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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 5, 2025

CRISPR THERAPEUTICS AG

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Switzerland

001-37923

Not Applicable

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

Baarerstrasse 14

6300 Zug, Switzerland

Not Applicable

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: +41 (0)41 561 32 77

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Shares, nominal value CHF 0.03

CRSP

The Nasdaq Global Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

 


 

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

On June 5, 2025, at the 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”), the shareholders of CRISPR Therapeutics AG (the “Company”) approved amendments to the articles of association of the Company (the “Articles of Association”) as described in the Company’s proxy statement for the Annual Meeting filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2025 (the “Proxy Statement”). The Company’s amended and restated Articles of Association become effective upon registration in the Commercial Register in the canton of Zug, Switzerland on or about June 6, 2025, subject to the approval by the Swiss Federal Commercial Authority. A copy of the amended and restated Articles of Association is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

The Annual Meeting was held on June 5, 2025. Proxies were solicited pursuant to the Proxy Statement.

At the Annual Meeting, the Company’s shareholders were asked (i) to approve the Swiss management report, the consolidated financial statements and the statutory financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024, (ii) to approve the appropriation of financial results, (iii) to discharge the members of the Company’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, (iv) to elect or re-elect eleven members, including the chairman to the Company’s Board of Directors, (v) to elect or re-elect four members of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, (vi) to approve the compensation for the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee and, on a non-binding basis, the Swiss statutory compensation report of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024 (the “2024 Compensation Report”), (vii) to approve, on a non-binding basis, the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers under U.S. securities law requirements, (viii) to approve of increasing the maximum size of the Board of Directors, (ix) to re-elect the independent voting rights representative, (x) to re-elect Ernst & Young AG as the Company’s statutory auditor and to re-elect Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2025, and (xi) to approve the transaction of any other business that may properly come before the Annual Meeting.

The voting results reported below are final.

Proposal 1 – Approval of the Swiss Management Report, the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Statutory Financial Statements of the Company for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

The Swiss management report, the consolidated financial statements and the statutory financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024 were approved. The results of the vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

61,111,040

269,172

378,214

0

Proposal 2 – Approval of the Appropriation of Financial Results

The proposal to carry forward the net income resulting from the appropriation of financial results was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

61,108,372

309,602

340,452

0

Proposal 3 – Discharge of the Members of the Company’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee

The discharge of the members of the Company’s Board of Directors and the Executive Committee from personal liability for their activities during the year ended December 31, 2024 was approved. The results of the vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

40,609,346

211,187

115,780

20,822,113

Proposal 4 – Election or Re-election of the Members to the Board of Directors and the Chairman

 


 

Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Ali Behbahani, M.D., Maria Fardis, Ph.D., H. Edward Fleming Jr., M.D., Simeon J. George, M.D., John T. Greene, Katherine A. High, M.D., Sandesh Mahatme, LL.M., Christian Rommel, Ph.D. and Douglas A. Treco, Ph.D. were each duly re-elected as members of the Company’s Board of Directors, Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D. was duly re-elected as the chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors, and Briggs W. Morrison, M.D. was duly elected as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. The results of the election were as follows:

NOMINEE

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D.

40,043,203

785,309

107,801

20,822,113

Ali Behbahani, M.D.

29,800,902

11,023,256

112,155

20,822,113

Maria Fardis, Ph.D.

39,931,396

898,012

106,905

20,822,113

H. Edward Fleming Jr., M.D.

39,553,960

1,273,549

108,804

20,822,113

Simeon J. George, M.D.

39,938,669

894,244

103,400

20,822,113

John T. Greene

39,324,918

1,499,057

112,338

20,822,113

Katherine A. High, M.D.

39,882,598

946,656

107,059

20,822,113

Sandesh Mahatme, LL.M.

39,915,991

918,369

101,953

20,822,113

Christian Rommel, Ph.D.

