Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1)

Registration No. 333-253897

 

$100,000,000

 

PROSPECTUS

 

IVERIC bio, Inc.

 

Common Stock

 

We have entered into a sales agreement with Cowen and Company, LLC, or Cowen, relating to shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the sales agreement, we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000 from time to time through Cowen acting as our agent.

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “ISEE”. On April 8, 2021, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $6.12 per share.

 

Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus will be made in sales deemed to be “at the market offerings” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. Cowen is not required to sell any specific amount of securities, but will act as our sales agent using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, on mutually agreed terms between Cowen and us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

 

The compensation to Cowen for sales of common stock sold pursuant to the sales agreement will be an amount equal to 3% of the gross proceeds of any shares of common stock sold under the sales agreement. In connection with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, Cowen will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of Cowen will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to Cowen with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Our business and an investment in our common stock involve significant risks. These risks are described under the caption “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 of this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Cowen

 

April 9, 2021

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS	ii
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS	iii
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY	1
THE OFFERING	2
RISK FACTORS	3
USE OF PROCEEDS	5
DIVIDEND POLICY	6
DILUTION	7
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK	8
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION	12
LEGAL MATTERS	13
EXPERTS	13
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION	13
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE	13

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000 under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of the offering.

 

Before buying any of the common stock that we are offering, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus and all of the information incorporated by reference herein, as well as the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.” These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.

 

To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus, on the one hand, and the information contained in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus, provided that if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date — for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus — the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.

 

We have not, and Cowen has not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We and Cowen take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in this prospectus or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.

 

You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the sections entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference” in this prospectus.

 

Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this prospectus to “IVERIC,” “we,” “our,” “us” and “the Company” refer, collectively, to IVERIC bio, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries.

 

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus include “forward- looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “goals,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

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the potential benefits of our business plan and strategy to develop our therapeutic and gene therapy product candidates and pursue our collaborative gene therapy sponsored research programs;

 

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the actual and expected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related response measures on our business and operations, including the timing, costs, conduct and outcome of our research and development programs, the work and well-being of our employees, and our financial position;

 

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our expectations regarding the impact of results from GATHER1, our completed Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Zimura for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration, on our business and regulatory strategy, including our plans to pursue further development of Zimura;

 

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the timing, costs, conduct and outcome of GATHER2, our ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Zimura for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration, and expectations regarding the potential for Zimura to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration based on the clinical trial results we have received to date and future results from the GATHER2 clinical trial and any other trials we or a potential collaborator may conduct;

 

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the timing, costs, conduct and outcome of STAR, our ongoing Phase 2b screening trial evaluating Zimura for the treatment of autosomal recessive Stargardt disease, including expectations regarding the recruitment of additional patients for this trial;

 

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our plans and expectations for developing Zimura in other indications and pursuing lifecycle improvement programs for Zimura;

 

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our ability to establish and maintain arrangements and capabilities for the manufacture of our therapeutics and gene therapy product candidates, including scale up and validation of the manufacturing process for Zimura drug substance and securing the supply of Zimura drug product and the polyethylene glycol starting material for our expected needs;

 

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our expectations related to our use of available cash;

 

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our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for, and ability to obtain, additional financing;

 

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our plans and ability to consummate business development transactions, including potential collaboration or out-licensing opportunities for further development and potential commercialization of our product candidates, and in-licenses or other opportunities to acquire rights to additional product candidates or technologies to treat retinal diseases;

 

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the timing, costs, conduct and outcome of our ongoing and planned clinical trials, including statements regarding the timing of the initiation and completion of, and the receipt of results from, such clinical trials, the costs to conduct such clinical trials, and the impact of the results of such clinical trials on our business strategy;

 

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the timing, costs, conduct and outcome of our ongoing and planned research and preclinical development activities, including statements regarding the timing of the initiation and completion of, and the receipt of results from, such activities, the costs to conduct such activities, and the impact of the results of such activities on our business strategy;

 

 

