REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered |
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Title of Class
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Number of Shares Outstanding
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Ordinary shares
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Large Accelerated Filer ☐ | Non-accelerated Filer ☐ | |
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Emerging Growth Company |
☐ |
U.S. GAAP
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☒ |
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Other
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Page | |||
iii
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iii
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vi
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1
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ITEM 1.
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1
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A.
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1
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B.
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1
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C.
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1
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ITEM 2.
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1
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A.
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1
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B.
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1
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ITEM 3.
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1
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A.
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1
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B.
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1
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C.
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1
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D.
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1
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ITEM 4.
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81
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A.
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81
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B.
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82
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C.
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121
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D.
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121
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ITEM 4A.
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121
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ITEM 5.
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121
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A.
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122
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B.
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128
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C.
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131
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D.
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131
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E.
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131
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ITEM 6.
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131
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A.
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131
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B.
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133
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C.
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134
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D.
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137
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E.
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137
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F.
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137 |
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ITEM 7.
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137
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A.
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137
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B.
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139
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C.
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140
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ITEM 8.
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140
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A.
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140
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B.
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141
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ITEM 9.
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141
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A.
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141
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B.
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141
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C.
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141
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D.
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141
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E.
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141
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F.
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142
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ITEM 10.
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142
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A.
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142
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B.
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142
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C.
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142
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D.
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142
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E.
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142
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F.
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149
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G.
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149
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H.
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149
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I.
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150
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J. |
150 |
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ITEM 11.
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150
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ITEM 12.
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151
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A.
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151
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B.
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151
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C.
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151
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D.
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151
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152
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ITEM 13.
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152
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ITEM 14.
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152
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ITEM 15.
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152
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A.
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152
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B.
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152
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C.
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153
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D.
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153
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ITEM 16.
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153
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A.
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153
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B.
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153
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C.
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154
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D.
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154
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E.
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154
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F. |
154
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G. |
154
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H. |
155
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I. |
155
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156 | ||
ITEM 17.
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156
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ITEM 18.
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156
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ITEM 19.
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156
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158
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F-1
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the commencement, timing, progress and results of our research and development programs, preclinical studies and clinical trials;
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the timing, progress and results of developing and conducting clinical trials for our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates and the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates for our initial and any additional
indications;
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our efforts to expand into other jurisdictions such as the United States and in the European Union;
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our expectations related to the technical development and expansion of our external manufacturing capabilities for our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates as well as the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates;
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our reliance on the success of our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates;
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the timing, scope or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, or the EMA, or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities, for our GH001, GH002
and GH003 product candidates and our initial and any additional indications;
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our expectations regarding the size of the eligible patient populations for our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates, if approved for commercial use;
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our ability to identify third-party clinical trial sites to conduct trials and our ability to identify and train appropriately qualified therapists to administer our investigational therapy;
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the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on aspects of our business or operations, including delays in the regulatory approval process, contracting with clinical trial sites and engaging in clinical trials;
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our ability to implement our business model and our strategic plans for our business and GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates;
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our ability to identify, develop or acquire and obtain approval by the FDA, EMA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities of medical devices required to deliver our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates;
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our commercialization and marketing capabilities and strategy;
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the effects of undesirable clinical trial outcomes and potential adverse public perception regarding the use of mebufotenin (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or 5-MeO-DMT) and psychedelics generally on the regulatory approval process
and future development of our product;
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the pricing, coverage and reimbursement of our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates, if approved;
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the scalability and commercial viability of our manufacturing methods and processes;
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the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates;
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our reliance on third-party suppliers for our nonclinical study and clinical trial drug substance and product candidate supplies, as well as key raw materials used in our manufacturing processes;
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our ability to establish or maintain collaborations or strategic relationships or obtain additional funding;
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our expectations regarding potential benefits of our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates and our approach generally;
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our expectations around regulatory development paths and with respect to Controlled Substances Act, or CSA, classification;
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the scope of protection we and any current or future licensors or collaboration partners are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates;
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our ability to operate our business without infringing, misappropriating, or otherwise violating the intellectual property rights and proprietary technology of third parties;
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our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, including enforcing and defending intellectual property-related claims;
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regulatory developments in the United States, under the laws and regulations of the European Union and other jurisdictions;
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developments and projections relating to our competitors and our industry;
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our ability to remediate our material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting;
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the amount of time that our existing cash will be sufficient to fund our operations and capital expenditures;
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our estimates regarding expenses, capital requirements and needs for additional financing;
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our ability to effectively manage our anticipated growth;
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our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel;
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whether we are classified as a passive foreign investment company for current and future periods;
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our expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and as a foreign private issuer;
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the future trading price of the ordinary shares and impact of securities analysts’ reports on these prices; and
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other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors.”
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We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and we have incurred significant losses since our inception. We expect that we will continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future;
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We will need substantial additional funding, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product discovery and development
programs or commercialization efforts;
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Drug and drug-device combination product development is a highly uncertain undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk;
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GH001, GH002 and GH003 are investigational mebufotenin (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or 5-MeO-DMT) therapies based on a novel technology, which makes it difficult to predict the time and cost of development and of subsequently
obtaining regulatory approval. To our knowledge, no such therapies have been approved in the United States nor the European Union for commercialization;
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Clinical development involves a lengthy, complex and expensive process, with an uncertain outcome. The outcome of nonclinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, and the
results of our currently completed clinical trials, which to date have only been conducted in the Netherlands, and of our ongoing and future clinical trials, may not satisfy the requirements of the FDA, EMA or other comparable foreign
regulatory authorities;
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Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit their commercial potential or result in significant negative consequences following
regulatory approval, if obtained;
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GH001, GH002 and GH003, and any future product candidates we may develop, are subject to controlled substance laws and regulations in the territories where the product will be marketed, such as the United States, the European Union, the
United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, as well as the UN international drug control treaties, and failure to comply with these laws and regulations, or the cost of compliance with these laws and regulations, may adversely affect the results
of our business operations, both during clinical development and post-approval, and our financial condition. In addition, during the review process of GH001, GH002 and GH003, and prior to approval, the FDA, EMA and/or other comparable
foreign regulatory authorities may require additional data, including with respect to whether GH001, GH002 or GH003 has abuse or misuse potential. This may delay approval and any potential rescheduling process;
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Mebufotenin is currently classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States and any product containing this substance, such as GH001, GH002 and GH003, must be rescheduled to be marketed. There can be no assurance that the Drug
Enforcement Administration, or DEA, will make a favorable scheduling decision. Even assuming categorization as a Schedule II or lower controlled substance (i.e., Schedule III, IV or V) at the federal level, such substances would also
require scheduling determinations under state laws and regulations;
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The potential reclassification of mebufotenin in the United States could create additional regulatory burdens on our operations and negatively affect our results of operations;
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Our commercial success depends upon attaining significant market acceptance of our product candidates, if approved, among physicians, patients, third-party payors and other members of the medical community;
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We currently have no marketing and sales organization and have no experience as a company in commercializing products, and we may have to invest significant resources to develop these capabilities. If we are unable to establish marketing
and sales capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to market and sell our product candidates, if approved, we may not be able to generate product revenue;
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Our business and commercialization strategy depends on our ability to identify, qualify, prepare, certify, and support third-party clinics or treatment centers offering any of our product candidates, if approved. If we are unable to do
so, our commercialization prospects would be limited and our business, financial condition, and results of operations would be harmed;
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We rely on applications for patents and other intellectual property rights to protect our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates, the prosecution, enforcement, defense and maintenance of which may be challenging and costly. Failure to
adequately prosecute, maintain, enforce or protect these rights could harm our ability to compete and impair our business;
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We rely on third parties to assist in conducting our nonclinical studies and clinical trials. If they do not perform satisfactorily, we may not be able to initiate new clinical trials, successfully complete clinical trials, obtain
regulatory approval or commercialize our product candidates, or such approval or commercialization may be delayed, and our business could be substantially harmed;
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The development and manufacture of our active pharmaceutical ingredients, product candidates and medical devices required to deliver such product candidates is complex, and we may encounter difficulties during further development or in
production. We currently rely completely on third parties to develop, formulate and manufacture our nonclinical study and clinical trial supplies. The development and commercialization of any of our active pharmaceutical ingredients,
product candidates and medical devices required to deliver such product candidates could be stopped, delayed or made less profitable if those third parties fail to provide us with sufficient quantities of such drug supplies or fail to do so
at acceptable quality levels, including in accordance with rigorously enforced regulatory requirements or contractual obligations, and our operations could be harmed as a result;
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A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease in Ireland or worldwide may adversely affect our business;
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We depend heavily on our executive officers, principal consultants and others, and the loss of their services would materially harm our business;
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We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting in connection with the preparation and review of our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and we may identify
additional material weaknesses. If our remediation of these material weaknesses is not effective, or if we experience additional material weaknesses or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, our
ability to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected; and
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We believe that we were a passive foreign investment company, or a PFIC, for our 2022 taxable year, and we anticipate that we will likely be a PFIC in 2023 and potentially also in future years, which could subject U.S. investors in our
ordinary shares to significant adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences.
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continue to develop and conduct clinical trials, including in expanded geographies such as the United States, for our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates for our initial and any additional indications;
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continue both the technical development and expansion of our external manufacturing capabilities for our current product candidates GH001, GH002 and GH003 and of the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates;
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initiate and continue research and development, including technical, nonclinical, clinical, and discovery efforts for any future product candidates;
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seek to identify additional product candidates;
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seek regulatory approvals for our product candidates GH001, GH002 and GH003, including the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates, or any other product candidates that successfully complete clinical development;
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add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product candidate and device development and help us comply with our obligations as a public company;
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hire and retain additional personnel, such as clinical, quality control, scientific, commercial and administrative personnel;
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continue to prepare, file, prosecute, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights and claims;
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establish sales, marketing, distribution, manufacturing, supply chain and other commercial infrastructure in the future to commercialize various products for which we may obtain regulatory approval;
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comply with ongoing regulatory requirements for products approved for commercial sale, if ever;
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acquire or in-license other product candidates, medical devices to deliver our product candidates, and other technologies; and
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incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company.
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the scope, progress, results and costs of researching and developing our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates, additional mebufotenin (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or 5-MeO-DMT) delivery approaches and the medical devices
required to deliver these therapies for our initial and any additional indications, as well as other product candidates we may develop;
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the timing and uncertainty of, and the costs involved in, obtaining marketing approvals for our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates including the medical devices required to deliver these therapies for our initial and any
additional indications, and other product candidates we may develop and pursue;
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the number of future product candidates that we may pursue and their development requirements;
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the number of jurisdictions in which we plan to seek regulatory approvals;
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if approved, the costs of commercialization activities for GH001, GH002 and GH003 for any approved indications, or any other product candidate that receives regulatory approval to the extent such costs are not the responsibility of any
future collaborators, including the costs and timing of establishing product sales, marketing, distribution, and manufacturing capabilities;
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subject to receipt of regulatory approval, revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of GH001, GH002 and GH003 and the respective medical devices for any approved indications or any other product candidates;
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the extent to which we may in-license or acquire rights to other products, product candidates, medical devices or technologies;
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our headcount growth and associated costs as we expand our research and development, increase our office space, and establish a commercial infrastructure;
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the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications and maintaining and protecting our intellectual property rights, including enforcing and defending intellectual property-related claims;
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the effect of competing product and market developments; and
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the ongoing costs of operating as a public company.
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devaluation in U.S. government bond investments held by the Company;
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inability to access capital markets, or increased difficulty in doing so; or
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government shutdown, or reduced operation, of agencies such as the FDA, which could impede our ability to progress our planned investigational new drug application, or IND, and/or other U.S. operations.
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completing research and technical, nonclinical and clinical development of our product candidates and the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates;
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obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing authorizations for product candidates, including the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates for which we successfully complete clinical development and clinical trials;
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developing a sustainable and scalable manufacturing process for our product candidates and the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates, as well as establishing and maintaining commercially viable supply relationships
with third parties that can provide adequate products and services to support clinical activities and commercial demand of our product candidates and medical devices;
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identifying, assessing, acquiring and/or developing new product candidates;
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negotiating favorable terms in any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements into which we may enter;
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successfully getting our product candidates rescheduled under the federal Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, also known as the Controlled Substances Act, or CSA, and comparable state
laws by the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, and other applicable regulatory agencies inside and outside the United States;
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launching and successfully commercializing product candidates and the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval, either by collaborating with a partner or, if launched
independently, by establishing a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure;
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obtaining and maintaining an adequate price for our product candidates and devices in the countries where our products are commercialized;
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obtaining adequate reimbursement for our product candidates and medical devices from payors;
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obtaining market acceptance of our product candidates as viable treatment options;
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addressing any competing technological and market developments;
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receiving milestone and other payments under any future collaboration arrangements;
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maintaining, protecting, expanding and enforcing our portfolio of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and know-how;
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attracting, hiring and retaining qualified personnel; and
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complying with laws and regulations, including laws applicable to controlled substances, data privacy and pre-commercial activities.
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delay or failure in establishing acceptable performance characteristics, quality manufacturing standards and manufacturing capabilities for our product candidates or for the medical devices required to deliver our product candidates;
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negative or inconclusive results from our nonclinical studies or clinical trials or the clinical trials of others for product candidates similar to ours, leading to a decision or requirement to conduct additional nonclinical testing or
clinical trials or abandon a program;
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product or device-related side effects experienced by subjects in our clinical trials or by individuals using drugs or therapeutics similar to our product candidates;
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delays in submitting INDs (or IDEs, if applicable) in the United States or comparable foreign applications or delays or failure in obtaining the necessary approvals from regulators or institutional review boards, or IRBs, to commence a
clinical trial, including Schedule I research protocols required by the DEA, or a suspension or termination of a clinical trial once commenced;
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if the FDA, EMA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities do not find the earlier technical, nonclinical and clinical trial work sufficient, then we may need to conduct additional technical development work or nonclinical or
clinical trials beyond what we currently have planned, before we can initiate further clinical studies. Any significant technical development, nonclinical or clinical trial delays could also shorten any periods during which we may have the
exclusive right to commercialize our drug candidates and medical devices or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to successfully commercialize our drug candidates and medical devices and may
harm our business and results of operations;
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conditions imposed by the FDA, EMA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities regarding the scope or design of our clinical trials;
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the FDA, EMA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our clinical trial design, including with respect to dosing levels administered in our planned clinical trials, or the medical devices used to deliver our
product candidates in the clinical trials, which may delay or prevent us from initiating our clinical trials with our originally intended trial design and the originally planned medical devices;
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delays in contracting with clinical trial sites or enrolling subjects in clinical trials, including, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the inability to identify clinical trial sites willing to host our clinical trials and the required
scheduled drug DEA researcher registration and Schedule I research protocol in the United States and similar licenses in other jurisdictions to be obtained and maintained by our clinical investigators;
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delays or interruptions in the supply of materials necessary for the conduct of our clinical trials;
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regulators, IRBs or ethics committees may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;
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the FDA, the EMA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to submit additional data such as long-term toxicology studies or additional data for our product candidates or the medical devices required to deliver
our product candidates;
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delays in reaching, or failure to reach, agreement on acceptable terms with prospective trial sites and prospective contract research organizations, or CROs, which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among
different CROs and trial sites;
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the number of subjects required for clinical trials of any product candidates may be larger than we anticipate, or subjects may drop out of these clinical trials or fail to return for post-treatment follow-up at a higher rate than we
anticipate;
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our third-party contractors for nonclinical studies or clinical trials may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all, or may deviate from the clinical trial
protocol or take actions that could cause clinical trial sites or clinical investigators to drop out of the trial, which may require that we add new clinical trial sites or investigators;
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due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may experience some delays and interruptions to our technical development efforts, nonclinical studies and clinical trials, we may experience delays or interruptions to our manufacturing
supply chain, or we could suffer delays in reaching, or we may fail to reach, agreement on acceptable terms with third-party service providers on whom we rely;
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greater-than-anticipated clinical trial costs, including as a result of delays or interruptions that could increase the overall costs to finish our clinical trials as our fixed costs are not substantially reduced during delays;
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we may elect to, or regulators, IRBs, Data Safety Monitoring Boards, or DSMBs, or ethics committees may require that we or our investigators suspend or terminate clinical research or trials for various reasons, including non-compliance
with regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;
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we may not have the financial resources available to begin and complete the planned trials, or the cost of clinical trials of any product candidates may be greater than we anticipate;
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• |
the supply or quality of our product candidates, medical devices required to deliver our product candidates, or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates may be insufficient or inadequate to initiate
or complete a given clinical trial;
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• |
inability to compete with other therapies;
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• |
poor efficacy of our product candidates during clinical trials;
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• |
failure to demonstrate an acceptable benefit/risk profile for our product candidates;
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• |
inability to provide sufficient design, testing, manufacturing and quality information for the medical devices required to deliver our product candidates, including information to support their use and compatibility with the drug
constituent of our product candidates;
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• |
unfavorable FDA, EMA or other comparable foreign regulatory authority inspection and review of clinical trial sites or manufacturing facilities;
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• |
if the DEA, or any state or other jurisdiction, delays rescheduling or fails to reschedule mebufotenin (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or 5-MeO-DMT) to Schedule II, III, IV or V, or delays classifying or fails to classify our product
candidates to Schedule II, III, IV or V;
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• |
unfavorable product labeling associated with any product approvals and any requirements for a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, that may be required by the FDA or comparable requirements in other jurisdictions to ensure
the benefits of an individual product outweigh its risks;
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• |
unfavorable acceptance of our product candidates or clinical trial data by the patient or medical communities or third-party payors;
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• |
failure of our third-party contractors or investigators to comply with regulatory requirements or otherwise meet their contractual obligations in a timely manner, or at all;
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• |
delays related to the impact or the spread of COVID-19 or other pandemics, including the impact of COVID-19 on the FDA’s, EMA’s or other comparable foreign regulatory authority’s ability to continue its normal operations;
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• |
delays and changes in regulatory requirements, policy and guidelines, including the imposition of additional regulatory oversight around clinical testing generally or with respect to our technology in particular; or
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• |
varying interpretations of data by the FDA, EMA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities.
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• |
nonclinical studies or clinical trials may show the product candidates to be ineffective or less effective than expected (e.g., a clinical trial could fail to meet its primary endpoint(s)) or to have unacceptable side effects or
toxicities;
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• |
failure to reflect similarly efficacious activity in subsequent clinical trials with larger patient populations;
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• |
failure to use clinical endpoints that applicable regulatory authorities would consider clinically meaningful;
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• |
manufacturing issues or formulation issues with the product candidate or device that cannot be resolved;
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• |
failure to receive the necessary regulatory approvals;
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• |
manufacturing issues, formulation issues, pricing or reimbursement issues or other factors that make a product candidate or device uneconomical; and
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• |
intellectual property and proprietary rights of others and their competing products and technologies that may prevent one of our product candidates from being commercialized.
|
• |
regulatory authorities may withdraw or limit their approval of such product candidates or medical devices;
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• |
regulatory authorities may require the addition of labeling statements, such as a Boxed Warning or contraindications;
|
• |
we may be required to change the way such product candidates are distributed or administered, or change the labeling of the product candidates or medical devices;
|
• |
the FDA may require a REMS to mitigate risks, which could include medication guides, physician communication plans or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization
tools, and regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions may require comparable risk mitigation plans;
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• |
we may be subject to regulatory investigations and government enforcement actions;
|
• |
the FDA, EMA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority may require us to conduct additional technical development work or clinical trials or costly post-marketing testing and surveillance to establish and monitor the safety and
efficacy of the product;
|
• |
we could be sued and held liable for injury caused to individuals exposed to or taking our product candidates or operating our medical devices; and
|
• |
our reputation may suffer.
|
• |
the patient eligibility criteria defined in the protocol;
|
• |
the size of the patient population required for analysis of the trial’s primary endpoints;
|
• |
in the case of clinical trials focused on rare disease, the small size of the patient population and the potential of a patient being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed;
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• |
the proximity of patients to trial sites;
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the design of the trial;
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our ability to recruit clinical trial investigators with the appropriate competencies and experience;
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competing clinical trials and clinicians’ and patients’ perceptions as to the potential advantages and risks of the product candidate being studied in relation to other available therapies, including any new drugs that may be approved
for the indications that we are investigating;
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reluctance of physicians to encourage patient participation in clinical trials;
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the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trial sites, personnel and patient travel;
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our ability to obtain and maintain patient consents; and
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the risk that patients enrolled in clinical trials will drop out of the trials before completion.
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our inability to design such product candidates with the pharmacological or pharmacokinetic properties that we desire; or
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potential product candidates may, on further study, be shown to have harmful side effects or other characteristics that indicate that they are unlikely to be medicines that will receive marketing approval and achieve market acceptance.
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decreased demand for any of our future approved products;
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injury to our reputation;
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initiation of investigations by regulators;
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withdrawal of clinical trial participants;
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termination of clinical trial sites or entire trial programs;
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significant litigation costs;
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• |
substantial monetary awards to, or costly settlements with, patients or other claimants;
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product recalls or a change in the indications for which any approved drug products may be used;
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loss of revenue;
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• |
diversion of management and scientific resources from our business operations; and
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the inability to commercialize our product candidates.
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greater financial, technical and human resources than we have at every stage of the discovery, development, manufacture and commercialization of products;
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more extensive experience in nonclinical studies, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals, and in manufacturing, marketing and selling drug products;
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more developed intellectual property portfolios;
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products that have been approved or are in late stages of development; and
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collaborative arrangements in our target markets with leading companies and research institutions.
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DEA registration and inspection of facilities. Facilities conducting research, manufacturing, distributing, importing or exporting, or dispensing controlled substances must be registered
(licensed) to perform these activities and have the security, control, record keeping, reporting and inventory mechanisms required by the DEA to prevent drug loss and diversion. All these facilities must renew their registrations annually,
except dispensing facilities (e.g. pharmacies), which must renew every three years. The DEA conducts periodic inspections of certain registered establishments that handle controlled substances. Failure to obtain or maintain the necessary
registrations may result in delay of the importation, manufacturing or distribution of GH001, GH002 or GH003. Furthermore, importation of controlled substances is subject to additional permits or approvals, which must be obtained prior to
each importation. Failure to comply with the CSA, particularly non-compliance resulting in theft, loss or diversion, can result in regulatory action that would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results
of operations. The DEA may seek civil penalties, refuse to renew necessary registrations, or initiate proceedings to restrict, suspend or revoke those registrations. In certain circumstances, violations could lead to criminal proceedings.
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State-controlled substances laws. Individual U.S. states have also established controlled substance laws and regulations. Though state-controlled substances laws often mirror federal law, because
the states are separate jurisdictions, they will need to separately reschedule GH001, GH002 or GH003. While some states automatically schedule or reschedule a drug based on federal action, other states schedule drugs through rule making or
a legislative action. State scheduling may delay commercial sale of any product for which we obtain federal regulatory approval and adverse scheduling would have a material adverse effect on the commercial attractiveness of such product. We
or our partners must also obtain separate state registrations, permits or licenses in order to be able to obtain, handle, and distribute controlled substances for clinical trials or commercial sale, and failure to meet applicable regulatory
requirements could lead to enforcement and sanctions by the states in addition to those from the DEA or otherwise arising under federal law.
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Clinical trials. Because our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates contain mebufotenin, to conduct clinical trials with GH001, GH002 and GH003 in the United States prior to approval, each of
our research sites must submit a research protocol to the DEA and obtain and maintain a DEA Schedule I researcher registration that will allow those sites to handle and dispense GH001, GH002 and GH003 and to obtain the product from our
importer. If the DEA delays or denies the grant of a researcher registration or approval of the research protocol to one or more research sites, the clinical trial could be significantly delayed, and we could lose clinical trial sites. The
importer for the clinical trials must also obtain a Schedule I importer registration and an import permit for each import. We do not currently conduct any manufacturing or repackaging/relabeling of either GH001, GH002 or their active
ingredients (i.e., mebufotenin) in the United States.
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Post-Approval Importation. If GH001, GH002 or GH003 is approved and classified as a Schedule II, III or IV substance, an importer can import it for commercial purposes if it obtains an importer
registration and applies for and receives an import permit (Schedule II) or files an import declaration (Schedule III or IV) for each import shipment. The DEA provides annual assessments/estimates to the UN International Narcotics Control
Board, which guides the DEA in the amounts of controlled substances that the DEA authorizes to be imported. The failure to identify an importer or obtain the necessary import authority, including specific quantities, could affect the
availability of GH001, GH002 or GH003 and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, an application for a Schedule II importer registration must be published in the Federal
Register, and there is a notice and comment period to receive public comments. It is always possible that adverse comments may delay the grant of an importer registration. If GH001, GH002 or GH003 is approved and classified as a Schedule II
controlled substance, federal law may prohibit the import of the substance for commercial purposes. If GH001, GH002 or GH003 is listed as a Schedule II substance, we will not be allowed to import the drug for commercial purposes unless the
DEA determines that domestic supplies are inadequate or there is inadequate domestic competition among domestic manufacturers for the substance as defined by the DEA. Moreover, Schedule I controlled substances, including mebufotenin, have
never been registered with the DEA for importation for commercial purposes, only for scientific and research needs. Therefore, if neither GH001, GH002 or GH003, nor its drug substance could be imported, GH001, GH002 and GH003 would have to
be wholly manufactured in the United States, and we would need to secure a manufacturer that would be required to obtain and maintain a separate DEA registration for that activity.
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Manufacture in the United States. If, because of a Schedule II classification or voluntarily, we were to conduct manufacturing or repackaging/relabeling in the United States for commercial
purposes, our contract manufacturers would be subject to the DEA’s annual manufacturing and procurement quota requirements. Additionally, regardless of the scheduling of GH001, GH002 or GH003, the active ingredient in the final dosage form
is currently a Schedule I controlled substance and would be subject to such quotas as this substance could remain listed on Schedule I during the clinical trials. The annual quota allocated to us or our contract manufacturers for the active
ingredient in GH001, GH002 or GH003 may not be sufficient to complete clinical trials or meet commercial demand. Consequently, any delay or refusal by the DEA in establishing our, or our contract manufacturers’, procurement and/or
production quota for controlled substances could delay or stop our clinical trials or product launches, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.
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Distribution in the United States and the United Kingdom. If GH001, GH002 or GH003 is scheduled as Schedule II, III, IV or V, we would also need to identify wholesale distributors with the
appropriate DEA registrations and authority to distribute GH001, GH002, GH003 and any future product candidates. These distributors would need to maintain Schedule II, III, IV or V distribution registrations. This limitation in the ability
to distribute GH001, GH002 or GH003 more broadly may limit commercial uptake and could negatively impact our prospects. The failure to obtain, or delay in obtaining, or the loss of any of those registrations could result in increased costs
to us. If GH001, GH002 or GH003 is classified as a Schedule II drug, participants in our supply chain may have to maintain enhanced security including specially constructed vaults at manufacturing and distribution facilities. This
additional security may also discourage some pharmacies from carrying the product. In addition, GH001, GH002 and/or GH003 could be required to be administered at our trial sites or other certified healthcare settings, which could limit
commercial uptake. Furthermore, state and federal enforcement actions, regulatory requirements, and legislation intended to reduce prescription drug abuse, such as the tracking of prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances through
a state prescription drug monitoring program, may make physicians less willing to prescribe, and pharmacies to dispense, certain controlled substances, especially Schedule II products. Similarly, the Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, considers that all Schedule 1 drugs under the United Kingdom’s Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (which Schedule includes mebufotenin) have no therapeutic benefit, and can only be imported, exported, produced,
supplied and the like under a license issued by the UK government’s Home Office. Mebufotenin may never be rescheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, or reclassified under the United Kingdom’s Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (under
which it is a Class A controlled substance).
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restrictions on the manufacturing of our products, the approved manufacturers or the manufacturing process;
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withdrawal of the product from the market or voluntary product recalls;
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• |
requirements to conduct post-marketing studies or clinical trials;
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• |
fines, restitution or disgorgement of profits or revenues;
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• |
warning or untitled letters from the FDA or comparable notice of violations from comparable foreign regulatory authorities;
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• |
suspensions of any of our ongoing clinical trials;
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• |
refusal by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us or suspension or withdrawal of marketing approvals;
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product seizure or detention or refusal to permit the import or export of products; and
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consent decrees, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
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efficacy and potential advantages compared to alternative treatments;
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• |
the ability to offer our products, if approved, for sale at competitive prices;
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• |
relative convenience and ease of administration compared to alternative treatments;
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• |
perceptions by the medical community, physicians, and patients, regarding the safety and effectiveness of our products and the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these
therapies;
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• |
the size of the market for such product candidate, based on the size of the patient subsets that we are targeting, in the territories for which we gain regulatory approval;
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• |
the recommendations with respect to our product candidates in guidelines published by various scientific organizations applicable to us and our product candidates;
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• |
the strength of sales, marketing and distribution support;
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• |
the timing of any such marketing approval in relation to other product approvals;
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• |
any restrictions on concomitant use of other medications;
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• |
support from patient advocacy groups;
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• |
media coverage regarding psychedelic substances;
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• |
the ability to obtain sufficient third-party coverage and adequate reimbursement; and
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• |
the prevalence and severity of any side effects.
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a covered benefit under its health plan;
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• |
safe, effective and medically necessary;
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• |
appropriate for the specific patient;
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• |
cost-effective; and
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neither experimental nor investigational.
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the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate), directly or
indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, lease, order, arrangement or recommendation of any good, facility, item or service for which
payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A person or entity can be found guilty of violating the statute without actual knowledge of the statute or specific
intent to violate it. The term remuneration has been interpreted broadly to include anything of value. Further, courts have found that if “one purpose” of remuneration is to induce referrals, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute is violated.
Violations are subject to significant civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, plus up to three times the remuneration involved, imprisonment and exclusion from government healthcare programs. In addition, a claim
submitted for payment to any federal healthcare program that includes items or services that were made as a result of a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False
Claims act, or the FCA. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between biopharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers, among others, on the other. There
are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, but they are drawn narrowly, and practices that involve remuneration intended to induce prescribing, purchasing or
recommending may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor;
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the federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the FCA, and civil monetary penalty laws which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false, fictitious or
fraudulent claims for payment to, or approval by Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs; knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement material to a false, fictitious or fraudulent
claim or an obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the federal government; or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding, decreasing or concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. A claim that
includes items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim under the FCA. Manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to
government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring qui tam actions on behalf of the federal government alleging
violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery or settlement. When an entity is determined to have violated the FCA, the government may impose civil fines and penalties for each false claim, plus treble damages, and exclude the
entity from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs;
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the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, which created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any
healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare
benefit program, regardless of the payor (e.g., public or private), and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device 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 relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity can be found guilty of violating HIPAA fraud provisions without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it;
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HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, which impose, among other things, certain requirements relating to the
privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information on certain covered healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, known as covered entities, as well as their respective “business
associates,” those independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, receive, maintain, transmit or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity as well as their
covered subcontractors. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil
actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, there may be additional federal, state and non-U.S. laws
which govern the privacy and security of health and other personal information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts;
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the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or, collectively, the ACA, and its implementing
regulations, which require manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to
CMS information related to direct or indirect payments and other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), certain non-physician providers, including physician
assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, anesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives, and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by
the physicians and their immediate family members;
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federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers; and
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• |
analogous U.S. state, local and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by any
third-party payor, including private insurers, and may be broader in scope than their federal equivalents; state and foreign laws that require biopharmaceutical companies to comply with the biopharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance
guidelines and other relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state and foreign laws that require drug
manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers, marketing expenditures or drug pricing; state and local laws that require the registration of
biopharmaceutical sales representatives; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health and other personal information, some of which may be more stringent than those in the United States (such as the European
Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), or GDPR, which became effective in May 2018, or the United Kingdom’s General Data Protection Regulation, or UK GDPR) in certain circumstances, and may differ from each
other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
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• |
strengthens the rules on placing medical devices on the market and reinforce surveillance once they are available;
|
• |
establishes explicit provisions on manufacturers’ responsibilities for the follow-up of the quality, performance and safety of medical devices placed on the market;
|
• |
improves the traceability of medical devices throughout the supply chain to the end-user or patient through a unique identification number;
|
• |
sets up a central database to provide patients, healthcare professionals and the public with comprehensive information on products available in the European Union; and
|
• |
strengthens rules for the assessment of certain high-risk medical devices, such as implants, which may have to undergo an additional check by experts before they are placed on the market.
