Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-270126
The information in this preliminary prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities, nor are they soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion, dated January 16, 2024
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To prospectus dated May 1, 2023)
Shares of Common Stock
We are offering shares of our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, in this offering. Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol ALEC. On January 12, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $7.78 per share.
The underwriter has agreed to purchase our common stock from us at a price of $ per share which will result in approximately $ of proceeds to us, before offering expenses, and assuming no exercise by the underwriter of the option described below. The underwriter may offer the shares of common stock from time to time for sale in one or more transactions on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, in the over-the-counter market, through negotiated transactions, or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices, or at negotiated prices, subject to receipt and acceptance by it and subject to its right to reject any order in whole or in part.
Our business and an investment in our common stock involve significant risks. These risks are described under the caption Risk Factors beginning on page S-5 of this prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.
We have granted the underwriter an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to an additional shares of our common stock on the same terms set forth above.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The underwriter expects to deliver the shares of common stock against payment on or about January , 2024.
Cantor
The date of this prospectus supplement is January , 2024.
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), utilizing a shelf registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and sell any combination of our securities described in the accompanying prospectus in one or more offerings. We are providing information to you about this offering of our common stock in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which provides you with specific information regarding the terms of this offering and our common stock, and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which provides more general information, some of which does not apply to this offering of our common stock.
We provide information to you about this offering of shares of our common stock in this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific details regarding this offering. This prospectus supplement adds to, updates, and changes information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference therein with respect to this offering of our common stock. To the extent that any information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the information in the accompanying prospectus or any information incorporated by reference therein, 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 datefor example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplementthe statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement as our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may have changed since the earlier dates.
Before buying any of the common stock that we are offering, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and all of the information incorporated by reference herein and therein, as well as the additional information described under the sections titled Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference. These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.
We have not, and the underwriter has not, authorized any other person to provide you with any information different from that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf. We and the underwriter take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not, and the underwriter 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 or the accompanying prospectus, in the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein or in any free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of such document. Our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may have changed since that date.
We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The distribution of this prospectus supplement and the offering of the common stock in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the common stock and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities offered by this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offer or solicitation.
Unless the context indicates otherwise, as used in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, the terms Alector, Alector, Inc., Company, we, us and our refer to Alector, Inc. and, where appropriate, its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated herein and therein by reference include trademarks, service marks, and trade names owned by us or other companies. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names included or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
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This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and does not contain all of the information that you need to consider in making your investment decision. You should carefully read the entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein, including the risks of investing in our securities discussed under the sections titled Risk Factors contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and the risk factors incorporated by reference herein from our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments or updates thereto reflected in subsequent filings we make with the SEC. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed information appearing elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
ALECTOR, INC.
We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering immuno-neurology, a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegeneration. Immuno-neurology targets immune dysfunction as a root cause of multiple pathologies that are drivers of degenerative brain disorders. We are developing therapies designed to counteract these pathologies simultaneously by restoring healthy immune function to the brain. Supporting our scientific approach, our research and drug discovery platform enables us to identify targets and advance a broad portfolio of product candidates, validated by human genetics, which we believe may improve the probability of technical success over shorter development timelines. Three product candidates, latozinemab (also referred to as AL001), AL002, and AL101, are in clinical development. We continue to develop our preclinical and research pipeline, and we are developing our proprietary blood brain barrier technology to potentially apply to next generation product candidates. We are focusing our development resources on latozinemab in frontotemporal dementia and AL002 and AL101 in Alzheimers disease. We are advancing our clinical product candidates and research pipeline with our existing resources and in collaboration with our partners, GlaxoSmithKline plc and AbbVie Biotechnology, Ltd.
FINANCIAL UPDATE
Our financial statements for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023, will not be available until after this offering is completed and consequently will not be available to you prior to investing in our common stock in this offering. Based upon preliminary estimates and information available to us as of the date of this prospectus supplement, we expect to report that we had approximately $549 million of cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023, which we believe will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2026 (without giving effect to this offering). We have not yet completed our quarter-end and year-end financial close processes for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. This estimate of our cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023 is preliminary, has not been audited, and is subject to change upon completion of our financial statement closing procedures. Additional information and disclosure would be required for a more complete understanding of our financial position as of December 31, 2023. Our independent registered public accounting firm has not audited, reviewed, or performed any procedures with respect to this preliminary information and, accordingly, does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance about it.
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COMPANY INFORMATION
We were initially formed as a limited liability company in Delaware in May 2013 under the name Alector LLC and completed our restructuring to a corporation in October 2017 under the name Alector, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 131 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite 600, South San Francisco, California 94080. Our telephone number is (415) 231-5660. Our website address is www.alector.com. This website address is not intended to be an active link. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein or therein, and the inclusion of our website address is an inactive textual reference only. We use Alector, the Alector logo, and other marks as trademarks in the United States and other countries. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain references to our trademarks and service marks and to those belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including logos, artwork, and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other entities trade names, trademarks, or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other entity.
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THE OFFERING
Issuer |
Alector, Inc. |
Common stock offered by us |
shares. |
Underwriters option |
We have granted the underwriter an option to purchase up to an additional shares of our common stock from us within 30 days of the date of this prospectus supplement. |
Shares of common stock outstanding after this offering |
shares (or shares if the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in full). |
Use of proceeds |
We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, will be approximately $ million (or approximately $ million if the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in full). We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include research, development and manufacturing of our product candidates, working capital, capital expenditures, and other corporate expenses. See the section titled Use of Proceeds on page S-9 for more information. |
Risk factors |
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should read the sections titled Risk Factors, beginning on page S-5 of this prospectus supplement and on page 3 of the accompanying prospectus, and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for a discussion of factors to consider before deciding to purchase shares of our common stock. |
The Nasdaq Global Select Market symbol |
ALEC |
The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 84,136,381 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2023, and excludes the following:
| 11,848,595 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2023 under our 2017 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the 2017 Plan); 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2019 Plan); and 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the Inducement Plan), at a weighted-average exercise price of $14.70 per share; |
| 419,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock that we granted after September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan, at a weighted-average exercise price of $6.48 per share; |
| 3,029,671 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to restricted stock units (RSUs), as of September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan and Inducement Plan; |
| 3,608,801 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to RSUs that we granted after September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan; |
S-3
| 259,000 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to performance stock units as of September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan and Inducement Plan; |
| 10,245,657 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Plan as of September 30, 2023, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; |
| 1,407,389 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our Inducement Plan as of September 30, 2023; and |
| 3,234,549 shares of common stock reserved for issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of September 30, 2023, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan. |
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus supplement assumes no exercise by the underwriter of its option to purchase up to an additional shares of our common stock.
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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading Risk Factors contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the risk factors incorporated by reference herein from our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments or updates thereto reflected in subsequent filings we make with the SEC. The risks described in these documents are not the only ones we face. There may be other unknown or unpredictable economic, business, competitive, regulatory, or other factors that could harm our future results. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow could be harmed. This could cause the trading price of our securities to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Please also read carefully the section below titled Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.
Risks Relating to the Offering
We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
We cannot specify with certainty the particular uses of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering. Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds, including for any of the purposes described in the section titled Use of Proceeds. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include research, development, and manufacturing of our product candidates, working capital, capital expenditures, and other corporate expenses. Our management may spend a portion or all of the net proceeds from this offering in ways that our stockholders may not desire or that may not yield a favorable return. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.