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the timing of and our ability to obtain marketing approval of our product candidates, and the ability of our product candidates to meet existing or future regulatory standards;

 

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the potential advantages of our product candidates and other technologies that we are pursuing, including the advantages and limitations of inhibition of complement factor C5 and HtrA1, including our hypotheses regarding complement inhibition as a mechanism of action to treat geographic atrophy, and of gene therapy, including the use of minigenes;

 

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our estimates regarding the number of patients affected by the diseases our product candidates and development programs are intended to treat;

 

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our estimates regarding the potential market opportunity for our product candidates;

 

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our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities and strategy;

 

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the rate and degree of potential market acceptance and clinical utility of our product candidates, if approved;

 

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the potential receipt of revenues from future sales of our product candidates, if approved;

 

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our personnel and human capital resources;

 

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our intellectual property position;

 

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the impact of existing and new governmental laws and regulations; and

 

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our competitive position.

 

We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this prospectus, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors,” under the heading “Summary of Principal Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, the risk factors detailed in Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of Part 1 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed after this prospectus, that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.

 

You should read this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are made as of the date of this prospectus, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in our common stock involves significant risks. In deciding whether to invest, and in consultation with your own financial and legal advisors, you should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as the other information contained in this prospectus and in our filings with the SEC that we have incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects and cause the value of our stock to decline, which could cause you to lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations.

 

Risks Related to This Offering

 

If a significant portion of our total outstanding shares are sold into the market, the market price of our common stock could drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.

 

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time. These sales, or the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock. For example, we issued 8,649,453 shares of our common stock to funds affiliated with Vivo Capital LLC and Samsara BioCapital, LP in a private placement in June 2020. In accordance with our obligations under a stock purchase agreement executed in connection with the private placement, we have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC for the purposes of registering for resale these shares, which has been declared effective by the SEC, pursuant to which such shares can be freely sold and traded. If the holders of these shares sell, or the market perceives that these holders will sell, the shares currently held by them, the price of our common stock may decline. These sales also might make it difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. We cannot predict the size of future issuances or the effect, if any, that this offering or any future issuances may have on the market price for our common stock.

 

Moreover, we have filed, and expect to continue to file, registration statements on Form S-8 registering all shares of common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Once registered on Form S-8, shares underlying these equity awards can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume, notice and manner of sale limitations applicable to affiliates.

 

We currently have on file with the SEC a universal registration statement which allows us to offer and sell up to $300,000,000 of our securities from time to time pursuant to one or more offerings at prices to be determined at the time of sale, including up to $100,000,000 of common stock we may offer and sell from time to time pursuant to this prospectus.

 

We have broad discretion in the use of our available cash and other sources of funding, including the net proceeds we receive from this offering, and may not use them effectively.

 

Our management has broad discretion in the use of our available cash and other sources of funding, including the net proceeds we receive in this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section of this prospectus titled “Use of Proceeds,” and could spend those resources in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cause the price of our common stock to decline and delay the development of our product candidates. Pending their use, we may invest our available cash, including the net proceeds we receive in this offering, in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

 

 

If you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of your investment.

 

The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at various prices. However, we expect that the offering price of our common stock in this offering will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding common stock. Therefore, if you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds our net tangible book value per share after this offering. To the extent our outstanding options, warrants or pre-funded warrants are exercised, or we issue additional shares of our common stock or securities convertible or exchangeable into shares of our common stock, you will incur further dilution. Based on an assumed public offering price of $6.43 per share, which is the last reported sale price of our common stock on March 3, 2021, you will experience immediate dilution of $3.70 per share, representing the difference between our pro forma net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering and the assumed public offering price.

 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We may issue and sell shares of our common stock having aggregate sales proceeds of up to $100,000,000 from time to time. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and net proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time.

 

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any shares of common stock offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes. Although we have not yet identified specific uses for these proceeds, we currently anticipate using the proceeds for some or all of the following purposes: to fund our research and development costs, costs for potential pre-commercialization or commercialization activities, payment of milestones and other contractual obligations, the acquisition or in-license of other products, product candidates, businesses or technologies, working capital and capital expenditures.