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• |
for the period beginning on January 31, 2022 and ending on January 31, 2023, all clinical trial applications could be made either under the Clinical Trials Directive or under the CTR;
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from January 31, 2023, all initial clinical trial applications must be submitted under the CTR alone; and
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• |
from January 31, 2023 to January 31, 2025, ongoing clinical trials authorized under the Clinical Trials Directive can remain under the Clinical Trials Directive or can transition to the CTR. However, as of January 31, 2023, no new
national clinical trial applications can be submitted under the Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC. Consequently, if the sponsor chose to submit the clinical trial application under the Clinical Trials Directive during the one-year
transition period which ended on January 31, 2023, a new EU member state can only be added to the clinical trial after January 31, 2023 once the entire clinical trial has been transferred to CTIS. Further, substantial amendments to trials
authorized under the Clinical Trials Directive are permitted until January 31, 2025; and by January 31, 2025, all ongoing clinical trials will be required to have transitioned to the CTR.
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others may be able to make compositions that are the same as or similar to GH001, GH002, GH003, and any future product candidate compositions, or may be able to make medical devices to deliver such compositions, that are not covered by
the claims of the patents that we own or license;
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the patents of third parties may have an adverse effect on our business;
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we or our licensors or collaboration partners might not have been the first to conceive or reduce to practice the inventions covered by the issued patent or pending patent application that we own or license;
|
• |
we or our licensors or collaboration partners might not have been the first to file patent applications covering certain of our or their inventions;
|
• |
others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating our intellectual property rights;
|
• |
it is possible that current and future pending patent applications we own or in-license will not lead to issued patents;
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• |
issued patents that we own or in-license may not provide us with any competitive advantage, or may be held invalid or unenforceable as a result of legal challenges by third parties;
|
• |
issued patents that we own or in-license may not have sufficient term or geographic scope to provide meaningful protection;
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• |
our competitors might conduct research and development activities in countries that provide a safe harbor from patent infringement claims for certain research and development activities or in countries where we do not have patent rights
and then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive therapies for sale in our major commercial markets;
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third parties performing manufacturing or testing for us using our therapies or technologies could use the intellectual property of others without obtaining a proper license;
|
• |
we may not develop additional technologies that are patentable; and
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• |
we may choose not to file a patent in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third party may subsequently file a patent covering such intellectual property, or otherwise develop similar know-how.
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• |
the scope of rights granted under the agreement and other interpretation-related issues;
|
• |
whether and the extent to which our technology and processes infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate intellectual property of the licensor or collaboration partner that is not subject to the agreement;
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• |
the sublicensing of patents and other rights under any current or future collaboration relationships;
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• |
our diligence obligations under the agreement and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations;
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• |
our rights to transfer or assign the agreement;
|
• |
the inventorship and ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our licensors and us and our collaboration partners; and
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• |
the priority of invention of patented technology.
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• |
collaborators generally have significant discretion in determining the amount and timing of efforts and resources that they will apply to these collaborations;
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• |
collaborators may not properly obtain, maintain, enforce or defend intellectual property or proprietary rights relating to our product candidates or research programs, or may use our proprietary information in such a way as to expose us
to potential litigation or other intellectual property-related proceedings, including proceedings challenging the scope, ownership, validity and enforceability of our intellectual property;
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collaborators may own or co-own intellectual property covering our product candidates or research programs that results from our collaboration with them, and in such cases, we may not have the exclusive right to commercialize such
intellectual property or such product candidates or research programs;
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• |
we may need the cooperation of our collaborators to enforce or defend any intellectual property we contribute to or that arises out of our collaborations, which may not be provided to us;
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• |
collaborators may control certain interactions with regulatory authorities, which may impact our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates;
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• |
disputes may arise between the collaborators and us that result in the delay or termination of the research, development or commercialization of our product candidates or research programs or that result in costly litigation or
arbitration that diverts management attention and resources;
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• |
collaborators may decide to not pursue development and commercialization of any product candidates we develop or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization programs based on clinical trial results, changes in the
collaborator’s strategic focus or available funding or external factors such as an acquisition that diverts resources or creates competing priorities;
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collaborators may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, stop a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a product
candidate for clinical testing;
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• |
collaborators could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with our product candidates or research programs if the collaborators believe that competitive products are more
likely to be successfully developed or can be commercialized under terms that are more economically attractive than ours;
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collaborators may restrict us from researching, developing or commercializing certain products or technologies without their involvement;
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• |
collaborators with marketing and distribution rights to one or more product candidates may not commit sufficient resources to the marketing and distribution of such product candidates;
|
• |
we may lose certain valuable rights under circumstances identified in our collaborations, including if we undergo a change of control;
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• |
collaborators may grant sublicenses to our technology or product candidates or undergo a change of control and the sublicensees or new owners may decide to take the collaboration in a direction which is not in our best interest;
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• |
collaborators may become bankrupt, which may significantly delay our research or development programs, or may cause us to lose access to valuable technology, know-how or intellectual property of the collaborator relating to our products,
product candidates or research programs;
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• |
key personnel at our collaborators may leave, which could negatively impact our ability to productively work with our collaborators;
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• |
collaborations may require us to incur short and long-term expenditures, issue securities that dilute our shareholders or disrupt our management and business;
|
• |
if our collaborators do not satisfy their obligations under our agreements with them, or if they terminate our collaborations with them, we may not be able to develop or commercialize product candidates as planned;
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• |
collaborations may require us to share in development and commercialization costs pursuant to budgets that we do not fully control and our failure to share in such costs could have a detrimental impact on the collaboration or our ability
to share in revenue generated under the collaboration;
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• |
collaborations may be terminated in their entirety or with respect to certain product candidates or technologies and, if so terminated, may result in a need for additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the
applicable product candidates or technologies; and
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• |
collaboration agreements may not lead to development or commercialization of product candidates in the most efficient manner or at all. If a present or future collaborator of ours were to be involved in a business combination, the
continued pursuit and emphasis on our development or commercialization program under such collaboration could be delayed, diminished or terminated.
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regulatory authorities, including those laws requiring the reporting of true, complete and accurate information to such authorities;
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• |
manufacturing standards;
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• |
federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations and similar laws and regulations established and enforced by comparable foreign regulatory authorities; and
|
• |
laws that require the accurate reporting of financial information or data.
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• |
economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular in foreign economies and markets;
|
• |
differing and changing regulatory requirements, price controls and reimbursement regimes;
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• |
potentially reduced protection for our intellectual property rights;
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• |
difficulties in compliance with different, complex and changing laws, regulations and court systems of multiple jurisdictions and compliance with a wide variety of foreign laws, treaties and regulations;
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• |
changes in regulations and customs, tariffs and trade barriers;
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• |
changes in currency exchange rates and currency controls;
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• |
changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic environment;
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• |
trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements or other restrictive actions by governments;
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• |
negative consequences from changes in, including the interpretation of, tax laws;
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• |
compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad;
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• |
workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States and European Economic Area;
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• |
difficulties associated with staffing and managing international operations, including differing labor relations;
|
• |
business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism, natural disasters including earthquakes, typhoons, floods and fires, or health epidemics such as COVID-19; and
|
• |
cyber-attacks, which are growing in frequency, sophistication and intensity, and are becoming increasingly difficult to detect.
|
• |
positive or negative results of testing and clinical trials by us, strategic partners or competitors;
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• |
delays in entering into strategic relationships with respect to development or commercialization of our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates or any future product candidates;
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• |
entry into strategic relationships on terms that are not deemed to be favorable to us;
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• |
technological innovations or commercial therapeutic introductions by competitors;
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• |
changes in government regulations and healthcare payment systems;
|
• |
developments concerning proprietary rights, including patent and litigation matters;
|
• |
public concern relating to the commercial value or safety of any of our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates or any future product candidates;
|
• |
negative publicity or public perception of the use of mebufotenin (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or 5-MeO-DMT) as a medical treatment;
|
• |
financing or other corporate transactions, or the failure to obtain financing or enter into other corporate transactions;
|
• |
publication of research reports or comments by securities or industry analysts;
|
• |
the trading volume of our ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Global Market (referred to herein as Nasdaq);
|
• |
sales of our ordinary shares by us, members of our senior management and directors or our shareholders or the anticipation that such sales may occur in the future;
|
• |
general market conditions in the pharmaceutical industry or in the economy as a whole;
|
• |
general economic, political, and market conditions and overall market volatility in the United States, the United Kingdom or the European Union as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or other pandemics or similar events; and
|
• |
other events and factors, many of which are beyond our control.
|
• |
the majority independent director requirement under Nasdaq listing rules;
|
• |
the requirement under Nasdaq listing rules that a compensation committee composed solely of independent directors governed by a compensation committee charter oversee executive compensation;
|
• |
the requirement under Nasdaq listing rules that director nominees be selected or recommended for selection by either a majority of the independent directors or a nominations committee composed solely of independent directors;
|
• |
the requirement under Nasdaq listing rules that a quorum must consist of at least 331/3% of the outstanding shares of a listed company’s common voting
stock; and
|
• |
the requirement under Nasdaq listing rules that the independent directors have regularly scheduled meetings with only the independent directors present.
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• |
that it did not have jurisdiction;
|
• |
that it was not the appropriate forum for such proceedings;
|
• |
that, applying Irish conflict of law rules, U.S. law (including U.S. securities laws) did not apply to the relationship between you and us or our directors and officers; or
|
• |
that the U.S. securities laws were of a penal nature and violated Irish public policy and should not be enforced by the Irish court.
|
• |
U.S. courts must have had jurisdiction in relation to the particular defendant according to Irish conflict of law rules (the submission to jurisdiction by the defendant would satisfy this rule); and
|
• |
the judgment must be final and conclusive and the decree must be final and unalterable in the court which pronounces it.
|
• |
the judgment is not for a definite sum of money;
|
• |
the judgment was obtained by fraud;
|
• |
the enforcement of the judgment in Ireland would be contrary to natural or constitutional justice;
|
• |
the judgment is contrary to Irish public policy or involves certain U.S. laws which will not be enforced in Ireland; or
|
• |
jurisdiction cannot be obtained by the Irish courts over the judgment debtors in the enforcement proceedings by personal service in Ireland or outside Ireland under Order 11 of the Irish Superior Courts Rules.
|
• |
impose advance notice requirements for shareholder proposals and director nominations to be considered at annual shareholder meetings; and
|
• |
require the approval of 75% of the voting power of our shares entitled to vote at a general meeting of shareholders to amend or repeal any provisions of our Constitution.
|
• |
design and maintain formal accounting policies, procedures and controls over the fair presentation of our financial statements; and
|
• |
design and maintain controls over the preparation and review of account reconciliations, journal entries and financial statements, including maintaining appropriate segregation of duties and controls over information technology systems.
|
• |
Advancing GH001, our inhalable mebufotenin product candidate, for the treatment of TRD through clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization, if approved;
|
• |
Investigating GH001 in proof-of-concept trials in BD and PPD;
|
• |
Evaluating additional opportunities for GH001 in psychiatric disorders beyond TRD, BD and PPD and in neurological disorders;
|
• |
Advancing GH002, our intravenous mebufotenin product candidate through clinical development;
|
• |
Advancing GH003, our intranasal mebufotenin product candidate, into clinical development;
|
• |
Investigating additional delivery systems and additional routes of administration for mebufotenin;
|
• |
Expanding our intellectual property portfolio around mebufotenin; and
|
• |
Maximizing the value of our product portfolio by building internal commercialization infrastructure and entering selective partnerships.
|
• |
Maximization of ultra-rapid and durable remissions;
|
• |
Single visit initial treatment, with no structured psychotherapy; and
|
• |
Convenient and infrequent re-treatment.
|
• |
High Propensity to Induce Peak Experiences: We believe that GH001 has a high propensity to induce PEs. This is important because we believe that the occurrence of PEs may be correlated with
ultra-rapid induction of durable remissions in patients with TRD, and we therefore believe it may potentially act as a marker for therapeutic effects.
|
• |
Individualized Dosing Regimen: We believe that there is no clinically relevant tolerance development to mebufotenin when the drug is re-administered within a short interval, e.g., 1 hour, and
therefore no diminished psychoactive effects. Together with the ultra-rapid onset and short duration of psychoactive effects, this aspect allows re-administration of GH001 in an IDR where GH001 can be administered several times within one
day, e.g., up to three times within up to 2 hours. We are currently investigating whether this IDR can increase the rate of occurrence of PEs in patients with TRD compared with administration of a single dose and whether this results in an
increased rate of ultra-rapid remissions, while at the same time avoiding unnecessarily high doses. We believe that treatment optimization within the same day is important, not only because of the direct patient benefit, but also because
patients with insufficient response can be identified early, without the need for lengthy trial-and-error approaches, during which time the patient is often exposed to potential side effects of ineffective treatments.
|
• |
Treatment Regimen: We believe that the ultra-rapid onset and short duration of psychoactive effects may confer a significant convenience and feasibility advantage compared to other serotonergic
psychoactive agents studied for the treatment of mental disorders, where the initial psychoactive effects have a slower onset and can last for several hours. We further believe that those features and the type of psychoactive effects
induced by GH001 allow for dosing without the need for lengthy and complex patient preparation prior to treatment, with only limited required support from a healthcare provider during the experience and without the need for frequent
psychological integration work after the experience. This avoidance of structured psychotherapy reduces training requirements for healthcare providers and creates a convenient and efficient potential therapeutic paradigm overall.
|
• |
In the double-blind Part 1, patients receive either a single GH001 IDR or placebo IDR, which follows the same dose interval and dose-escalation criteria as the GH001 IDR.
|
• |
In the OLE Part 2, patients can receive up to 5 GH001 IDRs as needed across 6 months, based on specific re-treatment criteria. Re-treatment criteria include the severity of depression and the effectiveness, tolerability and number of
previous IDRs.
|
• |
A Phase 1 clinical pharmacology trial in healthy volunteers (IND-opening study), designed to support bridging to the clinical data generated with the third-party device we currently use in our clinical trials (GH001-HV-106); and
|
• |
A Phase 1 imaging study in patients with TRD (after the Phase 1 clinical pharmacology trial (GH001-HV-106) has been completed), designed to further elucidate the mechanism of action of GH001 (GH001-TRD-104).
|
• |
appoints a rapporteur from the CHMP or from the Committee for Advanced Therapies, or CAT, to provide continuous support and to build up knowledge of the medicine in advance of the filing of a marketing authorization application;
|
• |
issues guidance on the applicant’s overall development plan and regulatory strategy;
|
• |
organizes a kick-off meeting with the rapporteur and experts from relevant EMA committees and working groups;
|
• |
provides a dedicated EMA contact person; and
|
• |
provides scientific advice at key development milestones, involving additional stakeholders, such as health technology assessment bodies and patients, as needed.
|
• |
a covered benefit under its health plan;
|
• |
safe, effective and medically necessary;
|
• |
appropriate for the specific patient;
|
• |
cost-effective; and
|
• |
neither experimental nor investigational.
|
• |
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or
indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, lease, order, arrangement or recommendation of any good, facility, item or service for which payment
may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare and Medicaid. The term “remuneration” has been interpreted broadly to include anything of value. Further, courts have found that if “one purpose” of
remuneration is to induce referrals, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute is violated. The federal Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between manufacturers on one hand and prescribers, purchasers and formulary
managers on the other. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. In addition, 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 FCA or federal civil money penalties statute. There are a number of statutory exceptions
and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, but the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and require strict compliance in order to offer protection;
|
• |
The federal civil and criminal false claims laws, such as the FCA, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment or approval from Medicare, Medicaid
or other third-party payors, that are false, fictitious or fraudulent; from knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false statement or record material to a false or fraudulent claim or obligation to pay or transmit property
to the federal government; or from knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding or decreasing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit
claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring qui tam actions on behalf of the federal
government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery. When an entity is determined to have violated the FCA, the government may impose civil fines and penalties for each false claim, plus treble damages, and
exclude the entity from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs;
|
• |
The federal civil monetary penalties laws, which impose civil fines for, among other things, the offering or transferring of remuneration, which includes, without limitation, any transfer of items or services for free or for less than
fair market value (with limited exceptions), to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary that the person knows or should know is likely to influence the beneficiary’s selection of a particular provider, practitioner or supplier of items or
services reimbursable by a federal or state healthcare program;
|
• |
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, which created additional federal criminal liability for knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare
benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payor (i.e.,
public or private) and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or representations in connection with the
delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to
violate it in order to have committed a violation;
|
• |
HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and its respective implementing regulations, which imposes, among other things, certain requirements on covered entities,
including certain covered healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses and their respective business associates relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information as well
as their covered subcontractors. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, those independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, receive, maintain,
transmit or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also increased the civil and criminal penalties that may be imposed against covered entities, business associates
and possibly other persons, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorney’s fees and costs associated with pursuing
federal civil actions;
|
• |
The federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, collectively, the Affordable Care Act, or the ACA, which requires
applicable manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program to report annually to the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, or HHS, information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse
specialists, anesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by the physicians described above and their immediate
family members;
|
• |
Federal government price reporting laws, which require us to calculate and report complex pricing metrics in an accurate and timely manner to government programs;
|
• |
Federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers; and
|
• |
Analogous state and foreign equivalents of each of the healthcare laws and regulations described above, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including
commercial insurers or patients; state and local marketing and/or transparency laws applicable to manufacturers that may be broader in scope than the federal requirements; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the
pharmaceutical industry voluntary compliance guidelines and other relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, such as the April 2003 Office of Inspector General Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers and/or the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals; state laws that require the reporting of information related to drug pricing; state laws that require drug
manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures and pricing information; state and local laws that require the licensure and/or
registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information that may be more stringent than those in the United States (such as the European Union, which adopted
the GDPR, or the United Kingdom, which adopted the UK GDPR), many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
|
Company
|
Country of Incorporation
|
Percentage Ownership and
Voting Interest
|
Main Activities
|
|||
GH Research Ireland Limited
|
Ireland
|
100%
|
Clinical operations and research and development
|
• |
continue to develop and conduct clinical trials, including in expanded geographies such as the United States, for GH001, our inhalable mebufotenin product candidate, GH002, our intravenous mebufotenin product candidate, and GH003, our
intranasal mebufotenin product candidate for our initial indications and additional indications;
|
• |
continue both the technical development and expansion of our external manufacturing capabilities for our current product candidates GH001, GH002 and GH003 and of the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates;
|
• |
initiate and continue research and development, including nonclinical, clinical, and discovery efforts for any future product candidates;
|
• |
seek to identify additional product candidates;
|
• |
seek regulatory approvals for our product candidates GH001, GH002 and GH003, including the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates, or any other product candidates that successfully complete clinical development;
|
• |
add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product candidate and device development and help us comply with our obligations as a public company;
|
• |
hire and retain additional personnel, such as clinical, quality control, scientific, commercial, sales, marketing and administrative personnel;
|
• |
continue to prepare, file, prosecute, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights and claims;
|
• |
establish sales, marketing, distribution, manufacturing, supply chain and other commercial infrastructure in the future to commercialize various products for which we may obtain regulatory approval;
|
• |
comply with ongoing regulatory requirements for products approved for commercial sale, if ever;
|
• |
acquire or in-license other product candidates, medical devices to deliver our product candidates, and other technologies; and
|
• |
incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company.
|
• |
development costs, including expenses incurred under agreements with third parties, such as consultants, investigational sites and CROs, that conduct our nonclinical studies and clinical trials and other scientific development services;
|
• |
costs to develop our manufacturing technology and infrastructure, including costs incurred with third-party CMOs to acquire, develop and manufacture drug substance, drug product, and delivery device materials for nonclinical studies and
clinical trials;
|
• |
costs incurred to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements; and
|
• |
other expenses, including costs of outside consultants, insurance and other operating costs.
|
• |
successful enrollment in and completion of clinical trials;
|
• |
successful completion of nonclinical studies;
|
• |
sufficiency of our financial and other resources to complete the necessary technical development work, nonclinical studies and clinical trials;
|
• |
receiving regulatory approvals or clearance for conducting our planned clinical trials or future clinical trials;
|
• |
receiving positive data from our clinical trials that support an acceptable risk-benefit profile of GH001, GH002, GH003 and any future product candidates in the intended populations;
|
• |
receipt and maintenance of regulatory and marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities;
|
• |
establishing and scaling up, through third-party manufacturers, manufacturing capabilities of clinical supply for our clinical trials and commercial manufacturing, if any product candidates are approved;
|
• |
entry into collaborations to further the development of GH001, GH002, GH003 and any future product candidates, including any required medical devices;
|
• |
obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection or regulatory exclusivity for GH001, GH002, GH003 and any future product candidates;
|
• |
successfully launching commercial sales of GH001, GH002, GH003 and any future product candidates, if approved;
|
• |
acceptance of our current and future product candidates’ benefits and uses, if approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; and
|
• |
maintaining a continued acceptable safety profile of GH001, GH002, GH003 and our future product candidates following approval.
|
• |
professional fees, including consulting, accounting, legal, tax and audit services;
|
• |
personnel expenses, including salaries and related expenses; and
|
• |
other expenses, including expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, insurance and other operating costs.
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in USD thousands)
|
||||||||||||
Operating Expenses:
|
||||||||||||
Research and development
|
(20,484
|
)
|
(8,553
|
)
|
(11,931
|
)
|
||||||
General and administrative
|
(10,070
|
)
|
(6,547
|
)
|
(3,523
|
)
|
||||||
Loss from operations
|
(30,554
|
)
|
(15,100
|
)
|
(15,454
|
)
|
||||||
Net finance income/(expense)
|
922
|
(9
|
)
|
931
|
||||||||
Foreign exchange gain
|
7,176
|
5,907
|
1,269
|
|||||||||
Loss for the year
|
(22,456
|
)
|
(9,202
|
)
|
(13,254
|
)
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in USD thousands)
|
||||||||||||
External research and development expenses
|
(16,019
|
)
|
(6,602
|
)
|
(9,417
|
)
|
||||||
Employee expenses(1)
|
(4,119
|
)
|
(1,419
|
)
|
(2,700
|
)
|
||||||
Depreciation
|
(33
|
)
|
(14
|
)
|
(19
|
)
|
||||||
Other expenses
|
(313
|
)
|
(518
|
)
|
205
|
|||||||
Research and development
|
(20,484
|
)
|
(8,553
|
)
|
(11,931
|
)
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in USD thousands)
|
||||||||||||
GH001
|
(12,013
|
)
|
(5,442
|
)
|
(6,571
|
)
|
||||||
GH002
|
(1,538
|
)
|
—
|
(1,538
|
)
|
|||||||
GH003
|
(43
|
)
|
—
|
(43
|
)
|
|||||||
Related to multiple product candidates (GH001, GH002 and GH003)(1)
|
(6,890
|
)
|
(3,111
|
)
|
(3,779
|
)
|
||||||
Research and development
|
(20,484
|
)
|
(8,553
|
)
|
(11,931
|
)
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in USD thousands)
|
||||||||||||
External costs
|
(7,785
|
)
|
(5,618
|
)
|
(2,167
|
)
|
||||||
Employee expenses(1)
|
(2,271
|
)
|
(924
|
)
|
(1,347
|
)
|
||||||
Depreciation
|
(14
|
)
|
(5
|
)
|
(9
|
)
|
||||||
General and administrative
|
(10,070
|
)
|
(6,547
|
)
|
(3,523
|
)
|
• |
In 2020, we received net cash proceeds of $5.5 million from the issuance of Series A preferred shares.
|
• |
In April 2021, we received net cash proceeds of $118.8 million from the issuance of Series B preferred shares.
|
• |
In June 2021, we completed our initial public offering and received net proceeds of $167.6 million from the issuance of ordinary shares.
|
• |
As of December 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $251.7 million compared to cash of $276.8 million as of December 31, 2021.
|
Year Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
Change
|
||||||||||
(in USD thousands)
|
||||||||||||
Net cash provided by (used in):
|
||||||||||||
Net cash flows used in operating activities
|
(26,199
|
)
|
(15,283
|
)
|
(10,916
|
)
|
||||||
Net cash flows used in investing activities
|
(84,688
|
)
|
(104
|
)
|
(84,584
|
)
|
||||||
Net cash flows from financing activities
|
—
|
286,447
|
(286,447
|
)
|
||||||||
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
(110,887
|
)
|
271,060
|
(381,947
|
)
|
• |
continue to develop and conduct clinical trials, including in expanded geographies such as the United States, for GH001, our inhalable mebufotenin product candidate, GH002, our intravenous mebufotenin product candidate, and GH003, our
intranasal mebufotenin product candidate for our initial indications and additional indications;
|
• |
continue both the technical development and expansion of our external manufacturing capabilities for our current product candidates GH001, GH002 and GH003 and of the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates;
|
• |
initiate and continue research and development, including nonclinical, clinical, and discovery efforts for any future product candidates;
|
• |
seek to identify additional product candidates;
|
• |
seek regulatory approvals for our product candidates GH001, GH002 and GH003, including the medical devices required to deliver these product candidates, or any other product candidates that successfully complete clinical development;
|
• |
add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product candidate and device development and help us comply with our obligations as a public company;
|
• |
hire and retain additional personnel, such as clinical, quality control, scientific, commercial, sales, marketing and administrative personnel;
|
• |
continue to prepare, file, prosecute, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property rights and claims;
|
• |
establish sales, marketing, distribution, manufacturing, supply chain and other commercial infrastructure in the future to commercialize various products for which we may obtain regulatory approval;
|
• |
comply with ongoing regulatory requirements for products approved for commercial sale, if ever;
|
• |
acquire or in-license other product candidates, medical devices to deliver our product candidates, and other technologies; and
|
• |
incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company.
|
• |
the scope, progress, results and costs of researching and developing our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates, additional mebufotenin delivery approaches and the medical devices required to deliver these therapies for our initial
and any additional indications, as well as other product candidates we may develop;
|
• |
the timing and uncertainty of, and the costs involved in, obtaining marketing approvals for our GH001, GH002 and GH003 product candidates including the medical devices required to deliver these therapies for our initial and any
additional indications, and other product candidates we may develop and pursue;
|
• |
the number of future product candidates that we may pursue and their development requirements;
|
• |
the number of jurisdictions in which we plan to seek regulatory approvals;
|
• |
if approved, the costs of commercialization activities for GH001, GH002 and GH003 for any approved indications, or any other product candidate that receives regulatory approval to the extent such costs are not the responsibility of any
future collaborators, including the costs and timing of establishing product sales, marketing, distribution, and manufacturing capabilities;
|
• |
subject to receipt of regulatory approval, revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of GH001, GH002 and GH003 and the respective medical devices for any approved indications or any other product candidates;
|
• |
the extent to which we may in-license or acquire rights to other products, product candidates, medical devices or technologies;
|
• |
our headcount growth and associated costs as we expand our research and development, increase our office space, and establish a commercial infrastructure;
|
• |
the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications and maintaining and protecting our intellectual property rights, including enforcing and defending intellectual property-related claims;
|
• |
the effect of competing product and market developments; and
|
• |
the ongoing costs of operating as a public company.
|
Name
|
Position(s)
|
Age
|
||
Executive Officers
|
||||
Theis Terwey
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
47
|
||
Magnus Halle
|
Managing Director, Ireland
|
26
|
||
Julie Ryan
|
Vice President, Finance
|
37
|
||
Aaron Cameron
|
Vice President, Technical Development and Operational Planning
|
38
|
||
Non-Executive Directors
|
||||
Florian Schönharting
|
Chairman of the Board of Directors
|
54
|
||
Michael Forer
|
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
|
57
|
||
Dermot Hanley
|
Director
|
58
|
||
Duncan Moore
|
Director
|
64
|
Country of Principal Executive Offices: Ireland
|
||||||||
Foreign Private Issuer: Yes
|
||||||||
Disclosure Prohibited under Home Country Law: No
|
||||||||
Total Number of Directors: 4
|
||||||||
Female
|
Male
|
Non-Binary
|
Did Not Disclose
|
|||||
Part I: Gender Identity
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
||||
Part II: Demographic Background
|
||||||||
Underrepresented individual in home country jurisdiction
|
0
|
|||||||
LGBTQ+
|
0
|
|||||||
Did not disclose
|
0
|
• |
recommending the appointment of the independent auditor to shareholders for approval at the general meeting of shareholders;
|
• |
the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of any accounting firm engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit services;
|
• |
pre-approving the audit services and non-audit services to be provided by our independent auditor before the auditor is engaged to render such services;
|
• |
evaluating the independent auditor’s qualifications, performance and independence, and presenting its conclusions to the full Board of Directors on at least an annual basis;
|
• |
reviewing and discussing with management and our independent registered public accounting firm our financial statements and our financial reporting process; and
|
• |
reviewing, approving or ratifying any related party transactions.
|
• |
drawing up selection criteria and appointment procedures for directors;
|
• |
assessing the functioning of individual members of our Board of Directors and executive officers and reporting the results of such assessment to our Board of Directors;
|
• |
establishing procedures for identifying and evaluating board of director candidates, including nominees recommended by shareholders;
|
• |
reviewing the composition of our Board of Directors to ensure that it is composed of members containing the appropriate skills and expertise to advise us;
|
• |
recommending to our Board of Directors the persons to be nominated for election as directors and to each of our Board of Directors’ committees;
|
• |
developing and recommending to our Board of Directors a code of business conduct and ethics and a set of corporate governance guidelines; and
|
• |
overseeing the evaluation of our Board of Directors and management.
|
• |
identifying, reviewing and proposing policies relevant to the compensation and benefits of our directors and executive officers;
|
• |
evaluating the performance of senior management in light of such policies and reporting to the board; and
|
• |
overseeing and administering our employee share option scheme or equity incentive plans in operation from time to time.
|
• |
each person, or group of affiliated persons, known by us to own beneficially 5% or more of our outstanding ordinary shares;
|
• |
each of our executive officers and directors; and
|
• |
all executive officers and directors as a group.
|
Principal Shareholders
|
Number of
Ordinary
Shares
Beneficially
Owned |
Percentage of
Ordinary
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
|
5% or Greater Shareholders
|
||
BVF(1)
|
9,275,158
|
17.8%
|
RA Capital(2)
|
4,898,373
|
9.4%
|
FMR LLC(3)
|
4,455,981
|
8.6%
|
Venrock(4)
|
3,517,125
|
6.8%
|
Executive Officers and Directors
|
||
Theis Terwey
|
6,188,070
|
11.9%
|
Magnus Halle
|
*
|
*
|
Julie Ryan(5)
|
*
|
*
|
Aaron Cameron(6)
|
*
|
*
|
Florian Schönharting
|
14,824,419
|
28.5%
|
Spike Loy(7)
|
*
|
*
|
Michael Forer(8)
|
*
|
*
|
Dermot Hanley
|
*
|
*
|
Duncan Moore
|
*
|
*
|
All executive officers and directors as a group (9 persons)
|
21,173,220
|
40.7%
|
*
|
Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1% of our total outstanding ordinary shares.
|
(1) |
Based solely on the Form 13F Holdings Report filed with the SEC by BVF Inc. on February 14, 2023. Consists of ordinary shares held by Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. (“BVF”), including ordinary shares held by Biotechnology Value Fund II,
L.P. (“BVF2”) and Biotechnology Value Trading Fund OS L.P. (“Trading Fund OS”). BVF (“BVF GP”), as the general partner of BVF, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially owned by BVF. BVF II GP L.L.C. (“BVF2 GP”), as the
general partner of BVF2, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially owned by BVF2. BVF Partners OS Ltd. (“Partners OS”), as the general partner of Trading Fund OS, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially
owned by Trading Fund OS. BVF GP Holdings L.L.C. (“BVF GPH”), as the sole member of each of BVF GP and BVF2 GP, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially owned in the aggregate by BVF and BVF2. BVF Partners L.P.
