and Avista Capital Partners (Offshore) II-A, LP. The address for Mr. Tamaroff is c/o Avista Capital Partners, 65 E. 55th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

(14)
Consists of (a) 2,197,796 shares of common stock, (b) 20,890,991 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, (c) 1,556,671 shares of common stock subject to warrants that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017, and (d) 1,590,201 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days of October 9, 2017.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following is a summary of the rights of our common and preferred stock and some of the provisions of our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, each of which will become effective immediately following the closing of this offering, and of the Delaware General Corporation Law. This summary is not complete. For more detailed information, please see our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, as well as the relevant provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

General

Immediately following the closing of this offering and the filing of our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our authorized capital stock will consist of 205,000,000 shares, 200,000,000 of which will be designated as common stock with a par value of $0.001 per share and 5,000,000 of which will be designated as preferred stock with a par value of $0.001 per share.

Common Stock

Outstanding Shares

As of June 30, 2017, there would have been 29,136,273 shares of common stock outstanding, held by 36 stockholders of record, after giving effect to the automatic conversion of all preferred stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017.

Voting Rights

Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, other than election of directors, which shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election of such director. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 662/3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding voting stock will be required to take certain actions, including amending certain provisions of our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, such as the provisions relating to director liability, amending our bylaws or changing the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and United States District Court for the District of Delaware and any appellate courts thereof from being the sole and exclusive forums for certain actions brought by our stockholders against us or our directors, officers or employees.

Under our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, our stockholders will not have cumulative voting rights. Because of this, the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose.

Dividends

Subject to the preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock shall be entitled to receive ratably any dividends that may be declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available for that purpose.

Liquidation

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock shall be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock.

No Preemptive or Similar Rights

Our common stock shall not be entitled to preemptive rights and is not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject

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to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate in the future.

Convertible Preferred Stock

Upon the closing of this offering, all outstanding shares of our preferred stock will be automatically converted into an aggregate of 25,068,556 shares of common stock. Under our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be in effect immediately following the closing of this offering, our board of directors will have the authority, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations and restrictions. Our board of directors also can increase or decrease the number of shares of any series, but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding.

Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of the common stock. The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company and may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. It is not possible to state the actual effect of the issuance of any shares of preferred stock on the rights of holders of common stock until the board of directors determines the specific rights attached to that preferred stock. We have no current plan to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Stock Options

As of June 30, 2017, we had outstanding options to purchase 4,397,949 shares of our common stock at a weighted-average exercise price of $6.46 per share, pursuant to the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan. For additional information regarding the terms of this plan, see "Executive and Director Compensation — 2010 Stock Incentive Plan."

Warrants

In June 2010, we issued common stock warrants to certain of our stockholders, including Ikos Invest AS, Entrepreneurs Fund LP and TKWD Ventures LLC, which were immediately exercisable for an aggregate of 1,890,489 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $8.16 per share. These warrants remain outstanding as of June 30, 2017. The holders of these warrants may exercise the warrants, at their election, in cash, by cashless exercise or by a combination of these two methods. The shares underlying the warrants are considered registrable securities for purposes of the Registration Rights Agreement. Each warrant expires on November 1, 2020 if not earlier exercised.

Registration Rights

Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, certain holders of shares of our common stock have registration rights and certain holders of our warrants and shares of our preferred stock have registration rights with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise or conversion, as applicable, as further described below. After registration of these shares of common stock pursuant to these rights, these shares will become freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act. The registration rights will terminate with respect to each stockholder on the date on which such stockholder ceases to beneficially own more than one percent of our shares of common stock then outstanding or can sell all of its registrable shares without limitation during a three-month period without registration pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act or another similar exemption under the Securities Act. See "Shares Eligible for Future

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Sale — Rule 144." An aggregate of 29,857,446 shares of common stock will be entitled to these registration rights upon the closing of this offering.

Demand Registration Rights

Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, at any time beginning 180 days following the closing of this offering, certain holders of registrable shares who are party to the Registration Rights Agreement have the right to demand that we file a Form S-1 registration statement for the registration of their shares of common stock, including shares of common stock to be issued in connection with the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock upon the closing of this offering. These registration rights are subject to specified conditions and limitations, including a minimum expected aggregate gross proceeds of $20.0 million applicable to registration demands by certain stockholders, the number of registration demands and the right of a managing underwriter to limit the number of shares included in any such registration under specified circumstances. Upon such a request, we are required to effect the registration as expeditiously as possible. For each registration demand, we are not obligated to file a registration statement pursuant to this provision on more than one occasion, unless such registration statement was not declared effective by the SEC.

Registration on Form S-3

In addition, subject to specified limitations set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, at any time after we become eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, holders of at least 20% of the registrable securities then outstanding may request that we register their registrable securities on a registration statement on Form S-3 for purposes of a public offering if the total amount of registrable securities registered have an aggregate offering price of at least $20.0 million. We are not obligated to file a registration statement pursuant to this provision on more than two occasions in any 12-month period. In connection with the filing of a registration statement on Form S-3, certain of our stockholders will also be able to undertake firmly underwritten resale offerings with respect to any shares that are registered on such Form S-3.

Piggyback Registration Rights

At any time after the closing of this offering, if we propose to file a registration statement to register any of our securities under the Securities Act, either for our own account or for the account of any of our stockholders, other than pursuant to the demand registration rights described above, the holders of our registrable securities are entitled to notice of registration and, subject to specified exceptions, we will be required upon the holders' request to use our best efforts to include their then-held registrable securities in the registration statement. These piggyback registration rights are subject to specified conditions and limitations, including the right of the underwriters to limit the number of shares included in any such registration under specified circumstances. In addition, in connection with an underwritten secondary offering requested by Avista, certain members of our management will have the right to participate on a pro rata basis. These piggyback registration rights do not apply to this offering.

Other Provisions

We will pay all registration expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions and transfer taxes, if any, attributable to the sale of the registrable securities related to any registration effected pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, including a registration demand or an underwritten resale offering on Form S-3. Unless a registration has been revoked by the holders, we are also required to pay the fees and expenses of one counsel for the holders of registrable securities designated by the holder of a majority of registrable securities being registered, as well as the fees and expenses of counsel for Avista. The Registration Rights Agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions pursuant to which we are obligated to indemnify the selling stockholders in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and they are obligated to indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to them.

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Delaware Anti-Takeover Law and Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Delaware Anti-Takeover Law

Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation that will be effective immediately following the closing of this offering provides that we will not be subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or Section 203, until such time that Avista ceases to beneficially own 15% of more of our outstanding shares of common stock. Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation does, however, contain a provision that generally mirrors Section 203, except that it excludes Avista and its affiliates from the definition of "interested stockholder." At such time that Avista ceases to own 15% or more of our capital stock, we will be governed by the provisions of Section 203. Section 203 generally prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a "business combination" with an "interested stockholder" for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless:

Section 203 defines a business combination to include:

In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by the entity or person.

Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Provisions of our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, each of which will be in effect immediately following the closing of this offering, may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change of control or change in our management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares, or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. Therefore, these

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provisions could adversely affect the price of our common stock. Among other things, our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws will:

The combination of these provisions will make it more difficult for our existing stockholders to replace our board of directors as well as for another party to obtain control of us by replacing our board of directors. Since our board of directors has the power to retain and discharge our officers, these provisions could also make it more difficult for existing stockholders or another party to effect a change in management. In addition, the authorization of undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change our control.

These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and its policies and to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to reduce our vulnerability to hostile takeovers and to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and may have the effect of delaying changes in our control or management. As a consequence, these provisions may also inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. We believe that the benefits of these provisions, including increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure our company, outweigh the disadvantages of

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discouraging takeover proposals, because negotiation of takeover proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Choice of Forum

Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and any appellate courts thereof where subject matter jurisdiction is vested exclusively in the federal courts of the United States of America, will be the exclusive forum for:

The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies' certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with any action, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our restated certificate to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action.

NASDAQ Global Select Market Listing

We expect to receive approval to list our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "OPTN."

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc. The transfer agent's address is 1717 Arch St., Suite 1300, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. Future sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market after this offering, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock. Furthermore, since only a limited number of shares will be available for sale shortly after this offering because of contractual and legal restrictions on resale described below, sales of substantial amounts of common stock in the public market after the restrictions lapse could adversely affect the prevailing market price for our common stock as well as our ability to raise equity capital in the future.

Based on the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2017, upon the closing of this offering, 35,386,273 shares of common stock will be outstanding, after giving effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock into 25,068,556 shares of common stock upon the closing of this offering and the issuance by us of 6,250,000 shares of common stock in this offering, but assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares. All of the shares sold in this offering will be freely tradable unless purchased by our "affiliates" as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act or purchased by existing stockholders and their affiliated entities that are subject to lock-up agreements. The remaining 29,136,273 shares of common stock outstanding after this offering will be restricted as a result of securities laws, lock-up agreements or the Shareholders' Agreement. These remaining shares will be eligible for sale under Rule 144 or Rule 701 of the Securities Act upon expiration of lock-up agreements 180 days after the date of this offering, subject in certain circumstances to the volume, manner of sale and other limitations under Rule 144 and Rule 701.

Funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing an aggregate of up to $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. Any such shares purchased by these funds could not be resold in the public market immediately following this offering as a result of restrictions under securities laws and lock-up agreements, but would be able to be sold following the expiration of these restrictions, in each case as described below. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, less or no shares in this offering to any of these funds, or any of these funds may determine to purchase more, less or no shares in this offering.

Rule 144

In general, pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, beginning 90 days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, any person who is not an affiliate of ours at any time during the three months preceding a sale and has held their shares for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, may sell shares without restriction, provided current public information about us is available. In addition, under Rule 144, any person who is not an affiliate of ours at any time during the three months preceding a sale and has held their shares for at least one year, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, would be entitled to sell an unlimited number of shares immediately following the closing of this offering without regard to whether current public information about us is available.

Beginning 90 days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, a person who is an affiliate of ours and who has beneficially owned restricted securities for at least six months, including the holding period of any prior owner other than one of our affiliates, is entitled to sell a number of restricted shares within any three-month period that does not exceed the greater of:

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Sales of restricted shares under Rule 144 held by our affiliates are also subject to requirements regarding the manner of sale, notice and the availability of current public information about us. Rule 144 also provides that affiliates relying on Rule 144 to sell shares of our common stock that are not restricted shares must nonetheless comply with the same restrictions applicable to restricted shares, other than the holding period requirement.

Rule 701

Pursuant to Rule 701 under the Securities Act, shares of our common stock acquired upon the exercise of currently outstanding options or pursuant to other rights granted under our stock incentive plans may be resold by:

As of June 30, 2017, options to purchase a total of 4,397,949 shares of common stock were outstanding. Of the total number of shares of our common stock issuable under these options, substantially all are subject to contractual lock-up agreements with us or the underwriters described below under "Underwriting" and will become eligible for sale in accordance with Rule 701 at the expiration of those agreements.

Lock-up Agreements

We, along with our directors, executive officers and substantially all of our other securityholders, have agreed with the underwriters that for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, or the restricted period, subject to specified exceptions, we and they will not sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend, effect any short sale or establish or increase any put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease any call equivalent position, pledge, hypothecate, grant any security interest in or in any other way transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of common stock, or 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 common stock. In addition, our directors, executive officers and substantially all our stockholders have agreed to waive their registration rights, if any, during the 180-day lock-up period after the date of this prospectus. Upon expiration of the restricted period, certain of our stockholders will have the right to require us to register their shares under the Securities Act. See "— Registration Rights" below and "Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights."

After this offering, certain of our employees, including our executive officers and/or directors, may enter into written trading plans that are intended to comply with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Sales under these trading plans would not be permitted until the expiration of the lock-up agreements described above.

Registration Rights

Upon the closing of this offering, the holders of 29,857,446 shares of common stock or their transferees will be entitled to various rights with respect to registration of these shares under the Securities Act, subject to the lock-up arrangement described above. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in these shares becoming fully tradable without restriction under the Securities Act, except for shares purchased by affiliates, immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration. Any sales of securities by these stockholders could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock. See "Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights" for additional information.

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Equity Incentive Plans

We intend to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act covering the shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2010 Plan and 2017 ESPP. The registration statement is expected to be filed and become effective as soon as practicable after the closing of this offering. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statement will be available for sale in the open market following its effective date, subject to vesting restrictions, Rule 144 volume limitations for affiliates and the lock-up agreements described above, if applicable.

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MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF COMMON STOCK

The following is a general discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to non-U.S. holders (as defined herein) with respect to their ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering. All prospective non-U.S. holders of our common stock should consult their tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock. In general, a non-U.S. holder means a beneficial owner of our common stock (other than a partnership or an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is not, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

This discussion is based on current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, existing U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, published administrative pronouncements and rulings of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, and judicial decisions, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus. These authorities are subject to change and to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to non-U.S. holders described in this prospectus.

We assume in this discussion that a non-U.S. holder holds shares of our common stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to a particular non-U.S. holder in light of that non-U.S. holder's individual circumstances, nor does it address any alternative minimum, Medicare contribution, estate or gift tax consequences, or any aspects of U.S. state, local or non-U.S. taxes. This discussion also does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a non-U.S. holder and does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular non-U.S. holders, such as holders that own, or are deemed to own, more than 5% of our capital stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below), corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax, tax-exempt organizations, banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, brokers, dealers or traders in securities, commodities or currencies, tax-qualified retirement plans, holders who hold or receive our common stock pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation, holders holding our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy, conversion transaction or other integrated investment, holders deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code, controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies and certain former U.S. citizens or long-term residents.

In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships (or entities or arrangements that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or persons that hold their common stock through partnerships. If a partnership, including any entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holds shares of our common stock, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of

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the partnership. Such partners and partnerships should consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.

There can be no assurance that a court or the IRS will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described herein, and we have not obtained, nor do we intend to obtain, a ruling with respect to the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a non-U.S. holder of the purchase, ownership or disposition of our common stock.

Distributions on Our Common Stock

Distributions, if any, on our common stock generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holder's investment, up to such holder's adjusted tax basis in the common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain from the sale or exchange of such common stock, subject to the tax treatment described below in "Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of Our Common Stock." Any such distribution will also be subject to the discussion below under the heading "Foreign Accounts."

Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder will generally be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder's country of residence.

Dividends that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder within the United States, are generally exempt from the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies applicable certification and disclosure requirements. However, such U.S. effectively connected income, net of specified deductions and credits, is taxed at the same graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to U.S. persons (as defined in the Code). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional "branch profits tax" at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder's country of residence.

To claim a reduction or exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. holder of our common stock generally will be required to provide (a) a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements to claim the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder's country of residence, or (b) a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI stating that dividends are not subject to withholding because they are effectively connected with such non-U.S. holder's conduct of a trade or business within the United States. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty.

A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.

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Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of Our Common Stock

Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding and foreign accounts, in general, a non-U.S. holder will not be subject to any U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon such holder's sale, exchange or other disposition of shares of our common stock unless:

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the gross amount of the dividends on our common stock paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such dividends. Non-U.S. holders will have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a U.S. person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate with respect to dividends on our common stock. A non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. backup withholding with respect to payments of dividends on our common stock if it certifies its non-U.S. status by providing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) or W-8ECI, or otherwise establishes an

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exemption; provided we do not have actual knowledge or reason to know such non-U.S. holder is a U.S. person, as defined in the Code. Dividends paid to non-U.S. holders subject to the U.S. withholding tax, as described above in "Distributions on Our Common Stock," generally will be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.

Information reporting and backup withholding will generally apply to the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S. holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them.

Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder may be allowed as a credit against the non-U.S. holder's U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, and may entitle such holder to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Foreign Accounts

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally imposes a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends and the gross proceeds of a disposition of our common stock paid to a "foreign financial institution" (as specifically defined for this purpose), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to, among other things, withhold on certain payments and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners) or otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. A U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% also applies to dividends and will apply to the gross proceeds of a disposition of our common stock paid to a non-financial foreign entity (as defined in the Code), unless such entity provides the withholding agent with either a certification that it does not have any substantial direct or indirect U.S. owners or provides information regarding substantial direct and indirect U.S. owners of the entity, or otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. The withholding provisions described above currently apply to dividends paid on our common stock and will generally apply with respect to gross proceeds of a sale or other disposition of our common stock on or after January 1, 2019.

If withholding is imposed under FATCA on a payment related to our common stock, a beneficial owner that is not a foreign financial institution and that otherwise would not be subject to withholding (or that otherwise would be entitled to a reduced rate of withholding) generally may obtain a refund from the IRS by filing a U.S. federal income tax return (which may entail significant administrative burden). An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this paragraph.

EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD CONSULT ITS TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE PARTICULAR U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING, OWNING AND DISPOSING OF OUR COMMON STOCK, INCLUDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY PROPOSED CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAWS.

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UNDERWRITING

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the underwriting agreement, dated                        , 2017, among us and Jefferies LLC and Piper Jaffray & Co., as the representatives of the underwriters named below and the joint book-running managers of this offering, we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, and each of the underwriters has agreed, severally and not jointly, to purchase from us, the respective number of shares of common stock shown opposite its name below:


UNDERWRITER
  NUMBER OF
SHARES
 

Jefferies LLC

                     

Piper Jaffray & Co. 

                     

BMO Capital Markets Corp. 

                     

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

                     

Total

    6,250,000  

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters are subject to certain conditions precedent such as the receipt by the underwriters of officers' certificates and legal opinions and approval of certain legal matters by their counsel. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters will purchase all of the shares of common stock if any of them are purchased. If an underwriter defaults, the underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of the non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the underwriting agreement may be terminated. We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and certain of their controlling persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

The underwriters have advised us that, following the closing of this offering, they currently intend to make a market in the common stock as permitted by applicable laws and regulations. However, the underwriters are not obligated to do so, and the underwriters may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice in their sole discretion. Accordingly, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of the trading market for the common stock, that you will be able to sell any of the common stock held by you at a particular time or that the prices that you receive when you sell will be favorable.

The underwriters are offering the shares of common stock subject to their acceptance of the shares of common stock from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.

Funds affiliated with Avista have indicated an interest in purchasing an aggregate of up to $25.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, the underwriters may determine to sell more, fewer or no shares in this offering to any of these funds, or any of these funds may determine to purchase more, fewer or no shares in this offering. The underwriters will receive the same underwriting discount on any shares purchased by these funds as they will on any other shares sold to the public in this offering. Shares purchased by these funds will be subject to the lock-up agreements described below.

Commission and Expenses

The underwriters have advised us that they propose to offer the shares of common stock to the public at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to certain dealers, which may include the underwriters, at that price less a concession not in excess of $               per share of common

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stock. The underwriters may allow, and certain dealers may reallow, a discount from the concession not in excess of $               per share of common stock to certain brokers and dealers. After the offering, the initial public offering price, concession and reallowance to dealers may be reduced by the representatives. No such reduction will change the amount of proceeds to be received by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

The following table shows the public offering price, the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay the underwriters and the proceeds, before expenses, to us in connection with this offering. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.


 
  PER SHARE   TOTAL  
 
  WITHOUT
OPTION TO
PURCHASE
ADDITIONAL
SHARES
  WITH
OPTION TO
PURCHASE
ADDITIONAL
SHARES
  WITHOUT
OPTION TO
PURCHASE
ADDITIONAL
SHARES
  WITH
OPTION TO
PURCHASE
ADDITIONAL
SHARES
 

Public offering price

  $                   $                   $                   $                  

Underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us

  $                   $                   $                   $                  

Proceeds to us, before expenses

  $                   $                   $                   $                  

We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $2.8 million. We have also agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain expenses, including an amount not to exceed $35,000 in connection with the clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, as set forth in the underwriting agreement. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110, the reimbursement of these fees is deemed underwriting compensation for this offering.

Determination of Offering Price

Prior to this offering, there has not been a public market for our common stock. Consequently, the initial public offering price for our common stock will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives. Among the factors to be considered in these negotiations will be prevailing market conditions, our financial information, market valuations of other companies that we and the underwriters believe to be comparable to us, estimates of our business potential, the present state of our development and other factors deemed relevant.

We offer no assurances that the initial public offering price will correspond to the price at which the common stock will trade in the public market subsequent to the offering or that an active trading market for the common stock will develop and continue after the offering.

Listing

We expect to receive approval to list our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the trading symbol "OPTN."

Stamp Taxes

If you purchase shares of common stock offered in this prospectus, you may be required to pay stamp taxes and other charges under the laws and practices of the country of purchase, in addition to the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus.

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Option to Purchase Additional Shares

We have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase, from time to time, in whole or in part, up to an aggregate of 937,500 shares from us at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commissions. If the underwriters exercise this option, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to specified conditions, to purchase a number of additional shares proportionate to that underwriter's initial purchase commitment as indicated in the table above. This option may be exercised only if the underwriters sell more shares than the total number set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

No Sales of Similar Securities

We, our officers, directors and holders of all or substantially all our outstanding capital stock and other securities have agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to directly or indirectly:

This restriction terminates after the close of trading of the common stock on and including the 180th day after the date of this prospectus.

Jefferies LLC and Piper Jaffray & Co. may, in their discretion and at any time or from time to time before the termination of the 180-day period, release all or any portion of the securities subject to lock-up agreements. There are no existing agreements between the underwriters and any of our stockholders who will execute a lock-up agreement, providing consent to the sale of shares prior to the expiration of the lock-up period.

The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to issuances of common stock or grants of stock options, restricted stock or other incentive compensation pursuant to the terms of certain stock plans or arrangements described herein.

Stabilization

The underwriters have advised us that, pursuant to Regulation M under the Exchange Act, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in short sale transactions, stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions or the imposition of penalty bids in connection with this offering. These activities may have the effect of stabilizing or maintaining the market price of the common stock at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Establishing short sales positions may involve either "covered" short sales or "naked" short sales.

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"Covered" short sales are sales made in an amount not greater than the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in this offering. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares or purchasing shares of our common stock in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares.

"Naked" short sales are sales in excess of the option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares 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 shares of our common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

A stabilizing bid is a bid for the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the common stock. A syndicate covering transaction is the bid for or the purchase of shares of common stock on behalf of the underwriters to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriters in connection with the offering. Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriter's purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. A penalty bid is an arrangement permitting the underwriters to reclaim the selling concession otherwise accruing to a syndicate member in connection with the offering if the common stock originally sold by such syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction and therefore have not been effectively placed by such syndicate member.

Neither we nor any of the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. The underwriters are not obligated to engage in these activities and, if commenced, any of the activities may be discontinued at any time.

Electronic Distribution

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available by e-mail or on the web sites or through online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters or their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of shares of common stock for sale to 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' web sites and any information contained in any other web site maintained by any of the underwriters 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.

Other Activities and Relationships

The underwriters and certain of their affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and certain of their affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.

In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and certain of their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative

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securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the underwriters or their respective affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the common stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the common stock offered hereby. The underwriters and certain of their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Selling Restrictions

Australia

This prospectus is not a disclosure document for the purposes of Australia's Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) of Australia, or Corporations Act, has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission and is only directed to the categories of exempt persons set out below. Accordingly, if you receive this prospectus in Australia:

You confirm and warrant that you are either:

To the extent that you are unable to confirm or warrant that you are an exempt sophisticated investor or professional investor under the Corporations Act any offer made to you under this prospectus is void and incapable of acceptance.

You warrant and agree that you will not offer any of the shares issued to you pursuant to this prospectus for resale in Australia within 12 months of those shares being issued unless any such resale offer is exempt from the requirement to issue a disclosure document under section 708 of the Corporations Act.

Canada

The distribution of shares in Canada is being made only in the provinces of Ontario, Québec, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of these securities are made. Any resale of the shares in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the securities.

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By purchasing shares in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:

Canadian purchasers are hereby notified that certain of the underwriters are relying on the exemption set out in section 3A.3 or 3A.4, if applicable, of National Instrument 33-105—Underwriting Conflicts from having to provide certain conflict of interest disclosure in this document.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the offering memorandum (including any amendment thereto) such as this document 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 of these securities in Canada 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.

All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.

Canadian purchasers of shares should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the shares in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the shares for investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.

European Economic Area

In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive, each referred to herein as a Relevant Member State, with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State, referred to herein as the Relevant Implementation Date, no offer of any securities which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus has been or will be made to the public in that Relevant Member State other than any offer where a prospectus has been or will be published in relation to such securities that has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the relevant competent authority in that Relevant Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, an offer of such securities may be made to the public in that Relevant Member State:

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provided that no such offer of securities shall require us or any of the underwriters to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer to the public" in relation to any securities 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 securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the securities, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State and the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression "2010 PD Amending Directive" means Directive 2010/73/EU.

Hong Kong

No securities have been offered or sold, and no securities may be offered or sold, in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than to persons whose ordinary business is to buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent; or to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" as defined in the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32) of Hong Kong. No document, invitation or advertisement relating to the securities has been issued or 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 of Hong Kong (except if permitted under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance.

This prospectus has not been registered with the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong. Accordingly, this prospectus may not be issued, circulated or distributed in Hong Kong, and the securities may not be offered for subscription to members of the public in Hong Kong. Each person acquiring the securities will be required, and is deemed by the acquisition of the securities, to confirm that he is aware of the restriction on offers of the securities described in this prospectus and the relevant offering documents and that he is not acquiring, and has not been offered any securities in circumstances that contravene any such restrictions.

Israel

This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In Israel, this prospectus is being distributed only to, and any offer of the shares of our common stock is directed only at investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and "qualified individuals," each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case, purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the

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Addendum). Qualified investors are required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum.

Japan

The offering has not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948 of Japan, as amended), or FIEL, and the Initial Purchaser will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means, unless otherwise provided herein, any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEL and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

Singapore

This prospectus has not been and will not be lodged or registered with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or the invitation for subscription or purchase of the securities may not be issued, circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to the public or any member of the public 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 as defined under Section 275(2), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, 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.

Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries' rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the Offer Shares under Section 275 of the SFA except:

Switzerland

The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This prospectus has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland.

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Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither this prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to us, the offering, or the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this prospectus will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, or FINMA, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.

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, as amended, referred to herein as the Order, and/or (2) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated. Each such person is referred to herein 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.

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Hogan Lovells US LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Certain legal matters relating to this offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Cooley LLP, New York, New York.


EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of OptiNose, Inc. at December 31, 2015 and 2016, and for the years then ended, appearing in this Prospectus and Registration Statement have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon appearing elsewhere herein, and are included in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1, including exhibits and schedules, under the Securities Act, with respect to the shares of our common stock being offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information in the registration statement and its exhibits. For further information with respect to us and the common stock offered by this prospectus, we refer you to the registration statement and its exhibits. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or any other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and in each instance, we refer you to the copy of the contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. Each of these statements is qualified in all respects by this reference.

You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference facilities at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may also obtain copies of these documents at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference facilities. You may also request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing us at OptiNose, Inc., 1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300, Yardley, PA 19067, or by calling (267) 364-3500.

Upon the closing of this offering, we will be subject to the information reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and we will file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These reports, proxy statements and other information will be available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and web site of the SEC referred to above. We also maintain a website at www.optinose.com, at which, following the closing of this offering, you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

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OptiNose, Inc.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 
  Page

Audited Consolidated Financial Statements

   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

  F-2

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2015 and 2016

  F-3

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

  F-4

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

  F-5

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Deficit for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

  F-6

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

  F-7

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

  F-8

Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

 
 

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017

  F-31

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

  F-32

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

  F-33

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity for the six months ended June 30, 2017

  F-34

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

  F-35

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

  F-36

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders of OptiNose, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of OptiNose, Inc. as of December 31, 2015 and 2016, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' deficit, and cash flows for the years then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, 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. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of OptiNose, Inc. at December 31, 2015 and 2016, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

June 23, 2017, except
for Note 14(c),
as to which the date is
September 18, 2017, and
for Note 14(d), as to which
the date is October 10, 2017

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
As of December 2015 and 2016
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Assets

             

Current assets:

             

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 15,198   $ 36,797  

Grants and other receivables

    448     384  

Deposits and other current assets

    171     3,494  

Total current assets

    15,817     40,675  

Property and equipment, net

    191     323  

Deposits and other assets — long-term

    1     553  

Total assets

  $ 16,009   $ 41,551  

Liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' deficit

             

Current liabilities:

             

Accounts payable

  $ 3,506   $ 3,369  

Accrued expenses

    3,646     2,541  

Deferred other income

    41      

Total current liabilities

    7,193     5,910  

Convertible notes payable, net

    14,480     15,256  

Accrued interest

    669     3,409  

Total liabilities

    22,342     24,575  

Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)

             

Redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value:

   
 
   
 
 

Series A, 285,480 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2016 (liquidation value of $5,381 at December 31, 2016)

    5,381     5,381  

Series B-1, 35,680 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2016 (liquidation value of $673 at December 31, 2016)

    673     673  

Series B-2, 782,600 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2016 (liquidation value of $14,760 at December 31, 2016)

    14,760     14,760  

Series C, 4,115,344 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2016 (liquidation value of $106,724 at December 31, 2016)

    96,168     105,738  

Series C-1, 1,656,410 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2016 (liquidation value of $41,843 at December 31, 2016)

    38,077     41,621  

Total redeemable convertible preferred stock

    155,059     168,173  

Stockholders' deficit:

             

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 10,624,486 shares authorized; 4,049,668 and 4,067,717 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively

    4     4  

Additional paid-in capital

         

Accumulated deficit

    (161,255 )   (151,102 )

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

    (141 )   (99 )

Total stockholders' deficit

    (161,392 )   (151,197 )

Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' deficit

  $ 16,009   $ 41,551  

   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 
  Years Ended December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Licensing revenues

  $ 85   $ 47,500  

Operating expenses:

             

Research and development

    22,156     15,311  

Selling, general and administrative

    6,006     6,869  

Total operating expenses

    28,162     22,180  

(Loss) income from operations

    (28,077 )   25,320  

Other (income) expense:

             

Grant and other income

    (643 )   (727 )

Interest income

    (28 )   (143 )

Interest expense

    819     3,517  

Foreign currency losses

    89     60  

Net (loss) income

    (28,314 )   22,613  

Deemed dividend

    9,992     11,005  

Accretion to redemption value

    2,069     2,109  

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders

  $ (40,375 ) $ 9,499  

Net (loss) income per share of common stock,

             

basic

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.40  

diluted

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.32  

Weighted average common shares outstanding,

             

basic

    4,049,668     4,054,316  

diluted

    4,049,668     4,980,181  

Pro forma net income per share of common stock,

             

basic (unaudited)

        $ 0.95  

diluted (unaudited)

        $ 0.91  

Pro forma weighted average common shares outstanding,

             

basic (unaudited)

          23,910,088  

diluted (unaudited)

          24,835,953  

   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and Loss
For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016
(in thousands)

 
  Years Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2015   2016  

Net (loss) income

  $ (28,314 ) $ 22,613  

Other comprehensive (loss) income:

             

Foreign currency translation adjustment

    (13 )   42  

Comprehensive (loss) income

  $ (28,327 ) $ 22,655  

   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Deficit
For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016
(in thousands, except share data)

 
   
   
   
  Stockholders' Deficit  
 
  Redeemable
Convertible Preferred
Stock
   
 
 
   
  Common Stock    
   
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
   
 
 
   
  Additional
Paid-in
Capital
  Accumulated
Deficit
  Total
Stockholders'
Deficit
 
 
  Shares   Amount    
  Shares   Amount  
 
   
 

Balance at January 1, 2015

    6,638,885   $ 138,160         4,049,668   $ 4   $   $ (121,468 ) $ (128 ) $ (121,592 )

Stock compensation expense

                        588             588  

Sale of Series C-1 preferred stock

    236,629     4,838                              

Accretion of Series C & Series C-1 preferred stock to redemption value

        2,069                 (588 )   (1,481 )       (2,069 )

Accretion of Series C & Series C-1 preferred stock in lieu of 8% dividend

        9,992                     (9,992 )       (9,992 )

Foreign currency translation adjustment

                                (13 )   (13 )

Net loss

                            (28,314 )       (28,314 )

Balance at December 31, 2015

    6,875,514     155,059         4,049,668     4         (161,255 )   (141 )   (161,392 )

Stock compensation expense

   
   
       
   
   
599
   
   
   
599
 

Exercise of common stock options

                18,049         55             55  

Accretion of Series C & Series C-1 preferred stock to redemption value

        2,109                 (654 )   (1,455 )       (2,109 )

Accretion of Series C & Series C-1 preferred stock in lieu of 8% dividend

        11,005                     (11,005 )       (11,005 )

Foreign currency translation adjustment

                                  42     42  

Net income

                            22,613         22,613  

Balance at December 31, 2016

    6,875,514   $ 168,173         4,067,717   $ 4   $   $ (151,102 ) $ (99 ) $ (151,197 )

   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016
(in thousands)

 
  Years Ended
December 31,
 
 
  2015   2016  

Operating activities:

             

Net (loss) income

  $ (28,314 ) $ 22,613  

Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:

             

Depreciation

    75     83  

Stock-based compensation

    588     599  

Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs

    195     776  

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

             

Grants and other receivables

    144     65  

Deposits and other assets

    1,504     (3,888 )

Accounts payable

    450     (130 )

Accrued expenses

    (3,814 )   (1,097 )

Accrued interest

    669     2,740  

Deferred other income

    (211 )   (41 )

Cash (used in) provided by operating activities

    (28,714 )   21,720  

Investing activities:

             

Purchases of property and equipment

    (80 )   (215 )

Cash used in investing activities

    (80 )   (215 )

Financing activities:

             

Proceeds from the sale of Series C-1 preferred stock

    5,000      

Cash paid for issuance costs of Series C-1 preferred stock

    (162 )    

Proceeds from the exercise of stock options

        55  

Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes payable, net

    14,285      

Cash provided by financing activities

    19,123     55  

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

    (14 )   39  

Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents

    (9,685 )   21,599  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year

    24,883     15,198  

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

  $ 15,198   $ 36,797  

Supplemental disclosure of noncash financing activities:

             

Deemed dividend

  $ 9,992   $ 11,005  

Accretion to redemption value

  $ 2,069   $ 2,109  

   

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

1. Organization and Description of Business

OptiNose, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in Delaware in May 2010 (inception) and its facilities are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania, Oslo, Norway and Swindon, England. The Company's predecessor entity OptiNose AS was formed under the laws of Norway in September 2000. In 2010, OptiNose AS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company as part of an internal reorganization.

The Company is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products for patients treated by ear, nose and throat (ENT) and allergy specialists. The Company's lead product candidate, XHANCE, is a therapeutic utilizing our proprietary Breath Powered exhalation delivery system (EDS) that delivers a topically-acting and potent anti-inflammatory corticosteroid for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps. The Company's new drug application (NDA) for XHANCE was accepted for filing and review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2017.

2. Liquidity

Since inception, the Company's operations have focused on organization and staffing, business planning, raising capital, establishing an intellectual property portfolio and conducting pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. The Company has not generated any revenue from product sales. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $36,797. In addition, in March 2017 through May 2017, the Company completed the sale of 1,117,578 shares of Series D preferred stock at a per share purchase price of $32.85, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of $36,712 (Note 14). The Company will need to secure additional funding in the future, from one or more equity or debt financings, collaborations, or other sources, in order to carry out all of the Company's planned development and commercialization activities. If additional funding is not secured when required, the Company may need to delay or curtail its operations until such funding is received. The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to other life sciences companies, including, but not limited to, successful development and commercialization of its drug candidates, raising additional capital, the development of new technological innovations by its competitors, protection of proprietary technology and market acceptance of the Company's products.

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States (US) generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) and Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

Principles of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of OptiNose, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, OptiNose US, Inc., OptiNose AS and OptiNose UK Ltd. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

of expenses during the reporting period. Due to the uncertainty of factors surrounding the estimates or judgments used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements, actual results may materially vary from these estimates. Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed and the effects of revisions are reflected in the consolidated financial statements in the period they are determined to be necessary.

Cash and cash equivalents

All highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity date of three months or less at the date of purchase are considered to be cash equivalents. The Company generally invests its cash in deposits with high credit quality financial institutions. Additionally, the Company performs periodic evaluations of the relative credit standing of these financial institutions.

The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalent balances at foreign and domestic financial institutions. Bank deposits with Norwegian banks are insured up to approximately 2,000 Norwegian krone by the Norwegian Banks' Guaranty Fund. Bank deposits with US banks are insured up to $250 by the Federal Deposits Insurance Corporation. The Company had uninsured cash balances of $14,254 and $35,866 at December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Fair value of financial instruments

The Company measures certain assets and liabilities at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (the exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The FASB accounting guidance outlines a valuation framework and creates a fair value hierarchy in order to increase the consistency and comparability of fair value measurements and the related disclosures. In determining fair value, the Company uses quoted prices and observable inputs. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from independent sources. The fair value hierarchy is broken down into three levels based on the source of the inputs as follows:

At December 31, 2015 and 2016, the Company's financial instruments included cash and cash equivalents, grants receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses. The carrying amounts reported in the Company's financial statements for these instruments approximates their respective fair values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. At December 31, 2015 and 2016, there were no financial assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

The Company's financial instruments also included convertible debt at December 31, 2015 and 2016 (Note 8).

Property and equipment

Property and equipment is recorded at cost. Significant additions or improvements are capitalized, and expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. Gains and losses on disposal

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

of assets are included in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets.

The estimated useful lives of equipment are as follows:

Computer equipment

  3 years

Software

  3 years

Machinery & production equipment

  5 - 10 years

Furniture & fixtures

  3 - 5 years

Leasehold improvements

  Shorter of lease term or useful life

Long lived assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net cash flows expected to be generated. Impairment charges are recognized at the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or the fair value less costs to sell. The Company has not recognized any impairment or disposition of long-lived assets.

Deposits and other assets

Deposits and other current assets consist primarily of payments made in advance to outsourced mold development manufacturers and equipment suppliers, as well as a receivable due from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) related to a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) New Drug Application (NDA) fee that was refunded to the Company in March 2017.

Throughout 2016, the Company made upfront payments to outsourced mold development manufacturers and equipment suppliers for molds and equipment that are expected to be used for commercial production of XHANCE, should FDA approval be obtained for the product candidate. The Company expects to take delivery of this equipment at various points in 2017. For equipment received prior to FDA approval, the Company expects to record the equipment as a component of research and development expense if there is no alternative future use of the equipment without FDA approval, and accordingly, deposits made through December 31, 2016 for which there is currently not an alternative future use have been recorded as short term deposits. Conversely, deposits on equipment that were determined to have an alternative future use will be capitalized as fixed assets when received and therefore are classified in long-term deposits at December 31, 2016.

Convertible debt

The Company analyzes its convertible debt instruments for embedded derivatives that may require bifurcation from the host and accounted for as derivatives. At the inception of each instrument, the Company performs an analysis of the embedded features requiring bifurcation and may elect, if eligible, to account for the entire debt instrument at fair value. If elected, any changes in fair value are recognized in the accompanying statements of operations and comprehensive loss until the instrument is settled. The Company has not elected to account for its convertible debt at fair value.

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Revenue recognition

The Company's revenues are generated primarily through licensing arrangements, which generally contain multiple elements, or deliverables, including licenses and research and development activities to be performed by the Company on behalf of the licensee. Revenues are recognized when (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, (3) the price is fixed or determinable and (4) collectability is reasonably assured.

Currently the Company's revenues are generated pursuant to the terms of a single license agreement (the AVP-825 License Agreement) with Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Avanir) (Note 7). The AVP-825 License Agreement includes licensed rights to patented technology, non-refundable up-front license fees, research services, and regulatory and sales milestones as well as royalty payments.

For arrangements with multiple elements, the Company recognizes revenue in accordance with the FASB ASU No. 2009-13, Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements, which provides guidance for separating and allocating consideration in a multiple element arrangement. The selling prices of deliverables under an arrangement may be derived using third-party evidence (TPE), or a best estimate of selling price (BESP), if vendor-specific objective evidence of selling price (VSOE) is not available. The objective of BESP is to determine the price at which the Company would transact a sale if the element within the License Agreement was sold on a standalone basis. Deliverables under the arrangement are separate units of accounting if (i) the delivered item has value to the customer on a standalone basis and (ii) if the arrangement includes a general right of return relative to the delivered item, and delivery or performance of the undelivered item is considered probable and substantially within the Company's control. The arrangement consideration that is fixed or determinable at the inception of the arrangement is allocated to the separate units of accounting based on their relative selling prices. The appropriate revenue recognition model is applied to each element and revenue is accordingly recognized as each element is delivered. Management exercises significant judgment in determining whether a deliverable is a separate unit of accounting.

In determining the separate units of accounting for the Company's collaborations, the Company evaluated whether the AVP-825 License Agreement has standalone value to the collaborator based on consideration of the relevant facts and circumstances for each arrangement. Factors considered in this determination include the research and development capabilities of the collaborator and the availability of relevant research expertise in the marketplace. In addition, the Company considers whether or not (i) the collaborator could use the license for its intended purpose without the receipt of the remaining deliverables, (ii) the value of the license was dependent on the undelivered items and (iii) the collaborator or other vendors could provide the undelivered items.

Whenever the Company determines that an element is delivered over a period of time, revenue is recognized using either a proportional performance model, if a pattern of performance can be determined, or a straight-line model over the period of performance, which is typically the research and development term.

Development milestones may be triggered either by the results of the Company's research efforts or by events external to it, such as regulatory approval to market a product. Consideration that is contingent upon achievement of a development milestone is recognized in its entirety as revenue in the period in which the

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

milestone is achieved, but only if the consideration earned from the achievement of a milestone meets all the criteria for the milestone to be considered substantive at the inception of the arrangement. For a milestone to be considered substantive, the consideration earned by achieving the milestone must (i) be commensurate with either the Company's performance to achieve the milestone or the enhancement of the value of the item delivered as a result of a specific outcome resulting from the Company's performance to achieve the milestone, (ii) relate solely to past performance and (iii) be reasonable relative to all deliverables and payment terms in the AVP-825 License Agreement. As of December 31, 2016, all development milestones have been achieved.

Royalties and sales milestones are recorded as earned in accordance with the contract terms when third party sales can be reliably measured and collectability is reasonably assured.

Grant income

Government grants are agreements that provide cost reimbursement for certain research and development activities over a contractually defined period. Income from government grants is recognized in the period in which related costs are incurred, provided that the conditions under which government grants were provided have been met and only perfunctory obligations are outstanding. Grant income received in excess of costs incurred is recognized as deferred other income.

Research and development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs consist primarily of device development, clinical trial related costs, and regulatory related costs. The Company enters into agreements with contract research organizations (CROs) to facilitate, coordinate and perform agreed upon research and development activities for the Company's clinical trials. These CRO contracts typically call for the payment of fees for services at the initiation of the contract and/or upon the achievement of certain clinical trial milestones. The Company prepays certain CRO fees whereby the prepayments are recorded as a current or non-current prepaid asset and are amortized into research and development expense over the period of time the contracted research and development services were performed. The Company's CRO contracts generally also included other fees such as project management and pass through fees whereby the Company expenses these costs as incurred, using the Company's best estimate. Pass through fees include, but are not limited to, regulatory expenses, investigator fees, travel costs, and other miscellaneous costs. Pass through fees incurred are based on the amount of work completed for the clinical trials and are monitored through reporting provided by the Company's CROs.

Stock-based compensation

The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all stock options awarded to employees and nonemployees based on the estimated fair value of the awards on the respective grant dates. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value its stock option awards. The Company recognized compensation expense for time-based awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the award. The Company recognized compensation expense for performance based awards when the performance condition is probable of achievement. Stock-based awards issued to nonemployees are revalued at each reporting period until the award vests. The Company accounts for forfeitures of stock option awards as they occur.

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Estimating the fair value of options requires the input of subjective assumptions, including the estimated fair value of the Company's common stock, the expected life of the options, stock price volatility, the risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The assumptions used in the Company's Black-Scholes option-pricing model represent management's best estimates and involve a number of variables, uncertainties and assumptions and the application of management's judgment, as they are inherently subjective.

Dividends

Dividends on redeemable convertible preferred stock are accreted through a charge to additional paid-in-capital, if available, or to retained earnings (accumulated deficit).

Income taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of the Company's assets and liabilities and the expected benefits of net operating loss carryforwards. The impact of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred taxes, if any, applied during the period in which temporary differences are expected to be settled, is reflected in the Company's financial statements in the period of enactment. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, if, based on weight of the evidence, it is more likely than not that some, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of December 31, 2015 and 2016, the Company has concluded that a full valuation allowance is necessary for all of its net deferred tax assets. The Company had no amounts recorded for uncertain tax positions, interest or penalties in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Net income (loss) per common share

For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company used the two-class method to compute net income (loss) per common share because the Company has issued securities (redeemable convertible preferred stock) that entitle the holder to participate in dividends and earnings of the Company. Under this method, net income is reduced by any dividends earned and the accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to its redemption value during the period. The remaining earnings (undistributed earnings) are allocated to common stock and each series of redeemable convertible preferred stock to the extent that each preferred security may share in earnings as if all of the earnings for the period had been distributed. The total earnings allocated to common stock is then divided by the number of outstanding shares to which the earnings are allocated to determine the earnings per share. The two-class method is not applicable during periods with a net loss, as the holders of the redeemable convertible preferred stock have no obligation to fund losses.

Diluted net income (loss) per common share is computed under the two-class method by using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding, plus, for periods with net income attributable to common stockholders, the potential dilutive effects of stock options, warrants, and convertible debt. In addition, the Company analyzes the potential dilutive effect of the outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock and convertible debt under the "if-converted" method when calculating diluted earnings per share, in which it is assumed that the outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock or convertible debt converts into common stock at the beginning of the period or when

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

issued if later. The Company reports the more dilutive of the approaches (two class or "if-converted") as their diluted net income per share during the period.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, in which the Company reported a net loss, there was no dilutive effect under either the two-class or "if-converted" method. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company presented diluted net income per common share using the two-class method, which was more dilutive than the "if-converted" method.

Automatically upon the closing of a qualified initial public offering, all of the Company's outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock will convert into common stock. In the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock has been prepared to give effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock as if this proposed initial public offering had occurred on the later of the beginning of the reporting period or the issuance date of the redeemable convertible preferred stock. Accordingly, the unaudited pro forma net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders used in the calculation of unaudited basic and diluted pro forma net income (loss) per share of common stock excludes the effects of accretion on convertible preferred stock.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share for the periods indicated:


 
  Years Ended December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Basic net (loss) income per common share calculation:

             

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders

  $ (40,375 ) $ 9,499  

Less: undistributed earnings to participating securities

        (7,884 )

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders — basic

    (40,375 )   1,615  

Weighted average common shares outstanding — basic

    4,049,668     4,054,316  

Net (loss) income per share of common stock — basic

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.40  

Diluted net (loss) income per common share calculation:

             

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders

  $ (40,375 ) $ 9,499  

Less: undistributed earnings to participating securities

        (7,884 )

Net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders — diluted

    (40,375 )   1,615  

Weighted average common shares outstanding — basic

    4,049,668     4,054,316  

Stock options

        925,865  

Weighted average common shares outstanding — diluted

    4,049,668     4,980,181  

Net (loss) income per share of common stock — diluted

  $ (9.97 ) $ 0.32  

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Diluted net income (loss) per common share for the years presented do not reflect the following potential common shares, as the effect would be antidilutive:


 
  Years Ended December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Stock options

    3,413,178     2,346,073  

Common stock warrants

    1,890,489     1,890,489  

Convertible preferred stock

    19,855,772     19,855,772  

Convertible debt

    1,888,484     1,917,522  

Total

    27,047,923     26,009,856  

Foreign currency translation and transactions

Operations in non-US entities are recorded in the functional currency of each entity. For financial reporting purposes, the functional currency of an entity is determined by a review of the source of an entity's most predominant cash flows. The results of operations for any non-US dollar functional currency entities are translated from functional currencies into US dollars using the average currency rate during each month. Assets and liabilities are translated using currency rates at the end of the period. Adjustments resulting from translating the financial statements of our foreign entities that use their local currency as the functional currency into US dollars are reflected as a component of other comprehensive income (loss).

Foreign currency transaction losses resulting from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency totaled $89 and $60 in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Segment information

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company globally manages its business within one reportable segment. Segment information is consistent with how management reviews the business, makes investing and resource allocation decisions and assesses operating performance. At December 31, 2015 and 2016, all of the Company's revenues were derived from the AVP-825 License Agreement with Avanir, which was entered into by the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, OptiNose AS. Long-lived assets located outside of the United States were de minimis as of December 31, 2015 and 2016.

Recent accounting pronouncements

On March 30, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is applicable to public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those years. The Company early adopted this guidance effective December 31, 2016, and there was no material impact on its results of operations, financial positions, or cash flows.

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The FASB issued the update to require the recognition of lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet of lessees. The standard will be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within such fiscal years. The ASU requires a modified retrospective transition method with the option to elect a package of practical expedients. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the adoption of this standard on its results of operations, financial position and cash flows and related disclosures.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. The new guidance simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. ASU 2015-17 applies to all entities that present a classified statement of financial position. The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by this ASU. For public entities, ASU 2015-17 is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with earlier application permitted. The Company early adopted this guidance effective December 31, 2016, and there was no impact on the Company's financial position.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest — Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. This newly issued accounting standard requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. Retrospective application is required. The amendments in this standard are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted this guidance effective December 31, 2016, and accordingly, all deferred issuance costs are reflected as a reduction of the outstanding debt balances as of December 31, 2015 and 2016 in the consolidated balance sheets.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. The amendments in this update require a company's management to assess an entity's ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. The new standard is effective in the first annual period ending after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted. The Company adopted this guidance during 2016 and there was no impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which will replace numerous requirements in US GAAP, including industry-specific requirements. This guidance provides a five step model to be applied to all contracts with customers, with an underlying principle that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. This statement requires extensive quantitative and qualitative disclosures covering the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including disclosures on significant judgments made when applying the guidance. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within that reporting period. An entity can elect to apply the

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

guidance under one of the following two methods: (i) retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented — referred to as the full retrospective method or (ii) retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard recognized at the date of initial application in retained earnings — referred to as the modified retrospective method.

The Company has not yet completed its final review of the impact of this guidance including the new disclosure requirements, as it is continuing to evaluate the impacts of adoption and the implementation approach to be used. The Company plans to adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2018. The Company continues to monitor additional changes, modifications, clarifications or interpretations being undertaken by the FASB, which may impact its current conclusions.

4. Deposits and Other Assets

Deposits and other assets consisted of the following:


 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Short-term

             

Receivable due from the FDA

  $   $ 2,038  

Deposits on equipment

        1,201  

Other

    171     255  

Total short-term deposits and other assets

    171     3,494  

Long-term

   
 
   
 
 

Deposits on equipment

  $   $ 499  

Other

    1     54  

Total long-term deposits and other assets

    1     553  

  $ 172   $ 4,047  

5. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment, net, consisted of:


 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Computer equipment and software

  $ 208   $ 293  

Furniture and fixtures

    72     121  

Machinery and equipment

    203     255  

Leasehold improvements

        28  

    483     697  

Less: accumulated depreciation

    (292 )   (374 )

  $ 191   $ 323  

Depreciation expense was $75 and $83 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

6. Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses consisted of:


 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Research and development expenses

  $ 3,352   $ 736  

Selling, general and administrative expenses

    221     290  

Bonus expense

        1,390  

Other

    73     125  

  $ 3,646   $ 2,541  

7. AVP-825 License Agreement

In July 2013, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, OptiNose AS, entered into the AVP-825 License Agreement with Avanir for the exclusive right to sell AVP-825 (now marketed as Onzetra® Xsail®), a product combining a low-dose powder form of sumatriptan with the Company's technology platform, for the acute treatment of migraines in adults and any follow-on products under development that consist of a formulation that contains triptans as the sole active ingredient. Through December 31, 2016, under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement, the Company received aggregate cash payments of $70,000 upon the achievement of certain development milestones. Under the terms of the License Agreement, the Company is eligible to receive up to $50,000 upon the achievement of sales milestones as well as tiered low double-digit royalty payments on net sales in the US, Canada and Mexico after such cumulative sales exceed a specified threshold.

The Company determined that there were two deliverables under the AVP-825 License Agreement: (i) the license which was delivered in July 2013 and (ii) its obligation to provide certain research and development services in execution of the development plan and to share equally in certain qualified third party development costs through FDA approval. The Company concluded that the license had standalone value to Avanir and was separable from the research and development services, given Avanir has significant research capabilities in the field.

As a result, the license and research services qualify as separate units of accounting and the value of the license and the value of the research services were separately valued based upon the estimated selling price of each deliverable. The value attributable to the license was recognized up-front upon delivery of the license and the values attributable to the research services were deferred and recognized over the period in which the related services were to be delivered based upon a percentage of costs incurred in each respective reporting period. The estimated selling price of each deliverable was determined using the BESP. The BESP reflects the Company's best estimate of what the selling price would be if the deliverable was regularly sold on a stand-alone basis.

In conjunction with the AVP-825 License Agreement, the Company recognized $85 and $47,500 as licensing revenue for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The $47,500 of license

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

7. AVP-825 License Agreement (Continued)

revenues in 2016 related to the FDA approval milestone, which was achieved in January 2016 and was received in cash in February 2016.

8. Convertible Notes

At December 31, 2015 and 2016, the Company's convertible notes payable, net, balance was as follows:


 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Face amount

  $ 15,000   $ 15,000  

Front end fees

    (375 )   (75 )

Debt issuance costs

    (220 )   (44 )

Back end fees

    75     375  

Convertible notes payable, net

  $ 14,480   $ 15,256  

On September 30, 2015, the Company entered into a Senior Secured Convertible Note Purchase Agreement (Notes) with various existing shareholders. The Notes provided the Company with up to $30,000 in capital available in two separate tranches. The first tranche of $15,000 closed on September 30, 2015. The second tranche of up to $15,000 was available to the Company until March 30, 2017. The Notes bore an annual interest rate of 17% and were scheduled to mature on September 30, 2020. The Notes also bore front end fees of $450, which were paid at issuance, and back end fees of $450 plus interest that were to be paid at maturity. The Notes may be repaid at any time in $100 increments, did not contain any prepayment penalties and were secured by assets of OptiNose Inc. and OptiNose US, Inc. At the option of the majority purchaser of the Notes after March 30, 2017 or prior to March 30, 2017 if an event of default had occurred or was continuing under the Notes, all note principal along with any accrued interest and back end fees thereon, could be converted into Series C-2 shares of preferred stock at a conversion price based upon a Company valuation equal to the lower of fair market value and $300,000.

As of December 31, 2015, the fair value of the Notes approximated its carrying value given the proximity of the issuance date of the Notes to the year-end balance sheet date. As of December 31, 2016, the fair value of the Notes was $21,814, which was estimated based upon the as-converted value of the Notes as of December 31, 2016. The Company developed its own assumptions that did not have observable inputs or available market data to support the estimated fair value of its convertible notes. Due to the nature of these inputs, they were considered Level 3 fair value measurements.

The Company recorded $819 and $3,517 in interest expense during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively, in conjunction with the Notes. Total coupon interest on the Notes and back end fees was $669 and $2,740 during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The front end fees of $450 were recorded as debt discount at issuance and are being amortized to interest expense over the 18 month loan conversion period. During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, the Company recorded a total of $75 and $300 of interest expense related to the front end fees. Additionally,

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

8. Convertible Notes (Continued)

back end fees of $450 were also being amortized to interest expense over the 18 month loan conversion period of which $75 and $300 was recorded as interest expense and as an increase in the carrying amount of the Notes in the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively. The Company also incurred $265 in debt issuance costs during the year ended December 31, 2015, which were also being amortized to interest expense over the 18 month loan conversion period.

In connection with the Company's Series D financing in March 2017 (Note 14), the Notes and associated accrued interest and back fees thereon totaling $19,527 converted into 687,474 shares of Series C-2 Preferred Stock as a per share conversion price of approximately $28.40.

9. Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

The Company leases office space under three operating leases. In October 2016, the Company entered into new leases for its corporate headquarters in the US and its office in Norway. Rent expense is recognized as incurred.

The following is a schedule of future minimum annual payments at December 31, 2016 under non-cancelable operating lease agreements:


For the years ending December 31:

       

2017

  $ 657  

2018

    178  

2019

    15  

Total future minimum lease payments at December 31, 2016

  $ 850  

Rent expense under these operating leases was approximately $312 and $407 for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Employment agreements

The Company has entered into employment contracts with its officers and certain employees that provide for severance and continuation of benefits in the event of termination of employment by the Company without cause. In addition, in the event of termination of employment following a change in control, the vesting of certain equity awards may be accelerated.

Litigation

Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, penalties, and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. There are no matters currently outstanding.

Retirement plans

For U.S. employees, the Company maintains a defined contribution 401(k) retirement plan, which covers all employees. Employees are eligible on the first of the month following their date of hire. Under the

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

9. Commitments and Contingencies (Continued)

401(k) plan, participating employees may defer up to 100% of their pre-tax salary but not more than statutory limits. There is currently no employer matching of employee contributions and employee contributions vest immediately.

For Norway and UK employees, the Company maintains defined contribution pension plans which meet statutory requirements of those jurisdictions. The Company incurred costs of approximately $24 related to the pension plans in each of the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016.

10. Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

Redeemable convertible preferred stock (Preferred Stock) consisted of the following:


 
   
   
  Balance as of
December 31,
   
 
 
   
  Issued and
Outstanding
  Liquidation value at
December 31, 2016
 
Class
  Authorized   2015   2016  

Series A

    285,480     285,480   $ 5,381   $ 5,381   $ 5,381  

Series B-1

    35,680     35,680     673     673     673  

Series B-2

    782,600     782,600     14,760     14,760     14,760  

Series C

    4,115,344     4,115,344     96,168     105,738     106,724  

Series C-1

    1,656,410     1,656,410     38,077     41,621     41,843  

    6,875,514     6,875,514   $ 155,059   $ 168,173   $ 169,381  

In July 2015, the Company's existing investors and members of management purchased 236,629 Series C-1 shares for $21.13 per share for gross proceeds of $5,000. The Company paid a 3% funding fee upon receipt of the 2015 proceeds as well as certain issuance costs which totaled $162.

Certain provisions of the outstanding Preferred Stock are as follows:

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

10. Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock (Continued)

11. Stock-based Compensation

The Company issues stock-based awards pursuant to its 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the Plan). As of December 31, 2015 and 2016, 3,515,602 and 4,728,520 shares of the Company's common stock were authorized to be issued under the Plan, respectively. The amount, terms of grants, and exercisability provisions are determined and set by the Company's board of directors. The Company measures employee stock-based awards at grant-date fair value and records compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the award. Stock-based awards issued to nonemployees are revalued until the award vests. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense in the following expense categories of its accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016:


 
  2015   2016  

Research and development

  $ 354   $ 362  

Selling, general and administrative

    234     237  

  $ 588   $ 599  

The fair value of options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which takes into account inputs such as the exercise price, the value of the underlying common stock at the grant date, expected term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. There were no options granted

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

11. Stock-based Compensation (Continued)

during the year ended December 31, 2015. The fair value of each grant of options during the year ended December 31, 2016 was determined using the methods and assumptions discussed below.

