Exhibit 10.3
CONTINGENT VALUE RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS CONTINGENT VALUE RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of October 7, 2024, is entered into by and between Virios Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Broadridge Corporation Issuer Solutions, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company, as Rights Agent (as defined herein).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company and Sealbond Limited, a British Virgin Islands corporation (“Seller”), have entered into a Share Exchange Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2024 (the “Exchange Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company is acquiring 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Pharmagesic (Holdings) Inc., a Canadian corporation (the “Target”) from Seller in exchange for the consideration set forth therein;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Exchange Agreement, and in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof, the Company has agreed to provide to the Holders (as defined herein) contingent value rights as hereinafter described;
WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent have done all things reasonably necessary to make the contingent value rights, when issued pursuant to the Exchange Agreement and hereunder, the valid obligations of the Company and to make this Agreement a valid and binding agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the consummation of the transactions referred to above, it is mutually covenanted and agreed, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders, as follows:
“Acting Holders” means, at the time of determination, the Holders of at least 30% of the outstanding CVRs, as reflected on the CVR Register.
“Assignee” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.5.
“Business Day” means a day except a Saturday, a Sunday, or any other day on which commercial banks in the City of New York or the New York Stock Exchange are authorized or required by law to be closed.
“Calendar Quarter” means the successive periods of three (3) consecutive calendar months ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31, for so long as this Agreement is in effect; provided, however that (a) the first Calendar Quarter shall commence on the date of this Agreement and shall end on the first December 31 thereafter, and (b) the last Calendar Quarter shall commence on the first day after the full Calendar Quarter immediately preceding the effective date of the termination or expiration of this Agreement and shall end on the effective date of the termination or expiration of this Agreement.
“Commercially Reasonable Efforts” means with respect to the Company and its obligations with respect to the Program Assets, the diligent, good faith efforts and resources that the Company would normally devote to achieving or attempting to achieve the relevant objective for a product which is at similar stage of development, product life, market potential, profit potential, safety and efficacy, scientific potential and strategic value, based on conditions then prevailing, taking into account all relevant factors that the Company would normally take into account, including the regulatory environment, market exclusivity applicable to the United States, patent coverage, the availability of coverage and reimbursement and the expected profitability and profit potential of the Product.
“Common Stock” means the common stock, $0.0001 par value, of the Company.
“CVR” means a contingent contractual right of Holders to receive CVR Payments pursuant to the Exchange Agreement and this Agreement.
“CVR Payment” means 87.75% of any Upfront Payment or Milestone Payment received by the Company in a given Calendar Quarter.
“CVR Payment Amount” means with respect to each CVR and each Holder, an amount equal to the aggregate CVR Payment divided by the total number of CVRs and then multiplied by the total number of CVRs held by such Holder as reflected on the CVR Register.
“CVR Payment Period” means, as applicable on a Product-by-Product and country-by-country basis, a period equal to a Calendar Quarter ending at any time after the effective date of a Disposition Agreement until the Expiration Date.
“CVR Payment Statement” means, for a given CVR Payment Period during the CVR Term, a written statement of the Company, signed on behalf of the Company, setting forth in reasonable detail each Upfront Payment or Milestone Payment received by or on behalf of the Company, its Affiliate or its or their (sub)licensees and the calculation of the applicable CVR Payment for such CVR Payment Period.
“CVR Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(b).
“CVR Term” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the Expiration Date.
“Disposition” means the direct or indirect sale, lease, (sub)license, transfer, assignment or other disposition of any kind of any Program Asset, in whole or in part (including any sale, transfer or other disposition of equity securities in any Subsidiary of the Company holding any right, title or interest in or to any Program Asset).
“Disposition Agreement” means a definitive written agreement providing for a transaction or series of transactions between the Company or its Affiliates and any Person (or group of related Persons) who is/are not, as of the applicable time of determination, an Affiliate of the Company, in each case, such agreement regarding a Disposition.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company or any successor thereto.
“Expiration Date” means seven (7) years following the Closing Date.
“Governmental Body” means any federal, state, provincial, local, municipal, foreign or other governmental or quasi-governmental authority, including, any arbitrator or arbitral body, mediator and
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applicable securities exchanges, or any department, minister, agency, commission, commissioner, board, subdivision, bureau, agency, instrumentality, court or other tribunal of any of the foregoing.
“Holder” means, at the relevant time, a Person in whose name CVRs are registered in the CVR Register.