(“Partners”), as the general partner of BVF and BVF2, the sole member of Partners OS, and the investment manager of Trading Fund OS, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially owned in the aggregate by BVF, BVF2 and Trading
Fund OS. BVF Inc., as the general partner of Partners, may be deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially owned by Partners. Mark Lampert, as a director and officer of BVF Inc., may be deemed to beneficially own the shares
beneficially owned by BVF Inc. The address of the above persons and entities is 44 Montgomery Street, 40th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104.
|
(2) |
Based solely on the Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC by RA Capital Management, L.P. (“RA Capital”) on February 14, 2023 and consists of ordinary shares held by RA Capital Healthcare Fund, L.P. (the “Fund”) and RA Capital Nexus Fund II,
L.P. (the “Nexus Fund II”). RA Capital Healthcare Fund GP, LLC is the general partner of the Fund and RA Capital Nexus Fund II GP, LLC is the general partner of the Nexus Fund II. The general partner of RA Capital is RA Capital Management
GP, LLC, of which Dr. Kolchinsky and Mr. Shah are the controlling persons. RA Capital serves as investment adviser for the Fund and the Nexus Fund II and may be deemed a beneficial owner, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act,
of any securities held by the Fund and the Nexus Fund II. The Fund and the Nexus Fund II have delegated to RA Capital the sole power to vote and the sole power to dispose of all securities held in the Fund’s and the Nexus Fund II’s
portfolios, including the Company’s ordinary shares. As managers of RA Capital, Dr. Kolchinsky and Mr. Shah may be deemed beneficial owners, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, of any securities beneficially owned by RA
Capital. The address of RA Capital is 200 Berkeley Street, 18th Floor, Boston MA 02116.
|
(3) |
Based solely on the Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC by FMR LLC on February 9, 2023 and consists of ordinary shares held by FMR LLC or certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates. Abigail P. Johnson is a Director, the Chairman and the
Chief Executive Officer 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. The address of FMR LLC is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
|
(4) |
Based solely on the Schedule 13G/A filed by Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners II, L.P. on February 14, 2023 and consists of ordinary shares held by Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners II, L.P., VHCP Co-Investment Holdings II, LLC,
Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners III, L.P., VHCP Co-Investment Holdings III, LLC and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners EG, L.P. VHCP Management II, LLC is the general partner of Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners II, L.P. and the
manager of VHCP Co-Investment Holdings II, LLC. VHCP Management III, LLC is the general partner of Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners III, L.P. and the manager of VHCP Co-Investment Holdings III, LLC. VHCP Management EG, LLC is the general
partner of Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners EG, L.P. Messrs. Nimish Shah and Bong Koh are the voting members of VHCP Management II, LLC, VHCP Management III, LLC and VHCP Management EG, LLC. The addresses of Venrock Healthcare Capital
Partners II, L.P. are 7 Bryant Park, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10018 and 3340 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304.
|
(5) |
Excludes options to purchase a total of 50,487 ordinary shares that are not exercisable by Ms. Ryan within 60 days of the date of this Annual Report.
|
(6) |
Excludes options to purchase a total of 33,211 ordinary shares that are not exercisable by Mr. Cameron within 60 days of the date of this Annual Report.
|
(7) |
Mr. Loy, a Managing Director of BVF Partners LP, disclaims beneficial ownership with respect to the 9,275,158 ordinary shares held of record by entities affiliated with BVF except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. See
footnote (1). On March 27, 2022, Mr. Loy resigned from our Board of Directors.
|
(8) |
Does not include 212,850 ordinary shares held by Dune Capital Inc., a company which is wholly owned by a trust whose beneficiaries include Mr. Forer and his family. Mr. Forer does not exercise investment or voting control over the trust,
and therefore such shares do not appear in the table above.
|
Name of Shareholders
|
Series B Preferred
Shares
|
Aggregate Purchase
Price Paid
|
||||||
Entities affiliated with BVF
|
5,067,701
|
$
|
25,000,002.87
|
|||||
Florian Schönharting
|
202,699
|
999,955.52
|
• |
certain banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions;
|
• |
brokers, dealers or traders in securities who use a mark-to-market method of tax accounting;
|
• |
persons holding ordinary shares as part of a straddle, wash sale, conversion transaction or other integrated transaction or persons entering into a constructive sale with respect to the ordinary shares;
|
• |
persons whose functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar;
|
• |
entities or arrangements classified as partnerships or S corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and investors therein);
|
• |
tax-exempt entities, including an “individual retirement account” or “Roth IRA,” or governmental entities;
|
• |
real estate investment trusts or regulated investment companies;
|
• |
former U.S. citizens or long-term residents of the United States;
|
• |
persons that own or are deemed to own 10% or more of the voting power or value of our shares; or
|
• |
persons holding ordinary shares in connection with a trade or business conducted outside of the United States or in connection with a permanent establishment or other fixed place of business outside of the United States.
|
• |
a citizen or individual resident of the United States;
|
• |
a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia; or
|
• |
an estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.
|
• |
a person (not being a company) resident for tax purposes in a Relevant Territory (including the United States) and is neither resident nor ordinarily resident in Ireland (the current list of Relevant Territories for DWT purposes are:
Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, The Republic Of Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates,
United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia);
|
• |
a company which is not resident for tax purposes in Ireland but is resident for tax purposes in a Relevant Territory, provided such company is not under the control, whether directly or indirectly, of a person or persons who is or are
resident in Ireland;
|
• |
a company, which is not resident for tax purposes in Ireland, that is controlled, directly or indirectly, by persons resident in a Relevant Territory and who is or are (as the case may be) not controlled by, directly or indirectly,
persons who are not resident in a Relevant Territory;
|
• |
a company, which is not resident for tax purposes in Ireland, whose principal class of shares (or those of its 75% direct or indirect parent) is substantially and regularly traded on a stock exchange in Ireland, on a recognized stock
exchange in a Relevant Territory or on such other stock exchange approved by the Irish Minister for Finance; or
|
• |
a company, which is not resident for tax purposes in Ireland, that is wholly owned, directly or indirectly, by two or more companies where the principal class of shares of each of such companies is substantially and regularly traded on a
stock exchange in Ireland, on a recognized stock exchange in a Relevant Territory or on such other stock exchange approved by the Irish Minister for Finance,
|
• |
forecast expenses denominated in a currency other than the entity’s functional currency; and
|
• |
recognized assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than the entity’s functional currency.
|
• |
design and maintain formal accounting policies, procedures and controls over the fair presentation of our financial statements; and
|
• |
design and maintain controls over the preparation and review of account reconciliations, journal entries and financial statements, including maintaining appropriate segregation of duties and controls over information technology systems.
|
• |
Hiring trained professionals with the relevant knowledge and experience in key areas including accounting, finance, internal audit and legal, which are further supported by appropriately qualified external advisers;
|
• |
Engaging third party consultants to review and make recommendations with respect to the design of our internal controls over financial reporting, including segregation of duties; and
|
• |
Engaging subject matter experts to support us in formalizing and implementing our information technology systems.
|
D.
|
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
|
For the Years Ended
|
||||||||
December 31,
|
||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
|||||||
(In USD thousands)
|
||||||||
Audit fees
|
547
|
1,015
|
||||||
Tax fees
|
-
|
29
|
||||||
Total Fees
|
547
|
1,044
|
• |
The Rule requiring maintaining a majority of independent directors (Rule 5605(b)(1)). Although we currently maintain a majority of independent directors, we may follow Irish law and practice in the future, under which we are not required
to appoint a majority of independent directors.
|
• |
The Rule requiring that our independent directors have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present (Rule 5605(b)(2)). Instead, we follow Irish law according to which independent directors are not required
to hold executive sessions.
|
• |
The Rule regarding independent director oversight of director nominations process for directors (Rule 5605(e)). Instead, we follow Irish law and practice according to which our Board of Directors recommends directors for
election/re-election by our shareholders.
|
• |
The requirement to obtain shareholder approval for the establishment or amendment of certain equity based compensation plans (Rule 5635(c)), an issuance that will result in a change of control of the company (Rule 5635(b)), certain
transactions other than a public offering involving issuances of a 20% or more interest in the company (Rule 5635(d)) and certain acquisitions of the stock or assets of another company (Rule 5635(a)). Instead, we follow Irish law and
practice in approving such procedures, according to which Board approval may suffice in certain circumstances, depending on the extent existing general authorities to issue shares are in place in accordance with our Constitution.
|
• |
The Rule requiring a compensation committee consisting of at least two independent directors (Rule 5605(d)(2)). We have a compensation committee, which we refer to as the remuneration committee, and to preserve greater flexibility over
whom we may appoint to the remuneration committee, we instead follow Irish law which does not require us to have an independent compensation committee.
|
• |
The Rule requiring a quorum of 331/3% at any meeting of shareholders (Rule 5620(c)). Instead, we follow the provisions of our Constitution which require a
quorum of 25%.
|
Incorporation by Reference | ||||||||||
Exhibit No.
|
Description
|
Form
|
File No.
|
Exhibit No.
|
Filing Date
|
|||||
Constitution of GH Research PLC
|
||||||||||
2.1*
|
Description of Securities
|
|||||||||
Form of Registration Rights Agreement between GH Research PLC and the shareholders listed therein
|
F-1/A
|
333-256796
|
10.1
|
June 21, 2021
|
||||||
Form of GH Research PLC Share Option Plan
|
F-1/A
|
333-256796
|
10.2
|
June 21, 2021
|
||||||
List of subsidiaries
|
F-1
|
333-256796
|
21.1
|
June 4, 2021
|
||||||
12.1*
|
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|||||||||
12.2*
|
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|||||||||
13.1*
|
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|||||||||
13.2*
|
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
|||||||||
101.INS
|
Inline XBRL Instance Document
|
|||||||||
101.SCH
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
|
|||||||||
101.CAL
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
|
|||||||||
101.DEF
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
|
|||||||||
101.LAB
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
|
|||||||||
101.PRE
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
|
|||||||||
104
|
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
|
* |
Filed herewith.
|
§ |
Management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement.
|
GH Research PLC
|
|||||
Date:
|
March 9, 2023
|
By:
|
/s/ Theis Terwey
|
||
Name:
|
Theis Terwey
|
||||
Title:
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
By:
|
/s/ Julie Ryan
|
|||
Name:
|
Julie Ryan
|
|||
Title:
|
Vice President, Finance
|
F-2
|
|
F-3
|
|
F-4
|
|
F-5
|
|
F-6
|
|
F-7
|
|
F-8
|
GH RESEARCH PLC
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
||||||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
||||||||||||||
Note
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||||||
Operating expenses
|
||||||||||||||||
Research and development
|
3
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|||||||||
General and administration
|
3
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|||||||||
Loss from operations
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Net finance income/(expense)
|
6 |
|
(
|
)
|
|
|||||||||||
Foreign exchange gain
|
3
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Total other income
|
||||||||||||||||
Loss before tax
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Tax charge/(credit)
|
7
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Loss for the year
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Other comprehensive income/(expense)
|
||||||||||||||||
Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss
|
||||||||||||||||
Fair value movement on marketable securities
|
11 | |||||||||||||||
Currency translation adjustment
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|
|||||||||||
Total comprehensive loss for the year
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Attributable to owners:
|
||||||||||||||||
Loss for the year
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Comprehensive loss for the year
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Loss per share
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic and diluted loss per share (in USD)
|
20 |
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
GH RESEARCH PLC
|
At December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
|||||||||||
Note
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
||||||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||||||
Current assets
|
||||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents
|
9
|
|
|
|||||||||
Other current assets
|
10
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total current assets
|
|
|
||||||||||
Non-current assets
|
||||||||||||
Marketable securities
|
11 | |||||||||||
Property, plant and equipment
|
12
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
||||||||||
Total assets
|
|
|
||||||||||
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
|
||||||||||||
Current liabilities
|
||||||||||||
Trade payables
|
13
|
|
|
|||||||||
Other current liabilities
|
14
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
||||||||||
Total liabilities
|
|
|
||||||||||
Equity attributable to owners
|
||||||||||||
Share capital
|
15
|
|
|
|||||||||
Additional paid-in capital
|
15
|
|
|
|||||||||
Other reserves
|
15
|
|
|
|||||||||
Foreign currency translation reserve
|
15
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|||||||
Accumulated deficit
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||
Total equity
|
|
|
||||||||||
Total liabilities and equity
|
|
|
GH RESEARCH PLC
|
Attributable to owners
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Share capital
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
Other
reserves
|
Foreign
currency
translation
reserve
|
Accumulated
deficit
|
Total
|
|||||||||||||||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Note 15
|
Note 15
|
Note 15
|
Note 15
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
At January 1, 2020
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||||||||||||
Loss for the year
|
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Translation adjustment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total comprehensive loss for the year
|
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Issue of share capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total transactions with owners
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
At January 1, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Loss for the year
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||||
Translation adjustment
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||||||||
Total comprehensive loss for the year
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|||||||||||||||
Share-based compensation expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Corporate reorganization
|
(
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
Issue of share capital
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
Total transactions with owners
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
At December 31, 2021
|
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||||||||||||
At January 1, 2022 | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Loss for the year
|
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive income/(loss)
|
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total comprehensive income/(loss) for the year
|
( |
) | ( |
) | ( |
) | ||||||||||||||||||
Share-based compensation expense
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total transactions with owners
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
At December 31, 2022 | ( |
) | ( |
) |
GH RESEARCH PLC
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
||||||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
||||||||||||||
Note |
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||||||
Cash flows from operating activities
|
||||||||||||||||
Loss for the year
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Depreciation
|
12
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Share-based compensation expense
|
17
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Net finance (income)/expense
|
6 |
(
|
)
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Foreign exchange gain
|
3
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||||||
Movement in working capital
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||||||||
Cash flows used in operating activities
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Finance expense paid
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|
|||||||||||
Finance income received
|
||||||||||||||||
Net cash used in operating activities
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
Cash flows used in investing activities
|
||||||||||||||||
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
|
12
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||||||
Purchase of marketable securities
|
11 | ( |
) | |||||||||||||
( |
) | ( |
) | |||||||||||||
Cash flows from financing activities
|
||||||||||||||||
Proceeds from capital contributions
|
15
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Transaction costs from capital contributions
|
15
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
|||||||||||
Net cash flows from financing activities
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
(
|
)
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Cash at the beginning of the year
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
Impact of foreign exchange on cash
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year
|
|
|
|
- |
financial asset at amortized cost;
|
- |
financial asset at fair value through other comprehensive income (“FVOCI”); or
|
- |
financial asset at FVTPL.
|
• |
The asset has contractual terms that give rise to cash flows on specified dates that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal outstanding; and
|
• |
The asset is held within a business model whose objective is achieved by both collecting contractual cash flows and selling those assets.
|
Estimated Useful
Life
|
|
IT equipment
|
|
Office equipment
|
|
Medical equipment
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
||||||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
||||||||||
Research and development
|
||||||||||||
External research and development expenses
|
||||||||||||
Employee expenses (1)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Depreciation
|
||||||||||||
Other expenses
|
||||||||||||
Total research and development expenses
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
General and administrative
|
||||||||||||
External costs
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Employee expenses (2)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Depreciation
|
||||||||||||
Total general and administrative expenses
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total operating expenses
|
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
|||||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||
Salary and related expenses
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Social security costs
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Shared based compensation expense
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
|||||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||
Lease expenses for short-term leases
|
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||||||
2022
|
2021 |
2020 |
|||||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||
Finance income
|
|||||||||||
Gain on cash equivalents held at FVTPL
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Interest income under effective interest rate method at FVOCI
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Total finance income
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Finance expense
|
|||||||||||
Expected credit losses on marketable securities at FVOCI
|
(
|
)
|
|
|
|||||||
Finance expenses on investment
|
(
|
)
|
|
|
|||||||
Interest expense
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
|||||||
Total finance expense
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||
Net finance income/(expense)
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
||||||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
||||||||||
Loss before tax
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Tax credit calculated at the domestic tax rate
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||
Tax effects of:
|
||||||||||||
Losses for which no deferred tax asset was recognized
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Other permanent differences
|
||||||||||||
Tax charge/(credit)
|
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||
2022
|
2021 |
||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
||||||
Cash at bank and in hand
|
|
|
|||||
Cash equivalents
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||
2022
|
2021
|
||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
||||||
Prepaid expenses
|
|
|
|||||
VAT receivable
|
|
|
|||||
Other
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||
2022
|
2021 |
||||||
Fair value |
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||
Opening balance
|
|
|
|||||
Additions
|
|||||||
Accrued interest
|
|||||||
Interest received
|
( |
) | |||||
Fair value gain
|
|
|
|||||
Closing balance
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||
2022
|
2021 |
||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
||||||
Fair value gain on marketable securities
|
|
|
|||||
Expected credit losses on marketable securities
|
|
|
|||||
Fair value movement on marketable securities through OCI
|
|
|
Computer Equipment
$’000
|
Office
Equipment
$’000
|
Medical
Devices
$’000
|
Total
$’000
|
|||||||||||||
Cost
|
||||||||||||||||
At January 1, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Additions
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Exchange difference
|
(
|
)
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|||||||||
At December 31, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Accumulated Depreciation
|
||||||||||||||||
At January 1, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Additions
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Exchange difference
|
(
|
)
|
|
|
(
|
)
|
||||||||||
At December 31, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Net Book Amount
|
||||||||||||||||
At December 31, 2021
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
|
||||||||||||||||
At January 1, 2022
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Additions
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Exchange difference
|
(
|
)
|
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
|||||||||
At December 31, 2022
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Accumulated Depreciation
|
||||||||||||||||
At January 1, 2022
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Additions
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Exchange difference
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
At December 31, 2022
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Net Book Amount
|
||||||||||||||||
At December 31, 2022
|
|
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||
2022
|
2021
|
||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
||||||
Accruals
|
|
|
|||||
Social security payable
|
|
|
|||||
Other
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
Number of
outstanding
shares
|
Share capital
|
Additional
paid-in capital
|
||||||||||
|
$’000
|
|
$’000
|
|||||||||
At January 1, 2020 (1)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Issuance of share capital - Series A preferred shares (i)
|
||||||||||||
At December 31, 2020 (1)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Issuance of share capital - A Ordinary Shares (ii)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Issuance of share capital - Series B preferred shares (iii)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Share exchange (iv)
|
|
(
|
)
|
|
||||||||
Redemption of A Ordinary Shares (v)
|
(
|
)
|
|
|
||||||||
Share consolidation (vi)
|
(
|
)
|
|
|
||||||||
Issue of share capital (vii)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
At December 31, 2021
|
||||||||||||
At December 31, 2022
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
(i) |
Share issuance – Series A preferred shares
|
(ii) |
Incorporation of GH Research PLC
|
(iii) |
Share issuance – Series B preferred shares
|
(iv) |
Share exchange
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
(v) |
Redemption of A Ordinary Shares
|
(vi) |
Conversion and share consolidation
|
(vii) |
Share issuance – IPO
|
Average
exercise price
per share in
USD
|
Number of
awards
|
Weighted
average
remaining life in
years
|
||||||||||
At December 31, 2020
|
|
|
—
|
|||||||||
Granted
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
At December 31, 2021
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Granted | ||||||||||||
At December 31, 2022
|
Year ended
December 31, 2022
|
Year ended
December 31, 2021
|
|||||||
Share price, in USD
|
|
|||||||
Strike price, in USD – employees (weighted average)
|
|
|||||||
Strike price, in USD – non-executive directors
|
|
|||||||
Expected volatility
|
|
%
|
% | |||||
Award life (weighted average)
|
|
|||||||
Expected dividends
|
|
|||||||
Risk-free interest rate
|
|
%
|
% |
● |
forecast expenses denominated in a currency other than the entity’s functional currency; and
|
● |
recognized assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than the entity’s functional currency.
|
2022
|
2022
|
2021
|
2021
|
|||||||||||||
Local
Currency
‘000
|
$’000
|
Local
Currency
‘000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||||||
In USD
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
In Euro
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
In GBP
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||
|
2022
|
2021
|
||||||
$’000 |
$’000 | |||||||
Opening impairment allowance
|
|
|
||||||
Increase in impairment allowance during the year
|
|
|
||||||
Closing impairment allowance
|
|
|
|
Carrying amount
|
|||||||
|
FVOCI
|
FVTPL
|
||||||
Financial assets measured at fair value
|
||||||||
Marketable securities
|
|
|
||||||
Cash equivalents
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
|||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
|||||||||
$’000
|
$’000
|
$’000
|
|||||||||
Salary and related expenses
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Shared based compensation expense
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
Year ended
December 31,
|
||||||||||||
2022
|
2021
|
2020
|
||||||||||
Loss attributable to shareholders (in $’000)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
||||||
Weighted average number of shares in issue(1) (2)
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Basic and diluted loss per share (in USD)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
(
|
)
|
1 |
The name of the Company is GH RESEARCH PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY.
|
2 |
The Company is a public limited company registered under Part 17 of the Companies Act 2014 (the Act).
|
3 |
The objects for which the Company is established are:
|
(a) |
To carry on the business of a holding company and to co-ordinate the administration, finances and activities of any subsidiary companies or associated companies, to do all lawful
acts and things whatsoever that are necessary or convenient in carrying on the business of such a holding company and in particular to carry on business in all its branches, companies or locations related to biopharmaceutical research and the
development of novel therapies for the management of mental diseases.
|
(b) |
To carry on the businesses of a researcher, developer, manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, retailer, service provider, investor, trader and any other business which may seem to
the Company's board of directors capable of being conveniently carried on in connection with these objects or calculated directly or indirectly to enhance the value of or render more profitable any of the Company's property.
|
(c) |
To carry on all or any of the businesses as aforesaid either as a separate business or as the principal business of the Company.
|
(d) |
To invest and deal with the property of the Company in such manner as may from time to time be determined by the Company's board of directors and to dispose of or vary such
investments and dealings.
|
(e) |
To borrow or raise money or capital in any manner and on such terms and subject to such conditions and for such purposes as the Company's board of directors shall think fit or
expedient, whether alone or jointly and/or severally with any other person or company, including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, whether by the issue of debentures or debenture stock (perpetual or otherwise) or
otherwise, and to secure, with or without consideration, the payment or repayment of any money borrowed, raised or owing or any debt, obligation or liability of the Company or of any other person or company whatsoever in such manner and on
such terms and conditions as the Company's board of directors shall think fit or expedient and, in particular by mortgage, charge, lien, pledge or debenture or any other security of whatsoever nature or howsoever described, perpetual or
otherwise, charged upon all or any of the Company's property, both present and future, and to purchase, redeem or pay off any such securities and also to accept capital contributions from any person or company in any manner and on such terms
and conditions and for such purposes as the Company's board of directors shall think fit or expedient.
|
(f) |
To lend and advance money or other property or give credit or financial accommodation to any company or person in any manner either with or without security and whether with or
without the payment of interest and upon such terms and conditions as the Company's board of directors shall think fit or expedient.
|
(g) |
To guarantee, indemnify, grant indemnities in respect of, enter into any suretyship or joint obligation, or otherwise support or secure, whether by personal covenant, indemnity or
undertaking or by mortgaging, charging, pledging or granting a lien or other security over all or any part of the Company's property (both present and future) or by any one or more of such methods or any other method and whether in support of
such guarantee or indemnity or suretyship or joint obligation or otherwise, on such terms and conditions as the Company's board of directors shall think fit, the payment of any debts or the performance or discharge of any contract, obligation
or liability of any person or company (including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the payment of any capital, principal, dividends or interest on any stocks, shares, debentures, debenture stock, notes, bonds or other
securities of any person, authority or company) including, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, any company which is for the time being the Company's holding company or another subsidiary (as defined by the Act) of the
Company's holding company or a subsidiary of the Company or otherwise associated with the Company.
|
(h) |
To grant, convey, assign, transfer, exchange or otherwise alienate or dispose of any property of the Company of whatever nature or tenure for such price, consideration, sum or other
return whether equal to or less than the market value thereof or for shares, debentures or securities and whether by way of gift or otherwise as the Company's board of directors shall deem fit or expedient.
|
(i) |
To purchase, take on, lease, exchange, rent, hire or otherwise acquire any property and to acquire and undertake the whole or any part of the business and property of any company or
person.
|
(j) |
To engage in currency exchange, interest rate and commodity transactions including, but not limited to, dealings in foreign currency, spot and forward rate exchange contracts,
futures, options, forward rate agreements, swaps, caps, floors, collars and any other foreign exchange, interest rate or commodity hedging arrangements and such other instruments as are similar to, or derived from, any of the foregoing
whether for the purpose of making a profit or avoiding a loss or managing a currency, interest rate or commodity exposure or any other exposure or for any other purpose.
|
(k) |
To apply for, establish, create, purchase or otherwise acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of and hold any patents, trade marks, copyrights, brevets d' invention, registered designs,
licences, concessions and the like conferring any exclusive or non-exclusive or limited rights to use or any secret or other information and any invention and to use, exercise, develop or grant licences in respect of or otherwise turn to
account or exploit the property, rights or information so held.
|
(l) |
To enter into any arrangements with any governments or authorities, national, local or otherwise and to obtain from any such government or authority any rights, privileges and
concessions and to carry out, exercise and comply with any such arrangements, rights, privileges and concessions.
|
(m) |
To establish, form, register, incorporate or promote any company or companies or person, whether inside or outside of Ireland.
|
(n) |
To remunerate any person or company for services rendered or to be rendered in placing or assisting to place or guaranteeing the placing of any of the shares of the Company's capital
or any debentures, debenture stock or other securities of the Company or in or about the formation or promotion of the Company or the conduct of its business.
|
(o) |
To adopt such means of making known the products of the Company as may seem expedient and in particular by advertising in the press, by circulars, by purchase and exhibition of works
of art or interest, by publication of books and periodicals and by granting prizes, rewards and donations.
|
(p) |
To pay all costs, charges, fees and expenses incurred or sustained in or about the promotion, establishment, formation and registration of the Company.
|
(q) |
To do all or any of the above things in any part of the world, and as principals, agents, contractors, trustees or otherwise and by or through trustees, agents or otherwise and
either alone or in conjunction with any person or company.
|
(r) |
To do all such other things as the Company's board of directors may think incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects or any of them.
|
(a) |
the word "company", except where used in reference to this Company, shall be deemed to include a body corporate, whether a company (wherever formed, registered or incorporated), a
corporation aggregate, a corporation sole and a national or local government or other legal entity; and
|
(b) |
the word "person", shall be deemed to include any individual, firm, body corporate, association or partnership, government or state or agency of a state, local authority or
government body or any joint venture association or partnership (whether or not having a separate legal personality) and that person's personal representatives, successors or permitted assigns; and
|
(c) |
the word "property", shall be deemed to include, where the context permits, real property, personal property including choses or things in action and all other intangible property
and money and all estates, rights, titles and interests therein and includes the Company's uncalled capital and future calls and all and every other undertaking and asset; and
|
(d) |
a word or expression used in this memorandum of association which is not otherwise defined and which is also used in the Companies Act 2014 shall have the same meaning here, as it
has in the Companies Act 2014; and
|
(e) |
any phrase introduced by the terms "including", "include" and "in particular" or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words
preceding those terms, whether or not followed by the phrases "but not limited to", "without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing" or any similar expression; and
|
(f) |
words denoting the singular number only shall include the plural number and vice versa and references to one gender includes all genders; and
|
(g) |
it is intended that the objects specified in each paragraph in this clause shall, except where otherwise expressed in such paragraph, be separate and distinct objects of the Company
and shall not be in any way limited or restricted by reference to or inference from the terms of any other paragraph or the order in which the paragraphs of this clause occur or the name of the Company.
|
4 |
The liability of the members is limited.
|
5 |
The share capital of the Company is US$1,000,000,000 divided into 40,000,000,000 Ordinary Shares of US$0.025 each.
|
6 |
The shares forming the capital, may be increased or reduced and be divided into such classes and issued with any special rights, privileges and conditions or with such qualifications
as regards preference, dividend, capital, voting or other special incidents, and be held upon such terms as may be attached thereto or as may from time to time be provided by the original or any substituted or amended articles of association
and regulations of the Company for the time being, but so that where shares are issued with any preferential or special rights attached thereto such rights shall not be alterable otherwise than pursuant to the provisions of the Company's
articles of association for the time being.
|
1. |
Interpretation and general
|
1.1 |
The "optional provisions" as defined by section 1007(2) of the Companies Act (as defined below) shall apply to the Company save in so far as they are excluded or modified herein.
|
1.2 |
In these Articles, unless the context requires otherwise:
|
1.3 |
It is hereby declared that in these Articles:
|
(a) |
the word "company", except where used in reference to this Company, shall be deemed to include a body corporate, whether a company (wherever formed, registered or incorporated), a
corporation aggregate, a corporation sole and a national or local government or other legal entity;
|
(b) |
the word "person", shall be deemed to include any individual, firm, body corporate, association or partnership, government or state or agency of a state, local authority or
government body or any joint venture association or partnership (whether or not having a separate legal personality) and that person's personal representatives, successors or permitted assigns;
|
(c) |
the word "property", shall be deemed to include, where the context permits, real property, personal property including choses or things in action and all other intangible property
and money and all estates, rights, titles and interests therein and includes the Company's uncalled capital and future calls and all and every other undertaking and asset;
|
(d) |
a word or expression used in these Articles which is not otherwise defined and which is also used in the Companies Act shall have the same meaning here, as it has in the Companies
Act;
|
(e) |
any phrase introduced by the terms "including", "include" and "in particular" or any similar expression shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the sense of the words
preceding those terms, whether or not followed by the phrases "but not limited to", "without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing" or any similar expression; and
|
(f) |
words denoting the singular number only shall include the plural number and vice versa and references to one gender includes all genders.