For the year ended December 31, 2016, the grant date fair value of all option grants was estimated at the time of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model using the following weighted average assumptions:


Risk free interest rate

    2.22 %

Expected term (in years)

    6.08  

Expected volatility

    74.29 %

Annual dividend yield

    0.00 %

Fair value of common stock

  $ 5.14  

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

11. Stock-based Compensation (Continued)

Service-based stock options

Options issued under the Plan generally have a contractual life of up to 10 years and may be exercisable in cash or as otherwise determined by the board of directors. Vesting generally occurs over a period of not greater than four years. The following table summarizes the activity related to service-based stock option grants to employees and nonemployees for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016:


 
  Shares   Weighted
average
exercise price
per share
  Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
 

Balance at January 1, 2015

    1,223,371   $ 1.92     6.83  

Granted

                 

Exercised

                 

Forfeited

                 

Outstanding at December 31, 2015

    1,223,371     1.92     5.83  

Granted

    688,761     5.14        

Exercised

    (9,024 )   3.05        

Forfeited

    (9,025 )   3.05        

Outstanding at December 31, 2016

    1,894,083   $ 3.09     6.67  

Exercisable at December 31, 2016

    1,087,387   $ 1.78     4.57  

Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2016

    1,894,083   $ 3.09     6.67  

During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, stock based compensation expense includes $155 and $166, respectively, related to awards that vested during the period. As of December 31, 2016, the unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested service-based stock options expected to vest was $2,490. This unrecognized compensation will be recognized over an estimated weighted-average amortization period of 3.74 years. The total aggregate intrinsic value of service-based options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2016 was $20. The aggregate intrinsic value of service-based options outstanding and service-based options exercisable as of December 31, 2016 was $3,891 and $3,644, respectively. Service-based options granted during the year ended December 31, 2016 had grant date weighted average fair values of $3.42 per option.

Performance-based stock options

The Company has issued performance-based stock options under the Plan which generally have a ten-year life from the date of grant and may vest upon the achievement of certain milestones in connection with the Company's development programs. Additionally, the Company has issued options in excess of the fair market value of common shares on the issuance date that are only exercisable upon a change in control or upon or after an initial public offering. Compensation expense for performance-based stock options is only recognized when management determines it is probable that the awards will vest.

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

11. Stock-based Compensation (Continued)

The following table summarizes the activity related to performance-based stock option grants to employees and nonemployees for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016:


 
  Shares   Weighted
average
exercise price
per share
  Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
 

Balance at January 1, 2015

    2,189,809   $ 9.54     8.21  

Granted

                 

Exercised

                 

Forfeited

                 

Outstanding at December 31, 2015

    2,189,809     9.54     7.21  

Granted

    288,790     16.31        

Exercised

    (9,025 )   3.05        

Forfeited

    (297,814 )   15.91        

Outstanding at December 31, 2016

    2,171,760   $ 9.59     6.55  

Exercisable at December 31, 2016

    508,291   $ 1.96     4.97  

During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, stock based compensation expense includes $433 related to performance awards that either vested or were deemed probable of vesting during the period. As of December 31, 2016, there was $3,121 of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested performance-based stock options that will vest and be expensed when the occurrence of the performance condition is deemed probable. The total aggregate intrinsic value of performance-based options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2016 was $20. The aggregate intrinsic value of performance-based options outstanding and performance-based options exercisable as of December 31, 2016, was $3,238 and $1,619, respectively. Performance-based options granted during the year ended December 31, 2016 had grant date weighted average fair values of $2.29 per option.

Common stock warrants

The Company also has 1,890,489 common stock warrants outstanding with an exercise price of $8.16 per share that expire in 2020.

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

12. Income Taxes

Income (loss) before income tax expense was as follows:


 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Domestic operations

  $ (1,366 ) $ (4,967 )

Foreign operations

    (26,948 )   27,580  

Income (loss) before provision for income taxes

  $ (28,314 ) $ 22,613  

A reconciliation of income tax expense (benefit) at the statutory federal income tax rate and income taxes as reflected in the financial statements was as follows:


 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Income tax expense at statutory rate

    35.00 %   35.00 %

Permanent items

    (0.02 )   0.04  

Foreign rate differential

    (9.52 )   (12.24 )

State taxes, net of federal benefit

    0.31     (1.40 )

Increase (decrease) in tax reserves

         

Change in valuation allowance

    (25.77 )   (21.40 )

Effective income tax rate

    0.00 %   0.00 %

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

12. Income Taxes (Continued)

The principal components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:


 
  December 31,  
 
  2015   2016  

Deferred tax assets:

             

Accrued expenses and other

  $ 10   $ 539  

Interest expense

    149     677  

Stock compensation

    864     1,092  

Research and development

    2,183     2,183  

Net operating losses

    28,430     22,695  

Total deferred tax assets

    31,636     27,186  

Deferred tax liabilities:

   
 
   
 
 

Fixed assets

   
(8

)
 
(46

)

Total deferred tax liabilities

    (8 )   (46 )

Less: valuation allowance

   
(31,628

)
 
(27,140

)

Total net deferred tax assets (liabilities)

  $   $  

As of December 31, 2016, the Company had foreign net operating loss (NOL) carry forwards of $80,570 from its operations in Norway and the UK, which are available to reduce future foreign taxable income. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had US federal and state NOLs of $11,574. These domestic NOL carry forwards may become subject to an annual limitation in the event of certain cumulative changes in the ownership interest of significant stockholders over a three-year period in excess of 50%. This could limit the amount of NOLs that the Company can utilize annually to offset future domestic taxable income or tax liabilities, if any. The amount of the annual limitation, if any, will be determined based on the value of the Company immediately prior to the ownership change. Subsequent ownership changes may further affect the limitation in future years. These federal and state NOLs will begin to expire in 2030 through 2036.

ASC 740 requires a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred tax assets reported if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. After consideration of all the evidence, both positive and negative, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets at December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively, because the Company's management has determined that is it more likely than not that these assets will not be fully realized. The Company experienced a net change in valuation allowance of $4,488 for the year ended December 31, 2016.

At December 31, 2016, no provision has been made for US federal and state income taxes of foreign earnings due to the history of foreign losses. However, the Company expects that the future earnings, if

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

12. Income Taxes (Continued)

any, of its foreign subsidiaries will be reinvested indefinitely. Upon becoming profitable, if ever, distribution of these earnings, in the form of dividends or otherwise, may result in the Company falling subject to US income taxes and foreign withholding taxes. The determination of the amount of unrecognized deferred US income tax and foreign withholding tax liabilities on these future earnings, if any, is not practicable because of the complexities with the hypothetical calculations.

The Company files income tax returns in Norway, the UK, the US, and various states within the US. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to examination by federal, state and foreign jurisdictions, where applicable. The Company's tax years in the US are still open under statute from inception to present. All open years may be examined to the extent that tax credit or net operating loss carryforwards are used in future periods.

The Company's policy is to record interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2015 and 2016, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions and no amounts have been recognized in the Company's statement of operations.

13. Related-party transactions

Convertible debt

All of the Company's convertible debt (see Note 8) is held by the Company's holders of convertible Preferred Stock.

14. Subsequent Events

(a)

In March 2017, the Company was refunded $2,038 from the FDA, which was recorded as a receivable within deposits and other current assets as of December 31, 2016.

(b)

In March through May 2017, the Company completed the sale of 1,117,578 shares of Series D Preferred Stock at a per share purchase price of $32.85, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of $36,712 (the Series D Financing). In connection with the Series D Financing, the Company's existing convertible notes and associated accrued interest and back end fees thereon totaling $19,527 converted into 687,474 shares of Series C-2 Preferred Stock at a per share conversion price of approximately $28.40.

Certain provisions of the Series D Preferred Stock are as follows:

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

14. Subsequent Events (Continued)

The key provisions of the Series C-2 Preferred Stock are as follows:

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

14. Subsequent Events (Continued)

In conjunction with the Series D financing, the number of authorized shares of common stock was increased from 10,624,486 to 13,067,149 and the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock was increased from 6,875,514 to 8,932,851, of which 1,369,863 shares were designated as Series D shares and 687,474 shares were designated as Series C-2 shares. Also, the redemption date for all classes of the Company's Preferred Stock was extended to March 24, 2020 and the terms upon which all classes of Preferred Stock would mandatorily convert into common stock in connection with an underwritten public offering were revised to align with the terms of the Series C-2 Preferred Stock.

(c)

On September 18, 2017, the FDA approved the Company's NDA for XHANCE (fluticasone propionate) nasal spray for the treatment of nasal polyps in patients 18 years of age or older.

(d)

On September 29, 2017, the Company's board of directors approved an amendment to the Company's Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to (i) increase the number of authorized shares of the Company's common stock from 13,067,149 shares to 50,000,000, and (ii) effectuate a 2.8879-for-1 reclassification, or stock split, of the Company's common stock, to be effected prior to the effectiveness of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 in connection with its initial public offering (IPO). The stock split was effected on October 10, 2017. All share and per share amounts in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to the stock split.

On September 19, 2017, the Company's board of directors adopted, and, on October 2, 2017, the Company's stockholders approved, the Amended and Restated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan (A&R Plan), which will become effective on the effective date of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 with respect to its IPO. The A&R Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, performance shares, stock appreciation rights and other equity-based awards. The Company's employees, officers, directors and other persons are eligible to receive awards under the A&R Plan.

On September 19, 2017, the Company's board of directors adopted, and, on October 2, 2017, the Company's stockholders approved, the 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective on the effective date of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 with respect to its IPO.

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 
  December 31,
2016
  June 30,
2017
  Pro Forma
June 30,
2017
 
 
   
  (unaudited)
  (unaudited)
 

Assets

                   

Current assets:

                   

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 36,797   $ 58,887   $ 58,887  

Grants and other receivables

    384     219     219  

Deposits and other current assets

    3,494     1,808     1,808  

Total current assets

    40,675     60,914     60,914  

Property and equipment, net

    323     1,142     1,142  

Deferred offering costs

        1,567     1,567  

Deposits and other assets — long-term

    553     339     339  

Total assets

  $ 41,551   $ 63,962   $ 63,962  

Liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' (deficit) equity

                   

Current liabilities:

                   

Accounts payable

  $ 3,369   $ 2,311   $ 2,311  

Accrued expenses

    2,541     3,781     3,781  

Deferred other income

        133     133  

Total current liabilities

    5,910     6,225     6,225  

Convertible notes payable, net

    15,256          

Accrued interest

    3,409          

Total liabilities

    24,575     6,225     6,225  

Redeemable convertible preferred stock, $0.001 par value:

                   

Series A, 285,480 shares authorized, issued and outstanding actual (liquidation value of $5,381 at June 30, 2017)

    5,381     5,381      

Series B-1, 35,680 shares authorized, issued and outstanding actual (liquidation value of $673 at June 30, 2017)

    673     673      

Series B-2, 782,600 shares authorized, issued and outstanding actual (liquidation value of $14,760 at June 30, 2017)

    14,760     14,760      

Series C, 4,115,344 shares authorized, issued and outstanding actual (liquidation value of $110,993 at June 30, 2017)

    105,738     110,840      

Series C-1, 1,656,410 shares authorized, issued and outstanding actual (liquidation value of $43,517 at June 30, 2017)

    41,621     43,517      

Series C-2, 0 and 687,474 shares authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017, respectively, actual (liquidation value of $19,951 at June 30, 2017)

        19,951      

Series D, 0 and 1,369,863 shares authorized at December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017, respectively, 0 and 1,117,578 shares issued and outstanding December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017,respectively, actual (liquidation value of $37,496 at June 30, 2017)

        37,296      

Total redeemable convertible preferred stock

    168,173     232,418      

Stockholders' (deficit) equity:

                   

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 10,624,486 and 13,067,149 shares authorized at December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017, respectively; 4,067,717 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017, actual; 29,136,273 shares issued and outstanding pro forma June 30, 2017

    4     4     29  

Additional paid-in capital

            232,393  

Accumulated deficit

    (151,102 )   (174,580 )   (174,580 )

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

    (99 )   (105 )   (105 )

Total stockholders' (deficit) equity

    (151,197 )   (174,681 )   57,737  

Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' (deficit) equity

  $ 41,551   $ 63,962   $ 63,962  

   

See accompanying notes to unaudited interim consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)

 
  Six Months Ended June 30,  
 
  2016   2017  

Licensing revenues

  $ 47,500   $  

Operating expenses:

             

Research and development

    8,373     8,979  

Selling, general and administrative

    3,296     6,661  

Total operating expenses

    11,669     15,640  

Income (loss) from operations

    35,831     (15,640 )

Other (income) expense:

             

Grant and other income

    (166 )   (93 )

Interest income

    (71 )   (95 )

Interest expense

    1,747     862  

Foreign currency losses (gains)

    14     (31 )

Net income (loss)

  $ 34,307   $ (16,283 )

Deemed dividend

    5,502     7,150  

Accretion to redemption value

    1,055     1,074  

Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders

  $ 27,750   $ (24,507 )

Net income (loss) per share of common stock

             

basic

  $ 1.16   $ (6.02 )

diluted

  $ 0.95   $ (6.02 )

Weighted average common shares outstanding

             

basic

    4,049,668     4,067,717  

diluted

    4,959,817     4,067,717  

Pro forma net loss per share of common stock — basic and diluted

        $ (0.61 )

Pro forma weighted average common shares outstanding — basic and diluted

          26,716,734  

   

See accompanying notes to unaudited interim consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and Loss
For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017
(in thousands)
(Unaudited)

 
  Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
 
  2016   2017  

Net income (loss)

  $ 34,307   $ (16,283 )

Other comprehensive income (loss):

             

Foreign currency translation adjustment

    29     (6 )

Comprehensive income (loss)

  $ 34,336   $ (16,289 )

   

See accompanying notes to unaudited interim consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock and
Stockholders' Deficit
For the six Months Ended June 30, 2017
(Unaudited)
(in thousands, except share data)

 
   
   
   
  Stockholders' Deficit  
 
  Redeemable
Convertible Preferred
Stock
   
 
 
   
  Common Stock    
   
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
   
 
 
   
  Additional
Paid -in
Capital
  Accumulated
Deficit
  Total
Stockholders'
Deficit
 
 
  Shares   Amount    
  Shares   Amount  
 
   
 

Balance at December 31, 2016

    6,875,514   $ 168,173         4,067,717   $ 4   $   $ (151,102 ) $ (99 ) $ (151,197 )

Conversion of convertible debt to Series C-2 preferred stock

    687,474     19,527                              

Sale of Series D preferred stock, net of issuance costs

    1,117,578     36,494                              

Stock compensation expense

                        1,029             1,029  

Accretion of Series C, Series C-1 & Series D preferred stock to redemption value

        1,074                 (1,029 )   (45 )       (1,074 )

Accretion of Series C, Series C-1, Series C-2 & Series D preferred stock in lieu of 8% dividend

        7,150                     (7,150 )       (7,150 )

Foreign currency translation adjustment

                                (6 )   (6 )

Net loss

                            (16,283 )       (16,283 )

Balance at June 30, 2017

    8,680,566   $ 232,418         4,067,717   $ 4   $   $ (174,580 ) $ (105 ) $ (174,681 )

   

See accompanying notes to unaudited interim consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017
(in thousands)
(Unaudited)

 
  Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
 
  2016   2017  

Operating activities:

             

Net income (loss)

  $ 34,307   $ (16,283 )

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

             

Depreciation and amortization

    39     66  

Stock-based compensation

    505     1,029  

Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs

    388     194  

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

             

Grants and other receivables

    (63 )   165  

Deposits and other assets

    (966 )   1,900  

Accounts payable

    (1,462 )   (1,683 )

Accrued expenses

    (1,800 )   184  

Accrued interest

    1,359     668  

Deferred other income

    81     133  

Cash provided by (used in) operating activities

    32,388     (13,627 )

Investing activities:

             

Purchases of property and equipment

    (6 )   (711 )

Cash used in investing activities

    (6 )   (711 )

Financing activities:

             

Proceeds from the sale of Series D preferred stock

        36,712  

Cash paid for financing costs

        (278 )

Cash provided by financing activities

        36,434  

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

    34     (6 )

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

    32,416     22,090  

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

    15,198     36,797  

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

  $ 47,614   $ 58,887  

Supplemental disclosure of noncash financing activities:

             

Deemed dividend

  $ 5,502   $ 7,150  

Accretion to redemption value

  $ 1,055   $ 1,074  

Deferred offering costs within accounts payable and accrued expenses

  $   $ 1,507  

Conversion of convertible notes payable and accrued interest into Series C-2 preferred stock

  $   $ 19,527  

   

See accompanying notes to unaudited interim consolidated financial statements

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

1. Organization and Description of Business

OptiNose, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in Delaware in May 2010 (inception) and its facilities are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania, Ewing, New Jersey, Oslo, Norway and Swindon, England. The Company's predecessor entity OptiNose AS was formed under the laws of Norway in September 2000. In 2010, OptiNose AS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company as part of an internal reorganization.

The Company is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of products for patients treated by ear, nose and throat (ENT) and allergy specialists. The Company's lead product candidate, XHANCE, is a therapeutic utilizing its proprietary Breath Powered exhalation delivery system (EDS) that delivers a topically-acting and potent anti-inflammatory corticosteroid for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polyps. The Company's new drug application (NDA) for XHANCE was accepted for filing and review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2017.

2. Liquidity

Since inception, the Company's operations have focused on organization and staffing, business planning, raising capital, establishing an intellectual property portfolio and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials. The Company has not generated any revenue from product sales. As of June 30, 2017, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $58,887. During the six months ended June 30, 2017, the Company sold 1,117,578 shares of Series D preferred stock, which resulted in gross proceeds to the Company of $36,712 (Note 9).

The Company will need to secure additional funding in the future, from one or more equity or debt financings, collaborations, or other sources, in order to carry out all of the Company's planned development and commercial activities. If additional funding is not secured when required, the Company may need to delay or curtail its operations until such funding is received. The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to other life sciences companies, including, but not limited to, successful discovery and development of its drug candidates, raising additional capital, the development by its competitors of new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology and market acceptance of the Company's products.

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States (US) generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) and Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments (which consist primarily of accruals and estimates that impact the financial statements) considered necessary to present fairly the Company's financial position as of June 30, 2017 and its results of operations and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017. Operating results for the six months ended June 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017. The unaudited interim financial statements, presented herein, do not contain the required disclosures under GAAP for annual financial statements. The

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

accompanying unaudited interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual audited financial statements and related notes as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Principles of consolidation

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of OptiNose, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, OptiNose US, Inc., OptiNose AS and OptiNose UK Ltd. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Unaudited pro forma financial information

Immediately prior to the closing of a qualified initial public offering, all of the Company's outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock will automatically convert into common stock. The accompanying unaudited pro forma consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2017 assumes the conversion of all outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock as of June 30, 2017, into an aggregate of 25,068,556 shares of common stock. In the accompanying unaudited interim consolidated statements of operations, unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net income (loss) per share of common stock has been prepared to give effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock as if this proposed initial public offering had occurred on the later of the beginning of the reporting period or the issuance date of the redeemable convertible preferred stock. Accordingly, the unaudited pro forma net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders used in the calculation of unaudited basic and diluted pro forma net income (loss) per share of common stock excludes the effects of accretion on convertible preferred stock.

Use of estimates

The preparation of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Due to the uncertainty of factors surrounding the estimates or judgments used in the preparation of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, actual results may materially vary from these estimates. Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed and the effects of revisions are reflected in the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in the period they are determined to be necessary.

Fair value of financial instruments

At December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017, the Company's financial instruments included cash and cash equivalents, grants receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses. The carrying amounts reported in the Company's financial statements for these instruments approximates their respective fair values because of the short-term nature of these instruments. At December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017, there were no financial assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

The Company's financial instruments also included convertible debt at December 31, 2016 (Note 8).

Deposits and other assets

Deposits and other assets consist primarily of payments made in advance to outsourced mold development manufacturers and equipment suppliers, as well as a receivable due from the FDA at December 31, 2016

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

related to a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) NDA fee that the FDA refunded to the Company in March 2017.

Throughout 2016 and 2017, the Company made upfront payments to outsourced mold development manufacturers and equipment suppliers for molds and equipment that are expected to be used for commercial production of the XHANCE product should FDA approval be obtained for the product candidate. The Company expects to receive this equipment at various points in 2017. For equipment received prior to FDA approval, the Company expects to record the equipment as a component of research and development expense if there is no alternative future use of the equipment without FDA approval, and accordingly, deposits made through June 30, 2017 for which there is currently not an alternative future use have been recorded as short term deposits. Conversely, deposits on equipment that were determined to have an alternative future use will be capitalized as fixed assets when received and therefore are classified in long-term deposits at June 30, 2017.

Deferred offering costs

The Company capitalizes certain legal, accounting and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred offering costs until such financings are consummated, at which time these costs are netted against the proceeds from the equity financing. Should the equity financing no longer be considered probable of being consummated, all deferred offering costs will be charged to operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

Net income (loss) per common share

For the six month period ended June 30, 2016, the Company used the two-class method to compute net income (loss) per common share because the Company has issued securities (redeemable convertible preferred stock) that entitle the holder to participate in dividends and earnings of the Company. Under this method, net income is reduced by the amount any dividends earned and the accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to its redemption value during the period. The remaining earnings (undistributed earnings) are allocated to common stock and each series of redeemable convertible preferred stock to the extent that each preferred security may share in earnings as if all of the earnings for the period had been distributed. The total earnings allocated to common stock is then divided by the number of outstanding shares to which the earnings are allocated to determine the earnings per share. The two-class method is not applicable during periods with a net loss, as the holders of the redeemable convertible preferred stock have no obligation to fund losses.

Diluted net income (loss) per common share is computed under the two-class method by using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding, plus, for periods with net income attributable to common stockholders, the potential dilutive effects of stock options, warrants, and convertible debt. In addition, the Company analyzes the potential dilutive effect of the outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock and convertible debt under the "if-converted" method when calculating diluted earnings per share, in which it is assumed that the outstanding redeemable convertible preferred stock or convertible debt converts into common stock at the beginning of the period or when issued if later. The Company reports the more dilutive of the approaches (two class or "if-converted") as their diluted net income per share during the period.

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2017 in which the Company reported a net loss, there is no dilutive effect under either the two-class or "if-converted" method. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, the Company presented diluted net income per common share using the two-class method, which was more dilutive than the "if-converted" method.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share for the periods indicated:


 
  Six Months Ended June 30,  
 
  2016   2017  

Basic net income (loss) per common share calculation:

             

Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders

  $ 27,750   $ (24,507 )

Less: undistributed earnings to participating securities

    (23,049 )    

Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders — basic

    4,701     (24,507 )

Weighted average common shares outstanding — basic

    4,049,668     4,067,717  

Net income (loss) per share of common stock — basic

  $ 1.16   $ (6.02 )

Diluted net income (loss) per common share calculation:

             

Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders

  $ 27,750   $ (24,507 )

Less: undistributed earnings to participating securities

    (23,049 )    

Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders — diluted

    4,701     (24,507 )

Weighted average common shares outstanding — basic

    4,049,668     4,067,717  

Stock options

    910,149      

Weighted average common shares outstanding — diluted

    4,959,817     4,067,717  

Net income (loss) per share of common stock — diluted

  $ 0.95   $ (6.02 )

Diluted net income (loss) per common share for the periods presented do not reflect the following potential common shares, as the effect would be antidilutive:


 
  Six Months Ended June 30,  
 
  2016   2017  

Stock options

    1,675,361     4,397,949  

Common stock warrants

    1,890,489     1,890,489  

Convertible debt

    1,706,373      

Convertible preferred stock

    19,855,772     25,068,556  

Total

    25,127,995     31,356,994  

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

3. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Recent accounting pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which will replace numerous requirements in US GAAP, including industry-specific requirements. This guidance provides a five-step model to be applied to all contracts with customers, with an underlying principle that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard also defines accounting for certain costs related to origination and fulfillment of contracts with customers, including whether such costs should be capitalized. This statement requires extensive quantitative and qualitative disclosures covering the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including disclosures on significant judgements made when applying the guidance and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within that reporting period. An entity can elect to apply the guidance under one of the following two methods: (i) retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented — referred to as the full retrospective method or (ii) retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard recognized at the date of initial application in retained earnings — referred to as the modified retrospective method.

The Company is currently in process of assessing the impact that ASU 2014-09 will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. To date, the Company has derived its revenues from a single licensing agreement with Avanir (the AVP-825 License Agreement). The consideration the Company has received to date includes an upfront payment, research and development funding and development milestone payments. Additionally, the Company is eligible to receive sales milestone payments and royalties in the future once product sales exceed a certain threshold. The Company plans to analyze the performance obligations under the AVP-825 License Agreement, and the consideration received to date and that the Company may receive in the future, as part of its analysis of the impact of ASU 2014-09 on this arrangement.

Significant assessment and implementation matters to be addressed prior to adopting ASU 2014-09 include completing the Company's review of the AVP-825 License Agreement, as well as any other customer arrangements that the Company enters into prior to the adoption date, confirming its method of adoption, determining the impact the new accounting standard will have on its financial statements and related disclosures and updating, as needed, its business processes, systems and controls required to comply with ASU 2014-09 upon its effective date of January 1, 2018. The Company will make updates to its quarterly and year-end disclosures, with a focus on implementation status updates related to the impact ASU 2014-09 will have on its financial statements and related footnotes. The Company continues to monitor additional changes, modifications, clarifications or interpretations being undertaken by the FASB, which may impact its current conclusions.

The Company plans to adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach.

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Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

4. Deposits and Other Assets

Deposits and other assets consisted of the following:


 
  December 31,
2016
  June 30,
2017
 

Short-term

             

Receivable due from the FDA

  $ 2,038   $  

Deposits on equipment

    1,201     1,399  

Other

    255     409  

Total short-term deposits and other assets

  $ 3,494   $ 1,808  

Long-term

   
 
   
 
 

Deposits on equipment

  $ 499   $ 336  

Other

    54     3  

Total long-term deposits and other assets

    553     339  

  $ 4,047   $ 2,147  

5. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment, net, consisted of:


 
  December 31,
2016
  June 30,
2017
 

Computer equipment and software

  $ 293   $ 374  

Furniture and fixtures

    121     121  

Machinery and equipment

    255     1,059  

Leasehold improvements

    28     28  

    697     1,582  

Less: accumulated depreciation

    (374 )   (440 )

  $ 323   $ 1,142  

Depreciation expense was $39 and $66 for six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively.

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OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

6. Accrued Expenses

Accrued expenses consisted of:


 
  December 31,
2016
  June 30,
2017
 

Research and development expenses

  $ 736   $ 655  

Selling, general and administrative expenses

    290     1,610  

Bonus expense

    1,390     1,240  

Other

    125     276  

  $ 2,541   $ 3,781  

7. AVP-825 License Agreement

In July 2013, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, OptiNose AS, entered into the AVP-825 License Agreement with Avanir for the exclusive right to sell AVP-825 (now marketed as Onzetra® Xsail®), a product combining a low-dose powder form of sumatriptan with its technology platform, for the acute treatment of migraines in adults and any follow-on products under development that consist of a formulation that contains triptans as the sole active ingredient. Through December 31, 2016, under the terms of the AVP-825 License Agreement, the Company received aggregate cash payments of $70,000 in connection with the initial signing and upon the achievement of certain development milestones. Under the terms of the License Agreement, the Company is eligible to receive up to $50,000 upon the achievement of sales milestones as well as tiered low double-digit royalty payments on net sales in the US, Canada and Mexico after such cumulative sales exceed a certain threshold.

In conjunction with the AVP-825 License Agreement, the Company recognized $47,500 as licensing revenue during the six months ended June 30, 2016. The revenue was related to the achievement of the FDA approval milestone in January 2016. The Company did not recognize any licensing revenue during the six months ended June 30, 2017.

8. Convertible Notes

At December 31, 2016 and June 30, 2017, the Company's convertible notes payable, net, balance was as follows:


 
  December 31,
2016
  June 30,
2017
 

Face amount

  $ 15,000   $  

Front end fees

    (75 )    

Debt issuance costs

    (44 )    

Back end fees

    375      

Convertible notes payable, net

  $ 15,256   $  

F-42


Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

8. Convertible Notes (Continued)

On September 30, 2015, the Company entered into a Senior Secured Convertible Note Purchase Agreement (Notes) with various existing shareholders. The Notes provided the Company with up to $30,000 in capital available in two separate tranches. The first tranche of $15,000 closed on September 30, 2015. The second tranche of up to $15,000 was available to the Company until March 30, 2017. The Notes bore an annual interest rate of 17% and were scheduled to mature on September 30, 2020 if not otherwise converted to Series C-2 shares. The Notes also bore front end fees of $450, which were paid at issuance, and back end fees of $450 plus interest that was to be paid at maturity. The Notes could be repaid at any time in $100 increments, did not contain any prepayment penalties and were secured by assets of OptiNose Inc. and OptiNose US, Inc. At the option of the majority purchaser of the Notes after March 30, 2017, or prior to March 30, 2017 if an event of default occurred or was continuing under the Notes, all note principal along with any accrued interest and back end fees thereon, could be converted into Series C-2 shares of preferred stock at a conversion price based upon a Company valuation equal to the lower of fair market value and $300,000.

The Company recorded $1,747 and $862 in interest expense during the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively, in conjunction with the Notes. Total coupon interest on the Notes and back end fees was $1,359 and $668 during the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The front end fees of $450 were recorded as debt discount at issuance and are being amortized to interest expense over the 18 month loan conversion period. During the six month periods ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, the Company recorded a total of $150 and $75 of interest expense, respectively, related to the front end fees. Additionally, back end fees of $450 are also being amortized to interest expense over the 18 month loan conversion period of which $150 and $75 has been recorded as interest expense and as an increase in the carrying amount of the Notes during the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The Company also incurred $265 in debt issuance costs during the year ended December 31, 2015 which are also being amortized to interest expense over the 18 month loan conversion period.

As of December 31, 2016, the fair value of the Notes was $21,814, which was estimated based on the as converted value of the Notes as of that date.

On March 24, 2017, in connection with the Series D Financing, the Notes and associated accrued interest and back end fees thereon totaling $19,527 converted into 687,474 shares of Series C-2 preferred stock at a per share conversion price of approximately $28.40.

F-43


Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

9. Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

Redeemable convertible preferred stock (Preferred Stock) consisted of the following:


 
   
   
  Balance as of    
 
Class
  Authorized   Issued and
Outstanding
  December 31,
2016
  June 30,
2017
  Liquidation value
at June 30, 2017
 

Series A

    285,480     285,480   $ 5,381   $ 5,381   $ 5,381  

Series B-1

    35,680     35,680     673     673     673  

Series B-2

    782,600     782,600     14,760     14,760     14,760  

Series C

    4,115,344     4,115,344     105,738     110,840     110,993  

Series C-1

    1,656,410     1,656,410     41,621     43,517     43,517  

Series C-2

    687,474     687,474         19,951     19,951  

Series D

    1,369,863     1,117,578         37,296     37,496  

    8,932,851     8,680,566   $ 168,173   $ 232,418   $ 232,771  

During the six months ended June 30, 2017, the Company sold 1,117,578 shares of Series D Preferred Stock at a per share purchase price of $32.85, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of $36,712 (the Series D Financing). In connection with the Series D Financing, the Company's existing convertible notes and associated accrued interest and back end fees thereon totaling $19,527 converted into 687,474 shares of Series C-2 Preferred Stock at a per share conversion price of approximately $28.40 (Note 8).

In conjunction with the Series D financing, the number of authorized shares of common stock was increased from 10,624,486 to 13,067,149 and the number of authorized shares of preferred stock was increased from 6,875,514 to 8,932,851, of which 1,369,863 shares were designated as Series D shares and 687,474 shares were designated as Series C-2 shares. Also, the redemption date for all classes of the Company's preferred stock was extended to March 24, 2020 and the terms upon which all classes of Preferred Stock would mandatorily convert into common stock in connection with an underwritten public offering were revised to align with the terms of the Series C-2 preferred stock.

Certain provisions of the outstanding Preferred Stock are as follows:

F-44


Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

9. Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock (Continued)

10. Stock-based Compensation

The Company issues stock-based awards pursuant to its 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (Plan). As of June 30, 2017, 4,728,520 shares of the Company's common stock were authorized to be issued under the Plan, and 287,360 shares were reserved for future issuance under the Plan. The amount, terms of grants, and exercisability provisions are determined and set by the Company's board of directors. The Company measures employee stock-based awards at grant-date fair value and records compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the award. Stock-based awards issued to nonemployees are revalued until the award vests. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense in the

F-45


Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

10. Stock-based Compensation (Continued)

following expense categories of its accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017:


 
  2016   2017  

Research and development

  $ 298   $ 508  

General and administrative

    207     521  

  $ 505   $ 1,029  

Service-based stock options

Options issued under the Plan generally have a contractual life of up to 10 years and may be exercisable in cash or as otherwise determined by the board of directors. Vesting generally occurs over a period of not greater than four years. The following table summarizes the activity related to service-based stock option grants to employees and nonemployees for the six months ended June 30, 2017:


 
  Shares   Weighted
average
exercise price
per share
  Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
 

Outstanding at December 31, 2016

    1,894,083     3.09     6.67  

Granted

    334,993     5.14        

Exercised

                 

Expired

    (2,887 )   5.68        

Forfeited

                 

Outstanding at June 30, 2017

    2,226,189   $ 3.39     6.70  

Exercisable at June 30, 2017

    1,141,665   $ 1.84     4.19  

Vested and expected to vest at June 30, 2017

    2,226,189   $ 3.39     6.70  

During the six months ended June 30, 2017, the Board approved the grant of time-based options to purchase 334,993 shares of common stock to employees that generally vest over four years. The options had an estimated weighted average grant date fair value of $3.39. The grant date fair value of each option grant was estimated at the time of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model using the following weighted average assumptions:

Risk free interest rate

    2.07 %

Expected term (in years)

    6.08  

Expected volatility

    73.93 %

Annual dividend yield

    0.00 %

Fair value of common stock

  $ 5.14  

F-46


Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

10. Stock-based Compensation (Continued)

At June 30, 2017, the unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested service-based stock options expected to vest was $3,043. This unrecognized compensation will be recognized over an estimated weighted-average amortization period of 3.52 years.

Performance-based stock options

The Company has issued performance-based stock options under the Plan which generally have a ten-year life from the date of grant and may vest upon the achievement of certain milestones in connection with the Company's development programs. Additionally, the Company has issued options in excess of the fair market value of common shares on the issuance date that are only exercisable upon a change in control or upon or after an initial public offering. Compensation expense for performance-based stock options is only recognized when management determines it is probable that the awards will vest.

The following table summarizes the activity related to performance-based stock option grants to employees and nonemployees for the six months ended June 30, 2017:


 
  Shares   Weighted
average
exercise price
per share
  Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
 

Outstanding at December 31, 2016

    2,171,760   $ 9.59     6.55  

Granted

                 

Exercised

                 

Forfeited

                 

Outstanding at June 30, 2017

    2,171,760   $ 9.59     6.06  

Exercisable at June 30, 2017

    762,460   $ 1.96     4.47  

As of June 30, 2017, there was $2,700 of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested performance-based stock options that will vest and be expensed when the occurrence of the performance condition is deemed probable.

Common stock warrants

The Company also has 1,890,489 common stock warrants outstanding with an exercise price of $8.16 per share that expire in 2020.

11. Related-party transactions

Debt and equity transactions

All of the Company's convertible debt (see Note 8) was with the Company's holders of convertible preferred stock.

F-47


Table of Contents


OptiNose, Inc.

Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

For the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2017

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

12. Subsequent events

(a)

On September 18, 2017, the FDA approved the Company's NDA for XHANCE (fluticasone propionate) nasal spray for the treatment of nasal polyps in patients 18 years of age or older.

(b)

On September 29, 2017, the Company's board of directors approved an amendment to the Company's Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to (i) increase the number of authorized shares of the Company's common stock from 13,067,149 shares to 50,000,000, and (ii) effectuate a 2.8879-for-1 reclassification, or stock split, of the Company's common stock, to be effected prior to the effectiveness of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 in connection with its initial public offering (IPO). The stock split was effected on October 10, 2017. All share and per share amounts in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to the stock split.

On September 19, 2017, the Company's board of directors adopted, and, on October 2, 2017, the Company's stockholders approved, the Amended and Restated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan (A&R Plan), which will become effective on the effective date of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 with respect to its IPO. The A&R Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, performance shares, stock appreciation rights and other equity-based awards. The Company's employees, officers, directors and other persons are eligible to receive awards under the A&R Plan.

On September 19, 2017, the Company's board of directors adopted, and, on October 2, 2017, the Company's stockholders approved, the 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which will become effective on the effective date of the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 with respect to its IPO.

F-48


Table of Contents

 

6,250,000 Shares

LOGO

Common Stock


Preliminary Prospectus


Jefferies   Piper Jaffray   BMO Capital Markets   RBC Capital Markets

                             , 2017

   



PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth all costs and expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the sale of the common stock being registered. All amounts shown are estimates except for the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, registration fee, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, filing fee and The NASDAQ Global Select Market initial listing fee.


Item
  Amount Paid or
to be Paid
 

SEC registration fee

  $ 14,353.00  

FINRA filing fee

    18,829.00  

NASDAQ Global Select Market initial listing fee

    150,000.00  

Printing and engraving expenses

    215,000.00  

Legal fees and expenses

    1,600,000.00  

Accounting fees and expenses

    700,000.00  

Transfer agent and registrar fees and expenses

    5,000.00  

Miscellaneous expenses

    96,818.00  

Total

  $ 2,800,000.00  

Item 14.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who are, or are threatened to be made, parties to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such person as an officer, director, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation's best interests and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was illegal. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any persons who are, or are threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the corporation's best interests except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if the officer or director is adjudged to be liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the corporation must indemnify him or her against the expenses which such officer or director has actually and reasonably incurred. Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, each of which will become effective immediately following the closing of this offering, provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

II-1


Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except for liability for any:

Our fourth amended and restated certificate of incorporation, which will become effective immediately following the closing of this offering, includes such a provision. Expenses incurred by any officer or director in defending any such action, suit or proceeding in advance of its final disposition shall be paid by us upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such director or officer, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by us.

As permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, we have entered into, or intend to enter into, indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. These agreements, among other things, will require us to indemnify each director and officer to the fullest extent permitted by law and advance expenses to each indemnitee in connection with any proceeding in which indemnification is available.

At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors or executive officers as to which indemnification is required or permitted, and we are not aware of any threatened litigation or proceeding that may result in a claim for indemnification.

We have an insurance policy covering our officers and directors with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, or otherwise.

The form of underwriting agreement filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this registration statement provides for indemnification by the underwriters named in this registration statement of our executive officers, directors and us, and by us of the underwriters named in this registration statement, for certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act, in connection with matters specifically provided in writing for inclusion in this registration statement.

Item 15.    Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

Set forth below is information regarding securities issued by us since January 1, 2014 that were not registered under the Securities Act. Also included is the consideration, if any, received by us for such securities, and information relating to the section of the Securities Act, or rule of the SEC, under which exemption from registration was claimed.

(a)
Issuances of Capital Stock

1.
In July 2014, we issued and sold an aggregate of 1,419,781 shares of our Series C-1 Preferred Stock to certain of our existing investors and members of our management team and board of directors at a purchase price of $21.13 per share, for aggregate consideration of $30.0 million.

2.
In July 2015, we issued and sold to our existing Series C-1 Preferred Stock holders an additional 236,629 shares of Series C-1 Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $21.13 per share, for aggregate consideration of $5.0 million.

II-2


(b)
Convertible Notes

1.
In September 2015, we issued and sold convertible notes in the aggregate principal amount of $15.0 million. In March 2017, concurrently with our Series D Preferred Stock financing, the notes were converted into an aggregate of 687,474 shares of our Series C-2 Preferred Stock at a conversion price of approximately $28.40 per share.

(c)
Stock Option Grants

1.
On March 11, 2014, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 283,655 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.05 per share to 11 employees pursuant to our 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, or the 2010 Plan.

2.
On March 11, 2014, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 151,975 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.05 per share to two executive officers pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

3.
On April 7, 2014, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 866,370 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $16.31 per share to two executive officers pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

4.
On April 21, 2014, we granted a stock option to purchase a total of 21,659 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.05 per share to one employee pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

5.
On April 21, 2014, we granted a stock option to purchase 36,098 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.05 per share to one executive officer pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

6.
On April 21, 2014, we granted a stock option to purchase 288,790 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $16.31 per share to one executive officer pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

7.
On July 30, 2014, we granted a stock option to purchase 14,439 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.05 per share to one employee pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

8.
On December 20, 2016, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 407,193 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.14 per share to eight employees pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

9.
On December 20, 2016, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 281,570 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $5.14 to two executive officers and two directors pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

10.
On December 20, 2016, we granted a stock option to purchase 288,790 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $16.31 per share to one executive officer pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

11.
On January 23, 2017, we granted a stock option to purchase a total of 158,834 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.14 per share to one executive officer pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

12.
On January 30, 2017, we granted stock options to purchase a total of 144,395 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.14 per share to one executive officer pursuant to our 2010 Plan.

II-3


The offers, sales and issuances of the securities described in paragraphs (a) and (b) above were exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Regulation D of the Securities Act.

With respect to the shares of Series C-2 Preferred Stock issued upon conversion of the convertible notes in March 2017 described in paragraph (b), the issuance of such shares was exempt from registration under Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act.

The grants of stock described in paragraph (c) above to our executive officers and directors were exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as transactions not involving any public offering. The remaining grants of stock options described in paragraph (c) above were exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Rule 701 as offers and sales of securities under written compensatory benefit plans and contracts relating to compensation in compliance with Rule 701. Each of the recipients of securities in any transaction exempt from registration either received or had adequate access, through employment, business or other relationships, to information about us.

All purchasers of securities in transactions exempt from registration pursuant to Regulation D described above represented to us in connection with their purchase that they were accredited investors, as defined in Rule 501 under the Securities Act, and were acquiring the securities for investment purposes only and not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, any distribution thereof and that they could bear the risks of the investment and could hold the securities for an indefinite period of time. The purchasers received written disclosures that the securities had not been registered under the Securities Act and that any resale must be made pursuant to a registration statement or an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

All of the foregoing securities are deemed restricted securities for purposes of the Securities Act. The certificates representing the issued securities described in this Item 15 included appropriate legends setting forth that the applicable securities have not been registered and reciting the applicable restrictions on transfer. There were no underwriters employed in connection with any of the transactions set forth in this Item 15.

Item 16.    Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)
Exhibits

The list of exhibits is set forth under "Index to Exhibits" at the end of this registration statement and is incorporated by reference herein.

(b)
Financial Statement Schedules

No financial statement schedules are provided because the information called for is not required or is shown either in the financial statements or the notes thereto.

II-4


Item 17.    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 SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 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 Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:

II-5



INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit
Number
  Exhibit Description
  1.1   Form of Underwriting Agreement.

 

2.1

*

Exchange Agreement, dated as of June 7, 2010, by and among the Registrant, OptiNose AS and the other signatories thereto (the Registrant hereby agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedules to the SEC upon request).

 

3.1

*

Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as currently in effect.

 

3.2

*

By-Laws, as currently in effect.

 

3.3

*

Amendment No. 1 to the By-Laws, as currently in effect, dated March 24, 2017.

 

3.4

*

Form of Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, to be effective immediately following the closing of this offering.

 

3.5

*

Form of Amended and Restated Bylaws, to be in effect immediately following closing of this offering.

 

3.6

 

Certificate of Amendment to the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

 

4.1

*

Form of Common Stock Certificate.

 

4.2

*

Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 24, 2017, by and among the Registrant and certain of its stockholders.

 

4.3

*

Second Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement, dated March 24, 2017, by and among the Registrant and certain of its stockholders.

 

4.4

*

Form of Warrant issued by the Registrant on June 7, 2010.

 

4.5

 

First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement, dated October 2, 2017, by and among the Registrant and certain of its stockholders.

 

4.6

*

Stockholders' Agreement, dated October 2, 2017, by and among OptiNose, Inc. and certain of its stockholders.

 

4.7

 

First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated October 2, 2017, by and among the Registrant and certain of its stockholders.

 

5.1

*

Opinion of Hogan Lovells US LLP.

 

10.1

+

Form of Indemnification Agreement.

 

10.2

+

Employment Agreement between OptiNose US, Inc. and Peter K. Miller to be in effect upon the closing of this offering.

 

10.3

+

Employment Agreement between OptiNose US, Inc. and Ramy A. Mahmoud to be in effect upon the closing of this offering.

 

10.4

+

Employment Agreement between OptiNose US, Inc. and Thomas E. Gibbs to be in effect upon the closing of this offering.

 

10.5

+

Employment Agreement between OptiNose US, Inc. and Keith A. Goldan to be in effect upon the closing of this offering.

II-6


Exhibit
Number
  Exhibit Description
  10.6 + Employment Agreement between OptiNose US, Inc. and Michael F. Marino to be in effect upon the closing of this offering.

 

10.7

+

Amended and Restated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan.

 

10.8

*+

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement Granted Under the 2010 Stock Incentive Plan (Relating to Success Pool Grants).

 

10.9

*+

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement Granted Under the 2010 Stock Incentive Plan (Relating to Option Pool Grants).

 

10.10

*+

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement Granted Under the 2010 Stock Incentive Plan.

 

10.11

*†

License Agreement, dated as of July 1, 2013, by and between OptiNose AS and Avanir Pharmaceuticals,  Inc.

 

10.12

*†

First Amendment of License Agreement, dated as of April 25, 2014, by and between OptiNose US, Inc. and Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

10.13

*†

Amendment to License Agreement, dated as of August 6, 2015, by and between OptiNose AS and Avanir Pharmaceuticals,  Inc.

 

10.14

*†

Supply Agreement, dated July 1, 2017, by and between Hovione Inter Ltd and OptiNose US, Inc., OptiNose UK, Ltd and OptiNose AS.

 

10.15

*†

Manufacture and Supply Agreement, dated as of August 18, 2017, by and among OptiNose US, Inc., OptiNose UK Ltd. and OptiNose AS and Contract Pharmaceuticals Limited Canada.

 

10.16

*†

Manufacturing Services Agreement, dated as of August 31, 2017, by and among OptiNose US, Inc., OptiNose UK Ltd. and OptiNose AS and Ximedica, LLC.

 

10.17

*+

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement to be Granted Under the Amended and Restated 2010 Stock Incentive Plan.

 

10.18

+

2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

 

16.1

*

Letter of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as to change in accountant, dated June 23, 2017.

 

21.1

*

List of Subsidiaries of the Registrant.

 

23.1

 

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm.

 

23.2

*

Consent of Hogan Lovells US LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

 

24.1

*

Power of Attorney (included on signature page of Registration Statement filed on September 18, 2017).

 

99.1

*

Consent of Joseph C. Scodari.

 

99.2

*

Consent of Richard A. Bierly.

 

99.3

*

Consent of Wilhelmus Groenhuysen.

Portions of this exhibit (indicated by asterisks) have been omitted pursuant to a request for confidential treatment pursuant to Rule 406 under the Securities Act of 1933.

+
Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.

*
Previously filed.

II-7



SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Borough of Yardley, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 11th day of October, 2017.

    OPTINOSE, INC.

 

 

By:

 

/s/ PETER K. MILLER

        Name:   Peter K. Miller
        Title:   Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature
 
Title
 
Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
/s/ PETER K. MILLER

Peter K. Miller
  Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)   October 11, 2017

*

Keith A. Goldan

 

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

October 11, 2017

*

Larry G. Pickering

 

Chairman of the Board of Directors

 

October 11, 2017

*

Sriram Venkataraman

 

Director

 

October 11, 2017

*

William F. Doyle

 

Director

 

October 11, 2017

*

Klaas de Boer

 

Director

 

October 11, 2017

*

Per Gisle Djupesland

 

Director

 

October 11, 2017

II-8


Signature
 
Title
 
Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
*

Patrick O'Neill
  Director   October 11, 2017

*

Joshua A. Tamaroff

 

Director

 

October 11, 2017

*By:

 

/s/ PETER K. MILLER

Peter K. Miller,
Attorney-in-fact

 

 

 

 

II-9




Exhibit 1.1

 

[·] Shares

 

OptiNose, Inc.

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

[·], 2017

 

JEFFERIES LLC

PIPER JAFFRAY & CO.

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o JEFFERIES LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

c/o PIPER JAFFRAY & CO.

800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 800

Minneapolis, MN 55402

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Introductory.  OptiNose, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of [·] shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”).  The [·] Shares to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm Shares.”  In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional [·] Shares as provided in Section 2.  The additional [·] Shares to be sold by the Company pursuant to such option are collectively called the “Optional Shares.”  The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Offered Shares.”  Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) and Piper Jaffray & Co. (“Piper Jaffray”) have agreed to act as representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. To the extent there are no additional underwriters listed on Schedule A, the term “Representatives” as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the term “Underwriters” shall mean either the singular or the plural, as the context requires.

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-220515 which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares.  Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.”  Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of any such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  The prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act, is called the “Prospectus.”  The preliminary prospectus dated [·], 2017 describing the Offered Shares and the offering thereof is called the

 



 

Preliminary Prospectus,” and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus is called a “preliminary prospectus.”  As used herein, “Applicable Time” is [·] [a.m.][p.m.] (New York City time) on [·], 2017.  As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B hereto and the pricing information set forth on Schedule B hereto.  As used herein, “Road Show” means a “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the offering of the Offered Shares contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).  As used herein, “Section 5(d) Written Communication” means each written communication (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that is made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company to one or more potential investors that are qualified institutional buyers (“QIBs”) and/or institutions that are accredited investors (“IAIs”), as such terms are respectively defined in Rule 144A and Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act, to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Section 5(d) Oral Communication” means each oral communication, if any, made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company made to one or more QIBs and/or one or more IAIs to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Marketing Materials” means any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Offered Shares, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); and “Permitted Section 5(d) Communication” means the Section 5(d) Written Communication(s) and Marketing Materials listed on Schedule C attached hereto.

 

All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus (including the Preliminary Prospectus), or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, or any free writing prospectus, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by Section 3(n) of this Agreement.

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Underwriters as follows:

 

Section 1.                                          Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter, as of the date of this Agreement, as of the First Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and as of each Option Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), if any, as follows:

 

(a)                                 Compliance with Registration Requirements.  The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act.  The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information, if any.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.

 

(b)                                 Disclosure.  Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR, was identical (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act) to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares.  Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became or becomes effective, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not

 

2



 

contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  As of the Applicable Time, the Time of Sale Prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus wrapper) did not, and at the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2) and at each applicable Option Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), as then amended or supplemented by the Company, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The Prospectus (including any Prospectus wrapper), as of its date, did not, and at the First Closing Date and at each applicable Option Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(b) below.  There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

 

(c)                                  Free Writing Prospectuses; Road Show.  As of the determination date referenced in Rule 164(h) under the Securities Act, the Company was not, is not or will not be (as applicable) an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act.  Each free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act.  Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus and not superseded or modified. The representations and warranties set forth in the immediately preceding sentence do not apply to statements made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(b) below. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.  Each Road Show, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(d)                                 Distribution of Offering Material By the Company.  Prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the several Underwriters in Section 2, (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares and (iii) the expiration of 25 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule B hereto or any

 

3



 

free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, and any Permitted Section 5(d) Communications.

 

(e)                                  The Underwriting Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(f)                                   Authorization of the Offered Shares.  The Offered Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase the Offered Shares.

 

(g)                                 No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights.  There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

 

(h)                                 No Material Adverse Change.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, properties, operations, assets, liabilities or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change being referred to herein as a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, including without limitation any losses or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, that are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, or has entered into any transactions not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has not been any material decrease in the capital stock or any material increase in any short-term or long-term indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries and there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or any repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

 

(i)                                    Independent Accountants.  To the knowledge of the Company, Ernst & Young LLP, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”), (ii) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and (iii) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the PCAOB whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn.

 

(j)                                    Financial Statements.  The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods specified.  Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles

 

4



 

as applied in the United States on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto.  No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus. The financial data set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Prospectus Summary—Summary Consolidated Financial Data,” “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” and “Capitalization” fairly present, in all material respects, the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus and any free writing prospectus, that constitute non-GAAP financial measures (as defined by the rules and regulations under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) comply, in all material respects, with Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable. To the Company’s knowledge, no person who has been suspended or barred from being associated with a registered public accounting firm, or who has failed to comply with any sanction pursuant to Rule 5300 promulgated by the PCAOB, has participated in or otherwise aided the preparation of, or audited, the financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(k)                                 Company’s Accounting System.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries make and keep books and records that are accurate in all material respects and maintain a system of internal accounting controls designed to, and which the Company believes is sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

(l)                                    Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.  The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act), which (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities; and (ii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.  Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there have been no significant deficiencies or material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.  The Company is not aware of any change in its internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(m)                             Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company.  The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.  The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a material

 

5



 

adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), earnings, business, properties, operations, assets, liabilities or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

(n)                                 Subsidiaries.  Each of the Company’s “subsidiaries” (for purposes of this Agreement, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.  Each of the Company’s subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim.  None of the outstanding capital stock in any subsidiary was issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.  OptiNose UK Ltd. is not a “significant subsidiary” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

 

(o)                                 Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters.  The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans, or upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, in each case, as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus).  The Shares (including the Offered Shares) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus.  All of the issued and outstanding Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws.  None of the outstanding Shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company.  There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.  The descriptions of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus accurately and fairly present, in all material respects, the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

 

(p)                                 Stock Exchange Listing.  The Offered Shares have been approved for listing on The NASDAQ Global Market (“NASDAQ”), subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(q)                                 Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter by-laws, or similar organizational documents, as applicable, or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, loan, credit agreement, note, lease, license agreement, contract, franchise or other instrument (including, without limitation, any pledge agreement, security agreement, mortgage or other instrument or agreement evidencing, guaranteeing, securing or

 

6



 

relating to indebtedness) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of their respective properties or assets are subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults in Existing Instruments as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares (including the use of proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws, partnership agreement or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, of the Company or any subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.  No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act and such as may be required under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).  As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

(r)                                  Compliance with Laws.  The Company and its subsidiaries have been and are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(s)                                   No Material Actions or Proceedings.  There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation brought by or before any governmental entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any such subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, if determined adversely to the Company, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or with the employees of any principal supplier, manufacturer, or contractor of the Company, exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened or imminent

 

(t)                                    Intellectual Property RightsThe Company and its subsidiaries own, or have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, the inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks, trade names, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other intellectual property described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them or which, to the Company’s knowledge, are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently

 

7



 

conducted or as currently proposed to be conducted in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (collectively, “Intellectual Property”).  To the Company’s knowledge: (i) there are no third parties who have rights to any Intellectual Property, except for customary reversionary rights of third-party licensors with respect to Intellectual Property that is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as licensed to the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries, and the Company and its subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure their interests in the Intellectual Property from their employees and contractors; (ii) there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property; (iii) the Company is not infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties; (iv) the Company is the sole owner of the Intellectual Property owned by it and has the valid right to use the Intellectual Property; (v) there are no material defects in any of the patents or patent applications included in the Intellectual Property; (vi) the duties of candor and good faith required by the United States Patent and Trademark Office during the prosecution of the United States patents and patent applications included in the Intellectual Property have been complied with, and all such requirements in foreign offices having similar requirements applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries have been complied with; and (vii) no employee of the Company is in or has been in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company.  There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others: (A) challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property; (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property; or (C) asserting that the Company or any of its subsidiaries infringes or otherwise violates, or would, upon the commercialization of any product or service described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus as under development, infringe, misappropriate or violate, any patent, trademark, trade name, service name, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others. The Company and its subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or any subsidiary, and all such agreements are in full force and effect.  The product candidates described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as under development by the Company or any subsidiary fall within the scope of the claims of one or more patents or patent applications owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company or any subsidiary.

 

(u)                                 All Necessary Permits, etc.  The Company and its subsidiaries possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits required by state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (“Permits”).  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, any of the Permits or has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such Permit.

 

(v)                                 Title to Properties.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary owns any real property.  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the personal property and other assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(j) above (or elsewhere in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse claims and other defects, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to materially affect the value of such property or materially interfere with the use thereof.  The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such subsidiary.

 

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(w)                               Tax Law Compliance.  The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns or have properly requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them except as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings.  The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(j) above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

 

(x)                                 Insurance.  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism and earthquakes and policies covering the Company and its subsidiaries for product liability claims and clinical trial liability claims  The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(y)                                 Compliance with Environmental Laws.  Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect:  (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance in all material respects with their requirements; (iii) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and (iv) there are no orders for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company threatened, by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(z)                                  ERISA Compliance.  The Company and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA.  “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member.  No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with

 

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respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates.  No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA).  Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any material liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code.  Each employee benefit plan established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.

 

(aa)                          Company Not an “Investment Company.”  The Company is not, and will not be, either after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares or after the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

(bb)                          No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or of any “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (Regulation M”)) with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.

 

(cc)                            Related-Party Transactions.  There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required under Item 404 of Regulation S-K to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

 

(dd)                          FINRA Matters.  All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and, to the knowledge of the Company, the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares is true, complete, correct and compliant with FINRA’s rules and any letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rules or NASD Conduct Rules is true, complete and correct.

 

(ee)                            Parties to Lock-Up Agreements.  The Company has furnished to the Underwriters a letter agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-up Agreement”) from each of the directors and officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company and from each person or entity set forth on Schedule D attached hereto.  If any additional persons shall become directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company prior to the end of the Company Lock-up Period (as defined below), the Company shall cause each such person, prior to or contemporaneously with their appointment or election as a director or officer of the Company, to execute and deliver to the Representatives a Lock-up Agreement.

 

(ff)                              Statistical and Market-Related Data.  All statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate in all material respects.  To the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

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(gg)                          No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any applicable law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

 

(hh)                          Anti-Corruption Laws.  None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective affiliates, directors or officers, employees or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company or its subsidiaries respective agents, representatives or other persons associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective affiliates has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any domestic government official, “foreign official” (as defined in the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”)) or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery in Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act of 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable non-U.S. anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested  or taken an act in further of any unlawful or improper bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment or benefit; and the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the Company’s knowledge, its affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.

 

(ii)                                Money Laundering Laws.  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and have been conducted at all times, in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(jj)                                Sanctions Laws.  Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries, or any of their respective directors, officers or employees or, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries is currently subject to or the target of any U.S. sanctions administered by the U.S. Government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is subject to or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company and its subsidiaries will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of (i)

 

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financing or facilitating the activities of or business with any person that currently is subject to or the target of any Sanctions, (ii) financing or facilitating any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) financing or using such proceeds in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.  For the past five years, each of the Company and its subsidiaries has not engaged in, is not now engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was subject to or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(kk)                          Brokers.  Except as disclosed in the Company’s FINRA filing, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or its subsidiaries any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(ll)                                Forward-Looking Statements.  Each financial or operational projection or other “forward-looking statement” (as defined by Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (i) was so included by the Company in good faith and with reasonable basis after due consideration by the Company of the underlying assumptions, estimates and other applicable facts and circumstances and (ii) is accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying those factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statement.  No such statement was made with the knowledge of an executive officer or director of the Company that it was false or misleading.