 

We have not determined the exact amounts we plan to spend on any of the items listed above or the timing of these expenditures. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including the actual net proceeds from this offering, the progress of our development efforts, the status of and results from clinical trials and manufacturing activities, as well as any collaborations that we may enter into with third parties for our product candidates, and any unforeseen cash needs. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering. We have no current understandings, agreements or commitments for any material acquisitions or additional licenses of any products, businesses or technologies.

 

Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we may temporarily invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.

 

 

DIVIDEND POLICY

 

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. In addition, the terms of any future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be our stockholders’ sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

 

 

DILUTION

 

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

 

Our net tangible book value as of December 31, 2020 was $191.6 million, or $2.13 per share of our common stock, based on approximately 90,120,797 shares of our common stock then outstanding. After giving effect to the assumed sale by us of shares of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $100.0 million at an assumed public offering price of $6.43 per share (the last sale price of our common stock on March 3, 2021 as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market), less the estimated commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value at December 31, 2020 would have been $288.2 million, or $2.73 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.60 per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $3.70 per share to investors in this offering. The following table illustrates this per share dilution. The as-adjusted information is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual price to the public, the actual number of shares sold and other terms of the offering determined at the time shares of our common stock are sold pursuant to this prospectus. The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at various prices.

 

Assumed public offering price per share				$	6.43
Net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2020	$	2.13
Increase per share attributable to new investors purchasing shares in this offering	$	0.60
As-adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering				$	2.73
Dilution per share to new investors				$	3.70

 

The table and calculations above are based on 90,120,797 shares of our common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2020, and exclude the following:

 

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8,927,698 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2020, at a weighted average exercise price of $9.22 per share;

 

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1,958,383 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting of restricted stock units outstanding as of December 31, 2020;

 

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421,180 additional shares of our common stock available for future issuance under our 2013 stock incentive plan as of December 31, 2020, as well as 2,542,372 additional shares of common stock available for future issuance under such plan as a result of an annual increase pursuant to such plan’s evergreen provision after December 31, 2020;

 

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555,250 additional shares of our common stock available for future issuance under our 2019 inducement stock incentive plan as of December 31, 2020, as well as 600,000 additional shares of common stock available for future issuance under such plan as a result of an increase approved by our board of directors after December 31, 2020;

 

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805,361 additional shares of our common stock available for future issuance under our 2016 employee stock purchase plan as of December 31, 2020; and

 

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3,164,280 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of pre-funded warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2020.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only and therefore is not a complete description of our capital stock. This description is based upon, and is qualified by reference to, our certificate of incorporation, our by-laws and applicable provisions of Delaware corporate law. You should read our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, for the provisions that are important to you.

 

Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of our common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and 5,000,000 shares of our preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. As of February 28, 2021, we had issued and outstanding 90,140,797 shares of our common stock, and no shares of preferred stock were outstanding.

 

Common Stock

 

Annual Meeting. Annual meetings of our stockholders are held on the date designated in accordance with our by-laws. Written notice must be mailed to each stockholder entitled to vote not less than ten nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of our issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote at such meeting constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings of the stockholders. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called for any purpose by only the board of directors, the Chairman of the board of directors or the Chief Executive Officer. Except as may be otherwise provided by applicable law, our certificate of incorporation or our by-laws, all elections of directors shall be decided by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election, and all other questions shall be decided by the vote of the holders of shares of stock having a majority in voting power of the votes cast by the holders of all of the shares of stock present or represented at the meeting and voting affirmatively or negatively on such matter at a duly held meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present.

 

Voting Rights. Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted upon by stockholders.

 

Dividends. Subject to the rights, powers and preferences of any outstanding preferred stock, and except as provided by law or in our certificate of incorporation, dividends may be declared and paid or set aside for payment on the common stock out of legally available assets or funds when and as declared by the board of directors.