|
2. |
Authorised share capital
|
3. |
Rights attaching to Ordinary Shares
|
3.1 |
The Ordinary Shares shall entitle the holders thereof to the following rights:
|
(a) |
subject to the right of the Company to set record dates for the purposes of determining the identity of members entitled to notice of and/or to vote at a general meeting and the
authority of the Board and chairperson of the meeting to maintain order and security, the right to attend any general meeting of the Company and to exercise one vote per Ordinary Share held at any general meeting of the Company;
|
(b) |
the right to participate pro rata in all dividends declared by the Company; and
|
(c) |
the right, in the event of the Company's winding up, to participate pro rata in the total assets of the Company.
|
4. |
Redeemable Shares
|
4.1 |
Unless the Board determines otherwise, any Share shall be deemed to be a Redeemable Share on, and from the time of, the existence or creation of an agreement, transaction or trade
between the Company (including any agent or broker acting on behalf of the Company) and any person (who may or may not be a member) pursuant to which the Company acquires or will acquire a Share, or an interest in Shares, from the relevant
person, save for an acquisition for nil consideration pursuant to section 102(1)(a) of the Companies Act. In these circumstances, the acquisition of such Shares by the Company, save where acquired for nil consideration in accordance with the
Companies Act, shall constitute the redemption of a Redeemable Share in accordance with Chapter 6 of Part 3 of the Companies Act. No resolution, whether special or otherwise, shall be required to be passed to deem any Share a Redeemable
Share.
|
4.2 |
The Company may by special resolution, and subject to the provisions of the Companies Act governing the variation of rights attached to classes of Shares and the amendment of these
Articles, convert any of its Shares into Redeemable Shares.
|
5. |
Variation of rights
|
5.1 |
Whenever the share capital is divided into different classes of Shares, the rights attaching to a class of Shares may only be varied or abrogated if (a) the holders of 75% in nominal
value of the issued Shares of that class consent in writing to the variation, or (b) a special resolution, passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of that class, sanctions the variation. The quorum at any such separate general
meeting, other than an adjourned meeting, shall be one person holding or representing by proxy at least a majority in nominal value of the issued Shares of the
class in question and the quorum at an adjourned meeting shall be one person holding or representing by proxy Shares of the class in question or that person’s proxy.
|
5.2 |
The rights conferred upon the holders of any class of Shares issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares
of that class, be deemed to be varied by a purchase or redemption by the Company of its own Shares or by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith or subordinate thereto.
|
6. |
Trust not recognised
|
7. |
Allotment and acquisition of Shares
|
7.1 |
The following provisions shall apply:
|
(a) |
Subject to the provisions of these Articles relating to new Shares, the Shares shall be at the disposal of the Directors, and they may (subject to the provisions of the Companies
Act) allot, grant options over or otherwise dispose (with or without conferring a right of renunciation) of them to such persons, on such terms and
conditions and at such times as they may consider to be in the best interests of the Company and its members, but so that no Share shall be issued at a discount
to the nominal value thereof (except in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act) and so that, unless otherwise permitted under the Companies
Act, in the case of Shares offered to the public for subscription, the amount payable on application on each Share shall not be less than one-quarter of the nominal amount of the Share and the whole of any premium thereon.
|
(b) |
Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred on the Directors by other paragraphs of these Articles, and subject to any requirement to obtain the approval of the
members under any laws, regulations or the rules of any Stock Exchange, the Directors may grant from time to time options to subscribe for the unallotted Shares to Directors and other persons in the service or employment of the Company or any
Subsidiary or Associated Company on such terms and subject to such conditions as may be approved from time to time by the Directors or by any committee thereof appointed by the Directors for the purpose of such approval and on the terms and
conditions required to obtain the approval of any statutory authority in any jurisdiction.
|
(c) |
The Directors are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot relevant securities within the meaning of section 1021 of the
Companies Act. The maximum amount of relevant securities which may be allotted under the authority hereby conferred shall be the amount of the authorised but unissued share capital of the Company at the Date of Adoption. The authority hereby
conferred shall expire on the date which is five (5) years after the Date of Adoption unless and to the extent that such authority is renewed, revoked or extended prior to such date. The Company may before such expiry make an offer or
agreement which would or might require relevant securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of such offer or agreement, notwithstanding that the authority hereby conferred has
expired.
|
(d) |
The Company may issue permissible letters of allotment (as defined by section 1019 of the Companies Act) to the extent permitted by the Companies Act.
|
(e) |
The Directors are hereby empowered pursuant to sections 1022 and 1023(1) of the Companies Act to allot Equity Securities within the meaning of the said section 1022 for cash pursuant
to the authority conferred by Regulation 7.1(c) as if section 1022(1) of the Companies Act did not apply to any such allotment. The Company may before the expiry of such authority make an offer or agreement which would or might require Equity
Securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot Equity Securities in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the power conferred by this Regulation 7.1(e) had not expired.
|
(f) |
Unless otherwise determined by the Directors or the rights attaching to or by the terms of issue of any particular Shares, or to the extent required by the Companies Act, any Stock
Exchange, depository or any operator of any clearance or settlement system, no person whose name is entered as a member in the Register shall be entitled to receive a share certificate for any Shares of any class held by him or her in the
capital of the Company (nor on transferring part of a holding, to a certificate for the balance).
|
(g) |
Any share certificate, if issued, shall specify the number of Shares in respect of which it is issued and the amount paid thereon or the fact that they are fully paid, as the case
may be, and may otherwise be in such form as shall be determined by the Directors. Such certificates may be under seal. All certificates for Shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified and shall specify the Shares to which
they relate. The name and address of the person to whom the Shares represented thereby are issued, with the number of Shares and date of issue, shall be entered in the Register. All certificates surrendered to the Company for transfer shall
be cancelled and no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate for a like number of Shares in the capital of the Company shall have been surrendered and cancelled. The Directors may authorise certificates to be issued with
the seal and authorised signature(s) affixed by some method or system of mechanical process. In respect of a Share or Shares held jointly by several persons, the Company shall not be bound to issue a certificate or certificates to each such
person, and the issue and delivery of a certificate or certificates to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all such holders. If a share certificate is defaced, worn out, lost or destroyed, it may be renewed on such
terms (if any) as to evidence and indemnity and on the payment of such expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in investigating such evidence, as the Directors may prescribe, and, in the case of defacement or wearing out, upon delivery of
the old certificate.
|
7.2 |
The Directors (and any committee established under Regulation 58.1 and so authorised by the Directors and any person so authorised by the Directors or such committee) may without
prejudice to Regulation 56.1:
|
(a) |
allot, issue, grant options over and otherwise dispose of Shares in the Company; and
|
(b) |
exercise the Company's powers under Regulation 7.1,
|
8. |
Payment of commission
|
9. |
Disclosure of interests
|
9.1 |
For the purposes of this Regulation:-
|
(a) |
Deemed Voting Concert Party Interest means an agreement or arrangement between two or more persons with respect to, or to the exercise of, voting rights attaching to Shares and which is likely to result in those rights being exercised so as
to influence or to control the policy of the Company or the management of its affairs which the Directors have deemed to be a Deemed Voting Concert Party Interest for the purposes of this Regulation 9 and, where the Directors so resolve, each
of the persons who is party to such agreement or arrangement shall be deemed (for the purposes of this Regulation 9) to be interested in all the Shares to which the voting rights in question are attached and, in this definition, references to
an arrangement include references to an understanding or mutual expectation, whether formal or informal and whether or not legally binding.
|
(b) |
Disclosure Notice means a notice served
pursuant to Regulation 9.2 below.
|
(c) |
Interest means an interest (of any size) in the Relevant Share Capital which would be taken
into account in deciding whether a notification to the Company would be required under Chapter 4 of Part 17 of the Companies Act) but shall for all purposes include (the Included Interests) (i) rights to subscribe for or convert into, or entitlements to acquire rights to subscribe for or convert into, shares which would on issue or conversion (as the case may be) be comprised in
the Relevant Share Capital; (ii) the interests referred to in Section 260 (a), (c) and (h) of the Companies Act) except (in any case) those of a bare or custodian trustee and of a simple trustee and (iii) any Deemed Voting Concert Party
Interest; and interested shall be construed accordingly.
|
(d) |
Relevant Share Capital means the relevant share capital of the Company (as that expression is
defined in Section 1047(1) of the Companies Act).
|
(e) |
Share means any share comprised in Relevant Share Capital.
|
9.2 |
The Directors may by notice in writing require any member, or other person appearing to be interested or to have been interested in Shares, to disclose to the Company in writing such
information as the Directors shall require relating to the ownership of or any Interest in Shares as lies within the knowledge of such member or other person (supported if the Directors so require by a statutory declaration and/or by
independent evidence) including (without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing):-
|
(a) |
any information which the Company is entitled to seek pursuant to Section 1062 of the Companies Act.
|
9.3 |
The Directors may give any number of Disclosure Notices pursuant to Regulation 9.2 above to the same member or other person in respect of the same Shares.
|
9.4 |
The Directors may serve notice pursuant to the terms of this Regulation irrespective of whether or not the person on whom it shall be served may be dead, bankrupt, insolvent or
otherwise incapacitated and no such incapacity or any unavailability of information or inconvenience or hardship in obtaining the same shall be a satisfactory reason for failure to comply with any such notice, provided that if the Directors
in their absolute discretion think fit, they may waive compliance in whole or in part with any notice given under this Regulation in respect of a Share in any case of bona fide unavailability of information or genuine hardship or where they
otherwise think fit but no such waiver shall prejudice or affect in any way any non-compliance not so waived whether by the person concerned or any other person appearing to the Directors to be interested in the Shares or by any person to
whom a notice may be given at any time.
|
9.5 |
The provisions of Regulations 82 to 89 inclusive shall apply to the service of notices required by this Regulation to be served.
|
9.6 |
If at any time the Directors are satisfied that any member, or any other person appearing to be interested in Shares held by such member, has been duly served with a Disclosure
Notice and is in default for the prescribed period (as defined in Regulation 9.11(b)) in supplying to the Company the information thereby required, or, in purported compliance with such a notice, has made a statement which is false or
inadequate in a material particular, then the Directors may, in their absolute discretion at any time thereafter by notice (a Direction Notice) to such
member direct that:
|
(a) |
in respect of the Shares in relation to which the default occurred (the Default Shares) the
member shall not be entitled to attend or to vote at a general meeting either personally or by proxy or to exercise any other right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company;
|
(b) |
where the nominal value of the Default Shares represents at least 0.25 per cent of the nominal value of the issued shares of the class concerned, then the Direction Notice may
additionally direct that:
|
(i) |
except in a liquidation of the Company, no payment shall be made of any sums due from the Company on the Default Shares, whether in respect of capital or dividend or otherwise, and
the Company shall not have any liability to pay interest on any such payment when it is finally paid to the member (but the provisions of this Regulation 9.6(b)(i) shall apply only to the extent permitted from time to time by Stock Exchange
rules);
|
(ii) |
no other distribution shall be made on the Default Shares;
|
(iii) |
no transfer of any of the Default Shares held by such member shall be registered unless:
|
(A) |
the member is not himself or herself in default as regards supplying the information requested and the transfer when presented for registration is accompanied by a certificate by the
member in such form as the Directors may in their absolute discretion require to the effect that after due and careful enquiry the member is satisfied that no person in default as regards supplying such information is interested in any of the
shares the subject of the transfer; or
|
(B) |
the transfer is an approved transfer (as defined in Regulation 9.11(c)).
|
9.7 |
Where any person appearing to be interested in the Default Shares has been duly served with a Direction Notice and the Default Shares which are the subject of such Direction Notice
are held by an Approved Nominee, the provisions of this Regulation shall be treated as applying only to such Default Shares held by the Approved Nominee and not (insofar as such person's apparent interest is concerned) to any other shares
held by the Approved Nominee.
|
9.8 |
Where the member on which a Disclosure Notice is served is an Approved Nominee acting in its capacity as such, the obligations of the Approved Nominee as a member of the Company
shall be limited to disclosing to the Company such information relating to any person appearing to be interested in the Shares held by it as has been recorded by it pursuant to the arrangements entered into by the Company or approved by the
Directors pursuant to which it was appointed as an Approved Nominee.
|
9.9 |
Any Direction Notice shall cease to have effect:
|
(a) |
in relation to any Shares which are transferred by such member by means of an approved transfer; or
|
(b) |
when the Directors are satisfied that such member and any other person appearing to be interested in Shares held by such member, has given to the Company the information required by
the relevant Disclosure Notice.
|
9.10 |
The Directors may at any time give notice cancelling a Direction Notice.
|
9.11 |
For the purposes of this Regulation:
|
(a) |
a person shall be treated as appearing to be interested in any Shares if the member holding such Shares has given to the Company a notification under the said section 1062 which
either (i) names such person as being so interested or (ii) fails to establish the identities of all those interested in the Shares and (after taking into account the said notification and any other relevant disclosure notification) the
Company knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the person in question is or may be interested in the Shares;
|
(b) |
the prescribed period is 28 days from the date of service of the said Disclosure Notice unless the nominal value of the Default Shares represents at least 0.25 per cent of the
nominal value of the issued Shares of that class, when the prescribed period is 14 days from that date;
|
(c) |
a transfer of Shares is an approved transfer if but only if:
|
(i) |
it is a transfer of Shares to an offeror by way or in pursuance of acceptance of an offer made to all the members (or all the members other than the person making the offer and his
nominees) of the Shares to acquire those Shares or a specified proportion of them; or
|
(ii) |
the Directors are satisfied that the transfer is made pursuant to a sale of the whole of the beneficial ownership of the Shares the subject of the transfer to a party unconnected
with the member and with other persons appearing to be interested in such Shares; or
|
(iii) |
the transfer results from a sale made through a Stock Exchange on which the Shares are normally traded.
|
9.12 |
Any resolution or determination of, or decision or exercise of any discretion or power by the Directors under or pursuant to the provisions of this Regulation shall be final and
conclusive and things done by or on behalf of, or on the authority of, the Directors pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Regulation shall be conclusive and binding on all persons concerned and shall not be open to challenge, whether
as to validity or otherwise on any ground whatsoever. The Directors shall not be required to give any reasons for any decision, determination or declaration taken or made in accordance with this Regulation.
|
9.13 |
The provisions of this Regulation are in addition to, and do not limit, any other right or power of the Company or the Directors, including any right vested in the Company or the
Directors by the Companies Act including under section 1066 of the Companies Act or otherwise under Irish law.
|
10. |
Calls on Shares
|
10.1 |
The Directors may from time to time make calls upon the members in respect of any consideration unpaid on their Shares (whether on account of the nominal value of the Shares or by
way of premium), provided that in the case where the conditions of allotment or issuance of Shares provide for the payment of consideration in respect of such Shares at fixed times, the Directors shall only make calls in accordance with such
conditions.
|
10.2 |
Each member shall (subject to receiving at least thirty days' notice specifying the time or times and place of payment, or such lesser or greater period of notice provided in the
conditions of allotment or issuance of the Shares) pay to the Company, at the time or times and place so specified, the amount called on the Shares.
|
10.3 |
A call may be revoked or postponed, as the Directors may determine.
|
10.4 |
A person upon whom a call is made shall remain liable for such call notwithstanding the subsequent transfer of the Shares in respect of which the call was made.
|
10.5 |
Subject to the conditions of allotment or issuance of the Shares, a call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Directors authorising the call was
passed and may be required to be paid by instalments if specified in the call.
|
10.6 |
The joint holders of a Share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect of it.
|
10.7 |
If the consideration called in respect of a Share or in respect of a particular instalment is not paid in full before or on the day appointed for payment of it, the person from whom
the sum is due shall pay interest in cash on the unpaid value from the day appointed for payment of it to the time of actual payment of such rate, not exceeding five per cent per annum or such other rate as may be specified by an order under
section 2(7) of the Companies Act, as the Directors may determine, but the Directors may waive payment of such interest wholly or in part.
|
10.8 |
Any consideration which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable on allotment or issuance or at any fixed date (whether on account of the nominal value of the Share or by
way of premium) shall, for the purposes of these Articles, be deemed to be a call duly made and payable on the date on which, by the terms of issue, that consideration becomes payable, and in the case of non-payment of such a consideration,
all the relevant provisions of these Articles as to payment of interest and expenses, forfeiture or otherwise, shall apply as if such consideration had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
|
10.9 |
The Directors may, on the issue of Shares, differentiate between the holders of different classes as to the amount of calls to be paid and the times of payment.
|
10.10 |
The Directors may, if they think fit:
|
(a) |
receive from any member willing to advance such consideration, all or any part of the consideration uncalled and unpaid upon any Shares held by him or her; and/or
|
(b) |
pay, upon all or any of the consideration so advanced (until the amount concerned would, but for such advance, become payable) interest at such rate (not exceeding, unless the
Company in a general meeting otherwise directs, five per cent per annum or such other rate as may be specified by an order under section 2(7) of the Companies Act) as may be agreed upon between the Directors and the member paying such
consideration in advance.
|
10.11 |
The Company may:
|
(a) |
acting by its Directors, make arrangements on the issue of Shares for a difference between the members in the amounts and times of payment of calls on their Shares;
|
(b) |
acting by its Directors, accept from any member the whole or a part of the amount remaining unpaid on any Shares held by him or her, although no part of that amount has been called
up;
|
(c) |
acting by its Directors and subject to the Companies Act, pay a dividend in proportion to the amount paid up on each Share where a larger amount is paid up on some Shares than on
others; and
|
(d) |
by special resolution determine that any portion of its share capital which has not been already called up shall not be capable of being called up except in the event and for the
purposes of the Company being wound up; upon the Company doing so, that portion of its share capital shall not be capable of being called up except in that event and for those purposes.
|
11. |
Lien
|
11.1 |
The Company shall have a first and paramount lien on every Share (not being a fully paid Share) for all consideration (whether immediately payable or not) called, or payable at a
fixed time, in respect of that Share.
|
11.2 |
The Directors may at any time declare any Share to be wholly or in part exempt from Regulation 11.1.
|
11.3 |
The Company's lien on a Share shall extend to all dividends payable on it.
|
11.4 |
The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any Shares on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless (i) a sum in respect of which the lien
exists is immediately payable; and (ii) the following conditions are satisfied:
|
(a) |
a notice in writing, stating and demanding payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is immediately payable, has been given to the registered holder
of the Share for the time being, or the person entitled thereto by reason of his or her death or bankruptcy; and
|
(b) |
a period of 14 days after the date of giving of that notice has expired.
|
11.5 |
The following provisions apply in relation to a sale referred to in Regulation 11.4:
|
(a) |
to give effect to any such sale, the Directors may authorise some person to transfer the Shares sold to the purchaser of them;
|
(b) |
the purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the Shares comprised in any such transfer;
|
(c) |
the purchaser shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase consideration, nor shall his or her title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in
the proceedings in reference to the sale;
|
(d) |
after the name of the purchaser has been entered in the Register, the remedy of any person aggrieved by the sale shall be in damages only and against the Company
exclusively; and
|
(e) |
the proceeds of the sale shall be received by the Company and applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is immediately payable, and the
residue, if any, shall (subject to a like lien for sums not immediately payable as existed upon the Shares before the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the Shares at the date of the sale.
|
12. |
Liability of the Company to make payment
|
12.1 |
Whenever any law for the time being of any country, state or place imposes or purports to impose any immediate or future or possible liability upon the Company (or any Subsidiary) to
make any payment or empowers any government or taxing authority or government official to require the Company to make any payment in respect of any Shares
registered in the Register as held either jointly or solely by any members or in respect of any dividends, bonuses or other monies due or payable or accruing due or which may become due or payable to such member by the Company on or in
respect of any Shares registered as mentioned above or for or on account or in respect of any member and whether in consequence of:
|
(a) |
the death of such member;
|
(b) |
the non-payment of any income tax or other tax by such member;
|
(c) |
the non-payment of any estate, probate, succession, death, stamp or other duty by the executor or administrator of such member or by or out of her estate; or
|
(d) |
any other act or thing;
|
(a) |
the Company shall be fully indemnified by such member or her executor or administrator from all liability;
|
(b) |
the Company shall have a lien upon all dividends and other monies payable in respect of the Shares registered in the Register as held either jointly or solely by such member for all
monies paid or payable by the Company as referred to above in respect of such Shares or in respect of any dividends or other monies thereon or for or on account or in respect of such member under or in consequence of any such law, together
with interest at the rate of fifteen per cent annum (or such other rate as the Board may determine) thereon from the date of payment to date of repayment, and the Company may deduct or set off against such dividends or other monies so payable
any monies paid or payable by the Company as referred to above together with interest at the same rate;
|
(c) |
the Company may recover as a debt due from such member or her executor or administrator (wherever constituted) any monies paid by the Company under or in consequence of any such law
and interest thereon at the rate and for the period referred to above in excess of any dividends or other monies then due or payable by the Company; and
|
(d) |
the Company may if any such money is paid or payable by it under any such law as referred to above refuse to register a transfer of any Shares by any such member or her executor or
administrator until such money and interest is set off or deducted as referred to above or in the case that it exceeds the amount of any such dividends or other monies then due or payable by the Company, until such excess is paid to the
Company.
|
13. |
Forfeiture
|
13.1 |
If a member of the Company fails to pay any call or instalment of a call on the day appointed for payment of it, the Directors may, at any time thereafter during such time as any
part of the call or instalment remains unpaid, serve a notice on the member requiring payment of so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid, together with any interest which may have accrued.
|
13.2 |
The notice referred to in Regulation 13.1 shall:
|
(a) |
specify a further day (not earlier than the expiration of 14 days after the date of service of the notice) on or before which the payment required by the notice is to be made; and
|
(b) |
state that, if the amount concerned is not paid by the day so specified, the shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited.
|
13.3 |
If the requirements of the notice referred to in Regulation 13.2 are not complied with, any Share in respect of which the notice has been served may at any time after the day so
specified (but before, should it occur, the payment required by the notice has been made) be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect. The forfeiture shall include all dividends or other moneys payable in respect of the
forfeited Shares and not paid before forfeiture.
|
13.4 |
On the trial or hearing of any action for the recovery of any money due for any call, it shall be sufficient to prove that the name of the member sued is entered in the Register as
the holder, or one of the holders, of the Shares in respect of which such debt accrued, that the resolution making the call is duly recorded in the minute book and that notice of such call was duly given to the member sued, in pursuance of
these Articles, and it shall not be necessary to prove the appointment of the Directors who made such call nor any other matters whatsoever, but the proof of the matters aforesaid shall be conclusive evidence of the debt.
|
13.5 |
A forfeited Share may be sold or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors think fit, and at any time before a sale or disposition the forfeiture may be
cancelled on such terms as the Directors think fit. Where for the purposes of its disposal such a Share is to be transferred to any person, the Directors may take such steps as the Directors consider are necessary or desirable in order to
effect such sale and, for this purpose, may authorise some person to execute an instrument of transfer of the Share to that person. The Company may receive the consideration, if any, given for the Share on any sale or disposal thereof and may
execute a transfer of the Share in favour of the person to whom the Share is sold or disposed of and thereupon he shall be registered as the holder of the Share and shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase moneys, nor
shall his title to the Share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share and after the name of the transferee has been entered in the Register the remedy of
any person aggrieved by the sale shall be in damages only and against the Company exclusively.
|
13.6 |
A person whose Shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a member of the Company in respect of the forfeited Shares, but shall, notwithstanding, remain liable to pay to the
Company all consideration which, at the date of forfeiture, were payable by him or her to the Company in respect of the Shares, without any deduction or allowance
for the value of the Shares at the time of the forfeiture but his or her liability shall cease if and when the Company shall have received payment in full of all such consideration in respect of the Shares.
|
13.7 |
A statement in writing that the maker of the statement is a Director or the Company Secretary, and that a Share has been duly forfeited on a date stated in the statement, shall be
conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the Share.
|
13.8 |
The following provisions apply in relation to a sale or other disposition of a Share referred to in Regulation 13.5:
|
(a) |
the Company may receive the consideration, if any, given for the Share on the sale or other disposition of it and may execute a transfer of the Share in favour of the person to whom
the Share is sold or otherwise disposed of (the disponee);
|
(b) |
upon such execution, the disponee shall be registered as the holder of the Share; and
|
(c) |
the disponee shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase consideration, if any, nor shall his or her title to the Share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity
in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the Share.
|
13.9 |
The provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a Share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether
on account of the nominal value of the Share or by way of premium, as if the same had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.
|
13.10 |
The Directors may accept the surrender of any Share which the Directors have resolved to have been forfeited upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed and, subject to any such
terms and conditions, a surrendered Share shall be treated as if it has been forfeited.
|
14. |
Payment by instalments
|
15. |
Conversion of Shares into Stock
|
15.1 |
The Company by ordinary resolution may convert any paid up Shares into stock and reconvert any stock into paid up Shares of any denomination.
|
15.2 |
The holders of stock may transfer the same or any part thereof, in the same manner, and subject to the same regulations, as and subject to which the Shares from which
the stock arose might have been transferred before conversion, or as near thereto as circumstances admit; and the Directors may fix from time to time the minimum amount of stock transferable but so that such minimum shall not exceed the
nominal amount of each Share from which the stock arose.
|
15.3 |
The holders of stock shall have, according to the amount of stock held by them, the same rights, privileges and advantages in relation to dividends, voting at meetings of the Company
and other matters as if they held the Shares from which the stock arose, but no such right, privilege or advantage (except participation in the dividends
and profits of the Company and in the assets on winding up) shall be conferred by an amount of stock which, if existing in Shares, would not have conferred that right, privilege or advantage.
|
15.4 |
Such of these Articles as are applicable to paid up Shares shall apply to stock, and the words "Share" and
"Shareholder" therein shall include "stock" and "stockholder".
|
16. |
Increase of capital
|
16.1 |
The Company from time to time by ordinary resolution may increase the share capital by such sum, to be divided into Shares of such amount, as the resolution shall prescribe.
|
16.2 |
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, the new Shares shall be issued to such persons, upon such terms and conditions and with such rights and privileges annexed thereto as
the general meeting resolving upon the creation thereof shall direct and, if no direction be given, as the Directors shall determine and in particular such Shares may be issued with a preferential or qualified right to dividends and in the
distribution of the assets of the Company and with a special, or without any, right of voting.
|
16.3 |
Except so far as otherwise provided by the conditions of issue or by these Articles, any capital raised by the creation of new Shares shall be considered part of the pre-existing
ordinary capital and shall be subject to the provisions herein contained with reference to calls and instalments, transfer and transmission, forfeiture, lien and otherwise.
|
17. |
Variation of capital
|
17.1 |
The Company, by
ordinary resolution, may:-
|
(a) |
consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into Shares of larger amount;
|
(b) |
subject to Section 83(1)(b) of the Companies Act, subdivide its Shares, or any of them, into Shares of smaller amount, so however that in the sub-division the proportion between the
amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced Share shall be the same as it was in the case of the Share from which the reduced Share is derived (and so that the resolution whereby any Share is sub-divided may determine that, as
between the holders of the Shares resulting from such sub-division, one or more of the Shares may have, as compared with the others, any such preferred, deferred or other rights or be subject to any such restrictions as the Company has power
to attach to unissued or new Shares); or
|
(c) |
cancel any Shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and reduce the amount of its authorised share capital
by the amount of the Shares so cancelled.
|
18. |
Fractions on consolidation
|
19. |
Reduction of capital
|
20. |
Purchase of own Shares
|
20.1 |
Subject to the provisions of Chapter 6 of Part 3 or Chapter 5 of Part 17 of the Companies Act and the other provisions of this Regulation 20, the Company may:
|
(a) |
pursuant to Section 66(4) of the Companies Act, issue any Shares which are to be redeemed or
are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company or the member on such terms and in such manner as may be determined by the Company in general meeting (by special resolution) on the recommendation of the Directors;
|
(b) |
redeem Shares on such terms as may be contained in, or be determined pursuant to the provisions of, these Articles. Subject as aforesaid, the Company may cancel any Shares so
redeemed or may hold them as treasury shares and re-issue such treasury shares as Shares of any class or classes or cancel them;
|
(c) |
subject to or in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act and without prejudice to
any relevant special rights attached to any class of Shares, pursuant to Section 105 and Chapter 5 of Part 17 of the Companies Act, purchase any of its own
Shares (including any Redeemable Shares and without any obligation to purchase on any pro rata basis as between members or members of the same class) whether in the market, by tender or by private arrangement at such prices and otherwise on
such terms and conditions as the Board may from time to time determine and may cancel any shares so purchased or hold them as treasury shares (as defined by Section 109 of the Companies Act) and may reissue any such shares as shares of any class or classes or cancel them; or
|
(d) |
pursuant to Section 83(3) of the Companies Act convert any of its Shares into Redeemable Shares
provided that the total number of Shares which shall be redeemable pursuant to this authority shall not exceed the limit in Section 1071(1)(b) of the Companies
Act.
|
20.2 |
The Company may give financial assistance for the purpose of an acquisition of its Shares or, where the Company is a subsidiary, its holding company where permitted by sections 82
and 1043 of the Companies Act.
|
20.3 |
The Company may make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own Shares in any manner permitted by the Companies Act.
|
20.4 |
The holder of the Shares being purchased shall be bound to deliver up to the Company at its registered office or such other place as the Board shall specify, the
certificate(s) (if any) thereof for cancellation and thereupon the Company shall pay to her the purchase or redemption monies or consideration in respect thereof.
|
21. |
Transfer of Shares
|
21.1 |
Subject to the Companies Act and to such of the restrictions contained in these Articles as may be applicable, any member may transfer all or any of his Shares (of
any class) by an instrument of transfer in the usual common form or in any other form which the Board may from time to time approve. The instrument of transfer may be endorsed on the certificate.
|
21.2 |
The instrument of transfer of a Share shall be signed by or on behalf of the transferor and, if the Share is not fully paid, by or on behalf of the transferee.
|
21.3 |
The instrument of transfer of any Share may be executed for and on behalf of the transferor by the Company Secretary or any other party designated by the Board for
such purpose, and the Company Secretary or any other party designated by the Board for such purpose shall be deemed to have been irrevocably appointed agent for the transferor of such Share or Shares with full power to execute, complete and
deliver in the name of and on behalf of the transferor of such Share or Shares all such transfers of Shares held by the members in the share capital of the Company. Any document which records the name of the transferor, the name of the
transferee, the class and number of Shares agreed to be transferred, the date of the agreement to transfer Shares and the price per Share, shall, once executed by the transferor or the Company Secretary or any other party designated by the
Board for such purpose as agent for the transferor, be deemed to be a proper instrument of transfer for the purposes of the Companies Act. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the member holding the Share until the name of the transferee
is entered on the Register in respect thereof, and neither the title of the transferee nor the title of the transferor shall be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale should the Directors so
determine. All instruments of transfer may be retained by the Company.
|
21.4 |
The Company, at its absolute discretion, may, or may procure that a Subsidiary shall, pay Irish stamp duty arising on a transfer of Shares on behalf of the transferee
of such Shares of the Company. If stamp duty resulting from the transfer of Shares which would otherwise be payable by the transferee is paid by the Company or any Subsidiary on behalf of the transferee, then in those circumstances, the
Company shall, on its behalf or on behalf of its Subsidiary (as the case may be), be entitled to (i) reimbursement of the stamp duty from the transferee, (ii) set-off the stamp duty against any dividends payable to the transferee of those
Shares and (iii) to the extent permitted by section 1042 of the Companies Act, claim a first and paramount lien on the Shares on which stamp duty has been paid by the Company or its Subsidiary for the amount of stamp duty paid. The Company's
lien shall extend to all dividends paid on those Shares.
