THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT ARE NOT FOR
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY
OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED
STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO
WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF
SUCH JURISDICTION.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Legal Entity Identifier: 213800OVT3AHQCXNIX43
12 February 2024
RECOMMENDED ALL-SHARE ACQUISITION OF
THE ASSETS OF
ARIX BIOSCIENCE PLC
("Arix")
BY
RTW BIOTECH OPPORTUNITIES LTD ("RTW
Bio")
Scheme Effective
On 1 November 2023, the boards of RTW Bio and Arix announced
that they had agreed to the terms of a recommended all-share
acquisition of Arix's assets by RTW Bio, via a subsidiary, to be
effected through a scheme of reconstruction and the voluntary
winding-up of Arix under section 110 of the Insolvency Act 1986
(the "Scheme").
In connection with the Scheme, the Board is pleased to
announce that at the Second General Meeting held earlier
today, the Resolution proposed (which was proposed as a
special resolution) to place Arix into members' voluntary
liquidation was passed by the requisite majority of Shareholders
and the Scheme has today become effective in accordance with its
terms.
Pursuant to the terms of the Scheme and the Resolution passed
at the Second General Meeting, Derek Neil Hyslop and Richard Peter
Barker, each of Ernst & Young LLP, have been appointed as joint
liquidators (the "Liquidators").
The full text of the Resolution is set out in the
Shareholder circular containing the notice of the Second General
Meeting published by Arix on 23 January 2024 (the
"Notice of
Second General Meeting"). The
Notice of the Second General Meeting is available on Arix's website
at https://arixbioscience.com/investor-relations.
Number of votes cast at the General
Meeting
The results of the poll on the Resolution proposed at the
Second General Meeting held on 12 February 2024 were as
follows:
Votes For*
|
%
|
Votes Against
|
%
|
Total Votes Validly Cast
|
Votes Withheld**
|
85,497,144
|
97.84
|
1,890,449
|
2.16
|
87,387,593
|
35,489
|
Votes "For" and "Against" are expressed as a percentage of
the total votes received.
All percentages rounded to two decimal places.
*The votes "For" include those votes giving the Chairman
discretion.
** "Votes Withheld" are not a vote in law and have not been
counted in the calculation of the "Votes For" and "Votes Against"
the Resolution or the total number of votes validly
cast.
A copy of the Resolution passed at the Second
General Meeting will be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism
and will be available for inspection at:
https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism. The voting results will also shortly be
available on Arix's website at
https://arixbioscience.com/investor-relations.
Cancellation of Shares and
settlement and dealings in Consideration Shares
As announced by Arix earlier today, trading in the Shares on
the London Stock Exchange was suspended at 7:30 a.m
today in anticipation of the Second General Meeting.
Following the passing of the Resolution, the Liquidators have been
authorised to apply to the FCA for the cancellation of the
listing of the Shares on the standard segment of the Official List
and trading on the Main Market.
Applications have also been made to the FCA for the
Consideration Shares to be admitted to the Official List and to the
London Stock Exchange for such shares to be admitted to trading on
its Main Market.
It is
expected that the cancellation of the listing and trading of the
Shares, and the admission of the Consideration Shares to the London
Stock Exchange, will each take effect by 8:00 a.m. on 13 February
2024.
Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement
have the meanings given to them in the circular published by Arix
on 5 January 2024 in relation to the Scheme.
Enquiries:
Arix Bioscience plc
|
+44 (0)20 7290 1050
ir@Arixbioscience.com
|
|
|
Jefferies (Financial Adviser &
Corporate Broker to Arix)
|
+44 20 7029 8000
|
Philip Yates
Simon Hardy
|
|
Shaam Vora
|
|
|
|
Powerscourt Group (PR &
Communications adviser to Arix)
|
+44 20 7250 1446
|
Sarah MacLeod
|
|
Pete Lambie
|
|
Nick Johnson
Molly Ring
|
|
|
|
Important information
Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), which is authorised
and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United
Kingdom, is acting exclusively for Arix and no one else in
connection with the matters set out in this announcement and will
not regard any other person as its client in relation to the
matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone
other than Arix for providing the protections afforded to clients
of Jefferies nor for providing advice in relation to any matter
referred to in this announcement or any transaction or arrangement
referred to herein. Neither Jefferies nor any of its affiliates
owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever
(whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under
statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of
Jefferies in connection with this announcement, any statement
contained herein, any transaction or arrangement referred to
herein, or otherwise.