 

(mm)                  No Outstanding Loans or Other Extensions of Credit.  The Company does not have any outstanding extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company except for such extensions of credit as are expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

 

(nn)                          Emerging Growth Company Status.  From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged in any Section 5(d) Written Communication or any Section 5(d) Oral Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

 

(oo)                          Communications.  The Company (i) has not alone engaged in communications with potential investors in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act other than Permitted Section 5(d) Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are QIBs or IAIs and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in such communications; the Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Marketing Materials, Section 5(d) Oral Communications and Section 5(d) Written Communications; as of the Applicable Time, each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, if any, does not, as of the date hereof, conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and the Company has filed publicly on EDGAR at least 15 calendar days prior to any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act), any confidentially submitted registration statement and registration statement amendments relating to the offer and sale of the Offered Shares.

 

(pp)                          Clinical Data and Regulatory Compliance. The preclinical tests and clinical trials, and other studies (collectively, “studies”) that are described in, or the results of which are referred to in, the

 

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Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with the protocols, procedures and controls designed and approved for such studies and with standard medical and scientific research procedures; each description of the results of such studies is accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly presents the data derived from such studies, and the Company and its subsidiaries have no knowledge of any other studies the results of which are inconsistent with, or otherwise call into question, the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectuses or the Prospectus; the Company and its subsidiaries have made all such filings and obtained all such approvals as may be required by the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any committee thereof or from any other U.S. or foreign government or drug or medical device regulatory agency, or health care facility Institutional Review Board (collectively, the “Regulatory Agencies”), except where such failure or non-compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of, or correspondence from, any Regulatory Agency  requiring the termination, suspension or modification of any clinical trials that are described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or  the Prospectus; and the Company and its subsidiaries have each operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules, regulations and policies of the Regulatory Agencies.

 

(qq)                          Compliance with Health Care Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries are, and at all times have been, in compliance with all Health Care Laws, except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Health Care Laws” means: (i) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Section 301 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated thereunder; (ii) all applicable federal, state, local and all applicable foreign health care related fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7b(b)), the Civil Monetary Penalties Laws  (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7a), the U.S. Civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. Section 3729 et seq.), all applicable federal, state, local and foreign criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including but not limited to 18 U.S.C. Sections 286 and 287, and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), the exclusion laws (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7), the statutes, regulations and directives of applicable government funded or sponsored healthcare programs, and the regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes; (iii) HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. Section 17921 et seq.), and the data privacy and security regulations promulgated thereunder; (iv) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Pub. Law 111-148), as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. Law 111-152), the regulations promulgated thereunder; (v) the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. Section 801 et seq.); (vi) quality, safety and accreditation requirements under applicable federal, state, local or foreign laws or regulatory bodies, including, but not limited to, all laws applicable to ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, advertising, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product manufactured or distributed by the Company; and (vii) all other local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws, relating to the regulation of the Company or its subsidiaries.  Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Health Care Laws nor, to the Company’s knowledge, is any such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action threatened.  Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries have filed, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Health Care Laws, and all such

 

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reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and accurate on the date filed in all material respects (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission).  Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries are a party to any corporate integrity agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, or similar agreements with or imposed by any governmental or regulatory authority.  Additionally, neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their respective employees, officers or directors has been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any U.S. federal health care program or human clinical research or, to the knowledge of the Company, is subject to a governmental inquiry, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action that would reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.

 

(rr)                            No Contract Terminations.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement, which threat of termination or non-renewal has not been rescinded as of the date hereof.

 

(ss)                              Dividend Restrictions.  No subsidiary of the Company is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any property or assets to the Company or to any other subsidiary, except, in each case, for such restrictions or prohibitions imposed under applicable laws.

 

(tt)                                No Indebtedness.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have no outstanding indebtedness.

 

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to any Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering, or the purchase and sale, of the Offered Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 1.  The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

Section 2.                                          Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.

 

(a)                                 The Firm Shares.  Upon the terms herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of [·] Firm Shares.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A.  The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $[·] per share.

 

(b)                                 The First Closing Date.  Delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Cooley LLP, 1114 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036 (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the

 

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Representatives) at 9:00 a.m. New York City time, on [·], 2017, or such other time and date not later than 1:30 p.m. New York City time, on [·], 2017 as the Representatives shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”).  The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the Representatives may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are not limited to, any determination by the Company or the Representatives to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 11.

 

(c)                                  The Optional Shares; Option Closing Date.  In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of [·] Optional Shares from the Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares.  The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Representatives to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement.  Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option and (ii) the time, date and place at which certificates for the Optional Shares will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the First Closing Date, the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares and such Optional Shares).  Any such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date,” shall be determined by the Representatives and shall not be earlier than two or later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise.  If any Optional Shares are to be purchased, (a) each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares and (b) the Company agrees to sell the number of Optional Shares set forth in the “Introductory” paragraph of this Agreement (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine).  The Representatives may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.

 

(d)                                 Public Offering of the Offered Shares.  The Representatives hereby advise the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed and the Registration Statement has been declared effective as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.

 

(e)                                  Payment for the Offered Shares.

 

(i)                                     Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold by the Company shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, payment for the Optional Shares shall be made at the First Closing Date or at each Option Closing Date, as applicable) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.

 

(ii)                                  It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for their own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase.  Each of Jefferies and Piper Jaffray, individually and not as the Representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representatives by the First Closing

 

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Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(f)                                   Delivery of the Offered Shares.  The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters certificates for the Firm Shares to be sold by them at the First Closing Date, against release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor.  The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters, the Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. If Jefferies so elects, delivery of the Offered Shares may be made by credit to the accounts designated by Jefferies through The Depository Trust Company’s full fast transfer or DWAC programs.  The Offered Shares shall be registered in such names and denominations as the Representatives shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be). Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.

 

Section 3.                                          Additional Covenants of the Company.  The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)                                 Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus.  The Company shall furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the second business day succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

 

(b)                                 Representatives’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements.  During the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), the Company (i) will furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable period of time prior to the proposed time of filing of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, a copy of each such amendment or supplement and (ii) will not amend or supplement the Registration Statement without the Representatives’ prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.  Prior to amending or supplementing any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the time of filing or use of the proposed amendment or supplement, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement.  The Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Representatives’ prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.  The Company shall file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

 

(c)                                  Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Representatives’ prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.  The Company shall furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf

 

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of, used by or referred to by the Company as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the First Closing Date) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Representatives’ prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

(d)                                 Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company shall not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(e)                                  Amendments and Supplements to Time of Sale Prospectus.  If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or if, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company shall (subject to Section 3(b) and Section 3(c) hereof) promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

(f)                                   Certain Notifications and Required Actions.  After the date of this Agreement and until such time as the Underwriters are no longer required to deliver a Prospectus in order to confirm sales of the Offered Shares, the Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing (which may be by email) of: (i) the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission relating to the Registration Statement; (ii) the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus; (iii) the time and

 

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date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes.  If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order as soon as reasonably practicable.  Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with all applicable provisions of Rule 424(b), Rule 433 and Rule 430A under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(g)                                 Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters.  If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company agrees (subject to Section 3(b) and Section 3(c) hereof) to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.  Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Section 3(b) or Section 3(c).

 

(h)                                 Blue Sky Compliance.  The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws (or other foreign laws) of those jurisdictions designated by the Representatives, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares.  The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation.  The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

(i)                                    Use of Proceeds.  The Company intends to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and shall report the use of such proceeds as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

 

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(j)                                    Transfer Agent.  The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.

 

(k)                                 Earnings Statement.  The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company commencing after the date of this Agreement that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, which earnings statement shall be deemed to have been made generally available by the Company if the Company is in compliance with its reporting obligations pursuant to the Exchange Act, if such compliance satisfies the conditions of Rule 158, and if such earnings statement is made available on EDGAR.

 

(l)                                    Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.  The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Offered Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), file on a timely basis with the Commission and NASDAQ all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.  Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Offered Shares as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

 

(m)                             Listing.  The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Offered Shares on NASDAQ.

 

(n)                                 Company to Provide Copy of the Prospectus in Form That May be Downloaded from the Internet.  If requested by the Representatives, the Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered, at its expense, within one business day from the effective date of this Agreement, to the Representatives an “electronic Prospectus” to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares.  As used herein, the term “electronic Prospectus” means a form of the Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, that may be transmitted electronically by the Representatives and the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Offered Shares; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper Prospectus, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, that will allow investors to store and have continuously ready access to the Prospectus at any future time, without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time).  The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Prospectus.

 

(o)                                 Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares.  During the period commencing on and including the date hereof and continuing through and including the 180th day following the date of the Prospectus (such period being referred to herein as the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives (which consent may be withheld in their sole discretion), directly or indirectly: (i) sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend any Shares or Related Securities (as defined below); (ii) effect any short sale, or establish or increase any “put equivalent position” (as defined

 

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in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) of any Shares or Related Securities; (iii) pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in any Shares or Related Securities; (iv) in any other way transfer or dispose of any Shares or Related Securities; (v) enter into any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise; (vi) announce the offering of any Shares or Related Securities; (vii) file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of any Shares or Related Securities (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares); or (viii) publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that the Company may (A) effect the transactions contemplated hereby; (B) issue Shares or options to purchase Shares, or issue Shares upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus, employee stock purchase or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, but only if the holders of such Shares or options agree in writing with the Underwriters not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such Shares or options during such Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of the Representatives (which consent may be withheld in their sole discretion); (C) issue Shares pursuant to the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities; (D) file a registration statement on Form S-8 to register Shares issuable pursuant to the terms of a stock option, stock bonus, employee stock purchase or other stock incentive plan or arrangement described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; (E) issue Shares in connection with any joint venture, commercial or collaborative relationship or the acquisition or license by the Company of the securities, businesses, property or other assets of another person or entity; provided, however, that in the case of clause (E), (x) such Shares shall not in the aggregate exceed 5% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock on a fully diluted basis after giving effect to the sale of the Offered Shares contemplated by this Agreement and (y) the recipients thereof provide to the Representatives a signed Lock-Up Agreement in the form attached as Exhibit A; and (F) assist any stockholder of the Company in the establishment of a trading plan by such stockholder pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period, and the establishment of such plan does not require or otherwise result in any public filings or other public announcement of such plan during such Lock-Up Period and such plan is otherwise permitted to be implemented during the Lock-up Period pursuant to the terms of the Lock-Up Agreement between such stockholder and the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares.  For purposes of the foregoing, “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for, or convertible into, Shares.

 

(p)                                 Future Reports to the Representatives.  During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, c/o Jefferies, at 520 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Global Head of Syndicate, and c/o Piper Jaffray, at 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 800, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, Attention: [Prospectus Delivery Department]: (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other public report filed by the Company with the Commission, FINRA or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company furnished or made available generally to holders of its capital stock; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 3(p) shall be satisfied to the extent that such reports, statement, communications, financial statements or other documents are available on EDGAR.

 

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(q)                                 Investment Limitation.  The Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

(r)                                  No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation MThe Company will not take, and will ensure that no affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.

 

(s)                                   Enforce Lock-Up Agreements.  During the Lock-up Period, the Company will enforce all agreements between the Company and any of its securityholders that restrict or prohibit, expressly or in operation, the offer, sale or transfer of Shares or Related Securities or any of the other actions restricted or prohibited under the terms of the form of Lock-up Agreement.  In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements, including, without limitation, “lock-up” agreements entered into by the Company’s officers, directors and securityholders pursuant to Section 6(i) hereof.

 

(t)                                    Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements.  Prior to the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date, the Company will furnish the Underwriters, as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

(u)                                 Amendments and Supplements to Permitted Section 5(d) Communications.  If at any time following the distribution of any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required to be delivered, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

(v)                                 Emerging Growth Company Status.  The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) and (ii) the expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as defined herein).

 

(w)                               Announcement Regarding Lock-ups. The Company agrees to announce the Representatives’ intention to release any director or “officer” (within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company from any of the restrictions imposed by any Lock-Up Agreement, by, at the discretion of the Company, issuing, through a major news service, a press release, or filing a Form 8-K, in each case in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives or, if consented to by the Representatives, in a registration statement that is publicly filed in connection with a secondary offering of the Company’s shares promptly following the Company’s receipt of any notification from the Representatives in which such intention is indicated, but in any case not later than the close of the third

 

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business day prior to the date on which such release or waiver is to become effective; provided, however, that nothing shall prevent the Representatives, on behalf of the Underwriters, from announcing the same through a major news service, irrespective of whether the Company has made the required announcement; and provided, further, that no such announcement shall be made of any release or waiver granted solely to permit a transfer of securities that is not for consideration and where the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the terms of a Lock-Up Agreement in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto.

 

Section 4.                                          Payment of Expenses.  The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, each free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Representatives, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum and a “Canadian wrapper”, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with determining their compliance with the rules and regulations of FINRA related to the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, including any related filing fees and the reasonable and documented legal fees of, and disbursements by, counsel to the Underwriters, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show”, any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication or any Section 5(d) Oral Communication undertaken in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives, employees and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and one half of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, with the other half being paid by the Underwriters, (ix) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Offered Shares on NASDAQ, and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses of the nature referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement; provided, however, that the costs, fees and expenses of counsel, consultants and any other third parties engaged by the Underwriters in clauses (vi) through (vii) shall in no event exceed $35,000 in the aggregate.  Except as provided in this Section 4 or in Section 7, Section 9 or Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel and their own travel and lodging expenses.

 

Section 5.                                          Covenant of the Underwriters.  Each Underwriter severally and not jointly covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not, but for such actions, be required to be filed by the Company under Rule 433(d).

 

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Section 6.                                          Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters.  The respective obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Shares, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                 Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Auditing Standard No. 6101 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements of the Company and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and each free writing prospectus, if any.

 

(b)                                 Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRA.  For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Optional Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date:

 

(i)                                     The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective.

 

(ii)                                  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.

 

(iii)                               FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(c)                                  No Material Adverse Change.  For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Optional Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date, in the judgment of the Representatives there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change.

 

(d)                                 Opinion of Counsel for the Company.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Hogan Lovells US LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(e)                                  Opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel for the Company.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Dennemeyer & Associates, LLC, intellectual property counsel for the Company, with respect to certain patents and proprietary rights, dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

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(f)                                   Opinion of Counsel to OptiNose AS. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Aabø-Evensen & Co Advokatfirma AS, special local counsel OptiNose AS, dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(g)                                 Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Cooley LLP, counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, dated as of such date.

 

(h)                                 Officers’ Certificate.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, solely in their respective capacities as such, dated as of such date, to the effect set forth in Section 6(b)(ii) and further to the effect that:

 

(i)                                     for the period from and including the date of this Agreement through and including such date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

 

(ii)                                  the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date; and

 

(iii)                               the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such date.

 

(i)                                    Bring-down Comfort Letter.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, which letter shall: (i) reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to Section 6(a), except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be; and (ii) cover certain financial information contained in the Prospectus.

 

(j)                              Lock-Up Agreements.  On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives an agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each director and officer and each beneficial owner listed on Schedule D hereto, and each such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

 

(k)                           Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission on the date of this Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.

 

(l)                              Approval of Listing.  At the First Closing Date, the Offered Shares shall have been approved for listing on NASDAQ, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(m)                             Additional Documents.  On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein

 

24



 

contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice from the Representatives to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time on or prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 7.                                          Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 6 or Section 12 (i), (iv) or (v), or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including, but not limited to, reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges; provided, however, that in the event any such termination is effected after the First Closing Date but prior to any Option Closing Date with respect to the purchase of any Optional Shares, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for their fees in accordance with Section 4 herein, and shall only be obligated to reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out of pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, incurred after the First Closing Date in connection with the proposed purchase of any such Optional Shares.

 

Section 8.                                          Effectiveness of this Agreement.  This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

 

Section 9.                                          Indemnification.

 

(a)                                 Indemnification of the Underwriters.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (A) (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Marketing Material, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing), or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make

 

25



 

the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (B) the violation of any laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all reasonable expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Representatives in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any such free writing prospectus, any Marketing Material, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(b) below.  The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

 

(b)                                 Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer, or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus, that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the Securities Act, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, such free writing prospectus, such Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement), in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Representatives in writing expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer, or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action.  The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Representatives have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) are the statements set forth in the first sentence of the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting,” the first sentence of the first paragraph under the section entitled “Commission and Expenses,” the first sentence of the first paragraph under the section entitled “Stabilization,” the first paragraph and the first sentence of the second

 

26



 

paragraph under the section entitled “Other Activities and Relationships,” and the first sentence of the first paragraph under the section entitled “Electronic Distribution,” each under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.  The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

(c)                                  Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures.  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 9, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party to the extent the indemnifying party is not materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure and shall not in any event relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, that if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties.  Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9 for any reasonable and documented legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with one local counsel for each jurisdiction), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with one local counsel for each jurisdiction) for the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in  Section 9(a) above) or by the Company (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 9(b) above)) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party and shall be paid as they are incurred.

 

(d)                                 Settlements.  The indemnifying party under this Section 9 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 9(c) hereof, the indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the

 

27



 

indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

 

Section 10.                                   Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in Section 9 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover.  The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9(c), any documented legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim.  The provisions set forth in Section 9(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(c) for purposes of indemnification.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 10.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’

 

28



 

obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A.  For purposes of this Section 10, each affiliate, director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

 

Section 11.                                   Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters.  If, on the First Closing Date or any Option Closing Date any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date.  If, on the First Closing Date or any Option Closing Date any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares and the aggregate number of Offered Shares with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party (other than the breaching Representative) to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.  In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

 

As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11.  Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

 

Section 12.                                   Termination of this Agreement.  Prior to the purchase of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters on the First Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to the Company if at any time: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by NASDAQ, or trading in securities generally on either NASDAQ or The New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any federal or New York authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of

 

29



 

securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representatives there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured.  Any termination pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except to the extent that the Company is obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 4 or Section 7 hereof or (b) any Underwriter to the Company; provided, however, that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 13.                                   No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Offered Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or the Company’s stockholders, or its creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

Section 14.                                   Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers ,  and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

Section 15.                                   Notices.  All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Representatives:

Jefferies LLC

 

520 Madison Avenue

 

New York, New York 10022

 

Facsimile: (646) 619-4437

 

Attention: General Counsel

 

 

 

Piper Jaffray & Co.

 

800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 800

 

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402

 

Facsimile: (612) 303-1068

 

Attention: General Counsel

 

30


 

with a copy to:

Cooley LLP

 

1114 Avenue of the Americas

 

New York, New York 10036

 

Facsimile: (212) 479-6275

 

Attention: Divakar Gupta

 

 

If to the Company:

OptiNose, Inc.

 

1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300

 

Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067

 

Facsimile: (267) 395-2119

 

Attention: Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer

 

 

with a copy to:

Hogan Lovells US LLP

 

1835 Market Street, 29th Floor

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103

 

Facsimile: (267) 675-4601

 

Attention: Steven J. Abrams and Rachael M. Bushey

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

Section 16.                                   Successors.  This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 11 hereof, and to the benefit of the affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 and Section 10, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.  The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

 

Section 17.                                   Partial Unenforceability.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof.  If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

Section 18.                                   Governing Law Provisions.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state.  Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby  may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding.  Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court.  The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

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Section 19.                                   General Provisions.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.  This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.  The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions.  Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements to the foregoing), as contemplated by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

[signature pages follow]

 

32



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name: Peter K. Miller

 

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

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The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representatives in New York, New York as of the date first above written.

 

JEFFERIES LLC

 

PIPER JAFFRAY & CO.

 

 

 

Acting individually and as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in the attached Schedule A.

 

 

 

JEFFERIES LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

PIPER JAFFRAY & CO.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

34



 

Schedule A

 

Underwriters

 

Number of
Firm Shares
to be Purchased

 

Jefferies LLC

 

[·

]

Piper Jaffray & Co.

 

[·

]

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

 

[·

]

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

 

[·

]

Total

 

[·

]

 



 

Schedule B

 

Free Writing Prospectuses Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus

 

[·]

 

Pricing Information Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus

 

Price per share to the public:

 

$

[·

]

Number of shares being sold by the Company:

 

[·

]

Number of shares potentially issuable pursuant to the option to purchase additional shares:

 

[·

]

 



 

Schedule C

 

Permitted Section 5(d) Communications

 

[·]

 



 

Schedule D

 

Lock-Up Parties

 

[·]

 


 

Exhibit A

 

Form of Lock-up Agreement

 

[·], 2017

 

Jefferies LLC
Piper Jaffray & Co.
                                                As Representatives of the Several Underwriters

 

c/o Jefferies LLC
520 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022

 

and

 

c/o Piper Jaffray & Co.

800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 800

Minneapolis, MN 55402

 

RE:                           OptiNose, Inc. (the “Company”)

 

Ladies & Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned is an owner of shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (“Shares”) or of securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares.  The Company proposes to conduct a public offering of Shares (the “Offering”) for which Jefferies LLC  and Piper Jaffray & Co. will act as the representatives (each a “Representative” and collectively the “Representatives”) of the underwriters.  The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will benefit each of the Company and the undersigned.  The undersigned acknowledges that the underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter agreement in conducting the Offering and, at a subsequent date, in entering into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) and other underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.

 

Annex A sets forth definitions for capitalized terms used in this letter agreement that are not defined in the body of this letter agreement.  Those definitions are a part of this letter agreement.

 

In consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, during the Lock-up Period, subject to the exceptions set forth in this letter agreement, the undersigned will not (and will cause any Family Member not to), without the prior written consent of such Representative or Representatives as may be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives (the “Designated Representative(s)”), which consent may be withheld in its or their discretion:

 

·                  Sell or Offer to Sell any Shares or Related Securities currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by the undersigned or such Family Member,

 



 

·                  enter into any Swap,

 

·                  make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares or Related Securities, or cause to be filed a registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement (or an amendment or supplement thereto) with respect to any such registration, or

 

·                  publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing.

 

The foregoing will not apply to the registration of the offer and sale of the Shares, and the sale of the Shares to the underwriters, in each case as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement.  In addition, the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to (i) sales of Shares acquired in the Offering or in open market transactions after the completion of the Offering; provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such sales; (ii) the transfer of Shares or Related Securities by gift, (iii) the transfer of Shares or Related Securities by will or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir or beneficiary of the undersigned, (iv) the transfer of Shares or Related Securities to a trust whose beneficiaries consist exclusively of one or more of the undersigned and/or a member of the undersigned’s Immediate Family, (v) transfers or dispositions of the undersigned’s Shares or Related Securities to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity all of the beneficial ownership interests of which are held by the undersigned or any Family Member, (vi) distributions of the undersigned’s Shares or Related Securities to limited partners, general partners, members, stockholders or other equityholders of the undersigned, provided that any such transfer or distribution shall not involve a disposition for value, (vii) by operation of law, including pursuant to a domestic order or negotiated divorce settlement or (viii) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, the transfer of Shares or Related Securities to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is a direct or indirect affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) of the undersigned or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by, or under common control or management as, the undersigned, provided that any such transfer or distribution set forth in (ii) through (vii) above shall not involve a disposition for value; provided, however, that in any such case set forth in (ii) through (vii) above, it shall be a condition to such transfer that:

 

·                  each transferee executes and delivers to the Representatives an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Designated Representative(s) stating that such transferee is receiving and holding such Shares and/or Related Securities subject to the provisions of this letter agreement and agrees not to Sell or Offer to Sell such Shares and/or Related Securities, engage in any Swap or engage in any other activities restricted under this letter agreement except in accordance with this letter agreement (as if such transferee had been an original signatory hereto), and

 

·                  prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, no public disclosure or filing under the Exchange Act by any party to the transfer (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall be required, or made voluntarily, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Shares or Related Securities in connection with such transfer.

 

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Furthermore, notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by this letter agreement, the undersigned may (i) exercise an option to purchase Shares granted under any equity incentive plan or stock purchase plan of the Company existing as of the date of the Prospectus and described in the Prospectus, provided that the Shares issued upon such exercise shall continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this letter agreement, (ii) establish a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Shares, provided that such plan does not provide for any transfers of Shares or Related Securities during the Lock-up Period and the entry into such plan is not publicly disclosed, including in any filing under the Exchange Act, during the Lock-up Period or (iii) transfer Shares or Related Securities (A) as forfeitures to satisfy tax withholding obligations of the undersigned in connection with the vesting or exercise of equity awards by the undersigned pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plan existing as of the date of the Prospectus and described in the Prospectus, (B) pursuant to a net exercise or cashless exercise by the undersigned of outstanding equity awards pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plan existing as of the date of the Prospectus and described in the Prospectus, provided that any Shares acquired upon the net exercise or cashless exercise of equity awards described in this clause (B) shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in this letter agreement, (C) pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer for all outstanding shares of the Company, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s securities involving a change of control of the Company (including, without limitation, the entering into any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of common stock or other such securities in connection with such transaction, or vote any common stock or other such securities in favor of any transaction), provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, such securities held by the undersigned shall remain subject to the provisions of this letter agreement, or (D) that may be deemed to have occurred as a result of the conversion of the outstanding preferred shares of the Company into shares of common stock or the exercise of warrants, provided that the restrictions set forth in this letter agreement shall apply to any of the undersigned’s Shares or Related Securities issued upon such conversion or exercise; provided that, in the case of a transfer pursuant to clause (A) or (B) above, if the undersigned is required to make a filing under the Exchange Act reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Shares during the Lock-up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that the purpose of such transfer was to cover tax obligations of the undersigned in connection with such exercise.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Company-directed Shares the undersigned may purchase or otherwise receive in the Offering (including pursuant to a directed share program).

 

In addition, if the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Designated Representative(s) agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Shares, the Designated Representative(s)  will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company (in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement) will announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by the Designated Representative(s) hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if both (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter agreement that are applicable to the transferor to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

 

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of Shares or Related Securities held by the undersigned and the undersigned’s Family Members, if any, except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

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With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares and/or any Related Securities owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.

 

The undersigned confirms that the undersigned has not, and has no knowledge that any Family Member has, directly or indirectly, taken any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Shares.  The undersigned will not, and will cause any Family Member not to take, directly or indirectly, any such action.

 

Whether or not the Offering occurs as currently contemplated or at all depends on market conditions and other factors.  The Offering will only be made pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the underwriters.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power, capacity and authority to enter into this letter agreement.  This letter agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if (a) the initial closing of the Offering has not occurred prior to December 31, 2017, (b) after being executed, the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof that survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares to be sold thereunder or (c) the Company notifies the underwriters in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, then this letter agreement shall terminate and the undersigned shall be released from all obligations hereunder upon the earliest to occur of the events specified above.

 

This letter agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

[signature page follows]

 

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Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

Name of Security Holder (Print exact name)

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Signature

 

 

 

If not signing in an individual capacity:

 

 

 

 

 

Name of Authorized Signatory (Print)

 

 

 

Title of Authorized Signatory (Print)

 

 

 

(indicate capacity of person signing if signing as custodian, trustee, or on behalf of an entity)

 



 

Certain Defined Terms
Used in Lock-up Agreement

 

For purposes of the letter agreement to which this Annex A is attached and of which it is made a part:

 

·                  Call Equivalent Position” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act.

 

·                  Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

·                  Family Member” shall mean the spouse of the undersigned, an immediate family member of the undersigned or an immediate family member of the undersigned’s spouse, in each case living in the undersigned’s household or whose principal residence is the undersigned’s household (regardless of whether such spouse or family member may at the time be living elsewhere due to educational activities, health care treatment, military service, temporary internship or employment or otherwise).

 

·                  Immediate Family” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(e) under the Exchange Act.

 

·                  Lock-up Period” shall mean the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date that is 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement).

 

·                  Put Equivalent Position” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act.

 

·                  Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares.

 

·                  Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

·                  Sell or Offer to Sell” shall mean to:

 

·                  sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend,

 

·                  effect any short sale or establish or increase a Put Equivalent Position or liquidate or decrease any Call Equivalent Position

 

·                  pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in, or

 

·                  in any other way transfer or dispose of, in each case whether effected directly or indirectly.

 

·                  Swap” shall mean any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise.

 

Capitalized terms not defined in this Annex A shall have the meanings given to them in the body of this letter agreement.

 




Exhibit 3.6

 

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

TO THE

THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

OptiNose, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies as follows:

 

1.             The name of the Corporation is OptiNose, Inc.  The date of filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State was May 26, 2010 (the “Original Certificate”).  The Original Certificate was amended in its entirety pursuant to a Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on June 4, 2010 (the “Restated Certificate”).  The Restated Certificate was amended pursuant to a Certificate of Amendment of Restated Certificate filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 18, 2011 (the “First Amendment”), and a Certificate of Amendment of Restated Certificate filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 1, 2014 (the “Second Amendment”).  The Restated Certificate, as amended by the First Amendment and Second Amendment, was further amended in its entirety pursuant to a Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on July 18, 2014 (the “Second Restated Certificate”). The Second Restated Certificate was further amended in its entirety pursuant to a Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on March 24, 2017 (the “Third Restated Certificate”).

 

2.             This Amendment to the Third Restated Certificate has been duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

3.             This Amendment to the Third Restated Certificate amends Article 4 of the Third Restated Certificate by deleting Article 4, Section 4.1 in its entirety and by substituting in lieu thereof the following:

 

4.1          Authorized Capital.

 

4.1.1       The aggregate number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 58,932,851, such shares being designated as follows: (i) 50,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and (ii) 8,932,851 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”).

 

4.1.2       Effective at the time of filing (the “Effective Time”) of this Certificate of Amendment to the Corporation’s Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, each share of the Common Stock (the “Old Common Stock”) issued and outstanding or held by the Corporation in treasury immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be reclassified and subdivided into 2.8879 validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of the Corporation’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “New Common Stock”), without any action by the holder thereof (such change, reclassification and subdivision being referred to herein as the “Stock Split”). Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, no fractional shares of New Common Stock resulting from such subdivision will be issued. In lieu of any fractional shares to which a holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the fair market value of a share of the Common Stock as determined in good faith by the board of directors of the Corporation.  Each certificate that theretofore represented shares of

 



 

Old Common Stock shall, from and after the Effective Time, automatically and without the necessity of presenting the same for exchange, represent that number of shares of New Common Stock into which the shares of Old Common Stock represented by such certificate shall have been reclassified and subdivided; provided, that each person holding of record a stock certificate or certificates that represented shares of Old Common Stock shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender of such certificate or certificates, a new certificate or certificates evidencing and representing the number of shares of New Common Stock to which such person is entitled pursuant to the Stock Split.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have signed this Certificate this 10th day of October, 2017.

 

 /s/ Peter K. Miller

 

Peter K. Miller

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

[Signature Page to Certificate of Amendment to the Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of OptiNose, Inc.]

 




Exhibit 4.5

 

 

FIRST AMENDMENT

 

TO THE

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

 

OF

 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED SHAREHOLDERS’ AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”), dated as of October 2, 2017, by and among OptiNose, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), the Investors, the Existing Shareholders and the Management Shareholders party thereto.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company and certain of the Shareholders entered into that certain Shareholders’ Agreement, dated June 7, 2010, as amended by that certain Amendment No. 1 to the Shareholders’ Agreement, dated November 18, 2012;

 

WHEREAS, the Company and certain of the Shareholders entered into that certain Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement, dated July 22, 2014, by and among the Company and such Shareholders, as further amended and restated by that certain Second Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement, dated March 24, 2017 (the “Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the consummation by the Company of Initial Public Offering, the Company and the Shareholders holding a sufficient number of shares to amend the Agreement pursuant to its terms desire to amend certain provisions of the Agreement relating to the survival of the Shareholders’ Agreement following consummation of the IPO.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

AGREEMENT

 

1.             Definitions.  Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement.

 

2.             Amendment to Section 3.5(f).  Section 3.5(f) of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated as follows:

 

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“(f)          Termination of Call Right.  The Call Rights under this Section 3.5 shall terminate upon the closing of the Initial Public Offering.”

 

3.             Amendment to Section 7.1.  Section 7.1 of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated as follows:

 

“7.1        Termination.  This Agreement shall continue in force until the earlier of (a) the consummation of a merger in which the Company is not the surviving entity or any other transaction resulting in a Change of Control of the Company and (b) the closing of an Initial Public Offering of the Company; provided, however, that Section 1.1(g) shall survive until one hundred and eighty (180) days following the closing of an Initial Public Offering; and provided further, that the provisions of Section 5.4, Section 8.2, Section 8.3, Section 8.4, Section 8.5, Section 8.6, Section 8.9, and Section 8.11 shall survive indefinitely.”

 

4.             Effectiveness. This Amendment shall be effective as of the date hereof. However, to the extent the closing of the IPO does not occur on or before March 31, 2018, the provisions of this Agreement shall be without any force or effect.

 

5.             Counterparts.  This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which, when executed, will be deemed to be an original and all of which together will be deemed to be one and the same instrument.

 

6.             No Other Effect.  Except as amended by this Amendment, all terms and provisions of the Agreement will remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

 

[Remainder of page left intentionally blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Peter Miller

 

 

Name: Peter Miller

 

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

AVISTA CAPITAL PARTNERS II, LP

 

 

 

 

 

By:

Avista Capital Partners GP II, LLC, as general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Name: Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Title: General Counsel

 

 

 

 

 

AVISTA CAPITAL PARTNERS (OFFSHORE) II, LP

 

 

 

 

 

By:

Avista Capital Partners GP II, LLC, as general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Name: Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Title: General Counsel

 

 

 

 

 

AVISTA CAPITAL PARTNERS (OFFSHORE) II-A, LP

 

 

 

 

 

By:

Avista Capital Partners GP II, LLC, as general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Name: Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Title: General Counsel

 



 

 

FIDELITY MT. VERNON STREET TRUST: FIDELITY SERIES GROWTH COMPANY FUND

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

FIDELITY GROWTH COMPANY COMMINGLED POOL

 

 

 

By: Fidelity Management & Trust Co.

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

FIDELITY MT. VERNON STREET TRUST: FIDELITY GROWTH COMPANY FUND

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

FIDELITY OTC COMMINGLED POOL

 

 

 

By: Fidelity Management & Trust Co.

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

FIDELITY SECURITIES FUND: FIDELITY OTC PORTFOLIO

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

[First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement of OptiNose, Inc.]

 




Exhibit 4.7

 

FIRST AMENDMENT

 

TO THE

 

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

OF

 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”), dated as of October 2, 2017, by and among OptiNose, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the holders of Series D Shares, Series C-2 Shares, Series C-1 Shares, Series C Shares and Series B Shares of the Company identified on the signature pages thereto (collectively, the “Investors”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company and certain of the Investors (the “Prior Holders”) are party to that certain Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated July 22, 2014, as further amended and restated by that certain Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 24, 2017 (the “Prior Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the consummation by the Company of an initial public offering of its Common Shares (the “Initial Public Offering”), the Company and the Prior Holders holding a sufficient number of and class(es) of shares of the Company’s capital stock to amend the Prior Agreement pursuant to its terms desire to enter into this Amendment for the purpose of setting forth certain rights and obligations of the Investors following consummation of the Initial Public Offering.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

AGREEMENT

 

1.                                      Definitions.  Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement.

 

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2.                                      Amendment to “Registrable Securities”.

 

(a)                                 Section 1(s)(ii) of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated as follows:

 

“(ii) it is freely saleable pursuant to Rule 144  under the Securities Act;”

 

(b)                                 Section 1(s) of the Agreement is hereby amended to add the following after the last sentence:

 

“Notwithstanding the foregoing, after the one hundred and eighty (180) day period following the closing of an Initial Public Offering (the “IPO Lock-Up Period”), only the Avista Entities and any Investors who are members of management of the Company shall be deemed to hold Registrable Securities. Immediately upon the expiration of the IPO Lock-Up Period and subject to delivery of a Rule 144 representation letter in form and substance reasonable acceptable to the Company’s legal counsel (if such letter is requested by legal counsel for the Company), the Company shall cause its legal counsel to issue an opinion instructing the Company’s transfer agent to remove any restrictive legends on the Common Shares that cease to be Registrable Securities.”

 

3.                                      Amendment to Demand Registration.  The second sentence of Section 2(a) of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated as follows:

 

“Promptly after receipt of the Investor Request, the Company shall, subject to Section 14, give written notice (the “Notice of Investor Request”) of such Investor Request to all Holders and, subject to the limitations of Section 2(c) below, shall file (as expeditiously as practicable and in any event within twenty (20) days of its receipt) and use its best efforts to effect, a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to all Registrable Securities that the Holders request to be registered (such requesting Holders together with the Requesting Investors, the “Registering Shareholders”) within five (5) days of the receipt by the applicable Holder of the Notice of Investor Request (delivered in accordance with Section 22); provided, however, that no Investor Request shall be effected from Holders referred to in clause (ii) above if the aggregate gross proceeds expected to be received from the sale of the Registrable Securities requested to be included by all Registering Shareholders in such Investor Request are less than $20,000,000 (unless such Registrable Securities identified in the Investor Request constitute all remaining Registrable Securities held by the Registering Shareholders).”

 

4.                                      Amendment to Form S-3 Registration.  Section 3 of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated, in its entirety, as follows:

 

“3.                               REGISTRATIONS ON FORM S-3.

 

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(a)                                 If at any time when it is eligible to use a Form S-3 registration statement, the Company receives a request from Holders of at least twenty percent (20%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-3 registration statement with respect to outstanding Registrable Securities of such Holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least $20,000,000, then the Company shall (i) within five (5) days after the date such request is given, give written notice (the “Form S-3 Notice”) of such request to all Holders other than the Requesting Investors; and (ii) as soon as practicable, and in any event within fourteen (14) days after the date such request is given by the Requesting Investors, file a Form S-3 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within five (5) days of the date the Form S-3 Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Section 2(b); provided that in the case of registration of Registrable Securities on Form S-3 that are intended to be offered on a continuous or delayed basis, subject to compliance with applicable SEC rules, once the registration statement relating thereto has remained effective under the Securities Act for a period of at least 180 days (or such shorter period in which all Registrable Securities of the Holders included in such registration have actually been sold thereunder), such 180 day period shall be extended to 180 days after the second anniversary of the date on which such Form S-3 becomes effective (or such shorter period in which all Registrable Securities of the Holders included in such registration have actually been sold thereunder).

 

(b)                                 In connection with any proposed firmly underwritten resale of Registrable Securities which is not pursuant to a Demand Registration under Section 2 and with respect to which a Form S-3 registration statement is expressly being utilized to effect such resale (an “Underwritten Shelf Take-Down”) pursuant to Section 3(a), the Requesting Investors agree, in an effort to conduct any such Underwritten Shelf Take-Down in the most efficient and organized manner, to coordinate with any other Registering Shareholders prior to initiating any sales efforts and cooperate with any other Registering Shareholders as to the terms of such Underwritten Shelf Take-Down, including the aggregate amount of securities to be sold and the number of Registrable Securities to be sold by the Registering Shareholders. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company shall give prompt notice to any other Registering Shareholders (if such Registering Shareholders’ Registrable Securities are included in the Form S-3) of the receipt of a request from the Requesting Investors (whose Registrable Securities are included in the Form S-3) of a proposed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down under and pursuant to the Form S-3 and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, will

 

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provide such other Registering Shareholders a period of two (2) business days to participate in such Underwritten Shelf Take-Down. All such Registering Shareholders electing to be included in an Underwritten Shelf Take-Down must sell their Registrable Securities to the underwriters selected in the same manner as provided in Section 2(b) on the same terms and conditions as apply to any other selling Investors; provided, however, that (i) no Holder (or any of their assignees) shall be required to make any representations, warranties or indemnities except as they relate to such Holder’s ownership of shares and authority to enter into the underwriting agreement and to such Holder’s intended method of distribution, and the liability of such Holder shall be limited to an amount equal to the net proceeds from the offering received by such Holder, and (ii) each Holder shall be required to deliver all questionnaires, powers of attorney, escrow and custody agreements, legal opinions and other documents customarily required under the terms of such underwriting agreement.

 

(c)                                  The Company shall be liable for and pay all Registration Expenses (as defined below) in connection with each Form S-3, regardless of whether such Form S-3 is effected, and any Underwritten Shelf Take-Down; provided that the Registering Shareholders shall pay all underwriting discounts, selling commissions, and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities, and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Registering Shareholders, except for the fees and disbursements of the Registering Shareholders borne and paid by the Company as a Registration Expense.”

 

(d)                                 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Investor that is a member of the Company’s management will be entitled to participate with respect to any Underwritten Shelf Take-Down.

 

5.                                      Amendment to Piggy-Back Registration Rights.  Section 4 of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated, in its entirety, as follows:

 

If the Company proposes to register (including for this purpose a registration effected by the Company for shareholders other than the Investors under Section 2) any of the Registrable Securities under the Securities Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely for cash (other than an Underwritten Shelf Take-Down or a registration on Form S-8 (or similar or successor form or other registration form that would not permit the registration of the Registrable Securities) relating solely to the sale of securities to participants in a Company stock plan or to other compensatory arrangements to the extent includable on Form S-8 (or similar or successor form or other registration form that would not permit the registration of the Registrable Securities)), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder written notice of such registration. Upon the written request of each Holder given within thirty (30) days after mailing of such notice by the Company in accordance with Section 22, the Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 9, use its best efforts to cause to be registered

 

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under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be registered; provided, however, that no Holder shall be entitled to register any of its Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 4 in an Initial Public Offering unless a Holder of Series D Shares, Series C-2 Shares, Series C-1 Shares or Series C Shares is participating as a seller of Registrable Securities in such Initial Public Offering.  The Company shall have no obligation under this Section 4 to make any offering of its securities, or to complete an offering of its securities that it proposes to make.

 

6.                                      Amendment to Underwriting Requirements.  The second sentence of Section 9 of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated as follows:

 

“If requested by the underwriters for any underwritten offering requested by Holders of Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration statement under Section 2 or Section 3(b), the Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with such underwriters for such offering, such agreement to be reasonably satisfactory in substance and form to the Company, the Requesting Investors and the underwriters, and to contain such representations and warranties by the Company and such other terms as are generally prevailing in agreements of that type, including indemnities no less favorable to the recipient than those provided in Section 10.”

 

7.                                      Effectiveness. This Amendment shall be effective as of the date hereof.  However, to the extent the closing of the Initial Public Offering does not occur on or before March 31, 2018, the provisions of this Amendment shall be without any force or effect.

 

8.                                      Counterparts.  This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which, when executed, will be deemed to be an original and all of which together will be deemed to be one and the same instrument.

 

9.                                      No Other Effect.  Except as amended by this Amendment, all terms and provisions of the Agreement will remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

 

[Remainder of page left intentionally blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Peter Miller

 

Name: Peter Miller

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

AVISTA CAPITAL PARTNERS II, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Avista Capital Partners GP II, LLC, as general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Name: Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Title: General Counsel

 

 

 

 

 

AVISTA CAPITAL PARTNERS (OFFSHORE) II, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Avista Capital Partners GP II, LLC, as general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Name: Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Title: General Counsel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AVISTA CAPITAL PARTNERS (OFFSHORE) II-A, LP

 

 

 

 

By:

Avista Capital Partners GP II, LLC, as general partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Name: Ben Silbert

 

 

 

Title: General Counsel

 



 

 

FIDELITY MT. VERNON STREET TRUST: FIDELITY SERIES GROWTH COMPANY FUND

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

FIDELITY GROWTH COMPANY COMMINGLED POOL

 

 

 

 

By:

Fidelity Management & Trust Co.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

FIDELITY MT. VERNON STREET TRUST: FIDELITY GROWTH COMPANY FUND

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

FIDELITY OTC COMMINGLED POOL

 

 

 

 

By:

Fidelity Management & Trust Co.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

FIDELITY SECURITIES FUND: FIDELITY OTC PORTFOLIO

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Colm Hogan

 

Name:

Colm Hogan

 

Title:

Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to First Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement of OptiNose, Inc.]

 




Exhibit 10.1

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made as of [ ], 2017 by and between OptiNose, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), in its own name and on behalf of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, and [ ], an individual (“Indemnitee”).  This Agreement supersedes and replaces any and all previous Agreements between the Corporation and Indemnitee covering the subject matter of this Agreement.

 

RECITALS:

 

WHEREAS, directors, officers, employees, controlling persons, fiduciaries and other agents (“Representatives”) in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the corporation or business enterprise itself;

 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) believes that highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve corporations as Representatives unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance and adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporation or business enterprise;

 

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining highly competent persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Corporation and its stockholders and that the Corporation should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of protection against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the Corporation;

 

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Corporation contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Corporation free from undue concern regarding such risks;

 

WHEREAS, (a) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation (the “Bylaws”) require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Corporation, (b) Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as it may be amended from time to time (the “DGCL”) and (c) the Bylaws and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Corporation and its Representatives with respect to indemnification;

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Bylaws and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefore, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; and

 

WHEREAS, (a) Indemnitee does not regard the protection available under the Bylaws and insurance as adequate in the present circumstances, (b) Indemnitee may not be willing to serve or continue to serve as a Representative without adequate protection, (c) the Corporation desires Indemnitee to serve or continue to serve in such capacity and (d) Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Corporation on the condition that [he/she] be so indemnified.

 

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AGREEMENT:

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, the Corporation and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

 

Section 1.                                           Definitions.

 

(a)                                           As used in this Agreement:

 

Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble hereto.

 

Beneficial Owner” shall have the meaning given to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act (as defined below); provided, however, that Beneficial Owner shall exclude any Person otherwise becoming a Beneficial Owner by reason of the stockholders of the Corporation approving a merger of the Corporation with another entity.

 

Board” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals hereto.

 

Bylaws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals hereto.

 

Certificate of Incorporation” shall mean the Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation.

 

A “Change in Control” shall be deemed to occur upon the earliest to occur after the date of this Agreement of any of the following events:

 

i.                                                    Acquisition of Stock by Third Party.  Any Person (as defined below), other than the Sponsor Entities (as defined below), is or becomes the Beneficial Owner (as defined below), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Corporation representing fifteen percent (15%) or more of the combined voting power of the Corporation’s then outstanding securities, unless the change in relative Beneficial Ownership of the Corporation’s securities by any Person results solely from a reduction in the aggregate number of outstanding shares of securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors;

 

ii.                                                 Change in Board of Directors.  During any period of two (2) consecutive years (not including any period prior to the execution of this Agreement), individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board, and any new director (other than a director designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Corporation to effect a transaction described herein) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Corporation’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board;

 

iii.                                              Corporate Transactions.  The effective date of a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with any other entity, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity in any such transaction) more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the voting securities of such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation and with the power to elect at least a majority of the board of directors or other governing body of such Surviving Entity;

 

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iv.                                             Liquidation.  The approval by the stockholders of the Corporation of a complete liquidation of the Corporation or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Corporation of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets; and

 

v.                                                Other Events.  There occurs any other event of a nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 6(e) of Schedule 14A of Regulation 14A (or a response to any similar item on any similar schedule or form) promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined below), whether or not the Corporation is then subject to such reporting requirement.

 

Corporate Status” describes the status of an individual who is or was a Representative of an Enterprise.

 

Corporation” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble hereto.

 

DGCL” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals hereto.

 

Enterprise” shall mean the Corporation and any other Person, employee benefit plan, joint venture or other enterprise of which Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a Representative.

 

Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Expenses” shall include all reasonable costs, expenses, fees and charges, including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, being or preparing to be a witness in, or otherwise participating in, a Proceeding. Expenses also shall include, without limitation, (i) expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding, including, without limitation, the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersedes bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent, (ii) for purposes of Section 12(d) only, expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with the interpretation, enforcement or defense of Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement, by litigation or otherwise, (iii) any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (on a grossed up basis), (iv) excise taxes and penalties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and (v) any interest, assessments or other charges in respect of the foregoing.

 

Indemnitee” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble hereto.

 

Indemnity Obligations” shall mean all obligations of the Corporation to Indemnitee under this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Corporation’s obligations to provide indemnification to Indemnitee and advance Expenses to Indemnitee under this Agreement.

 

Independent Counsel” shall mean a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five (5) years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Corporation or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements) or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder; provided, however, that the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Corporation or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.

 

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Liabilities” shall mean all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, judgments, orders, fines, penalties and other amounts payable in connection with, arising out of, in respect of, relating to or occurring as a direct or indirect consequence of, any Proceeding, including, without limitation, amounts paid in whole or partial settlement of any Proceeding, all Expenses incurred in complying with any judgment, order or decree issued or entered in connection with any Proceeding or any settlement agreement, stipulation or consent decree entered into or issued in settlement of any Proceeding, and any consequential damages resulting from any Proceeding or the settlement, judgment, or result thereof.

 

Person” shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, trust, governmental agency or body or any other legal entity.

 

Proceeding” shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, claim, suit, counterclaim, cross claim, arbitration, mediation, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, formal or informal hearing, inquiry or investigation,  administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed judicial, administrative or arbitration proceeding (including, without limitation, any such proceeding under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act or any other federal law, state law, statute or regulation), whether brought in the right of the Corporation or otherwise, and whether of a civil, criminal, administrative legislative or investigative nature, including any appeal therefrom, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be, or is threatened to be, involved as a party, potential party, non-party witness or otherwise (i) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was a Representative of the Corporation, (ii) by reason of any actual or alleged action taken by Indemnitee (or a failure to take action by Indemnitee) or of any action (or failure to act) on Indemnitee’s part while acting as Representative of the Corporation or (iii) by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a Representative of another Person, whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any liability or Expense is incurred for which indemnification, reimbursement, or advancement of Expenses can be provided under this Agreement.  If the Indemnitee believes in good faith that a given situation may lead to or culminate in the institution of a Proceeding, this shall be considered a Proceeding under this paragraph.

 

Representative” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals hereto.

 

Sponsor Entities” shall mean funds affiliated with Avista Capital Partners and any of their respective Affiliates who beneficially own shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Corporation, and any securities into which such shares of common stock shall have been changed or any securities resulting from any reclassification or recapitalization of such shares of common stock from time to time; provided, however, that neither the Corporation nor any of its subsidiaries shall be considered Sponsor Entities hereunder.

 

Submission Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 11(a).

 

(b)                     For the purpose hereof, references to “fines” shall include any excise tax assessed with respect to any employee benefit plan; references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a Representative of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such Representative with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a Person who acted in good faith and in a manner [he/she] reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this Agreement.

 

Section 2.                               Indemnity in Third-Party Proceedings. The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Liabilities and Expenses suffered or incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with or as a consequence of any Proceeding (other than any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor which shall be governed by the provisions set forth in Section 3 below), if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner [he/she] reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation and, in the case of a

 

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criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. For the avoidance of doubt, a finding, admission or stipulation that an Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct or that Indemnitee acted with gross negligence or recklessness shall not, of itself, be a defense to any action pursuant to this Agreement or create a presumption that such Indemnitee has failed to meet the standard of conduct required for indemnification in this Section 2.

 

Section 3.                               Indemnity in Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation. The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Liabilities and Expenses suffered or incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with or as a consequence of any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, or any claim, issue or matter therein, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner [he/she] reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed, to the best interests of the Corporation. No indemnification for Liabilities and Expenses shall be made under this Section 3 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been finally adjudged by a court to be liable to the Corporation, unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or any court in which the Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification for such Liabilities and Expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper. For the avoidance of doubt, a finding, admission or stipulation that an Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct or that Indemnitee acted with gross negligence or recklessness shall not, of itself, be a defense to any action pursuant to this Agreement or create a presumption that such Indemnitee has failed to meet the standard of conduct required for indemnification in this Section 3.

 

Section 4.                               Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, and without limiting the rights of Indemnitee under any other provision hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee is a party to (or a participant in) any Proceeding and is successful on the merits or otherwise (including, without limitation, settlement thereof), as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, in whole or in part, then the Corporation shall indemnify Indemnitee, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, against all Liabilities and Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by Indemnitee or on Indemnitee’s behalf, in connection with or as a consequence of each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Section 4 and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

Section 5.                               Partial Indemnification. If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Corporation for some or a portion of Expenses, but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion thereof to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

Section 6.                               Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, Indemnitee shall be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law against all Liabilities and Expenses suffered or incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.

 

Section 7.                               Additional Indemnification.

 

(a)                     Notwithstanding any limitation in Sections 2, 3, 4 or 5, the Corporation shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law if Indemnitee is a party to, or threatened to be made a party to, any Proceeding (including, without limitation, a Proceeding by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor), by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status.

 

(b)                     For purposes of Section 7(a), the meaning of the phrase “to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law” shall include, but not be limited to:

 

5



 

(i)                                     to the fullest extent permitted by the provision of the DGCL that authorizes or contemplates additional indemnification by agreement, or the corresponding provision of any amendment to, or replacement of, the DGCL, and

 

(ii)                                  to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by any amendments to, or replacements of, the DGCL adopted after the date of this Agreement that increase the extent to which a corporation may indemnify its officers and directors.

 

Section 8.                               Exclusions. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Corporation shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnification payment in connection with any claim involving Indemnitee:

 

(a)                     for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision; or

 

(b)                     subject to Section 14, for (i) an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Corporation within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act (as defined in Section 1(a) hereof) or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law, (ii) any reimbursement of the Corporation by the Indemnitee of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation or of any profits realized by the Indemnitee from the sale of securities of the Corporation, as required in each case under the Exchange Act (including any such reimbursements that arise from an accounting restatement of the Corporation pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), or the payment to the Corporation of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) or (iii) any reimbursement of the Corporation by Indemnitee of any compensation pursuant to any compensation recoupment or clawback policy adopted by the Board or the compensation committee of the Board to comply with stock exchange listing requirements implementing Section 10D of the Exchange Act; or

 

(c)                      except as provided in Section 13(d) of this Agreement, in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Corporation or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Corporation provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Corporation under applicable law.

 

Section 9.                               Advances of Expenses. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary (other than Section 13(d)), the Corporation shall advance, to the fullest extent permitted by law, Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding (or part of any Proceeding) not initiated by Indemnitee or any Proceeding initiated by Indemnitee with the prior approval of the Board, and such advancement shall be made within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Corporation of a statement or statements requesting such advances from time to time, whether prior to, or after, final disposition of any Proceeding. Advances shall be unsecured and interest free. Indemnitee shall be entitled to continue to receive advancement of Expenses pursuant to this Section 9 unless and until the matter of Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification hereunder has been finally adjudicated by court order or judgment from which no further right or appeal exists. Advances shall be made without regard to Indemnitee’s ability to repay Expenses and without regard to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification under the other provisions of this Agreement. In accordance with Section 13(d), advances shall include any and all Expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce this right of advancement, including, without limitation, Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Corporation to support the advances claimed. Indemnitee shall qualify for advances upon the execution and delivery to the Corporation of this Agreement, which shall constitute an undertaking, providing that Indemnitee undertakes to repay the amounts advanced (without interest) to the extent that it is ultimately determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation.  No other form of undertaking shall be required other than the execution of this Agreement.  This Section 9 shall not apply to any claim made by Indemnitee for which indemnity is excluded pursuant to Section 8.

 

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Section 10.                        Procedure for Notification and Defense of Claim.

 

(a)                     Indemnitee shall notify the Corporation in writing of any Proceeding with respect to which Indemnitee intends to seek indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder as soon as reasonably practicable following the receipt by Indemnitee of written notice thereof. The written notification to the Corporation shall include a description of the nature of the Proceeding and the facts underlying the Proceeding. To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Corporation a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification following the final disposition of such Proceeding. Any delay or failure by Indemnitee to notify the Corporation hereunder will not relieve the Corporation from any liability which it may have to Indemnitee hereunder or otherwise than under this Agreement, nor shall such delay or failure constitute a waiver by Indemnitee of any rights under this Agreement.  The Secretary of the Corporation shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification.

 

(b)                     In the event Indemnitee seeks indemnification and/or advancement of Expenses with respect to any Proceeding, Indemnitee may, at Indemnitee’s option, (i) retain legal counsel selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Corporation (which approval shall not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) to defend Indemnitee in such Proceeding, at the sole expense of the Corporation or (ii) have the Corporation assume the defense of Indemnitee in the Proceeding, in which case the Corporation shall assume the defense of such Proceeding with legal counsel selected by the Corporation and approved by Indemnitee (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) within ten (10) days of the Corporation’s receipt of written notice of Indemnitee’s election to cause the Corporation to do so. If the Corporation is required to assume the defense of any such Proceeding, it shall engage legal counsel for such defense, and shall be solely responsible for all Expenses of such legal counsel and otherwise of such defense. Such legal counsel may represent both Indemnitee and the Corporation (and/or any other party or parties entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation with respect to such matter) unless, in the reasonable opinion of legal counsel to Indemnitee, there is a conflict of interest between Indemnitee and the Corporation (or any other such party or parties) or there are legal defenses available to Indemnitee that are not available to the Corporation (or any such other party or parties). Notwithstanding either party’s assumption of responsibility for defense of a Proceeding, each party shall have the right to engage separate legal counsel at its own expense. The party having responsibility for defense of a Proceeding shall provide the other party and its legal counsel with all copies of pleadings and material correspondence relating to the Proceeding. Indemnitee and the Corporation shall reasonably cooperate in the defense of any Proceeding with respect to which indemnification is sought hereunder, regardless of whether the Corporation or Indemnitee assumes the defense thereof. Indemnitee may not settle or compromise any Proceeding without the prior written consent of the Corporation (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). The Corporation may not settle or compromise any Proceeding without the prior written consent of Indemnitee (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).

 

Section 11.                        Procedure Upon Application for Indemnification.

 

(a)                     Upon receipt of a written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a) (the “Submission Date”), if any determination by the Corporation is required by applicable law with respect to Indemnitee’s ultimate entitlement to indemnification, such determination shall be made (i) if a Change in Control shall have occurred, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee; or (ii) if a Change in Control shall not have occurred, (A) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (B) by a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum of the Board, (C) if there are no such Disinterested Directors or, if such Disinterested Directors so direct, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee or (D) if so directed by the Board, by the stockholders of the Corporation. If it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination. Indemnitee shall cooperate with the Person(s) making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including, without limitation, providing to such Person(s), upon reasonable advance request, any

 

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documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the Person(s) making such determination shall be borne by the Corporation (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Corporation hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom. The Corporation will not deny any written request for indemnification hereunder made in good faith by Indemnitee unless a determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification described in this Section 11(a) has been made. The Corporation agrees to pay Expenses of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify the Independent Counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(b)                     In the event that the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 11(b).  If a Change in Control has not occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board, and the Corporation shall give written notice to Indemnitee advising Indemnitee of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected.  If a Change in Control has occurred, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee (unless Indemnitee shall request that such selection be made by the Board, in which event the preceding sentence shall apply), and Indemnitee shall give written notice to the Corporation advising it of the identity of the Independent Counsel so selected.  In either event, Indemnitee or the Corporation, as the case may be, may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Corporation or to Indemnitee, as the case may be, a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 1(a) of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion.  Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel.  If such written objection is so made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel so selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or the Delaware Court of Chancery has determined that such objection is without merit.  If, within twenty (20) days after the later of submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 10(a) hereof and the final disposition of the Proceeding, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Corporation or Indemnitee may petition the Delaware Court of Chancery for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Corporation or Indemnitee to the other’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by such court or by such other person as such court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 11(a) hereof.  Upon the due commencement of any judicial proceeding or arbitration pursuant to Section 13(a) of this Agreement, Independent Counsel shall be discharged and relieved of any further responsibility in such capacity (subject to the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing).