“Licensee or Assignee” means, with respect to a Product, a Third Party to whom any Related Party (including, for clarity, another Licensee or Assignee) has granted a written license or sublicense (other than an implied license) or assignment of rights to research, develop, manufacture, commercialize or otherwise exploit a Product.
“Loss” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(g).
“Milestone Payment” means any cash payment received by or on behalf of the Company, its Affiliate or its or their (sub)licensees for or as a result of the achievement or occurrence of any non-clinical, clinical or regulatory event or activity, in each case, pursuant to any Disposition Agreement related to the Company’s IMC-1 and IMC-2 programs.
“Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.
“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company, in their respective official capacities.
“Party” means the Company or the Rights Agent.
“Permitted Transfer” means a transfer of CVRs (a) upon death of a Holder by will or intestacy; (b) pursuant to a court order; (c) by operation of law (including by consolidation or merger) or without consideration in connection with the dissolution, liquidation or termination of any corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity; (d) in the case of CVRs held in book-entry or other similar nominee form, from a nominee to a beneficial owner and, if applicable, through an intermediary, to the extent allowable by DTC; or (e) as provided in Section 2.6.
“Product” means any product or therapy which contains or otherwise includes rights to either IMC-1 or IMC-2 (each as more specifically defined on Annex I), in any dosage, form, formulation, presentation, or package configuration, that contains or comprises, whether alone or in combination with any other active ingredient(s), of IMC-1 or IMC-2, including any modification or derivative thereof.
“Program Assets” means the tangible and intangible assets (including intellectual property and any intellectual property rights therein) exclusively used in or primarily related to the Company’s IMC-1 and IMC-2 programs.
“Record Date” means October 17, 2024.
“Record Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a).
“Related Party” means each of the Company, its Affiliates, and each respective Licensee or Assignee, as applicable.
“Rights Agent” means the Rights Agent named in the first paragraph of this Agreement, until a successor Rights Agent will have become the Rights Agent pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Agreement, and thereafter “Rights Agent” will mean such successor Rights Agent.
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“Third Party” means any Person that is not the Company or the Company’s Affiliates.
“Upfront Payment” means any upfront cash consideration received by the Company pursuant to any Disposition Agreement solely with respect to licensing of the Products or Program Assets on an exclusive basis, received within ninety (90) days following the effective date of the Disposition Agreement.
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For the avoidance of doubt, the Right Agent shall not be liable or responsible for any failure of the Company to comply with the obligations in this Section 6.1.
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if to the Rights Agent, to:
Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, LLC
Attn: BCIS IWS
51 Mercedes Way
Edgewood, NY 11717
Email: legalnotices@Broadridge.com; BCISCAManagement@Broadridge.com; BCISERM@Broadridge.com
With a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
2 Gateway Center
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Attention: General Counsel.
if to the Company, to:
Virios Therapeutics, Inc.
44 Milton Avenue
Alpharetta, GA 30009
Attention: Angela Walsh
Email Address: angela@virios.com
with a copy, which shall not constitute notice, to:
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
2100 Pennsylvania Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 200037
United States
Attention: David Schulman
Email Address: dschulman@orrick.com
Goodwin Procter LLP
100 Northern Avenue
16
Boston, MA 02210
Attention: Blake Liggio
Caitlin Tompkins
Email: bliggio@goodwinlaw.com
ctompkins@goodwinlaw.com
or to such other address or email address as such Party may hereafter specify for the purpose by notice to the other Party.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first above written.
Virios Therapeutics, Inc. | |
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By: | /s/ Greg Duncan |
Name: | Greg Duncan |
Title: | CEO |
[Signature Page to CVR Agreement]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first above written. Broadridge Corporation Issuer Solutions, LLC | |
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By: | /s/ John P. Dunn |
Name: | John P. Dunn |
Title: | SVP |
[Signature Page to CVR Agreement]
Annex I
Products
IMC-1 and IMC-2 are novel, proprietary, fixed dose combinations of anti-herpes antivirals and celecoxib. IMC-1 is a novel combination of famciclovir and celecoxib intended to synergistically suppress herpesvirus activation and replication, with the end goal of reducing viral mediated disease burden. IMC-2 is a combination of valacyclovir and celecoxib that, like IMC-1, is intended to synergistically suppress herpesvirus activation and replication with a more specific activity against the Epstein-Barr virus (herpesvirus HHV-4).