 

Liquidation and Dissolution. Subject to the rights, powers and preferences of any outstanding preferred stock, in the event of our liquidation or dissolution, our net assets will be distributed pro rata to the holders of our common stock.

 

Other Rights. Holders of the common stock have no right to:

 

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convert the stock into any other security;

 

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have the stock redeemed;

 

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purchase additional stock; or

 

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maintain their proportionate ownership interest.

 

The common stock does not have cumulative voting rights. Holders of shares of the common stock are not required to make additional capital contributions.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar. Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is transfer agent and registrar for the common stock.

 

Preferred Stock

 

We are authorized to issue “blank check” preferred stock, which may be issued in one or more series upon authorization of our board of directors. Our board of directors is authorized to fix the designations, powers, preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions of the shares of each series of preferred stock. The authorized shares of our preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. If the approval of our stockholders is not required for the issuance of shares of our preferred stock, our board may determine not to seek stockholder approval. Currently, we have no shares of preferred stock outstanding.

 

 

Effects of Authorized but Unissued Stock

 

Our authorized but unissued shares of our common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the listing standards of The Nasdaq Global Select Market. These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate finance transactions, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could make more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

 

Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and Delaware Law That May Have Anti-Takeover Effects

 

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire, control of us. Such provisions could limit the price that certain investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock and may limit the ability of stockholders to remove current management or directors or approve transactions that stockholders may deem to be in their best interest and, therefore, could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

 

Staggered Board; Removal of Directors. Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws divide our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of 75% of our shares of capital stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote. Under our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office. Furthermore, our certificate of incorporation provides that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by the resolution of our board of directors. The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the ability of our stockholders to remove directors, change the authorized number of directors and fill vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of our company.

 

Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders; Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations. Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders may only be taken if it is properly brought before such meeting and may not be taken by written action in lieu of a meeting. Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders can only be called by the chairman of our board of directors, our chief executive officer or our board of directors. In addition, our bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities. These provisions also could discourage a third party from making a tender offer for our common stock, because even if it acquired a majority of our outstanding voting stock, it would be able to take action as a stockholder, such as electing new directors or approving a merger, only at a duly called stockholders meeting and not by written consent.

 

 

Super-Majority Voting. The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which we refer to as the DGCL, provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any annual election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any election of directors is required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above.

 

Delaware Business Combination Statute. We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, or Section 203, which prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in business combinations with an interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is generally defined as an entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation or any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person (“interested stockholder”). Section 203 provides that an interested stockholder may not engage in business combinations with the corporation for a period of three years after the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, with the following exceptions:

 

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before such date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

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upon completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction began, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (i) by persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or

 

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on or after such date, the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

In general, Section 203 defines business combinations to include the following:

 

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any merger or consolidation involving the corporation and the interested stockholder;

 

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any sale, lease, transfer, pledge or other disposition of 10% or more of the assets of the corporation to or with the interested stockholder;

 

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subject to certain exceptions, any transaction that results in the issuance or transfer by the corporation of any stock of the corporation to the interested stockholder;

 

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any transaction involving the corporation that has the effect of increasing the proportionate share of the stock or any class or series of the corporation beneficially owned by the interested stockholder; or

 

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the receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit of any loss, advances, guarantees, pledges or other financial benefits by or through the corporation.

 

Directors’ Liability

 

Our certificate of incorporation limits the personal liability of directors for breach of fiduciary duty to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law and provides that no director will have personal liability to us or to our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty or other duty as a director. However, these provisions do not eliminate or limit the liability of any of our directors:

 

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for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;

 

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for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

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for voting or assenting to unlawful payments of dividends, stock repurchases or other distributions; or

 

 

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for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

Any amendment to or repeal of these provisions will not eliminate or reduce the effect of these provisions in respect of any act, omission or claim that occurred or arose prior to such amendment or repeal. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to provide for further limitations on the personal liability of directors of corporations, then the personal liability of our directors will be further limited to the greatest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

Our certificate of incorporation provides that we must indemnify our directors and officers and we must advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to our directors and officers in connection with legal proceedings, subject to very limited exceptions.