You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the common stock you purchase in the offering.
Based on the indicative offering price of $ per share and the net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2023, because the indicative offering price per share in this offering is substantially higher than the historical net tangible book value per share, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share you may purchase in this offering. The exercise of outstanding stock options and the vesting and settlement of outstanding RSUs could result in further dilution of your investment. See the section titled Dilution below for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in this offering.
Raising additional capital may restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product candidates, and if we sell shares of our common stock in future financings, stockholders may experience immediate dilution and, as a result, our stock price may decline.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenues, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, partnerships and marketing, distribution, or licensing arrangements. In order to raise additional capital, we may, in the future, offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. In addition, as opportunities present themselves, we may enter into financing or similar arrangements in the future, including the issuance of debt securities or preferred stock. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share
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paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this offering. If we issue common stock or securities convertible into common stock, our stockholders would experience additional dilution and, as a result, our stock price may decline. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, or declaring dividends.
If we raise additional funds through partnerships or marketing, distribution, or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce, or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Future sales or issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase common stock in the public markets, or the perception of such sales, as well as issuances pursuant to our equity incentive plans or in connection with acquisitions of strategic or commercial transactions, could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could depress the trading price of our common stock.
From time to time, we may issue additional securities or sell common stock, convertible securities, or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine. The sale or issuance of a substantial number of shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales or issuances 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 decide to sell large quantities of our common stock at any time in one or more separate offerings or issue common stock or other equity securities in connection with an acquisition or a strategic or commercial transaction, which could cause dilution to our existing stockholders. New investors in such transactions could gain rights, preferences, and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock.
We also expect to continue to issue common stock to employees and directors pursuant to our equity incentive plans. If we sell or issue common stock, convertible securities, or other equity securities, or common stock is issued pursuant to equity incentive plans, investors in our common stock may be materially diluted. We cannot predict the effect that future sales or issuances of common stock or other equity-related securities would have on the market price of our common stock.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, product candidates, planned preclinical studies and clinical trials, results of clinical trials, research and development costs, regulatory approvals, timing and likelihood of success, as well as plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that are in some cases beyond our control and may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as may, will, should, would, expect, plan, anticipate, could, intend, target, project, contemplate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, or continue or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein include, but are not limited to, statements about:
| our plans relating to the development and manufacturing of our product candidates and research programs, including additional indications that we may pursue; |
| the ability of our clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy of our product candidates, and other positive results; |
| the beneficial characteristics, safety, efficacy, and therapeutic effects of our product candidates; |
| the expected potential benefits of strategic collaborations with third parties and our ability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory, and commercialization expertise; |
| our estimates of the number of patients in the United States and the European Union who suffer from the diseases we are targeting and the number of patients that will enroll in our clinical trials; |
| the timing and focus of our future clinical trials, and the reporting of data from those trials; |
| our plans relating to commercializing our product candidates, if approved, including the geographic areas of focus and sales strategy; |
| the size of the market opportunity for our product candidates in each of the diseases we are targeting; |
| our ability to expand our product candidates into additional indications and patient populations; |
| the success of competing therapies that are or may become available; |
| the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, including our expectation to seek special designations, such as orphan drug designation, for our product candidates for various diseases; |
| our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates; |
| existing regulations and regulatory developments in the United States and other jurisdictions; |
| our continued reliance on third parties to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates, and for the manufacture of our product candidates for preclinical studies and clinical trials; |
| our plans and ability to obtain or protect intellectual property rights, including extensions of existing patent terms where available; |
| the need to hire additional personnel and our ability to attract and retain such personnel, especially in light of a competitive hiring and compensation environment; |
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| the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, and additional financing needs; |
| our financial performance, including potential volatility in our stock price; |
| the impact of worldwide economic conditions, including macroeconomic downturns stemming from increased inflation, supply chain, and other economic impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and geopolitical events, on our business; |
| the effects of inflation; |
| the sufficiency of our existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities to fund our future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; and |
| our intended use of the net proceeds from any sales of our common stock in this offering, under this prospectus supplement. |
We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about our business, the industry in which we operate, and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, and these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or development. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus supplement and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described in the section titled Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, or otherwise.
In addition, statements that we believe and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus supplement, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
S-8
We estimate that the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $ million, or approximately $ million if the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares of our common stock in full, in each case, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include research, development, and manufacturing of our product candidates, working capital, capital expenditures, and other corporate expenses.
The timing and amount of our actual expenditures will be based on many factors, including cash flows from operations and the anticipated growth of our business. As of the date of this prospectus supplement, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to us from this offering. As a result, our management will have broad discretion regarding the timing and application of the net proceeds from this offering. Pending their ultimate use, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments.
S-9
If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the offering price per share and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering.
Our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2023, was $162.6 million, or $1.93 per share, based on the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2023. Net tangible book value is total tangible assets less our total liabilities divided by the number of outstanding shares of common stock.
After giving effect to the sale of an aggregate of shares of common stock in this offering at an indicative offering price of $ per share, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2023, would have been $ million, or $ per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in as adjusted net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value of $ per share to investors participating in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution per share to investors participating in this offering:
Indicative offering price per share |
$ | |||||||
Net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2023 |
$ | 1.93 | ||||||
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering |
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|
|
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As adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering |
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|
|
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Dilution per share to investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering |
$ | |||||||
|
|
If the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares in full, our as adjusted net book value as of September 30, 2023 would increase to approximately $ million, or approximately $ per share, representing an immediate increase in as adjusted net tangible book value of $ per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value of $ per share to investors participating in this offering.
The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 84,136,381 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2023, and excludes the following:
| 11,848,595 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2023 under our 2017 Plan, 2019 Plan, and Inducement Plan, at a weighted-average exercise price of $14.70 per share; |
| 419,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options to purchase shares of our common stock that we granted after September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan, at a weighted-average exercise price of $6.48 per share; |
| 3,029,671 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to RSUs, as of September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan and Inducement Plan; |
| 3,608,801 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to RSUs that we granted after September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan; |
| 259,000 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to performance stock units as of September 30, 2023 under our 2019 Plan and Inducement Plan; |
| 10,245,657 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Plan as of September 30, 2023, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; |
| 1,407,389 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our Inducement Plan as of September 30, 2023; and |
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| 3,234,549 shares of common stock reserved for issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of September 30, 2023, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan. |
The above illustration of dilution per share to investors participating in this offering assumes no exercise of outstanding options or vesting and settlement of outstanding RSUs. To the extent that any outstanding options are exercised or outstanding RSUs are vested and settled, there will be further dilution to new investors. 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 we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of such securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock acquired in this offering by a non-U.S. holder (as defined below), but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all the potential tax considerations relating thereto. This summary is based upon the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof. These authorities may be changed, possibly retroactively, so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those set forth below. We have not sought, and do not intend to seek, any ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS), with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with such statements and conclusions.