 

Section 12.                        Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings.

 

(a)                     In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the Person(s) making such determination shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 10(a) of this Agreement, and the Corporation shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption with clear and convincing evidence in connection with the making by any Person(s) of any determination contrary to that presumption. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including, without limitation, by its directors or independent legal counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including, without limitation, by its directors or independent legal counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

 

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(b)                                 Subject to Section 12(e), if the Person(s) empowered or selected under Section 10 hereof to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Corporation of the request therefore, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such sixty (60) day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days, if (i) the determination is to be made by the Independent Counsel and there is an objection to the selection of the Independent Counsel and (ii) the Person(s) making such determination requires such additional time for the obtaining or evaluating of documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 12(b) shall not apply (i) if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the stockholders pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Corporation of the request for such determination the Board has resolved to submit such determination to the stockholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within seventy-five (75) days after such receipt and such determination is made thereat, or (B) a special meeting of stockholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such receipt for the purpose of making such determination, such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat.

 

(c)                                  The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which [he/she] reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

 

(d)                                 Reliance as Safe Harbor. For purposes of any determination of good faith, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise, including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise, or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Enterprise. The provisions of this Section 12(d) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.

 

(e)                                  Actions of Others. The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any Representative (other than Indemnitee) of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.

 

Section 13.                                    Remedies of Indemnitee.

 

(a)                                 Subject to Section 12(d), in the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 11(a) of this Agreement within ninety (90) days after the Submission Date, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 4, 5, 6 or 11(a) of this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Corporation of a written request therefore, (v) payment of indemnification pursuant to Section 2, 3 or 7 of this Agreement is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or (vi) in the event that the Corporation or any other person takes or threatens to take any action to declare this Agreement void or unenforceable, or institutes any litigation or other action or Proceeding designed to deny, or to recover from, Indemnitee, the benefits provided or intended to be provided to Indemnitee hereunder, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification and/or advancement of Expenses.

 

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Alternatively, Indemnitee, at Indemnitee’s option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication or an award in arbitration within one hundred and eighty (180) days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 13(a). The Corporation shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration.

 

(b)                                 In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of that adverse determination. In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, the Corporation shall have the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be.

 

(c)                                  If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Corporation shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13, absent (i) a misstatement by the Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission by the Indemnitee of a material fact necessary to make the Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

 

(d)                                 The Corporation shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 13 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the Corporation is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement. It is the intent of the Corporation that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, Indemnitee not be required to incur legal fees or other Expenses associated with the interpretation, enforcement or defense of Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement by litigation or otherwise because the cost and expense thereof would substantially detract from the benefits intended to be extended to Indemnitee hereunder. In addition, the Corporation shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, indemnify Indemnitee against any and all such Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Corporation of a written request therefore) advance, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, such Expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advancement of Expenses from the Corporation under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Corporation if, in the case of indemnification, Indemnitee is wholly successful on the underlying claims; if Indemnitee is not wholly successful on the underlying claims, then such indemnification shall be only in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter, or otherwise as permitted by law, whichever is greater.

 

(e)                                  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding; provided, that in absence of any such determination with respect to such Proceeding, the Corporation shall pay Liabilities and advance Expenses with respect to such Proceeding as if Indemnitee has been determined to be entitled to indemnification and advancement of Expenses with respect to such Proceeding.

 

Section 14.                                    Non-Exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Subrogation.

 

(a)                                 The rights of indemnification and to receive advancement of Expenses as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders, a resolution of directors or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in Indemnitee’s Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in applicable law, whether by statute or judicial decision,

 

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permits greater indemnification or advancement of Expenses than would be afforded currently under the Certificate of Incorporation, the Bylaws and/or this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

 

(b)                     The Corporation hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of Expenses and/or insurance provided by one or more Persons with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity). The Corporation hereby acknowledges and agrees that (i) the Corporation shall be the indemnitor of first resort with respect to any Proceeding, Expense, Liability or matter that is the subject of the Indemnity Obligations, (ii) the Corporation shall be primarily liable for all Indemnity Obligations and any indemnification afforded to Indemnitee in respect of any Proceeding, Expense, Liability or matter that is the subject of Indemnity Obligations, whether created by law, organizational or constituent documents, contract (including, without limitation, this Agreement) or otherwise, (iii) any obligation of any other Persons with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity) to indemnify Indemnitee and/or advance Expenses to Indemnitee in respect of any proceeding shall be secondary to the obligations of the Corporation hereunder, (iv) the Corporation shall be required to indemnify Indemnitee and advance Expenses to Indemnitee hereunder to the fullest extent provided herein without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity) or insurer of any such Person and (v) the Corporation irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity) from any claim of contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect of amounts paid by the Corporation hereunder. In the event that any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity) or their insurers advances or extinguishes any liability or loss which is the subject of any Indemnity Obligation owed by the Corporation or payable under any insurance policy provided under this Agreement, such payor shall have a right of subrogation against the Corporation or its insurer or insurers for all amounts so paid which would otherwise be payable by the Corporation or its insurer or insurers under this Agreement. In no event will payment of an Indemnity Obligation of the Corporation under this Agreement by any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity) or their insurers, affect the obligations of the Corporation hereunder or shift primary liability for any Indemnity Obligation to any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity). Any indemnification and/or insurance or advancement of Expenses provided by any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity), with respect to any liability arising as a result of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status or capacity as an officer or director of any Person, is specifically in excess of any Indemnity Obligation of the Corporation or valid and any collectible insurance (including, without limitation, any malpractice insurance or professional errors and omissions insurance) provided by the Corporation under this Agreement, and any obligation to provide indemnification and/or insurance or advance Expenses provided by any other Person with whom or which Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity) shall be reduced by any amount that Indemnitee collects from the Corporation as an indemnification payment or advancement of Expenses pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(c)                      The Corporation shall use its best efforts to obtain and maintain in full force and effect an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for Representatives of the Corporation or of any other Enterprise, and Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any such Representative under such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms hereof, the Corporation maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for Representatives of the Corporation or of any other Enterprise, the Corporation shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policy or

 

11



 

policies. The Corporation shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.  In the event of a Change in Control or the Corporation’s becoming insolvent, the Corporation shall maintain in force any and all insurance policies then maintained by the Corporation in providing insurance (directors’ and officers’ liability, fiduciary, employment practices or otherwise) in respect of Indemnitee for a period of six years thereafter.

 

(d)                     In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Corporation shall not be subrogated to, and hereby waives any rights to be subrogated to, any rights of recovery of Indemnitee, including, without limitation, rights of indemnification provided to Indemnitee from any other Person or entity with whom Indemnitee may be associated (including, without limitation, any Sponsor Entity) as well as any rights to contribution that might otherwise exist; provided, however, that the Corporation shall be subrogated to the extent of any such payment of all rights of recovery of Indemnitee under insurance policies of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, and the Indemnitee shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Corporation to brings suit to enforce such rights.

 

(e)                      The indemnification and contribution provided for in this Agreement will remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of Indemnitee.

 

Section 15.                        Duration of Agreement; Not Employment Contract. This Agreement shall continue until and terminate upon the latest of: (a) ten (10) years after the date that Indemnitee shall have ceased to serve as a Representative of the Corporation or any other Enterprise and (b) one (1) year after the final termination of any Proceeding then pending in respect of which Indemnitee is granted rights of indemnification or advancement of Expenses hereunder and of any proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 13 of this Agreement relating thereto. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Corporation and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. The Corporation shall require and cause any direct or indirect successor (whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Corporation, by written agreement, expressly or to assume and agree to perform this agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Corporation would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.  This Agreement shall not be deemed an employment contract between the Corporation (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise) and Indemnitee. Indemnitee specifically acknowledges that Indemnitee’s employment with the Corporation (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise), if any, is at will, and Indemnitee may be discharged at any time for any reason, with or without cause, except as may be otherwise provided in any written employment contract between Indemnitee and the Corporation (or any of its subsidiaries or any Enterprise), other applicable formal severance policies duly adopted by the Board, or, with respect to service as a Representative of the Corporation, by the Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and the DGCL.

 

Section 16.                        Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law; (b) such provision or provisions shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law and to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto; and (c) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

 

Section 17.                        Enforcement.

 

(a)                     The Corporation expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumed the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as a Representative of the Corporation, and the Corporation acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving or continuing to serve as a Representative of the Corporation.

 

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(b)                     This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof; provided, however, that this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Bylaws and applicable law, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefore, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder.

 

(c)                      The Corporation shall not seek from a court, or agree to, a “bar order” which would have the effect of prohibiting or limiting the Indemnitee’s right to receive advancement of expenses under this Agreement.

 

Section 18.                        Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the parties thereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions of this Agreement nor shall any waiver constitute a continuing waiver. The failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such provisions and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

Section 19.                        Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed, (c) mailed by reputable overnight courier and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed or (d) sent by facsimile transmission, with receipt of oral confirmation that such transmission has been received:

 

(a)                     If to Indemnitee, at the address indicated on the signature page of this Agreement, or such other address as Indemnitee shall provide to the Corporation.

 

(b)                     If to the Corporation to:

 

OptiNose, Inc.

1020 Stony Hill Road, Suite 300

Yardley, Pennsylvania 19067

Attn: Chief Legal Officer

Facsimile: (267) 395-2119

 

or to any other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Corporation.

 

Section 20.                        Contribution. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Corporation, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of the Proceeding in order to reflect (a) the relative benefits received by the Corporation and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding; and/or (b) the relative fault of the Corporation (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

 

Section 21.                        Applicable Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Except with respect to any arbitration commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section [12(d)], the Corporation and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Delaware Court of Chancery, and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court of Chancery for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (c) waive any objection to the laying

 

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of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court of Chancery and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court of Chancery has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

 

Section 22.                        Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.  Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

Section 23.                        Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Sponsor Entities are intended third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement.

 

Section 24.                        Miscellaneous. Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

[Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement]

 

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INDEMNITEE:

 

 

 

 

 

[  ]

 

[Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement]

 

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Schedule to Exhibit 10.1

 

The following directors and executive officers are parties to an Indemnification Agreement with the Company, each of which are substantially identical in all material respects to the representative Indemnification Agreement filed herewith as Exhibit 10.1 except as to the name of the signatory and the date of each signatory’s Indemnification Agreement, which are listed below. The actual Indemnification Agreements are omitted pursuant to Instruction 2 to Item 601 of Regulation S-K.

 

INDEMNITEE

 

DATE

Peter K. Miller

 

October 2, 2017

Ramy A. Mahmoud, M.D., M.P.H.

 

October 2, 2017

Thomas E. Gibbs

 

October 2, 2017

Keith A. Goldan

 

October 2, 2017

Michael F. Marino

 

October 2, 2017

Larry G. Pickering

 

October 1, 2017

William F. Doyle

 

October 1, 2017

Sriram Venkataraman

 

September 29, 2017

Joshua A. Tamaroff

 

September 29, 2017

Richard A. Bierly

 

October 5, 2017

Joseph C. Scodari

 

October 5, 2017

Wilhelmus Groenhuysen

 

October 5, 2017

 




Exhibit 10.2

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into on October [   ], 2017, by and between OPTINOSE US, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Peter K. Miller (“Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, Executive currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company pursuant to that certain Employment Agreement entered into between Executive and OptiNose, Inc., dated May 27, 2010 (the “Existing Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive desire to enter into this Agreement to replace the Existing Agreement in its entirety and to set forth the terms and conditions for the continued employment relationship of Executive with the Company.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.                                      Term.  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this Agreement shall be effective upon the closing of the OptiNose, Inc. initial public offering of its common stock, and shall continue until Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company or by Executive.  At all times, Executive’s employment with the Company is “at-will,” which means that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated at any time by the Company with or without “Cause” or by Executive with or without “Good Reason” (as each such term is defined below).

 

2.                                      Title, Duties and Responsibilities. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will serve as the Chief Executive Officer of OptiNose, Inc. and will report to the Board of Directors of OptiNose, Inc.  Executive will have such duties and responsibilities that are commensurate with Executive’s position and such other duties and responsibilities as are from time to time assigned to Executive by the Board of Directors of the OptiNose, Inc. (the “Board”).  While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will devote Executive’s full business time, energy and skill to the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder; provided, however, that Executive will be permitted to: (a) act as a strategic consultant for the Walgreen Company and its affiliates, and (b) serve on the board of directors of Actua Corporation, Executive shall also be permitted to devote a reasonable amount of time either during or after business hours to Outside Activities (as defined below), so long as such activities (i) do not prohibit or interfere with Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement, (ii) do not conflict with the business of the Company or violate any of the provisions of Section 8 herein and (iii) are approved in advance in writing by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). For purposes of this Agreement, “Outside Activities” shall include the oversight of passive investments and activities involving professional, charitable, education, religious and other organizations (including membership on boards of for-profit and non-profit organizations).  Executive shall, if requested by the Board, also serve as an officer or director of any affiliate of the Company for no additional compensation.  Executive’s place of employment will be the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

 

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3.                                      Base Salary. While Executive is employed by the Company, the Company will pay Executive a base annual salary (the “Base Salary”) at the rate of $535,600 per year, paid in accordance with the usual payroll practices of the Company.  Executive’s Base Salary shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) or the Board.

 

4.                                      Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall participate in short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs, established by the Company for its senior level executives generally, at levels determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Executive’s incentive compensation shall be subject to the terms of the applicable plans and shall be determined based on Executive’s individual performance and the Company’s performance as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Any annual incentive compensation earned by Executive shall be paid on or after January 1, but not later than March 15 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the annual incentive compensation is earned.

 

(a)                                 Discretionary Bonus.  Executive will be eligible to receive an annual target cash bonus of 60% of Executive’s Base Salary (the “Target Annual Bonus”) (pro-rated for any portion of a year during which Executive is not employed by the Company) at the discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee and contingent upon attainment of certain Company milestones and/or individual objectives as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  The actual annual bonus payable for any given year, if any, may be higher or lower than the Target Annual Bonus.  Payment of such bonus is contingent upon continued employment with the Company at the time of payment unless otherwise specified herein or in the terms pursuant to which such bonus is granted. Executive’s Target Annual Bonus shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by Compensation Committee or the Board.

 

(b)                                 Equity Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on the Company’s and Executive’s actual performance, as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Each such equity award granted to Executive hereunder shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the incentive plan pursuant to which it is granted and such other terms and conditions as are established by the Board or Compensation Committee and set forth in an award agreement evidencing the grant of such equity award.

 

5.                                      Benefits and Fringes.

 

(a)                                 General. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will be entitled to such benefits and fringes, if any, as are generally provided from time to time by the Company to its senior level executives, subject to the satisfaction of any eligibility requirements and any other terms and conditions of the applicable plans or policies.

 

(b)                                 Vacation.  Executive will also be entitled to 20 business days of annual paid vacation in accordance with the Company’s vacation policies in effect from time to time,

 

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which may be taken at such times as Executive elects with due regard to the needs of the Company.

 

(c)                                  Reimbursement of Business Expenses. Upon presentation of appropriate documentation, Executive will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement policy for all reasonable and necessary business expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder.

 

6.                                      Termination of Employment.

 

(a)                                 Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or Executive (other than because of Executive’s death) shall be communicated by a written notice of termination to the other party hereto in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement.  Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all positions that Executive holds as an officer or member of the board of directors (or a committee thereof) of the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

(b)                                 Termination upon Death. If Executive dies, then Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of Executive’s death, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive’s heirs, personal representatives or estate shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.  “Accrued Benefits” means: (a) any accrued but unpaid portion of Executive’s compensation set forth in Section 3 above through the date of termination; (b) any accrued but unused vacation as of the termination date; (c) any earned but unpaid bonus for which the performance measurement period has ended prior to the termination date, (e.g., if Executive’s employment is terminated on February 1 and annual bonuses for the prior year have not been paid as of his termination date, then Executive would be eligible to receive his annual bonus for the prior year but not a bonus for the year in which the termination occurs) provided, that the termination of Executive’s employment is not for Cause or due to Executive’s voluntary resignation (other than for Good Reason); (d) any amounts owing to Executive for reimbursements of expenses properly incurred by Executive prior to the date of his termination of employment and which are reimbursable in accordance with Section 5(c) above, with all amounts owed under each of (a), (b) and (d) payable in a lump sum no later than the Company’s first regularly scheduled payroll date that is at least ten (10) days after the date of Executive’s termination of employment, and any amount owed under (c) payable in a lump sum when such bonuses are paid to the Company’s employees; and (e) any amounts that are vested benefits or that Executive is otherwise entitled to receive under any plan, policy, practice or program of or any other contract or agreement with the Company at or subsequent to the date of termination, payable in accordance with such plan, policy, practice or program or contract or agreement.

 

(c)                                  Termination upon Disability. “Disability” means any physical or mental incapacity, illness or infirmity that prevents or significantly restricts Executive from performing the normal duties of Executive’s position on a full-time basis despite the provision, if requested, of a reasonable accommodation as that term is defined in the American with Disabilities Act. If Executive suffers a Disability and the Disability continues for a continuous period of more than three months, then the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment upon written notice to Executive, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits

 

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under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(d)                                 Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may, upon written notice to Executive, immediately terminate Executive’s employment for Cause. “Cause” shall exist upon (i) Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duty or material legal or contractual obligation to the Company or any of its affiliates (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Company or affiliate policy or the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement or any other applicable restrictive covenants between Executive and the Company or any of its affiliates), (ii) Executive’s failure to follow the reasonable instructions of the Board (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness), which failure, if curable, is not cured within 30 days after notice to Executive specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such breach, or, if cured, recurs within 90 business days, (iii) Executive’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, insubordination, acts of dishonesty or conflict of interest relating to the Company or any of its affiliates, or (iv) Executive’s commission of any misdemeanor which has a material impact on the affairs, business or reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates or Executive’s indictment for, or plea of nolo  contendere to, a crime constituting a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof. Upon a termination of Executive’s employment for Cause, all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Agreement or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(e)                                  Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason. Except as provided in Section 6(f) below, upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)                                     an amount equal to twelve (12) months of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices over the twelve (12) month period following Executive’s termination date, commencing on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date (as defined below), provided that the initial payment will include a catch-up payment to cover the period between Executive’s termination date and the date of such first payment and the remaining amounts shall be paid over the remainder of such twelve (12) month period;

 

(ii)                                  provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”), continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for twelve (12) months

 

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or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive an amount equal to the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for twelve (12) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(e)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

“Good Reason” shall mean, without Executive’s prior written consent, (i) a material diminution in Executive’s position or duties, authority or responsibilities including, without limitation, Executive ceasing to be an “executive officer” (as defined under Rule 3b-7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of a company with a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act; (ii) the assignment to Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer, (iii) a reduction by the Company in Executive’s then-current Base Salary or Executive’s then-current Target Annual Bonus unless the salaries and target annual bonuses for all other senior executive officers are correspondingly and proportionately reduced by not greater than 15% and such reduction continues for no more than 12 months; (iv) Executive’s relocation to offices of the Company that are more than fifty (50) miles from the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania; or (v) any action or inaction that constitutes a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.  In order to invoke a termination for Good Reason, Executive must deliver a written notice of the grounds for such termination within thirty (30) days of the initial existence of the event giving rise to Good Reason and the Company shall have thirty (30) days to cure the circumstances.  In order to terminate Executive’s employment, if at all, for Good Reason, Executive must terminate employment within sixty (60) days following the end of the cure period if the circumstances giving rise to Good Reason have not been cured.

 

(f)                                   Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason Following a Change in Control.  Upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, in each case within twelve (12) months after a Change in Control (as defined in the Company’s 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated), Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Change in Control Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)                                     an amount equal to 150% of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in a single-lump sum cash payment on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date;

 

(ii)                                  provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under COBRA, continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and

 

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conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for eighteen (18) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Code, or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for eighteen (18) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(f)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

(iii)                               all of Executive’s then-outstanding equity awards granted to Executive by the Company shall become immediately vested.

 

(g)                                  Payment to Executive of any Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, shall be conditioned on Executive’s compliance with the requirements of Section 8 hereof and Executive’s execution of a general release in favor of the Company and its affiliates in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”) and the lapse of any revocation period specified therein with the Release not having been revoked.  The Release shall be provided to Executive within three (3) days of Executive’s termination of employment.  Executive will forfeit all rights to the Severance Benefits and the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, unless, within sixty (60) days of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive executes and delivers the Release to the Company and such Release has become irrevocable by virtue of the expiration of the revocation period specified therein without the Release having been revoked (the first such date, the “Release Effective Date”).  The Company’s obligation to pay the Severance Benefits or the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, is subject to the occurrence of the Release Effective Date, and if the Release Effective Date does not occur, then the Company shall have no obligation to pay such Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event that the period during which Executive may review and revoke the Release begins in one calendar year and ends in the following calendar year, any severance payments hereunder that constitute non-qualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be paid to Executive no earlier than January 1 of the second calendar year.

 

7.                                      Section 280G.

 

(a)                                 Executive shall bear all expense of, and be solely responsible for, any excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (such excise tax being the “Excise Tax”); provided, however, that any payment or benefit received or to be received by Executive, whether payable under the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with Company or an affiliate of Company (collectively, the “Payments”) that would constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, but only if, by

 

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reason of such reduction, the net after-tax benefit Executive receives shall exceed the net after-tax benefit that Executive would receive if no such reduction was made.

 

(b)                                 The “net after-tax benefit” shall mean (i) the Payments which Executive receives or is then entitled to receive from the Company that would constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, less (ii) the amount of all federal, state and local income and employment taxes payable by Executive with respect to the foregoing calculated at the highest marginal income tax rate for each year in which the foregoing shall be paid to Executive (based on the rate in effect for such year as set forth in the Code as in effect at the time of the first payment of the foregoing), less (iii) the amount of Excise Tax imposed with respect to the payments and benefits described in (b)(i) above.

 

(c)                                  All determinations under this Section 7 will be made by an accounting firm or law firm (the “280G Firm”) that is mutually agreed to by Executive and the Company prior to a change in ownership or control of a corporation (within the meaning of Treasury regulations under Section 280G of the Code).  The 280G Firm shall be required to evaluate the extent to which payments are exempt from Section 280G of the Code as reasonable compensation for services rendered before or after the Change in Control.  All fees and expenses of the 280G Firm shall be paid solely by the Company.  The Company will direct the 280G Firm to submit any determination it makes under this Section 7 and detailed supporting calculations to both Executive and the Company as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

(d)                                 If the 280G Firm determines that one or more reductions are required under this Section 7, such Payments shall be reduced in the order that would provide Executive with the largest amount of after-tax proceeds (with such order, to the extent permitted by Sections 280G and 409A of the Code, designated by Executive, or otherwise determined by the 280G Firm) to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, and the Company shall pay such reduced amount to Executive. Executive shall at any time have the unilateral right to forfeit any equity award in whole or in part.

 

(e)                                  As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Section 280G of the Code at the time that the 280G Firm makes its determinations under this Section 7, it is possible that amounts will have been paid or distributed to Executive that should not have been paid or distributed (collectively, the “Overpayments”), or that additional amounts should be paid or distributed to Executive (collectively, the “Underpayments”). If the 280G Firm determines, based on either the assertion of a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against Executive or the Company, which assertion the 280G Firm believes has a high probability of success or is otherwise based on controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Overpayment has been made, Executive must repay the Overpayment to the Company, without interest; provided, however, that no loan will be deemed to have been made and no amount will be payable by Executive to the Company unless, and then only to the extent that, the deemed loan and payment would either reduce the amount on which Executive is subject to tax under Section 4999 of the Code or generate a refund of tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code. If the 280G Firm determines, based upon controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Underpayment has occurred, the 280G Firm will notify Executive and the Company of that determination, and the Company will promptly pay the amount of that Underpayment to Executive without interest.

 

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(f)                                   Executive and the Company will provide the 280G Firm access to and copies of any books, records, and documents in their possession as reasonably requested by the 280G Firm, and otherwise cooperate with the 280G Firm in connection with the preparation and issuance of the determinations and calculations contemplated by this Section 7.  For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 7, the 280G Firm may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code.

 

8.                                      Covenants.

 

(a)                                 Non-Competition. So long as Executive is employed by the Company under this Agreement and for the 12-month period following the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company, engage in Competition with the Company or any of its affiliates (collectively, the “Employer”). “Competition” means participating, directly or indirectly, as an individual proprietor, partner, stockholder, officer, employee, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, consultant or in any other capacity whatsoever in any business or venture that competes with any business that the Employer is engaged in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or is actively planning to engage in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, after Executive’s termination of employment, employment by or consultation for a publicly traded company that derives less than five percent (5%) of its net revenues from activities that compete with business that the Employer engages in, shall not constitute Competition so long as Executive does not provide employment or consulting services to the business segment of such publicly traded company that engages in such competitive activities. Executive is entering into this covenant not to compete in consideration of the agreements of the Company in this Agreement, including but not limited to, the agreement of the Company to provide the severance and other benefits to Executive upon a termination of employment pursuant to Sections 6(e) and (f) hereof, as applicable.

 

(b)                                 Confidentiality. Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, use, make available, sell, disclose or otherwise communicate to any person or entity, other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer, either while Executive is employed by the Company hereunder or at any time thereafter, any business and technical information or trade secrets, nonpublic, proprietary or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Employer whether the foregoing will have been obtained by Executive during Executive’s employment hereunder or otherwise. The foregoing will not apply to information that (i) was known to the public prior to its disclosure to Executive; (ii) becomes generally known to the public or in the Employer’s industry subsequent to disclosure to Executive through no wrongful act by Executive or any of Executive’s representatives; or (iii) Executive is required to disclose by applicable law, regulation or legal process (provided that Executive provides the Company with prior notice of the contemplated disclosure and cooperates at the Company’s cost with the Company in seeking a protective order or other appropriate protection of such information). The Company and Executive acknowledge that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, pursuant to 18 USC § 1833(b), an individual may not be held liable under any criminal or civil federal or state trade secret law for disclosure of a trade secret: (i) made in confidence to a government official, either

 

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directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law or (ii) in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.  The Company and Executive further acknowledge that an individual suing an employer for retaliation based on the reporting of a suspected violation of law may disclose a trade secret to his attorney and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, so long as any document containing the trade secret is filed under seal and the individual does not disclose the trade secret except pursuant to court order.

 

(c)                                  Non-Solicitation of Customers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to solicit or influence, customers of the Employer to purchase goods or services then sold by the Employer from any other person or entity.

 

(d)                                 Non-Solicitation of Suppliers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to solicit or influence, the Company’s suppliers to provide goods or services then provided to the Employer to any other person or entity in Competition with the Employer.

 

(e)                                  Non-Solicitation of Employees. Executive recognizes that Executive will possess confidential information about other employees of the Employer relating to their education, experience, skills, abilities, compensation and benefits, and inter-personal relationships with customers of the Employer.  Executive recognizes that the information Executive possesses and will possess about these other employees is not generally known, is of substantial value to the Employer in developing its business and in securing and retaining customers, and has been and will be acquired by Executive because of Executive’s business position with the Employer. Executive agrees that, during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, (x) directly or indirectly, individually or on behalf of any other person or entity solicit or recruit any employee of the Employer to leave such employment for the purpose of being employed by, or rendering services to, Executive or any person or entity unaffiliated with the Employer, or (y) convey any such confidential information or trade secrets about other employees of the Employer to any person or entity other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company agrees that hiring any employee of the Employer who responds to a general advertisement for employment that was not specifically directed at the employees of the Employer shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 8(e).

 

(f)                                   Non-Disparagement. Executive agrees that Executive will not, nor will Executive induce others to, Disparage the Employer or any of their past or present officers, directors, employees or products.  Similarly, the directors and senior executives of the Employer will not, nor will they induce others to, Disparage Executive.  “Disparage” will mean making comments or statements to the press, the Employer’s employees or any individual or entity with whom Executive or the Employer, as applicable, has a business relationship that would adversely affect in any manner, as applicable: (i) the conduct of the business of the Employer (including, without limitation, any products or business plans or prospects); (ii) the business reputation of the Employer, or any of their products, or their past or present officers, directors or employees; or (iii) the business reputation of Executive.

 

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(g)                                  Inventions.

 

(i)                                     Executive acknowledges and agrees that all trade secrets, mask works, concepts, drawings, materials, documentation, procedures, diagrams, specifications, models, processes, formulae, source and object codes, data, programs, know-how, designs, techniques, ideas, methods, inventions, discoveries, improvements, work products, developments or other works of authorship (“Inventions”), whether patentable or unpatentable, (x) that relate to Executive’s work with the Employer, made, developed or conceived by Executive, solely or jointly with others or with the use of any of the Employer’s equipment, supplies, facilities or trade secrets or (y) suggested by any work that Executive performs in connection with the Employer, either while performing Executive’s duties with the Employer or on Executive’s own time, but only insofar as the Inventions are related to Executive’s work as an employee of the Employer (collectively, “Company Inventions”), will belong exclusively to the Company (or its designee), whether or not patent applications are filed thereon. Executive will keep full and complete written records (the “Records”), in the manner prescribed by the Employer, of all Company Inventions, and will promptly disclose all Company Inventions completely and in writing to the Company. The Records will be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, and Executive will surrender them upon the termination of Executive’s employment, or upon the Company’s request. Executive hereby assigns to the Company (or its designee) the Company Inventions including all rights in and to any related patents and other intellectual property that may issue thereon in any and all countries, whether during or subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, together with the right to file, in Executive’s name or in the name of the Company (or its designee), applications for patents and equivalent rights (the “Applications”). Executive will, at any time during and subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, make such applications, sign such papers, take all rightful oaths, and perform all acts as may be requested from time to time by the Company with respect to the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property. Executive will also execute assignments to the Company (or its designee) of the Applications, and give the Company and its attorneys all reasonable assistance (including the giving of testimony) to obtain the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property for its benefit, all without additional compensation to Executive from the Company, but entirely at the Company’s expense.

 

(ii)                                  In addition, the Company Inventions will be deemed “work made for hire”, as such term is defined under the copyright law of the United States, on behalf of the Employer and Executive agrees that the Company (or its designee) will be the sole owner of the Company Inventions, and all underlying rights therein, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity without any further obligations or compensation to Executive. If the Company Inventions, or any portion thereof, are deemed not to be work made for hire, Executive hereby irrevocably conveys, transfers, assigns and delivers to the Company (or its designee), all rights, titles and interests, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity, in and to the Company Inventions, including without limitation: (a) all of Executive’s rights, titles and interests in and to any underlying intellectual property (and all renewals, revivals and extensions thereof) related to the Company Inventions; (b) all rights of any kind or any nature now or hereafter recognized, including without limitation, the unrestricted right to make modifications, adaptations and revisions to the Company Inventions, to exploit and allow others to exploit the Company

 

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Inventions; and (c) all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement, or other unauthorized use or conduct in derogation of the Company Inventions, known or unknown, prior to the date hereof, including without limitation the right to receive all proceeds and damages therefrom. In addition, Executive hereby waives any so-called “moral rights” with respect to the Company Inventions. Executive hereby waives any and all currently existing and future monetary rights in and to the Inventions and all patents and other intellectual property rights that may issue thereon, including, without limitation, any rights that would otherwise accrue to Executive’s benefit by virtue of Executive being an employee of or other service provider to the Employer.

 

(iii)                               To the extent that Executive is unable to assign any of Executive’s right, title or interest in any Company Invention under applicable law, for any such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property rights, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, fully paid license to such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property, with the right to sublicense, use, modify, create derivative works and otherwise fully exploit such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property, to assign this license and to exercise all rights and incidents of ownership of the Company Invention.

 

(iv)                              To the extent that any of the Company Inventions are derived by, or require use by the Employer of, any works, Inventions, or other intellectual property rights that Executive owns, which are not assigned hereby, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free license, with the right to sublicense, use, modify and create derivative works using such works, Inventions or other intellectual property rights, but only to the extent necessary to permit the Company to fully realize their ownership rights in the Company Inventions.

 

(h)                                 Cooperation. Upon the receipt of notice from the Company (including outside counsel), Executive agrees that while employed by the Employer (for no additional compensation) and thereafter (for reasonable compensation for Executive’s time), Executive will respond and provide information with regard to matters in which Executive has knowledge as a result of Executive’s employment with the Employer, and will provide reasonable assistance to the Employer and its representatives in defense of any claims that may be made against the Employer, and will assist the Employer in the prosecution of any claims that may be made by the Employer, to the extent that such claims may relate to the period of Executive’s employment with the Employer (or any predecessor). Executive agrees to promptly inform the Company if Executive becomes aware of any lawsuits involving such claims that may be filed or threatened against the Employer. Executive also agrees to promptly inform the Company (to the extent Executive is legally permitted to do so) if Executive is asked to assist in any investigation of the Employer (or their actions), regardless of whether a lawsuit or other proceeding has then been filed against the Employer with respect to such investigation, and will not do so unless legally required.

 

(i)                                     Return of Property. On the date of the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (or at any time prior thereto at the Company’s request), Executive will return all property belonging to the Employer (including, but not limited

 

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to, any Employer provided laptops, computers, cell phones, wireless electronic mail devices or other equipment, or documents and property belonging to the Employer).

 

(j)                                    Injunctive Relief. It is further expressly agreed that the Employer will or would suffer irreparable injury if Executive were to violate the provisions of this Section 8 and that the Employer would by reason of such violation be entitled to injunctive relief in a court of appropriate jurisdiction and Executive further consents and stipulates to the entry of such injunctive relief in such court prohibiting Executive from violating the provisions of this Section 8.

 

(k)                                 Survival of Provisions. The obligations contained in this Section 8 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company and will be fully enforceable thereafter. If it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in any state that any restriction in this Section 8 is excessive in duration or scope or extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area or is unreasonable or unenforceable under the laws of that state, it is the intention of the parties that such restriction may be modified or amended by the court to render it enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by the law of that state or jurisdiction.

 

(l)                                     Prior Agreements. Executive represents and warrants to the Company that there are no restrictions, agreements or understandings whatsoever to which Executive is a party that would prevent or make unlawful Executive’s execution of this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, is or would be inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, or would prevent, limit or impair in any way the performance by Executive of the obligations hereunder.

 

9.                                      Assignment; Third Party Beneficiaries. Notwithstanding anything else herein, this Agreement is personal to Executive and neither the Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by Executive. The Company may assign the Agreement to an affiliate or to any acquiror of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.  The Employer shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Employer to expressly assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Employer would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Unless expressly provided otherwise, “Employer” as used in this Agreement shall mean the Employer as defined in Section 8(a) of this Agreement and any successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees, legatees and permitted assignees of the parties. Executive acknowledges that this Agreement is intended to benefit the Company, its shareholders, and its and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and related companies or entities, now existing or hereafter created. Both Executive and the Company further acknowledge and agree that the intended beneficiaries of this Agreement are entitled to enforce the provisions of this Agreement by seeking injunctive relief or any other appropriate remedy.

 

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10.                               Clawback/Recoupment.  Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation paid to Executive pursuant to this Agreement or any other agreement or arrangement with the Company shall be subject to mandatory repayment by Executive to the Company to the extent any such compensation paid to Executive is, or in the future becomes, subject to (i) any “clawback” or recoupment policy applicable to Executive that is adopted to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule), or (ii) any law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule) which imposes mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such law, rule or regulation.

 

11.                               Arbitration; Attorneys’ Fees. Executive agrees that all disputes and controversies arising under or in connection with this Agreement, other than seeking injunctive or other equitable relief under Section 8(j), will be settled by arbitration conducted before one (1) arbitrator mutually agreed to by the Company and Executive, sitting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or such other location agreed to by Executive and the Company, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association then in effect; provided, however, that if the Company and Executive are unable to agree on a single arbitrator within 30 days of the demand by another party for arbitration, an arbitrator will be designated by the Philadelphia Office of the American Arbitration Association. The determination of the arbitrator will be final and binding on Executive and the Company. Judgment may be entered on the award of the arbitrator in any court having proper jurisdiction. Each party will bear their own expenses of such arbitration, except that the prevailing party shall be entitled to be indemnified for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in enforcing the terms of this Agreement should the other party violate any of its terms.

 

12.                               Indemnification. The Company and Executive acknowledge that they have entered into an Indemnification Agreement, dated as of October [    ], 2017 (the “Indemnification Agreement”).

 

13.                               Governing Law. This Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

14.                               Withholding Taxes. The Company may withhold from any and all amounts payable to Executive such federal, state and local taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable laws or regulations.

 

15.                               Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder or necessary or convenient in connection herewith shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when hand delivered or three (3) days after being mailed by registered or certified mail to Executive or the Company, as the case may be, at Executive’s address set forth below or the Company’s address set forth below, or to such other names or addresses as Executive or the Company, as the case may be, shall designate by notice to each other person entitled to receive notices in the manner specified in this Section (provided that notice of change of address shall be deemed given only when received).

 

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Company notices shall be delivered to:

 

OptiNose US Inc.
Attn: Chief Legal Officer
1020 Stony Hill Road
Third Floor, Suite 300
Yardley, PA 19067

 

Executive notices shall be delivered to such address as shall most currently appear on the records of the Company.

 

16.                               Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the agreements referenced herein contain the entire agreement of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and supersede in their entirety any and all prior and/or contemporaneous agreements, understandings or representations relating to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, including without limitation the Existing Agreement. No amendments, alterations or modifications of this Agreement will be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

17.                               Section Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement are included solely for convenience and will not affect, or be used in connection with, the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

18.                               Severability. The provisions of this Agreement will be deemed severable and the invalidity of unenforceability of any provision will not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof No failure to exercise, delay in exercising, or single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy by either party, and no course of dealing between the parties, shall constitute a waiver of, or shall preclude any other or further exercise of, any right, power or remedy.

 

19.                               Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts (including via facsimile and/or .pdf), each of which will be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instruments.

 

20.                               Section 409A.

 

(a)                                 The payments and benefits under this Agreement are intended to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) and this Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in a manner intended to comply therewith.  For purposes of this Agreement, Executive will be considered to have experienced a termination of employment only if Executive has a “separation from service” with the Company and all of its controlled group members within the meaning of Section 409A.  Whether Executive has a separation from service will be determined based on all of the facts and circumstances and in accordance with the guidance issued under Section 409A.

 

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(b)                                 Each payment under this Agreement, including each installment payment, shall be considered a separate and distinct payment.  For purposes of this Agreement, each payment is intended to be excepted from Section 409A to the maximum extent provided as follows:  (i) each payment made within the applicable 2½ month period specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(4) is intended to be excepted under the short-term deferral exception; (ii) post-termination medical benefits are intended to be excepted under the medical benefits exception as specified in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(B); and (iii) to the extent payments are made as a result of an involuntary separation, each payment that is not otherwise excepted under the short-term deferral exception or medical benefits exception is intended to be excepted under the involuntary pay exception as specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii).  With respect to payments subject to Section 409A (and not excepted therefrom), if any, it is intended that each payment is paid on a permissible distribution event and at a specified time consistent with Section 409A.  Neither the Company nor Executive shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.  Executive shall have no right to designate the date or any payment under this Agreement.

 

(c)                                  If Executive is a “specified employee” (as that term is used in Section 409A and regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) on the date of Executive’s separation from service, any benefits payable under this Agreement that constitute non-qualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A shall be delayed until the earlier of (i) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (ii) the date of Executive’s death, but only to the extent necessary to avoid the adverse tax consequences and penalties under Section 409A.  On the earlier of (x) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (y) Executive’s death, the Company shall pay Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries) a lump-sum payment equal to all payments delayed pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

(d)                                 If any of the reimbursements or in-kind benefits provided for under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, the following rules shall apply: (i) in no event shall any such reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred; (ii) the amount of such reimbursable expenses incurred, or the provision of in-kind benefits, in one tax year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the provision of in-kind benefits in any other tax year; and (iii) the right to such reimbursement for expenses or provision of in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

(e)                                  Notwithstanding anything in Section 6(f) hereof to the contrary, in the event that Executive is entitled to the amount set forth in Section 6(f)(i) as a result of a termination of Executive’s employment within twelve (12) months after the date of the Change in Control, and such Change in Control does not constitute a change in ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and its corresponding regulations, and any portion of the severance benefit payable to Executive pursuant to Section 6(e)(i) is deemed to constitute deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code at the time of Executive’s termination, then such portion that constitutes

 

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deferred compensation shall reduce the amount that is paid in a lump sum as provided in Section 6(f)(i) and such deferred compensation portion shall instead be paid in substantially equal installments over the installment period as described in Section 6(e)(i).

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE

 

 

 

 

 

Peter K. Miller

 




Exhibit 10.3

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into on October     , 2017, by and between OPTINOSE US, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Dr. Ramy Mahmoud (“Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, Executive currently serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company pursuant to that certain Letter Agreement entered into between Executive and OptiNose, Inc., dated June 18, 2010 (the “Existing Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive desire to enter into this Agreement to replace the Existing Agreement in its entirety and to set forth the terms and conditions for the continued employment relationship of Executive with the Company.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.                                      Term.  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this Agreement shall be effective upon the closing of the OptiNose, Inc. initial public offering of its common stock, and shall continue until Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company or by Executive.  At all times, Executive’s employment with the Company is “at-will,” which means that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated at any time by the Company with or without “Cause” or by Executive with or without “Good Reason” (as each such term is defined below).

 

2.                                      Title, Duties and Responsibilities. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will serve as the President and Chief Operating Officer of OptiNose, Inc. and will report to the Chief Executive Officer of OptiNose, Inc.  Executive will have such duties and responsibilities that are commensurate with Executive’s position and such other duties and responsibilities as are from time to time assigned to Executive by Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors of the OptiNose, Inc. (the “Board”).  While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will devote Executive’s full business time, energy and skill to the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder; provided, however, that Executive will be permitted to devote a reasonable amount of time either during or after business hours to Outside Activities (as defined below), so long as such activities (i) do not prohibit or interfere with Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement, (ii) do not conflict with the business of the Company or violate any of the provisions of Section 8 herein and (iii) are approved in advance in writing by the Chief Executive Officer of OptiNose, Inc. and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). For purposes of this Agreement, “Outside Activities” shall include the oversight of passive investments and activities involving professional, charitable, education, religious and other organizations (including membership on boards of for-profit and non-profit organizations). Executive shall, if requested by the Board, also serve as an officer or director of any affiliate of the Company for no additional compensation.  Executive’s place of employment will be the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

 

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3.                                      Base Salary. While Executive is employed by the Company, the Company will pay Executive a base annual salary (the “Base Salary”) at the rate of $437,750 per year, paid in accordance with the usual payroll practices of the Company.  Executive’s Base Salary shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) or the Board.

 

4.                                      Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall participate in short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs, established by the Company for its senior level executives generally, at levels determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Executive’s incentive compensation shall be subject to the terms of the applicable plans and shall be determined based on Executive’s individual performance and the Company’s performance as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Any annual incentive compensation earned by Executive shall be paid on or after January 1, but not later than March 15 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the annual incentive compensation is earned.

 

(a)                                 Discretionary Bonus.  Executive will be eligible to receive an annual target cash bonus of 50% of Executive’s Base Salary (the “Target Annual Bonus”) (pro-rated for any portion of a year during which Executive is not employed by the Company) at the discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee and contingent upon attainment of certain Company milestones and/or individual objectives as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  The actual annual bonus payable for any given year, if any, may be higher or lower than the Target Annual Bonus.  Payment of such bonus is contingent upon continued employment with the Company at the time of payment unless otherwise specified herein or in the terms pursuant to which such bonus is granted. Executive’s Target Annual Bonus shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee or the Board.

 

(b)                                 Equity Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on the Company’s and Executive’s actual performance, as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Each such equity award granted to Executive hereunder shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the incentive plan pursuant to which it is granted and such other terms and conditions as are established by the Board or Compensation Committee and set forth in an award agreement evidencing the grant of such equity award.

 

5.                                      Benefits and Fringes.

 

(a)                                 General. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will be entitled to such benefits and fringes, if any, as are generally provided from time to time by the Company to its senior level executives, subject to the satisfaction of any eligibility requirements and any other terms and conditions of the applicable plans or policies.

 

(b)                                 Vacation.  Executive will also be entitled to 20 business days of annual paid vacation in accordance with the Company’s vacation policies in effect from time to time,

 

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which may be taken at such times as Executive elects with due regard to the needs of the Company.

 

(c)                                  Reimbursement of Business Expenses. Upon presentation of appropriate documentation, Executive will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement policy for all reasonable and necessary business expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder.

 

(d)                                 Life Insurance. While Executive is employed by the Company, the Company shall pay for term life insurance (which Executive shall own) that has a death benefit equal to approximately $3,000,000, and whole life insurance with a death benefit equal to approximately $1,000,000.

 

6.                                      Termination of Employment.

 

(a)                                 Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or Executive (other than because of Executive’s death) shall be communicated by a written notice of termination to the other party hereto in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement.  Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all positions that Executive holds as an officer or member of the board of directors (or a committee thereof) of the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

(b)                                 Termination upon Death. If Executive dies, then Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of Executive’s death, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive’s heirs, personal representatives or estate shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.  “Accrued Benefits” means: (a) any accrued but unpaid portion of Executive’s compensation set forth in Section 3 above through the date of termination; (b) any accrued but unused vacation as of the termination date; (c) any earned but unpaid bonus for which the performance measurement period has ended prior to the termination date (e.g., if Executive’s employment is terminated on February 1 and annual bonuses for the prior year have not been paid as of his termination date, then Executive would be eligible to receive his annual bonus for the prior year but not a bonus for the year in which the termination occurs), provided, that the termination of Executive’s employment is not for Cause or due to Executive’s voluntary resignation (other than for Good Reason); (d) any amounts owing to Executive for reimbursements of expenses properly incurred by Executive prior to the date of his termination of employment and which are reimbursable in accordance with Section 5(c) above, with all amounts owed under each of (a), (b) and (d) payable in a lump sum no later than the Company’s first regularly scheduled payroll date that is at least ten (10) days after the date of Executive’s termination of employment, and any amount owed under (c) payable in a lump sum when such bonuses are paid to the Company’s employees; and (e) any amounts that are vested benefits or that Executive is otherwise entitled to receive under any plan, policy, practice or program of or any other contract or agreement with the Company at or subsequent to the date of termination, payable in accordance with such plan, policy, practice or program or contract or agreement.

 

(c)                                  Termination upon Disability. “Disability” means any physical or mental incapacity, illness or infirmity that prevents or significantly restricts Executive from performing the normal duties of Executive’s position on a full-time basis despite the provision, if requested,

 

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of a reasonable accommodation as that term is defined in the American with Disabilities Act. If Executive suffers a Disability and the Disability continues for a continuous period of more than three months, then the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment upon written notice to Executive, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(d)                                 Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may, upon written notice to Executive, immediately terminate Executive’s employment for Cause. “Cause” shall exist upon (i) Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duty or material legal or contractual obligation to the Company or any of its affiliates (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Company or affiliate policy or the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement or any other applicable restrictive covenants between Executive and the Company or any of its affiliates), (ii) Executive’s failure to follow the reasonable instructions of the Chief Executive Officer or the Board (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness), which failure, if curable, is not cured within 30 days after notice to Executive specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such breach, or, if cured, recurs within 90 business days, (iii) Executive’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, insubordination, acts of dishonesty or conflict of interest relating to the Company or any of its affiliates, or (iv) Executive’s commission of any misdemeanor which has a material impact on the affairs, business or reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates or Executive’s indictment for, or plea of nolo  contendere to, a crime constituting a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof. Upon a termination of Executive’s employment for Cause, all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Agreement or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(e)                                  Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason. Except as provided in Section 6(f) below, upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)                                     an amount equal to twelve (12) months of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices over the twelve (12) month period following Executive’s termination date, commencing on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date (as defined below), provided that the initial payment will include a catch-up payment to cover the period between Executive’s termination date and the date of such first payment and the remaining amounts shall be paid over the remainder of such twelve (12) month period;

 

(ii)                                  provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”), continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible

 

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dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for twelve (12) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive an amount equal to the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for twelve (12) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(e)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

“Good Reason” shall mean, without Executive’s prior written consent, (i) a material diminution in Executive’s position or duties, authority or responsibilities including, without limitation, Executive ceasing to be an “executive officer” (as defined under Rule 3b-7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of a company with a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act; (ii) the assignment to Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities of President and Chief Operating Officer, (iii) a reduction by the Company in Executive’s then-current Base Salary or Executive’s then-current Target Annual Bonus unless the salaries and target annual bonuses for all other senior executive officers are correspondingly and proportionately reduced by not greater than 15% and such reduction continues for no more than 12 months; (iv) Executive’s relocation to offices of the Company that are more than fifty (50) miles from the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania; or (v) any action or inaction that constitutes a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.  In order to invoke a termination for Good Reason, Executive must deliver a written notice of the grounds for such termination within thirty (30) days of the initial existence of the event giving rise to Good Reason and the Company shall have thirty (30) days to cure the circumstances.  In order to terminate Executive’s employment, if at all, for Good Reason, Executive must terminate employment within sixty (60) days following the end of the cure period if the circumstances giving rise to Good Reason have not been cured.

 

(f)                                   Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason Following a Change in Control.  Upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, in each case within twelve (12) months after a Change in Control (as defined in the Company’s 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated), Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Change in Control Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)                                     an amount equal to 125% of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in a single-lump sum cash payment on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date;

 

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(ii)                                  provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under COBRA, continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for fifteen (15) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Code, or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for fifteen (15) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(f)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

(iii)                               all of Executive’s then-outstanding equity awards granted to Executive by the Company shall become immediately vested.

 

(g)                                  Payment to Executive of any Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, shall be conditioned on Executive’s compliance with the requirements of Section 8 hereof and Executive’s execution of a general release in favor of the Company and its affiliates in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”) and the lapse of any revocation period specified therein with the Release not having been revoked.  The Release shall be provided to Executive within three (3) days of Executive’s termination of employment.  Executive will forfeit all rights to the Severance Benefits and the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, unless, within sixty (60) days of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive executes and delivers the Release to the Company and such Release has become irrevocable by virtue of the expiration of the revocation period specified therein without the Release having been revoked (the first such date, the “Release Effective Date”).  The Company’s obligation to pay the Severance Benefits or the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, is subject to the occurrence of the Release Effective Date, and if the Release Effective Date does not occur, then the Company shall have no obligation to pay such Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event that the period during which Executive may review and revoke the Release begins in one calendar year and ends in the following calendar year, any severance payments hereunder that constitute non-qualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be paid to Executive no earlier than January 1 of the second calendar year.

 

7.                                      Section 280G.

 

(a)                                 Executive shall bear all expense of, and be solely responsible for, any excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (such excise tax being the “Excise Tax”); provided, however, that any payment or benefit received or to be received by Executive, whether

 

6



 

payable under the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with Company or an affiliate of Company (collectively, the “Payments”) that would constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, but only if, by reason of such reduction, the net after-tax benefit Executive receives shall exceed the net after-tax benefit that Executive would receive if no such reduction was made.

 

(b)                                 The “net after-tax benefit” shall mean (i) the Payments which Executive receives or is then entitled to receive from the Company that would constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, less (ii) the amount of all federal, state and local income and employment taxes payable by Executive with respect to the foregoing calculated at the highest marginal income tax rate for each year in which the foregoing shall be paid to Executive (based on the rate in effect for such year as set forth in the Code as in effect at the time of the first payment of the foregoing), less (iii) the amount of Excise Tax imposed with respect to the payments and benefits described in (b)(i) above.

 

(c)                                  All determinations under this Section 7 will be made by an accounting firm or law firm (the “280G Firm”) that is mutually agreed to by Executive and the Company prior to a change in ownership or control of a corporation (within the meaning of Treasury regulations under Section 280G of the Code).  The 280G Firm shall be required to evaluate the extent to which payments are exempt from Section 280G of the Code as reasonable compensation for services rendered before or after the Change in Control.  All fees and expenses of the 280G Firm shall be paid solely by the Company.  The Company will direct the 280G Firm to submit any determination it makes under this Section 7 and detailed supporting calculations to both Executive and the Company as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

(d)                                 If the 280G Firm determines that one or more reductions are required under this Section 7, such Payments shall be reduced in the order that would provide Executive with the largest amount of after-tax proceeds (with such order, to the extent permitted by Sections 280G and 409A of the Code, designated by Executive, or otherwise determined by the 280G Firm) to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, and the Company shall pay such reduced amount to Executive. Executive shall at any time have the unilateral right to forfeit any equity award in whole or in part.

 

(e)                                  As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Section 280G of the Code at the time that the 280G Firm makes its determinations under this Section 7, it is possible that amounts will have been paid or distributed to Executive that should not have been paid or distributed (collectively, the “Overpayments”), or that additional amounts should be paid or distributed to Executive (collectively, the “Underpayments”). If the 280G Firm determines, based on either the assertion of a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against Executive or the Company, which assertion the 280G Firm believes has a high probability of success or is otherwise based on controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Overpayment has been made, Executive must repay the Overpayment to the Company, without interest; provided, however, that no loan will be deemed to have been made and no amount will be payable by Executive to the Company unless, and then only to the extent that, the deemed loan and payment would either reduce the amount on which Executive is subject to tax under Section 4999 of the

 

7



 

Code or generate a refund of tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code. If the 280G Firm determines, based upon controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Underpayment has occurred, the 280G Firm will notify Executive and the Company of that determination, and the Company will promptly pay the amount of that Underpayment to Executive without interest.

 

(f)                                   Executive and the Company will provide the 280G Firm access to and copies of any books, records, and documents in their possession as reasonably requested by the 280G Firm, and otherwise cooperate with the 280G Firm in connection with the preparation and issuance of the determinations and calculations contemplated by this Section 7.  For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 7, the 280G Firm may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code.

 

8.                                      Covenants.

 

(a)                                 Non-Competition. So long as Executive is employed by the Company under this Agreement and for the 12-month period following the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company, engage in Competition with the Company or any of its affiliates (collectively, the “Employer”). “Competition” means participating, directly or indirectly, as an individual proprietor, partner, stockholder, officer, employee, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, consultant or in any other capacity whatsoever in any business or venture that competes with any business that the Employer is engaged in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or is actively planning to engage in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, after Executive’s termination of employment, employment by or consultation for a publicly traded company that derives less than five percent (5%) of its net revenues from activities that compete with business that the Employer engages in, shall not constitute Competition so long as Executive does not provide employment or consulting services to the business segment of such publicly traded company that engages in such competitive activities. Executive is entering into this covenant not to compete in consideration of the agreements of the Company in this Agreement, including but not limited to, the agreement of the Company to provide the severance and other benefits to Executive upon a termination of employment pursuant to Sections 6(e) and (f) hereof, as applicable.

 

(b)                                 Confidentiality. Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, use, make available, sell, disclose or otherwise communicate to any person or entity, other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer, either while Executive is employed by the Company hereunder or at any time thereafter, any business and technical information or trade secrets, nonpublic, proprietary or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Employer whether the foregoing will have been obtained by Executive during Executive’s employment hereunder or otherwise. The foregoing will not apply to information that (i) was known to the public prior to its disclosure to Executive; (ii) becomes generally known to the public or in the Employer’s industry subsequent to disclosure to Executive through no wrongful act by Executive or any of Executive’s representatives; or (iii) Executive is required to disclose by applicable law, regulation or legal process (provided that Executive provides the Company with prior notice of the contemplated

 

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disclosure and cooperates at the Company’s cost with the Company in seeking a protective order or other appropriate protection of such information). The Company and Executive acknowledge that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, pursuant to 18 USC § 1833(b), an individual may not be held liable under any criminal or civil federal or state trade secret law for disclosure of a trade secret: (i) made in confidence to a government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law or (ii) in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.  The Company and Executive further acknowledge that an individual suing an employer for retaliation based on the reporting of a suspected violation of law may disclose a trade secret to his attorney and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, so long as any document containing the trade secret is filed under seal and the individual does not disclose the trade secret except pursuant to court order.

 

(c)                                  Non-Solicitation of Customers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to solicit or influence, customers of the Employer to purchase goods or services then sold by the Employer from any other person or entity.

 

(d)                                 Non-Solicitation of Suppliers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to solicit or influence, the Company’s suppliers to provide goods or services then provided to the Employer to any other person or entity in Competition with the Employer.

 

(e)                                  Non-Solicitation of Employees. Executive recognizes that Executive will possess confidential information about other employees of the Employer relating to their education, experience, skills, abilities, compensation and benefits, and inter-personal relationships with customers of the Employer.  Executive recognizes that the information Executive possesses and will possess about these other employees is not generally known, is of substantial value to the Employer in developing its business and in securing and retaining customers, and has been and will be acquired by Executive because of Executive’s business position with the Employer. Executive agrees that, during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, (x) directly or indirectly, individually or on behalf of any other person or entity solicit or recruit any employee of the Employer to leave such employment for the purpose of being employed by, or rendering services to, Executive or any person or entity unaffiliated with the Employer, or (y) convey any such confidential information or trade secrets about other employees of the Employer to any person or entity other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company agrees that hiring any employee of the Employer who responds to a general advertisement for employment that was not specifically directed at the employees of the Employer shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 8(e).

 

(f)                                   Non-Disparagement. Executive agrees that Executive will not, nor will Executive induce others to, Disparage the Employer or any of their past or present officers, directors, employees or products.  Similarly, the directors and senior executives of the Employer will not, nor will they induce others to, Disparage Executive.  “Disparage” will mean making comments or statements to the press, the Employer’s employees or any individual or entity with

 

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whom Executive or the Employer, as applicable, has a business relationship that would adversely affect in any manner, as applicable: (i) the conduct of the business of the Employer (including, without limitation, any products or business plans or prospects); (ii) the business reputation of the Employer, or any of their products, or their past or present officers, directors or employees; or (iii) the business reputation of Executive.

 

(g)                                  Inventions.

 

(i)                                     Executive acknowledges and agrees that all trade secrets, mask works, concepts, drawings, materials, documentation, procedures, diagrams, specifications, models, processes, formulae, source and object codes, data, programs, know-how, designs, techniques, ideas, methods, inventions, discoveries, improvements, work products, developments or other works of authorship (“Inventions”), whether patentable or unpatentable, (x) that relate to Executive’s work with the Employer, made, developed or conceived by Executive, solely or jointly with others or with the use of any of the Employer’s equipment, supplies, facilities or trade secrets or (y) suggested by any work that Executive performs in connection with the Employer, either while performing Executive’s duties with the Employer or on Executive’s own time, but only insofar as the Inventions are related to Executive’s work as an employee of the Employer (collectively, “Company Inventions”), will belong exclusively to the Company (or its designee), whether or not patent applications are filed thereon. Executive will keep full and complete written records (the “Records”), in the manner prescribed by the Employer, of all Company Inventions, and will promptly disclose all Company Inventions completely and in writing to the Company. The Records will be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, and Executive will surrender them upon the termination of Executive’s employment, or upon the Company’s request. Executive hereby assigns to the Company (or its designee) the Company Inventions including all rights in and to any related patents and other intellectual property that may issue thereon in any and all countries, whether during or subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, together with the right to file, in Executive’s name or in the name of the Company (or its designee), applications for patents and equivalent rights (the “Applications”). Executive will, at any time during and subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, make such applications, sign such papers, take all rightful oaths, and perform all acts as may be requested from time to time by the Company with respect to the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property. Executive will also execute assignments to the Company (or its designee) of the Applications, and give the Company and its attorneys all reasonable assistance (including the giving of testimony) to obtain the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property for its benefit, all without additional compensation to Executive from the Company, but entirely at the Company’s expense.