|
21.5 |
Notwithstanding the provisions of these Articles and subject to the 1990 Regulations, or any regulations made under section 1086 of the Companies Act, title to any
Shares may also be evidenced and transferred without a written instrument in accordance with section 239 of the Companies Act 1990 or section 1086 of the Companies Act or any regulations made thereunder. The Directors shall have power to
permit any class of Shares to be held in uncertificated form and to implement any arrangements they think fit for such evidencing and transfer which accord with such regulations and in particular shall, where appropriate, be entitled to
disapply or modify all or part of the provisions in these Articles with respect to the requirement for written instruments of transfer and share certificates (if any), in order to give effect to such regulations.
|
21.6 |
The Board may, in its absolute discretion and without assigning any reason for its decision, decline to register any transfer of any Share which is not a fully-paid
Share save and however, that in the case of such a Share which is admitted to listing on any of the Stock Exchanges such restriction shall not operate so as to prevent dealings in such a Share from taking place on an open and proper basis.
|
21.7 |
The Directors shall not register any person as a holder of any Share (other than an allottee under an issue of Shares by way of capitalisation of profits or reserves
made pursuant to these Articles) unless such person has furnished to the Directors a declaration (in such form as the Directors may from time to time prescribe) signed by him or on his behalf (or, in the case of a corporation, sealed by the
corporation or signed on its behalf by an attorney or duly authorised officer of the corporation), together with such evidence as the Directors may require of the authority of any signatory on behalf of such person, stating (i) the name and
nationality of any person who has an interest in any such Share and (if such declaration or the Directors so require) the nature and extent of the interest of each such person or (ii) such other information as the Directors may from time to
time determine. The Directors shall in any case where they may consider it appropriate require such person to provide such evidence or give such information as to the matters referred to in the declaration as they think fit. The Directors
shall decline to register any person as a holder of a Share if such further evidence or information is not provided or given. The Directors shall, so long as they act reasonably and in good faith, be under no liability to the Company or to
any other person if they register any person as the holder of a Share on the basis of a declaration or other evidence or information provided pursuant to this Regulation which declaration, evidence or information appears on its face to be
correct.
|
21.8 |
The Board may also decline to register any transfer if:
|
(a) |
the instrument of transfer is not duly stamped, if required, and lodged at the Office or any other place as the Board may from time to time specify for the purpose, accompanied by
the certificate (if any) for the Shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;
|
(b) |
the instrument of transfer is in respect of more than one class of Share;
|
(c) |
the instrument of transfer is in favour of more than four persons jointly;
|
(d) |
a registration statement under the Securities Act is not in effect with respect to such transfer or such transfer is not exempt from registration;
|
(e) |
it is not satisfied that all applicable consents, authorisations, permissions or approvals of any governmental body or agency in Ireland or any other applicable jurisdiction required
to be obtained under relevant law prior to such transfer have been obtained; or
|
(f) |
it is not satisfied that the transfer would not violate the terms of any agreement to which the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries) and the transferor are party or subject.
|
21.9 |
The Company shall not be obligated to make any transfer to an infant or to a person in respect of whom an order has been made by a competent court or official on the
grounds that she is or may be suffering from mental disorder or is otherwise incapable of managing her affairs or under other legal disability.
|
21.10 |
Subject to any directions of the Board from time to time in force, the Company Secretary or any other party designated by the Board for such purpose may exercise the
powers and discretions of the Board under Regulation 21.8, Regulation 27, Regulation 32 and Regulation 34.2.
|
21.11 |
If the Board declines to register a transfer it shall, within two months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged with the Company, send to the
transferee notice of such refusal.
|
21.12 |
No fee shall be charged by the Company for registering any transfer or for making any entry in the Register concerning any other document relating to or affecting the
title to any Share (except that the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed on it in connection with such transfer or entry).
|
21.13 |
The Company shall be entitled to retain any instrument of transfer which is registered, but any instrument of transfer which the Directors refuse to register shall be
returned to the person lodging it when notice of the refusal is given.
|
21.14 |
Nothing in these Articles shall preclude the Directors from recognising a renunciation of the allotment of any Shares by the allottee in favour of some other person.
|
22. |
Transmission of Shares
|
22.1 |
In the case of the death of a member, the survivor or survivors, where the deceased was a joint holder, and the personal representatives of the deceased where he or she was a sole holder, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his or her interest in the Shares; but nothing herein contained
shall release the estate of a deceased member from any liability in respect of any Share which had been held by him (whether jointly or otherwise).
|
22.2 |
A person becoming entitled to a Share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy, liquidation or insolvency of a member, or otherwise becoming entitled to a Share by operation of any
law, directive or regulation (whether of the State, the European Union, or any other jurisdiction) may elect, upon such evidence of title being produced as the Directors may reasonably require at any time and from time to time, and subject as
further provided in this Regulation, either to become the holder of the Share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the transferee. If he elects to become the holder he shall give notice to the Company to that effect and,
where the Directors are satisfied with the evidence of title produced to them, they may register such person as the holder of the Share, subject to the other provisions of these Articles and of the Companies Act. If he elects to have another
person registered, he shall execute an instrument of transfer of the Share to that person. All of the provisions of these Articles relating to the transfer of Shares shall apply to any notice or instrument of transfer given under this
Regulation as if it were an instrument of transfer executed by the member and the event giving rise to the entitlement of the relevant person to the Shares had not occurred.
|
22.3 |
The Directors shall, in either of those cases, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the Share by that member
before the event giving rise to the entitlement of the relevant person to the Shares.
|
22.4 |
A person becoming entitled to a Share by any of the circumstances set out in Regulation 22.2 shall, upon supplying to the Company such evidence as the Directors may
reasonably require to show his title to the Share (notwithstanding that he is not entered on the Register as the holder of the Share), have the rights to which he would be entitled if he were the holder of the Share, except that, before being
registered as the holder of the Share, he shall not be entitled in respect of it to receive notices of, or to attend or vote at any meeting of the Company or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of Shares, so, however, that the
Directors, at any time, may give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the Share and, if the notice is not complied with within ninety days, the Directors thereupon may withhold payment of
all dividends, bonuses or other moneys payable in respect of the Share until the requirements of the notice have been complied with.
|
22.5 |
The Company may charge a fee not exceeding €10.00 on the registration of every probate, letters of administration, certificate of death, power of attorney, notice as
to stock or other instrument or order.
|
22.6 |
The Directors may determine such procedures as they shall think fit regarding the transmission of shares in the Company held by a body corporate that are transmitted
by operation of law in consequence of a merger or division.
|
23. |
Closing Register or Fixing Record Date
|
23.1 |
For the purpose of determining members entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of members or any adjournment thereof, or members entitled to receive payment of any dividend,
or in order to make a determination of members for any other proper purpose, the Board may provide, subject to the requirements of section 174 of the Companies Act, that the Register shall be closed for transfers at such times and for such
periods, not exceeding in the whole thirty days in each year. If the Register shall be so closed for the purpose of determining members entitled to notice of, or to vote at, a meeting of members, such Register shall, subject to applicable law
and Stock Exchange rules, be so closed for at least five days immediately preceding such meeting and the record date for such determination shall be the date of the closure of the Register.
|
23.2 |
In lieu of, or apart from, closing the Register, the Board may fix in advance a date as the record date (a) for any such determination of members entitled to notice of or to vote at
a meeting of the members, which record date shall not, subject to applicable law and Stock Exchange rules, be more than sixty days before the date of such meeting, and (b) for the purpose of determining the members entitled to receive payment
of any dividend or other distribution, or in order to make a determination of members for any other proper purpose, which record date shall not, subject to applicable law and Stock Exchange rules, be more than sixty days prior to the date of
payment of such dividend or other distribution or the taking of any action to which such determination of members is relevant.
|
23.3 |
If the Register is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of members entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of members, the date immediately preceding
the date on which notice of the meeting is deemed given under these Articles shall be the record date for such determination of members. Where a determination of members entitled to vote at any meeting of members has been made as provided in
these Articles, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof; provided, however, that the Directors may fix a new record date of the adjourned meeting, if they think fit.
|
24. |
Declaration of Dividends
|
24.1 |
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, the Company by ordinary resolution may declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of the members, but no dividend
shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors. Dividends may be declared or paid in any currency.
|
24.2 |
The Directors may at their discretion make provision to enable any holder of Ordinary Shares as they shall from time to time determine to receive dividends duly declared in a
currency or currencies other than Euro. For the purposes of the circulation of the amount receivable in respect of any dividend, the rate of exchange to be used to determine the foreign currency equivalent of any sum payable as a dividend
shall be such market rate selected by the Directors as they shall consider appropriate ruling at the close of business in Dublin on the date which is the business day last preceding (i) in the case of a dividend to be declared by the Company
in general meeting, the date on which the Directors publicly announce their intention to recommend that specific dividend; and (ii) in the case of any other dividend, the date on which the Directors publicly announce their intention to pay
that specific dividend.
|
24.3 |
Where a holder of Ordinary Shares has elected or agreed pursuant to provision made under these Articles to receive dividends in a currency other than Euro the Directors may at their
discretion make such arrangements as they deem necessary to enable payment of the dividend to be made to such holders in such currency for value on the date on which the relevant dividend is paid, or such later date as the Directors may
determine.
|
24.4 |
Subject to the rights of persons, if any, entitled to Shares with special rights as to dividend (and to the rights of the Company under Regulation 12 and Regulation 27) all dividends
shall be declared and paid such that Shares of the same class shall rank equally irrespective of the premium credited as paid up on such Shares.
|
24.5 |
If any Share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for a dividend as from a particular date, such Share shall rank for dividend accordingly.
|
25. |
Interim and fixed dividends
|
25.1 |
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, the Directors may declare and pay interim dividends if it appears to them that they are justified by the profits of the Company
available for distribution. If the share capital is divided into different classes, the Directors may declare and pay interim dividends on Shares which confer deferred or non-preferred rights with regard to dividend as well as on Shares which
confer preferential rights with regard to dividend, but subject always to any restrictions for the time being in force (whether under these Articles, under the terms of issue of any Shares or under any agreement to which the Company is a
party, or otherwise) relating to the application, or the priority of application, of the Company's profits available for distribution or to the declaration or as the case may be the payment of dividends by the Company. Subject as aforesaid,
the Directors may also pay at intervals settled by them any dividend payable at a fixed rate if it appears to them that the profits available for distribution justify the payment. Provided the Directors act in good faith they shall not incur
any liability to the holders of Shares conferring preferred rights for any loss they may suffer by the lawful payment of an interim dividend on any Shares having deferred or non-preferred rights.
|
25.2 |
The Directors may from time to time:
|
(a) |
before declaring any dividend, set aside out of the profits of the Company such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the discretion of the Directors, be
applicable for any purpose to which the profits of the Company may be properly applied, and pending such application may, at the like discretion either be employed in the business of the Company or be held as cash or cash equivalents or
invested in such investments as the Directors may lawfully determine; and
|
(b) |
without placing the profits of the Company to reserve, carry forward any profits which they may think prudent not to distribute.
|
25.3 |
Unless otherwise specified by the Directors at the time of declaring a dividend, the dividend shall be a final dividend.
|
25.4 |
Where the Directors specify that a dividend is an interim dividend at the time it is declared, such interim dividend shall not constitute a debt recoverable against the Company and
the declaration may be revoked by the Directors at any time prior to its payment provided that the holders of the same class of share are treated equally on any revocation.
|
26. |
Payment of dividends
|
26.1 |
Except as otherwise provided by the rights attached to Shares, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the Shares on which the dividend is paid.
Subject as aforesaid, all dividends shall be apportioned and paid proportionately to the amounts paid or credited as paid on the Shares during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid; but, if any Share
is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend as from a particular date, such Share shall rank for dividend accordingly. For the purposes of this Regulation, no amount paid on a Share in advance of calls shall be treated as
paid on a Share.
|
26.2 |
Any one of two or more joint holders may give valid receipts for any dividends, bonuses or other moneys payable in respect of the Shares held by them as joint holders, whether paid
by cheque or negotiable instrument or direct transfer.
|
27. |
Deductions from dividends
|
28. |
Dividends in specie
|
28.1 |
A general meeting declaring a dividend may direct, upon the recommendation of the Directors, that it shall be satisfied wholly or partly by the distribution of assets (and, in
particular, of paid up Shares, debentures or debenture stock of any other company or in any one or more of such ways) and the Directors shall give effect to such resolution.
|
28.2 |
Where any difficulty arises in regard to a distribution, the Directors may settle the matter as they think expedient and, in particular, may:
|
(a) |
issue fractional certificates (subject always to the restriction on the issue of fractional shares) and fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part of them;
|
(b) |
determine that cash payments shall be made to any members upon the footing of the value so fixed, in order to adjust the rights of all the parties; and
|
(c) |
vest any such specific assets in trustees as may seem expedient to the Directors.
|
29. |
Payment of dividends by post
|
30. |
Dividends not to bear interest
|
31. |
Payment to holders on a particular date
|
32. |
Unclaimed dividends
|
33. |
Reserves
|
34. |
Capitalisation of profits and reserves
|
34.1 |
Any capitalisation provided for in Regulations 34.2 to 34.5 inclusive will not require approval or ratification by the members.
|
34.2 |
The Directors may resolve to capitalise any part of a relevant sum (within the meaning of Regulation 34.3) by applying such sum in paying up in full unissued shares of a nominal
value or nominal value and premium, equal to the sum capitalised, to be allotted and issued as fully paid bonus shares, to those members of the Company who would have been entitled to that sum if it were distributed by way of dividend (and in
the same proportions).
|
34.3 |
For the purposes of Regulation 34.2, "relevant sum" means: (a) any sum for the time being standing to the credit of the Company's undenominated capital; (b) any of the Company's
profits available for distribution; (c) any sum representing unrealised revaluation reserves; or (d) a merger reserve or any other capital reserve of the Company.
|
34.4 |
The Directors may in giving effect to any resolution under Regulation 34.2 make: (a) all appropriations and applications of the undivided profits resolved to be capitalised by the
resolution; and (b) all allotments and issues of fully paid Shares or debentures, if any, and generally shall do all acts and things required to give effect to the resolution with full power to the Directors to make such provisions as they
shall think fit for the case of Shares or debentures becoming distributable in fractions (and, in particular, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, either to disregard such fractions or to sell the Shares or debentures
represented by such fractions and distribute the net proceeds of such sale to and for the benefit of the Company or to and for the benefit of the members otherwise entitled to such fractions in due proportions) and to authorise any person to
enter on behalf of all the members concerned into an agreement with the Company providing for the allotment to them respectively, credited as fully paid up, of any
further Shares or debentures to which they may become entitled on such capitalisation or, as the case may require, for the payment up by the application thereto of their respective proportions of the profits resolved to be capitalised of
the amounts remaining unpaid on their existing Shares and any agreement made under such authority shall be binding on all such members.
|
34.5 |
Where the Directors have resolved to approve a bona fide revaluation of all the fixed assets of the Company, the net capital surplus in excess of the previous book
value of the assets arising from such revaluation may be: (a) credited by the Directors to undenominated capital, other than the share premium account; or (b) used in paying up unissued shares of the Company to be issued to members as fully
paid bonus shares.
|
35. |
General Meetings — General
|
35.1 |
Subject to Regulation 35.2, the Company shall in each year hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting in addition to any other meeting in that year, and
shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it; and not more than 15 months shall elapse between the date of one annual general meeting of the Company and that of the next.
|
35.2 |
So long as the Company holds its first annual general meeting within 18 months of its incorporation, it need not hold it in the year of its incorporation or in the
year following.
|
35.3 |
The annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall determine.
|
35.4 |
All general meetings of the Company other than annual general meetings shall be called extraordinary general meetings.
|
35.5 |
The Directors may, whenever they think fit, convene an extraordinary general meeting. An extraordinary general meeting shall also be convened by the Directors on the
requisition of members, or if the Directors fail to so convene an extraordinary general meeting, such extraordinary general meeting may be convened by the requisitioning members, in each case in accordance with section 178(3) to (7) of the
Companies Act.
|
35.6 |
If at any time the number of Directors is less than four, any Director or, subject to section 1104 of the Companies Act, any member that satisfies the criteria
thereunder, may convene an extraordinary general meeting in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which meetings may be convened by the Directors.
|
35.7 |
An annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting of the Company may be held outside Ireland. The Company shall make, at its expense, all necessary
arrangements to ensure that members can by technological means participate in any such meeting without leaving Ireland.
|
35.8 |
A general meeting of the Company may be held in two or more venues (whether inside or outside of Ireland) at the same time using any technology that provides members,
as a whole, with a reasonable opportunity to participate, and such participation shall be deemed to constitute presence in person at the meeting.
|
36. |
Notice of general meetings
|
36.1 |
The only persons entitled to notice of general meetings of the Company are:
|
(a) |
the members;
|
(b) |
the personal representatives of a deceased member, which member would but for his death be entitled to vote;
|
(c) |
the assignee in bankruptcy of a bankrupt member of the Company (being a bankrupt member who is entitled to vote at the meeting);
|
(d) |
the Directors and Company Secretary; and
|
(e) |
the Auditors (who shall also be entitled to receive other communications relating to any general meeting which a member is entitled to receive).
|
36.2 |
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act allowing a general meeting to be called by shorter notice, an annual general meeting and an extraordinary general
meeting called for the passing of a special resolution shall be called by at least twenty-one days' notice. Any other extraordinary general meeting shall also be called by at least twenty-one days' notice, except that it may be called by
fourteen days' notice where:
|
(a) |
all members, who hold Shares that carry rights to vote at the meeting, are permitted to vote by electronic means at the meeting; and
|
(b) |
a special resolution reducing the period of notice to fourteen days has been passed at the immediately preceding annual general meeting, or at a general meeting held since that
meeting.
|
36.3 |
Any notice convening a general meeting shall specify the time and place of the meeting and, in the case
of special business, the general nature of that business and, in reasonable prominence, that a member entitled to attend, speak, ask questions and vote is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend, speak, ask questions and vote in his place and
that a proxy need not be a member of the Company. It shall also give particulars of any Directors who are to retire by rotation or otherwise at the meeting and of any persons who are recommended by the Directors for appointment or
re-appointment as Directors at the meeting, or in respect of whom notice has been duly given to the Company of the intention to propose them for appointment or re-appointment as Directors at the meeting. Every notice shall specify such
other details as are required by applicable law or the relevant code, rules and regulations applicable to the listing of the shares on any Stock Exchange.
Subject to any restrictions imposed on any shares, the notice shall be given to all the members and to the Directors and Auditors.
|
36.4 |
The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a meeting by, any person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate the
proceedings at the meeting.
|
36.5 |
In cases where instruments of proxy are sent out with notices, the accidental omission to send such instrument of proxy to, or the non-receipt of such instrument of
proxy by, any person entitled to receive such notice shall not invalidate any resolution passed or any proceeding at any such meeting. A member present, either in person or by proxy, at any general meeting of the Company or of the holders of
any class of Shares will be deemed, subject to Regulation 36.8, to have received notice of that meeting and, where required, of the purpose for which it was called.
|
36.6 |
Where, by any provision contained in the Companies Act, extended notice is required of a resolution, the resolution shall not be effective (except where the Directors
have resolved to submit it) unless notice of the intention to move it has been given to the Company not less than twenty-eight days (or such shorter period as the Companies Act permits) before the meeting at which it is moved, and the Company
shall give to the members notice of any such resolution as required by and in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act.
|
36.7 |
In determining the correct period of notice for a general meeting, neither the day on which the notice is served nor the day of the meeting for which it is given shall be counted.
|
36.8 |
Whenever any notice is required to be given by law or by these Articles to any person or persons, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to the notice
whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent thereto. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of
objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
|
36.9 |
The Directors may, for the purpose of controlling the level of attendance at any place specified for the holding of a general meeting, from time to time make such arrangements
whether involving the issue of tickets (on a basis intended to afford to all members otherwise entitled to attend such meeting an equal opportunity of being admitted to the meeting) or the imposition of some random means of selection or
otherwise as they shall in their absolute discretion consider to be appropriate, and may from time to time vary any such arrangements or make new arrangements in place therefor and the entitlement of any member or proxy to attend a general meeting at such place shall be subject to any such arrangements as may be for the time being in force and by the notice of meeting stated to apply to that
meeting. In the case of any general meeting to which such arrangements apply the Directors shall, and in the case of any other general meeting the Directors may, when specifying the place of the general meeting, direct that the meeting
shall be held at a place specified in the notice at which the chairman of the meeting shall preside (the Principal Place) and make arrangements for simultaneous attendance and participation at other places by members otherwise entitled to attend the general meeting but excluded
therefrom under the provisions of this Regulation or who wish to attend at any of such other places provided that persons attending at the Principal Place and at any of such other places shall be able to see and hear and be seen and heard
by persons attending at the Principal Place and at such other places. Such arrangements for simultaneous attendance may include arrangements for controlling the level of attendance in any manner aforesaid at such other places provided that
they shall operate so that any such excluded members as aforesaid are able to attend at one of such other places. For the purposes of all other provisions of these Articles any such meeting shall be treated as being held and taking place at
the Principal Place.
|
37. |
Written decision of sole member
|
38. |
Quorum for general meetings
|
38.1 |
One member present in person or by proxy and having the right to attend and vote at the meeting and together holding Shares representing more than 25% of the votes that may be cast
by all members at the relevant time shall be a quorum at a general meeting; for the avoidance of doubt, at any time when the Company is a single-member company, one member of the Company present in person or by proxy at a general meeting of
it shall be a quorum.
|
38.2 |
If within 15 minutes (or such greater time determined by the chairperson) after the time appointed for a general meeting a quorum is not present, then the meeting shall stand
adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place or to such other day and at such other time and place as the Directors may determine.
|
39. |
Proxies
|
39.1 |
Every member entitled to attend, speak, ask questions and vote at a general meeting may appoint a proxy or proxies to attend, speak, ask questions relating to items on the agenda
subject to section 1107 of the Companies Act and vote on his behalf and may appoint more than one proxy to attend, speak, ask questions and vote at the same general meeting provided that, where a member appoints more than one proxy in
relation to a general meeting, each proxy must be appointed to exercise the rights attached to different shares held by that member.
|
39.2 |
The appointment of a proxy shall be in writing in any usual form as set out in Section 184 of the
Companies Act or in any other form which the Directors may approve and shall be signed by or on behalf of the appointor. The signature on such appointment need not be witnessed. A body corporate may sign a form of proxy under its
common seal or under the hand of a duly authorised officer thereof or in such other manner as the Directors may approve. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. A member shall be entitled to appoint a proxy by electronic means, to an
address specified by the Company. The proxy form must make provision for three-way voting (i.e., to allow votes to be cast for or against a resolution or to be withheld) on all resolutions intended to be proposed, other than resolutions which
are merely procedural. An instrument or other form of communication appointing or evidencing the appointment of a proxy or a corporate representative (other than a standing proxy or representative) together with such evidence as to its due
execution as the Board may from time to time require, may be returned to the address or addresses stated in the notice of meeting or adjourned meeting or any other information or communication by such time or times as may be specified in the
notice of meeting or adjourned meeting or in any other such information or communication (which times may differ when more than one place is so specified) or, if no such time is specified, at any time prior to the holding of the relevant
meeting or adjourned meeting at which the appointee proposes to vote, and, subject to the Companies Act, if not so delivered the appointment shall not be treated as valid. No appointment of a proxy shall be valid after twelve months have
elapsed from the date named in it as the date of its execution.
|
39.3 |
Without limiting the foregoing, in relation to any Shares which are held in uncertificated form, the Directors may from time to time permit appointments of a proxy to be made by
means of an Electronic Communication in the form of an Uncertificated Proxy Instruction, (that is, a properly authenticated dematerialised instruction, and/or other instruction or notification, which is sent by means of the relevant system
concerned and received by such participant in that system acting on behalf of the Company as the Directors may prescribe, in such form and subject to such terms and conditions as may from time to time be prescribed by the Directors (subject
always to the facilities and requirements of the relevant system concerned)); and may in a similar manner permit supplements to, or amendments or revocations of, any such Uncertificated Proxy Instruction to be made by like means. The
Directors may in addition prescribe the method of determining the time at which any such properly authenticated dematerialised instruction (and/or other instruction or notification) is to be treated as received by the Company or such
participant. The Directors may treat any such Uncertificated Proxy Instruction which purports to be or is expressed to be sent on behalf of a member of a Share as sufficient evidence of the authority of the person sending that instruction to
send it on behalf of that member.
|
40. |
Bodies corporate acting by representatives at meetings
|
41. |
Receipt of proxy appointments
|
41.1 |
Where the appointment of a proxy and any authority under which it is signed or a copy certified notarially or in some other way approved by the Directors is to be received by the
Company:
|
(a) |
in physical form, it shall be deposited at the Office or (at the option of the member) at such other place or places (if any) as may be specified for that purpose in or by way of
note to the notice convening the meeting;
|
(b) |
in electronic form, it may be so received where an address has been specified by the Company for the purpose of receiving Electronic Communications:
|
(i) |
in the notice convening the meeting; or
|
(ii) |
in any appointment of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting; or
|
(iii) |
in any invitation contained in an Electronic Communication to appoint a proxy issued by the Company in relation to the meeting;
|
41.2 |
For the avoidance of doubt, such appointments of proxy made by electronic or intend communications (as
permitted by the Directors) would be deemed to be deposited at the place specified for such purpose once received by the Company.
|
41.3 |
When two or more valid but differing appointments of a proxy are received in respect of the same Shares for use at the same meeting, the one bearing the later date
shall be treated as replacing and revoking the other; if the appointments are undated the last one received shall be treated as valid; and if the Company is unable to determine which was the last received, none shall be treated as valid, and
a certificate endorsed by the Company Secretary stating that the appointment is valid or invalid, as the case may be, shall be conclusive for all purposes.
|
42. |
Effect of proxy appointments
|
42.1 |
Effect of proxy appointments:
|
(a) |
Receipt by the Company of an appointment of a proxy in respect of a meeting shall not preclude a member from attending and voting at the meeting or at any adjournment thereof.
However, if that member votes at the meeting or at any adjournment thereof, then as regards to the resolution(s) any proxy notice delivered to the Company by or on behalf of that same member shall on a poll, be invalid to the extent that such
member votes in respect of the shares to which the proxy notice relates.
|
(b) |
A proxy shall have the right unless the contrary is stated in his appointment to exercise all or any of the rights of his appointer, or (where more than one proxy is appointed) all
or any of the rights attached to the Shares in respect of which he has been appointed the proxy to attend, to demand or join in demanding a poll and to speak and vote at a general meeting of the Company. Unless his appointment provides
otherwise, a proxy may vote or abstain in his discretion on any resolution put to the vote. An appointment of a proxy shall be valid, unless the contrary is stated therein, as well for any adjournment of the meeting as for the meeting to
which it relates.
|
(c) |
Subject always to the provisions of the Companies Act, the appointment, and notification of any revocation of appointment of, a proxy, and the giving of voting
instructions to a proxy shall be subject to such formal requirements as the Directors from time to time in their absolute discretion may consider necessary in order to ensure the correct identification of a member's appointment, to ensure the
correct identification of a proxy acting on foot of such appointment, and to ensure the correct determination of a member's voting instructions.
|
43. |
Effect of revocation of proxy or of authorisation
|
43.1 |
A vote given or poll demanded in accordance with the terms of an appointment of a proxy or a resolution authorising a representative to act on behalf of a body corporate shall be
valid notwithstanding the previous death, insanity or winding up of the principal, or the revocation of the appointment of a proxy or of the authority under which the proxy was appointed or of the resolution authorising the representative to
act or the transfer of the Share in respect of which the proxy was appointed or the authorisation of the representative to act was given, provided that no notice in writing (whether in electronic form or otherwise) of such death, insanity,
winding up, revocation or transfer is received by the Company at the Office before the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the appointment
of a proxy is used or at which the representative acts provided however that where such intimation is given in electronic form, it shall have been received by the Company before the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which
the appointment of a proxy is used or at which the representative acts.
|
43.2 |
The Directors may send to the members, at the expense of the Company, by post, electronic mail or otherwise, forms for the appointment of a proxy (subject to the applicable requirements of the Companies Act and with or without reply paid envelopes for
their return) for use at any general meeting or at any class meeting, either in blank or nominating any one or more of the Directors or any other persons in the alternative. If, for the purpose of any meeting, invitations to appoint as
proxy a person or one of a number of persons specified in the invitations are issued at the expense of the Company, such invitations shall be issued to all (and not to some only) of the members entitled to be sent a notice of the meeting
and to vote thereat by proxy, but the accidental omission to issue such invitations to, or the non-receipt of such invitations by, any member shall not invalidate the proceedings at any such meeting.
|
44. |
The business of general meetings
|
44.1 |
All business shall be deemed to be special business that is transacted at an extraordinary general meeting or that is transacted at an annual general meeting other than, in the case
of an annual general meeting, the business specified in Regulation 44.5 which shall be ordinary business.
|
44.2 |
At any meeting of the members, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before such meeting. To be properly brought before an annual general meeting,
business must be:
|
(a) |
specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board;
|
(b) |
otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board; or
|
(c) |
otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a member.
|
44.3 |
Without prejudice to any procedure which may be permitted under the Companies Act, for business to be properly brought before an annual general meeting by a member, the member must
have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Company Secretary. To be timely, a member's notice must be received not less than sixty days nor more than ninety days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year's annual general
meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual general meeting is advanced by more than thirty days or delayed by more than sixty days from such anniversary, notice by the member to be timely must be so received not
earlier than the ninetieth day prior to such annual general meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the sixtieth day prior to such annual general meeting or (ii) the tenth day following the date on which notice of
the date of the annual general meeting was mailed or public disclosure thereof was made by the Company, whichever event in this clause (ii) first occurs. For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the adjournment or postponement of any
general meeting, or the public announcement of such an adjournment or postponement, commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a member's notice to the Company Secretary pursuant to this Regulation 44.3. Each
such notice shall set forth as to each matter the member proposes to bring before the annual general meeting (other than a nomination for election as a director):
|
(a) |
a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual general meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting;
|
(b) |
the name and address, as they appear on the Register, of the member proposing such business;
|
(c) |
the class, series and number of Shares which are beneficially owned by the member;
|
(d) |
whether and the extent to which any hedging, derivative or other transaction is in place or has been entered into within the prior six months preceding the date of delivery of the
notice by or for the benefit of the member with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or any of their respective securities, debt instruments or credit ratings, the effect or intent of which transaction is to give rise to gain or loss as
a result of changes in the trading price of such securities or debt instruments or changes in the credit ratings for the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their respective securities or debt instruments (or, more generally, changes in the
perceived creditworthiness of the Company or its Subsidiaries), or to increase or decrease the voting power of the member, and if so, a summary of the material terms thereof; and
|
(e) |
any material interest of the member in such business.
|
44.4 |
The chairperson of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting and in accordance with the
provisions of these Articles, and if he or she should so determine, any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.