This summary also does not address the tax considerations arising under the laws of any non-U.S., state, or local jurisdiction or under U.S. federal gift and estate tax rules. In addition, this discussion does not address tax considerations applicable to an investors particular circumstances or to investors that may be subject to special tax rules, including, without limitation:
| banks, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, or other financial institutions; |
| persons subject to the alternative minimum tax or the tax on net investment income; |
| tax-exempt organizations; |
| pension plans and tax-qualified retirement plans; |
| controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
| brokers or dealers in securities or currencies; |
| traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings; |
| persons that own, or are deemed to own, more than five percent of our capital stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below); |
| certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; |
| persons who hold our common stock as a position in a hedging transaction, straddle, conversion transaction, or other risk reduction transaction; |
| persons who hold or receive our common stock pursuant to the exercise of any option or otherwise as compensation; |
| persons who do not hold our common stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment); |
| persons deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; or |
| persons required under Section 451(b) of the Code to conform the timing of any income accruals with respect to our common stock on their financial statements. |
In addition, if a partnership (including an entity or arrangement classified as a partnership or flow-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding our common stock and partners in such partnerships should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock.
You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock arising under the U.S. federal gift or estate tax rules or under the laws of any state, local, non-U.S. or other taxing jurisdiction or under any applicable tax treaty.
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Non-U.S. Holder Defined
For purposes of this discussion, you are a non-U.S. holder if you are a beneficial owner of our common stock that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is not a partnership or:
| an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| a corporation or other entity taxable as a corporation created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof, or otherwise treated as such for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| an estate whose income is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or |
| a trust (x) whose administration is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and that has one or more U.S. persons who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (y) that has made a valid election under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. |
Distributions
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. However, if we do make distributions on our common stock, those payments will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed our current or accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will constitute a return of capital and will first reduce your basis in our common stock, but not below zero, and then will be treated as gain from the sale or other disposition of our common stock as described under Gain on Disposition of Our Common Stock.
Subject to the discussions below on effectively connected income, backup withholding and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), any dividend paid to you generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax either at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividend or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and your country of residence. In order to receive a reduced treaty rate, you must provide us with an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E or other appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 certifying qualification for the reduced rate, and you will be required to update such forms and certifications from time to time as required by law. A non-U.S. holder of shares of our common stock eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. If the non-U.S. holder holds our common stock through a financial institution or other agent acting on the non-U.S. holders behalf, the non-U.S. holder will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the agent, which then will be required to provide certification to us or our paying agent, either directly or through other intermediaries.
Dividends received by you that are treated as effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by you (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by you in the United States) are includible in your gross income in the taxable year received, and are generally exempt from the 30% U.S. federal withholding tax, subject to the discussion below on backup withholding and FATCA withholding. In order to obtain this exemption, you must provide us or our paying agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI or other applicable IRS Form W-8 properly certifying such exemption. Such effectively connected dividends, although not subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, are taxed at the same rates applicable to U.S. persons, net of certain deductions and credits. In addition, if you are a corporate non-U.S. holder, you may also be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and your country of residence) on your earnings and profits for the taxable year that are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by you, as adjusted for certain items. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the tax
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consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock, including any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.
Gain on Disposition of Our Common Stock
Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding and FATCA withholding, you generally will not be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our common stock unless:
| the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by you (and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by you in the United States); |
| you are an individual who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met; or |
| our common stock constitutes a United States real property interest by reason of our status as a United States real property holding corporation, or USRPHC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding your disposition of, or your holding period for, our common stock. |
We believe that we are not currently and will not become a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the remainder of this discussion so assumes. However, because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property interests relative to the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests plus our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business, there can be no assurance that we will not become a USRPHC in the future. Even if we become a USRPHC, however, as long as our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, your common stock will be treated as U.S. real property interests only if you actually (directly or indirectly) or constructively hold more than five percent of such regularly traded common stock at any time during the shorter of the five-year period preceding your disposition of, or your holding period for, our common stock.
If you are a non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet above, you will be required to pay tax on the gain derived from the sale (net of certain deductions and credits) under regular U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to U.S. persons, and a corporate non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet above also may be subject to the branch profits tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. If you are an individual non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet above, you will be subject to tax at 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the gain derived from the sale, which gain may be offset by certain U.S. source capital losses for the year, provided you have timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses. You should consult your tax advisor regarding any applicable income tax or other treaties that may provide for different rules.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Generally, we or our paying agent must report annually to the IRS the amount of dividends paid to you, your name and address and the amount of tax withheld, if any. A similar report will be sent to you. Pursuant to applicable income tax treaties or other agreements, the IRS may make these reports available to tax authorities in your country of residence. Payments of dividends on or of proceeds from the disposition of our common stock made to you may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding at the statutory rate (currently, 24%) unless you establish an exemption, for example, by properly certifying your non-U.S. status on a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, W-8ECI or another appropriate version of IRS Form W-8. Notwithstanding the foregoing, backup withholding and information reporting may apply if either we or our paying agent has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that you are a U.S. person.
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Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund or credit may generally be obtained from the IRS, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Provisions of the Code commonly referred to as FATCA, Treasury Regulations issued thereunder and official IRS guidance generally impose a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends on, and, subject to the proposed Treasury Regulations discussed below, the gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock, paid to a foreign financial institution (as specially defined under these rules), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to, among other things, withhold on certain payments and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding the U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners) or otherwise establishes an exemption. FATCA also generally imposes a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends on, and, subject to the proposed Treasury Regulations discussed below, the gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock paid to a non-financial foreign entity (as specially defined under these rules) unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial U.S. owners of the entity and information with respect to such substantial U.S. owners, certifies that it does not have any such substantial U.S. owners, or otherwise establishes an exemption.
The withholding obligations under FATCA generally apply to dividends on our common stock and to the payment of gross proceeds of a sale or other disposition of our common stock. Unless the recipient establishes a FATCA-specific exemption, the withholding tax will apply regardless of whether the payment otherwise would be exempt from regular U.S. non-resident and backup withholding tax, including under the exemptions from those other regimes described above. Under certain circumstances, a non-U.S. holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued proposed Treasury regulations under FATCA, which, if finalized in their present form, would eliminate the federal withholding tax of 30% applicable to gross proceeds of a sale or other disposition of our common stock, and has provided that such proposed Treasury regulations may be relied upon by taxpayers until final Treasury regulations are issued. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the application of FATCA withholding to their investment in, and ownership and disposition of, our common stock.
The preceding discussion of U.S. federal tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax advice to investors in their particular circumstances. Each prospective investor should consult its own tax advisor regarding the particular U.S. federal, state and local, and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed change in applicable laws.
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Under the terms and subject to the conditions in an underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus supplement, Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., as the sole book-running manager and underwriter of this offering, has agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to them, the number of shares indicated below:
Underwriter |
Number of Shares | |||
Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. | ||||
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|
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Total |
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The underwriter is offering the shares of common stock subject to its acceptance of the shares from us and subject to prior sale. The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriter to pay for and accept delivery of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus supplement are subject to the approval of certain legal matters by its counsel and to certain other conditions. The underwriter is obligated to take and pay for all of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus supplement if any such shares are taken. The underwriter reserves the right to withdraw, cancel, or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part. The underwriter is not required to take or pay for the shares covered by the underwriters option to purchase additional shares described below.