 

(ii)                                  In addition, the Company Inventions will be deemed “work made for hire”, as such term is defined under the copyright law of the United States, on behalf of the Employer and Executive agrees that the Company (or its designee) will be the sole owner of the Company Inventions, and all underlying rights therein, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity without any further obligations or compensation to Executive. If the Company Inventions, or any portion thereof, are deemed not to be work made for hire, Executive hereby irrevocably conveys, transfers, assigns and delivers to the Company (or its designee), all rights, titles and interests, in all media now known or

 

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hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity, in and to the Company Inventions, including without limitation: (a) all of Executive’s rights, titles and interests in and to any underlying intellectual property (and all renewals, revivals and extensions thereof) related to the Company Inventions; (b) all rights of any kind or any nature now or hereafter recognized, including without limitation, the unrestricted right to make modifications, adaptations and revisions to the Company Inventions, to exploit and allow others to exploit the Company Inventions; and (c) all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement, or other unauthorized use or conduct in derogation of the Company Inventions, known or unknown, prior to the date hereof, including without limitation the right to receive all proceeds and damages therefrom. In addition, Executive hereby waives any so-called “moral rights” with respect to the Company Inventions. Executive hereby waives any and all currently existing and future monetary rights in and to the Inventions and all patents and other intellectual property rights that may issue thereon, including, without limitation, any rights that would otherwise accrue to Executive’s benefit by virtue of Executive being an employee of or other service provider to the Employer.

 

(iii)                               To the extent that Executive is unable to assign any of Executive’s right, title or interest in any Company Invention under applicable law, for any such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property rights, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, fully paid license to such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property, with the right to sublicense, use, modify, create derivative works and otherwise fully exploit such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property, to assign this license and to exercise all rights and incidents of ownership of the Company Invention.

 

(iv)                              To the extent that any of the Company Inventions are derived by, or require use by the Employer of, any works, Inventions, or other intellectual property rights that Executive owns, which are not assigned hereby, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free license, with the right to sublicense, use, modify and create derivative works using such works, Inventions or other intellectual property rights, but only to the extent necessary to permit the Company to fully realize their ownership rights in the Company Inventions.

 

(h)                                 Cooperation. Upon the receipt of notice from the Company (including outside counsel), Executive agrees that while employed by the Employer (for no additional compensation) and thereafter (for reasonable compensation for Executive’s time), Executive will respond and provide information with regard to matters in which Executive has knowledge as a result of Executive’s employment with the Employer, and will provide reasonable assistance to the Employer and its representatives in defense of any claims that may be made against the Employer, and will assist the Employer in the prosecution of any claims that may be made by the Employer, to the extent that such claims may relate to the period of Executive’s employment with the Employer (or any predecessor). Executive agrees to promptly inform the Company if Executive becomes aware of any lawsuits involving such claims that may be filed or threatened against the Employer. Executive also agrees to promptly inform the Company (to the extent Executive is legally permitted to do so) if Executive is asked to assist in any investigation of the Employer (or their actions), regardless of whether a lawsuit or other proceeding has then been

 

11



 

filed against the Employer with respect to such investigation, and will not do so unless legally required.

 

(i)                                     Return of Property. On the date of the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (or at any time prior thereto at the Company’s request), Executive will return all property belonging to the Employer (including, but not limited to, any Employer provided laptops, computers, cell phones, wireless electronic mail devices or other equipment, or documents and property belonging to the Employer).

 

(j)                                    Injunctive Relief. It is further expressly agreed that the Employer will or would suffer irreparable injury if Executive were to violate the provisions of this Section 8 and that the Employer would by reason of such violation be entitled to injunctive relief in a court of appropriate jurisdiction and Executive further consents and stipulates to the entry of such injunctive relief in such court prohibiting Executive from violating the provisions of this Section 8.

 

(k)                                 Survival of Provisions. The obligations contained in this Section 8 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company and will be fully enforceable thereafter. If it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in any state that any restriction in this Section 8 is excessive in duration or scope or extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area or is unreasonable or unenforceable under the laws of that state, it is the intention of the parties that such restriction may be modified or amended by the court to render it enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by the law of that state or jurisdiction.

 

(l)                                     Prior Agreements. Executive represents and warrants to the Company that there are no restrictions, agreements or understandings whatsoever to which Executive is a party that would prevent or make unlawful Executive’s execution of this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, is or would be inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, or would prevent, limit or impair in any way the performance by Executive of the obligations hereunder.

 

9.                                      Assignment; Third Party Beneficiaries. Notwithstanding anything else herein, this Agreement is personal to Executive and neither the Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by Executive. The Company may assign the Agreement to an affiliate or to any acquiror of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.  The Employer shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Employer to expressly assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Employer would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Unless expressly provided otherwise, “Employer” as used in this Agreement shall mean the Employer as defined in Section 8(a) of this Agreement and any successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees, legatees and permitted assignees of the parties. Executive acknowledges that this Agreement is intended to benefit the Company, its shareholders, and its and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and related

 

12



 

companies or entities, now existing or hereafter created. Both Executive and the Company further acknowledge and agree that the intended beneficiaries of this Agreement are entitled to enforce the provisions of this Agreement by seeking injunctive relief or any other appropriate remedy.

 

10.                               Clawback/Recoupment.  Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation paid to Executive pursuant to this Agreement or any other agreement or arrangement with the Company shall be subject to mandatory repayment by Executive to the Company to the extent any such compensation paid to Executive is, or in the future becomes, subject to (i) any “clawback” or recoupment policy applicable to Executive that is adopted to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule), or (ii) any law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule) which imposes mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such law, rule or regulation.

 

11.                               Arbitration; Attorneys’ Fees. Executive agrees that all disputes and controversies arising under or in connection with this Agreement, other than seeking injunctive or other equitable relief under Section 8(j), will be settled by arbitration conducted before one (1) arbitrator mutually agreed to by the Company and Executive, sitting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or such other location agreed to by Executive and the Company, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association then in effect; provided, however, that if the Company and Executive are unable to agree on a single arbitrator within 30 days of the demand by another party for arbitration, an arbitrator will be designated by the Philadelphia Office of the American Arbitration Association. The determination of the arbitrator will be final and binding on Executive and the Company. Judgment may be entered on the award of the arbitrator in any court having proper jurisdiction. Each party will bear their own expenses of such arbitration, except that the prevailing party shall be entitled to be indemnified for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in enforcing the terms of this Agreement should the other party violate any of its terms.

 

12.                               Indemnification. The Company and Executive acknowledge that they have entered into an Indemnification Agreement, dated as of October [    ], 2017 (the “Indemnification Agreement”).

 

13.                               Governing Law. This Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

14.                               Withholding Taxes. The Company may withhold from any and all amounts payable to Executive such federal, state and local taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable laws or regulations.

 

15.                               Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder or necessary or convenient in connection herewith shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when hand delivered or three (3) days after being mailed by registered or certified mail to Executive or the Company, as the case may be, at Executive’s address set forth below or

 

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the Company’s address set forth below, or to such other names or addresses as Executive or the Company, as the case may be, shall designate by notice to each other person entitled to receive notices in the manner specified in this Section (provided that notice of change of address shall be deemed given only when received).

 

Company notices shall be delivered to:

 

OptiNose US Inc.
Attn: Chief Legal Officer
1020 Stony Hill Road
Third Floor, Suite 300
Yardley, PA 19067

 

Executive notices shall be delivered to such address as shall most currently appear on the records of the Company.

 

16.                               Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the agreements referenced herein contain the entire agreement of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and supersede in their entirety any and all prior and/or contemporaneous agreements, understandings or representations relating to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, including without limitation the Existing Agreement. No amendments, alterations or modifications of this Agreement will be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

17.                               Section Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement are included solely for convenience and will not affect, or be used in connection with, the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

18.                               Severability. The provisions of this Agreement will be deemed severable and the invalidity of unenforceability of any provision will not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof No failure to exercise, delay in exercising, or single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy by either party, and no course of dealing between the parties, shall constitute a waiver of, or shall preclude any other or further exercise of, any right, power or remedy.

 

19.                               Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts (including via facsimile and/or .pdf), each of which will be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instruments.

 

20.                               Section 409A.

 

(a)                                 The payments and benefits under this Agreement are intended to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) and this Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in a manner intended to comply therewith.  For purposes of this Agreement, Executive will be considered to have experienced a termination of employment only if Executive has a “separation from service” with the Company and all of its controlled group members

 

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within the meaning of Section 409A.  Whether Executive has a separation from service will be determined based on all of the facts and circumstances and in accordance with the guidance issued under Section 409A.

 

(b)                                 Each payment under this Agreement, including each installment payment, shall be considered a separate and distinct payment.  For purposes of this Agreement, each payment is intended to be excepted from Section 409A to the maximum extent provided as follows:  (i) each payment made within the applicable 2½ month period specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(4) is intended to be excepted under the short-term deferral exception; (ii) post-termination medical benefits are intended to be excepted under the medical benefits exception as specified in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(B); and (iii) to the extent payments are made as a result of an involuntary separation, each payment that is not otherwise excepted under the short-term deferral exception or medical benefits exception is intended to be excepted under the involuntary pay exception as specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii).  With respect to payments subject to Section 409A (and not excepted therefrom), if any, it is intended that each payment is paid on a permissible distribution event and at a specified time consistent with Section 409A.  Neither the Company nor Executive shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.  Executive shall have no right to designate the date or any payment under this Agreement.

 

(c)                                  If Executive is a “specified employee” (as that term is used in Section 409A and regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) on the date of Executive’s separation from service, any benefits payable under this Agreement that constitute non-qualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A shall be delayed until the earlier of (i) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (ii) the date of Executive’s death, but only to the extent necessary to avoid the adverse tax consequences and penalties under Section 409A.  On the earlier of (x) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (y) Executive’s death, the Company shall pay Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries) a lump-sum payment equal to all payments delayed pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

(d)                                 If any of the reimbursements or in-kind benefits provided for under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, the following rules shall apply: (i) in no event shall any such reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred; (ii) the amount of such reimbursable expenses incurred, or the provision of in-kind benefits, in one tax year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the provision of in-kind benefits in any other tax year; and (iii) the right to such reimbursement for expenses or provision of in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

(e)                                  Notwithstanding anything in Section 6(f) hereof to the contrary, in the event that Executive is entitled to the amount set forth in Section 6(f)(i) as a result of a termination of Executive’s employment within twelve (12) months after the date of the Change in Control, and such Change in Control does not constitute a change in ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the

 

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Company, within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and its corresponding regulations, and any portion of the severance benefit payable to Executive pursuant to Section 6(e)(i) is deemed to constitute deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code at the time of Executive’s termination, then such portion that constitutes deferred compensation shall reduce the amount that is paid in a lump sum as provided in Section 6(f)(i) and such deferred compensation portion shall instead be paid in substantially equal installments over the installment period as described in Section 6(e)(i).

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE

 

 

 

 

 

Ramy Mahmoud

 


 

EXHIBIT A

 

RELEASE AGREEMENT

 

This RELEASE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) made this [   ] day of [       ], [     ] (the “Effective Date”), between OptiNose US, Inc. (including its successors and assigns, the “Company”), and [    ] (“Executive”).

 

1.                                      Release.

 

a.                                      In consideration of the amounts to be paid by the Company pursuant to the Employment Agreement entered into on [Date], 2017, by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”), Executive, on behalf of himself and his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns, knowingly and voluntarily releases, remises, and forever discharges the Company and its parents, subsidiaries or affiliates, together with each of their current and former principals, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives and employees, and each of their heirs, executors, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”), from any and all debts, demands, actions, causes of action, accounts, covenants, contracts, agreements, claims, damages, omissions, promises, and any and all claims and liabilities whatsoever, of every name and nature, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, both in law and equity (“Claims”), which Executive ever had, now has, or may hereafter claim to have against the Releasees by reason of any matter or cause whatsoever arising from the beginning of time to the time he signs this Agreement (the “General Release”).  This General Release of Claims shall apply to any Claim of any type, including, without limitation, any and all Claims of any type that Executive may have arising under the common law, under the National Labor Relations Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1967, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, each as amended, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2101, et seq., the Equal Pay Act of 1963, claims for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, claims under the Employment Discrimination Bureau (EDB) — Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Family Leave Act, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, the Pennsylvania State Wage and Hour Law, the Pennsylvania Law on Equal Pay, the Pennsylvania Political Activities of Employees Law, the Pennsylvania Lie Detector Testing Law, the Pennsylvania Tobacco Use Law, the Pennsylvania Genetic Testing Law, the State of Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act, the Pennsylvania Human Rights Law, and the Pennsylvania Labor Law, claims for discrimination in violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, each as amended, and any other federal, state or local statutes, regulations, ordinances or common law, or under any policy, agreement, contract, understanding or promise, written or oral, formal or informal, between any of the Releasees and Executive and shall further apply, without limitation, to any and all Claims in connection with, related to or arising out of Executive’s employment relationship, or the termination of his employment, with the Company.

 

b.                                      For the purpose of implementing a full and complete release, Executive understands and agrees that this Agreement is intended to include all claims, if any, which

 



 

Executive or his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns may have and which Executive does not now know or suspect to exist in his favor against the Releasees, from the beginning of time until the time he signs this Agreement, and this Agreement extinguishes those claims.

 

c.                                       In consideration of the promises of the Company set forth in the Employment Agreement, Executive hereby releases and discharges the Releasees from any and all Claims that Executive may have against the Releasees arising under the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (“ADEA”).  Executive acknowledges that he understands that the ADEA is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in employment, benefits and benefit plans.  Executive also understands that, by signing this Agreement, he is waiving all Claims against any and all of the Releasees.

 

d.                                      Nothing in this Agreement restricts or prohibits Executive from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiries from, providing testimony before, providing confidential information to, reporting possible violations of law or regulation to, or from filing a claim or assisting with an investigation directly with a self-regulatory authority or a government agency or entity, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General (collectively, the “Regulators”), or from making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of state or federal law or regulation.  However, to the maximum extent permitted by law, Executive is waiving Executive’s right to receive any individual monetary relief from the Company or any others covered by the Release resulting from such claims or conduct, regardless of whether Executive or another party has filed them, and in the event Executive obtains such monetary relief the Company will be entitled to an offset for the payments made pursuant to this Agreement.  This Agreement does not limit Executive’s right to receive an award from any Regulator that provides awards for providing information relating to a potential violation of law.

 

e.                                       Except as provided in Section 6(e) or Section 6(f), as applicable, of the Employment Agreement or in the Indemnification Agreement, Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company has fully satisfied any and all obligations owed to him arising out of his employment with or termination from the Company, and no further sums or benefits are owed to him by the Company or by any of the other Releasees at any time.

 

2.                                      Consultation with Attorney; Voluntary Agreement.  The Company advises Executive to consult with an attorney of his choosing prior to signing this Agreement.  Executive understands and agrees that he has the right and has been given the opportunity to review this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release in Section 1 above, with an attorney.  Executive also understands and agrees that he is under no obligation to consent to the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that the payments to be made to Executive pursuant to the Employment Agreement are sufficient consideration to require him to abide with his obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to the General Release set forth in Section 1.  Executive represents that he has read this Agreement,

 



 

including the General Release set forth in Section 1, and understands its terms and that he enters into this Agreement freely, voluntarily, and without coercion.

 

3.                                      Effective Date; Revocation.  Executive acknowledges and represents that he has been given [twenty-one (21)][forty-five (45)] days during which to review and consider the provisions of this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive further acknowledges and represents that he has been advised by the Company that he has the right to revoke this Agreement for a period of seven (7) days after signing it.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that, if he wishes to revoke this Agreement, he must do so in a writing, signed by him and received by the Company no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the seventh (7th) day of the revocation period.  If no such revocation occurs, the General Release and this Agreement shall become effective on the eighth (8th) day following his execution of this Agreement and shall be final and binding on Executive.

 

4.                                      Severability.  In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remainder of the Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

5.                                      Governing Law.  This Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

6.                                      Entire Agreement.  This Agreement, the Employment Agreement and the other agreements referred to in the Employment Agreement constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, written or oral, between the parties.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that he is not relying on any representations or promises by any representative of the Company concerning the meaning of any aspect of this Agreement.

 

7.                                      Amendment. This release shall not be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in any way except in a writing signed by Executive and the Company.

 

8.                                      Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the dates set forth below.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

Date:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

Date:

 

 

Ramy Mahmoud

 

 




Exhibit 10.4

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into on October [   ], 2017, by and between OPTINOSE US, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Thomas E. Gibbs (“Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, Executive currently serves as the Chief Commercial Officer of the Company pursuant to that certain Letter Agreement entered into between Executive and the Company, dated September 15, 2016 (the “Existing Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive desire to enter into this Agreement to replace the Existing Agreement in its entirety and to set forth the terms and conditions for the continued employment relationship of Executive with the Company.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.                                      Term.  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this Agreement shall be effective upon the closing of the OptiNose, Inc. initial public offering of its common stock, and shall continue until Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company or by Executive.  At all times, Executive’s employment with the Company is “at-will,” which means that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated at any time by the Company with or without “Cause” or by Executive with or without “Good Reason” (as each such term is defined below).

 

2.                                      Title, Duties and Responsibilities. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will serve as the Chief Commercial Officer of OptiNose, Inc. and will report to the President and the Chief Executive Officer of OptiNose, Inc.  Executive will have such duties and responsibilities that are commensurate with Executive’s position and such other duties and responsibilities as are from time to time assigned to Executive by the President or the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors of the OptiNose, Inc. (the “Board”).  While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will devote Executive’s full business time, energy and skill to the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive will not be permitted to engage in other activities that interfere with Executive’s performance of his duties under this Agreement, conflict with the business of the Company or violate any provisions of Section 8 herein.  Executive shall, if requested by the Board, also serve as an officer or director of any affiliate of the Company for no additional compensation.  Executive’s place of employment will be the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

 

3.                                      Base Salary. While Executive is employed by the Company, the Company will pay Executive a base annual salary (the “Base Salary”) at the rate of $386,250 per year, paid in accordance with the usual payroll practices of the Company.  Executive’s Base Salary shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) or the Board.

 

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4.                                      Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall participate in short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs, established by the Company for its senior level executives generally, at levels determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Executive’s incentive compensation shall be subject to the terms of the applicable plans and shall be determined based on Executive’s individual performance and the Company’s performance as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Any annual incentive compensation earned by Executive shall be paid on or after January 1, but not later than March 15 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the annual incentive compensation is earned.

 

(a)                                 Discretionary Bonus.  Executive will be eligible to receive an annual target cash bonus of 45% of Executive’s Base Salary (the “Target Annual Bonus”) (pro-rated for any portion of a year during which Executive is not employed by the Company) at the discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee and contingent upon attainment of certain Company milestones and/or individual objectives as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  The actual annual bonus payable for any given year, if any, may be higher or lower than the Target Annual Bonus.  Payment of such bonus is contingent upon continued employment with the Company at the time of payment unless otherwise specified herein or in the terms pursuant to which such bonus is granted. Executive’s Target Annual Bonus shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee or the Board.

 

(b)                                 Equity Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on the Company’s and Executive’s actual performance, as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Each such equity award granted to Executive hereunder shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the incentive plan pursuant to which it is granted and such other terms and conditions as are established by the Board or Compensation Committee and set forth in an award agreement evidencing the grant of such equity award.

 

5.                                      Benefits and Fringes.

 

(a)                                 General. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will be entitled to such benefits and fringes, if any, as are generally provided from time to time by the Company to its senior level executives, subject to the satisfaction of any eligibility requirements and any other terms and conditions of the applicable plans or policies.

 

(b)                                 Vacation.  Executive will also be entitled to 20 business days of annual paid vacation in accordance with the Company’s vacation policies in effect from time to time, which may be taken at such times as Executive elects with due regard to the needs of the Company.

 

(c)                                  Reimbursement of Business Expenses. Upon presentation of appropriate documentation, Executive will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement policy for all reasonable and necessary business expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder.

 

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6.                                      Termination of Employment.

 

(a)                                 Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or Executive (other than because of Executive’s death) shall be communicated by a written notice of termination to the other party hereto in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement.  Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all positions that Executive holds as an officer or member of the board of directors (or a committee thereof) of the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

(b)                                 Termination upon Death. If Executive dies, then Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of Executive’s death, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive’s heirs, personal representatives or estate shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.  “Accrued Benefits” means: (a) any accrued but unpaid portion of Executive’s compensation set forth in Section 3 above through the date of termination; (b) any accrued but unused vacation as of the termination date; (c) any earned but unpaid bonus for which the performance measurement period has ended prior to the termination date (e.g., if Executive’s employment is terminated on February 1 and annual bonuses for the prior year have not been paid as of his termination date, then Executive would be eligible to receive his annual bonus for the prior year but not a bonus for the year in which the termination occurs), provided, that the termination of Executive’s employment is not for Cause or due to Executive’s voluntary resignation (other than for Good Reason); (d) any amounts owing to Executive for reimbursements of expenses properly incurred by Executive prior to the date of his termination of employment and which are reimbursable in accordance with Section 5(c) above, with all amounts owed under each of (a), (b) and (d) payable in a lump sum no later than the Company’s first regularly scheduled payroll date that is at least ten (10) days after the date of Executive’s termination of employment, and any amount owed under (c) payable in a lump sum when such bonuses are paid to the Company’s employees; and (e) any amounts that are vested benefits or that Executive is otherwise entitled to receive under any plan, policy, practice or program of or any other contract or agreement with the Company at or subsequent to the date of termination, payable in accordance with such plan, policy, practice or program or contract or agreement.

 

(c)                                  Termination upon Disability. “Disability” means any physical or mental incapacity, illness or infirmity that prevents or significantly restricts Executive from performing the normal duties of Executive’s position on a full-time basis despite the provision, if requested, of a reasonable accommodation as that term is defined in the American with Disabilities Act. If Executive suffers a Disability and the Disability continues for a continuous period of more than three months, then the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment upon written notice to Executive, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(d)                                 Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may, upon written notice to Executive, immediately terminate Executive’s employment for Cause. “Cause” shall exist upon (i) Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duty or material legal or contractual obligation to the Company or any of its affiliates (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Company or affiliate policy or the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement or any other applicable restrictive covenants between Executive and the Company or any of its affiliates), (ii) Executive’s failure to follow the reasonable instructions of the President, the Chief

 

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Executive Officer or the Board (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness), which failure, if curable, is not cured within 30 days after notice to Executive specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such breach, or, if cured, recurs within 90 business days, (iii) Executive’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, insubordination, acts of dishonesty or conflict of interest relating to the Company or any of its affiliates, or (iv) Executive’s commission of any misdemeanor which has a material impact on the affairs, business or reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates or Executive’s indictment for, or plea of nolo  contendere to, a crime constituting a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof. Upon a termination of Executive’s employment for Cause, all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Agreement or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(e)                                  Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason. Except as provided in Section 6(f) below, upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)                                     an amount equal to nine (9) months of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices over the nine (9) month period following Executive’s termination date, commencing on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date (as defined below), provided that the initial payment will include a catch-up payment to cover the period between Executive’s termination date and the date of such first payment and the remaining amounts shall be paid over the remainder of such nine (9) month period;

 

(ii)                                  provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”), continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for nine (9) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive an amount equal to the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for nine (9) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(e)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

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“Good Reason” shall mean, without Executive’s prior written consent, (i) a material diminution in Executive’s position or duties, authority or responsibilities including, without limitation, Executive ceasing to be an “executive officer” (as defined under Rule 3b-7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of a company with a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act; (ii) the assignment to Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities of Chief Commercial Officer, (iii) a reduction by the Company in Executive’s then-current Base Salary or Executive’s then-current Target Annual Bonus unless the salaries and target annual bonuses for all other senior executive officers are correspondingly and proportionately reduced by not greater than 15% and such reduction continues for no more than 12 months; (iv) Executive’s relocation to offices of the Company that are more than fifty (50) miles from the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania; or (v) any action or inaction that constitutes a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.  In order to invoke a termination for Good Reason, Executive must deliver a written notice of the grounds for such termination within thirty (30) days of the initial existence of the event giving rise to Good Reason and the Company shall have thirty (30) days to cure the circumstances.  In order to terminate Executive’s employment, if at all, for Good Reason, Executive must terminate employment within sixty (60) days following the end of the cure period if the circumstances giving rise to Good Reason have not been cured.

 

(f)                                   Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason Following a Change in Control.  Upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, in each case within twelve (12) months after a Change in Control (as defined in the Company’s 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated), Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Change in Control Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)                                     an amount equal to 100% of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in a single-lump sum cash payment on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date;

 

(ii)                                  provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under COBRA, continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for twelve (12) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Code, or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for twelve (12) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(f)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

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(iii)                               all of Executive’s then-outstanding equity awards granted to Executive by the Company shall become immediately vested.

 

(g)                                  Payment to Executive of any Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, shall be conditioned on Executive’s compliance with the requirements of Section 8 hereof and Executive’s execution of a general release in favor of the Company and its affiliates in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”) and the lapse of any revocation period specified therein with the Release not having been revoked.  The Release shall be provided to Executive within three (3) days of Executive’s termination of employment.  Executive will forfeit all rights to the Severance Benefits and the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, unless, within sixty (60) days of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive executes and delivers the Release to the Company and such Release has become irrevocable by virtue of the expiration of the revocation period specified therein without the Release having been revoked (the first such date, the “Release Effective Date”).  The Company’s obligation to pay the Severance Benefits or the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, is subject to the occurrence of the Release Effective Date, and if the Release Effective Date does not occur, then the Company shall have no obligation to pay such Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event that the period during which Executive may review and revoke the Release begins in one calendar year and ends in the following calendar year, any severance payments hereunder that constitute non-qualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be paid to Executive no earlier than January 1 of the second calendar year.

 

7.                                      Section 280G.

 

(a)                                 Executive shall bear all expense of, and be solely responsible for, any excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (such excise tax being the “Excise Tax”); provided, however, that any payment or benefit received or to be received by Executive, whether payable under the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with Company or an affiliate of Company (collectively, the “Payments”) that would constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, but only if, by reason of such reduction, the net after-tax benefit Executive receives shall exceed the net after-tax benefit that Executive would receive if no such reduction was made.

 

(b)                                 The “net after-tax benefit” shall mean (i) the Payments which Executive receives or is then entitled to receive from the Company that would constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, less (ii) the amount of all federal, state and local income and employment taxes payable by Executive with respect to the foregoing calculated at the highest marginal income tax rate for each year in which the foregoing shall be paid to Executive (based on the rate in effect for such year as set forth in the Code as in effect at the time of the first payment of the foregoing), less (iii) the amount of Excise Tax imposed with respect to the payments and benefits described in (b)(i) above.

 

(c)                                  All determinations under this Section 7 will be made by an accounting firm or law firm (the “280G Firm”) that is mutually agreed to by Executive and the Company

 

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prior to a change in ownership or control of a corporation (within the meaning of Treasury regulations under Section 280G of the Code).  The 280G Firm shall be required to evaluate the extent to which payments are exempt from Section 280G of the Code as reasonable compensation for services rendered before or after the Change in Control.  All fees and expenses of the 280G Firm shall be paid solely by the Company.  The Company will direct the 280G Firm to submit any determination it makes under this Section 7 and detailed supporting calculations to both Executive and the Company as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

(d)                                 If the 280G Firm determines that one or more reductions are required under this Section 7, such Payments shall be reduced in the order that would provide Executive with the largest amount of after-tax proceeds (with such order, to the extent permitted by Sections 280G and 409A of the Code, designated by Executive, or otherwise determined by the 280G Firm) to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, and the Company shall pay such reduced amount to Executive. Executive shall at any time have the unilateral right to forfeit any equity award in whole or in part.

 

(e)                                  As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Section 280G of the Code at the time that the 280G Firm makes its determinations under this Section 7, it is possible that amounts will have been paid or distributed to Executive that should not have been paid or distributed (collectively, the “Overpayments”), or that additional amounts should be paid or distributed to Executive (collectively, the “Underpayments”). If the 280G Firm determines, based on either the assertion of a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against Executive or the Company, which assertion the 280G Firm believes has a high probability of success or is otherwise based on controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Overpayment has been made, Executive must repay the Overpayment to the Company, without interest; provided, however, that no loan will be deemed to have been made and no amount will be payable by Executive to the Company unless, and then only to the extent that, the deemed loan and payment would either reduce the amount on which Executive is subject to tax under Section 4999 of the Code or generate a refund of tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code. If the 280G Firm determines, based upon controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Underpayment has occurred, the 280G Firm will notify Executive and the Company of that determination, and the Company will promptly pay the amount of that Underpayment to Executive without interest.

 

(f)                                   Executive and the Company will provide the 280G Firm access to and copies of any books, records, and documents in their possession as reasonably requested by the 280G Firm, and otherwise cooperate with the 280G Firm in connection with the preparation and issuance of the determinations and calculations contemplated by this Section 7.  For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 7, the 280G Firm may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code.

 

8.                                      Covenants.

 

(a)                                 Non-Competition. So long as Executive is employed by the Company under this Agreement and for the 9-month period following the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company, engage in Competition with the Company or any of its affiliates (collectively, the “Employer”).

 

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“Competition” means participating, directly or indirectly, as an individual proprietor, partner, stockholder, officer, employee, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, consultant or in any other capacity whatsoever in any business or venture that competes with any business that the Employer is engaged in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or is actively planning to engage in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, after Executive’s termination of employment, employment by or consultation for a publicly traded company that derives less than five percent (5%) of its net revenues from activities that compete with business that the Employer engages in, shall not constitute Competition so long as Executive does not provide employment or consulting services to the business segment of such publicly traded company that engages in such competitive activities. Executive is entering into this covenant not to compete in consideration of the agreements of the Company in this Agreement, including but not limited to, the agreement of the Company to provide the severance and other benefits to Executive upon a termination of employment pursuant to Sections 6(e) and (f) hereof, as applicable.

 

(b)                                 Confidentiality. Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, use, make available, sell, disclose or otherwise communicate to any person or entity, other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer, either while Executive is employed by the Company hereunder or at any time thereafter, any business and technical information or trade secrets, nonpublic, proprietary or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Employer whether the foregoing will have been obtained by Executive during Executive’s employment hereunder or otherwise. The foregoing will not apply to information that (i) was known to the public prior to its disclosure to Executive; (ii) becomes generally known to the public or in the Employer’s industry subsequent to disclosure to Executive through no wrongful act by Executive or any of Executive’s representatives; or (iii) Executive is required to disclose by applicable law, regulation or legal process (provided that Executive provides the Company with prior notice of the contemplated disclosure and cooperates at the Company’s cost with the Company in seeking a protective order or other appropriate protection of such information). The Company and Executive acknowledge that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, pursuant to 18 USC § 1833(b), an individual may not be held liable under any criminal or civil federal or state trade secret law for disclosure of a trade secret: (i) made in confidence to a government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law or (ii) in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.  The Company and Executive further acknowledge that an individual suing an employer for retaliation based on the reporting of a suspected violation of law may disclose a trade secret to his attorney and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, so long as any document containing the trade secret is filed under seal and the individual does not disclose the trade secret except pursuant to court order.

 

(c)                                  Non-Solicitation of Customers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to solicit or influence, customers of the Employer to purchase goods or services then sold by the Employer from any other person or entity.

 

(d)                                 Non-Solicitation of Suppliers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to

 

8


 

solicit or influence, the Company’s suppliers to provide goods or services then provided to the Employer to any other person or entity in Competition with the Employer.

 

(e)                                  Non-Solicitation of Employees. Executive recognizes that Executive will possess confidential information about other employees of the Employer relating to their education, experience, skills, abilities, compensation and benefits, and inter-personal relationships with customers of the Employer.  Executive recognizes that the information Executive possesses and will possess about these other employees is not generally known, is of substantial value to the Employer in developing its business and in securing and retaining customers, and has been and will be acquired by Executive because of Executive’s business position with the Employer. Executive agrees that, during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, (x) directly or indirectly, individually or on behalf of any other person or entity solicit or recruit any employee of the Employer to leave such employment for the purpose of being employed by, or rendering services to, Executive or any person or entity unaffiliated with the Employer, or (y) convey any such confidential information or trade secrets about other employees of the Employer to any person or entity other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company agrees that hiring any employee of the Employer who responds to a general advertisement for employment that was not specifically directed at the employees of the Employer shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 8(e).

 

(f)                                   Non-Disparagement. Executive agrees that Executive will not, nor will Executive induce others to, Disparage the Employer or any of their past or present officers, directors, employees or products.  Similarly, the directors and senior executives of the Employer will not, nor will they induce others to, Disparage Executive.  “Disparage” will mean making comments or statements to the press, the Employer’s employees or any individual or entity with whom Executive or the Employer, as applicable, has a business relationship that would adversely affect in any manner, as applicable: (i) the conduct of the business of the Employer (including, without limitation, any products or business plans or prospects); (ii) the business reputation of the Employer, or any of their products, or their past or present officers, directors or employees; or (iii) the business reputation of Executive.

 

(g)                                  Inventions.

 

(i)                                     Executive acknowledges and agrees that all trade secrets, mask works, concepts, drawings, materials, documentation, procedures, diagrams, specifications, models, processes, formulae, source and object codes, data, programs, know-how, designs, techniques, ideas, methods, inventions, discoveries, improvements, work products, developments or other works of authorship (“Inventions”), whether patentable or unpatentable, (x) that relate to Executive’s work with the Employer, made, developed or conceived by Executive, solely or jointly with others or with the use of any of the Employer’s equipment, supplies, facilities or trade secrets or (y) suggested by any work that Executive performs in connection with the Employer, either while performing Executive’s duties with the Employer or on Executive’s own time, but only insofar as the Inventions are related to Executive’s work as an employee of the Employer (collectively, “Company Inventions”), will belong exclusively to the Company (or its designee), whether or not patent applications are filed thereon. Executive will keep full and complete written records (the “Records”), in the manner prescribed by the Employer, of all

 

9



 

Company Inventions, and will promptly disclose all Company Inventions completely and in writing to the Company. The Records will be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, and Executive will surrender them upon the termination of Executive’s employment, or upon the Company’s request. Executive hereby assigns to the Company (or its designee) the Company Inventions including all rights in and to any related patents and other intellectual property that may issue thereon in any and all countries, whether during or subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, together with the right to file, in Executive’s name or in the name of the Company (or its designee), applications for patents and equivalent rights (the “Applications”). Executive will, at any time during and subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, make such applications, sign such papers, take all rightful oaths, and perform all acts as may be requested from time to time by the Company with respect to the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property. Executive will also execute assignments to the Company (or its designee) of the Applications, and give the Company and its attorneys all reasonable assistance (including the giving of testimony) to obtain the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property for its benefit, all without additional compensation to Executive from the Company, but entirely at the Company’s expense.

 

(ii)                                  In addition, the Company Inventions will be deemed “work made for hire”, as such term is defined under the copyright law of the United States, on behalf of the Employer and Executive agrees that the Company (or its designee) will be the sole owner of the Company Inventions, and all underlying rights therein, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity without any further obligations or compensation to Executive. If the Company Inventions, or any portion thereof, are deemed not to be work made for hire, Executive hereby irrevocably conveys, transfers, assigns and delivers to the Company (or its designee), all rights, titles and interests, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity, in and to the Company Inventions, including without limitation: (a) all of Executive’s rights, titles and interests in and to any underlying intellectual property (and all renewals, revivals and extensions thereof) related to the Company Inventions; (b) all rights of any kind or any nature now or hereafter recognized, including without limitation, the unrestricted right to make modifications, adaptations and revisions to the Company Inventions, to exploit and allow others to exploit the Company Inventions; and (c) all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement, or other unauthorized use or conduct in derogation of the Company Inventions, known or unknown, prior to the date hereof, including without limitation the right to receive all proceeds and damages therefrom. In addition, Executive hereby waives any so-called “moral rights” with respect to the Company Inventions. Executive hereby waives any and all currently existing and future monetary rights in and to the Inventions and all patents and other intellectual property rights that may issue thereon, including, without limitation, any rights that would otherwise accrue to Executive’s benefit by virtue of Executive being an employee of or other service provider to the Employer.

 

(iii)                               To the extent that Executive is unable to assign any of Executive’s right, title or interest in any Company Invention under applicable law, for any such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property rights, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, fully paid license to such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property, with the right to sublicense, use, modify, create derivative works and otherwise fully exploit such Company

 

10



 

Invention and the underlying intellectual property, to assign this license and to exercise all rights and incidents of ownership of the Company Invention.

 

(iv)                              To the extent that any of the Company Inventions are derived by, or require use by the Employer of, any works, Inventions, or other intellectual property rights that Executive owns, which are not assigned hereby, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free license, with the right to sublicense, use, modify and create derivative works using such works, Inventions or other intellectual property rights, but only to the extent necessary to permit the Company to fully realize their ownership rights in the Company Inventions.

 

(h)                                 Cooperation. Upon the receipt of notice from the Company (including outside counsel), Executive agrees that while employed by the Employer (for no additional compensation) and thereafter (for reasonable compensation for Executive’s time), Executive will respond and provide information with regard to matters in which Executive has knowledge as a result of Executive’s employment with the Employer, and will provide reasonable assistance to the Employer and its representatives in defense of any claims that may be made against the Employer, and will assist the Employer in the prosecution of any claims that may be made by the Employer, to the extent that such claims may relate to the period of Executive’s employment with the Employer (or any predecessor). Executive agrees to promptly inform the Company if Executive becomes aware of any lawsuits involving such claims that may be filed or threatened against the Employer. Executive also agrees to promptly inform the Company (to the extent Executive is legally permitted to do so) if Executive is asked to assist in any investigation of the Employer (or their actions), regardless of whether a lawsuit or other proceeding has then been filed against the Employer with respect to such investigation, and will not do so unless legally required.

 

(i)                                     Return of Property. On the date of the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (or at any time prior thereto at the Company’s request), Executive will return all property belonging to the Employer (including, but not limited to, any Employer provided laptops, computers, cell phones, wireless electronic mail devices or other equipment, or documents and property belonging to the Employer).

 

(j)                                    Injunctive Relief. It is further expressly agreed that the Employer will or would suffer irreparable injury if Executive were to violate the provisions of this Section 8 and that the Employer would by reason of such violation be entitled to injunctive relief in a court of appropriate jurisdiction and Executive further consents and stipulates to the entry of such injunctive relief in such court prohibiting Executive from violating the provisions of this Section 8.

 

(k)                                 Survival of Provisions. The obligations contained in this Section 8 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company and will be fully enforceable thereafter. If it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in any state that any restriction in this Section 8 is excessive in duration or scope or extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area or is unreasonable or unenforceable under the laws of that state, it is the intention of the parties that such restriction

 

11



 

may be modified or amended by the court to render it enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by the law of that state or jurisdiction.

 

(l)                                     Prior Agreements. Executive represents and warrants to the Company that there are no restrictions, agreements or understandings whatsoever to which Executive is a party that would prevent or make unlawful Executive’s execution of this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, is or would be inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, or would prevent, limit or impair in any way the performance by Executive of the obligations hereunder.

 

9.                                      Assignment; Third Party Beneficiaries. Notwithstanding anything else herein, this Agreement is personal to Executive and neither the Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by Executive. The Company may assign the Agreement to an affiliate or to any acquiror of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.  The Employer shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Employer to expressly assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Employer would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Unless expressly provided otherwise, “Employer” as used in this Agreement shall mean the Employer as defined in Section 8(a) of this Agreement and any successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees, legatees and permitted assignees of the parties. Executive acknowledges that this Agreement is intended to benefit the Company, its shareholders, and its and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and related companies or entities, now existing or hereafter created. Both Executive and the Company further acknowledge and agree that the intended beneficiaries of this Agreement are entitled to enforce the provisions of this Agreement by seeking injunctive relief or any other appropriate remedy.

 

10.                               Clawback/Recoupment.  Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation paid to Executive pursuant to this Agreement or any other agreement or arrangement with the Company shall be subject to mandatory repayment by Executive to the Company to the extent any such compensation paid to Executive is, or in the future becomes, subject to (i) any “clawback” or recoupment policy applicable to Executive that is adopted to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule), or (ii) any law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule) which imposes mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such law, rule or regulation.

 

11.                               Arbitration; Attorneys’ Fees. Executive agrees that all disputes and controversies arising under or in connection with this Agreement, other than seeking injunctive or other equitable relief under Section 8(j), will be settled by arbitration conducted before one (1) arbitrator mutually agreed to by the Company and Executive, sitting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or such other location agreed to by Executive and the Company, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association then in effect; provided, however, that if the Company and Executive are unable to agree on a single arbitrator within 30 days of the demand by another party for arbitration, an arbitrator will be designated by the Philadelphia Office of the American Arbitration Association.

 

12



 

The determination of the arbitrator will be final and binding on Executive and the Company. Judgment may be entered on the award of the arbitrator in any court having proper jurisdiction. Each party will bear their own expenses of such arbitration, except that the prevailing party shall be entitled to be indemnified for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in enforcing the terms of this Agreement should the other party violate any of its terms.

 

12.                               Indemnification. The Company and Executive acknowledge that they have entered into an Indemnification Agreement, dated as of October [    ], 2017 (the “Indemnification Agreement”).

 

13.                               Governing Law. This Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

14.                               Withholding Taxes. The Company may withhold from any and all amounts payable to Executive such federal, state and local taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable laws or regulations.

 

15.                               Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder or necessary or convenient in connection herewith shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when hand delivered or three (3) days after being mailed by registered or certified mail to Executive or the Company, as the case may be, at Executive’s address set forth below or the Company’s address set forth below, or to such other names or addresses as Executive or the Company, as the case may be, shall designate by notice to each other person entitled to receive notices in the manner specified in this Section (provided that notice of change of address shall be deemed given only when received).

 

Company notices shall be delivered to:

 

OptiNose US Inc.
Attn: Chief Legal Officer
1020 Stony Hill Road
Third Floor, Suite 300
Yardley, PA 19067

 

Executive notices shall be delivered to such address as shall most currently appear on the records of the Company.

 

16.                               Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the agreements referenced herein contain the entire agreement of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and supersede in their entirety any and all prior and/or contemporaneous agreements, understandings or representations relating to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, including without limitation the Existing Agreement. No amendments, alterations or modifications of this Agreement will be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

13



 

17.                               Section Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement are included solely for convenience and will not affect, or be used in connection with, the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

18.                               Severability. The provisions of this Agreement will be deemed severable and the invalidity of unenforceability of any provision will not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof No failure to exercise, delay in exercising, or single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy by either party, and no course of dealing between the parties, shall constitute a waiver of, or shall preclude any other or further exercise of, any right, power or remedy.

 

19.                               Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts (including via facsimile and/or .pdf), each of which will be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instruments.

 

20.                               Section 409A.

 

(a)                                 The payments and benefits under this Agreement are intended to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) and this Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in a manner intended to comply therewith.  For purposes of this Agreement, Executive will be considered to have experienced a termination of employment only if Executive has a “separation from service” with the Company and all of its controlled group members within the meaning of Section 409A.  Whether Executive has a separation from service will be determined based on all of the facts and circumstances and in accordance with the guidance issued under Section 409A.

 

(b)                                 Each payment under this Agreement, including each installment payment, shall be considered a separate and distinct payment.  For purposes of this Agreement, each payment is intended to be excepted from Section 409A to the maximum extent provided as follows:  (i) each payment made within the applicable 2½ month period specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(4) is intended to be excepted under the short-term deferral exception; (ii) post-termination medical benefits are intended to be excepted under the medical benefits exception as specified in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(B); and (iii) to the extent payments are made as a result of an involuntary separation, each payment that is not otherwise excepted under the short-term deferral exception or medical benefits exception is intended to be excepted under the involuntary pay exception as specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii).  With respect to payments subject to Section 409A (and not excepted therefrom), if any, it is intended that each payment is paid on a permissible distribution event and at a specified time consistent with Section 409A.  Neither the Company nor Executive shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.  Executive shall have no right to designate the date or any payment under this Agreement.

 

(c)                                  If Executive is a “specified employee” (as that term is used in Section 409A and regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) on the date of Executive’s separation from service, any benefits payable under this Agreement that constitute non-qualified

 

14



 

deferred compensation subject to Section 409A shall be delayed until the earlier of (i) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (ii) the date of Executive’s death, but only to the extent necessary to avoid the adverse tax consequences and penalties under Section 409A.  On the earlier of (x) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (y) Executive’s death, the Company shall pay Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries) a lump-sum payment equal to all payments delayed pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

(d)                                 If any of the reimbursements or in-kind benefits provided for under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, the following rules shall apply: (i) in no event shall any such reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred; (ii) the amount of such reimbursable expenses incurred, or the provision of in-kind benefits, in one tax year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the provision of in-kind benefits in any other tax year; and (iii) the right to such reimbursement for expenses or provision of in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

(e)                                  Notwithstanding anything in Section 6(f) hereof to the contrary, in the event that Executive is entitled to the amount set forth in Section 6(f)(i) as a result of a termination of Executive’s employment within twelve (12) months after the date of the Change in Control, and such Change in Control does not constitute a change in ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and its corresponding regulations, and any portion of the severance benefit payable to Executive pursuant to Section 6(e)(i) is deemed to constitute deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code at the time of Executive’s termination, then such portion that constitutes deferred compensation shall reduce the amount that is paid in a lump sum as provided in Section 6(f)(i) and such deferred compensation portion shall instead be paid in substantially equal installments over the installment period as described in Section 6(e)(i).

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

15



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas E. Gibbs

 


 

EXHIBIT A

 

RELEASE AGREEMENT

 

This RELEASE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) made this [   ] day of [       ], [     ] (the “Effective Date”), between OptiNose US, Inc. (including its successors and assigns, the “Company”), and [    ] (“Executive”).

 

1.                                      Release.

 

a.                                      In consideration of the amounts to be paid by the Company pursuant to the Employment Agreement entered into on [Date], 2017, by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”), Executive, on behalf of himself and his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns, knowingly and voluntarily releases, remises, and forever discharges the Company and its parents, subsidiaries or affiliates, together with each of their current and former principals, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives and employees, and each of their heirs, executors, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”), from any and all debts, demands, actions, causes of action, accounts, covenants, contracts, agreements, claims, damages, omissions, promises, and any and all claims and liabilities whatsoever, of every name and nature, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, both in law and equity (“Claims”), which Executive ever had, now has, or may hereafter claim to have against the Releasees by reason of any matter or cause whatsoever arising from the beginning of time to the time he signs this Agreement (the “General Release”).  This General Release of Claims shall apply to any Claim of any type, including, without limitation, any and all Claims of any type that Executive may have arising under the common law, under the National Labor Relations Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1967, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, each as amended, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2101, et seq., the Equal Pay Act of 1963, claims for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, claims under the Employment Discrimination Bureau (EDB) — Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Family Leave Act, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, the Pennsylvania State Wage and Hour Law, the Pennsylvania Law on Equal Pay, the Pennsylvania Political Activities of Employees Law, the Pennsylvania Lie Detector Testing Law, the Pennsylvania Tobacco Use Law, the Pennsylvania Genetic Testing Law, the State of Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act, the Pennsylvania Human Rights Law, and the Pennsylvania Labor Law, claims for discrimination in violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, each as amended, and any other federal, state or local statutes, regulations, ordinances or common law, or under any policy, agreement, contract, understanding or promise, written or oral, formal or informal, between any of the Releasees and Executive and shall further apply, without limitation, to any and all Claims in connection with, related to or arising out of Executive’s employment relationship, or the termination of his employment, with the Company.

 

b.                                      For the purpose of implementing a full and complete release, Executive understands and agrees that this Agreement is intended to include all claims, if any, which Executive or his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns may have and which

 



 

Executive does not now know or suspect to exist in his favor against the Releasees, from the beginning of time until the time he signs this Agreement, and this Agreement extinguishes those claims.

 

c.                                       In consideration of the promises of the Company set forth in the Employment Agreement, Executive hereby releases and discharges the Releasees from any and all Claims that Executive may have against the Releasees arising under the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (“ADEA”).  Executive acknowledges that he understands that the ADEA is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in employment, benefits and benefit plans.  Executive also understands that, by signing this Agreement, he is waiving all Claims against any and all of the Releasees.

 

d.                                      Nothing in this Agreement restricts or prohibits Executive from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiries from, providing testimony before, providing confidential information to, reporting possible violations of law or regulation to, or from filing a claim or assisting with an investigation directly with a self-regulatory authority or a government agency or entity, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General (collectively, the “Regulators”), or from making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of state or federal law or regulation.  However, to the maximum extent permitted by law, Executive is waiving Executive’s right to receive any individual monetary relief from the Company or any others covered by the Release resulting from such claims or conduct, regardless of whether Executive or another party has filed them, and in the event Executive obtains such monetary relief the Company will be entitled to an offset for the payments made pursuant to this Agreement.  This Agreement does not limit Executive’s right to receive an award from any Regulator that provides awards for providing information relating to a potential violation of law.

 

e.                                       Except as provided in Section 6(e) or Section 6(f), as applicable, of the Employment Agreement or in the Indemnification Agreement, Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company has fully satisfied any and all obligations owed to him arising out of his employment with or termination from the Company, and no further sums or benefits are owed to him by the Company or by any of the other Releasees at any time.

 

2.                                      Consultation with Attorney; Voluntary Agreement.  The Company advises Executive to consult with an attorney of his choosing prior to signing this Agreement.  Executive understands and agrees that he has the right and has been given the opportunity to review this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release in Section 1 above, with an attorney.  Executive also understands and agrees that he is under no obligation to consent to the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that the payments to be made to Executive pursuant to the Employment Agreement are sufficient consideration to require him to abide with his obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to the General Release set forth in Section 1.  Executive represents that he has read this Agreement,

 



 

including the General Release set forth in Section 1, and understands its terms and that he enters into this Agreement freely, voluntarily, and without coercion.

 

3.                                      Effective Date; Revocation.  Executive acknowledges and represents that he has been given [twenty-one (21)][forty-five (45)] days during which to review and consider the provisions of this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive further acknowledges and represents that he has been advised by the Company that he has the right to revoke this Agreement for a period of seven (7) days after signing it.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that, if he wishes to revoke this Agreement, he must do so in a writing, signed by him and received by the Company no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the seventh (7th) day of the revocation period.  If no such revocation occurs, the General Release and this Agreement shall become effective on the eighth (8th) day following his execution of this Agreement and shall be final and binding on Executive.

 

4.                                      Severability.  In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remainder of the Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

5.                                      Governing Law.  This Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

6.                                      Entire Agreement.  This Agreement, the Employment Agreement and the other agreements referred to in the Employment Agreement constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, written or oral, between the parties.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that he is not relying on any representations or promises by any representative of the Company concerning the meaning of any aspect of this Agreement.

 

7.                                      Amendment. This release shall not be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in any way except in a writing signed by Executive and the Company.

 

8.                                      Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the dates set forth below.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Date:

 

 

Thomas E. Gibbs

 

 




Exhibit 10.5

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into on October [   ], 2017, by and between OPTINOSE US, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Keith A. Goldan (“Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, Executive currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company pursuant to that certain Letter Agreement entered into between Executive and the Company, dated January 13, 2017 (the “Existing Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive desire to enter into this Agreement to replace the Existing Agreement in its entirety and to set forth the terms and conditions for the continued employment relationship of Executive with the Company.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.             Term.  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this Agreement shall be effective upon the closing of the OptiNose, Inc. initial public offering of its common stock, and shall continue until Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company or by Executive.  At all times, Executive’s employment with the Company is “at-will,” which means that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated at any time by the Company with or without “Cause” or by Executive with or without “Good Reason” (as each such term is defined below).

 

2.             Title, Duties and Responsibilities. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will serve as the Chief Financial Officer of OptiNose, Inc. and will report to the Chief Executive Officer of OptiNose, Inc.  Executive will have such duties and responsibilities that are commensurate with Executive’s position and such other duties and responsibilities as are from time to time assigned to Executive by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors of the OptiNose, Inc. (the “Board”).  While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will devote Executive’s full business time, energy and skill to the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive will not be permitted to engage in other activities that interfere with Executive’s performance of his duties under this Agreement, conflict with the business of the Company or violate any provisions of Section 8 herein. Executive shall, if requested by the Board, also serve as an officer or director of any affiliate of the Company for no additional compensation.  Executive’s place of employment will be the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

 

3.             Base Salary. While Executive is employed by the Company, the Company will pay Executive a base annual salary (the “Base Salary”) at the rate of $350,000 per year, paid in accordance with the usual payroll practices of the Company.  Executive’s Base Salary shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) or the Board.

 

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4.             Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall participate in short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs, established by the Company for its senior level executives generally, at levels determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Executive’s incentive compensation shall be subject to the terms of the applicable plans and shall be determined based on Executive’s individual performance and the Company’s performance as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Any annual incentive compensation earned by Executive shall be paid on or after January 1, but not later than March 15 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the annual incentive compensation is earned.

 

(a)           Discretionary Bonus.  Executive will be eligible to receive an annual target cash bonus of 45% of Executive’s Base Salary (the “Target Annual Bonus”) (pro-rated for any portion of a year during which Executive is not employed by the Company) at the discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee and contingent upon attainment of certain Company milestones and/or individual objectives as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  The actual annual bonus payable for any given year, if any, may be higher or lower than the Target Annual Bonus.  Payment of such bonus is contingent upon continued employment with the Company at the time of payment unless otherwise specified herein or in the terms pursuant to which such bonus is granted. Executive’s Target Annual Bonus shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee or the Board.

 

(b)           Equity Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on the Company’s and Executive’s actual performance, as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Each such equity award granted to Executive hereunder shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the incentive plan pursuant to which it is granted and such other terms and conditions as are established by the Board or Compensation Committee and set forth in an award agreement evidencing the grant of such equity award.

 

5.             Benefits and Fringes.

 

(a)           General. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will be entitled to such benefits and fringes, if any, as are generally provided from time to time by the Company to its senior level executives, subject to the satisfaction of any eligibility requirements and any other terms and conditions of the applicable plans or policies.

 

(b)           Vacation.  Executive will also be entitled to 20 business days of annual paid vacation in accordance with the Company’s vacation policies in effect from time to time, which may be taken at such times as Executive elects with due regard to the needs of the Company.

 

(c)           Reimbursement of Business Expenses. Upon presentation of appropriate documentation, Executive will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement policy for all reasonable and necessary business expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder.

 

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6.             Termination of Employment.

 

(a)           Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or Executive (other than because of Executive’s death) shall be communicated by a written notice of termination to the other party hereto in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement.  Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all positions that Executive holds as an officer or member of the board of directors (or a committee thereof) of the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

(b)           Termination upon Death. If Executive dies, then Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of Executive’s death, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive’s heirs, personal representatives or estate shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.  “Accrued Benefits” means: (a) any accrued but unpaid portion of Executive’s compensation set forth in Section 3 above through the date of termination; (b) any accrued but unused vacation as of the termination date; (c) any earned but unpaid bonus for which the performance measurement period has ended prior to the termination date (e.g., if Executive’s employment is terminated on February 1 and annual bonuses for the prior year have not been paid as of his termination date, then Executive would be eligible to receive his annual bonus for the prior year but not a bonus for the year in which the termination occurs), provided, that the termination of Executive’s employment is not for Cause or due to Executive’s voluntary resignation (other than for Good Reason); (d) any amounts owing to Executive for reimbursements of expenses properly incurred by Executive prior to the date of his termination of employment and which are reimbursable in accordance with Section 5(c) above, with all amounts owed under each of (a), (b) and (d) payable in a lump sum no later than the Company’s first regularly scheduled payroll date that is at least ten (10) days after the date of Executive’s termination of employment, and any amount owed under (c) payable in a lump sum when such bonuses are paid to the Company’s employees; and (e) any amounts that are vested benefits or that Executive is otherwise entitled to receive under any plan, policy, practice or program of or any other contract or agreement with the Company at or subsequent to the date of termination, payable in accordance with such plan, policy, practice or program or contract or agreement.

 

(c)           Termination upon Disability. “Disability” means any physical or mental incapacity, illness or infirmity that prevents or significantly restricts Executive from performing the normal duties of Executive’s position on a full-time basis despite the provision, if requested, of a reasonable accommodation as that term is defined in the American with Disabilities Act. If Executive suffers a Disability and the Disability continues for a continuous period of more than three months, then the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment upon written notice to Executive, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(d)           Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may, upon written notice to Executive, immediately terminate Executive’s employment for Cause. “Cause” shall exist upon (i) Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duty or material legal or contractual obligation to the Company or any of its affiliates (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Company or affiliate policy or the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement or any other applicable restrictive covenants between Executive and the Company or any of its affiliates), (ii) Executive’s failure to follow the reasonable instructions of the Chief Executive

 

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Officer or the Board (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness), which failure, if curable, is not cured within 30 days after notice to Executive specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such breach, or, if cured, recurs within 90 business days, (iii) Executive’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, insubordination, acts of dishonesty or conflict of interest relating to the Company or any of its affiliates, or (iv) Executive’s commission of any misdemeanor which has a material impact on the affairs, business or reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates or Executive’s indictment for, or plea of nolo  contendere to, a crime constituting a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof. Upon a termination of Executive’s employment for Cause, all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Agreement or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(e)           Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason. Except as provided in Section 6(f) below, upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)            an amount equal to nine (9) months of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices over the nine (9) month period following Executive’s termination date, commencing on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date (as defined below), provided that the initial payment will include a catch-up payment to cover the period between Executive’s termination date and the date of such first payment and the remaining amounts shall be paid over the remainder of such nine (9) month period;

 

(ii)           provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”), continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for nine (9) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive an amount equal to the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for nine (9) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(e)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

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“Good Reason” shall mean, without Executive’s prior written consent, (i) a material diminution in Executive’s position or duties, authority or responsibilities including, without limitation, Executive ceasing to be an “executive officer” (as defined under Rule 3b-7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of a company with a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act; (ii) the assignment to Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities of Chief Financial Officer, (iii) a reduction by the Company in Executive’s then-current Base Salary or Executive’s then-current Target Annual Bonus unless the salaries and target annual bonuses for all other senior executive officers are correspondingly and proportionately reduced by not greater than 15% and such reduction continues for no more than 12 months; (iv) Executive’s relocation to offices of the Company that are more than fifty (50) miles from the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania; or (v) any action or inaction that constitutes a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.  In order to invoke a termination for Good Reason, Executive must deliver a written notice of the grounds for such termination within thirty (30) days of the initial existence of the event giving rise to Good Reason and the Company shall have thirty (30) days to cure the circumstances.  In order to terminate Executive’s employment, if at all, for Good Reason, Executive must terminate employment within sixty (60) days following the end of the cure period if the circumstances giving rise to Good Reason have not been cured.

