S-8

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 12, 2023

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_____________________________________

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

_____________________________________

 

Clearside Biomedical, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware

 

45-2437375

(State or other jurisdiction of Incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

900 North Point Parkway, Suite 200

Alpharetta, Georgia 30005

_____________________________________

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

2016 Equity Incentive Plan

_____________________________________

(Full title of the plan)

George Lasezkay, Pharm.D., J.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Clearside Biomedical, Inc.

900 North Point Parkway, Suite 200

Alpharetta, Georgia 30005

(678) 270-3631

_____________________________________

 

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

Copies to:

 

Mark Ballantyne
Cooley LLP
11951 Freedom Drive
Reston, VA 20190
(703) 456-8000

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large accelerated filer

 

 

 

Accelerated filer

 

Non-accelerated filer

 

 

 

Smaller reporting company

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emerging growth company

 

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

 

 

 


 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is being filed for the purpose of registering an aggregate of an additional 2,425,593 shares of Common Stock of Clearside Biomedical, Inc. to be issued pursuant to the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 EIP”).

 

 

2


 

PART II

 

ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The contents of the earlier registration statement relating to the 2016 EIP, previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on June 14, 2016 (File No. 333-212014) are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Registration Statement.

 

3


 

ITEM 8. EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit Number

Description

4.1(1)

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as currently in effect.

4.2(2)

Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as currently in effect.

4.3(3)

Amended and Restated Bylaws, as currently in effect.

4.4(4)

Specimen stock certificate evidencing shares of Common Stock.

4.5(5)

2016 Equity Incentive Plan.

4.6(6)

Form of Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement under 2016 Equity Incentive Plan.

4.7(7)

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under 2016 Equity Incentive Plan.

5.1

Opinion of Cooley LLP.

23.1

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm.

23.2

Consent of Cooley LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1

Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Form S-8).

107

Filing Fee Table.

 

(1) Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-37783), filed with the Commission on June 7, 2016, and incorporated by reference herein.

(2) Previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-37783), filed with the Commission on June 23, 2022, and incorporated by reference herein.

(3) Previously filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-37783), filed with the Commission on June 7, 2016, and incorporated by reference herein.

(4) Previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-208916), filed with the Commission on March 18, 2016, and incorporated by reference herein.

(5) Previously filed as Exhibit 4.7 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-212014), filed with the Commission on June 14, 2016, and incorporated by reference herein.

(6) Previously filed as Exhibit 10.7 to Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-208916), filed with the Commission on March 18, 2016, and incorporated by reference herein.

(7) Previously filed as Exhibit 10.8 to Amendment No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-208916), filed with the Commission on March 18, 2016, and incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

 

4


 

ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS

1.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(a)
To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)
To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”);
(ii)
To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
(iii)
To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(i) and (a)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(b)
That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c)
To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(d)
That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i)
Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii)
Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii)
The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv)
Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
2.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act

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(and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
3.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S‑8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Alpharetta, State of Georgia, on this 12th day of May, 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clearside Biomedical, Inc.

 

 

By:

/s/ George Lasezkay

 

 

 

 

George Lasezkay, Pharm.D., J.D.

 

 

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know All Persons By These Presents, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints George Lasezkay, Charles A. Deignan and Mark Ballantyne, and each or any one of them, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signature

Title

Date

 

 

 

/s/ George Lasezkay

George Lasezkay, Pharm.D., J.D.

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/ Charles A. Deignan

Charles A. Deignan

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/Christy L. Shaffer

Christy L. Shaffer, Ph.D.

 

Director

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/Clay B. Thorp

Clay B. Thorp

 

Director

 

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/William D. Humphries

William D. Humphries

 

Director

 

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/Jeffrey L. Edwards

Jeffrey L. Edwards

Director

 

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/Richard Croarkin

Richard Croarkin

Director

 

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/Nancy J. Hutson

Nancy J. Hutson., Ph.D.

Director

 

May 12, 2023

 

 

 

/s/Benjamin Yerxa

Benjamin Yerxa

Director

 

 May 12, 2023

 

 

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EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

 

https://cdn.kscope.io/a6c7b78a35d64816c1f47c03247cf836-img3420020_0.jpg 

 

Mark Ballantyne

(703) 456-8084

mballantyne@cooley.com

 

May 12, 2023

 

Clearside Biomedical, Inc.

900 North Point Parkway, Suite 200

Alpharetta, Georgia 30005

 

We have represented Clearside Biomedical, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing by the Company of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) covering the offering of up to 2,425,593 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, pursuant to the Company’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon (a) the Registration Statement and the related prospectus, (b) the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as currently in effect, (c) the Plan and (d) originals or copies certified to our satisfaction of such records, documents, certificates, memoranda and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies thereof, the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of certificates of public officials; and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by all persons other than the Company where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness of such documents. As to certain factual matters, we have relied upon a certificate of an officer of the Company and have not independently verified such matters.

 

Our opinion is expressed only with respect to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion to the extent that any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof and express no opinion and provide no assurance as to compliance with any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation.

 

On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when sold and issued in accordance with the Plan, and the Registration Statement and related prospectus, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable (except as to shares issued pursuant to deferred payment arrangements, which will be fully paid and nonassessable when such deferred payments are made in full).

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Cooley LLP

 

 

By:

/s/ Mark Ballantyne

 

Mark Ballantyne

 

ONE FREEDOM SQUARE, RESTON TOWN CENTER, 11951 FREEDOM DRIVE, RESTON, VA 20190-5640 T: (703) 456-8000 F: (703) 456-8100 WWW.COOLEY.COM


EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan of Clearside Biomedical, Inc. of our report dated March 14, 2023, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Clearside Biomedical, Inc. included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Atlanta, Georgia

May 12, 2023

 


EX-FILING FEES

 

Exhibit 107

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Table

 

Form S-8

 

CLEARSIDE BIOMEDICAL, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Security Type

 

Security Class Title

 

Fee Calculation Rule

 

Amount Registered(1)

 

Proposed Maximum

Offering Price Per Share

 

Maximum Aggregate

Offering Price

 

Fee Rate

 

Amount of Registration Fee

Equity

 

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, Clearside Biomedical, Inc. 2016 Equity Incentive Plan

 

Other (2)

 

2,425,593 (2)

 

$1.07 (3)

 

$2,595,384.51

 

$0.00011020

 

$286.02

Total Offering Amount

 

 

 

$2,595,384.51

 

 

 

Total Fees Previously Paid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Fee Offsets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Fee Due

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$286.02

 

(1) Pursuant to Rule 416(a) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) of Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (the “Registrant”) that become issuable under the 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 EIP”) set forth herein by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, or other similar transaction effected that results in an increase to the number of outstanding shares of Registrant’s Common Stock, as applicable.

(2) Represents shares of Common Stock that were added to the shares authorized for issuance under the 2016 Plan on January 1, 2023 pursuant to an “evergreen” provision contained in the 2016 Plan.

(3) Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) promulgated under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. The offering price per share and the aggregate offering price are based upon a per share price of $1.07, which is the average of the high and low prices per share of the Registrant’s Common Stock on May 8, 2023, as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market.