The underwriter is purchasing the shares from us at $ per share (representing approximately $ of proceeds to us, before offering expenses). The underwriter may offer the shares of common stock from time to time to purchasers directly or through agents, or through brokers in brokerage transactions on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or to dealers in negotiated transactions or in a combination of such methods of sale, or otherwise, at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices, or at negotiated prices. The difference between the price at which the underwriter purchases shares from us and the price at which the underwriter resells such shares may be deemed underwriting compensation.
The estimated offering expenses payable by us, exclusive of the underwriting discounts and commissions, are approximately $ . We have agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain expenses incurred in connection with this offering, including expenses of up to $10,000 relating to clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
We and the underwriter have agreed to indemnify each other against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Option to Purchase Additional Shares
We have granted to the underwriter an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus supplement, to purchase up to additional shares of common stock at the offering price listed on the cover page of this prospectus supplement, less underwriting discounts and commissions.
Nasdaq Global Select Market Listing
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol ALEC.
No Sales of Similar Securities
We and our directors and executive officers have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., we and they will not, during the period ending on and including the 90th day after the date of this prospectus supplement (the restricted period):
| offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right, or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of common stock; |
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| enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock; or |
| file any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock. |
whether any such transaction described in bullets (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. In addition, we and each such person agree that, without the prior written consent of Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., we or such other person will not, during the restricted period, make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of common stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock.
The restrictions described in the immediately preceding paragraph do not apply to:
(a) the sale of shares to the underwriter;
(b) transactions by any person other than us relating to shares of common stock or other securities acquired in this offering or in open market transactions after the completion of this offering; provided, however, that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) is required or voluntarily made during the restricted period in connection with subsequent sales of the common stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions;
(c) the transfer of shares of common stock or any security convertible into common stock (i) to an immediate family member of the lock-up signatory, or to a trust or other entity formed for estate planning purposes for the benefit of the lock-up signatory or immediate family member, (ii) by bona fide gift, (iii) by will or intestacy, (iv) if the lock-up signatory is a trust, to a trustor or beneficiary of the trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust, or (v) by bona fide gift to a charitable organization, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or other public filing, report, or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of common stock or any security convertible into common stock shall be required or voluntarily made during the restricted period; and provided further that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to provisos (ii) or (v), any such required filing shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to circumstances described in such provisos;
(d) if the lock-up signatory is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, or other business entity, transfers of common stock or any security convertible into common stock (i) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, or other business entity that controls, is controlled by, manages, is managed by, or is under common control with the lock-up signatory or its affiliates or (ii) as part of a disposition, transfer, or distribution by the lock-up signatory to its stockholders, partners, members, or other equity holders; provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or other public filing, report, or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of common stock or securities convertible into common stock shall be required or voluntarily made during the restricted period (other than any required Form 5 filing);
(e) (i) the receipt by the lock-up signatory from us of shares of our common stock upon the exercise of options or the settlement of restricted stock units granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan, as described in this prospectus supplement, insofar as such option or restricted stock unit is outstanding as of the date of this prospectus supplement, or (ii) the transfer of shares of common stock or other securities convertible into common stock to us upon a vesting event of our securities, the settlement of restricted stock units, or the exercise of options to purchase our securities on a cashless or net exercise basis to the extent permitted by the instruments representing such options or restricted stock units (and any transfer to us necessary to generate cash needed for the payment of taxes due as a result of such vesting, settlement, or exercise) so long as such cashless exercise or net exercise is effected solely by the surrender of outstanding options or restricted stock units to us and our cancellation of all or a portion thereof, or (iii) any sell-to-cover transaction involving a sale of shares of common stock in connection with the vesting or settlement of restricted stock units granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan, which plan is described in this prospectus supplement, for the payment of tax withholdings or remittance payments due as a result of the vesting or settlement of such restricted
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stock units. In the case of either (i), (ii) or (iii), no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or other public announcement or filing shall be voluntarily made during the restricted period, and the underlying shares issued to the lock-up signatory shall continue to be subject to the terms of the lock-up agreement. For the purpose of (i), (ii) and (iii), filings under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be permissible if such filings are required and relate solely to net, cashless or sell-to-cover exercises or settlements of stock options, restricted stock units, or other equity awards that would otherwise expire during the restricted period and any such filing includes a statement to the effect that such transfer is being made in connection with a net, cashless or sell-to-cover exercise or settlement of stock options, restricted stock units, or other equity awards, and the lock-up signatory provides written notice to Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. at least one business day prior to making any such filings;
(f) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of common stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of common stock during the restricted period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required or voluntarily made regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of common stock may be made under such plan during the restricted period;
(g) the transfer of shares of common stock or securities convertible into common stock to us pursuant to agreements under which we or any of our equityholders have the option to repurchase such shares of common stock or other securities convertible into common stock upon termination of service of the lock-up signatory;
(h) the transfer of shares of common stock or other securities convertible into common stock pursuant to a bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation, or other similar transaction made to all holders of our capital stock involving a change of control, after the completion of this offering, that has been approved by our board of directors, provided that in the event that such transaction is not completed, the lock-up signatorys shares of common stock or securities convertible into common stock will remain subject to the terms of the lock-up agreement;
(i) the transfer of shares of common stock or securities convertible into common stock pursuant to a domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement; or
(j) the sale of shares of common stock under a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act established prior to the execution of the relevant lock-up agreement and that has been disclosed to Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., provided that any filing required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act that is made in connection with any such sales during the restricted period shall state that such sales have been executed pursuant to such trading plan.
In the case of any transfer pursuant to (c), (d) and (i) above, the donee, transferee, or distributee must agree in writing to be bound by the lock-up restrictions. In the case of (c) and (d) above, such transfer or distribution shall not involve a disposition for value. In the case of (g) and (i) above, no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or other public filing, report, or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of common stock or securities convertible into common stock shall be voluntarily made during the restricted period. In the case of (g) and (i) above, if the lock-up signatory is required to file a report under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act during the restricted period, the lock-up signatory shall include a statement to the effect that such transfer is to us in connection with the repurchase of shares of common stock or other securities convertible into common stock or pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement, as the case may be.
Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., in its sole discretion, may release the common stock and other securities subject to the lock-up agreements described above in whole or in part at any time with or without notice.
Price Stabilization, Short Position, and Other Transactions
In order to facilitate the offering of the common stock, the underwriter may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the price of the common stock. Specifically, the underwriter may sell more shares than it is obligated to purchase under the underwriting agreement, creating a short position. A short
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sale is covered if the short position is no greater than the number of shares available for purchase by the underwriter under the option to purchase additional shares described above. The underwriter can close out a covered short sale by exercising such option or purchasing shares in the open market. In determining the source of shares to close out a covered short sale, the underwriter will consider, among other things, the open market price of shares compared to the price available under such option. The underwriter may also sell shares in excess of such option, creating a naked short position. The underwriter must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriter is concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. As an additional means of facilitating this offering, the underwriter may bid for, and purchase, shares of common stock in the open market to stabilize the price of the common stock. These activities may raise or maintain the market price of the common stock above independent market levels or prevent or retard a decline in the market price of the common stock. The underwriter is not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus supplement in electronic format may be made available on websites maintained by the underwriter, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering. The underwriter may agree to allocate a number of shares of common stock for sale to its online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriter on the same basis as other allocations.
