S-8 1 tm2115500d1_s8.htm FORM S-8

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2021

 

Registration No. 333-                         

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM S-8

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

VALLON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  

Delaware   82-4369909

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization) 

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.) 

 

100 N. 18th Street

Suite 300

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

  

Vallon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full titles of the plans)

 

David Baker

Chief Executive Officer

Vallon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

100 N. 18th Street

Suite 300

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

(310) 655-2928

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

  

Copies to:

Faith L. Charles, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

335 Madison Avenue, 12th Floor

New York, NY 10017-4611

(212) 344-5680

 

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   x     Smaller reporting company   x
        Emerging growth company   x

 

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. x

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of each Class 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

Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share)                
2018 Equity Incentive Plan    621,022 (3)   $3.973   $2,467,320.41   $269.19
Total    621,022    —    $2,467,320.41   $269.19

  

  (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 Vallon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Vallon 2018 Plan”) by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction.

 

  (2) This estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h)(1) of the Securities Act solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee.  The price per share and aggregate offering price are based upon the average of the high and low prices of the registrant’s Common Stock on May 7, 2021, as reported on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

  (3) Pursuant to the “evergreen” provision in the Vallon 2018 Plan, on January 1st of each calendar year, from January 1, 2019 through and including January 1, 2028, the number of shares authorized for issuance under the Vallon 2018 Plan is automatically increased by: (a) a number equal to 4.0% of the total number of shares of the registrant’s capital stock outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year, or (b) a lesser number of shares determined by the registrant’s board of directors (the “Board”).

 

 

 

 

 

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

The information called for by Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428 of the Securities Act and the instructions to Form S-8. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424.

 

INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

 

The following documents, which we have filed with the Commission, are incorporated by reference in this registration statement:

 

The registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Commission on March 29, 2021 (File No. 001-40034); and

 

The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-40034) filed with the Commission on February 8, 2021, pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all shares of common stock offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all shares of common stock then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents; provided, however, that documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with Commission rules shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this registration statement. Any statement contained herein or in a document, all or a portion of which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or amended, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

 

Item 4.Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5.Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6.Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or 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.

 

We have adopted provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, each of which will be effective prior to the closing of this offering, that limit or eliminate the personal liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. Consequently, a director will not be personally liable to us or our 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 us or our 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

 

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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.

 

In addition, our bylaws provide that:

 

we will indemnify our directors, officers and, in the discretion of our 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

 

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

 

We have entered, or will enter, into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and director nominees, and intend to enter into such agreements with our executive officers. These agreements provide that we will indemnify each of our directors, our executive officers and, at times, their affiliates to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. We 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 we will indemnify our directors and officers for any action or proceeding arising out of that person’s services as a director or officer brought on behalf of us or in furtherance of our rights. Additionally, certain of our directors or officers may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses or insurance provided by their affiliates or other third parties, which indemnification relates to and might apply to the same proceedings arising out of such director’s or officer’s services as a director referenced herein. Nonetheless, we have agreed in the indemnification agreements that our obligations to those same directors or officers are primary and any obligation of such affiliates or other third parties to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the expenses or liabilities incurred by those directors are secondary.

 

We also maintain general liability insurance which covers certain liabilities of our 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 of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.

  

Item 7.Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.Exhibits.

 

The following exhibits are filed herewith:

 

Exhibit

Number

 

Description

4.1   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 16, 2021).
     
4.2   Certificate of Amendment of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 16, 2021).
     
4.3   Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 16, 2021).
     
4.4   Specimen certificate evidencing shares of common stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1, initially filed with the SEC on October 23, 2020, as amended on January, 28, 2021).
     
5.1   Opinion of Thompson Hine LLP.
     
23.1   Consent of EisnerAmper LLP.
     
23.2   Consent of Thompson Hine LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
     
24.1   Power of Attorney (included on signature page).
     
99.1   Vallon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1, initially filed with the SEC on October 23, 2020, as amended).

 

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Item 9.Undertakings.

 

A. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

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;

 

(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 Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% 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 the Registration Statement.

 

Provided, however, that paragraphs (A)(1)(i) and (A)(1)(ii) 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 Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

 

2.That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, 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.

 

B. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

C. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act 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 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, 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 Philadelphia, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on May 10, 2021.

 

  Vallon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
   
   
  By: /s/ David Baker
    David Baker
    Chief Executive Officer

  

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Persons By These Presents, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints David Baker as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agents, 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 he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or either of them, or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ David Baker   President, Chief Executive Officer and Director   May 10, 2021
David Baker   (Principal Executive, Financial and Accounting Officer)    
         
/s/ Ofir Levi   Director, Chairman of the Board   May 10, 2021
Ofir Levi        
         
/s/ Joseph Payne   Director   May 10, 2021
Joseph Payne        
         
/s/ Richard Ammer   Director   May 10, 2021
Richard Ammer        
         
/s/ Marella Thorell   Director   May 10, 2021
Marella Thorell        

 

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