As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 6, 2020
Registration No. 333-
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
 
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
 
 
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
 
 
Delaware20-1450200
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 
2130 W. Holcombe Blvd., Ste. 800
Houston, Texas
77030
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 (Zip Code)
 

2019 Equity Incentive Plan
(Full title of the plan)
 
Richard A. Fair
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2130 W. Holcombe Blvd., Ste. 800
Houston, Texas 77030
(832) 384-1100
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
 
Copies to:

Karen E. Deschaine, Esq.
Cooley LLP
4401 Eastgate Mall
San Diego, California 92121
Tel: (858) 550-6000
Atabak Mokari
Chief Financial Officer
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2130 W. Holcombe Blvd., Ste. 800
Houston, Texas 77030
(832) 384-1100
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
       
Large Accelerated filer   Accelerated filer 
    
Non-accelerated filer   Smaller reporting company 
  

Emerging growth company
 
 
 If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.





CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
 
Title of securities
to be registered
 
Amount
to be
registered (1)
 
Proposed
maximum
offering price
per share (2)
 
Proposed
maximum
aggregate
offering price (2)
 
Amount of
registration fee
2019 Equity Incentive Plan
 Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share
 800,000 shares (3)  $6.87 $5,496,000.00 $713.38
 (1)Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock (“Common Stock”) that become issuable under the Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2019 Plan”), by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction.
(2)
This estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457(h) and Rule 457(c) of the Securities Act solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee. The maximum offering price per share and the maximum aggregate offering price are calculated on the basis of the average of the high and low sales prices of the Registrant’s Common Stock on July 31, 2020, as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
(3)Represents an increase of (i) 500,000 shares in the number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the 2019 Plan pursuant to an amendment to the 2019 Plan approved by the Registrant’s stockholders at the Registrant’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 15, 2020 and (ii) 300,000 shares in the number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the 2019 Plan to be used exclusively for the grant of inducement awards (the “Inducement Share Pool”).



EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Registration Statement is being filed for the purpose of registering (i) 500,000 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the 2019 Plan, for which Registration Statements of the Registrant on Form S-8 relating to the 2019 Plan are effective and (ii) 300,000 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the 2019 Plan, which has been amended to provide for the Inducement Share Pool.


INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF CONTENTS OF
REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

The Registrant previously registered shares of its Common Stock for issuance under the 2019 Plan under Registration Statements on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24, 2019 (File No. 333-232304), July 23, 2019 (File No. 333-232774) and January 29, 2020 (File No. 333-236149). Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, this Registration Statement hereby incorporates by reference the contents of the Registration Statements referenced above.

ITEM 8.EXHIBITS.
  
  
Exhibit
Number
 
Description 
4.1(1)
 
4.2(2)
4.3(3)
 
4.4(4)
 
4.5(5)
4.6(6)
4.7(7)
4.8(8)
4.9 (9)
5.1* 
23.1* 
23.2* 
24.1* Power of Attorney. Reference is made to the signature page hereto.
99.1(10)
 
(1)Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 6, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
(2)Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on August 19, 2019, and incorporated herein by reference.
(3)Previously filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on December 23, 2014, and incorporated herein by reference.
(4)
Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-200328), originally filed with the Commission on November 18, 2014, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference.
(5)
Previously filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-200328), originally filed with the Commission on November 18, 2014, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference.
(6)
Previously filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-209012), originally filed with the Commission on January 15, 2016, and incorporated herein by reference.
(7)Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on August 19, 2019, and incorporated herein by reference.


(8)Previously filed as Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on August 19, 2019, and incorporated herein by reference.
(9)Previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on August 19, 2019, and incorporated herein by reference.
(10)Previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on August 6, 2020 and incorporated herein by reference.
*Filed herewith



SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on August 6, 2020.
 
   
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  
By: /s/ Richard A. Fair
  Richard A. Fair
  President and Chief Executive Officer
POWER OF ATTORNEY
        KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Richard A. Fair, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with the full power of substitution, for him and in his name, place or stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
SignatureTitleDate
/s/ Richard A. Fair
President, Chief Executive Officer and
August 6, 2020
Richard A. Fair
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Atabak Mokari
Chief Financial Officer
August 6, 2020
Atabak Mokari
(Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ David E. Strauss
Corporate Controller
August 6, 2020
David E. Strauss
(Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ James Brown
Director (Chairman)
August 6, 2020
James Brown
/s/ James M. Daly
Director
August 6, 2020
James M. Daly
/s/ Stephen R. Davis
Director
August 6, 2020
Stephen R. Davis
/s/ Reid M. Huber, Ph.D.
Director
August 6, 2020
Reid M. Huber, Ph.D.
/s/ Judith V. Klimovsky, M.D.
Director
August 6, 2020
Judith V. Klimovsky, M.D.
/s/ Jon P. Stonehouse
Director
August 6, 2020
Jon P. Stonehouse

Document
Exhibit 5.1

August 6, 2020
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2130 W. Holcombe Blvd., Ste. 800
Houston, TX 77030
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have represented Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing by the Company of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, covering the offering of up to 800,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), pursuant to the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Plan”), including 300,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock reserved for issuance pursuant to inducement awards granted by the Company pursuant to the Plan.
In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the Registration Statement and the related prospectus, the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and Amended and Restated Bylaws, each as currently in effect, the Plan and the originals or copies certified to our satisfaction of such other documents, records, certificates, memoranda and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. We have assumed the genuineness and authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies thereof. As to certain factual matters, we have relied upon a certificate of an officer of the Company and have not sought to independently verify such matters.
Our opinion is expressed only with respect to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion to the extent that any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof and express no opinion and provide no assurance as to compliance with any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation.

On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when sold and issued in accordance with the Plan, the Registration Statement and related prospectus, will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable (except as to shares issued pursuant to certain deferred payment arrangements under the Plan, which will be fully paid and nonassessable when such deferred payments are made in full).
We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
Sincerely,
Cooley LLP
By: /s/ Karen E. Deschaine 
Karen E. Deschaine

Cooley LLP 4401 Eastgate Mall San Diego, CA 92121
t: (858) 550-6000 f: (858) 550-6420 cooley.com

Document
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of our reports dated March 12, 2020, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Houston, Texas
August 6, 2020