
Securities Sought | All of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company. | ||
Price Offered Per Common Share | $4.00 in cash plus one CVR, which represents the contractual right to receive one contingent cash payment for $1.25 for a specified milestone and then one contingent cash payment for $1.75 for a specified milestone, in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the CVR Agreement, without interest, less any applicable tax withholding. | ||
Scheduled Expiration of Offer | One minute after 11:59 P.M., Eastern Time, on July 10, 2026, unless the Offer is otherwise extended or earlier terminated. | ||
Purchaser | Kuva Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuva Labs Inc., a Delaware corporation. | ||
Company Board Recommendation | The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Company Board”) unanimously recommends that the holders of Common Shares accept the Offer and tender their Common Shares pursuant to the Offer. | ||
• | with respect to a Phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, proof-of-concept study evaluating LSTA1 when added to standard of care (temozolomide) versus temozolomide and matching LSTA1 placebo in subjects with newly diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) (Protocol Number: LSTA1-GBM-2A) the earlier of (i) completion of enrollment of such trial, (ii) the enrollment of at least 90% of the target number of subjects of such trial, or (ii) the termination of such trial by its sponsor for any reason (the “First Milestone”), and |
• | with respect to any pharmaceutical product that contains or incorporates the product candidate referred to as of the date hereof as certepetide (formerly LSTA1 or CEND-1), alone or in combination with one (1) or more other therapeutically active ingredients, including all formulations, dosages, or modes of delivery thereof (the “CVR Product”), the filing or formal acceptance for review by any Governmental Body of any (i) New Drug Application submitted to the FDA in the U.S. in accordance with the FDCA requesting approval to market or commercialize any pharmaceutical product that contains or incorporates the product candidate referred to as certepetide (formerly LSTA1 or CEND-1), alone or in combination with one or more other therapeutically active ingredients, including all formulations, dosages, or modes of delivery thereof for any indication or patient population, or (ii) analogous application or submission to any other applicable Governmental Body requesting approval to market or commercialize the CVR Product for any indication or patient population (the “Second Milestone”, and together with the First Milestone, the “Milestones”). |
• | the First Milestone Payment is an amount equal to $1.25 per CVR in cash, without interest, payable on or prior to the later of December 15, 2026 and the date that is forty-five (45) days following the achievement of the First Milestone, prior to the termination of the CVR Agreement; and |
• | the Second Milestone Payment is an amount equal to $1.75 per CVR in cash, without interest, payable on or prior to of the date that is forty-five (45) days following the achievement of the Second Milestone, prior to the termination of the CVR Agreement. |
• | by will or intestacy upon death of a holder; |
• | by instrument to an inter vivos or testamentary trust in which the CVRs are to be passed to beneficiaries upon the death of the settlor; |
• | pursuant to a court order; |
• | by operation of law (including by consolidation or merger of the holder) or if effectuated without consideration in connection with the dissolution, liquidation or termination of any holder that is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity; |
• | in the case of CVRs held in book-entry or other similar nominee form, from a nominee to a beneficial owner, and if applicable, through an intermediary; or |
• | if the holder is a partnership or limited liability company, a distribution by the transferring partnership or limited liability company to its partners or members, as applicable (so long as such distribution does not subject the CVRs to a requirement of registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act). |
• | the Offer is not subject to any financing or funding condition; |
• | if Purchaser consummates the Offer, it will acquire all remaining Common Shares for the same consideration in the Merger; |
• | the Offer is being made for all outstanding Common Shares solely for cash (including the right to receive any amounts payable with respect to the CVRs, which will be paid in cash); and |
• | through Parent, we have agreed to provide sufficient funds available to purchase all Common Shares validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Offer and, if we consummate the Offer, all Common Shares converted into the right to receive the Offer Price in the Merger, as well as the funds available to pay the maximum aggregate amount that you may be entitled to receive with respect to the CVRs. As of the date of this Offer to Purchase, however, neither Parent nor Purchaser has obtained committed financing for the Offer or the Merger, and Parent and Purchaser have acknowledged that the absence of committed financing is material to your decision whether to tender your Common Shares. |
(i) | for one or more periods of time for up to ten (10) business days per extension if at any scheduled Expiration Date any condition to Purchaser’s obligation to accept for payment and pay for the Common Shares validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Offer, as set forth on Annex I to the Merger Agreement and described below under Section 15 – “Conditions of the Offer” (each, an “Offer Condition” and collectively, the “Offer Conditions”), is not satisfied and has not been waived (to the extent permitted under the Merger Agreement); and |
(ii) | for any period required by any rule, regulation, interpretation or position of the SEC, the staff thereof or Nasdaq applicable to the Offer. |
• | the Minimum Tender Condition; |
• | the Regulatory Condition (as defined below in Section 15 – “Conditions of the Offer”); |
• | the Representations Condition (as defined below in Section 15 – “Conditions of the Offer”); |
• | the Obligations Condition (as defined below in Section 15 – “Conditions of the Offer”); and |
• | the MAE Condition (as defined below in Section 15 – “Conditions of the Offer”). |
• | the agreement of merger expressly permits or requires that the merger will be effected by Section 251(h) of the DGCL and provides that such merger be effected as soon as practicable following the consummation of the tender offer; |