Other Relationships
The underwriter and its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriter and its affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various financial advisory and investment banking services for us, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In addition, in the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriter and its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long and short positions in such securities and instruments. Such investment and securities activities may involve our securities and instruments. The underwriter and its affiliates may also make investment recommendations or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long or short positions in such securities and instruments.
Selling Restrictions
Canada
The shares of our common stock may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the shares of our common stock must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the
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time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchasers province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchasers province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 (or, in the case of securities issued or guaranteed by the government of a non-Canadian jurisdiction, section 3A.4) of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriter is not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
European Economic Area
In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (each, a Member State), no securities have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that offers of securities may be made to the public in that Member State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:
(a) | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under the Prospectus Regulation; |
(b) | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or |
(c) | in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation, |
provided that no such offer of securities shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation and each person who initially acquires any shares or to whom any offer is made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed to and with each of the representatives and us that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. In the case of any shares being offered to a financial intermediary as that term is used in the Prospectus Regulation, each such financial intermediary will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that the shares acquired by it in the offer have not been acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer of any shares to the public other than their offer or resale in a Member State to qualified investors as so defined or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the representatives been obtained to each such proposed offer or resale.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer to the public in relation to shares in any Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares, and the expression Prospectus Regulation means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
United Kingdom
In relation to the United Kingdom, no shares of common stock have been offered or will be offered pursuant to this offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares that either (i) has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority, or (ii) is to be treated as if it had been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in accordance with the transitional provision in Regulation 74 of the Prospectus (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, except that offers of shares may be made to the public in the United Kingdom at any time under the following exemptions under the UK Prospectus Regulation:
(a) | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation; |
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(b) | to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the underwriter for any such offer; or |
(c) | in any other circumstances falling within section 86 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, or the FSMA, |
provided that no such offer of shares shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the UK Prospectus Regulation.
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an offer to the public in relation to any shares in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares, and the expression UK Prospectus Regulation means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
We have not authorized and do not authorize the making of any offer of shares through any financial intermediary on their behalf, other than offers made by the underwriter with a view to the final placement of the shares as contemplated in this prospectus supplement. Accordingly, no purchaser of the shares, other than the underwriter, is authorized to make any further offer of the shares on behalf of us or the underwriter.
In addition, in the United Kingdom, this prospectus supplement is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer subsequently made may only be directed at persons who are qualified investors (as defined in Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation) (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, or the Order, and/or (ii) who are high net worth companies (or persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated) falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as relevant persons) or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and will not result in an offer to the public of the shares in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the FSMA.
Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on the information included in this prospectus supplement or use it as basis for taking any action. In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity that this prospectus supplement relates to may be made or taken exclusively by relevant persons.
Hong Kong
The shares of common stock have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other than (a) to professional investors as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and any rules made under that Ordinance; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a prospectus as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong Kong or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance. No advertisement, invitation, or document relating to the shares of common stock has been or may be issued or has been or may be in the possession of any person for the purposes of issuance, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares of common stock which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to professional investors as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made under that Ordinance.
Japan
No registration pursuant to Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) (FIEL) has been made or will be made with respect to the solicitation of the application for the acquisition of the shares of common stock.
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Accordingly, the shares of common stock have not been, directly or indirectly, offered or sold and will not be, directly or indirectly, offered or sold in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or re-sale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements, and otherwise in compliance with, the FIEL and the other applicable laws and regulations of Japan.
For Qualified Institutional Investors (QII)
Please note that the solicitation for newly-issued or secondary securities (each as described in Paragraph 2, Article 4 of the FIEL) in relation to the shares of common stock constitutes either a QII only private placement or a QII only secondary distribution (each as described in Paragraph 1, Article 23-13 of the FIEL). Disclosure regarding any such solicitation, as is otherwise prescribed in Paragraph 1, Article 4 of the FIEL, has not been made in relation to the shares of common stock. The shares of common stock may only be transferred to QIIs.
For Non-QII Investors
Please note that the solicitation for newly-issued or secondary securities (each as described in Paragraph 2, Article 4 of the FIEL) in relation to the shares of common stock constitutes either a small number private placement or a small number private secondary distribution (each as is described in Paragraph 4, Article 23-13 of the FIEL). Disclosure regarding any such solicitation, as is otherwise prescribed in Paragraph 1, Article 4 of the FIEL, has not been made in relation to the shares of common stock. The shares of common stock may only be transferred en bloc without subdivision to a single investor.
Singapore
Singapore SFA Product Classification - In connection with Section 309B of the SFA and the CMP Regulations 2018, unless otherwise specified before an offer of shares, we have determined, and hereby notify all relevant persons (as defined in Section 309A(1) of the SFA), that the shares are prescribed capital markets products (as defined in the CMP Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).
The underwriter has acknowledged that this prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, the underwriter has represented and agreed that it has not offered or sold any shares or caused the shares to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not offer or sell any shares or cause the shares to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and has not circulated or distributed, nor will it circulate or distribute, this prospectus supplement or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than:
(a) | to an institutional investor (under Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore, as modified or amended from time to time, or the SFA) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA; |
(b) | to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA; or |
(c) | otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA. |
Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:
(a) | a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or |
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(b) | a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor, securities or securities-based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 2(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except: |
(i) | to an institutional investor or to a relevant person, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA; |
(ii) | where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; |
(iii) | where the transfer is by operation of law; |
(iv) | as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or |
(v) | as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018. |
Israel
In the State of Israel this prospectus supplement shall not be regarded as an offer to the public to purchase shares of common stock under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968, which requires a prospectus to be published and authorized by the Israel Securities Authority, if it complies with certain provisions of Section 15 of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 -1968, including, inter alia, if: (i) the offer is made, distributed or directed to not more than 35 investors, subject to certain conditions (the Addressed Investors); or (ii) the offer is made, distributed or directed to certain qualified investors defined in the First Addendum of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968, subject to certain conditions (the Qualified Investors). The Qualified Investors shall not be taken into account in the count of the Addressed Investors and may be offered to purchase securities in addition to the 35 Addressed Investors. The company has not and will not take any action that would require it to publish a prospectus in accordance with and subject to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968. We have not and will not distribute this prospectus supplement or make, distribute or direct an offer to subscribe for our common stock to any person within the State of Israel, other than to Qualified Investors and up to 35 Addressed Investors.
Qualified Investors may have to submit written evidence that they meet the definitions set out in of the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968. In particular, we may request, as a condition to be offered common stock, that Qualified Investors will each represent, warrant and certify to us and/or to anyone acting on our behalf: (i) that it is an investor falling within one of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968; (ii) which of the categories listed in the First Addendum to the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968 regarding Qualified Investors is applicable to it; (iii) that it will abide by all provisions set forth in the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968 and the regulations promulgated thereunder in connection with the offer to be issued common stock; (iv) that the shares of common stock that it will be issued are, subject to exemptions available under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968: (a) for its own account; (b) for investment purposes only; and (c) not issued with a view to resale within the State of Israel, other than in accordance with the provisions of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728 - 1968; and (v) that it is willing to provide further evidence of its Qualified Investor status. Addressed Investors may have to submit written evidence in respect of their identity and may have to sign and submit a declaration containing, inter alia, the Addressed Investors name, address and passport number or Israeli identification number.