|
44.5 |
Without prejudice to the powers of the Directors to include on the agenda of any annual general meeting of the Company such other matters as they may, in their absolute discretion,
think fit, the business of the annual general meeting shall include:
|
(a) |
the consideration of the Company's statutory financial statements and the report of the Directors and the report of the Auditors on those statements and that report;
|
(b) |
the review by the members of the Company's affairs;
|
(c) |
the declaration of a dividend (if any) of an amount not exceeding an amount recommended by the Directors from time to time;
|
(d) |
the election and re-election of Directors in the place of those retiring (whether by rotation or otherwise);
|
(e) |
the authorisation of the Directors to approve the remuneration of the Auditors; and
|
(f) |
the appointment or re-appointment of Auditors.
|
45. |
Proceedings at general meetings
|
45.1 |
The Chairman, if any, shall preside as chairperson at every general meeting of the Company, or if there is no such Chairman, or if he or she is not present at the time appointed for
the holding of the meeting or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be chairperson of the meeting.
|
45.2 |
If at any meeting no Director is willing to act as chairperson or if no Director is present at the time appointed for holding the meeting, the members present shall choose one of
their number to be chairperson of the meeting.
|
45.3 |
At each meeting of members, the chairperson of the meeting shall fix and announce the date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the members
will vote at the meeting and shall determine the order of business and all other matters of procedure.
|
45.4 |
The Directors may adopt such rules, regulations and procedures for the conduct of any meeting of the members as they deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with any
applicable rules, regulations and procedures adopted by the Board, the chairperson of any meeting may adopt such rules, regulations and procedures for the meeting, which need not be in writing, and take such actions with respect to the
conduct of the meeting, as the chairperson of the meeting deems appropriate, to maintain order and safety and for the conduct of the meeting. Without limiting the foregoing, he or she may:
|
(a) |
limit attendance at or participation in the meeting to members of record of the Company, their duly authorised proxies or such other persons as the chairperson of the meeting shall
determine;
|
(b) |
restrict dissemination of materials and use of audio or visual recording devices at the meeting;
|
(c) |
take steps to maintain order and safety at the meeting;
|
(d) |
establish seating arrangements;
|
(e) |
restrict entry to the meeting after the time fixed for its commencement;
|
(f) |
establish an agenda or order of business;
|
(g) |
adjourn the meeting without a vote of the members, whether or not there is a quorum present;
|
(h) |
limit the time allotted to member questions or comments; and
|
(i) |
make rules governing speeches and debate including time limits and access to microphones.
|
45.5 |
The chairperson of the meeting may, with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present, and shall if so directed by the meeting, adjourn the meeting from time to time and
from place to place.
|
45.6 |
No business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.
|
45.7 |
Where a meeting is adjourned, the time and place for the adjourned meeting shall be fixed by the
Directors. When a meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting but, subject to that, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment
or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.
|
45.8 |
A Director shall be entitled, notwithstanding that he is not a member, to attend and speak at any general meeting and at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of Shares in
the Company. The Auditors shall be entitled to attend any general meeting and to be heard on any part of the business of the meeting which concerns them as the Auditors.
|
(a) |
No amendment may be made to a resolution, at or before the time when it is put to a vote, unless the
chairperson of the meeting decides that the amendment or the amended resolution may properly be put to a vote at that meeting.
|
(b) |
If the chairperson of the meeting rules a resolution or an amendment to a resolution admissible or out of order (as the case may be), the proceedings of the meeting or on the
resolution in question shall not be invalidated by any error in his or her ruling. Any ruling by the chairperson of the meeting in relation to a resolution or an amendment to a resolution shall be final and conclusive.
|
(a) |
For business to be properly requested by a member to be brought before a general meeting, the member must comply with the requirements of the Companies Act or:
|
(i) |
be a member at the time of the giving of the notice for such general meeting;
|
(ii) |
be entitled to vote at such meeting; and
|
(iii) |
have given timely and proper notice in writing to the Company Secretary in accordance with Regulation 44.3.
|
45.11 |
Except where a greater majority is required by the Companies Act or these Articles, any question proposed for a decision of the members at any general meeting of the Company or a
decision of any class of members at a separate meeting of any class of shares shall be decided by an ordinary resolution.
|
46. |
Voting
|
46.1 |
At any general meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll.
|
46.2 |
Save as provided in Regulation 46.3 of these Articles, a poll shall be taken in such manner (including
by the use of a ballot, electronic devices, voting papers or tickets) as the chairperson of the meeting directs and he or she may appoint scrutineers (who need not be members) and fix a time and place for declaring the result of the
poll. The result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.
|
46.3 |
A poll demanded on the election of a chairperson of the meeting or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken either
forthwith or at such time (not being more than thirty days after the poll is demanded) and place as the chairperson of the meeting may direct. The demand
for a poll shall not prevent the continuance of a meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on which the poll was demanded.
|
46.4 |
No notice need be given of a poll not taken forthwith if the time and place at which it is to be taken are announced at the meeting at which it is demanded. In any other case at
least seven Clear Days' notice shall be given specifying the time and place at which the poll is to be taken.
|
46.5 |
If authorised by the Directors, any vote taken by written ballot may be satisfied by a ballot submitted by electronic and/or telephonic transmission, provided that any such
electronic or telephonic submission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic or telephonic submission has been authorised by the member or proxy.
|
47. |
Votes of Members
|
47.1 |
Subject to the provisions of these Articles and any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of Shares in the capital of the Company, every member
of record present in person or by proxy shall have one vote for each share registered in his or her name in the Register.
|
47.2 |
Where there are joint holders of a Share, the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint
holder or holders; and for this purpose, seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names of the joint holders stand in the Register.
|
47.3 |
A member of unsound mind, a member who has made an enduring power of attorney, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction (whether
in the State or elsewhere) in matters concerning mental disorder, may vote by his or her committee, donee of an enduring power of attorney, receiver, guardian or other person appointed by that court and any such committee, donee of an
enduring power of attorney, receiver, guardian or other person may vote by proxy. Evidence to the satisfaction of the Directors of the authority of the person claiming to exercise the right to vote pursuant to this Regulation shall be
deposited at the Office or at such other place as is specified in accordance with these Articles for the deposit of instruments of proxy, before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the right to vote is to
be exercised and in default the right to vote shall not be exercisable.
|
47.4 |
No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the general meeting or adjourned general meeting at which the vote objected to is given or
tendered and every vote not disallowed at such general meeting shall be valid for all purposes. Any such objection made in due time shall be referred to the chairperson of the general meeting whose decision shall be final and conclusive.
|
47.5 |
In relation to any general meeting of the Company or of any class of Shareholders or to any adjourned
meeting of which notice is given, the Board may specify in the notice of meeting or adjourned meeting or in any document sent to Shareholders by or on behalf of the Board in relation to the meeting, a time and date (a Record Date) which is not more than 60 days before the date
fixed for the meeting.
|
47.6 |
A person shall be entered on the Register by the Record Date specified in respect of a general
meeting in order to exercise the right of a member to participate and vote at the general meeting and any change to an entry on the Register after the record date shall be disregarded in determining the right of any person to attend and vote
at the meeting.
|
47.7 |
Votes may be given either personally (including by a duly authorised representative of a corporate member) or by proxy. On a poll taken at a meeting of the members of
the Company or a meeting of any class of members of the Company, a member, whether present in person or by proxy, entitled to more than one vote need not, if he votes, use all his votes or cast all the votes he uses in the same way.
|
47.8 |
Subject to such requirements and restrictions as the Directors may specify, the Company may permit members to vote by correspondence in advance of a general meeting
in respect of one or more of the resolutions proposed at a meeting. Where the Company permits members to vote by correspondence, it shall only count votes cast in advance by correspondence, where such votes are received at the address and
before the date and time specified by the Company, provided the date and time is no more than 24 hours before the time at which the vote is to be concluded.
|
47.9 |
Subject to such requirements and restrictions as the Directors may specify, the Company may permit members who are not physically present at a meeting to vote by
electronic means at the general meeting in respect of one or more of the resolutions proposed at a meeting.
|
47.10 |
Where a member requests a full account of a vote before or on the declaration of the result of a vote at a general meeting, then with respect to each resolution
proposed at a general meeting the Company shall establish:
|
(a) |
the number of Shares for which votes have been validly cast;
|
(b) |
the proportion of the Company's issued share capital at close of business on the record date before the meeting represented by those votes;
|
(c) |
the total number of votes validly cast; and
|
(d) |
the number of votes cast in favour of and against each resolution and, if counted, the number of abstentions.
|
47.11 |
Where no member requests a full account of the voting before or on the declaration of the result of a vote at a general meeting, it shall be sufficient for the
Company to establish the voting results only to the extent necessary to ensure that the required majority is reached for each resolution. The Company shall ensure that a voting result established in accordance with this Regulation is
published on its internet site or the site of the SEC not later than the end of the fifteenth day after the date of the meeting at which the voting result was obtained.
|
47.12 |
Where there is an equality of votes, the chairperson of the meeting shall not have a second or casting vote.
|
47.13 |
Unless the Directors otherwise determine, no member shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting or any separate meeting of the holders of any class of Shares,
either in person or by proxy, or to exercise any privilege as a member in respect of any Share held by him unless all moneys then payable by him in respect of that Share have been paid.
|
48. |
Class meetings
|
49. |
Number of Directors
|
49.1 |
The number of Directors shall be fixed from time to time by the Board, provided that in no case shall the number fixed by the Board be less than two nor more than
nine unless this is approved by an ordinary resolution passed in accordance with Regulation 49.5.
|
49.2 |
The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body, provided that if the number of the Directors is reduced below the prescribed minimum the
remaining Director or Directors shall appoint forthwith an additional Director or additional Directors to make up such minimum or shall convene a general meeting of the Company for the purpose of making such appointment. If there be no
Director or Directors able or willing to act then any two members may summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing Directors. Any additional Director so appointed shall hold office (subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and
these Articles) only until the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company next following such appointment unless he is re-elected during such meeting.
|
49.3 |
The Directors may from time to time appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing Directors, provided that the total number
of Directors shall not at any time exceed the number as may be provided for in these Articles. A Director who is appointed pursuant to this Regulation shall be required to retire at the next following annual general meeting. If not
re-appointed at such annual general meeting, such Director shall vacate office at the conclusion thereof.
|
49.4 |
The Board, upon recommendations of the nomination and governance committee (or equivalent committee established by the Board), shall propose nominees for election to
the office of Director at each annual general meeting.
|
49.5 |
The Company may from time to time, by ordinary resolution, increase or reduce the number of Directors provided that any resolution to appoint a Director approved by
the members that would result in the maximum number of Directors being exceeded shall be deemed to constitute an ordinary resolution increasing the maximum number of Directors to the number that would be in office following such a resolution
of appointment.
|
49.6 |
The Company may, by ordinary resolution, appoint another person in place of a Director removed from office under section 146 of the Companies Act and, without prejudice to the powers
of the Directors under Regulation 49.3, the Company in a general meeting may appoint any person to be a Director either to fill a casual vacancy or as an additional Director.
|
50. |
Share qualification
|
51. |
Ordinary remuneration of Directors
|
51.1 |
The remuneration to be paid to the Directors shall be such remuneration as the Board shall determine from time to time. Such remuneration shall be deemed to accrue
from day to day. The Board may from time to time determine that, subject to the requirements of the Companies Act, all or part of any fees or other remuneration payable to any Director shall be provided in the form of Shares or other
securities of the Company or any Subsidiary, or options or rights to acquire such Shares or other securities, on such terms as the Board may decide.
|
51.2 |
A Director is expressly permitted (for the purposes of section 228(1)(d) of the Companies Act) to use the Company's property pursuant to or in conjunction with the
exercise or performance of his duties, functions and powers as Director or employee; the terms of any conditions of service or employment or letter of appointment; and, or in the alternative, any other usage authorised by the Directors (or a
person authorised by the Directors) from time to time; and including in each case for a Director's own benefit or for the benefit of another person.
|
52. |
Special remuneration of Directors
|
53. |
Expenses of Directors
|
54. |
Alternate Directors
|
54.1 |
Any Director may appoint by writing under his hand any person (including another Director) to be his alternate provided always that no such appointment of a person
other than a Director as an alternate shall be operative unless and until such appointment shall have been approved by resolution of the Directors.
|
54.2 |
An alternate Director shall be entitled to receive notices of all meetings of the Directors and of all meetings of committees of Directors of which his appointor is a
member, to attend and vote at any such meeting at which the Director appointing him is not personally present and in the absence of his appointor to exercise all the powers, rights, duties and authorities of his appointor as a Director (other
than the right to appoint an alternate hereunder).
|
54.3 |
Save as otherwise provided in these Articles, an alternate Director shall be deemed for all purposes to be a Director and shall alone be responsible for his own acts
and defaults and he shall not be deemed to be the agent of the Director appointing him. The remuneration of any such alternate Director shall be payable out of the remuneration paid to the Director appointing him and shall consist of such
portion of the last mentioned remuneration as shall be agreed between the alternate and the Director appointing him.
|
54.4 |
A Director may revoke at any time the appointment of any alternate appointed by him. If a Director shall die or cease to hold the office of Director the appointment
of his alternate shall thereupon cease and determine but if a Director retires by rotation or otherwise but is reappointed or deemed to have been reappointed at the meeting at which he retires, any appointment of an alternate Director made by
him which was in force immediately prior to his retirement shall continue after his re-appointment.
|
54.5 |
Any appointment or revocation pursuant to this Regulation may be sent to the Company by delivery, post, cable, telegram, telex, telefax, electronic mail or any other
means of communication approved by the Directors and may bear a printed or facsimile signature of the Director making such appointment or revocation or in any other manner approved by the Directors.
|
55. |
Vacation of office by Directors
|
55.1 |
In addition to the circumstances described in sections 146, 148(1) and 196(2) of the Companies Act, the office of Director shall be vacated:
|
(a) |
ipso facto, if that Director:
|
(i) |
resigns his or her office by notice in writing to the Company;
|
(ii) |
he ceases to be a Director by virtue of any provision of the Companies Act or he becomes prohibited by law from being a Director;
|
(iii) |
becomes subject to a declaration of restriction under section 819 of the Companies Act and the Directors, at any time during the currency of the declaration, resolve that his or her
office be vacated;
|
(iv) |
resigns his office by spoken declaration at any Board meeting and such resignation is accepted by resolution of that meeting, in which case such resignation shall take effect at the conclusion of such meeting unless otherwise resolved;
|
(v) |
is adjudicated insolvent or bankrupt or makes any arrangement or compromise with his creditors generally (in any jurisdiction);
|
(vi) |
is removed from office by notice in writing served upon him signed by not less than 75% of his co-Directors;
|
(vii) |
is removed from office by notice in writing to the Company: where there is a sole member, by the sole member or where there is more than one member, by any member or
members having the right to attend and vote at a general meeting of the Company on a resolution to remove a Director and holding for the time being not less than 90% in nominal value of the shares giving that right; and
|
(b) |
by resolution of the Board:
|
(i) |
where that Director can no longer be reasonably regarded as possessing an adequate decision making capacity by reason of his or her health;
|
(ii) |
where that Director is sentenced to a term of imprisonment (whether or not the term is suspended) following conviction of a criminal offence in any jurisdiction;
|
(iii) |
where that Director is for more than six months absent, without the permission of the Directors, from meetings of the Directors held during that period and his
alternate Director (if any) shall not have attended any such meeting in his place during such period and the Directors pass a resolution that by reason of such absence he has vacated office; or
|
(iv) |
where that Director is in employment of the Company, the Company's holding company or a subsidiary of the Company's holding company, upon the termination of such
employment;
|
55.2 |
The Company may, in accordance with Section 146 of the Companies Act, remove any Director before the expiry of his period of office notwithstanding anything in these
Articles or in any agreement between the Company and such Director and may if thought fit, by ordinary resolution appoint another Director in his stead. The person appointed shall be subject to retirement at the same time as if he had become
a Director on the date on which the Director in whose place he is appointed was last appointed a Director. Nothing in this Regulation shall be taken as depriving a person removed hereunder of compensation or damages payable to him in respect
of the termination of his appointment as Director or of any appointment terminating with that of Director.
|
56. |
Directors' powers
|
56.1 |
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, the Memorandum and these Articles and to any directions by the members given in a general meeting, not being
inconsistent with these Articles or with the Companies Act, the business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may do all such acts and things and exercise all the powers of the Company as are not by the Companies Act or by
these Articles required to be done or exercised by the Company in general meeting. No alteration of the Memorandum or of these Articles and no such direction by the members given in a general meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the
Directors which would have been valid if that alteration had not been made or that direction had not been given. The powers given by this Regulation shall not be limited by any special power given to the Directors by these Articles and a
meeting of Directors at which a quorum is present may exercise all powers exercisable by the Directors.
|
56.2 |
Any reference to a power of the Company required to be exercised by the Company in a general meeting includes a reference to a power of the Company that, but for the
power of the members to pass a written resolution to effect the first-mentioned power's exercise, would be required to be exercised by the Company in a general meeting.
|
57. |
Power to delegate
|
57.1 |
Without prejudice to the generality of the last preceding Regulation, the Directors may delegate (with power to sub-delegate) any of their powers to any managing
director of the Company or any other Director holding any other executive office or to any committee consisting of one or more Directors together with such other persons (if any) as may be appointed to such committee by the Directors provided
that a majority of the members of each committee appointed by the Directors shall at all times consist of Directors and that no resolution of any such committee shall be effective unless a majority of the members of the committee present at
the meeting at which it was passed are Directors.
|
57.2 |
Insofar as any such power or discretion is delegated to a committee any reference in these Articles to the exercise by the Directors of the power or discretion so
delegated shall be read and construed as if it were a reference to the exercise thereof by such a committee. Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion
of their own powers and may be revoked. Subject to any such conditions, the proceedings of a committee with two or more members shall be governed by the provisions of these Articles regulating the proceedings of Directors so far as they are
capable of applying.
|
57.3 |
The acts of the Board or of any committee established by the Board or any delegee of the Board or any such committee shall be valid notwithstanding any defect which
may afterwards be discovered in the appointment or qualification of any Director, committee member or delegee.
|
58. |
Committees
|
58.1 |
The Directors may establish one or more committees consisting in whole or in part of members of the Board. The composition, function, power and obligations of any
such committee will be determined by the Board from time to time.
|
58.2 |
A committee established under Regulation 58.1 (a committee) may elect a
chairperson of its meetings; if no such chairperson is elected, or if at any meeting the chairperson is not present after the time appointed for holding it, the members of the committee present may choose one of their number to be chairperson
of the meeting.
|
58.3 |
A committee may meet and adjourn as it thinks proper. Committee meetings shall take place at such time and place as the relevant committee may determine. Questions
arising at any meeting of a committee shall be determined (subject to Regulation 58.1) by a majority of votes of the members of the committee present, and where there is an equality of votes, the chairperson of the committee shall not have a
second or casting vote.
|
58.4 |
Where any committee is established by the Directors :
|
(a) |
the meetings and proceedings of such committee shall be governed by the provisions of these Articles regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Directors so far as the same are
applicable and are not superseded by any regulations imposed upon such committee by the Directors; and
|
(b) |
the Directors may authorise, or may authorise such committee to authorise, any person who is not a Director to attend all or any meetings of any such committee on such terms as the
Directors or the committee think fit, provided that any such person shall not be entitled to vote at meetings of the committee.
|
59. |
Appointment of attorneys
|
60. |
Local management
|
61. |
Borrowing powers
|
62. |
Execution of negotiable instruments
|
63. |
Provision for employees
|
64. |
Retirement by Rotation
|
64.1 |
At each annual general meeting of the Company each Director shall retire from office.
|
64.2 |
A Director who retires at an annual general meeting may be reappointed, if willing to act. If he is not reappointed (or deemed to be reappointed pursuant to these
Articles) he shall retain office until the meeting appoints someone in his place or, if it does not do so, until the end of the meeting.
|
65. |
Deemed reappointment
|
66. |
Eligibility for appointment as a Director
|
66.1 |
No person other than a Director retiring by rotation shall be appointed a Director at any annual general meeting unless he is recommended by the Directors or unless a
draft resolution for the appointment of such person (accompanied by the particulars which would be required, if he were to be so appointed, to be included in the Company's register of Directors together with a notice executed by that person
of his willingness to be appointed) shall have been proposed by a member or members holding not less than three per cent of the issued share capital of the Company, representing not less than three per cent of the total voting rights of all
the members of the Company who have a right to vote at the meeting, received by the Company in hardcopy form or in electronic form at least forty-two days before the meeting to which it relates, and passed at that meeting in compliance with
the Companies Act and these Articles.
|
66.2 |
In the case of a general meeting other than an annual general meeting, no person other than a Director retiring as aforesaid or a person recommended by the Directors
shall be appointed unless not less than fourteen nor more than thirty Clear Days before the date appointed for the meeting, a draft resolution for the appointment of such person (accompanied by the particulars which would be required, if he
were to be so appointed, to be included in the Company's register of Directors together with a notice executed by that person of his willingness to be appointed) shall have been proposed by a member or members holding not less than three per
cent of the issued share capital of the Company, representing not less than three per cent of the total voting rights of all the members of the Company who have a right to vote at the meeting, received by the Company in hardcopy form or in
electronic form, and passed at that meeting in compliance with the Companies Act and these Articles.
|
66.3 |
No Director shall be required to retire on account of age.
|
67. |
Executive Offices
|
67.1 |
The Directors may appoint one or more of their body to the office of Chief Executive Officer (by whatever name called including managing director) or to any other
executive office under the Company (including, where considered appropriate, the office of the Chairman) on such terms and for such period as they may determine and, without prejudice to the terms of any contract entered into in any
particular case, may revoke any such appointment at any time.
|
67.2 |
A Director holding any such executive office shall receive such remuneration, whether in addition to or in substitution for his ordinary remuneration as a Director
and whether by way of salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise or in any combination of the foregoing as the Directors may determine.
|
67.3 |
The appointment of any Director to the office of Chairman or Chief Executive Officer shall determine automatically if he ceases to be a Director (other than where he
is re-appointed as a Director at an annual general meeting of the Company having retired by rotation in accordance with these Articles) but without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the
Company.
|
67.4 |
The appointment of any Director to any other executive office shall not determine automatically if he ceases from any cause to be a Director unless the contract or
resolution under which he holds office shall expressly state otherwise, in which event such determination shall be without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company.
|
67.5 |
The Board may appoint any person whether or not he or she is a Director, to hold such executive or official position (except that of Auditor) as the Board may from
time to time determine. The same person may hold more than one office of executive or official position.
|
67.6 |
A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (except that of Auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director, and may act in a
professional capacity to the Company, on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Directors shall arrange. Nothing in Section 228(1)(e) of the Companies Act shall restrict a Director from entering into any commitment which has been
approved by the Board or has been approved pursuant to such authority as may be delegated by the Board in accordance with these Articles. It shall be the duty of each Director to obtain the prior approval of the Board, before entering into
any commitment permitted by Sections 228(1)(e)(ii) and 228(2) of the Companies Act.
|
67.7 |
The Board shall determine from time to time, the powers and duties of any such office holder or official appointed under Regulation 67.1 and/or Regulation 67.5, and
subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and these Articles, the Directors may confer upon an office holder or official any of the powers exercisable by them upon such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as they may think
fit and in conferring any such powers, the Directors may specify that the conferral is to operate either: (a) so that the powers concerned may be exercised concurrently by them and the relevant office holder; or (b) to the exclusion of their
own such powers.
|
67.8 |
The Directors may (a) revoke any conferral of powers under Regulation 67.7 or (b) amend any such conferral (whether as to the powers conferred or the terms,
conditions or restrictions subject to which the conferral is made). The use or inclusion of the word "officer" (or similar words) in the title of any executive or other position shall not be deemed to imply that the person holding such
executive or other position is an "officer" of the Company within the meaning of the Companies Act.
|
68. |
Disclosure of interests by Directors
|
69. |
Directors' interests
|
69.1 |
A Director may have regard to the interests of any other companies in the Group to the full extent permitted by the Companies Act.
|
69.2 |
The Directors may exercise the voting powers conferred by the shares of any other company held or owned by the Company in such manner in all respects as they think
fit and, in particular, they may exercise the voting powers in favour of any resolution: (a) appointing the Directors or any of them as directors or officers of such other company; or (b) providing for the payment of remuneration or pensions
to the directors or officers of such other company.
|
69.3 |
Any Director may vote in favour of the exercise of such voting rights notwithstanding that he or she may be or may be about to become a Director or officer of the
other company referred to in Regulation 69.2 and as such or in any other way is or may be interested in the exercise of such voting rights in the foregoing manner.
|
69.4 |
A Director notwithstanding his office but subject to his having disclosed any interest which he is required to disclose whether by these Articles or the Companies Act
in accordance with these Articles or the Companies Act as the case may be:-
|
(a) |
may be a party to, or otherwise interested in, any transaction or arrangement with the Company or any Subsidiary or Associated Company thereof or in which the Company or any
Subsidiary or Associated Company thereof is otherwise interested;
|
(b) |
may be a Director or other officer of, or employed by, or a party to any transaction or arrangement with, or otherwise interested in, any body corporate promoted by the Company or in
which the Company or any Subsidiary or Associated Company thereof is otherwise interested; and
|
(c) |
shall not be accountable, by reason of his office, to the Company for any benefit which he derives from any such office or employment or from any such transaction or arrangement or
from any interest in any such body corporate and no such transaction or arrangement shall be liable to be avoided on the ground of any such interest or benefit.
|
69.5 |
No Director or intended Director shall be disqualified by his office from contracting with the Company either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such
contract or any contract or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the other company in which any Director shall be in any way interested be avoided nor shall any Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the
Company for any profit realised by any such contract or arrangement by reason solely of such Director holding that office or of the fiduciary relationship thereby established. The nature of a Director's interest must be declared by him at the
meeting of the Directors at which the question of entering into the contract or arrangement is first taken into consideration or, if the Director was not at the date of that meeting interested in the proposed contract or arrangements at the
next meeting of the Directors held after he became so interested, and in a case where the Director becomes interested in a contract or arrangement after it is made at the first meeting of the Directors held after he becomes so interested.
|
69.6 |
A copy of every declaration made and notice given under this Regulation shall be entered within three days after the making or giving thereof in a book kept for this
purpose. Such book shall be open for inspection without charge by any Director, Company Secretary, Auditor or member of the Company at the Office and shall be produced at every general meeting of the Company and at any meeting of the
Directors if any Director so requests in sufficient time to enable the book to be available at the meeting.
|
69.7 |
For the purposes of this Regulation:-
|
(a) |
a general notice given to the Directors that a Director is to be regarded as having an interest of the nature and extent specified in the notice in any transaction or arrangement in
which a specified person or class of persons or company is interested shall be deemed to be a disclosure that the Director has an interest in any such transaction of the nature and extent so specified with the relevant party; and
|
(b) |
an interest of which a Director has no knowledge and of which it is unreasonable to expect him to have knowledge shall not be treated as an interest of his.
|
70. |
Restriction on Directors' voting
|
70.1 |
Save as otherwise provided by these Articles, a Director shall not vote at a meeting of the Directors or a committee of Directors on any resolution concerning a
matter in which he has, directly or indirectly or together with any person or persons connected with him an interest which is material or a duty which conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the Company. A Director shall not be
counted in the quorum present at a meeting in relation to any such resolution on which he is not entitled to vote.
|
70.2 |
A Director shall be entitled (unless he has some material interest or duty which conflicts or may conflict with the interests of the Company which is not indicated
below) to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of any resolutions concerning any of the following matters, namely:-
|
(a) |
the giving of any security, guarantee or indemnity to him in respect of money lent by him or by any other person at the request of or for the benefit of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or obligations incurred by him or any other person on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries at the request of or for the benefit of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
|
(b) |
the giving of any security, guarantee or indemnity to a third party in respect of a debt or obligation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for which he himself has assumed
responsibility in whole or in part and whether alone or jointly with others under a guarantee or indemnity or by the giving of security;
|
(c) |
the subscription or purchase of shares, debentures or other securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to an offer or invitation to members or debenture holders of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any class of them, or to the public or any section of the public in which offer or invitation he is or may be entitled to participate as a holder of securities or in which he is or is to be interested
as a participant in the underwriting or sub-underwriting thereof;
|
(d) |
any proposal concerning any other company in which he is interested, directly or indirectly or together with any person or persons connected with him and whether as an officer or
shareholder or otherwise howsoever, provided that he is not the holder of or beneficially interested, directly or indirectly in one per cent. or more of the issued shares of any class of such company or of the voting rights available to
members of such company (any such interest being deemed for the purposes of this Regulation to be a material interest in all circumstances);
|
(e) |
any proposal concerning the adoption, modification or operation of a superannuation fund or retirement benefits scheme under which he may benefit and which has been approved by or is
subject to and conditional upon approval for taxation purposes by the appropriate Revenue authorities which does not award the Director any privilege or benefit not generally awarded to the employees to whom such arrangement or scheme
relates;
|
(f) |
any proposal concerning the adoption, modification or operation of any scheme for enabling employees (including full time executive Directors) of the Company and/or any Subsidiary to
acquire Shares or any arrangement for the benefit of employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which does not award the Director any privilege or benefit not generally awarded to the employees to whom such scheme or arrangement
relates; or
|
(g) |
any proposal concerning insurance which the Company proposes to maintain or purchase for the benefit of the Directors or for the benefit of persons including the Directors.
|
70.3 |
Where proposals are under consideration concerning the appointment (including fixing or varying the terms of appointment) of two or more Directors to offices or
employments with the Company or any company in which the Company is interested such proposals may be divided and considered in relation to each Director separately and in such case each of the Directors concerned (if not debarred from voting
thereon), shall be entitled to vote (and be counted in the quorum) in respect of each resolution except that concerning his own appointment.
|
70.4 |
If a question arises at a meeting of Directors or of a committee of Directors as to the materiality of a Director's interest or as to the right of any Director to
vote and such question is not resolved by his voluntarily agreeing to abstain from voting, such question may be referred, before the conclusion of the meeting, to the chairman of the meeting and his ruling in relation to any Director other
than himself shall be final and conclusive except in a case where the nature or extent of the interest of such Director has not been fully and fairly disclosed; provided that, if such question arises in relation to the chairman of the
meeting, he shall temporarily vacate the chair.
|
70.5 |
For the purposes of this Regulation, an interest of a person who is the spouse or a minor child of a Director shall be treated as an interest of the Director and in
relation to an alternate Director, an interest of his appointor shall be treated as an interest of the alternate Director.
|
71. |
Entitlement to grant pensions
|
72. |
Convening and regulation of Directors' meetings
|
72.1 |
Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the Directors may regulate their proceedings as they think fit. A Director may, and the Company Secretary at the request
of a Director shall, call a meeting of the Directors. Such meetings shall take place at such time and place as the Directors may determine.
|
72.2 |
Any Director may waive notice of any meeting and any such waiver may be retrospective. If the Directors so resolve, it shall not be necessary to give notice of a
meeting of Directors to any Director who, being a resident of the State, is for the time being absent from the State.
|
72.3 |
The Directors may establish attendance and procedural guidelines from time to time about how their meetings are to be conducted consistent with good corporate
governance and applicable tax requirements.
|
72.4 |
Notice of a meeting of the Directors shall be deemed to be duly given to a Director if it is given to him personally or by word of mouth or sent in writing by
delivery, post, cable, telegram, telex, telefax, electronic mail or otherwise in electronic form, (whether as an Electronic Communication or otherwise) or by any other means of communication approved by the Directors to him at his last known
address or any other address or number (including any address or number used for the purpose of communication by way of electronic mail or other Electronic Communication) given by him to the Company for this purpose.