 

(f)            Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason Following a Change in Control.  Upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, in each case within twelve (12) months after a Change in Control (as defined in the Company’s 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated), Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Change in Control Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)            an amount equal to 100% of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in a single-lump sum cash payment on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date;

 

(ii)           provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under COBRA, continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for twelve (12) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Code, or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for twelve (12) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(f)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

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(iii)          all of Executive’s then-outstanding equity awards granted to Executive by the Company shall become immediately vested.

 

(g)           Payment to Executive of any Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, shall be conditioned on Executive’s compliance with the requirements of Section 8 hereof and Executive’s execution of a general release in favor of the Company and its affiliates in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”) and the lapse of any revocation period specified therein with the Release not having been revoked.  The Release shall be provided to Executive within three (3) days of Executive’s termination of employment.  Executive will forfeit all rights to the Severance Benefits and the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, unless, within sixty (60) days of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive executes and delivers the Release to the Company and such Release has become irrevocable by virtue of the expiration of the revocation period specified therein without the Release having been revoked (the first such date, the “Release Effective Date”).  The Company’s obligation to pay the Severance Benefits or the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, is subject to the occurrence of the Release Effective Date, and if the Release Effective Date does not occur, then the Company shall have no obligation to pay such Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event that the period during which Executive may review and revoke the Release begins in one calendar year and ends in the following calendar year, any severance payments hereunder that constitute non-qualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be paid to Executive no earlier than January 1 of the second calendar year.

 

7.             Section 280G.

 

(a)           Executive shall bear all expense of, and be solely responsible for, any excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (such excise tax being the “Excise Tax”); provided, however, that any payment or benefit received or to be received by Executive, whether payable under the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with Company or an affiliate of Company (collectively, the “Payments”) that would constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, but only if, by reason of such reduction, the net after-tax benefit Executive receives shall exceed the net after-tax benefit that Executive would receive if no such reduction was made.

 

(b)           The “net after-tax benefit” shall mean (i) the Payments which Executive receives or is then entitled to receive from the Company that would constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, less (ii) the amount of all federal, state and local income and employment taxes payable by Executive with respect to the foregoing calculated at the highest marginal income tax rate for each year in which the foregoing shall be paid to Executive (based on the rate in effect for such year as set forth in the Code as in effect at the time of the first payment of the foregoing), less (iii) the amount of Excise Tax imposed with respect to the payments and benefits described in (b)(i) above.

 

(c)           All determinations under this Section 7 will be made by an accounting firm or law firm (the “280G Firm”) that is mutually agreed to by Executive and the Company

 

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prior to a change in ownership or control of a corporation (within the meaning of Treasury regulations under Section 280G of the Code).  The 280G Firm shall be required to evaluate the extent to which payments are exempt from Section 280G of the Code as reasonable compensation for services rendered before or after the Change in Control.  All fees and expenses of the 280G Firm shall be paid solely by the Company.  The Company will direct the 280G Firm to submit any determination it makes under this Section 7 and detailed supporting calculations to both Executive and the Company as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

(d)           If the 280G Firm determines that one or more reductions are required under this Section 7, such Payments shall be reduced in the order that would provide Executive with the largest amount of after-tax proceeds (with such order, to the extent permitted by Sections 280G and 409A of the Code, designated by Executive, or otherwise determined by the 280G Firm) to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, and the Company shall pay such reduced amount to Executive. Executive shall at any time have the unilateral right to forfeit any equity award in whole or in part.

 

(e)           As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Section 280G of the Code at the time that the 280G Firm makes its determinations under this Section 7, it is possible that amounts will have been paid or distributed to Executive that should not have been paid or distributed (collectively, the “Overpayments”), or that additional amounts should be paid or distributed to Executive (collectively, the “Underpayments”). If the 280G Firm determines, based on either the assertion of a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against Executive or the Company, which assertion the 280G Firm believes has a high probability of success or is otherwise based on controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Overpayment has been made, Executive must repay the Overpayment to the Company, without interest; provided, however, that no loan will be deemed to have been made and no amount will be payable by Executive to the Company unless, and then only to the extent that, the deemed loan and payment would either reduce the amount on which Executive is subject to tax under Section 4999 of the Code or generate a refund of tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code. If the 280G Firm determines, based upon controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Underpayment has occurred, the 280G Firm will notify Executive and the Company of that determination, and the Company will promptly pay the amount of that Underpayment to Executive without interest.

 

(f)            Executive and the Company will provide the 280G Firm access to and copies of any books, records, and documents in their possession as reasonably requested by the 280G Firm, and otherwise cooperate with the 280G Firm in connection with the preparation and issuance of the determinations and calculations contemplated by this Section 7.  For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 7, the 280G Firm may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code.

 

8.             Covenants.

 

(a)           Non-Competition. So long as Executive is employed by the Company under this Agreement and for the 9-month period following the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company, engage in Competition with the Company or any of its affiliates (collectively, the “Employer”).

 

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“Competition” means participating, directly or indirectly, as an individual proprietor, partner, stockholder, officer, employee, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, consultant or in any other capacity whatsoever in any business or venture that competes with any business that the Employer is engaged in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or is actively planning to engage in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, after Executive’s termination of employment, employment by or consultation for a publicly traded company that derives less than five percent (5%) of its net revenues from activities that compete with business that the Employer engages in, shall not constitute Competition so long as Executive does not provide employment or consulting services to the business segment of such publicly traded company that engages in such competitive activities. Executive is entering into this covenant not to compete in consideration of the agreements of the Company in this Agreement, including but not limited to, the agreement of the Company to provide the severance and other benefits to Executive upon a termination of employment pursuant to Sections 6(e) and (f) hereof, as applicable.

 

(b)           Confidentiality. Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, use, make available, sell, disclose or otherwise communicate to any person or entity, other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer, either while Executive is employed by the Company hereunder or at any time thereafter, any business and technical information or trade secrets, nonpublic, proprietary or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Employer whether the foregoing will have been obtained by Executive during Executive’s employment hereunder or otherwise. The foregoing will not apply to information that (i) was known to the public prior to its disclosure to Executive; (ii) becomes generally known to the public or in the Employer’s industry subsequent to disclosure to Executive through no wrongful act by Executive or any of Executive’s representatives; or (iii) Executive is required to disclose by applicable law, regulation or legal process (provided that Executive provides the Company with prior notice of the contemplated disclosure and cooperates at the Company’s cost with the Company in seeking a protective order or other appropriate protection of such information). The Company and Executive acknowledge that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, pursuant to 18 USC § 1833(b), an individual may not be held liable under any criminal or civil federal or state trade secret law for disclosure of a trade secret: (i) made in confidence to a government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law or (ii) in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.  The Company and Executive further acknowledge that an individual suing an employer for retaliation based on the reporting of a suspected violation of law may disclose a trade secret to his attorney and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, so long as any document containing the trade secret is filed under seal and the individual does not disclose the trade secret except pursuant to court order.

 

(c)           Non-Solicitation of Customers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to solicit or influence, customers of the Employer to purchase goods or services then sold by the Employer from any other person or entity.

 

(d)           Non-Solicitation of Suppliers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to

 

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solicit or influence, the Company’s suppliers to provide goods or services then provided to the Employer to any other person or entity in Competition with the Employer.

 

(e)           Non-Solicitation of Employees. Executive recognizes that Executive will possess confidential information about other employees of the Employer relating to their education, experience, skills, abilities, compensation and benefits, and inter-personal relationships with customers of the Employer.  Executive recognizes that the information Executive possesses and will possess about these other employees is not generally known, is of substantial value to the Employer in developing its business and in securing and retaining customers, and has been and will be acquired by Executive because of Executive’s business position with the Employer. Executive agrees that, during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, (x) directly or indirectly, individually or on behalf of any other person or entity solicit or recruit any employee of the Employer to leave such employment for the purpose of being employed by, or rendering services to, Executive or any person or entity unaffiliated with the Employer, or (y) convey any such confidential information or trade secrets about other employees of the Employer to any person or entity other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company agrees that hiring any employee of the Employer who responds to a general advertisement for employment that was not specifically directed at the employees of the Employer shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 8(e).

 

(f)            Non-Disparagement. Executive agrees that Executive will not, nor will Executive induce others to, Disparage the Employer or any of their past or present officers, directors, employees or products.  Similarly, the directors and senior executives of the Employer will not, nor will they induce others to, Disparage Executive.  “Disparage” will mean making comments or statements to the press, the Employer’s employees or any individual or entity with whom Executive or the Employer, as applicable, has a business relationship that would adversely affect in any manner, as applicable: (i) the conduct of the business of the Employer (including, without limitation, any products or business plans or prospects); (ii) the business reputation of the Employer, or any of their products, or their past or present officers, directors or employees; or (iii) the business reputation of Executive.

 

(g)           Inventions.

 

(i)            Executive acknowledges and agrees that all trade secrets, mask works, concepts, drawings, materials, documentation, procedures, diagrams, specifications, models, processes, formulae, source and object codes, data, programs, know-how, designs, techniques, ideas, methods, inventions, discoveries, improvements, work products, developments or other works of authorship (“Inventions”), whether patentable or unpatentable, (x) that relate to Executive’s work with the Employer, made, developed or conceived by Executive, solely or jointly with others or with the use of any of the Employer’s equipment, supplies, facilities or trade secrets or (y) suggested by any work that Executive performs in connection with the Employer, either while performing Executive’s duties with the Employer or on Executive’s own time, but only insofar as the Inventions are related to Executive’s work as an employee of the Employer (collectively, “Company Inventions”), will belong exclusively to the Company (or its designee), whether or not patent applications are filed thereon. Executive will keep full and complete written records (the “Records”), in the manner prescribed by the Employer, of all

 

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Company Inventions, and will promptly disclose all Company Inventions completely and in writing to the Company. The Records will be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, and Executive will surrender them upon the termination of Executive’s employment, or upon the Company’s request. Executive hereby assigns to the Company (or its designee) the Company Inventions including all rights in and to any related patents and other intellectual property that may issue thereon in any and all countries, whether during or subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, together with the right to file, in Executive’s name or in the name of the Company (or its designee), applications for patents and equivalent rights (the “Applications”). Executive will, at any time during and subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, make such applications, sign such papers, take all rightful oaths, and perform all acts as may be requested from time to time by the Company with respect to the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property. Executive will also execute assignments to the Company (or its designee) of the Applications, and give the Company and its attorneys all reasonable assistance (including the giving of testimony) to obtain the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property for its benefit, all without additional compensation to Executive from the Company, but entirely at the Company’s expense.

 

(ii)           In addition, the Company Inventions will be deemed “work made for hire”, as such term is defined under the copyright law of the United States, on behalf of the Employer and Executive agrees that the Company (or its designee) will be the sole owner of the Company Inventions, and all underlying rights therein, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity without any further obligations or compensation to Executive. If the Company Inventions, or any portion thereof, are deemed not to be work made for hire, Executive hereby irrevocably conveys, transfers, assigns and delivers to the Company (or its designee), all rights, titles and interests, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity, in and to the Company Inventions, including without limitation: (a) all of Executive’s rights, titles and interests in and to any underlying intellectual property (and all renewals, revivals and extensions thereof) related to the Company Inventions; (b) all rights of any kind or any nature now or hereafter recognized, including without limitation, the unrestricted right to make modifications, adaptations and revisions to the Company Inventions, to exploit and allow others to exploit the Company Inventions; and (c) all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement, or other unauthorized use or conduct in derogation of the Company Inventions, known or unknown, prior to the date hereof, including without limitation the right to receive all proceeds and damages therefrom. In addition, Executive hereby waives any so-called “moral rights” with respect to the Company Inventions. Executive hereby waives any and all currently existing and future monetary rights in and to the Inventions and all patents and other intellectual property rights that may issue thereon, including, without limitation, any rights that would otherwise accrue to Executive’s benefit by virtue of Executive being an employee of or other service provider to the Employer.

 

(iii)          To the extent that Executive is unable to assign any of Executive’s right, title or interest in any Company Invention under applicable law, for any such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property rights, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, fully paid license to such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property, with the right to sublicense, use, modify, create derivative works and otherwise fully exploit such Company

 

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Invention and the underlying intellectual property, to assign this license and to exercise all rights and incidents of ownership of the Company Invention.

 

(iv)          To the extent that any of the Company Inventions are derived by, or require use by the Employer of, any works, Inventions, or other intellectual property rights that Executive owns, which are not assigned hereby, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free license, with the right to sublicense, use, modify and create derivative works using such works, Inventions or other intellectual property rights, but only to the extent necessary to permit the Company to fully realize their ownership rights in the Company Inventions.

 

(h)           Cooperation. Upon the receipt of notice from the Company (including outside counsel), Executive agrees that while employed by the Employer (for no additional compensation) and thereafter (for reasonable compensation for Executive’s time), Executive will respond and provide information with regard to matters in which Executive has knowledge as a result of Executive’s employment with the Employer, and will provide reasonable assistance to the Employer and its representatives in defense of any claims that may be made against the Employer, and will assist the Employer in the prosecution of any claims that may be made by the Employer, to the extent that such claims may relate to the period of Executive’s employment with the Employer (or any predecessor). Executive agrees to promptly inform the Company if Executive becomes aware of any lawsuits involving such claims that may be filed or threatened against the Employer. Executive also agrees to promptly inform the Company (to the extent Executive is legally permitted to do so) if Executive is asked to assist in any investigation of the Employer (or their actions), regardless of whether a lawsuit or other proceeding has then been filed against the Employer with respect to such investigation, and will not do so unless legally required.

 

(i)            Return of Property. On the date of the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (or at any time prior thereto at the Company’s request), Executive will return all property belonging to the Employer (including, but not limited to, any Employer provided laptops, computers, cell phones, wireless electronic mail devices or other equipment, or documents and property belonging to the Employer).

 

(j)            Injunctive Relief. It is further expressly agreed that the Employer will or would suffer irreparable injury if Executive were to violate the provisions of this Section 8 and that the Employer would by reason of such violation be entitled to injunctive relief in a court of appropriate jurisdiction and Executive further consents and stipulates to the entry of such injunctive relief in such court prohibiting Executive from violating the provisions of this Section 8.

 

(k)           Survival of Provisions. The obligations contained in this Section 8 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company and will be fully enforceable thereafter. If it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in any state that any restriction in this Section 8 is excessive in duration or scope or extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area or is unreasonable or unenforceable under the laws of that state, it is the intention of the parties that such restriction

 

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may be modified or amended by the court to render it enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by the law of that state or jurisdiction.

 

(l)            Prior Agreements. Executive represents and warrants to the Company that there are no restrictions, agreements or understandings whatsoever to which Executive is a party that would prevent or make unlawful Executive’s execution of this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, is or would be inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, or would prevent, limit or impair in any way the performance by Executive of the obligations hereunder.

 

9.             Assignment; Third Party Beneficiaries. Notwithstanding anything else herein, this Agreement is personal to Executive and neither the Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by Executive. The Company may assign the Agreement to an affiliate or to any acquiror of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.  The Employer shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Employer to expressly assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Employer would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Unless expressly provided otherwise, “Employer” as used in this Agreement shall mean the Employer as defined in Section 8(a) of this Agreement and any successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees, legatees and permitted assignees of the parties. Executive acknowledges that this Agreement is intended to benefit the Company, its shareholders, and its and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and related companies or entities, now existing or hereafter created. Both Executive and the Company further acknowledge and agree that the intended beneficiaries of this Agreement are entitled to enforce the provisions of this Agreement by seeking injunctive relief or any other appropriate remedy.

 

10.          Clawback/Recoupment.  Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation paid to Executive pursuant to this Agreement or any other agreement or arrangement with the Company shall be subject to mandatory repayment by Executive to the Company to the extent any such compensation paid to Executive is, or in the future becomes, subject to (i) any “clawback” or recoupment policy applicable to Executive that is adopted to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule), or (ii) any law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule) which imposes mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such law, rule or regulation.

 

11.          Arbitration; Attorneys’ Fees. Executive agrees that all disputes and controversies arising under or in connection with this Agreement, other than seeking injunctive or other equitable relief under Section 8(j), will be settled by arbitration conducted before one (1) arbitrator mutually agreed to by the Company and Executive, sitting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or such other location agreed to by Executive and the Company, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association then in effect; provided, however, that if the Company and Executive are unable to agree on a single arbitrator within 30 days of the demand by another party for arbitration, an arbitrator will be designated by the Philadelphia Office of the American Arbitration Association.

 

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The determination of the arbitrator will be final and binding on Executive and the Company. Judgment may be entered on the award of the arbitrator in any court having proper jurisdiction. Each party will bear their own expenses of such arbitration, except that the prevailing party shall be entitled to be indemnified for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in enforcing the terms of this Agreement should the other party violate any of its terms.

 

12.          Indemnification. The Company and Executive acknowledge that they have entered into an Indemnification Agreement, dated as of October [   ], 2017 (the “Indemnification Agreement”).

 

13.          Governing Law. This Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

14.          Withholding Taxes. The Company may withhold from any and all amounts payable to Executive such federal, state and local taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable laws or regulations.

 

15.          Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder or necessary or convenient in connection herewith shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when hand delivered or three (3) days after being mailed by registered or certified mail to Executive or the Company, as the case may be, at Executive’s address set forth below or the Company’s address set forth below, or to such other names or addresses as Executive or the Company, as the case may be, shall designate by notice to each other person entitled to receive notices in the manner specified in this Section (provided that notice of change of address shall be deemed given only when received).

 

Company notices shall be delivered to:

 

OptiNose US Inc.
Attn: Chief Legal Officer
1020 Stony Hill Road
Third Floor, Suite 300
Yardley, PA 19067

 

Executive notices shall be delivered to such address as shall most currently appear on the records of the Company.

 

16.          Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the agreements referenced herein contain the entire agreement of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and supersede in their entirety any and all prior and/or contemporaneous agreements, understandings or representations relating to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, including without limitation the Existing Agreement. No amendments, alterations or modifications of this Agreement will be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

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17.          Section Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement are included solely for convenience and will not affect, or be used in connection with, the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

18.          Severability. The provisions of this Agreement will be deemed severable and the invalidity of unenforceability of any provision will not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof No failure to exercise, delay in exercising, or single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy by either party, and no course of dealing between the parties, shall constitute a waiver of, or shall preclude any other or further exercise of, any right, power or remedy.

 

19.          Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts (including via facsimile and/or .pdf), each of which will be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instruments.

 

20.          Section 409A.

 

(a)           The payments and benefits under this Agreement are intended to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) and this Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in a manner intended to comply therewith.  For purposes of this Agreement, Executive will be considered to have experienced a termination of employment only if Executive has a “separation from service” with the Company and all of its controlled group members within the meaning of Section 409A.  Whether Executive has a separation from service will be determined based on all of the facts and circumstances and in accordance with the guidance issued under Section 409A.

 

(b)           Each payment under this Agreement, including each installment payment, shall be considered a separate and distinct payment.  For purposes of this Agreement, each payment is intended to be excepted from Section 409A to the maximum extent provided as follows:  (i) each payment made within the applicable 2½ month period specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(4) is intended to be excepted under the short-term deferral exception; (ii) post-termination medical benefits are intended to be excepted under the medical benefits exception as specified in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(B); and (iii) to the extent payments are made as a result of an involuntary separation, each payment that is not otherwise excepted under the short-term deferral exception or medical benefits exception is intended to be excepted under the involuntary pay exception as specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii).  With respect to payments subject to Section 409A (and not excepted therefrom), if any, it is intended that each payment is paid on a permissible distribution event and at a specified time consistent with Section 409A.  Neither the Company nor Executive shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.  Executive shall have no right to designate the date or any payment under this Agreement.

 

(c)           If Executive is a “specified employee” (as that term is used in Section 409A and regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) on the date of Executive’s separation from service, any benefits payable under this Agreement that constitute non-qualified

 

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deferred compensation subject to Section 409A shall be delayed until the earlier of (i) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (ii) the date of Executive’s death, but only to the extent necessary to avoid the adverse tax consequences and penalties under Section 409A.  On the earlier of (x) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (y) Executive’s death, the Company shall pay Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries) a lump-sum payment equal to all payments delayed pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

(d)           If any of the reimbursements or in-kind benefits provided for under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, the following rules shall apply: (i) in no event shall any such reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred; (ii) the amount of such reimbursable expenses incurred, or the provision of in-kind benefits, in one tax year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the provision of in-kind benefits in any other tax year; and (iii) the right to such reimbursement for expenses or provision of in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

(e)           Notwithstanding anything in Section 6(f) hereof to the contrary, in the event that Executive is entitled to the amount set forth in Section 6(f)(i) as a result of a termination of Executive’s employment within twelve (12) months after the date of the Change in Control, and such Change in Control does not constitute a change in ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and its corresponding regulations, and any portion of the severance benefit payable to Executive pursuant to Section 6(e)(i) is deemed to constitute deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code at the time of Executive’s termination, then such portion that constitutes deferred compensation shall reduce the amount that is paid in a lump sum as provided in Section 6(f)(i) and such deferred compensation portion shall instead be paid in substantially equal installments over the installment period as described in Section 6(e)(i).

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE

 

 

 

 

 

Keith A. Goldan

 


 

EXHIBIT A

 

RELEASE AGREEMENT

 

This RELEASE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) made this [   ] day of [       ], [     ] (the “Effective Date”), between OptiNose US, Inc. (including its successors and assigns, the “Company”), and [    ] (“Executive”).

 

1.             Release.

 

a.             In consideration of the amounts to be paid by the Company pursuant to the Employment Agreement entered into on [Date], 2017, by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”), Executive, on behalf of himself and his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns, knowingly and voluntarily releases, remises, and forever discharges the Company and its parents, subsidiaries or affiliates, together with each of their current and former principals, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives and employees, and each of their heirs, executors, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”), from any and all debts, demands, actions, causes of action, accounts, covenants, contracts, agreements, claims, damages, omissions, promises, and any and all claims and liabilities whatsoever, of every name and nature, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, both in law and equity (“Claims”), which Executive ever had, now has, or may hereafter claim to have against the Releasees by reason of any matter or cause whatsoever arising from the beginning of time to the time he signs this Agreement (the “General Release”).  This General Release of Claims shall apply to any Claim of any type, including, without limitation, any and all Claims of any type that Executive may have arising under the common law, under the National Labor Relations Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1967, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, each as amended, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2101, et seq., the Equal Pay Act of 1963, claims for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, claims under the Employment Discrimination Bureau (EDB) — Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Family Leave Act, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, the Pennsylvania State Wage and Hour Law, the Pennsylvania Law on Equal Pay, the Pennsylvania Political Activities of Employees Law, the Pennsylvania Lie Detector Testing Law, the Pennsylvania Tobacco Use Law, the Pennsylvania Genetic Testing Law, the State of Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act, the Pennsylvania Human Rights Law, and the Pennsylvania Labor Law, claims for discrimination in violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, each as amended, and any other federal, state or local statutes, regulations, ordinances or common law, or under any policy, agreement, contract, understanding or promise, written or oral, formal or informal, between any of the Releasees and Executive and shall further apply, without limitation, to any and all Claims in connection with, related to or arising out of Executive’s employment relationship, or the termination of his employment, with the Company.

 

b.             For the purpose of implementing a full and complete release, Executive understands and agrees that this Agreement is intended to include all claims, if any, which Executive or his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns may have and which

 



 

Executive does not now know or suspect to exist in his favor against the Releasees, from the beginning of time until the time he signs this Agreement, and this Agreement extinguishes those claims.

 

c.             In consideration of the promises of the Company set forth in the Employment Agreement, Executive hereby releases and discharges the Releasees from any and all Claims that Executive may have against the Releasees arising under the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (“ADEA”).  Executive acknowledges that he understands that the ADEA is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in employment, benefits and benefit plans.  Executive also understands that, by signing this Agreement, he is waiving all Claims against any and all of the Releasees.

 

d.             Nothing in this Agreement restricts or prohibits Executive from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiries from, providing testimony before, providing confidential information to, reporting possible violations of law or regulation to, or from filing a claim or assisting with an investigation directly with a self-regulatory authority or a government agency or entity, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General (collectively, the “Regulators”), or from making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of state or federal law or regulation.  However, to the maximum extent permitted by law, Executive is waiving Executive’s right to receive any individual monetary relief from the Company or any others covered by the Release resulting from such claims or conduct, regardless of whether Executive or another party has filed them, and in the event Executive obtains such monetary relief the Company will be entitled to an offset for the payments made pursuant to this Agreement.  This Agreement does not limit Executive’s right to receive an award from any Regulator that provides awards for providing information relating to a potential violation of law.

 

e.             Except as provided in Section 6(e) or Section 6(f), as applicable, of the Employment Agreement or in the Indemnification Agreement, Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company has fully satisfied any and all obligations owed to him arising out of his employment with or termination from the Company, and no further sums or benefits are owed to him by the Company or by any of the other Releasees at any time.

 

2.             Consultation with Attorney; Voluntary Agreement.  The Company advises Executive to consult with an attorney of his choosing prior to signing this Agreement.  Executive understands and agrees that he has the right and has been given the opportunity to review this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release in Section 1 above, with an attorney.  Executive also understands and agrees that he is under no obligation to consent to the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that the payments to be made to Executive pursuant to the Employment Agreement are sufficient consideration to require him to abide with his obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to the General Release set forth in Section 1.  Executive represents that he has read this Agreement,

 



 

including the General Release set forth in Section 1, and understands its terms and that he enters into this Agreement freely, voluntarily, and without coercion.

 

3.             Effective Date; Revocation.  Executive acknowledges and represents that he has been given [twenty-one (21)][forty-five (45)] days during which to review and consider the provisions of this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive further acknowledges and represents that he has been advised by the Company that he has the right to revoke this Agreement for a period of seven (7) days after signing it.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that, if he wishes to revoke this Agreement, he must do so in a writing, signed by him and received by the Company no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the seventh (7th) day of the revocation period.  If no such revocation occurs, the General Release and this Agreement shall become effective on the eighth (8th) day following his execution of this Agreement and shall be final and binding on Executive.

 

4.             Severability.  In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remainder of the Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

5.             Governing LawThis Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

6.             Entire Agreement.  This Agreement, the Employment Agreement and the other agreements referred to in the Employment Agreement constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, written or oral, between the parties.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that he is not relying on any representations or promises by any representative of the Company concerning the meaning of any aspect of this Agreement.

 

7.             Amendment. This release shall not be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in any way except in a writing signed by Executive and the Company.

 

8.             Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the dates set forth below.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Date:

 

 

Keith A. Goldan

 




Exhibit 10.6

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into on October [    ], 2017, by and between OPTINOSE US, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Michael F. Marino (“Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, Executive currently serves as the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Company pursuant to that certain Letter Agreement entered into between Executive and the Company, dated January 13, 2017 (the “Existing Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive desire to enter into this Agreement to replace the Existing Agreement in its entirety and to set forth the terms and conditions for the continued employment relationship of Executive with the Company.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.             Term.  Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this Agreement shall be effective upon the closing of the OptiNose, Inc. initial public offering of its common stock, and shall continue until Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company or by Executive.  At all times, Executive’s employment with the Company is “at-will,” which means that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated at any time by the Company with or without “Cause” or by Executive with or without “Good Reason” (as each such term is defined below).

 

2.             Title, Duties and Responsibilities. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will serve as the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of OptiNose, Inc. and will report to the Chief Executive Officer of OptiNose, Inc.  Executive will have such duties and responsibilities that are commensurate with Executive’s position and such other duties and responsibilities as are from time to time assigned to Executive by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors of the OptiNose, Inc. (the “Board”).  While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will devote Executive’s full business time, energy and skill to the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive will not be permitted to engage in other activities that interfere with Executive’s performance of his duties under this Agreement, conflict with the business of the Company or violate any provisions of Section 8 herein. Executive shall, if requested by the Board, also serve as an officer or director of any affiliate of the Company for no additional compensation.  Executive’s place of employment will be the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

 

3.             Base Salary. While Executive is employed by the Company, the Company will pay Executive a base annual salary (the “Base Salary”) at the rate of $360,000 per year, paid in accordance with the usual payroll practices of the Company.  Executive’s Base Salary shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”) or the Board.

 

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4.             Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall participate in short-term and long-term incentive programs, including equity compensation programs, established by the Company for its senior level executives generally, at levels determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Executive’s incentive compensation shall be subject to the terms of the applicable plans and shall be determined based on Executive’s individual performance and the Company’s performance as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Any annual incentive compensation earned by Executive shall be paid on or after January 1, but not later than March 15 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the annual incentive compensation is earned.

 

(a)           Discretionary Bonus.  Executive will be eligible to receive an annual target cash bonus of 45% of Executive’s Base Salary (the “Target Annual Bonus”) (pro-rated for any portion of a year during which Executive is not employed by the Company) at the discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee and contingent upon attainment of certain Company milestones and/or individual objectives as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  The actual annual bonus payable for any given year, if any, may be higher or lower than the Target Annual Bonus.  Payment of such bonus is contingent upon continued employment with the Company at the time of payment unless otherwise specified herein or in the terms pursuant to which such bonus is granted. Executive’s Target Annual Bonus shall be reviewed periodically for potential increases pursuant to Company review policies applicable to senior executives by the Compensation Committee or the Board.

 

(b)           Equity Incentive Compensation.  Executive shall be eligible to receive annual equity awards based on the Company’s and Executive’s actual performance, as determined by the Board or the Compensation Committee.  Each such equity award granted to Executive hereunder shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the incentive plan pursuant to which it is granted and such other terms and conditions as are established by the Board or Compensation Committee and set forth in an award agreement evidencing the grant of such equity award.

 

5.             Benefits and Fringes.

 

(a)           General. While Executive is employed by the Company, Executive will be entitled to such benefits and fringes, if any, as are generally provided from time to time by the Company to its senior level executives, subject to the satisfaction of any eligibility requirements and any other terms and conditions of the applicable plans or policies.

 

(b)           Vacation.  Executive will also be entitled to 20 business days of annual paid vacation in accordance with the Company’s vacation policies in effect from time to time, which may be taken at such times as Executive elects with due regard to the needs of the Company.

 

(c)           Reimbursement of Business Expenses. Upon presentation of appropriate documentation, Executive will be reimbursed in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement policy for all reasonable and necessary business expenses incurred in connection with the performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder.

 

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6.             Termination of Employment.

 

(a)           Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or Executive (other than because of Executive’s death) shall be communicated by a written notice of termination to the other party hereto in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement.  Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all positions that Executive holds as an officer or member of the board of directors (or a committee thereof) of the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

(b)           Termination upon Death. If Executive dies, then Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of Executive’s death, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive’s heirs, personal representatives or estate shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.  “Accrued Benefits” means: (a) any accrued but unpaid portion of Executive’s compensation set forth in Section 3 above through the date of termination; (b) any accrued but unused vacation as of the termination date; (c) any earned but unpaid bonus for which the performance measurement period has ended prior to the termination date (e.g., if Executive’s employment is terminated on February 1 and annual bonuses for the prior year have not been paid as of his termination date, then Executive would be eligible to receive his annual bonus for the prior year but not a bonus for the year in which the termination occurs), provided, that the termination of Executive’s employment is not for Cause or due to Executive’s voluntary resignation (other than for Good Reason); (d) any amounts owing to Executive for reimbursements of expenses properly incurred by Executive prior to the date of his termination of employment and which are reimbursable in accordance with Section 5(c) above, with all amounts owed under each of (a), (b) and (d) payable in a lump sum no later than the Company’s first regularly scheduled payroll date that is at least ten (10) days after the date of Executive’s termination of employment, and any amount owed under (c) payable in a lump sum when such bonuses are paid to the Company’s employees; and (e) any amounts that are vested benefits or that Executive is otherwise entitled to receive under any plan, policy, practice or program of or any other contract or agreement with the Company at or subsequent to the date of termination, payable in accordance with such plan, policy, practice or program or contract or agreement.

 

(c)           Termination upon Disability. “Disability” means any physical or mental incapacity, illness or infirmity that prevents or significantly restricts Executive from performing the normal duties of Executive’s position on a full-time basis despite the provision, if requested, of a reasonable accommodation as that term is defined in the American with Disabilities Act. If Executive suffers a Disability and the Disability continues for a continuous period of more than three months, then the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment upon written notice to Executive, at which time all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(d)           Termination by the Company for Cause. The Company may, upon written notice to Executive, immediately terminate Executive’s employment for Cause. “Cause” shall exist upon (i) Executive’s breach of any fiduciary duty or material legal or contractual obligation to the Company or any of its affiliates (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Company or affiliate policy or the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 8 of this Agreement or any other applicable restrictive covenants between Executive and the Company or any of its affiliates), (ii) Executive’s failure to follow the reasonable instructions of the Chief Executive

 

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Officer or the Board (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness), which failure, if curable, is not cured within 30 days after notice to Executive specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such breach, or, if cured, recurs within 90 business days, (iii) Executive’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, insubordination, acts of dishonesty or conflict of interest relating to the Company or any of its affiliates, or (iv) Executive’s commission of any misdemeanor which has a material impact on the affairs, business or reputation of the Company or any of its affiliates or Executive’s indictment for, or plea of nolo  contendere to, a crime constituting a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof. Upon a termination of Executive’s employment for Cause, all of Executive’s rights to compensation and benefits under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Agreement or otherwise shall immediately terminate, except that Executive shall be entitled to the Accrued Benefits.

 

(e)           Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason. Except as provided in Section 6(f) below, upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)            an amount equal to nine (9) months of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices over the nine (9) month period following Executive’s termination date, commencing on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date (as defined below), provided that the initial payment will include a catch-up payment to cover the period between Executive’s termination date and the date of such first payment and the remaining amounts shall be paid over the remainder of such nine (9) month period;

 

(ii)           provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”), continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for nine (9) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive an amount equal to the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for nine (9) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(e)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

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“Good Reason” shall mean, without Executive’s prior written consent, (i) a material diminution in Executive’s position or duties, authority or responsibilities including, without limitation, Executive ceasing to be an “executive officer” (as defined under Rule 3b-7 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) of a company with a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act; (ii) the assignment to Executive of any duties materially inconsistent with the duties and responsibilities of Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, (iii) a reduction by the Company in Executive’s then-current Base Salary or Executive’s then-current Target Annual Bonus unless the salaries and target annual bonuses for all other senior executive officers are correspondingly and proportionately reduced by not greater than 15% and such reduction continues for no more than 12 months; (iv) Executive’s relocation to offices of the Company that are more than fifty (50) miles from the Company’s offices in Yardley, Pennsylvania; or (v) any action or inaction that constitutes a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.  In order to invoke a termination for Good Reason, Executive must deliver a written notice of the grounds for such termination within thirty (30) days of the initial existence of the event giving rise to Good Reason and the Company shall have thirty (30) days to cure the circumstances.  In order to terminate Executive’s employment, if at all, for Good Reason, Executive must terminate employment within sixty (60) days following the end of the cure period if the circumstances giving rise to Good Reason have not been cured.

 

(f)            Termination by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason Following a Change in Control.  Upon a termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason, in each case within twelve (12) months after a Change in Control (as defined in the Company’s 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated), Executive shall be entitled to receive the Accrued Benefits and, subject to Executive’s execution and non-revocation of the release described in Section 6(g) and Executive’s compliance with Executive’s obligations under Section 8, the following severance payments and benefits (collectively, the “Change in Control Severance Benefits”):

 

(i)            an amount equal to 100% of Executive’s Base Salary at the rate in effect on the date of termination, payable in a single-lump sum cash payment on the first payroll date that occurs on or after the Release Effective Date;

 

(ii)           provided Executive and his eligible dependents timely and properly elect to continue health care coverage under COBRA, continued participation by Executive and Executive’s eligible dependents in the standard group medical, dental and vision plans of the Company as in effect from time to time, on substantially the same terms and conditions as such benefits are provided to employees during the applicable period, and reimbursement by the Company of the monthly COBRA premium paid by Executive for him and his eligible dependents for twelve (12) months or, if earlier, until the date Executive is no longer eligible to receive COBRA continuation coverage; provided, however, in the event the Company determines that such provisions would subject Executive to taxation under Section 105(h) of the Code, or otherwise violate any healthcare law or regulation, then, in lieu of reimbursing Executive, the Company shall pay to Executive the amount Executive would be required to pay for continuation of group health coverage for Executive and his eligible dependents through an election under COBRA for twelve (12) months, which amount shall be paid in a lump sum at the same time payments under Section 5(f)(i) commence and is intended to assist Executive with costs of health coverage, which Executive may (but is not required to) obtain through an election to continue health care coverage under COBRA; and

 

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(iii)          all of Executive’s then-outstanding equity awards granted to Executive by the Company shall become immediately vested.

 

(g)           Payment to Executive of any Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, shall be conditioned on Executive’s compliance with the requirements of Section 8 hereof and Executive’s execution of a general release in favor of the Company and its affiliates in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release”) and the lapse of any revocation period specified therein with the Release not having been revoked.  The Release shall be provided to Executive within three (3) days of Executive’s termination of employment.  Executive will forfeit all rights to the Severance Benefits and the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, unless, within sixty (60) days of Executive’s termination of employment, Executive executes and delivers the Release to the Company and such Release has become irrevocable by virtue of the expiration of the revocation period specified therein without the Release having been revoked (the first such date, the “Release Effective Date”).  The Company’s obligation to pay the Severance Benefits or the Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable, is subject to the occurrence of the Release Effective Date, and if the Release Effective Date does not occur, then the Company shall have no obligation to pay such Severance Benefits or Change in Control Severance Benefits, as applicable.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event that the period during which Executive may review and revoke the Release begins in one calendar year and ends in the following calendar year, any severance payments hereunder that constitute non-qualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be paid to Executive no earlier than January 1 of the second calendar year.

 

7.             Section 280G.

 

(a)           Executive shall bear all expense of, and be solely responsible for, any excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (such excise tax being the “Excise Tax”); provided, however, that any payment or benefit received or to be received by Executive, whether payable under the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with Company or an affiliate of Company (collectively, the “Payments”) that would constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, but only if, by reason of such reduction, the net after-tax benefit Executive receives shall exceed the net after-tax benefit that Executive would receive if no such reduction was made.

 

(b)           The “net after-tax benefit” shall mean (i) the Payments which Executive receives or is then entitled to receive from the Company that would constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, less (ii) the amount of all federal, state and local income and employment taxes payable by Executive with respect to the foregoing calculated at the highest marginal income tax rate for each year in which the foregoing shall be paid to Executive (based on the rate in effect for such year as set forth in the Code as in effect at the time of the first payment of the foregoing), less (iii) the amount of Excise Tax imposed with respect to the payments and benefits described in (b)(i) above.

 

(c)           All determinations under this Section 7 will be made by an accounting firm or law firm (the “280G Firm”) that is mutually agreed to by Executive and the Company

 

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prior to a change in ownership or control of a corporation (within the meaning of Treasury regulations under Section 280G of the Code).  The 280G Firm shall be required to evaluate the extent to which payments are exempt from Section 280G of the Code as reasonable compensation for services rendered before or after the Change in Control.  All fees and expenses of the 280G Firm shall be paid solely by the Company.  The Company will direct the 280G Firm to submit any determination it makes under this Section 7 and detailed supporting calculations to both Executive and the Company as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

(d)           If the 280G Firm determines that one or more reductions are required under this Section 7, such Payments shall be reduced in the order that would provide Executive with the largest amount of after-tax proceeds (with such order, to the extent permitted by Sections 280G and 409A of the Code, designated by Executive, or otherwise determined by the 280G Firm) to the extent necessary so that no portion thereof shall be subject to the Excise Tax, and the Company shall pay such reduced amount to Executive. Executive shall at any time have the unilateral right to forfeit any equity award in whole or in part.

 

(e)           As a result of the uncertainty in the application of Section 280G of the Code at the time that the 280G Firm makes its determinations under this Section 7, it is possible that amounts will have been paid or distributed to Executive that should not have been paid or distributed (collectively, the “Overpayments”), or that additional amounts should be paid or distributed to Executive (collectively, the “Underpayments”). If the 280G Firm determines, based on either the assertion of a deficiency by the Internal Revenue Service against Executive or the Company, which assertion the 280G Firm believes has a high probability of success or is otherwise based on controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Overpayment has been made, Executive must repay the Overpayment to the Company, without interest; provided, however, that no loan will be deemed to have been made and no amount will be payable by Executive to the Company unless, and then only to the extent that, the deemed loan and payment would either reduce the amount on which Executive is subject to tax under Section 4999 of the Code or generate a refund of tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code. If the 280G Firm determines, based upon controlling precedent or substantial authority, that an Underpayment has occurred, the 280G Firm will notify Executive and the Company of that determination, and the Company will promptly pay the amount of that Underpayment to Executive without interest.

 

(f)            Executive and the Company will provide the 280G Firm access to and copies of any books, records, and documents in their possession as reasonably requested by the 280G Firm, and otherwise cooperate with the 280G Firm in connection with the preparation and issuance of the determinations and calculations contemplated by this Section 7.  For purposes of making the calculations required by this Section 7, the 280G Firm may rely on reasonable, good faith interpretations concerning the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code.

 

8.             Covenants.

 

(a)           Non-Competition. So long as Executive is employed by the Company under this Agreement and for the 9-month period following the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the Company, engage in Competition with the Company or any of its affiliates (collectively, the “Employer”).

 

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“Competition” means participating, directly or indirectly, as an individual proprietor, partner, stockholder, officer, employee, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, consultant or in any other capacity whatsoever in any business or venture that competes with any business that the Employer is engaged in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or is actively planning to engage in as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment with the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, after Executive’s termination of employment, employment by or consultation for a publicly traded company that derives less than five percent (5%) of its net revenues from activities that compete with business that the Employer engages in, shall not constitute Competition so long as Executive does not provide employment or consulting services to the business segment of such publicly traded company that engages in such competitive activities. Executive is entering into this covenant not to compete in consideration of the agreements of the Company in this Agreement, including but not limited to, the agreement of the Company to provide the severance and other benefits to Executive upon a termination of employment pursuant to Sections 6(e) and (f) hereof, as applicable.

 

(b)           Confidentiality. Executive agrees that Executive will not, directly or indirectly, use, make available, sell, disclose or otherwise communicate to any person or entity, other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer, either while Executive is employed by the Company hereunder or at any time thereafter, any business and technical information or trade secrets, nonpublic, proprietary or confidential information, knowledge or data relating to the Employer whether the foregoing will have been obtained by Executive during Executive’s employment hereunder or otherwise. The foregoing will not apply to information that (i) was known to the public prior to its disclosure to Executive; (ii) becomes generally known to the public or in the Employer’s industry subsequent to disclosure to Executive through no wrongful act by Executive or any of Executive’s representatives; or (iii) Executive is required to disclose by applicable law, regulation or legal process (provided that Executive provides the Company with prior notice of the contemplated disclosure and cooperates at the Company’s cost with the Company in seeking a protective order or other appropriate protection of such information). The Company and Executive acknowledge that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, pursuant to 18 USC § 1833(b), an individual may not be held liable under any criminal or civil federal or state trade secret law for disclosure of a trade secret: (i) made in confidence to a government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law or (ii) in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.  The Company and Executive further acknowledge that an individual suing an employer for retaliation based on the reporting of a suspected violation of law may disclose a trade secret to his attorney and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, so long as any document containing the trade secret is filed under seal and the individual does not disclose the trade secret except pursuant to court order.

 

(c)           Non-Solicitation of Customers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to solicit or influence, customers of the Employer to purchase goods or services then sold by the Employer from any other person or entity.

 

(d)           Non-Solicitation of Suppliers. Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, solicit or influence, or attempt to

 

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solicit or influence, the Company’s suppliers to provide goods or services then provided to the Employer to any other person or entity in Competition with the Employer.

 

(e)           Non-Solicitation of Employees. Executive recognizes that Executive will possess confidential information about other employees of the Employer relating to their education, experience, skills, abilities, compensation and benefits, and inter-personal relationships with customers of the Employer.  Executive recognizes that the information Executive possesses and will possess about these other employees is not generally known, is of substantial value to the Employer in developing its business and in securing and retaining customers, and has been and will be acquired by Executive because of Executive’s business position with the Employer. Executive agrees that, during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, (x) directly or indirectly, individually or on behalf of any other person or entity solicit or recruit any employee of the Employer to leave such employment for the purpose of being employed by, or rendering services to, Executive or any person or entity unaffiliated with the Employer, or (y) convey any such confidential information or trade secrets about other employees of the Employer to any person or entity other than in the course of Executive’s assigned duties hereunder and for the benefit of the Employer.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company agrees that hiring any employee of the Employer who responds to a general advertisement for employment that was not specifically directed at the employees of the Employer shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 8(e).

 

(f)            Non-Disparagement. Executive agrees that Executive will not, nor will Executive induce others to, Disparage the Employer or any of their past or present officers, directors, employees or products.  Similarly, the directors and senior executives of the Employer will not, nor will they induce others to, Disparage Executive.  “Disparage” will mean making comments or statements to the press, the Employer’s employees or any individual or entity with whom Executive or the Employer, as applicable, has a business relationship that would adversely affect in any manner, as applicable: (i) the conduct of the business of the Employer (including, without limitation, any products or business plans or prospects); (ii) the business reputation of the Employer, or any of their products, or their past or present officers, directors or employees; or (iii) the business reputation of Executive.

 

(g)           Inventions.

 

(i)            Executive acknowledges and agrees that all trade secrets, mask works, concepts, drawings, materials, documentation, procedures, diagrams, specifications, models, processes, formulae, source and object codes, data, programs, know-how, designs, techniques, ideas, methods, inventions, discoveries, improvements, work products, developments or other works of authorship (“Inventions”), whether patentable or unpatentable, (x) that relate to Executive’s work with the Employer, made, developed or conceived by Executive, solely or jointly with others or with the use of any of the Employer’s equipment, supplies, facilities or trade secrets or (y) suggested by any work that Executive performs in connection with the Employer, either while performing Executive’s duties with the Employer or on Executive’s own time, but only insofar as the Inventions are related to Executive’s work as an employee of the Employer (collectively, “Company Inventions”), will belong exclusively to the Company (or its designee), whether or not patent applications are filed thereon. Executive will keep full and complete written records (the “Records”), in the manner prescribed by the Employer, of all

 

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Company Inventions, and will promptly disclose all Company Inventions completely and in writing to the Company. The Records will be the sole and exclusive property of the Company, and Executive will surrender them upon the termination of Executive’s employment, or upon the Company’s request. Executive hereby assigns to the Company (or its designee) the Company Inventions including all rights in and to any related patents and other intellectual property that may issue thereon in any and all countries, whether during or subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, together with the right to file, in Executive’s name or in the name of the Company (or its designee), applications for patents and equivalent rights (the “Applications”). Executive will, at any time during and subsequent to Executive’s employment with the Employer, make such applications, sign such papers, take all rightful oaths, and perform all acts as may be requested from time to time by the Company with respect to the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property. Executive will also execute assignments to the Company (or its designee) of the Applications, and give the Company and its attorneys all reasonable assistance (including the giving of testimony) to obtain the Company Inventions and the underlying intellectual property for its benefit, all without additional compensation to Executive from the Company, but entirely at the Company’s expense.

 

(ii)           In addition, the Company Inventions will be deemed “work made for hire”, as such term is defined under the copyright law of the United States, on behalf of the Employer and Executive agrees that the Company (or its designee) will be the sole owner of the Company Inventions, and all underlying rights therein, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity without any further obligations or compensation to Executive. If the Company Inventions, or any portion thereof, are deemed not to be work made for hire, Executive hereby irrevocably conveys, transfers, assigns and delivers to the Company (or its designee), all rights, titles and interests, in all media now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the universe and in perpetuity, in and to the Company Inventions, including without limitation: (a) all of Executive’s rights, titles and interests in and to any underlying intellectual property (and all renewals, revivals and extensions thereof) related to the Company Inventions; (b) all rights of any kind or any nature now or hereafter recognized, including without limitation, the unrestricted right to make modifications, adaptations and revisions to the Company Inventions, to exploit and allow others to exploit the Company Inventions; and (c) all rights to sue at law or in equity for any infringement, or other unauthorized use or conduct in derogation of the Company Inventions, known or unknown, prior to the date hereof, including without limitation the right to receive all proceeds and damages therefrom. In addition, Executive hereby waives any so-called “moral rights” with respect to the Company Inventions. Executive hereby waives any and all currently existing and future monetary rights in and to the Inventions and all patents and other intellectual property rights that may issue thereon, including, without limitation, any rights that would otherwise accrue to Executive’s benefit by virtue of Executive being an employee of or other service provider to the Employer.

 

(iii)          To the extent that Executive is unable to assign any of Executive’s right, title or interest in any Company Invention under applicable law, for any such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property rights, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, fully paid license to such Company Invention and the underlying intellectual property, with the right to sublicense, use, modify, create derivative works and otherwise fully exploit such Company

 

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Invention and the underlying intellectual property, to assign this license and to exercise all rights and incidents of ownership of the Company Invention.

 

(iv)          To the extent that any of the Company Inventions are derived by, or require use by the Employer of, any works, Inventions, or other intellectual property rights that Executive owns, which are not assigned hereby, Executive hereby grants to the Company (or its designee) an irrevocable, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free license, with the right to sublicense, use, modify and create derivative works using such works, Inventions or other intellectual property rights, but only to the extent necessary to permit the Company to fully realize their ownership rights in the Company Inventions.

 

(h)           Cooperation. Upon the receipt of notice from the Company (including outside counsel), Executive agrees that while employed by the Employer (for no additional compensation) and thereafter (for reasonable compensation for Executive’s time), Executive will respond and provide information with regard to matters in which Executive has knowledge as a result of Executive’s employment with the Employer, and will provide reasonable assistance to the Employer and its representatives in defense of any claims that may be made against the Employer, and will assist the Employer in the prosecution of any claims that may be made by the Employer, to the extent that such claims may relate to the period of Executive’s employment with the Employer (or any predecessor). Executive agrees to promptly inform the Company if Executive becomes aware of any lawsuits involving such claims that may be filed or threatened against the Employer. Executive also agrees to promptly inform the Company (to the extent Executive is legally permitted to do so) if Executive is asked to assist in any investigation of the Employer (or their actions), regardless of whether a lawsuit or other proceeding has then been filed against the Employer with respect to such investigation, and will not do so unless legally required.

 

(i)            Return of Property. On the date of the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason (or at any time prior thereto at the Company’s request), Executive will return all property belonging to the Employer (including, but not limited to, any Employer provided laptops, computers, cell phones, wireless electronic mail devices or other equipment, or documents and property belonging to the Employer).

 

(j)            Injunctive Relief. It is further expressly agreed that the Employer will or would suffer irreparable injury if Executive were to violate the provisions of this Section 8 and that the Employer would by reason of such violation be entitled to injunctive relief in a court of appropriate jurisdiction and Executive further consents and stipulates to the entry of such injunctive relief in such court prohibiting Executive from violating the provisions of this Section 8.

 

(k)           Survival of Provisions. The obligations contained in this Section 8 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company and will be fully enforceable thereafter. If it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in any state that any restriction in this Section 8 is excessive in duration or scope or extends for too long a period of time or over too great a range of activities or in too broad a geographic area or is unreasonable or unenforceable under the laws of that state, it is the intention of the parties that such restriction

 

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may be modified or amended by the court to render it enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by the law of that state or jurisdiction.

 

(l)            Prior Agreements. Executive represents and warrants to the Company that there are no restrictions, agreements or understandings whatsoever to which Executive is a party that would prevent or make unlawful Executive’s execution of this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, is or would be inconsistent or in conflict with this Agreement or Executive’s employment hereunder, or would prevent, limit or impair in any way the performance by Executive of the obligations hereunder.

 

9.             Assignment; Third Party Beneficiaries. Notwithstanding anything else herein, this Agreement is personal to Executive and neither the Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by Executive. The Company may assign the Agreement to an affiliate or to any acquiror of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.  The Employer shall require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Employer to expressly assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Employer would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Unless expressly provided otherwise, “Employer” as used in this Agreement shall mean the Employer as defined in Section 8(a) of this Agreement and any successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees, legatees and permitted assignees of the parties. Executive acknowledges that this Agreement is intended to benefit the Company, its shareholders, and its and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and related companies or entities, now existing or hereafter created. Both Executive and the Company further acknowledge and agree that the intended beneficiaries of this Agreement are entitled to enforce the provisions of this Agreement by seeking injunctive relief or any other appropriate remedy.

 

10.          Clawback/Recoupment.  Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation paid to Executive pursuant to this Agreement or any other agreement or arrangement with the Company shall be subject to mandatory repayment by Executive to the Company to the extent any such compensation paid to Executive is, or in the future becomes, subject to (i) any “clawback” or recoupment policy applicable to Executive that is adopted to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule), or (ii) any law, rule or regulation (including stock exchange rule) which imposes mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such law, rule or regulation.

 

11.          Arbitration; Attorneys’ Fees. Executive agrees that all disputes and controversies arising under or in connection with this Agreement, other than seeking injunctive or other equitable relief under Section 8(j), will be settled by arbitration conducted before one (1) arbitrator mutually agreed to by the Company and Executive, sitting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or such other location agreed to by Executive and the Company, in accordance with the National Rules for the Resolution of Employment Disputes of the American Arbitration Association then in effect; provided, however, that if the Company and Executive are unable to agree on a single arbitrator within 30 days of the demand by another party for arbitration, an arbitrator will be designated by the Philadelphia Office of the American Arbitration Association.

 

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The determination of the arbitrator will be final and binding on Executive and the Company. Judgment may be entered on the award of the arbitrator in any court having proper jurisdiction. Each party will bear their own expenses of such arbitration, except that the prevailing party shall be entitled to be indemnified for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in enforcing the terms of this Agreement should the other party violate any of its terms.

 

12.          Indemnification. The Company and Executive acknowledge that they have entered into an Indemnification Agreement, dated as of October [   ], 2017 (the “Indemnification Agreement”).

 

13.          Governing Law. This Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

14.          Withholding Taxes. The Company may withhold from any and all amounts payable to Executive such federal, state and local taxes as may be required to be withheld pursuant to any applicable laws or regulations.

 

15.          Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder or necessary or convenient in connection herewith shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when hand delivered or three (3) days after being mailed by registered or certified mail to Executive or the Company, as the case may be, at Executive’s address set forth below or the Company’s address set forth below, or to such other names or addresses as Executive or the Company, as the case may be, shall designate by notice to each other person entitled to receive notices in the manner specified in this Section (provided that notice of change of address shall be deemed given only when received).

 

Company notices shall be delivered to:

 

OptiNose US Inc.
Attn: Chief Executive Officer
1020 Stony Hill Road
Third Floor, Suite 300
Yardley, PA 19067

 

Executive notices shall be delivered to such address as shall most currently appear on the records of the Company.

 

16.          Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement and the agreements referenced herein contain the entire agreement of the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, and supersede in their entirety any and all prior and/or contemporaneous agreements, understandings or representations relating to the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, including without limitation the Existing Agreement. No amendments, alterations or modifications of this Agreement will be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

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17.          Section Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement are included solely for convenience and will not affect, or be used in connection with, the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

18.          Severability. The provisions of this Agreement will be deemed severable and the invalidity of unenforceability of any provision will not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions hereof No failure to exercise, delay in exercising, or single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy by either party, and no course of dealing between the parties, shall constitute a waiver of, or shall preclude any other or further exercise of, any right, power or remedy.

 

19.          Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts (including via facsimile and/or .pdf), each of which will be deemed to be an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instruments.

 

20.          Section 409A.

 

(a)           The payments and benefits under this Agreement are intended to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”) and this Agreement shall be interpreted and construed in a manner intended to comply therewith.  For purposes of this Agreement, Executive will be considered to have experienced a termination of employment only if Executive has a “separation from service” with the Company and all of its controlled group members within the meaning of Section 409A.  Whether Executive has a separation from service will be determined based on all of the facts and circumstances and in accordance with the guidance issued under Section 409A.

 

(b)           Each payment under this Agreement, including each installment payment, shall be considered a separate and distinct payment.  For purposes of this Agreement, each payment is intended to be excepted from Section 409A to the maximum extent provided as follows:  (i) each payment made within the applicable 2½ month period specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(4) is intended to be excepted under the short-term deferral exception; (ii) post-termination medical benefits are intended to be excepted under the medical benefits exception as specified in Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(B); and (iii) to the extent payments are made as a result of an involuntary separation, each payment that is not otherwise excepted under the short-term deferral exception or medical benefits exception is intended to be excepted under the involuntary pay exception as specified in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii).  With respect to payments subject to Section 409A (and not excepted therefrom), if any, it is intended that each payment is paid on a permissible distribution event and at a specified time consistent with Section 409A.  Neither the Company nor Executive shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.  Executive shall have no right to designate the date or any payment under this Agreement.

 

(c)           If Executive is a “specified employee” (as that term is used in Section 409A and regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) on the date of Executive’s separation from service, any benefits payable under this Agreement that constitute non-qualified

 

14



 

deferred compensation subject to Section 409A shall be delayed until the earlier of (i) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (ii) the date of Executive’s death, but only to the extent necessary to avoid the adverse tax consequences and penalties under Section 409A.  On the earlier of (x) the first business day following the six-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s separation from service, or (y) Executive’s death, the Company shall pay Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries) a lump-sum payment equal to all payments delayed pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

(d)           If any of the reimbursements or in-kind benefits provided for under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, the following rules shall apply: (i) in no event shall any such reimbursement be paid after the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred; (ii) the amount of such reimbursable expenses incurred, or the provision of in-kind benefits, in one tax year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement or the provision of in-kind benefits in any other tax year; and (iii) the right to such reimbursement for expenses or provision of in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

(e)           Notwithstanding anything in Section 6(f) hereof to the contrary, in the event that Executive is entitled to the amount set forth in Section 6(f)(i) as a result of a termination of Executive’s employment within twelve (12) months after the date of the Change in Control, and such Change in Control does not constitute a change in ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and its corresponding regulations, and any portion of the severance benefit payable to Executive pursuant to Section 6(e)(i) is deemed to constitute deferred compensation subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code at the time of Executive’s termination, then such portion that constitutes deferred compensation shall reduce the amount that is paid in a lump sum as provided in Section 6(f)(i) and such deferred compensation portion shall instead be paid in substantially equal installments over the installment period as described in Section 6(e)(i).

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

15



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE

 

 

 

 

 

Michael F. Marino

 


 

EXHIBIT A

 

RELEASE AGREEMENT

 

This RELEASE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) made this [   ] day of [       ], [     ] (the “Effective Date”), between OptiNose US, Inc. (including its successors and assigns, the “Company”), and [    ] (“Executive”).