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Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, Palo Alto, California, will pass upon the validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is being represented by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Menlo Park, California in connection with this offering.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLPs reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act with respect to the offer and sale of our securities. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, which constitute part of that registration statement, do not include all of the information contained in the registration statement and the accompanying exhibits. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus supplement or in the accompanying prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements, or other documents, the reference may not be complete, and you should refer to the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus for a copy of such contract, agreement, or other document. Because we are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, we file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.alector.com where these materials are available. You may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus supplement and is not incorporated by reference herein, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus supplement is an inactive textual reference only.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Information in this prospectus supplement supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus supplement, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC (Commission File No. 001-38792):
| our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2023; |
| our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on May 4, 2023; |
| our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 3, 2023; |
| our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on November 7, 2023; |
| the information specifically incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, from our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2023 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 27, 2023; |
| our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 29, 2023, April 27, 2023, June 15, 2023, and November 7, 2023; and |
| the description of our common stock set forth in our registration statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on January 31, 2019, including any amendments thereto or reports filed for the purposes of updating this description. |
Any documents we file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination of the offering of our common stock to which this prospectus supplement relates will automatically be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and to be part hereof from the date of filing those documents. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof that are not deemed filed with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
You can request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:
Alector, Inc.
Attn: Investor Relations
131 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 600
South San Francisco, California 94080
(415) 231-5660
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PROSPECTUS
ALECTOR, INC.
Up to $400,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Purchase Contracts
Units
We may offer and sell the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.
Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with any documents we incorporated by reference, before you invest in any of our securities.
We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled About this Prospectus and Plan of Distribution for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE RISK FACTORS BEGINNING ON PAGE 3 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND IN ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED IN OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE HEREIN OR IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq) under the symbol ALEC. On February 27, 2023, the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq was $8.72 per share.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 1, 2023.
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) using a shelf registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell securities from time to time and in one or more offerings as described in this prospectus. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering and, to the extent appropriate, any updates to the information about us contained in this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, you should rely on the prospectus supplement. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the headings Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make 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 and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate as of the date on its respective cover or as otherwise specified therein and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. This prospectus incorporates by reference, and any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may contain and incorporate by reference, market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently verified this information. Although we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the market and industry data presented in this prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference, these estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading Risk Factors contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus and under similar headings in other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.
When we refer to Alector, we, our, us and the Company in this prospectus, we mean Alector, Inc., unless the context indicates otherwise or unless otherwise specified. When we refer to you, we mean the holders of the applicable series of securities.
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We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering immuno-neurology, a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegeneration. Immuno-neurology targets immune dysfunction as a root cause of multiple pathologies that are drivers of degenerative brain disorders. We are developing therapies designed to counteract these pathologies simultaneously by restoring healthy immune function to the brain. Supporting our scientific approach, our research and drug discovery platform enables us to advance a broad portfolio of product candidates, validated by human genetics, which we believe will improve the probability of technical success over shorter development timelines. As a result, we have identified over 100 immune system targets. Three product candidates, latozinemab (also referred to as AL001), AL002, and AL101 are in clinical development, and we continue to develop our preclinical and research pipeline. We are advancing our clinical product candidates and research pipeline with our existing resources and in collaboration with our partners, Glaxo Wellcome UK Limited, a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline plc and AbbVie Biotechnology, Ltd.
We were initially formed as a limited liability company in Delaware in May 2013 under the name Alector LLC and completed our restructuring to a corporation in October 2017 under the name Alector, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 131 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 600, South San Francisco, California 94080. Our telephone number is (415) 231-5660. Our website address is www.alector.com. We also use our website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.
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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making a decision to invest in our securities, in addition to carefully considering the other information contained in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement and incorporated by reference herein or therein, you should carefully consider the risks described under the caption Risk Factors contained in the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, and the risks discussed under the caption Risk Factors contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments thereto, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference, and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering. See Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, each prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and each prospectus supplement contain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, product candidates, planned preclinical studies and clinical trials, results of clinical trials, research and development costs, regulatory approvals, timing and likelihood of success, as well as plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that are in some cases beyond our control and may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as may, will, should, would, expect, plan, anticipate, could, intend, target, project, believe, estimate, predict, potential, or continue or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, statements about:
| our plans relating to the development and manufacturing of our product candidates and research programs, including additional indications that we may pursue; |
| the ability of our clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy of our product candidates, and other positive results; |
| the beneficial characteristics, safety, efficacy, and therapeutic effects of our product candidates; |
| the expected potential benefits of strategic collaborations with third parties and our ability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise; |
| our estimates of the number of patients in the United States who suffer from the diseases we are targeting and the number of patients that will enroll in our clinical trials; |
| the timing and focus of our future clinical trials, and the reporting of data from those trials; |
| our plans relating to commercializing our product candidates, if approved, including the geographic areas of focus and sales strategy; |
| the size of the market opportunity for our product candidates in each of the diseases we are targeting; |
| our ability to expand our product candidates into additional indications and patient populations; |
| the success of competing therapies that are or may become available; |
| the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, including our expectation to seek special designations, such as orphan drug designation, for our product candidates for various diseases; |
| our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates; |
| existing regulations and regulatory developments in the United States and other jurisdictions; |
| our continued reliance on third parties to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates, and for the manufacture of our product candidates for preclinical studies and clinical trials; |
| our plans and ability to obtain or protect intellectual property rights, including extensions of existing patent terms where available; |
| the need to hire additional personnel and our ability to attract and retain such personnel, especially in light of a competitive hiring and compensation environment; |
| the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, and additional financing needs; |
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| our financial performance, including potential volatility in our stock price; |
| the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including recent and new variants, on our business; |
| the effects of inflation; and |
| the sufficiency of our existing cash and cash equivalents to fund our future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements. |
We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about our business, the industry in which we operate and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, and these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or development. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described in the section titled Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise.
In addition, statements that we believe and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
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We may issue from time to time, in one or more offerings, the following securities:
| shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company; |
| shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company; |
| debt securities, which may be senior or subordinated, and which may be convertible into our common stock or be non-convertible; |
| warrants to purchase shares of our common stock or preferred stock or other securities from the Company; |
| purchase contracts; and |
| units representing two or more of the foregoing securities. |
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus a description of any debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units issued by us that may be offered or sold pursuant to this prospectus. The terms of the offering of securities, the initial offering price and the net proceeds to us will be contained in the prospectus supplement, and other offering material, relating to such offer.
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The following descriptions of our capital stock and certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws are summaries and are qualified by reference to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the amended and restated bylaws. Copies of these documents were filed with the SEC and referenced in the exhibits to our registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part.
Authorized Capital Stock
Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 20,000,000 shares of convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. All of our outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and non-assessable.
Common Stock
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq) under the symbol ALEC. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC. The transfer agent and registrars address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219.
Voting Rights
Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting rights. Because of this, the holders of a plurality of the shares of common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they should so choose. With respect to matters other than the election of directors, at any meeting of the stockholders at which a quorum is present or represented, the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at such meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders, except as otherwise required by law. The holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders.
Dividends
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then-outstanding convertible preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds.
Liquidation
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then-outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock.
Rights and Preferences
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription, or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences, and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our convertible preferred stock that we may designate in the future.
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Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by the stockholders, to issue up to 20,000,000 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, redemption rights, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms, and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, any or all of which may be greater than the rights of common stock. The issuance of 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 liquidation. In addition, the issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing change in our control or other corporate action.
Registration Rights of Certain Stockholders
Under our registration rights agreement, as amended, certain holders of shares of common stock or their transferees have the right to require us to register the offer and sale of their shares, or to include their shares in any registration statement we file, in each case as described below.
Demand Registration Rights
Certain holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to certain demand registration rights. The holders of at least 25% of the shares (or a lesser percent for which the anticipated aggregate offering price would be at least $15 million) having registration rights then outstanding can request that we file a registration statement to register the offer and sale of their shares. We are only obligated to effect up to two such registrations. Each such request for registration must cover securities the anticipated aggregate public offering price of which, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, is at least $15 million. These demand registration rights are subject to specified conditions and limitations, including the right of the underwriters to limit the number of shares included in any such registration under certain circumstances. If we determine that it would be seriously detrimental to us and our stockholders to effect such a demand registration, we have the right to defer such registration, not more than once in any twelve month period, for a period of up to 60 days.
Form S-3 Registration Rights
Certain holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to certain Form S-3 registration rights. At any time when we are eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, the holders of the shares having these rights then outstanding can request that we register the offer and sale of their shares of our common stock on a registration statement on Form S-3 so long as the request covers securities the anticipated aggregate public offering price of which is at least $3 million. These stockholders may make an unlimited number of requests for registration on a registration statement on Form S-3. However, we will not be required to effect a registration on Form S-3 if we have effected two such registrations within the twelve month period preceding the date of the request. Additionally, if we determine that it would be seriously detrimental to us and our stockholders to effect such a demand registration, we have the right to defer such registration, not more than once in any twelve month period, for a period of up to 60 days.
Piggyback Registration Rights
Certain holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to certain piggyback registration rights. If we propose to register the offer and sale of shares of our common stock under the Securities Act, all holders of these shares then outstanding can request that we include their shares in such registration, subject to certain marketing and other limitations, including the right of the underwriters to limit the number of shares included in any such registration statement under certain circumstances. As a result, whenever we propose to file a registration statement under the Securities Act, other than with respect to (1) a registration related to any employee benefit
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plan or a corporate reorganization or other transaction covered by Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities Act, (2) a registration in which the only stock being registered is common stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities also being registered, or (3) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of our common stock, the holders of these shares are entitled to notice of the registration and have the right, subject to certain limitations, to include their shares in the registration.
Expenses of Registration
We will pay all expenses relating to any demand registrations, Form S-3 registrations, and piggyback registrations, subject to specified exceptions.
Termination
The registration rights terminate upon the earliest of (1) the date that is five years after the closing of our initial public offering and (2) a deemed liquidation event (as defined in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, in effect prior to the completion of our initial public offering).
Anti-Takeover Effects of Certain Provisions of Delaware Law, Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Our Amended and Restated Bylaws
Certain provisions of Delaware law and certain provisions that are included in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws summarized below may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, deter, or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in its best interests, including attempts that might result in a premium being paid over the market price for the shares held by stockholders.
Preferred Stock
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that permit our board of directors to issue, without any further vote or action by the stockholders, shares of preferred stock in one or more series and, with respect to each such series, to fix the number of shares constituting the series and the designation of the series, the voting rights (if any) of the shares of the series and the powers, preferences, or relative, participation, optional, and other special rights, if any, and any qualifications, limitations, or restrictions, of the shares of such series.
Classified Board of Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes, designated Class I, Class II, and Class III. Each class is an equal number of directors, as nearly as possible, consisting of one-third of the total number of directors constituting the entire board of directors. The term of initial Class I directors terminated on the date of the 2022 annual meeting, the term of the initial Class II directors terminated on the date of the 2020 annual meeting, and the term of the initial Class III directors terminated on the date of the 2021 annual meeting. At each annual meeting of stockholders, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that annual meeting will be elected for a three-year term.
Removal of Directors
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that stockholders may only remove a director for cause by a vote of no less than a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote.
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Director Vacancies
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes only our board of directors to fill vacant directorships.
No Cumulative Voting
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that stockholders do not have the right to cumulate votes in the election of directors.
Special Meetings of Stockholders
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provides that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by the Chairperson of our board of directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or our board of directors acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the board of directors.
Advance Notice Procedures for Director Nominations
Our bylaws provide that stockholders seeking to nominate candidates for election as directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders must provide timely notice thereof in writing. To be timely, a stockholders notice generally will have to be delivered to and received at our principal executive offices before notice of the meeting is issued by the secretary of the company, with such notice being served not less than 90 nor more than 120 days before the meeting. Although the amended and restated bylaws do not give the board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates to be elected at an annual meeting, the amended and restated bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the company.
Action by Written Consent
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that any action to be taken by the stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not be effected by written consent.
Amending our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may be amended or altered in any manner provided by the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL). Our amended and restated bylaws may be adopted, amended, altered, or repealed by stockholders only upon approval of at least majority of the voting power of all the then outstanding shares of the common stock, except for any amendment of certain provisions set forth in the bylaws, which would require the approval of a two-thirds majority of our then outstanding common stock. Additionally, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our bylaws may be amended, altered, or repealed by the board of directors.
Authorized but Unissued Shares
Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval, except as required by the listing standards of Nasdaq, and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the company by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger, or otherwise.
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Exclusive Jurisdiction
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware, is the exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except, in each case, (A) any claim as to which such court determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of such court (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of such court within 10 days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than such court, or (C) for which such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction. Although our amended and restated bylaws contain the exclusive of forum provisions described above, it is possible that a court could find that such provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Business Combinations with Interested Stockholders
We are governed by Section 203 of the DGCL. Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination (as defined in such section) with an interested stockholder (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of such corporation or any person affiliated with such person) for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless (i) prior to such time the board of directors of such corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; (ii) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of such corporation at the time the transaction commenced (excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock of such corporation outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (A) by persons who are directors and also officers of such corporation and (B) by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer); or (iii) at or subsequent to such time the business combination is approved by the board of directors of such corporation and authorized at a meeting of stockholders (and not by written consent) by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of such corporation not owned by the interested stockholder.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws provide that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL. We are expressly authorized to, and do, carry directors and officers insurance providing coverage for our directors, officers and certain employees for some liabilities. We believe that these indemnification provisions and insurance are useful to attract and retain qualified directors and executive directors.
The limitation on liability and indemnification provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duty. These provisions may also have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. In addition, your investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We may issue debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee to be identified in an accompanying prospectus supplement. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officers certificate or by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).
We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:
| the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions); |
| the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities; |
| any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; |
| the date or dates on which the principal of the securities of the series is payable; |
| the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date; |
| the place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered; |
| the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities; |
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| any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation; |
| the dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations; |
| the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof; |
| whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities; |
| the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount; |
| the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be United States dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency; |
| the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made; |
| if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined; |
| the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index; |
| any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities; |
| any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; |
| any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities; |
| any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities; |
| any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities; and |
| whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities of that series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees. |
We may issue debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is
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payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, which we refer to as the depositary, or a nominee of the depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented by a global debt security as a book-entry debt security), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a certificated debt security) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth under the heading Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System below, book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities
You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System
Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the depositary, and registered in the name of the depositary or a nominee of the depositary.