|
73. |
Quorum for Directors' meetings
|
73.1 |
The quorum for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors and unless so fixed at any other number shall be two. For the purposes
of this Regulation an alternate Director shall be counted in a quorum, but so that not less than two individuals shall constitute the quorum.
|
73.2 |
Any Director who ceases to be a Director at a meeting of the Directors may continue to be present and to act as a Director and to be counted in the quorum until the
termination of the meeting provided no other Director objects and provided also that otherwise a quorum of Directors would not be present.
|
73.3 |
The continuing Directors or a sole Director may act notwithstanding any vacancies in their number but if the number of Directors is less than the number fixed as the
quorum, they may act only for the purpose of filling vacancies or of calling a general meeting.
|
74. |
Voting at Directors' meetings
|
74.1 |
Questions arising at any meeting of Directors shall be decided by a majority of votes. Where there is an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall not have
a second or casting vote.
|
74.2 |
Subject as hereinafter provided, each Director present and voting shall have one vote and in addition to his own vote shall be entitled to one vote in respect of each
other Director not present at the meeting who shall have authorised him in respect of such meeting to vote for such other Director in his absence. Any such authority may relate generally to all meetings of the Directors or to any specified
meeting or meetings and must be in writing and may be sent by delivery, post, cable, telegram, telex, telefax, or may be provided in electronic form (whether as an Electronic Communication or otherwise) or be sent by any other means of
communication approved by the Directors and may bear a printed or facsimile signature of the Director giving such authority or may be otherwise authenticated in such manner as may be prescribed by the Directors. The authority must be
delivered to the Company Secretary prior to or must be produced at the first meeting at which a vote is to be cast pursuant thereto provided that no Director shall be entitled to any vote at a meeting on behalf of another Director pursuant to
this paragraph if the other Director shall have appointed an alternate Director and that alternate Director is present at the meeting at which the Director proposes to vote pursuant to this Regulation.
|
75. |
Telecommunication meetings
|
75.1 |
Any Director or alternate Director may participate in a meeting of the Directors or any committee of the Directors by means of conference telephone, or by video or
other telecommunications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other speak and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting. Any such Director or alternate
Director participating by means of conference telephone or other telecommunications equipment shall be counted in assessing whether any quorum is present at such meeting.
|
75.2 |
Such a meeting will be deemed to take place:
|
(b) |
where the largest group of those Directors participating in the conference is assembled;
|
(c) |
if there is no such group, where the chairperson of the meeting then is; or
|
(d) |
if neither subparagraph (a) or (b) applies, in such location as the meeting itself decides.
|
76. |
Chairman of the board of Directors
|
77. |
Validity of acts of Directors
|
78. |
Directors' resolutions or other documents in writing
|
78.1 |
A resolution or other document in writing signed (or otherwise authenticated in a manner determined by the Directors) by all the Directors entitled to receive notice
of a meeting of Directors or of a committee of Directors shall be as valid as if it had been passed at a meeting of Directors or (as the case may be) a committee of Directors duly convened and held and may consist of several documents in the
like form each signed (or otherwise authenticated as aforesaid, as the case may be) by one or more Directors and a resolution signed by an alternate Director need not also be signed by his appointer and, if it is signed by a Director who has
appointed an alternate Director, it need not be signed by the alternate Director in that capacity. Such resolution or other document or documents when duly signed (or otherwise authenticated as aforesaid, as the case may be) may be delivered
or transmitted (unless the Directors shall otherwise determine either generally or in any specific case) by facsimile transmission or some other similar means of transmitting the contents of documents or may be delivered or transmitted in
electronic form, whether as an Electronic Communication or otherwise provided such manner of delivery or transmission has been approved by the Directors.
|
78.2 |
Subject to Regulation 78.3, where one or more of the Directors (other than a majority of them) would not, by reason of:
|
(a) |
the Companies Act or any other enactment;
|
(b) |
these Articles; or
|
(c) |
an applicable rule of law or a Stock Exchange,
|
78.3 |
In a case falling within Regulation 78.2, the resolution shall state the name of each Director who did not sign it and the basis on which he or she did not sign it.
|
78.4 |
For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in Regulations 78.1 to 78.3 dealing with a resolution that is signed by other than all of the Directors shall be read as making
available, in the case of an equality of votes, a second or casting vote to the one of their number who would, or might have been, if a meeting had been held to transact the business concerned, chairperson of that meeting.
|
79. |
Appointment of Company Secretary
|
79.1 |
The Company Secretary shall be appointed by the Directors for such term, at such remuneration and upon such conditions as they may think fit and any Company Secretary
so appointed may be removed by them. The Directors may appoint a sole or joint Company Secretary, an assistant Company Secretary and a deputy Company Secretary for such term, at such remuneration and upon such conditions as they may think
fit; and any such person so appointed may be removed by them.
|
79.2 |
Anything required or authorised by the Companies Act or these Articles to be done by or to the Company Secretary may be done by or to any assistant or acting Company
Secretary or, if there is no assistant or acting Company Secretary readily available and capable of acting, by or to any officer or employee of the Company authorised generally or specially in that behalf by the Directors provided that any
provision of the Companies Act or these Articles requiring or authorising a thing to be done by or to a Director and the Company Secretary shall not be satisfied by its being done by or to the same person acting both as a Director and as, or
in the place of, the Company Secretary.
|
80. |
The common seal
|
80.1 |
The Company's seal shall be used only by the authority of its Directors, or by a committee authorised by its Directors or by any one or more persons severally or jointly so
authorised by the Directors or such a committee, and the use of the seal shall be deemed to be authorised for these purposes where the matter or transaction
pursuant to which the seal is to be used has been so authorised.
|
80.2 |
Any instrument to which the Company's seal shall be affixed shall be signed by:
|
(a) |
a Director and be countersigned by the Company Secretary or by a second (if any) Director or by some other person appointed for the purpose by its Directors or by a committee; or
|
(b) |
a person (including a Director) appointed for the purpose by its Directors or a committee of its Directors authorised by its Directors in that behalf.
|
80.3 |
Section 43(2) and 43(3) of the Companies Act do not apply.
|
80.4 |
The Company may have one or more duplicate common seals or official seals for use in different locations including for use abroad.
|
81. |
Official seal for use abroad
|
82. |
Notices in writing
|
83. |
Service of notices and documents
|
83.1 |
A notice or document (including a share certificate and a proxy appointment) to be given, served or delivered in pursuance of these Articles or otherwise may be given to, served on
or delivered to any member by the Company:
|
(a) |
by handing same to him or his authorised agent;
|
(b) |
by leaving the same at his registered address;
|
(c) |
by sending the same by ordinary post in a pre-paid cover addressed to him at his registered address; or
|
(d) |
by delivering or making the same available in electronic form, whether as an Electronic Communication
or otherwise subject to and in accordance with the provisions of these Articles.
|
83.2 |
Where a notice or document is given, served or delivered pursuant to Regulation 83.1(a) or 83.1(b), the giving, service or delivery thereof shall be deemed to have been effected at
the time the same was handed to the member or his authorised agent, or left at his registered address (as the case may be).
|
83.3 |
Where a notice or document is given, served or delivered pursuant to Regulation 83.1(c), the giving, service or delivery thereof shall be deemed to have been effected at the
expiration of twenty-four hours following posting and in the case of its being posted on a Friday seventy-two hours after despatch or on a Saturday or Sunday forty-eight hours after despatch. In proving service or delivery it shall be
sufficient to prove that such cover was properly addressed, stamped and posted.
|
83.4 |
Where a notice, document or other information is given, served or delivered in electronic form whether as an Electronic Communication or otherwise pursuant to Regulation 83.1(d), it shall be treated as having been given, served or delivered:
|
(a) |
if given, served or delivered by electronic mail, at the time it was sent; or
|
(b) |
where any such notice or document is given, served or delivered by being made available or displayed on a website, when the recipient received or is deemed to have received notice of
the fact that the notice, document or other information was available on the website.
|
83.5 |
Every legal personal representative, committee, receiver, curator bonis or other legal curator, assignee in bankruptcy or liquidator of a member shall be bound by a notice given as
aforesaid if sent to the last registered address of such member or, in the event of notice given or delivered pursuant to Regulation 83.1(d), if sent to the
address notified to the Company by the member for such purpose (or if otherwise delivered or made available in accordance with this Regulation 83), notwithstanding that the Company may have notice of the death, lunacy, bankruptcy,
liquidation or disability of such member.
|
83.6 |
Where a member has elected to receive notices or other documents in electronic form, whether as an Electronic
Communication or otherwise, the Company may notwithstanding such election and without giving advance notice to the member, provide such notices or documents in accordance with any of the methods allowed for in Regulation 83 and such
provision shall satisfy the Company's obligations in this regard.
|
83.7 |
Without prejudice to the provisions of Regulation 83.1 and 83.2, if at any time by reason of:
|
(a) |
the suspension or curtailment of postal services within the State, the Company is unable effectively to convene a general meeting by notice sent through the post; or
|
(b) |
the occurrence of any event or thing as a consequence of which the Company is unable effectively to convene a general meeting by means of an Electronic Communication;
|
83.8 |
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Regulation the Company shall not be obliged to take account of or make any investigations as to the existence of any suspension or
curtailment of postal services within or in relation to all or any part of any jurisdiction or area other than the State and, in the case of Regulation 83.7(b), the Company shall not be obliged to carry out any tests or investigations into
the causes of or circumstances surrounding the event or thing in question as a consequence of which the Company shall be unable effectively to convene a general meeting by means of an Electronic Communication other than such tests and investigations as may be used from time to time by the Company or its agents in relation to the use or operation of any systems for Electronic Communication.
|
84. |
Notices to members
|
85. |
Service on joint holders
|
86. |
Service on transfer or transmission of Shares
|
86.1 |
Every person who becomes entitled to a Share shall before his name is entered in the Register in respect of the Share, be bound by any notice in respect of that Share which has been
duly given to a person from whom he derives his title provided that the provisions of this Regulation shall not apply to any Disclosure Notice unless, under the provisions these Articles, it is a notice which continues to have effect
notwithstanding the registration of a transfer of the Shares to which it relates.
|
86.2 |
Without prejudice to the provisions of these Articles allowing a meeting to be convened by newspaper advertisement, a notice may be given by the Company to the persons entitled to a
Share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a member by sending or delivering it, in any manner authorised by these Articles for the giving of notice to a member, addressed to them at the address (inclusive of an electronic address),
if any, supplied by them for that purpose. Until such an address has been supplied, a notice may be given in any manner in which it might have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.
|
87. |
Signature to notices
|
88. |
Deemed receipt of notices
|
89. |
Use of Electronic Communication
|
89.1 |
Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles, whenever any person (including without limitation the Company, a Director, the Company Secretary, any officer of the Company, a
member or any other person) is required or permitted by these Articles or otherwise to give or receive information in writing such information may be given or received in electronic form, whether as an Electronic Communication or otherwise in such manner or form and subject to such terms, conditions or restrictions as the Directors may, subject to the Companies Act, determine or
approve from time to time in their absolute discretion.
|
89.2 |
Subject to the Companies Act, the Company and its Directors, Company Secretary or officers shall not be compelled to receive or to send Electronic Communications or information in electronic form under these Articles or otherwise until such time as the Directors shall have advised (pursuant to any terms and conditions of Electronic Communication or otherwise) the recipient or giver (as the case may be) in writing of the manner, form and restrictions (if any) by which such
information may be sent or received.
|
89.3 |
Any requirement in these Articles for the consent of a member in regard to the receipt by such member of electronic mail or other means of Electronic Communications approved by the Directors, including the receipt of the Company's annual report, statutory financial statements and the Directors' and Auditor's reports thereon, shall be
deemed to have been satisfied where the Company has written to the member informing him or her of its intention to use Electronic Communications for such
purposes and the member has not, within four weeks of the issue of such notice, served an objection in writing on the Company. Where a member has given, or is deemed to have given, his/her consent to the receipt by such member of electronic
mail or other means of Electronic Communications approved by the Directors, she/he may revoke such consent at any time by requesting the Company to
communicate with him or her in documented form; provided, however, that such revocation shall not take effect until five days after written notice of the revocation is received by the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Regulation 89.3, no such consent shall be necessary, and to the extent it is necessary, such consent shall be deemed to have been given, if Electronic
Communications are permitted to be used under the rules and regulations of any Stock Exchange or under the rules of the SEC.
|
90. |
Service of notices on the Company
|
91. |
Sending statutory financial statements to members
|
91.1 |
Subject to Regulation 89.3, each of the members hereby agree and consent that copies of the documents referred to in section 338(2) of the Companies Act, are to be treated, for the
purposes of section 338 of the Companies Act, as sent to a person where:
|
(a) |
the Company and that person have agreed to his or her having access to the documents on a website (instead of their being sent to him or her), provided such agreement shall be deemed
to have been given, if Electronic Communications are permitted to be used under the rules and regulations of any Stock Exchange or under the rules of the
SEC;
|
(b) |
the documents are documents to which that agreement applies; and
|
(c) |
that person is notified, in a manner for the time being agreed for the purpose between him or her and the Company, of:
|
(i) |
the publication of the documents on a website;
|
(ii) |
the address of that website; and
|
(iii) |
the place on that website where the documents may be accessed, and how they may be accessed. Documents treated in accordance with Regulation 91 as sent to any person are to be
treated as sent to him or her not less than 21 days before the date of a meeting if, and only if:
|
(A) |
the documents are published on the website throughout a period beginning at least 21 days before the date of the meeting and ending with the conclusion of the meeting; and
|
(B) |
the notification given for the purposes of Regulation 91.1(c) is given not less than 21 days before the date of the meeting.
|
91.2 |
Any obligation by virtue of section 339(1) or (2) of the Companies Act to furnish a person with a document may, unless these Articles provide otherwise, be complied with by using Electronic Communications for sending that document to such address as may for the time being be notified to the Company by that person for that purpose.
|
92. |
Accounts
|
92.1 |
The Directors shall, cause the Company to keep accounting recording whether in the form of documents electronic form or otherwise, which are sufficient to:
|
(a) |
correctly record and explain the transactions of the Company;
|
(b) |
enable at any time, the assets, liabilities, the financial position and profit or loss of the Company to be determined with reasonable accuracy;
|
(c) |
enable the Directors to ensure that any financial statements and any Director's report of the Company, required to be prepared under the Companies Act, comply with the requirements
of the Companies Act; and
|
(d) |
enable the financial statements of the Company to be audited.
|
92.2 |
The accounting records of the Company shall be kept on a continuous and consistent basis that is to say, the entries therein shall be made in a timely manner and be consistent from
one year to the next. Adequate accounting records shall be deemed to have been maintained if they comply with the provisions of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of the Companies Act and explain the Company's transactions and facilitate the preparation of
financial statements that give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company and, if relevant, the Group and include any information and returns referred to in section 283(2) of the
Companies Act.
|
92.3 |
The accounting records of the Company shall not be deemed to be kept if there are not kept such accounting records as comply with the Companies Act and as are necessary to give a
true and fair view of the state of the Company's affairs and to explain its transactions.
|
92.4 |
The accounting records shall be kept at the Office or, subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, at such other place as the Directors think fit and shall be open at all
reasonable times to the inspection of the Directors.
|
92.5 |
In accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, the Directors shall cause to be prepared and to be laid before the annual general meeting of the Company from time to time
statutory financial statements of the Company and such other reports and financial statements as are required by the Companies Act to be prepared and laid before such meeting.
|
92.6 |
A copy of every statutory financial statement (including every document required by law to be annexed thereto) which is to be laid before the annual general meeting of the Company
together with a copy of the Directors' report and Auditors' report shall be sent by post, electronic mail or any other means of Electronic Communications,
not less than twenty-one Clear Days before the date of the annual general meeting, to every person entitled under the provisions of the Companies Act to receive them; and the required number of copies of these documents shall be forwarded at
the same time to the appropriate sections of the Stock Exchanges. For the purposes of this Regulation, sending by Electronic Communications includes the making
available or displaying on the Company's website (or a website designated by the Board) or the website of the SEC, and each member is deemed to have irrevocably consented to receipt of every statutory financial statement of the Company
(including every document required by law to be annexed thereto) and every copy of the Directors' report and the Auditors' report and every copy of any summary financial statements prepared in accordance with section 1119 of the Companies
Act, by any such document being made so available or displayed.
|
92.7 |
Auditors shall be appointed and removed and their duties regulated in accordance with the Companies Act.
|
93. |
Distribution on winding up
|
93.1 |
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act as to preferential payments, the property of the Company on its winding up shall be distributed among the members according to their
rights and interests in the Company.
|
93.2 |
Unless the conditions of issue of the Shares in question provide otherwise, dividends declared by the Company more than six years preceding the commencement date of a winding up of
the Company, being dividends which have not been claimed within that period of six years, shall not be a claim admissible to proof against the Company for the purposes of the winding up.
|
93.3 |
If the Company shall be wound up and the assets available for distribution among the members as such shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the paid up or credited as paid up
share capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the members in proportion to the capital paid up or credited as paid up at the commencement of the winding up on the Shares held by
them respectively. And if in a winding up the assets available for distribution among the members shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital paid up or credited as paid up at the commencement of the winding up, the
excess shall be distributed among the members in proportion to the capital at the commencement of the winding up paid up or credited as paid up on the said Shares held by them respectively. Provided that this Regulation shall not affect the
rights of the holders of Shares issued upon special terms and conditions.
|
(a) |
In case of a sale by the liquidator under section 601 of the Companies Act, the liquidator may by the contract of sale agree so as to bind all the members, for the allotment to the
members directly, of the proceeds of sale in proportion to their respective interests in the Company and may further, by the contract, limit a time at the expiration of which obligations or Shares not accepted or required to be sold shall be
deemed to have been irrevocably refused and be at the disposal of the Company, but so that nothing herein contained shall be taken to diminish, prejudice or affect the rights of dissenting members conferred by the said section.
|
(b) |
The power of sale of the liquidator shall include a power to sell wholly or partially for debentures, debenture stock, or other obligations of another company, either then already
constituted or about to be constituted for the purpose of carrying out the sale.
|
94. |
Distribution in specie
|
95. |
Minutes of meetings
|
(a) |
of all appointments of officers and committees made by the Directors and of their salary or remuneration;
|
(b) |
of the names of Directors present at every meeting of the Directors and of the names of any Directors and of all other members thereof present at every meeting of any committee
appointed by the Directors; and
|
(c) |
of all resolutions and proceedings of all general meetings of the Company and of the holders of any class of Shares and of the Directors and of committees appointed by the Directors.
|
96. |
Inspection
|
97. |
Secrecy
|
98. |
Destruction of records
|
(a) |
the provision aforesaid shall apply only to the destruction of a document in good faith and without notice of any claim (regardless of the parties thereto) to which the document
might be relevant;
|
(b) |
nothing herein contained shall be construed as imposing upon the Company any liability in respect of the destruction of any document earlier than as aforesaid or in any other
circumstances which would not attach to the Company in the absence of this Regulation; and
|
(c) |
references herein to the destruction of any document include references to the disposal thereof in any manner.
|
99. |
Untraced Shareholders
|
99.1 |
The Company may sell any Shares on behalf of a holder, or person entitled by transmission to, the Shares, if:-
|
(a) |
the Shares have been in issue throughout the qualifying period and at least three cash dividends have become payable on the Shares during the qualifying period;
|
(b) |
no cash dividend payable on the Shares has either been claimed by presentation to the paying bank of the relative cheque or warrant or been satisfied by the crediting of any account
which the holder has with the Company, whether in the sole name of such holder or jointly with another person or persons, or by the transfer of funds to a bank account designated by the holder of, or person entitled by transmission to, the
Shares at any time during the relevant period;
|
(c) |
the Company has not at any time during the relevant period received, so far as the Company at the end of the relevant period is then aware, any communication from the holder of, or
person entitled by transmission to, the Shares;
|
(d) |
the Company has caused advertisements giving notice of its intention to sell the Shares to be published in a leading daily newspaper with a national circulation in the State and
another in a newspaper circulating in the area of the address shown in the register of the holder of, or person entitled by transmission to, the untraced Shares, and (in either such case) a period of three months has elapsed from the date of
publication of the advertisement; and
|
(e) |
the Company has given notice to the relevant departments of the Stock Exchanges of its intention to make the sale.
|
99.2 |
For the purposes of this Regulation 99:
|
99.3 |
For the purposes of Regulation 99.1(c), a statutory declaration that the declarant is a Director or the Company Secretary and that the Company was not aware at the end of the
relevant period of having at any time during the relevant period received any communication from the holder of, or person entitled by transmission to, the Shares shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it as against all persons
claiming to be entitled to the Shares.
|
99.4 |
If, after the publication of the advertisement referred to in Regulation 99.1(d) but before the Company has become entitled to sell the Shares pursuant to this Regulation, the
requirements of Regulation 99.1(b) or 99.1(c) above cease to be satisfied, the Company may nevertheless sell those Shares after the requirements of Regulation 99.1 above have been satisfied afresh in relation to them.
|
99.5 |
If during any relevant period further Shares have been issued in right of those held at the beginning of that relevant period or of any previously so issued during that relevant
period and all the requirements of Regulation 99.1(b) to (e) above have been satisfied in regard to the further Shares, the Company may also sell the further Shares.
|
99.6 |
The manner, timing and terms of any sale of Shares pursuant to this Regulation (including but not limited to the price or prices at which the same is made) shall be such as the
Directors determine, based upon advice from such bankers, brokers or other persons as the Directors consider appropriate which are consulted by it for the purposes, to be reasonably practicable having regard to all the circumstances including
the number of Shares to be disposed of and the requirement that the disposal be made without delay; and the Directors shall not be liable to any person for any of the consequences of reliance on such advice.
|
99.7 |
To give effect to any sale of Shares pursuant to this Regulation the Directors may take such steps as the Directors consider are necessary or desirable in order to effect such sale
and, for this purpose, may authorise some person to transfer the Shares in question and may enter the name of the transferee in respect of the transferred Shares in the register notwithstanding the absence of any share certificate being
lodged in respect thereof and may issue a new certificate to the transferee and an instrument of transfer executed by that person or such other method of transfer as is employed by this person shall be as effective as if it had been executed
or employed by the holder of, or person entitled by transmission to, the Shares. The purchaser shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase moneys nor shall his title to the Shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity
in the proceedings relating to the sale.
|
99.8 |
The Company shall account to the holder or other person entitled to such Shares for the net proceeds of such sale by carrying all moneys in respect thereof to a separate account
which shall be a permanent debt of the Company and the Company shall be deemed to be a debtor and not a trustee in respect thereof for such holder or other person. Moneys carried to such separate account may be either employed in the business
of the Company or invested in such investments as the Directors may think fit, from time to time.
|
100. |
Register of Shareholders
|
100.1 |
The Register shall be kept in the manner prescribed by the Companies Act at the Office or at such other place as may be authorised by the Board from time to time consistent with the
Companies Act.
|
100.2 |
The Register may be closed at such times and for such periods as the Board may from time to time decide, subject to Section 174 of the Companies Act. Except during such time as it is
closed, the Register shall be open to inspection in the manner prescribed by the Companies Act at such times as the Board may from time to time determine.
|
100.3 |
Unless the Board so determines, no Shareholder or intending Shareholder shall be entitled to have entered in the Register, or otherwise recognised by the Company, any indication of
any trust or any equitable, beneficial, contingent, future, fractional or partial interest in any Share, and if any such entry exists or is permitted by the Board it shall not be deemed to abrogate any provision of these Articles provided
that no interest will be entered in the Register unless permitted by the Companies Act.
|
100.4 |
If the Board considers it necessary or appropriate, the Company may establish and maintain a duplicate Register at such location or locations within or outside the State as the Board
thinks fit. The original Register shall be treated as the register of members for the purposes of these Articles and the Companies Act.
|
100.5 |
The Company or any agent(s) appointed by it to maintain the duplicate Register in accordance with these Articles, shall as soon as practicable and on a regular basis record or
procure the recording in the original Register in such manner as to show at all times the members for the time being and the shares respectively held by them, in all respects in accordance with the Companies Act.
|
101. |
Shareholder Rights Plan
|
102. |
Sale of shares in GH Research Ireland Limited
|
102.1 |
Subject to Regulation 102.2 below, no shares held by the Company in GH Research Ireland Limited may be sold unless the consent in writing of 90% of the Shareholders is obtained, such
consent to be obtained in a general meeting of the Company.
|
102.2 |
The restriction contained in Regulation 102.1 shall only apply to:
|
(a) |
the sale of shares in GH Research Ireland Limited and shall not apply in respect of any divestments;
|
(b) |
the sale of shares in GH Research Ireland Limited which takes place at any time before 1 June 2028; and
|
(c) |
the sale of shares in GH Research Ireland Limited and shall not apply in respect of the sale of shares in other Subsidiary.
|
103. |
Exclusive jurisdiction
|
103.1 |
Save in respect of any cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the
courts of Ireland shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine any and all disputes brought by a member in that member's capacity as such, or as a purported derivative claim in respect of a cause of action vested in the Company or seeking
relief on behalf of the Company, against the Company or the Board or any of the Directors or officers individually (or against any combination of the foregoing persons), arising out of or connection with these Articles or any non-contractual
obligations arising out of or in connection with these Articles.
|
103.2 |
Unless the Company by ordinary resolution consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum in the United States, the federal district courts of the United States shall be
the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
|
104. |
Indemnity
|
104.1 |
Subject to the provisions of and so far as may be permitted by the Companies Act, each person who is or was:
|
(a) |
a Director;
|
(b) |
an officer of the Company;
|
(c) |
an employee of the Company;
|
(d) |
a trustee, administrator, or policy committee member of a Company that is a corporate trustee of a pension plan established for the benefit of employees of the Company;
|
(e) |
an official of a Company, including if organised or operated in a foreign jurisdiction, while serving in a functionally equivalent position to:
|
(i) |
a duly elected or appointed director, shadow director or a de facto director of a Company;
|
(ii) |
a prospective director as identified in a Company prospectus or similar offering document;
|
(iii) |
an officer, senior manager, in-house general counsel, company secretary, risk manager, controller, chancellor or governor of a Company, or any other natural person who:
|
(A) |
makes, or participates in making, decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of the business of the Company; or
|
(B) |
has the capacity to significantly affect the Company’s financial standing;
|
(iv) |
a trustee, administrator, or policy committee member of a Company that is a corporate trustee of a pension plan established for the benefit of employees of the Company; and
|
(v) |
an approved person under the United Kingdom Senior Managers & Certification Regime;
|
(f) |
an individual described in the following sections while serving at the specific direction or request of the Company in a position functionally equivalent to those described in the
following sections for an outside entity:
|
(i) |
a duly elected or appointed director, shadow director or a de facto director of a Company;
|
(ii) |
a prospective director as identified in a Company prospectus or similar offering document;
|
(iii) |
an officer, senior manager, in-house general counsel, company secretary, risk manager, controller, chancellor or governor of a Company, or any other natural person who:
|
(A) |
makes, or participates in making, decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of the business of the Company; or
|
(B) |
has the capacity to significantly affect the Company’s financial standing;
|
(iv) |
a trustee, administrator, or policy committee member of a Company that is a corporate trustee of a pension plan established for the benefit of employees of the Company; and
|
(v) |
an approved person under the United Kingdom Senior Managers & Certification Regime,
|
104.2 |
In the case of any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding by or in the right of the Company, the Company shall indemnify, to the fullest extent
permitted by the Companies Act, each person indicated in Regulation 104.1 against expenses, including attorneys' fees actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defence or the settlement thereof, except no indemnification shall
be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable for fraud or dishonesty in the performance of his or her duty to the Company unless and only to the extent that the courts of
Ireland or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that despite the adjudication of liability, but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for such expenses as the court shall deem proper.
|
104.3 |
As far as permissible under the Companies Act, expenses, including attorneys' fees, incurred in defending any action, suit or proceeding referred to in this
Regulation shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of a written affirmation by or on behalf of the Indemnified Party or other indemnitee of a good faith belief that the
criteria for indemnification have been satisfied and a written undertaking to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such Indemnified Party or other indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as
authorised by these Articles.
|
104.4 |
It being the policy of the Company that indemnification of the persons specified in this Regulation shall be made to the fullest extent permitted by law, the
indemnification provided by this Regulation shall not be deemed exclusive of: (a) any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under the Memorandum, these Articles, any agreement, any
insurance purchased by the Company, any vote of members or disinterested Directors, or pursuant to the direction (however embodied) of any court of competent jurisdiction, or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as
to action in another capacity while holding such office, or (b) any amendments or replacements of the Companies Act which permit for greater indemnification of the persons specified in this Regulation and any such amendment or replacement of
the Companies Act shall hereby be incorporated into these Articles. As used in this Regulation 104.4, references to the "Company" include all constituent companies in a consolidation or merger in which the Company or any predecessor to the
Company by consolidation or merger was involved. The indemnification provided by this Regulation shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be an Indemnified Party and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, and
administrators of such Indemnified Parties or other indemnitees.
|
104.5 |
To the extent permitted by law, the Directors may arrange insurance cover at the cost of the Company in respect of any liability, loss or expenditure incurred by any
Indemnified Party in relation to anything done or alleged to have been done or omitted to be done by him in his capacity in carrying out the roles specified in Regulation 104.1(a) to 104.1(f) (as relevant).
|
104.6 |
The Company may additionally indemnify any agent of the Company or any director, officer, employee or agent of any of its Subsidiaries to the fullest extent provided
by law, and purchase and maintain insurance for any such person as appropriate.
|
104.7 |
No person shall be personally liable to the Company or its members for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a Director, provided, however, that the
foregoing shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a Director:
|
(a) |
for any breach of the Director's duty of loyalty to the Company or its members;
|
(b) |
for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; or
|
(c) |
for any transaction from which the Director derived an improper personal benefit.
|
• |
The holders of ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each ordinary share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the shareholders;
|
• |
The holders of our ordinary shares shall be entitled to receive notice of, attend, speak and vote at our general meetings and receive a copy of every report, accounts, circular or other documents sent out by us to our shareholders; and
|
• |
The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to receive such dividends as are recommended by our directors and declared by our shareholders or in the case of an interim dividend, declared by our directors.
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• |
amending the Constitution;
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• |
approving a change of name of GH Research PLC;
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• |
authorizing the entering into of a guarantee or provision of security in connection with a loan, quasi-loan or credit transaction to a director or connected person;
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• |
opting out of preemption rights on the issuance of new shares for cash;
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• |
our re-registration from a public limited company to a private company;
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• |
variation of class rights attaching to classes of shares (where the Constitution does not provide otherwise);
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• |
purchase of our shares off-market;
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• |
reduction of issued share capital;
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• |
sanctioning a compromise/scheme of arrangement;
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• |
resolving that we be wound up by the Irish courts;
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• |
resolving in favor of a shareholders’ voluntary winding up;
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• |
re-designation of shares into different share classes; and
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• |
setting the reissue price of treasury shares.
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• |
to act in good faith and in the best interests of the company;
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• |
to act honestly and responsibly in relation to the company’s affairs;
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• |
to act in accordance with the company’s constitution and to exercise powers only for lawful purposes;
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• |
not to misuse the company’s property, information and/or opportunity;
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• |
not to fetter their independent judgment;
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• |
to avoid conflicts of interest;
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• |
to exercise care, skill and diligence; and
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• |
to have regard for the interests of the company’s shareholders.