Notice to US Shareholders in
Arix
This announcement is not for publication or distribution,
directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America.
This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the
United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and
will not be registered under the U.S. Securities of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities
Act"), any state securities laws or the securities
laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in
the United States or to any "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902
under the Securities Act), except pursuant to an applicable
exemption from registration. No public offering of securities is
being made in the United States.
The Consideration Shares will be offered and sold for
investment purposes only in the United States or to U.S. Persons
(as such terms are defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S promulgated
under the Securities Act) under the exemption from registration
provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation
D promulgated thereunder and in compliance with the applicable
securities laws of each state or other jurisdiction in which the
offering will be made. Each
prospective investor that is within the United States or that is a
U.S. Person (as such term is defined in Rule 902 of Regulation S
promulgated under the Securities Act) must be both (i) an
"accredited investor" as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D of
the Securities Act and (ii) a (A) "qualified purchaser" as the term
is defined under Section 2(a)(51) of the U.S. Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder or (B) "knowledgeable employee"
as such term is defined in Rule 3c-5(a)(4) promulgated under the
1940 Act. Consideration Shares will be offered and sold outside of
the United States to investors that are not U.S. Persons in
accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.
RTW Bio is not registered, and does not intend to be subject
to registration, as an investment company under the 1940 Act in
reliance upon one or more exclusions or exemptions from
registration thereunder. U.S. Shareholders of Arix will be
requested to execute an investor letter ("AI/QP Investor Letter"). AI/QP
Investor Letters will contain representations and restrictions on
transfer designed to assure that the conditions of such exclusions
or exemptions will be met. Investors
in RTW Bio will therefore not receive the protections afforded by
the 1940 Act to investors in a registered investment
company. RTW Bio will not make a
public offering of the Consideration Shares to satisfy the
exclusion from registration as an investment company under the 1940
Act. If RTW Bio is deemed to be an
investment company and therefore is required to register under the
1940 Act, such requirement could prohibit RTW Bio from operating in
its intended manner and could have a material adverse effect on RTW
Bio.
The Consideration Shares are subject to restrictions on
transferability and resale and may not be transferred or resold
except as permitted under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act and any
applicable state and other securities laws, pursuant to
registration or an exclusion or exemption
therefrom. The transferability of
the Consideration Shares will be further restricted by the terms of
the AI/QP Investor Letter, and any re-offer or resale of any
Consideration Shares in the United States or to U.S. Persons may
constitute a violation of U.S.
law. U.S. Shareholders of Arix
should be aware that they may be required to bear the financial
risks of any investment in RTW Bio for an indefinite period of
time. RTW Bio reserves the right to
refuse to accept any subscriptions, resales or other transfers of
Consideration Shares to U.S. Persons or to any person, including on
the basis that doing so would risk RTW Bio's loss of an exclusion
or exemption under U.S. securities laws (e.g., the Securities Act
and the 1940 Act). RTW Bio further reserves the right to require
the transfer or redemption of Consideration Shares held by any
person for any reason, including circumstances that may prejudice
the tax status of RTW Bio, may cause RTW Bio to be in violation of
the Securities Act, the 1940 Act or any applicable state securities
act or may cause RTW Bio to suffer any pecuniary, fiscal or
administrative disadvantage which may be unlawful or detrimental to
the interests or well-being of RTW Bio.
General
If you are in any doubt about the contents of this
announcement or the action you should take, you are recommended to
seek your own independent financial advice immediately from your
stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor or independent financial
adviser duly authorised under the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000 (as amended) if you are resident in the United Kingdom or,
if not, from another appropriate authorised independent financial
adviser.