 

1.                                      Release.

 

a.             In consideration of the amounts to be paid by the Company pursuant to the Employment Agreement entered into on [Date], 2017, by and between the Company and Executive (the “Employment Agreement”), Executive, on behalf of himself and his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns, knowingly and voluntarily releases, remises, and forever discharges the Company and its parents, subsidiaries or affiliates, together with each of their current and former principals, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives and employees, and each of their heirs, executors, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”), from any and all debts, demands, actions, causes of action, accounts, covenants, contracts, agreements, claims, damages, omissions, promises, and any and all claims and liabilities whatsoever, of every name and nature, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, both in law and equity (“Claims”), which Executive ever had, now has, or may hereafter claim to have against the Releasees by reason of any matter or cause whatsoever arising from the beginning of time to the time he signs this Agreement (the “General Release”).  This General Release of Claims shall apply to any Claim of any type, including, without limitation, any and all Claims of any type that Executive may have arising under the common law, under the National Labor Relations Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1967, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, each as amended, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq., the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2101, et seq., the Equal Pay Act of 1963, claims for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, claims under the Employment Discrimination Bureau (EDB) — Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Family Leave Act, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, the Pennsylvania State Wage and Hour Law, the Pennsylvania Law on Equal Pay, the Pennsylvania Political Activities of Employees Law, the Pennsylvania Lie Detector Testing Law, the Pennsylvania Tobacco Use Law, the Pennsylvania Genetic Testing Law, the State of Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act, the Pennsylvania Human Rights Law, and the Pennsylvania Labor Law, claims for discrimination in violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, each as amended, and any other federal, state or local statutes, regulations, ordinances or common law, or under any policy, agreement, contract, understanding or promise, written or oral, formal or informal, between any of the Releasees and Executive and shall further apply, without limitation, to any and all Claims in connection with, related to or arising out of Executive’s employment relationship, or the termination of his employment, with the Company.

 

b.             For the purpose of implementing a full and complete release, Executive understands and agrees that this Agreement is intended to include all claims, if any, which Executive or his heirs, executors, devisees, successors and assigns may have and which

 



 

Executive does not now know or suspect to exist in his favor against the Releasees, from the beginning of time until the time he signs this Agreement, and this Agreement extinguishes those claims.

 

c.             In consideration of the promises of the Company set forth in the Employment Agreement, Executive hereby releases and discharges the Releasees from any and all Claims that Executive may have against the Releasees arising under the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (“ADEA”).  Executive acknowledges that he understands that the ADEA is a federal statute that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in employment, benefits and benefit plans.  Executive also understands that, by signing this Agreement, he is waiving all Claims against any and all of the Releasees.

 

d.             Nothing in this Agreement restricts or prohibits Executive from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiries from, providing testimony before, providing confidential information to, reporting possible violations of law or regulation to, or from filing a claim or assisting with an investigation directly with a self-regulatory authority or a government agency or entity, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General (collectively, the “Regulators”), or from making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of state or federal law or regulation.  However, to the maximum extent permitted by law, Executive is waiving Executive’s right to receive any individual monetary relief from the Company or any others covered by the Release resulting from such claims or conduct, regardless of whether Executive or another party has filed them, and in the event Executive obtains such monetary relief the Company will be entitled to an offset for the payments made pursuant to this Agreement.  This Agreement does not limit Executive’s right to receive an award from any Regulator that provides awards for providing information relating to a potential violation of law.

 

e.             Except as provided in Section 6(e) or Section 6(f), as applicable, of the Employment Agreement or in the Indemnification Agreement, Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company has fully satisfied any and all obligations owed to him arising out of his employment with or termination from the Company, and no further sums or benefits are owed to him by the Company or by any of the other Releasees at any time.

 

2.             Consultation with Attorney; Voluntary Agreement.  The Company advises Executive to consult with an attorney of his choosing prior to signing this Agreement.  Executive understands and agrees that he has the right and has been given the opportunity to review this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release in Section 1 above, with an attorney.  Executive also understands and agrees that he is under no obligation to consent to the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that the payments to be made to Executive pursuant to the Employment Agreement are sufficient consideration to require him to abide with his obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to the General Release set forth in Section 1.  Executive represents that he has read this Agreement,

 



 

including the General Release set forth in Section 1, and understands its terms and that he enters into this Agreement freely, voluntarily, and without coercion.

 

3.             Effective Date; Revocation.  Executive acknowledges and represents that he has been given [twenty-one (21)][forty-five (45)] days during which to review and consider the provisions of this Agreement and, specifically, the General Release set forth in Section 1 above.  Executive further acknowledges and represents that he has been advised by the Company that he has the right to revoke this Agreement for a period of seven (7) days after signing it.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that, if he wishes to revoke this Agreement, he must do so in a writing, signed by him and received by the Company no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the seventh (7th) day of the revocation period.  If no such revocation occurs, the General Release and this Agreement shall become effective on the eighth (8th) day following his execution of this Agreement and shall be final and binding on Executive.

 

4.             Severability.  In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remainder of the Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

5.             Governing LawThis Agreement and any other document or instrument delivered pursuant hereto, and all claims or causes of action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement will be governed by, and construed under and in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without reference to rules relating to conflicts of laws.

 

6.             Entire Agreement.  This Agreement, the Employment Agreement and the other agreements referred to in the Employment Agreement constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, written or oral, between the parties.  Executive acknowledges and agrees that he is not relying on any representations or promises by any representative of the Company concerning the meaning of any aspect of this Agreement.

 

7.             Amendment. This release shall not be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified in any way except in a writing signed by Executive and the Company.

 

8.             Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the dates set forth below.

 

 

OPTINOSE US, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Date:

 

 

Michael F. Marino

 




Exhibit 10.7

 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

2010 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

 

(AS AMENDED AND RESTATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2017)

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

1.

PURPOSE

1

2.

DEFINITIONS

1

3.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN

8

 

3.1

Committee

8

 

3.2

Composition of the Committee

8

 

3.3

Other Committees

8

 

3.4

Delegation by the Committee

9

 

3.5

Board

9

 

3.6

Terms of Awards

9

 

3.7

No Repricing Without Stockholder Approval

10

 

3.8

Deferral Arrangement

11

 

3.9

No Liability

11

 

3.10

Share Issuance; Book Entry

11

4.

STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

11

 

4.1

Number of Shares Available for Awards

11

 

4.2

Limitations on Shares or Stock Subject to Awards and Cash Awards

12

 

4.3

Adjustments in Authorized Shares

13

 

4.4

Share Usage

13

5.

EFFECTIVE DATE, DURATION AND AMENDMENTS

13

 

5.1

Effective Date

13

 

5.2

Term

14

 

5.3

Amendment and Termination of the Plan

14

 

5.4

Amendments of Awards

14

6.

AWARD ELIGIBILITY

14

 

6.1

Employees and Other Service Providers

14

 

6.2

Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards

14

7.

AWARD AGREEMENT

15

8.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS

15

 

8.1

Option Price

15

 

8.2

Vesting

15

 

8.3

Term

16

 

8.4

Exercise of Options on Termination of Service

16

 

8.5

Limitations on Exercise of Option

16

 

8.6

Exercise Procedure

16

 

8.7

Right of Holders of Options

17

 

8.8

Delivery of Stock Certificates

17

 

8.9

Transferability of Options

17

 

8.10

Permitted Transfers

17

 

8.11

Limitations on Incentive Stock Options

18

 

8.12

Notice of Disqualifying Disposition

18

9.

STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

18

 

9.1

Right to Payment and SAR Price

18

 

i



 

 

9.2

Other Terms

18

 

9.3

Term

19

 

9.4

Rights of Holders of SARs

19

 

9.5

Transferability of SARs

19

 

9.6

Permitted Transfers

19

10.

RESTRICTED STOCK, RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS AND DEFERRED STOCK UNITS

20

 

10.1

Award of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units

20

 

10.2

Restrictions

20

 

10.3

Restricted Stock Certificates

20

 

10.4

Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock

20

 

10.5

Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units

21

 

10.6

Termination of Service

21

 

10.7

Purchase of Restricted Stock and Shares of Stock Subject to Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units

21

 

10.8

Delivery of Shares of Stock

22

 

10.9

Section 83(b) Election

22

11.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF UNRESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS AND OTHER EQUITY-BASED AWARDS

22

 

11.1

Unrestricted Stock Awards

22

 

11.2

Other Equity-Based Awards

22

12.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS

23

 

12.1

Dividend Equivalent Rights

23

 

12.2

Termination of Service

23

13.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARD

23

 

13.1

Grant of Performance-Based Awards

23

 

13.2

Value of Performance-Based Awards

24

 

13.3

Earnings of Performance-Based Awards

24

 

13.4

Form and Timing of Payment of Performance-Based Awards

24

 

13.5

Performance Conditions

24

 

13.6

Performance-Based Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees

24

14.

FORMS OF PAYMENT

29

 

14.1

General Rule

29

 

14.2

Surrender of Shares of Stock

29

 

14.3

Cashless Exercise

30

 

14.4

Other Forms of Payment

30

15.

WITHHOLDING TAXES

30

16.

PARACHUTE LIMITATIONS

31

17.

REQUIREMENTS OF LAW

32

 

17.1

General

32

 

17.2

Rule 16b-3

32

18.

EFFECT OF CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION

33

 

18.1

Changes in Stock

33

 

ii



 

 

18.2

Reorganization in Which the Company Is the Surviving Entity and in Which No Change of Control Occurs

33

 

18.3

Change of Control in which Awards are not Assumed

34

 

18.4

Change of Control in Which Awards are Assumed

35

 

18.5

Adjustments

36

 

18.6

No Limitations on Company

36

19.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

36

 

19.1

Disclaimer of Rights

36

 

19.2

Nonexclusivity of the Plan

36

 

19.3

Captions and Headings

37

 

19.4

Other Award Agreement Provisions

37

 

19.5

Number and Gender

37

 

19.6

Severability

37

 

19.7

Governing Law

37

 

19.8

Code Section 409A

37

 

iii



 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

2010 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

 

(AS AMENDED AND RESTATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2017)

 

OptiNose, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), sets forth herein the terms of its 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated as of September 19, 2017 (the “Plan”) as follows:

 

1.                                 PURPOSE

 

The Plan is intended to enhance the Company’s and its Affiliates’ (as defined herein) ability to attract and retain highly qualified officers, directors, key employees, and other persons, and to motivate such persons to serve the Company and its Affiliates and to expend maximum effort to improve the business results and earnings of the Company, by providing to such persons an opportunity to acquire or increase a direct proprietary interest in the operations and future success of the Company.  To this end, the Plan provides for the grant of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Unrestricted Stock, Dividend Equivalent Rights, Performance Shares and other Performance-Based Awards, Other Equity-Based Awards, and cash bonus awards in accordance with the terms hereof.  Options granted under the Plan may be Nonqualified Stock Options or Incentive Stock Options, as provided herein.

 

2.                                 DEFINITIONS

 

For purposes of interpreting the Plan and related documents (including Award Agreements), the following definitions shall apply:

 

2.1                               Affiliate” means any Person that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 of Regulation C under the Securities Act, including, without limitation, any Subsidiary; provided, that an entity shall not be considered an Affiliate if it results in noncompliance with Code Section 409A.

 

2.2                               Applicable Laws” means the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the Awards under (a) applicable provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any rules or regulations thereunder, and any other laws, rules, regulations, and government orders of any jurisdiction applicable to the Company or its Affiliates, (b) applicable provisions of the corporate, securities, tax, and other laws, rules, regulations, and government orders of any jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents thereof, and (c) the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.

 

2.3                               Award” means a grant under the Plan of an Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, a Restricted Stock Unit, a Deferred Stock Unit, Unrestricted Stock, a Dividend Equivalent Right, a Performance Share or other Performance-Based Award, an Other Equity-Based Award, or cash.

 



 

2.4                               Award Agreement” means the written agreement between the Company and a Grantee that evidences and sets out the terms and conditions of an Award.

 

2.5                               Benefit Arrangement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16 hereof.

 

2.6                               Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

2.7                               Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations, or other equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) in equity of such Person, whether outstanding on the Effective Date or issued thereafter, including, without limitation, all shares of Stock.

 

2.8                               Cause” means, as determined by the Committee and unless otherwise provided in an applicable agreement between a Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate, (i) gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, insubordination (in the case the Grantee is an employee or officer) or acts of dishonesty in connection with the performance of duties; (ii)  commission of any misdemeanor which has a material impact on the affairs, business or reputation of the Company or an Affiliate or indictment for, or plea of nolo contendere to, a crime constituting a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof; (iii) failure to follow the reasonable instructions of the Board (in the case the Grantee is an employee or officer), which breach, if curable, is not cured within 30 days after notice to such Grantee specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such breach, or, if cured, recurs within 180 business days or (iv) breach of a fiduciary duty or material breach of any term of any employment, consulting or other services, confidentiality, intellectual property or non-competition agreements, if any, or the Award Agreement between the Service Provider and the Company or an Affiliate.  In the event there is an applicable agreement between a Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate defining Cause, “Cause” shall have the meaning provided in such agreement with respect to such Grantee for all purposes under the Plan.

 

2.9                               Change of Control” means, subject to Section 19.8, the occurrence of any of the following:

 

(a)                                 Any transaction (including without limitation a merger or reorganization in which the Company is the surviving entity) which results in any Person (other than any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company) owning fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of all classes of Voting Stock; excluding, however, the following: (1) any acquisition directly from the Company, other than as a result of the exercise of a conversion privilege, (2) any repurchase by the Company, (3) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or any entity controlled by the Company, or (4) any acquisition pursuant to a transaction described in Section 2.9(c)(i), (ii) or (iii);

 

(b)                                 Individuals who constitute the Board on the Effective Date (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority thereof, provided that any Person becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election to the Board, or whose nomination for election to the Board by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least three-quarters of the

 

2



 

directors comprising the Incumbent Board, shall be for purposes of this clause (b), considered as though he or she were a member of the Incumbent Board;

 

(c)                                  The Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, any Person, or any Person consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company (regardless of whether the Company is the surviving Person), other than any such transaction in which (i) all or substantially all of the Prior Stockholders own directly or indirectly at least a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person in such merger or consolidation transaction immediately after such transaction, (ii) no Person (other than the Company, any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or such corporation resulting from such merger or consolidation) will beneficially own, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50)% or more of the combined voting power of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person in such merger or consolidation, except to the extent such ownership derives from ownership that existed prior to such merger or consolidation, and (iii) individuals who were members of the Board immediately prior to such merger or consolidation will constitute at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the surviving Person resulting from such merger or consolidation;

 

(d)                                 The liquidation, dissolution or winding up or bankruptcy of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary; or

 

(e)                                  The acquisition or exclusive license (or grant, sale or transfer of a license to all or a substantial part of the Company’s assets or intellectual property, or any combination of licenses having the same effect), in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by a Person of all or substantially all of the assets or intellectual property of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the sale or disposition (whether by merger, exclusive license, or otherwise) of one or more Subsidiaries if substantially all of the assets or intellectual property of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such Subsidiary or Subsidiaries.

 

The Board shall have full and final authority, in its sole discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change of Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change of Control, and any incidental matters relating thereto.

 

2.10                        Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.  References in the Plan to any Code Section shall be deemed to include, as applicable, regulations and guidance promulgated under such Code Section.

 

2.11                        Committee” means a committee of, and designated from time to time by resolution of, the Board, which shall be constituted as provided in Section 3.2 and Section 3.3 hereof (or, if no Committee has been so designated, the Board).

 

2.12                        Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

3



 

2.13                        Covered Employee” means a Grantee who is, or could become, a “covered employee” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m)(3).

 

2.14                        Deferred Stock Unit” means a Restricted Stock Unit, the terms of which provide for delivery of the underlying shares of Stock, cash, or a combination thereof subsequent to the date of vesting, at a time or times consistent with the requirements of Code Section 409A.

 

2.15                        Disability” means, unless otherwise provided in an applicable agreement between a Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate, the Grantee is unable to perform each of the essential duties of such Grantee’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months; provided, however, that with respect to rules regarding expiration of an Incentive Stock Option following termination of the Grantee’s Service, Disability shall mean the Grantee is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than  twelve (12) months.  In the event there is an applicable agreement between a Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate defining Disability, “Disability” shall have the meaning provided in such agreement with respect to such Grantee for all purposes under the Plan.

 

2.16                        Dividend Equivalent Right” means a right, granted to a Grantee pursuant to Section 12, entitling the Grantee thereof to receive, or to receive credits for the future payment of, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property equal in value to dividend payments or distributions, or other periodic payments, declared or paid with respect to a number of shares of Stock specified in such Dividend Equivalent Right (or other Award to which such Dividend Equivalent Right relates) as if such shares of Stock had been issued to and held by the Grantee of such Dividend Equivalent Right as of the record date.

 

2.17                        Effective Date” means the date on which the Registration Statement covering the initial public offering of Stock is declared effective by the SEC.

 

2.18                        Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.

 

2.19                        Fair Market Value” means the value of a share of Stock, determined as follows:  if on the date of grant or other determination date the Stock is listed on a Stock Exchange, or is publicly traded on another Securities Market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the closing price of the Stock on such exchange or in such market (if there is more than one such Stock Exchange or Securities Market the Committee shall determine the appropriate Stock Exchange or Securities Market) on the date of grant or such other determination date (or if there is no such reported closing price, the Fair Market Value shall be the mean between the highest bid and lowest asked prices or between the high and low sale prices on such trading day) or, if no sale of Stock is reported for such trading day, on the next preceding day on which any sale shall have been reported.  If the Stock is not listed on a Stock Exchange or traded on a Securities Market, Fair Market Value shall be the value of the Stock as determined by the Committee by the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method, in a manner consistent with Code Section 409A.

 

4



 

2.20                        Grantee” means a Person who receives or holds an Award under the Plan.

 

2.21                        Incentive Stock Option” means an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, or the corresponding provision of any subsequently enacted tax statute, as amended from time to time.

 

2.22                        Nonqualified Stock Option” means an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

 

2.23                        Non-Employee Director” means a director of the Company who is not an employee of the Company or an Affiliate.

 

2.24                        Officer” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act.

 

2.25                        Option” means an option to purchase one or more shares of Stock pursuant to the Plan.

 

2.26                        Option Price” means the exercise price for each share of Stock subject to an Option.

 

2.27                        Other Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16 hereof.

 

2.28                        Other Equity-Based Award” means an Award representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to Stock, other than an Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, a Restricted Stock Unit, a Deferred Stock Unit, Unrestricted Stock, a Dividend Equivalent Right, or a Performance Share.

 

2.29                        Outside Director” shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 162(m)(4)(C)(i).

 

2.30                        Parachute Payment” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16 hereof.

 

2.31                        Performance-Based Award” means an Award of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Shares, Other Equity-Based Awards, or cash made subject to the achievement of performance goals (as provided in Section 13) over a Performance Period specified by the Committee.

 

2.32                        Performance-Based Compensation” means compensation under an Award that is intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for Qualified Performance-Based Compensation paid to Covered Employees.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in the Plan shall be construed to mean that an Award which does not satisfy the requirements for Qualified Performance-Based Compensation does not constitute performance-based compensation for other purposes, including the purposes of Code Section 409A.

 

2.33                        Performance Measures” means measures as specified in Section 13.6.4 on which the performance goal or goals under Performance-Based Awards are based and which are

 

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approved by the Company’s stockholders pursuant to, and to the extent required by, the Plan in order to qualify such Performance-Based Awards as Performance-Based Compensation.

 

2.34                        Performance Period” means the period of time during or over which the performance goals under Performance-Based Awards must be met in order to determine the degree of payout and/or vesting with respect to any such Performance-Based Awards.

 

2.35                        Performance Shares” means a Performance-Based Award representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to Stock, made subject to the achievement of performance goals (as provided in Section 13) over a Performance Period.

 

2.36                        Permitted Transferee” means (i) a trust in which the Grantee or his spouse, former spouse, child or grandchild (including through adoptive relationships) has more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which any one or more of these persons controls the management of assets, and any other entity in which one or more of these persons own more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests in such entity, (ii) an Affiliate of a Grantee, subject to the reasonable approval of the Board, or (iii) any other person or entity approved by the Board.

 

2.37                        Person” means a natural person, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity or organization.

 

2.38                        Plan” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

2.39                        Prior Stockholders” mean the holders of equity securities that represented one hundred percent (100%) of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to a reorganization, merger, or consolidation involving the Company (or other equity securities into which such equity securities are converted as part of such reorganization, merger, or consolidation transaction).

 

2.40                        Purchase Price” means the purchase price for each share of Stock issued pursuant to an Award.

 

2.41                        Qualified Performance-Based Compensation” shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 162(m).

 

2.42                        Restricted Period” means a period of time established by the Committee during which an Award of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, or Deferred Stock Units is subject to restrictions.

 

2.43                        Restricted Stock” means shares of Stock, awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Section 10 hereof, that are subject to restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.

 

2.44                        Restricted Stock Unit” means a bookkeeping entry representing the equivalent of one (1) share of Stock awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Section 10 that may be settled,

 

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subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement, in shares of Stock, cash, or a combination thereof.

 

2.45                        SAR Price” means the per share exercise price of a SAR.

 

2.46                        SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

2.47                        “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.

 

2.48                        Securities Market” means an established securities market.

 

2.49                        Service” means service as an employee, officer, director or other Service Provider of the Company or an Affiliate.  Unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee’s change in position or duties shall not result in interrupted or terminated Service, so long as such Grantee continues to be an employee, officer, director or other Service Provider of the Company or an Affiliate.  Subject to the preceding sentence, whether a termination of Service shall have occurred for purposes of the Plan shall be determined by the Committee, which determination shall be final, binding and conclusive.

 

2.50                        Service Provider” means an employee, officer or director of the Company or an Affiliate, or a consultant or adviser currently providing services to the Company or an Affiliate.

 

2.51                        Service Recipient Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Code Section 409A.

 

2.52                        Share Limit” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.

 

2.53                        Stock” means the common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company.

 

2.54                        Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right granted to a Grantee pursuant to Section 9.

 

2.55                        Stock Exchange” means the NASDAQ Global Market or another established national or regional stock exchange.

 

2.56                        Subsidiary” means any “subsidiary corporation” of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code.

 

2.57                        Substitute Award” means an Award granted upon assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted under a compensatory plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or a business entity acquired or to be acquired by the Company or an Affiliate or with which the Company or an Affiliate has combined or will combine.

 

2.58                        Ten Percent Stockholder” means a natural Person who owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of Voting Stock of the Company, the Company’s parent (if any), or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries.  In determining stock ownership, the attribution rules of Code Section 424(d) shall be applied.

 

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2.59                        Unrestricted Stock” means Stock that is free of any restrictions.

 

2.60                        Voting Stock” means, with respect to any Person, Capital Stock of any class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the election of directors, managers, or other voting members of the governing body of such Person.

 

3.                                 ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN

 

3.1                               Committee.

 

The Committee shall administer the Plan and shall have such powers and authorities related to the administration of the Plan as are consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall have full power and authority to take all actions and to make all determinations required or provided for under the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement, and shall have full power and authority to take all such other actions and make all such other determinations not inconsistent with the specific terms and provisions of the Plan that the Committee deems to be necessary or appropriate to the administration of the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement.  All such actions and determinations shall be by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present or by consent of the members of the Committee executed in writing in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Law.  The interpretation and construction by the Committee of any provision of the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement shall be final, binding and conclusive.

 

To comply with the laws in countries other than the United States, the Committee shall have the power and authority to establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable.

 

3.2                               Composition of the Committee.

 

The Committee shall be a committee composed of not fewer than two (2) directors of the Company designated by the Board to administer the Plan.  To the extent deemed necessary by the Board, or as may be required by any applicable securities or tax laws, each member of the Committee shall be (a) a non-employee director within the meaning set forth in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, (b) an Outside Director, and (c) an independent director in accordance with the rules of any Stock Exchange on which the Stock is listed; provided that any action taken by the Committee shall be valid and effective whether or not members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied the requirements for membership set forth in this Section 3.2 or otherwise provided in any charter of the Committee.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may be the Compensation Committee of the Board or a subcommittee thereof if the Compensation Committee of the Board or such subcommittee satisfies the foregoing requirements.

 

3.3                               Other Committees.

 

The Board also may appoint one or more committees of the Board, each composed of one or more directors of the Company who need not be Outside Directors, which (a) may administer

 

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the Plan with respect to Grantees who are not Officers or directors of the Company, (b) may grant Awards under the Plan to such Grantees, and (c) may determine all terms of such Awards, in each case, excluding (for the avoidance of doubt) Performance-Based Awards intending to constitute Qualified Performance-Based Compensation and subject, if applicable, to the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.

 

3.4                               Delegation by the Committee.

 

To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, the Committee may, by resolution, delegate some or all of its authority with respect to the Plan and Awards to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and/or any other officer of the Company designated by the Committee, provided that the Committee may not delegate its authority hereunder (a) to make Awards to directors of the Company, (b) to make Awards to Employees who are (i) Officers, (ii) Covered Employees, or (iii) officers of the Company who are delegated authority by the Committee pursuant to this Section 3.4, or (c) to interpret the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement.  Any delegation hereunder shall be subject to the restrictions and limits that the Committee specifies at the time of such delegation or thereafter.  Nothing in the Plan shall be construed as obligating the Committee to delegate authority to any officer of the Company, and the Committee may at any time rescind the authority delegated to an officer of the Company appointed hereunder and delegate authority to one or more other officers of the Company.  At all times, an officer of the Company delegated authority pursuant to this Section 3.4 shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Committee.  Any action undertaken by any such officer of the Company in accordance with the Committee’s delegation of authority shall have the same force and effect as if undertaken directly by the Committee, and any reference in the Plan to the “Committee” shall, to the extent consistent with the terms and limitations of such delegation, be deemed to include a reference to each such officer.

 

3.5                               Board.

 

The Board, from time to time, may exercise any or all of the powers and authorities related to the administration and implementation of the Plan, as set forth in Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4, as well as other applicable provisions of the Plan, as the Board shall determine, consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws.

 

3.6                               Terms of Awards.

 

Subject to the other terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full and final authority to:

 

(i)                                     designate Grantees;

 

(ii)                                  determine the type or types of Awards to be made to a Grantee;

 

(iii)                               determine the number of shares of Stock to be subject to an Award or to which an Award relates;

 

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(iv)                              establish the terms and conditions of each Award (including, but not limited to, the Option Price, the SAR Price, and the Purchase Price for applicable Awards, the nature and duration of any restriction or condition (or provision for lapse thereof) relating to the vesting, exercise, transfer, or forfeiture of an Award or the shares of Stock subject thereto, the treatment of an Award in the event of a Change of Control (subject to applicable agreements), and any terms or conditions that may be necessary to qualify Options as Incentive Stock Options);

 

(v)                                 prescribe the form of each Award Agreement evidencing an Award;

 

(vi)                              subject to the limitation on repricing in Section 3.7, amend, modify, or supplement the terms of any outstanding Award (provided, that, no amendment, modification or supplement of any Award shall, without the consent of the Grantee, impair the Grantee’s rights under such Award); and

 

(vii)                           make Substitute Awards.

 

The Committee’s authority hereunder specifically includes the authority, in order to effectuate the purposes of the Plan but without amending the Plan, to modify Awards to eligible individuals who are foreign nationals or are individuals who are employed outside the United States to recognize differences in local law, tax policy, or custom.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment, modification or supplement of any Award shall, without the consent of the Grantee, impair the Grantee’s rights under such Award.

 

The Company may retain the right in an Award Agreement to cause a forfeiture of the gain realized by a Grantee on account of actions taken by, or failed to be taken by, the Grantee or its Affiliate in material violation or breach of any employment agreement, non-competition agreement, invention assignment agreement, any agreement prohibiting solicitation of employees or clients of the Company or any Affiliate, any confidentiality obligation with respect to the Company or any Affiliate, or any other agreement with, or obligation of such Grantee to, the Company or any Affiliate, to the extent specified in such Award Agreement applicable to the Grantee.  In addition, the Company may annul an Award if the Grantee or an Affiliate is an employee of the Company or an Affiliate and is terminated for Cause.

 

Any Award granted pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to mandatory repayment by the Grantee to the Company (x) to the extent set forth in this Plan or an Award Agreement or (y) to the extent the Grantee is, or in the future becomes, subject to (1) any Company or Affiliate “clawback” or recoupment policy that is adopted to comply with the requirements of any Applicable Laws, or (2) any Applicable Laws which impose mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such Applicable Laws.

 

3.7                               No Repricing Without Stockholder Approval.

 

Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of Stock, other securities, or other property), stock split, extraordinary dividend, recapitalization, Change

 

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of Control, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of shares of Stock, or other securities or similar transaction), the Company may not: (a) amend the terms of outstanding Options or SARs to reduce the Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, of such outstanding Options or SARs; (b) cancel or assume outstanding Options or SARs in exchange for or substitution of Options or SARs with an Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, that is less than the Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, of the original Options or SARs; or (c) cancel or assume outstanding Options or SARs with an Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, above the current Fair Market Value in exchange for cash, Awards, or other securities, in each case, unless such action is subject to and approved by the Company’s stockholders.

 

3.8                               Deferral Arrangement.

 

The Committee may permit or require the deferral of any award payment into a deferred compensation arrangement, subject to such rules and procedures as it may establish, which may include provisions for the payment or crediting of interest or Dividend Equivalent Rights, including converting such credits into Deferred Stock Units and for restricting deferrals to comply with hardship distribution rules affecting tax-qualified retirement plans subject to Code Section 401(k)(2)(B)(IV).  Any such deferrals shall be made in a manner that complies with Code Section 409A.

 

3.9                               No Liability.

 

No member of the Board or of a Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award or Award Agreement.

 

3.10                        Share Issuance; Book Entry.

 

Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, the issuance of the Stock under the Plan may be evidenced in such a manner as the Committee, in its discretion, deems appropriate, including, without limitation, book-entry registration or issuance of one or more Stock certificates.

 

4.                                 STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

4.1                               Number of Shares Available for Awards.

 

Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 18 hereof, the number of shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan shall be 6,894,445 shares of Stock (the “Share Limit”).  The Share Limit will automatically increase on January 1st of each year, during the term of the Plan as set forth in Section 5.2, commencing on January 1 of the year following the year in which the Effective Date occurs, in an amount equal to four percent (4%) of the total number of shares of Stock outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year. The Board may provide that there will be no January 1st increase in the Share Limit for such year or that the increase in the Share Limit for such year will be a smaller number of shares of Stock than would otherwise occur pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

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All shares of Stock issuable under the Plan may be issued as Incentive Stock Options.  Stock issued or to be issued under the Plan shall be authorized but unissued shares or, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law and the Company’s certificate of incorporation, issued shares that have been reacquired by the Company.

 

4.2                               Limitations on Shares or Stock Subject to Awards and Cash Awards.

 

During any time when the Company has any class of common equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, but subject to adjustment as provided in Section 18:

 

(a)                                 The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be granted under the Plan, pursuant to Options or SARs, in a calendar year to any Person eligible for an Award under Section 6.1, other than a Non-Employee Director of the Company, is 2,887,900 shares;

 

(b)                                 The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be granted under the Plan, pursuant to Awards other than Options or SARs that are intended to be Qualified Performance-Based Compensation and are Stock-denominated and are either Stock- or cash-settled, in a calendar year to any Person eligible for an Award under Section 6.1 who is a Covered Employee is 2,887,900 shares;

 

(c)                                  The maximum number of shares of Stock subject to Awards granted during a single calendar year to any Non-Employee Director, taken together with any cash fees paid to such Non-Employee Director during the calendar year, shall not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000) in total value (calculating the value of any such Awards based on the grant date fair value of such Awards for financial reporting purposes); provided, that the Board may make exceptions to this limit for individual Non-Employee Directors in extraordinary circumstances as the Board may determine in its sole discretion, so long as (i) the aggregate limit does not exceed two million dollars ($2,000,000) in total value during a calendar year and (ii) the Non-Employee Director receiving such additional compensation does not participate in the decision to award such compensation or in other contemporaneous compensation decisions involving Non-Employee Directors; and

 

(d)                                 The maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-denominated Performance-Based Award (whether or not cash-settled) that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation for a Performance Period of twelve (12) months or less to any Person eligible for an Award under Section 6.1 who is a Covered Employee shall be seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000), and the maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-denominated Performance-Based Award (whether or not cash-settled) that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation for a Performance Period of greater than twelve (12) months to any Person eligible for an Award under Section 6.1 who is a Covered Employee shall be seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) times the number of years in the Performance Period.

 

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4.3                               Adjustments in Authorized Shares.

 

In connection with mergers, reorganizations, separations, or other transactions to which Code Section 424(a) applies, the Committee shall have the right to cause the Company to assume awards previously granted under a compensatory plan of another business entity that is a party to such transaction and to grant Substitute Awards under the Plan for such awards.  The Share Limit shall neither be increased nor decreased by the number of shares of Stock subject to any such assumed awards and Substitute Awards.  Shares available for issuance under a stockholder-approved plan of a business entity that is a party to such transaction (as appropriately adjusted, if necessary, to reflect such transaction) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the number of shares of Stock otherwise available for issuance under the Plan, subject to applicable rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.

 

4.4                               Share Usage.

 

Shares covered by an Award shall be counted as used as of the date of grant for purposes of calculating the number of shares available for issuance under Section 4.1.

 

Any shares of Stock that are subject to Awards, including shares of Stock acquired through dividend reinvestment pursuant to Section 10, shall be counted against the Share Limit as one (1) share of Stock for every one (1) share of Stock subject to an Award.  The number of shares of Stock subject to an Award of stock-settled SARs shall be counted against the Share Limit as one (1) share of Stock for every one (1) share of Stock subject to such Award regardless of the number of shares of Stock actually issued to settle such SARs upon the exercise of the SARs.  A number of shares of Stock at least equal to the target number of shares issuable under Performance Shares shall be counted against the Share Limit as of the Grant Date, but such number shall be adjusted to equal the actual number of shares issued upon settlement of the Performance Shares to the extent different from such number of shares.

 

If any shares covered by an Award are not purchased or are forfeited or expire, or if an Award otherwise terminates without delivery of any Stock subject thereto or is settled in cash in lieu of shares, then the number of shares of Stock counted against the Share Limit with respect to such Award shall, to the extent of any such forfeiture, termination, expiration or settlement, again be available for making Awards under the Plan. The number of shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan shall not be increased by the number of shares of Stock (i) tendered, withheld, or subject to an Award surrendered in connection with the payment of the Option Price upon exercise of an Option, (ii) that were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of a Stock-settled SAR granted under the Plan, (iii) deducted or delivered from payment of an Award granted under the Plan in connection with the Company’s tax withholding obligations as provided in Section 15, or (iv) purchased by the Company with proceeds from Option exercises.

 

5.                                 EFFECTIVE DATE, DURATION AND AMENDMENTS

 

5.1                               Effective Date.

 

The Plan was originally effective on May 27, 2010, the date the Plan was originally approved by the Board, the Plan having been originally approved by the Company’s then sole

 

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stockholder on June 4, 2010.  The amendment and restatement of the Plan, which was approved by the Board on September 19, 2017 and by the Company’s stockholders on October 2, 2017, shall be effective as of the Effective Date.

 

5.2                               Term.

 

The Plan shall terminate automatically ten (10) years after the adoption of the amendment and restatement of the Plan by the Board and may be terminated on any earlier date as provided in Sections 5.3 or 18.3.  No Awards shall be made after termination of the Plan.

 

5.3                               Amendment and Termination of the Plan.

 

The Board may, at any time and from time to time, amend, suspend, or terminate, in whole or in part, any or all of the provisions of this Plan (including any amendment deemed necessary to ensure that the Company may comply with any legal or regulatory requirement referred to herein), or suspend or terminate it entirely, retroactively or otherwise; provided, however, that if the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the rights of a Grantee with respect to an Award granted prior to such amendment, suspension or termination, may be materially impaired, the consent of such Grantee shall be required or the terms of such Grantee’s Award shall continue to be governed by the Plan without giving effect to any such amendment.  An amendment to the Plan shall be contingent on approval of the Company’s stockholders entitled to vote thereon only to the extent required by Applicable Law, regulations or rules, or the Company’s certificate of incorporation; provided that no amendment shall be made to the no-repricing provisions of Section 3.7, the Option Pricing provisions of Section 8.1, or the SAR Pricing provisions of Section 9.1 without the approval of the Company’s stockholders.  For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 5.3 shall be deemed to limit the discretion of the Board under Section 18.3.

 

5.4                               Amendments of Awards.

 

The Board may, at any time and from time to time, amend the terms of any Award, prospectively or retroactively; provided, however, that if the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the rights of a Grantee with respect to an Award may be materially impaired by any such amendment, the consent of such Grantee shall be required.

 

6.                                 AWARD ELIGIBILITY

 

6.1                               Employees and Other Service Providers.

 

Awards may be made under the Plan to any employee, officer or director of, or other Service Provider providing services to, the Company or any Affiliate.  To the extent required by applicable state law, Awards within certain states may be limited to employees and officers or employees, officers and directors.  An eligible person may receive more than one Award, subject to such restrictions as are provided herein.

 

6.2                               Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards.

 

Subject to Section 3.7, Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or

 

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exchange for, (a) any other Award, (b) any award granted under another plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the Company or an Affiliate, or (c) any other right of a Grantee to receive payment from the Company or an Affiliate.  Such additional, tandem, exchange, or Substitute Awards may be granted at any time.  If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award, or for an award granted under another plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the Company or an Affiliate, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or award under such other plan in consideration for the grant of such exchange or Substitute Award.  In addition, Awards may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of cash payments under other plans of the Company or an Affiliate.  Notwithstanding Section 8.1 and Section 9.1, but subject to Section 3.7, the Option Price of an Option or the SAR Price of a SAR that is a Substitute Award may be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the original Grant Date; provided that such Option Price or SAR Price is determined in accordance with the principles of Code Section 424 for any Incentive Stock Option and consistent with Code Section 409A for any other Option or SAR.

 

7.                                 AWARD AGREEMENT

 

Each Award pursuant to the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, in such form or forms as the Committee shall from time to time determine, which specifies the number of shares subject to the Award (subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 15).  Award Agreements granted from time to time or at the same time need not contain similar provisions but shall be consistent with the terms of the Plan.  Each Award Agreement evidencing an Award of Options shall specify whether such Options are intended to be Nonqualified Stock Options or Incentive Stock Options, and in the absence of such specification such options shall be deemed Nonqualified Stock Options.  In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and an Award Agreement, the provisions of the Plan shall control.

 

8.                                 TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS

 

8.1                               Option Price.

 

The Option Price of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement evidencing such Option.  Except in the case of Substitute Awards, the Option Price of each Option shall not be less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant of a share of Stock; provided, however, in the event that a Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, the Option Price of an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant.  In no case shall the Option Price of any Option be less than the par value of a share of Stock.

 

8.2                               Vesting.

 

Subject to Sections 8.3 and 18.3 hereof, each Option granted under the Plan shall become exercisable at such times and under such conditions as shall be determined by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement.  For purposes of this Section 8.2, fractional numbers of shares of Stock subject to an Option shall be rounded down to the next nearest whole number.  Without

 

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limiting the rights of the Board under Section 18.3, the Board may provide in the Award Agreement for (i) accelerated exercisability of the Option in the event the Grantee’s Service terminates on account of death, Disability or another event, (ii) expiration of the Option prior to its term in the event of the termination of the Grantee’s Service, or (iii) immediate forfeiture of the Option in the event the Grantee’s Service is terminated for Cause.

 

8.3                               Term.

 

Each Option granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder shall cease, upon the expiration of ten (10) years from the date of grant, or under such circumstances and on such date prior thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement relating to such Option; provided, however, that in the event that the Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option may not be exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from its date of grant.

 

8.4                               Exercise of Options on Termination of Service.

 

Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Grantee shall have the right to exercise the Option following termination of the Grantee’s Service.  Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of Service.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent required by Applicable Law, each Option shall provide that the Grantee shall have the right to exercise the vested portion of any Option held at termination for at least thirty (30) days following termination of Service with the Company for any reason (other than for Cause), and that the Grantee shall have the right to exercise the Option for at least six (6) months if the Grantee’s Service terminates due to death or Disability.

 

8.5                               Limitations on Exercise of Option.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, in no event may any Option be exercised, in whole or in part, prior to the date the Plan is approved by the stockholders of the Company entitled to vote thereon, or after ten (10) years following the date of grant, or after the occurrence of an event referred to in Section 18 hereof which results in termination of the Option.

 

8.6                               Exercise Procedure.

 

An Option that is exercisable may be exercised by the Grantee’s delivery to the Company of written notice of exercise on any business day, at the Company’s principal office, in the form specified by the Company.  Such notice shall specify the number of shares of Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price of the shares for which the Option is being exercised or election of such other exercise method, if any, provided for in the applicable Award Agreement.  The minimum number of shares of Stock with respect to which an Option may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any time shall be the lesser of (i) one hundred (100) shares or such lesser number set forth in the applicable Award Agreement and (ii) the maximum number of shares available for purchase

 

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under the Option at the time of exercise.  The Option Price shall be payable in a form described in Section 14.

 

8.7                               Right of Holders of Options.

 

Unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, an individual holding or exercising an Option shall have none of the rights of a stockholder of the Company (for example, the right to cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the subject shares of Stock) until the shares of Stock covered thereby are fully paid and issued to such individual.

 

8.8                               Delivery of Stock Certificates.

 

Promptly after the exercise of an Option by a Grantee and the payment in full of the Option Price, such Grantee shall be entitled to the issuance of a stock certificate or certificates evidencing such Grantee’s ownership of the shares of Stock purchased upon such exercise of the Option.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Company may elect to satisfy any requirement under this Plan for the delivery of stock certificates through the use of book-entry.

 

8.9                               Transferability of Options.

 

Except as provided in Section 8.10, during the lifetime of a Grantee, only the Grantee (or, in the event of legal incapacity or incompetency, the Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may exercise an Option.  Except as provided in Section 8.10, no Option shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

 

8.10                        Permitted Transfers.

 

If authorized in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee may transfer, not for value, all or part of an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option to any Permitted Transferee.  For the purpose of this Section 8.10, a “not for value” transfer is a transfer which is (i) a gift, (ii) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights or (iii) unless Applicable Laws do not permit such transfer, a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests are owned by Permitted Transferees (and/or the Grantee) in exchange for an interest in such entity.  Following a transfer under this Section 8.10, any such Option shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to transfer, and shares of Stock acquired pursuant to the Option shall be subject to the same restrictions on transfer of shares as would have applied to the Grantee.  Subsequent transfers of transferred Options are prohibited except to Permitted Transferees of the original Grantee in accordance with this Section 8.10 or by will or the laws of descent and distribution.  The events of termination of Service under an Option shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Grantee, following which the Option shall be exercisable by the transferee only to the extent, and for the periods specified in the applicable Award Agreement, and the shares may be subject to repurchase by the Company or its assignee.

 

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8.11                        Limitations on Incentive Stock Options

 

An Option shall constitute an Incentive Stock Option only (a) if the Grantee of such Option is an employee of the Company or any corporate Subsidiary, (b) to the extent specifically provided in the related Award Agreement, and (c) to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time such Option is granted) of the shares of Stock with respect to which all Incentive Stock Options held by such Grantee become exercisable for the first time during any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Affiliates) does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).  Except to the extent provided in the regulations under Code Section 422, this limitation shall be applied by taking Options into account in the order in which they were granted.

 

8.12                        Notice of Disqualifying Disposition.

 

If any Grantee shall make any disposition of shares of Stock issued pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the circumstances described in Code Section 421(b) (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Grantee shall notify the Company of such disposition within thirty (30) days thereof.

 

9.                                 STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

 

9.1                               Right to Payment and SAR Price.

 

A SAR shall confer on the Grantee to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (a) the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the date of exercise, over (b) the SAR Price as determined by the Committee.  The Award Agreement for a SAR shall specify the SAR Price, which shall be no less than the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the Grant Date of such SAR.  SARs may be granted in tandem with all or part of an Option granted under the Plan or at any subsequent time during the term of such Option, in combination with all or any part of any other Award, or without regard to any Option or other Award; provided that a SAR that is granted in tandem with all or part of an Option shall have the same term, and expire at the same time, as the related Option.

 

9.2                               Other Terms.

 

Subject to Sections 9.3 and 18.3, the Committee shall determine, on the Grant Date or thereafter, the time or times at which, and the circumstances under which, a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future Service requirements); the time or times at which SARs shall cease to be or become exercisable following termination of Service or upon other conditions; the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which shares of Stock shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Grantees, whether or not a SAR shall be granted in tandem or in combination with any other Award; and any and all other terms and conditions of any SAR; provided that no SARs shall be granted to Grantees who are entitled to overtime under Applicable Laws that will vest or be exercisable within a six (6)-month period starting on the Grant Date.

 

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9.3                               Term.

 

Each SAR granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights thereunder shall cease, upon the expiration of ten (10) years from the date of grant, or under such circumstances and on such date prior thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement relating to such SAR.

 

9.4                               Rights of Holders of SARs.

 

Unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee or other Person holding or exercising a SAR shall have none of the rights of a stockholder of the Company (for example, the right to receive cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock underlying such SAR, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock underlying such SAR, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders) until the shares of Stock underlying such SAR, if any, are issued to such Grantee or other Person.  Except as provided in Section 18, no adjustment shall be made for dividends, distributions, or other rights with respect to any shares of Stock underlying a SAR for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance of such shares of Stock, if any.

 

9.5                               Transferability of SARs.

 

Except as provided in Section 9.6, during the lifetime of a Grantee of a SAR, only the Grantee (or, in the event of such Grantee’s legal incapacity or incompetency, such Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may exercise such SAR.  Except as provided in Section 9.6, no SAR shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

 

9.6                               Permitted Transfers.

 

If authorized in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee may transfer, not for value, all or part of SAR to any Permitted Transferee.  For the purpose of this Section 9.6, a “not for value” transfer is a transfer which is (i) a gift, (ii) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights or (iii) unless Applicable Laws do not permit such transfer, a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests are owned by Permitted Transferees (and/or the Grantee) in exchange for an interest in such entity.  Following a transfer under this Section 9.6, any such SAR shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to transfer, and shares of Stock acquired pursuant to the SAR shall be subject to the same restrictions on transfer of shares as would have applied to the Grantee.  Subsequent transfers of transferred SARs are prohibited except to Permitted Transferees of the original Grantee in accordance with this Section 9.6 or by will or the laws of descent and distribution.  The events of termination of Service under a SAR shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Grantee, following which the SAR shall be exercisable by the transferee only to the extent, and for the periods specified in the applicable Award Agreement, and the shares may be subject to repurchase by the Company or its assignee.

 

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10.                          RESTRICTED STOCK, RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS AND DEFERRED STOCK UNITS

 

10.1                        Award of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units.

 

The Committee may from time to time grant Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units to persons eligible to receive Awards under Section 6 hereof, subject to such restrictions, conditions and other terms as the Board may determine.  Awards of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Deferred Stock Units may be made for consideration or for no consideration, other than the par value of the shares of Stock, which shall be deemed paid by past Service or, if so provided in the related Award Agreement or a separate agreement, the promise by the Grantee to perform future Service to the Company or an Affiliate.

 

10.2                        Restrictions.

 

Subject to Sections 18.3 and 19.8, at the time a grant of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, or Deferred Stock Units is made, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, (a) establish a Restricted Period applicable to such Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, or Deferred Stock Units and (b) prescribe restrictions in addition to or other than the expiration of the Restricted Period, including the achievement of corporate or individual performance goals, which may be applicable to all or any portion of such Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, or Deferred Stock Units as provided in Section 13.  Awards of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Deferred Stock Units may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or otherwise encumbered or disposed of during the Restricted Period or prior to the satisfaction of any other restrictions prescribed by the Committee with respect to such Awards.

 

10.3                        Restricted Stock Certificates.

 

The Company shall issue, in the name of each Grantee to whom Restricted Stock has been granted, a stock certificate or stock certificates representing the total number of shares of Restricted Stock granted to such Grantee, as soon as reasonably practicable after the applicable date of grant.  The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement that either (i) the Secretary of the Company shall hold such certificates for the Grantee’s benefit until such time as the Restricted Stock is forfeited to the Company, or the restrictions lapse, or (ii) such certificates shall be delivered to the Grantee; provided, however, that such certificates shall bear a legend or legends that comply with the applicable securities laws and regulations and makes appropriate reference to the restrictions imposed under the Plan and the Award Agreement.

 

10.4                        Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock.

 

Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement and subject to the restrictions set forth in the Plan, any applicable Company program, and the applicable Award Agreement, holders of Restricted Stock shall have the right to vote such shares of Restricted Stock and the right to receive any dividend payments or distributions declared or paid with respect to such shares of Restricted Stock.  The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement evidencing a grant of Restricted Stock that (a) any cash dividend payments or distributions paid on Restricted Stock shall be reinvested in shares of Stock, which may or may not be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such underlying

 

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shares of Restricted Stock or (b) any dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of Restricted Stock shall only be made or paid upon satisfaction of the vesting conditions and restrictions applicable to such shares of Restricted Stock.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, cash dividends declared or paid on shares of Restricted Stock shall not vest or become payable unless and until the shares of Restricted stock to which the dividends apply become vested and nonforfeitable.  All stock dividend payments or distributions, if any, received by a Grantee with respect to shares of Restricted Stock as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, combination of stock, or other similar transaction shall be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such underlying shares of Restricted Stock.

 

10.5                        Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units.

 

Holders of Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units shall have no rights as stockholders of the Company (for example, the right to receive dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock underlying such Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock underlying such Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders).  The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units that the holder thereof shall be entitled to receive Dividend Equivalent Rights with respect to each Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit in accordance with Section 12.1.  A holder of Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units shall have no rights other than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company.  Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units represent unfunded and unsecured obligations of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement.

 

10.6                        Termination of Service.

 

Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, but prior to termination of Grantee’s service, upon the termination of a Grantee’s Service with the Company or an Affiliate, any shares of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be forfeited.  Upon forfeiture of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units the Grantee shall have no further rights with respect to such Award, including, but not limited to, any right to vote such Restricted Stock or any right to receive dividends or Dividend Equivalent Rights, as applicable, with respect to shares of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units.

 

10.7                        Purchase of Restricted Stock and Shares of Stock Subject to Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units.

 

The Grantee of an Award of Restricted Stock, vested Restricted Stock Units or vested Deferred Stock Units shall be required, to the extent required by Applicable Law, to purchase the Restricted Stock or the shares of Stock subject to such vested Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units from the Company at a Purchase Price equal to the greater of (i) the aggregate par value of the shares of Stock represented by such Restricted Stock or such vested Restricted Stock

 

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Units or Deferred Stock Units or (ii) the Purchase Price, if any, specified in the Award Agreement relating to such Restricted Stock or such vested Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units.  The Purchase Price shall be payable in a form described in Section 14 or, in the discretion of the Committee, in consideration for Services rendered or to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company or an Affiliate.

 

10.8                        Delivery of Shares of Stock.

 

Upon the expiration or termination of any Restricted Period and the satisfaction of any other conditions prescribed by the Committee (including, without limitation, any performance goals or delayed delivery period, or the payment of the Purchase Price, if any), the restrictions applicable to shares of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units settled in shares of Stock shall lapse, and, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, a book entry or direct registration (including transaction advices) or a stock certificate for such shares of Stock shall be delivered, free of all such restrictions, to the Grantee or the Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be, upon the surrender of any stock certificate(s) previously issued to such Grantee in respect of such shares, if applicable.  Neither the Grantee, nor the Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, shall have any further rights with regard to a Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit once the shares of Stock represented by such Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit have been delivered in accordance with this Section 10.8.

 

10.9                        Section 83(b) Election.

 

If a Grantee makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code concerning Restricted Stock, the Grantee shall be required to file promptly a copy of such election with the Company.

 

11.                          TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF UNRESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS AND OTHER EQUITY-BASED AWARDS

 

11.1                        Unrestricted Stock Awards.

 

The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant (or sell at the par value of a share of Stock or at such other higher purchase price as shall be determined by the Committee) an Award to any Grantee pursuant to which such Grantee may receive shares of Unrestricted Stock under the Plan.  Awards of Unrestricted Stock may be granted or sold to any Grantee as provided in the immediately preceding sentence in respect of Service rendered or, if so provided in the related Award Agreement or a separate agreement, to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company or an Affiliate or other valid consideration, in lieu of or in addition to any cash compensation due to such Grantee.

 

11.2                        Other Equity-Based Awards.

 

The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant Awards in the form of Other Equity-Based Awards, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan.  Awards granted pursuant to this Section 11.2 may be granted with vesting, value, and/or payment contingent upon the achievement of one or more performance goals.  The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of Other Equity-Based Awards on the Grant Date or

 

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thereafter.  Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, but prior to termination of Grantee’s Service, upon the termination of a Grantee’s Service, any Other Equity-Based Awards held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited.  Upon forfeiture of any Other Equity-Based Award, the Grantee thereof shall have no further rights with respect to such Other Equity-Based Award.

 

12.                          TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS

 

12.1                        Dividend Equivalent Rights.

 

A Dividend Equivalent Right may be granted hereunder, provided that no Dividend Equivalent Rights may be granted in connection with, or related to, an Award of Options or SARs.  The terms and conditions of Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be specified in the Award Agreement therefor.  Dividend equivalents credited to the holder of a Dividend Equivalent Right may be paid currently (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of Stock or Awards, which may thereafter accrue additional Dividend Equivalent Rights (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation).  Any such reinvestment shall be at the Fair Market Value thereof on the date of such reinvestment. Dividend Equivalent Rights may be settled in cash, shares of Stock, or a combination thereof, in a single installment or in multiple installments, all as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.  A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award may (a) provide that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall be settled upon exercise, settlement, or payment of, or lapse of restrictions on, such other Award and that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall expire or be forfeited or annulled under the same conditions as such other Award or (b) contain terms and conditions which are different from the terms and conditions of such other Award, provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, Dividend Equivalent Rights granted as a component of another Award shall not vest or become payable unless and until the Award to which the Dividend Equivalent Rights correspond becomes vested and settled.

 

12.2                        Termination of Service.

 

Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, a Grantee’s rights in all Dividend Equivalent Rights shall automatically terminate upon such Grantee’s termination of Service for any reason.

 

13.                          TERMS AND CONDITIONS PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARD

 

13.1                        Grant of Performance-Based Awards.

 

Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Performance-Based Awards in such amounts and upon such terms as the Committee shall determine.

 

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13.2                        Value of Performance-Based Awards.

 

Each grant of a Performance-Based Award shall have an initial cash value or an actual or target number of shares of Stock that is established by the Committee as of the Grant Date.  The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are achieved, shall determine the value and/or number of shares of Stock subject to a Performance-Based Award that shall be paid out to the Grantee thereof.

 

13.3                        Earnings of Performance-Based Awards.

 

Subject to the terms of the Plan, in particular Section 13.6.3, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the Grantee of a Performance-Based Award shall be entitled to receive a payout of the value earned under such Performance-Based Award by such Grantee over such Performance Period.

 

13.4                        Form and Timing of Payment of Performance-Based Awards.

 

Payment of the value earned under Performance-Based Awards shall be made, as determined by the Committee, in the form, at the time, and in the manner described in the applicable Award Agreement.  Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, (i) may pay the value earned under Performance-Based Awards in the form of cash, shares of Stock, other Awards, or a combination thereof, including shares of Stock and/or Awards that are subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee, and (ii) shall pay the value earned under Performance-Based Awards at the close of the applicable Performance Period, or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Committee has determined that the performance goal or goals relating thereto have been achieved; provided that, unless specifically provided in the Award Agreement for such Performance-Based Awards, such payment shall occur no later than the fifteenth (15th) day of the third (3rd) month following the end of the calendar year in which such Performance Period ends.  The determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payout of such Performance-Based Awards shall be set forth in the Award Agreement therefor.

 

13.5                        Performance Conditions.

 

The right of a Grantee to exercise or to receive a grant or settlement of any Performance-Based Award, and the timing thereof, may be subject to such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee.  The Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance conditions.  If and to the extent required under Code Section 162(m), any power or authority relating to an Award intended to qualify under Code Section 162(m) shall be exercised by the Committee and not by the Board.

 

13.6                        Performance-Based Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees.

 

If and to the extent that the Committee determines that a Performance-Based Award to be granted to a Grantee should constitute Qualified Performance-Based Compensation for purposes of Code Section 162(m), the grant, exercise, and/or settlement of such Performance-Based

 

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Award shall be contingent upon achievement of pre-established performance goals and other terms set forth in this Section 13.6

 

13.6.1              Performance Goals Generally.

 

The performance goals for Performance-Based Awards shall consist of one or more business criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria, as specified by the Committee consistent with this Section 13.6.1.  Performance goals shall be objective and shall otherwise meet the requirements of Code Section 162(m), including the requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result in the achievement of performance goals being “substantially uncertain.”  The Committee may determine that such Awards shall be granted, exercised, and/or settled upon achievement of any single performance goal or of two (2) or more performance goals.  Performance goals may differ for Performance-Based Awards granted to any one Grantee or to different Grantees.

 

13.6.2              Timing For Establishing Performance Goals.

 

Performance goals for any Performance-Based Award shall be established not later than the earlier of (a) ninety (90) days after the beginning of any Performance Period applicable to such Performance-Based Award, and (b) the date on which twenty-five percent (25%) of any Performance Period applicable to such Performance-Based Award has expired, or at such other date as may be required or permitted for compensation payable to a Covered Employee to constitute Performance-Based Compensation.

 

13.6.3              Payment of Awards; Other Terms.

 

Payment of Performance-Based Awards shall be in cash, shares of Stock, other Awards, or a combination thereof, including shares of Stock and/or Awards that are subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee, in each case as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.  The Committee may, in its sole discretion, reduce the amount of a payment otherwise to be made in connection with such Performance-Based Awards.  The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such Performance-Based Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of Service by the Grantee prior to the end of a Performance Period or settlement of such Performance-Based Awards.  In the event payment of the Performance-Based Award is made in the form of another Award subject to Service-based vesting, the Committee shall specify the circumstances in which the payment Award shall be paid or forfeited in the event of a termination of Service.