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(i) |
borrow money;
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(ii) |
indemnify and guarantee;
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(iii) |
mortgage or charge;
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(iv) |
create and issue debentures and other securities; and
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(v) |
give security either outright or as collateral security for any of our debt, liability or obligation or any of a third party.
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(i) |
in the event of an offer, all holders of securities of the target company must be afforded equivalent treatment and, if a person acquires control of a company, the other holders of securities must be protected;
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(ii) |
the holders of securities in the target company must have sufficient time and information to enable them to reach a properly informed decision on the offer; where it advises the holders of securities, the board of directors of the target
company must give its views on the effects of the implementation of the offer on employment, employment conditions and the locations of the target company’s place of business;
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(iii) |
a target company’s board of directors must act in the interests of that company as a whole and must not deny the holders of securities the opportunity to decide on the merits of the offer;
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(iv) |
false markets must not be created in the securities of the target company, the bidder or any other company concerned by the offer in such a way that the rise or fall of the prices of the securities becomes artificial and the normal
functioning of the markets is distorted;
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(v) |
a bidder can only announce an offer after ensuring that he or she can fulfill in full the consideration offered, if such is offered, and after taking all reasonable measures to secure the implementation of any other type of
consideration;
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(vi) |
a target company may not be hindered in the conduct of its affairs longer than is reasonable by an offer for its securities; and
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(vii) |
a “substantial acquisition” of securities, whether such acquisition is to be effected by one transaction or a series of transactions, shall take place only at an acceptable speed and shall be subject to adequate and timely disclosure.
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(a) |
the action is approved by our shareholders at a general meeting; or
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(b) |
the Irish Takeover Panel has given its consent, where:
|
(i) |
it is satisfied the action would not constitute frustrating action;
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(ii) |
our shareholders holding more than 50% of the voting rights state in writing that they approve the proposed action and would vote in favor of it at a general meeting;
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(iii) |
the action is taken in accordance with a contract entered into prior to the announcement of the offer, or any earlier time at which our Board of Directors considered the offer to be imminent; or
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(iv) |
the decision to take such action was made before the announcement of the offer and either has been at least partially implemented or is in the ordinary course of business.
|
(i) |
any transfer of those shares or, in the case of unissued shares, any transfer of the right to be issued with shares and any issue of shares, shall be void;
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(ii) |
no voting rights shall be exercisable in respect of those shares;
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(iii) |
no further shares shall be issued in right of those shares or in pursuance of any offer made to the holder of those shares; and
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(iv) |
no payment shall be made of any sums due from us on those shares, whether in respect of capital or otherwise.
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IRELAND
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DELAWARE
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|||
Number of Directors
|
The Irish Companies Act provides for a minimum of two directors. The Constitution provides for a minimum of two directors and a maximum of nine. Our shareholders may from time to time increase or reduce the
maximum number, or increase the minimum number, of directors by ordinary resolution. Our Board of Directors determines the number of directors within the range of two to nine.
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A typical certificate of incorporation and bylaws would provide that the number of directors on the board of directors will be fixed from time to time by a vote of the majority of the authorized directors.
Under Delaware law, a board of directors can be divided into classes and cumulative voting in the election of directors is only permitted if expressly authorized in a corporation’s certificate of incorporation.
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||
Removal of Directors
|
Under the Irish Companies Act, the shareholders may, by ordinary resolution, remove a director from office before the expiration of his or her term, at a meeting held with no less than 28 days’ notice and at
which the director is entitled to be heard. Because of this provision of the Irish Companies Act, a director may be so removed before the expiration of his or her period of office
The power of removal is without prejudice to any claim for damages for breach of contract (e.g., employment contract) that the director may have against the Company in respect of his or her removal. The
Constitution also provides that the office of a director will also be vacated if the director is restricted or disqualified to act as a director under the Irish Companies Act; resigns his or her office by notice in writing to us or in
writing offers to resign and the directors resolve to accept such offer; or is requested to resign in writing by not less than 75% of the other directors.
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A typical certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that, subject to the rights of holders of any preferred shares, directors may be removed at any time by the affirmative vote of the holders of at
least a majority, or in some instances a supermajority, of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. A certificate of incorporation
could also provide that such a right is only exercisable when a director is being removed for cause (removal of a director only for cause is the default rule in the case of a classified board).
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Vacancies on the Board of
Directors
|
Any vacancy on our Board of Directors, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the number of directors or from the death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal of a director, shall be
deemed a casual vacancy. Any casual vacancy shall only be filled by the decision of a majority of our Board of Directors then in office, provided that a quorum is present and provided that the appointment does not cause the number of
directors to exceed any number fixed by or in accordance with the Constitution as the maximum number of directors.
Any director elected to fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall hold office for the remaining term of office. Any director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an
increase in the number of directors shall have the same remaining term as that of his predecessor. A director retiring at a meeting shall retain office until the close or adjournment of the meeting.
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A typical certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that, subject to the rights of the holders of any preferred shares, any vacancy, whether arising through death, resignation, retirement,
disqualification, removal, an increase in the be filled by a majority vote of the remaining directors, even if such directors remaining in office constitute less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director. Any newly elected director
usually holds office for the remainder of the full term expiring at the annual meeting of shareholders at which the term of the class of directors to which the newly elected director has been elected expires.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Annual General Meeting
|
We are required to hold annual general meetings at intervals of no more than 15 months after the previous annual general meeting, provided that an annual general meeting is held in each calendar year
following our first annual general meeting, no more than nine months after our fiscal year-end.
The only matters which must, as a matter of Irish company law, be transacted at an annual general meeting are the consideration of the Irish statutory financial statements, the report of the directors, the
report of the auditors on those statements and that report and a review by the members of our affairs. If no resolution is made in respect of the reappointment of an auditor at an annual general meeting, the previous auditor will be deemed
to have continued in office.
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Typical bylaws provide that annual meetings of shareholders are to be held on a date and at a time fixed by the board of directors.
|
||
General Meeting
|
Our extraordinary general meetings may be convened by (i) our Board of Directors, (ii) on requisition of shareholders holding not less than 10% of our paid up share capital carrying voting rights or (iii) on
requisition of our auditors. Extraordinary general meetings are generally held for the purposes of approving shareholder resolutions as may be required from time to time.
If our directors become aware that our net assets are half or less of the amount of our called up share capital, our directors must convene an extraordinary general meeting of our shareholders not later than
28 days from the date that they learn of this fact. This meeting must be convened for the purposes of considering whether any, and if so what, measures should be taken to address the situation.
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Under Delaware law, a special meeting of shareholders may be called by the board of directors or by any other person authorized to do so in the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Notice of General Meetings
|
Notice of a general meeting must be given to all our shareholders and to our auditors. The minimum notice periods are 21 clear days’ notice in writing for an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general
meeting to approve a special resolution and 14 clear days’ notice in writing for any other extraordinary general meeting (if
the company offers facilities to members to vote by electronic means and shareholders have passed a special resolution at the immediately preceding general meeting approving such shortened notice period).
General meetings may be called by shorter notice, but only with the consent of our auditors and all of our shareholders entitled to attend and vote thereat. Because of the 21-clear day and 14-clear day requirements described in this
paragraph, the Constitution includes provisions reflecting these requirements of Irish law.
In the case of an extraordinary general meeting convened by our shareholders, the proposed purpose of the meeting must be set out in the requisition notice. Upon receipt of this requisition notice, our Board
of Directors has 21 days to convene a meeting of our shareholders to vote on the matters set out in the requisition notice. This meeting must be held within two months of the receipt of the requisition notice. If our Board of Directors does
not convene the meeting within such 21-day period, the requisitioning shareholders, or any of them representing more than one-half of the total voting rights of all of them, may themselves convene a meeting, which meeting must be held
within three months of the receipt of the requisition notice.
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Under Delaware law, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, written notice of any meeting of the stockholders must be given to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting
not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting and shall specify the place, date, hour and purpose or purposes of the meeting.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Quorum
|
The presence, in person or by proxy, of one or more persons holding or representing by proxy at least 25% of the votes that may be cast at the relevant time constitutes a quorum for the conduct of business at
a general meeting. No business may take place at a general meeting if a quorum is not present in person or by proxy. Our Board of Directors has no authority to waive quorum requirements stipulated in the Constitution. Abstentions and broker
non-votes will be counted as present for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum in respect of the proposals.
|
Under Delaware law, a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws can specify the number of shares which constitute the quorum required to conduct business at a meeting, provided that in no event
shall a quorum consist of less than one-third of the shares entitled to vote at a meeting.
|
||
Proxy
|
Under Irish law, a shareholder may designate another person to attend, speak and vote at a general meeting of the company on their behalf by proxy, which proxy need not be a shareholder.
Where interests in shares are held by a nominee trust company, this company may exercise the rights of the beneficial holders on their behalf as their proxy.
Voting rights may be exercised by shareholders registered in the share register as of the record date for the meeting or by a duly appointed proxy of such a registered shareholder, which proxy need not be a
shareholder. Where interests in shares are held by a nominee trust company, this company may exercise the rights of the beneficial holders on their behalf as their proxy. All proxies must be appointed in accordance with the Constitution.
The Constitution permits the appointment of proxies by our shareholders to be notified to us electronically, when permitted by our directors.
|
Under Delaware law, at any meeting of stockholders, a stockholder may designate another person to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its
date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A director of a Delaware corporation may not issue a proxy representing the director’s voting rights as a director.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Issue of New Shares
|
Under the Constitution, we may issue shares subject to the maximum authorized share capital contained in the Constitution. The authorized share capital may be increased or reduced by a resolution approved by
a simple majority of the votes cast at a general meeting of our shareholders, referred to under Irish law as an “ordinary resolution.” As a matter of Irish law, the directors of a company may issue new ordinary shares without shareholder
approval once authorized to do so by its constitution or by an ordinary resolution adopted by its shareholders at a general meeting. The authorization may be granted for a maximum period of five years, at which point it may be renewed by
shareholders by an ordinary resolution. Accordingly, the Constitution authorizes our Board of Directors to issue new ordinary shares without shareholder approval for a period of five years from the date of the adoption of the Constitution.
|
Under Delaware law, if the company’s certificate of incorporation so provides, the directors have the power to authorize the issuance of additional stock. The directors may authorize capital stock to be
issued for consideration consisting of cash, any tangible or intangible property or any benefit to the company or any combination thereof.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Preemptive Rights
|
Under Irish law, unless otherwise authorized, when an Irish public limited company issues shares for cash to new shareholders, it is required first to offer those shares on the same or more favorable terms to
existing shareholders of the company on a pro rata basis, commonly referred to as the statutory preemption right. However, we have opted out of these preemption rights in the Constitution as permitted under Irish law. Because Irish law
permits this opt-out to last for a maximum of five years, the Constitution provides that this opt-out will lapse five years after the adoption of the Constitution. Such opt-out may be renewed by a special resolution of the shareholders. A
special resolution requires not less than 75% of the votes cast at a general meeting of our shareholders. If the opt-out is not renewed, shares issued for cash must be offered to our preexisting shareholders pro rata before the shares can
be issued to any new shareholders. The statutory preemption rights do not apply where shares are issued for non-cash consideration and do not apply to the issue of non-equity shares (that is, shares that have the right to participate only
up to a specified amount in any income or capital distribution) or where shares are issued pursuant to an employee option or similar equity plan.
|
Under Delaware law, stockholders have no preemptive rights to subscribe to additional issues of stock or to any security convertible into such stock unless, and except to the extent that, such rights are
expressly provided for in the certificate of incorporation.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Authority to Allot
|
Under the Constitution, we may issue shares subject to the maximum authorized share capital contained in the Constitution. The authorized share capital may be increased or reduced by a resolution approved by
a simple majority of the votes cast at a general meeting of our shareholders, referred to under Irish law as an “ordinary resolution.” Our authorized share capital may be divided into shares of such nominal value as the resolution shall
prescribe. As a matter of Irish law, the directors of a company may issue new ordinary shares without shareholder approval once authorized to do so by its constitution or by an ordinary resolution adopted by its shareholders at a general
meeting. The authorization may be granted for a maximum period of five years, at which point it may be renewed by shareholders by an ordinary resolution. Accordingly, the Constitution authorizes our Board of Directors to issue new ordinary
shares without shareholder approval for a period of five years from the date of the adoption of the Constitution.
|
Under Delaware law, if the corporation’s charter or certificate of incorporation so provides, the board of directors has the power to authorize the issuance of stock. The board may authorize capital stock to
be issued for consideration consisting of cash, any tangible or intangible property or any benefit to the corporation or any combination thereof. It may determine the amount of such consideration by approving a formula. In the absence of
actual fraud in the transaction, the judgment of the directors as to the value of such consideration is conclusive.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Acquisition of Own Shares
|
Under Irish law, a company may issue redeemable shares and redeem them out of distributable reserves or the proceeds of a new issue of shares for that purpose. All redeemable shares must also be fully paid.
Redeemable shares may, upon redemption, be cancelled or held in treasury. The Constitution provides that shareholder approval will not be required to deem any shares redeemable. We may also be given an additional general authority by our
shareholders to purchase our own shares on-market, which would take effect on the same terms and be subject to the same conditions as applicable to purchases by our subsidiaries as described below.
Repurchased and redeemed shares may be cancelled or held as treasury shares. The nominal value of treasury shares that we hold at any time must not exceed 10% of the nominal value of our issued share capital.
We may not exercise any voting rights in respect of any shares held as treasury shares. We may either cancel or, subject to certain conditions, reissue treasury shares.
|
Under Delaware law, any corporation may purchase or redeem its own shares, except that generally it may not purchase or redeem these shares if the capital of the corporation is impaired at the time or would
become impaired as a result of the redemption. A corporation may, however, purchase or redeem out of capital shares that are entitled upon any distribution of its assets to a preference over another class or series of its shares if the
shares are to be retired and the capital reduced.
|
||
Under Irish law, an Irish or non-Irish subsidiary may purchase our shares either on-market or off-market. For a subsidiary of ours to make on-market purchases of our shares, the shareholders must provide
general authorization for such purchase by way of ordinary resolution. However, as long as this general authority has been granted, no specific shareholder authority for a particular on-market purchase by a subsidiary of our shares is
required. For an off-market purchase by a subsidiary of ours, the proposed purchase contract must be authorized by special resolution of our shareholders before the contract is entered into. This authority must specify the date on which the
authority is to expire, which shall not be more than 18 months from the date the special resolution was passed. The person whose shares of ours are to be bought cannot vote in favor of the special resolution and, for at least 21 days prior
to the special resolution being passed, the purchase contract must be on display or must be available for inspection by our shareholders at our registered office.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Different Classes of Shares
|
Without prejudice to any rights attached to any existing shares, we may issue shares with such rights or restrictions as we determine by an ordinary resolution approved by our shareholders. As a matter of
Irish company law, the directors of a company may issue new ordinary shares without shareholder approval once authorized to do so by the constitution or by an ordinary resolution adopted by the shareholders at a general meeting. The
authorization may be granted for a maximum period of five years, at which point it must be renewed by the shareholders by an ordinary resolution (if we wish to issue shares). The Constitution authorizes our Board of Directors to issue new
ordinary shares without shareholder approval for a period of five years from the date of adoption of our Constitution. We may also issue shares which are, or are liable to be, redeemed at the option of us or the holder.
Whenever our share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the special rights attached to any class may be varied or abrogated either with the written consent of the holders of 75% in nominal
value of the issued shares of the class (excluding shares held as treasury shares) or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the shares of the class (but not otherwise), and may be so varied
or abrogated either while we are a going concern or during or in contemplation of a winding up. The rights conferred upon the holders of any class of shares issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly
provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by our purchase or redemption of our own shares or by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith or subordinate thereto.
|
A company’s Delaware’s certificate of incorporation may authorize the board of directors:
(1) to provide for the issuance of one or more series of preferred stock;
(2) to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in such series; and
(3) to fix the designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions of each such series.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Dividends
|
Under Irish law, dividends and distributions may only be made from distributable reserves which are, generally, a company’s accumulated realized profits less its accumulated realized losses. In addition, no
distribution or dividend may be made if our net assets are not, or if making such distribution or dividend will cause our net assets to not be, equal to, or in excess of, the aggregate of our called up share capital plus undistributable
reserves.
Undistributable reserves include the company’s undenominated capital and the amount by which a company’s accumulated unrealized profits exceeds its accumulated unrealized losses. The determination as to
whether or not we have sufficient distributable reserves to fund a dividend must be made by reference to our most recent unconsolidated annual audited financial statements or other financial statements properly prepared in accordance with
the Irish Companies Act. The relevant financial statements must be filed in the Companies Registration Office (the official public registry for companies in Ireland).
The Constitution authorizes our Board of Directors to declare an interim dividend without shareholder approval to the extent they appear justified by profits of the Company available for distribution. Our
Board of Directors may also recommend a dividend to be approved and declared by the shareholders at a general meeting, provided that no dividend issued may exceed the amount recommended by the directors.
|
Under Delaware law, subject to any restriction in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation, the Board may declare and pay dividends out of:
(1) surplus of the corporation, which is defined as net assets less statutory capital; or
(2) if no surplus exists, out of the net profits of the corporation for the year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding year;
provided, however, that if the capital of the corporation has been diminished to an amount less than the aggregate amount of capital represented by the issued and outstanding stock of all classes having
preference upon the distribution of assets, the Board may not declare and pay dividends out of the corporation’s net profits until the deficiency in the capital has been repaired.
|
IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
General Provisions
Governing a Liquidation;
Liquidation Distributions
|
Our duration will be unlimited. We may be dissolved and wound up at any time by way of a shareholders’ voluntary winding up or a creditors’ winding up. In the case of a shareholders’ voluntary winding up, a
special resolution of our shareholders is required. We may also be dissolved by way of court order on the application of a creditor, or by the Companies Registration Office as an enforcement measure where we have failed to file certain
returns.
The rights of the shareholders to a return of our assets on dissolution or winding up, following the settlement of all claims of creditors, are prescribed in the Constitution.
|
Upon the dissolution of a Delaware corporation, after satisfaction of the claims of creditors, the assets of that corporation would be distributed to stockholders in accordance with their respective
interests, including any rights a holder of shares of preference shares may have to preferred distributions upon dissolution or liquidation of the corporation.
|
||
Amendment of Constitution
|
Irish company law requires a special resolution of our shareholders (approval by not less than 75% of the votes cast at a general meeting of our shareholders) to approve any amendments to the Constitution.
|
Amendment of Certification of Incorporation and Bylaws
Under Delaware law, amendments to a corporation’s certificate of incorporation require the approval of stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment.
If a class vote on the amendment is required by the Delaware General Corporation Law, a majority of the outstanding stock of the class is required, unless a greater proportion is specified in the certificate
of incorporation or by other provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, the board of directors may amend bylaws if so authorized in the certificate of incorporation. The stockholders of a
Delaware corporation also have the power to amend bylaws.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Acquisition of Treasury
Share and Reduction of
Share Capital
|
We may reduce our authorized but unissued share capital in any manner permitted by the Irish Companies Act. We also may, by special resolution (approved by not less than 75% of the votes cast at a general
meeting of our shareholders) and subject to confirmation by the Irish High Court, reduce our issued share capital in any way permitted by the Irish Companies Act.
For purposes of Irish law, repurchases of our shares may be effected by a redemption if the repurchased shares are redeemable shares or are deemed to be redeemable shares by the Constitution.
The Constitution provides that, unless the Board of Directors determines otherwise, each of our shares shall be deemed to be a redeemable share on, and from the time of, the existence or creation of an
agreement, transaction or trade between us and any person pursuant to which we acquire or will acquire our shares, or an interest in our shares, from the relevant person. Redeemable shares of ours shall have the same characteristics as any
other of our shares save that they shall be redeemable in accordance with the arrangement.
|
Under Delaware law, a corporation, by an affirmative vote of a majority of the board of directors, may reduce its capital by reducing or eliminating the capital represented by shares of capital stock which
have been retired, by applying to an already authorized purchase redemption, conversion or exchange of outstanding shares of its capital stock some or all of the capital represented by shares being purchased, redeemed, converted or
exchanged or any capital that has not been allocated to any particular class of capital stock or by transferring to surplus capital some or all of the capital not represented by any particular class of its capital stock or the capital
associated with certain issued shares of its par value capital stock. No reduction of capital may be made unless the assets of the corporation remaining after the reduction are sufficient to pay any debts for which payment has not otherwise
been provided.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Rights of Inspection
|
Under Irish law, our shareholders have the right to: (i) receive a copy of the Constitution; (ii) inspect and obtain copies of the minutes of our general meetings and resolutions; (iii) inspect and receive
a copy of our register of members, register of directors and secretaries, register of directors’ interests, register of directors’ service contracts and memoranda and other statutory registers that we maintain; (iv) receive copies of
balance sheets and directors’ and auditors’ reports that have previously been sent to our shareholders prior to an annual general meeting; and (v) receive balance sheets of any of our subsidiaries that have previously been sent to our
shareholders prior to an annual general meeting for the preceding 10 years.
|
Delaware law allows any stockholder in person or by attorney or other agent, upon written demand under oath stating the purpose thereof, during the usual hours for business to inspect for any proper
purpose, and to make copies and extracts from:
(1) the corporation’s stock ledger, a list of its stockholders, and its other books and records; and
(2) a subsidiary’s books and records, to the extent that:
(a) the corporation has actual possession and control of such records of such subsidiary; or
(b) the corporation could obtain such records through the exercise of control over such subsidiary, provided that as of the date of the making of the demand:
(i) the stockholder inspection of such books and records of the subsidiary would not constitute a breach of an agreement between the corporation or the subsidiary and a person or persons not affiliated with
the corporation; and
(ii) the subsidiary would not have the right under the law applicable to it to deny the corporation access to such books and records upon demand by the corporation.
|
IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Liability of Directors and
Officers
|
To the fullest extent permitted by Irish law, the Constitution contains indemnification for the benefit of, among others, our directors, company secretary and executive officers. However, as to our directors
and company secretary, this indemnity is limited by the Irish Companies Act, which prescribes that an advance commitment to indemnify only permits a company to pay the costs or discharge the liability of a director or company secretary
where judgment is given in favor of the director or company secretary in any civil or criminal action in respect of such costs or liability, or where an Irish court grants relief because the director or company secretary acted honestly and
reasonably and ought fairly to be excused. Any provision whereby an Irish company seeks to commit in advance to indemnify its directors or company secretary over and above the limitations imposed by the Irish Companies Act will be void,
whether contained in its Constitution or any contract between the company and the director or company secretary. This restriction does not apply to our executive officers who are not directors, our company secretary or other persons who
would be considered “officers” within the meaning of the Irish Companies Act.
The Constitution also contains indemnification and expense advancement provisions for persons who are not directors or our corporate secretary.
We are permitted under the Constitution and the Irish Companies Act to take out directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, as well as other types of insurance, for our directors, officers, employees and
agents. In order to attract and retain qualified directors and officers, we maintain customary directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and other types of comparable insurance.
|
Delaware law permits a corporation’s certificate of incorporation to include a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director or officer (but not other controlling persons) of the
corporation for monetary damages for breach of a fiduciary duty as a director or officer. However, no provision can eliminate or limit the liability of:
(1) a director or officer for any breach of his or her duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders;
(2) a director or officer for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
(3) a director for intentional or negligent payment of unlawful dividends or stock purchases or redemptions;
(4) a director or officer for any transaction from which he or she derives an improper personal benefit; or
(5) an officer in any action by or in right of the corporation.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Voting Rights
|
Under the Constitution, each holder of our ordinary shares is entitled to one vote for each ordinary share that he or she holds as of the record date for the meeting. We may not exercise any voting rights in
respect of any shares held as treasury shares. Any shares held by our subsidiaries will count as treasury shares for this purpose, and such subsidiaries cannot therefore exercise any voting rights in respect of those shares.
|
Each stockholder is entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by the stockholder, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. If issued, the voting rights of holders of
preferred stock will be determined by the certificate of incorporation or the certificate of designation with respect to such preferred stock.
|
||
Shareholder Vote on Certain
Transactions
|
Pursuant to Irish law, shareholder approval in connection with a transaction involving the Company would be required under the following circumstances:
• in connection with a scheme of arrangement, both a court order from the Irish High Court and the approval of a majority in number representing 75% in value of the
shareholders present and voting in person or by proxy at a meeting called to approve such a scheme would be required;
• in connection with an acquisition of the Company by way of a merger with an EU company under the EU Cross-Border Mergers Directive (Directive (EU) 2017/1132 of
June 14, 2017, as amended by Directive (EU) 2019/2121 of November 27, 2019), approval by a special resolution of the shareholders would be required; and
• in connection with a merger with an Irish company under the Irish Companies Act, approval by a special resolution of shareholders would be required.
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Generally, under Delaware law, unless the certificate of incorporation provides for the vote of a larger portion of the stock, completion of a merger, consolidation, sale, lease or exchange of all or
substantially all of a corporation’s assets or dissolution requires:
• the approval of the board of directors; and
• the approval by the vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding stock or, if the certificate of incorporation provides for more or less than one vote per
share, a majority of the votes of the outstanding stock of the corporation entitled to vote on the matter.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Standard of Conduct for
Directors
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The directors of the Company have certain statutory and fiduciary duties as a matter of Irish law. All of the directors have equal and overall responsibility for the management of the Company (although
directors who also serve as employees may have additional responsibilities and duties arising under their employment agreements (if applicable), and it is likely that more will be expected of them in compliance with their duties than
non-executive directors). The Irish Companies Act provides specifically for certain fiduciary duties of the directors of Irish companies, including duties:
• to act in good faith and in the best interests of the company;
• to act honestly and responsibly in relation to the company’s affairs;
• to act in accordance with the company’s constitution and to exercise powers only for lawful purposes;
• not to misuse the company’s property, information and/or opportunity;
• not to fetter their independent judgment;
• to avoid conflicts of interest;
• to exercise care, skill and diligence; and
• to have regard for the interests of the company’s shareholders.
Other statutory duties of directors include ensuring the maintenance of proper books of account, having annual accounts prepared, having an annual audit performed, maintaining certain registers, making
certain filings and disclosing personal interests. Directors of public limited companies such as the Company will have a specific duty to ensure that the company secretary is a person with the requisite knowledge and experience to discharge
the role. Directors may rely on information, opinions, reports or statements, including financial statements and other financial data, prepared or presented by (1) other directors, officers or employees of the company whom the director
reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters prepared or presented, (2) legal counsel, public accountants or other persons as to matters the director reasonably believes to be within their professional or expert
competence or (3) a committee of the board of which the director does not serve as to matters within its designated authority, which committee the director reasonably believed to merit confidence.
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Delaware law does not contain specific provisions setting forth the standard of conduct of a director. The scope of the fiduciary duties of directors is generally determined by the courts of the State of
Delaware. In general, directors have a duty to act without self-interest, on a well-informed basis and in a manner they reasonably believe to be in the best interests of the stockholders.
Directors of a Delaware corporation owe fiduciary duties of care and loyalty to the corporation and to its shareholders. The duty of care generally requires that a director act in good faith, with the care
that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself or herself of all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of
loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage. In general, but subject to certain exceptions,
actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a
breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Delaware courts have also imposed a heightened standard of conduct upon directors of a Delaware corporation who take any action designed to defeat a threatened change in control of the corporation.
In addition, under Delaware law, when the board of directors of a Delaware corporation approves the sale or breakup of a corporation, the board of directors may, in certain circumstances, have a duty to
obtain the highest value reasonably available to the stockholders.
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IRELAND | DELAWARE | |||
Shareholder Suits
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In Ireland, the decision to institute proceedings is generally taken by a company’s board of directors, who will usually be empowered to manage the company’s business. In certain limited circumstances, a
shareholder may be entitled to bring a derivative action on behalf of the company.
The central question at issue in deciding whether a minority shareholder may be permitted to bring a derivative action is whether, unless the action is brought, a wrong committed against the company would
otherwise go unredressed.
The principal case law in Ireland indicates that to bring a derivative action a person must first establish a prima facie case (i) that the company is entitled to the relief claimed and (ii) that the action
falls within one of the five exceptions derived from case law, as follows:
(1) where an ultra vires or illegal act is perpetrated;
(2) where more than a bare majority is required to ratify the “wrong” complained of;
(3) where the shareholders’ personal rights are infringed;
(4) where a fraud has been perpetrated upon a minority by those in control; or
(5) where the justice of the case requires a minority to be permitted to institute proceedings.
Shareholders may also bring proceedings against the company where the affairs of the company are being conducted, or the powers of the directors are being exercised, in a manner oppressive to the shareholders
or in disregard of their interests. Oppression connotes conduct that is burdensome, harsh or wrong.
Conduct must relate to the internal management of the company. This is an Irish statutory remedy and the court can grant any order it sees fit, usually providing for the purchase or transfer of the shares of
any shareholder.
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Under Delaware law, a stockholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the corporation to enforce the rights of the corporation. An individual also may commence a class action suit on behalf of himself
or herself and other similarly situated stockholders where the requirements for maintaining a class action under the Delaware General Corporation Law have been met. A person may institute and maintain such a suit only if such person was a
stockholder at the time of the transaction which is the subject of the suit or his or her shares thereafter devolved upon him or her by operation of law. Additionally, under Delaware case law, the plaintiff generally must be a stockholder
not only at the time of the transaction which is the subject of the suit, but also through the duration of the derivative suit. The Delaware General Corporation Law also requires that the derivative plaintiff make a demand on the directors
of the corporation to assert the corporate claim before the suit may be prosecuted by the derivative plaintiff, unless such demand would be futile.
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1. |
I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of GH Research PLC;
|
2. |
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
|
3. |
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and for,
the periods presented in this report;
|
4. |
The Company’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financing reporting
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Company and have:
|
a. |
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries,
is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
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b. |
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and
the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
|
c. |
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
report based on such evaluation; and
|
d. |
Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
company’s internal control over financial reporting; and
|
5. |
The Company’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (or
persons performing the equivalent functions):
|
a. |
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report
financial information; and
|
b. |
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
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Date:
|
March 9, 2023
|
By:
|
/s/ Theis Terwey
|
||
Name:
|
Theis Terwey
|
||||
Title:
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
1. |
I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of GH Research PLC;
|
2. |
Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
|
3. |
Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, and
for, the periods presented in this report;
|
4. |
The Company’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financing reporting
(as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the company and have:
|
a. |
Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated
subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
|
b. |
Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and
the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
|
c. |
Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
report based on such evaluation; and
|
d. |
Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and
|
5. |
The Company’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (or
persons performing the equivalent functions):
|
a. |
All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report
financial information; and
|
b. |
Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
|
Date:
|
March 9, 2023
|
By:
|
/s/ Julie Ryan
|
||
Name:
|
Julie Ryan
|
||||
Title:
|
Vice President, Finance
|
1. |
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and
|
2. |
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of GH Research PLC.
|
Date:
|
March 9, 2023
|
By:
|
/s/ Theis Terwey
|
||
Name:
|
Theis Terwey
|
||||
Title:
|
Chief Executive Officer
|
1. |
the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and
|
2. |
the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of GH Research PLC.
|
Date:
|
March 9, 2023
|
By:
|
/s/ Julie Ryan
|
||
Name:
|
Julie Ryan
|
||||
Title:
|
Vice President, Finance
|