UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):
October 7, 2022 (
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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 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On October 6, 2022, PureTech Health plc (“PureTech”) issued an announcement (the “Rule 2.4 Announcement”) pursuant to Rule 2.4 of the U.K. City Code on Takeovers and Mergers noting recent press speculation and confirming that it has exchanged indicative, non-binding proposals with Nektar Therapeutics (the “Company” or “Nektar”) regarding a possible combination.
A copy of the Rule 2.4 Announcement is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information included in this Current Report on Form 8-K under this Item 7.01 (including Exhibit 99.1), is being furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing made by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by a specific reference in such filing.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains statements which are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements” which are prospective in nature. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, may be forward-looking statements. They are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among other things, this Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements regarding the proposed combination and may include statements about the benefits of the proposed combination, expected future earnings, revenues and cost savings and other such items, based on Nektar’s and PureTech’s plans, estimates and projections. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the possibility that the proposed combination will not be pursued, general business and economic conditions globally, industry trends, competition, changes in government and other regulation, changes in political and economic stability, disruptions in business operations due to reorganization activities, interest rate and currency fluctuations, the failure to satisfy the conditions of the proposed combination if and when implemented (including approvals or clearances from regulatory and other agencies and bodies) on a timely basis or at all, the inability of the enlarged group to realize successfully any anticipated synergy benefits when (and if) the proposed combination is implemented, the inability of the (post-combination) enlarged group to integrate successfully Nektar’s and PureTech’s operations when (and if) the proposed combination is implemented and the combined company incurring and/or experiencing unanticipated costs and/or delays or difficulties relating to the proposed combination when (and if) it is implemented. Additional information concerning other risk factors is contained in the Risk Factors section of Nektar’s most recent report on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 5, 2022, the contents of which are not incorporated by reference into, nor do they form part of, this Current Report on Form 8-K. Nektar does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 99.1 | Rule 2.4 Announcement. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
1
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.
| NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS | ||
| Date: October 7, 2022 | By: | /s/ Mark A. Wilson |
| Mark A. Wilson | ||
| Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | ||
2
Exhibit 99.1
October 6, 2022
PureTech Health plc
Statement regarding recent press speculation
PureTech Health plc (Nasdaq: PRTC, LSE: PRTC) (“PureTech” or the “Company”) notes the recent press speculation and confirms that it has exchanged indicative, non-binding proposals with Nektar Therapeutics, Inc. (“Nektar”) regarding a possible combination (which may include, amongst other things, an offer for share capital of PureTech) (the “Proposal”).
PureTech and Nektar remain in discussions regarding the Proposal. There can be no certainty that any firm offer will be made, nor as to the terms of any such offer. A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate.
In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, Nektar will be required, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on November 3, 2022, either to announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or to announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. This deadline may be extended with the consent of the Takeover Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code.
The person responsible for arranging for the release of this announcement on behalf of PureTech is Charles Sherwood, Associate General Counsel.
Enquiries:
PureTech
Allison Mead Talbot, Head of Communications
IR@puretechhealth.com
About PureTech Health
PureTech is a biotherapeutics company dedicated to changing the treatment paradigm for devastating diseases. The Company has created a broad and deep pipeline through the expertise of its experienced research and development team and its extensive network of scientists, clinicians and industry leaders. This pipeline, which is being advanced both internally and through PureTech’s Founded Entities, is comprised of 27 therapeutics and therapeutic candidates, including two that have received both U.S. FDA clearance and European marketing authorization and a third that will soon be filed for FDA approval, as of the date of PureTech’s most recently filed Half-Year Report and corresponding Form 6-K. All of the underlying programs and platforms that resulted in this pipeline of therapeutic candidates were initially identified or discovered and then advanced by the PureTech team through key validation points based on unique insights in immunology and drug development.
For more information, visit www.puretechhealth.com or connect with us on Twitter @puretechh.
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person’s interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person’s interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.
If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).
Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
Rule 26.1 disclosure
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available (subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions) at www.puretechhealth.com, by no later than 12 noon (London time) on October 7, 2022. The content of the website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.
Rule 2.9 disclosure
In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, as at the close of business on October 6, 2022 (being the business day ended prior to the date of this announcement), PureTech confirms that it had in issue 281,671,119 ordinary shares of one pence each with voting rights and admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ISIN code GB00BY2Z0H74. PureTech holds 7,341,784 ordinary shares in Treasury.