• | an acquiring corporation consummates a tender offer for any and all of the outstanding stock of such constituent corporation that would be entitled to vote on the merger (other than any shares held by the constituent corporation, the corporation making such offer, any person that owns, directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding stock of the corporation making the offer, and any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of any of the foregoing); |
• | following the consummation of the tender offer, the acquiring corporation owns at least such percentage of stock of such constituent corporation that, absent Section 251(h) of the DGCL, would otherwise be required to adopt the agreement of merger for such constituent corporation; and |
• | each outstanding share of each class or series of stock of the constituent corporation that is the subject of and not irrevocably accepted for purchase in the offer is converted in such merger into the same consideration for their stock in the merger as was payable in the tender offer. |
(i) | for one or more periods of time, for up to ten (10) business days per extension if at any scheduled Expiration Date any condition to Purchaser’s obligation to accept for payment and pay for the Common Shares validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Offer, as set forth on Annex I to the Merger Agreement and described below under Section 15 – “Conditions of the Offer” (each, an “Offer Condition” and collectively, the “Offer Conditions”), is not satisfied and has not been waived (to the extent permitted under the Merger Agreement); and |
(ii) | for any period required by any rule, regulation, interpretation or position of the SEC, the staff thereof, or The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) applicable to the Offer. |
• | such tender is made by or through an Eligible Institution; |
• | a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery in the form provided by us with this Offer to Purchase is received by the Depositary by the Offer Expiration Time; and |
• | the certificates of all such tendered Common Shares (or a Book-Entry Confirmation of a book-entry transfer of such Common Shares into the Depositary’s account at DTC), together with a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile thereof) together with any required signature guarantee (or an Agent’s Message) and any other required documents, are received by the Depositary within one (1) NASDAQ trading day after the date of execution of the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. |
High | Low | |||||
Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2023 | ||||||
First Quarter | $3.83 | $2.47 | ||||
Second Quarter | $4.53 | $3.00 | ||||
Third Quarter | $3.87 | $1.95 | ||||
Fourth Quarter | $3.09 | $2.00 | ||||
High | Low | |||||
Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2024 | ||||||
First Quarter | $3.40 | $2.42 | ||||
Second Quarter | $3.71 | $2.51 | ||||
Third Quarter | $3.83 | $2.72 | ||||
Fourth Quarter | $3.35 | $2.19 | ||||
Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2025 | ||||||
First Quarter | $4.20 | $2.05 | ||||
Second Quarter | $3.07 | $1.87 | ||||
Third Quarter | $3.09 | $2.07 | ||||
Fourth Quarter | $2.98 | $1.81 | ||||
Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2026 | ||||||
First Quarter | $5.07 | $1.85 | ||||
Second Quarter (through May 27, 2026) | $5.03 | $2.75 | ||||
• | decrease the Offer Price; |
• | change the form of consideration payable in the Offer; |
• | decrease the number of Common Shares sought to be purchased pursuant to the Offer; |
• | amend, modify or waive the Minimum Tender Condition; |
• | add to the Offer Conditions or impose any other conditions to the Offer; |
• | amend or modify the Offer Conditions in a manner adverse to the holders of Common Shares; |
• | extend the Expiration Date in a manner except as required or permitted by the Merger Agreement; |
• | decrease the Closing Amount or amend the terms of the Milestones or the Milestone Payments; or |
• | make any other change in the terms or conditions of the Offer that is adverse to the holders of Common Shares or that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the consummation of the Offer or the Merger or impair the ability of Parent or Purchaser to consummate the Offer. |
(i) | for one or more periods of time, for up to ten (10) business days per extension if at any scheduled Expiration Date any offer condition is not satisfied and has not been waived (to the extent permitted under the Merger Agreement); and |
(ii) | for any period required by any rule, regulation, interpretation or position of the SEC, the staff thereof, or Nasdaq applicable to the Offer. |
• | there must not be in effect any order, injunction or decree issued by any federal, state, provincial, local, municipal, foreign or other governmental or quasi-governmental authority, including, any arbitrator or arbitral body, mediator and applicable securities exchanges, or any department, minister, agency, commission, commissioner, board, subdivision, bureau, agency, instrumentality, court or other tribunal of any of the foregoing (collectively, “Governmental Body”) of competent jurisdiction restraining, making illegal, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Merger; |
• | no statute, rule, regulation, order, injunction or decree must have been enacted, entered, promulgated or enforced (and continues to be in effect) by any Governmental Body that restrains, makes illegal or otherwise prohibits the consummation of the Merger; and |
• | Purchaser must have accepted for purchase all Shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. |
• | organization and corporate power; subsidiaries; |
• | authorization; valid and binding agreement; |
• | capital stock; |
• | no breach; |
• | consents; |
• | SEC reports; disclosure controls and procedures; |
• | no undisclosed liabilities; |
• | absence of certain developments; |
• | compliance with laws; |
• | title to tangible properties; |
• | tax matters; |
• | contracts and commitments; |
• | intellectual property; |
• | privacy and data security; |
• | litigation; |
• | insurance; |
• | employee benefit plans; |
• | environmental compliance and conditions; |
• | employment and labor matters; |
• | FDA and regulatory matters; |
• | brokerage; |
• | state takeover statutes; |
• | affiliate transactions; |
• | disclosure; |
• | no rights agreement; |
• | opinion of financial advisor; |
• | no vote required; and |
• | no other representations and warranties. |
• | matters generally affecting the United States or foreign economies, financial or securities markets, or political, legislative or regulatory conditions or changes in general political, social, geopolitical or regulatory conditions, or the industry in which the Acquired Companies operate; |
• | acts of war or terrorism (including cyber-attacks and computer hacking), national emergencies, U.S. federal government shutdowns, natural disasters, force majeure events, weather or environmental events or health emergencies, including pandemics or epidemics (including COVID-19 and any evolutions or mutations thereof) and related or associated epidemics, disease outbreaks or quarantine restrictions; |
• | any changes in financial, banking or securities markets; |
• | any change in the market price or trading volume of the Common Shares; provided that, any effect causing or contributing to any change in stock price or trading volume of such Common Shares may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred, unless excluded under another clause of this definition; |
• | any failure by the Acquired Companies to meet any internal or analyst projections or forecasts or estimates of revenues, earnings, or other financial metrics for any period; provided, that, this exception will not preclude a determination that a matter underlying such failure has resulted in or contributed to a Company Material Adverse Effect; |
• | any changes in, or adverse results, developments or outcomes of, preclinical studies or clinical trials or other research or development activities conducted by or on behalf of the Acquired Companies, including adverse data or trial results; |
• | the termination of the Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical dated February 11, 2021, as amended by First Amendment to Exclusive License Agreement dated April 26, 2021, and further amended by Side Letter Agreement dated November 1, 2023, in accordance with the Mutual Termination Agreement dated January 23, 2026; |
• | changes in laws, regulations, accounting principles, GAAP or the authoritative interpretations thereof; |
• | the negotiation, execution, announcement or pendency of the Merger Agreement or the Transactions, including the impact thereof on customers, suppliers, employees or other persons having business relationships with the Company; |
• | any reduction in the amount of cash or cash equivalents of the Acquired Companies resulting from expenditures made in the ordinary course of business that are not in violation of the Merger Agreement; or |
• | the performance of the Merger Agreement and the Transactions, including compliance with covenants set forth herein (excluding the requirement that the Company operate in the ordinary course of business), or the taking of any action or failure to take any action by the Company at the request or with the prior written consent of Parent or Purchaser. |
• | organization and corporate power; |
• | authorization; valid and binding agreement; |
• | no breach; |
• | consents; |
• | litigation; |
• | disclosure; |
• | brokerage; |
• | operations of Purchaser; |
• | ownership of Shares; |
• | vote/approval required; |
• | financial ability; |
• | disclaimer of reliance; and |
• | no other representations and warranties. |
• | (A) authorize, declare, set aside or pay any dividends on or make other distributions (whether in cash, stock or property) in respect of any Shares or other Company Securities (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or (B) directly or indirectly redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire any Shares or other Company Security except, in each case, (1) as a result of net share settlement of any Company Equity Award (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or to satisfy the exercise price or withholding tax obligations in respect of any Company Equity Award or (2) any forfeitures or repurchases of Company Equity Awards in accordance with the terms thereof; |
• | issue, sell, pledge, dispose of, grant or otherwise encumber, or authorize the issuance, sale, pledge, grant, disposition or other encumbrance of, (A) any Shares, other Company Securities or other ownership interest in any Acquired Company, (B) any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any such shares, Company Securities or ownership interest, (C) any phantom equity or similar contractual rights or (D) any rights, warrants or options to acquire or with respect to any such Shares, Company Securities or ownership interest or convertible or exchangeable securities except, in each case, for issuances, dispositions or sales (x) upon the exercise of Company Stock Options or the settlement of Company RSUs in accordance with the terms of the applicable Company Equity Plan or the terms of the Merger Agreement or (y) upon the exercise of the any of the Company warrants, in each case, in accordance with their terms; |
• | except as required by the terms of a Company benefit plan currently in effect, (A) increase (or commit to increase) the compensation or benefit (including, without limitation, any severance or termination pay) with respect to any of any Acquired Company’s current or former directors, officers, employees, other service providers or contingent workers, (B) establish, adopt, enter into, amend or terminate (except as required by applicable law) any Company benefit plan (or any program, policy or Contract that would be a |
• | (A) adopt, enter into, amend, modify or extend any collective bargaining agreement or contract with any labor union, labor organization, trade organization or other employee representative body applicable to the Acquired Companies or (B) recognize any labor union or group of employees of the Acquired Companies as the bargaining representative for any employees of the Acquired Companies; |
• | (A) hire any employee, Contingent Worker or other service provider or otherwise enter into any employment or independent contractor agreement or arrangement or (B) promote or terminate (other than for cause) any employee, Contingent Worker or other service provider; |
• | implement or announce any employee layoffs or location closing that would require any notice under WARN or any similar foreign, state, provincial or local law; |
• | amend any Company organizational document, adopt a stockholders’ rights plan or enter into any agreement with respect to the voting of its capital stock; |
• | effect a recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split, reverse stock split or similar transaction or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of, or in substitution for shares of its capital stock; |
• | adopt a plan or agreement of complete or partial liquidation, merger, dissolution, consolidation, restructuring or recapitalization of the Acquired Companies (other than the Merger); |
• | make or agree to make any capital expenditures; |
• | form any subsidiary or acquire or agree to acquire, by merging or consolidating with, by purchasing an equity interest in or a portion of the material assets of any business or any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association or other business organization or division thereof, or otherwise acquire or agree to acquire any material assets of any other person; |
• | (A) incur any Indebtedness (as defined in the Merger Agreement), renew or extend any existing credit or loan arrangements, enter into any “keep well” or other agreement to maintain any financial condition of another person or enter into any agreement or arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing, except for short-term Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice; (B) forgive any loans or make any loans or advances to any other person, (C) make any capital contributions to, or investments in, any other person or (D) repurchase, prepay or refinance any Indebtedness (except to the extent required pursuant to any contract in effect on the date of the Merger Agreement and provided to Parent on or prior to the date of the Merger Agreement); |
• | sell, transfer, license, assign, mortgage, encumber, acquire or agree to acquire or otherwise abandon, withdraw or dispose of (A) any tangible assets, or (B) any Owned Intellectual Property (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or any Intellectual Property (as defined in the Merger Agreement) that is or has been exclusively licensed to the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, except in the case of clause (B), with respect to non-exclusive licenses granted pursuant to the Company’s standard contracts in the ordinary course of business; |
• | commence, pay, discharge, settle, compromise or satisfy any action that is unrelated to the Transactions, other than solely for monetary consideration not to exceed $50,000; |
• | change its fiscal year, revalue any of its material assets or change any of its financial, actuarial, reserving or accounting methods in any respect, except as required by GAAP or applicable law; |
• | (A) make, change or revoke any material tax election with respect to the Acquired Companies inconsistent with past practice, (B) file any amended material tax return, (C) change any annual tax accounting period, or adopt or change any method of tax accounting, (D) enter into any “closing agreement” as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or non-U.S. Law), tax allocation agreement or tax sharing agreement (other than any commercial agreement that does not relate primarily to taxes) relating to or affecting any material tax liability of the Acquired Companies, (E) settle or compromise any tax liability with respect to the Acquired Companies, (F) affirmatively surrender any right to claim a refund, offset, or (G) consent to any extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any tax claim or assessment relating to the Acquired Companies or its Subsidiary (excluding, for avoidance of doubt, any automatic extensions of time within which to file a tax return) except in each case of clauses (A) through (G), as required by applicable law; |
• | (A) enter into any contract that would have been a Company Material Contract (as defined in the Merger Agreement) were the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a party or subject thereto on the date hereof, or (B) waive, release or assign any material rights or claims under any Company Material Contract, or (C) renew, materially amend, materially modify or terminate, any Company Material Contract; |
• | abandon, withdraw, terminate, suspend, abrogate, amend or modify in any material respect any permits; |
• | amend, cancel or terminate any material insurance policy naming the Company or its Subsidiaries as an insured, a beneficiary or a loss payable payee without obtaining substitute insurance coverage; |
• | enter into any new line of business or enter into any agreement or commitment that materially limits or otherwise materially restricts the Company or its affiliates, including, following the Closing, Parent and its affiliates (other than in the case of Parent and its affiliates, due to the operation of Parent’s or its affiliates’ own contracts), from time to time engaging or competing in any line of business or in any geographic area or otherwise enter into any agreements, arrangements or commitments imposing material restrictions on its assets, operations or business; |
• | commence any clinical study of which Parent has not been informed prior to the date of the Merger Agreement or, unless mandated by any Governmental Body, discontinue, terminate or suspend any ongoing clinical study; |
• | renew or enter into any agreement containing a non-compete, exclusivity, non-solicitation or similar clause that would restrict or limit, in any material respect, the operations of the Acquired Companies; |
• | enter into an Affiliate Transaction (as defined in the Merger Agreement) (aside from the Transactions); |
• | abandon, cancel, fail to renew or permit to lapse any material Company Registered Intellectual Property (excluding any abandonment of any Company Registered Intellectual Property (as defined in the Merger Agreement) at the end of the applicable statutory term, in the ordinary course of prosecution in the exercise of the business judgment of the Company’s management or legal counsel, or otherwise in the ordinary course of business); or |
• | authorize, agree or commit to take any of, the foregoing actions. |
• | furnish information with respect to the Acquired Companies to the person or group making such Acquisition Proposal and its Representatives; and |
• | participate in discussions or negotiations with such person and its Representatives regarding such Acquisition Proposal; provided, that, (1) the Company will not, and will instruct its Representatives not to, disclose any material non-public information to such person unless the Company (x) has entered into a confidentiality agreement with such person existing as of the date of the Merger Agreement or (y) first enters into a confidentiality agreement with such person with terms governing confidentiality that, taken as a whole, are not materially less restrictive, in the aggregate, to the other person than those contained in the Mutual Nondisclosure Agreement (as defined below), and (2) the Company will, as promptly as reasonably practicable, and in any event within one (1) business day, provide or make available to Parent any material non-public information concerning the Company provided or made available to such other person that was not previously provided or made available to Parent or Purchaser; provided, further, that the Company may only take the actions described above if the Company Board determines, in good faith, after consultation with outside counsel, that the failure to take any such action would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law. The Company will not, and will cause its Representatives not to, release any person from, or waive, amend or modify any provision of, or grant permission under or fail to enforce, any standstill provision in any agreement to which the Company is a party; provided, that, if the Company Board in good faith, after consultation with its outside counsel, determines that the failure to take such action would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law, the Company may waive any such standstill provision solely to the extent necessary to permit the applicable person (if such person has not been solicited in breach of the Merger Agreement) to make, on a confidential basis to, an Acquisition Proposal, conditioned upon such person agreeing that the Company will not be prohibited from providing any information to Parent (including regarding the material terms of any such Acquisition Proposal) in accordance with, and otherwise complying with the Merger Agreement. Wherever the term “group” is used in the Merger Agreement, it is used as defined in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act. |
• | promptly (and in any event within one (1) business day) notify Parent of the receipt by the Company of any Acquisition Proposal or written indication by any person that it is considering making an Acquisition Proposal; |
• | provide Parent promptly (and in any event within such one (1) business day period) a summary of the material terms and conditions of any such Acquisition Proposal and the identity of the person making any such Acquisition Proposal; |
• | keep Parent reasonably informed of any material developments, discussions or negotiations regarding any Acquisition Proposal (including any subsequent material changes to the terms thereof) on a reasonably prompt basis, and will provide Parent with a copy of any written correspondence documents or agreements delivered to or by the Company or its representatives that contain any material amendments thereto or any material change to the scope or material terms thereof (or, if not delivered in writing, a summary of any such material amendments or material changes), and |
• | upon Parent’s request, reasonably inform Parent of the status of such Acquisition Proposal. |
• | publicly announce the withdrawal, qualification or modification of the Company Board Recommendation or publicly announce any proposal to withdraw or qualify or modify the Company Board Recommendation (or any agreement to take any such action); |
• | adopt, endorse, approve or recommend, or publicly announce the adoption, endorsement, approval or recommendation, of any Acquisition Proposal; |
• | fail, within ten (10) business days of the commencement of a tender or exchange offer for Shares that constitutes an Acquisition Proposal by a person other than Parent or any of its affiliates, to file a Schedule 14D-9 pursuant to Rule 14e-2 and Rule 14d-9 promulgated under the Exchange Act recommending that the holders of Shares reject such Acquisition Proposal and not tender any Shares into such tender or exchange offer; |
• | fail to include the Company Board Recommendation in the Schedule 14D-9 when mailed to the Company’s stockholders; or |
• | except in the case of the commencement of a tender or exchange offer for Shares that constitutes an Acquisition Proposal by a person other than Parent or any of its affiliates, the failure by the Company Board or a committee under the Merger Agreement to publicly reaffirm the Company Board Recommendation within three (3) business days of receiving a written request from Parent to provide such public reaffirmation following receipt by the Company of a publicly announced Acquisition Proposal. Parent may deliver such request at any time and from time to time, with respect to any Acquisition Proposal. |
• | the Company receives an Acquisition Proposal that did not result from a material breach of the Merger Agreement that the Company Board or a committee thereof determines in good faith (after consultation with outside counsel and its financial advisor) constitutes a Superior Proposal; |
• | the Company has notified Parent in writing at least four (4) business days prior to taking any action that it intends to terminate the Merger Agreement to enter into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement (such notice, in respect of a Superior Proposal, will specify the identity of the person who made such Superior Proposal and subject to any restrictions pursuant to any confidentiality agreement in effect, the material terms and conditions of such Superior Proposal and attach the most current version of the relevant draft transaction agreement); |
• | no earlier than the end of the Notice Period (as defined below), the Company will have negotiated or caused its representatives to negotiate, in good faith, with Parent during such Notice Period, to the extent Parent wishes to negotiate, to enable Parent to revise the terms of the Merger Agreement in such a manner that would eliminate the need for taking such action (and would cause such Superior Proposal to no longer constitute a Superior Proposal); and |
• | following the end of the Notice Period, the Company Board or any committee thereof will have considered in good faith any revisions to the Merger Agreement irrevocably committed to in writing by Parent, and will have determined in good faith, after consultation with outside counsel, that failure to terminate the Merger Agreement would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law, and that such Superior Proposal continues to constitute a Superior Proposal. |
• | the Company receives an Acquisition Proposal that did not result from a material breach of the Merger Agreement and that the Company Board or a committee thereof determines in good faith constitutes a Superior Proposal, |
• | the Company has notified Parent in writing at least four (4) business days prior to taking any action that it intends to effect a Change of Board Recommendation; |
• | no earlier than the end of the Notice Period, the Company will have negotiated, and will have caused its Representatives to negotiate, in good faith, with Parent during such Notice Period, to the extent Parent wishes to negotiate, to enable Parent to revise the terms of the Merger Agreement in such a manner that would eliminate the need for taking such action; and |
• | following the end of the Notice Period, the Company Board or a committee thereof will have considered in good faith any revisions to the Merger Agreement irrevocably committed to in writing by Parent, and will have determined in good faith, after consultation with outside counsel, that the failure to make a Change of Board Recommendation would be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable law. |
• | The Company and Parent will not, and will cause each of its subsidiaries to not, issue any press release or announcement concerning the Transactions without the prior consent of the other (which consent may not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), and will consult with each other before issuing, and provide each other the opportunity to review and comment upon (with such comments to be considered in good faith), any press release or other public announcements with respect to the Offer, the Merger and the Transactions, subject to certain exceptions. |
• | Prior to the Acceptance Time, the compensation committee of the Company Board will take all such actions as may be required to approve, as an employment compensation, severance, or other employee benefit arrangement in accordance with Rule 14d-10(d)(2) under the Exchange Act and the instructions thereto, any and all Compensation Actions taken after January 1 of the current fiscal year and prior to the Acceptance Time that have not already been so approved. For the purposes of the Merger Agreement, “Compensation Action” means any (i) granting by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any present or former director or officer of any increase in compensation or benefits or of the right to receive any severance or termination compensation or benefit, (ii) entry by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries into any employment, consulting, indemnification, termination, change of control, non-competition, or severance agreement with any present or former director or officer, or any approval, amendment, or modification of any such agreement, or (iii) approval of, amendment to, or adoption of any Company benefit plan. |
• | Parent will not, and will cause Purchaser not to, take any action or fail to take any action that is intended to, or would reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, result in any Offer Conditions or the conditions to the Merger not being satisfied or prevent, materially delay or materially impede the ability of Parent and Purchaser to consummate the Offer, the Merger or the other Transactions. |
• | Parent will, immediately following execution of the Merger Agreement, cause the Merger Agreement to be approved by the sole stockholder of Purchaser in accordance with applicable law and the certificate of incorporation and bylaws (or other governing documents) of Purchaser and deliver evidence thereof to the Company. |
• | Parent and Purchaser have no right to control or direct the Company’s operations prior to the Effective Time. |
• | Prior to the Acceptance Time, Parent will not own (directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record) any Shares, and none of Parent, Purchaser or their respective affiliates will hold any rights to acquire any Shares except pursuant to the Merger Agreement. |
• | Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will cooperate with Parent and will take all actions under applicable laws and rules and policies of Nasdaq to enable the delisting by the Surviving Corporation of the Common Shares from Nasdaq and the deregistration of the Common Shares under the Exchange Act as promptly as practicable after the Effective Time. |
• | at any time prior to the Acceptance Time, by mutual written consent of Parent and the Company; |
• | at any time prior to the Acceptance Time, by either Parent or the Company if any court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Body of competent jurisdiction has issued a final order, decree or ruling, or taken any other final action permanently restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the Offer or the Merger, and such order, decree, ruling or other action has become final and non-appealable; provided, however, that the terms of this provision are not available to any party unless such party has complied with its obligations under the Merger Agreement in all material respects, including the provisions regarding using reasonable best efforts to make a filing under the HSR Act. |
• | by either Parent or the Company, if the Acceptance Time has not occurred on or prior to July 17, 2026 (subject to extension to August 17, 2026 under certain circumstances); provided, however, that right to terminate pursuant to the terms of this provision is not available (i) to any party unless such party has complied in all material respects with its obligations under the Merger Agreement or (ii) to either party at any time the parties are litigating obligations under the Merger Agreement. We refer to any termination of the Merger Agreement pursuant to this provision as an “Outside Date Termination”; |
• | at any time prior to the Acceptance Time, by the Company if (i) Purchaser fails to timely commence the Offer in violation of the terms of the Merger Agreement, (ii) the Offer has expired or has been terminated without Purchaser having accepted for purchase the Common Shares validly tendered (and not withdrawn) pursuant to the Offer on the terms set forth in the Merger Agreement, (iii) Purchaser, in violation of the terms of the Merger Agreement, fails to accept for purchase Common Shares validly tendered (and not withdrawn) pursuant to the Offer or (iv) there has been a breach of any covenant or agreement made by Parent or Purchaser in the Merger Agreement, or any representation or warranty of Parent or Purchaser is inaccurate or becomes inaccurate after the date of the Merger Agreement, and such breach or inaccuracy gives rise to a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect, and such breach or inaccuracy is not capable of being cured on or before the Outside Date, or, if capable of being cured by such date, is not cured prior to the earlier of (x) thirty (30) days following receipt by Parent or Purchaser of written notice of such breach or inaccuracy or (y) one (1) business day prior to the Outside Date (except that the right to terminate the Merger Agreement pursuant to this provision will not be available to the Company if the Company is then |