 

13.6.4              Performance Measures.

 

The performance goals upon which the vesting or payment of a Performance-Based Award to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation may be conditioned shall be limited to the following Performance Measures, with or without adjustment (including pro forma adjustments):

 

(a)                                 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and/or amortization;

 

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(b)                                 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and/or amortization as adjusted to exclude any one or more of the following: (i) stock-based compensation expense, (ii) income from discontinued operations, (iii) gain on cancellation of debt, (iv) debt extinguishment and related costs, (v) restructuring, separation, and/or integration charges and costs, (vi) reorganization and/or recapitalization charges and costs, (vii) impairment charges, (viii) merger-related events, (ix) gain or loss related to investments, (x) sales and use tax settlements, and (xi) gain on non-monetary transactions;

 

(c)                                  price-earnings multiples;

 

(d)                                 revenue;

 

(e)                                  operating income, earnings, or profits;

 

(f)                                   return measures, including return on equity, assets, revenue, capital, capital employed, or investment;

 

(g)                                  pre-tax or after-tax operating income, earnings, or profits;

 

(h)                                 net income;

 

(i)                                     net capital employed;

 

(j)                                    growth in assets;

 

(k)                                 earnings or book value per share;

 

(l)                                     cash flow(s), including (i) operating cash flow, (ii) free cash flow, (iii) levered cash flow, (iv) cash flow return on equity, and (v) cash flow return on investment;

 

(m)                             unit volume;

 

(n)                                 total sales or revenues growth or targets or sales or revenues per employee, product, service, or customer;

 

(o)                                 Stock price, including growth measures and total stockholder return;

 

(p)                                 dividends;

 

(q)                                 strategic business objectives, consisting of one or more objectives based on meeting specified cost targets, business expansion goals, specified research and development program goals, and goals relating to acquisitions or divestitures or any combination thereof. Each goal may be expressed on an absolute and/or relative basis, may be based on or otherwise employ comparisons based on internal targets, the past performance of the Company and/or the past or current performance of other companies, and in the case of earnings-based measures, may

 

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use or employ comparisons relating to capital, stockholders’ equity and/or shares outstanding, or to assets or net assets;

 

(r)                                    gross or operating margins;

 

(s)                                   number of days sales outstanding in accounts receivable, and number of days of cost of sales in inventory;

 

(t)                                    productivity ratios;

 

(u)                                 costs, reductions in cost, and cost control measures;

 

(v)                                 debt reduction;

 

(w)                               relative performance to a comparison group designated by the Committee;

 

(x)                                 expense targets;

 

(y)                                 market or market segment share, penetration or capitalization;

 

(z)                                  financial ratios as provided in credit agreements of the Company and its subsidiaries;

 

(aa)                          working capital targets;

 

(bb)                          regulatory achievements or compliance;

 

(cc)                            human resource programs, customer programs, and customer satisfaction measurements;

 

(dd)                          customer growth and geographic business expansion goals;

 

(ee)                            quality improvements, cycle time reductions, and manufacturing improvements and/or efficiencies;

 

(ff)                              execution of contractual arrangements or satisfaction of contractual requirements or milestones;

 

(gg)                            product development achievements, including new product releases;

 

(hh)                          the achievement of research and development, or other strategic, milestones;

 

(ii)                                  litigation resolution;

 

(jj)                                licensing and partnership arrangements;

 

(kk)                          submission to, or approval by, a regulatory body (including, but not limited to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) of an applicable filing or a product;

 

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(ll)                                  the achievement of, or progress toward, a launch of one or more new drug(s);

 

(mm)                  payor coverage;

 

(nn)                          clinical achievements (including initiating clinical studies; initiating enrollment, completing enrollment or enrolling particular numbers of subjects in clinical studies; completing phases of a clinical study (including the treatment phase); or announcing or presenting preliminary or final data from clinical studies; in each case, whether on particular timelines or generally); and

 

(oo)                          any combination of the foregoing business criteria.

 

The foregoing Performance Measures are not required to be applied uniformly to Participants. Performance under any of the foregoing Performance Measures may be set on a pre-tax or after-tax basis, may be defined by absolute or relative measures, and may be valued on a growth or fixed basis, as applicable.  Performance under any of the foregoing Performance Measures (a) may be used to measure the performance of (i) the Company, its Subsidiaries, and other Affiliates as a whole, (ii) the Company, any Subsidiary, any other Affiliate, or any combination thereof, or (iii) any one or more business units or operating segments of the Company, any Subsidiary, and/or any other Affiliate, in each case as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate and (b) may be compared to the performance of one or more other companies or one or more published or special indices designated or approved by the Committee for such comparison, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.  In addition, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may select performance under the Performance Measure specified in clause (o) above for comparison to performance under one or more stock market indices designated or approved by the Committee. The Committee shall also have the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Performance-Based Award based on the achievement of performance goals pursuant to the Performance Measures specified in this Section 13.

 

13.6.5              Evaluation of Performance.

 

The Committee may provide in any Performance-Based Award that any evaluation of performance may include or exclude any of the following events that occur during a Performance Period: (a) asset write-downs; (b) litigation or claims, judgments, or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, or other laws or provisions affecting reported results; (d) any reorganization or restructuring events or programs; (e) extraordinary, non-core, non-operating, or non-recurring items and items that are either of an unusual nature or of a type that indicates infrequency of occurrence as a separate component of income from continuing operations; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; (g) foreign exchange gains and losses; (h) impact of shares of Stock purchased through share repurchase programs; (i) tax valuation allowance reversals; (j) impairment expense; and (k) environmental expense.  To the extent such inclusions or exclusions affect Awards to Covered Employees that are intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, such inclusions or exclusions shall be prescribed in a form that meets the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for deductibility.

 

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13.6.6              Adjustment of Performance-Based Compensation.

 

The Committee shall have the sole discretion to adjust Awards that are intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, either on a formula or discretionary basis, or on any combination thereof, as the Committee determines consistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for deductibility.

 

13.6.7              Committee Discretion.

 

In the event that Applicable Laws change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Measures without obtaining stockholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining stockholder approval, provided that the exercise of such discretion shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m).  In addition, in the event that the Committee determines that it is advisable to grant Awards that shall not qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, the Committee may make such grants without satisfying the requirements of Code Section 162(m) and base vesting on Performance Measures other than those set forth in Section 13.6.4.

 

13.6.8              Status of Awards Under Code Section 162(m).

 

It is the intent of the Company that Performance-Based Awards under Section 13.6 granted to Grantees who are designated by the Committee as likely to be Covered Employees shall, if so designated by the Committee, constitute Qualified Performance-Based Compensation.  Accordingly, the terms of Section 13.6, including the definitions of Covered Employee and other terms used therein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Code Section 162(m).  If any provision of the Plan, the applicable Award Agreement, or any other agreement relating to any such Performance-Based Award does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m), such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Performance-Based Award that is an Award of Options, SARs, or Restricted Stock granted under the Plan and before the end of the reliance period set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.162-27(f)(2), as determined by the Committee, need not be designated by the Committee as constituting Qualified Performance-Based Compensation.

 

14.                          FORMS OF PAYMENT

 

14.1                        General Rule

 

Payment of the Option Price for the shares purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the Purchase Price, if any, for Restricted Stock, vested Restricted Stock Units, and/or vested Deferred Stock Units shall be made in cash or in cash equivalents acceptable to the Company.

 

14.2                        Surrender of Shares of Stock

 

To the extent that the applicable Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if

 

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any, for Restricted Stock, vested Restricted Stock Units, and/or vested Deferred Stock Units may be made all or in part through the tender or attestation to the Company of shares of Stock, which shall be valued, for purposes of determining the extent to which such Option Price or purchase price has been paid thereby, at their Fair Market Value on the date of such tender or attestation.

 

14.3                        Cashless Exercise

 

To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and to the extent the Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option may be made all or in part by delivery (on a form acceptable to the Committee) of an irrevocable direction to a licensed securities broker acceptable to the Company to sell shares of Stock and to deliver all or part of the proceeds of such sale to the Company in payment of such Option Price and/or any withholding taxes described in Section 15.

 

14.4                        Other Forms of Payment

 

To the extent that the applicable Award Agreement so provides and/or unless otherwise specified in an Award Agreement, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock, vested Restricted Stock Units, and/or vested Deferred Stock Units may be made in any other form that is consistent with Applicable Laws, including (a) with respect to Restricted Stock, vested Restricted Stock Units, and/or vested Deferred Stock Units only, Service rendered or to be rendered by the Grantee thereof to the Company or an Affiliate and (b) with the consent of the Company, by withholding the number of shares of Stock that would otherwise vest or be issuable in an amount equal in value to the Option Price or purchase price and/or the required tax withholding amount.

 

15.                          WITHHOLDING TAXES

 

The Company or an Affiliate, as the case may be, shall have the right to deduct from payments of any kind otherwise due to a Grantee any foreign, federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to the vesting of or other lapse of restrictions applicable to an Award or upon the issuance of any shares of Stock or payment of any kind upon the exercise of an Option.  At the time of such vesting, lapse, or exercise, the Grantee shall pay to the Company or the Affiliate, as the case may be, any amount that the Company or the Affiliate may reasonably determine to be necessary to satisfy such withholding obligation.  Subject to the prior approval of the Company or the Affiliate, which may be withheld by the Company or the Affiliate, as the case may be, in its sole discretion, the Grantee may elect to satisfy such obligations, in whole or in part, (i) by causing the Company or the Affiliate to withhold shares of Stock otherwise issuable to the Grantee or (ii) by delivering to the Company or the Affiliate shares of Stock already owned by the Grantee.  The shares of Stock so delivered or withheld shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to such withholding obligations.  The Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock used to satisfy such withholding obligation shall be determined by the Board as of the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined.  A Grantee who has made an election pursuant to this Section 15 may satisfy his or her withholding obligation only with shares of Stock that are not subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting, or other similar requirements.  The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be withheld from any Award

 

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to satisfy any foreign, federal, state, or local tax withholding requirements upon the exercise, vesting, or lapse of restrictions applicable to any Award or payment of shares of Stock pursuant to such Award, as applicable, may not exceed such number of shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum statutory amount (or, if permitted by the Company, such other rate as will not cause adverse accounting consequences and is permitted under applicable IRS withholding rules) required by the Company or the applicable Affiliate to be withheld and paid to any such foreign, federal, state, or local taxing authority with respect to such exercise, vesting, lapse of restrictions, or payment of shares of Stock.

 

16.                          PARACHUTE LIMITATIONS

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan or of any other agreement, contract or understanding heretofore or hereafter entered into by a Grantee with the Company or any Affiliate, except an agreement, contract or understanding that expressly addresses Section 280G or Section 4999 of the Code (an “Other Agreement”), and notwithstanding any formal or informal plan or other arrangement for the direct or indirect provision of compensation to the Grantee (including groups or classes of participants or beneficiaries of which the Grantee is a member), whether or not such compensation is deferred, is in cash, or is in the form of a benefit to or for the Grantee (a “Benefit Arrangement”), if the Grantee is a “disqualified individual,” as defined in Section 280G(c) of the Code, any Awards held by that Grantee and any right to receive any payment or other benefit under this Plan shall not become exercisable or vested (i) to the extent that such right to exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit, taking into account all other rights, payments, or benefits to or for the Grantee under this Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements, would cause any payment or benefit to the Grantee under this Plan to be considered a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code as then in effect (a “Parachute Payment”) and (ii) if, as a result of receiving a Parachute Payment, the aggregate after-tax amounts received by the Grantee from the Company under this Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements would be less than the maximum after-tax amount that could be received by the Grantee without causing any such payment or benefit to be considered a Parachute Payment.  In the event that the receipt of any such right to exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit under this Plan, in conjunction with all other rights, payments, or benefits to or for the Grantee under any Other Agreement or any Benefit Arrangement would cause the Grantee to be considered to have received a Parachute Payment under this Plan that would have the effect of decreasing the after-tax amount received by the Grantee as described in clause (ii) of the preceding sentence, then those rights, payments, or benefits under this Plan, any Other Agreements, and any Benefit Arrangements shall be reduced or eliminated so as to avoid having the payment or benefit to the Grantee under this Plan be deemed to be a Parachute Payment.  The Company shall reduce or eliminate the Parachute Payments by first reducing or eliminating any cash payments benefits (with the payments to be made furthest in the future being reduced first), then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of stock options, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of restricted stock, then by reducing or eliminating any other remaining Parachute Payments.

 

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17.                          REQUIREMENTS OF LAW

 

17.1                        General.

 

The Company shall not be required to offer, sell, or issue any shares of Stock under any Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option, a SAR, or otherwise, if the offer, sale, or issuance of such shares of Stock would constitute a violation by the Grantee, the Company, an Affiliate, or any other Person of any provision of the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or of Applicable Laws, including without limitation any federal or state securities laws or regulations.  If at any time the Company shall determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration, or qualification of any shares of Stock subject to an Award upon any Stock Exchange or Securities Market or under any governmental regulatory body is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the offering, sale, issuance, or purchase of shares of Stock in connection with any Award, no shares of Stock may be offered, sold, or issued to the Grantee or any other Person under such Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option, a SAR, or otherwise, unless such listing, registration, or qualification shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company, and any delay caused thereby shall in no way affect the date of termination of such Award.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the exercise of any Option or any SAR that may be settled in shares of Stock or the delivery of any shares of Stock underlying an Award, unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is in effect with respect to the shares of Stock subject to such Award, the Company shall not be required to offer, sell, or issue such shares of Stock unless the Committee shall have received evidence satisfactory to it that the Grantee or any other Person exercising such Option or SAR or accepting delivery of such shares may acquire such shares of Stock pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act.  Any determination by the Committee in connection with the foregoing shall be final, binding, and conclusive.  The Company may register, but shall in no event be obligated to register, any shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan pursuant to the Securities Act.  The Company shall not be obligated to take any affirmative action in order to cause the exercise of an Option or a SAR or the issuance of shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan or any Award to comply with any Applicable Laws.  As to any jurisdiction that expressly imposes the requirement that an Option or SAR that may be settled in shares of Stock shall not be exercisable until the shares of Stock subject to such Option or SAR are registered under the securities laws thereof or are exempt from such registration, the exercise of such Option or SAR under circumstances in which the laws of such jurisdiction apply shall be deemed conditioned upon the effectiveness of such registration or the availability of such an exemption.

 

17.2                        Rule 16b-3.

 

During any time when the Company has any class of common equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, it is the intention of the Company that Awards pursuant to the Plan and the exercise of Options and SARs granted hereunder that would otherwise be subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act shall qualify for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.  To the extent that any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee does not comply with the requirements of such Rule 16b-3, such provision or action shall be deemed inoperative with respect to such Awards to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and deemed advisable by the Committee and shall not affect the validity of the Plan.  In

 

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the event that such Rule 16b-3 is revised or replaced, the Committee may exercise its discretion to modify the Plan in any respect necessary or advisable in its judgment to satisfy the requirements of, or to permit the Company to avail itself of the benefits of, the revised exemption or its replacement.

 

18.                          EFFECT OF CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION

 

18.1                        Changes in Stock.

 

If the number of outstanding shares of Stock is increased or decreased or the shares of Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number of shares or kind of Capital Stock or other securities of the Company on account of any merger, reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off, combination of stock, exchange of stock, stock dividend or other distribution payable in capital stock, or other increase or decrease in shares of Stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company occurring after the Effective Date, the number and kinds of shares of Capital Stock for which grants of Options and other Awards may be made under the Plan, including the Share Limit set forth in Section 4.1 and the individual share limitations set forth in Section 4.2, shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee. In addition, the number and kind of shares of Capital Stock for which Awards are outstanding shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee so that the proportionate interest of the Grantee therein immediately following such event shall, to the extent practicable, be the same as immediately before such event.  Any such adjustment in outstanding Options or SARs shall not change the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price payable with respect to shares that are subject to the unexercised portion of such outstanding Options or SARs, as applicable, but shall include a corresponding proportionate adjustment in the per share Option Price or SAR Price, as the case may be.  The conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as an increase in shares effected without receipt of consideration.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of any distribution to the Company’s stockholders of securities of any other entity or other assets (including an extraordinary dividend, but excluding a non-extraordinary dividend, declared and paid by the Company) without receipt of consideration by the Company, the Board or the Committee constituted pursuant to Section 3.2 shall, in such manner as the Board or the Committee deems appropriate, adjust (a) the Share limit set forth in Section 4.1 and the individual share limitations set forth in Section 4.2, (b) the number and kind of shares of Capital Stock subject to outstanding Awards and/or (c) the aggregate and per share Option Price of outstanding Options and the aggregate and per share SAR Price of outstanding SARs as required to reflect such distribution.

 

18.2                        Reorganization in Which the Company Is the Surviving Entity and in Which No Change of Control Occurs.

 

Subject to Section 18.3, if the Company shall be the surviving entity in any reorganization, merger, or consolidation of the Company with one or more other entities which does not constitute a Change of Control, any Award theretofore granted pursuant to the Plan shall pertain to and apply to the Capital Stock to which a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Award would have been entitled immediately following such reorganization, merger, or consolidation, with a corresponding proportionate adjustment of the per share Option

 

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Price or SAR Price of any outstanding Option or SAR so that the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price thereafter shall be the same as the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price of the shares of Stock remaining subject to the Option or SAR as in effect immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, or consolidation. Subject to any contrary language in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, any restrictions applicable to such Award shall apply as well to any replacement shares of Capital Stock subject to such Award, or received by the Grantee, as a result of such reorganization, merger, or consolidation.  In the event of any reorganization, merger, or consolidation of the Company referred to in this Section 18.2, Performance-Based Awards shall be adjusted (including any adjustment to the Performance Measures applicable to such Awards deemed appropriate by the Committee) so as to apply to the Capital Stock that a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to the Performance-Based Awards would have been entitled to receive immediately following such reorganization, merger, or consolidation.

 

18.3                        Change of Control in which Awards are not Assumed.

 

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control in which outstanding Awards are not being assumed, continued, or substituted for, the following provisions shall apply to such Award, to the extent not assumed, continued, or substituted for:

 

(a)                                 Immediately prior to the occurrence of such Change of Control, in each case, all outstanding shares of Restricted Stock, and all Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights and Performance-Based Awards shall be deemed to have vested, and all shares of Stock and/or cash subject to such Awards shall be delivered; and either or both of the following two (2) actions shall be taken:

 

(i)                                     At least fifteen (15) days prior to the scheduled consummation of such Change of Control, all Options and SARs outstanding hereunder shall become immediately exercisable and shall remain exercisable for a period of fifteen (15) days.  Any exercise of an Option or SAR during this fifteen (15)-day period shall be conditioned upon the consummation of the applicable Change of Control and shall be effective only immediately before the consummation thereof, and upon consummation of such Change of Control, the Plan and all outstanding but unexercised Options and SARs shall terminate, with or without consideration (including, without limitation, consideration in accordance with clause (ii) below) as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.  The Committee shall send notice of an event that shall result in such a termination to all Persons who hold Options and SARs not later than the time at which the Company gives notice thereof to its stockholders.

 

and/or

 

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(ii)                                  The Committee may elect, in its sole discretion, to cancel any outstanding Awards of Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights and/or Performance-Based Awards and pay or deliver, or cause to be paid or delivered, to the holder thereof an amount in cash or Capital Stock having a value (as determined by the Committee acting in good faith), in the case of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, and Dividend Equivalent Rights (for shares of Stock subject thereto), equal to the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of Stock pursuant to such Change of Control and, in the case of Options or SARs, equal to the product of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Options or SARs multiplied by the amount, if any, by which (x) the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of Stock pursuant to such transaction exceeds (y) the Option Price or SAR Price applicable to such Options or SARs.  For the avoidance of doubt, if the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of Stock pursuant to such transaction is equal to or less than the Option Price or SAR Price applicable to a given Option or SAR, then such Option or SAR may be cancelled without payment therefore.

 

(b)                                 Other Equity-Based Awards shall be governed by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.

 

18.4                        Change of Control in Which Awards are Assumed.

 

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control in which outstanding Awards are being assumed, continued, or substituted for, the following provisions shall apply to such Award, to the extent assumed, continued, or substituted for:

 

(a)                                 The Plan and the Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards granted under the Plan shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided in the event of any Change of Control to the extent that provision is made in writing in connection with such Change of Control for the assumption or continuation of such Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards, or for the substitution for such Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards of new stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, dividend equivalent rights, and other equity-based awards relating to the Capital Stock of a successor entity, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number of shares (disregarding any consideration that is not common stock) and exercise prices of options and stock appreciation rights.

 

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(b)                                 In the event a Grantee’s Award is assumed, continued, or substituted upon the consummation of any Change of Control and the Service of such Grantee with the Company or an Affiliate is terminated without Cause within one (1) year (or such longer or shorter period as may be determined by the Committee) following the consummation of such Change of Control, such Award shall be fully vested and may be exercised in full, to the extent applicable, beginning on the date of such termination and for the one (1)-year period (or such longer or shorter period as may be determined by the Committee) immediately following such termination.

 

18.5                        Adjustments.

 

Adjustments under Section 18 related to shares of Stock or Capital Stock of the Company shall be made by the Committee, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and conclusive.  No fractional shares or other securities shall be issued pursuant to any such adjustment, and any fractions resulting from any such adjustment shall be eliminated in each case by rounding downward to the nearest whole share.  The Committee may provide in Award Agreements at the time of grant, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing at any time thereafter with the consent of the Grantee, for different provisions to apply to an Award in place of those described in Sections 18.1-18.4.

 

18.6                        No Limitations on Company.

 

The making of Awards pursuant to the Plan shall not affect or limit in any way the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, reorganizations, or changes of its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, or liquidate, or to sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.

 

19.                          GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

19.1                        Disclaimer of Rights.

 

No provision in the Plan or in any Award or Award Agreement shall be construed to confer upon any individual the right to remain in the employ or service of the Company or any Affiliate, or to interfere in any way with any contractual or other right or authority of the Company either to increase or decrease the compensation or other payments to any individual at any time, or to terminate any employment or other relationship between any individual and the Company or any Affiliate.  The obligation of the Company to pay any benefits pursuant to this Plan shall be interpreted as a contractual obligation to pay only those amounts described herein, in the manner and under the conditions prescribed herein.  The Plan shall in no way be interpreted to require the Company to transfer any amounts to a third party trustee or otherwise hold any amounts in trust or escrow for payment to any participant or beneficiary under the terms of the Plan.

 

19.2                        Nonexclusivity of the Plan.

 

Neither the adoption of the Plan nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company entitled to vote thereon for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations upon the right and authority of the Board to adopt such other incentive compensation

 

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arrangements (which arrangements may be applicable either generally to a class or classes of individuals or specifically to a particular individual or particular individuals) as the Board in its discretion determines desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options otherwise than under the Plan.

 

19.3                        Captions and Headings.

 

The use of captions and headings in this Plan or any Award Agreement is for the convenience of reference only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision hereof or thereof.

 

19.4                        Other Award Agreement Provisions.

 

Each Award under the Plan may contain such other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion.

 

19.5                        Number and Gender.

 

With respect to words used in this Plan, the singular form shall include the plural form, the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, etc., as the context requires.

 

19.6                        Severability.

 

If any provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement shall be determined to be illegal or unenforceable by any court of law in any jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof and thereof shall be severable and enforceable in accordance with their terms, and all provisions shall remain enforceable in any other jurisdiction.

 

19.7                        Governing Law.

 

The validity and construction of this Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards awarded hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware other than any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of this Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards awarded hereunder to the substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.

 

19.8                        Code Section 409A.

 

The Board intends to comply with Section 409A of the Code, or an exemption to Section 409A of the Code, with regard to Awards hereunder that constitute nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.  To the extent that the Board determines that a Grantee would be subject to the additional twenty percent (20%) tax imposed on certain nonqualified deferred compensation plans pursuant to Section 409A of the Code as a result of any provision of any Award granted under this Plan, such provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to avoid application of such additional tax.  The nature of any such amendment shall be determined by the Board.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Board nor the Company has any obligation to take any action to prevent the assessment of any tax on any Person with respect to any Award under Section 409A of the

 

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Code or Section 457A of the Code or otherwise and none of the Company, any of its Affiliates, or any of their employees or representatives shall have any liability to any Person with respect thereto.

 

A termination of service shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits that are considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A upon or following a termination of service, unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the payment thereof prior to a “separation from service” would violate Section 409A of the Code.  For purposes of any such provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement relating to any such payments or benefits, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment,” “termination of service,” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.”

 

Notwithstanding any contrary provision in this Plan or any Award Agreement, any payment(s) of nonqualified deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) that are required to be made under this Plan to a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A of the Code) as a result of his or her separation from service (other than a payment that is not subject to Section 409A of the Code) shall be delayed for the first six months following such separation from service (or, if earlier, until the date of death of the specified employee) and shall instead be paid on the day that immediately follows the end of such six-month period or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter.  Any remaining payments of nonqualified deferred compensation shall be paid without delay and at the time or times such payments are scheduled to be made.

 

Furthermore, notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, in the case of an Award that is characterized as deferred compensation under Code Section 409A, and pursuant to which settlement and delivery of the cash or shares of Stock subject to the Award is triggered based on a Change of Control, in no event shall a Change of Control be deemed to have occurred for purposes of such settlement and delivery of cash or shares of Stock if the transaction is not also a “change in the ownership or effective control of” the Company or “a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of” the Company as determined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).  If an Award characterized as deferred compensation under Code Section 409A is not settled and delivered on account of the provision of the preceding sentence, the settlement and delivery shall occur on the next succeeding settlement and delivery triggering event that is a permissible triggering event under Code Section 409A.  No provision of this paragraph shall in any way affect the determination of a Change of Control for purposes of vesting in an Award that is characterized as deferred compensation under Code Section 409A.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

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Exhibit 10.18

 


 

OPTINOSE, INC.

 

2017 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

 


 



 

OPTINOSE, INC.

2017 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

 

1.                                      PURPOSE AND INTERPRETATION

 

(a)                                 The purpose of the OptiNose, Inc. 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan is to encourage and to enable Eligible Employees of the Company and its Participating Affiliates, through after-tax payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions, to acquire proprietary interests in the Company through the purchase and ownership of shares of Stock.  The Plan is intended to benefit the Company and its stockholders (a) by incentivizing Participants to contribute to the success of the Company and to operate and manage the Company’s business in a manner that will provide for the Company’s long-term growth and profitability and that will benefit its stockholders and other important stakeholders and (b) by encouraging Participants to remain in the employ of the Company or its Participating Affiliates. The Plan was adopted by the Board on September 19, 2017, and was approved by the Company’s stockholders on October 2, 2017.

 

(b)                                 The Plan and the Options granted under the Plan are intended to satisfy the requirements for an “employee stock purchase plan” under Code Section 423.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no undertaking to, nor representation that it will, maintain the qualified status of the Plan or any Options granted under the Plan.  In addition, Options that do not satisfy the requirements for an “employee stock purchase plan” under Code Section 423 may be granted under the Plan pursuant to the rules, procedures, or sub-plans adopted by the Administrator, in its sole discretion, for certain Eligible Employees.

 

2.                                      DEFINITIONS

 

(a)                                 Account” shall mean a bookkeeping account established and maintained to record the amount of funds accumulated pursuant to the Plan with respect to a Participant for the purpose of purchasing shares of Stock under the Plan.

 

(b)                                 Administrator” shall mean the Board, the Compensation Committee of the Board, or any other committee of the Board designated by the Board.

 

(c)                                  Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(d)                                 Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto.  References in the Plan to any Code Section shall be deemed to include, as applicable, regulations and guidance promulgated under such Code Section.

 

(e)                                  Company” shall mean OptiNose, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto.

 

(f)                                   Custodian” shall mean the third-party administrator designated by the Administrator from time to time.

 

(g)                                  Effective Date” shall mean the date on which the Registration Statement covering the initial public offering of Stock is declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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(h)                                 Eligible Compensation” shall mean, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, all compensation reportable on Form W-2, including, without limitation, base straight time gross earnings, commissions, payments for overtime, shift premiums, incentive compensation, and bonuses, plus any amounts contributed by the Participant pursuant to a salary reduction agreement to a qualified deferred compensation plan described in Section 401(k) of the Code or a cafeteria plan described in Section 125 of the Code maintained by the Company or a Participating Affiliate, but excluding non-cash fringe benefits, expense reimbursements, income realized as a result of participation in any stock option, stock purchase or similar plan, contributions by the Company or a Participating Affiliate to a qualified deferred compensation plan and severance.

 

(i)                                     Eligible Employee” shall mean a natural person who has been an employee (including an officer) of the Company or a Participating Affiliate for at least one (1) month as of an Offering Date, except the following, who shall not be eligible to participate under the Plan: (i) an employee whose customary employment is twenty (20) hours or less per week, (ii) an employee whose customary employment is for not more than five (5) months in any calendar year, (iii) an employee who, after exercising his or her rights to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan, would own (directly or by attribution pursuant to Code Section 424(d)) shares of Stock (including shares that may be acquired under any outstanding Options) representing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, (iv) an employee who is a citizen or resident of a foreign jurisdiction (without regard to whether such employee is also a U.S. citizen or resident alien), if the grant of an Option under the Plan or an Offering Period to such employee is prohibited under the laws of such foreign jurisdiction or compliance with the laws of such foreign jurisdiction would cause the Plan or an Offering Period to violate the requirements of Code Section 423 and (v) any other natural person whom the Administrator determines to exclude from an offering designated to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 423 provided such exclusion is permitted by Code Section 423 and the guidance issued thereunder.   The Administrator may, at any time in its sole discretion, if it deems it advisable to do so, exclude the participation of the employees of a particular Participating Affiliate from eligibility to participate in a future Offering Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of a Non-423(b) Offering under the Plan, if any, the Administrator shall have the authority, in its sole discretion, to establish a different definition of Eligible Employee as it may deem advisable or necessary.

 

(j)                                    Enrollment Form” shall mean the agreement(s) between the Company and an Eligible Employee, in such written, electronic, or other format and/or pursuant to such written, electronic, or other process as may be established by the Administrator from time to time, pursuant to which an Eligible Employee elects to participate in the Plan or to which a Participant elects to make changes with respect to the Participant’s participation as permitted by the Plan.

 

(k)                                 Enrollment Period” shall mean that period of time prescribed by the Administrator, which period shall conclude prior to the Offering Date, during which Eligible Employees may elect to participate in an Offering Period.  The duration and timing of Enrollment Periods may be changed or modified by the Administrator from time to time.

 

(l)                                     Fair Market Value” shall mean the value of each share of Stock subject to the Plan on a given date determined as follows: (i) if on such date the shares of Stock are listed on an established national or regional stock exchange or are publicly traded on an established securities market, the Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock shall be the closing price of the shares of Stock on such exchange or in such market (the exchange or market selected by the Administrator if there is more than one such exchange or market) on such date or, if such date is not a Trading Day, on the Trading Day immediately preceding such date, or, if no sale of the shares of Stock is reported for such Trading Day, on the next

 

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preceding day on which any sale shall have been reported; or (ii) if the shares of Stock are not listed on such an exchange or traded on such a market, the Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock shall be determined by the Administrator in good faith.

 

(m)                             Holding Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10(c)(i).

 

(n)                                 Non-423(b) Offering” shall mean the rules, procedures, or sub-plans, if any, adopted by the Administrator, in its sole discretion, as a part of the Plan, pursuant to which Options that do not satisfy the requirements for “employee stock purchase plans” that are set forth under Code Section 423 may be granted to Eligible Employees as a separate offering under the Plan.

 

(o)                                 Offering Date” shall mean the first day of any Offering Period under the Plan.

 

(p)                                 Offering Period” shall mean the period determined by the Administrator pursuant to Section 7, which period shall not exceed twenty-seven (27) months, during which payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions are accumulated for the purpose of purchasing Stock under the Plan.

 

(q)                                 Option” shall mean the right granted to Participants to purchase shares of Stock pursuant to an offering under the Plan.

 

(r)                                    Outstanding Election” shall mean a Participant’s then-current election to purchase shares of Stock in an Offering Period, or that part of such an election which has not been cancelled (including any voluntary cancellation under Section 5 and deemed cancellation under Section 11) prior to the close of business on the last Trading Day of the Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period) or such other date as determined by the Administrator.

 

(s)                                   Participating Affiliate” shall mean any Subsidiary designated by the Administrator from time to time, in its sole discretion, whose employees may participate in the Plan or in a specific Offering Period under the Plan, if such employees otherwise qualify as Eligible Employees.

 

(t)                                    Participant” shall mean an Eligible Employee who has elected to participate in the Plan pursuant to Section 5.

 

(u)                                 Plan” shall mean this OptiNose, Inc. 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

(v)                                 Purchase Period” shall mean the period during an Offering Period designated by the Administrator on the last Trading Day of which purchases of Stock are made under the Plan.  An Offering Period may have one or more Purchase Periods.

 

(w)                               Purchase Price” shall mean the purchase price at which shares of Stock may be purchased under the Plan, which shall be set by the Administrator from time to time; provided, however, that except as set forth in Section 7(b) of the Plan, the Purchase Price shall not be less than the lesser of eighty-five percent (85%) of the average of the high and low sales price of the Stock on the NASDAQ Global Market (or any other national securities exchange on which the Stock is listed) on the Offering Date or the last Trading Day of the Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, on the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period).

 

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(x)                                 Stock” shall mean the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company, or any security into which shares of Stock may be changed or for which shares of Stock may be exchanged as provided in Section 12.

 

(y)                                 Subsidiary” shall mean any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.  A corporation that attains the status of a Subsidiary on a date after the Effective Date shall be considered a Subsidiary commencing as of such date.

 

(z)                                  Termination of Employment” shall mean, with respect to a Participant, a cessation of the employee-employer relationship between the Participant and the Company or a Participating Affiliate for any reason,

 

(i)                                     including, without limitation, (A) a termination by resignation, discharge, death, disability, retirement, or the disaffiliation of a Subsidiary, (B) unless otherwise determined or provided by the Administrator, a transfer of employment to a Subsidiary that is not a Participating Affiliate as of the first day immediately following the expiration of the then-current Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the then-current Purchase Period), and (C) a termination of employment where the individual continues to provide certain services to the Company or a Subsidiary in a non-employee role, but

 

(ii)                                  excluding (A) such termination of employment where there is a simultaneous reemployment of the Participant by the Company or a Participating Affiliate and (B) any bona fide and Company-approved or Participating Affiliate-approved leave of absence, such as family leave, medical leave, personal leave, and military leave, or such other leave that meets the requirements of Treasury Regulations section 1.421-1(h)(2); provided, however, where the period of leave exceeds three (3) months and the employee’s right to reemployment is not guaranteed either by statute or by contract, the employee-employer relationship will be deemed to have terminated on the first day immediately following such three (3)-month period.

 

(aa)                          Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the NASDAQ Global Market (or any other national securities exchange on which the Stock is listed) is open for trading.

 

3.                                      SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

(a)                                 Share Reserve.  Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 12, the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be issued pursuant to Options granted under the Plan (including any Non-423(b) Offering established hereunder) is One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand Three Hundred Ninety Five (144,395) shares.  In addition, the number of shares of Stock that may be issued pursuant to Options granted under the Plan shall automatically increase on January 1st of each year, commencing on January 1, 2018 and continuing until the expiration of the Plan, in an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the total number of shares of Stock outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may act prior to the first day of any calendar year to provide that there shall be no increase in the share reserve for such calendar year or that the increase in the share reserve for such calendar year shall be a lesser number of shares of Stock than would otherwise occur pursuant to the preceding sentence.  The shares of Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan may be authorized but unissued shares, treasury shares, or shares purchased on the open market.

 

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(b)                                 Participation Adjustment as a Result of the Share Reserve.  If the Administrator determines that the total number of shares of Stock remaining available under the Plan is insufficient to permit the number of shares of Stock to be purchased by all Participants on the last Trading Day of an Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, on the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period) pursuant to Section 9, the Administrator shall make a participation adjustment, where the number of shares of Stock purchasable by all Participants shall be reduced proportionately in as uniform and equitable a manner as is reasonably practicable, as determined in the Administrator’s sole discretion.  After such adjustment, the Administrator shall refund in cash all affected Participants’ Account balances for such Offering Period as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

(c)                                  Applicable Law Limitations on the Share Reserve.  If the Administrator determines that some or all of the shares of Stock to be purchased by Participants on the last Trading Day of an Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period) would not be issued in accordance with applicable laws or any approval by any regulatory body as may be required or the shares of Stock would not be issued pursuant to an effective Form S-8 registration statement or that the issuance of some or all of such shares of Stock pursuant to a Form S-8 registration statement is not advisable due to the risk that such issuance will violate applicable laws, the Administrator may, without Participants’ consent, terminate any outstanding Offering Period and the Options granted thereunder and refund in cash all affected Participants’ Account balances for such Offering Period as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

4.                                      ADMINISTRATION

 

(a)                                 Generally.  The Plan shall be administered under the direction of the Administrator.  Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, the Administrator shall have full authority, in its sole discretion, to take any actions it deems necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan, including, without limitation:

 

(i)                                     Interpreting and construing the Plan and Options granted under the Plan and the rules and regulations thereunder; prescribing, adopting, amending, suspending, waiving, and rescinding such rules and regulations as it deems appropriate to administer and implement the Plan, including amending any outstanding Option, as it may deem advisable or necessary to comply with applicable laws; correcting any defect or supplying any omission or reconciling any inconsistency in the Plan or Options granted under the Plan or any Enrollment Form; and making all other decisions and determinations necessary and advisable in administering the Plan, including, without limitation:

 

(ii)                                  Making determinations relating to eligibility;

 

(iii)                               Determining the Purchase Price;

 

(iv)                              Establishing the timing and length of Offering Periods and Purchase Periods;

 

(v)                                 Establishing minimum and maximum contribution rates;

 

(vi)                              Establishing new or changing existing limits on the number of shares of Stock a Participant may elect to purchase with respect to any Offering Period, if such limits are announced prior to the first Offering Period to be affected;

 

(vii)                           Adopting such rules, procedures, or sub-plans as may be deemed advisable or necessary to comply with the laws of countries other than the United States, to allow for tax-preferred

 

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treatment of the Options or otherwise to provide for the participation by Eligible Employees who reside outside of the United States, including determining which Eligible Employees are eligible to participate in the Non-423(b) Offering or other sub-plans established by the Administrator;

 

(viii)                        Establishing the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld in a currency other than U.S. dollars and permitting payroll withholding in excess of the amount designated by a Participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the processing of properly completed Enrollment Forms; and

 

(ix)                              Furnishing to the Custodian such information as the Custodian may require.

 

The Administrator’s determinations under the Plan shall be final, binding, and conclusive upon all persons.

 

(b)                                 Custodian.  If the Administrator designates a Custodian for the Plan, the Custodian shall act as custodian under the Plan and shall perform such duties as requested by the Administrator in accordance with any agreement between the Company and the Custodian.  The Custodian shall establish and maintain, as agent for each Participant, an Account and any subaccounts as may be necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.

 

(c)                                  Other Administrative Provisions. The Company will furnish information to the Custodian from its records as directed by the Administrator, and such records will be conclusive on all persons unless determined by the Administrator to be incorrect.  Each Participant and other person claiming benefits under the Plan must furnish to the Company in writing an up-to-date mailing address and any other information as the Administrator or Custodian may reasonably request.  The Plan will be administered on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis, and Plan provisions and rules thereunder will apply in a uniform manner to all persons similarly situated.

 

(d)                                 No Liability.  Neither the Board, the Compensation Committee of the Board, any other committee of the Board, the Administrator or the Custodian, nor any of their agents or designees, shall be liable to any person (i) for any act, failure to act, or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or Options granted under the Plan or (ii) for any tax (including any interest and penalties) by reason of the failure of the Plan, an Option, or an Offering Period to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 423, the failure of the Participant to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 423, or otherwise asserted with respect to the Plan, Options granted under the Plan, or shares of Stock purchased or deemed purchased under the Plan.

 

5.                                      PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN IN AN OFFERING PERIOD

 

(a)                                 Generally.  An Eligible Employee may become a Participant for an Offering Period under the Plan by completing the prescribed Enrollment Form and submitting such Enrollment Form to the Company (or the Company’s designee), in the format and pursuant to the process as prescribed by the Administrator, during the Enrollment Period prior to the commencement of the Offering Period to which it relates.  If properly completed and timely submitted, the Enrollment Form will become effective for the first Offering Period following submission of the Enrollment Form and all subsequent Offering Periods as provided by Section 5(b) until (i) it is terminated in accordance with Section 11, (ii) it is modified by filing another Enrollment Form in accordance with this Section 5(a) (including an election is made to cease payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions in accordance with Section 6(c)), or (iii) the Participant is otherwise ineligible to participate in the Plan or in a subsequent Offering Period.

 

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(b)                                 Automatic Re-Enrollment.  Following the end of each Offering Period, each Participant shall automatically be re-enrolled in the next Offering Period at the applicable rate of payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions in effect on the last Trading Day of the prior Offering Period or otherwise as provided under Section 6, unless (i) the Participant has experienced a Termination of Employment, or (ii) the Participant is otherwise ineligible to participate in the Plan or in the next Offering Period.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator may require current Participants to complete and submit a new Enrollment Form at any time it deems necessary or desirable to facilitate Plan administration or for any other reason.

 

6.                                      PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS OR PERIODIC CASH CONTRIBUTIONS

 

(a)                                 Generally.  Each Participant’s Enrollment Form shall contain a payroll deduction authorization pursuant to which he or she shall elect to have a designated whole percentage of Eligible Compensation between one percent (1%) and fifteen percent (15%) deducted, on an after-tax basis, on each payday during the Offering Period and credited to the Participant’s Account for the purchase of shares of Stock pursuant to the offering.  The Administrator shall also have the authority, but not the obligation, to permit a Participant to elect to make periodic cash contributions, in lieu of payroll deductions, for the purchase of shares of Stock pursuant to the offering.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if local law prohibits payroll deductions, a Participant may elect to participate in an Offering Period through contributions to his or her Account in a format and pursuant to a process acceptable to the Administrator.  In such event, any such Participant shall be deemed to participate in a separate offering under the Plan, unless the Administrator otherwise expressly provides.

 

(b)                                 Insufficiency of Contributions.  Subject to Section 6(e), if in any payroll period a Participant has no pay or his or her pay is insufficient (after other authorized deductions) to permit deduction of the full amount of his or her payroll deduction election, then (i) the payroll deduction election for such payroll period shall be reduced to the amount of pay remaining, if any, after all other authorized deductions, and (ii) the percentage or dollar amount of Eligible Compensation shall be deemed to have been reduced by the amount of the reduction in the payroll deduction election for such payroll period.  Deductions of the full amount originally elected by the Participant will recommence as soon as his or her pay is sufficient to permit such payroll deductions; provided, however, no additional amounts shall be deducted to satisfy the Outstanding Election.  If the Administrator authorizes a Participant to elect to make periodic cash contributions in lieu of payroll deductions, the failure of a Participant to make any such contributions shall reduce, to the extent of the deficiency in such payments, the number of shares purchasable under the Plan by the Participant.

 

(c)                                  Cessation after Offering Date.  A Participant may cease his or her payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions during an Offering Period by properly completing and timely submitting a new Enrollment Form to the Company (or the Company’s designee), in the format and pursuant to the process as prescribed by the Administrator, at any time prior to the last day of such Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last day of such Purchase Period). Any such cessation in payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions shall be effective as soon as administratively practicable thereafter and shall remain in effect for successive Offering Periods as provided in Section 5(b) unless the Participant submits a new Enrollment Form for a later Offering Period in accordance with Section 5(a).  A Participant may only increase his or her rate of payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions in accordance with Section 6(d).

 

(d)                                 Modification Prior to Offering Date.  A Participant may increase or decrease his or her rate of payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions, to take effect on the Offering Date of the

 

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Offering Period following submission of the Enrollment Form, by properly completing and timely submitting a new Enrollment Form in accordance with Section 5(a).

 

(e)                                  Authorized Leave or Disability after Offering Date.  Subject to Section 11, if a Participant is absent from work due to an authorized leave of absence or disability (and has not experienced a Termination of Employment), such Participant shall have the right to elect (i) to remain a Participant in the Plan for the then-current Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the then-current Purchase Period) but to cease his or her payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions in accordance with Section 6(c), or (ii) to remain a Participant in the Plan for the then-current Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the then-current Purchase Period) but to authorize payroll deductions to be made from payments made by the Company or a Participating Affiliate to the Participant during such leave of absence or disability and to undertake to make additional cash payments to the Plan at the end of each payroll period during the Offering Period to the extent that the payroll deductions from payments made by the Company or a Participating Affiliate to such Participant are insufficient to meet such Participant’s Outstanding Election.  Neither the Company nor a Participating Affiliate shall advance funds to a Participant if the Participant’s payroll deductions and additional cash payments during the Participant’s leave of absence or disability are insufficient to fund the Participant’s Account at his or her Outstanding Election.

 

7.                                      OFFERING PERIODS AND PURCHASE PERIODS; PURCHASE PRICE

 

(a)                                 The Administrator shall determine from time to time, in its sole discretion, the Offering Periods and Purchase Periods under the Plan.  Each Offering Period shall consist of one or more Purchase Periods, as determined by the Administrator.

 

(b)                                 The Administrator shall determine from time to time, in its sole discretion, the Purchase Price of each share of Stock for an Offering Period.  Unless otherwise established by the Administrator prior to the start of an Offering Period, the Purchase Price shall be the lesser of eighty-five percent (85%) of the average of the high and low sales price of the Stock on the NASDAQ Global Market (or any other national securities exchange on which the Stock is listed) on the Offering Date or the last Trading Day of the Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, on the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period); provided, however, that for the first Offering Period which shall commence on the Effective Date, the Purchase Price shall be eighty-five percent (85%) of the lesser of (i) the public offering price as specified in the final prospectus for the Company’s initial public offering and (ii) the average of the high and low sales price of the Stock on the NASDAQ Global Market (or any other national securities exchange on which the Stock is listed) on the last Trading Day of such Offering Period (or if such Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, on the last Trading Day of the applicable Purchase Period).

 

8.                                      GRANT OF OPTION

 

(a)                                 Grant of Option.  On each Offering Date, each Participant in such Offering Period shall automatically be granted an Option to purchase as many whole shares of Stock as the Participant will be able to purchase with the payroll deductions or periodic cash contributions credited to the Participant’s Account during the applicable Offering Period.

 

(b)                                 5% Owner Limit.  Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, no Participant shall be granted an Option to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan if such Participant (or any other person whose Stock would be attributed to such Participant pursuant to Code Section 424(d)), immediately after such Option is granted, would own or hold Options to purchase shares of Stock

 

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possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(c)                                  Other Limitation.  The Administrator may determine, as to any Offering Period, that the offering shall not be extended to “highly compensated employees” within the meaning of Code Section 414(q).

 

9.                                      PURCHASE OF SHARES OF STOCK; PURCHASE LIMITATIONS

 

(a)                                 Purchase.  Unless the Participant’s participation in the Plan has otherwise been terminated as provided in Section 11, such Participant will be deemed to have automatically exercised his or her Option to purchase Stock on the last Trading Day of the Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period) for the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be purchased at the Purchase Price with the Participant’s Account balance at that time; provided, however, the number of shares of Stock purchased is subject to adjustment by Section 3, this Section 9, and Section 12.  The Administrator shall cause the amount credited to each Participant’s Account to be applied to such purchase, and the amount applied to purchase shares of Stock pursuant to an Option shall be deducted from the applicable Participant’s Account. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to the first Offering Period which shall commence as of the Effective Date, the exercise of each Option shall be conditioned on the closing of the Company’s initial public offering on or before the last Trading Day of such Offering Period (or if such Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the applicable Purchase Period). In the event (i) the Company’s initial public offering does not close on or before the last Trading Day of such Offering Period (or if such Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the applicable Purchase Period) or (ii) the Administrator terminates the Plan prior to the closing of the Company’s initial public offering, then each Participant’s outstanding Options to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan shall automatically terminate, and the Administrator shall refund in cash the Participant’s Account balance as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

(b)                                 Limit on Number of Shares Purchased.  Notwithstanding Section 8(a) or Section 9(a), in no event may a Participant purchase more than Seventy-Two Thousand One Hundred Ninety Seven (72,197) shares of Stock in any one Offering Period; provided, however, that the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, prior to the start of an Offering Period, set a different limit on the number of shares of Stock a Participant may purchase during such Offering Period.

 

(c)                                  Limit on Value of Shares Purchased.  Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, excluding Options granted pursuant to any Non-423(b) Offering, no Participant shall be granted an Option to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan which permits the Participant’s rights to purchase shares under all “employee stock purchase plans” (described in Code Section 423) of the Company and its Subsidiaries to accrue at a rate which exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) of the aggregate Fair Market Value of such shares of Stock (determined at the time such Options are granted) for each calendar year in which such Options are outstanding at any time.

 

(d)                                 No Fractional Shares.  Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, no Participant may exercise an Option to purchase less than one whole share of Stock, certificates representing fractional shares will not be delivered to Participants under any circumstances, and any Option to purchase less than one whole share of Stock shall be automatically terminated on the last Trading Day of the Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the Purchase Period).  Unless the Participant’s participation in the Plan has otherwise

 

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been terminated as provided in Section 11, the portion of a Participant’s Account balance remaining as a result of a Participant’s inability to exercise an Option to purchase less than one whole share of Stock shall be transferred to the Participant’s brokerage account.

 

10.                               STOCK ISSUANCE; STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS; AND SALES OF PLAN SHARES

 

(a)                                 Stock Issuance and Account Statements.  Shares of Stock purchased under the Plan will be held by the Custodian.  The Custodian may hold the shares of Stock purchased under the Plan by book entry or in the form of stock certificates in nominee names and may commingle shares held in its custody in a single account without identification as to individual Participants.  The Company shall cause the Custodian to deliver to each Participant a statement for each Offering Period during which the Participant purchases Stock under the Plan, which statement shall reflect, for each such Participant, (i) the transactions in his or her Account and the date thereof; (ii) the amount of payroll deductions withheld or periodic cash contributions made during the Offering Period; (iii) the number of shares of Stock purchased; (iv) the aggregate Purchase Price of the shares of Stock purchased; (v) the Purchase Price per share; (vi) the brokerage fees and commissions paid (if any); and (vii) the total number of shares of Stock held by the Custodian for the Participant as of the end of the Offering Period.

 

(b)                                 Stockholder Rights.  A Participant shall not be a stockholder or have any rights as a stockholder with respect to shares of Stock subject to the Participant’s Options under the Plan until the shares of Stock are purchased pursuant to the Options and such shares of Stock are transferred into the Participant’s name on the Company’s books and records.  No adjustment will be made for dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to such time.  Following purchase of shares of Stock under the Plan and transfer of such shares of Stock into the Participant’s name on the Company’s books and records, a Participant shall become a stockholder with respect to the shares of Stock purchased during such Offering Period (or, if applicable, Purchase Period) and, except as otherwise provided in Section 10(c), shall thereupon have all dividend, voting, and other ownership rights incident thereto.

 

(c)                                  Sales of Plan Shares.  The Administrator shall have the right to require any or all of the following with respect to shares of Stock purchased under the Plan:

 

(i)                                     that a Participant may not request that all or part of the shares of Stock be reissued in the Participant’s own name and shares be delivered to the Participant until two (2) years (or such shorter period of time as the Administrator may designate) have elapsed since the Offering Date of the Offering Period in which the shares were purchased and one (1) year has elapsed since the day the shares were purchased (the “Holding Period”);

 

(ii)                                  that all sales of shares of Stock during the Holding Period applicable to such purchased shares be performed through a licensed broker acceptable to the Company; and

 

(iii)                               that Participants abstain from selling or otherwise transferring shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the Plan for a period lasting up to two (2) years from the date the shares of Stock were purchased pursuant to the Plan.

 

11.                               DEEMED CANCELLATION OR TERMINATION OF PARTICIPATION

 

(a)                                 Termination of Employment Other than Death.  In the event a Participant who holds outstanding Options to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan experiences a Termination of Employment for any reason other than death prior to the last Trading Day of the Offering Period, the Participant’s outstanding Options to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan shall automatically

 

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terminate, and the Administrator shall refund in cash the Participant’s Account balance as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

(b)                                 Death.  In the event of the death of a Participant while the Participant holds outstanding Options to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan, the legal representatives of such Participant’s estate (or, if the Administrator permits a beneficiary designation, the beneficiary or beneficiaries most recently designated by the Participant prior to his or her death) may, within three (3) months after the Participant’s death (but no later than the last Trading Day of the Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the then-current Purchase Period)) by written notice to the Company (or the Company’s designee), elect one of the following alternatives.  In the event the Participant’s legal representatives (or, if applicable, beneficiary or beneficiaries) fail to deliver such written notice to the Company (or the Company’s designee) within the prescribed period, the alternative in Section 11(b)(ii) shall apply.

 

(i)                                     The Participant’s outstanding Options shall be reduced to the number of shares of Stock that may be purchased, as of the last day of the Offering Period (or if an Offering Period has multiple Purchase Periods, the last Trading Day of the then-current Purchase Period), with the amount then credited to the Participant’s Account; or

 

(ii)                                  The Participant’s Options to purchase shares of Stock under the Plan shall automatically terminate, and the Administrator shall refund in cash, to the Participant’s legal representatives, the Participant’s Account balance as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

(c)                                  Other Termination of Participation.  If a Participant ceases to be eligible to participate in the Plan for any reason, the Administrator shall refund in cash the affected Participant’s Account balance as soon as practicable thereafter.  Once terminated, participation may not be reinstated for the then-current Offering Period, but, if otherwise eligible, the Eligible Employee may elect to participate in a subsequent Offering Period in accordance with Section 5.

 

12.                               CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION

 

(a)                                 Changes in Stock.  If the number of outstanding shares of Stock is increased or decreased or the shares of Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of the Company by reason of any recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off, combination of shares, exchange of shares, stock dividend, or other distribution payable in capital stock, or other increase or decrease in such shares effected without receipt of consideration by the Company occurring after the date of adoption of the Plan by the Board (which was September 19, 2017), the number and kinds of shares that may be purchased under the Plan shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Administrator.  In addition, the number and kind of shares for which Options are outstanding shall be similarly adjusted so that the proportionate interest of a Participant immediately following such event shall, to the extent practicable, be the same as immediately prior to such event.  Any such adjustment in outstanding Options shall not change the aggregate Purchase Price payable by a Participant with respect to shares subject to such Options but shall include a corresponding proportionate adjustment in the Purchase Price per share.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a spin-off that results in no change in the number of outstanding shares of Stock, the Company may, in such manner as the Company deems appropriate, adjust (i) the number and kind of shares for which Options are outstanding under the Plan and (ii) the Purchase Price per share.

 

(b)                                 Reorganization in Which the Company Is the Surviving Corporation.  Subject to Section 12(c), if the Company shall be the surviving corporation in any reorganization, merger, or consolidation

 

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of the Company with one or more other corporations, all outstanding Options under the Plan shall pertain to and apply to the securities to which a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Options would have been entitled immediately following such reorganization, merger, or consolidation, with a corresponding proportionate adjustment of the Purchase Price per share so that the aggregate Purchase Price thereafter shall be the same as the aggregate Purchase Price of the shares subject to such Options immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, or consolidation.

 

(c)                                  Reorganization in Which the Company Is Not the Surviving Corporation, Sale of Assets or Stock, and Other Corporate Transactions.  Upon any dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or upon a merger, consolidation, or reorganization of the Company with one or more other corporations in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, or upon a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to another corporation, or upon any merger or consolidation in which the Company is the surviving corporation that results in any person or entity owning more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, the Plan and all Options outstanding hereunder shall terminate, except to the extent provision is made in writing in connection with such transaction for the continuation of the Plan and/or the assumption of the Options theretofore granted, or for the substitution for such Option of new rights covering the stock of a successor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kinds of shares and purchase prices, in which event the Plan and rights theretofore granted shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided.  In the event of any such termination of the Plan, the Offering Period and the Purchase Period shall be deemed to have ended on the last Trading Day prior to such termination, and in accordance with Section 9, the Options of each Participant then outstanding shall be deemed to be automatically exercised on such last Trading Day.  The Administrator shall send written notice of an event that will result in such a termination to all Participants at least five (5) days prior to the date upon which the Plan will be terminated.

 

(d)                                 Adjustments.  Adjustments under this Section 12 related to stock or securities of the Company shall be made by the Administrator, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding, and conclusive.

 

(e)                                  No Limitations on Company.  The grant of an Option pursuant to the Plan shall not affect or limit in any way the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, reorganizations, or changes of its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve or liquidate, or to sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.

 

13.                               TERM; AMENDMENT, SUSPENSION, AND TERMINATION OF THE PLAN

 

(a)                                 Term.  The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date. The Plan shall, without further action of the Board, terminate on the first to occur of (i) the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the date of adoption of the Plan by the Board (which was September 19, 2017), (ii) the date determined in accordance with Section 12, and (iii) the date determined in accordance with Section 13(b).

 

(b)                                 Amendment, Suspension, and Termination of the Plan.  The Administrator may, at any time and from time to time, amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan or an Offering Period under the Plan; provided, however, that no amendment, suspension, or termination shall, without the consent of the Participant, impair any rights of a Participant that have vested at the time of such amendment, suspension, or termination.  Without approval of the stockholders of the Company, no amendment shall be made increasing the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Section 3 (except as provided in Section 12).

 

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14.                               GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

(a)                                 Withholding of Taxes.  To the extent that a Participant recognizes ordinary income in connection with a sale or other transfer of any shares of Stock purchased under the Plan, the Company may withhold amounts needed to cover such taxes from any payments otherwise due and owing to the Participant or from shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant under the Plan. Any Participant who sells or otherwise transfers shares of Stock purchased under the Plan within two (2) years after the beginning of the Offering Period in which the shares were purchased must, within ten (10) days of such transfer, notify the Company in writing of such transfer.

 

(b)                                 Options Not Transferable or Assignable.  A Participant’s Options under the Plan may not be sold, pledged, assigned, or transferred in any manner, whether voluntarily, by operation of law, or otherwise.  If a Participant sells, pledges, assigns, or transfers his or her Options in violation of this Section 14(a), such Options shall immediately terminate, and the Participant shall immediately receive a refund of the amount then credited to the Participant’s Account.  Any payment of cash or issuance of shares of Stock under the Plan may be made only to the Participant (or, in the event of the Participant’s death, to the Participant’s estate or, if the Administrator permits a beneficiary designation, the beneficiary or beneficiaries most recently designated by the Participant prior to his or her death).  During a Participant’s lifetime, only such Participant may exercise his or her Options under the Plan.

 

(c)                                  No Right to Continued Employment.  Neither the Plan nor any Option to purchase Stock under the Plan confers upon any Eligible Employee or Participant any right to continued employment with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor will a Participant’s participation in the Plan restrict or interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to terminate the Participant’s employment at any time.

 

(d)                                 No Interest on Payments.  No interest shall be paid on sums withheld from a Participant’s pay or otherwise contributed for the purchase of shares of Stock under the Plan unless otherwise determined necessary by the Administrator.

 

(e)                                  Governmental Regulation.  The Company’s obligation to issue, sell, and deliver shares of Stock pursuant to the Plan is subject to such approval of any governmental authority and any national securities exchange or other market quotation system as may be required in connection with the authorization, issuance, or sale of such shares.

 

(f)                                   Rule 16b-3.  Transactions under this Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 or any successor provision under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  If any provision of the Plan or action by the Administrator fails to so comply, it shall be deemed null and void to the extent permitted by applicable law and deemed advisable by the Board.  Moreover, in the event the Plan does not include a provision required by Rule 16b-3 to be stated in the Plan, such provision (other than one relating to eligibility requirements or the price and amount of awards) shall be deemed automatically to be incorporated by reference into the Plan.

 

(g)                                  Payment of Plan Expenses.  The Company shall bear all costs of administering and carrying out the Plan.

 

(h)                                 Application of Funds.  All funds received or held by the Company under the Plan may be used for any corporate purpose until applied to the purchase of Stock and/or refunded to Participants.  Participants’ Accounts need not be segregated.

 

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(i)                                     Governing Law.  The validity and construction of the Plan and the Options granted hereunder shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware (other than any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan and the Options granted under the Plan to the substantive laws of any other jurisdiction), except to the extent superseded by applicable U.S. federal laws.

 

*                                 *                                 *

 

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Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” and to the use of our report dated June 23, 2017 (except for Note 14(c), as to which the date is September 18, 2017, and for Note 14(d), as to which the date is October 10, 2017) in Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement (Form S-1 No. 333-220515) and the related Prospectus of OptiNose, Inc. dated October 11, 2017.

 

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania