S-3 1 d328142ds3.htm S-3 S-3
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 7, 2021.

Registration No. 333-          

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   36-4813934
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

245 Main Street, 2nd Floor

Cambridge, MA 02142

(617) 682-3625

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Barry Labinger

President and Chief Executive Officer

245 Main Street, 2nd Floor

Cambridge, MA 02142

(617) 682-3625

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

With copies to:

Mitchell Bloom, Esq.

Benjamin Marsh, Esq.

Goodwin Procter LLP

100 Northern Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

(617) 570-1000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this Registration Statement becomes effective.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box:  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐


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If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

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 Each Class of

Securities to be Registered

 

Amount

to be

Registered(1)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Offering Price

Per Unit(2)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Aggregate

Offering Price(3)

  Amount of
Registration Fee(4)

Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share(5)

               

Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share(6)

               

Debt Securities(7)

               

Warrants(8)

               

Units(9)

               

Total Offering

  $150,000,000   N/A   $150,000,000   $16,365.00

 

 

(1)

The amount to be registered consists of up to $150,000,000 of an indeterminate amount of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and/or units. There is also being registered hereunder such currently indeterminate number of (i) shares of common stock or other securities of the registrant as may be issued upon conversion of, or in exchange for, convertible or exchangeable into preferred stock registered hereby, or (ii) shares of preferred stock, common stock, debt securities or units that may be issued upon exercise of warrants registered hereby, as the case may be. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with the other securities registered hereunder.

(2)

The proposed maximum aggregate offering price per unit will be determined from time to time by the registrant in connection with the issuance by the registrant of the securities registered hereunder and is not specified as to each class of security pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

(3)

Estimated solely for purposes of computing the registration fee. No separate consideration will be received for (i) common stock or other securities of the registrant that may be issued upon conversion of, or in exchange for, convertible or exchangeable into preferred stock registered hereby, or (ii) shares of preferred stock, common stock, debt securities or units that may be issued upon exercise of warrants registered hereby, as the case may be.

(4)

The registration fee has been calculated in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.

(5)

Including such indeterminate amount of common stock as may be issued from time to time at indeterminate prices or upon conversion of preferred stock registered hereby, or upon exercise of warrants registered hereby, as the case may be.

(6)

Including such indeterminate amount of preferred stock as may be issued from time to time at indeterminate prices or upon conversion of preferred stock registered hereby, or upon exercise of warrants registered hereby, as the case may be.

(7)

Including such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities as may be issued from time to time at indeterminate prices or upon exercise of warrants registered hereby, as the case may be.

(8)

Including such indeterminate number of warrants or other rights, including without limitation as may be issued from time to time at indeterminate prices.

(9)

Each unit will be issued under a unit agreement and will represent an interest in two or more securities, which may or may not be separable from one another.

 

 

THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(a), MAY DETERMINE.

 

 

 


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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This registration statement contains two prospectuses:

 

   

a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to $150,000,000 in the aggregate of the securities identified in the table above from time to time, subject to market conditions and prices, liquidity objectives and other investment considerations; and

 

   

a sales agreement prospectus supplement covering the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $50,000,000 of our common stock that may be issued and sold under an Open Market Sale AgreementSM, dated September 7, 2021 entered into with Jefferies LLC, or Jefferies (the “Sales Agreement”).

The base prospectus immediately follows this explanatory note. The specific terms of any securities to be offered by us pursuant to the base prospectus other than the shares under the Sales Agreement will be specified in a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus. The specific terms of the securities to be issued and sold under the Sales Agreement are specified in the sales agreement prospectus supplement that immediately follows the base prospectus. The $50,000,000 of common stock that may be offered, issued and sold under the sales agreement prospectus is included in the $150,000,000 of securities that may be offered, issued and sold by us under the base prospectus. Upon termination of the Sales Agreement, any portion of the $50,000,000 included in the sales agreement prospectus supplement that is not sold pursuant to the Sales Agreement will be available for sale in other offerings pursuant to the base prospectus and a corresponding prospectus supplement, and if no shares are sold under the Sales Agreement, the full $50,000,000 of securities may be sold in other offerings by us pursuant to the base prospectus and a corresponding prospectus supplement.


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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to Completion, dated September 7, 2021

PROSPECTUS

$150,000,000

 

LOGO

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Units

 

 

We may from time to time issue, in one or more series or classes, up to $150,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and/or units, in any combination, together or separately, in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on the terms that we will determine at the time of the offering and which will be set forth in a prospectus supplement to this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus.

We may offer these securities separately or together in units. Each time we sell securities described herein, we will provide prospective investors with a supplement to this prospectus that will specify the terms of the securities being offered. We may sell these securities to or through underwriters or dealers and also to other purchasers or through agents. We will set forth the names of any underwriters or agents, and any fees, conversions, or discount arrangements, in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may not sell any securities under this prospectus without delivery of the applicable prospectus supplement. You should read this document and any prospectus supplement or amendment carefully before you invest in our securities.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “CMPI.” On September 2, 2021, the closing price for our common stock, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, was $5.97 per share. Our principal executive offices are located at 245 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142.

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, please read “Risk Factors” on page 2 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission or other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is                 , 2021.


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     Page  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1  

RISK FACTORS

     2  

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     3  

OUR COMPANY

     5  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     7  

SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

     8  

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     9  

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

     14  

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     21  

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

     22  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     25  

LEGAL MATTERS

     28  

EXPERTS

     28  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     28  

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     28  

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings up to a total amount of $150,000,000.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation By Reference” beginning on page 28 of this prospectus.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in the accompanying prospectus supplement 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, any prospectus supplement, 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. This prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and the information incorporated herein or therein by reference contains market data, industry statistics and other data that have been obtained or compiled from information made available by independent third parties. We have not independently verified the accuracy and completeness of such data.

THIS PROSPECTUS MAY NOT BE USED TO OFFER AND SELL SECURITIES UNLESS IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADDITIONAL PROSPECTUS OR A PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.

As used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “Checkmate,” “company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and, where appropriate, our subsidiary.

All trademarks, service marks and trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective holders. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, trade dress, or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and does not, imply a relationship with, or endorsements or sponsorship of, us by the trademark or trade dress owners.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks set forth in our filings with the SEC that are incorporated by reference herein and any prospectus supplement, as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, before making an investment decision. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including (i) our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which is on file with the SEC and is incorporated herein by reference, (ii) our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and (iii) other documents we file with the SEC that are deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements relate to, among others, our plans, objectives and expectations for our business, operations and financial performance and condition, and can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” “seek,” “endeavor,” “target,” “continue” and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s belief and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

   

our current expectations and anticipated results of operations;

 

   

the timing and the success of preclinical studies and clinical trials of vidutolimod (formerly CMP-001), and future product candidates, including our current Phase 2 trial for anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma, our current randomized Phase 2/3 trial for first-line melanoma, and our current Phase 2 proof of concept study in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and our currently anticipated Phase 2 proof of concept, multi-indication trial in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma;

 

   

the initiation and completion of any clinical trials of vidutolimod and future product candidates;

 

   

the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business;

 

   

our need to raise additional funding before we can expect to generate any revenues from product sales and our ability to raise capital, including in light of the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the related potential impact on the US and global economies;

 

   

our ability to conduct successful clinical trials or obtain regulatory approval for vidutolimod or any future product candidates that we may identify or develop;

 

   

our ability to ensure adequate supply of vidutolimod and any future candidates;

 

   

our ability to maintain third-party relationships necessary to conduct our business;

 

   

our dependence upon the success of our research to generate and advance additional product candidates;

 

   

our ability to establish an adequate safety and efficacy profile for vidutolimod or any future product candidates that we may pursue;

 

   

the implementation of our strategic plans for our business, vidutolimod and any other product candidates we may develop and our technology;

 

   

our intellectual property position, including the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and technology;

 

   

the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility for vidutolimod and any other product candidates we may develop;

 

   

our estimates about the size of our market opportunity;

 

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our ability to maintain and establish collaborations and strategic relationships, including our clinical trial collaborations with an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Pfizer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.;

 

   

the potential benefits of the continued research, development, testing and manufacturing services provided by contract manufacturing organizations;

 

   

our financial performance and liquidity;

 

   

our ability to effectively manage our anticipated growth;

 

   

developments relating to our competitors and our industry, including the impact of government regulation;

 

   

our ability to retain the continued service of our key professionals and to identify, hire and retain additional qualified professionals;

 

   

our ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting;

 

   

our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”);

 

   

our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as a “smaller reporting company”; and

 

   

our use of proceeds from our initial public offering and from sales under this prospectus, and our expectations regarding our estimated expenses, the sufficiency of our cash resources, our expected cash runway and our need for additional financing.

The forward-looking statements in this prospectus represent our views as of the date of this prospectus. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this prospectus. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.

We may from time-to-time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business and the markets for our product candidates. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market, and other data from our own internal estimates and research as well as from reports, research surveys, studies, and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance. You should read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus and the documents that we reference therein and have filed with the SEC as exhibits thereto completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These estimates involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under “Item 1A: Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2020 and our most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021 and our Current Reports on Form 8-K, and the section of any accompanying prospectus supplement entitled “Risk Factors.”

 

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OUR COMPANY

Overview

We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing our proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer. Our product candidate, vidutolimod (formerly CMP-001), is a differentiated Toll-like receptor 9 (“TLR9”), agonist delivered as a biologic virus-like particle, utilizing a cytosine-phosphate-guanine (“CpG”)-A oligonucleotide as a key component. When injected into a tumor, vidutolimod is designed to trigger the body’s innate immune system, thereby altering the tumor microenvironment and directing activated anti-tumor T cells to attack both the injected tumor and also tumors throughout the body. In a clinical trial of vidutolimod in combination with a systemic checkpoint inhibitor (“CPI”), in patients whose tumors were unresponsive or no longer responsive to a CPI, we have observed a best objective response rate of 28% (27/98), including post-progression responders. We are evaluating vidutolimod across multiple tumor types in combination with other immunotherapy agents. Our founder, Art Krieg, first reported the discovery of immunostimulatory CpG DNA in 1995, which, combined with the discovery of TLR9, led to the recognition that synthetic CpG-A oligonucleotides have the potential to stimulate the TLR9 receptor for therapeutic purposes. Our goal is to establish vidutolimod as a foundational immuno-oncology therapy that engages the innate immune system to fight cancer and improve outcomes for patients with a broad range of solid tumors.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated in July 2015 under the laws of the State of Delaware. Our principal executive offices are located at 245 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, and our telephone number is (617) 682-3625. Our website address is www.checkmatepharma.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and, therefore, is not part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company Status

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), permits an “emerging growth company” such as us to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to not “opt out” of this provision and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards at the time private companies adopt the new or revised accounting standard and will do so until such time that we either (i) irrevocably elect to “opt out” of such extended transition period or (ii) no longer qualify as an emerging growth company. Other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements under the JOBS Act for emerging growth companies include presentation of only two years of audited financial statements in a registration statement for an initial public offering, an exemption from the requirement to provide an auditor’s report on internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2012, an exemption from any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation, and less extensive disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements. We would cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering; (2) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue; (3) the last day of the fiscal year in which we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700.0 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates as of the prior June 30th; or (4) the issuance, in any three-year period, by our company of more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities held by non-affiliates.

We are also a “smaller reporting company” and we may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies until the fiscal year following the determination that (i) the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is more than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was more than

 

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$100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is more than $700 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter. If we are a smaller reporting company at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company, we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to smaller reporting companies. Specifically, as a smaller reporting company we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and, similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily to fund the research and development of our product candidates, acquire or invest in businesses, products or technologies that are complementary to our own, although we have no current plans, commitments or agreements with respect to any acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. Pending these uses, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term U.S. Treasury securities with insignificant rates of return, or may hold such proceeds as cash, until they are used for their stated purpose. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.

 

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SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER

This prospectus contains summary descriptions of the securities we may offer from time to time. These summary descriptions are not meant to be complete descriptions of each security. The particular terms of any security will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities described herein, we will provide prospective investors with a supplement to this prospectus that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering, including the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities offered.

We may sell the securities to or through underwriters, dealers or agents, directly to purchasers or through a combination of any of these methods of sale or as otherwise set forth below under “Plan of Distribution.” We, as well as any agents acting on our behalf, reserve the sole right to accept and to reject in whole or in part any proposed purchase of securities. Any prospectus supplement will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers, agents or other entities involved in the sale of securities described in that prospectus supplement and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our common stock and preferred stock, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the common stock and preferred stock that we may offer under this prospectus. The following description of our capital stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and by applicable law. The terms of our common stock and preferred stock may also be affected by Delaware law.

We have authorized capital stock consisting of 300,000,000 shares of common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, each of par value $0.0001 per share.

As of the date of this prospectus, we had 21,625,891 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, and no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.

Common Stock

The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. The holders of our common stock do not have any cumulative voting rights. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available for that purpose, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any outstanding convertible preferred stock. Our common stock has no preemptive rights, conversion rights or other subscription rights or redemption or sinking fund provisions.

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of all debts and other liabilities and any liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock. All outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof. These rights, preferences and privileges could include dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting, or the designation of, such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of our preferred stock could adversely affect the voting power of holders of common stock and the likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon our liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company or other corporate action.

Registration Rights

Certain holders of our common stock are entitled to rights with respect to the registration of these securities under the Securities Act. These rights are provided under the terms of an amended and restated investors’ rights agreement between us and certain holders of our common stock. The amended and restated investors’ rights agreement includes demand registration rights, short-form registration rights and piggyback registration rights. All fees, costs and expenses of underwritten registrations under this agreement will be borne by us and all selling expenses, including underwriting discounts and selling commissions, will be borne by the holders of the shares being registered.

Demand registration rights

Certain holders of our common stock are entitled to demand registration rights. Under the terms of the amended and restated investors’ rights agreement, we will be required, upon the written request of a majority of the

 

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holders of convertible preferred stock, to file a registration statement and use best efforts to effect the registration of all or a portion of these shares for public resale at an aggregate price of at least $5.0 million. We are required to effect only two registrations pursuant to this provision of the amended and restated investors’ rights agreement.

Short-form registration rights

Pursuant to the amended and restated investors’ rights agreement, if we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, upon the written request of at least 10% of these holders to sell registrable securities at an aggregate price of at least $1.0 million, we will be required to use best efforts to effect a registration of such shares. We are required to effect only two registrations in any twelve-month period pursuant to this provision of the investors’ rights agreement. The right to have such shares registered on Form S-3 is further subject to other specified conditions and limitations.

Piggyback registration rights

Pursuant to the amended and restated investors’ rights agreement, if we register any of our securities either for our own account or for the account of other security holders, the holders of these shares are entitled to include their shares in the registration. Subject to certain exceptions contained in the amended and restated investors’ rights agreement, we and the underwriters may terminate or withdraw any registration initiated before the effective date of such registration in our sole discretion.

Indemnification

Our amended and restated investors’ rights agreement contains customary cross-indemnification provisions, under which we are obligated to indemnify holders of registrable securities in the event of material misstatements or omissions in the registration statement attributable to us, and they are obligated to indemnify us for material misstatements or omissions attributable to them.

Expiration of registration rights

The demand registration rights and short form registration rights granted under the amended and restated investors’ rights agreement will terminate on the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering or at such time when the holders’ shares may be sold without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 within a three-month period.

Anti-Takeover Effects of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and Delaware law

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws include a number of provisions that may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing another party from acquiring control of us and encouraging persons considering unsolicited tender offers or other unilateral takeover proposals to negotiate with our board of directors rather than pursue non-negotiated takeover attempts. These provisions include the items described below.

Board composition and filling vacancies

Our certificate of incorporation provides for the division of our board of directors into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, with one class being elected each year. Our certificate of incorporation also provides that directors may be removed only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the outstanding shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors. Furthermore, any vacancy on our board of directors, however occurring, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of our board, may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office even if less than a quorum. The classification of directors, together with the limitations on removal of directors and treatment of vacancies, has the effect of making it more difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our board of directors.

 

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No written consent of stockholders

Our certificate of incorporation provides that all stockholder actions are required to be taken by a vote of the stockholders at an annual or special meeting, and that stockholders may not take any action by written consent in lieu of a meeting. This limit may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions and would prevent the amendment of our bylaws or removal of directors by our stockholders without holding a meeting of stockholders.

Meetings of stockholders

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that only a majority of the members of our board of directors then in office may call special meetings of stockholders and only those matters set forth in the notice of the special meeting may be considered or acted upon at a special meeting of stockholders. Our bylaws limit the business that may be conducted at an annual meeting of stockholders to those matters properly brought before the meeting.

Advance notice requirements

Our bylaws establish advance notice procedures with regard to stockholder proposals relating to the nomination of candidates for election as directors or new business to be brought before meetings of our stockholders. These procedures provide that notice of stockholder proposals must be timely given in writing to our corporate secretary prior to the meeting at which the action is to be taken. Generally, to be timely, notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the annual meeting for the preceding year. Our bylaws specify the requirements as to form and content of all stockholders’ notices. These requirements may preclude stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting.

Amendment to certificate of incorporation and bylaws

Any amendment of our certificate of incorporation must first be approved by a majority of our board of directors, and if required by law or our certificate of incorporation, must thereafter be approved by a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment and a majority of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class, except that the amendment of the provisions relating to stockholder action, board composition, limitation of liability and certificate of incorporation must be approved by not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment, and not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the outstanding shares of each class entitled to vote thereon as a class. Our bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, subject to any limitations set forth in the bylaws; and may also be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on the amendment.

Undesignated preferred stock

Our certificate of incorporation provides for 10,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock may enable our board of directors to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. For example, if, in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, our board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal is not in the best interests of our stockholders, our board of directors could cause shares of preferred stock to be issued without stockholder approval in one or more private offerings or other transactions that might dilute the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder or stockholder group. In this regard, our certificate of incorporation grants our board of directors broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of common stock. The issuance may also adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of these holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us.

 

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Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a three-year period following the time that this stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Under Section 203, a business combination between a corporation and an interested stockholder is prohibited unless it satisfies one of the following conditions:

 

   

before the stockholder became interested, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;

 

   

upon consummation of the transaction which 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 commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding, shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and

 

   

employee stock plans, in some instances, but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder; or

 

   

at or after the time the stockholder became interested, the business combination was approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Section 203 defines a business combination to include:

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

In general, Section 203 defines an interested stockholder as any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by the entity or person.

Choice of Forum

Pursuant to our amended and restated bylaws, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for any state law claims for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our certificate of incorporation or by-laws or (v) any action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to the Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein (the “Delaware Forum Provision”). The Delaware Forum Provision will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities

 

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Act or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternate forum, the United Stated District Court for the District of Massachusetts shall be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act (the “Federal Forum Provision”), as our principal office is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. These forum provisions may impose additional costs on stockholders, may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a forum they find favorable, and the designated courts may reach different judgments or results than other courts. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the Federal Forum Provision will be enforced, which may impose additional costs on us and stockholders.

Transfer Agent

We have appointed Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc. to serve as transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any debt securities offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the indenture, we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.

We will issue the debt securities under the indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the indenture. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will be incorporated by reference from, reports that we file with the SEC.

The following summary of material provisions of the debt securities and the indenture is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities.

General

The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. It provides that we may issue debt securities up to the principal amount that we may authorize and may be in any currency or currency unit that we may designate. Except for the limitations on consolidation, merger and sale of all or substantially all of our assets contained in the indenture, the terms of the indenture do not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to give holders of any debt securities protection against changes in our operations, financial condition or transactions involving us.

We may issue the debt securities issued under the indenture as “discount securities,” which means they may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. These debt securities, as well as other debt securities that are not issued at a discount, may be issued with “original issue discount” (“OID”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of interest payment and other characteristics or terms of the debt securities. Material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued with OID will be described in more detail in any applicable prospectus supplement.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:

 

   

the title of the series of debt securities;

 

   

any limit upon the aggregate principal amount that may be issued;

 

   

the maturity date or dates;

 

   

the form of the debt securities of the series;

 

   

the applicability of any guarantees;

 

   

whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;

 

   

whether the debt securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination;

 

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if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such debt securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined;

 

   

the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates;

 

   

our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period;

 

   

if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions;

 

   

the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable;

 

   

the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

 

   

any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the debt securities of that series and any security for our obligations with respect to such debt securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of debt securities of that series;

 

   

whether the debt securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security or securities; the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such global security or securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual securities; and the depositary for such global security or securities;

 

   

if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at our option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange;

 

   

if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of debt securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof;

 

   

additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant;

 

   

additions to or changes in the events of default with respect to the securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such securities to be due and payable;

 

   

additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance;

 

   

additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of the indenture;

 

   

additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of the indenture both with and without the consent of holders of debt securities issued under the indenture;

 

   

the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars;

 

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whether interest will be payable in cash or additional debt securities at our or the holders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made;

 

   

the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we will pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the debt securities of the series to any holder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes;

 

   

any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the debt securities of the series; and

 

   

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of the indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations.

Conversion or Exchange Rights

We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock or our other securities. We will include provisions as to settlement upon conversion or exchange and whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock or our other securities that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.

Consolidation, Merger or Sale

Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indenture will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of our assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets (other than any subsidiary of ours) must assume all of our obligations under the indenture or the debt securities, as appropriate.

Events of Default under the Indenture

Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:

 

   

if we fail to pay any installment of interest on any series of debt securities, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by us in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose;

 

   

if we fail to pay the principal of, or premium, if any, on any series of debt securities as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to such series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such debt securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any;

 

   

if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the debt securities or the indenture, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such is a notice of default thereunder, from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and

 

   

if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur.

If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal

 

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amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point above occurs with respect to us, the principal amount of and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.

Subject to the terms of the indenture, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:

 

   

the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and

 

   

subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding.

A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indenture or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:

 

   

the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series;

 

   

the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request,

 

   

such holders have offered to the trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred by the trustee in compliance with the request; and

 

   

the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer.

These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities.

We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indenture.

Modification of Indenture; Waiver

We and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters:

 

   

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture or in the debt securities of any series;

 

   

to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Debt Securities—Consolidation, Merger or Sale”;

 

   

to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities;

 

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to add to our covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture;

 

   

to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture;

 

   

to make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect;

 

   

to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided above under “Description of Debt Securities—General” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities;

 

   

to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under any indenture by a successor trustee; or

 

   

to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.

In addition, under the indenture, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:

 

   

extending the fixed maturity of any debt securities of any series;

 

   

reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption of any series of any debt securities; or

 

   

reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver.

Discharge

Each indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:

 

   

provide for payment;

 

   

register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series;

 

   

replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series;

 

   

pay principal of and premium and interest on any debt securities of the series;

 

   

maintain paying agencies;

 

   

hold monies for payment in trust;

 

   

recover excess money held by the trustee;

 

   

compensate and indemnify the trustee; and

 

   

appoint any successor trustee.

In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.

 

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Form, Exchange and Transfer

We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indenture provides that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or another depositary named by us and identified in the applicable prospectus supplement with respect to that series. To the extent the debt securities of a series are issued in global form and as book-entry, a description of terms relating to any book-entry securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.

Subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will impose no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.

We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.

If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:

 

   

issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or

 

   

register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part.

Information Concerning the Trustee

The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture. Upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indenture at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.

Payment and Paying Agents

Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.

 

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We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.

All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.

Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus.

General

We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, preferred stock, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from these securities.

We will evidence each series of warrants by warrant certificates that we will issue under a separate warrant agreement. We will enter into the warrant agreement with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:

 

   

the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;

 

   

the currency for which the warrants may be purchased;

 

   

if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security;

 

   

if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;

 

   

in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

 

   

in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise;

 

   

the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants;

 

   

the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

 

   

any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants;

 

   

the periods during which, and places at which, the warrants are exercisable;

 

   

the manner of exercise;

 

   

the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;

 

   

the manner in which the warrant agreement and warrants may be modified;

 

   

federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants;

 

   

the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and

 

   

any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units comprised of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock and warrants in any combination. We may issue units in such amounts and in as many distinct series as we wish. This section outlines certain provisions of the units that we may issue. If we issue units, they will be issued under one or more unit agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or other financial institution, as unit agent. The information described in this section may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the unit agreement with respect to the units of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of units offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in a particular supplement, the specific terms of any series of units may differ from the general description of terms presented below. We urge you to read any prospectus supplement related to any series of units we may offer, as well as the complete unit agreement and unit certificate that contain the terms of the units. If we issue units, forms of unit agreements and unit certificates relating to such units will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement, which includes this prospectus.

Each unit that we may issue will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date. The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:

 

   

the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

 

   

any provisions of the governing unit agreement;

 

   

the price or prices at which such units will be issued;

 

   

the applicable United States federal income tax considerations relating to the units;

 

   

any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and

 

   

any other terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units.

The provisions described in this section, as well as those described under “Description of Capital Stock,” and “Description of Warrants” will apply to the securities included in each unit, to the extent relevant and as may be updated in any prospectus supplements.

Issuance in Series

We may issue units in such amounts and in as many distinct series as we wish. This section summarizes terms of the units that apply generally to all series. Most of the financial and other specific terms of a particular series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unit Agreements

We will issue the units under one or more unit agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or other financial institution, as unit agent. We may add, replace or terminate unit agents from time to time. We will identify the unit agreement under which each series of units will be issued and the unit agent under that agreement in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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The following provisions will generally apply to all unit agreements unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement:

Modification without Consent

We and the applicable unit agent may amend any unit or unit agreement without the consent of any holder:

 

   

to cure any ambiguity; any provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described below;

 

   

to correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision; or

 

   

to make any other change that we believe is necessary or desirable and will not adversely affect the interests of the affected holders in any material respect.

We do not need any approval to make changes that affect only units to be issued after the changes take effect. We may also make changes that do not adversely affect a particular unit in any material respect, even if they adversely affect other units in a material respect. In those cases, we do not need to obtain the approval of the holder of the unaffected unit; we need only obtain any required approvals from the holders of the affected units.

Modification with Consent

We may not amend any particular unit or a unit agreement with respect to any particular unit unless we obtain the consent of the holder of that unit, if the amendment would:

 

   

impair any right of the holder to exercise or enforce any right under a security included in the unit if the terms of that security require the consent of the holder to any changes that would impair the exercise or enforcement of that right; or

 

   

reduce the percentage of outstanding units or any series or class the consent of whose holders is required to amend that series or class, or the applicable unit agreement with respect to that series or class, as described below.

Any other change to a particular unit agreement and the units issued under that agreement would require the following approval:

 

   

If the change affects only the units of a particular series issued under that agreement, the change must be approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding units of that series; or

 

   

If the change affects the units of more than one series issued under that agreement, it must be approved by the holders of a majority of all outstanding units of all series affected by the change, with the units of all the affected series voting together as one class for this purpose.

These provisions regarding changes with majority approval also apply to changes affecting any securities issued under a unit agreement, as the governing document.

In each case, the required approval must be given by written consent.

Unit Agreements Will Not Be Qualified under Trust Indenture Act

No unit agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no unit agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of units issued under unit agreements will not have the protections of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their units.

Mergers and Similar Transactions Permitted; No Restrictive Covenants or Events of Default

The unit agreements will not restrict our ability to merge or consolidate with, or sell our assets to, another corporation or other entity or to engage in any other transactions. If at any time we merge or consolidate with, or

 

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sell our assets substantially as an entirety to, another corporation or other entity, the successor entity will succeed to and assume our obligations under the unit agreements. We will then be relieved of any further obligation under these agreements.

The unit agreements will not include any restrictions on our ability to put liens on our assets, nor will they restrict our ability to sell our assets. The unit agreements also will not provide for any events of default or remedies upon the occurrence of any events of default.

Governing Law

The unit agreements and the units will be governed by New York law.

Form, Exchange and Transfer

We will issue each unit in global—i.e., book-entry—form only. Units in book-entry form will be represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary, which will be the holder of all the units represented by the global security. Those who own beneficial interests in a unit will do so through participants in the depositary’s system, and the rights of these indirect owners will be governed solely by the applicable procedures of the depositary and its participants. We will describe book-entry securities, and other terms regarding the issuance and registration of the units in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Each unit and all securities comprising the unit will be issued in the same form.

If we issue any units in registered, non-global form, the following will apply to them.

The units will be issued in the denominations stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Holders may exchange their units for units of smaller denominations or combined into fewer units of larger denominations, as long as the total amount is not changed.

 

   

Holders may exchange or transfer their units at the office of the unit agent. Holders may also replace lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated units at that office. We may appoint another entity to perform these functions or perform them ourselves.

 

   

Holders will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange their units, but they may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the transfer or exchange. The transfer or exchange, and any replacement, will be made only if our transfer agent is satisfied with the holder’s proof of legal ownership. The transfer agent may also require an indemnity before replacing any units.

 

   

If we have the right to redeem, accelerate or settle any units before their maturity, and we exercise our right as to less than all those units or other securities, we may block the exchange or transfer of those units during the period beginning 15 days before the day we mail the notice of exercise and ending on the day of that mailing, in order to freeze the list of holders to prepare the mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers of or exchange any unit selected for early settlement, except that we will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unsettled portion of any unit being partially settled. We may also block the transfer or exchange of any unit in this manner if the unit includes securities that are or may be selected for early settlement.

Only the depositary will be entitled to transfer or exchange a unit in global form, since it will be the sole holder of the unit.

Payments and Notices

In making payments and giving notices with respect to our units, we will follow the procedures as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities offered through this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, if required, in any of the following ways: (i) to or through underwriters or dealers, (ii) directly to purchasers, including our affiliates, (iii) through agents, (iv) in an “at the market offering,” within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act or (v) through a combination of any of these methods or any other method permitted by law. The securities may be distributed at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, market prices prevailing at the time of sale, prices related to the prevailing market prices, or negotiated prices, either:

 

   

on or through the facilities of The Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other securities exchange or quotation or trading service on which such securities may be listed, quoted or traded at the time of sale; and/or

 

   

to or through a market maker otherwise than on The Nasdaq Global Select Market or such other securities exchanges or quotation or trading services.

In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders.

We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. In the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, we will name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act and describe any commissions that we must pay to any such agent. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Each prospectus supplement will describe the method of distribution of the securities and any applicable restrictions.

The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities of a particular series will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including the following:

 

   

the name of the agent or any underwriters;

 

   

the public offering or purchase price;

 

   

any discounts and commissions to be allowed or paid to the agent or underwriters;

 

   

all other items constituting underwriting compensation;

 

   

any discounts and commissions to be allowed or paid to dealers; and

 

   

any exchanges on which the securities will be listed.

If any underwriters or agents are used in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement, sales agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.

In connection with the offering of securities, we may grant to the underwriters an option to purchase additional securities with an additional underwriting commission, as may be set forth in the accompanying prospectus supplement. If we grant any such option, the terms of such option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for such securities.

If a dealer is used in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer, who may be deemed to be an “underwriter” as that term is defined in the Securities Act, may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.

 

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If we offer securities in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers, acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.

Agents, underwriters, dealers and other persons may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date stated in the prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of securities sold pursuant to such contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutions, but shall in all cases be subject to our approval. Delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that:

 

   

the purchase by an institution of the securities covered under that contract shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which that institution is subject; and

 

   

if the securities are also being sold to underwriters acting as principals for their own account, the underwriters shall have purchased such securities not sold for delayed delivery. The underwriters and other persons acting as our agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of delayed delivery contracts.

Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with their remarketing of offered securities.

Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates, may be customers of, have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

We may engage in at the market offerings into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable

 

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prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that the original issue date for your securities may be more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities. Accordingly, in such a case, if you wish to trade securities on any date prior to the second business day before the original issue date for your securities, you will be required, by virtue of the fact that your securities initially are expected to settle in more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities, to make alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

The securities may be new issues of securities and may have no established trading market. The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of or the existence of trading markets for any of the securities.

The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Any underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

The anticipated date of delivery of offered securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to each offer.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of the securities being offered by this prospectus will be passed upon by Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Any underwriters will also be advised about the validity of the securities and other legal matters by their own counsel, which will be named in the prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and subsidiary as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and for the years then ended, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These documents may be accessed through the SEC’s electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system (“EDGAR”) via electronic means, including the SEC’s home page on the Internet (www.sec.gov). Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.checkmatepharma.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and, therefore, is not part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

We have the authority to designate and issue more than one class or series of stock having various preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption. See “Description of Capital Stock.” We will furnish a full statement of the relative rights and preferences of each class or series of our stock which has been so designated and any restrictions on the ownership or transfer of our stock to any stockholder upon request and without charge. Written requests for such copies should be directed to Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 245 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, Attention: Corporate Secretary.

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 on us 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 at the address listed above or from the SEC’s website.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

We have elected to incorporate the following documents into this prospectus, together with all exhibits filed therewith or incorporated therein by reference, to the extent not otherwise amended or superseded by the contents of this prospectus:

 

   

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC on March 29, 2021;

 

   

our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the SEC on May 13, 2021 and August 12, 2021;

 

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the information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, (other than information furnished rather than filed); as filed with the SEC on April 27, 2021;

 

   

our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 5, 2021, May 11, 2021, and June 21, 2021 (other than any reports or portions thereof that are furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 and any exhibits included with such Items); and

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on August 4, 2020 under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus. In addition, we incorporate by reference in this prospectus any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any information furnished and not filed with the SEC) after the date on which the registration statement that includes this prospectus was initially filed with the SEC (including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement) and until all offerings under this prospectus are terminated.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for all purposes to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document which is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings (other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing) at no cost by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

245 Main Street, 2nd Floor

Cambridge, MA 02142

(617) 682-3625

You may also access these documents, free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on our website at www.checkmatepharma.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed from, our website as part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

 

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LOGO

$150,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Debt Securities

Warrants

Units

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

                , 2021

We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus does not offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful. Neither the delivery of this prospectus, nor any sale made hereunder, shall create any implication that the information in this prospectus is correct after the date hereof.

 

 

 


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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

LOGO

Up to $50,000,000

Common Stock

We have entered into an Open Market Sale AgreementSM, or the Sale Agreement, with Jefferies LLC, or Jefferies, dated September 7, 2021, relating to the sale of shares of our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, offered by this prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the Sale Agreement, under this prospectus supplement we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 from time to time through Jefferies, acting as our agent.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “CMPI.” On September 2, 2021, the closing price for our common stock, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market, was $5.97 per share.

Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus supplement may be made in sales deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. Jefferies is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but will act as sales agent on a best efforts basis and use commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the shares of common stock requested to be sold by us, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, on mutually agreed terms between us and Jefferies. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

Jefferies will be entitled to a commission equal to 3% of the gross sales price per common share sold under the Sale Agreement. In connection with the sale of our common stock on our behalf, Jefferies will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of Jefferies will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to Jefferies with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page SA-11 for additional information regarding the compensation to be paid to Jefferies.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” on page SA-4 of this prospectus supplement and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

Jefferies

The date of this prospectus is                 , 2021.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Prospectus Supplement

 

     PAGE  

ABOUT THIS SALE AGREEMENT PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

     SA-ii  

THE OFFERING

     SA-3  

RISK FACTORS

     SA-4  

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     SA-6  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     SA-8  

DILUTION

     SA-9  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     SA-11  

LEGAL MATTERS

     SA-12  

EXPERTS

     SA-12  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     SA-12  

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     SA-12  

 

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ABOUT THIS SALE AGREEMENT PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This prospectus supplement relates to part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may offer shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 from time to time under this prospectus supplement at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering.

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

We provide information to you about this offering of our common stock in two separate documents that are bound together: (1) this sale agreement prospectus supplement, which describes the specific details regarding this offering; and (2) the accompanying base prospectus, which provides general information, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer to this “prospectus,” we are referring to both documents combined. If information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the information contained in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. 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 supplement—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. We have not, and Jefferies has not, authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and Jefferies is not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. You should read this prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety before making an investment decision.

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the information incorporated herein or therein by reference contains market data, industry statistics and other data that have been obtained or compiled from information made available by independent third parties. We have not independently verified the accuracy and completeness of such data.

As used in this prospectus supplement, unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “Checkmate,” “company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and, where appropriate, our subsidiary.

All trademarks, service marks and trade names appearing in this prospectus supplement are the property of their respective holders. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, trade dress, or products in this prospectus supplement is not intended to, and does not, imply a relationship with, or endorsements or sponsorship of, us by the trademark or trade dress owners.

 

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SALE AGREEMENT PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering and selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus supplement. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding whether to invest in the securities covered by this prospectus supplement. For a more complete understanding of the Company and this offering, we encourage you to read and consider carefully the more detailed information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and any related free writing prospectus, including the information set forth in the section titled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement, incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus in their entirety before making an investment decision.

Overview

We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing our proprietary technology to harness the power of the immune system to combat cancer. Our product candidate, vidutolimod (formerly CMP-001), is a differentiated Toll-like receptor 9 (“TLR9”), agonist delivered as a biologic virus-like particle (“VLP”), utilizing a CpG-A oligonucleotide as a key component. When injected into a tumor, vidutolimod is designed to trigger the body’s innate immune system, thereby altering the tumor microenvironment and directing activated anti-tumor T cells to attack both the injected tumor and also tumors throughout the body. In a clinical trial of vidutolimod in combination with a systemic checkpoint inhibitor (“CPI”), in patients whose tumors were unresponsive or no longer responsive to a CPI, we have observed a best objective response rate of 28% (27/98), including post-progression responders. We are evaluating vidutolimod across multiple tumor types in combination with other immunotherapy agents. Our founder, Art Krieg, first reported the discovery of immunostimulatory cytosine-phosphate-guanine (“CpG”), DNA in 1995, which, combined with the discovery of TLR9, led to the recognition that synthetic CpG-A oligonucleotides have the potential to stimulate the TLR9 receptor for therapeutic purposes. Our goal is to establish vidutolimod as a foundational immuno-oncology therapy that engages the innate immune system to fight cancer and improve outcomes for patients with a broad range of solid tumors.

Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company Status

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), permits an “emerging growth company” such as us to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to not “opt out” of this provision and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards at the time private companies adopt the new or revised accounting standard and will do so until such time that we either (i) irrevocably elect to “opt out” of such extended transition period or (ii) no longer qualify as an emerging growth company. Other exemptions and reduced reporting requirements under the JOBS Act for emerging growth companies include an exemption from the requirement to provide an auditor’s report on internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2012, an exemption from any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation, and less extensive disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements. We would cease to be an emerging growth company upon the earliest of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering; (2) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue; (3) the last day of the fiscal year in which we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700.0 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates as of the prior June 30th; or (4) the issuance, in any three-year period, by us of more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities held by non-affiliates.

We are also a “smaller reporting company” and we may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies until the fiscal year following the determination that (i) the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is more than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was more than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our stock held by


 

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non-affiliates is more than $700 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter. If we are a smaller reporting company at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company, we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to smaller reporting companies. Specifically, as a smaller reporting company we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and, similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated in July 2015 under the laws of the State of Delaware. Our principal executive offices are located at 245 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, and our telephone number is (617) 682-3625. Our website address is www.checkmatepharma.com. The information contained in or accessible from our website is not incorporated into this prospectus supplement, and you should not consider it part of this prospectus supplement. We have included our website address in this prospectus supplement solely as an inactive textual reference.


 

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THE OFFERING

 

Common Stock Offered By Us

Shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000.

 

Common Stock to be Outstanding After This Offering

Up to 30,001,100 shares (as more fully described in the notes following this table), assuming sales of 8,375,209 shares of our common stock in this offering at an offering price of $5.97 per share, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on September 2, 2021. The actual number of shares issued will vary depending on the sales price under this offering.

 

Manner of Offering

“At-the-market” offering that may be made from time to time through our sales agent, Jefferies. See “Plan of Distribution” on page SA-11 of this prospectus supplement.

 

Use of Proceeds

We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily to fund the research and development of our product candidates, acquire or invest in businesses, products or technologies that are complementary to our own, although we have no current plans, commitments or agreements with respect to any acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus supplement, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” on page SA-8 of this prospectus supplement.

 

Risk Factors

Investing in our common stock involves significant risks. See “Risk Factors” on page SA-4 of this prospectus supplement, and under similar headings in other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

 

Nasdaq Global Market symbol

“CMPI”

All information in this prospectus supplement related to the number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 21,625,891 shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and unless otherwise indicated, excludes:

 

   

941,476 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options issued under our 2015 Stock Option and Grant Plan, or the 2015 Plan, as of June 30, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $2.48 per share;

 

   

2,342,847 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options issued under our 2020 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or the 2020 Plan, as of June 30, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $13.83 per share;

 

   

1,825,233 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2020 Plan as of June 30, 2021; and

 

   

267,119 shares of common stock reserved for the future issuance under our 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the 2020 ESPP, as of June 30, 2021.

Unless otherwise stated, all information contained in this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise of stock options after June 30, 2021 and reflects an assumed public offering price of $5.97, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on September 2, 2021.


 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully review the risks and uncertainties described below and under the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, as updated by our subsequent SEC filings, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, before deciding whether to purchase any of the securities being registered pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement is a part. Each of the risk factors could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our securities, and the occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations. Please also read carefully the section below titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Risks Related To This Offering

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may invest or spend the proceeds in ways with which you do not agree and in ways that may not yield a return on your investment.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled “Use of Proceeds,” as well as our existing cash, and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding such application. You will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used effectively. Our management might not apply the net proceeds or our existing cash in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering or our existing cash in ways that enhance stockholder value, we may fail to achieve expected results, which could cause our stock price to decline. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term U.S. Treasury securities with insignificant rates of return. These investments may not yield a favorable return to our stockholders.

If you purchase our common stock in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of your shares.

The offering price per share in this offering may exceed the net tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding at the time of sale. As of June 30, 2021, assuming that an aggregate of 8,375,209 shares of our common stock are sold at a price of $5.97 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on September 2, 2021, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $50 million, after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, investors in this offering would experience immediate dilution of $1.20 per share, representing the difference between our as adjusted net tangible book value per share of $4.77, after giving effect to this offering, and the assumed offering price. For a further description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see the section titled “Dilution.”

Future sales or issuances of our common stock in the public markets, or the perception of such sales, could depress the trading price of our common stock.

The sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock or other equity-related securities in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We may sell large quantities of our common stock at any time pursuant to this prospectus supplement or in one or more separate offerings. We cannot predict the effect that future sales of common stock or other equity-related securities would have on the market price of our common stock.

The actual number of shares we will issue under the Sale Agreement, at any one time or in total, is uncertain.

Subject to certain limitations in the Sales Agreement entered into by us with Jefferies and compliance with applicable law, we have the discretion to deliver a placement notice to Jefferies at any time throughout the term of the Sales Agreement. The number of shares that are sold by Jefferies after delivering a placement notice will fluctuate based on the market price of the common shares during the sales period and limits we set with Jefferies. Because the price per share of each share sold will fluctuate based on the market price of our common shares during the sales period, it is not possible at this stage to predict the number of shares that will be ultimately issued or the resulting gross proceeds.

 

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The common stock offered hereby will be sold in “at the market offerings,” and investors who buy shares at different times will likely pay different prices.

Investors who purchase shares in this offering at different times will likely pay different prices, and so may experience different outcomes in their investment results. We will have discretion, subject to market demand, to vary the timing, prices, and numbers of shares sold, and there is no minimum or maximum sales price. Investors may experience a decline in the value of their shares as a result of share sales made at prices lower than the prices they paid.

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference, and any free writing prospectus that we authorize for use in connection with this offering, includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements relate to, among others, our plans, objectives and expectations for our business, operations and financial performance and condition, and can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” “seek,” “endeavor,” “target,” “continue” and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s belief and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

   

our current expectations and anticipated results of operations;

 

   

the timing and the success of preclinical studies and clinical trials of vidutolimod (formerly CMP-001), and future product candidates, including our current Phase 2 trial for anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma, our current randomized Phase 2/3 trial for first-line melanoma, and our current Phase 2 proof of concept study in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and our currently anticipated Phase 2 proof of concept, multi-indication trial in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma;

 

   

the initiation and completion of any clinical trials of vidutolimod and future product candidates;

 

   

the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business;

 

   

our need to raise additional funding before we can expect to generate any revenues from product sales and our ability to raise capital, including in light of the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the related potential impact on the US and global economies;

 

   

our ability to conduct successful clinical trials or obtain regulatory approval for vidutolimod or any future product candidates that we may identify or develop;

 

   

our ability to ensure adequate supply of vidutolimod and any future candidates;

 

   

our ability to maintain third-party relationships necessary to conduct our business;

 

   

our dependence upon the success of our research to generate and advance additional product candidates;

 

   

our ability to establish an adequate safety and efficacy profile for vidutolimod or any future product candidates that we may pursue;

 

   

the implementation of our strategic plans for our business, vidutolimod and any other product candidates we may develop and our technology;

 

   

our intellectual property position, including the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates and technology;

 

   

the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility for vidutolimod and any other product candidates we may develop;

 

   

our estimates about the size of our market opportunity;

 

   

our ability to maintain and establish collaborations and strategic relationships, including our clinical trial collaborations with an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Pfizer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.;

 

   

the potential benefits of the continued research, development, testing and manufacturing services provided by contract manufacturing organizations;

 

   

our financial performance and liquidity;

 

   

our ability to effectively manage our anticipated growth;

 

   

developments relating to our competitors and our industry, including the impact of government regulation;

 

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our ability to retain the continued service of our key professionals and to identify, hire and retain additional qualified professionals;

 

   

our ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting;

 

   

our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act;

 

   

our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as a “smaller reporting company”; and

 

   

our use of proceeds from our initial public offering and from sales under this prospectus supplement, and our expectations regarding our estimated expenses, the sufficiency of our cash resources, our expected cash runway and our need for additional financing.

The forward-looking statements in this prospectus supplement represent our views as of the date of this prospectus supplement. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this prospectus supplement. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.

We may from time-to-time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business and the markets for our product candidates. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances that are assumed in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market, and other data from our own internal estimates and research as well as from reports, research surveys, studies, and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and any related free writing prospectus and the documents that we reference therein and have filed with the SEC as exhibits thereto completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These estimates involve numerous assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under “Item 1A: Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2020 and our most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three and six months ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021 and our Current Reports on Form 8-K.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We may issue and sell shares of our common stock having aggregate sales proceeds of up to $50,000,000 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 proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. There can be no assurance that we will sell any shares under or fully utilize the Sale Agreement with Jefferies as a source of financing.

We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily to fund the research and development of our product candidates, acquire or invest in businesses, products or technologies that are complementary to our own, although we have no current plans, commitments or agreements with respect to any acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus supplement, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. Pending these uses, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in short-term U.S. Treasury securities with insignificant rates of return., or may hold such proceeds as cash, until they are used for their stated purpose. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.

 

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DILUTION

Our historical net tangible book value as of June 30, 2021 was $95.0 million, or $4.39 per share. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our total tangible assets, less total liabilities, by the 21,625,891 shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2021.

After giving effect to the sale of 8,375,209 shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed offering price of $5.97 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on September 2, 2021, and after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2021 would have been $143.1 million, or $4.77 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.38 per share to existing stockholders and immediate dilution of $1.20 per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering at the public offering price. The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:

 

Assumed public offering price per share

      $ 5.97  

Historical net tangible book value per share of as June 30, 2021

   $ 4.39     

Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering

     0.38     
  

 

 

    

As adjusted net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2021, after giving effect to this offering

        4.77  
     

 

 

 

Dilution per share to investors purchasing our common stock in this offering

      $ 1.20  

The number of shares of common stock outstanding is based on an aggregate of 21,625,891 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2021, and excludes:

 

   

941,476 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options under the 2015 Plan, as of June 30, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $2.48 per share;

 

   

2,342,847 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options issued under the 2020 Plan, as of June 30, 2021, at a weighted average exercise price of $13.83 per share;

 

   

1,825,233 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2020 Plan, as of June 30, 2021; and

 

   

267,119 shares of common stock reserved for the future issuance under the 2020 ESPP, as of June 30, 2021.

The table above assumes for illustrative purposes that an aggregate of 8,375,209 shares of our common stock are sold during the term of the Sale Agreement with Jefferies at a price of $5.97 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on September 2, 2021, for aggregate gross proceeds of $50 million. The shares subject to the Sale Agreement with Jefferies are being sold from time to time at various prices. An increase of $1.00 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $5.97 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50 million during the term of the Sale Agreement with Jefferies is sold at that price, would increase our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to $4.97 per share and would increase the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering to $2.00 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of $1.00 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $5.97 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50 million during the term of the Sale Agreement with Jefferies is sold at that price, would decrease our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to $4.52 per share and would decrease the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering to $0.45 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. This information is supplied for illustrative purposes only and assumes no exercise of the options outstanding as of June 30, 2021. For more information, see “Description of Capital Stock” in the accompanying base prospectus.

 

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To the extent that options outstanding as of June 30, 2021 have been or may be exercised or other shares issued, investors purchasing our common stock in this offering may experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We have entered into the Sales Agreement with Jefferies, under which we may offer and sell up to $50 million of our shares of common stock from time to time through Jefferies acting as agent. Sales of our shares of common stock, if any, under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus will be made by any method that is deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act.

Each time we wish to issue and sell our shares of common stock under the Sales Agreement, we will notify Jefferies of the number of shares to be issued, the dates on which such sales are anticipated to be made, any limitation on the number of shares to be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. Once we have so instructed Jefferies, unless Jefferies declines to accept the terms of such notice, Jefferies has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such shares up to the amount specified on such terms. The obligations of Jefferies under the Sales Agreement to sell our shares of common stock are subject to a number of conditions that we must meet.

The settlement of sales of shares between us and Jefferies is generally anticipated to occur on the second trading day following the date on which the sale was made. Sales of our shares of common stock as contemplated in this prospectus supplement will be settled through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company or by such other means as we and Jefferies may agree upon. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

We will pay Jefferies a commission equal to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds we receive from each sale of our shares of common stock. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. In addition, we have agreed to reimburse Jefferies for the fees and disbursements of its counsel, payable upon the execution of the Sales Agreement, in an amount not to exceed $50,000, in addition to certain ongoing disbursements of its legal counsel payable in the amount of $15,000 in connection with each diligence bring-down thereafter. We estimate that the total expenses for the offering, excluding any commissions or expense reimbursement payable to Jefferies under the terms of the Sales Agreement, will be approximately $325,000. The remaining sale proceeds, after deducting any other transaction fees, will equal our net proceeds from the sale of such shares.

Jefferies will provide written confirmation to us before the open on the Nasdaq Global Market on the day following each day on which our shares of common stock are sold under the Sales Agreement. Each confirmation will include the number of shares sold on that day, the aggregate gross proceeds of such sales and the proceeds to us.

In connection with the sale of our shares of common stock on our behalf, Jefferies may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation of Jefferies will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to indemnify Jefferies against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We have also agreed to contribute to payments Jefferies may be required to make in respect of such liabilities.

The offering of our shares of common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all shares of common stock subject to the Sales Agreement and (ii) the termination of the Sales Agreement as permitted therein. We and Jefferies may each terminate the Sales Agreement at any time upon ten trading days’ prior notice.

This summary of the material provisions of the Sales Agreement does not purport to be a complete statement of its terms and conditions. A copy of the Sales Agreement is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part.

Jefferies and its affiliates may in the future provide various investment banking, commercial banking, financial advisory and other financial services for us and our affiliates, for which services they may in the future receive customary fees. In the course of its business, Jefferies may actively trade our securities for its own account or for the accounts of customers, and, accordingly, Jefferies may at any time hold long or short positions in such securities.

A prospectus and the accompanying base prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by Jefferies, and Jefferies may distribute the prospectus and the accompanying base prospectus electronically.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, Boston, Massachusetts. Jefferies LLC is being represented in connection with this offering by Latham & Watkins LLP.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and subsidiary as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and for the years then ended, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC this registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement, which constitutes a part of this registration statement, does not contain all of the information in this registration statement and its exhibits. For further information with respect to us and the common stock offered by this prospectus supplement, you should refer to this registration statement and the exhibits filed as part of this document. Statements contained in this prospectus supplement as to the contents of any contract or any other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and in each instance, we refer you to the copy of the contract or other document filed as an exhibit to this registration statement. Each of these statements is qualified in all respects by this reference.

We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These documents may be accessed through the SEC’s electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system (“EDGAR”) via electronic means, including the SEC’s home page on the Internet (www.sec.gov). Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.checkmatepharma.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and, therefore, is not part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

We have elected to incorporate the following documents into this prospectus supplement, together with all exhibits filed therewith or incorporated therein by reference, to the extent not otherwise amended or superseded by the contents of this prospectus supplement:

 

   

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC on March 29, 2021;

 

   

our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the SEC on May 13, 2021 and August 12, 2021;

 

   

our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A, as filed with the SEC on April 27, 2021; and

 

   

our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 5, 2021, May 11, 2021, and June 21, 2021 (other than any reports or portions thereof that are furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 and any exhibits included with such Items).

The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus supplement. In addition, we incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (excluding any information furnished and not filed with the

 

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SEC) after the date on which the registration statement that includes this prospectus supplement was initially filed with the SEC (including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement) and until all offerings under this prospectus supplement are terminated.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for all purposes to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or in any other subsequently filed document which is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement. You may request a copy of these filings (other than an exhibit to a filing unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing) at no cost by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

245 Main Street, 2nd Floor

Cambridge, MA 02142

(617) 682-3625

You may also access these documents, free of charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on our website at www.checkmatepharma.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, and you should not consider any information on, or that can be accessed from, our website as part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus.

 

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LOGO

Up to $50,000,000

Common Stock

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

 

Jefferies

                , 2021

We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or represent anything not contained in this prospectus supplement. You must not rely on any unauthorized information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus supplement does not offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful. Neither the delivery of this prospectus supplement, nor any sale made hereunder, shall create any implication that the information in this prospectus supplement is correct after the date hereof.

 

 

 


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PART II—INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The expenses payable by Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Registrant” or the “Company”) in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered (other than underwriting discounts and commissions, if any) are set forth below. Each item listed is estimated, except for the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registration.

 

Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee

   $ 16,365  

FINRA filing fee

     23,000  

Legal fees and expenses

     *  

Accounting fees and expenses

     *  

Transfer agent and trustee fees

     *  

Miscellaneous

     *  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ *  
  

 

 

 

 

*

These fees and expenses are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and distributions of the offered securities and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) authorizes a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities arising out of actions, suits and proceedings to which they are made or threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that they have served or are currently serving as a director or officer to a corporation. The indemnity may cover expenses (including attorneys’ fees) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the director or officer in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding. Section 145 permits corporations to pay expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by directors and officers in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding. In addition, Section 145 provides that a corporation has the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in their capacity as a director or officer, or arising out of their status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the director or officer against such liability under Section 145.

The registrant has adopted provisions in the registrant’s certificate of incorporation that limit or eliminate the personal liability of the registrant’s directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. Consequently, a director or officer will not be personally liable to the registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages or breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability for:

 

   

any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the registrant or its stockholders;

 

   

any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

   

any unlawful payments related to dividends or unlawful stock purchases, redemptions or other distributions; or

 

   

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

These limitations of liability do not alter director liability under the federal securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as an injunction or rescission.

 

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In addition, the registrant’s bylaws provide that:

 

   

the registrant will indemnify its directors, officers and, in the discretion of its board of directors, certain employees to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended; and

 

   

the registrant will advance reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees, to its directors and, in the discretion of its board of directors, to its officers and certain employees, in connection with legal proceedings relating to their service for or on behalf of the registrant, subject to limited exceptions.

The registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with or has contractual rights to provide indemnification to each of its directors and intends to enter into such agreements with certain of its executive officers. These agreements provide that the registrant will indemnify each of its directors, certain of its executive officers and, at times, their affiliates, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. The registrant will advance expenses, including attorneys’ fees (but excluding judgments, fines and settlement amounts), to each indemnified director, executive officer or affiliate in connection with any proceeding in which indemnification is available and the registrant will indemnify its directors and executive officers for any action or proceeding arising out of that person’s services as a director or officer brought on behalf of the registrant and/or in furtherance of the registrant’s rights. Additionally, certain of the registrant’s directors may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses or insurance provided by their affiliates, which indemnification relates to and might apply to the same proceedings arising out of such director’s services as a director referenced herein. Nonetheless, the registrant has agreed in the indemnification agreements that the registrant’s obligations to those same directors are primary and any obligation of the affiliates of those directors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the expenses or liabilities incurred by those directors are secondary.

The registrant also maintains general liability insurance which covers certain liabilities of its directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Item 16. Exhibits

A list of exhibits filed with this registration statement on Form S-3 is set forth on the Exhibit Index and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 17. Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(a) (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in

 

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the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(l)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i), (1)(ii) and (1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and (ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(l)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date;

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

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(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and (iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser;

(6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

(7) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue; and

(8) To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

  

Description

  1.1*    Form of Underwriting Agreement
  1.2    Open Market Sale AgreementSM, dated as of September 7, 2021, by and among the Registrant and Jefferies LLC
  3.1    Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39425) filed on August 14, 2020)
  3.2    Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39425) filed on August 14, 2020)
  4.1    Second Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement among the Registrant and certain of its stockholders, dated June  9, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-239932) filed on July 17, 2020)
  4.2    Specimen Certificate for Common Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-239932) filed on August 3, 2020)
  4.3*    Specimen Certificate for Preferred Stock
  4.4*    Form of Certificate of Designations
  4.5    Form of indenture between Registrant and one or more trustees to be named
  4.6*    Form of Warrant Agreement (including Form of Warrant Certificate)
  4.7*    Form of Unit Agreement (including Form of Unit Certificate)
  5.1    Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP
23.1    Consent of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
23.2    Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on signature pages hereto)
25.1**    The Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the Trustee (to be filed prior to any issuance of Debt Securities)

 

*

To be filed, if necessary, by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement, including a Current Report on Form 8-K.

**

To be filed pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Cambridge, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on September 7, 2021.

 

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
By:   /s/ Barry Labinger
 

Barry Labinger

President and Chief Executive Officer

We, the undersigned directors and officers of the Company, hereby severally constitute and appoint Barry Labinger and Robert Dolski as our true and lawful attorneys, with full power to him to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below, the registration statement on Form S-3 filed herewith, and any and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments to said registration statement, and any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of equity securities of the Company, and to file or cause to be filed the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as each of them might or could do in person, and hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys, and each of them, or their substitute or substitutes, shall do or cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney. This power of attorney does not revoke any power of attorney previously granted by the undersigned, or any of them.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the date indicated:

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Barry Labinger

     Barry Labinger

  

Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

  September 7, 2021

/s/ Robert Dolski

     Robert Dolski

  

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)

  September 7, 2021

/s/ Mike Powell

     Mike Powell

  

Director

  September 7, 2021

/s/ Peter Colabuono

     Peter Colabuono

  

Director

  September 7, 2021

/s/ Keith Flaherty, M.D.

     Keith Flaherty, M.D.

  

Director

  September 7, 2021

/s/ Alan Fuhrman

     Alan Fuhrman

  

Director

  September 7, 2021

/s/ Oren K. Isacoff, M.D.

     Oren K. Isacoff, M.D.

  

Director

  September 7, 2021

/s/ Nilesh Kumar, Ph.D.

     Nilesh Kumar, Ph.D.

  

Director

  September 7, 2021

 

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