• | at any time prior to the Acceptance Time, by the Company Board or any committee thereof in order to enter a definitive agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal; provided, that, the Company Board will have complied in all material respects with their obligations with respect to Acquisition Proposals under the Merger Agreement and concurrently with such termination, the Company enters into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement in respect of such Superior Proposal and pays the Company Termination Fee (as defined below). We refer to any termination of the Merger Agreement pursuant to this provision as a “Superior Proposal Termination”; |
• | at any time prior to the Acceptance Time, by Parent if (i) Purchaser has complied with the terms of the Offer and, due to the failure of an Offer Condition to be satisfied, the Offer has expired or has been terminated without Purchaser having accepted for purchase the Common Shares validly tendered (and not withdrawn) pursuant to the Offer or (ii) there has been a breach of any covenant or agreement made by the Company in the Merger Agreement, or any representation or warranty of the Company (x) is inaccurate or (y) becomes inaccurate after the date of the Merger Agreement, and, in each case, such breach or inaccuracy gives rise to a Company Material Adverse Effect, and such breach or inaccuracy is not capable of being cured prior to the Outside Date, or, if capable of being cured by such date, is not cured prior to the earlier of (x) thirty (30) days following receipt by the Company of written notice of such breach or inaccuracy or (y) one (1) business day prior to the Outside Date (except Parent may not terminate the Merger Agreement or abandon the Offer and the Merger in reliance on this paragraph if Parent is then in material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements under the Merger Agreement). We refer to any termination of the Merger Agreement pursuant to this provision as a “Company Breach Termination”; or |
• | at any time prior to the Acceptance Time, by Parent if the Company Board or any committee thereof effects a Change of Board Recommendation. We refer herein to any termination of the Merger Agreement pursuant to this provision as a “Change in Recommendation Termination.” |
• | the Merger Agreement is terminated by the Company pursuant to a Superior Proposal Termination; |
• | the Merger Agreement is terminated by Parent pursuant to a Change in Recommendation Termination; or |
• | the Merger Agreement is terminated by Parent pursuant to a Company Breach Termination or by either Parent or the Company pursuant to an Outside Date Termination (but in the case of a termination by the Company, only if at such time (A) Parent has complied with its obligations under the Merger Agreement in all material respects), (B) any person has publicly disclosed, and not withdrawn, an Acquisition Proposal after the date of the Merger Agreement and prior to such termination and (C) within twelve (12) months after such termination, the Company enters into an Alternative Acquisition Agreement with respect to the Acquisition Proposal (and the transactions contemplated by such Acquisition Proposal are subsequently consummated) or such Acquisition Proposal is consummated (provided, that, for purposes of clause (C) of this provision, references to “15%” in the definition of Acquisition Proposal will be substituted for “50%”). |
• | with respect to a Phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, proof-of-concept study evaluating LSTA1 when added to standard of care (temozolomide) versus temozolomide and matching LSTA1 placebo in subjects with newly diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) (Protocol Number: LSTA1-GBM-2A) the earlier of (i) completion of enrollment of such trial, (ii) the enrollment of at least 90% of the target number of subjects of such trial, or (iii) the termination of such trial by its sponsor for any reason (the “First Milestone”), and |
• | with respect to any pharmaceutical product that contains or incorporates the product candidate referred to as of the date hereof as certepetide (formerly LSTA1 or CEND-1), alone or in combination with one (1) or more other therapeutically active ingredients, including all formulations, dosages, or modes of delivery thereof (the “CVR Product”), the filing or formal acceptance for review by any Governmental Body of any (i) New Drug Application submitted to the FDA in the U.S. in accordance with the FDCA requesting approval to market or commercialize any pharmaceutical product that contains or incorporates the product candidate referred to as certepetide (formerly LSTA1 or CEND-1), alone or in combination with one or more other therapeutically active ingredients, including all formulations, dosages, or modes of delivery thereof for any indication or patient population, or (ii) analogous application or submission to any other applicable Governmental Body requesting approval to market or commercialize the CVR Product for any indication or patient population (the “Second Milestone”, and together with the First Milestone, the “Milestones”). |
• | the First Milestone Payment is an amount equal to $1.25 per CVR in cash, without interest, payable on or prior to the later of December 15, 2026 and the date that is forty-five (45) days following the achievement of the First Milestone, prior to the termination of the CVR Agreement; and |
• | the Second Milestone Payment is an amount equal to $1.75 per CVR in cash, without interest, payable on or prior to the date that is forty-five (45) days following the achievement of the Second Milestone, prior to the termination of the CVR Agreement. |
• | if Parent fails to enter into the Purchase Agreement on terms and conditions materially consistent with the Term Sheet by February 27, 2026, other than as a result of a Permitted Exception (as defined in the Term Sheet), and the Company has confirmed in writing three (3) business days prior to such time that entry into the Purchase Agreement has been approved by its board of directors and it is prepared to enter into the Purchase Agreement on terms and conditions materially consistent with the Term Sheet and remains prepared to enter into the Purchase Agreement on terms and conditions materially consistent with the Term Sheet at such time, then Parent shall pay the Company a breakup fee in the amount of $2,000,000 in cash (the “Breakup Fee”); and |
• | if the Company fails to enter into the Purchase Agreement on terms and conditions materially consistent with the Term Sheet by February 27, 2026, other than as a result of a Permitted Exception, and Parent has confirmed in writing three (3) business days prior to such time that it is prepared to enter into the Purchase Agreement on terms and conditions materially consistent with the Term Sheet and remains prepared to enter into the Purchase Agreement on terms and conditions materially consistent with the Term Sheet at such time, then the Company shall pay Parent the Breakup Fee; |