 

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify each such director or executive officer, as applicable, for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by him or her in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or executive officers, as applicable.

 

Certain of our non-employee directors may, through their relationships with their employers, be insured or indemnified against certain liabilities incurred in their capacity as members of our board of directors.

 

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We have entered into a sales agreement with Cowen, under which we may issue and sell from time to time up to $100,000,000 of our common stock through Cowen as our sales agent. Sales of our common stock, if any, will be made at market prices by any method that is deemed to be an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on The Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other trading market for our common stock. If authorized by us in writing, Cowen may purchase shares of our common stock as principal.

 

Cowen will offer our common stock subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement on a daily basis or as otherwise agreed upon by us and Cowen. We will designate the maximum amount of common stock to be sold through Cowen on a daily basis or otherwise determine such maximum amount together with Cowen. Subject to the terms and conditions of the sales agreement, Cowen will use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be sold by us. We may instruct Cowen not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any such instruction. Cowen or we may suspend the offering of our common stock being made through Cowen under the sales agreement upon proper notice to the other party. Cowen and we each have the right, by giving written notice as specified in the sales agreement, to terminate the sales agreement in each party’s sole discretion at any time.

 

The aggregate compensation payable to Cowen as sales agent equals 3.0% of the gross sales price of the shares sold through it pursuant to the sales agreement. We have also agreed to reimburse Cowen up to $50,000 of Cowen’s actual outside legal expenses incurred by Cowen in connection with this offering. We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, excluding commissions payable to Cowen under the sales agreement, will be approximately $400,000.

 

The remaining sales proceeds, after deducting any expenses payable by us and any transaction fees imposed by any governmental, regulatory, or self-regulatory organization in connection with the sales, will equal our net proceeds for the sale of such common stock.

 

Cowen will provide written confirmation to us following the close of trading on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on each day in which common stock is sold through it as sales agent under the sales agreement. Each confirmation will include the number of shares of common stock sold through it as sales agent on that day, the volume weighted average price of the shares sold, the percentage of the daily trading volume and the net proceeds to us.

 

We will report at least quarterly the number of shares of common stock sold through Cowen under the sales agreement, the net proceeds to us and the compensation paid by us to Cowen in connection with the sales of common stock.

 

Settlement for sales of common stock will occur, unless the parties agree otherwise, on the second business day that is also a trading day following the date on which any sales were made in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

 

In connection with the sales of our common stock on our behalf, Cowen may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation paid to Cowen may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed in the sales agreement to provide indemnification and contribution to Cowen against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. As sales agent, Cowen will not engage in any transaction that stabilizes our common stock.

 

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market and trades under the symbol “ISEE”. The transfer agent of our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

 

Cowen and/or its affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, various investment banking and other financial services for us for which services they have received and, may in the future receive, customary fees.

 

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. Cowen and Company, LLC is being represented in connection with this offering by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

 

EXPERTS

 

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our consolidated financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at http:// www.ivericbio.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information about us and our consolidated subsidiaries and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements. You can obtain a copy of the registration statement from the SEC’s website.

 

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

 

The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below (File No. 001-36080) and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed) after the date of this prospectus and prior to the sale of all shares covered by this prospectus:

 

•

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC on March 4, 2021, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders;

 

•

Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 11, 2021 and April 5, 2021; and

 

•

The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on September 20, 2013, as the description therein has been updated and superseded by the description of our capital stock contained in Exhibit 4.1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC on February 27, 2020, and including any amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

 

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:

 

IVERIC bio, Inc.

Five Penn Plaza, Suite 2372

New York, NY 10001

(212) 845-8200

 

 

 

IVERIC BIO, INC.

 

$100,000,00

 

Common Stock

 

PROSPECTUS

 

Cowen

 

April 9, 2021