As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 18, 2021
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 94-3134940 | |
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
455 Mission Bay Boulevard South
San Francisco, California 94158
(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)
Nektar Therapeutics Amended and Restated 2017 Performance Incentive Plan
(Full Title of the Plan)
Mark A. Wilson
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Nektar Therapeutics
455 Mission Bay Boulevard South
San Francisco, California 94158
415-482-5300
(Name, Address, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | ||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | ||
| 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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
Calculation of Registration Fee
| Title of Securities to be Registered | Amount to be Registered(1) | Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share | Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price | Amount of registration fee | ||||||||||
| Common Stock, $0.0001 par value | 5,000,000 shares(2) | $ | 13.57 | (3) | $ | 67,850,000 | $ | 7,402.44 | ||||||
| (1) | Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), which become issuable under the above-named plan by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration which results in an increase in the number of the Registrant’s outstanding shares of common stock. |
| (2) | Consists of 5,000,000 shares issuable under the Nektar Therapeutics Amended and Restated 2017 Performance Incentive Plan, pursuant to such plan. |
| (3) | Estimated in accordance with Rules 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. The price represents the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on August 17, 2021. |
EXPLANATORY NOTE
On March 24, 2021, the board of directors of the Registrant approved an amendment to the Registrant’s Amended and Restated 2017 Performance Incentive Plan (as amended, the “PIP”), pursuant to which the number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for issuance under the PIP increased by 5,000,000 shares subject to stockholder approval, which was received on June 10, 2021. This Registration Statement on Form S-8 registers these 5,000,000 additional shares of Common Stock. The additional shares available for issuance under the PIP are of the same class as other securities relating to the PIP for which the Registrant’s registration statements filed on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-218777) on June 15, 2017, on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-226004) on June 29, 2018, and on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-242327) on August 7, 2020 are effective.
The information contained in the Registrant’s prior registration statements on Form S-8 is hereby incorporated by reference pursuant to General Instruction E, except for “Item 8. Exhibits.”
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 8. Exhibits.
| * | Previously filed with the Commission and incorporated herein by reference. |
| ** | Filed herewith |
II-1
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Francisco, State of California, on August 18, 2021.
| NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS | ||
| By: | /s/ Howard W. Robin | |
| Howard W. Robin | ||
| Chief Executive Officer and President | ||
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Howard W. Robin and Gil M. Labrucherie, and each of them, acting individually and without the other, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments, exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or either of them individually, or their, his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Howard W. Robin | Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Howard W. Robin | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Gil M. Labrucherie | Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Financial Officer | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Gil M. Labrucherie | (Principal Financial Officer) | |||
| /s/ Jillian B. Thomsen | Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Jillian B. Thomsen | (Principal Accounting Officer) | |||
| /s/ Robert B. Chess | Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Robert B. Chess | ||||
| /s/ Jeffrey R. Ajer | Director | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Jeffrey R. Ajer | ||||
| /s/ Myriam J. Curet | Director | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Myriam J. Curet | ||||
| /s/ Karin Eastham | Director | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Karin Eastham | ||||
| /s/ R. Scott Greer | Director | August 18, 2021 | ||
| R. Scott Greer | ||||
| /s/ Roy A. Whitfield | Director | August 18, 2021 | ||
| Roy A. Whitfield |
II-2
Exhibit 5.1
| August 18, 2021 |
Nektar Therapeutics
455 Mission Bay Boulevard South
San Francisco, California 94158
Re: Securities Being Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-8
We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on or about the date hereof relating to an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), of Nektar Therapeutics, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), that may be issued pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2017 Performance Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).
We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions set forth below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinion set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.
The opinion set forth below is limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law.
For purposes of the opinion set forth below, we have assumed that no event occurs that causes the number of authorized shares of Common Stock available for issuance by the Company to be less than the number of then unissued Shares.
Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
| Very truly yours, | |
| /s/ GOODWIN PROCTER LLP | |
| GOODWIN PROCTER LLP |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the Nektar Therapeutics Amended and Restated 2017 Performance Incentive Plan of our reports dated February 25, 2021, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Nektar Therapeutics and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Nektar Therapeutics included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Redwood City, California
August 18, 2021