39,928,435

899,491

108,387

20,822,113

Douglas A. Treco, Ph.D.

38,935,855

1,892,354

108,104

20,822,113

Briggs W. Morrison, M.D.

 

39,667,043

 

1,160,681

 

108,589

 

20,822,113

Proposal 5 –Election or Re-election of the Members of the Compensation Committee

Ali Behbahani, M.D., H. Edward Fleming, Jr., M.D., and John T. Greene were each duly re-elected as members and Briggs W. Morrison was elected as a member of the Company’s Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. The results of the election were as follows:

NOMINEE

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

Ali Behbahani, M.D.

29,606,114

11,206,197

124,002

20,822,113

H. Edward Fleming Jr., M.D.

39,457,808

1,356,562

121,943

20,822,113

John T. Greene

39,257,150

1,550,619

128,544

20,822,113

Briggs W. Morrison, M.D.

39,579,346

1,234,698

122,269

20,822,113

Proposal 6 – Approval of the Compensation for the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee and Non-Binding Advisory Vote on the 2024 Compensation Report

The total non-performance-related compensation for members of the Board of Directors from the Annual Meeting to the 2026 annual general meeting of shareholders was approved on a binding basis. The results of the binding vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

40,317,492

483,517

135,304

20,822,113

The grant of equity for members of the Board of Directors from the Annual Meeting to the 2026 annual general meeting of shareholders was approved on a binding basis. The results of the binding vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

32,503,611

8,287,847

144,855

20,822,113

The total non-performance related compensation for members of the Executive Committee from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 was approved on a binding basis. The results of the binding vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

33,314,324

7,486,777

135,212

20,822,113

The total variable compensation for members of the Executive Committee for the current year ending December 31, 2025 was approved on a binding basis. The results of the binding vote were as follows:

 


 

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

33,302,801

7,493,276

140,236

20,822,113

The grant of equity for members of the Executive Committee from the Annual Meeting to the 2026 annual general meeting of shareholders was approved on a binding basis. The results of the binding vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

31,758,032

9,034,278

144,003

20,822,113

The endorsement of the 2024 Compensation Report was approved on a non-binding basis. The results of the non-binding vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

29,135,116

11,649,430

151,767

20,822,113

Proposal 7 – Non-Binding Advisory Vote on the Compensation Paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers Under U.S. Securities Law Requirements

The compensation paid to the named executive officers was approved on a non-binding basis. The results of the non-binding vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

29,063,586

11,729,542

143,185

20,822,113

Proposal 8 – Approval of Increasing the Maximum Size of the Board of Directors

An increase in the maximum size of the Board of Directors was approved with at least two thirds of the votes represented and the absolute majority of the par value of the represented shares. The results of the vote were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

59,340,017

1,990,224

428,185

0

Proposal 9 – Re-election of the Independent Voting Rights Representative

Marius Meier, Attorney at Law, was duly re-elected as the independent voting rights representative. The results of the election were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

60,711,637

719,349

327,440

0

Proposal 10 –Re-election of the Auditors

Ernst & Young AG was duly elected as the Company’s statutory auditor for the term of office of one year, and Ernst & Young LLP was duly elected as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2025. The results of the election were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

60,674,825

340,077

743,524

0

Proposal 11 – Transact Any Other Business that may Properly Come Before the 2025 Annual General Meeting or any Adjournment or Postponement thereof

 

 


 

The proposal for the transaction of any other business that properly came before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, to follow the respective proposal of the Board of Directors as proposed at the Annual Meeting, was approved. The results of the election were as follows:

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

BROKER

NON-VOTES

NUMBER

21,319,106

19,405,679

211,528

20,822,113

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit
Number

Description

3.1*

Amended and Restated Articles of Association of CRISPR Therapeutics AG

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

* Filed herewith.
 

 


 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

CRISPR THERAPEUTICS AG

Date: June 9, 2025

By:

/s/ Samarth Kulkarni

Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

 

 



ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

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