• | if the Company terminates the Term Sheet to enter into an agreement providing for a Competing Transaction, then the Company shall pay Parent the Breakup Fee. |
• | To the extent applicable, any applicable waiting period under the HSR Act has expired or been terminated (the “HSR Condition”); |
• | no court of competent jurisdiction has issued an order, decree or ruling or taken any other action restraining, making illegal, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the acquisition of or payment for the Shares pursuant to the Offer or the consummation of the Merger, and no law applicable to the Offer or the Merger restraining, making illegal or otherwise prohibiting the acquisition of or payment for the Shares pursuant to the Offer or the consummation of the Merger shall be in effect (the “Regulatory Condition”); |
• | the Company has breached in a material respect its agreements and covenants to be performed or complied with by it under the Merger Agreement on or before the Acceptance Time and has not thereafter cured such breach or failure to comply, unless such breach or failure to comply has been waived in writing by Parent (the “Obligations Condition”); |
• | the representations and warranties of the Company contained in the Merger Agreement (other than the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4.1 (Organization and Corporate Power; Subsidiaries), Section 4.2 (Authorization; Valid and Binding Agreement), Section 4.3 (Capital Stock), Section 4.4 (No Breach), Section 4.5 (Consent), Section 4.8 (Absence of Certain Developments), Section 4.21 (Brokerage), Section 4.22 (State Takeover Statutes), Section 4.25 (No Rights Agreement), Section 4.26 (Opinion) and Section 4.27 (No Vote Required)) and that (x) are not made as of a specific date are not true |
• | the Company has not delivered to Parent a certificate dated as of the Expiration Date signed on behalf of the Company by a senior executive officer of the Company to the effect that the Obligations Condition and the Representations Conditions have been satisfied as of the Expiration Date; |
• | since the date of the Merger Agreement, there has occurred a Company Material Adverse Effect (the “MAE Condition”); or |
• | the Merger Agreement has been validly terminated pursuant to its terms (the “Termination Condition”). |
• | prior to the later of the consummation of the Offer and twenty (20) days after the date of mailing of the Schedule 14D-9, deliver to the Company a written demand for appraisal of Common Shares held, which demand must reasonably inform the Company of the identity of the stockholder or beneficial owner and that the stockholder or beneficial owner is demanding appraisal; |
• | not tender such stockholder’s or beneficial owner’s Common Shares in the Offer (or, if tendered, validly and subsequently withdraw such Common Shares prior to the Acceptance Time); |
• | continuously hold of record the Common Shares from the date on which the written demand for appraisal is made through the Effective Time; and |
• | comply with the procedures of Section 262 of the DGCL for perfecting appraisal rights thereafter. |
Name and Position | Present Principal Occupation or Employment; Material Positions Held During the Last Five Years; Citizenship (if not United States) | ||
Mark Land President, Secretary, Director | Mark Land is the Founder and has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Parent and its predecessor company, Mi2 Holdings LLC since its inception in 2019. Mr. Land is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Melior Innovations, Inc. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Pallidus, Inc. from 2021 to 2023 and also served as a Director of Alchemy Sciences Inc from 2016 to 2025. Mr. Land holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from New York University. | ||
Name and Position | Present Principal Occupation or Employment; Material Positions Held During the Last Five Years; Citizenship (if not United States) | ||
Mark Land Chief Executive Officer, Director | Mark Land is the Founder and has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Parent and its predecessor company, Mi2 Holdings LLC since its inception in 2019. Mr. Land is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Melior Innovations, Inc. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Pallidus, Inc. from 2021 to 2023 and also served as a Director of Alchemy Sciences Inc from 2016 to 2025. Mr. Land holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from New York University. | ||
Ronald Lissak Director | Ronald Lissak has served as a Director of Parent since 2024. Mr. Lissak served as Executive Vice President and General Manager at Positrigo, Inc from 2023 to 2025. Mr. Lissak is a consultant at Catalyst MedTech. Mr. Lissak served as Chief Operating Officer at Prescient Medical Imaging from 2021 to 2023 and was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Integral | ||
Group of Companies. He has also served as President of the Board of the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. Mr. Lissak is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s OPM program and is a retired Certified Public Accountant. | |||
Andrew Hopkins Chief Scientific Officer | Dr. Andrew Hopkins has served as Chief Scientific Officer of Parent (and its predecessor entity Mi2 Holdings LLC) since 2019. Dr. Hopkins served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Melior Innovations Inc. from 2013 to 2019. Dr. Hopkins has served as a Director of the American Composites Manufacturing Association and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Dr. Hopkins holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Kent and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of London. | ||
Charles Goodwin Director | Charles Goodwin is currently an Operating Partner at TO VC and an advisor to VeriSIM Life. Since inception, Charles has held multiple positions at Parent including his directorship. In prior roles, Mr. Goodwin has focused on scaling world-class investment platforms, including Bridgewater Associates and Point72 Ventures, where he was COO. Previously, Mr. Goodwin launched the healthcare platform at Point72 Ventures and co-created a life sciences tools platform. Mr. Goodwin graduated from Princeton University. | ||

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Equiniti Trust Company, LLC Operations Center Attn: Onbase - Reorganization Department 1110 Centre Pointe Curve Suite # 101 Mendota Heights, MN 55120 | Equiniti Trust Company, LLC 1110 Centre Pointe Curve Suite # 101 Mendota Heights, MN 55120 Attn: Onbase - Reorganization Department | ||