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities.
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
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Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person, which we refer to as a successor person, unless:
| we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than us) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and |
| immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing. |
Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us.
Events of Default
Event of Default means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
| default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period); |
| default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity; |
| default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee, or we and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture; |
| certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of us; and |
| any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.
We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof.
If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any
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declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, 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.
No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
| that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and |
| the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days. |
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall send to each securityholder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
| to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency; |
| to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets; |
| to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities; |
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| to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series; |
| to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture; |
| to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series; |
| to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary; |
| to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities; |
| to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture; |
| to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or |
| to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act. |
We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
| reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; |
| reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security; |
| reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities; |
| reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity; |
| waive a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); |
| make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security; |
| make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or |
| waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security. |
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.
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Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance
The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.
Defeasance of Certain Covenants
The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
| we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and |
| any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series. |
We refer to this as covenant defeasance. The conditions include:
| depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities; |
| such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under the indenture or any other agreement to which we are a party; |
| no Default or Event of Default with respect to the applicable series of debt securities shall have occurred or is continuing on the date of such deposit; and |
| delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in |
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either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred. |
No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Stockholders
None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or stockholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities or the transactions contemplated thereby.
The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such partys address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
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We may issue warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock. We may offer warrants separately or together with one or more additional warrants, common stock, preferred stock, or any combination of those securities in the form of units, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we issue warrants as part of a unit, the applicable prospectus supplement will specify whether those warrants may be separated from the other securities in the unit prior to the expiration date of the warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement will also describe the following terms of any warrants, as applicable:
| the specific designation and aggregate number of, and the offering price at which we will issue, the warrants; |
| the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable; |
| the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which that right will expire or, if you may not continuously exercise the warrants throughout that period, the specific date or dates on which you may exercise the warrants; |
| whether the warrants are to be sold separately or with other securities as parts of units; |
| whether the warrants will be issued in definitive or global form or in any combination of these forms, although, in any case, the form of a warrant included in a unit will correspond to the form of the unit and of any security included in that unit; |
| any applicable material U.S. federal income tax consequences; |
| the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents; |
| the proposed listing, if any, of the warrants or any securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants on any securities exchange; |
| the designation and terms of any equity securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| the designation, aggregate principal amount, currency and terms of any debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants; |
| if applicable, the designation and terms of the common stock or preferred stock, with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each security; |
| if applicable, the date from and after which any warrants issued as part of a unit and the related common stock, or preferred stock will be separately transferable; |
| the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which those shares may be purchased; |
| if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time; |
| information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; |
| the antidilution provisions, and other provisions for changes to or adjustment in the exercise price, of the warrants, if any; |
| any redemption or call provisions; and |
| any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange or exercise of the warrants. |
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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS
The following description summarizes the general features of the purchase contracts that we may offer under this prospectus. Although the features we have summarized below will generally apply to any future purchase contracts we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any purchase contracts that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The specific terms of any purchase contracts may differ from the description provided below as a result of negotiations with third parties in connection with the issuance of those purchase contracts, as well as for other reasons. Because the terms of any purchase contracts we offer under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below, you should rely solely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if that summary is different from the summary in this prospectus.
We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part any purchase contract that we may offer under this prospectus before the sale of the related purchase contract. We urge you to read any applicable prospectus supplement related to specific purchase contracts being offered, as well as the complete instruments that contain the terms of the securities that are subject to those purchase contracts. Certain of those instruments, or forms of those instruments, have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplements to those instruments or forms may be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, from reports we file with the SEC.
We may issue purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and for us to sell to holders, a specific or variable number of our securities at a future date or dates. Alternatively, the purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specific or varying number of our securities.
If we offer any purchase contracts, certain terms of that series of purchase contracts will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following:
| the price of the securities or other property subject to the purchase contracts (which may be determined by reference to a specific formula described in the purchase contracts); |
| whether the purchase contracts are issued separately, or as a part of units each consisting of a purchase contract and one or more of our other securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, securing the holders obligations under the purchase contract; |
| any requirement for us to make periodic payments to holders or vice versa, and whether the payments are unsecured or pre-funded; |
| any provisions relating to any security provided for the purchase contracts; |
| whether the purchase contracts obligate the holder or us to purchase or sell, or both purchase and sell, the securities subject to purchase under the purchase contract, and the nature and amount of each of those securities, or the method of determining those amounts; |
| whether the purchase contracts are to be prepaid or not; |
| whether the purchase contracts are to be settled by delivery, or by reference or linkage to the value, performance or level of the securities subject to purchase under the purchase contract; |
| any acceleration, cancellation, termination or other provisions relating to the settlement of the purchase contracts; |
| a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the purchase contracts; |
| whether the purchase contracts will be issued in fully registered or global form; and |
| any other terms of the purchase contracts and any securities subject to such purchase contracts. |
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We may issue units comprising two or more securities described in this prospectus in any combination. For example, we might issue units consisting of a combination of common stock and warrants to purchase preferred stock. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the units that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. The particular terms of the units and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the units so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit also is the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. Units will be issued pursuant to the terms of a unit agreement, which 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. A copy of the forms of the unit agreement and the unit certificate relating to any particular issue of units will be filed with the SEC each time we issue units, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the forms of the unit agreement and the related unit certificate, see the section of this prospectus captioned Where You Can Find More Information.
The prospectus supplement relating to any particular issuance of units will describe the terms of those units, including, to the extent applicable, the following:
| the designation and terms of the units and the securities included in the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
| any provision for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
| whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form. |
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We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, direct sales to the public, at the market offerings, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods. We may sell the offered securities from time to time:
| through underwriters or dealers; |
| through agents; |
| directly to one or more purchasers; or |
| through a combination of any of these methods of sale. |
We will identify the specific plan of distribution, including any underwriters, dealers, agents or direct purchasers and their compensation in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, Palo Alto, California, will pass upon certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the securities offered hereby on behalf of Alector, Inc. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLPs reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Because we are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.alector.com where these materials are available. You may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only. This prospectus and any prospectus supplement are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. The full registration statement may be obtained from the SEC or us, as provided below. Forms of the indenture and other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are or may be filed as exhibits to the registration statement. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should refer to the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters. You may inspect a copy of the registration statement through the SECs website, as provided above.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SECs rules allow us to incorporate by reference information into this prospectus, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and subsequent information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. Any statement contained in a previously filed document incorporated by reference will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus modifies or replaces that statement.
This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement incorporate by reference the documents set forth below that have previously been filed with the SEC:
| our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2023; and |
| the description of our common stock set forth in our registration statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on January 31, 2019, including any amendments thereto or reports filed for the purposes of updating this description. |
Any documents we file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, as well as subsequent to the effectiveness of the registration statement and prior to the termination of the offering of our securities to which this prospectus relates will automatically be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be part hereof from the date of filing those documents. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof that are not deemed filed with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K or related exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
You can request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:
Alector, Inc.
Attn: Investor Relations
131 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 600
South San Francisco, California 94080
(415) 231-5660
The information accessible through any website referred to in this prospectus or any document incorporated herein is not, and should not be deemed to be, a part of this prospectus.
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Shares of Common Stock
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
Cantor
January , 2024